Bound by Shadows

Chapter 7

Gabriel let out a sigh of frustration. His groan echoed in the cold, chilling breeze that blew through the trees. The setting sun cast a dim light over the wreckage as he searched desperately for the medical supplies he needed. But the scattered debris made it hard to find anything. And he was running out of time. He also couldn’t continue stumbling about with an open wound freely bleeding on his thigh.

His eyes once more scanned the foliage-covered ground. He saw nothing more than broken branches and pieces of the helicopter that had broken off during the crash. His heart sank a bit, but he still reached into the bag, hoping for a miracle.

His trembling fingers brushed against something. Gabriel almost smiled when he retrieved a pack of hemostatic powder and a single roll of gauze. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. With unsteady hands, he collected the precious materials, holding them close like a lifeline. Which, at this point, they really were.

Gabriel moved away from the wreckage and then lowered himself to the ground, gritting his teeth against the wave of pain that assaulted his body. Once he was settled, he focused on the task at hand.

With steady determination, he grabbed the ripped ends of his trousers and tried to widen the hole for better access. He wasn’t about to undress in the middle of a forest. Hell no. Gabriel shook his head at the mere thought. He was in enough pain without adding the bite of a mysterious insect on his butt.

Even with the poor lighting around him and the blood oozing out, Gabriel could see that he had a cut at least ten inches long on his left thigh. There were no jagged edges, so he guessed something sharp, like a piece of glass or metal, must have cut through his leg during the crash.

Gabriel groaned as he tried to think through the pain. Theoretically, he knew he had to clean the wound, stop the bleeding, and then dress it. He had done it a million times, just not on himself and with none of the proper tools.

His first attempt to poke into the cut with his fingers and feel for any debris that he needed to remove, sent a wave of pain through him so intense, it had Gabriel heaving and expelling whatever had been left in his stomach from his last meal.

After taking a moment to recover and spit out the taste of bile, he made the risky decision that whatever had cut him had been clean and he didn’t need to poke anymore. He sprinkled the hemostatic powder onto the deep wound, its immediate effects bringing a momentary relief.

Applying the gauze with meticulous care, Gabriel secured the makeshift bandage, thankful for his foresight in packing the first aid supplies. He only wished a vial of tramadol had also remained in the bag. He could have used it to dull the pain.

Actually, Gabriel needed something as strong as morphine, a serious dose of broad-spectrum antibiotics, a tetanus shot, and just a good sedative to shut down his body. But sadly, none of the vials and hypodermic needles were in the bag or the nearby brush.

And frankly speaking, getting high on drugs wasn’t an option at the moment. He needed to stay alert and awake. The pain was certainly keeping him awake. Gabriel spent a few more minutes tending to other wounds on his body. He poured some powder on the cut on his forehead and arm before assessing that the rest could wait.

The simple act of tending to his injuries renewed his determination to get out of there, find his family, and ensure their safety.

With his makeshift bandage in place, he knew he couldn’t afford to wait any longer. Soon, he wouldn’t have any light to help him navigate the terrain. So, clutching the gun close to his side, he began his slow and steady journey through the tangled underbrush.

For several minutes, Gabriel limped through the dense forest. His focus was consumed by the urgency of finding his friends or a way to communicate with them. He strained to listen for any sign of life, but the throbbing in his head and the rustling leaves up in the trees obscured any other sound.

Suddenly, he felt an eerie sensation, like the chilling breath of an unseen predator on his neck. Before he could react, a harsh voice pierced the air, commanding him to a halt. Instinctively, he turned towards the source, only to find himself surrounded by a group of armed men emerging from the shadows.

Shit!

With a mixture of defiance and fear, Gabriel’s fingers instinctively twitched around his own weapon, but before he could raise it, the barrel of several guns was trained on him. The cruel glint in their eyes sent a shiver down his spine, and he knew they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot.

Gabriel’s lips curled into a sardonic smile, trying to mask the fear gnawing at him. “That’s all I needed to make this day perfect. Your ugly faces.”

The snide comment only seemed to infuriate the armed men. Before he could react, a forceful blow struck the back of his head, sending waves of additional pain surging through him. His vision blurred, and his legs gave way, sinking him to his knees painfully. Almost immediately, his consciousness wavered, and the world around him spun into darkness.

The last thing he heard was the sinister laughter of the thugs, their cruel victory echoing through the forest. His body slumped to the ground, a prisoner to the darkness that enveloped him, and thankfully, took the pain away.

***

In the void, time lost its meaning. It could have been minutes or hours before Gabriel’s senses gradually stirred back to life. A dull ache pounded at the back of his head, and as he opened his eyes, the world swam in a disorienting blur. He was really not enjoying the sensation of waking up lost again.

He blinked a few times and realized that the forest had transformed into an ominous, dimly lit, cold space. His hands were bound, and the cold, hard ground pressed against his cheek.

Panic surged within him as he realized the peril he was in. It was clear that he had jumped from the frying pan into the fire, and he had no idea how to escape this nightmare.

For a moment, his head went blank. What did he do now? And who exactly was he dealing with? Chip Marvick or Sawyer the Snake? Neither of the two was a good option. They both meant death to Gabriel.

And despite the pain and the fear that gripped him, Gabriel knew he couldn’t succumb to despair. He had to find a way out, not just for his sake, but for the sake of his family, who were undoubtedly in grave danger too if he was here. Because he had no doubt they would storm any layer to get him back.

So many things could go wrong if Lorenzo and the others came after him. The fact that he had crashed and was now captured just highlighted how easy it was for things to go wrong. Gabriel wasn’t ready to put his family in more danger than they were already in. He needed to use his head and get out. But as he tried to twist and test his binds, his body reminded him of all the injuries he had sustained and darkness closed in.

Damn, that last blow to the head hadn’t helped matters. Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to draw a deep breath and fight the fog. He needed to get out, but he didn’t know how he was going to do that with his head so foggy.