The corridors of the Old School were deathly quiet. Night had descended and it was as if the academy had decided to sleep, unaware of the growing tension and danger deep in its bowels. It tried to appear content and peaceful in the shadow of night time, the shadows obscuring the fighting that had torn through the school as the students had fled from the stadium.
Charlotte was on edge. The silence and darkness seemed to offer only threats and misgivings. She moved with bated breath, straining her ears in an effort to detect the menaces that lay ahead of her. She tried to keep to the service corridors as she climbed higher into the school, her attention fixed on the west wing and on Elmhirst's office.
She had begun to regret her choice to go alone, quickly realising that she had no idea if Elmhirst was even in the academy at all. For all she knew he could still be at the arena, or worse he could have made it away from the island altogether, though she doubted he would give it up so easily.
She had tried to use her stirring alteration to seek him out, but it was returning more slowly than she had thought at first, responding weakly to her demands. She was only half-certain that her immediate environment was free of life, unable to rely on her alteration for guidance.
She passed the doors to the banquet rooms, the marble gleaming in the moonlight that seemed to break through the gloom. Charlotte pushed open the door and entered, her body tense. The balcony and part of the end wall had been destroyed, leaving a yawning chasm open to the warm night air. The silver light of the moon made the room look ghostly and sad. It was void of the laughter and conversation, the dancing and indulging the room had once held. It was broken, just like the academy and everything it stood for.
Charlotte readjusted the gun in her hand, wishing she had thought to bring the darts from her rucksack. She had no idea what she was going to have to face, or how long the rounds Annakiya had loaded into the gun would last.
With a sigh she moved further into the room, careful not to disturb the rubble that littered the floor. She wondered how stable it all was after the earlier destruction, or if Elmhirst had used all the explosives hidden around the island. They had grown up with the stories of the minefield covering the western cliffs, but little had they known that explosives had actually been buried all over the island. Elmhirst had compensated well for a rebellion. Charlotte only wondered how well he had compensated for her.
She was ripped from her reverie by shuffling and footsteps in the hallway.
"It's like the greatest game we've ever had to play. It proves who is the strongest," a male voice said, excitement etched deep in his tone. The words drifted through the open door behind her, making Charlotte jump.
"I don't care who's strongest. I just want to make Alexander suffer after what happened to Freya. I still don't even know if she's alive," a female voice muttered.
"There's more than that though – it's getting to the likes of Deluca and Jansen. They think they are so smart, so clever. I can't wait to see their faces when this all unravels about them," a second female voice added.
"Who's there?" Bennett's nasal voice cut through the gloom, constricting Charlotte's breathing. His voice was unmistakable, though it seemed further away that the others. Charlotte swallowed uneasily. There were too many of them. If they found her, she would never stand a chance.
"Ah, what are you four up to?" he said, his voice slick with mistrust.
"Checking that none of the rebels have left the New School," one of the females replied.
"Good – it's reassuring that not all our senior students have fallen to the misguided actions of Owens," Bennett drawled.
"Never, sir," the male assured. "We know where our priorities should lie".
"Very well," Bennett said. "Dr Elmhirst is waiting for me. We will have this island back to normal by sunrise. Keep up the good work".
The name Elmhirst drew Charlotte like a moth to a flame. Her heart began to race, as fear that he would slip from grasp engulfed her. She exhaled a slow breath, trying to remain calm. This was her best lead to Elmhirst so far and she couldn't let it pass. Yet she couldn't possibly follow Bennett with four assailants standing beyond the door. It was suicide. She had only one choice.
Exhaling deliberately, she forced her sluggish alteration forward, forcing it haphazardly after Bennett. It was a struggle. The beast inside her craved to attach itself to him, to attack him, but was barely able to discern the difference between Bennett and the rest of those gathered outside.
It faltered, flickered and then surged, finally finding Bennett's fear centre and clinging to it. Charlotte hoped he would give her some sense of where Elmhirst was hiding. She didn't want to attack, even if her alteration had been able to. She had to find Elmhirst. He was the key to ending this.
Bennett was withdrawing quickly, and Charlotte suddenly realised she was completely exposed where she stood. There was a long silence outside and she took her chance to slip back into the shadows behind the open door. She chose her footsteps carefully, afraid she would disrupt the pieces of concrete and stone strewn across the floor.
"What do you think they will do with the rebels?" one of the girls asked.
"I imagine they will be given a choice – that is after they execute Owens and Alexander – probably Deluca, O'Connell and Jansen as well. They can choose to live and behave, or they can die," the male voice replied.
"Or they could be sedated until sale," another girl suggested.
"Either way, Elmhirst will show us his gratitude for helping him in this," the boy breathed.
Charlotte heard one of them step into the room, positioned beside her. Only the open door obscured her from their vision.
"The explosions have destroyed the academy," the voice at the other side of the door breathed, taking a few further steps into the room.
Charlotte readjusted the weapon in her hand. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her blood pounding in her ears. She had no alteration – just a dart gun against four altered students.
They moved deeper into the banquet hall and Charlotte could make out Harry Thornton's broad shoulders and deep brown hair. Ice she thought, considering what she would have to face if she was unlucky enough that he found her.
Mary Abbott stepped beside him, her wild, orange curls unmistakable. She kicked a large rock and watched it slide lazily across the floor. Chemistry, Charlotte breathed, a little relieved that Mary's alteration wasn't immediately harmful. She was more dangerous planning chemical or biological warfare. She was disappointed in Mary. Mary had supported her during the games, a solid member of her own team, but now her loyalties seemed to have found Elmhirst.
"Maybe they can make Alexander repair it before..." Holly Childs placed her fingers to her head and pretending they were a gun. They all laughed. Invisibility, Charlotte noted, holding her breath and trying to drown out the anger that surged inside her.
Vimal Chopra strode across the room to the other door. Charlotte froze. If he turned around now he would see her. From where he stood the door no longer concealed her.
"This room is worse," he said peering in through the far door, but not moving beyond its threshold.
Charlotte watched the other's follow him, gazing into the room as well. Only Mary Abbott and Vimal Chopra seemed to have weapons. She took an uneasy breath, stepping out of the shadows and easing herself around the door. She needed to get away from them. She took a side step, holding her gun aloft, ready to shoot if any of them turned around. She moved again, almost free to step back beyond the door.
"I'll never understand why Elmhirst blew up the..."
Chopra turned, his dark eyes landing on Charlotte. They widened, but Charlotte had already pulled the trigger. Vimal Chopra crumpled to the ground in a heap, alerting the others to her presence.
Charlotte just caught sight of the others turning to her and Holly vanishing into thin air before she turned and ran back into the corridor.
She heard gunfire, but nothing collided with her, as she sprinted along the corridors. She tried weaving in and out of rooms and hallways, but she could hear them behind her all the while.
Nothing she did could shake them and she was becoming increasingly confused about where she was. The corridors all looked the same.
She rounded a corner her pulse racing and her heart pounding. She could hear their feet thundering on the wooden floors behind her. She clutched the gun to her chest, inwardly cursing herself for being so slow to distance herself from them in the first place. She threw herself against the closest door, rattling the handle, only to find her way barred.
"Damn it – dead end," she hissed.
"Nowhere to go, Owens," Harry Thornton breathed, grinning at her as he turned the corner. Mary Abbott followed him, her expression grim. They both stilled, neither advancing any closer.
Charlotte exhaled slowly, eyeing the gun in Mary's hand. She didn't want to risk losing track of Elmhirst by calling her alteration back. It was so weak still it would be pointless anyway.
Charlotte lifted her gun, pointing it squarely at Mary, meeting Harry's cold gaze.
"It won't do you much good, Owens," Harry breathed. "You're outnumbered".
"I fancy my chances," she grinned, trying to appear brave.
Harry chuckled, a slight disbelieving laugh. Mary was waiting on his command. He stepped forward, rubbing his hands together and gazing at her with a hungry smirk. Charlotte watched her breath cloud in front of her, her surroundings suddenly turning frigid. The walls and carpets froze, spider web patterns of ice covering their surface. The change in temperature was making it difficult to breathe, to think. Charlotte's muscles began to stiffen. She had to move quickly.
Mary was watching Harry, perplexed by his alteration's power. It was all the distraction Charlotte needed. She pulled the trigger.
Mary collapsed to the ground in a heap. Harry glanced over his shoulder, his expression becoming suddenly menacing. Charlotte tried to take a second shot, but she was too slow. Harry fired a shard of ice, catching her hand and sending the gun flying from her grasp.
"I'm going to enjoy this, Owens," he breathed, advancing on her.
Charlotte was cornered and unarmed. He began to run at her, picking up speed. Charlotte had nowhere to go other than through him. She squared her shoulders and lowered her centre of gravity, preparing for the hit.
Harry's arm caught her around her stomach, slamming her against the window. The glass shattered, raining down upon them. Again Harry rammed her against the frame, knocking the breath from her lungs. Charlotte slipped to the side, trying to break from his grasp. Harry reached out his clutching fingers catching her hair and pulling her back.
Swinging her leg, Charlotte slammed it into the side of his knee making him yell out. Without hesitation she pulled her closed fist back and clouted him beneath his chin. He released his grip on her and Charlotte had enough freedom to dive for the gun. She rolled over on her back, facing up and pulled the trigger. The clear gel dart struck Harry square in the chest. He gazed at it for a moment, stumbling forward before keeling over to one side.
Charlotte's breathing was heavy, her fingers trembling as she tried to get her head around what had just happened. She scrambled to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. She had been so close to losing everything. She inhaled deeply, trying to reorganise her thoughts. She could feel her alteration pulling her back through the school, pulling her towards Bennett. She couldn't focus on what her alteration was doing, what it could see. It was still far too weak, though she could sense its anger and hunger growing, which she hoped was a good sign.
She pushed away from the wall and turned her back on Harry. She needed to move quickly. She had to get herself away from this place before people came to investigate what had happened, or before Harry or Mary woke up.
Charlotte started to run down the corridor, her gun grasped tightly in her hands. She turned the corner relieved to see her way unblocked. She picked up speed, desperate to close the gap between her and her alteration, before Bennett and Elmhirst slipped away from her.
She had let down her defences, her thoughts slipping away to her alteration, when something caught her around the neck.
An invisible arm tackled her around the throat mid-run. Charlotte's legs went from under her. Her body turned. The force lifted her lower body up as her neck and shoulders were slammed into the floor. Dots danced in front of Charlotte's eyes. The gun slipped from her grasp, just out of reach. She tried to scurry to her feet, but she was knocked back down by an unseen force. She could feel Holly on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
Charlotte grunted as she was struck across the cheek with an invisible, closed fist. Another blow came from the other side; and another.
Blood filled Charlotte's mouth. Her eyes were streaming and her ears were ringing. Holly struck her beneath the chin, and again from the side. Charlotte grappled for the gun. Her nails clawed into the ground in her efforts to reach it. With her left hand she tried to deflect Holly's blows, but it was impossible to pre-empt where the concealed girl would strike from next.
Charlotte tried to pull her legs up as close as possible to her body. She bucked her hips, hoping to unbalance Holly, to dislodge her. The invisible girl was too far forward, her knees pressing on Charlotte's shoulders. Charlotte bucked again, and again, panic rising in her throat. She gritted her teeth as she felt Holly's sweaty hands close around her throat. The pressure bruised her, as Charlotte groped around trying to locate a weak point in Holly's invisible grip.
Her vision began to blur, her head pounding. A shadow began to press in at the corners of her eyes. The pressure was building in her neck, in her face, in her head until she thought she was going to pass out. Her senses seemed to have numbed to her surroundings, she was only aware of the pain and the ever encroaching darkness, her consciousness slipping away from her, and then...
It all vanished. The pressure eased as Holly appeared and slumped forward on top of Charlotte, her grip around her throat relaxing.
Panic rose inside Charlotte, her breathing shallow and painful, as she tried to blink away the tears in her eyes. She scrambled out from beneath Holly, grabbing her gun as she shrunk against the wall. She was completely unsure of what had happened, of how she had escaped, when she met the furious, burning green stare of James Alexander, his gun levelled straight at her.
Thanks so much for reading Hunted! Hope you enjoyed this chapter - please comment and let me know what you thought!! Don't forget to vote and thank you so much for your support!