Ferocious

14. Stay Alive

"What've we got here?" the man asked. "Two little girls in the woods. Not a good place for you."

A small voice in my head took over as my heartrate skyrocketed and ice filled my guts. The man seemed unarmed and while he might not recognize us, he intended to hurt us. This information registered at the same time my instructor's voice ticked off gems of advice: run, scream, talk, and stay alive.

Stay alive however you could.

I edged backwards, muscles tensed to the breaking point.

Run.

Alicia was at my side before I could take off. "Leave us alone," she said. She didn't beg or show fear. True Alicia style, she make it a threat and a question.

He jerked his hand and the clink of metal sounded. In the dying light, there was a gleam of metal and the dark shape of chains dangling at his side.

He had a weapon and the means to tie us up. I swallowed back bile. Like an idiot, I had dropped the rock when playing the game. We would never make it into the car in time.

"Not on the program. Not tonight, Alicia," he said, stepping forward.

I shook my head. We were in range of the chain, and I tried to catch her shirt to pull her, but couldn't make my fingers close.

The baby was whimpering just below my feet now. I was standing on the metal plate over the well.

"Why don't we all go somewhere...to talk," he said. From what I could tell, he kept moving his eyes up and down my body from feet to face.

Run. Scream. Talk. Stay alive.

"If you want to talk, why don't we meet you someplace," I suggested.

"I think you should come with me, Brooklyn."

My stomach clenched. He knew me. Even if I ran, he could find me.

"Going to tell us about what happened to your high school buddy and his girlfriend?" Alicia asked. She had a sly lilt to her voice.

His high school buddy? I studied the outline of the man's body, the clothes and what I could see of his face. It was Todd McIntosh. He had been at the diner earlier. My world lurched and I swayed.

Todd was the one. It was him all this time. He had somehow made his friend and that girl drown in the lake years ago. He must have kidnapped Sean and Levi. What had he done to them? What would he do to us?

"I'd rather talk about those two boys you were so close to," he said. "Your good friends, Alicia. They trusted you. How about we talk about them, instead?"

I tried to whisper Alicia's name. We had to run. We had to get away.

"What were their names again?"

"Levi. Sean," I breathed. The bastard had forgotten their names.

"Yeah, those two. Come on over here, Brooklyn, don't be afraid."

I shook my head. The chain rattled softly in his hand and I watched, waiting for the moment he would raise it up and swing. I was ready to dive away. All five senses hummed with alarm. I noticed everything: the smell of rotting leaves, taste of bile, sweat sliding down my chest. The baby crying below me choked off and I felt the plate tremble. Water began pouring out from the dirt edges and up through the cracked middle.

I tried not to look down, but when my eyes flicked down at the rattling plate, I heard Alicia growl.

She shoved me away hard as the chain slashed the air near us. It hit her arm and she screamed. Then she grabbed it, faster than seemed possible, to yank Todd off balance.