The Hunter Chronicles - The Beginning

Chapter 9

By the time we reach the bar the sun is beginning to set, I am so nervous but I have to hide it from Michael. He is a breaking point. He is a wreck. I open the door and the bar is relatively busy as we walk in further I feel like everyone is staring at me. I have no idea where the kidnappers are or who they really are. I don't know if Melissa is even still alive. My head is scrambled. Michael lets my hand go and I am able to finally focus again.

"Maybe you should leave before they get here, I will find Melissa."

"We're in this together, besides none of this would be happening if it wasn't for me." I reply. I am the one they want for whatever reason.

"You didn't know about any of this. We did. We should have told you if we did then this would have been avoided."

"Well we can't change any of it now." I reply looking out Michael. I feel brave not the way I expected to feel. I check my watch. Ten minutes left. I need a drink.

I order and when the water returns I take a big mouthful of brandy. My throat burns as I swallow. I question myself. Why on this green earth did I feel like I needed a drink? I can't help but make a sour face, I look up and see Dean walk through the door.

"So are we really doing this?" He asks.

"How did you even know we were here?" I ask. I don't remember either of us phoning him. Not that I even own a phone.

"Saw the note at Michael's place." He replies unfazed by what is going on. "You need to snap out of it, everything will be okay." He snaps at Michael.

I can't take my eyes off of the door; it's past 6 pm and still no sign of Melissa or Jared. I wonder what had happened between Dean, Michael and Jared that made them hate each other so much.

Melissa walks through the door alone. Before Michael or Dean could stop me I jumped up and ran to her. I can't think what it means when she is alone. She's alive. Thank the gods. I throw my arms around her and hug her tightly.

"Run." Melissa whispers.

"What?" I mumble but have no time to react as I am torn away from my friend and thrown into the back of a van.

The van speeds off causing me to lose my balance, I hit the side of the van hard, my already hurt shoulder throbbing even more now. It's dark and smells terrible. I can't see anything, I know that there must be at least two others with me. The man who grabbed me and the one that was driving.

"Who are you?" I ask, forcing my voice to cooperate.

"Shut up!" An unknown male voice shouts at me.

Oh shit! I have no idea where they are taking e. I feel around the inside of the van hoping no praying to find anything I can use to defend myself with. There is nothing. The van stops suddenly and I lose my balance once again. My shoulder is killing me. The van doors open and I stand up begging my legs not to turn into jelly. There are five men standing at the opening looking at me I can't read the expressions on their faces. One yells at me to get out of the van. I hesitate, willing a plan to jump into my brain. One of the men jumped inside and roughly pulls me out by my arm and just when I thought the pain in my arm couldn't get any worse.

I refuse to let them see me scared or crying. I hold back the tears. Fully aware that I'm outnumbered and could never outrun these thugs. I can't even fight one of them let alone all five.

The man pushes me towards a small cabin. I'm going to die! I get shoved through a door and when I look up I see Jared. He is sitting on a chair near the fireplace. The room is cozy, I think, I can see two couches and a chair, there is a coffee table in the middle but I don't see any personal photos or anything. Jared looks up and smiles. Damn! I want to scratch his eyes out. But goodness this man is hot. How can I be so attracted to this man and want to kill him at the same time?