Captured

Chapter 25

I blinked. Once. Twice. Probably about ten times, my jaw slacked.

"Leaving?" I managed to splutter, all the breath leaving my lungs. "What do you mean leaving?"

She stepped towards me and took my hands, making the dogs beside me snarl softly, a little wary of her after she had grabbed me. "We're getting out of here," she said in a low whisper.

All I could do was shake my head. "We can't."

She nodded and squeezed my hands. "We can Kath. We're going to run."

I blinked again. She wanted to run. To regain our freedom. I could go where I want and say what I want and be strong and independent like I used to be. We could escape Kane's control and be free.

Almost as though it was reminding me, the baby kicked and my hands dropped from Rose's and landed on my stomach, tears gathering in my eyes. "What about the baby?" I asked her, my voice cracking.

I couldn't leave. I couldn't be free while I was carrying Kane's baby. I was tied to him. Always.

"His part is done," she said with a scoff, "you can raise the baby alone. I'll help you. You don't need him Kath, your child will be safer with us."

I nodded and then shook my head and then nodded again, terrified and confused and relieved all at once. Rose pulled me into her arms and cradled me against her when I started to cry. "I know you're scared but I promise, everything will be okay. We will be free again."

I choked on my tears as I pulled away from her, my eyes scanning over the girls behind her. Some were pregnant, at the same stage as me. "It's dangerous," I said, glancing up at my sister, "to be pregnant while on the run."

She nodded. "I know. But if we don't leave now then we will all be pregnant soon. He plans on trying again with the rest of us soon. We have to leave before then," she explained.

One of the women who was pregnant stepped forward, one hand resting on her stomach and the other on her hip. "We're willing to risk loosing the babies if it means regaining our freedom."

Tears immediately filled my eyes. "I can't," I said, more to my sister than the woman who had spoken so confidently. "I can't lose my baby."

"It's his baby too," Rose muttered in disgust and I nodded.

"I know. And I don't care, it's my child and that's all that matters to me," I said. "But you're right, it's also his and if I leave with his child he won't stop until he's hunted me down and killed me."

Rose shook her head. "He won't find us," she stated with confidence. "And you won't lose the baby, we'll take care of it together. I promise."

I desperately wanted to believe the words coming out of my sisters mouth, however, I knew better. Kane had been extremely protective over his child ever since he found out I was pregnant. He wouldn't allow anyone to take them away from him and if I ran, he would come after me.

There was nowhere in the world we could go where he wouldn't find us. Not while we had his child. And once he found us, I dread to think what he would do. For starters, we would be dragged back, with anyone who dared to fight against him ending up dead. And I would lose my child.

I could see in the back of my mind holding a little girl in my arms before he ripped her away, leaving us both screaming for each other. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't risk having a daughter and leaving her to grow up without me protecting her.

"I can't go," I finally whispered, feeling my heart crack in my chest as the decision settled in. I couldn't leave. I couldn't run. I'd end up dead and my baby would pay the price.

"What?" Rose asked, shaking her head. "Of course you can Kath, don't you want to get away from him?"

I nodded. Of course I wanted to get away from him but it would never stick. He'd find me. I knew that with absolute certainty. "He wouldn't stop looking for us," I said softly, "he'd never stop looking for his child."

"He won't find us Kath, we'll go into hiding."

"You can't promise that Rose! And who knows who else is out there? We thought we were alone but clearly we were wrong. Who knows what other survivors are out there? The only thing worse that having him find us and take my child away would be for another man to find us and take my child away! I can't do it," I said with a shake of my head, "I can't lose another baby. I just can't."

Tears trickled down my cheeks as I met her soft, sympathetic gaze. "I can't leave you behind," she whimpered.

I forced myself to nod. "Yes you can," I told her, reaching for her hand. "If I stay, you'll have a better chance of escaping. You need to save everyone and continue what you started. You have to leave me behind," I choked, wiping my eyes before continuing, "I'll be okay knowing you're all free."

Rose shook her head and pulled me towards her. "Is there anything I can say that would change your mind?"

All I could do was shake my head, feeling safe in my sisters arms for a moment. I knew that the men wouldn't be training all day. At some point they would all come back upstairs and when they did, all hell would break loose. The girls needed to be long gone by then.

"What if he hurts you?" Rose whispered against me. "He'll be so angry when he finds out we're gone, what if he hurts you?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "He won't. Not while I'm pregnant with his child."

"And when you're not? When the baby is born?"

I shrugged, burying my face in my sisters jumper. "I don't know. But I don't care, as long as the baby is safe."

Reluctantly, I pulled away from my sister and instead looked to my best friend who stood amongst the women with tears in her eyes. "You know I'd stay with you, right?" She hiccuped. "I just- I can't go through that again. I'm so sorry," she cried, tears streaming down her face.

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around her. "Don't be silly," I said, my own tears falling, "I'd never ask you to stay. Go, be free and be safe."

"Please don't stay," she cried against my shoulder. "Please come with us, I hate the thought that he could hurt you."

I shook my head and shushed her. "I'll be okay, I promise."

"I'll miss you so much," she stated, pulling away to wipe the tears dripping from her chin.

I smiled, my own tears soaking her shoulder. "I'll miss you too." I turned in her arms back to face my sister. "I'll miss you so much," I said, meeting her teary eyes.

She hugged me once again and I allowed myself to cry and cry until there was nothing left in me. I let myself be weak when, reluctantly, my sister and I pulled away from each other and the girls that I had escaped with, been safe with and experienced my first taste of freedom with turned and walked away from me forever. My sister, the only family I had left, my best friend throughout my whole life, led the way and I watched until they disappeared out of sight, shattering the last fragments of my heart.