Chapter 2
2
T wigs snap beneath my bare feet as I stumble through the dense woods, my lungs burning with each ragged breath. The urgency of escape drives me forward despite the exhaustion weighing down my limbs.
Cold air bites at my bare skin, raising goose bumps along my arms. It mingles with the sweat and grime coating my body, chilling me to the bone. My clothes, tattered and filthy even before my escape, offer no warmth.
How long have I been running? Hours? Days? Time blurs together, marked only by the pounding of my heart and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Have to keep going. Can’t let them catch me. Can’t go back to that hellish place.
A shiver wracks my thin frame, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold on to any scrap of warmth. My fingers brush the jagged scars marring my skin, reminders of the experiments, the torture masquerading as research.
Unbidden memories flash through my mind. Needles. Restraints. Searing pain and agonized screams echoing off sterile white walls.
I shake my head to banish the images. That life is different from the one I live now.
A twig cracks behind me, and I whirl, my heart leaping into my throat. Breath held, I scan the trees, straining to hear over the rush of blood in my ears.
Nothing. Only the rustle of leaves in the wind.
Still, I quicken my pace, ignoring the burn of overworked muscles. Need to find somewhere to hide. Need to rest for a moment. But where is safe anymore?
I pray that I’ve put enough distance between myself and my captors. That this taste of freedom, however scary, doesn’t vanish as quickly as it was gained.
One foot in front of the other. Keep running and don’t stop.
When I stumble into a small clearing, I drop to my knees, gasping for air. My lungs burn, and my legs tremble, threatening to give out. I can’t keep running like this. I need to remove the tracker before they find me.
With shaking hands, I search the ground for anything sharp. Twigs snap under my touch, leaves crumbling.
Come on, come on. There must be something.
A jagged edge cuts my finger, and I grasp it, lifting the rock. It’s not much, but it will have to do. This thing needs to come out of me.
Gritting my teeth, I roll up my tattered sleeve, pressing on my flesh until I find the slight bump where they embedded their device.
My hand trembles as I lift the rock. This will hurt like hell. But what choice do I have? I can’t go back. I won’t .
Steeling myself, I press the sharpest point to my skin and dig.
A strangled cry escapes as the rock bites into my flesh, searing pain shooting up my arm. Blood wells up, slicking my fingers, but I can’t stop. If I do, I won’t be brave enough to try again.
Tears stream down my face, mingling with the sweat and grime. The metallic scent of blood fills my nostrils, churning my stomach.
A little deeper. Almost there.
The rock hits something hard, and I drop it to the forest floor. My fingers shake as I dig into my flesh, searching until I find the tiny device. With a sickening squelch, I pull the tracker free and drop it to the ground.
Chest heaving, I stare at it, hardly daring to believe that I did it. I’m one step closer to freedom.
The elation is short-lived as the throbbing in my arm intensifies, demanding attention. Fumbling with the hem of my shirt, I rip off an already loose strip of fabric and tie it as best I can around the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood.
It’s not pretty, but it will have to suffice. I can’t afford to linger here. They’ll be searching for me, and I need to find shelter before nightfall.
Staggering to my feet, I shove the bloody rock into my pocket.
I stumble forward once more, blood dripping down my hand to the earth beneath my feet. Each step takes me farther from the compound and closer to freedom.
Darkness falls while I’m still in the woods, and it becomes harder to see. Branches claw at my face and arms, leaving stinging scratches in their wake. The adrenaline coursing through my system heightens my senses, keeping exhaustion at bay.
Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig sends a jolt of fear through me. They could be right behind me, their hounds straining at the leash, ready to drag me back to that hellhole. The thought spurs me on, my aching muscles screaming in protest as I push myself harder, faster.
Gotta keep moving. Don’t stop. Don’t look back.
Easier said than done. The night is alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, their calls echoing through the trees. An owl hoots somewhere overhead, its eerie cry sending shivers down my spine. I can’t shake the fear that I’m being watched and hunted.
I stumble over a root, arms windmilling to catch my balance. My heart leaps as I catch myself on a tree trunk, the rough bark biting into my palms.
For a moment, I freeze, straining my ears for any sign of pursuit.
Nothing but the wind whispering through the leaves and the distant chirp of crickets. I allow myself a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing pulse.
I’m okay. Just keep going. One foot in front of the other.
My legs tremble with fatigue as I push off from the tree. The forest stretches on forever, but I can’t give up now. Not when I’ve come this far.
Freedom is out there somewhere, waiting for me. And I’ll be damned if I let them take it away from me again.
Eventually, the trees give way to a road, and I follow it, whispering the address Jade made me memorize under my breath.
When exhaustion takes control, I hide in the dense underbrush and pass out until I’m startled awake again by some noise that triggers my flight instincts.
I bolt into motion, running while half asleep before my brain wakes up.
When the lights of a town come into view, I cry with relief.
At the first bus stop I find, my tired mind struggles to figure out the numbers and letters, to pinpoint where I am. A sob escapes me when I realize I’m only two cities away from my old home. So close, and I never knew it.
The bench calls to me, but I resist and pace instead, worried that, once I stop moving, I’ll pass out again. The rest of the night passes in the length of my stride from one end of the stop to the other until the first bus arrives near dawn.
When it does, I creep on through the second door at the back, not wanting the driver to see my appearance and refuse me entrance. In the very back, I luck out and find a red hoodie forgotten by a previous passenger. I slip it on, the shirt enveloping me with warmth.
I ride the bus as far as it will take me, consciousness slipping in and out, flinching awake whenever someone new steps onto the bus or leaves. I ignore the odd glances I receive, the whispers about drug addicts, and slip off before the driver announces the last stop.
Three bus rides later, night falls again, and I continue forward on foot, too close to my destination now to stop.
An entire day has already passed. What could they have done to Jade in that time?
I stumble on, my steps growing more sluggish with each passing hour. The adrenaline that fueled my initial escape has long since faded, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. With it comes a feverish warmth, and when I touch my arm, my skin burns. My mind whispers of infection and my vision blurs.
I blink to clear it, reciting the address like a mantra.
Hunger gnaws at my insides, a constant reminder of how long it’s been since I last ate. Just a little farther, and then I can rest again.
My foot catches on a crack in the sidewalk, and I pitch forward, throwing out a hand to protect my face from hitting the ground. For a moment, I lie gasping for breath, my cheek pressed to the cool cement. The temptation to allow exhaustion to win almost overwhelms me.
I can’t give in. Not now. Not when I’m so close.
With a groan, I struggle back to my feet, swaying as the world tilts and spins around me. I brace myself against a building, waiting for the dizziness to pass before pushing onward.
Lucky for me it’s nighttime, or someone would have called the police by now. The last town I got off in is way too affluent for the likes of me. Even before I became Seven, I wouldn’t have dared step foot here.
Relief sweeps through me when I leave it behind, walking down a long, winding road with gated driveways few and far between. I pause at each long enough to read the number before continuing on.
At last, the gates matching the address loom before me, a towering barrier of wrought iron and stone. I stand frozen for a moment, swaying on my feet, my heart pounding as I stare up at the imposing structure.
Is this the right place? How did someone who lived here end up in a cage? This must be what gave Jade such confidence that someone would come searching for him. Police treat the disappearance of the rich a lot more seriously than poor scum like me.
I take a step forward, my legs trembling beneath me, and reach out to grasp the cold metal bars.
“Hello?” My hoarse call dies just past the gate. “Is anyone there?”
For a long moment, only silence answers. Then, the crunch of footsteps on gravel, and two figures emerge from the shadows. Security guards, their expressions hard with suspicion as they approach the gate.
“What do you want?” one of them demands.
Dehydration turns my mouth to cotton, my tongue thick and clumsy. “Please, I need help. I’m… I’m a friend of Jade’s.”
The guards exchange a glance, their skepticism clear in the twist of their lips.
“Jade?” the second one scoffs. “You expect us to believe you know him?”
“It’s true.” My fingers tighten around the bars. “He told me to come here. Please, you have to let me in.”
As I speak the words, I see their doubt, see the dismissive way their eyes scan over my disheveled body. To them, I’m just a crazy, homeless person, a pathetic creature begging for scraps at their door.
“He’s lying,” one of them says, his voice dripping with contempt. “He’s just another runaway wanting handouts.”
“Should we call the authorities?” The other guard casts an annoyed once over at me, like I’m so pathetic that I don’t even register as a threat.
“Please.” My vision blurs with tears. “He told me to come here. He said it would be safe.”
Silent communication passes between the two men, and I allow myself to hope, to imagine they might take pity on me, they might grant me the sanctuary Jade promised.
Then the first guard’s expression hardens. “Sorry, kid, but we can’t let just anyone claiming to be a friend of the family in. Move along, or we’ll be forced to call the police.”
Without another word, they turn away, leaving me alone once more.
My legs give out, and I slump against the gate as the last of my strength fades away. The world spins around me, the darkness closing in. I’ve reached the end of my endurance, taken the last step in me, and failed.
Acceptance sweeps over me as I slump onto my side. At least this is a better end than the one I expected.
Consciousness threatens to slip away, and a spark of defiance forces my lids up, blinking into the encroaching shadows. I try to lift my head, to call out one last time, but my body refuses to cooperate.
Vibrations in the ground shake through me, and I flop onto my back, head lolling as the gates slide open. Unhindered access to my destination, with nothing to stop me now except for my inability to rise.
Blinding light floods my vision, followed by the squeal of tires slamming to a stop.
“What the fuck?” The slam of a car door follows the angry shout.
A man peers down at me, the headlights from his car turning his hair into a flaming halo around his head.
“Are you a demon?” I raise blood-crusted fingers toward him. “Have you come to take me to Hell?”
He scowls and crouches down beside me. “Are you high, kid?”
Strength leaves me, and my arm falls back to my side. The address slips past my lips, the litany of numbers and roads becoming a prayer.
“What’s that you’re saying?” He leans in closer, his head cocked to the side.
The address spills down my tongue again. “Jade told me.”
He reaches down to grip my jaw, forcing my wobbly head to face him. “Say it again.”
Dark spots dance across my vision, but I force the address out again, hoping this demon will understand.
“Not that. Did you say Jade?” His tone drops into an Alpha’s Command. “ Speak.”
I try to obey, my lips moving, but sound stops coming out.
At least I delivered the message.
“Hey!” He shakes me roughly. “Don’t you dare pass out.”
He twists toward the gate to shout, “Someone, call the doctor!”
Fear spikes through me. No, I don’t want to go back to those white-walled rooms.
“ Stay awake. ”
Not even an Alpha’s Command can stop the darkness that sweeps me under.