Trapped in the Shadows

My heart collapses as I watch at Dante, wounded and struggling for air. His shirt is saturated with blood, his fingers pushed hard against his side, attempting to stop it.

“They took him,” he adds again, eyes wide with panic. “They took Lucian.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “No, no, no!”

I rush outdoors, disregarding Dante’s shouts. The jungle is dark, but I continue onward, yelling Lucian’s name again and over. My voice resonates through the woods, but there’s no response. Only quiet and darkness.

Tears obscure my eyesight as I fall over branches and pebbles. My legs are shaky, my breath short. But I don’t stop. I can’t.

I fall to my knees on the mud, crying. “Lucian…”

Why? Why did he travel alone? Why didn’t I stop him?

Footsteps crunch behind me. I whirl around quickly, ready to attack, but it’s Dante. He’s pallid and frail, scarcely able to stand.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he says quietly, resting a hand on my arm. “It’s not safe.”

“I don’t care!” I shout. “He’s out there, Dante! He’s out there and he’s—”

“He’s alive,” Dante adds swiftly. “I saw them drag him away. They didn’t kill him. That indicates we still have time.”

I wipe my tears, my hands shaking. “We need to find him.”

“We will. yet not like this,” Dante says, his voice gentle but firm. “We need a plan.”

I nod slowly, even though every part of me wants to rush into the woods again. But I know he’s correct. I can’t rescue Lucian if I’m dead.

We return to the home. The guard’s corpse is still lying amid the woods. Dante covers him with a sheet. I sit on the floor, arms wrapped over my knees, trying to breathe.

Victor snatched him. He finally got what he wanted—Lucian, gone. And me, alone.

But I won’t remain weak. I won’t let Victor win.

The following morning, I hardly sleep. Every sound makes me jump. Every shadow feels like Victor.

Dante is worse. He’s sick, disoriented, and his wound is deep. I bring him to the bed and do my best to clean the damage with the limited resources we have.

“You need a doctor,” I murmur.

“No,” he says. “Too risky. Just... fix me up. Please.”  I press the cloth against the cut. He winces but doesn’t complain.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.  “For what?” he says, bewildered.  “For dragging you into this. For getting Lucian taken. For everything.”

He shakes his head weakly. “Stop blaming yourself, Isabella. This isn’t your fault. Victor’s the monster. He’s the one who did this.”

“But he’s doing it because of me.”

Dante grabs my wrist. “Then make him regret it.”

His comments struck me hard. Yes. That’s what I need to do. Not weep. Not run. Fight.

But first, we need to locate Lucian.

Hours pass. I explore the home again, attempting to locate anything Victor might’ve left behind. A message. A hint. Anything.

And suddenly, in the corner of the living room, behind a picture frame, I locate it.

A phone.  Not my. Not Lucian’s. Not Dante’s.  It’s new. Untouched.  I push the power button. The screen lights up.  There’s just one message.

“Hello, Isabella. Ready to play?”

My stomach twists.

A second message arrives before I can even respond.

“If you want to see Lucian alive, come alone. No trickery. No police. You have one chance.”

There’s a place pinned on the screen. A warehouse just outside the city.

Typical Victor. Dark. Isolated. Dangerous.  I gaze at the computer, my hands trembling.

If I go, I may die.  If I don’t, Lucian will.  There’s no option.

I don’t tell Dante. He’s too weak. He’d attempt to stop me. And I can’t risk losing him too.

So I wait till he falls asleep. Then I leave a note.

I have to do this. Don’t come after me. I’m ending this, one way or another.

I take the phone, a tiny pocket knife, and one of the reserve firearms Lucian had stashed. My hands tremble as I load it. I’ve never used one before, but I’ll figure it out.

Outside, the air is chilly and quiet. The forest seems like it’s watching me.

I get in the car and drive, heart pounding with every mile.

This might be the last thing I ever do.

The warehouse is precisely what I imagined…huge, empty, and eerie. Broken windows, rusted doors, and shadows that move too easily.

I park far away and walk the rest of the way, hiding between trees and containers.

I grasp the rifle hard in my hand. My fingers are sweating. My knees are weak.

But I keep going.  I slip inside via a shattered window.  The place smells like oil and metal. My footsteps resonate.

“Isabella,” a voice calls quietly.

I freeze.  “Over here.”  I turn slowly and see him.

Victor.  Standing on the second floor of the warehouse, staring down at me like a monarch on his throne, He claps his hands slowly. “Brave girl. Just as I thought.”

“Where is he?” I yell.

Victor grins. “Oh, don’t worry. He’s here. Want to see him?”  He moves aside and a light switches on.

Lucian is tied to a chair. Bloody. Bruised. Barely awake.

“Lucian!” I scream.

Victor laughs. “He’s a tough one. Took a lot to break him. But I received what I needed.”

I elevate the gun. “Let him go!”  Victor lifts his eyebrows. “You really think you can shoot me?”

“I will,” I respond, my hands shaking.  He approaches closer, hands outstretched. “Do it, then. Go ahead.”

I stare at him, finger on the trigger.  But I can’t. My hands are shaking too much. My mind is screaming.

Victor sees it. He smirks. “That’s what I thought.”  He snaps his fingers.

Two males emerge behind me. I don’t have time to respond. One clutches my arm. The other knocks the pistol from my grasp.

“No!” I yell, straining.  Victor approaches approaching me slowly. “You were never going to win, Isabella. This was always how it ends.”

I fight. I kick. I scream. But they’re too powerful.  Victor takes my chin and compels me to look at him. “You’re mine now.”

“Never,” I spat.  He smacks me. Hard.  My ears ring. My eyesight blurs. I tumble to the floor.

“Bring her,” he replies coldly. “And kill Lucian.”  “No!” I scream.  But they draw me away. My screams resonate through the warehouse.

And behind me, Lucian is quiet.