Free Trouble in Paradise by Eric Walters

free but it was impossible.
    “George, please, do not make this any harder on yourself,” one of the men said.
    George …? “How do you know my name?”
    “We know many things. Just stay calm. Everything will be fine. Trust us.”
    “Yeah!” Jack screamed out. “We always trust people who knock us down and tie us up!”
    He was fighting back so violently that he was making it hard for four men to hold him in place.
    “Enough,” the leader said.
    Like magic, a pistol suddenly appeared in his hand. He held it directly in front of Jack’s face.
    “You will not resist any more.”
    Jack stopped fighting.
    “We will go out to the waiting vehicle. You will both walk without making a sound. If you cause us any more distress, you will, shall we say, deeply regret your decision. Understand?”
    I nodded my head. Jack didn’t answer but he didn’t argue, which was as close as he was going to get to agreeing.
    With our hands bound behind our backs and a man holding us on each side, we were walked out. In front of our house was a large truck. It was black and its headlightswere turned off. They led us to the back, where a tarp was removed and the tailgate was lowered with a loud thud. They lifted and passed us like a bag of potatoes from one set of powerful hands to another into the back of the truck. The four men who held us climbed in, joining two others, along with us.
    Right away the tailgate was lifted and the tarp tied down, blocking the light and our only way out. They plopped me on a bench on one side of the truck and sat Jack opposite me. We both had a man on each side of us. There was the metallic sound of doors closing and then the truck lurched forward, throwing me toward the back and into one of the men. I tried to push myself upright, but not being able to use my hands made me pretty helpless.
    “Where are we going?” I asked.
    “You’ll find out soon enough,” one of the men said. He also had an accent, but different from the leader’s.
    The truck made a sharp turn and I could feel that we were heading down a hill, toward the downtown. That wasn’t what I had expected. Somehow I’d thought they’d take us someplace deserted. Then again, none of the people on the street could see us inside, and it wasn’t like we could call out to get their attention.
    “How’s your nose?” Jack asked.
    For a split second I thought he was talking to me before I remembered the blow he’d gotten in.
    “I’ve taken harder punches,” the man beside me replied.
    “Being punched harder isn’t much to brag about,” Jack said. “But once I’m out of these ropes, I’ll see if I can do a bit better.”
    “You’re lucky you’re tied up,” the man threatened.
    “Me? You’re the one who’s too afraid even to sit beside me!” Jack taunted. “Big, strong, brave man is afraid of a boy half his age who’s—”
    “It’s you who should be afraid of me!” the man snapped. He jumped to his feet, and the truck lurched to one side. That’s when I reached out and kicked him in the back of the leg with all my might! When he tumbled forward, Jack jumped to his feet, and before two of the men could restrain him, he smashed the top of his head into the man’s face. The big guy screamed in pain and toppled to the floor. Two of the men grabbed Jack and two others grabbed me, and all of us, in one big mass, landed on top of the big guy!
    I started to scream as loudly as I could, hoping to attract the attention of somebody on the street, but a hand was shoved against my mouth. I shook my head violently and the hand moved away slightly, and then a finger slipped into my mouth and I bit down as hard as I could! The owner of the hand screamed in pain and thrashed about desperately as he tried to remove his finger, but I dug my teeth in deeper and deeper. And then I was smashed inthe face! I think I actually bit down harder for an instant before my mouth popped open and I released the finger.
    Crushed under the weight of