tap-slapped my face several times as I fought to breathe around the massive weight he pushed down on my chest. "Got it, Bane? Or do I need to teach you a Bible lesson? Tie you to a slab, offer you up? Wait to see if the Lord will find you worthy? Maybe provide a pretty little sacrifice in the bushes named Tara, instead? Hmm? Didn't you go to Sunday School, son?" His tone sounded genuine and he suddenly got up and I gasped for air.
He grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet like I w eighed twenty pounds.
" Let me tell you what's not going to happen here, Bane. You're not going to fuck this up."
" You need me," I choked, glaring at him.
" And you need me to not ask you to do something you're not willing to do. Right? I've watched the footage Bane. I know you better than you know yourself. And I won't hesitate to exploit that, got it?"
" You'll lose too."
He chuckled a little, staring at me. "If I lose…" he slowly grinned until he looked luridly insane. "Then God is a liar. And if God is a liar?" His arms spread wide. "What in the fuck is there to live for?"
I stared at him, a cold feeling trickling along my spine at the realization he was dead serious. The idea that he would kill if I didn't comply wasn't all that far-fetched with him at this point. Religious nut running for a million dollars. "God said you'd win?"
He giggled and nodded with wide eyes, confirming my sick suspicion. This dude thought he had a direct line to the Big Guy. Fucking great.
I nodded for several silent seconds, pissed to the point of stupid. Words flooded my tongue until it danced restlessly in my mouth. "I broke the letter of the rules but there was something bigger at stake. The God I know wouldn't condemn that. And if He did?" I gave a huge fuck it shrug. "He can get in line with the rest of the world I don't give a shit about."
I waited for his sure retaliation, watched it brewing in his face. Then watched it slowly die away. He turned back toward the camp, walking slowly. "The God you know, huh? The God you know?" I followed him finally as he began to laugh in deep chuckles until it grew to booming cackles around us.
My body trembled in fury as I stalked after him, keeping a ten foot distance between us.
" You don't know God," he finally said. "But don't worry, Bane. I've been chosen. Chosen to bring the truth to you. I had a dream about you Bane. A vision."
I quickened my pace to hear him better, to hear his insanity, know just how fucked my situation was.
"Do what it takes. That's what the dream said. Do what ever it takes to break Bane. Because I'm going to make him."
A familiar terror took hold of my muscles at those words. I looked around at the forest, searching for anything unique to remember if we had to run. When we had to run. I'd run before, many times. My old man was good at surprising me with discipline. I'd learned to be ready to make a run for it. Escape for a while. My body interpreted the danger in this fucker's words as the same threat.
He turned to me then and pointed. "Get ready Bane. To break like you've never broken before." He added a huge happy grin. "You're one blessed motherfucker. God must have some crazy shit planned for you, my brother. Because he went far, far off the beaten path for your ass." He tapped his chest. "And he sent me to do it. Two birds with one stone Bane. Two birds with one stone. I get the money." He turned a wicked looking pointer finger at me. "And you get the real treasure."
The outrageous threat kicked my stupidity into high gear and I gave him my most direct stare, unblinking, knowing that my next words needed to matter, needed to convey I was just as crazy and not afraid to quit, no matter what. "Now that you got that off your chest, my turn." I closed the distance until I stood nearly toe to toe, eye to eye. "I don't mind being punished if I break the rules intentionally. But I won't allow Tara to be badly treated, and I won't allow anyone to subject her to sexual