RUN!

50

   Motorbikes are awesome. They move like there's nothing that can stop them and they make the people driving them feel like there's nothing that can stop them. Adrenaline is flowing through me by the time I get to the location Lee sent me and perhaps that's why I don't even try to look for them before jumping into the house. For some weird reason I can still hear Detective Sean telling me to watch my back when I'd jumped out of the Hilux and hopped on a random bike.

  The house is clean. The first thing I notice is the glass of wine on the table in the kitchen by my right. By my left is the living room, which looks untouched yet sparkling, the way the house looks when you're expecting a visitor. There's no one there either so I take the next option. The stairs.

My mind is racing and it's threatening to stray. I want to sit down and retrace all of Declan's moves but there's no time. We're this close to ending all of this. I open the first door I see by my left once I'm upstairs. It's a small bedroom that doesn't look as neat as the rooms downstairs. The bed is messy and there are clothes everywhere. Two options, either someone just had a wild evening here or someone was struggling...to escape?

I step inside and grab one of the clothes on the bed. It's a gown. Other than the mess, the room is bare. I quickly go out and open the next room and I'm pretty shocked to find it empty.

Completely empty. No furniture, no clothes. Nothing...except that painting on the floor. I practically run to the painting which is almost the length of a door. The spot where it was hung is bare and looks almost the same as the other parts of the wall. But I don't miss the thin lines that separates it from other parts of the wall.

A door?

I push it slowly and to my surprise it caves in with little sound. The wall, (door?) parts open silently to reveal a dark pathway. I bring out the dagger I'd borrowed from Nick and step inside.

The pathway is dark but not so dark that I can't see where I am. It's a small and long path that's obviously empty except for me. I try hard to make my steps as silent as possible while simultaneously trying to walk like my life depends on it. After what seems like forever the path comes to an end and I enter what looks like a cave at first glance. But then I look again and it registers that it's made of wood like the rest of the beach house. It's  small, like a hideout. There's a shelf right next to me and I'm grateful for that because I would've been spotted immediately when Declan comes in view.

"We have to go now. Stand up," he orders.  His voice is dead and his hair is a mess, probably from all that breeze he got while riding here. "I'm going to get the bike."

I wait for a couple of moments before I lean forward slowly to see if the coast is clear.

But my eyes falls on Avery instead.

She's staring right back at me, brown eyes devoid of life.

"Avery," I whisper. She raises her head slightly as if she's just realizing this isn't  a dream. I dash to her side and start untying the ropes on her hands. He wanted her to stand up like this? She looks as pale as death, her skin is marked by so many bruises I can't even bear to look to at it. Gosh I can't believe she's here. She's here.

"Can you walk?" I ask her as I untie her legs. She nods slowly, still watching me like I'm a dream. "Come on, we're getting out of here—"

"No you're not."

We freeze.

"I'm actually surprised you found this place but this is as far as you go King," Declan continues bloating. I stand upright and face him squarely.

"You're surprised? You didn't do much planning though did you?" I tilt my head.

"I don't have time to bicker with you King. Step aside."