Billy lifted my hand and placed it in his. “You should stay, Morgan. It’s too risky.”
I yanked my hand away, angry at him for suggesting such a thing, although I knew he was right—at least about the risk. “You know I can’t.”
Confusion clouded Nick’s face. “Where is it you need to go? Why can’t it wait?”
My gaze shot to Nick. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.”
He seemed to accept that—after all, he lived in a world of secrets. “Will you be alone?”
“I’m going to take her there,” Billy said, practically before Nick had finished asking.
I held back a smile.
“Good, good,” Nick said. “Well, if you’re determined to go, then there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
I was glad to hear that—it hadn’t occurred to me that he would try to stop me.
“Is there anything I can do to help you get to this mystery destination safely?” he asked.
“Yes, actually.” Billy grinned. “Do you have a motorcycle I can borrow?”
Nick laughed. “I’m sure I can find one for you to use. Anything else?”
“A few other things,” I said. “Do you have a GPS device I can borrow?”
“Of course. What else?”
I glanced at Billy. “A hatchet and a couple of flashlights.”
Nick’s eyebrows went up and I could tell he was trying to hold back his questions.
He looked at Billy, who nodded, then said, “Okay. Is there anything else?”
“Just a bit of food and water, and perhaps a backpack. And if I can use your computer for an hour or so.”
“Sounds like you’re going on quite an adventure.”
“You have no idea,” Billy said.
I elbowed him in the side and he laughed.
“I’ll see about getting the items you requested, and you can use my computer.” He left then and Billy and I spent the next hour pinpointing the GPS coordinates for the tunnel as well as the hut. With both of us searching, and having found them once before, it took less time to find everything this time. We wrote the coordinates down, ready to program them in to the GPS device once Nick gave it to us.
I also asked Nick if he knew a hairdresser who could come over and dye my hair back to its natural color. He invited a woman named Paula to come over. She was tall and had beautiful hair, and she seemed much more experienced than Brynn had been. First she had to bleach the old dye out of my hair, then she added back a color that seemed close to my natural color. I looked in the mirror, and besides my hair being shorter, I looked a lot more like my old self.
Billy and I spent the rest of the day hanging out and enjoying one another’s company. Neither one of us tried to change the other’s mind about going or staying, but when Nick handed me the backpack with the requested items, I not only felt the weight of the objects, but the weight of leaving. Once I went back through the wormhole or portal, or whatever it was that had brought me here, I didn’t think I’d be able to come back even if I wanted to.
This wouldn’t be see you later, it would be good-bye. Forever.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
After telling Billy and Nick good-night, I got ready for bed and climbed between the covers, staring at the ceiling. I was so excited for morning to arrive and to finally be able to get home. My thoughts wandered and I wondered how the actual transition into the other world would happen. I had no idea, but thoughts of that led me to thoughts of the other Morgan. I couldn’t just let her show up in this world where Enforcers were determined to catch her, without giving her some kind of warning.
I slipped out of bed and went to a desk tucked in a corner. It didn’t take long to find a sheet of paper and a pen. I sat at the desk and wrote her a letter, detailing all of the things that had happened to me since I’d gotten here. I even told her how it had happened—I knew I would be curious if I were her.
I laughed softly. I was her. Just an alternate version. The letter was long, but I hoped it would keep her safe. I folded it into thirds and put it in an envelope, then sealed it and wrote her name on the front.
I’d give it to Billy and ask him to give it to her. When the switch happened, I could only assume she’d be in the same place she’d be in the other world—namely, at or near the house in Fox Run.
Suddenly exhausted, I climbed into bed and slept soundly until morning. When the rays of the sun woke me, I was eager to get up and get going. After showering, I met Billy in the kitchen.
“You still want to do this?” he asked as he ate.
“You know I do.” The anticipation and excitement had killed my appetite, but I managed to eat some fruit. It was just the two of us in the kitchen, so I pulled out the envelope and handed it to him.
He picked it up and read the name scrawled across the front. “Morgan.” He looked at me. “What’s this for?”
“After I get to the tunnel, I need you to look for the other Morgan…”
“Wait, who?”
Since he didn’t necessarily believe my story, it wasn’t surprising that he’d never thought about the Morgan that came from this world. “When I travelled through the portal or whatever it was, and arrived in this world, the Morgan who came from this world evidently disappeared.”
He looked at me like I had gone completely crazy—like maybe the torture Holly had put me through had pushed me over the edge.
I smiled and rolled my eyes, knowing I was perfectly sane. “Anyway, when I go back through the portal to where I came from, the other Morgan will most likely come back to this world, and she’ll be in danger.”
He sat back, like he was starting to get it.
“I need you to find her, bring her back here, and give her this letter. It will explain everything.”
He laughed. “And you think she’ll just willingly come with me? She’ll have no idea who I am.”
I’d thought of that too. “True, but she’s got to know that something weird happened. She won’t know how it happened, just that it did.”
“That still doesn’t solve my problem. How do I convince her to go with me?”
“She knows how this world works. If you tell her that the Enforcers are after her and that you need to get her to safety, hopefully she’ll go with you.”
“Why can’t I just give her the letter first? That will explain everything.”
I sighed, worried that this wouldn’t work. “It’s kind of long. I don’t like the idea of you guys sitting there where the Enforcers can find you while she reads it.”
“That brings up another question. Where am I going to find her?”
“I think she’ll be somewhere near my house in Fox Run. You remember that woman who screamed at us right after we got back from the hut?”
He nodded.
“That was my house. She’s the one who moved in.”
“Oh.”
“It’s Sunday, so the other Morgan will probably be somewhere around home. At least that’s where I usually was on Sundays.”
“You know you sound nuts, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, yeah. But that doesn’t make it not true.” I looked at him and he didn’t seem convinced. “Will you please just do this?”
He sighed. “Sure. Whatever.”
I knew the truth would be evident soon enough. “Thank you.”
Before we left, I said good-bye to Nick. I thought about telling him “I” might be back later and “I” might look a little different—the other Morgan most likely still had long hair—but decided it was just too complicated and Billy could handle it when it happened, since he would be here.
As I thought about Billy staying in this world, something died in me. He was the only person in this world or mine who knew the truth, and once I crossed through the portal I would never see him again. He was the only person who knew exactly what I had been through. He was my best friend and was just starting to become something more, but all I would have of him were my memories.
“R
eady?” Billy asked.
I hefted the backpack over my shoulders and stared at him a moment. Finally I nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We headed out to the driveway where a motorcycle waited. It wasn’t as sleek looking as the one we’d used before, but that didn’t matter. We just needed something that would get us to Fox Run.
We put on the helmets and climbed on the bike, then Billy started it up and off we went. As we travelled, I kept an eye out for Enforcers. I didn’t think we stood out, but it still made me nervous to be out in the open.
An hour after we left Nick’s place, we arrived at Fox Run. Billy knew the way and before long we were parked down the street from my house—at least what was my house in the other world. It was mid-morning on a Sunday and the neighborhood was quiet. We climbed off the motorcycle and took off our helmets.
“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Billy said as he set his helmet on the bike.
This is what I’d been working toward ever since arriving in this world, so changing my mind was not even a remote option. I looked at him and smiled, so happy to be on the verge of getting home, but sad to have to tell him good-bye. “I’m not going to change my mind.”
He sighed. “Okay.”
I took the GPS device out of the backpack and held it up. “Let’s do this.”
Just like last time, it took an hour before we reached the tunnel. I couldn’t believe we made it there so easily. We stood at the entrance and I was eager to go inside. I set the backpack on the ground and took out a flashlight.
“Did you hear that?” Billy whispered as he turned his head to the side.
I hadn’t heard anything, but I’d been focused on the tunnel so I hadn’t really been listening. “No.” Then I heard a soft rustling.
“There it is again,” he whispered.
I nodded, worried now.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’m going to check it out.”
I didn’t like the idea of standing there by myself, but agreed to wait. Billy walked away and after a moment he disappeared into the forest. I stared into the place where he’d gone, trying to see through the trees, but I saw nothing. I waited for nearly ten minutes and was just about to go after him when I heard a noise behind me. I spun around. Standing in front of me was Hansen.
“Look who showed up after all,” he said, grinning. “And to think they didn’t believe me.”
The flashlight slipped from my hand as my whole body froze.
“What’s wrong, Morgan? Surprised to see me?”
I stared at him, wanting to scream, but unable to make my mouth work. Finally I found my voice. “Billy,” I screamed. Hansen laughed, which sent a chill racing up my spine.
“He’s a little…tied up…right now.”
“Where is he?” I frantically looked back the way he’d gone.
“Don’t worry about him. This is about you and me. We have a little unfinished business.”
“How did you find this place?”
He grinned. “It was thanks to you. The coordinates were programmed into the GPS that you left at Tyler’s house. Remember him?”
I nodded as I frantically tried to figure out what to do. I could run into the tunnel, but then two things could happen. One, Billy would be left to Hansen’s mercy. Or, two, Hansen would follow me right into my world. Neither option was good.
“Yeah,” he said, a twisted smile on his face. “We came here and waited for you after that, but you never showed up. Everyone else gave up, but not me. As soon as I heard you’d gotten away from Camp Stonewater, I had a hunch that you’d come here.”
“So you’re by yourself?”
“I thought you’d enjoy our meeting better if it was one-on-one. Just you and me.”
The look of anticipation on Hansen’s face made me shudder in horror. I had no idea what he was going to do to me, but I knew it would most likely end in my death. I had to get away from him. I also needed to help Billy. He was only in this situation because he wanted to help me. I couldn’t leave him now.
I turned away from Hansen and bolted in the direction Billy had gone. I only hoped I could find him before Hansen caught up with me.
“Where’re you going, Morgan?” Hansen called after me.
I heard his heavy footfalls as he began chasing me, but I ran into the trees that surrounded the opening to the tunnel, my heart pounding in terror. “Billy,” I called out, but there was no response.
Hansen was gaining on me, giving me that same feeling of utter panic I’d felt when Mills had pulled me off of the fence two days before. More adrenaline pumped into my veins, giving me energy to run faster. I didn’t see Billy anywhere and my alarm grew. I had to slow Hansen down so I could look for Billy.
I dashed behind a tree, my back pressed up against the wide trunk and my eyes searching for something with which to defend myself. If only I hadn’t taken off the backpack, I could have used the hatchet.
I heard Hansen’s heavy breathing as he approached my hiding place. As the sound grew louder, I silently scooted around the trunk, concealing myself. He passed me, but apparently didn’t see me. That’s when I saw a good-sized branch lying on the ground a few feet away.
I peered around the trunk and saw Hansen stopped about thirty feet away, his back to me. He turned his head from side to side, then he cupped his hands over his ears.
“Morgan,” he called out in a sing-song voice. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
I shuddered with dread as I jerked back into place behind the trunk. My gaze went to the branch, but I was afraid he’d turn around and see me just as I left the safety of the tree trunk to pick it up.
I squeezed my eyes closed and listened intently. No sound came from his direction, which was almost worse than when he had called out to me. At least then his voice had given me an idea of where he was. With my heart pounding, I peered around the trunk again. He was gone.
I straightened, my eyes wide with fear. Where had he gone? This wasn’t like playing hide and seek with my brothers, this was like playing hunter and prey, and I was the prey. I squeezed my eyes closed again, gathering my courage, then opened them and focused on the branch. Moving as quickly as I could, I took three steps to reach it, then snatched it up. I hefted it in my hands and wrapped my fingers around it. It would do.
Then, as stealthily as I could, I walked from trunk to trunk, looking for Billy and keeping an eye out for Hansen. I avoided the place where Hansen had stopped—somehow it just seemed like he would jump out from behind one of the trees in that spot—and continued searching.
After five minutes of searching—although it seemed like hours—I heard a moan. On high alert, I tiptoed toward the sound and saw Billy tied to a tree. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose and his eyes were closed. He moaned again. Before revealing myself, I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Just then Hansen walked out from behind a nearby tree.
I pressed myself against the tree and held the branch against my chest. Hansen was to my right, but unless he walked in my direction, he wouldn’t see me.
“How are you doing, loverboy?” Hansen asked.
I peered around the trunk to see what was happening. Hansen was pushing against Billy’s leg with his boot.
“Looks like she left you to me. I guess she doesn’t care about you after all.”
Billy’s eyes opened and he looked at Hansen for a moment, then he spit a wad of mucous and blood in Hansen’s direction.
Hansen slammed his fist into Billy’s head, snapping it back against the tree trunk. Billy’s head fell forward and he didn’t move.
Did he kill him? My mind screamed. Did he just kill him right in front of me?
I watched as Hansen stood over Billy and began to laugh. Something about his laughter dug deep into my soul and all the terrible things he had done to me flashed through my mind. Without conscious thought, I hurtled out from behind the tree, the thick branch raised over my shoulder like a baseball bat, and rushed toward
Hansen.
He must have heard me because he turned in my direction in what seemed to be slow-motion. He was much taller than me, so when I swung the branch at his head, it was only shoulder height. He threw up his arm to deflect the blow, but I’d swung it so hard that it put him off-balance and he stumbled.
I took advantage of his faltering step and quickly swung the branch at him again. This time it connected with a solid thwunk against his chest and he fell backward, smacking his head hard against the ground.
I raised the branch to hit him again, but when I looked down at him, he was unnaturally still, and blood was beginning to pool under his head. Taking a closer look, I saw that he’d hit his head on a sharp rock and a large gash was clearly visible on the back of his head. A profuse amount of blood poured out of the wound and I felt certain that if he hadn’t already died, he would very soon.
I turned away from him and hurried over to Billy, whose head still hung limply.
“Billy,” I cried out. “Billy, can you hear me?” I pressed my fingers to his neck and felt a strong pulse, and let out a sharp breath of relief. I untied the ropes that kept his hands bound, and gently, ever so gently, laid his head on the blanket of leaves that had settled around the tree trunk.
After glancing at Hansen to make sure he hadn’t moved, I stroked Billy’s cheek. “Wake up, Billy. Wake up.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
After a moment he opened his eyes. “Morgan?”
“I’m right here,” I murmured. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
He tried to sit up, but closed his eyes and fell back against the leaves.
“You need to rest right now.”
He opened his eyes and looked past me. “Hansen?”
I glanced at the body of the Enforcer who had wanted to kill me. “I think he’s dead.”
Billy lifted himself onto one elbow, grimacing, then looked in Hansen’s direction. “You’re not sure?”
“I’m pretty sure. There’s a lot of blood.”
“Make sure, will you?”
I looked back at Hansen and shuddered, but I knew Billy was right. I stood and walked over to Hansen and stared at his chalk-white face, then squatted beside him and pressed two fingers against his neck. There was nothing, not even a faint flutter. That, plus the large puddle of blood beneath his head was all the confirmation I needed.
Hunted (Parallel Series, Book 3) (Parallel Trilogy) Page 29
