The man that held Suri wore a black bandanna like the leader and he proudly displayed his tattoo on his left hand, which Nole only saw because of how the Pent positioned the knife. His other hand covered Suri’s mouth, muffling her cries for help. Where’s Caden? He was supposed to stay with her! Nole met his little sister’s eyes and he held her gaze briefly until the blade blocked their line of vision. Her terror upon seeing the knife almost made Nole lose it. If they touch her... he shook his head. No, I have to stay calm.

“Come out here,” the leader demanded, silencing a petrified Suri.

Nole obeyed, telling himself he had to maintain his rationale. How did this happen? All of this is my fault. He forced himself to avoid meeting Suri’s pleading eyes for fear he may lose his composure; instead maintaining eye contact with the Pent leader.

 “Where’s my brother?” Nole questioned, gritting his teeth to muffle the fear in his voice. Suri’s abductor glanced at the leader, who hesitated.

“Is she not enough?” Suri’s captor spoke up. He pressed the dull side of the knife against her cheek and she tensed up, wailing as the man threatened to cut her. Although he had only used the dull side, Nole could barely hold in his rage as he witnessed the indention the steel made on her porcelain cheek, like a balloon ready to pop.

“Stop!” he roared, causing the man to flinch. The Pent leader grinned.

“So you do care,” he mocked. “It’s alright. We won’t hurt her if you just give us what we want.” Nole relaxed once the man withdrew the blade from her cheek. Where’s Caden? He wanted to inquire about his brother again, but he saw that reasoning with the Pents was futile.

“What do you want?”

“Finally, some cooperation,” scoffed the Pent leader. “It has come to my attention that you have some,” he paused, thinking of the right word, “information that doesn’t involve you.” Nole didn’t react. “Information you would have encountered within the past twelve hours.”

Nole’s worst suspicions were confirmed. They mean from the man I saved, he concluded. If I deny I know anything, they won’t believe me.

“So you want me to tell you what I know?”

“No, we want the evidence of what you know,” explained the Pent leader.

I can fake information, but I can’t fake proof. If only they didn’t have Suri, then I could just take care of them. Nole knew he was pushing the man’s patience, so he didn’t ask any more questions. He clenched his jaw, contemplating his options. My best bet is to lie. They’re convinced I have this proof. I have to negotiate Suri’s release, and then I’ll deal with them.

“The proof is in the shack.” Nole bit his lip, apologizing to Murphy once more. “It’s hidden. Let her go and I’ll show you where.”

He held his breath, awaiting the leader’s reply. To his relief, the Pent looked over to his subordinate and nodded to him. Suri was put down and her mouth was uncovered. “Don’t do anything stupid,” warned the large man. “Or she’ll be the one taking the fall.”

The hushed sniffles and whimpers she let out made Nole shudder. He had done it to her again. “You’ll be showing us where it is,” the Pent Leader corrected, signaling his men to follow. Nole could only nod in agreement. I figured as much. He couldn’t improvise for long. If he went inside the shack, they would corner him easily due to the limited space. Going downstairs would trap him as well, but there was much more space to work with. “Stay out here with the girl,” the Pent leader ordered Suri’s detainer.

He and half of his men approached the front of the shack. Nole waited quietly stealing a glance at his sister. She didn’t look angry, just frightened. Her reddened cheeks glowed with the fear and her eyes were tear studded. She held her arms, not in a cross, but in a helpless way that looked like she was cradling an imaginary child.

When the Pents met him at the shack’s entrance, he guided them through the room, to the closet, and down the long, cramped staircase. Silently, they arrived to the underground office and Nole led them to the cabinet underneath the staircase.

The men crowded around him, anxious as he opened the flimsy wooden doors. Give me something to work with here, he thought. He instantly scanned the shelves, looking for anything that would be of use to him. The doctor’s bag caught his eye. He reached for it and turned to the men.

“It’s in here.” He extended the bag, but the man didn’t take it.

“Get it,” the grizzly man demanded. Nole dug his hand inside, combing through the contents. Through the corner of his eye, he saw the man raise his chin and peek inside the bag, silently awaiting his precious proof.

Nole retrieved a small plastic box and handed it to the man.

“This is it?” he asked, snatching the item.

“It’s inside,” Nole replied, his nerves getting to him. All of the men watched their leader try and open the small box with his large, brawny hands while Nole inconspicuously sunk his arm into the bag once more, hoping to find what he was looking for before his enemy caught on to his deceit. The moment he found what he was looking for, he saw the Pent snap the case open. His gruff face twisted into an expression of rage Nole had never seen so intense.

“What is this?” he shouted, smashing the plastic onto the cement floor. The instant the gauze and bandages of the first aid kit slid across the ground, Nole pulled out an open bottle of alcohol and splashed the liquid in the Pent’s face.

While his enemy screamed in agony, Nole quickly performed a sweeping floor kick, knocking him to the ground. Fighting off the men in his path, he made a break for the staircase. When he managed to get to the bottom of the stairs, he noticed the large man blinking wildly as he searched for Nole.

“Kill the girl!” he roared at the top of his lungs.

Sprinting up the stairs, an icy sensation of fear enveloped Nole’s senses. I can make it. I’ll save her. She’ll be alive. But even as he thought the words, he couldn’t escape the doubt that grew in the pit of his stomach. He felt like he was going to pass out from the hideous feeling that slowly crept inside him; that he couldn’t make it, that he couldn’t save her, that she wouldn’t be alive.

He knew without a doubt that the large man’s voice had penetrated the walls and escaped to his cohort’s ears. Although the voice might have shaken some of the underlings, Nole wouldn’t allow his body to falter.

As he neared the open door at the top, it suddenly slammed shut. He turned the handle desperately and rammed his shoulder against it, putting all of his body weight into it, but it wouldn’t budge. His mind began to panic as his usually calm and calculated intellect vanished. There was no genius plan to devise, no single enemy he had to overcome to get through the situation.

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

“Suri!” He threw his fists at it, desperate to get to his sister. It finally became clear to Nole that the Pents had trapped him down there, and like Murphy, that room would become his resting place.

The incessant strikes of the door made his hands go numb as tears formed in his eyes; tears he hadn’t shed in a year.

Suri, I’m coming!

Caden, where are you?

He spotted the rest of the Pents gathering at the bottom of the staircase, laughing mercilessly. They made an opening for the leader and, with beat red eyes and spastic blinking, climbed after Nole. He, too, wore a sinister grin, and slowly made his approach, relishing the predicament Nole was in. I’ll be there soon. He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket and squeezed the handle in his right hand, flipping the clean-edged steel out for his victim to see. I promise. Nole watched him approaching as he stood on the tiny edge of the first floor, leaning against the wooden barrier.

I’ll be there. Just wait!

Just as the Pent leader came within reach of him, the door swung open abruptly, causing Nole to fall backwards onto the hardwood floor. He searched for any possible enemies, but only saw four unconscious Pents sprawled on the floor beside him. He jerked his head back in the direction of the staircase and saw the massive Pent advancing, but a girl suddenly obscured his view.

The Pent snarled at her, angered by her appearance. When he reached the last stair, the girl whipped out a miniature spray can from her back jean pocket and sprayed it in his face. Although she was much shorter than the colossal gang leader, the fumes from the mist still shrouded his head.

He shouted in pain as he dropped the blade and flailed his arms in an attempt to dissipate the fog. Ragged coughs escaped his throat and tears began streaming down his face. Pepper spray? As soon as Nole inferred the contents of the can, the girl landed a hard kick to the man’s stomach, causing him to fall back down the staircase, toppling over the rest of his men.

She locked the door, trapping the Pents in the lower level of the shack. When she finally turned to him, he realized that it was the same girl that had warned him of the Pents; the one with Zane. He was in momentary shock when the thought of Suri finally hit him. Without a word, he stumbled to his feet and ran outside only to find an area scattered with beaten gang members, but no Suri.

 “Suri!” He was unable to hide the distress in his voice. “Suri!”

Rapid footsteps came from around the corner of the shack and his sister emerged, crashing into him as she wept.

“Nole!” she whimpered squeezing his waist

She’s… safe.

A flood of relief washed over him. She’s safe. The sinking feeling vanished, but the tears remained. He bit his lip as he dwelled on what might have happened. The hideous image of Suri in a pool of her own blood, just like Murphy, just like his mother, made his stomach churn. Although his heart slowed its pace, it still felt heavy. She embraced him tighter, as if he would drift off if she let go, so he sunk to his knees to match her height.

Smooth, hazel hair tangled his finger as he stroked the back of her head. He could barely wrap his head around what just happened. As he knelt by the entrance of the shack, he heard another set of footsteps from where Suri had emerged.

From behind the corner, Zane appeared. With hands stuffed in his pockets, he slouched on the crumbling walls of the shack as his gray eyes settled on Nole.

“Ready to listen?”