Forever Mine (Joe & Ella 2)

As he lent down to whisper something vulgar to me I turned and bit into his ear like a rabid dog clamping my teeth down with all my might. He gave a wild howl and plunged the hunting knife downwards in between my legs slicing through the inside of my thighs just above my knees. I shrieked in pain, which released my hold on his ear. Blood started to run down my legs, slippery, hot, wet blood that made our struggle messy and rendered my legs useless. The muscles of my legs felt dead, the pain I expected to feel after the knife slicing through was replaced by a dizzy sick feeling overwhelming my whole body. Stars danced in front of my eyes and in that exact moment I saw my end.

A calmness overtook me. I saw my Nan and Grandad at the cottage playing with me as we each ran through the sprinklers in the garden on a hot summer’s day, I was laughing as my Grandad swung me around then put me on his shoulders. I saw my friends around me, making me laugh and building me up, always there for me no matter what. Then there was Joe. His beautiful face, tanned flawless skin, stubbled square jaw, grey eyes that glittered like diamonds and soft black hair touching his forehead that he was always running his fingers through. I felt so lucky to have found my soul mate, I knew some people lived their whole lives without ever finding theirs. In all the horror that I was drowning in right now, that thought shone through like a beacon in the dark. My Joe.

I felt Cole kick my wet sticky blood soaked legs open and like a wolf he crouched over me ready to take what he wanted. I closed my eyes ready for the darkness that was calling out to me to finally take me, and prayed it would consume me before he did. I braced myself as I felt him over me and then bang… darkness.

41

Sam

We saw the Volvo parked up at the side of the disused factory, partially covered by the willow trees that blanketed the roof. If we hadn’t come onto the property we wouldn’t have seen it, no one would have known what was going on in this building if they passed by.

My men didn’t need much instruction other than which way we would each enter the building. We had our radios on us so we could communicate, and I had given strict orders that if possible I wanted to be the one to kill Peters. If Ella was in imminent danger they would shoot on sight but I wanted my retribution. She’d been under my care and in all the years I’d served in the military and special forces, I’d never lost anyone. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I lost her.

The building was as run down as they came, broken glass at every window, over grown plants and weeds growing from the walls and up to the roof. I took my men through an entrance on the north side and we kept our heads down and our guns ready. We looked for evidence of mud or dust, anything that had recently been disturbed by Peters bringing Ella in this way. We couldn’t see anything so we listened and held our breath. Our stealthy entrance would help us get to Ella before he had chance to carry out any of the threats he’d made.

My B team radioed in my ear to tell me there was no sign of her on the south side and they were moving to the next level. That’s when I heard the first blood curdling scream from Ella. We ran in the direction it had come from, guns loaded, aimed and ready. I indicated that I wanted to be first in so the men gathered behind and beside me. I could hear Peters’ voice coming closer, then I heard Ella. She was still alive, in pain but alive. This was it, I had the next few seconds to lock this down and secure my target, her.

The second ear splitting scream came louder this time and we ran ready to shoot on sight. As I rounded the corner I had to catch my breath. I’ve done tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and other war zones, but nothing can prepare you for seeing a woman you know and love being subjected to what Ella was going through. She had her arms handcuffed to the camp bed, the mattress was soaked through with fresh red blood that also covered her torso and legs. Her face was bruised, swollen and bloody, the fucker had hit her more than once, but it was the sight of him on top of her, holding his cock and ready to enter her that made me howl out a scream as I belted round after round of bullets into his rapist body and head. He fell forward onto her, his disgusting form contaminating her innocent beauty with its evil. I had to get him off her, I couldn’t stand to think of him being anywhere near her.

I ran over to the bed and pulled him to the ground, firing a few more rounds into his skull for good measure before I looked over at Ella. She lay still, naked and broken. I wanted to fall to the floor and weep, but I had to keep my head my job wasn’t over yet.

“Give me your jackets, shirts, anything to stem the blood.” I snapped as my men, grown men of war stood by helpless looking down on this fragile little angel. She’d brought us all to our knees.

I took my own jacket off and covered her so she was somewhat decent and pressed my fingers against her neck.

“She’s still alive, there’s a pulse.” I grabbed the jackets and shirts the men were throwing my way and made a wade out of the clothe to stem the blood flow that was coming from what appeared to be two knife wounds positioned inside her thighs just above her knees. The blood flow was fast but we still had time. I pushed her legs together and bound them so that they could be squeezed together to apply dual pressure to both wounds to help the blood loss.

It was at that moment as I was getting ready to lift her off the bed and run back to the car to take her to the nearest hospital that Max and Joe ran in. Seeing Ella unconscious covered in blood Joe immediately fell to the floor.

“She’s still alive, she needs to go to hospital now.” I barked trying to keep my military head on. I couldn’t let seeing a man like Joe break down affect me right now.

“Joe can you hear me, she needs medical help. You need to take her or she’ll die here. You go, I’ll clean this up and sort everything else.” I shouted my orders at him, desperate to get him into action. If he was doing something to help her it would help him too.

Max moved forward to take Ella from the bed, but Joe suddenly sprang into action.

“Don’t touch her.” He said to Max, “I’ll carry her.”

I showed him where to hold and keep the pressure so that her bleeding didn’t get worse and helped him pick her up. Once he had her safely in his arms he ran out of the factory with Max not far behind.

42

Max

I opened the back door of the car for Joe to get in with Ella on his lap. He cradled her like a child, burying his head in her hair and whispering how sorry he was and how it was all his fault. Ella was unconscious and covered in blood. We had no idea where her injuries were, only that they were in-between her legs, but the blood was saturating quickly through the clothe covering them and I knew we had very limited time.

I drove to the nearest hospital with an accident and emergency department without even looking at the traffic lights or any other obstructions that were blocking our way. I’d never driven so fast in my life. Once we pulled up outside we abandoned the car with the doors open and flew into the reception area, Joe holding Ella and both of us shouting for help.

A receptionist and a nurse came running over to us, closely followed by a male doctor who tried to take Ella from Joe’s arms but he froze.

“I can’t.” Joe sobbed, holding onto Ella, “I can’t let her go.”

“You have to mate or she’s gonna die.” I stated bluntly, trying to get through to him. He needed to know that holding onto her now wasn’t helping the situation.

The receptionist and nurse, sensing Joe’s reluctance to pass Ella over to another man, prized her out of his arms and held her themselves, carrying her to a bed before they wheeled her off down the corridor.

“Look after her.” I cried, “She’s pregnant.” The nurse nodded her acknowledgement to me as she left us behind.

Joe shrunk to the floor sobbing as I watched them turn the corner and heard the calls of the crash team giving out orders and calling for different staff to assist them.