Thirty-Nine
Skye
Iwas immediately drenched in cool rain, covered in mud, my knees digging into the wet earth. Despite the gun aimed at my head, I hunched over and vomited. The booze, the food—everything came roaring out of me until my ribs ached, and my head swam.
I vaguely heard the man swearing above me, making disgusted sounds as I dug my hands into the soil, emptying my stomach. I wrapped my arm around my stomach as I pressed my forehead against the wet grass, trying to breathe through the hysteria.
What the fuck was happening?
My ears were ringing so loud, the man’s voice sounded muddled when he demanded I turn to face him. I shook my head. “I can’t move…”
My body was too weak, the shock still zipping through my system. Paralysed with fear, I felt frail, slumping against the ground like a wet noodle.
Was this real?
Or was I still dreaming?
I didn’t know how long I slumped there, sick, world spinning around me when I heard footsteps and more French exchanged between the man over me and another.
Something about money.
They were definitely talking about money.
And that they were going to take something—anything.
“La fille,” one said.
And it suddenly began to register.
Take the girl.
Oh, fuck.
I went completely still, twisting my head to look at them. But it was eerily dark outside. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was light flooding from the cabin windows, but it was dim.
Suddenly, more noise sounded. I could hear Hunter’s voice drawing near. My heart jumped as his form and Leo’s came into view. A man was prodding at Hunter’s back, pushing him forward with his gun; he did the same to Leo. He led them to where I was, and I slowly sat up, searching for Leo’s eyes in the dark.
“On your knees,” the leader ordered them.
Leo and Hunter dropped to their knees. Leo’s arms were outstretched, like he was trying to take hold of the situation, while Hunter went perfectly still, saying nothing.
My eyes zoned in on Leo’s, and I stared at him, unable to break away.
“I can give you money,” Leo was saying, his voice calm, controlled, any fear absent from it. “I can transfer you whatever you want, alright? Is that what you want?”
“You can’t give me shit out here,” the big man retorted. “You think I’m stupid?”
“Then how do you want to go about this?”
“We’re going to take the girl—”
“No, you’re not—”
“We’re going to give you a deadline, we’re going to tell you what to do, and what we want—”
“You’re not taking her.” Leo’s voice dropped lower, his tone lethal now.
But the big man twisted his body to look down at Leo. “Listen here, you’ll do as I say or you’re going to die.”