Chapter 5

Rescued

Sarah's POV

I jumped up immediately, my vampire instincts kicking in. My feet pounded the grass as I ran towards the dimly lit road. Scanning my surroundings I realised they had headed North; I spun on my heels and stealthily sprinted after them. Once they were in view I slowed down, carefully tracking them through the back alleys before pulling out my phone and texting Ethan.

Help. I'm in the back alleys behind the shops, text Rory, Erica and Benny to meet me here. Hurry, please!

Sarah x

Carefully I set my phone on silent and placed it in my pocket, still keeping an eye on the rogue who was hauling Amanda down the street. We weaved in and around various buildings for what seemed like hours before I heard footsteps behind me as a dark black shadow moved down the alley towards me. Swiftly I turned around to see Erica standing there.

"Erica!" I whispered

"Sarah, thank god I found you, when I got that text from Ethan I just began panicking!" She said.

"Shhh, stay down we need to keep following. Where are the others?" I asked

"They're getting the weapons out of the car." She whispered hurriedly ducking her head as the rogue swung round peering into the alleyway.

Carefully we slid behind one of the back walls and waited until she turned back. I felt a hand resting upon my shoulder, spinning around I saw Ethan standing there, looking at me reassuringly. His hand trailed down from my shoulder across my arm towards my hand which he grasped and squeezed gently for reassurance. In his other hand I could see he was holding a wooden stake. I squeezed his hand back and began to relax a little now that I had some back up. We continued to follow the rogue through the back alleys being careful to hide and duck when necessary until the alley way came to a dead end blocked off by a wire fence. I wondered why the rogue had brought Amanda here until she bent down and started fiddling with the metal grate below her.

"What is that?" Erica whispered.

"It's the grate which opens up to the main underground tunnel system." Ethan said. He really is dorky at times.

"What was it used for?" Benny questioned.

"I'm not sure but I think it was used to transport things a long time ago. No one uses it now and a couple of the tunnels are sealed off." Ethan said.

"Do you think the rogues are using the tunnels as hideouts?" I asked

"It looks like it." Rory said under his breath.

The rogue finally opened up the large tunnel entrance and began to slide the grate across the tarmac road. We needed to step in and do something, it was the right time.

"Now!" I whispered. In an instant we all swarmed out towards the rogue who began snarling menacingly. My gaze shifted towards Amanda, she was still bound by the dirty rags, a gag in her mouth and tears streaming down her face. Rory grabbed her and began undoing her ties as we cornered the female rogue.

"Give it up!" Erica said in disgust.

"You can't out smart all of us." Benny chipped in as he exaggeratedly waved his stake about. Within a heartbeat cold dread filled my body as the heavy arm came crashing around my neck, I looked up to see a disgusting male rogue gazing down at me and licking his lips. I shuddered trying to claw and push him away but he was much stronger than me. I started yelling in protest as Ethan whipped round, I could see him scanning the situation as his mouth set in a grim line. I pushed and pushed but it was no use, all my efforts were draining and slowly I could feel the breath releasing itself from my body as his arm tightened, I could barely breathe. Benny lunged forward and stabbed the female rogue who had become distracted by the situation, turning her into nothing but dust as Ethan tried to edge closer towards me. I heard another shrill scream from Erica as yet another rogue appeared from the tunnel and at lightning speed had captured Erica in his grasp. I began to feel extremely sick and dizzy as the rogue holding me began laughing, I could smell his stale breath as it came tumbling toward me. Slowly the rogues which held us edged towards the tunnel entrance, this was it, they were going to take us down into the tunnels. I began screaming and writhing in protest.

"Sh,sh,sh. Master will be pleased to see you." The rogue holding me whispered.

"Let them go!" Ethan shouted angrily.

"I wouldn't count on it." The other rogue remarked as both rogues pulled us towards the very brink of the hole.

"HE SAID LET THEM GO!" Amanda shouted. I glanced towards her, she was in a state her face was covered in sweat and her eyes had rolled back in her head; I could only see the whites. I began panicking, Amanda was in trouble, and she needed our help. I could barely think but began writhing again in protest to the rogues grasp on me. Suddenly a deep growl emanated from Amanda and pure white light seared out from her fingertips, stretching across the expanse between us and penetrating through both rogues. Instantly me and Erica tumbled backwards into the tunnel entrance, grabbing at the edges in an attempt to save ourselves.

"That was awesome." Rory yelled over the din of panicked shouts coming from Ethan and Benny. I wanted to reach right out of the hole and punch him for being so stupid. I looked below into the darkness of the tunnels to see several rogues clawing their way up the sides of the tunnel entrance by using the small metal footholds buried in the sides of the tunnel. I groped around in the darkness trying to find one with my other hand to grab onto but I couldn't find a thing. Ethan's face loomed above me as he shouted down into the tunnel. There was nothing he could do, the rogues would reach us in a matter of minutes and we just weren't strong enough to fight them.

"Go Ethan, just take the others and leave!" I shouted up to him, I could see the pain from my words flash across his face as he fell to his knees.

"No Sarah I am not losing you!" He screamed into the tunnel, the determination on his face was heart-warming but I knew there wasn't much he could do. I looked over to Erica who was hanging on the other side of the tunnel with Benny trying to grab her hand.

"Ethan please!" I yelled.

"No! If you could just bring yourself up a little further I might be able to reach you." He pleaded.

I scrambled about trying to find another foothold which might save me, my hands were getting sweaty and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold onto the one I had for much longer. I wasn't going to make it whether it was because I dropped into the deep dark tunnel or got kidnapped by a rogue as I still couldn't find anything to help me reach further up.

"I can't bring myself up, I have nothing left to grab onto!" I shouted up at Ethan who was despairing above me.

"Try and reach up." Ethan yelled again. I reached up, my hand only a couple of centimetres away from Ethan's. It was no use.

"Ethan! This isn't going to work!" I cried, hyperventilating.

"Calm down!" He said, his steady gaze reaching me as our eyes locked. His deep brown eyes immediately calmed me, sending a strange wave of coolness across my body which I hadn't felt with Ethan before.

"Do you trust me?" He asked. Of course I trusted him, I have never trusted anyone so much as I have trusted Ethan. This one question suddenly spurred an altogether unexpected response and I began crying. The hot warm tears pooled in my eyes before cascading down my cheeks in gentle flows.

"I trust you with all my heart." I said in a choked voice. He gave me a gentle smile before his face disappeared from view. I glanced towards Erica who was already half way out; she was clinging desperately to Benny as he tried to pull her. Within seconds Ethan's face came back into view, he was carrying his wooden stake in his hand.

"Reach up and grab this." He said leaning into the tunnel with the stake in his grasp. With all the strength I could muster I pushed myself upwards grabbing onto the wooden stake as Ethan pulled me up higher and higher until finally he dragged me out. I slowly picked myself up searching for Ethan before flinging myself at him in the biggest embrace; his sweet scent tickled my nose as I clung close to him, thanking him as much as I could for saving me. The cold night air sent shivers through my spine as I slowly let go and scanned my surroundings. Amanda was in a heap on the floor clutching Rory's hands with Benny and Erica around her.

"Is she okay?" I asked running over.

"Yes, she's fine just exhausted after that whole white beam thing. I guess she really is the chosen one and she can't deny it now." Benny said.

"Yeah, that was….interesting." I said.

"Yeah, but it nearly got us killed!" Erica said. I turned on my heels and headed towards Ethan. He was reaching down to grab the bucket of holy water he had brought.

"How did you know we would need a whole bucket of holy water?" I asked

"I had a vision." He said smiling up at me before picking it up and tipping it into the tunnel to kill off the rogues who were still trying to climb up the sides before shifting the grate back in place.

I smiled back at him, clasping his hand in mine we walked back to the car hand in hand.