Prey [Ambassador's Pick ONC23]

13. Game

"What kind of game?" Tanner asks.

"I'm not sure yet," his partner answers, as gleeful as a kid on Christmas morning. "Hide and seek? Fight to the death? Tag, you're it?" He points his rifle at my head and pretends to shoot.

"No."

I'm not sure who's more surprised by the word that falls from my lips; me, or the rest of the people in the room. Hope's mouth pops open in disbelief as she stares me down, Tanner and Boyd's eyes widen in almost identical expressions and I clamp my lips shut before I let all the other thoughts swirling through my head escape.

"Excuse me?" Boyd blinks rapidly, his confusion palpable. "What did you just say?"

"I said no," I repeat. It's no use trying to keep them in, the words are desperate to be unleashed. "I'm not playing any of your stupid games. Go ahead and kill me. We all know you're going to anyway."

"Sadie," Hope warns through gritted teeth.

"What?" I shrug, the sense of calmness I feel urging me on. "It's true. Time to accept it and get this over with."

Boyd crouches down in front of me, placing his rifle on the floor and a hand under my chin. He tilts my head towards him and looks me dead in the eyes. "Don't be boring sweetness. Games are fun."

I shake my head vigorously, desperate to free myself from his grip. "Maybe for you. But I'm over it. I know how this ends. Hurry up and kill me so I can be with Seth."

Boyd stands up, glancing at his partner as though unsure what to do. Tanner approaches me next, looking down at me with a lopsided smile on his face. "I'm not quite sure what to make of you."

I meet his gaze defiantly, refusing to look away. There's a sense of empowerment in submitting to my fate. I don't feel the need to beg for my life, or try to escape. I just want this night to be over. It's been hell and I don't believe death can be worse than this. The acceptance is almost... freeing.

The gun is cold as it presses hard against my temple, the two rings of metal sure to leave an indent on my skin. I close my eyes, focusing on the sound of a finger finding a trigger and waiting for the bullet to tear through my brain. A lifetime passes by in mere seconds as I wait for my death. Each erratic heartbeat is a countdown to my final moment.

Without warning, the pressure disappears as the gun is pulled away. My eyes fly open to find Tanner still looking down at me, the rifle slack at his side and a disappointed frown on his face. I blink a few times, unable to believe I'm still alive. My heart slowly returns to normal as I glance between the two poachers.

"You're taking all the fun out of it, Sadie," Boyd tells me. "You have to at least play along."

"I don't have to do anything," I insist, remembering how he'd used the same words earlier when Jeremy asked for weapons. "I actually would prefer you to kill me right here. Hurry up and get on with it."

From the corner of my eye, I see Hope attempt to shrink further into the blood stained couch. I briefly wonder if she'll be a willing participant in their 'games'. After all, it will be the first time she'd be involved in them. The bitter sting of betrayal spreads through me again at the reminder.

Boyd and Tanner exchange a deflated look, before the former's downcast eyes suddenly light up and a wicked smile crosses his face. "You don't want to play, sweetness? That's fine. We won't force you."

"We won't?" his partner questions.

"No." Boyd's sinister grin sends chills racing up my spine. He winks at Tanner and continues, "But perhaps a time out will change your mind."