Hunted

Chapter 13

We're almost at the halfway point when we hear echoing footfalls coming from ahead of us. I stick out an arm and drag Josh to the wall with me, backs flat against the cold stone.
"Which way, Ryder?!" I recognise Tyler's annoyed voice.
"I don't know, Tyler! The tracker is glitching a lot!"
"Well than Mr. I-Know-Everything, you need to do your job and fix it!" Tyler yells at his younger brother. I see the two round the corner with Anne following.
"Would you two morons shut up. We're trying to not draw attention to ourselves." Anne states. Tyler rolls his eyes.
"Please, computer girl. We've made it this far without even lifting a finger."
"I have a name." Anne scoffs.
"Yeah, but I don't wanna use it." Tyler smirks. I smile and gesture to a rock near Josh's fot. He smirks and hands it to me. I toss it up near Anne. She turns in a flash and bumps into Tyler, nearly falling.
"What was that?" She asks. Tyler shrugs.
"Maybe just a small animal." He suggests. Josh covers his mouth to conceal a slight chuckle. I turn to him with a finger on my mouth as we move silently towards them.
As they come closer, we ready ourselves. Once their in front of us, we jump up and onto Ryder and Tyler. Anne shrieked and jumped back when the two men fell to the ground with a thump.
Josh and I start laughing as we get off them, me off Tyler and Josh off Ryder. They turn over and look up at us in disbelief.
""You guys are alive?!" Tyler counters. I roll my eyes, scoffing a little.
"Of course we are! What did you expect?" I reply. I turn to Anne who raises her hands in mock surrender.
"It was all those two idiots." She points. They both turn and glare at her, brushing themselves off as they straighten. I cross my arms and look at Josh. He smiles slightly, but unnoticeable, crossing his arms and copying me.
"So what you two are trying to say is that you were hoping for us to be dead?" I ask with a voiced laced in authority. Tyler's mouth drops at the accusation and Ryder stumbles with his words. Anne looks between them and us before bursting into laughter.
"I'm surprised that with all the years you've spent with her, you don't know when she's joking!" She exclaims after sobering from her sudden outburst. They turn back to me with anger ridden faces.
I yelp and jump behind Josh for help. His arms drop as he stares with wide eyes at the two member advancing on him. I cling to his back, watching the scene play out before me.
"Hero?" Josh says. I look at his face, which is wearing the mask of confusion and fear.
"Run." I sprint in the opposite direction, leading back towards the basement stairs.
"Hero, wait." Josh sticks out his arm and catches me before I fall.
"What?" I ask, breathless.
"We need to get out of here, not go deeper in." He shakes his head. I consider his thought for a moment. I look towards the way we came from and see Tyler and Ryder basically tripping over each other in the doorway. Ryder looks up.
"Where's Vic?" He asks. I look away not wanting to talk about it. "Oh." He mumbles.
"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Tyler asks, coming fully into the room with his brother not far behind. I shake my head slightly.
"No. What is it?" I ask. He looks around at all of us.
"You don't hear it?" I nod my confirmation.
"What do you hear, Tyler?" I ask again. His gaze locks with mine.
"Screaming."