𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 | 𝐜.𝐛

20

Colby

"What about blueberry?" She asks. The word makes a chill shoot through my spine.

"Do you need any blueberries?" I question, making sure she didn't misspeak. 

"No," she replies. "We have some here. Hey, I have to go but I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," I whisper. Then, there's silence. "Son of a bitch."

"What's up?" Hunter questions.

"They're in trouble," I respond. "We have to turn around."

"But the chip-"

"I don't give a damn about the chip," I spit. "Something is wrong."

"Okay," Luke nods, turning back to face me. "We'll turn around but we have no clue what we're walking into."

"I can't ask," I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. 

"There has to be some way," Hunter mumbles. Grabbing the walkie, I press the button.

"Hey, Bella," I begin. It's quiet. 

"Hey," she whispers.

"You okay?" I chuckle, trying to play it off.

"Yeah, I've just been thinking too much."

"Just take a deep breath, I'll be back soon," I tell her. "Where's everyone else?"

"Visiting Sam," she answers. "I'm in our room."

"Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"Got sick of it," she sighs.

"Let's play a game."

"Oh?" She laughs. "What kind of game?"

"It's where you pick a number, tell me, and I have to try and guess what it is."

"Okay, I'll go first then, I guess," she laughs. "One."

"Well, since your in our room, our bed?" I question, keeping my voice light.

"No," she laughs.

"Our dresser?"

"No," she replies. This time, her fear pokes through slightly.

"The number of people in the room with you," I answer slowly.

"Brock," a male voice chuckles. 

"Who the hell is this?" I grit.

"It's Elijah," Hunter answers, "he took over when April and I were taken."

"Don't hurt her," I mumble.

"You know, it took me a minute to catch on about the little messages you all were passing. What all did she tell you, Brock."

"None of your concern, Elijah."

"Ask him about Kendra and April," Luke whispers. 

"Where are the others?" I ask.

"Right where she said they were," he chuckles.

"Kendra and April?"

"In another area. I can't have them all conspiring against me."

Isabella

His hand is over my mouth.

"You know, Brock, Bella is a very beautiful girl," he chuckles. He brushes stray hairs out of my face. I struggle against him. 

"Touch her and I will kill you myself."

"Oh shit, you should've opened with that line." He raises his hand and brings it down on my cheek, making me cry out. "Oops. Sorry, Colby."

"I will kill you," he assures. 

"I'd like to see you try."

"Bella, can you hear me?" Colby questions. Elijah tosses the walkie onto the bed and hits me again. He pushes me down and kicks my side. Cries leave my lips. He pulls me up by my hair and strips the jacket off of me.

"Please," I beg, having a gut feeling of what's going to happen. "Please don't."

"I'm not a rapist, Bella," he scoffs, pushing me back down. He grabs zip ties out of a drawer. He pushes me back towards the bed and zip ties my hands to one of the posts. He also zip ties my feet. He gives my side another kick before storming out of the room. There's a faint click as he locks the door behind him. Tears roll down my cheeks.

"Bella," Colby's voice rings, making me cry more. "If you can hear me, it's going to be okay. I need you to try and answer me, okay?"

Standing, I try to grab the walkie. With it just out of reach, I sit on the edge of the bed and use my feet to pull it over to me. When I have it, I slide back down to the floor.

"Colby," I whisper.

"Bella, are you okay?" He asks, relieved to hear me.

"For now."

"Hey, we're on our way back."

"He said I'm a power trade, Colby," I recite.

"The hell does that mean?" This question isn't for me.

"I-I don't know," Hunter stutters in the back.

"He's upset that he's not being listened to. He says that if he has me, you all will listen to him."

"He's not wrong," Colby sighs. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the last house on the street. The side of the street farthest from our house."

"I'm getting you first, Bella," he assures.

"What about April and Kendra?" Hunter asks.

"I don't know," I cry. "He's not going to let me go, Colby. I'm how he knows he'll get what he wants."

"And he wants power," Luke sighs.

"There were two other guys with him when they took me."

"Took you?" Luke questions.

"They locked our group in the hospital. Then, they got me to go with them."

"So you don't know how the rest of the group is?" Colby questions.

"No," I cry.

"Hey," he coos. "It's okay. You did what you had to do."

"The chip isn't real. Kara isn't Lenny's daughter and Lenny is one of Michael's supporters."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Colby groans.

"She charged at me so I shot her leg. The whole group is with her. She's helpless."

"Keep talking to me, hun," he whispers.

"I don't know what else to talk about," I cry.

"Tell me about the books you've read," he suggests.

"That's a lot," I laugh lightly. "My mom always read to me when I was little. I guess it stuck with me."

"I promise you, when we get back, we can read all the books you want," he assures quietly.

"Is he going to kill me?"

"No," Hunter answers. "He kills you, Kendra, or April, then he loses everything he's worked for. He'll be killed immediately. With you all alive, he has leverage on us."

"How badly did he hurt you?" Colby questions.

"My lip is bleeding," I answer with a long sigh. "My sides will be bruised but that'll be it."

"We're about an hour away."

"Okay," I whisper.

"I will come for you first, okay?" He promises.

"Yeah," I nod. 

"I have something to tell you when I get back," he laughs lightly.

"I can't wait to hear it," I smile.