The Hunt

21. Everly

21

Everly

We finally stopped after what felt like an eternity of running, chests heaving and legs trembling from the exertion. Cheryl bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. I sank down next to a tree trunk, wiping the perspiration from my hairline with my free hand while Nikki unfolded her map on the ground next to me.

“Where are we now?” Cheryl rasped, voice barely above a whisper.

Nikki shook her head. “I have no idea. We bolted so fast. I wasn’t even thinking about the direction,” she said. Her eyes narrowed as she stared down at the map. “As soon as I figure it out, we can try to get back on track.”

I glanced at the trees, their dark silhouettes identical in every direction. “I think we ran south, but I’m not sure.”

Nikki straightened and pointed to a gap in the canopy. I followed her gaze to see dark gray clouds blanketing the sky. “I really wish the sun was out,” she muttered. “If we knew its position, it would be a hell of a lot easier to reorient ourselves.”

I swallowed hard, trying to push past the weight of panic clawing at my chest. Every second we stood still felt like an invitation for danger to catch up.

“It’s okay,” Nikki went on. “I can still figure it out. It’ll just take a few minutes.”

“If you don’t mind, I need to find somewhere to squat,” Cheryl said. “I almost pissed myself back there.”

“Me too,” I said, finally remembering my aching bladder. It was weird how fear could make you fail to notice the most obvious things until someone else pointed them out.

“Okay. You guys do that, and I’ll work on this,” Nikki said, pulling out her compass. “Just don’t go too far.”

I grabbed the roll of toilet paper from my backpack and ducked behind the closest tree. Cheryl ventured a little farther, heading for a dense group of shrubs.

When I was done, I returned to Nikki. Her expression was odd—her brows slightly furrowed, her lips parted, and her head tilted as if she were straining to listen to something.

I ducked down and whispered to her. “Are you okay?”

Her gaze snapped over to me, and her shoulders sagged. “Oh, shit, it’s just you,” she said, laying a hand over her heart. “I thought I heard something and freaked out.”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. I’m just losing my shit,” she mumbled. “I fucking hate this place.”

“Me too.” I frowned and peered around. “Cheryl isn’t back yet?”

Nikki opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get out a single word, a yelp broke the silence.

“Oh, shit,” I muttered, springing to my feet. “Something’s happened.”

I desperately hoped that Cheryl had just tripped over something, but in this place, I could only assume the worst. It was more likely that she was stuck in a bear trap, foot mangled and pouring with blood, or impaled on a spike like Chris, unable to wrench herself off.

Nikki lifted a palm, signaling for me to be quiet, and then she motioned in the direction Cheryl had wandered off in, silently urging me to follow her.

We moved cautiously, avoiding crunchy leaves and brittle twigs that might betray our presence. When we reached a row of bushes, we crouched low, the dense foliage offering just enough cover to peer through without being seen.

Through the gaps in the bushes, I spotted Cheryl suspended midair, tangled in a net that swayed slightly as she struggled. The thick rope creaked under her movements, her frantic squirming only causing the trap to tighten around her limbs.

“Fuck,” Nikki whispered, eyes wide. “She must’ve stepped on a tripwire.”

Cheryl’s muffled grunts of frustration carried through the trees, and I clenched my jaw, willing her to stay quiet. Then came a sound that chilled my blood—a low, deliberate crunch of heavy boots trampling through the undergrowth.

Nikki and I exchanged panicked glances, and she held up two fingers. Sure enough, a second set of footsteps followed, slower but just as deliberate.

The footsteps grew louder. Closer. My grip tightened on the bush in front of me, heart pounding as shadows began to move through the trees.

I lifted my gaze to Cheryl again. She was still squirming in the net, grunting with frustration. My throat tightened as I watched her, and tears stung my eyes, threatening to spill.

I wanted to cry, to scream, to beg for some miracle to undo this nightmare, but I knew better. Trying to help her now would only get us all killed. That was the reality of this horrible place—the rules didn’t allow for heroics.

The footsteps were almost on top of Cheryl now, and I could hear the low murmur of voices. One was gruff and sharp, the other quieter, almost amused. They weren’t in a hurry. They knew they had their prey trapped, and they wanted to savor the moment.

“Was this your snare or mine?” one of the hunters said as they stepped into the small clearing.

“Mine.”

“Well, congratulations, man.” The shorter hunter jabbed Cheryl’s ass with the butt of his rifle. “What’s your number, woman?”

Cheryl ignored him. He let out an irritated sigh and pulled his mask off. “Fuck, it’s hot under this thing,” he muttered, tossing it on the ground. “Check her bag. See if she’s today’s bounty.”

The other hunter removed his mask too, wiping sweat from his forehead as he kicked Cheryl’s backpack to turn it over. “Thirty-nine.”

“Damn. No extra points for you.”

“Still a point, though. Better than nothing. Especially with Sinclair dominating everything. What’s he on now? Six?”

“Yeah, six or seven. He got yesterday’s bounty, too. So maybe it’s actually eight.”

They were talking about Rhett. I strained to listen, curious despite the fear flooding my veins.

“I want whatever drugs he’s on, man,” the shorter guy said.

“That dude’s not on anything except adrenaline. He’s just got serious fucking issues. Remember his confession ceremony?”

“Shit, yeah. Can’t really blame the guy for being mad at the world, can you?”

“Can you fuckers just hurry up and kill me?” Cheryl finally snapped, kicking out at the net. “You can have your little gossip session later!”

The two men turned to look up at her, grinning. “Patience, woman. We feel like talking right now, so that’s what we’re gonna do for as long as we like,” one of them said in a taunting tone. “You’ll get your turn eventually.”

Coldblooded motherfuckers. They wanted to draw this out, keep poor Cheryl in suspense—literally and figuratively—until they finally decided to put her out of her misery. It was beyond cruel. Completely heartless.

Next to me, Nikki inhaled sharply, eyes widening. “Holy shit, I know those guys,” she whispered.

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’re from my econ class,” she said. “Jordan Prince and Matt Treska. They’ve both tried to sleep with me before. Many times.”

“So what?” I whispered back, wondering why on earth she’d bring up something like that in a moment like this. It was hardly the time for an ego boost.

“So I think I could probably talk them down. Convince them to give Cheryl a second chance.”

My heart sank. “Nikki, no. You can’t talk them down.”

“I really think I can,” she whispered insistently. “They wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Are you crazy? These guys are fucking psychopaths! They’d probably kill their own grandmothers if it awarded them points in this fucked-up game!”

“Yeah, maybe I am crazy. But I really think I can do it.”

I grabbed her arm. “Please don’t go out there,” I said, voice thick with emotion. “If you die, I’ll never forgive myself for letting you go. And I’ll never forgive you for doing something so stupid!”

“Well, I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t try,” she replied. She paused for a beat, steeling her jaw. “Cheryl told me about her sister. She deserves a chance to find out what happened to her.”

“Nikki, please don’t do this.” I vehemently shook my head. “You know better. It’s your rule!”

“I’m going. Just stay here, okay?”

Before I could argue any further, Nikki rose from the bushes and strode into the clearing. “Hey, Jordan,” she said, lifting a hand in a casual wave. “Hey, Matt.”

The hunters turned to her, faces etched with surprise. “Well, shit, look who the fucking cat dragged in,” Jordan said, rubbing his jaw. “Nikki Hahn.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Matt added.

“You know why I’m here,” Nikki said, lifting her wrist to display her band. I could tell she was trying her best to sound brave, but a slight tremor had appeared in her voice. “Can we talk?”

“ Talk ?” Matt shook his head, letting out a cruel laugh. “This isn’t the time for talking, sweetheart.”

“That’s not what you said to Cheryl a minute ago,” Nikki said, jerking her thumb toward the net. “I heard you.”

“Spying on us, huh?” Jordan said with a sneer. He scanned the clearing. “Were you with someone else?”

“No. It’s just us two,” Nikki said, glancing at Cheryl again. “We, um… we teamed up at the start. As a pair.”

“All right. I’ll bite. What do you want to talk about, sweetheart?” Matt asked, voice dripping with condescension.

“I want you to let her go.”

“Why the fuck would we do that?”

Nikki lifted her chin. “I’ll give you something you want in return. Something you both want.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I… I’ll fuck you. Both of you.”

Jordan and Matt laughed, and Cheryl groaned. “You shouldn’t have come here, Nikki,” she called out . “You should’ve just left me.”

“She’s right, you know,” Jordan said, raising a brow. “We can get pussy anywhere, anytime. So what makes your offer so special?”

Nikki bit her bottom lip. “I-I’ll let you fuck me in the ass. Most girls won’t let you do that, will they?” she said in a low voice. She paused and sank to her knees, staring up at the hunters with beseeching eyes. “You can both fuck me at the same time too, if that’s what you want. I’ll let you do anything. Anything. ”

My stomach churned violently, and I dug my nails into my thighs to stop myself from screaming. Watching Nikki like this—on her knees, degrading herself, offering up her body for a sliver of hope that they might have mercy—made me want to tear my hair out. These men wouldn’t spare either woman in this scenario. They’d simply toy with Nikki, humiliate her, and then kill her and Cheryl.

Nikki wasn’t stupid. She had to know that. So why was she doing this to herself?

“Holy shit,” Jordan said, dragging out the syllables in the words for emphasis. “The ice queen has finally melted, huh?”

“You’ll really fuck us if we let her go?” Matt added, raising a scornful brow. “You’re that desperate to save this random bitch?”

“Y-yes,” Nikki said shakily. “Please.”

The two men stepped a few feet away to mutter to each other for a moment. Then they returned, smirks on their faces.

“Okay, sweetheart. You’ve got yourself a deal. We’ll let this one go in return for what you offered us,” Matt said, jabbing the net with his rifle again. “But… there’s a condition attached.”

“What condition?”

“We want you to beg for it first. You’re off to a good start down there on your knees. But we want to hear the words too. Otherwise the deal’s off.”

“What words?” Nikki asked, voice cracking.

Jordan adopted a mocking, high-pitched voice. “Please fuck my ass, sir. I need it so badly. I want you to stretch my asshole around your cock and fuck me until it bleeds.”

“Then use the blood as lube so your friend can fuck me even harder,” Matt added in a similar mocking voice.

Don’t say it, Nikki, I silently prayed. They’re just messing with you.

“Please fuck my ass,” Nikki began in a broken murmur. “I need it so badly. I want you to stretch my asshole around your cock and fuck me until it bleeds.”

“You forgot the sir. And speak up, for fuck’s sake.”

“Please fuck my ass, sir. ” Nikki’s voice was louder now. “Then use my blood as lube so your friend can fuck me more.”

“Close enough.” Jordan shrugged and pulled out an enormous hunting knife.

Nikki screamed and leapt to her feet. Matt held her at bay. “Calm the fuck down! He’s just cutting the net down!”

Jordan sawed at the top of the trap until the rope gave out, sending Cheryl tumbling to the ground with a dull thud. She groaned and rolled over, still tangled up in the netting.

My eyes widened as I watched it all unfold. Holy shit. Nikki’s crazy plan was actually working. Cheryl was getting a second chance after all, and Nikki would too… after she gave the men what they wanted.

My stomach lurched at the thought.

Nikki hurried over to Cheryl to help untangle her. As she knelt beside her, a deafening crack shattered the air, and Cheryl’s body stilled instantly, her head slumping forward as a dark pool of blood spread beneath her.

“No!” Nikki’s scream tore through the forest, raw and guttural.

Jordan casually rested his rifle against his shoulder, his smirk transforming into a cold sneer. “We only promised to let her go. As in, let her go from the net,” he said, his tone almost cheerful. He tilted his head mockingly. ““We didn’t say we’d let her live, did we?”

“Semantics, sweetheart. That’ll always get you,” Matt added with a grin.

Jordan looked down at Cheryl’s body, his smirk fading into something darker, more sinister. Then he looked back at his friend. “I got to do her, so that means Nikki is your kill. One point each.”

“Right. But only after we give her the hard assfuck she begged us for,” Matt replied, stepping toward Nikki. “A deal’s a deal. Right, sweetheart?”

I wanted to scream, to cry, to tear these assholes apart with my bare hands, but I was rooted in place, my heart pounding in my ears. I knew exactly how it would end if I even tried.

Jordan roughly grabbed Nikki by the arm, yanking her to her feet. She struggled, her body thrashing in desperation, but he overpowered her easily, slapping a hand over her mouth to smother her screams. Matt, still grinning, grabbed her legs, and together they hoisted her into the air. She kicked and squirmed, but her resistance only seemed to amuse them.

Her muffled cries echoed in my ears as they carried her away, disappearing into the trees. I wanted to run after them, to stop them, to do something, anything . But there was no point. Nothing I could do would change the fate that awaited Nikki once they were finished defiling her.

I curled up in a ball on the ground, my breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as a toxic mix of grief, rage, hatred, and helplessness overwhelmed me.

Earlier, I’d felt a flicker of hope from the knowledge that I wasn’t completely alone; that there was a plan, a chance at survival. That hope had been extinguished now. Everything had fallen apart in the space of twelve hours with the rapid-fire series of deaths. First Chris, then Kanako and Ava, followed by Jade. And now, Cheryl and Nikki were gone too.

The silence around me felt suffocating, somehow more real and tangible than the dark clouds closing in over my head.

I was all alone now… and I wasn’t sure I could make it to the end.