Ephemeral

Trial and Pursuit

Useless.

I could hear my breathing loudly in my ears – every sense seemed to have been amplified. I didn't even know where I was looking, all I could tell was that I wasn't looking at Aidan.

Useless.

My fingers had went numb – I wasn't able to feel my fingertips.

Useless.

I was barely aware of Killian, who was still standing in front of me. He was still shielding me from the man that had wanted to take me away again. Everything up until now and to this point – the steps that I had taken to obtain freedom in the end it was all...

It was all useless.

"Vienna," Aidan addressed, drawing my unfocused eyes back to him.

They lingered on his body instead of his face. It seemed like I was looking through him instead of at him. Deep in my tortured heart, I hadn't wanted to see the satisfaction that was growing on him. Likewise, I didn't want him to see the disappointment of failing that was beginning to show on my own face.

His men began to step through the thick forest on all sides of Aidan. In a matter of seconds we were beginning to get surrounded by the men wearing military grade armor. They were all donned in black without their faces showing, but I wasn't focused on them...they weren't my biggest threat. Instead of the multitude of men that were devoted followers of Aidan, the one person that could take me back to the mansion was Aidan of all people.

Killian, however, let out a grunt and took a retreating step back after assessing the situation.

It was clear that we were beyond outnumbered.

The action caused me to take a couple of steps back as a result. I looked away from Aidan and instead looked to see Killian forcing his handgun with the silencer towards me. He had taken one of his hands off his riffle in favor of offering the weapon to me.

I looked at the cold, steel weapon with fear building up in my gut.

A gun kills people.

I let out a shuddering breath -- I don't want to kill anyone-!

"Come here," Aidan spoke in a deceitfully, gentle tone. He waved me over with a hand, appearing to be benign and not at the top of the FBI's most wanted list.

I forgot how to breathe as Aidan was practically beckoning me to go across the forest clearing and towards him. It would have been easy to walk over to him and save myself the incoming trauma that would soon to pollute my mind for many weeks to come.

I didn't know what the outcome of this battle would be --

I didn't know if my mind and heart could handle it.

"We don't have time to continue playing this game of cat and mouse, Vienna," Aidan added, coaxing me to come towards him again. I was at a standstill on what to do. I knew that Aidan was right – he was always right.

I took a step towards Aidan, and the man's eyes practically lit up like Christmas lights at seeing me advancing towards him – obeying him.

"Take it," Killian whispered to me, pushing the hand gun to my chest now that I was standing beside him instead of behind him. The sudden action had forced me out of the trance I had found myself in – it appeared as though I had been bewitched by Aidan's soft words.

I flinched, feeling the coldness of the weapon seep through my shirt. I swallowed nervously, lifting my trembling hands up to take the gun. I could feel it in my hands – it seemed unwelcomed in my touch and unfamiliar in my grasp.