Whispers of Hollowbrooks

Chapter 6: A Fragile Safety

Ethan

Thank God I was the sheriff of this town, though it hardly mattered as I drove like a bat out of hell. I didn't care about speed limits or how many tickets I might rack up; all that mattered was Adeline's safety. The sound of her screaming pierced my heart, sending chills through my entire body. Her phone was still connected, and I could hear her frantically scrambling, desperately trying to protect herself. Every thud against the door sent my pulse racing, amplifying my need to reach her.

If there was one thing I was determined to do once I found her, it was to get a damn tracker for her. Better yet, I wouldn't let her out of my sight ever again. Seeing the hurt on her face after I kissed Katherine had felt like a knife to the gut. I'd nearly lost it before confronting Katherine and racing after Adeline, but I'd lost her and only knew the general direction she had gone in. I needed to explain everything to her, but I knew damn well what it looked like. Katherine and I had a fling during our junior year; it had meant nothing then, and it meant nothing now. But how could I convince Adeline of that?

The path ahead led us toward the haunted forest that encircled the town, an area notorious for its whispers of danger. I didn't know much about this part of Hollowbrook, but as a teenager, I had heard stories of voices and dares, where kids dared one another to venture into the woods. It was a silent rule in our town: don't enter the forest. It was said that bad things happened here back during the early settlement days, but nobody could ever confirm it.

But why Adeline was heading this way was lost on me. I had Beast at my side, sniffing the ground, trying to track her scent. We couldn't see her car or anything else that might lead us to her, and my body was tensed with fear.

Just before her call came through, I had received a text from one of my brothers-in-arms, a skilled hacker who had dug up some intel. Addy's family owned a cabin they visited often when she was younger. I raced back to my truck, and as I began driving, her call came through. My blood ran cold with fear like nothing I had ever felt before. I was usually the calm, level-headed one, but the thought of her alone and scared in the dark made me lose my shit. She was the only one who could bring this out in me.

"Ethan..." she whispered into the phone, relief flooding her voice. "Someone... is here with me." The growl that escaped my throat was primal as I pressed the gas harder. I could hear the fear in her voice, and then came the scream that nearly stopped my heart.

I listened intently as the sound of glass breaking echoed through the phone, followed by Adeline's frantic movements. She had dropped the phone, and I gripped the steering wheel harder, knowing I was almost there but terrified I would be too late. I had faced black ops missions and seen death all around me, but in this moment, I was praying to God I could save the only woman I cared about more than anything.

"Oh God... oh God... please, Ethan, hurry!" Adeline's voice was now a desperate whisper as she panted softly. I had to know what I was getting into. "Baby girl, I'm almost there... where are you? What's going on?" I barked into the phone, urgency lacing my words. I would ask for her forgiveness after this was all over, but right now, I needed to know she was safe.

"I—I was able to get to the bedroom, and I'm under the bed... the door is locked, and I'm scared the person is trying to get in." There was a loud thud, followed by a small gasp and a whimper from Adeline.

"T-they are trying to break down the door..." Her words ignited my anger, and I slammed the truck into park, cutting off the lights. I was just a few feet back from the trees, and I didn't want to alert whoever was threatening my woman.

I nodded to Beast, who was alert and ready, and pulled the gun from the back of my jeans. He and I had been together since he was a pup; he understood my body language and signals. I slowly lowered myself down, my gun in front of me as we approached the cabin. The soft glow inside was like a beacon in the darkness, while I listened to the soft breaths and sobs of Adeline through the phone.