Jamie pulled the jacket over her shoulders and zipped it up, tightly. The Colonel's feet hit the floor as he strode up behind her. She didn't dare turn. Her puffy cheeks, streaked with dried tears, would betray her.
"Where are you going?" The Colonel asked.
"Out," she replied her back to him. She placed a hand on the doorknob. "I'm going to buy some raw meat from the supermarket. She'll need it."
The Colonel took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him, taking note of her streaked cheeks. She stared back unwaveringly at his blunt nose and his grim mouth set in a white line. From the moment she looked him in the eyes, she knew there was no lying to him. He knew what was going through her head. He could sniff uncertainty a mile away.
The Colonel lifted his cell for her to see. "I'll call Doug and he'll bring some."
She nodded, biting her lip. She should have thought of that, but her brain was too frazzled to work properly.
"Now I want you," the Colonel instructed, "to go outside and take a long run. It will help you clear your head."
She nodded. She knew she shouldn't abandon Bella but it would be so good to get away. She would be leaving Bella alone with her father. Alone with his unquenchable hate. But he wouldn't harm her. He had a plan to carry out and hostages must not be harmed. She took a deep shuddering breath.
"And when you get back," the Colonel continued, staring her right in the eye. "I want your eye to be single to the cause. Let the rain wash away your doubts. I don't want to see one single doubt, you understand? Don't lose sight of your goal for one child's pleading face. Think of what she'll become."
Jamie bolted. She took off out the door at a speedy pace. She didn't take the chance to work her way up to speed. She pumped her feet as fast as they could move, the balls of her feet pistoning against the glistening asphalt. She could almost feel the blood pumping through her veins. Her throat was becoming raw from her thundering breath.
She just gave her mind over to the run, living on sensation alone. The rain drenched her t-shirt and plastered her hair to her scalp like glue. She'd nearly reached town by the time she allowed herself to slow.
She knew it was time to go back. Her mind was single, just as the Colonel had asked. It just wasn't single the way he expected her to be. She had one goal in her mind: she had to protect Bella from harm.
Her ear caught the purr of a motor. An old gray car was driving out from town. It's ancient breaks squealed to a halt. A boy stuck his head out the window, sniffing the rain-scented air. Jamie caught sight of the sandy head, darkened by oncoming drops. He frowned, opening the car door. He got out and sniffed the air.
"What do you smell?" A girl called from the car. Amber's voice.
Jamie wished she had a place to hide. She felt exposed, shivering in the rain. She was surprised that they had been able to follow Bella's scent this far. That's what they were doing. She was sure of it.
The rain should have washed away almost every single trace. Porter clearly had a better nose than she had bargained for.
The boy regarded Jamie carefully as he spoke into the car. "I can't catch her trace anymore. It's too faint."
Amber swore and jumped out from the vehicle, followed by Alec and Leigh. They all tried to sniff the air, but apparently, their senses of smell weren't acute enough. Porter strode toward Jamie slowly.
Jamie stood firmly planted. She moved her feet apart slightly, ready to spring in any direction if the situation warranted. She did so casually, with a hesitant smile.
Porter nodded to her, stalling only a few feet from her. "Hey," he greeted her. "You're from our school, aren't you? What are you doing out here?"
"Just taking a run," she managed with a nod. She was glad her voice didn't betray her as it threatened to wobble in her throat.
"We were just looking for someone," Porter explained to her, his eyes glinting with speckles of silver. "Amber's little sister. You haven't seen her have—"
His voice broke with an intake of breath. His eyes flared up as her scent filled his nostrils. Quick as lightening, an exchange passed through the group. It was as if they could smell Porter getting ready for attack. Doug had spoken of things like this, but it was Jamie's first time experiencing it for herself.
She clenched her fists at her side and waited for the onrush. She knew instinctively that she couldn't win. It was four against one. And if she was going to die, she was going to bring about as much havoc as possible during the process.
The 'wolves had surrounded her within moments. They circled with animal grace, feral expressions glinting across their faces. Jamie immediately pegged Amber as the weakest link.
Jamie caught the signal between them as they planned to pounce. With a twist she turned and lunged at Amber as the group turned on her. Amber fell backward; Jamie's knees digging into her stomach. She jumped to her feet and took off at a run. Her only hope was to make it to town and find a group of people. They wouldn't dare attack in front of a large group.
She didn't make it. They were just too fast.
Something hard and heavy slammed into her back, pushing her off balance. She fell, her cheek scraping asphalt. She could taste blood in her mouth.
"Would somebody grab me some rope?" Alec called from his seat atop her struggling form. His knee dug into her spine painfully.
"What, like I keep rope in my car?" Amber complained, swearing. "The little tramp hurt me! I've got cuts all over my arms!"
Leigh snorted and imitated Amber's valley voice. "Like they won't be gone in two seconds, anyway."
There was the sound of a scuffle as the to girls pushed each other about playfully. Then there was a swish right near Jamie's ear, like a belt being unthreaded. The belt buckle jingled softly. Then her wrists were being trussed up tightly.
The weight was removed from her back and Alec pulled her roughly to her feet, turning her to face the other three. Their eyes glinted in a feral manner, their faces glistening with the joy of a hunt. It sickened her. She wanted to close her eyes, to remove their evil gazes from her mind. She was surprised that she was still alive.
"Now, do you want to tell me why we attacked her?" Alec asked Porter, who was leaning against the car door, a troubled expression crossing his face.
"I could smell Bella on her. Bella's tears on her hands."
Amber's face turned livid. She stepped up to Jamie and slapped her across the face. Jamie's cheek stung and she could imagine a handprint was etched into her face.
"If you've harmed her," she hissed, "If you've touched one hair on her head, you'll wish you were dead."
Porter and Leigh moved closer and Alec's grip tightened on her arms.
"Tell us where she is," Porter said softly, the most self-controlled of the group. "Take us to her and we'll let you go. No one will hurt you."
A fine promise, coming from one of his kind, Jamie thought sarcastically. If she brought them to her father, they'd kill him. And her brother, Doug, as well. No, she couldn't do that.
"Let me go," she offered, "And I'll bring her to you."
Amber lifted her hand for another slap, but Porter caught her wrist. "Liar!" she nearly screamed. "Take us to her! Take us to her right now!"
"Hush, baby," Alec comforted from behind Jamie. "We'll get her back."
Amber didn't look like she was ready to hush, and Jamie couldn't blame her. If someone had taken her brother under these circumstances, she would have been absolutely furious. And Doug wasn't even a child.
"I'm not taking you there," Jamie responded stoutly. "No matter what you do to me, so you might as well give up. I can get her for you, but only if you let me go alone."
Alec snorted in her ear. "We're not that clueless, princess."
A pair of headlights appeared in the distance. Alec dragged her quickly into the car, dumping her into the backseat. He shoved her into the leg space. Leigh jumped into the backseat, placing her feet firmly on the small of Jamie's back. She tried to rear up and attract attention, but the feet held her firmly in place.
She wanted to yell. Or scream. Or cry. Anything to get the passing car to take notice, but none of it would make a difference. The car passed without incident. The hum of its engine disappeared into the distance.
"We need to find a safe place to interrogate her," Porter said.
"What about my father's shop?" Amber suggested.