The repetitive sounds of Luke pacing is like a lullaby, and between that and my thoughts, I start to drift off. I try not to, but it’s no use.
***
ANNA
The door to the house bursts open, startling Cody and I both from sleep. I look up to see an unconscious Chase being drug through the front door by Tommy.
“Chase!” I yell as I jump to my feet and reach to help.
Getting Chase down on the ground, I grab a small wool blanket from bag, balling it up to place under his head.
“What happened?” Luke asks, his voice laced with worry.
Tommy shakes his head before responding, “It was a lot darker the first time I went out, that’s probably how I missed him. I found him a good two-hundred yards this side of the wall, face down and unconscious.” He pauses, reaching in his bag and pulling out what looks like a medical kit. “He’s got a pretty good sized gash on the back of his head. Looks like someone knocked him out.”
Cody and I kneel on one side of Chase, while Luke and Tommy take positions on the other. Luke rolls Chase toward me so we can get a better look at the gash. Tommy was right, it looks pretty bad but not fatal. A few stiches should do the trick. Although, he probably has a concussion.
I don’t understand though, where is Ash?
I ask Tommy that, and he doesn’t look up from his work when he responds, “I don’t know. It’s possible I missed her but I don’t think so. The sun was starting to come up this second time, and I just don’t think I would have missed her. Plus, why knock them out and then leave them lying there. No, I think someone knocked this guy out and took your friend. If I was to guess, they took her back to the compound.”
Shit, that’s what I was afraid of.
He cleans away the blood and dirt around the wound before pulling out a suture kit. It takes only eight stiches to close it up. Then covering the wound with some gauze, the guys roll Chase on his back and stand.
“Now what?” I ask.
“Now we wait for him to wake up, Anna. Not much else we can do,” Luke says as he turns his back to me.
What’s with him? I was pretty sure the only reason I couldn’t have him was because he was out here and I was in there, but now we’re together. So what’s the issue? Why is he being so cold toward me? If he didn’t want me, then he shouldn’t have showed up to help us escape.
I sit back on my haunches because despite his cool attitude, I know he’s right. We need Chase to wake up and hopefully shed some light on what happened to my best friend. Only, I’m not very good at waiting, so I secretly nudge Chase with my toe over and over while no one is looking, hoping that will speed up the process.
“Anna, stop kicking Chase,” Cody admonishes.
Ugh, fine!
If I have to wait on him to wake up on his own, then I’m gonna need some fresh air, so I walk through the front door and out onto the porch. I see one of Luke’s friends patrolling the area, but other than him and the trees, there’s nothing else for as far as I can see. The sun is rising in the east, casting orange and pink hues on the sky above, and despite the beauty of it, the freezing temperature ruins it. Frost clings to the branches of a bush to my left, and an icicle dangles from the roof eave to my right.
When we escaped the compound I was wearing my ceremony dress my mother had made, and while the lace is beautiful, it does nothing to protect me from the freezing temperatures of January. The bags we packed needed to be small, so for whatever reason, I hadn’t wanted to take up space with my coat. I’m really regretting that decision now.
The boards creak behind me, and a warm thin material is draped over my shoulders. I pull the coat tighter around me, and Luke moves to the side leaning a hip against the porches support beam. I don’t want to speak first, in fact, I’m not even sure what to say. Thanks for saving me? You look totally hot right now? We’re back together, right? I figure I should probably go with the thank you first, but Luke cuts me off.
“Are you okay?”
Absolutely not! How could I be after everything that’s happened, but I’m not sure I want to tell him that. I’m not sure where Luke and I stand.
Letting out a soft sigh and watching the fog escape my lips, I try to be honest. “I’m okay, just worried about Ash, and Chase for that matter. I guess I just have a lot of questions.”
“Like?” He asks, turning to lean his back against the beam, facing me.
“Like, who the hell hit Chase over the back of the head, why did they take Ash, and what are they going to do to her? Oh, and why did you come to help us?”
The last question causes a look of surprise to spread across his face, and perhaps involuntarily, he takes a step toward me before stopping.
“That’s a lot of questions,” he says. Pausing, he brushes a hand through his messy platinum locks. “I don’t know who did it or why, but I do know we’ll find out and get her back. I promise you that. As for the last question, to be honest, I hadn’t planned on coming to rescue you.”
I can’t help the crushed look that crosses my face, and I can feel the tears welling in the
corner of my eyes
