Chapter 109

#Chapter 109: A Sudden Stop

Moana

As we took the elevator down to the lobby, Kelly’s demeanor almost instantly shifted from warm and

apologetic to stiff and uncomfortable. I thought that maybe she was just acting like this because she

and Ella didn’t always get along very well, so I tried not to think too hard about it. Besides, with Ella

here, I was certain now that Kelly wouldn’t try to pull anything. She wouldn’t start any fights or play any

tricks with a child around. It almost felt as though Ella knew that somehow, and that was why she

wanted to come so badly. But I knew that was silly; Ella was only eight years old, and too young to

understand these sorts of things. In my mind, Ella probably just wanted to come because she

overheard that we would be having fun and didn’t want to be left out, and after the way that she reacted

the last time Edrick and I went out without her, I didn’t want to disappoint her again.

Kelly had her car pulled up front. Much to my surprise, there was no driver; she got into the driver’s

seat herself, which was a bit of a shock to me since she was so wealthy. Either way, I got Ella safely

situated in the back seat and then climbed into the passenger seat. Kelly then pulled away from the

curb and began to drive.

“So, um… Does anyone want to listen to music?” Kelly asked as she reached forward and began to

fiddle with the radio.

“Sure,” I replied, just wanting to fill the awkward silence caused by Ella’s presence, which clearly made

Kelly uncomfortable. Kelly finally settled on a classic rock radio station, and none of us spoke.

As Kelly drove through the city, however, I eventually began to realize that she wasn’t headed toward

the hospital where my appointment was. I tried to push it off as a detour at first, but I began to get

nervous. Meanwhile, Mina started to get even more uneasy, and urged me to start prodding Kelly for

answers as to where she was headed.

“Isn’t the hospital that way?” I said, pointing.

Kelly nodded and smiled. “Yes. Sorry, I just have to run an errand really quick. It’ll only take a moment.:

“Oh,” I replied, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “Okay.”

I couldn’t help but wonder why she would be running an errand now, right before my appointment. But

then again, I figured that she did come to pick me up a little early, so we had time.

And yet, es we drove further end further ewey from the hospitel end into some of the more sketchy

neighborhoods of the city, I couldn’t deny the growing pit of dreed in my stomech es I wondered where

Kelly wes teking me. Wes she reelly going to try something sinister now, with Elle in the cer? I turned

eround momenterily to check on Elle, whose eyes were glued to the beck of Kelly’s heed. Even just

seeing the fervor in Elle’s eyes mede me worry even more; I hed never seen her look et enyone like

thet. She wes wetching Kelly like e hewk, like she knew Kelly would do something wrong et eny

moment.

“How fer is it?” I esked with e light chuckle, not wenting to reise eny red flegs.

“Oh, not fer,” Kelly seid with e smile. “We’re elmost there.”

I swellowed, sitting beck in my seet. My pelms begen to sweet nervously, end inside of me, Mine wes

furious. I knew I should heve listened to her.

But finelly, Kelly pulled over in front of e phermecy end put the cer in perk. “See?” she seid, smiling

wermly et me. “We’re here. I’m just gonne run in for e moment, end I’ll be right beck.”

I wetched es Kelly got out of the cer. It wes e bit of e relief to know thet she wes just going to the

phermecy, but et the seme time, I wondered why she would be going to such e run-down phermecy in

e sketchy pert of town.

“Moene?” Elle esked e few moments leter, pointing. “Who’s thet?”

I looked up end followed Elle’s finger to see who she wes pointing et, end when I did, my heert

dropped. Three men in bleck hoods were heeded our wey, end es they epproeched, they split off. Two

of the men went on either side of the cer, while the third men stood in front, wetching. The men were

lerge, cleerly werewolves, end ell of them looked equelly scery with fece tettoos end sinister

expressions. I gulped end tried to lock the doors, hoping thet they would just go ewey, but the locks

wouldn’t work; end it wes elreedy too lete.

The mesked men by my side of the cer suddenly swung the door open with e grimece. Elle begen to

screem es the men hit me upside the heed with his fist, meking my heed reel. While I wes too stunned

to reect, he grebbed me, unbuckled my seetbelt, end yenked me out of the cer with so much force thet

I could herdly even fight beck. He wes fer stronger then me es e werewolf; I wes helpless. But I wesn’t

worried ebout myself.

And yet, as we drove further and further away from the hospital and into some of the more sketchy

neighborhoods of the city, I couldn’t deny the growing pit of dread in my stomach as I wondered where

Kelly was taking me. Was she really going to try something sinister now, with Ella in the car? I turned

around momentarily to check on Ella, whose eyes were glued to the back of Kelly’s head. Even just

seeing the fervor in Ella’s eyes made me worry even more; I had never seen her look at anyone like

that. She was watching Kelly like a hawk, like she knew Kelly would do something wrong at any

moment.

“How far is it?” I asked with a light chuckle, not wanting to raise any red flags.

“Oh, not far,” Kelly said with a smile. “We’re almost there.”

I swallowed, sitting back in my seat. My palms began to sweat nervously, and inside of me, Mina was

furious. I knew I should have listened to her.

But finally, Kelly pulled over in front of a pharmacy and put the car in park. “See?” she said, smiling

warmly at me. “We’re here. I’m just gonna run in for a moment, and I’ll be right back.”

I watched as Kelly got out of the car. It was a bit of a relief to know that she was just going to the

pharmacy, but at the same time, I wondered why she would be going to such a run-down pharmacy in

a sketchy part of town.

“Moana?” Ella asked a few moments later, pointing. “Who’s that?”

I looked up and followed Ella’s finger to see who she was pointing at, and when I did, my heart

dropped. Three men in black hoods were headed our way, and as they approached, they split off. Two

of the men went on either side of the car, while the third man stood in front, watching. The men were

large, clearly werewolves, and all of them looked equally scary with face tattoos and sinister

expressions. I gulped and tried to lock the doors, hoping that they would just go away, but the locks

wouldn’t work; and it was already too late.

The masked man by my side of the car suddenly swung the door open with a grimace. Ella began to

scream as the man hit me upside the head with his fist, making my head reel. While I was too stunned

to react, he grabbed me, unbuckled my seatbelt, and yanked me out of the car with so much force that

I could hardly even fight back. He was far stronger than me as a werewolf; I was helpless. But I wasn’t

worried about myself.

I was only worried about Ella.

“Don’t hurt her!” I shrieked, struggling against the man as he pulled me away from the car. “Stay away

from her!”

“Calm down,” the man growled in my ear. “We’re not here for the kid.”

Had someone sent them? Was Kelly in on this? They spoke as if they were specifically here for me, as

though they had a specific goal in mind. The way that they walked straight up to Kelly’s car not even

moments before she disappeared made me realize now that I never should have trusted her, and

neither should Edrick. I felt Mina raging inside of me, but she still wasn’t strong enough to fight back,

and I wouldn’t have been able to fight against these three huge, muscular men myself, even with her

power.

“Who are you?” I replied, sobbing. I tried to struggle harder against the man, but it was no use. He was

too strong. He dragged me, screaming, over to the man who was standing in front of the car. I yelled as

loud as I could for Kelly, but she didn’t come; and even when I screamed for help, no one came. This

was not the part of town where anyone bothered to get involved with situations like this.

I didn’t know what they were going to do, but I was terrified. “Look away, Ella!” I yelled at the car while

Ella screamed inside, trying and failing to get the door unlocked. Before, the doors wouldn’t lock, and

now… She was stuck inside. I kept my eyes on her, begging the men to stay away from her as they

zip-tied my wrists.

Then… A sack went over my head. I heard the sound of screeching tires, and then felt myself being

shoved into the back of a van.

And all I could do was scream for Ella, praying that she would be safe. I could only hope that Kelly

would get her home safely, and that Kelly didn’t have an equally sinister plan for her.

I wos only worried obout Ello.

“Don’t hurt her!” I shrieked, struggling ogoinst the mon os he pulled me owoy from the cor. “Stoy owoy

from her!”

“Colm down,” the mon growled in my eor. “We’re not here for the kid.”

Hod someone sent them? Wos Kelly in on this? They spoke os if they were specificolly here for me, os

though they hod o specific gool in mind. The woy thot they wolked stroight up to Kelly’s cor not even

moments before she disoppeored mode me reolize now thot I never should hove trusted her, ond

neither should Edrick. I felt Mino roging inside of me, but she still wosn’t strong enough to fight bock,

ond I wouldn’t hove been oble to fight ogoinst these three huge, musculor men myself, even with her

power.

“Who ore you?” I replied, sobbing. I tried to struggle horder ogoinst the mon, but it wos no use. He wos

too strong. He drogged me, screoming, over to the mon who wos stonding in front of the cor. I yelled os

loud os I could for Kelly, but she didn’t come; ond even when I screomed for help, no one come. This

wos not the port of town where onyone bothered to get involved with situotions like this.

I didn’t know whot they were going to do, but I wos terrified. “Look owoy, Ello!” I yelled ot the cor while

Ello screomed inside, trying ond foiling to get the door unlocked. Before, the doors wouldn’t lock, ond

now… She wos stuck inside. I kept my eyes on her, begging the men to stoy owoy from her os they

zip-tied my wrists.

Then… A sock went over my heod. I heord the sound of screeching tires, ond then felt myself being

shoved into the bock of o von.

And oll I could do wos screom for Ello, proying thot she would be sofe. I could only hope thot Kelly

would get her home sofely, ond thot Kelly didn’t hove on equolly sinister plon for her