I continued to fight with everything I had to get free as the person holding me turned and ran down the street, before turning into an alley which looked deserted apart from a green van, parked with the side door wide open.
As I took in the sickly green colour of it, flashbacks hit me of eight years before when this exact thing had happened to me before. It was The Shadow. He had me again, and as he threw me violently into the back of the van and slammed the door, just as he had all of those years ago, I realised once again, just how weak and defenseless I was against the monster. In the end none of Kyle’s training, none of my new found bravery and confidence mattered. He had snatched me just as he had when I was a helpless nine year old kid, and once again I had been powerless to stop him.
As the van started up, warmth trickled down my forehead and I realised I had hit it hard enough to draw blood when I landed in the metal bed of the van.
I wanted to get up and scream, fight- something! I could try to open the door and jump out. The guys would be searching for me, they’d find me, I knew they would if I could just get free. Except when I tried to stand ,my body was uncooperative, and within seconds of the vehicle moving, my vision started to blur and darken, then all was black.
Alone in the Darkness, with The Shadow once again, was my last heartbreaking, soul destroying thought.
MATT
Livy hesitated in the doorway, and who could blame her with the fucking craziness before us. The place was insane, filled with people out of their minds with anger and rage. The cops were trying to soothe the situation, but it was definitely a losing battle for them.
I turned to where she had halted just inside the door, her face pale with fear and her entire body visibly trembling.
I was so damned pissed with myself for even taking her there. I knew something wasn’t right the second she told me what was going on. Kade would never have sent for her like that. He’d have called Cole or I, and asked us to get her there. I’d been an idiot to bring her into this hell hole.
I began to move toward her, deciding to get her home instead of making her face the angry riot around us. She didn’t need to go through this chaos. We could keep her safe from whatever was messing with us at home. I took two steps to her when suddenly screams broke out behind me. I turned looking for the danger, and found the entire fucking crowd hurtling right for us, all stampeding for the exit.
I moved to get to Livy before she was crushed by them, but my grip was torn from hers and I couldn’t get to her through the madness of every fucking person there running for their life.
I heard voices behind me, yelling that someone had been stabbed and calling for an ambulance, but I didn’t have time to stop, I had to get to Livy before whoever had brought her there did.
“MATT?” I turned and found Kade battling his way through to get to me. I pointed to the door, then plowed through, knocking people on their asses with no regard as I went. Nothing was stopping me getting to Livy.
I charged through the door, shoving people out of my way as I went, then leapt down the steps and searched the sea of frantic people for her.
Knowing she would avoid the crowds, I looked over to my truck, and around all of the less populated parts of the street, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.
I set off running to my right, looking in every possible place she could curl up and hide, knowing she would do that if she was scared.
“Matt? Where is she?” Kade yelled as he ran toward me.
“Check down that way. She could be hiding!” I yelled as I carried on in the direction I had chosen, directing Kade down the opposite way.
When I got to the end of the street I stopped and turned back, checking every inch once again. I doubted she would leave the street we were on. She would want to be close to us, I was sure of it, especially if she was shaken.
“Anything?” Kade asked as he met me back out front of the precinct. The building seemed to have been cleared out now, everyone from reception now in a huddle in the middle of the street.
“No. What the fuck happened?” I asked as I continued to scour the area around us for her.
“Someone was stabbed. I don’t know the details.” He explained. “Are you sure she came out here?”
“She had to. She was in the doorway, and there’s no way she pushed through that crowd pouring out. I barely made it through.” I reasoned.
“Fuck! Keep searching. If she came out here she was likely terrified and hid. I’ll call Ky and Cole to come and help, then see if I can get surveillance footage.” He nodded to the cameras mounted over the doorway of the precinct.
“I’m on it. Dad should be here soon too.” I set off running again, this time past the huge crown to check the other side of the street. It was unlikely Livy would pass all of these strangers alone, but if she was scared enough, she could have been disoriented.
I was at the end of the street once again, having found no sign of Livy when my Dad’s range rover swung around the corner and parked up before me.
“Matt? What the hell is going on? Where’s Livy?” He asked as he leapt out.
“I don’t know!” I snapped.
