Lauren
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We have lost yet another member of our group. After barely surviving the second Hunt, the girl whom we saved from Blackwell Universal's wrath, Ella, has been abducted and now it's up to us to save her.
"The tracks from the men end over there. I don't have a clue to where they might have gone..." I sighed.
"Well there has to be something. There has to be! Right?" Brody asked.
"Look, these guys are probably professionals. I highly doubt that they'd leave any trace of themselves behind."
"Well, maybe not here, but maybe somewhere else..." I wondered.
"So what now?"
"Why don't we just do what normal people do, call the police!" Brianna yelled.
"She has a good point, Lauren."
"The police can't be contacted. It's not an option. We can't trust anyone now. We are the only help we can get now."
"Excuse me? Lauren, are you insane? We need as much help as we can possibly get! They are literally here just to help us with difficult situations! I'm a good person and I'm trying to stick to the basic morals of life! It's common sense!" Brianna snapped.
"Look, Blackwell Universal has deep pockets. They are in charge of the police. Trust me, I've tried that option already. We are on our own. We have to be united."
"This is just getting worse..." Brody muttered.
"So what should we do now?"
"We need to find out where these guys have been, what they are up to now."
"Wait, didn't Ella try to call her parents?"
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"Maybe the people who took Ella hacked her parents phone line." Brody suggested.
"Or we could check local hotels. I'm positive that these guys didn't use their real names, but they had to stay somewhere. Plus, they might have a specific alias that we could learn." Brianna bargained.
"Or we could do what no one else would normally do, we could take Blackwell Universal on directly."
"Hell no! I am not going back into that monster factory! Ever!" Brianna yelled.
"I wasn't talking about the office complex. I was thinking about a more... subtle approach. Hacking a computer from one of their other lines. Whoever took Ella asked for this."
"So what should we do? Ella's parent's house, local hotel histories, or the direct approach?" Brody asked.
"I think we should take the direct approach. It might not be easy, but we need the information." I sighed.
"I'm going to check out Ella's parent's house. I am not comfortable going back into another Blackwell Universal death trap anytime soon!"
"Okay, I understand. Just be careful and on your guard when you go."
"I'll be good, I'll stop by the sorority house and get Jeremy to join me."
"Oh, you're going with Jeremy? Um, I mean, alright..."
"That means it's you and me, Lauren." Brody winked.
"Fine. We need to go." I muttered.
"See you soon." Brianna nodded and the three of us left.
Time passed and emotions grew.
We got out of the car and looked at the building.
"This is the place."
"Um, are you sure? It's a candy store. Trust me, I love a pack of skittles as much as the next guy, I just don't think that will help us with our situation..." Brody sighed.
"There's a reason I brought us here. This place is owned by Blackwell Universal. That means that this place should be connected to their mainframe. If I'm right, we should be able to get what we need directly from this location."
"I get it now. I'm relieved, this should be much easier than I thought."
"There's just one issue, I assumed that they'd be closed by now, but all the lights are still on..."
"Maybe they have late hours."
"Whatever this means, I have a plan. You distract the front desk and I'll sneak into the back and hack into Blackwell's mainframe. Okay?" I asked.
"You got it!" Brody winked.
"Just remember, this is Blackwell Universal we're dealing with. You never know what they have hidden up their sleeve..."
We walked up to the door and Brody opened it for me.
I walked in and I mumbled "That's odd..."
"Hello? I'd like a Reese's Cup and some M&Ms right now!" Brody yelled.
"Brody!" I hit him "Shut up!"
"No one is here, Lauren."
"I know, and the door was unlocked... I'm not feeling good about this."
"It's okay, I'll go scope the place out. If I see anything, I'll yell."
"Brody, please don't do anything to get yourself killed... I need you."
"Wait, you need me?"
"Uh- I mean- You know... I need your help, with stuff..." I said frantically.
"What kind of stuff?" Brody winked.
"Um- We aren't having this conversation right now. Just go look around..."
"As you say, my lady."
"Don't get killed!" I yelled.
'Maybe I was wrong, this time. Maybe there isn't anything wrong here... I wonder...'
"Lauren." Brody said walking back towards me "I'm pretty sure I found the original owner of the store. He's in the back, he's dead."
Meanwhile, back with Brianna...
"Are you sure that this is the right place?" Jeremy asked quietly.
"It should be. The Internet says that this is Ella's parent's house."
"I wonder why all the lights are on..."
"I know, it's weird. But there isn't any sign of Blackwell's men being here. I think we hit a dead end, I just hope that Lauren and Brody found something useful." Brianna sighed.
"Yeah, we need a lead."
"So, not trying to butt in on anything, but aren't you worried that something might be going on between Brody and Lauren? Although Brody isn't my type, he can be quite the charmer..."
"Why should I care? I don't see the point." Jeremy shrugged.
"But aren't you guys- um- married- dating- soul bound?"
"I honestly don't know. The people who made us, who created us, they made us as a pair. We were made to be together. And I'll admit, I remember the love I had for her, I remember dying to keep her safe. But now, I don't know what I feel anymore... I think Lauren needs to sort herself out about us. Realize that things have changed since our first Hunt."
"Understood. Now let's look for more clues." Brianna said and walked over to the house.
Meanwhile, back with Lauren...
We walked back around the front counter together and were once again back in the center of the shop.
"What do we do now?" Brody asked.
"Well, the owner is dead and the computer has been destroyed. It's like someone expected us to show up here, but why would they kill their own men like this? Just to tie loose ends?"
"That's a good point, but we need to go back to the source for this. Why would these people want Ella? Do you think she had information on them?"
"Or maybe... No, I can't be right..." I muttered.
"What is it?"
"I think she might be a monster. It would make sense as to why they had her locked up and took her back."
"Are you sure? She doesn't look like any monster that I've seen before."
"I got it! The island!" I said happily.
"Island? How does an island help us find Ella?"
"Before I found you and Brianna, I was inside Darius Blackwell's cabin. Inside, I found a map with a chain of islands on it. There was one that had a big x on it and it's the location of yet another Hunt. I'm almost positive that's where they've taken her."
"I don't know, Lauren. It sounds a little risky..." Brody sighed.
"Any better ideas? I'd love to hear one."
"No."
"Okay. We need to find Jeremy and Brianna. In order to stop this Hunt, we need to end it before it starts. Now let's hurry, we don't have much time."
We hurried out of the store and drove back down to the bar where I met Brianna and Brody, Lightning Point. We stood outside and waited for Jeremy and Brianna to show up.
"Good, they're here." Jeremy sighed and walked up towards us. "Any news, Lauren?"
"Yes, you?"
"I'm afraid not. What's your news."
"Brody and I believe that Ella is on an island."
"An island?" Brianna asked.
"Yes, we are going to one. There's a small, uncharted island chain off the coast of Brazil. It's the location of what is referred to as "The Great Hunt.""
"How do you propose we get there? We all know that Blackwell Universal will be watching the airports. Plus, what about Terra?" Brianna asked.
"I could borrow an RV from my car dealership undetected and we could drive up to Brazil."
"No, too many risks and too many borders. We'd get caught before we could leave the country..."
"Are there any other options?" Jeremy asked.
"Yes, there's one left. By boat. We are going to go on a cruise."
"Thank god! I need a vacation! I'll pay for the tickets."
"We need to stop at the sorority house before we leave, I can snag some supplies for the trip. It'll help us blend in." Brianna offered.
"No, Blackwell Universal probably has that place bugged by now. Ella compromised that place when she called her parents."
"We could go back to the mall where we bought those dresses." Brody suggested.
"Sounds good. Let's hurry."
We headed over to the mall and parked in the parking lot.
"I'll go in and buy the clothes. Brody already gave me his credit card."
"Okay. Stay safe, Brianna."
"I will. Thank you, Lauren."
She went out and we sat in the car.
Two hours passed and our fear began to grow.
'Where is she? She should of come back almost an hour ago...'
"Guys, I think I'm going to go look for her." I offered.
"No, I'll go. You need to stay here." Jeremy bargained.
"Or I can go! I'm strong, and stuff." Brody joined in.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Brody quickly looked out the window to see Brianna holding multiple shopping bags.
We opened the doors and started asserting the stuff into each of our bags.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Brianna asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"We are just happy that you're back. We started to worry..." I sighed.
"That was dumb. Lauren, I can handle myself, I'm tougher than you give me credit for."
"I've known her for a while, she's telling the truth." Brody reassured.
"Good. So what did you buy?"
"What we need. I bought us all suitcases, clothing, and food."
"Details?" I asked laying out everything in the back of the car.
"For food, I bought us eight water bottles and a personal bottle each of us. For food, I bought a bunch of protein bars. No matter what, keep two or three on you. We don't know what this island will be like."
"Good choice. What about clothing wise?"
"I bought a few options. Since you're our brave leader, you can choose what we wear. First, I bought the "over-dramatic" vacation outfit. Cheep sunglasses, swimsuits, floppy hats, the whole nine yards. Second, I brought some casual clothing. Simple t-shirts, jeans, all that boring stuff. Third, I bought some clothes more meant for the island. Mostly jungle-like clothes. Last, I bought some fancy, upper class clothing. Bold dresses, high heels, suits, all that jazz. So which one do you think we should choose, brave leader?"
"The higher class. No one will expect for us to dress boldly. It's risky, but we could gain some admirers on the boat, that would make good coverage."
"Good choice. After all, safety in numbers, right?" Brianna smirked. "Maybe we could actually make a friend or two along the way, even have a little fun."
"Don't get your hopes up. Now let's go, time is running out."
As the time passed, our strength as a team began to grow. We were finally becoming United.
We had just finished unpacking out stuff in our rooms and I was leaning against the deck, looking out to the sea. A gentle breeze tickled my skin and the ripples of the water were endless. It was something I hadn't felt since this all started. It was peaceful.
"Lauren, there's a big party going on below the deck for the cruise. I think the others are going and I wanted to know if you would come... with me." Brody smiled.
"Thank you for the offer, Brody, but I'm fine."
"Oh, alright. If you change your mind, you know where you can find me."
Brody walked away and I resumed my gazing at the sea.
'Brody might not be so bad... I wonder if it's possible to have feelings for someone other than Jeremy... Maybe...'
"You can have a good time, you know. It's not a crime."
I turned around to see Jeremy in a nice outfit. I glanced down and noticed my pink dress flowing nicely and quickly looked back up at Jeremy.
"I thought you went to the party with the others."
"Brianna originally invited me, I'm thinking about it."
"You really should, you deserve it. Plus, you and Brianna seem to be getting along quite nicely..."
"I knew it!" Jeremy yelled.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not falling for her. I'm not falling for anyone. I woke up in the woods, lost people, fought, died, was brought back to life, and now I am forced to keep fighting. The only thing I can comprehend out of all of this is that I've been running or fighting the entire time. I'm not even considering the thought of having a girlfriend!"
"What about us? You can't tell me you didn't feel our connection! We were made to be together."
"Look, it's still a little hazy. What connection are you referring to?"
"When you died to save me by confronting Blackwell. And I fought against his entire empire to save you. Can you honestly not count that for something?"
"One thing, we weren't thinking straight. And don't take this for granted, you aren't the only one who I was trying to protect. Trinity was there too. I just wanted to stop Blackwell so that we could all escape. Don't be so selfish about the sacrifice I made for everyone, not just you." Jeremy said sternly.
"J-Jeremy... Why would you say these things?"
"Because I'm tired of being pretend. I'm being real now. We were just a couple of people who were suppose to be killed. You mean nothing to me, Lauren. You never will."
Tears streamed down my face and I mumbled "Why are you saying these awful things... Actually, I am going to join the others..." I said and walked away.
"I'm so sorry, Lauren... It's the only way..." Jeremy said faintly.
I hurried down to the party and entered the kitchen close by it. I felt a tear stream down my face, and another one after that. My emotions became stronger and before I knew it, I was crying.
"Hey, the party is next door." Brody said sarcastically.
"Please... Just go..." I sighed.
"What's going on, Lauren?"
"All of this!" I yelled. "Blackwell, Jeremy, Trinity, Karen, Austin, Faye, Lacey, Ella, I'm a damn monster! I never asked for this. None of it! I don't want to have to take care of everyone all the time... I need to be taken care of too... I'm not a leader. Hell, I'm not even a real person! I'm nobody..."
"Don't say that, Lauren! If it weren't for you, we would of all been killed, or worse!"
"If I wasn't here, you wouldn't be in this situation."
"Listen, Lauren. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
"I am?" I said wiping away my tears.
"Definitely. Before you, I spent my entire life just... being there. I hid behind my late parent's money. You, on the other hand, have given me purpose. You gave me my drive to do something worth doing. It was you."
I stopped crying and muttered "Thank you."
"Now let's get you out of this kitchen. What do you want? Say it and I'll do my best make it happen."
"I need a damn drink. Something to take the edge off. I haven't been able to truly relax since who knows how long. You know?"
"Oh I know. I drink when I'm not stressed. You don't have to talk about why you drink." Brody reassured.
"Is there a bar on the top deck?"
"Yep."
"With liquor?"
"Yes, Lauren." Brody laughed.
"Take me, please." I said and he took my hand.
We walked through the party and slowed down when we were on the top deck. The bar was beside the pool and a nice breeze was blowing.
"What do you want, Lauren? A beer? Margarita? Vodka? Or wine, like you ordered back at Lightning point?"
"Whatever it is, I want it straight, no ice, double shot. It'll work quicker."
"That's pretty funny, I make a superb straight Bourbon Fizz. I created it myself."
"Maybe once this is all over, you can impress me with one."
"Your order is my command." Brody smirked. "This way."
We walked over and began talking at the bar.
"We have them. I have a confirmation and Lauren and Jeremy. They're heading towards the Great Hunt." A man in black stated "Don't worry about that, Boss, I'll take care of the others. They will be dead before we can reach the island."
A/N: Hey guys! What'll happen next? Will Lauren end up with Jeremy or Brody? What did Jeremy mean when he said "I'm so sorry, Lauren... It's the only way..."? Who is the man in black? Who is the Boss? Find out soon. Thanks!
~KurtDestin