Chapter 19 - Someone's Bark...
Despite knowing a thing or two about self-defense, Angela knew she wouldn't stand a chance in a fair fight against the two mesmerized men so if she hoped to set things straight once and for all, she had to play it smart. The problem was: how to do that when they were so desperate to please the one that ravaged their minds?
"Jonah, Nick... please! You don't have to do what she says!" She pleaded.
As if wanting nothing more than to prove her wrong, Jonah was the first to leap forward, snarling. "I must always obey Goddess. And I will."
Nick mimicked him, body undulating as if he were a serpent about ready to choke her. The man-beast would complete his task and Gail would put him even deeper as a reward. It was a win-win situation even more for Angela that would get to experience the thrill of being a happy hypnotized hypnotist once more. "You heard what she said. Start running."
"Ten seconds head start," Jonah sniggered. "I bet you can't make it back to the car before we catch you. Prove us wrong, sis."
"I'll be back in no time to wipe that smug off your face, Gail!" Angela shouted as she ran. One... a long stride towards the warehouse's open door. Two... almost stumbling on her own feet as she tried to gain momentum. Three... about to reach the handle of the warehouse's open door. Four... the animalistic growls intensifying before her. Five... the moment she realized the rules were just for show. Six... Gail's twisted laugh confirming it.
Angela exited the derelict building with the pursuers already on her tail. As expected, Jonah moved the fastest, his former Olympic training put to nefarious use. The count upwards hadn't even reached ten when he jumped out of the entrance with the paramedic struggling to keep up.
Jonah was right, of course. Even in peak physical condition it would have been impossible for Angela to clear the distance separating her from the four-wheeled method of escape in such a short amount of time. Luckily, hiding places were abundant and, even as kids, she had always been better at playing hide-and-seek than he could possibly dream. With that to her advantage, she immediately made a right hard turn running along the warehouse's external wall before rolling behind a stack of rusty containers. As he honed in on her position, salivating like the deranged animal he now was, she doubled back through the opposite side, confusing him long enough to increase the distance between them.
Nick wasn't so easily fooled though. Unable to run as fast as Jonah, he sniffed the air the moment he headed outside, closing in on the action from the other side. The moment Angela dashed away from her hiding place, he jumped to grab her and fell into a puddle of dirty water, failing to grab her restless ankle by an inch. Frustrated, he slammed both fists on the wet ground, dark brown dirt creeping on his fingernails and face like an improvised war paint, only to be stepped by Jonah who was on the move again.
"Fuck!" He growled. Despite both being given the same order, chasing the hypnotherapist was a rivalry, not a friendly competition, and the victor would get all the laurels, he was sure. No one would stand in the way of being his Mistress' favorite pet. If Jonah was hellbent on playing dirty, he too would do the same. He stood up and looked to his right, just in time to see the young woman giving her brother the slip once more as she crawled through a giant metal pipe laid to abandonment.
He sprinted that way taking advantage of his competitor's uneven position to gain the upper-hand. Before Jonah realized it, he was being kicked into the pipe, head banging against the curved edge. It would leave a nasty scar.
"She's mine, you hear?" Nick spat.
"We'll see..." Jonah replied, his ears still ringing from the sudden and splintering headache. Warm, thick blood criss-crossed across his forehead and onto the bridge of his nose. He shook his head, unwound his aching muscles and resumed his predatorial stance.
Their raging hormonal bout was just the break Angela needed to make a run for the car. Nick was right behind her, foul breath impregnating the air, gaining three steps for each one of hers.
"You can't get away! Might as well give up now!" He shouted.
Ignoring his provocation, she finally reached Gail's vehicle, opening the passenger's seat door with uncontained strength. It creaked on his hinges, scratching the paint. Too high from the adrenalin of the chase, Nick saw the metal hunk flying his way, hitting his torso with a loud "plop". He fell on his back, both hands clutching his chest from the pain.
"I'm sorry," Angela thought. She entered the car, grabbed the keys and...
... Jonah's right hand crashed through the window yanking them from her. They fell to the ground outside.
"You're not leaving until Goddess has her way with you!" He cackled.
"And I'm the one who will deliver the prize!" Nick yelled, standing up against all odds.
What followed was a mess of of sweaty bodies pummelling one another while Angela shrieked. Nick was the first to score a landing blow, bruised knuckles hitting the underside of Jonah's jaw. The gymnast responded with a barrage of punches between the fourth and the fifth thoracic vertebrae. Glass shards flew between the two men, a pointy storm about to collapse. The paramedic responded with a well-timed dodge before throwing the full weight of his body against Jonah's unguarded groin. Both rolled away from the stationary vehicle as they continued the onslaught.
