Our Story Part Three The Hunters

Chapter Eighteen

Garret’s surprise must have been evident.

Elise rolled her eyes. “Do you think I’m stupid? It’s obvious to someone who’s known you as long as I have. It’s also obvious to me that you were the one who killed that woman in the alley, the man on the pier, and that woman on the beach.”

“Elise. They were hunters… I…”

“I don’t know what has happened to you, Garret but do something about it.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Sure I do. Stop being a monster and start being my big brother again.”

“I can’t leave. They’ll kill me.”

“You don’t see, Garret. This is killing you. Little by little this life is killing you. You need to be who you are, not who someone else wants you to be.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“That’s a weak response. You aren’t weak.”

“What do you know?”

“Enough.”

Present day

“I stormed out. I slept on the roof of an old building. I hid under an old workbench to stay out of the sun; tanning isn’t real healthy for us. I could hear Elise’s words in my mind over and over again.”

“She seems really wise.”

Garret smiled fondly. “Beyond her years.”

“What did you do after that?”

“Changed my look and my last name, moved around a lot, found Tristan and Brayden, moved more,” he looked at Rowan for the first time since beginning his story, “found love, and decided to stay.”

“Love?” This was the second time he had used that word.

“Or at least a strong like and a healthy dose of lust working its way to love.” He shrugged with deceptive lightness. “It’s getting there pretty fast.” They were both silent for a few seconds. “Well?” Garret finally asked.

“What?”

“My story.” He took a deep, shaky, breath, once again not looking at her. “Do you hate me?” There was a naked vulnerability on his face, as though he were positive that she’d hate him.

“I’ll be honest,” she told him. “Part of me will always wish that I never knew this.” He winced. “However, with that being said: I’m glad you told me, and I could never hate you.” She sealed this promise with a kiss.

“Now I think you’re even more amazing.”

“I told you-”

“And beautiful.”

“Garret-”

He paused looking at the door. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.”

“But-”

“I’m going to call Lupe’s mother. Try to reach her.” Rowan walked to the phone and checked the answering machine. No messages. She tried Lupe’s mother. No luck. She simply made up a story about checking to see if she was throwing Lupe a birthday party this year. She didn’t want to worry her when she knew that there was nothing that anyone could do right now.

As Rowan sat back down with Garret her mind raced. Who would hurt Lupe? Out of all of everyone she was the most easygoing, the sweetest, and the quietest. Why would anyone want her hurt? It just made no sense.

“She’s okay,” Garret announced. “I just felt for her.”

“Thank God,” she whispered.

“I couldn’t quite reach her but I got an imprint of her mind.”

“What’s that mean?”

“She’s alive but either drugged, asleep, unconscious, or too far away for an accurate imprint.”

“Gee could that get any more vague?”

“How should we proceed?”

“Tell the others what we know.”

“Done.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes you scare me.”

His face fell. “Rowan-”

She rolled her eyes and touched his arm gently. “I’m joking, doofus.”

He raised an eyebrow at the name. “Pardon?”

“You heard me. Hey, don’t you have class?”

He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead. “Something’s are just more important.”
“You’re sweet.”

“I guess I can take that as a compliment,” he smiled. “So now what?” She shrugged looking at the phone willing it to ring.

“I don’t know.” She sat back down next to him. She let him pull him into his arms. They lay together for a full hour before the phone finally rang. Rowan leapt to her feet, unintentionally knocking Garret onto the floor, and seized the phone off its cradle. “Hello?”

“Rowan?” the voice was far away and the reception was bad. It sounded as though she was talking on a cell phone, in a submarine, underwater. But it was Lupe, and she was alive and conscious.

The relief that flooded Rowan was so strong her knees almost gave out. “Lupe? Where are you? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Rowan, I’m in trouble.”

“Where are you? Just tell me-”

There was a pause as Lupe sighed. “I can’t talk long... I don’t know where I am. It’s so dark.”

“How are you talking to me?” Rowan asked suddenly confused. “Do you have a cell?”

“It’s Orion’s. The battery’s almost dead.” She could almost hear her friend smile. “We’re roaming.”

“Phone bill’s gonna be a bitch, huh?” Rowan asked wanting to keep Lupe talking as long as she could.

“Oh yeah.” There was a pause. “I’m going to have to go soon. They’re going to come back. Orion says he’s close.”

“Who is?”

“Be careful, Row, watch your back, and whatever you do, don’t come looking for us.”

“C’mon, Lupe, you should know better than to make that command. Of course we’re going to go look for you.”

“You can’t! They’ll hurt you too.”

Rowan winced at that. “Lupe, have you heard anything, any noises?”

“I can’t hear anything!” Lupe’s tone was frustrated and Rowan could hear tears in her voice. “Row, I’m so sorry... they... I’m trying so hard to not talk.”

“Lupe, please, give me something to go on. Anything.”

“Even if I knew where I was I wouldn’t tell you. I won’t give you up to them.” Click.

“Damn it!” she exclaimed hanging the phone back up, resisting the strong urge to throw it against the wall. Tears of frustration and fear burned her eyes.

“Could you hear anything?” Garret asked gently.

“Just Orion’s breathing,” she whispered. “It was just so quiet. It wasn’t natural.” She was silent for a few seconds. “Thanks for staying with me.”

“What else could I do?”

Rowan sniffled a solitary tear rolling down her cheek. “Garret... I think they’re torturing her.” Garret went to her side and brushed the tear away.

“You can’t think like that, baby.” He straightened. “Let’s try a different approach. C’mon.”

“Where are we going?”

“Out. We’re going to drink a couple cups of coffee and take a walk through town.”

“Why?”

“To see if we can pick anything up. Odds are someone will slip and say something, there’s a slim chance that maybe we’ll overhear someone. It’s better than sitting here and waiting.”

“You don’t exactly fit in.” Garret was tall and his clothes made him look imposing.

“You either. Go grab something of either of your roommates.”

“Why?”

“Not many girls your age dress that conservatively.” Rowan was wearing an oversized university sweatshirt and a pair of baggy jeans.

“So you don’t like my clothes?” Rowan couldn’t help but ask.

“Baby, you’d look beautiful to me in a burlap sack, so that’s an unfair question to ask me. Go change and I’ll meet you down stairs.” He left. With a sigh Rowan went into Cat’s room and chose one of her more revealing outfits. It was a red plaid skirt that came to her mid-thigh and a black tank top. She threw on a pair of fuck-me boots that she grabbed from Cherish’s room and walked down the stairs. Garret had changed too. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a baby blue button up t-shirt. He also had on a pair of lightweight glasses.

“You wear glasses?”

“Not often,” he shrugged.

“I like them.”

He smiled. “Then I’ll wear them more often.”

“I don’t know about this... maybe I should stay in case she calls again.”

“You’re coming with me. Angel, even if she called she wouldn’t tell you where she is, you know that.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know, baby, but we’re going to figure this out.” He led her out of the dorm and downtown.