Manhunt

Chapter 14

After two hours, the van had made its very last stop. It'd been so unexpected that the group was sent flying, cursing the lack of seat belts as they fell onto the floor. Lucky for Julia, she'd landed on someone.

"Oh, God!" Steven croaked from under her. "Please, remove the pressure that you have on my sensitive area." Julia gasped and quickly shifted her weight.

"Sorry!" She apologized as she blindly tried to locate his face, finding it directly in front of her.

"Oh, Julia." Steven breathed, his voice nearly an octave lower. "If it's you that's on me, then I don't mind at all." Julia could hear the smirk in his voice, and his words were enough to make her quickly roll off him. But not before giving him a good smack on his shoulder.

The doors screeched open, prompting everyone to crawl their way towards the opening Someone slipped Julia's blindfold off, and she stood up to briskly view every detail of her surroundings. An amused Red met her field of vision before a strong ray of sunshine burned into her pupils, causing Julia to flinch violently. Her blindfold hung around Red's wrist as she tied her dark red hair in a low ponytail, nodding at the group for their quick reactions.

It turned out that the two-hour drive was only half of their travels. The group ended up in a secluded flight zone, and a small cargo plane waited for them to board before they made their way to wherever the mission was being held. Red still hadn't revealed to them where they were going, and when they found out that Isaiah was also flying the plane, they recited as many Hail Marys as they could. Red insisted the change in transport was to ensure they weren't being followed, and that it was just standard protocol, but the sound the plane had made when it was started up had been a little too concerning.

Fortunately, they made it through the flight in one piece. They were shoved into another vehicle for the second time, the blind folds back on again for a much shorter car ride. When the car came to a full stop, Julia and her teammates straightened themselves out, listening for Red and Isaiah to open the doors. As soon as they did, the blindfolds were removed, and light flooded directly into their pupils for the second time that morning. Resisting the urge to hiss, Julia focused on taking in their surroundings.

Gone were the oak trees that were typical on the parts of the east coast they resided in; instead, palm trees towered over everywhere she looked. The sun was strong and at its highest point, signifying that they were already well into the afternoon. The smell of the sea wafted in the air, and Julia tried to spot any street signs that could give her a more exact location.

Based on their total traveling time in the air, it was unlikely that they were on the west coast. And based on the environment, they were certainly on the coast—south, Julia guessed.

"Are we in Florida?" She questioned, eventually coming to that conclusion. Red grinned at her response, nodding in approval.

"The quicker you're able to determine your whereabouts, the quicker you can react to your situation. You never know when you find yourself taken hostage by the enemy, so it's important to use your judgement, perception of time, and your senses to try and pinpoint your location." She explained, disclosing her reasoning for the blindfolds. "Listen to any conversations that could be happening around you; languages spoken, dialects noted, subtle hints that can reveal what country you're in, or even what city."

"What if after all that, you still can't get a bearing on where you are?" Michelle inquired as she soaked up the sites. The more exposed she was to different places, the better off she'd be if she were to ever find herself in an abduction or hostage position.

"Find a way to contact your teammates, or Virtus." Red replied, her lips forming a tight line. "If all else fails, you'll have to get creative. No matter what, find a way."