Breathe

Chapter Four - Captive

"What do you mean we're not alone here?" The leader asked rather petrified. Zed knew his daughter's friends would never pull such a prank, but still, what they said has highly unbelievable.

"I saw him clearly, he was on the trees like a monkey but also had a bow and arrows, it looked like he had escaped from one of those books in the library! There must be more for sure, those people are out there and Ava is not well protected! They are sly, these monkey-men, they could've easily killed me..." Quinn spoke fervorous while Zed rubbed his temples, tired, it was going to be a long night.

The other members of the scavenge were called to Zed's presence, all standing besides Quinn and Sam, but refusing to look at the girl, all embarrassed by their own behaviour and for leaving her behind in those woods.

"We didn't see anyone..." Said one of the boys, almost couldn't be called an adult being barely eighteen.

"Liar!" Quinn quickly stated loudly with her knuckles even whiter and her nails digging into her skin as her hands formed fists.

"It's not a lie!" The boy said louder than her to make himself heard, upset that he was being interrupted. "We didn't see him! When the arrow was shot we ran, we didn't see who shot it, but there was someone there, that I am sure!"

Quinn stayed quiet, regretting ever doubting her fellow mates, she should've known they would tell the truth, but somehow she always distrusted those around her, and how could she not? Since she was little she was cast aside and looked upon for who she loved, nobody understood that she was born that way, they were just too narrow minded for that, too focused on the propagation of the species, making mankind live on, but they weren't humans anymore, not like the man Quinn had seen.

"Well if it's truly like that and nobody raises any objections then we will appoint a team to leave first thing in the morning and retrieve Ava and the others, we have to approach this situation carefully." Zed said once the boy stopped talking, intertwining his fingers. This time though, Sam spoke before Quinn could.

"But sir, if they are really watching us then Ava is in danger right now! We should get her back as soon as possible!" The boy was worried, it was his friend that was out there after all, and nobody could contest his feelings because they too shared them.

"Do you not think I know that? She is my daughter! But we cannot act hastily, if those monkey-man find out we know about them and we're going to pull the others back we might force their hand and they might kill them all just to avoid being discovered... We're stepping on frail ground now, we have to be careful or the whole floor will crumble!" Zed's wise words certainly calmed them, but at the same time planted a small seed of fear that wouldn't go away in the near future, not until this threat was dealt with.

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Ava walked in front of Decim the whole time, and everytime she tried to stop or didn't know which way to go he pushed her lightly on the back, as if to say "go on". He was silent the whole time though, just a looming and threatening presence on her back. Every move of his was clearly calculated: he followed her until she was alone, talked to her when she was most vulnerable and, even now, was acting as threatening as possible without actually harming her. She noticed and understood all that and tried to seem as non-threatening as possible for now.

They arrived at a village soon enough, with a tall wood fence separating it from the rest of the forest. The village seemed relatively small and the wood doors of all the small houses were closed, though she could clearly see the latch of the windows opening and the curtains ruffling. She was sure there were guards around too, though she could not see them.

"Come on." Decim said when she stopped and she resumed walking.

It seemed he was leading her to a big house on the back but, just as when she started to think she was going to enter, he turned her around with a firm hand on her back and made her walk just a few steps more to a hole in the ground with stone stairs going down, probably some kind of basement.