Salvation

Salvation #30

Nate leans against the car window. His gaze flashes over the road, frightened and anxious. "Stop here," he murmurs. Marissa twists around in the seat and stares at him, "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"Stop here," Nate repeats.

Jason tightens his grip on the steering wheel, quickly glancing up in the rear-view mirror. "I don't think driving up in a cop car is exactly a brilliant idea," Nate mutters.

"How far is it?" Jason asks, trying to force a relaxed tone into the nervous silence.

"Depends on how much you like walking," Nate mumbles.

Jason pulls up on the side of the road, cutting the engine. He cracks the door open, sliding out of the drivers' seat. "Do you have guns?" Nate asks.

"Yes," Marissa replies, climbing out of the car. Nate hesitates before following them.

He leads them toward a tangled barb wire fence, concealing a field behind it. Nimbly he slides underneath it, crawling over the ground. "Natanael," a worried tone slips into Marissa's voice.

"Si?" Nate staggers through the long grass while Jason clambers underneath the barb wire.

"Are you in any pain?"

He shakes his head. "It's bleeding," Marissa draws in a sharp breath. Nate glances over his shoulder, awkwardly looking at the blood seeping through the white bandages. "Mierda."

She scurries underneath the knotted wire, emerging in the field. They trail behind Nate, letting him cautiously lead them through the long grass.

Jason's hand hovers absentmindedly over his handgun. A slight rustling swarms around them. Marissa's eyes scan the dried grass, surveying the empty field.

"We need back up," Jason sighs.

"Leave it," Nate says, "It'll attract too much attention."

"How many are there?"

"Right now there's three. But there's more all around the place."

"Perfect," Jason mutters.

Cicadas buzz around them, covering the sound of their footsteps. Long grass wraps around their legs, tugging at their ankles.

Wild barking echoes across the field. "Shit," Jason mumbles.

"Cooper?" Nate stumbles in a tight circle. He can barely see the dog straining against the chain tying him to the thin post.

Nate trudges through the grass, kneeling down beside him. He runs his fingers through his thick fur. "Shh Coop. Calma." His fingers curl around the chain, clipping it off of Cooper's leather collar.

He licks the palm of Nate's hand, nuzzling his fingers. "Calma," Nate murmurs. His gaze flickers over the Border Collie. "Where's Ella?"

Marissa and Jason linger behind him. "Dónde está Ella?" Nate breathes. Cooper darts through the long grass. Nate stands, following him.

He can just see the dark shape of the cross standing in the centre of the field. He can barely make out the silhouette of Ella's battered body pinned to the wood.

"Mierda," Nate gasps, sprinting through the long grass.

"Shit," Jason mutters.

"Natanael get back here!" Marissa hisses, "He's going to get killed."

Jason races after him, freezing at the sight of the heavy cross. Nate hesitates, stumbling a few metres before the cross. "Christ," Marissa gasps.

A frail scream hovers over her tongue, sending fear and relief racing through Nate, the emotions blurring together. "I-I'm sorry," she sobs desperately. Her voice is broken and thick with tears. "Please...oh God."

The frightened tone in her voice leaks into the air. "W-who's there?" she cries. Her auburn hair has tangled around her face and a grey strip of cloth hides her dark eyes. "Oh God please...please...I-I just want to go home."

Her ankles kick against the splintery wood, a frail attempt to escape. Blood dries over the nails driven through her hands. It drips over the palms over her hands, trickling down her wrists.

"Elle?" Nate steps cautiously toward her. "Elle it's me." He reaches up for her, gently stroking the side of her face. "N-Nate?" she chokes.

"Shh. It's just me."

He slides his hand around the back of her head. Her hair threads through his fingers. Carefully he lifts the rough material off from around her head.

He can feel Jason and Marissa's eyes drilling into his back, burning a hole in his spine.

Ella blinks wildly, staring through the blinding sunlight. "Nate?" she whimpers. Her glassy eyes lock on him and tears stream down her cheeks. "Nate."

"Shh," Nate soothes, "I'm going to get you down. Everything's going to be OK." Her head lolls back against the palm of his hand. "It hurts so bad."

"I know...I know," he murmurs, smearing a tear away, "But we're going to get you down."

The bliss of unconsciousness lingers over Ella's features. "Ella stay with me. Come on. You have to stay awake," Nate pleads, shaking her gently. "Por favor, mantenerse despierto."

"It hurts."

"Ella you have to stay awake. Elle please," Nate begs, "Elle you have to hold on. You're going home. Elle le vamos a casa."

Her shallow breathing hisses down her throat and her chest heaves unevenly. She slips into a dark, inky world. Nate's voice turns fuzzy inside her ears.

"Natanael," Marissa's hands clamp down on his shoulders. She tugs him away from Ella's bruised body. "W-we can't leave her," Nate staggers out of her grip.

"We aren't going to leave her," she promises. Cooper circles Nate's feet, whining. "Nate we aren't going to leave her." She forces him to turn around and face her. Her blue eyes dig into him like icy knives. "We just have to get her down OK?

"We can't leave her," the frightening sound of determination and the yearning to protect Ella slips into his voice, "We can't leave her."