VI - The Captive

Taking the arrow with me I crossed the street, shuddering as I stepped around the Dark Warrior. My life came as close to ending as it ever had. If not for the archer it most certainly would have.
But who was the archer? Why were they there, where did they come from? Why did they run off?
I decided to try and find out so I went through the hedgerow and started following the path I thought the person would have taken.
Whoever it was they had to be fast and quiet because I couldn’t see a trace of them and there was absolutely no noise.
I was beginning to get freaked out at the lack of noise. What was it? Were there creatures about?
I quickly ducked under some low hanging branches and stopped. Listening hard for several minutes.
Ah there it was, in the background barely audible. Noise off in the distance, people talking, cussing, laughing. Must be a gang in one of these vacant homes.
I figured I would find out what was going on. I didn’t really have anything else to do.
I silently eased out from under the tree and headed toward the noise.
Because of the darkness I was stumbling along the path and each time I would stop for a second and listen for something that may have heard me.
As I got closer the noise grew louder and I started hearing and making out some of the words.
It sounded like they were talking about someone and to that someone at the same time.
As I came up to a block wall and peered over I could just make out through a large window a group of people maybe 5 or 6 standing around a small fire burning in the middle of the room.
Two of them had rifles and one was carrying what looked like a sword. They were drinking and laughing and looking at something on the ground.
Another person was lying on the floor in front of them. I couldn’t tell what the situation was but it looked as though the one on the floor was their captive. From my vantage point I couldn’t make out whether it was a girl or boy due to the way they were dressed.
Every once in awhile one of them would walk around a kick the poor person on the floor. The rest just continued to drink and cuss and poor gasoline on the fire.
I backed off the wall as quietly as I could, turned and started to make my way around and away from the house. One thing I did not need was trouble from one of these gangs. After all getting killed was easy enough now – a - days without asking for it.
Besides when was the last time anyone helped me out of jam? Damn it! I suddenly stopped. Remembering what had just taken place I felt compelled to get involved. Every instinct told me to keep moving. Mind your own business I told myself. After all I didn’t know what was going on. Maybe that person on the floor wasn’t a prisoner. If they were, hell maybe they deserved it.
Damn as hard as I tried I couldn’t walk away after what had just happened to me.
Okay what now? How the hell am I going to pull that guy’s giblets out of the oven without getting burned?
I turned and headed back toward the wall.