Brute Force

115

Box-cutter followed, a whirlwind of punches. He caught me in the stomach and I crumpled onto all fours. My body wanted to vomit but all that came up was watery bile.

Another body came in behind him and got to work with his boots.

I went down.

I felt a hand on the back of my head. It grabbed a clump of my hair and yanked it up. I didn't need to focus big-time to see the box-cutter in his free hand.

He tapped the handle against my forehead. 'Later.'

The English was heavily accented and he wasn't smiling.

Two sets of hands grabbed my arms and dragged me fast along the floor. My chest banged over the threshold and then, agonizingly, my knees and shins.