locked tight, only making Orville scream even higher.
“Get her off!” Orville begged and Farley released my hair, grabbing my jaw instead and forcing my mouth to open. I lurched backwards, throwing my head back as hard as possible and smacking it right between Farley’s legs. He roared, stumbling away and I was up on my feet in the next heartbeat, my gaze on the trees as I ran as hard and as fast as I could towards them.
“Get her!” Duke boomed and the sound of several footfalls reached me from behind, drawing closer and closer.
Panic snared my heart as I made it to the tree line. They were gaining on me and before I could make it into the shadows of the woods, a hand caught hold of my shoulder and I was twisted around and thrown to the ground. I sank into the snow, but wasn’t left there long as two men picked me up between them and started carrying me back to the fire as I fought them with everything I had.
I punched and kicked and scratched, but it did no good as they tossed me down then started pulling at my clothes. I was on my back, throwing my legs out in frantic kicks as they tore at my shirt and more men surrounded me like wolves fighting for pieces of a fresh kill. Farley was amongst them, watching and laughing as they fought to get their hands on me first. His broad form couldn’t be missed, his meaty head with thick black hair sprouting from it standing half a foot above them all. Orville started cursing my name somewhere close by, but I couldn’t feel any satisfaction towards that because someone was squeezing my breasts and breathing heavily in my ear. Another was trying to pin my ankles down and several were trying to tear Nicoli’s plaid shirt from my body. My thoughts muddled and panic made me scream.
As a man with grisly blonde hair leaned over me, I lunged for the knife at his hip in desperation, drawing it with a growl of rage. I didn’t hesitate as I slammed it into his gut and his eyes widened in delayed shock as hot blood spilled over my hand then he reared back with a bellow of pain and I started slashing at everyone surrounding me like a wild woman. The group backed up and I made it to my feet again, swinging the blade left and right as I tried to keep them back.
“That fucking slut!” someone barked.
“Get her!” another roared.
Farley came at me like a freight train and Duke’s laughter reached me as I wielded the blade, ready to maim and gut and kill.
Farley lunged for my hand which held the knife and I managed to slice his arm before he caught it, snatching the blade away from me and tucking it into his belt.
“I’ll make it stop if you give me the code,” Duke called as Farley turned me towards him. “What’ll it be, red?”
I shuddered in Farley’s grip. I didn’t have the code Duke wanted, like I’d told him a thousand times before I buried my voice. So I’d known this moment was coming for too long. I was always going to end up here. I doubted I’d see another sunrise, but I let my eyes fall closed and pictured those I’d seen from Nicoli’s window. I recalled the kisses we’d shared and the way his touches had soothed the deep ache in my soul. No one could take those moments from me, not even these monsters. At least I could say that in my short and painful existence, I had experienced something good and sweet and worth living for. It broke my heart that I wouldn’t get any more than the brief window of light I’d been gifted. But maybe after tonight, I’d at least be at peace.
“She needs to learn her place,” Farley spoke to the surrounding camp then latched his hand around my throat until I choked, shaking me so I opened my eyes and fell into the infernal hell waiting for me in his. “Let’s see how much fight you have left after I break every bone in your body, whore.”
My chest heaved with deep breaths in and out, causing a fog to billow from my mouth on each exhale and a burn of ice to fill my chest as I inhaled the freezing air again and ran on. I didn’t even need to follow the snowmobile tracks