Bound by Shadows

Chapter 12

‘Where am I?’ The question bounced around Gabriel’s head as the hard surface under him hummed and jolted, sending his face a few inches in the air before landing back down.

Arg. Gabriel groaned internally. Not that the small jolt had hurt particularly much, but because he was already in so much pain. It felt like the devil was just being mean now and using him for target practice.

After several minutes, time Gabriel needed to gather up his strength and fight through the pain. His eyes slowly blinked open. Well, that explained a little, he thought as he blinked a couple of times to clear his vision.

The unmistakable walls of a vehicle greeted his eyes. He tilted his head and looked around a little and quickly realized he wasn’t in a trunk of a car. That gave him some relief. Instead, he concluded he was in the back of a van. One that smelled of too much bleach and was painfully bare, as though someone had cleaned it within an inch of its life. That said a lot about the uses of the van.

Gabriel didn’t mind the cleanness. At least it meant he wouldn’t get some mysterious substance into his open wounds and risk a fatal infection. But confusion still creased his brows. He was a little disoriented and couldn’t remember how he got there. The last time he had opened his eyes, he had been on the floor of some dimly lit room.

It didn’t give him comfort knowing that he had been moved without him even realizing it. How long had he been unconscious and how long had they been moving? The trauma to his head seemed worse than he initially concluded. The clouding of his thoughts worried him.

Gabriel tried to shift his body and get a better look at the front windshield. But he quickly realized that the men holding him were not fools, and they hadn’t removed his binds. Anger and frustration clawed at his chest as he blindly assessed his bound wrists at his back and the rope wrapped around his ankles. He was literally powerless and vulnerable. Not the state he wanted to be in.

His head throbbed with a fuzzy haze, making it hard to concentrate. While it was tempting to close his eyes and slip back into the darkness where the pain at least left him alone, he knew why that wasn’t an option.

He had to get out before someone put a bullet through him and stopped any chance of ever seeing his family again. With that in mind, he strained to listen to the voices up front in the van, but their words sounded distant and muffled, as though coming from a faraway place.

The van rumbled along; the vibrations causing every inch of his body to ache. Unless he was mistaken, his body hurt even more than it had after the crash. Had some i***t taken shots at him while he was out cold? It was possible. It wasn’t exactly held by people with a working moral campus.

The light from the front was enough to clearly see, even though the van had no windows in the back. He winced and gritted his teeth as pain shot through him. A glance at his lower body revealed that the wound on his thigh had reopened and seeping fresh blood. The makeshift bandage he had wrapped around before was gone.

Suddenly, he wondered if these men planned on keeping him alive for long. Any i***t with two brain cells to rub together would know that blood loss was a sure way to kill your prisoner. s**t! He wasn’t sitting around to find out if that was their plan.

His breaths came quick and shallow, and he felt a sense of uncertainty hit him. What if he didn’t make it out? Would Lorenzo and the guys find him in time to save him?

Gabriel shook his head. He couldn’t start thinking of defeat without even trying yet. That wasn’t him, and that definitely wasn’t the attitude Lorenzo had fostered in him. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain and focus on regaining his clarity. His heart pounded in his ears, and the muffled voices in the front seemed to fade in and out like distant echoes.

Drawing upon whatever strength he had left, he took a deep breath and steeled himself. He couldn’t let fear paralyze him; he had to fight. To find a way to break free from the ropes that held him captive and get out of the van.

Gabriel twisted his bound hands behind his back. It was a slow and tedious process, but he refused to be defeated. Minutes ticked by with the van taking him further away toward his doom.

The men seated in front, whom Gabriel now realized were two, never bothered to check on him. It was a small blessing, but he was grateful. Finally, after what felt like forever, his heart skipped a beat in excitement as he felt the ropes loosen slightly.

Avoiding to make any sudden movements that would only draw attention to his efforts. Gabriel stayed calm. With a few more tugs with his raw fingers and a twist, the ropes gradually gave way, and a surge of hope ignited within him. He clenched his jaw, willing himself to remain focused despite the throbbing pain in his head and the relentless ache in his body.

Eventually, he felt the ropes loosen enough to allow him some mobility in his hands. With trembling fingers, he continued to work on the knots until, at last, his hands were free. The relief that washed over him was fleeting, as he knew he still had to free his bound feet before the men in front caught on to what he was doing.

Gabriel glanced at the front of the van before carefully maneuvering his body and bringing his arms forward. Sharp pain blossomed from his shoulders, joining the array of aches already assaulting him. Gabriel bit his tongue hard enough to taste the coppery tang of blood. Spots danced before his eyes, but he fought the pain until he was sure he could move again.

His trembling fingers reached for the rope around his ankles, but just then, the van hit a bump in the road, jostling him, and he winced as pain shot through his body from everywhere.

Damn it! Gabriel clenched his teeth and held still, waiting for one of the men to turn and check on him. But after a handful of seconds, nothing happened. Gabriel released his breath before he got back to work, freeing himself. He had to work quickly; there was no telling how much time he had before they reached their destination.

With a combination of agility and determination, he worked on untying the knots around his feet. Each tug and twist felt like an eternity, but he didn’t allow frustration to overtake him. He had come this far, and he wasn’t about to give up now.

The voices in the front of the van continued to drone on, providing a constant reminder that time was not on his side. Gabriel’s heart pounded in his chest as he worked.

Finally, with a mix of relief and triumph, the last knot gave way, and he felt the rope around his feet loosen. He stretched his legs slowly, trying to regain some feeling and mobility.

With both his hands and feet free, Gabriel knew he had a fighting chance. There was no time for hesitation or second-guessing. Summoning every ounce of courage, he edged closer to the front of the van, his heart pounding in his chest. The van’s interior felt confining, and the air was thick with tension. As he moved silently, adrenaline surged through him, heightening his senses.

His mind raced with thoughts of his friends, the danger they might be in, and the need to escape this nightmare. Gabriel knew he had to confront his captors head-on. To take control of the situation before it was too late.

He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and then pounced. Launching himself at the two men seated up front, he caught them by surprise, their startled expressions giving him a momentary advantage.

A struggle immediately broke out as Gabriel fought to overpower the thugs. The van swerved carelessly, the sudden movement causing him to lose his balance, but he refused to back down. Shouting and the exchange of blows filled the confined space, adding to the chaos and desperation.

With a surge of strength he didn’t know he had, Gabriel landed a solid punch on one of the men, causing him to falter. But the other man retaliated with a swift strike to Gabriel’s ribs, the pain searing through him as the air rushed out of his lungs. Yet, he pressed on, fueled by determination and a fierce desire to escape.

The van continued to sway, the road ahead mercifully clear of traffic. Gabriel fought with a sense of urgency and desperation, knowing that this was his only chance. He was dead if he failed.

So, despite the pain, he wrestled with the men, using every ounce of strength he had left. Thankfully, adrenaline coursed through his veins, granting him an almost superhuman determination to fight for his life.

As the struggle intensified, the van swerved again, this time with greater force. The sudden jolt sent Gabriel crashing into the van’s floor, where he had been lying down moments before.

Something happened up front. Gabriel was vaguely aware of one of the men shouting and calling his friend’s name. The metallic groan of the vehicle echoed in the confined space, adding to the disarray as the van swayed again, as though completely out of control.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Gabriel seized the opportunity. He scrambled on his hands and knees and made for the back door, praying it hadn’t been locked. Shouts and curses filled the air, but he didn’t turn back to see what was happening. Gabriel moved with renewed ferocity, knowing that this was his chance to break free.