Leaving The Way: Book Two (The Way Trilogy), стр. 30
“Oddly, I don’t think you had anything to do with the attack on the church. No, I think you are just a stupid little girl, but unfortunately for you, you know too much. I’ll be taking you back to the Vater, and if I was to guess, you will be quietly put to death. And if not, I’m going to make sure you suffer just like your friend.” He pauses, shaking his head. His eyes shining in the light of the moon are filled with glee, and then he says something that stops me in my tracks. “Would you like to see her? Would you like to see what your punishment will look like?”
It’s then that he nods behind him and one of his men I hadn’t noticed before steps forward, a girl held in his grasp. But not just any girl, it’s Ash. The sight of her immediately has tears gushing down my face, but not because I’m relieved or happy to see her.
No, no, no.
Her face is covered in dried blood and barely recognizable. Even in the dim light I can tell she’s lost too much weight, as if she hasn’t eaten since I last saw her. A sob escapes my throat, but I can’t speak.
What has he done to her?
“This is what you have to look forward too, little girl. Come here, turn yourself in, and I’ll consider allowing you to eat every few days during your torture.” He thrusts his hand out toward me, but I’m pulled back by my shirt into a wide chest.
“When I say run, Anna, you run. You don’t think, you don’t talk, you just run. Go get help, and I promise I’ll protect your friend,” the General says in a barely audible whisper.
Not wanting to tip David off to our plan, I don’t respond. Hell, I don’t even flinch. I just wait.
The General steps away from me, nodding to my father who’s been oddly silent this whole time. The two exchange an understanding glance, and then it happens.
“Run!”
I don’t think, I don’t talk, I just run.
Oh, and I scream my ever loving head off. Please God let someone hear me. A guard, someone out for a five a.m. jog, anyone. I don’t care who it is, but we need help. I have a horrible feeling as I run faster than I have in my whole life, that even if I make it to The Castle, when I get back here with help, my mother, my father, Ash, and even the General, will all be dead.
I can hear quick footsteps chasing me, but I don’t look back. Out of the corner of my eye I can see men closing in on me from both sides, guess I was right. We were totally surrounded. I scream Luke’s name, Mateo’s, Daniels, Cody’s, and even Chase. I scream until my voice is raw, and that’s the moment it all ends. That’s the moment I’m tackled to the ground by a very large, very sweaty body.
My face is shoved into the dirt while something hard presses into my ass. God let that be his knee. Crossing my fingers its anything but…
Something slams into my ribs, and I hear a very loud crack, followed by a bang. I slap my hands over my ears because I know that sound. The church doesn’t have guns though, so what’s happening.
I’m roughly pulled from the ground and encased by two strong arms. Looking up I see the shock of platinum hair I’ve grown to love, glistening in the moonlight. I could cry right now, but I know I can’t. There’s no time for it.
“Ash. They have Ash.”
“Show me, Little Minx.”
Turning around, I head back in the direction I came from. There’s fighting going on all around me. It seems there were more than just two men chasing me. I count at least six, but Luke isn’t alone either. I see Daniel stab a man through with a hunting knife as I clutch my possibly broken ribs, rushing back to Ash.
Luke lets out a whistle, and I turn to see at least ten men following us. Good, that’s good. We will still be outnumbered, but they don’t have guns, we do.
When I pass a large oak tree not long later, I see one of the most amazing things of my life, the General. He fights like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I can see now why Luke wanted him to train us.
As we approach, the General throws a haymaker of a punch and the guy goes flying at least ten feet, blood spraying out of his nose and mouth as a tooth goes flying. I’m happy to see he isn’t dead. There were at least twenty men against him, and he’s still up, throwing punches like the lunatic he is.
Frantically, I search the area for Ash, for David, but nothing. They couldn’t have gone far, but it’s not good that I don’t see them. Does it mean he thought they were losing so he took her and ran?
“Ash!” I hear Chase scream her name as he goes flying past me like a bat out of hell.
He must see her, but where?
“There!” Luke yells, pointing his finger and taking off at a sprint.
Before I can get my legs to work, Cody passes me too, following Luke, and then I’m off. I can see her now, being drug along the ground by her hair. That son of a bitch is running. Realized he couldn’t win and ran like a coward.
David turns over his shoulder, seeing Chase barreling down on him, his eyes going wide. I can see it in his eyes the minute he makes the decision and lets her go, her head falling violently to the ground.
She was slowing him down, and he knew he couldn’t win this one.
Once he’s