Respect

Chapter 7: Danger Unknown

Athena's POV
After my terrifying encounter with 'him' I couldn't sleep for days. That night, Brady had come to pick me up with Heather and Seven. They found me in the library area, I had heard him leave but I never made the mistake of going out.

It had been a week since that night and I never saw him, maybe he stopped harassing me.

I still went to class though, but I was so convinced that he was watching me. I never could stop looking over my shoulder. Heather said I was going crazy, I almost started to believe it too.

Exams were nearing and I knew I had to focus, but how could I, he knew everything about me. Brady could read me like a book and he knew I was afraid so, he moved to our dorm to keep me company until after the exams. I was already planning to go on vacation with Seven. It would be a very good distraction from all our problems and also to help us get over mom's passing.

It was late out and I was just finishing feeding the animals in the clinic. I've always had a strong passion for animals so, I decided to work at our local vet clinic for my second job. My current course of interest was already medicine, now humans and animals are different I know that, but it was a good opportunity for me. Animals made me feel so good and helped take my mind off things.

"Athena" my boss Mr Lee called out
"Yes sir"
"I'll be going now. Make sure you feed all of them and fill their water bowls before you leave okay" he instructed
"Sure Mr Lee. Have a good night sir!" I shouted to him

The clinic was very quiet now, and with the silence came my fear. I started to imagine all sorts of things about Daniel Terranova.

What if he knows I'm here

I panicked and quickly finished up and got ready to leave. I got my bag and locked the front door from the inside and left through the back door. I thought that if he really was watching me, surely he'd watch from the front and not the back....right.

I started walking home. Brady had been driving me in my car ever since Daniel appeared in my life. He had told me to call him when I was done with my shift, I didn't. I was so scared I thought something would happen to me if I stayed there any longer.

There weren't many people out but, it was quite late anyway. The road was very dark and scary. Cabs in this area stop driving at a scheduled time so I had no chances of hitching one.

As I was walking, I thought to myself:

Why should I really be this scared? If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it a long time ago but he didn't, so! Why should I be the one to live in fear 24/7 it's not fair. He should be the one who's afraid, he's the criminal not me.

After a short pep talk with myself, I felt better, kind of, and decided to listen to some music as I walked, to make this walk less....boring. I plugged in my earphones and listened away.

I felt safe, until I saw the headlights of a car moving behind. It's not weird to see a car on the road, but at this hour. It had been behind me for some time. I turned to look back but was blinded by the light.

I kept walking and it kept moving. My fear came back and this time it hit hard. I looked back again and it was still following me. I reached a corner leading into an alley, turned and started running. I soon heard car doors slam shut and I was convinced that I was being chased.

I was so tired. Everything in me screamed for mercy, but I just wanted to not get caught. I could hear voices behind me as they took big steps to get to me. I reached a fence of some sort and tried to climb it, but it was high, I would never climb fast enough. So, I hid behind a few barrels and held my mouth because I knew, I'd screech.

"Where is she!" some man shouted
"We can't loose that girl!" another man said
"Find her, she couldn't have gotten far. I don't care if it takes you the whole night, but we're getting that girl you understand me" he growled out and they complied

I heard them all run back down the alley, all except for one who I suspected was their leader. He was on the phone. I followed his conversation well:

"We lost her boss. My men are out scouting the area for her. Rest assured ma'am, we will find her and bring her to you"

Ma'am? What the hell!

He cut the call and started walking away when he suddenly stopped and started walking towards the barrels. I could feel my heart racing. He got closer and closer, and just stopped and turned. When my phone rang.

Oh please NO!

I tried to turn it off when the barrel flew away from me and I was facing my future. I screamed as he grabbed me by the hand. I tried to fight him off but he was strong and he never let go.

He turned me and punched me twice in the face and once in the stomach. I could feel the blood rushing to my head and feeling very light headed. He tossed me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing and started to walk. I swung there until I passed out cold.
_______
My head hurt badly, and so did my stomach. I woke up in a dark room tied to a chair. I felt wet.

Where I'm I?

I started struggling in my seat. I screamed on the top of my voice and soon the door opened revealing a man, no men, in black suits cascading down a staircase with a woman at the top.

"Finally, you're awake" she said
"You really knocked her out huh? We tried water, but.... It didn't work"

I stared at her for a long time. She looked very refined and pretty, really pretty. She wore a black lace shirt with a red corset on black high waist trouser with a gold chain hanging on her hip with short black leather gloves. She had amazing wavy and shiny blonde hair with a killer red lip.

"So, will you not talk?" she spat out.
She sounded foreign, she had an accent that worked for her. I wasn't planning on talking to her either way. Besides, she was very rude. If she's the one who brought me here, then might as well get the message through to her, that I'm not having any of her nonsense.

I rolled my eyes at her earning myself a slap to the face. She was mad.

"Listen here princess" she said squatting in front of me, "don't taste my patience, I already don't like you. So, if you want to get out of here alive or at least with your pretty face, you won't get on my nerves, got it"

"Go to hell" I said spitting at her face

She wiped her face clean, stood up and pulled out a pocket knife. Pain is all I felt next. She swung her hand with the knife drawn out and aimed for my face. I felt as the blood coated my face and I groaned in pain.

"Did you like that?" she asked looking at me as she played with it
"I can promise you Athena, you'll get a lot more if you keep running your mouth"
She said piercing the knife into my forehead. I screamed and felt breathless as my strength left me.

She left with her men behind her. I cried and felt so defeated. I was scared, and feared for my life and Seven's. What would happen if he was left all alone?