Chapter 6: We See Ourselves
Sam POV
I wanted nothing more than to collapse in the snow and close my eyes. Fatigue and fear clouded my mind and I stopped for a moment to breathe. The odds of finding Braelyn were slim to none. Why was I even doing this? I closed my eyes, forcing the thought away with such violence that I gasped. Braelyn needed me, I couldn't let her down. I pushed on, gritting my teeth against the discomfort. I didn't know how far I had come, or how late it was, but I knew it had been a long time. It was late, because when I passed a house it had its lights off. I kept going, my body almost numb from exertion, following those wretched tracks. That's when I noticed the lights. Down, far down the road was a garage, light pouring from the doorway. A burst of energy ran through me and I sprinted for it. When I burst into the garage, a boy was working at a table, making something.
"Please, I need your help, please." I panted. The boy turned to see her, full of snow and with blood on her face, hazel eyes wide. "I need your bike please. It's life or death." I wasn't afraid. The boy thought in that moment if I wanted to rob him. She wouldn't be pleading. He dug in his pocket and handed me the keys. "You may have saved a life tonight. Mind if I borrow that?" I said motioning to a rusty machete on the wall. He handed it to me and slipped it into my boot.
"What's your name?" The boy asked.
"Sam West." I said and hopped on the motor bike, kicking it to life and peeling out. The boy felt in his heart that I was doomed, and wished me luck. He does not understand his charity, but feels it to be just.
Jared POV
Brown eyes burn with anger. Jared Rinaldi is angry at himself. He sits and watches his goddess sleep, and he feels anger. He is used to anger.
Anger is all he's ever had.
Brandon POV
"God dammit, just listen to me. We need to go after them!" The policeman took me by the elbow, and dragged me away. It had been three hours since Sam left.
"Now son, we're doing our best. We have a BOLO on the van. We have officers tracking Sam. Your job is to stay here and comfort Miss James. Now can you-" The officer was cut off by the squawk of his radio. "We've got a hit on the van."
"I'm coming." The policeman started to argue and I wrenched myself away. "No! I'm going. If Jared sees you he'll run, you know he'll run. If he sees me he will try to explain. I'm coming." The policeman scowled and nodded, leading me away. I knew I had to save Braelyn. For all of them, I had to save her.
Braelyn POV
I must have screamed myself to sleep, because I woke up in a bedroom. The first thing I noticed was my hands and feet were bound this time, I had a gag in my mouth and my arms were tied to a bedpost above my head. It was still dark, so either an entire day had passed, which was likely, or it had to be early morning. It was nearly dark in the little room, an unknown light source glowed softly somewhere behind my head. Jared sat in a far corner by the door, staring at me. I saw that I was still wearing the hospital gown. I twisted on the bed, testing my bindings. Tight and firm, no loose ends. Jared sighed and sat up, shifting slightly.
"I never wanted it to be this way Braelyn. I just want you safe. With me you're safe from people who want to hurt you." He stood. "You don't know the full story, I'm just trying to protect you. When you kissed me, it really pissed him off." He had his hand behind his back. Oh god help me please. "It'll be okay once you're safe." He took his hand from behind his back, a needle in his grasp. When I saw that needle coming I thrashed, twisting and turning, forcing the gag out with my tongue, screaming, this whole scenario screaming date rape. Fighting against his strong grasp as the needle slid home, ice in my veins. "Hush now my sweet heart, you're safe, you're safe…"
Kathy POV
All this panic over that thieving bitch. Even Brandon was gone, trying to play the hero. Braelyn never did learn to fight her own battles, always had her entourage to protect her. Sam, Jared, now Brandon. I didn't have a soul in the world fighting for me! I had to save myself. I walked away from Braelyn's mother, leaving her alone. Giving condolences was never my thing. Weeping for what is lost never helps, it just makes your makeup run. I knew in this world I had to fight to survive. No one was going to weep for me anymore.
Sam POV
The machete in my boot wasn't sharp enough to her me, but it looked deadly. I knew fighting Jared physically wasn't going to work, but I knew I had hit a nerve with him. The tracks still headed south, and the snow wasn't as thick here. I sped forward, praying I wasn't wrong.
"Hold on Braelyn just hold on!" I whispered. When I passed a homeless man on the road I stopped. "Did a van go by here? The driver would have been huge." The man looked cold.
"Yeah, he stopped too. Had some girl in the back." I grinned and pulled the man into a hug, gave him a ten and got back on the bike.
"Which way did he go?"
"South. This girl in some sort of trouble?"
"Big. You may have saved her life. Thank you so much." I sped off, with a look of vengeance only seen on the faces of the damned.
Jared POV
I felt fear. My father would find me I knew, but by then Braelyn would be safe. Her safety was what mattered, and I knew her friends would take care of her should I die. But I wasn't going to give her up easily. She was mine, and anyone who got in my way would regret it.
Brandon POV
I felt cheap, and the damn cop wasn't helping.
"So you cheated on her because she wasn't attractive enough?" I crossed my arms across my chest and glanced out the window. Kathy had slithered on me, I could have stopped her yes, but she's so toxic. Especially at the dance when we were both in the closet. Before the natural beauty named Braelyn came in and stopped me from making the biggest mistake at the age of as the years progressed Kathy became even more toxic and she was the only one I wanted to be with. But when I see Braelyn, Kathy could never compare to her beauty. I shook my head and got back on topic.
"I'm not good at making choices." I muttered.
The cop glanced at me, "You made a good choice tonight."