Welcome to Paradise Chapter Seven- Under Attack

I slowly blinked my eyes open and stared up at the ceiling for a moment, and then sighed as I brought may hands up to rub at my eyes. 'What happened?' I thought to myself as I slowly sat up. Slowly, it all started coming back to me, and I groaned inwardly. "Great..." I mumbled to myself. "I passed out. Oh great job Samson...great job..." I sighed heavily and threw my feet over the bed's edge, slowly rising from the bed. "Can't believe I passed out...what a loser..." I shook my head and stalked toward my bedroom door, but I hesitated as my hand gripped the doorknob. What would they think of me now? I was a coward, it seemed. Sighing heavily, I leaned my head forward against the door, debating on what to do. 'Great...' I opened the door and walked into the common room, but to my surprise no one was there. Frowning, I wondered if they were in Trey's room, but his door was open and his light was off. Roy must have left too. Where would they have gone? My eyes noticed a white sheet of paper on the couch when I let my eyes wander. I moved toward the couch and gripped the paper in my hands, bringing it up so I could read it. It seemed to be a letter to me, from a Mr. Tohrima. It said that my classes were to start tomorrow, and that the teachers were sorry that they couldn't help me get settle in, that they had other 'matters' to attend to. What matters? I sighed. Trey and Derek were making me suspicious, but maybe that was a good thing. "School tomorrow...great...just what I need..." I stalked down the hall to the bathroom, took a quick shower, changed into new clothes, and went back into the common room. Frowning, I looked around. They still weren't back, and there was no note from them. I heard a noise outside the door, and frowned again as I looked at it. 'What now?' I thought, taking a small step forward. The door was suddenly ripped off of its hinges and flung into the room, making me yelp and take a step back. 'What the hell?' I thought. Three men stood there, gazing in at me, before they stepped through the opening and into the room. "Um...hi?" I asked cautiously.

"Mr. Trathe," one of them said in greeting as they nodded to me. I frowned.

"Uh...yeah..."

"Is your roomate in?" a second asked.

"No, he's not...why?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. Who were these people? Why had they killed the door? What did they want? Surely they weren't teachers, though they looked old enough to be some.

"Where is he?" the third asked, his voice rough and unkind. "When will he be back? Where's his room?"

"I don't know, and I don't rightly think that's any of your business," I said, glaring at them. Who the hell did they think they were?

They exchanged looks, but did nothing more, until the first spoke up again. "Mr. Trathe, we apologize for disturbing you, but we really must find Trey."

I wasn't convinced. "Why?"

"...Because...uh...one of his family members died," said the second with a nod. I frowned. Family. So far, Trey had said nothing about his family, nothing about any of them being sick or able to die. Did I believe them? Not really. Maybe being suspicious was a good thing. "They died, and we need to find him to tell him, or if you let us in his room, we could just leave him a note."

'Alright,' I thought, 'I'll play along.' I looked at them and said, "Oh dear, that's terrible. Well, he's not here right now, but I could tell him when he gets back..."

They shook their heads in unison. "No," the first one said. "No, we can tell him. We can leave him a note if he's not here."

"A family member died," I said. "You can't just tell him that news in a note, surely you know that. It's rude and inconsiderate. Are you saying that you're rude and inconsiderate?" I asked, looking at them when they didn't answer. "Well?"

"No, of course not," said the second. "We just..." he took a step forward, and I eyed him suspiciously. "...need to talk to him..."

The third guy growled. "Enough of this," he said. "Just shove him aside and search the house. He's a kid; what's he gonna do?" with that, he charged forward and knocked me to the ground. Growling beneath my breath, I jumped to my feet just to see them go into my room.

"Hey!" I said, standing in the doorway to my room. "You can't just barge in here like that! Who do you think you are?"

They laughed at me. "Who's gonna stop us?" the third asked. "You?" and then they laughed at more. "You're a short little wimp," he said, and I flinched as it hit its mark. I was a wimp. A coward. "You can't do anything about what we're doing, that's why you're just standing there, looking like a complete idiot. You're a coward."

I growled slowly. "I'm calling the police," I said, and ran to get the phone. I heard footsteps race after me, and before I could reach the phone, I was tackled from behind, pinned to the ground on my stomach, a heavy weight on my back. I tried to shift, but it only made me wince when a knee dug into my back.

"Oh, you're not calling anyone," the third said. I was really starting to hate this guy.

The guy got off of me and the two others grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet. Each one held an arm, and they kept tightening their grip. "Who the hell are you?" I snarled, trying to pull away. "Who do you think you are?"

"I think I am Jarba," the third answered, sneering down at my face as he towered over me. I glared at him, clenching my teeth as I pulled away from them, only to be forced back by their grip on my arms. "And you are Samson Nathaniel Trathe, am I right?"

I growled. "The name isn't Samson," I said, for I hadn't gone by that name in a while now.

He rolled his eyes. "So those bastards gave you a nickname, did they?" he laughed at me. "Listen Trathe," he said. "I can be mean, or I can be nice. Tell me where Trey is, and I'll let you go without any of the blame." I frowned. Blame? Blame for what? What was this maniac planning? "Don't tell me where he is," he continued. "And I'll be forced to get rough. What's your answer?"

I frowned for a moment. What the hell was he talking about? I was so confused, but now didn't seem the time to question things. As much as I didn't want to see what his 'rough' was, I couldn't betray Trey, even if I didn't know where he was. So my answer? I spat in his face. He growled and wiped my spit off of his left cheek, and then gripped the front of my shirt and pulled me forward.

"You little bastard!" he growled, and shook me. "You would rather get beaten than tell me where the hell that monster is?"

I glared at him. "He's not a monster," I said, though I knew he wasn't human. I didn't know what else to call him, but whatever he was, he wasn't a monster. Monsters weren't usually kind to people like me.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you wish to call it. You would rather get beaten, though?" he shook his head and laughed. I frowned again. Beaten? He looked strong...but I wouldn't tell him anything, even if I didn't know anything to tell.

"I would never sell him out," I snarled, and glared into his eyes. He laughed and released me.

"Tie him up," he ordered to the others, who began to force me onto the couch. I struggled, but it was two against one, and they were strong and big, while I was weak and small. "Then I'll show him what kind of trouble his loyalty has gotten him into." I struggled in vain to get away, but one held me down while one pulled my arms behind my back. I felt a cold chain wrap around my wrists, and I kicked, trying to get away, but it was no use.

"Get off of me!" I shouted, and tried to stand. They yanked me back onto the couch before I made it off a centimeter. "Let go, damn it!" I looked at the door. Maybe if I yelled loud enough, others would hear it and come help me. "Help!" I called. "Let go!" I tried to elbow the one holding me down, but the one chaining my wrists twisted my arm in a painful way, forcing me to stop. The first guy, the one tying my wrists, chained them and then moved to my feet, and I struggled to pull my hands free. The second guy had a strong grip, and tried to force me to become one with the couch. "Get the fuck off of me!" The second guy growled at me and slapped me across the face, forcing a silent yelp from me.

"Shut the fuck up," he said. "God, you're a whiney little bitch." he slapped tape across my mouth, cutting my shouts for help short. I tried to get the tape off, but it was tough. It sealed my lips together, and it just wouldn't pull off with my struggles. "Ain't got much to say now, do ya?" he laughed. My ankles were quickly chained together, and then they sat me up on the couch from the position I had been in. I had been lying on my side, forced into the position from the second guy, who had a scrunched up face as he glared at me. "You sure about this Remie?" he asked to the first guy.

Remie nodded. "Sure. He's a whiney bastard."

"That he is, Henta," said Jarba as he came over to inspect me. "So, are you going to tell us anything?" he asked me, and I glared at him. He shrugged. "Very well then. Brace yourself for the pain." He looked at the other two. "Hold him still." They grabbed my shoulders, keeping me there, and I struggled uselessly. Jarba stood in front of me, cracking his knuckles. "I gave you a choice, young Samson," he said. "And it seems you've chosen the wrong one." with that, he rammed his fist into my gut, making me yelp beneath the tape as I curled forward. The other two pulled me up until my back hit the back of the couch.

"Henta," said Remie, "I'm going to get his legs. Can you handle this?"

"Of course," responded Henta, and Remie moved around the couch and bent down in front of me, grabbing my legs so I couldn't try to kick out at Jarba.

Jarba punched me in the left side of the face, and my head jerked to the side as I gave a small whimper beneath the tape. The tape stifled it, only letting a small sound escape. "That didn't hurt enough, did it?" he asked, and landed another one on the right side of my face, whipping my head to the other side. "Hmm..." murmured Jarba as he looked at the door. "We need to move to a place...a little more private." he hefted me over his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes, and carried me toward my room. I struggled, but I couldn't break free. He threw me onto the floor as he turned and shut the door, locking it and moving my dresser so it stood in front of it. "There, now no one should bother us. Where were we? Oh yeah--I remember." he laughed and pulled my desk chair over to the middle of my room, and picked me up, slamming me into it. Henta moved behind me, gripping my shoulders tightly, and Remie grabbed my legs. I was trapped. He threw a punch at my gut again, and of course I couldn't move, couldn't defend myself, so it hit its mark. Crying out beneath the tape, I doubled forward. Henta let me stay that way for a few seconds, my breathing rushed and painful, before he pulled me back up, forcing me against the back of the chair.

He punched me twice in the head, and the world spun for a minute, before he punched me again in the gut. I cried out, but Henta wouldn't let me curl forward, and before I knew it, he hit me there again. Pain made me close my eyes, taking in hurried breaths through my nose, listening to my breaths quickening in fear as they raced across the surface of the tape. Jarba heard it too, and he laughed, loving it. Who the hell was this guy? For what seemed like ages, I was beaten, crying out for help, shouting in pain. The tape, that damned tape, stifled my cries, and I could only pray that it would be over soon. 'Someone help...' I silently pleaded. 'Please tell me someone heard something, and are on their way here now...tell me they heard something, or saw the door, and called the police...please...' I cried out as he punched me in the side of the head, forcing red to explode in my vision. Blood was currently running down the side of my head and from my nose, and I had a busted, bloody lip. I was sure I had a black eye, too, for it hurt to blink it. My breaths were shaky, and they hurt. He suddenly kicked out with his leg, kicking me in the chest and knocking the chair and me backward. I hit the ground hard, and yelped beneath the blasted tape.

Jarba stood over me as Henta and Remie moved away. I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Was it finally over? My throat was hoarse from yelling. "Had enough yet kid?" he asked, smirking. "Are you ready to tell me where Trey is?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. He growled and kicked me in the ribs, making me cry out and double over, whimpering quietly. He threw another kick, and then another after that, each one growing harder than the first. He was mad; he was angry with me, so he was punishing me. 'Please...someone help!' I silently pleaded.

I felt a metallic taste in my mouth, and let out a small breath. Blood. I mentally cursed the three of them, but especially Jarba. He seemed to be the leader of the three. Suddenly, I heard a noise in the common room, and my hopes soared. The three of them paused and looked at my door.

"...Shit..." murmured a voice, and I froze. It was Derek. "Shadow, you here?" he called, and I looked at Jarba.

"Shadow, eh?" he whispered, and laughed as he hauled me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my throat, keeping me close to him. I felt something poke into my head, and my heart quickened when I realized it was a gun. "Henta--the tape..." he gave a little nod of his head, and then the tape was suddenly ripped off of my mouth. "Cry for help," he ordered,jabbing the gun into my head. I closed my eyes tightly. I couldn't cry for help; Derek would be attacked too, and maybe Trey, if he was with him. "Do it," he growled, and Henta kicked me in the ribs, forcing a cry of pain out of my lips. It wasn't muffled, and I knew Derek heard it.

"Shadow?" he called worriedly, and I heard the footsteps head toward my bedroom door. I shook my head.

"No, Derek, go back, it's a--!" Henta's hand went over my mouth, cutting my cries short. Remie kicked the ground hard, and I frowned. What the hell was he doing?

"Shadow!" yelled Derek, and the footsteps hurried to my door. Remie had kicked the ground to make the impression of something hitting the ground. Me. I shook my head and tried to pull away. Henta removed his hand and I tried to yell out again, but he slapped a fresh length of tape across my mouth. Derek tore the door off of its hinges, which somehow surprised me, though I knew it shouldn't. He was a werewolf; of course he was strong. Derek appeared in the doorway as he furiously shoved the dresser out of the way. He growled at the three. "Let. Him. Go." he ordered.

Jarba shook his head and rammed the gun further into my head. "Come one step closer, wolfie, and I'll be forced to put a bullet in the boy's head."

Derek growled, but did no more. For a moment he just glared at Jarba, but then he looked at me. "You okay, kid?"

I nodded slowly.

"He's a little wounded, but then...aren't we all?" Jarba asked with a laugh. "But it'll only get worse if you take another step."

Derek growled. "You wouldn't."

"Wanna try me?" he asked, and then smirked. "Perhaps a demonstration." Derek's eyes widened, and Jarba removed the gun from my head, placing it at my shoulder. He pulled the trigger, and thunder echoed about as a blazing pain soared through my body. I cried out and tried to move, but I couldn't. My legs gave way, and I would have fallen to my knees, had Jarba's arm not held me up by the throat. "Do we need another demonstration, wolfie?" he asked.

Derek growled. "You bastard."

"I've heard that a lot today, yes. You see what you're up agaisnt? Take a step, look at me wrong, or even breathe wrong, and he dies." He took the gun and jabbed it into the wound, twisting it slightly. I cried out pitifully, my eyes tightly closed.

"Stop!" Derek shouted. "Leave him alone!"

"Why?" asked Jarba. "He amuses me. He just doesn't know when to give in."

"Damn it, leave him alone."

He pulled the gun from my wound, and I let out a heavy breath. "Fine. For now. He will live only if you do as I say."

Derek growled. "And what do you say?"

"Wiseass," he said, and fired the gun.

"No!" Derek cried, eyes wide.

"Calm down," said Jarba. "I didn't get him. Yet." He placed the gun back to my head. "But the next time, the bullet could just go through his head instead of through the air."

"You're stupid," said Derek. "Others have heard the gunfire. You're busted. So why don't you just let him go, and maybe I could lie and say it was an accident."

Jarba laughed. "Are you kidding? You're the stupid one, wolfie. For your stupidity, I may just kill your little friend." he cocked the gun as he pushed it more into my head, making me wince slightly. "You think this is easy? So simple? If the coppers are coming for me, then I should just kill you both."

Derek snarled at him. "The moment you shoot him," he said. "Your ass is mine."

Jarba smiled. "And where's little Trey?" he asked, and made a show of looking around. "See Shadow? You make a big deal of not telling me anything about him, yet he doesn't come to help you. So are you ready to talk?"

I shook my head slowly. He growled and I knew his finger was wrapping around the trigger.

"He doesn't know where Trey is," said Derek. "I do."

"Hmm..."

"So why don't you just let him go, and take me instead." I stared at Derek, eyes wide. I shook my head furiously, but Henta kicked me in the ribs, causing me to cry out and double forward. Or at least try to.

"Shadow!" Derek shouted. "Damn it, stop hurting him. He has nothing to do with this. He doesn't know anything; just leave him alone."

"He doesn't know anything? He doesn't know where Trey is?"

"No, we left when he was asleep," said Derek. "He doesn't know anything, so why don't you just let him go?"

"If he doesn't know anything," said Jarba, "then he is of no use to me." he tightened his grip on the gun.

"No!" Derek cried, reaching outward with a hand, as if surrendering. "Please--just leave him alone."

"Sorry, can't. He is of little use to me now, and therefore unimportant." he moved the gun to my shoulder again and fired. I cried out and my legs gave way again. This time he let me go down on my knees, and I sat there, breathing heavily, whimpering quietly.

"Shadow!" Derek cried, and tried to run toward me, but stopped when Jarba aimed his gun at me. "Please--leave him alone. I'm the one you want, not him. Let him go, please..."

"He doesn't know anything, so he is of little value to me."

"Please, don't hurt him..."

"Okay. You tell me where Trey is in exactly five seconds, or I'll blow his brains out." he bent down next to me and rammed the gun into my head, making me wince.

"But..."

"Five."

"I can't-"

"Four."

"-do this-"

"Three."

"-please, just let-"

"Two."

"-him go!"

"One," whispered Jarba, and the gun fired.

"Shadow, no!" Derek cried as he moved forward.