Taken

Chapter 5

I walk a couple of steps behind James, trodding in the sand. My feet dig into the heated sand, and I wiggle my toes. Ahead of me, James sullenly moves towards a cluster of trees. When we reach the first tree, James stops, and turns to face me. His eyes are surprisingly determined and fierce.
     "If you find anything at all, anything, make note of it," he says in a hard voice, his hands fisted. I nod, and he heads towards the right. I take my queue and head to the left. I keep my eyes downcast, searching the sandy floor for any signs of anything really.
     "What am I looking for exactly?" I question to myself, and I get a response.
     "Nothing," someone says behind me, and, with my heart thudding, I whirl around.
     A tall, lanky guy stands in the shadows, his head bowed. I squint, trying to make out any special features. He gives me another scare when he steps into the light. His eyes scan me, and his jaw hardens.
     "You're not a police officer, and this is a crime scene." His voice is harsh, and his composure is equally harsh. I shift my weight to my other foot, and rub my arm.
     "I know. They have left this case," I reply in a small voice. The guy scowls at me, and takes a threatening step towards me.
     "Take your little boyfriend and leave," he orders, and I look away from his cruel, brown eyes and notice his clothes. Or the lack thereof. He only has on a pair of ragged shorts, and his naked chest gleams under the sun. That can't be sweat, can it? How much sweat does a man produce? And it's not that hot. The guy starts walking again and stops inches away, his tall figure towering over me. "I'm not going to tell you again. Leave now, before I notify the police." His eyes seem to swirl around, not really settling on a color. They appear to be green up close. I take in a shaky breath, and look away from his scary eyes.
     "What were you doing here anyways?" I ask, suspicious. He scoffs loudly and his hot breath fan my face. He places his face just in front of mine.
     "None of your business, sweetheart. Now, are you going to leave or am I going to have to use force?" He looks me in the eye, and I gasp. His eyes are changing colors! Just now a little yellow fleck gleamed at me. He must have noticed something on my face change because he pulls back hastily, and raises a calloused hand. "Do you want to be manhandled?"
     "I wouldn't recommend that," James said from somewhere behind the guy. The guy takes a measured breath and drops his hand.
     "I told her multiple times to leave, but she didn't," the guy justifies himself, crossing his arms and steps away from me.
     "You're lucky I stopped you before touching her." The guy snickers, and gives James a once over.
     "I could take you on my worst days," he says, and now James laughs.
     "I didn't mean myself. I meant her. She does throw a mean right hook." I throw James a look, and he shoots a grin at me. His face then morphs into one of contempt. "Who are you, anyways?", James asks, and the guy rolls his eyes.
"It ain't any of your business, lover boy. Get your-", the guy pauses and looks at me weirdly, "your girl out of this forest. Or you'll spend a night or two in jail."
I scurry towards James, and he places a protective arm across my shoulders. He isn't satisfied, so he proceeds to place himself between me and the guy.
"Look, dude. I don't know who you are, and what you're doing in this forest, half naked, your chest slathered like that with something. But my younger brother was kidnapped and I'm going to fi-"
"Yeah, yeah. You're gonna find who took him. I don't give a shit. Leave. I won't tell either one of you again," the guy interrupts, waving a hand in the air, and pulling out a phone with the other. "9-1-1. Easy. Leave!" He shouts suddenly and I jump. James grabs my hands. He turns to the way we came from and starts walking, dragging me with him.
"And do not come back!", the guy shouts from behind us, and James rolls his eyes.
"Who the fuck is that dude?", James exclaims when we're in the car. "Who the fuck does he think he is! Ordering us to leave as if he owns that place. It's a fucking public property!" James is pissed, squeezing the steering wheel, and clenching his teeth together. I keep silent, starting through the windshield. "I bet he knows something about Kyle. I fucking bet my life on it. Have you seen his chest? Drenched with something. Not sweat. Can't be. Did you smell anything on him when he got so close to you, Sara?"
I startle when James says my name. I think back, and answer him.
"I don't remember noticing any scent in particular. Just the saline smell of the ocean." I throw a glance at James to see him starting to go red in the face. "We'll come back later, James. Later today or tomorrow. That guy can't be there all day, right?"
I am trying to keep him calm because a crazed James is a dangerous James. There was this one time a guy pushed me off of the stairs, and I tumbled down and came to a stop battered and bruised, fortunately nothing major was broken. James got all angry and red and punched the guy and was going to push him off the stairs. Thankfully, the supervisor stopped him.
James keeps taking deep breaths, and I return to look out of the windshield, rubbing soothing circles on his tensed back. While I am making sure James doesn't go off like a bomb, I spot the guy in the woods, staring with boiling animosity at us. I frown and look away, only to whip back to the spot he was just now.
He was naked. I know it. I debate telling James about it, but decide not to, seeing as how the guy left when I looked away. There's no point.