Red

35

VAN'S POV

Bondy and I have been in the forest for at least a couple hours, and as I expected, we weren't having any luck. We would call out her name, look behind rocks and trees, but we would be left with nothing. The longer we're out here, the more likely I feel like someone had her, someone who shouldn't. I was growing frustrated and Bondy could tell.

"Fucking hell, Bondy!" I yell. "Where the fuck is she?" I pound my hand against a nearby tree.

Bondy sighs and turns around in a circle, looking at what's around us, or at least what he could see in the night. "I don't know," he sighs. "We're gonna fund her. I'm not going back until we do, and I know you're not either."

I nod my head. Bondy was right, there's no way I could go back to the plane not knowing where Tris was or if she was safe. I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. She occupies all my thoughts at once and I won't be able to relax at all until I can see her, wrap my arm around her and never let her go. I can't believe I let her go.

"Come on," Bondy says. "Let's go check this way again," he suggests while pointing to the direction where Mike's group usually resided. He didn't specifically say we were heading toward Mike's again, probably because he didn't want me thinking about the possibility that Mike could have Tris right now. But I was already thinking those thoughts, whether he knew it or not.

I follow him, even though we had just checked there maybe twenty minutes ago. "Tris!" I call out, desperate for anything. Any noise would be preferable to this deafening silence.

Nothing.

"Relax, Van. We'll find her," Bondy says. His voice was dull, though, and it didn't provide me with the comfort he wished it had. He didn't fully believe what he was saying either.

"Tris!" I yell again, only this time louder. I push my hair back and hold my hands behind my head. I felt like I was losing my mind. How could I be so obsessed with someone, feel such a strong connection with someone, that I feel actually insane without them?

We continue walking and eventually reach an area with some of Mike's people. "Hey!" I call out while walking over to them. "Where's our girl?"

The men look around at each other. "Listen, man. We don't have your girls. Piss off," one of them says before turning back around to his people.

I walk over and cut in between them so I could face the man. "No, you listen," I demand, staring him in the eyes. "Where is she? Tell me where Mike is, at least." I had a feeling Mike was behind wherever Tris had disappeared to. I haven't seen him all night. He has to have her somewhere.

"Fuck off," the man grunts, trying to walk off. I don't let him, though. I grab his arm and push him back against a tree.

"Where is Mike?" I ask, my voice raised. I was so sick and tired of all this, all these games. I noticed how none of the other men stood up to try and get me off their friend. Cowards they are, all of them. Bondy stood nearby, his arms crossed, ready to fight if anyone comes close.

"Relax, alright?" The man says. "Mike doesn't have anything to do with your girls. He's probably down that way, by the cave. Not gonna find your girl down there, though."

"And how can you be so sure?Mike is just as sick as the rest of you," I say. My grip of him doesn't get any looser.

"Mike wouldn't hide the girl if he got a hold of one," the man says, now laughing, a cynical, deranged laugh. "Believe me, she would have gone around by now."

My heart breaks at that statement. What if it was true? What if she was going around to all the cold hearted men? I can't have him see my concern, see that his words sort of got to me. That would mean he wins.

I slam his head into the back of the tree and then push him aside. I couldn't see, but his head was probably bleeding. "Come on, Bonds," I say as I start walking in the direction the man had said mike would be.

The other men back out of my way as we walk through. "You lot are fools," I mumble. It's hard to believe people were that selfish, that willing to watch their own friends get beat up to avoid getting beat up yourself.

Bondy and I walk around the general direction Mike was supposed to be until I finally see the cave the man told me about. "There it is, Bondy," I say, running over to it.

"Mike!" I yell. "Tris!"

I hear a muffled cry in response and my eyes go wide. "That was Tris," I tell Bondy, but he knew, too. "You check inside, I'll check around?" I suggest and Bondy nods his head, immediately heading for the cave after.

I start to walk around. "Tris!" My voice drops a little, knowing she was here, but it was still loud enough for her to hear. "Baby, say something for me."

I hear another cry, but it's sharply cut off. I keep walking in the direction of her voice until I hear rustling behind a bush.

I run over and before I can get behind the bush, Mike comes out and blocks me. I try to push him aside but he was just as strong as I was.

"Get out of here before I break your neck," I say, my voice low. "Bondy!" I call out, hoping he'd be able to hear me from inside the cave.

Mike shakes his head. "I can do the same to you, Van. You're not any better at fighting than I am," he says, and I knew what he said was true.

So that why I waited there, me holding the collar of his shirt, him holding my own, until Bondy came around. When Mike saw Bondy he punched me, sending me stumbling backwards, but I caught my balance.

Bondy grabs his arm and twists it around, sending a boost of confidence to me. Together, we could take down any man, including Mike.

I walk back over and punch him in the stomach. "I'm going to recommend you keep your distance from us from now on," I tell him. He tries to kick my side with one of his legs, but I grab it and block him.

I push him by the shoulders and force him to the ground before getting over top of him and punching his face, without a doubt giving him a bloody nose. I wouldn't be surprised if it was broken. "Bondy, you take care of this for me?" I ask him, referring to Mike.

"Yeah," he says, getting down and punching his face without hesitation.

I get up and run over behind the bush, where I heard Tris. All I cared about right now was making sure she was okay. I needed to hug her, assure her everything would be alright.

And this time, I promised myself, I won't ever let her out of my sight or Bondy's sight.