A low growl rumbled in his chest, progressing to a loud resounding yell. With sudden added strength, he bucked the man off him. Someone let go of a leg, which he used to kick as hard as he could, dislodging the second person that held his left leg. He jerked his right arm free, tuned and belted the person holding his left. Then he scrambled to his feet and took to a solid run.
"You son of a bitch! You broke my fucking nose!" he heard behind him, but didn't slow down or give it a second thought.
One of the four men picked up a short broken limb nearby and tossed it at the boy's feet. The next Joshua knew he felt something slam hard between his feet and landed face first into the trunk of a pine tree. The world spun and darkness abruptly surrounded him.
Icy cold washed over him and caused him to gasp. Another shower of cold and he jerked, his head flew back with a yelp. The cramp in his lower abdomen became unbearable and alerted him to the fact that his bladder was screaming for relief. Lifting his head slowly, he became aware of being sprayed down with cold water. His arms ached terribly and were wrenched high above his head. Aches and pains slowly made their unwelcome acquaintance.
With a direct spray to the face, Joshua came to full consciousness. He shook his head wildly, trying to avoid getting the water up his nose. But, try as he might, it still flooded his nasal passages and forced him to cough violently.
He felt warmth shower his legs and relief of the ache of his bladder. The water was then directed to his lower body and washed it away.
"Little bitch! Can't even hold your water! Look at the little baby wet himself!" an angry voice barked at him from across the room. "You thought you could just up and leave? We weren't finished with you, yet!"
Josh opened his eyes and saw the wood floor beneath his feet. A drain hole with a grated cap was positioned not far away. He looked up and around to find himself hanging from the thick beam of a rafter of a wooden building. The rope tied to his wrists was tight and had already left angry welts and cuts. His fingers had turned blue giving him to know he'd hung there for quite some time.
It was a large room, equipped with a desk, bed and a small table. Other than that, there was nothing significant—not even a window to allow for some sunlight.
His eyes fell on the menacing fellow across the room, showering him with the icy cold water. His shag of dark hair fell into his eyes, over his ears and around his head as if it hadn't been combed through in days. Thick bushy eyebrows framed his deep blue eyes that expressed the malice and contempt in their stare. A cruel smirk lifted one corner of his thin lips. He was tall and of medium build, wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a leather vest that was open and allowed Joshua to see a thick patch of hair on the man's chest.
"Turn around, whelp!" he barked at Josh gruffly.
It was then, Josh realized his feet were on the floor and stood on them. He turned his back to the man obediently and gasped as the water pummeled his body...cold...stinging him from the pressure of the spray.
"Hmm...nice round little ass, kid," the man commented a bit more amiably.
Josh then noticed that the other three men that had been in the red mustang sat at a larger table a good distance away and near a set of steps that led up to a small door. He knew then, he had to be in a basement or cellar of some sort.
The blond that was sitting on the nearest edge of the table puckered his lips at Josh, then smiled broadly. His hair was mussed and fell over his shoulders and part way of his back. The eyes were hazel and expressed pleasure in seeing Josh so vulnerable and exposed. His lips were full and an almost cherry red. He was thin, but had some definition to his form that was clothed in jeans and a pullover shirt. He lifted a bottled beer to those lips and drank deeply, his eyes never faltering in his stare of Josh.
The others were ignoring the scene, which Josh was actually thankful for. At least, for the moment, they didn't have any interest in him.
