“It’s me, Daren,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Oh.” The girl dropped the knife from his throat and started walking. Not knowing what else to do, he followed her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked her, just to make conversation.
“Dancing”, she replied drily.
“How did you find me?” he rephrased, trying to get a coherent reply that would make sense.
“Sniffed you out.”
“Where are we going?”
“You wouldn’t know anyway.”
Daren felt totally irritated now. The girl had followed him or had definitely traced him out. But now she behaved as if she couldn’t care less about him. But, how the hell did she find him? If she followed him, had she seen what he had done to the old man? Was she behaving this way because of that? She walked expertly, as if she thoroughly knew her way. She didn’t need to orient herself or look around. She walked slightly fast with quick, hurried steps.
Daren just watched her and felt something was wrong in the picture. She knew her way around the forest. She claimed she had been kidnapped too. So basically, this place should be as foreign to her as it was to him, right? She was always cold to him, cutting off conversation, and making snide, often insulting comments. And what seemed to be the last straw, his kidnappers had purposefully kept them together. Nobody in their right mind would do that. They could have schemed and plotted to run away- which they were actually doing. But, no kidnapper would have allowed it- unless that was exactly what they wanted to happen.
This is not a rich, kidnapped girl, Daren thought to himself. She’s a friggin spy who’s keeping an eye on me. Daren shook his head, thinking why he hadn’t been able to figure this out earlier. It was a perfect ploy- he would treat her as a friend, companion, and reveal all his thoughts and intentions to her, which would enable them to totally watch over him. Through her.
He laughed out loud. Did they think he was blind? Couldn’t he make out what was so obvious? The girl abruptly turned left. “This way,” she said, expecting him to follow.
It was then he lunged.
One moment she was walking, and the next, a huge weight crashed over her, taking her along with him to the floor. They struggled for a while but Daren finally managed to pin her hands above her head. “Who are you? And where the hell are you taking me?”
The girl raised her eyebrows, surprised and impressed at his skill. Daren did not like it one single bit; the way she showed her superiority all the time, like he was foolish and naïve, it drove him crazy.
And suddenly, her foot came out of nowhere and connected with his skull with such force it made his head spin. For a girl, she could strike quiet a blow. By the time he opened his eyes again, the girl sat on top of him, his hands held at an uncomfortable angle in one of hers.
“Doubting me will get you nowhere.” She said matter-of-factly. “You are alone and friendless, you don’t have a place to go, you are being searched by those people, and you are a murderer in a foreign land. Trust me; I am your last hope. Stick with me, and I might just save your goddamn neck along with mine,” she ended venomously.
Daren pondered over what she had said. It was true. But then, he definitely could not trust the girl with his life. “You need to talk to me first.” He said, looking at her.
“I don’t need to do anything” she replied haughtily.
“Then I can’t trust you with my life. Thanks for bothering, but I’ll try and find my way out.” So saying he sat up and started walking away from her.
“You are digging your own grave, you know that?” the girl shouted after him.
Daren did not look back. “At least I made it for myself. I wouldn’t want you doing the honours.”
The girl pressed her lips into a thin line. And closed her eyes, trying to rein in her temper. She was used to having her own way all the time. But this one guy was spoiling the plan, and if he walked away, everything would be ruined.
“Fine.” She said, nostrils flaring “What do you want to know?”
Daren turned and walked back, smiling hugely. “Everything that you care tell me, love”.
