The Last of Her Kind Ch. 05

A dark figure ran toward the back of the house, then took several steps back, gazing up in awe.

"Walters!" Darren hollered for the man, but doubted he could be heard over the flames. Fighting off the rope's grip, he grabbed a semi sharp rock and tried to cut his other hand free. "Walters, over here!"

Eventually the lawman turned and saw him. Running across the yard, he came to a stop when he saw Darren struggling to free himself.

"What in the hell happened here?" The sheriff asked, kneeling down with a knife. He quickly cut through the band of rope by Darren's wrist, and the rope went limp. Walters had Darren free in a matter of moments. "Where is Ana?"

"Not here. She..." He tried to think of what to say. "She left."

"Did she do this?" Walters looked back at the church. "Why did she leave?"

"This wasn't her. It was the guys from the bar. They're after her, so she ran."

"I'll put out an APB then. Maybe the state police can catch them."

Darren stood up, leaning against the tree for support. "You don't know these guys. By all means, put the word out, but they're slick."

"You don't suppose..." Walters looked at the house and then back at Darren. "I've always wondered if that girl was running from something. Now I wonder if it's caught up with her."

"I think it has." Darren bent over, taking several slow breaths. His ribs ached from getting free and it was so hard to breathe right now. He coughed a few times, then stood back up. He thought about the slip of paper he had seen, focusing his mind's eye on remembering them. They had been coordinates. "Look, I need a big favor from you."

"I don't know that now is the time, son. We have a major mess here to consider."

"Just hear me out. These men are after Ana, and they mean to hurt her. I think I know where they're going, but it's way out of your jurisdiction. They did this to get rid of me, and I need them to think they succeeded."

"So what do you want from me?"

Darren's face tightened into a scowl, and he grabbed at the dogtags just beneath his shirt. Soaked in his own blood, he turned his hateful gaze on the sheriff, who took a step back.

"These are the type of men who operate above the law. When you call this in, you can't mention me. They're expecting you to find a body eventually, and I need that extra time to prepare."

"To prepare for what?" Walters asked.

One at a time, they stepped from the shadows, illuminated by the light of the fire. Little Mike with his over-sized pack and his rifle. Hayden with a cigar stuck in his teeth, his gun casually resting on one shoulder. Dwayne with his arms crossed, the wrapper of a Snickers bar dangling from his front pocket. Darren's eyes met theirs, and they all nodded in agreement.

"To prepare for war."

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