Not to be found

Chapter 25 - Don't panic

The blood that fills my veins runs cold, my body numb. So numb that I feel like I could fall flat on my face right this second. My head spins erratically and my vision blurs as I stare at the note attached to the red rose in front of me.

DON'T THINK YOU CAN HIDE. I SEE EVERYTHING. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. I HAVE MY EYES ON YOU.

"Stay right here," Noah growls from behind me, his voice low and angry.
The truth is I couldn't move from this spot even if I tried, I'm too shellshocked to even speak let alone put a foot forward.

Who is this? Who is this evil person trying to ruin my shot at happiness? What did I ever do to them? How do they even know where I am?

As I stand here frozen in time my senses go into overdrive, and I swear I can feel the presence of someone else in this house other than me and Noah. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid?
Who am I kidding this isn't paranoia! I'm not safe here!

I feel a sudden cold breeze from behind, like a person had just sprinted from one side of the room to the other, trying to take cover.
I turn on my heel to face where I believe the intruder to be, but instead there is nothing.

I feel an arm wrap around the top of my shoulders, I jump out of my skin and produce a high pitch shrieking noise from the contact.
"Relax," Noah says calmly, "it's just me."

I place a hand over my racing heart and try to steady my breathing.
"No one is in here as far as I can see," he continues.

"Maybe not now," I say still shaken, "but they were."

He turns me around and slowly pulls me into his chest so that I'm wrapped in his protective embrace. I bury my head in his chest and inhale getting lost in the scent, I could stay like this for a lifetime. As I close my eyes I can feel my heart rate steadying.
Everything is going to be okay.

*BANG* the sound resonates around the room.

My body stiffens and I fall to the floor, Noah's arms still wrapped around my shaking body.
"Sh*t," he curses, "they shot straight through the window."

*BANG* I scream into his chest as I hear more glass shatter and crash onto the floor.

Noah shuffles us around so that we're covered by the kitchen counters, knowing that I'm obviously the target.

"Do not move," he whispers through my hair.

He slowly gets up leaving me alone on the floor. My body shakes violently and I want to cry out desperately so I bite down on my jacket. I crawl around to the end of the counter as I watch Noah open a cupboard door and hit a massive red button.
A loud alarm sound rings out throughout the house, and shutters begin to cover all the windows and doors. We're going into lockdown.

I curl myself up into a ball as several large men come running into the house dressed in black and carrying guns.

"Who is she?" The biggest of the men ask Noah whilst pointing a gun at my head.
My hands tremble as I begin to raise them above my head.

"A friend," he states as he walks over to me, pulling me up and holding me to his chest.

"We need to move!" Another guy shouts as he comes running in from the hallway.