In Hiding (Published!)

Chapter 30

  He seemed like he wanted to ignore me again, but I wouldn't let him get away from me this time, I inhaled slowly, and waited a few calming seconds before exhaling. 

  "Tell me your name." I said, making it clear that he had to tell me, rather than me just asking for it. He took this as an opportunity to skip the stories, and half smiled, "The names Padmore, but everyone calls me Paddy, so you may, as well." He suddenly continued pacing, and sighed again. I stayed silent, letting him go on. 

  "It started back in June, I was working a case, a completely boring one. No leads, no.. anything. I knew who the man was, but of course, I couldn't just bring him in without evidence. As of course, it's my word against his own. 

  "Anyway, I had come in contact with an old friend of mine, he told me about three teenagers running away from a man, never told me the name. Couldn't figure out why. He said I had to find them, and that they would be near the Texas border the following week. 

   "Well, as he told me, I waited. He knew I lived near it, see. I waited, and waited, and soon after that, it was nearing the end of July, so I called him, and he told me all about it. Wrong plane, being dragged backwards by his goons, the lockup, the car crash, and everything new that went on. He told me everything. 

   "That's when he called me again, few days ago. Told me the group wasn't anywhere he knew, and to keep a lookout for them, they'd be near the-" I cut him off, "Wait a second, you're telling me Sam was the ruler of all of this?! SAM is your old friend?! Why wouldn't tell us?!" I snapped, angry tears forming in the corners of my eyes. 

  He looked apologetic, and nodded, "He didn't want you to know, or maybe you wouldn't trust him anymore. He knew you couldn't trust many." He clarified, but the anger bubbling inside me didn't subside quickly, so I clenched my teeth together, and let him continue. 

  "He had told me you'd be near the border. So I set out that very evening, planning on coming back the same night, and setting out again the next day. I was keen to stay out if I could spot you three. Turns out, I found you." He had stopped again, and waited, to see if I had any say, when I didn't speak, he continued. 

  "But you were alone, and that made me fearful, see. When he had told me I'd be expecting three unhappy, untrustworthy teenagers, I figured I needed to be ready and armed. That's why I had my sterilizer, see." He thrust his hand behind him, at the rifle in the far corner. 

  I interrupted again, before he could continue, "Sterilizer, you say? You shot me, I was bleeding, with blood everywhere, and pain!" I shot at him, and he gave a little flinch at the venom in my words, before shaking his head. 

  "It wasn't a real gun, it was only to put one to sleep, I thought I might need it in case you three planned on making a break for it if I had met you in the forest. You don't actually think I would bring a gun out to meet three teenagers." He scoffed, and waved his hand in the air, as if appalled by the idea entirely. 

  He then picked up a small arrow shaped bow out from underneath the bed, and tried handing it to me, I stared at it until he pulled it back, "It's sharp, of course it's going to hurt if it didn't put you to sleep straight away. As you know, it hit the very part of the side that would only puncture the skin, and then slowly seep across the body. You did fall asleep, maybe from the pain, or the shock, but nonetheless, you slept.

  "Making it much easier to carry you back here," he gestured to the home around us, "a struggling teen might have been harder to carry." He shrugged, and popped the arrow in his belt, and turning towards the door. 

  "Wait!" I called, holding an arm up, and instantly regretting the action, as the pain in my side and shot right through my body. He turned around, and rushed toward me, trying to help me somehow, but realizing he couldn't stop inner pain, he waited.