The Hunt in the Shadows
Titus Harrison’s horse skidded to a halt at the edge of the university’s farm. Dust clouded the air as his men followed, their rifles glinting under the sun. His boots hit the ground with authority, his expression stormy.
Mr. Wesley, the farm manager, waddled toward them, nervously eying the firearms. “Welcome, Mr. Harrison. How can I help you? I must say, I’m not a fan of all these guns around my peaceful farm.”
Titus’s sharp gaze swept the area. “You live in the forest. You should know better than to call this peaceful. I’m looking for a man named Darius. I heard he works here.”
Wesley hesitated, his jovial facade slipping. “Darius, you say? Well, he’s no boy, that’s for sure. He’s 32, if I remember right.”
“Age is just a number,” Titus snapped. “That 32-year-old boy is taking advantage of my little sister. He’s going to learn what happens when someone messes with my family. Where is he?”
Wesley scratched his chin, buying time. “Probably in the fields, digging. Why don’t you come inside for a glass of wine while your men search for him?” To a man who lived a laid back life, conflict was the one thing he hated more than anything.
Titus ignored the suggestion, barking, “Find him!”
His men fanned out, storming the fields, barns, and every corner of the farm. Workers scattered under their aggressive search, tools clattering to the ground.
As the commotion unfolded, Wesley ventured cautiously, “If I may ask, what exactly has Darius done?”
Titus didn’t answer, but Peter, standing nearby, finally broke the silence. “He kidnapped Miss Katherine.”
Wesley’s jaw dropped. “Kidnapped? That doesn’t sound like him. Are you sure she didn’t go willingly?”
Peter’s expression darkened. “We were hoping you could tell us why he’d do this.”
Wesley shook his head, muttering, “Odd fellow, that Darius. Did you know he used to go by Darius King? Tried to start some kind of rebellion about 18 years ago. Foolish plan, poorly executed. Got caught, and his master punished him in the cruelest way.”
Peter frowned. “You’re talking about the Darius King?”
Wesley nodded gravely. “The same. Word spread like wildfire about what happened to him—castrated, they said. The outrage among the denizens was so fierce that the Queen herself intervened. Freed him, sent him to college, even made him a symbol of change. But to think he’d stoop to something like this…”
Titus interrupted, his voice icy. “So, he has a criminal record?”
“In a way,” Wesley admitted.
“Then he needs to be put down,” Titus declared. “Where is he hiding?”
“I’m not sure. Are you planning to kill him?”
Titus’s smirk was cold. “What gave it away?”
Wesley gestured to the rifles. “Just a hunch.”
Shalley and Yanka, lurking nearby, overheard the conversation. Alarmed by Titus’s murderous intentions, they slipped away unnoticed.
“We have to warn Darius,” Yanka whispered, fear quickening her steps.
Shalley nodded. “If we don’t, Titus will kill him before he gets a chance to explain.”
The two women vanished into the woods, their urgency propelling them forward.
Meanwhile, Titus gathered his men. “This is a waste of time. Assemble the boys. We’ll search the woods. Katherine was planning to meet him—there’s bound to be a place they use, a cave or something.”
Wesley watched them leave, scratching his head. “Secretly meeting her kidnapper? Doesn’t sound much like a kidnapping to me…”
A Fateful Meeting
Katherine’s escape from the estate was swift and practiced, her years of defying her brother’s control serving her well. She sprinted through the woods, heart pounding, until she reached the towering palm tree where Darius waited.
His eyes lit up when he saw her. “Katherine! Are you alright?”
She grabbed his hand, her voice trembling. “We don’t have time. Titus is coming for you. We need to leave—now!”
Darius hesitated, his brow furrowing. “Running won’t solve anything. I can’t let you abandon your family for me.”
“I don’t care about my family!” she shot back. “Titus wants to control my life, but I won’t let him decide who I love.”
His gaze softened, but doubt lingered in his voice. “Katherine, I’m a poor man—a slave in my own country. I can’t give you the life you deserve.”
“You’re all I need,” she said firmly. “We’ll run, get married, and return when we’re strong enough to face him. He’ll have no choice but to accept us.”
Darius sighed, the weight of his fears evident in his eyes. But as he looked at her, something shifted. Her determination ignited a spark of hope he hadn’t felt in years.
“Alright,” he said at last. “Let’s do it. But there’s something you should know—”
She interrupted him, urgency overriding curiosity. “You can tell me later. Right now, we have to go!”
Taking his hand, she led him deeper into the forest. She was determined to elope with Darius.
And so, the two began their escape away from Titus and out of the woods. As they run through the spooky forest, they came across Vin and Coby. Coby then warned Darius about the evil plans Titus had for him.
That’s when the gravity of his decision became clear to him. Hunters were coming with guns for his life and one man was going to die on that dreadful night.