Sammy's POV
I gasped in surprise, shock and disbelief at what lay in that wooden crate. I hadn't been expecting that. Maggie Lindemann was barely breathing and looked like a ghost. Jesus.
Her eyes flickered open to slits when she heard my intake of breath and her mouth opened into an 'O'. She seemed to be trying to say something but the words either wouldn't come out, or she had lost her voice.
She carried on miming, shaping the words with her lips. I caught onto "Help me. Get me out."
I furrowed my brow when after I'd helped her up, she stared down at the box next to her and ran towards it, collapsing to her knees in the process and ripping the wood apart with her bloody nails. My guess was she'd tried to escape with her bare hands.
I helped her open the box, scrambling around the outside and accessing every crook that could keep the box from being opened. There was no hesitation before Maggie ripped off the lid, throwing it over her head, where it clattered and splintered into many pieces onto the hard floor.
Nothing could have prepared us for the image that was presented in front of our eyes. My heart broke at the sight. Maia was lying, motionless, quiet, and ghastly pale.
Tears welled up when I saw the critical condition she was in.
I rushed forward, cupping her face in my hands and stroking my fingertips gently across her pale white skin.
Maggie sobbed, even though she was already exhausted, and loudly weeped at the sore sight of her best friend on the verge of death. But I didn't want to think it was coming to that.
Instead, I lifted her carefully out of the box and carried her bridal style. Maggie gestured to the back of the basement, the opposite way to the one we'd come and as she stopped, I saw her locate a door.
There was no time for waiting before Maggie grabbed ahold of the handle, yanked with all her strength and wrenched it open. It gave away and opened for us.
"This way Mags, run!" I shout-whispered. We had to be quick, and we had to be quiet incase they sussed anything whilst we were still within distance.
I bolted it to my car, Maggie on my heels, and hit the 'open door' button on my keys. The lights flickered and I almost pulled the door off with my actions. Without stopping, I placed Maia down on the backseat, getting Maggie to buckle her in from inside the car, and sat down in the drivers seat.
Without another glance, the engine started and we drove off back home, wondering whether it was still going to be safe.
Taylor's POV
I pulled in at a gas station, grabbing some water and some food before driving back to Sam, the Jacks and Nate's place.
Heading into the shop, I noticed it was deserted, except for the cashier, and it was kinda creeping me out. The cashier herself was a young blonde who was snapping her gum loudly. When I walked in, I seemed to have caught her attention.
As soon as I looked up at her, she giggled and began filing her nails, looking up at me when she thought I wouldn't catch her. Ew. She's like 16, too young for me. She just looked way too young, too young to even work here. It confused me.
I walked around the small aisles and picked up what I thought was convenient and what I was craving right now. I got double for Johnson and grabbed extra bottles of water for him too (stAY hYDraTed KidS).
I walked over to pay and handed the young girl the cash. I indicated for her to keep the change and headed back for the exit of the shop.
"Look out for your friend." She giggled as I walked out. I squinted my eyes in thought. What was she on about. As I made my way back over to my car, I finally realised.
When I was within plain sight of my car, I ran full speed towards the vehicle. Two men had one of Johnson's arms wrapped around each of their shoulders and were hauling his towards a black truck that had blacked-out windows.
My hands balled into fists and I pushed one of the men down from behind, taking them by surprise in the slightest. It still gave me an advantage.
The other man swung at me and he hit me square in my stomach. I bent over, recovering and breathing heavily. All the while, both men were now on their feet and smirking at me like I was food.
My gut dropped and I made my way back towards my car, knowing the two men were right behind me. I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to all my contacts, 'SOS' as I had no time to type a longer one.
I sent out an alert on this app that my friends have that tells them my location and accesses them to find me in a scenario if I get lost. This was the case right now.
I was hoping Sammy, Jack, Maggie, Madison, Georgie, Nate, whoever, would see this and immediately come.
Knowing that for now I was going to have to create a diversion, I stepped away from my car and back towards where Johnson was, confusing the two men.
I could see Johnson and he was slung over the backseat with the truck door still open. I hadn't realised that I had said anything until one of the men creeping behind me laughed heartily, and the other said, "he's too valuable to let him go."
I felt this tingling feeling jolt through my arm and seconds later the pain reached me after I heard the crack. They'd broken my wrist from behind. I breathed heavily and I heard them grunt in victory.
I walked faster and was about to grab ahold of Jack's arm, with my wrist that wasn't injured, when I was wrenched back by my shirt and pinned to the cold ground.
I panted when the younger man of the two, brought his face close to mine and laughed, dazing me in fear. When I'd come originally to save Maia, I knew it would've been a suicide mission, but I'd still hoped that it wouldn't have been. But here I was, probably going to live the last minutes of my life at this gas station.
My fear only grew when the man who was up in my face produced a hand gun from the inside of his jacket. He smoothly pulled it out and rested his finger on the trigger, prepping to shoot. My subconscious reminded me that the gun was going to shoot me. Me. Oh god.
I squirmed, trying desperately to flee from the weapon. But my tries were useless and I was punished time and time again by the same, hard hand leaving red marks over my skin.
I winced when the man stopped and gripped my arms tightly, knowing it was paining me. I used this to my advantage whilst he was smirking and pushed myself away from him and towards the truck.
Before I could register what was happening, I heard another car pull up, a door swing open and Gilinsky's voice ring over the space between us. I didn't dare look back. I swerved, swinging JJ's arm around me and pulling him.
But I could only go so far before a piercing gunshot filled the air and then everything went deadly silent.
I was horror struck at what I could see.
