Freed Wolf

2 Strangers

"You're running out of time," I hear a woman say off to the side. Her voice is panicked and harsh as she speaks in hushed tones.

I'm on the edge of consciousness, my body isn't responding, but I can hear. The steady beep of a heart monitor and IV drip are filling the silence as the antiseptic smell of the hospital assaults my nose.

"Then buy more," a man snarls.

"We have! Any more and they'll get suspicious."

"Fuck! How much longer till she wakes up?" He asks.

"Whenever she's ready. After what she's been through, she's lucky she's not dead!" The woman replied sternly.

"Is she stable enough to travel?" He growls back.

"Are you insane?" She snaps back. "What's your plan? Throw her over your shoulder and run through the backcountry like she's a sack of potatoes?"

"You say we're out of time," he defends.

"No! You're out of time, they're not looking for her, just your kind," she counters.

"I'm not leaving her behind," he snaps back.

"Well, figure it out, they're on their way," she demands. "I'll keep her safe and send her on to you once she's awake, but you have to go now! You're not going to do anyone any favors if they find you."

He grumbles but they leave a moment later. I relax slightly hearing the door click shut behind them. I fought against the fog for what felt like an eternity before my body started to respond.

When my eyes finally opened the brightness made them instantly water as I groaned. I was in a typical hospital bed, nothing stood out of note with the white and beige interior.

My body ached and my head was pounding. Not surprising as the memories slowly came back. I remember running and fighting but nothing before that. They won, so I must be with them, all that for nothing. If they thought I was going to roll over and die they had another thing coming.

With some effort I sat up and took a look around. There were clothes set to the side with a holster on top. I was wearing a hospital gown and nothing else.

Well that's not true, there was a beautiful ring with blue and teal stones hanging on a loose chain around my neck. I don't remember anything about it but I know it's very precious to me.

I turned the monitor off before pulling the leads, I didn't want to trigger an alarm. The IVs stung when I pulled them out. The more I moved the clearer I was seeing things.

The clothes fit well. The holster had two daggers that had silver blades with a fancy looking crest stamped into the blade. It felt like I was on autopilot as I got dressed, absentmindedly clipping the holster to the back of my jeans.

The whole action felt like second nature, like I must have done it many times before. The more I tried to dwell on anything before the woods the more frustrated I got as I kept coming up empty.

I peaked out the hallway, it was deserted save for two men at the far end who spotted me instantly. Quickly I slammed the door and threw the lock before they got here.

'You need to go, you heard them, now that you're awake they're going to give you to them like a piece of property.' 'Fuck that! I'm no ones.'

The view from the window let me know I was on the second floor. It wasn't a far drop and sounded like a better option then the two big guys banging on the door.

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard as I stepped through the window and onto the ledge below. The ten foot drop wasn't looking so small at this point.