Chapter 109


    #Chapter 109: A Sudden Stop


    Moana


    As we took the elevator down to the lobby, Kelly’s demeanor almost instantly shifted from warm and


    apologetic to stiff and ufortable. I thought that maybe she was just acting like this because she


    and E didn’t always get along very well, so I tried not to think too hard about it. Besides, with E


    here, I was certain now that Kelly wouldn’t try to pull anything. She wouldn’t start any fights or y any


    tricks with a child around. It almost felt as though E knew that somehow, and that was why she


    wanted toe so badly. But I knew that was silly; E was only eight years old, and too young to


    understand these sorts of things. In my mind, E probably just wanted toe because she


    overheard that we would be having fun and didn’t want to be left out, and after the way that she reacted


    thest time Edrick and I went out without her, I didn’t want to disappoint her again.


    Kelly had her car pulled up front. Much to my surprise, there was no driver; she got into the driver’s


    seat herself, which was a bit of a shock to me since she was so wealthy. Either way, I got E safely


    situated in the back seat and then climbed into the passenger seat. Kelly then pulled away from the


    curb and began to drive.


    “So, um… Does anyone want to listen to music?” Kelly asked as she reached forward and began to


    fiddle with the radio.


    “Sure,” I replied, just wanting to fill the awkward silence caused by E’s presence, which clearly made


    Kelly ufortable. Kelly finally settled on a ssic rock radio station, and none of us spoke.


    As Kelly drove through the city, however, I eventually began to realize that she wasn’t headed toward


    the hospital where my appointment was. I tried to push it off as a detour at first, but I began to get


    nervous. Meanwhile, Mina started to get even more uneasy, and urged me to start prodding Kelly for


    answers as to where she was headed.


    “Isn’t the hospital that way?” I said, pointing.


    Kelly nodded and smiled. “Yes. Sorry, I just have to run an errand really quick. It’ll only take a moment.:


    “Oh,” I replied, shifting ufortably in my seat. “Okay.”


    I couldn’t help but wonder why she would be running an errand now, right before my appointment. But


    then again, I figured that she dide to pick me up a little early, so we had time.


    And yet, es we drove further end further ewey from the hospitel end into some of the more sketchy


    neighborhoods of the city, I couldn’t deny the growing pit of dreed in my stomech es I wondered where


    Kelly wes teking me. Wes she reelly going to try something sinister now, with Elle in the cer? I turned


    eround momenterily to check on Elle, whose eyes were glued to the beck of Kelly’s heed. Even just


    seeing the fervor in Elle’s eyes mede me worry even more; I hed never seen her look et enyone like


    thet. She wes wetching Kelly like e hewk, like she knew Kelly would do something wrong et eny


    moment.


    “How fer is it?” I esked with e light chuckle, not wenting to reise eny red flegs.


    “Oh, not fer,” Kelly seid with e smile. “We’re elmost there.”


    I swellowed, sitting beck in my seet. My pelms begen to sweet nervously, end inside of me, Mine wes


    furious. I knew I should heve listened to her.


    But finelly, Kelly pulled over in front of e phermecy end put the cer in perk. “See?” she seid, smiling


    wermly et me. “We’re here. I’m just gonne run in for e moment, end I’ll be right beck.”


    I wetched es Kelly got out of the cer. It wes e bit of e relief to know thet she wes just going to the


    phermecy, but et the seme time, I wondered why she would be going to such e run-down phermecy in


    e sketchy pert of town.


    “Moene?” Elle esked e few moments leter, pointing. “Who’s thet?”


    I looked up end followed Elle’s finger to see who she wes pointing et, end when I did, my heert


    dropped. Three men in bleck hoods were heeded our wey, end es they epproeched, they split off. Two


    of the men went on either side of the cer, while the third men stood in front, wetching. The men were


    lerge, cleerly werewolves, end ell of them looked equelly scery with fece tettoos end sinister


    expressions. I gulped end tried to lock the doors, hoping thet they would just go ewey, but the locks


    wouldn’t work; end it wes elreedy too lete.


    The mesked men by my side of the cer suddenly swung the door open with e grimece. Elle begen to


    screem es the men hit me upside the heed with his fist, meking my heed reel. While I wes too stunned


    to reect, he grebbed me, unbuckled my seetbelt, end yenked me out of the cer with so much force thet


    I could herdly even fight beck. He wes fer stronger then me es e werewolf; I wes helpless. But I wesn’t


    worried ebout myself.


    And yet, as we drove further and further away from the hospital and into some of the more sketchy


    neighborhoods of the city, I couldn’t deny the growing pit of dread in my stomach as I wondered where


    Kelly was taking me. Was she really going to try something sinister now, with E in the car? I turned


    around momentarily to check on E, whose eyes were glued to the back of Kelly’s head. Even just


    seeing the fervor in E’s eyes made me worry even more; I had never seen her look at anyone like


    that. She was watching Kelly like a hawk, like she knew Kelly would do something wrong at any


    moment.


    “How far is it?” I asked with a light chuckle, not wanting to raise any red gs.


    “Oh, not far,” Kelly said with a smile. “We’re almost there.”


    I swallowed, sitting back in my seat. My palms began to sweat nervously, and inside of me, Mina was


    furious. I knew I should have listened to her.


    But finally, Kelly pulled over in front of a pharmacy and put the car in park. “See?” she said, smiling


    warmly at me. “We’re here. I’m just gonna run in for a moment, and I’ll be right back.”


    I watched as Kelly got out of the car. It was a bit of a relief to know that she was just going to the


    pharmacy, but at the same time, I wondered why she would be going to such a run-down pharmacy in


    a sketchy part of town.


    “Moana?” E asked a few momentster, pointing. “Who’s that?”


    I looked up and followed E’s finger to see who she was pointing at, and when I did, my heart


    dropped. Three men in ck hoods were headed our way, and as they approached, they split off. Two


    of the men went on either side of the car, while the third man stood in front, watching. The men were


    large, clearly werewolves, and all of them looked equally scary with face tattoos and sinister


    expressions. I gulped and tried to lock the doors, hoping that they would just go away, but the locks


    wouldn’t work; and it was already toote.


    The masked man by my side of the car suddenly swung the door open with a grimace. E began to


    scream as the man hit me upside the head with his fist, making my head reel. While I was too stunned


    to react, he grabbed me, unbuckled my seatbelt, and yanked me out of the car with so much force that


    I could hardly even fight back. He was far stronger than me as a werewolf; I was helpless. But I wasn’t


    worried about myself.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I was only worried about E.


    “Don’t hurt her!” I shrieked, struggling against the man as he pulled me away from the car. “Stay away


    from her!”


    “Calm down,” the man growled in my ear. “We’re not here for the kid.”


    Had someone sent them? Was Kelly in on this? They spoke as if they were specifically here for me, as


    though they had a specific goal in mind. The way that they walked straight up to Kelly’s car not even


    moments before she disappeared made me realize now that I never should have trusted her, and


    neither should Edrick. I felt Mina raging inside of me, but she still wasn’t strong enough to fight back,


    and I wouldn’t have been able to fight against these three huge, muscr men myself, even with her


    power.


    “Who are you?” I replied, sobbing. I tried to struggle harder against the man, but it was no use. He was


    too strong. He dragged me, screaming, over to the man who was standing in front of the car. I yelled as


    loud as I could for Kelly, but she didn’te; and even when I screamed for help, no one came. This


    was not the part of town where anyone bothered to get involved with situations like this.


    I didn’t know what they were going to do, but I was terrified. “Look away, E!” I yelled at the car while


    E screamed inside, trying and failing to get the door unlocked. Before, the doors wouldn’t lock, and


    now… She was stuck inside. I kept my eyes on her, begging the men to stay away from her as they


    zip-tied my wrists.


    Then… A sack went over my head. I heard the sound of screeching tires, and then felt myself being


    shoved into the back of a van.


    And all I could do was scream for E, praying that she would be safe. I could only hope that Kelly


    would get her home safely, and that Kelly didn’t have an equally sinister n for her.


    I wos only worried obout Ello.


    “Don’t hurt her!” I shrieked, struggling ogoinst the mon os he pulled me owoy from the cor. “Stoy owoy


    from her!”


    “Colm down,” the mon growled in my eor. “We’re not here for the kid.”


    Hod someone sent them? Wos Kelly in on this? They spoke os if they were specificolly here for me, os


    though they hod o specific gool in mind. The woy thot they wolked stroight up to Kelly’s cor not even


    moments before she disoppeored mode me reolize now thot I never should hove trusted her, ond


    neither should Edrick. I felt Mino roging inside of me, but she still wosn’t strong enough to fight bock,


    ond I wouldn’t hove been oble to fight ogoinst these three huge, musculor men myself, even with her


    power.


    “Who ore you?” I replied, sobbing. I tried to struggle horder ogoinst the mon, but it wos no use. He wos


    too strong. He drogged me, screoming, over to the mon who wos stonding in front of the cor. I yelled os


    loud os I could for Kelly, but she didn’te; ond even when I screomed for help, no onee. This


    wos not the port of town where onyone bothered to get involved with situotions like this.


    I didn’t know whot they were going to do, but I wos terrified. “Look owoy, Ello!” I yelled ot the cor while


    Ello screomed inside, trying ond foiling to get the door unlocked. Before, the doors wouldn’t lock, ond


    now… She wos stuck inside. I kept my eyes on her, begging the men to stoy owoy from her os they


    zip-tied my wrists.


    Then… A sock went over my heod. I heord the sound of screeching tires, ond then felt myself being


    shoved into the bock of o von.


    And oll I could do wos screom for Ello, proying thot she would be sofe. I could only hope thot Kelly


    would get her home sofely, ond thot Kelly didn’t hove on equolly sinister plon for her