It would not make sense for him to help me this far to turn his back. I had a gun and knew how to use it. Chase was the one who taught me, so I know he would not try anything.
I shake my head to Chase, and he gives a reassuring gesture that he understands.
When we walk inside his massive home, he opens a closet door and bends over. He comes up with a pair of pink runners, with a smile. “Now you can run in style. They’re my mom’s. I don’t even think she ever used them.”
“Why are you helping me?” I ask him bluntly. “You’re a Beast. Why are you going against your own? What do they even want with me?”
“Plenty of time to talk on our long journey today. We have a lot to talk about, trust me. I’ll grab everything and meet you at the kennel out back.”
“Why?”
“My dogs are hungry. Something tells me I need to be your personal driver all night to get out of this mess. I know you’re not a huge fan of Jack and Jill. Never mind, I can do it.”
“No, it’s okay. I remember where their food is.”
We part ways, and I make my way outside to the Aldridge’s backyard. Inside a large fenced in kennel is Jack and Jill. They look pretty pissed off as soon as they see me. Both bark furiously at me until I get closer to a large plastic bin where their food is kept. Both suddenly look at me like I am their best friend.
I throw some food to Jill, and she tears into her fancy dog food. Jack comes up to the fence and sticks his snout through the rings. I was afraid of both of his dogs, and still am of Jill kind of, but Jack has sort of grown on me. I feed him his food from my hand.
Chase walks up to us with a smile. “Aren’t you guys getting along like old pals.” He places a large duffle bag on the floor beside me. “I think we have everything you will need. Before you go, I need to know something.” I look at him with a smile but meet his cold gaze. “Did you kill them?”
“What?”
“Nat? Jax? Did you kill them? Are they dead? What exactly did you do with them?”
“No, I escaped from them. They had me in some run-down house.”
Chase looks at me with narrow eyes. “That makes no fucking sense, sweetheart. None. They would have killed you, not keep you hostage.”
“I swear. Can we just go?”
Chase looks at his watch. “It’s ten thirty-three. I’m a sport. I’ll give you ten minutes.” He takes out his cell phone and starts recording a video. He raises the phone towards my face, smiling and prompting me to wave at him.
“What the fuck is this? Ten minutes for what?” I start backing away from him, the whole time he keeps a psychotic smile targeted at me with his cell phone in front of his face.
“My dogs are still hungry.” Chase frowns for a moment. “The rules are that there is supposed to be a witness for this, and they record it, but I suspect nobody will complain too much. We are usually sticklers for rules, but you’re an exception.” I point my gun at him, but he does not blink an eye and looks back down at his watch. “You lost a minute already, love. You should probably start running. I gave you the shoes because I am a sport. Oh yeah, by the way, you can only run towards the bush in my backyard. If you run towards the front of my house, I’ll open the kennel right away.” He smiles at me and looks at his watch intently.
I take out the magazine from the handgun and realize with horror that there’s no bullets inside. “You fucking asshole!” I throw the gun at him, and it strikes him in the face hard.
He covers his face in pain. “You bitch! Not the face! That’s going to cost you!” He whistles, and Jack and Jill start furiously barking at us. “This is going to be the most gruesome Ritual, ever. One for the records. You’re about to be famous!” Chase looks at me through his cell phone with a devilish smile.
I turn and run, without looking back. I run towards the forest surrounding Chase’s property. Last time I was able to stay safe from his dogs by climbing a tree. Once I am safe, I can call the police with my cell. His dog’s barking is getting more distant as I run like hell towards the forest.
Suddenly, the sounds of the dogs are getting closer rather than further away. Had ten minutes already past?
I continue to run as fast as I can, but I can hear the dogs are getting closer. Suddenly, I hear a gunshot and manage to go run even faster. The loud barking of the trailing dogs lessens a moment, then I hear the sounds of one dog getting closer.
I look back and can see Jill panting and running right at me about a hundred yards away. I notice a thick broken branch on the ground and stop to pick it up.
I turn towards Jill and close my eyes. I breath out slowly and look at her. “Come on, you fucking bitch!”
Chapter 7
Lance
From inside his home, I see Chase opening his dog kennel. His two large ferocious dogs run out through the field.
Chase raises his cell phone in his hand and tapes his dogs.
I know immediately what he is doing, and it makes me sick. The smug smile of satisfaction on his face makes me feel more ill.
I open the backdoor, and he looks at me, wiping away that smug smile almost immediately. I’m not sure if it’s my presence or the double-barreled shotgun I have pointed at him that
