Kim's POV

We've been traveling for a while. I lost count of how long after day four. We had stopped countless times, but most times when we did, Jack would sit in front of the door with a shot gun in one hand, watching me.

There were at least 5 men with Jack, but I had no clue who half of them were. I eventually had figured out that one's name was David, and another one was Troy.

Currently, we were stopping at a gas station. The guy named Troy hauled me up and snapped the ropes that held my wrists and ankles together. I stretched, stiff from the hours that I had spent sitting on the cold metal in silence. Troy's scabby, sweaty hands grasped my shoulders. He roughly shoved me out of the van, right into Jack.

"Watch it!" Jack hissed, taking an intimidating step forward, causing Troy to cower. It almost made me laugh watching Troy, who had at least 40 more pounds of muscle than Jack did, scared witless by him.

Jack grabbed my wrists and plastered on a light, carefree expression, and proceeded to drag me towards the gas station. I supposed to any person watching us, he looked like a boyfriend dragging his unwilling girlfriend in the store to get him some gum. Well played. I thought.

"You have two minutes." Jack muttered into my ear. I walked quickly towards the restroom, him on my tail. As I slammed the door behind me I surveyed the area. No windows. Of course. And Jack was standing outside of the door. I sighed and started cleaning up.

Besides, I told myself as I got done and came out. I won't abandon my friend. But the more I told myself that, the more unsure I was. If somebody gave me a chance to escape, I would undoubtedly take it.

"Are you ready?" Jack turned his mud-colored eyes to mine. It struck me again how different he looked. His eyes used to make my insides melt. They had looked like warm, gooey chocolate. Now his hair was lighter, almost like he'd been in the sun a lot, and his skin was darker because of a tan. Also, he had gotten way taller, bigger, and stronger. His eyes were stone cold. Every expression he wore looked worn and detached.

He definitely wasn't the little 14-year-old I had come to know and, heck, even loved.

I carefully nodded my head. He grabbed my hand. I waited for the tingles that always shot up my spine every time he touched me, but they didn't come. I felt empty. Realization hit me. He wasn't who I wanted anymore. That person had left me. He was the hunter and I was the prey.

There could be no relationship, no matter how harmless.

bump, bump, PING!

I jumped awake to a loud sound and heard someone let out a string of profanities. I crumpled back into my miserable little ball and tried to go back to sleep. My body felt worn out from being in one position all day.

Just as I was dozing off I jumped awake again to a BAM!

I blinked my eyesight clear and looked out of the tinted windows. It looked like Jack had gotten angry, and had most likely punched the van, which now had a grapefruit-sized dent in it.

He has some anger issues! I thought sleepily.

So apparently we had gotten a flat tire, which had made Jack none-too-happy. In fact, he was livid because that meant we had to stop at the nearest town, which happened to be Bandon, Oregon. By the time the van had gotten done, a huge snow storm had blown in. Of course, it was in the middle of December. So we had gotten a motel for a few nights until the storm blew over.

Currently, I was in the corner, looking out of the window at the torrents of snow coming down. I had tried to take a run for it when everyone had been preoccupied with talking to the mechanic. I didn't make it more than 10 steps before lithe, tan arms wrapped around my waist. It was the 7th time I had tried to run, and the 7th he had caught me. 'Why do you keep trying to get away?' he had hissed in my ear, before taking me – thrashing and screaming – back to the other guys. I had to stop fighting after about 5 minutes. My body had taken too much stress lately. The mechanic had looked at me, his brow furrowed, but decided to drop it. I knew that he was suspicious, and that we would have to leave as soon as we could. Maybe that was what was making Jack so edgy.

In truth, I didn't know why I kept running. It wasn't helping. What I needed was a carefully drawn out plan.

Jack's POV

Man this is boring. I leaned back onto the bed and placed my hands over my eyes. When I got this job, I thought I would at least be able to be on the road. Instead I was stuck in a hotel room with a mute! She hadn't talked since we had our fight in her house. And all of the other boys were in different rooms, so there was no one to talk to. Talk about boring.

I would just watch TV, but the storm was making the channels come in broken up and fuzzy. And he would not be the first one to talk. So he just laid there. And laid there. And laid there…

I fell asleep, only to be awoken by the slam of a door. Stupid! I scolded myself. She could be gone by now! But then I remembered that we are on the 6th story, and that I had put a pad lock on the door, and only I have the key. So she must be in the restroom. I settled back down and sighed. I wish more than anything that I had a DVD right about now. My mind wandered off…

Kim's POV

I snuck into the bathroom, and then slammed the door. Who cares if I wake him up? Besides, he hasn't done me any great and miraculous favors. I stripped and turned on the water. Steam swarmed up around me and I let the jets of water from the shower massage my back. It was like it was melting my troubles away. If I closed my eyes I could almost pretend that I was in my shower at home. Like when I came out, I would see the comforting lavender rug and the fluffy blue cotton towels that soaked up water like a sponge. But when I did get out, I saw beige. That's all there was. White and beige.

I picked up the thin towel and began drying myself off. I had washed my clothes in the laundromat downstairs and they still hadn't dried, so I shrugged into one of Jack's long plain t-shirts with pockets decorating the front. It almost reached my knees. More evidence that he had shot up in height.

I turned to go out, and then stopped. He had taken my cell phone and kept it with him while we were in the van, but he had probably taken it out when we had come in here. When he had fallen asleep I had looked at him. Noticing no bulges in his pockets, I had then searched around the room. I couldn't find it anywhere! The only place left was: the bathroom!

Excited, with a stupid grin slapped on my face, I quietly moved things around, looked under and in them, and then moved them back. I frantically searched through everything, with shaking hands, only to come up empty. Where was it?! I sighed and slid down the door. I lifted my face towards the florescent light, pretending it could actually warm my face. I opened my eyes, squinting for a moment, and then saw something. An air vent! I quickly stood up on the toilet and removed the cover, and probed with my fingers. They hit something square and smooth. My phone!

Luckily, when he turned it off, the sound had been off, so when I turned it on, it didn't make a peep. I slowly went up to 'contacts' and chose Grace. I hit the green button and pressed the screen to my ear.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Ring

Rin- Hello?

"Grace! I need help!" I whisper-yelled.

Kim?! Where are you girl? What's going on?

"I'm in Bando-" I suddenly stopped. I could've sworn I just heard a muffled click.

I stuffed the cell phone into one of the pockets on the shirt. I unlocked the door and sluggishly pulled it open. I winced as a cold gun barrel lightly grazed my forehead.

"Who ya talking to?"

And there it was, ladies and gents... Review!