A Deadly Trip (Now Available on Amazon!) (Unedited Version)

Chapter 21

Even more time passed that I couldn't keep track of as I continued to sit in the back of this stupid van.

I could've been sitting here for hours or maybe it was only minutes. At this point I didn't really care though. I just wanted to get out.

It was starting to get really hot inside the van and I had already thrown caution to the wind and guzzled the water bottle Dylan had left behind and I was still extremely thirsty.

I leaned my head back against the side of the van and had actually started to doze off when the doors to the van were opened yet again, only this time it wasn't Dylan there to greet me.

It was Sheep Mask.

"Hello Gemma. How are you feeling?"

He asked me this as if we were old time friends catching up and not like he had just tried to rearrange my face a little while ago.

"I'd be a lot better if you put your head under the tire and let me put the van in reverse."

Sheep Mask obviously wasn't amused by my reply.

"I'd thought you'd have learned your lesson from earlier Gemma. Getting smart with me will only end badly for you."

"I honestly don't think it could get any worse than it is now." I said as I glared at him.

"If you wanted to kill me, I think you'd have done it by now. So what exactly is it that you're waiting for?" I questioned.

"I don't think you quite understand your position here." Sheep Mask said after a moment of tense silence.

He reached forward and grabbed the front of my shirt, before roughly pulling me towards him until my face was only a few inches from his.

"I'm in control here. You don't get to ask me questions. The only thing you get to do is what I allow you to do. Understand?"

When I didn't respond Sheep Mask clenched his fist before it flew forward and connected with my cheek.

My face was still bruised, bloody, and sore from before and the pain only seemed to double when he hit me again.

"I asked you a question. If you want to make it through the day I'd suggest you answer." Sheep Mask growled out.

"I'll repeat myself one time and one time only. Do. You. Understand?"

I really didn't want or need him to hit me again so I nodded my head.

Sheep Mask released his grip on my shirt and patted my cheek which made me wince.

"Good girl. Now get out of the van."

I frowned and scooted back into the van.

"What?"

"I didn't stutter. I said get out of the van." He said slowly and I could tell his patience had already been worn out, but even so I didn't budge.

"W-why?" My voice trembled as I stared at him. If he wanted me to get out of the van it couldn't be because he suddenly gained a conscience and had decided to let me go.

Sheep Mask gave a humorless laugh that sent chills down my spine.

"You're either hard at hearing or just plain stupid."

He reached forward again and grabbed my shirt and then started to forcefully pull me out of the van.

"Wait, stop! What are you doing? Where are we going?" I tried to dig my heels into the bottom of the van but he was way stronger than me and I only ended up pissing him off because as soon as I started to resist he back handed me.

I could taste blood in my mouth and black spots swam in my vision.

"Get the fuck out of the van!" He roared and this time when he tried to pull me out I didn't even try to stop him. I couldn't even if I wanted to.

When my feet touched the ground I realized two things.

The first was that I was standing on grass, not concrete which led me to believe we were probably somewhere secluded but it couldn't have been too far away from the hotel for Sheep Mask to be running back forth. The second thing I realized was that I was no condition to put up a fight anymore. A few seconds after my feet hit the ground my knees gave out and I collapsed on the grass.

The sun was still high in the sky and almost instantly I felt my shirt start to stick to my back with sweat.

"You and I are going to go on a little trip." Sheep Mask said and as he bent down to grab me yet again a sudden shadow passed across my face and then there was a loud thump.

I watched in shock as Sheep Mask crumpled to the ground in a heap. When I looked up, standing right behind where Sheep Mask had just been standing was Dylan with a crowbar in his hand.

I looked between Dylan and Sheep Mask several times and then blinked a few times before I could form any words.

"I thought you said you weren't going to help me."

A small smile formed on Dylan's lips as he reached down to help me up.

"I guess I changed my mind."

Once I was on my feet again I swayed for a few seconds before I felt steady again and then I turned so I was facing Dylan.

"What made you change your mind?"

"You." He answered almost instantly, with no hesitation what so ever which pretty much caught me off guard and had me feeling really uncomfortable.

"Um-

"Don't worry, that didn't require a response."

Deciding to hurry up and change the subject I nodded my head and asked,
"Where are we?"

"I think we're only a few miles from the hotel. If we hurry we can save him."

I was just about to agree when I caught what he said.

"What do you mean if we hurry we can save him?"

Dylan sighed and looked at me with a worried expression.

"You know how Sheep Mask said that the whole point of this was to get back at Archer?"

I nodded.

"Well the reason he took you is because he knew Archer wouldn't stop until he found you which is why you're out here."

"Okay, so what about the part where you said if we hurry we can save him?" I asked as panic started to creep its way through me.

Dylan took another deep breath.

"When he knocked all of you guys out with that gas, he took Archer's phone and did...things with it before he put it back."

"Things like what Dylan?!" I asked impatiently. Why couldn't he just spit it out already?

"I don't know how but he set Archer's phone to explode. As in a small bomb type of explode Gemma. He told him he had two hours to find you or he'd kill you but really, those two hours are just a timer for him. Once those two hours are up, the bomb in the phone is going to go off."

It felt like my heart had just been encased in ice.

"B-but I thought he wanted to make Archer suffer and all that. A bomb isn't exactly the way to go."

"Think about it Gemma. Archer's probably going out of his mind trying to find you before time runs out because he thinks you're going to die. When that time runs out he'll think that he failed you, only to die himself. I don't know a better way to suffer than that." Dylan said solemnly.

"We have to go. Now. Do you know the way back to the hotel?"

Dylan nodded and held up a pair of car keys.

"And our friend here," he said gesturing toward Sheep Mask, "Was kind of enough to lend us his keys."

I nodded quickly and ran to the passenger side of the van.

"Let's go."