New Year at TAC

‘Shirley, you lowlife douchebag…’ Rex moved towards Surly, looking as though he was ready to tear him to shreds. Tucker was nowhere to be seen. Vanessa figured he was mostly likely still struggling his way up the hill to get there. She still sat on the log and when she saw him, she felt momentary relief, that finally someone was there to help her. Even better, it was her darling Rex, but the delight of seeing him was far outweighed by the horror of something happening to him.

  Luke leapt behind her, grabbed her around the neck and hauled her to her feet. She gasped for breath as his arm clamped around her throat.

  ‘Hold it right there, Cassidy!’ he snarled, positioning the blade at her neck again.

  She coughed until finally, he released pressure on her, but he kept the blade at her throat. Her legs felt weak and her heart beat furiously.

  Rex’s face darkened. Vanessa felt a chill run down her spine. She had never seen him look so furious. It was almost as if something evil had come upon him.

  ‘What’s the matter, Cassidy? Afraid your sexy girlfriend is gonna get her throat slit? You’re not in control now, are you?’

  Rex said his next words, slowly but deliberately, ‘Let… her… go.’

  Vanessa felt that shiver again and the words weren’t even directed at her.

  ‘What are you gonna do, Cassidy? Take one step toward me and I’ll slice up her pretty little face for you. Then not only won’t you want to talk to her, you won’t even want to look at her again.’

  ‘I’m warning you, Shirley. You even put one scratch on her and I’ll put you in a world of suffering you haven’t even dreamed of in your worst nightmares.’

  ‘That’s all really tough talk, but that’s all it is, talk. You can’t intimidate me. I’m the one in control here.’

  Rex continued to stare at him evilly.

  ‘That’s better,’ Surly said. ‘I tell you what I want you to do, Cassidy. I want you to go to that bank over there and stand with your back to me looking over the edge. And I don’t want you to move.’

  ‘No Rex!’ Vanessa gasped. ‘He’ll push you over the edge.’

  ‘Shut up!’ Surly tightened his grip, causing her to choke.

  Rex’s eyes bugged and he stared at him as though he was ready to lunge at him but he remained put.

  ‘Do it, Cassidy! If you want your sweetie here to keep her face intact, you better do as I tell you.’

  Fear overwhelmed Vanessa as Rex moved over to the edge of the bank and stood with his back to Surly. ‘No, Rex! Don’t!’

  Her captor pushed her gently off the log to the ground and raised his knife in the air, drawing his arm back.

  ‘No!’ Vanessa screamed.

  Surly hurled the blade toward Rex’s back. At the last moment, Rex ducked down and flattening himself on the ground. The blade whizzed over his head and sailed over the edge of the cliff.

  Surly let out a cry of rage when he realised his plan had failed. He made a lunge for Rex and attempted to send his foot into his chest. If he had connected with it, Vanessa had no doubt that Rex would have been kicked over the edge of the bank, but he was ready for that too. He ducked down and swooped Surly off his feet with a leg sweep.

  Surly went sprawling over towards Vanessa, but was quick to recover. He grabbed hold of her, pulled her around and got her in a headlock. Rex moved over toward her but came to a halt when he saw that Surly once again had the upper hand.

  However, Surly had no knife this time.

  Rex let out his own cry of rage. He reached forward and grabbed Surly by the arm. He sent his other fist crashing into his face, with tremendous power. Vanessa’s head jerked backwards as Surly’s own body toppled back, but, all though it hurt, she didn’t suffer any damage. Surly though was groggy and there was blood pouring down his nose.

  ‘Aggh, you broke my n…’ Surly didn’t get a chance to reply. Rex’s pent up fury had been unleashed. He grabbed Surly and sent another powerful blow to his head, this time the mouth. Surly let out a scream and spat out two teeth as another blow struck his cheek.

  Vanessa was well free of Surly now and clambered to her feet. Rex had become possessed, like a mad man and pounded away mercilessly at his opponent’s face. For the first time Vanessa became fearful of what would happen to Surly, even though he deserved it.

  ‘Rex, stop!’ She grabbed his arm from behind. ‘You’ll kill him!’ As much as she wanted to see Surly suffer, she did not want Rex up on manslaughter charges.

  Rex was about to strike again and rose his fist again, despite the fact Vanessa was trying to hold it firm. He paused. It was as if he hadn’t noticed her there before. Maybe he hadn’t and had been too enraged to. When his eyes met hers, his face softened and the ferocity that was there before vanished.

  Surly lay motionless, blood seeping from his nose and mouth. At least that told them he was still alive.

  ‘Rex,’ Vanessa said, in a soothing tone and gazed into his eyes with longing.

  Rex closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. ‘Please tell me he didn’t hurt you.’

  ‘Nuh uh, he just frightened me, that’s all.’

  Rex glanced at the unconscious body of Surly, without any remorse in his eyes. He then turned back at her. ‘I thought he was going to kill you.’

  ‘I… I think he would have killed me if not you.’

  ‘I can’t lose you again.’

  Vanessa longed to kiss him. She didn’t have to do anything, because he kissed her instead. Long and slow…