chapter 4.8

"Just three teenagers." I hear a voice say. I was half-awake, so I wasn't sure what I was hearing, but something about his tone snaps to my attention. My eyes watch the dark ceiling for a few seconds, and I feel a nagging feeling like something is wrong. It sounded like Greg- Who was he talking to? His daughter should still be in bed and it wasn't a tone you used to address a child. I decided to sneak closer for better sound, my bare feet recoiling against the cold stone. I crouched next to the door leading further into the house, my back straight against the wall, and listening hard to the voices on the other side. It sounded like they would be the other end of the entrance hall, so there was only one door between them and I, but some distance, so their voices weren't extremely clear. Even so, I could make out most of the words.

"We were looking for two runaways, but threes even better."

"You won't hurt them, will you?"

"Do you care, if your son is safe?"

My blood ran cold, and for a second, I couldn't get my legs moving. Then I was across the room, searching for the bundles on blankets on the floor for Tommy and Theo. I found Tommy first, I shook him on the shoulder and ripped his blanket off. "Tommy! Get up!" I hissed, but he wouldn't stir. His breathing was slow and deep and wouldn't be disturbed.

"Theo!" I whispered, kicking her in the backside a little harder than necessary, but she wouldn't stir either. I slapped them both on the cheeks, eyes frantically darting from their sleeping piles and the kitchen door. "Theo get up now! We need to go!!"

"Whatta want?" she slurred, without opening her eyes.

"He's handed us into Garlantia." I whispered back.

"What?" she garbled.

I slapped Tommy on the cheek again, but it was no use. Did he drug us?

I swore under my breath and grabbed Theo by the shoulders and forced her into sitting position. "Listen to me. We need to get out."

She opened her eyes slightly, and I managed to get her standing. I grabbed hers and Tommy's rucksack and forced them on her. Then I swung my rucksack over one shoulder and Tommy over the other. I almost collapsed under the weight but managed to steady myself.

I couldn't hear what they were talking about, now I was the other end of the room, but their voices were inaudible mumbles. We needed to leave before those mumbles ended.

I carefully eased open the back door and stepped down into the mud. Theo followed me in a daze. The moon was half full but bright and provided enough light to see the outline of the buildings. I heard the sound of a truck at the front of the house, so we skimmed the buildings, staying in the shadows. We'd just made to the cowshed when we heard shouting- they'd discovered we were gone. I heard Greg's voice desperately trying to explain himself, then BANG!

I couldn't see if that was a warning shot, or if they'd actually killed him. We didn't have the luxury of finding out. The sound had spooked the animals, and there was a chorus of cow and pig noises that gave us enough distraction to make a run for it. Thankfully, the sound seemed to have woken Theo up as well. We followed the building around until it met with some cornfields. Beyond it was forest cover, but to get there was a complete open plane. We could easily be spotted in the moonlight if they were to look our way, but it was better than trying to hide in the farm. If we stayed put, we were done for.

The weight of both Tommy and the rucksack made it difficult to breathe, but we ran as fast as we could. My lungs quickly ached, but I knew if we were going to survive, we needed to get to the forest. About halfway, we were spotted, bullets rang out, but we continued to run. We were out of range and their bullets fell short. When they realised this, they came in pursuit.

"Run. Run Run." I whispered, to no one in particular. Neither of us needed telling. I almost tripped a few times, and barely kept hold of Tommy. Throughout almost being thrown to the floor, and bullets nipping at our feet, he didn't stir from his slumber. He must have drugged using the stew, given that Tommy ate mine as well, it made sense that he couldn't be woken but I was fine.

We didn't stop when we made it into the woodland, but we veered off course to make it more difficult from them to follow. Even then, we could hear them in the distance. Although, the sounds echoed under the canopy so we couldn't really tell the direction.

Suddenly, my legs buckled underneath me, and along with Tommy, I sprawled out on the floor, knocking my shoulder against a tree.

"Are you okay?" Theo asked.

"What was that?" Tommy mumbled.

"Tommy, can you hear us?" I whispered, shaking him, but he doesn't say anything else. "I don't think I can carry him anymore." I admit, rubbing my shoulder.

"Okay. I'll try." She dropped the rucksack and pulled his arm over her shoulder, so he was upright. Then she dragged him along; he was lucid enough to put one foot in front of the other sometimes, but he was mostly unconscious, so she had to drag him a lot of the time. I was glad the drug seemed to have worked its way out of her system, either that or the adrenaline overpowered it, I couldn't have gotten both of them out of there if it hadn't.