Page 9 of Red

“Grandmother, since I’ve been cooperating, I wanted to see if I could take a walk in the gardens this afternoon?”

She looks at me, analyzing my face, trying to decide if I am up to something. She must see something that looks like honesty because she nods.

“I don’t think I need to remind you to not try anything, foolish girl. I have guards placed all around the property. If you try to run or signal anyone, I will know.”

After training all day, I walk towards the back door to go for my walk in the garden. Nicholas harshly stops me by grabbing my arm and snaps at me.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I look at him through my lashes hoping that it seems like I’m flirting. I place my hand over his and with a sickeningly sweet voice, I croon. “Don’t worry, big guy. Grandmother gave me permission to take some time to myself while taking a walk in the gardens.”

He looks at me as if he’s not sure if I’m up to something, probably because I’ve never flirted with him. Grabbing his radio, he confirms that my grandmother did permit me to go. Letting out a small sigh, I walk outside and head to the center of the garden towards the fountain.

The air fills my lungs and my whole body relaxes. The sun feels so good on my skin, warming it up. I didn’t realize how much I missed being outside and enjoying the sunshine. In the future, I won’t take the small things for granted.

When I pass the fountain, I try to look as if I’m admiring it, slowly turning my gaze toward the tree line that surrounds the property. The forest helps to conceal the mansion and the property it sits on. Which I guess is a good thing when you are up to nefarious things, but not ideal when you're trying to escape. I can see some of the guards around the garden without them knowing I’ve been watching them to find out when they rotate and any weak points.

The west side of the property seems to only have two guards. I’m assuming it's because the forest on that side is denser. Maybe they think nobody would be able to navigate through the woods to escape or get onto the property. I overheard Nicholas, when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, that the guards change every three hours.

Failing to escape is not an option. If I’m caught, my grandmother will kill me. I don’t doubt that. Staying here is not an option either. If Nicholas gets his hands on me, one of us will not survive.

Getting closer to the west side of the property, I see that the guards aren’t paying me much attention. Not wanting to second guess myself, I take my chance and run into the forest and keep running. I didn’t think much past getting to the forest. Not knowing where I should go, I just try to keep myself hidden by using the trees as cover. Once the trees get thicker, I start heading north, hoping I run into a road where I can flag someone down to help me.

I’ve been running for a few hours now and I can tell I only have so much sun left before it goes down. Walking around in the woods when it gets darker isn’t a good idea. Not being able to see much of the sun anymore, I start to look for a tree to hole up in ‘til morning. The woods are home to many dangerous animals that hunt at night, and I don’t want to cross paths. I have to protect myself from all the predators around me.

Settling in for the night, I find a tree that’d be easy to climb. Resting my back against the tree, not wanting to accidentally fall asleep, I start to reminisce. Smiling to myself, I think about how Maria and Gregory would let me climb the trees that lined the property right next to the mansion. It was one of my favorite pastimes. I would try to climb as high as possible, always throwing Maria into a panic. I let out a small chuckle at how she used to pace around the tree yelling at me to come down or I wouldn’t be able to make cookies.

What kind of child would be threatened that they wouldn’t be able to bake if they didn’t listen. Shaking my head, I sure as hell didn’t have a normal childhood. Breathing out, I start to look around a bit, and still not seeing anyone, I think to myself. They must not have realized that I’ve escaped.

The night air is cool, causing goosebumps to pop up on my arms. Needing to find warmth, I grab my red cloak and close it in on myself even tighter as if I’m using it for more than warmth. The sounds of the night animals around me keep me awake. I don’t want anyone or anything to sneak up on me.

Chapter 7

Zeev

The security team has been working overtime following up the tips that have been coming in about The Wolves. We’ve been able to successfully rescue some of the women. My body aches so much. Now I’m here on another stakeout at the mansion to see if we can find anything out.

I take a deep breath, trying to release the tension from my body, cracking my neck to loosen it up. The earthy smell from the dirt and the pine smell that envelops my senses calms the chaos within. It brings me back to a time in my childhood. When everything seemed to be overwhelming, I would escape to the woods. This was my safe place when my life was destroyed.

In between the missions, I tried to go back to the mansion to see the woman who caught my attention. I needed to know everything about her and her routine. I haven’t been able to put my eyes on her and I don’t like that. The last time she’s been seen by anyone was that day at the gas station. Not only that, but there hasn’t been any evidence that suggests the Blanche is still even at the mansion.

I haven’t really slept since that day, not from lack of trying. Every time I close my eyes all I see is her. Closing my eyes in the middle of the woods, all I see is her slim, fit body that needs my hands all over her. I’ve tried to distract myself by diving deep into the missions and none of it seems to help.

Needing answers, I had Jake check her apartment in the city and interview her business partner to see if she could give us any leads.

She hasn’t heard from Blanche, but she was extremely worried. Nora indicated that this wasn’t normal behavior which just validates my thoughts that something has happened to Blanche. I don’t like not being able to know where she is, and the last time I saw her she was walking into that bitch’s house. I suspect that she’s being held against her will. People don’t just abandon their life without any warning. Something isn’t right and I will figure it out.

This is so infuriating! I need to find her. I’ll keep digging to see what the Old Lady could be up to. A panicked voice starts to whisper in my mind,“What if she is in danger?”

Even though she is the granddaughter of Old Lady Marelle, I wouldn’t put it past her to hurt Blanche if the rumors about her killing her husband and son are true. Old Lady Marelle is not one to mess with, or underestimate. She’s vicious and doesn't give second chances.

These rumors just send my mind reeling and a feeling of protectiveness washes over me. The whispers in my mind start again, but with a different message this time. “We need to find her and protect her.”

Shaking my head to rid the thoughts, I move towards the mansion to see if I can find any clues on what’s going on. If I am gonna take her down, I need to know her plans. Pulling out my binoculars, I see something red dart across the yard. What the hell could that be?

Checking again through the binoculars, that’s when I see her. Shit! That’s Blanche! I knew she was here at the mansion. When she disappears, I try to track her movements but it's really hard with the density of the trees. Making a quick decision, I walk towards where I last saw her. This feels like it could be fate. She belongs to me. Once I get my hands on her, I’ll never let her go.

Navigating through the woods feels like second nature to me. As a child, my father would take me into these woods to show me how to track and learn about why the woods are so special. The first time I stepped among the trees, I knew this is where I belonged.

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