Suicide Mission (Guarded Secrets #1)

4: "I see why you sedated her."

"That was a good try, Sara," Mark said as his hands landed lightly on my shoulders. "But you're not fast enough to escape like that yet. Especially when you're in this building when we know the layout and you don't," he said as I tried to pull out of his hold. His steely gaze glared into me as I shied away from him. He let me go after a few moments, and as I backed away, I was able to see another man behind Mark.

He was easily six feet tall, with a muscular body and stone cold features that had a chill racing down my spine. The dark green eyes he was watching me with had me itching to run away as fast as I could, but they looked so familiar that a small part of me felt safe with him around. I would have felt better if I could've remembered him, but I couldn't place his face and that scared me even more. I was tempted to ask if I had seen him before, but I was too terrified of my surroundings to process my reaction.

"That's what you think, but I'll show you," I said in response to Mark's comment about not being able to escape. I may not be faster than these boys, but if there's one thing I could do, I could squeeze out of a tight situation.

They looked at me and then each other, confused at my words, while I prepared myself for moves I hadn't done in almost four years. I took a running start at Damon, since he didn't have anyone behind him like Mark did, and dove over him. My hands touched the floor behind him and I forced my back to arch over so I could land on my feet. I had been going too fast and stumbled slightly before I got my footing again and started running. I was suddenly pleased that my sister had taken the time to teach me cheerleading while I was growing up. While I didn't enjoy the sport, it came in handy right now, and it made me feel like Kim Possible.

I turned a corner, glancing behind me to see Mark in pursuit. I had no idea where I was going, and didn't have time to worry about it because my instinct was to run and find some way out of here. After racing around in a few hallways, I found a set of stairs and followed them in hope of losing Mark. I pushed past people I had never seen before as I tried to get away, but I couldn't help but to ask myself questions as I raced by. Why weren't they trying to get out? Why were they looking at me as if I was insane? They stood by while others were taken and did nothing to help.

This is so strange, I thought to myself as I came off the flight of stairs and saw Damon waiting for me. His expression was no longer calm, his features were creased with annoyance and anger. Normally he was so patient with me; I had never seen him angry before and I didn't like it.

I turned around and sped down a different hallway. I took turn after turn through the maze of this building, but at everywhere I went, Damon was already there. When I tried to get away for the sixth time, I ran into Mark with Damon boxing me in from behind. Mark's features were contorted in complete aggravation as he approached me. I stood frozen for a second before I glanced a little further down the hall and saw another corridor that I could use to take me past Mark and Damon. I took a few steps back and acted as if I was going to jump over Mark as I had done to Damon, and when I started racing toward him he anticipated my jump and grabbed in the wrong direction. While I slid under his legs and rolled on the floor with the momentum, which carried me until I was back on my feet, Mark had been ready to grab me from the air if I leapt over him. I was able to make the transition much more smoothly than the first time, and was gone before Mark could turn around to grab me. But, my luck ran out as I raced into the hallway I had been thinking would be my escape. When I turned the corner I found the third man blocking my way and before I could run, he grabbed my bicep with his powerful grip.

"I see why you sedated her," he said with amusement lacing his tone. "Take her back to my office and keep her there. We have a lot of explaining to do," the man said as he handed me back to Damon, who looked at me carefully as if to determine if I would run again.