Chapter 4 - Simon wakes in back of van

It was the intense throbbing pain at the back of his head that Simon first noticed. Everything was black and there was no sound, but that pulsating back there ached so much it seemed to have a life of its own. 

Sound was the next sense to return. Gently at first, muffled. There was a dull hum, perhaps tyres on a road? There was also talking, three voices, each distinct, but not one of them discernible. Simon tried to open his eyes. It was hard to know if they were open or not. It felt like he had opened them, but there was no light, there was darkness.

As the stinging at the back of his head spread to engulf his neck he focused on the voices. The more he listened, the more his hearing cleared. Chinese? Japanese? Definitely an asian language of some sort. Simon couldn't be sure which one. He tried to move his hands, but he found them held firmly in place behind his back by what felt like a plastic zip-tie. He tried to move his legs, but there was a similar bind at his ankles, this one, however, was far looser than the one that secured his wrists. He was able to move his leg up and down three inches without difficulty. 

A flicker of red light entered his vision. He concentrated on it, looking directly down the length of his nose, but just as soon as it had come on, it vanished. He stayed like this, watching for the light. Fortunately, it didn't take very long until it returned. After a few moments he came to realise that he was looking at a tail-light of a car.  No, a van. The way I'm lying, this isn't a car, it has to be a van. Every time Simon felt the driver touch the brakes, the red light came on. As soon as the car accelerated the light blinked off. 

Simon moved his head gently, trying to get a better vantage to see, but even the faintest of movements brought with it a sudden stabbing sensation in his neck and cranium. It took him a full minute to arch forward enough to improve his view. When he did he saw two sets of boots next to his. At least two men in here with me. Simon cast his mind back, the last thing he was sure of was that he had just hurt his leg sprinting. He had fallen down, unable to stand up, his next memory was waking up here. Simon concentrated, forcing his mind to go deep. I was sitting on the track, I had blood on my hands and knees. Suddenly something returned to him, a shadow, I saw a shadow, three shadows, I turned to see who it was then the pain at the back of my head. Simon held onto these thoughts, more detail returning by the second, military men, gloved hands, guns.

He tried his best to remember their faces, but could only conjure indiscernible glimpses. The one thing he was sure of was that those faces were Asian. Why the hell are Asian military men after me? Simon was abruptly shaken from this thought as the van driver hit the brakes so hard that the two men in the back were thrown to the floor beside him. The van's driver hit the horn repeatedly, cussing and yelling in his native tongue.  

The jolt from the sudden stop caused Simon's head covering to ride up three inches, enough to give him a much better view of his surroundings. There were definitely two asian men dressed in military garb at the far end of the van by the back doors. They picked themselves up from the van floor and yelled at the driver as they returned to their bench seats. Simon remained perfectly still, unwilling to alert them to the fact that he was no longer unconscious. As the van began driving again, he studied them, carefully. Only occasionally did they throw a cursory glance his way, it seemed they were content he was one hundred percent incapacitated and of no threat to them. 

As they drove Simon's mind raced, memories of warnings from his father flooded his thoughts, never let anyone ever take you to a secondary location against your will. It was always there that unspeakable things happened. Simon knew who ever these people were, that he couldn't just wait for them to get him where they were taking him. If he was to stand any chance of survival, he knew he had to escape from this van while they were on en-route. For if they made it to their intended final destination that was likely the last place he would ever see alive.