Page 27 of Rough Trip

After showing him out, she was relieved that she would soon figure out who was responsible for taking Sage and make them pay.

She thought it would be a good idea to call Fiona, so she knew about the situation, but when Mia called, she didn’t pick up. She decided to leave a message.

“Hi, Fiona. It’s Mia. The bartender who worked the night Sage disappeared has just been over. He informed me of the worst-case scenario, Sage has been taken by the Omens. I have the footage from the attack that happened outside the bar. I’ll be going through it to figure out who took him and how we can get him back. I’ll keep you updated.”

Sage had been trapped for at least two days, but he couldn’t be sure exactly how long because he couldn’t see the sun. He had been starved, having only water to survive on. He did not know how much longer he could go without food. He had been trained in the army to survive any sort of attack and short periods of starvation but he knew his body wasn’t strong enough to withstand this amount of starvation. After all, he wasn’t Superman. He hadn’t eaten much the day they got him either, so he didn’t have a lot stored in his body before they started starving him. He was grateful that they hadn’t done anything else to him as he wasn’t sure if he’d have been able to survive with all the other injuries his body was trying to heal.

He hadn’t gotten much light due to something being placed over the top of the well, so it was hard for him to tell the time. He managed to get glimmers of light that shone in through small cracks throughout the day but other than that, he hadn’t seen much light since they trapped him. He could make out the color change in the sky whenever he looked through the cracks which is why he thought it had only been two days. It could, however, have been more. They had destroyed his phone so no one could track his whereabouts. They had covered all their tracks, and Sage knew that it could mean the end of the line for him. He didn’t know if anyone would’ve thought about trying to find him though. Had Mia even realized he was missing? He thought it was doubtful. After all, he had been making his existence in the house almost nonexistent. If no one came for him, he wouldn’t blame her. He hadn’t exactly been the best person lately.

The water in the well was quite low so it only reached his knees. He was grateful for that but if he were to fall into the water at any point he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to keep himself afloat so he’d probably drown. If he thought about it, while he was growing up he had been a little terrified of water because of its unpredictability and he was now in a situation where he might die in a well. He chuckled cruelly at himself. Look at the mess you've gotten yourself in, he whispered to himself.

His whole life seemed pretty futile now that it was coming to an end. What had he really accomplished in his life? Nothing he could really be proud of. Sure, he had served his country but he hadn’t saved anyone. He lost his entire team and he had never been the same since. He hadn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone. He had even started pushing his family away over the years. It was not just the nightmares that kept him up at night, but it was also the fact that he didn’t deserve to survive. He hadn’t made his life worth anything. He should’ve done more, been more and he supposed it was a good thing someone had taken it upon themselves to now end his life like it should’ve ended all those years ago.

Where would his teammates be if they had survived, he asked himself. He probably would’ve married Laura. God knows he wanted to marry her as soon as they got back from Afghanistan. He suspected that the rest of his team would’ve continued to serve their country, constantly going into dangerous situations and places to protect the lives of the innocent. He couldn’t say much for himself, because Sage knew he wouldn’t have gone back. It had taken a toll on him regardless of being the only survivor. He would never be able to forget what had happened while he was out on his mission, the people he had killed and the blood he had spilled. His teammates had deserved to live more than he had. In that moment he would’ve traded his life for theirs. They would have made the world a better place. He definitely knew he wasn’t making the world a better place, but maybe it would be better off without him. Dark thoughts started to consume his mind, and soon he was engulfed in a whole lot of self-pity and angst.

He couldn’t imagine how his life would be any good to anyone. He remembered all the pain he had caused to people that didn’t deserve it, specifically Mia. How he wished he could see her face one last time with her dimples and smile spread across her face like she deserved it to be. He was no good for her. All he had done was cause her unnecessary pain.

He really didn’t want to think about dying though because he had already started to freak out more than he wanted to. But at the same time his mind was filled with last wishes and things he wished he could’ve done differently, like how he couldn’t remember the last time he had spoken to his mother or his father, how had he been so cruel to them. They had always wanted the best for him and they had supported everything he did in his life. Even when he had been confused as a young adult and had wasted a few years before deciding to join the army, they supported him. He wished he could be back at home in his old family house surrounded by his family, with everyone crowded around the dining room table, laughing and joking as he watched on.

He allowed himself a moment to think of how it would be if he had a future with Mia. He could picture her face next to his in multiple photographs lining the shelf that rested above a fireplace. He could picture the both of them curled up in front of it on cold winter nights with a fire roaring in front of them, a Christmas tree in the corner beautifully decorated by Mia with presents laying beneath it for them and the family that they shared. He knew their children would be beautiful, not because of him but because of her. She had a beauty that radiated from deep within, and he couldn’t deny that he had seen it the minute he had met her. He would never get a chance with her now, it was all too late. They would never have children. In fact, he realized he would not have children with anyone. His fate had been made, and he didn’t stand a chance. He longed to be at home in his bed. A bed would be great right now he thought to himself. He pictured himself sinking into a soft mattress with dozens of warm fluffy blankets covering him from the harsh cold. He couldn’t be sure if thinking about being warm helped him or not because his body sent a shiver down his spine.

He had to stop thinking so much. He told himself to get a grip. Soon he passed out, his body constantly sending a shock of pain through him. It was becoming harder and harder to stay awake.

* * *

He woke up when he felt water splash all over his face and body, sending him into a state of shock. He screamed out in pain. His body felt like it was covered in pins and needles. His clothes were wet through, despite the water only reaching knee level. The Omens constantly splashed water on him whenever they paid him a visit but not only that, he had also urinated on himself as he had no other option. He felt disgusting and dirty. He thought that they were probably trying to make him sick so his body would soon turn against him and slowly start to kill him from the inside out and he could slowly feel that starting to happen as he had started getting hot flushes. He'd been quite a healthy person most of his life, but even he couldn't fight anything that happened within him. He tried to will his body to stay calm and fight. He tried to keep his mind busy so he wouldn’t go insane. Being trapped in a well with no one to talk to had started to make him talk to himself a little too much, and soon he was worried he’d start replying to himself as if there were someone else there with him.

Sage knew that the well was in the middle of nowhere. He hadn’t heard any sort of car traffic pass by. The Omens only came to give him one small cup of water every couple of hours or maybe once a day, he wasn’t sure, clearly enjoying the torture they were putting him through. He couldn’t hear anyone when he was left alone. He tried calling out to anyone who might hear him, anyone who could help him, but he learned that his cries for help were pointless when no one came for him. He must’ve been hidden extremely far away from any house and hidden well if no one had found him yet. He clearly wasn’t in an area people would go to so he wasn’t surprised. The Omens obviously wanted him dead if they had gone through the trouble of making sure he was literally hidden in a secret place. If he thought about it, he was probably hidden on Omens property. It would make perfect sense, he thought. No one would dare go that far out unless they belonged or were looking for trouble. He knew that was the truth because it was the same with the Screaming Demons. No one would ever enter their clubs if they didn’t belong there. The Screaming Demons weren’t the same as the Omens and Sage knew that. The Omens were evil and cruel people.

The hunger he was going through was slowly starting to rip through his body causing him pain every so often. He couldn’t remember the last time he had starved himself and he honestly didn’t think he would ever put his body through anything like that again.

He could already slowly feel that his body had shrunk in size as his body started processing his muscles as a way to stay alive. He knew he didn’t have much fat stored in his body as he had always remained fit and lean due to his job and the army. He thought now that it wouldn't have been such a bad idea for him not to be so hard on himself while training. He knew that if he had just a little bit more fat percentage his body could survive longer. He could feel cramps starting to take over his body the longer he hung there in the middle of the well. His stomach felt like it had begun to eat itself from the inside and slowly his muscles started going into spasm. He’d cry out in pain only to be unheard by anyone. The cramps were starting to escalate and soon he had spasms running up his legs as his muscles started to fight against him. He passed out yet again.

* * *

He would do anything just to get out of the well, he thought when he woke up again, but he knew he didn’t have much strength left. Maybe the Omens will kill me soon, he thought to himself and he would be lying if he said that a part of him just wanted to die already. The army had made him tough. He had been strong and smart in gun battles but he had never been in a situation like this before. He had never been a religious person so he found it extremely ironic when he started to pray for help. It seemed like the only thing he could do. He didn’t want to die, maybe he could turn his life around. Maybe he could do things differently from now on, he just needed a chance. He needed someone to save him because for once in his life, he knew he wasn’t able to save himself like all the times before. He was skilled in saving his own skin, he had done it so many times before. He had gotten into so many useless fights when he was growing up, and he had always managed to come out on top. Although he had been blessed with a lean body most of his life, he knew he was smarter than most people when he was growing up, and so he was easily picked on. Maybe that's why he had joined the army. He wanted to save people from things that threatened their life. He knew all too well what it had felt like to be helpless and scared of people. Maybe he had become the bully himself.

So many questions constantly filled his head the more delirious he became.

He had to admit to himself that he knew why he was there, and if he could go back in time he would’ve made sure that the Omen punk who had walked into the bar a few days ago did not leave and if he survived he would make sure he paid for what he had caused Sage to go through. He knew at the time it was a stupid idea to just let him get away with just a few bruises. Sage should have finished him, but he had been too distracted, and one would say too kind that night by letting him go, and he was paying for it. He could have blamed Mia for distracting him that night, for being a thought that hadn’t left his mind right from the start when they first met but he knew he was responsible for what happened and no one else. Mia wasn’t even there when the scene broke out in the bar. Sage had only himself to blame even though he would rather be able to point the finger at someone else. He knew better than that.

Instead of letting the guy go with a warning to the rest of the Omens, he should have made him regret entering the bar at all, made sure he didn’t leave with a heartbeat but was rather disposed of. It was certainly too late to wish for a different outcome all things considered, but Sage knew that if anything happened again, he would have to finish it. He worked for the Screaming Demons after all and to them, they never left a job unfinished the way he had.

It was as he was leaving the bar for the night, thinking Mia would already be asleep so he could creep back into the house without having to see her again. He didn’t want to have to see her face again, especially after what he had done. He got jumped just outside the bar doors when he had his head bent over his phone, so he could dial for a taxi instead of driving himself home. They had come out of the darkness and attacked him, one hitting him on the back of his head with what he could only assume was a baseball bat and the other hitting him behind the knees so he fell completely to the floor unable to defend himself. They hadn’t done anything else to him, which had surprised him, but he could tell that their punishment was going to be a slow and painful one. He couldn’t remember how he got to the well, the well that they had placed him in, or rather hung him in. His body ached and throbbed from his injuries. He’d have hated to see how bad his legs looked under his jeans because he was sure he would have bruises and God only knew what the back of his head looked like. He couldn’t feel any blood nor could he see any on his shirt collar so it would appear that the hit to his head hadn’t broken any skin but had just knocked him out. However, he couldn’t be sure. He had learned a bit of first aid while he had been in the army so he knew he had a concussion, passing out now and again with occasional dizziness when he was awake.

He was chained up, hanging halfway down into the well but still too far from the top so he couldn’t reach even if he managed to get free which he soon learned was almost impossible. He had wasted so much time and energy trying to break free the first day and failed every single time he tried. They had chained his hands and feet together while they had strategically hung him, so he was literally trapped. A slow death was definitely their way of punishment. He tried a number of times to break free from the chains, but even if he could get free, he had no idea if he’d be able to climb out of the well as the walls looked like there were no holes for him to bury his fingers into for grip.

He couldn’t imagine anyone was looking for him nor could he imagine anyone actually missing him. He had left everyone behind back home and the last time he saw Mia he had literally acted as if she didn’t exist. While he was trapped, he couldn’t stop himself from replaying the expression she had on her face the last time he saw her. He knew he had hurt her and thinking that he may not ever be found, he hated himself for what he had done. The last time he had seen her and the face he would remember was the day he had caused her pain. He knew she hadn’t deserved it, but he had only done it to protect her from him, well, protect himself from falling for her. He should’ve had the courage to talk to her because now he would never be able to change their last interaction with each other. He had no idea where he was, he couldn’t even remember the car ride so he was doubtful anyone would be able to find him. He was trapped and waiting to die.

Mia knew she would stop at nothing until she found the men who had taken Sage. She couldn’t imagine what he must be going through. They could be doing all sorts of horrible things to him, she thought and as much as she tried to distract herself from those kinds of thoughts, she couldn’t stop herself. They could have him in a basement somewhere, tied up to a chair and torturing him with knives and tools, maybe even pulling out his fingernails and teeth like Mia had seen in torture movie moments. Or maybe they had been slowly drowning him but constantly shoving his head into a bucket of water. Mia had to stop herself from thinking anything else before she really lost it. She had watched too many crazy movies growing up so she shouldn’t let her mind run crazy.

She was lucky enough to have been given footage of the night Sage had been taken. She watched the footage over and over again, constantly wincing every time she watched Sage get hit. The hit to his head seemed to have caused the most damage because when they had hit the backs of his knees he fell to the floor without any hesitation and without any thought of protecting his face. Mia watched as he stayed limp on the ground. They had picked him up and shoved him into the back seat of their car. She couldn’t stand the thought of him being in pain, and she had to find him alive or else all hell would break loose.

She called in the help of Adam, the previous ringleader of the Screaming Demons in Daytona who was the guy they had met when they had first arrived in Florida. She still hadn’t left the house due to Fiona's orders, so Adam went to the house to meet her. He rang the doorbell, and when she saw his face, she instantly opened the door for him.

“Please, come in,” she said as she gestured him inside. “Thank you so much for coming and offering to help. I really appreciate it, and I’m sure Sage will too,” she said.

“It’s no problem. I really hope we can catch these guys,” he said. Mia hoped so too. She pressed play on the remote, and they both sat in silence as they watched the attack happen. After showing him the footage, she was relieved to find out that he could identify the men. She was even more pleased when he also told her he knew where to find them.