I worked away briefly at my phone, as I bypassed the security parameters of the police in order to upload the ransom video that they had received. A shaky video came up on the screen of my phone, which was focused in on a group of petrified looking children who sat on a dirty looking floor. A masked man held up a large machete and made a swinging motion with it, which had the children pulling together in fear.
A sign was held up in front of the camera that read, "Nine hours, €10 million and the release of the five September Dawn members that you have in prison or we'll cut a kid's head off every half hour, until our demands are met or we run out of kids." The video abruptly ended.
I felt a touch at my hand and glanced to Zora who said, "I'll go get changed."
I nodded and she left.
I flipped the TV off before I put my fist through the screen.
I hated technology, but it was useful. But most of all I hated anyone who would do harm to a child.
My 3 ½ hours until I could experience paradise on Earth had suddenly stretched out to an eternity with no certain future, but that was a small thing to consider when the lives of children hung in the balance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zora glanced at Elon. He looked mad enough to kill and that was good for the place they were walking into looked like a place that needed some killing done in it. She stepped off to the side of the main door and pressed up against the wall in a spot from which she could cover the room if need be.
Elon had never stopped, but had continued on towards the bar. Before the bouncer knew what was up Elon leaned over the counter and hauled the bouncer arms flailing over-the-counter to then beat the muscled oaf completely senseless.
Zora swallowed as she watched the raw display of Elon's capabilities come to the forefront. He'd just beaten the roughest meanest looking man in the room to a bloody senseless pulp inside of 30 seconds. He'd made it look as easy as buttering a piece of bread.
The other toughs in the bar didn't look so tough now and as one their hands started drifting for concealed weapons. Zora shucked the shotgun loudly that she had just brought out from under her long leather coat and the drifting hands stopped as eyes swiveled to her and then back to Elon as he began to talk.
"So which one of you wants to be next? I'll beat everyone of you if I have to."