RUN

Chapter 14

I woke up on the floor beside Paul in William and Paul's room. My body ached, but I pushed through, standing up and surveying the scene. The two beds in front of me held a still and unconscious William and Christina. I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. I thumped Paul on the forehead twice, waking him up, and immediately silenced him with a shushing gesture. I motioned to Christina. Wake her up! Paul nodded, understanding the urgency, and moved toward her. Meanwhile, I delivered five sharp thumps to William, who finally started pushing me away, his eyes fluttering open. A frown twisted his face, but as soon as he saw me, it softened, replaced by a whisper of a smile.

"Hi," he said, his voice calm.

I couldn't help but grin, grabbing a pillow and sneaking it behind my back. "Hey," I said, smacking the pillow straight into his face.

William gasped, sitting up and pulling me into a playful tackle. My laughter filled the room, but before I could catch my breath, Paul and Christina were sitting on one of the beds. William and I joined them on the other bed, our moment of chaos already forgotten.

"It's seven," Paul said. "We all need to be in #2 mission attire. Check your suitcases. Meet back here at 7:45 so we can go over the plan."

Christina and I scrambled back to our rooms. After rifling through my suitcase, I found the clothes labeled #2 M. Black jeans, black sneakers, and a burgundy pull-over. I pulled on the outfit quickly, and when I went to the mirror, I froze. My hair was different. Hazel, no longer the dark shade it had been before. I stared at my reflection, resisting the urge to scream, but knowing I couldn't. Not now.

Christina and I rushed back to William and Paul's room. We piled into the car, and Paul drove us toward our next destination. The mission was about to begin.

"Okay, Kristen and Christina will search for the kid who had the snake. William and I will be a distraction at the party. You two will wait in the car while William and I go in first. Everyone clear on the mission guidelines?" Paul asked, his tone sharp.

"Yep," William said.

"Uh-huh," Christina agreed.

"Yeah-huh," I added, trying to ignore the pit of dread in my stomach.

The car pulled up in front of an old building. It was a red brick structure, covered in graffiti, and only five stories high. Sirens blared in the distance, and the area felt unsafe—too much noise, too much chaos. There was no parking lot, so we had to park in the back of the building, near the trash dumpsters. The stench was unbearable. Christina sneezed repeatedly, clearly disgusted.

I felt a hand slip into mine, and I looked over to see William's light green eyes staring back at me.

"Stay safe," he said, his voice low but firm. "And make sure you're not seen."

I nodded, and just as he opened the car door, he paused, turning back to me. He pulled me into a quick hug and kissed my forehead before stepping out. Christina turned to me from the front seat and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Ready?" she asked, though I could hear the nervousness in her voice, just like mine.

I was terrified, but I nodded. This had to be done. It was the only way to stop whatever was happening in Colorado. Maybe after this, we could return to Isa and Evan, and maybe Gardner would finally stop whoever was behind it all. Then we could all go back to our lives... or at least, that was the hope. But with my mother gone, the idea of living on my own felt impossible. And would I end up living with William? I shook off the thought and followed Christina out of the car.

We hurried toward the building. Christina paused to check the windows above us. She then grabbed a massive hook from her bag and threw it up toward a window. It hooked into place with a loud clink.

"Are you coming?" she called down to me.

Fear gripped me, but I couldn't back out now. I grabbed the rope, climbing after her, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. The moment I reached the window, I pulled myself through.

The room inside was large, cloaked in darkness except for the dim light coming from the window. It felt eerily abandoned. Slanted pictures hung on the walls, and scattered records were strewn across the floor. Near the corner, I saw something under a pile of old newspapers. My heart raced, and as I approached, I realized it was a body. I gasped, but Christina quickly put her hand over my mouth.

A cold, hard circle pressed against the side of my head, and I froze. A voice, not Christina's, whispered harshly, "Don't scream or I'll shoot."

I reacted instantly, biting the hand holding the gun and then kicking the attacker backward. I turned and began throwing punches until he was winded. I pulled off the mask, revealing a familiar face: Jack. My blood boiled.

"Why are you here?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the fury that was bubbling inside me.

Jack winced, barely able to speak. "You need to get out of here," he gasped. "It's a trap. They're gonna kill you—"

Before he could finish, I shot him twice. He crumpled, and I turned to find Christina right behind me. I dropped my gun, panic surging through me as I saw her tied to a chair, blood staining her arms and legs.

"What happened?" I asked, rushing to untie her.

"He got a hold of me," she replied, wincing in pain. "Tied me up. It hurts like hell."

I inspected her injuries. There were no major cuts, just bruises, but her body was a mess.

She rubbed her forehead before grabbing her gun and looking out the window. "Great," she muttered, her anger palpable. "The rope is gone."

"What?" I asked, moving to her side. "What's wrong?"

"The rope—it's gone," she repeated, shaking her head. Then, as if in response to a thought, she pulled out a pair of gel-filled gloves from her boot and handed one to me.

"Umm, Christina," I started, confused. "What are these for?"

"Just hurry up before—" She was cut off by gunshots from downstairs, and instinctively, I put the gloves on and jumped out of the window. I didn't think about the consequences. I didn't think about anything except getting away.

As I plummeted, I closed my eyes. This is the end. I'll be with my parents soon, at least.

But then, a whisper broke through my panic.

"Kristen?"

I opened my eyes to find William, smiling and pulling me into his arms.

"What were you thinking?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Correction. What wasn't I thinking?" I replied, breathless.

He smiled and set me down, wrapping his arms around me again. I hugged him back, trying to shake the lingering fear from my body.

"What happened up there?" he asked, pulling away but still holding my hand.

"Jack tried to kill us," I said, my voice shaky.

"He what?" Paul exclaimed, disbelief in his voice as he helped Christina down from the wall.

"Jack tied me up and aimed a gun at Kristen's head," Christina said. I felt William's grip tighten on my hand as her words sank in.

"But Kristen..." She paused, walking toward me. "What did he say to you?"

I hesitated, not wanting to relive it. "Uh... He said we needed to get out or they'd kill us."

Before anyone could say more, a loud boom echoed from inside the building. We all turned, staring in shock.

"They." Paul said, his voice grim. "This wasn't a mission. It was a setup. They're looking for us."