The Adventures of Azalea and Twig (book 5)

Chapter 18

     "A little higher. A little higher..." Branch said, as he stood on Pansy's shoulders, reaching for a vent in the ceiling.

     "You need to lose some weight," Pansy said, struggling to hold him up.
"Shut up, and just get me up there," he snapped.

     Finally, he got his hands on the vent, pulling off the great, and climbing in.

     "Ok, Pansy. I'll pull you up," he said, reaching down for her.

     Their fingers just barely touched, when they heard someone.

     "Hey!" a hunter yelled from outside the cell. "What are you two doing!?"

     "Branch!" Pansy yelled. "Go!"
"No, Pansy! I won't leave you!"

     The hunters ran to the cell door, rushing to unlock it.

     "Go, Branch! You need to live! You have kids waiting for you to come home!" He shook his head, starting to cry, as he looked down at her.

     Suddenly the hunters tackled Pansy to the ground.

     "Where's the blue one!?" one of them yelled. Another one looked up, spotting Branch.

     "He's in the vent! Get him, before he escapes!"

     "Branch!" Pansy yelled. "Go! Do it for your kids! Do it for Poppy!"

     One of the hunters shot a tranquilizer dart up at him, but he managed to dodge it. It bounced of the ceiling of the vent, bouncing back down, and hitting the hunter who shot it.

     He looked down at where the dart had hit him, and then flopped to the ground, passing out immediately.

     Quickly, Branch began to crawl through the vents, making his way through them to hopefully find an exit.

     "Get the boss!" one of the hunters shouted.

     All of them ran off, except for the one who held Pansy. He grabbed onto her hair, pulling her head up towards him.

     "Ahh!" she said in pain, as he pulled her hair.

     He looked her in the eyes, and then smiled. "You're coming with me..."