A Deadly Trip (Now Available on Amazon!) (Unedited Version)

Chapter 24

Archer's gaze never left mine.

I watched as he took in my appearance. The pain that was reflected back at me let me know that I didn't look too good.

I didn't care how I looked right now though. All I wanted was to run to him and get the hell out of here.

How much time did we have left before the bomb went off?

By the way he was still clutching the phone in his hand, I knew he had no idea what he was really holding onto.

I opened my mouth to try and warn him again but Sheep Mask quickly placed his hand over my mouth.

"I don't want you to the spoil the surprise now darling." He whispered in my ear.

I tried moving away from him but he only tightened his grip and pulled me closer to him.

"You're not going anywhere." He said, his mouth still near my ear.

"Let her go." Sheep Mask looked up at Archer and chuckled darkly.

"You're in no position to give orders."

Archer shook his head and continued to glare at Sheep Mask.

"I played your little game. You said I had two hours to find her, and I did. Now let her go."

Sheep Mask laughed darkly again.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" Sheep Mask shook his head before continuing. "Did you actually think that I'd let you have her?"

He ran a hand up my arm causing shivers to run through my body.

"We've been having so much together. I think I'll keep her."

"Like hell you will." Archer took a step forward but Sheep Mask quickly used his free hand to hold up a phone.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't come too close if I were you."

Archer stopped in his tracks and eyed the phone cautiously.

"What did you do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Although I couldn't see his face, I could practically feel him grinning like a maniac.

"Now here's what's going to happen." Sheep Mask began. "I'm going to take Gemma and we're going to leave. I'm sure you're aware that your other little friends are still down here."

I watched as he quickly typed something into his phone and then looked back up at Archer.

I heard Archer's phone beep and for one horrible moment I thought that the bomb was about to go off, but nothing happened.

Archer looked down at his phone and frowned.

"What is this?"

"That's the location of where your friends are locked away."

Archer narrowed his eyes at him. "Why would you tell me where they are?"

"Consider it a parting gift."

"A parting gift?" Archer repeated.

"Yes, a parting gift. Like I said, Gemma will be coming with me, so you should go ahead and go get your friends."

"And what makes you think that I'll let you take her anywhere?" Archer asked with a scowl on his face.

"Because you don't have a choice." Sheep Mask looked down at his phone and clicked his tongue. "You have about fifteen minutes before a toxic gas will be released into the room they're being held in. If they breathe it in they'll die. So if I were you I'd get a move on."

I shook my head vigorously, trying to tell Archer with my eyes not to do it. I tried speaking again and I even tried biting his hand but Sheep Mask just pressed his hand against my mouth harder so only muffled sounds came out.

Sheep Mask slowly started to back away with me still in his grasp.

"Tick tock."

I watched as Archer looked down at his phone and then back at me. There was a look of wild panic in his eyes.

He didn't know what to do.

If he tried to save me, then all of our friends would surely die and if he went after them then I'd be stuck with Sheep Mask and who knows what would happen to me.

What Archer didn't know though, and what I desperately wanted to tell him, was that the bomb in his phone was going to go off at any moment and even if he got to our friends, if that bomb went off they'd all be gone.

Somehow I believed that was Sheep Mask intentions anyway.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks as Sheep Mask backed away even farther with me.

Archer took a step forward like he wanted to follow but Sheep Mask held his phone up again.

"Time is running out Archer. Are you really going to let all of your friends die? Don't worry about Gemma, I'll take good care of her."

I tried fighting against his grip again. This can't be happening. It can't end like this.

I screamed against his hand as he pulled me toward a set of stairs.

I looked back at Archer with tears blurring my vision.

He looked so torn, pain clearly etched onto his face.

He probably thought I wanted him to save me. If only he knew I was trying to get free so that I could save him.

Sheep Mask was at the bottom of the steps with me now.

I was kicking, scratching, twisting my body, anything I could to try and free myself from his grasp but nothing worked.

He kept his hand tightly clamped over my mouth and kept me pulled against him.

"Well I'd say it's been a pleasure but it hasn't." Sheep Mask sneered.

"I'm sure we won't cross paths again after this." Sheep Mask let loose such a dark laugh that it had goose bumps rising on my arms.

"Goodbye Archer."

And just like that Sheep Mask dragged me up the stairs.