As he felt the cuffs tighten painfully round his wrists, he thought about how he became a hostage for these psychopathic men. To make matters worse, he was blindfolded and his head was covered in a brown potato sack from which he could scarcely breathe. In his bounds his hands shook uncontrollably and he began to sweat. He felt his captors gazing down at him, as if they could sense his fear. “Do worry Mr. Castings,” someone said. The voice came from the far end of the room. No doubt this man was the leader of this group that had taken him from his office days ago. The voice was muffled, yet disgruntled and boasted a French accent. “You will be released once the truth comes out.” “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about!” he said fearfully. Castings heard the footsteps belonging to the man as he approached him. He then sensed him kneel down beside him. “You will soon enough. It has chiefly to do with your past, your sin.” “My sin?” Castings thought to himself. He kept quiet. He didn’t want to rouse these men anymore than necessary. The leader rose to his feet once more then walked back over to where he came. After some time had passed he heard a door open and a few men walk inside. Feint whispering was heard and he soon heard what sounded like permission to proceed. The man walked toward Castings once more then knelt beside him. “We’re about to begin, my friend,” he said. Castings would never consider this man his friend. He would die first, which he had no intention of doing. The man rose to his feet and walked away. Upon reaching his destination within the room the potato sack with ripped from his head allowing him to see once more. He was inside a studio room and the man with the French accent stood a few meters away from him standing in front of a camera holding a blue folder. What is in that folder?! “Begin broadcast,” said the man. The men under his charge obeyed and began working frantically to bring their broadcast to their intended audience. Castings didn’t need a Master’s Degree to know that this would be viewed on national television. When given the signal, the man began to speak. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, black and white, old and young. My name is Craven Elbert. My men and I have high-jacked Channel 7’s news studios to bring you this broadcast. Rest assured no one was harmed in this, though I sense you are wondering of the safety of the crew within the building. They are well as you well soon discover, but I digress. The reason for this broadcast is to bring truth to your eyes and ears. A certain man currently sits inside one of the most advanced prisons in the country, Lockhouse Prison, a man by the name of Eli Washington.” Castings’ heart skipped. That was a name he had hoped to never hear again and now this Craven terrorist was preaching about him on national television. How did he come to know about his past and what were his motives?! “This Eli Washington was convicted twelve years ago of the murder of a loved and highly respected man, a man named Matthew Bible. Mr. Bible was a church going, God fearing man who aided the sick and donated whatever he could to those who were in great and dire need. So why would anyone seek to murder a man such as this? What drove Eli, a middle class African-American man to murder this man? The answers are in the folder I hold within my hand.” The camera man zoomed in on the folder Craven held. After a few seconds the camera focused once again upon Craven, who now motioned for Castings to be brought to him. Instantly a few men hoisted him from the ground, ignoring the gasps and screams of witnesses within the studio and threw him head first to the cold tiled floor. Castings bit his tongue upon impact and could taste a copper tasting liquid within his mouth. Blood. Craven looked down at him with disgust and removed from his breast pocket a napkin. After cleaning the frightened Castings he rose again and placed his attention back to the blue folder. “Tell our viewers your name,” he commanded. When he remained silent, Craven drew a gun from his holster and hit him once across the face with it. Castings fell to the floor again and grunted at the pain. Once again the stream of blood flowed in his mouth. “State your name,” Craven commanded once again.” “W…William Castings,” he said painfully. It hurt his mouth to speak. With this, Craven removed a single document from the folder and began speaking. “Eli Washington sits inside Lockhouse Prison an innocent man. His only crime, loving the daughter of Mr. Bible, Kelly Bible, the way any kind and respectful man would. The blood of Mr. Bible rests not upon the hands of Eli but upon the hands of this man before you, William Castings, though he was not present at the murder. Ronald Keys, the prosecutor who prosecuted the case, knowingly withheld the evidence needed to see the real killers behind bars, one of them being this man here. William’s secret hatred for other races drove him to hire a hitman of African American background, one Darius Watson, so that William could effectively place the blame upon Eli. After the murder was completed, he called the police, planted evidence upon Eli, had Eli arrested, then reported the murder to his wife, who was once Kelly Bible. Despite evidence proving Mr. Washington’s innocence, Ronald Keys pushed forward and won the case, sending Mr. Washington to prison for the rest of his natural life. With Washington out of the way, Castings was free to court Kelly and this courtship lead to marriage. Castings then, with Kelly, built a family around the blood of her father and the lies perpetrated by these men.” Castings couldn’t stop the shaking dominating his body. From the folder Craven removed more documents and pictures of Eli to support his claims. Furthermore from his pocket he removed a mini tape. “Stop it…..!” Castings wanted to say but his mouth wouldn’t work without sending signals of pain to the commander of his body which lay protected within his skull. With every truth about that day laid bare, he felt like the wimp at the playground beaten by the bully whilst everyone watched and cheered. Craven inserted the mini tape within the tape player and hit play. “William you’ve got nothing to worry about my man. Remember all the evidence that would otherwise free Eli is safely tucked away in my care,” Keys said. “And what of your hitman? “I paid him off well. He’ll be vacationing somewhere in Mexico before the month is out. Now that that nigger is in prison where niggers belong, I can court Kelly like I had intended. And as far as the evidence goes, I want you to burn it all tonight.” “And I will. You know I always come through for you so relax, and enjoy the good years to come with Kelly.” Craven stopped the tape. “Did you hear that ladies and gentleman? Did you hear the heinous talk of these men? What do you think should be done? I do believe that they should answer for their crimes, after all, our country was found on truth and justice yes?” As if on cue, the door opened and another figure was hurled inside. He landed next to Castings and Castings instantly recognized him to be Ronald Keys! He had been shot and beaten and could not speak due to the black gorilla tape over his mouth. Craven knelt and yanked the tape from his mouth. He screamed in agony as part of his mustache hairs went with it. Craven showed no sympathy for the man. He knelt down and gently stroked his cheek. “It’ll be over soon,” Craven said almost softly. “The wicked always get what they deserve…” Kelly Castings slowly placed her hands to her mouth. She could scarcely believe that for twelve years she had been married to and shared a bed with one of the murderers of her beloved father and had three children with the man to boot. It was too much to take in and she hurried to the bathroom. Knelling over the commode, the fluids from her bowels came rushing out and into the water below her mouth. Twice the putrid stream came. When she recovered there was someone at her side. Her best friend knelt beside her with a glass of water. She was the same age as she and had enjoyed growing and sharing memories with her. Kelly drank the water and sobbed in her friend’s lap as she pat her back. After a while Kelly collected herself. She took some toilet tissue and wiped the corners of her mouth. “For twelve years I thought that Eli had killed my father and for twelve years I hated him and hoped for his death. I did all of this and all the while the bastard was right in my home, raising my children and sleeping in my bed. My father would be so ashamed! What am I going to tell my kids I…?!” “Shh…shh!” said her friend calmly. “It’ll be alright I promise.” Even as she said this, she now felt guilt over making a promise she knew that she could not keep. Craven cocked his gun once and aimed carefully at the head of Ronald. Ronald seemed to be more accepting of his situation than William because he did not quiver nor did he plea. Craven deduced that the man was ready to pay for has past transgressions and he was willing to oblige him. “Good evening Ronald,” Craven said. “The nation understands that you’re the prosecutor that had wrongly convicted Mr. Eli Washington. I trust that by the way you offer no resistance, you’re ready to accept judgment?” Ronald slowly nodded. Slowly he spoke, hoping that his next few words would show the world his regret. “I always fashioned myself as a man who defended what was right.” “But that was merely an image designed to deceive men,” Craven said to him, then to the camera. “You are a respecter of persons, offering your services for the sake of serving injustice. You serve evil and ruin lives for the reward of money.” Ronald took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he gathered, the blow that would see him into the afterlife, but the blow never came. He wondered if he was simply savoring the moment. ‘Just get it over with! I’m ready!’ “Bring them inside,” Craven ordered. Touching Ronald lightly on the face with the barrel of the gun, he gestured for Ronald to raise his head so that he might view the scene of his wife and daughter escorted at gun point within the room. With wide eyes adding to his fear, he opened his mouth to plea for them, but Craven would hear none of it. “Your pleas are on deaf ears Ronald, just as Eli’s pleas fell upon deaf ears. You shall now demand the release of Eli before we proceed further.” “My family….!” “Shall be sparred if you demand the release Eli.” Craven handed Ronald his phone. Slowly he took it and dialed a number. As Ronald waited for an answer, the sobs from his wife and daughter stung him. Understanding that he was the cause of their pain, he wished that he had simply done what was right in the past. As he felt the eyes of the witnesses watch him, there were two sets of eyes within the room that hurt him the most. His wife’s and daughter’s. Their eyes, their beautiful hazel eyes felt as if they were convicting him for the wrong he had done, for the place he had put them in. “Ronald, don’t…!” Ronald ignored Castings as the phone was finally answered. “My name is Ronald Case. I was the lawyer that represented the Bible’s during the trail of Elijah Washington, the innocent man that sat in prison for twelve years. No doubt you’ve heard the broadcast but in case you haven’t, it was William Castings, Darius Watson, and myself who murdered Matthew Bible. I tampered with and destroyed evidence so that an innocent man would take the fall while the true murderers remain free. So, I request the immediate release of Elijah Washington and to have him cleared of any wrong doing. I am prepared to accept any punishment that I might face.” Remorsefully he hung up the phone and handed it back to Craven. Craven knelt beside Ronald who looked past him and towards his family. “You did well Ronald. I’m a firm believer in redemption and I’m proud of you.” Ronald said nothing. Instead he hung his head in shame and as the feeling overwhelmed him, he began to cry. His weeping did not last long however. A bark sounded loudly within the room, followed by shrieks of horror. Ronald was on the floor, executed by gunshot to the temple. “In the vision I have for the nation,” he began. “Men of high positions answer for heinous crimes by death. The poor shall be considered rich while the rich considered poor. True justice will reign over this corrupt and vile land and those for good will drive out those that practice evil.” Craven ignored the screams from Ronald’s family as he approached Castings, who couldn’t for the life of him take his eyes of the body of his lawyer. He was next to be executed but a telephone ring from Craven’s phone delayed the fate hour. “Hello? I see thank you for telling me, now we can proceed further.” Craven hung up and looked at Castings. “That was one my men William. They found and executed the hitman you hired to kill Mr. Bible. There now remains one final thing before the travesty you orchestrated may be corrected.” “You’re a monster!” Castings finally said. “Terrorists always get what they deserve!” Craven allowed himself a chuckle. “A monster am I? You kill your wife’s father then placed the blame upon her previous partner so that you could court her, knowing full well what you did.” “Is that what all this is about?! My past!?” You gonna kill all these people for what happened twelve years ago!?” Craven shook his head slowly, never taking his eyes away from his captive. “Why would we do that my friend? They’re innocent.” Once again the cellphone began working, Craven having dialed an unknown number. When finished, Craven revealed the number. It was his wife’s. “I’m going to let you speak with your wife,” Craven said as the phone rang. “I’m sure she has a few choice words for you.” Before he answered Craven once again assaulted him with the gun, striking him twice across the face. Once more the witnesses screamed, but none dared to speak out against him. The phone was finally picked up and Craven motioned for Castings to speak. “Honey.” “Don’t you ever call me that again you bastard! Twelve years of my life wasted believing the man I loved killed my father! I hate you William Castings! I hate you and I hope you rot in Hell!” The phone was silent and the sound of a bullet sliding into the chamber was born. “I do believe that is grounds for a divorce. Sadly you shan’t live long enough to experience it. Take comfort in the fact that the nation’s cleansing of evil has started with the four of you. The release of Eli and the execution of those involved in his false incarceration.” “Go to hell,” Castings said weakly. “They’ll stop you.” “Perhaps and perhaps not my foolish friend. Many have joined my cause and see my vision for a better tomorrow for our corrupt and doomed nation.” Craven ignored Castings next words as the gun barked once more, ending the life of the man who had sinned. The cameraman remained still as Craven finally turned to him. “The true culprits have been dealt with,” he said into the camera. “The murder of Mr. Bible has been avenged and the release of the innocent will occur shortly. My brothers and sister that oppose evil I ask you to join my cause, see my vision. Aid me to drive out the corrupt forces that mask themselves as heroes. You can find information on our website, CAE. (Citizens Against Evil).” One of Craven’s men approached him and whispered into his ear. Craven nodded once and pointed to the hostages. Immediately the men obeyed his command and freed the hostages of their bounds. The hostages didn’t stick around and instantly ran for freedom, all but one single soul. It was a young blonde-haired woman appearing to be in her late twenties. Craven approached the woman and gently placed a hand upon her shoulder, in which she flinched. “You needn’t fear us, you’re free to leave,” he told her. The woman didn’t move an inch. Perhaps she was too afraid to move? “Why remain?” “B…because I’m afraid. Are you really letting us go?” “That is what I said. Go on, my men won’t try to stop you.” She didn’t move. Instead she asked; “If you’re for justice, would you help me find it?” Craven gently moved a blonde bang away from her eye. “What kind of justice do you want? Also it depends on what was done to you,” he said.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 00:50:38 +0000
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