Arianna
"We are under attack!", Angel said tensed and panic rose in my chest.
"W-What attack? Who are they?", I asked exasperatedly and we heard another gun shot.
"Miss, I need you both to sit tight. I am going to have to drive fast.", Josh said looking at the cars behind us in the rear view mirror.
"Okay.", Angel replied and looked at me and I nodded.
Josh suddenly increased the speed of the car and it was so fast that I wouldn't be surprised if I throw up.
Maybe the people behind us didn't expect Josh to drive so insanely fast all of a sudden. We, for now, are far ahead of them and temporarily lost sight of them. Josh made a steep turn at the curve of the hill and stopped the car.
Angel and I almost got smashed to the door of the car, despite putting on the seat belt.
Josh got out of the car and opened our door.
"Miss, I need both of you to run as fast as possible to the garage on the other side of this forest. There is no way we can get out of this unscathed and this is the best way to at least get you a head start.", Josh said hurriedly and signaled us to come out fast.
"What about you?", Angel asked.
"I'll buy you some time, Miss. Once you reach the garage, you will be safe. You can inform boss from there.", Josh said looking at Angel.
"But-", Angel started but Josh cut her off by just gently shoving us towards the forest.
"There's no much time, Miss. You have to leave immediately. They will be here in no time.", Josh said and Angel nodded.
"Be safe, Mr. Josh.", she said and he gave her a curt nod.
What the hell is going on here!
Angel looked at me, grabbed my hand and we took off into the forest.
"What's going on, Angel?", I asked her while running.
"We are in danger. No matter what, we should never get in their hands.", she said and we kept running.
"But who are they? What do they want?", I asked between heavy breathing.
"Bad people. And they want a way to hurt our family. Which, right now, is us.", she said.
"But-", I started but she shushed me.
"We need to keep running. We'll talk once we get to the other side.", she whispered between her hard breathing.
Suddenly we heard gun shots and I closed my ears tightly.
I just want this to stop. I am scared.
No.
I am petrified.
We heard footsteps and I realized there are people following us.
"God! We are late.", Angel exclaimed.
We heard the footsteps getting closer and my panic started rising.
What do these people want?
My panic started rising and I couldn't focus on my footsteps properly.
A moment later, I tripped on a twig, twisted my ankle and fell on my knees.
"Ahh!", I hissed.
Angel stopped running and immediately knelt before me.
"Are you okay?", she asked breathing heavily.
I couldn't answer due to the exhaustion and pain.
"You should go.", I said.
I can't put her in danger too. She shouldn't slow down because of me.
"In your dreams!", she exclaimed in a whisper.
"Angel-", she cut me off by covering my mouth with her palm.
"Shh! We need to get to a better spot for now.", she whispered.
"Listen to me, Anna. We have to be as quiet as possible. They shouldn't get a hint about our whereabouts. So, if you are in pain, squeeze my hand as tight as you want but don't make a sound.", she whispered looking into my eyes.
I couldn't help the few tears that escaped my eyes.
I am scared.
I just want Angel and I to get home safe.
She gently wiped my tears and her expression turned soft.
"Don't worry. You will be safe.", she said softly.
I shook my head and a few more tears left my eyes.
"We should be safe.", I said emphasizing 'we'.
She gave me a faint smile and nodded.
She put my left hand around her neck and helped me stand up. She supported me with her body and we walked slowly without making any noise and with our heads as low as possible.
But we took a diversion from the path we were running in and I frowned.
I looked at Angel confused but she signed me not to talk.
We could still hear the footsteps and they were getting more loud and clear. My body tensed with the realization that they were very close to us.
So close that they might see us any moment now.
That's when Angelina ducked down and pulled me with her.
There were a lot of dead tree matter and branches and mud in this spot. She walked through the thick pile of fallen trees and branches and pulled me along.
A few branches and twigs scraped our hands and face but we went a little more into it and then she started moving the mud and the twigs on the ground with her bare hands, scraping her palms badly in the process.
A moment later, I saw a lid on the ground and she opened it with a great difficulty.
She then looked at me and signed me to go in.
I frowned but did as she told.
I went in and climbed down the small ladder and realized it was a small bunker, that could probably fit not more that a ten to fifteen people.
Where did a bunker come from in the middle of this small forest?
Nothing makes sense anymore!
Angel climbed down after me and I sat on the floor not able to handle the pain in my ankle.
She moved a few branches and closed the lid.
She sighed and looked at me.
"I need to go back up.", she said and I tensed.
"Why?", I asked immediately.
"We are not completely safe here for long. I should go out and call for help from the garage on the other side of this forest.", she said seriously.
"But there are so many out there. It's not safe.", I argued.
"It's not safe here for long either, Anna. The guys at home think that we are here together and won't call us as they wouldn't like to disturb us. So, they wouldn't know unless we inform them.", she said.
"Maybe Mr. Josh did.", I argued.
"There are no signals here. And I'm not sure about his condition right now.", she said, her voice going extremely low at the end.
I didn't say anything and looked at the ground.
I just hope Mr. Josh is safe too.
Neither Angel nor I would be okay if he is not.
"I should go. We can't waste time.", she said standing up and I immediately held her wrist and shook my head.
"I should go, Anna. We won't be safe here for long. They will eventually spread out and spot this door. I can't even cover it with mud from here. So, the faster we can call for help the better.", she said seriously.
"What if they see you? What if they catch you? What then?", I exclaimed raising my voice a little and a few tears escaped my eyes.
"I will be alright, Anna. The longer I stay here, greater the chance that both of us will get caught. If I go out, I can cover this door properly so that they won't find it for some time. And that short time is enough for me to reach the garage.", she said.
"I'll be safe till then but what about you?", I asked, tears completely flowing down my eyes.
"Ash and I have wondered around this forest so many times that I know this forest perfectly. I'll have an advantage over those people.", she said, trying to convince me but I'm not ready to listen to her.
I won't accept to it no matter what.
I won't take a chance if there is even a very little probability of her being in danger.
"Anna, the more time we waste, the more dangerous this gets.", she said and removed her hands from my clutch.
"Trust me, I'll get help as soon as possible and we will get out of this.", she said.
"But-", she cut me off in the middle.
"Please, Anna. Trust me.", she said firmly but there is a hint of desperation in her voice.
I looked away and took a deep breath.
I looked back at her in the eyes.
"Promise me you will be safe.", I said firmly.
She hesitated but nodded slightly.
"No. Say it, Angelina.", I said firmly and she sighed.
"I promise I will be.", she said and I bit my lip.
She opened the lid and looked at me one last time.
"Don't make any sound, Anna. Please be safe", she said and I nodded.
She went out and closed the lid. I heard a light shuffling of mud and branches and I heard a faint sound of her footsteps getting far away from this spot.
Please stay safe, Angel.
After a moment, I heard footsteps of multiple people and I think they are running.
Did they see her?
Is she safe?
Can she outrun them?
Why the hell did I let her go!
I should have stopped her even at the risk of getting both of us caught.
Please. Please. Please!
I want her to be safe.
There was a continuous sound of footsteps, but I sat silently, hugging my knees to my chest.
Tears are continuously flowing from my eyes, and my body is shaking due to my continuous efforts to suppress my sobs and not make a sound.
All kind of worst possibilities of what might happen to Angelina are running in my brain and I'm desperately praying to god to not let anything happen to her.
If only I hadn't tripped, we both would have faced this danger together.
Now, because of me she is facing it alone.
I am trying my best to stop the panic attack that is on the verge of outbreak.
After a while of sitting in silence and keeping my panic at bay, I heard the sound of footsteps getting clearer and closer.
Oh my god!
People were walking at this place continuously and I pressed my palms to my mouth to stop myself from making any sound even by mistake.
After a little while, the movement outside stopped and everything went quiet.
Did they leave?
Then, I heard the sound of branches shuffling and started to tremble.
Did they find this place?
Who are they?
Are they going to kidnap me?
Or worse, are they going to kill me?
Can I escape?
Someone pulled open the lid suddenly and I am trembling very badly.
He peeped inside and gave a grin looking at me, that shook my insides in fear.
Who is this guy?
What does he want?
Why can't I move?
I am frozen in my spot.
"I found the treasure, man.", he said with a wide grin and my breath hitched.
He jumped in and I sat frozen in my spot.
"Well, hello there, princess.", he mocked with a wide grin and I just sat there frozen and my breath is getting faster.
He walked to me and grabbed me up harshly by my upper hand and started to drag me out.
My ankle hurts like hell and the panic is slowly starting to set in.
I couldn't breathe and neither could I get a word out of my mouth.
He pulled me out of the bunker and once we were out, he shoved me to the ground.
I fell on my knees and didn't dare to look up.
I am terrified is such an understatement to describe my state.
What are they going to do?
Are they going to kidnap me?
"Boss wanted both but one is better than none.", a man said in a deep menacing voice and I trembled involuntarily.
It was so menacing that it sent chills down my spine and my trembling hasn't stopped yet.
"Aww! Is the princess scared?", the same man from before mocked and the others laughed.
Someone walked to me and clutched my hair tightly and jerked my head up to meet their eyes and it is the same man who pulled me out.
"We are so going to enjoy playing with you.", he said smirking.
He was tall and well built. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He had a scar on his jaw and his eyes showed insanity.
I couldn't hold eye contact any longer and looked away.
He clutched my hair even more tightly and I hissed.
That's when I heard multiple gun shots and some warm liquid splashed on my face.
I flinched and the guy left my hair with a curse.
"Spread out.", I heard someone shout and followed by gunshots.
What's going on?
I couldn't bear it and closed my ears tightly.
Please. Someone make it stop.
My vision started getting blurry from all the fear and panic.
Someone started dragging me by my hair but a moment later the person left my hair and I fell on the ground.
I am slowly starting to lose my senses and didn't even try to stand up or move.
Because I couldn't.
My body is frozen and I'm starting to see black dots.
I could see a blurry image of people surrounding me and indistinct voices.
I saw a woman with a bob cut looking at me and shaking me continuously saying something, but I couldn't make out what she is saying and her face isn't clear.
Suddenly that woman moved aside and Angelina knelt before me and took my head in her lap.
Her forehead was bleeding and her lips had a cut with slight blood oozing out.
She was continuously tapping my cheeks with a lot of concern and saying something but it is coming out muffled.
I wanted to reach out to her looking at her bleeding forehead but my body isn't moving an inch.
Finally, my body gave out and I heard Angel scream out my name before completely losing consciousness.
"Anna!"
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Here's the next chapter!
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Yours lovingly,
Author.