The Abduction of Regan Emmett

James could feel how close he was getting to the cabin. His blood was boiling, his adrenaline was going nuts, those were usual feelings of dread and despair, but this time this feeling was different. This feeling was of determination and success, something he hadn’t felt in quite a while.
“Did you have a plans on what the fuck we’re gonna do once we actually get there, James?” Giuseppe asked, his voice lowered a bit, fearing they were being watched and listened to.
“Are you scared, Officer Andrews?” James stopped suddenly, feeling like he was the only one who really wanted to do this, and that everyone else was there just as a backup precaution.
“You guys could stay in the bushes while I go in there alone, maybe to never come out? Is that where we’re going with this, G.?”
“No! I’m only saying- “
“You’re only saying you’re worried that this isn’t going to go as planned, and none of us could make it out of here alive. I know that, I’m aware of the risks we’re taking. I’m doing this with or without any of you. Hear me?”
All the police officers, including Giuseppe looked at each other with worry in their eyes, that maybe James was going a little crazy trying to save this girl when things could go very wrong, but they were a part of the force for a reason, to save people, to protect the innocent, and they weren’t about to stop now.
_._

They could smell blood in the air, it smelt like old copper, and made everyone gag. Giuseppe covered his nose with both hands as he walked closely behind James and Tom, before everyone jolted to a stop after hearing the bushes rustling over and over again, there was no wind blowing, but the smell of blood could easily be smelled, and it was strong.
“Do you think there are bodies?” Giuseppe asked, James didn’t know what to say. Were there?
“Perhaps, or maybe it’s just the cabin, the smell is telling us we’re right there, right on the tip of the iceberg, we’re there. So close…” James just wanted to be there already, he wanted this war to end, this was becoming less of a game, and more of a survival match.
James looked at the trees around them, blood spots on all of them, symbols and signs that looked almost like arrows, directions maybe.
“Do you think Ogre is leading us to him?” Giuseppe shined his flashlight at the arrows on the trees, wondering what it meant.
“He could be leading us into a trap, I don’t think we should be following them, we’re doing fine on our own, I’m done playing games.” James stopped looking at kept walking, trying not to pay attention to the symbols, but something in the back of his mind knew something bad was about to happen, it was just a matter of what, and when.
James took out his flashlight and shined it up ahead, noticing something in the near distance. He tried to make out what it was, inching his way closer but not getting too close in case it was a trap. When he finally noticed what was up ahead he stopped in his tracks, everyone stopping immediately after him. His eyes widened.
“Well shit in my mouth and call me Clara…” Giuseppe took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips, trying to keep calm, but his heart was racing a thousand miles a second. Everyone’s adrenaline went from 0 to 100 really quick, and James knew he had to come up with a plan, and fast.
“Everyone huddle up.” James gathered everyone in a tight circle, trying to talk a low as he could just in case they were being watched, which he knew they were.
“We know Ogre planned to have us come here, it’s obvious the arrows we saw were a way there, and that’s exactly what he wanted, he wants to play games.” James held his hand to his forehead, an instant headache approaching.
“Look, James. If it’s a game he wants to play, then let’s play. We are going to fight fire with fire, except we’re bringing torches.” Giuseppe patted James’ back, a friendly reminder that they were all in this together. “Remember, buddy, there’s 1 of him, and many of us.”

Whistle
Whistle
Whistle

Everyone looked around, flashlights beaming bright. It was still pretty dark out, but they knew morning was approaching, and approaching fast, it was about 6 A.M, and James finally made it. He was going to finally rescue Regan. But he needed to survive in order to do that.

I see you.
I see all of you.
You’re not a match for me.
He may have softened up to her.
But I haven’t.
I may be a one-man band.
But when has that ever stopped me?

James could hear that eerie voice, he could smell the vile that came off his body, he could feel his presence.
“Stop hiding and face me.” James held his gun and kept his finger on the trigger. But no one answered back to him. He hated playing games, but knew the only way he’d make it in the cabin and save Regan was to play Ogre’s stupid games, and everyone had to play along too.

Did you see the arrows?
They aren’t what you think.
They weren’t directions.

“What are they then?” James asked, playing along, finger clutching the trigger.

Death.

James jaw dropped, before screaming out loud, until-

THUNK
THUNK
THUNK

“EVERYONE MOVE!” James grabbed Giuseppe and Tom and hid behind a tree as they watched police officers drop to the ground, blood spewing out of their heads from being hit by arrows Ogre was shooting out, but where was he shooting them from?
“Fuck!” Giuseppe cried out, his hands covering his mouth, trying to shut himself up in case Ogre was hunting them, this time he felt entirely helpless, half his team was dead, and James knew this wasn’t a game after all, this was a war he planted himself into. He dropped to the ground and held his hands to his face, breathing heavily as Tom knelt down to try and calm him down.
“Can’t give up now, son. We have to get in there and save my girl, you know it, Officer Andrews know it, and I know it. So get up and let’s stop this bastard from hurting anymore people.” Tom picked James up off the ground and dusted him off. He had this no fear attitude, something James needed to be taught.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

“Come out of the darkness, asshole! You’re nothing but a coward, you think that’s gonna stop us! Think again.” James shouted out, hoping it would provoke him enough to show his face. But there was only silence.
“He has a crossbow, James. Careful.” Giuseppe pointed his gun out ahead of him, ready to shoot if necessary.

They could hear footsteps running back and forth as though Ogre was pacing, he wasn’t talking anymore, and within minutes the pacing halted. It grew quiet again as the James and the remaining officers finally stood in front of the cabin they had been desperately searching for, for years.
“Only when you’re really determined, will you find what you’re looking for.” Tom sighed out in relief, knowing that his daughter was only feet from him, alive. At least so he thought.
“Okay, since we can’t come up with a brilliant plan on the spot, we have no choice but to wing it, it’s starting to get lighter out, so we have an advantage, Ogre can’t stay hidden forever, he has to make himself known, he isn’t the type of psycho to stay in the shadows… No… He wants to make himself known.” James took out his rifle and placed it over his shoulder, his pistol in his other hand.
“We need to split up.” Giuseppe looked around at the other men, they all nodded. Knives, armor, and guns all out in the open, ready to win this blood bath war. Tom stood on the sidelines watching, when James walked up to him, offering him something incredible.
“Take the rifle, and go up on the hill behind you, if you spot Ogre, shoot him in the head. Understand me?” He held out his rifle, Tom’s eyes glistened with enjoyment, he never held a gun in his life, but damn it looked beautiful.
“You got it, chief.” Tom nodded before running to the hill behind him, doing whatever it took to rescue his little girl.
_._

“Looks like we got company.” Ogre paced back and forth in the cabin, occasionally looking back at Regan and John, who were holding each other close. “Better fuck now while you can, once the suns out, you’ll both me dead.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, company?” John’s voice was filled with rage, he was over Ogre and wanted nothing more than to see him dead on the ground.
“Looks like Regan has loved ones after all, the police are here.” Ogre looked out the window, watching the cops scatter around the perimeter.
“WHAT?!” Regan pushed John to the side and stood up, as weak as she was, the chains holding her ankles down, but nothing else was holding her back.
“Regan…” John held her leg gently, she looked down at him, she could see he was dehydrated and weak to the point of passing out, but she needed to know what was going on.
“I can’t believe they found me… He really found me.” Regan finally managed to smile, the first smile in weeks. She almost felt safe, but knew this wasn’t over by a long shot.
“Their down 5 men. I arrowed them right in the head. With your crossbow, John.” Ogre laughed out loud, John couldn’t even function enough to respond to him, there was nothing he could do anyway, if Ogre was going down, so was John, just by association.
“John I won’t let them take you, I’ll say you tried to save me. They can’t just take you away, you’re just as much as a prisoner as I am.” Regan bent over to kiss John’s head. He pulled her down inches from his face. His eyes watery.
“No, let them take me. Let them kill me even.”
“What! No!”
“Regan, I was a part of this, I put you in this mess as much as him. I carried you here, I put those chains on you, I didn’t care…” Tears falling from his face.
“You’re not a bad guy, John, you were misunderstood. I know you weren’t gonna hurt me, cos if you wanted to you would have.”
Ogre could hear their conversation, the more they talked, the angrier he got. He went out back and grabbed a shot gun before planning out what to do next.
“You’re right but look at me, I’m nothing but a worthless piece of shit who let him rape me and torture me just so I could live, I live in a rundown cabin in the woods for fuck sake. I’m a nothing. I’m good as dead already.” John’s sobs hurt Regan’s heart. She kissed him slowly, her hands caressing his face, he placed his hands on hers, before breaking the kiss to lay his forehead on hers. It was a moment worth living for, Regan wanted nothing more than to break free from this hell and take John with her, to start a new life.
“I love you, John.” She whispered to him before he gazed at her, opening his mouth to respond when all of a sudden a loud bang echoed from outside.
“Shit!” She fell back, covering her ears. John managed to crawl as far as he could to reach the door to his room to make out what was going on, the front door was wide open, but he heard nothing.
“We’re in the danger zone, we need to find a way out of these chains.” John looked around, trying to find something to break the chains. But there was nothing.
_._

“I’ll give you a chance to come out or I start shooting. Hear me? Come out and talk to me like a man, and surrender yourself.” James shouted out, so loud Regan could hear him.

“JAMES!” She yelled out. James let out a huge huff before responding.
“I’M GONNA GET YOU OUT OF THERE, REGAN, JUST KEEP CALM.”
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, everyone was at their vantage points. When he opened his eyes, he saw what he was looking for, he saw it crystal clear. Ogre stepped out of the cabin, Regan in his grip. A machete dangling from his hand, and then gently placed to her neck. His head cocked to the side, like he was waiting for someone to make the first move, but they knew how quick Ogre was, and knew her throat would be slit wide open before he could be dead on the ground.
The war had begun, and Ogre wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Well...” Ogre smiled. “What a beautiful family reunion.”