Set me free - Episode 47

 

Michelle :
My bones feel like they've been tangled like a bunch of soggy noodles. I try not to move. I can feel William watching me and I slightly shake my head, hoping to God he gets the message and doesn't alert the man carrying me that I'm alive.   I try not to huff at the pain in my stomach as he recklessly haul me down the hallway. My common sense tell me allowing these people drag us to their car is the same thing as sentencing William and I to death but I can't seem to figure out how to get us both out of this alive. 
"God please keep William safe for me." I mutter under my breath . My thoughts are instantly scattered at the sound of gunshots in the distance. I gasp before realizing myself and remaining still, my ears perk at any other noise in the room. 
"He's here! " a panicked voice exclaim suddenly and I damn it all to hell and peep out. It's a young teenager and he's bloody. Who's here?  The police? I highly doubt that. 
"Going somewhere without me?" The all too familiar voice sends relief and a wild thrill inside me. This is the time to act. As everyone turn around​ to Rory's voice,  I quickly open my eyes fully and survey the room. My father is just a hands length away from me

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/set-me-free

. My hands curl into fist as my father's features harden at the sight of Rory. 
"I would have loved to chat but I'll rather have you deal with them." My father sneers and in a twinkle of an eye, half a dozen men come from behind Rory. They are armed to the teeth.
"I always win. A trio of stupid children can't stop me." His laughter ring in my head. I calculate how far I'd have to leap from the shoulder I'm slung on to jump my father. I'll only get one chance to catch them by surprise and I don't want to fail. I look to William, he's also eying my father's weapon. He turns to look at me while my father gloat to Rory and our eyes clash. He shakes his head once. He doesn't think I can make the jump. My heart soak up the worry etch on his handsome face. I'm doing it. 
"Kill him." Those words ring in my ears and my attention comes back to the scene at hand. Various guns are fired at Rory. He manages to duck behind the wall. William try to free the hold on him but he's tied up pretty tight. I'm the only one who can take this leap. 
"I'll get you! " I hear Rory scream through the loud gunshots as he rolls out of hiding and fire two straight shots at the guy holding William. He falls like a bag of potatoes. 
"Now!" William yells to me as he pushes his leg against my father's knee with great force, my father stumbles and lands on the ground, his gun falling just beyond his reach. I take William's lead and with practiced agility, I jump off the goons shoulder and land on my father.
"What the fuck. Shoot h--" A quick blow to his throat stops him short. 
"Nobody moves or I'll kill him!" I yell as I grab the gun from the floor and point it at my father. He looks from me to his goons all around us. 
"You can't do it." He says,  a little unsure but gloating. 
"Shut up." I grind out and press the gun harder into his pink skin.
"Michelle." I turn to my side to see William has gotten free of the ropes and he's shielding me with his body. Rory is behind him, pointing two guns at the three men whose hands are up. 
"We have to get out of here. They are going to shoot you the minute they get a clear shot. Let's use him as bait and get out of this place."
"You guys aren't making it out alive. The police are on their way. This one is going to prison from  here." My dad mocks, pointing to William.
"Shut up! " I smack his face hard with his gun. Blood gush out of his face. A look of shock cross his face but he is quick to mask it up.
"Rory!" I call out. 
"Yes?"
"Kill the three of them." I mutter coldly. My dad's eyes bulge out. 
"What?!" I think William yells but I'm too focused on my father. I hear three gunshots and my father's panic finally shows. He's completely defenseless and without his army of scumbag right now. 
"You think you're going to get out of this alive?!  You think I'll let you ruin more lives?! No. I'm going to end you here! " I scream in his face as I grab his neck and twist with all my strength. His face takes on an ugly shade of red.
"Mich--"
"Don't say my mother's name, you snake!" I squeeze harder, tears of anger blinding me. It's like I can see her all over again. We are in the beat up car I loathed so much back then. I'm ranting about her hiding my father from me. I wish I could take it back. I want my mother back. But he took that away from me! 
"Michelle, you're going to kill him." William's hand touch my shoulder lightly but all I see is red hot hatred for the disgusting man under me.
"Kill him. He doesn't deserve to take anymore breath." Rory comes to my side.  I squeeze harder. My dad starts to struggle under me. The fear in his eyes as he looks up at me gives me an all time high, I can't stop myself. 
"He's still your father!"William yells through my fog of hatred. 
"How can you side with him?! He killed my mother. He killed that innocent woman on the plane. He's taken more lives than cancer has in this country!" I bang my father's head against the ground at every word. My angry eyes shooting daggers at William. He should be supporting me. I've wanted this for years. He should be happy for me. William crouch to his knees beside me.
"Why can't you be happy for me? I've finally got my father. Why?!" I yell in his face. 
"Because I love you." I stop short at his words. He also seems frozen like he didn't know when he said the words.
"I want you to be free. You can't be free with your own father's blood on your hands. The Michelle I know won't be able to live with killing her own father. He's the monster, not you. Let the police take it from here. Please." He stretches his hand out to me, his face pleading. I look down at my father's battered face then at the hand stretched out to me.
"Please. This is the necessary step to be free of this life. Don't let him tie you down even after you've broken free"William pleads. I look up at Rory. He looks tortured but he nods slowly at me. They want to set me free. More tears rack my whole body.
"I--"
"Take my hand, please." I don't think anymore on it, I just launch myself into his arms and cry. Tears long held breaks free of my chest and William hold me in his strong arms. My shirt is soaked through with sweat and tears but he doesn't seem to mind. Rory stands awkwardly beside us until I pull his arm and bring him to the floor with us. I squeeze his hand tightly and he pats my back soothingly. A sudden gunshot scatter our circle as we all jump away from each other. Everything else happens in slow motion as I look down at both men and there's no blood. They are both looking at me. My eyes follow their eyes to my lap, blood gushes out. I can't feel anything. My head starts to spin as I touch the blood on my skirt. The gun slips out of my hand and hit the ground with a loud thud. My mind is slow to process this. I look at both men. I think they're screaming but I can't hear a thing. 
"Michelle!" I think William is screaming before I get pulled to the ground by Rory and another gunshot is fired. I jerk like I've been hit but then I see register the gun I was holding earlier slipping out of William's hand. His face is of pure horror as he stares behind me. I manage to focus my eyes and follow his path of vision to see my father slumped on the ground at an awkward angle with a hole in his chest. William collapse to the ground after the gun. I shake the fog in my head and drag my body to him.
"William!  William! Are you okay?  Can you hear me?!" I sob as I pull his head into my lap.
"No. No. No. I killed him. I killed him. I killed someone." He ramble like a deranged man. 
"shit!" Rory comes to our side in seconds. 
"The police are here. I have to get him out of here.

Read " Stolen innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. He's wanted and he's also an illegal immigrant." He starts to move William but I fight him off. 
"No. He needs help." I cry. 
"He's not hurt. He just shot your father for you. I think he's in shock but I have to get him out. Or he'll go to jail. Do you want that?" I shake my head quickly. 
"Yes. Take him out of here. Don't let them take him from me." I say emphatically. I hear a door splinter and fall loudly and I know it's the police. 
"Go. Take him away! " I spit as I push Rory  
"Be safe." He looks deep into my eyes and I nod.
"Go!  Now!" He hesitates a little but once the footsteps gets closer, he pulls the rambling William unto his shoulder and Jump out the window. Please be safe.