Chapter 20: Running Continues

Sharon hid behind another building just opposite the hotel and watched Addicus and his men get into their cars and drive off.

**Her plan worked.

The sirens of the incoming police vehicles had scared them off. Now, she needed to check if Lily was okay.

Sharon bolted into the hotel and headed for Lily's room. She had to be quick because the police had just arrived and since they didn't know which room this so-called "murder" was going to happen in, they started searching all of them.

Sharon entered the room and was devastated to find Lily on the ground with blood profusely leaking from her chest. She had been stabbed in the heart was dying.

"No! Lily?" Sharon cried out and ran to her friend.

"Stay with me, Lily. Stay with me. It's going to be okay. There's an ambulance right outside. They'll take care of you. You'll be alright," Sharon said to Lily, trying to convince herself that she could be saved.

With her last breath, Lily managed to whisper one word before she died. A word that prompted Sharon to leave and never look back; a word that was packed full of love, sorrow, and a desire to protect; *a word directly from her bleeding heart.*

**"RUN!"

And she closed her eyes and went into a permanent and eternal slumber.

Sharon held her friend's lifeless body and cried profusely. She didn't want to leave her. She didn't want to go but she knew she had to.

If the police saw her here, they'd take her in as a witness and she was sure that Addicus had some corrupt cops under his payroll and they'd turn her over to him.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. Please forgive me," Sharon said her final goodbye to her friend and kissed her forehead.

She quickly went to the bathroom and washed her bloody hands and changed her clothes. She took her bag and money and left the hotel, consumed with sadness and a feeling of self-doubt and guilt.

**BACK AT THE COTTAGE

.

.

.

Sharon and Peter were preparing to go into the town for a change of scenery. They needed more bright colours and more chatter. They took his horse and cart and were on their way.

As they rode through the little humble island town, Peter gave her a sort of tour and showed her all the sites worth seeing.

They passed waterfalls and huge meadows and Sharon was astounded by the beauty she was surrounded by. It was exactly what she needed.

They finally made it to the little town's market and sat down right outside a small shop to get some drinks.

"It's so peaceful and beautiful here," Sharon observed.

"Yeah, it's a pretty good place to hide away from the world and the problems that come with it," Peter added.

"You're referring to me, aren't you?"

"I'm just saying. Based on everything you've told me, I think Addicus is still hunting you and you came to this Island to hide from him," Peter said.

Sharon didn't respond. She just took a sip from the drink that the shop owner had served and stared at the ocean.

It seemed that wherever you looked on this Island, you always see the ocean, Sharon thought to herself.

"So, after the hotel, what happened? You managed to elude him and got on a boat and came here?" Peter assumed.

"Not exactly!"

**BACK TO THREE YEARS AGO...

Sharon slipped out of the hotel room seconds before the police got there and found Lily's lifeless body. She walked down the stairs, past the reception, and out the door, unbothered and unnoticed.

As soon as she got out, the first thing on her mind was to evacuate the city so she got a cab and made for the train.

The international docks were located in Boulder and she was in Denver. She needed to get on the train to take her to Boulder.

She had initially thought about going back home to Jacksonville but she knew that would be the first place Addicus would think to look for her so she decided not to go there.

Even if she could, now she surely wouldn't.

**How would she face Lily's mother and tell her that her daughter was dead because of her?**

It would be too much for her to bear so it probably was for the best.

Sharon called a taxi and was driven to the train station. As she got there, she immediately went to the boarding section to buy a ticket. The line was long and there were a lot of people ahead of her. She tried to cut the line but no one was having it.

She pleaded that it was an emergency but no one heard her pleas. She had no choice but to stand in line and wait for her turn.

She raised her head to survey her surroundings and noticed three men, all wearing black jackets staring and pointing at her; *Addicus' men.*

**They had found her.

They started walking in her direction and Sharon was terrified. She wasn't sure if she should run or stay put since it was a public place and they might not able to take her forcefully because she could call for help and the station's security would come to her rescue.

But the closer they got, the more fear she felt. She couldn't think with her head but with her heart. Her fear consumed her and she started to run.

The men picked up the pace and pursued her through the station. She ran in desperation, pushing people out of the way and trying to find a means of escape.

She made it out of the station and somehow found herself on the train tracks and looked for a way to hide or avoid being caught by these men.

That's when she noticed a train that was already departing. She didn't know where it was going but she knew one thing for certain; **She had to get on it because it was her only chance.**