The Hunted

The Knife

Hugh's P.O.V

I embraced Alicia and she sunk into me. She let everything out. I pulled her in tighter. This was applying pressure to my grazes and hurt but I didn't move. Instead I took in all of her. Alicia. Her delicate hair, her strong frame, her scent of fresh meadows reminding me of childhood visits to the farm with my grandparents and the feeling exposed as she fell into my embrace. I felt supported and strong. Being here in this moment with her made me feel like everything would turn out just fine and we'd all be able to get through this. The feeling was so pure, so vulnerable, I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I could. What the heck was I doing? This girl has a loving boyfriend who could very easily beat the crap out of me if he was here. Would he? I'm just comforting her. Yeah. I'm not making a move on her. I'm sure Matt would understand if he was here. I wonder where he is. If he's not with Alicia h-he m-might be. No. He can't be one of them. He's not. I bet he's totally fine.

"Aaaarrrghhhhh!". The scream echoed throughout the house. We pulled away from each other..."What the hell was that?" I asked. "Sounds like it's coming from the basement" she responded as she slid off the bed walking towards the noise. "Alicia! Hold up! What if it's one of them?" I said concern slipping from my mouth. She looked back at me..."Aaaaaaaaaahhh" the scream came again. She moved out the door and made a break for the staircase down to the basement. I swing my injured leg over the bed and move my other next to it. I rush to stand up and the pain shoots back up, I manage to stay standing. I take a step forward and fall on my chest. Shit. I smack the ground and push myself back up. I take a step and grip onto the wall for support. Another scream echoes through the house. I let go of the wall and rush down the stairs towards the sound. Towards Alicia.

Alicia's P.O.V

I get down to the basement to find cloths of blood scattered all around the floor. I look around for a person. I find...mom. "Mom! What's going on here?" I yell as I run to her side. She doesn't look at me she keeps her gaze focused to the terror before her. I turn from her to the sight. It's inhumane. There's a set of metal tools laid in front of the man...Mr Salazar. He's in the process of digging a knife into a soldier. He looks familiar. H-he's the guy who Ofelia's messing around with. Does she know? How would she ever let this happen? "What the hell are you doing!" I yell at Mr Salazar in horror. Travis runs in as I say this and recoils at the sight. "Only what is necessary to find out where his ex-wife and your brother is" he says this looking up at Travis and I. Travis disgusted says "This isn't right. He shouldn't be treated like this! Whatever we want to know I can find out from the colonel. You shouldn't be doing this. Look at him. He's in pain. Let him go Salazar!". Then he looks over at my mom walking towards her arms flailing saying "And you let this happen! Why?". My mom meets his eyes and says coolly "Salazar's right to do this. I need to know where they took Nick. I need to find him and make sure he's okay Travis. The colonel won't tell us anything. I bet he hasn't even told you why the troops are pulling out from their posts.". Travis backs away from her clearly shocked by her response and marches towards Salazar and rips the knife from his grasp. "We shouldn't be doing this. It isn't right for us and it certainly isn't right for him. He hasn't done anything wrong. Do you think he deserves this?!"

Before Travis can say anymore Hugh interjects "No, he hasn't. It doesn't matter though. *points over to the soldier* he knows where Nick is and he also knows why the trucks are pulling out with all that heavy artillery. Like it or not he has valuable info and he's not giving it up easily. This is the only way to find out everything without any cover-ups and all the detail". Travis looks at him in surprise. Shakes his head then walks towards him with the knife still in his hand and says "I'm sorry.. and who are you? What business do you even have here? You have no idea what's going on here." Hugh raises one eyebrow, smirks and nods responding "Right we haven't been properly introduced...I'm Hugh *comically raises his hand for a handshake but doesn't get one so brings his hand back down* and I'm only here because you're making a lot of noise so I can down from the perfectly comfortable bed upstairs to see what's happening. *he pulls the knife from a resisting Travis and limps over to Mr Salazar...all eyes on him in that moment* And my business? Is to find out what this soldier's keeping from us".

Hugh's P.O.V

"Us?!? I don't even know you? What are you even doing here? You don't even live here!" The crazy man yells. Calm down man. Seriously. Yeah us I mean I am here in this neighbourhood right now. "Knowing me doesn't matter...finding out everything we can matters. You go up to one of the guys standing by the fence and they'll probably lie to you and say everything's fine. It's not. Outside that fence are those things. Those things are spreading out far and wide. Do you really think we're safe here? No one's safe. This soldier might have the answer to what those things actually are, if not he'll definitely be able to tell you where your girlfriend's son is so you can go get him and leave as soon as possible." The man just stands there...he opens his mouth to start yelling at me again but Ms Clark steps in and pulls him away glancing back at me. I look over to the soldier and the man at his side and nod at him to continue. He eyes me for a minute but digs the knife back into the soldier's arm.

I move over to the wall and put all my weight on my good leg to relieve the massive amount of pressure that I'm putting on my injured leg. I slip from the wall and almost fall on my back. Alicia brings her arm out to stop me from falling but her hand ends up under my shirt to the small of my back. I look back at her and say "T-Thanks Alicia. Huh. That would have hurt real bad if you weren't there". What! That is not what you say to a girl! Internally smacking myself in the head right now...Damn it Hugh! Why does this even matter to you!?! "You really got Travis there before. You said what we've all been itching to say but haven't. It's good you got that out there. Travis has put all this imaginary pressure on himself and thinks that whatever he decides we'll do like he's in charge or something." Alicia says as she brings her hand down from my back but leaving the cool feeling of her hands to linger. I turn and meet her gaze and say to her "I don't want anyone to go through anymore pain but this is the only way we'll find your brother and find out when the shooting starts.". She moves back slightly and says "Shooting? What shooting? *looks down at my leg*....That shooting. Do you really think they'd do it here though?" I sigh and look out the small window in the basement watching yet another military truck pass through and say "If it wasn't going to happen then why are they pulling out the troops and leaving us defenceless. It's going to happen and soon. I just want to know how much time we have until it begins." Alicia nods slightly and moves towards me engulfing me in a small hug. Her head rests on my chest she stays there just long enough for me to take her in. She pulls away bringing my hand to hers, holding it while we lean against the wall listening to the screams of the tortured soldier.