Chapter Nineteen

Nancy didn't waste a single second as soon as Randy threw her to the ground. Ignoring the fact that Randy and Krieger were watching her intently, she quickly brought her bound arms around the back of her legs until they were in front of her. As soon as that was done, she picked herself up off the ground and ran over to where Randy had thrown the knife.

Precious seconds were wasted as she dug through the cluster of bushes, but there was no way she was going to leave the knife behind. It may possibly be her only form of defense against those two. Besides, there was no telling what else awaited her in the vast forest. Finally, a glint of silver caught her eye and she plucked it off the ground before taking off into the forest at a dead run.

She hated that she had no idea where she was. It may have helped her case if she was familiar with these woods, but she had no clue if she was even still in River Heights. She was sure that she hadn't been unconscious for too long, so she had to figure she was in one of the surrounding towns. And even though she'd lived in the area her entire life, it still didn't help her.

Nancy had to come up with a plan of action—it was the only way she was going to have any chance against Randy and Krieger. She wasn't sure if she believed them about the traps they had placed out here, but she had to assume they were telling the truth.

Either way, she knew the first thing she had to do was to get her hands free.

Glancing quickly at her watch, she saw that it was around four o'clock in the afternoon. All she had to do was stay alive until this time tomorrow and she would be okay. You can do this. You've been through so much before this, Nancy. There is no reason why you can't walk away from this.

Seeing a fallen log up ahead, Nancy leaped across it, keeping her grip tight on the knife. Glancing back at it, she saw that there was a small alcove underneath it that would provide the perfect cover. All she needed was enough time to catch her breath, free her hands, and hide long enough to Randy and Krieger to bypass her.

Nestling in as deep as she could, while still being able to use the sunlight to see by, Nancy turned the blade towards her and maneuvered it between her wrists. Working slowly, she moved it back and forth, taking extra care so as not to cut herself. The last thing she needed was to bleed out here—not only could a blood trail lead them right to her, it would also attract animals to a possible food source.

Finally, after a few minutes, the ropes fell away from her wrists. Putting the hilt of the blade in her mouth, Nancy moved her hands back and forth in order to get the circulation going again. Tiny pinpricks of pain radiated up her arms, but she ignored it. That pain would be nothing compared to what Randy and Krieger would do to her if and when they caught her.

Allowing herself to take a deep breath, Nancy leaned back against the cool earth, trying to get her breathing under control. Everything finally seemed to be catching up to her and she was afraid of what would happen if she actually allowed herself to dwell on how dire her situation really was.

She was angry at herself for not listening to Max. He'd been adamant about her not going into the warehouse and she had been stubborn—as usual. Why couldn't she just let someone help her, instead of thinking it was her job—and her job alone—to save the world? Why did she insist on being so damn stubborn?

Nancy would have given anything to see Max right then and there. It amazed her how being away from him was screwing with her emotions. She knew she shouldn't care for him as deeply as she did, but he was the best thing that had happened to her since her break-up with Ned Nickerson. He had managed to do what no other man could do in the last year—he made her feel again.

And now it was very possible she may never see him again.

Stop it, Drew. Stop thinking like that or you never will make it out of here alive.

Even though it went against everything in her, she had to hope that Max and Daniel would find her. She couldn't feel hopeless now, especially when she had such a long road ahead of her. As long as there was hope, she had a shot.

The snapping of a twig broke Nancy from her thoughts. Remaining deathly still, she strained her ears to listen for the sound of approaching footsteps.

"She couldn't have gotten too far," Krieger's voice reverberated through the silent forest. "I think she'll be lucky if she manages to evade us for an hour."

"You, of all people, should know better than to underestimate Nancy," Randy said. "After all, she managed to put the two of us and countless others behind bars. And all at the tender age of eighteen."

"It was nothing more than luck," Krieger argued bitterly.

"Call it what you want. The fact is, she was able to do it."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you sounded worried, Wolfe."

Randy was silent for a few beats. "I'm not worried. I'm being realistic. Let's say you manage to capture her within an hour as you're predicting. Do you just kill her outright, and disappoint all of the people who paid to watch?"

"No. I keep her around for the next twenty-three hours and torture her." Nancy could almost hear the smile in his voice. "And then I kill her. I plan on giving everyone exactly what they paid for and have fun while I'm doing it."

Nancy remained silent as the footsteps passed directly over her, barely daring to breathe. There was no way in hell she could let them find her now, especially after Krieger just revealed what he planned for her. Death would be a welcomed gift compared to what he really wanted to do to her.

"How long do you think it will take for her to realize we don't have the forest rigged with traps?" Randy asked as the footsteps slowly retreated.

"Hopefully she doesn't," Krieger admitted. "I can only imagine the torment her mind will put her through, wondering when she'll hit the first one. In fact, it makes me ecstatic thinking about it."

Nancy couldn't stop the chill from running down her spine. While Randy was horrible and dangerous in his own right, Krieger scared her in a way that terrified her. Out of the two, she liked her odds with Randy better than she did with John Krieger.

She stayed in her position for at least a good ten minutes, wanting to make sure they were far enough way so she could make her escape. Now that she knew the forest wasn't rigged with potential traps, she felt more confident in her ability to survive. She didn't have to worry about whether her next step was going to be her last. Sure, she still had to contend with two psychotic men who wanted her blood, but that was now only a small concern.

Gingerly making her way out from beneath the log, she cast a cautious look around, making sure that Randy and Krieger were truly gone. It occurred to her that they expected her to delve deeper into the dense woods, not turn back around and go back the way she came. If she could just get back to the van, she'd be able to get out of here before they could find her. Even if they took the keys with him, she knew enough about cars to hotwire them.

With this new plan in action, Nancy kept her grip tight on the knife and quietly made her way back to the van. She didn't feel the need to run. Instead, she took her time and remained as quiet as she could, stepping around twigs and other debris that would give her away.

After about fifteen minutes, she finally saw the van glinting in the late afternoon sunlight. For the first time in a while, she felt relieved and confident that she was going to make it out of there alive.

Jogging the last few feet to the vehicle, Nancy tried the driver's side door, only to find it locked. Frustrated, she moved around the passenger side and was pleasantly surprised to see it was unlocked. It occurred to her that it shouldn't be this easy, but she also wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Jerking up the handle, she pulled the door open.

"You didn't really think it was going to be that easy, did you, blue eyes?" Randy's amused voice said right behind her.

Nancy jerked around, instantly taking a defensive posture. The knife was gripped tightly in her hand. She had been so relieved to find the van unlocked, she'd completely let her guard down. Her heart was practically thudding out of her chest as she locked eyes with Randy's green ones.

"Where's your friend?" she asked, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. She was unsure if she succeeded though.

"He's looking for you," Randy said, taking a step closer to her. "You see, he doesn't give you a whole lot of credit. He underestimates you."

"And you don't?"

"No. That would be stupid of me if I did."

Nancy started edging to the right, bracing herself to make a run for it as soon as she had an opening. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Absolutely."

"I heard the two of you talking earlier."

Randy smiled. "I figured you did. Let me guess…you were hiding underneath the fallen log?"

Nancy nodded.

"So, you know what Krieger has planned for you?"

"Aren't you in on that plan?"

"Actually, no." Randy's features darkened slightly before the grin appeared on his face again. "Krieger would love nothing more than to torture you slowly until you beg for death. I may be a criminal, blue eyes, but I'm not inhumane. I'd rather stick to our original plan—give you a fighting chance before I kill you."

"Thanks," Nancy muttered as she continued to move away from him. Randy was matching her step for step.

Suddenly he lunged for her, deftly knocking the knife out of her hand as he shoved her against the side of the van. Nancy let out a pain filled gasp, momentarily stunned. Then, her brain finally caught up with her and she began to struggle.

"Let me go!"

Randy jerked her forward before slamming her against the van again. "Calm down, Nancy. If you're too loud, Krieger will hear you."

"Aren't you just going to bring me to him anyway?" Nancy asked as she continued to struggle against his grip, even though her head was pounding. All she knew was that she had to get away from him. No way in hell could she let Krieger get a hold of her.

"No."

Nancy stopped her struggles, giving Randy a confused look. "Why not?"

"I already told you. I want you to have a chance, Nancy."

"Then why the hell didn't you let me just get in the van and get out of here?"

Randy frowned as he tilted his head to stare at her. "I told you I wanted to give you a chance, not make a great escape. Don't mistake my generosity for weakness, blue eyes. I still want you dead—don't forget that."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Nancy tried to push against him, but his grip remained strong and unrelenting. "Then what's the point of this, Randy?"

"I needed to distract Krieger, keep him away from you a bit longer."

Nancy let out a sigh. "None of this makes any sense, Randy."

Randy shrugged. "If you insist on questioning my intentions, I can always call Krieger over here."

"No!"

"This is the only time I will help you, Nancy. The next time I find you, I will offer you up to him." Randy leaned in closer to her. "With no hesitation, whatsoever. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

"Good." Randy grinned as he reached behind his back and pulled out a knife. "Now, to show you that I haven't suddenly developed a conscience, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you with a little parting gift."

"What are you—"

Nancy never got the chance to finish her question as she felt the knife plunge into her thigh before it was ripped out. Letting out a startled cry, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Blood began seeping through the dark denim of her jeans and she held her hand over the wound to stem the flow of blood.

"You son of a bitch!" Nancy said through gritted teeth, blinking back tears.

"Relax," Randy said with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't hit anything vital. You'll still be able to walk, though you might want to find something to stop the blood."

"Go to hell!"

"Eventually, yes." Randy knelt down beside her, brushing her hair back from her face. "And you'll be joining me, blue eyes." Standing back up, he looked down at her. "Remember what I said, Nancy. Don't let me find you again."

And with that, he turned around and ran back into the forest.

"And you're sure that's what they said?" Max asked, looking at Daniel in disbelief. "They're throwing her into the woods and basically hunting her down."

"Precisely," Daniel said with a nod of his head.

"Why the hell is this sounding like a rip-off of The Hunger Games?"

"You know what The Hunger Games are?" Daniel asked, surprised.

Max let out a frustrated grunt. "Why the hell is that such a surprise to you?"

"Well, because you don't have anything close to resembling a social life."

"Thanks."

"It's true," Daniel said with a shrug. "But to get back on point, yes—they are basically taking some liberties with The Hunger Games and making it their own. The main difference being, of course, that even if Nancy manages to stay alive for the twenty-four hours they're giving her, she still won't survive."

Max nodded. "They'll kill her regardless."

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea of where they may have taken her?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. But if I have a computer, I'm sure I can manage to get a hit on their camera feed and trace it."

Max reached into the backseat of the car and retrieved his laptop, handing it to Daniel. "Do it."

"It's not going to be that simple. I'm afraid there's a downside."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, we have to have a buy-in. And it isn't cheap."

Max didn't care how much it was; he would pay anything to get Nancy back. But he had to ask anyway. "How much?"

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Do it," Max said without hesitation.

Daniel nodded as he opened the laptop and logged on. His hands began flying over the keyboard as soon as he was signed on. "I'm not exactly sure where to find the webcam, but I'm sure if I can hack into Wolfe's email, it will lead me there."

"Do whatever it takes, Daniel." Max swallowed hard as he looked out the windshield, watching as joggers and families moved around in the park they were parked at. "We have to get her back."

"And we will." Daniel glanced up from the computer screen long enough to fix Max with a steady look. "She's been good for you, Max. No way in hell am I about to let her get away from us that easily. She almost makes life with you bearable."

Max had nothing to say in retort. Daniel was right—Nancy had been good for him. For both of them, actually.

Just hang on, Nancy. I'm on my way.

Would you look at that? A quick update!

While most of you were quick to point out The Hunger Games, this is only a slight reference and interpretation of it. No Districts, or Katniss's, or Peeta's around here. Just Nancy and a whole heap of problems.

You know, the usual!

I would love to thank the following for their reviews: Angelvie S, Raven678, Michelle Gallichio, Cupcake, and Randompersonality. You guys rock!

I apologize for any mistakes and would love to know what you think!