02 Hunted - The Chosen

by Denise Grover Swank

  The doors slammed shut and she cracked her eyes, taking a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. She was in an empty cargo van, alone. She needed a plan. What the hell was she going to do? She needed to get away now rather than later, if for no other reason than the van wasn’t moving. She really didn’t have any desire to jump out of a moving vehicle.

  Her arms and legs now responded to her simple commands of movement, but were still sluggish. There was no way she could outrun men in her condition.

  Unless she hid in the woods.

  She crept to the front seat and peered out the windows. Two men stood next to the van, watching the cabin, Kramer nowhere in sight. If she was going to do this, it had to happen now.

  Searching the dashboard, she found the switch to kill the interior lights. With her head bent low and eyes on the men, she found the door handle on the passenger side and eased it open, listening for creaks. The door was halfway open before she heard the soft whine of the hinge. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at the men. Deep in conversation, they hadn’t noticed.

  She pushed again, opening the door enough to squeeze through. Turning sideways, she slid out the door, slowly closing the door with a soft click.

  Emma crouched down, her blood rushing in her ears. The woods were behind the cabin, but it meant going past the men to reach them. She considered walking up to a tent or camper and begging the owners to hide her. She could tell them her boyfriend was angry or drunk, but she dismissed the idea. For one thing, they would probably insist she call the police, something she was unwilling to do. And for another thing, she could put them in danger if Kramer found her.

  The woods it was. First she had to get there.

  Their cabin perched atop an incline. She waited for a strong gust of wind to hide any sounds she made and walked over to the edge of the hill, thankful for the darkness. Sliding down the embankment, she steered with her hands, ignoring the stings of cuts and scrapes. She could deal with those later.

  When she made it to the bottom, she stayed along the edge, blending in with the shadows. She ran toward the tents, separated from the cabins. It was late enough that most families were zipped inside, but a few stragglers sat by campfires, casting perplexed looks in her direction. She ignored them. Glad that the drugs James had given her were wearing off, she gained strength with each passing moment.

  The edge of the campground came into view and she allowed herself a moment of victory until she heard crashing behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see the two men running after her, throwing things out of their way.

  Emma’s heart leapt in her chest. They were gaining on her quickly. The trees were just ahead, taunting her with their nearness. She wasn’t sure she would make it and even when she did, they could still catch her. But it still seemed her best option, offering more places to hide. She reached for her pendant, terrified that it was gone. The stone was her only weapon and now she was defenseless.

  Her feet pounded the rough earth, sending shock waves into her already throbbing head. She reached the edge of the forest and pushed through the dense undergrowth. The wind howled, masking the crunch and crackles made by her feet as she plunged deeper into the trees. Rain began to fall, dripping through the canopy and down to the forest floor, making the leaf-covered ground slick as she ran. She slipped and fell to her knees, bracing herself with her outstretched arms. Swiping the mud off her hands onto her jeans, she pushed on until she found a rocky outcropping. She found a crevice to duck behind while she caught her breath and watched for her pursuers.

  ***

  Even before Will felt the tingle in his arm, before it began as a twitch and worked its way up to the full blown pins-and-needles sensation, he knew something was wrong. He drove back to the cabin, keeping to the speed limit after his run in with the police and assuring himself everything was okay. Emma was all right. Yet, he knew.

  She wasn’t.

  His panic spread, but he had to wait until the sensation in his arm reached its peak before he could reach out to her, to find out what terror she faced now, without him. Again.

  And when he knew she could hear him he called out, his words laced with his own agony. Emma.

  Will!

  Where are you? What’s happened?

  James… There’s two men following me with guns. Kramer. Kramer’s here.

  Kramer? How?

  James. He drugged me and Kramer showed up. But I got away and I’m running in the woods.

  Will’s chest squeezed, threatening to crush his heart. James had betrayed him. Use your stone, Emma. I know you’re worried about starting a fire, but you have better control now.

  I can’t. James took it.

  Will’s pain turned to murderous rage. She was completely defenseless. Do they know where you are?

  No, there’s a storm. I think I lost them.

  I don’t need the stone to find you. I’m already halfway there. I will find you.

  ***

  Jake lay on his bed and held Rusty close. Outside, the wind whistled and rain slapped the windows. On nights like tonight, he used to curl up in bed with Mommy. He fit in the curve of her tummy, cocooned by her body, her arm wrapped around him holding him close.

  But tonight he was alone.

  He couldn’t sleep, thinking of her. Thinking about Alex and how he could hurt her. Thinking about him. Jake hadn’t heard from him for days. Maybe he wasn’t coming back.

  Maybe Jake didn’t want him to come back.

  Jake could sense Mommy was close. She had reached out to him earlier, so close it was if he could reach out and touch her. But he ignored her calls, shutting her out. He couldn’t risk Alex knowing anything about her, no matter how much Jake needed her.

  He began to consider escaping. It wouldn’t be hard. The guards were only for show. He’d played with their fears enough to know they were scared. He might not even have to hurt any of them. But he would if they tried to keep him from his mommy.

  He could walk out of the house, but then what? He could call out to her and she would come and get him. If one of the men tried to hurt her, Jake would hurt them first. Knowing what they planned to do before they did it was useful.

  Alex was the one to worry about, but he didn’t stay here and only dropped in every couple of days. And he had been there in the morning.

  He began to work out a plan so simple he didn’t know why he hadn’t considered it before. He’d walk out the bedroom door, through the front door, and start walking down the street.

  Before he could plan the rest, an inhuman howl blew through the house, creating a whirlwind of chaos in his mind and the minds of the men in the house. Jake gripped his head between his palms as a presence grew closer and closer.

  He was here.

  Jake sat up on the bed clutching Rusty to his chest.

  The house shook, the walls and floor vibrating manically. Jake struggled to stay on the bed. The guards outside the door began to panic and scream, their swirling thoughts silencing into shattered bits.

  There was nothing. No thoughts. No emotions. Blissful peace washed over him. The door creaked open and a man tilted his head through the crack.

  “Hello, Jake.”

  Jake blinked in disbelief. He was really here. “Hello.”

  The man pushed the door open farther, stepping into the crack, and extended his hand. “Ready to go?”

  Jake stood and took a step toward him. “Where?”

  The man smiled. “To get your mother, of course.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Emma broke her telepathic link with Will. Talking to him took concentration and she didn’t want to wander the woods without focus. One thing was certain—she couldn’t go back to the cabin, but she was unfamiliar with the layout of the land and had no idea where the nearest road could be. She had no choice. She had to go deeper in the woods.

  Grabbing onto the tree trunks, she pulled herself up the gradually increasing incline. The rain continued to fall, soaking her hair a
nd clothes. She was sick to death of rain and woods.

  The man tackled her out of nowhere, slamming her face-first into the ground. She gasped from surprise and pain. His knee ground into her thigh and his hands pushed her arms into the decaying leaves. She bucked and twisted, but he pressed harder.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” He snarled into her ear and flipped her over on her back. He glared, his lip curling in a sneer. His fingers dug into her upper arm as he pulled her off the ground and tugged her down the incline. Emma fought against his grip, but he was stronger and outweighed her by a hundred pounds. His fingers dug deeper, his nails cutting into the soft flesh of her inner arm.

  Her mind ran rampant with panic. She couldn’t get back in the van or her life would be over. If her life was going to end, she wanted to be the one in control. She planned to put up one hell of a fight.

  She planted a hard kick to the back of his thigh with her heel while she twisted her body out of his hold. He grunted and stumbled forward from the force. He turned, his teeth bared and eyes slitted in rage. Charging forward, he lunged with both hands. Emma aimed a kick to his groin, relieved when it connected and he doubled over, moaning.

  She turned and ran sideways on the hill, her feet slipping on the rain-slick leaves. He recovered and followed. “I’m going to kill you, bitch.”

  Adrenaline surged through her body, fueling her leg muscles to push harder. His hand snagged her shoulder, spinning her around, his fist smashing into her cheek before she could think to duck.

  Rage filled her. Why wouldn’t these people leave her alone? Her cheek throbbed as she bent over in pain. He stood in front of her, grabbing her arm to pull her up. Emma raised a knee to hit him in the groin again, but he was prepared and stepped back, kicking her in the chest. She fell backward, into a tree and slid down, the rough bark scratching her back as she struggled to recover. As she hit the ground, she fell on her side and began to crawl.

  “Not so tough now.” He sneered as he followed, stalking.

  “Kramer’s going to be pissed if you bring me back damaged.”

  “Kramer said to use any means necessary. I can’t help it you put up a fight.”

  She tried to sit up, but he kicked her again. His foot aimed for her shoulder but she twisted as she tried to roll away and it connected with her abdomen. Falling on her side, she released an agonized sob.

  “You going to mind me?” He reached for her arm.

  Not ready to give up, she kicked the back of his ankle and he stumbled. She pushed up on her hands and knees, gasping for breath.

  He growled and pushed her over, pressing her shoulders in to the ground as he stomped on her back. She pushed against him but he pressed harder, squeezing the air out of her lungs.

  Emma twisted sideways, catching him off guard, and rolling onto her back. Her hands reached out blindly for anything to grab onto. The fingertips of her right hand brushed against a rock.

  He stood over her. “You just don’t learn, do you?”

  She rolled to her hands and knees, the rock in her grasp when he stepped on her back, pressing her to the ground again. Groping blindly, her fingers grasped for it before slipping off. She jerked forward, ignoring the pain, her hand curling around the stone.

  He grabbed her shoulder and she let him flip her over. Grabbing her shirt, he pulled her head and shoulders several inches off the ground. “You wanna play? I can play.”

  Her arm lay on the ground, the rock fisted in her hand. She swung upward, using all the force she had, and smashed the stone into his temple.

  His eyes widened. She smashed again, blood streaming down his face. He fell forward, covering her body with his. The rock still in her hand, she pushed him off of her and jumped to her feet. Her breath came in short bursts as she stared down at his motionless body.

  Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I killed him.

  Killed who?

  She heard the panic in Will’s voice.

  Emma! What happened?

  They found me.

  She took off running blindly through the trees, ignoring Will’s voice in her head. Drowning in her terror.

  Emma ran until she gasped for air and couldn’t go any farther. She bent over at her waist, sucking in deep breaths. A cramp seized her abdomen and she cried out, bending over in surprise as she clung to a tree, the bark digging into her raw palms. Her entire body ached but she had to keep going. She couldn’t stop now.

  Stumbling through the dark, she came across a small house in a small clearing. She hid at the edge of the forest, watching. Soft light glowed from the windows. Between her wet clothes and the cool night air, she was freezing, but she had no idea if she could trust the people inside.

  The front door opened and a stout figure stood on the threshold. “Who’s out there?” an elderly woman called, her voice shaking.

  Emma held onto the tree as another pain shot through her gut. She moaned, trying to ignore what it might mean.

  “I know you’re out there and I have a gun. Show me who you are!”

  The pain eased. Emma straightened and took a few steps toward the house. “I’m sorry to disturb you, ma’am. I was wondering if I could I use your phone?”

  The woman flipped on the porch light. Emma’s eyes squinted in the glare.

  “Oh my stars! What happened to you?” she asked, walking onto the porch.

  “I got lost in the woods.”

  “How on earth did that happen? Come in. Come in.” The woman waved toward the front door. “I’m out in the middle of nowhere. You’re lucky you found me.”

  Emma limped toward her, the aches and pains of her body increasing with the drop in adrenaline. “I don’t know. I was at the campground to the west and...I got lost.” Emma climbed the stairs to the porch.

  The woman’s gaze lingered on Emma. “Looks like you been through more than getting lost. What happened to your face?”

  “I fell.”

  The woman watched her with narrowed eyes for a moment, clearly not believing her. Just when Emma was sure she was going to send her away, the woman shooed her through the door. “You’re soaking wet! You got caught in that sudden rainstorm? It just appeared out of nowhere and cleared off already.”

  Emma turned to look over her shoulder at the sky, the moon visible in the clearing. Rainstorms seemed to follow her around lately. She could do without so much rain.

  The woman muttered under her breath, “You’ve been traveling a ways. That campground is a mile and a half from here.”

  The living room was rustic but warm. A plaid sofa and worn recliner faced the television, a basket of yarn with knitting needles sat on a table by the recliner. A couple of lamps and the glow of a television screen lit the room.

  “I’m really sorry to intrude.” Emma made her way to the vinyl floor in the kitchen, not wanting to drip on the carpet. “I’ll just call my friend and have him come get me.” She turned around and the woman gasped.

  “Oh my stars in heaven! Your face is worse than I thought. What really happened to you out there?”

  Emma gave her a cold stare. “Nothing. I got lost.”

  The old woman lowered her voice. “You and I both know you didn’t just get lost. You need to call the police.” She pointed to a kitchen chair. “You sit here and let me have a look at you.”

  “No. No police.”

  She squinted and tilted her head. “Why won’t you tell me?”

  Emma shook her head, irritated when her eyes filled with tears. “It’s complicated. If I could just make that phone call, then I’ll leave and meet him out on the road.”

  “What’s your name?”

  She hesitated. “Emma.”

  “I’m Sophia.” She stared into Emma’s eyes then patted her hand. “We all got reasons for doing things that don’t seem normal. If you say you can’t call the police, I believe you. But I’m not letting you walk out in the dark and meet your friend on the road. Not after you’ve just been attacked. You can wait in here.”


  “I’d like to make that call now.”

  Sophia stepped backward, scrutinizing Emma as she reached for the phone. The older woman held it toward her without releasing it. “I’ll let you make your call but afterward, I’ll give you something dry to put on and then you wait for your friend inside. Otherwise, you can’t use it.”

  Emma knew she could easily wrestle the phone out of Sophia’s hands, but she’d walk out before she ever tried such a thing. She gave a sharp nod, sending pain shooting through her head. “Okay.”

  Sophia handed her the phone and she punched in Will’s number, thankful Will had given it to her in South Dakota.

  “Yeah,” Will grunted.

  She realized he didn’t recognize the number. “Will, it’s me.”

  “Emma. Oh, God...when you didn’t answer me... ” The relief in his voice was palpable. “Where are you?”

  “I’m safe. I’m at the home of a kind woman. She’s letting me to use her phone, but I don’t want to impose on her hospitality any longer than I need to.” She heavily accentuated the phrase, hoping he understood.

  “Are you safe, Emma?” She heard his fear.

  “For now, but I’ll feel better when you get here.”

  “Tell me where you are.”

  The woman handed her a paper with the directions. Emma relayed them to Will.

  He groaned. “I’m traveling back to the cabin, but where you are is off another road, I’ll have to backtrack. I should be there in thirty minutes. Sit tight.”

  “Okay.” She resisted the urge to tell him to hurry. She knew he would anyway.

  “Emma, call me if anything happens and do what you need to do to be safe.”

  “I will.”

  “I love you.”

  She hesitated. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  Emma handed the phone back. “He’ll be here in thirty minutes. Could I use your bathroom?”

  “It’s down the hall. I’ll get you something to change into.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  Sophia blocked her path. “You walked in here soaked to the bone, shivering and your face all beat up. Giving you something to wear is the least I can do.”