The Hunted

The Rescue

Alicia's P.O.V

The car stops and I open my eyes to an underground car park.  Mom and Chris get out of the car.  I start to move and a jacket falls off from me.  I look over at Hugh who gives me a small smile before reaching to grab his jacket off of me saying "We're here Alicia.  We're going to get your brother back.".  He looks down at my hand and my eyes follow his gaze to see that his hand was intertwined with mine.  I let go and hop out of the car. 

Did that just happen.  Was I sleeping whilst holding his hand?  No.  He was just comforting me.  I have a boyfriend.  Matt.  Matt.

Mr Salazar drives in and hops out of his car.  He checks that we're all here then walks over to Travis' car.  Travis opens the door and Mr Salazar peers his head into the car and slowly pulls his head out.  He looked pretty pissed off.  "Where is he?" He asked keeping his tone emotionless.  The soldier.  He's our way in.  Is he talking about him?  "I let him go.  He told me where to go and I let him go.  We have no use for him anymore." Travis says calmly.  Mr Salazar jumps forward and grabs the front of Travis' shirt and shouts "You idiot!  He's going to tell them we're here!  You've screwed this whole thing up!".  He pushes Travis to the car and brings an arm down.  He's going to punch Travis.  Ofelia and Chris jump in between them stopping him.  Hugh clears his throat drawing the attention to him and says "Look we can still do this without the guy.  If the soldier gave Travis directions we need to keep Trav conscious to find Nick, Liza and *points at Mr Salazar* your wife.  Let's just calm down a bit and get inside.  The distraction has already been set in motion?  *Mr Salazar nods*  Good so we have to move now.".  Travis moves away from Mr Salazar and says there's no we.  You, Chris and Alicia stay here."  He's kidding right?  I'm not sitting around waiting for my brother to come back and I'm not letting my mom go without me.

Hugh's P.O.V

"Fat chance Travis.  I'm going in with you.  You couldn't even keep the damn soldier with you .  You let him go.  There's no way you'll be able to fight back if we need to.  There's no questioning it I'm coming with you".  Travis points down at my leg and argues "You're injured and you're just a kid.  You don't need to see this."   I sigh saying "My leg doesn't matter I can move.  I'm fine.  Quit arguing and lets go...you have no idea what I've seen and done.".  Mr Salazar interjects before Travis can argue once more and says "Let the kid come.  He is not weak.  He can fight.".  Travis sighs in frustration, gritting his teeth he says "fine.".  We make our way to the entry door and Alicia and Chris follow.  Maddie turns back and says to them "You need to stay here.  It's safer here. *hands Chris the keys to the car* take these and just drive if you see any of them." Chris shakes his head and says to Travis "I'm coming with you to get mom." Travis shakes his head at Chris and walks to him saying "You need to stay here with Alicia.  I'll get mom.  I can't loose you.  You stay here and you look out for her alright?  Take the keys and leave without us if one of those things come.".  Chris exhales and says "Ok dad.  But I can't even drive.".  Alicia who had been having a quiet argument with her mom sighed and said "I can drive.  Here give me the keys.".  Chris nods and walks over to the car and Alicia walks up to me and tackles me in a hug that nearly knocks me off my feet.  She whispers in my ear "It's not fair you get to go...just be safe and come back to me ok?  and bring my brother back.  You're not dying on me Hugh.".  I nod my head and let go of the hug.  I give her a small smile and she walks over to the car and I turn to limp to the entry door. 

Travis opens the door and we rush through.  All the corridors looked identical.  They were all old and had cracks along them.  We went up a few flights of stairs which was definitely no good for my leg.  The searing pain in each step was so excruciating.  Travis finally stopped and we paused for a second before we opened the door to the sight of hundreds of people behind fenced cages.  The sirens were blaring so loudly I could barely hear myself think.  Maddie sprinted in and started yelling out "Nick!  Nick?  Nick!".  Travis sprinted after her asking the people about Nick.  Their responses were all at the same time it made it hard to distinguish one clear message.  They said things like "Let us out of here!" and "He left with some man and went that way!" whilst pointing forward.  Maddie just nodded and ran forward not giving a second thought.  Travis chased after her.  Mr Salazar and I whacked at the locks with his rifle and my stick and we let out a few people before we saw the first one.  The "its" have infiltrated the building. 

I run in the same direction as Maddie and Travis with Mr Salazar following closely behind.  I can hear strangled screams behind me and I make the tragic mistake of looking back.  There's blood everywhere.  Bodies thrown to the side.  The people we let out being attacked by the "its".  I trip over my own feet and pain once again shoots up.  I look back in horror.  Mr Salazar yanks me back to my feet.  We run. 

Maddie and Travis have stopped at a door bolted shut.  Travis scrambles from wall to wall hoping to find something to open it.  I look through the glass of the door and see Nick and another man yelling for them to open the door.  I rush to the door and help Travis cram a crowbar between the door.  I look through the glass again to see a herd of "its" approaching Nick.  Nick holds his hand over the glass and although the sound is muffled it's clear that he says "I love you mom.".  Maddie screams out "NO!" and Travis, Mr Salazar and I push the crowbar with another burst of strength and the door opens.  I turn around and see a herd of "its" approaching us too.  We turn to our right and run down that hall.  We make it to more stairs.  The pain in my leg has reverted back to a dull throb and I break into a sprint as I race down the flights of stairs before reaching the bottom and running into a lady.  Travis reaches the bottom of the stairs after me and runs up to the lady hugging her tightly saying "Liza!".  Mr Salazar comes through last and grabs Liza by the shoulders and asks Liza "Griselda?!?" Liza looks down to the ground and says "I'm sorry Daniel there's nothing I could do.".  I clear my throat and say through pants "We've got to get out of here.  Do you know a way out?".  Liza looks up "No.  But I know someone who does.".  She breaks into a sprint and we follow her into a large room with lots of bodies laid down in beds with small holes in their foreheads with a line of blood trailing down their heads.  Liza shakes the lady sitting by a body but gets no response.  Travis drags Liza away and she starts running into another room and we all follow.

The room is cold and too quiet.  The alarms aren't blaring in here.  We slow down to catch our breaths.  Silence fills the room.  Mr Salazar's head faces down.  Liza walks up to him and tries to comfort her but is brushed off.  Travis speaks up "Let's spread out and try to find a way out." We nod silently and start moving.

Absolute Silence.

Silence.

An "it" jumps out at me and I recoil back.  I hear someone on the other side of the room let out a scream.  The "it" keeps coming forward.  I look around.  There's nothing I could use to whack him.  I raise my staff and strike its head.  The "it" goes down and I keep striking it with my stick until it stops groaning and moving.  I hear someone shout "This way!" I follow in the direction of the voice and see an open door.  We're back in the garage.  Everyone walks out and I run to shut the door.

I turn around and see that the car's gone.  Alicia and Chris are nowhere to be seen.  Maddie yells out "Alicia!  Chris?!?  Alicia!"  Nick, Travis and Liza do the same.  Where did she go?  Did she leave without us?  I yell out "Alicia!!!".  I hear the sound of a door opening and raise my stick to defend myself.  Alicia and Chris come out through the door.  Relief floods through my system.  Alicia runs to Nick and wraps him in a tight hug.  She releases her grip and runs towards me and engulfs me in a giant hug whispering "Thank you!  Thank You!  You're ok!  Thank You.".  She pulls away and Maddie's smile drops when she turns around asking "Alicia where's the car?".  Chris who had been tightly hugging Liza says "Some soldiers took it.".  Travis opens his mouth to speak but the soldier who had been tortured comes out from behind one of the cars and points a gun straight at Mr Salazar.

He says "I'm going to shoot him.  He deserves to feel the pain I felt!".