Author's Note: I'm sorry this took a long time. I had writer's block for this story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and please, do leave a comment. Thank you.

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Part 3: The Hunt Begins

Kim walked through the shrubs and bushes, while blocking out the sun from her eyes. The sound of the birds chirping around her seemed to follow her. She hoped that Ron was alright, though her instincts told her that something was wrong, very wrong. Her heart ached as she thought of Ron. Please, please, be okay, Ron, she prayed. I don't want to loose you. And with that, her pace gradually quickened until it reached a fast, breath-taking run. She hadn't even noticed she had been running. She was too busy thinking of Ron to even know what she was doing. Her heart pounded in her chest. Please, be okay, please, be okay, please be okay. . .

She had the sudden urge to run even faster, thought she knew she had already reached her limit. She just wanted to get to Ron as quick as possible. Something was terribly wrong and she wanted to make sure Ron was okay. She just wanted to find him fast. His safety was all she really thought about at that moment.

There was an eerie silence which filled the forest as she ran. She hadn't noticed until she realized that the birds were no longer chirping. Her run slowed down a bit as she focused on her surroundings. A scream then pierced through the sky. Birds flew out of the trees, into the sky, toward the mountains as squirrels and racoons scurried down the treed and ran away from their homes and resting places. Kim's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the scream. She stopped.

It was Ron.

It hadn't been his usual cry for help. It was filled with agonizing pain and shrill fear. Kim suddenly quickened her pace once more. Ron was in danger and he needed her more than ever. She watched the birds. Most of them had come from a certain spot. She ran toward it as they flew away. It

wasn't long before she heard another scream. It was much louder the second time and with it was a voice. A voice which Kim had never heard before, but she guessed right away who it had belonged to.

She pushed away shrubs and low branches as she ran and when she pushed aside the last few low branches, there he was. Ron. . .laying on his back, moaning as he held his arm. Blood oozed from it, slipping between his fingers. She looked carefully at the blood, but it was tinted with some other substance. A grayish black substance.

"Oh, dear," came the voice. Dr. Killingsworth was standing over Ron, watching him with mock sympathy. "I guess you could've done better without the second one. It was too much. You're spilling it all out of your arm. That will coast you, little one."

"Leave him alone!" Kim shouted, stepping forward, finding her voice. "Ron?!"

Ron did not respond to her voice. His body suddenly gave a violent spasm. She was horrified by this. She looked at the doctor who smiled, calmly at her. It didn't seem to phase him one bit. But Ron was lying on his back, his body trembled from she didn't know what! How could someone not be bothered by this? She looked at Ron again. He seemed to suddenly stop moving. He groaned

loudly. His agony was clear. He shut his eyes and a single tear escaped his eye

as he lay there.

"What did you do to him?!" Kim shouted, lunging at Dr. Killingsworth, now. He moved swiftly out of the way and Kim tumbled on the ground.

"I gave him an injection. It's over there," the doctor replied with a sweet, but deadly smile. She turned to find the needle and it's cap thrown carelessly off to the side. A second needle lay beside Ron's head. She turned to the doctor, he seemed to understand her unspoken question. "I gave him another one and clearly it was too much. When you arrived the liquid from the second injection was spilling out. It mixed with his blood so now it's a reddish, grayish, blackish hue type of thing."

Kim stood. She wanted to beat the man's head in. She didn't care about the consequences, but as she ran to him a ringing sounded and soon Dr. Killingsworth was in the air.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "My time is up here. It's been fun. I must be on my. I've got an appointment."

He soared above her and she was unable to catch him. She was prepared to go after him, even if the only way she could was by foot, but Ron's soft gasps for air stopped her. "Kim?" he asked. His voice was breathy and faint like a wind's whisper.

"I'm here, Ron," she said as she rushed to his side. She knelt beside him and her heart broke as she looked down at him. "I'm here."

"You shouldn't be," he said. "You should go after the doc. He's-" His cough interrupted him. She watched him, concern filling her. A soft rustle was then heard and then Kim looked up. Rufus was getting up on his hind legs. He wobbled a bit, but when he cleared his head, he ran over and collapsed on Ron's arm. Ron barely moved. Kim wasn't even sure if he had felt it. She lovingly stroked his hair.

"Ron," she said. "I'm going to find some help for you."

He shook his head. "Go after the doctor," he insisted. "You have to get to Middleton before he does. That's were he's going next. He wants to continue testing out his stuff."

He brought his hand to his mouth and coughed again. Then as if suddenly drained, his arm fell, extended beside him. Kim looked over at his hand. Blood covered his palm and fingers. Hot tears stung her eyes.

"I'm not leaving you here alone," she argued.

Ron did not reply.

Kim looked down at him, her eyes scanning his face. "Ron?" she asked, but he did not reply. "Ron?!" She felt a lump in her throat as she watched him, but as if he sensed her sudden fear, he coughed and Kim breathed a small sigh of relief. His chest moved up and down. It was slow, but Kim could tell that his time was running out. She stood. "I'll be back for you," she said. "Take care of him Rufus."

The mole rat nodded and then Kim was off. She would stop this mad man and get to Ron quickly before it was too late.