Gain and Eliminate

Chapter Seven: Revealed Memory

The rampaging rustle from the ferocious trees brought Isaac, Mickey, and Renée to a startle, forcing them all to wake up. Renée awoke to a shaky feeling mixed with hatred of the past. She couldn't help but emerge herself back into her state of being emotionless as they ventured further and further away from the shelter. Before they knew it, stretched shadows grew at the bottom of trees and shrubs all around them, hours past since noon has gone by. As the shadows grew more and more, so did Renée's worries.

Ian and Angel's tolerance for silence grew weaker and weaker by the minute, eventually, they both were fighting the urge to break out into light and meaningless rants with each other. Ian, yet again, made several attempts, but Angel kept her refusal stance strong.

Renée led Mickey and Isaac regretfully throughout the thickening forest as she yet again slipped emotion-lessly into remembrance when she pulled herself backwards at the jump scare of a familiar-looking man. He forcefully pounded his way through the woods dragging along two tied victims, Sodah and Rachel. "Zane?!" Renée exclaimed, her voice beheld a mixture of fear, anger, and a slight bit of joy and familiarity.

"Renée..." Zane's once weak and shaky voice was now deepened and confident. It pounded through the echoes of the woods.

"You look, different."

"Glad you noticed." Zane shot Renée a wink in attempt to seem seductive.

"Why do you have my friends?" She changed her tone of voice from shocked to strict and forward.

Isaac dumbfoundedly stared at both Zane and Renée, "Wait, you two... You two know each other?"

"Well, yea, Zane was my best friend," Renée turned with a sharp movement to look at Zane, "but about after three years of me dating Noah, Zane flipped and walked out of my life."

"Isaac, don't-" Zane muttered under his breath as a horrid secret lurked within him.

"How do you two know each other?" Renée frantically echoed.

"Uh..." Isaac said as he forced his way over near Zane, "Should we just tell her, boss?" Isaac whispered.

"No." Zane forcefully muttered beneath his breath. "Since you didn't seize the moment to capture her friends, I'll force her to do the thing to get these two back."

"How do you know she'll do them, boss?"

"Trust me, Renée would do anything for the people she cares about."

"But-" Zane and Isaac were interrupted by the stumble upon them by Ian and Angel.

"Oh, heh... Hey..." Ian said awkwardly as he walked alongside Angel near Mickey.

Once Renée had the chance to get Zane alone, she did, "What's it gonna take for you to give back Rachel and Soda?"

"Well, you see, Renée, they were trespassing, on my property."

"Isaac was doing the same to me but you don't see me tying him up and lugging him around, at least, to his suspense, mine however..."

Zane chuckled daintily. "I need you to agree to one thing, per friend."

"Anything!"

"For Soda, you must allow me to become a part of your little, group."

"Of course! Even if you didn't make that offer I would've let you."

"And for Rachel," Zane took a pause, "You'll find that out later."

"Heh, alright then." Renée turned back to the rest of the group as Zane released Soda and Rachel, "We have a new survival buddy!"