Searching for You

On the Hunt

We eventually found a hotel to check into and Mr. Davenport had apparently called ahead to get the hotel staff ready for a bunch of teenagers that were looking to spend the night. I never could have been more thankful for that self-centered, middle-aged man. If anything suspicious surrounding five teenagers happened, we could end up in a juvenile detention center.

Or, you know, we could be shipped off to a lab somewhere. That wouldn't be ideal.

We got two separate rooms; Bree and I in one and the boys in the other. The plan was to get our stuff settled into our rooms and then go out for a walk, trying to lay out locations as to where my dad would be; a game plan, in a sense.

After I threw my backpack onto my bed, Bree plopped onto hers and looked at me with her eyebrows raised. She had that look in her eyes again, and it didn't help that the lamp was on, making her brown gaze more sinister than it usually was.

I sighed. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," she giggled. "I just noticed you and Chase talking earlier."

"Bree, that's not what it is," I corrected. "Chase and I are just friends. That's all we'll ever be."

"Sure. If you say so."

"I mean it."

That seemed to be the end of that conversation. Bree didn't bring it up again as we both met up with the boys in the lobby of the hotel. Chase suggested that we all work our way from the middle of Westchester to the outside, since the mansion that was in the article appeared to be in the countryside. It wasn't quite nighttime yet and we had some time to cover ground.

I was too distracted by the thumping of my own heart to realize how far out we had gone from the center. And what drew my attention away from the anticipation of seeing my father after years of him being gone was something that sent chills down my spine.

I had the sense that I was being watched, and so I let my eyes drift to where the sensation was coming from.

I saw a tall figure, clothed in a hoodie with baggy pants. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his hoodie and his head was down to conceal his face, so all she saw was a mouth drawn into a thin line. Something about this man was more foreboding than I originally thought.

I gripped Chase's arm and when he asked what was wrong I pointed out the man. I could feel Chase tense up. He knew something was off. And it appeared that the others did as well.

"Are we being followed?" Leo whispered worriedly, his eyes landing on the hooded man.

Adam and Bree stopped in their tracks at Leo's words and turned back to face us, careful not to make eye contact with the man so as to not raise suspicion.

"What's our game plan, Chase?" Bree asked in undertones. "How do we shake this guy?"

"How do we know this guy is even a threat?" Adam asked, a little more loudly than he should have.

"LOOK OUT!"

I let out an oof when Chase collided with me, pinning me to the ground and using his own body as a shield on top of mine. Something whizzed over our heads and crashed behind us. I heard Bree speed away with her super speed.

People were screaming. Leo tried running away but stumbled and fell down next to us. I heard another metallic crash and gripped Chase's shirt, burying my face in his chest as fear radiated throughout my entire body. I didn't care what became of this. He saved my life and I didn't want to die yet.

After a moment of silence, we stood slowly. I glanced around fearfully, trying to pin down where the guy was, but I couldn't find him. Instead, I saw Bree breathing heavily and Leo on the verge of tears. Adam looked extremely angry and Chase . . .