Hope

Chapter 14

     Hope held onto Anne's hand her heart pounding, they were in the back of the van no windows except the small glances from the passenger window. Hope counted each mile in her head waiting for the perfect moment to strike, her hand was clutching the sharp object she grabbed earlier her heart pounding. She let go of Anne's small hand shaking her head telling them to stay quiet. She saw the rest stop she pulled the sharp object out of her pocket and staying out of view she cut deeply into her thigh. "Oh no!" she grimaced as she leaned up to the seat. "We need to stop," Elaine snorted rolling her eyes. "Please I just started my period and it's getting everywhere." Elaine sighed and pulled into the rest stop and Hope sighed staring at Shay and Amber who gaped at her. Elaine stopped the van and Lawrence climbed out opening the door pulling her out roughly. Hope held her stomach letting him lead her inside. Eyes landed on her and Lawrence, she looked like hell and he was crazy but for all they knew she was just another drug addict so they didn't spare her another glance and when she got to the bathroom Lawerence tried to come in with her but she put her hand out. "It's a ladies room, you're going to draw a lot of attention." Lawrence glared at her but nodded letting her inside by herself. Hope rushed to the stall her heart pounding as she carved a message into the door, she hoped someone saw it and followed the instructions but it was a long shot. "Hurry up!" Hope swallowed hard and rolled up some paper towels into her hand and shoved it into her back pocket before she left the bathroom. "Took you long enough," Hope looked around her and saw the TV on the news and her face flashed on the screen. The girl behind the counter made eye contact with her but Hope shook her head subtly but Lawrence caught her grabbing her arm dragging her into an aisle his hand closing over her throat. "Whatever you're trying to do stop, no one will find you. You're mine only mine," Hope swallowed hard her hand going to his pulling his hand away from her. "Is everything alright over here?" A man said walking towards them. "Yes just a little four play right babe?" he said kissing Hope's mouth with enough force to hurt. "Of course," she gritted out pasting a smile on her face moving away from him and outside making contact with the girl at the counter who nodded gently concern written over her face. Hope walked towards the van only to be stopped by Elaine. "What game are you playing Hope?" the woman demanded pushing Hope against the van her head hitting the window cracking the glass. Anne cried out inside but Hope didn't pay her any attention as she stood up to the woman, "I'm playing the game you started," Elaine laughed moving closer to Hope, "I can't wait to kill you. To watch the life drain slowly out of your pretty eyes." Hope clenched her teeth as Elaine moved away from her and pushed her inside the van. Hope sat up her gaze on the rest stop. She saw the girl behind the counter glance at the her gaze searching and then they pulled away, to their final destination.

     Heath paced the room back and forth as Anders worked on the camcorder cursing when his phone rang. "Banks," he snapped. 
        "Are you the detective on the missing person case?" a soft voice asked almost in fear. "Who is this?" The girl on the phone took a shaking breath a door closing behind her. "A girl was here, at Stop and Chug a gas station in Virginia and she didn't look so good. Blood was coming down her legs and when she left I went to the bathroom and on the stall was this number. With some instructions to call you and to say there are two people and to go North from an abandoned military base. Then there were two names, Elaine and Lawrence. That's it, she didn't write anything else but I think you should hurry because I don't think she has much time."