My Soul to Keep

Terra could faintly hear someone calling her name after she felt something cold on each side of her neck. Groaning a little, she peeled her eyes open and tried to blink away the groggy feeling. There was hardly any light when she finally got her eyes open, but she saw a familiar face.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Matt didn't hesitate to spit the words out to her.

“What happened?” Terra questioned while trying to sit upright.

“Relax, you passed out.”

As he uttered those words, her mind snapped back to the man trying to yank her from the car, to the gunshots and to Matt's bloody shirt. Her eyes grew wide and Matt could see she was going to panic again. He slipped his hand under the back of her neck and pulled her face into his neck. He rocked her back and forth for a few moments, hoping it would deter the onset panic she was displaying.

“Hey listen to me, you're fine. Everything is fine.”

“No, no it's not!”

“Yes it is. You're safe now, everything is okay. No one can get you.”

“I just watched you kill someone!” She shouted a bit to loudly at him as she shoved him away.

“Now that settles it,” Terra looked toward the front seat of the SUV, noticing a man she'd since ignored. “She knows too much.”

“Listen Gates, we can't just take her.”

“But she knows your fucking identity now! We can't just leave her, she'll squeal like a pig!” The dark haired man seethed while looking into the rear view mirror.

“I-I won't! I won't tell anybody!”

“That's what they all fucking say, then you turn your head and you're on America's Most Wanted.”

“Please! Matt I would never-”

“See that. She knows your real name man. They'd fucking track us down before we cleared a different state.”

“Alright just shut up and let me think!” He shouted more at the man, Gates, in the front seat. He rubbed his temples and sighed as he lolled his head back against the black seats. “Here's what will do. Take us to the safe house and drop us off. Then get the rest of the guys together and meet us in Vegas.”

“How do you plan on getting this one,” he gestured to Terra with his thumb. “onto a plane without complications?”

“I'm not going. I want to go home.”

“Terra you're in shock. You're freaking out and I just don't trust your actions right now. I can't just let you waltz away and get me locked up.”

“Matt-”

“I saved your life Terra, you have to realize there was no other way. Can't you understand why I can't let you walk?”

“I wouldn't talk to anyone. I'd pretend I didn't know anything.” She sobbed while looking the man she thought she knew in the face.

Matt reached over and ran his fingers down her cheek, sighing heavily he shook his head while peering into her wet brown eyes. He hesitated before looking at the man in the front seat and nodding once, signaling to go through with his instructions. Looking back at Terra, he adorned a small smile.

“Terra I just don't believe you. Don't get me wrong, I've never pitted you for a liar, but I've been around for a long time. Women always tell me the same bullshit.”

“You did save my life, for that I am thankful. However, for kidnapping me, I will never forgive you.”

“I'm sure you'll find a way once you realize without us you'd be dead right now.”

Things fell silent for the rest of the ride. Not one word uttered until they pulled up to a secluded house just off a winding road toward the mountains. Matt looked over at Terra, hope flashed in his eyes briefly before he replaced it with coldness.

“Don't make this difficult.” He uttered under his breath when he realized she had a gleam in her eyes.

“I damn sure won't make it easy.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

He quickly grabbed her arms above the elbow and tossed her over his lap. No matter how hard she kicked and screamed, he wouldn't loosen the hold he had. She thrashed her head around until she became aware of where his leg was. Moving quickly she bit down into his thigh. Matt groaned in discomfort, but was otherwise undeterred.

“Yeah, go ahead and tire yourself out.” He grunted lowly while keeping his hold of steel on her arms. “You're going to make things hard for yourself Terra, that's not my aim.”

Panting by the time she was finished, she mustered up one last bit of power. Hunching her back brought her level with the center of his lap, she crashed her head down into his crotch and tried to bit the fabric. Matt grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her painfully upright to glare into her face.

“You're getting fucking ridiculous Terra! Honestly I'm trying to help you!”

“Then let me go!”

“Gates, help me get her inside!”

Without much of a struggle, the man yanked her from the car with a strong grip on her shoulder and arm, and forced her up the steps of the plain looking brick home. Once inside her shoved her face first down on the couch and waited. Terra was much to weak to fight or struggle, but she was surprised when she felt her arms being bound with rope.

“Is it safe for me to go now?”

“Yeah, go on and get the guys. See you in Vegas.”

After the two of them were alone, the man drove away rather quickly, Matt took a deep breath and sighed out loudly. He moved around the couch and rolled Terra onto her back.

“The cut doesn't look too bad, probably won't need much more than some ointment and a bandage.”

“It was all apart of your plan wasn't it? Take me to dinner, get me tipsy and then what...? Kidnap and rape me?”

He walked out of the room with answering her, he actually didn't care what she thought he was up to. The bottom line was he knew what he was doing was right. If not for him, she would be dead. She would have been worst than dead.