Hope

Chapter 17

  Amber and Anne ran through the woods away from the building their hearts pounding as they finally lost the people who were chasing them. "We need to find help fast. Okay we need to get them help." Amber said as they stopped in the middle of a road cars passing quickly but none stopping. "Amber do you think Hope and Shay will be alright?" Amber grabbed Anne's hand moving her away from the cars and closer into the woods so that they wouldn't be spotted. She couldn't answer the girls question because she didn't know what they were going through at that moment. They were free not stuck in that hell, Hope and Shay were and trying to understand or even think about what they would go through was impossible. Amber couldn't even tell the girl that they would be okay. They were in the woods, alone in the cold it would be a miracle if they didn't die.

          Hope screamed in agony as she was hit again the rope slicing through the air and hitting her back like a switch. Shay wasn't in much better condition they were being tortured for trying to run and the death of Lawrence who was Elaine's husband. Hope sagged to the ground as Elaine finally stopped hitting her leaving the room placing a chair over the door and wood over the window leaving her and Shay in complete darkness. The smell of their blood mixed with Sweat stayed in the air. "Hope, are you okay?" Hope didn't answer she couldn't, if she tried to talk it would be nothing but screams and crying. She felt like she was there for years but it was probably a few days, it was endless. Shuffling sounded in the room as Shay moved closer to her pulling off her jacket placing it as gently as possible over Hope's back. Hope cried out the burning in her back too much for her to handle. "They didn't break your skin too much so it should heal fine, without much scarring." Hope pressed her cheek to the cold ground tears falling silently down her face. She tried fighting back but she couldn't protect herself as much as she liked. She was stuck in an endless cycle of torture that neither her nor Shay could escape. She knew Heath was looking for her, ;but in the end she knew it was too late. She hoped her parents and brother knew she loved them but she couldn't voice those thoughts. "Stop. Whatever you're thinking stop. You saved Amber and Anne, you're a brave bitch." 
  "You were supposed to go free," Shay snorted helping Hope sit up buttoning the jacket to keep her from getting too cold. "Someone had to be here with your crazy ass. Amber and Anne didn't have much longer. You saved them, now we can either sit here and die as sitting ducks or die fighting for our lives. Hope you can't give up, we will get out of here or die but either way these crazy fucks are going down with us." Hope stared at Shay swallowing hard before nodding her agreement. "How do we do it though?" Shay smirked raising a delicate eyebrow moving closer to Hope. "We act crazier than them." 

   "Hey are there two people running through the woods?" Crimson asked flipping on the high beams of the car flashing the lights in the direction of the shadows running through the woods. "Slow down," Heath instructed glad that the main road was empty during the night. 
   Before they could stop two girls stepped out into the open. "Stop the car." Crimson hit the breaks quickly the car going to a screeching halt. Heath climbed out of the car quickly the girls looking at him. The were bruised and battered, shaking from the cold and lack of clothes. "Amber Johnson?" Heath said gently trying not to scare them. The woman nodded her head rapidly her arm wrapped protectively around the child. Anders called in the ambulance and Heath took off his jacket along with Finn and they wrapped the shaking girls in the jackets. "Y-you've got to help them." the small girl said her teeth chattering as she talked. "Anne, we have to get you safe first," Amber whispered softly to the girl not caring about her own safety or wellbeing. "No Hope could be hurt worse. Please you've got to help her she saved us all, she needs help she needs help bad." Heath knelt next the girl his heart pounding but he kept his emotions in check, "Where are they. Who did this to you?" The girl was shaking her head and she grabbed Heath's arm her grey eyes full with tears, "She's hurt badly, really bad she took our hits and our abuse to protect us. Shay did too they could be hurt worse. There were more men. It's Elaine, and a woman another one who's obsessed with killing Hope on the first. That's in a few hours, we don't have time. Amber we gotta save them before it's too late." Heath covered the girls hand squeezing slightly nodding as a black car pulled up to them. Anders walked over to the car and nodded to the person in the car. "Crimson call in back up. Let's get Hope home."