Chance

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  Running through the trees and leaving as much of a trail as I could, I led them toward the cliff’s edge. About halfway there, I stopped and slipped stealthily off in another direction, being sure not to leave any trace of my steps behind. I made my way back toward the compound, sure that at any moment, one of the guards would wake up and call in that I had escaped. I climbed a tree, gritting my teeth as the bark scraped against my dick painfully, and waited for the guards to move out.

  It took a few more minutes, but the doors opened to the compound and guards started to line up outside. There was one guard that directed everyone else. They broke off into four groups of five and spread out to search the island. Of the five guards in each group, they stayed together, never moving more than a few feet from each other. As they moved deeper into the trees, I lost sight of them and focused on the group that moved in my direction. The guards were lazy in their search, looking, but not really paying too much attention to details. It was clear that these guards weren’t professionally trained. But whoever ran this place probably assumed that it wasn’t necessary since we were on an island.

  After twenty minutes of watching their movements, I felt I had enough information on how they moved around the island. It was clear that if I could make it as far as the tree line, it would be easy enough for me to evade them. Now I needed to know how they responded up close.

  I climbed down from the tree and slipped back quietly through the trees, making my way past where the guards were and placing myself directly in their path. The idiots walked right up to me, not even aware that I had moved around them without their knowledge. I made a point of looking injured and let them catch me.

  The guard closest to me attacked, slamming his baton first into my face, breaking a tooth and splitting my lip wide. The rest of them joined in, their batons beating my shoulders, back, stomach, and legs. I didn’t fight back, even though everything in me told me to. Each hit forced me to retreat further and further into my mind, going to a dark place where everything was silent and peaceful. One particularly painful blow to the head snapped me out of my haze. Blood dripped down my eye and into my mouth. I tried to close my mouth or move in some way, but as I took stock of my body, I realized that I couldn’t move at all.

  I was yanked up from the forest floor and dragged back to my cell. I slipped in and out of consciousness from the blinding pain that shot through my body with every move. I wasn’t sure how long it took for them to drag me back, but when I was finally flung back inside, relief settled in my chest as I let the blackness take over.

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  I was vaguely aware of someone forcing water down my throat. The image of a man leaning over me floated through my mind, but I wasn’t sure if it was real or a dream. The cuts on my body burned and moving wasn’t an option. Still, every time I woke up, water was being forced down my throat. I couldn’t say who it was, but I was grateful that someone was there to help me. I was too out of it to consider why someone was helping me when I was a prisoner.

  After what I assumed was days of me lying in the mud, body broken and my mind muddled, I finally stayed awake long enough to find out who was there taking care of me. Mark was sitting outside my cell, staring off into the distance. What the hell was he doing? Wasn’t he afraid of getting in trouble? He had never sat outside my cell before. Maybe he had been ordered out here to make sure I didn’t die. I rolled over, groaning as my body protested the movement.

  “It’s about time you woke up,” Mark scoffed.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “A few days,” he shrugged.

  “Have you been sitting out there all this time?”

  He gave me an odd look and shook his head. “Do you really think you’re so special that I’m going to sit outside and watch your ass?”

  “Why are you out there?” I asked, shifting my weight so I could sit upright. My whole body was in pain and I was dizzy the instant I sat up. Now that I was sitting up, I could see more of my body. My left knee was pretty swollen and my stomach looked like someone had painted my body purple. I had a least one broken rib and possibly a few others, but the way I was feeling, I couldn’t be sure.

  “Why the fuck did you try to run?” Mark asked, cutting off my thoughts.

  “Did you really think I would just sit around here rotting?”

  “It’s a fucking island. It’s not like you actually have a chance of getting out of here.”

  “If you were me, would you give up?”

  He turned slightly, looking into my cell at me. He didn’t say anything for a moment and then turned back to face the trees. “They would have taken it easier on you if you hadn’t run.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “That’s just a reminder for the next time they come for you.”

  “You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you sitting out there?”

  “Boss wants you alive. It was my job to babysit you.”

  “Tell me, if the boss wants me alive, why is he having his men beat the shit out of me?”

  He shrugged again. “Who knows. To remind you that you’re a prisoner? To fuck with your head? Doesn’t really matter to me. I just do my job.”

  For some reason, that just didn’t sit right with me. Somehow, I highly doubted that Mark was out here doing his job. What kind of man would have a prisoner tortured and then have someone look after him?

  “You need to eat.” He shoved a dish under my door, but it looked fucking disgusting. I wasn’t sure if I could eat even if I wanted to.

  “I’ll pass.”

  “You haven’t eaten in days. Eat the fucking food.”

  He stood and walked away from me, brushing his pants off as he went. There was something strange about Mark. He didn’t seem to quite fit in here. First off, he was white, where the other guys were clearly from Central America. So, he was either the guy running the place or the grunt that got all the shit jobs. Since he always brought me my food and looked at me with something similar to sympathy, I was assuming he was the low man on the totem pole.

  The other thing that stood out was that the guards were lazy, but loved to beat the shit out of someone. I could see the hunger in their eyes as they walked toward me or when they went on the hunt the other day. These men were in it solely for the thrill of feeling powerful. So, what was Mark doing here? He hadn’t come to get me for any of my beatings. He only showed up afterward. It was like he didn’t take any joy in doing his job. But that was something that I could use against him, and eventually, it would be the ticket to my freedom and to Payton’s.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Morgan

  I had been stuck in this damn house for over three weeks, only being allowed outside when Wes was with me. Since he left right after I was allowed upstairs, I had only gone outside once. I was getting restless and needed to get out and go for a walk or even a run. I needed something to get my blood pumping. I was starting to feel like a slug and I needed to stay fit if I was ever going to escape Wes. I didn’t want my opportunity to run ruined because I collapsed after a quarter mile from exhaustion.

  “Why do you look so sad, Dushenka?”

  Wes slid his hands down my arms as he kissed my neck. I tilted my head to the side to allow him access. I didn’t like his lips on me, didn’t like the way my body reacted to his touch.

  “I’m just getting restless. I’d like to go outside and walk or go for a jog. I’m not used to just lounging around all day.”

  He took a seat next to me at the dining room table and placed his napkin in his lap. After dishing out fruit, eggs, and bacon on a plate for himself, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his lip thoughtfully.

  “I think we can arrange that, but you have to be careful. My men are always on guard and shoot to kill if they think someone is a threat.”

  I raised an eyebrow and laughed at him lightly. “Surely you can convince them that I’m not going to run. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, there’
s no way that I could make it out of here. I just want to get some fresh air and enjoy the scenery. The woods are so beautiful and the rest of the grounds as well.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell them to expect you, but still, be careful. The woods are easy to get lost in if you go off the trail.”

  “Will you be joining me?”

  “Not today. I’ve got some work to finish up before I go out of town.”

  “You’re leaving again?”

  “Yes, I know that you’d like me here more often, but I have to make sure my businesses are being run effectively.”

  “I understand. I’m just excited for the day you’ll take me with you.”

  “Soon. Now, enjoy your run.”

  I smiled at him until he walked away and then threw down my napkin on the table. I quickly changed into some running clothes that I found in one of my drawers and laced up some sneakers that Esmeralda had gotten for me. It was more than a little disturbing that he knew my sizes so well.

  When the sunlight hit my face, I lifted my head toward the sky and relished in the fresh air. It would be nice to be by myself for once. I was alone in the house most days, but I always felt like someone was watching me. I wasn’t naive enough to think that I wasn’t watched out here, but at least I could find some peace in nature.

  After stretching, I took off at a light pace, heading toward the path that Wes told me about when he took me on the tour of the grounds. The path wound through a lightly wooded area and the path was mostly smooth besides the occasional tree root sticking out. I was only a little ways into the wooded area when I heard a shout behind me. I turned, thinking that maybe Wes had joined me, but what I saw made my heart start pounding out of control.

  There was a man running toward me in camouflage with a giant rifle. I held up my hands immediately, showing that I wasn’t trying to run, but he stopped and took aim at me. Still, I held my ground, thinking that this was a test. I took a step toward him from my spot, moving just a little to the left, and screeched when a bullet flew past me and slammed into the bark of the tree I had just moved away from.

  I took off up the path, pushing myself to run faster. This guy was firing at me and I didn’t know why. Wes had told me I could come out here. He had also given the guards orders to shoot to kill if I went near them, but there had been no guards in the area when I came onto the path. I looked over my shoulder and saw the guard was still a good distance from me. He didn’t look like he could run as fast as me, which was my only saving grace.

  I tripped over a tree root because I hadn’t been paying attention, and fell to the ground. My knees and palms burned as the skin was scraped away, but I ignored it and pushed myself up and kept running. There appeared to be a slope up ahead before the path curved off to the right. I might be able to lose him there.

  I skidded to a stop at the edge of the steep slope and looked for a place to step down. Before I could move something pierced my left side, pushing me forward. I stumbled into a tree, but couldn’t catch myself and tumbled down the slope, hitting small trees, branches, and rocks on the way. My head slammed against something as I reached the bottom and blood trickled down my face in a steady stream. I rolled to my side and pushed up to my knees. I had to get out of there before that guy decided to follow me.

  Another shot landed too close to me and I took off, barely able to keep going. My head swam and my side ached terribly. I felt like I would collapse at any moment, but I couldn’t give up. The guard would most definitely kill me. I pushed on until I came to a thick patch of pine trees. I pressed my hand to my side and winced at the pain. Looking down, my side was covered in blood and still bleeding steadily. I was most likely pumping more blood out of my body from exerting so much energy.

  I searched the woods for the man, but I couldn’t see him. I knew he couldn’t be far behind me, though. I moved further into the pine trees and climbed one that was particularly dense.It was a pain in the ass to climb and all the branches and needles were poking painfully at me. When I got toward the top of the tree, I found a branch that was sturdy enough to hold me and straddled it, resting my forehead against the stem of the tree.

  My heart was beating out of control and the dizziness I was feeling just kept getting worse. I held my breath when the sound of footsteps neared. The squawk of a radio snapped me to attention.

  “Did you find the girl?”

  “Not yet. I think I lost her.”

  “The boss is pissed. He’s following with a few more guards.”

  “Fuck, when I find that bitch, I’m gonna put a bullet in her head.”

  “Better do it fast before the boss catches up.”

  The radio went silent, but I could still hear the footsteps weaving through the trees. Slowly, they moved on and I released the breath I had been holding. I pulled my shirt up to look at the damage to my side and almost threw up from the amount of blood. I couldn’t see where I was shot, but I knew I had to stop the blood flow somehow. I pulled my shirt off the rest of the way and pressed it to my wound. I bit my lip as the pain intensified, but I didn’t make a sound.

  It seemed like hours passed before I heard voices. My whole body was sluggish and my eyes barely stayed open anymore. I slumped back against the tree stem, but when I heard several voices again, I pushed back slightly to try and wake myself up.

  “Where the fuck is she?”

  For once, my heart leapt with joy at hearing Wes’s voice. I never thought the day would come when I needed Wes like I needed him now.

  “Sir, we’re trying to find-”

  “I don’t want to hear that you’re trying! Find her now!”

  “Wes,” I tried to shout, but it came out so low that it was barely a croak. I cleared my throat, but it wasn’t any louder the second time. I had to get down or they would move on and I would die in these trees. The only thing I was worried about was that Wes would think that I had been trying to run away. What if he didn’t believe me and everything I had done so far was for nothing?

  I moved as fast as I could down the branches. I knew I was making a lot of noise, but I didn’t hear the voices any more. My whole body was shaking and I missed the next branch. I fell hard, hitting other branches all the way down. I landed with a thud and everything went dark. The pain was too intense, causing me to black out.

  Jostling woke me, but I couldn’t open my eyes. I was just so tired and I wanted to sleep.

  “Dushenka!”

  “Wes,” I mumbled.

  Someone started slapping my face, making it sting. I turned my head and cringed when the hand followed, pulling my chin back. “Morgan, wake up…”

  I sighed in relief. Chance was here. He had found me and was taking me home. I opened my eyes and stared up at his beautiful face. He was my protector, my savior, and he had come for me. I blinked, but when I looked up at him again, it was Wes that I saw. The disappointment was sharp and stinging, but at this point, I knew that I needed help and Wes was my only option.

  “You fucking shot her!”

  I couldn’t see who Wes was yelling at, but then he stood and walked away and I saw the man that had chased me through the woods.

  “Sir, she ran from me. She was-”

  He didn’t say anything else because Wes fired his gun, shooting him right between the eyes. The man fell to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring at me. Wes picked me up, cradling me in his arms as he walked back toward the compound. I faded in and out, but every time I opened my eyes, Wes was looking at me with concern. I couldn’t figure out this man. Most of the time, the way he treated me was like I was his plaything, like I was his possession, but the look on his face right now was more of a look a lover would give. Was it possible that Wes actually had feelings for me and this wasn’t just some sick obsession?

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  I winced when I tried to sit up in bed. Pain bit at my side and now that I was fully awake, my run through the woods was playing through my mind. I remembered each terrifying minute, right down to the moment W
es shot the man that had been after me. I jerked in bed when the door opened suddenly and I stared hesitantly at Wes. I had no idea what was going through his mind right now and it made me scared that he would send me back down to the cellar.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said quietly. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up for a day now. I was about to take you to the hospital.”

  I stayed silent, wondering if he was going to snap at me for getting shot or running on the path. Even though he told me I could, I was dealing with a psychopath, so nothing was out of the question. He moved toward me and it took all of my willpower not to shrink back into the bed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Um…okay, I guess.”

  “Are you in pain?”

  “Well, I was shot, so yeah.” Wes smiled at me as he took my hand. He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand affectionately. “When the guard said that you ran, I knew it had to be a mistake. You would never run away from me.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.”

  His shoulders seemed to ease when I confirmed his thoughts. “Nobody will ever treat you with anything but respect from now on. When I saw you lying on the ground, I thought I was going to lose you.”

  Time to play it up. This was the perfect opportunity to drape myself over him and tell him how much I need him. “Wes, he would have killed me. If you hadn’t been there, I think I would have died out there. You saved my life.”

  “And I always will, Dushenka. You are mine to protect and nobody will lay a hand on you ever again.”

  I rested back into the pillows smiling tiredly at him. I had only been awake for about five minutes, but I already felt drained. “How bad is it?”

  “Not too bad. You lost a lot of blood, but the bullet didn’t hit anything major. You’ll just have to take it easy and rest for a few days.”