"W-What are you doing?" I asked in a low whisper.
"What? Never had a gun pointed at you before?"
What the heck?
"Ladies? Shall we proceed?"
They smirked and took out weapons each. Clara held an axe, Lara had a bat, and Zoey held a gun similar to Athena’s.
"W-What’s going on? Why are you holding weapons?"
Athena gave me her biggest smile and tipped her head. "For our hunt!"
"Hunt?"
"Yes, Cat." She narrowed her eyes. "You’re not really bright, are you?"
"Look, I don’t know what the fuck you’re going on about, but this must be some kind of joke."
"But it’s not. Here’s what’s gonna happen, my darling Cat, you run and we chase..." She checked her watch. "For an hour, and you win if we don’t find you. It’s hide and seek, with an upgrade."
"Athena..." I began hoping to get on some good graces because I don’t know what the fuck is going on. "Can we talk about this or something, because I really can’t—"
"Cat..." she pouted. "I thought we were gonna have fun?"
Her friends sneered.
"If you keep dragging it out, then I’ll just shoot you and call it a day." She pointed the gun at me again.
"O-Okay, okay!" I panicked. "You’re right, you can shoot me and hide my body where no one can find it. But one gunshot and Reed comes."
"Oh, right, the bodyguard. Lara, you know what to do."
"It’s about time... I had my eye on him." She walked out.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Anything else?" Athena asked. "And if you’re worried about gunshots, don’t. This is a private estate."
"Why are you doing this?" I asked in a whisper, shaken to the core.
She pressed the gun muzzle on her cheeks. "Why spoil the mystery? Tick-tock, Cat."
I placed my hand on Duke.
"No, no, leave Duke out of this. I love him and I don’t wanna hurt him."
"Athena, please... just—"
"Walter and Margaret Lane. Age 69 and 66. Born in 1956 and 1959. Owns a cozy farmland in Rosevale. A loving elderly couple with their greatest bundle of joy, who left the countryside for the big city—their granddaughter, Catherine Lane. Is there anything I missed?"
I broke a cold sweat, my pulse throbbing in my ear. I didn’t know how I found it in me to speak. "If you hurt them..."
"But I don’t have to, not unless you wanna play. What’s it gonna be? Play or..." She pulled out her phone. "One call and it’s bye-bye, grannies."
"Fine... I’ll play your fucking game."
"Yay!" she did a little jump.
I need to think of something; they had weapons, and I had nothing. I can’t ride Duke either. I was in a really bad position here. I left my phone at the stables because I didn’t want to lose it while riding.
What am I gonna do?
"Now we turn and count," Athena said excitedly. "Oneeeee...." she drawled. "Twoooooo...."
My chest heaved profusely, and in a heartbeat, I sprinted into the woods. I cut through the bushes, desperately, and sobs flee from me.
I’m slow.
My fright was getting the best of me. If I don’t find a way to calm down, I will be caught, and those women will beat me to death, or maybe a quick bullet to the head to free me from my misery.
Not helping Catherine! Think. Think. THINK!
I halted, resting my back against a tree bark, trying to catch my breath. My heart pounded painfully, and I had to grip, fearing it would leap out of my chest.
"Get it together, Catherine," I whisper to myself.
"Oh, Catttttttt....!" A singtone voice rang through.
It’s close!
My pulse raced as I pushed away from the tree and hid in a nearby bush. I covered my mouth with my hands, eyes erratic as they saw them coming.
I spotted Clara first, holding her axe like she was skilled with it. Another footstep came, and it was Lara, bat resting on her shoulder.
She stopped just right in front of me, and I silently prayed her eyes wouldn’t lower.
But I ran out of luck when she did.
"Lara!" Athena’s voice cut through the air, and she looked in that direction.
"Chop, chop!"
"We’re doing our best."
"She hides really well."
"Or maybe you’re not looking hard enough. Get going now." Athena waved her hand dismissively, and Lara rolled her eyes, going ahead with Clara.
"Amateurs," she huffed under her breath, fishing out a small pocket mirror to check her face. "Sunscreen is always a saver."
She pocketed it and hiked while calling for me in a sing-song voice.
After making sure they were gone, I crawled out from the bush, but my helmet got caught in it. Frustrated, I took it off, and when my eyes settled on it, an idea popped up.
~☆~
"I found her!" Lara called.
Athena stepped forward and clutched my helmet off the bush. "No, you bonehead! This is her helmet."
"Well, that means she’s close."
"No, it means she purposely left it there."
"I found something!" Clara called and held up my gloves.
"Nice try, Cat! Trying to lure us away. How long do you think you can keep this up?" Athena yelled to the air.
"We should keep searching..."
"Let’s go."
Athena stayed behind, a smile playing on her lips. "Cattttt.... can you hear me? I know you’re somewhere around here. I can feel you."
I stepped out.
"Ah, there she is! Lara was right, you’re close by."
"Let’s stop this, Athena," I said sternly.
"But it’s game over for you." She pointed her gun.
"Check your watch."
She frowned before she did.
"You said one hour."
"That can’t be right."
"You enjoyed yourself far too much, not knowing time doesn’t wait for anyone."
"I did?"
"Yes! And that was your mistake."
"I knew this game was super easy," she grumbled under her breath. "Your advantage was the surroundings. Great thinking. I half expected you to keep running in panic and easily give yourself up, but you surprised me again."
"Sorry to disappoint," I bite back.
"You won! Congratulations, but..." She ticked her tongue yet to lower her gun. "I have one question, depending on your answer, I’ll let you walk out of here alive."
"The game is over!" I hissed, stepping forward, but she pulled the trigger.