WITSEC

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

As I was coming down the hall, Isabelle was ducking under the caution tape. When she noticed me, she opened her mouth to say something and paused. Her eyes bounced all over me, grinning. “Looks like you snuck off to a private party,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Is it that obvious?” I thought I had done a good job at fixing my hair and makeup.

“You have that just been thoroughly fucked glow.”

Well, there wasn’t much I could do to hide that, not that I would want to.

Isabelle snorted. “I’m going to need details when I get back.”

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I was going to make us some drinks, but we’re out of ice. I was going to check to see if there was some more in the garage.”

“I’m pretty sure there is. I’ll go get it,” I said.

“Are you sure?”

I backed up and turned the knob on the garage door. “Yeah. I could use another minute to cool down.”

Isabelle giggled. “Details, Shi. I’m going to need the details.”

Smiling, I shook my head. “Yeah, yeah. Be right back,” I said, walking into the dark garage.

Feeling around on the wall, I found the light switch and flicked it. The garage lit up, revealing Keelan’s Jeep and Colt’s Charger. There were steps that led down, five to be exact. Keeping my hand on the rail, I made my way down, my heels clacking on the cement steps. As I walked across the garage to where the fridge and reach-in freezer were, I took in what the guys had stored in here. Hanging from the roof was a green canoe. They had fishing poles, flashlights, and some tools hanging from hooks on the wall above the freezer. What looked like camping gear was organized neatly in the corner by the steps.

Opening the freezer, I pulled out two bags of ice. As I shoved the freezer door closed, the lights went out. Startled, I dropped the ice and backed into the freezer. “Hello?” I said into the darkness.

I heard something that sounded like a shoe scuffing the floor. My heart tried to lurch into my throat. I wasn’t alone.

Remembering there were flashlights hanging on the wall above the freezer, I turned and reached for the wall. Blindly, I felt around. My palms touched cool metal tools and wiry fishing lines before I felt the metal body of a flashlight. I ripped it off the wall and clicked it on. I pointed the light at the steps and my stomach hollowed out. Someone wearing a Jason ski mask was standing on the steps, staring right at me.

“Wasn’t it Ghostface who killed the girl in the garage?” I didn’t know why I’d asked that, but it did help keep my panic at bay as I tried to think.

I heard scuffing again. This time to my left. I whipped the flashlight in that direction and in between Colt and Keelan’s cars stood someone wearing a Ghostface mask. “There he is.”

The sound of boots coming down the steps urged me to shine my flashlight in that direction again. Sure enough, Jason was off the steps and heading my way. Shoes slapping the ground drew me to shine the light at Ghostface just in time to see their fist coming for my face. I ducked and shot my own fist out, hitting them in the center of their rubber mask.

They let out a masculine grunt. When I went to hit them again, something hard slammed into the back of my head.

I hadn’t known I had fallen to the ground until I forced my eyes open. When had I closed them? The flashlight I had been holding was on the ground, too, far away and shining on me.

My vision came and went. And when I could see, all I saw was booted feet. Multiple pairs, or I was seeing double. Or was it triple?

“I think the bitch broke my nose,” a muffled male voice said.

“Suck it up and help me carry her.”

I recognized that voice. Cassy.

Hands lifted me by my legs and underarms. In the distance, I thought I could hear the garage opening.

“Hurry up and help me, Amber,” Cassy hissed.

A new set of hands grasped my right leg.

“Gabe was supposed to carry her,” Amber grunted.

“She hit me,” Gabe grumbled.

The change in the air told me they had carried me out of the garage, and with the sound of twigs snapping underfoot, I knew they were taking me into the woods.

I tried to shake my head to clear it, but all I ended up doing was making myself realize how bad it hurt. Next, I tried to kick my legs free.

“She’s coming to,” Amber said.

“Just a little bit farther. We don’t want them to hear her scream,” Cassy said.

My adrenaline kicked in at hearing that and I began to struggle against their hold.

The three of them either grunted or cursed and the next thing I knew, I was being tossed. My back hit the ground first, knocking the air out of me a little. Before I could recover, someone in a Michael Myers mask climbed on top of me and then pressed something sharp and cold against my throat. I watched as they pulled off their mask. Cassy’s tawny hair was what I saw first, then her cruel eyes.

She stared down at me with such anger. “Your time is up.”

Feeling a knife up at my throat was something I’d hoped to never feel again. It still was terrifying, but not the same as it had been last time. There was reassurance in that. “And?”

My response was clearly not the one she’d expected, by the flicker of surprise followed by the intensifying anger that showed all over her face.

My mouth stretched into a menacing smile. “Do you plan to cut my throat? Or do you have rope stashed out here for you to hang me with?”

She increased the pressure of the knife against my neck. “You don’t think I’ll do it?”

“It’s what Daddy expects of you,” I said as I tried to feel around on the ground. “To clean up your mess that is making him look bad.”

My words set her eyes ablaze. “At least I have a dad.”

I chuckled. “At least mine was kind and showed me love.”

“Shut up,” she gritted.

“To answer your question…no. I don’t think you will cut my throat.” As I said that, my hand brushed over a rock. “Now Gabe, on the other hand, would do it. Maybe even Amber. Both of them just act without much thought and they allow their emotions to rule their actions. But you…you’re a coward. It’s why you always have others do the dirty work for you. You’re too afraid of what Daddy might do.”

“Shut up,” she growled out again, her anger building and building.

“Cassy,” Amber said.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Cassy snapped.

My smile grew at how easy she was making this. “You’re just a miserable little girl with a fucked-up home life and the only way you know how to deal with it is to take it out on others.”

“I said shut up!” she roared as she lifted the knife in the air, intending to bring it down on me.

But I was ready for her. I caught the wrist of her knife hand as it was coming toward me, and with a rock in hand, I swung, hitting her right in the temple. Cassy flew off of me, crying out.

I rolled and got to my hands and knees. I took a moment to assess where Gabe and Amber were. Stunned, they just stood there, staring at Cassy writhing on the ground. Taking advantage of their shocked states, I got to my feet.

Gabe, in his Ghostface mask, glanced in my direction as I took off running.

“Get her!” Amber yelled.

It was very dark. I tripped many times in my heels, which resulted in me scraping my knee and rolling my ankle. The only light I could see was coming from the cabin. It shone between the trees like stars. I ran in that direction, desperate to get help. I could hear Gabe and Amber gaining on me. With their boots and knowing exactly what direction I was heading, they’d undoubtedly catch up to me.

Logan’s voice popped into my head. “Never take the obvious road.”

I changed direction. I began running further from the cabin.

“Where’d she go?” I heard Amber say and I ducked behind a tree.

“I don’t know. She was just here,” Gabe said, his voice echoing through the trees.

I did my best to keep my breathing quiet. I was thanking the universe I’d picked up running or else I’d be winded right now.

“She’s in a white fucking costume, Gabe. How did you lose her?” Amber snapped.

“Don’t put that shit on me. You lost her, too.”

As they bickered, I worked quietly to undo the straps of my heels and take them off.

Amber let out a frustrated growl. “We need to split up. I’ll go check the cabin and make sure she didn’t somehow make it back there and you look around here.”

Gabe didn’t respond, but I knew they had gone their separate ways. The forest became quiet, and I couldn’t gauge where Gabe had gone.

Look or run? I debated.

“Shiloh!”

“Shi!”

“Shiloh!”

I heard my guys shout for me. They sounded so far away, and I couldn’t yell back. Not without leading Gabe right to me.

Something snapping sounded near me. My debate was over. I ran. I ran further from my guys.

Pine needles, twigs, and rocks stabbed the bottoms of my feet, but I didn’t let the pain slow me down. The pounding of boots and heavy breathing was right behind me.

Don’t stop!

You can outrun him!

For a moment, I thought I could, until my foot caught on the root of a large tree. Before I could catch myself, I was tackled to the ground.

I screamed. I screamed as loud and as long as I could, praying my guys would hear me. But my scream was cut off when Gabe slammed his hand over my mouth as he climbed on top of me, straddling my hips.

I easily knocked his hand away and clawed at his mask, knocking it off.

He snarled down at me, baring his teeth, and he smacked me across my face. I smacked him back, making sure to hit his bloody and swollen nose.

“You stupid bitch!” he roared and caught my wrists, pinning them to the ground on either side of my head with a bruising grip.

“You’re the stupid bitch,” I said and thrust my hips upward, slamming them into his butt and propelling him forward. He could either let go of my wrists or nosedive into the ground above my head. He let go to catch himself. With my arms free, I slammed my elbow down where his arm bent, captured that arm between mine and my ribs, and rolled us. It was stupidly easy to gain the upper hand and once I had him pinned beneath me, I jabbed my elbow into his face. He went limp and I quickly climbed off of him.

As I backed away, he let out a groan and sluggishly touched his face. I didn’t stick around after that.

“Shiloh!” I heard Keelan yell, his voice close enough for me to know it was him.

“Keelan!” I yelled as I ran toward his voice.

“Shi!” Creed yelled and a light turned in my direction, illuminating my way.

I ran through a cluster of trees, and as they cleared, a large figure pointing a light at me appeared. “Knox!” I cried, knowing it was him. Tears filling my eyes, I ran faster.

He met me halfway and caught me as I leapt for him. “I got her!” he shouted as he hiked me up higher in his arms.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I buried my face in his shoulder and cried.

“Is she all right?”

“What happened?”

I heard Colt and Creed, sounding close.

“She’s hurt,” Keelan said. “Back of her head.”

“Do we call the police?” Creed asked.

“No,” I said weakly. My adrenaline was crashing fast and every injury I had begun to hurt. “It was Cassy, Gabe, and Amber. They attacked me in the garage and hit me over the head with something. Then they dragged me out to the woods. I fought them off. If we call the police, I wouldn’t put it past the sheriff to twist things and make it seem like I attacked them. Then he’ll go after you for having a party and serving alcohol to those under drinking age.”

“Then what do we do?” Colt asked.

“We take her to the hospital,” Knox said.

“And we call her uncle,” Keelan added.

Creed let out a curse.

“The rest of us aren’t happy about it, either, but he’s the only one that can help,” Keelan said.

Decision made, Knox started moving, carrying me back toward the cabin.

As we approached the house, I spotted Ethan and Isabelle standing in front of the open garage. Both looked visibly worried and when Isabelle saw me, her shoulders slumped.

“Shit,” Colt snapped. “Our cars are blocked in.”

We all glanced at the long dirt driveway that led up to the cabin and it was full of cars.

Keelan looked at Colt and Creed. “Clear out the party, right now.”

Colt and Creed didn’t argue and ran ahead of us, pausing for only a moment to say something to Ethan. Ethan nodded at whatever they said to him and the three of them ran inside.

Isabelle came up to us. “Are you all right?”

I didn’t get to answer her because Knox stormed right past her and went into the house through the garage. The music was off by the time we got inside, and Colt and Creed were telling everyone the party was over.

Knox carried me to his room and laid me on the bed. Kneeling by the bedside, he began looking me over. My once-white costume was now smudged with dirt, blood, and pine needles. My stockings were ripped and bloody.

“The back of her head,” Keelan reminded Knox from where he hovered behind him.

“Roll over, Shiloh,” Knox ordered and gently helped me.

Both hissed. “There’s a first aid kit under the kitchen sink,” Knox said, and I heard Keelan rush out of the room.

“Can I do something to help?” I heard Isabelle say with trembling words.

“You can come hold my hand,” I said, wanting to comfort my friend.

The sound of Isabelle’s dress swishing got louder as she got closer. In her beautiful, elegant mermaid dress, she climbed onto the bed next to me and took my hand.

Her eyes were watery. “When you didn’t come back, I went looking for you. I found the ice on the ground in the garage and drops of blood. I went and got Colt and Creed right away.”

I squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

Keelan returned with the first aid kit and Knox got to work collecting things and ripping them open. “It’s going to be a little bit before everyone clears out of here. Until then, I’m going to clean this and bandage you up to stop the bleeding,” Knox explained calmly. “Did you lose consciousness when they hit you?”

“Yes, for a moment,” I answered honestly.

“She could have a concussion,” Keelan said with a tight voice.

Gently, Knox began to clean my wound. “From the beginning, can you tell us everything that happened?”

I squeezed Isabelle’s hand again and, in detail, told them everything that had happened.