Apex Predators

by Natalie Bennett

  Apex Predators

  Apex Predators Book One

  Natalie Bennett

  Apex Predators is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and events portrayed in this book are either form the Author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons similar or dead, establishments, events or location is purely coincidental and not intended by the Author. Please do not take offense to the content as it is FICTION.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Copyright © 2016 by Natalie Bennett

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to everyone who believed in me and encouraged me to never give up on writing.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter One

  She stepped out of her MKZ and gently shut the door. "This isn't so bad." Piper said getting out on the passenger side. "If you say so." She looked at the run down motel and knew they didn't have a choice. Her car had starting overheating a good few miles back, which it shouldn't have; it was only four months old. She had pushed it to get them this far.

  The hot bright sun of Lexford, Osceola aimed down at them like a laser beam. They were supposed to be in Beach City, probably still eight hours away. What a great start to this impromptu girl’s heartbreak healing vacation.

  She had caught her fiancé with his ex again and really called it off this time and Piper had been dumped for a younger girl. Which was actually disturbing considering they were only twenty-three and Piper was hot. She had long Jet black hair that almost went to her waist and light brown, hazel colored eyes.

  They were pretty much the same build, both about five one-ish, and having been gym partners the last few months they now had a little toning to their flat stomachs. They both had the same creamy skin and there weren't many differences beyond that.

  She had a chocolate brown hair that hit a little passed mid back and brown eyes. She had an ample chest but Piper took the cake for large chest. She had a nice little bottom from squats; Piper's was a little smaller. They had some personality differences, as where Piper would charge in guns blazing no questions asked she would actually like to know what she was charging into beforehand. She actually liked to get to know guys whereas Piper would just hit the sheets for a night of fun. They were both picky though, but picky clearly didn't mean winner. They walked towards the lobby of the dingy motel where a sign towered above read Stayhome Suites. That had to be a huge joke the building was hideous and falling apart.

  She pulled open the door and took in a small lobby that only held a cracked leather chair, dirty fish tank and a brown rug that didn't used to be brown. A heavy set man was behind the counter. He had a bald head and a long beard. "How can I help you ladies?" He drawled.

  "We need a room." She looked around for a brochure or something but she didn't see anything. "Sure thing, how long ya staying?"

  That was an excellent question. "Actually my cars having some issues, is there a shop or mechanic around here?" Please say yes she mentally begged. "Jed will be in on Wednesday; he works at a shop a few miles away and works here part time."

  It was only Friday; they didn't have much of a choice though there was nothing else around here. "Okay, well take a room until then." She paid for the room and grabbed the key cards and they headed back out the door.

  As they were leaving he told them there was a restaurant and a little gas station about fifteen minutes of walking distance up the road. They were on the second story of the building so they made their way up the ugly dark green painted stairs. "Well, here we go." She slid the card and opened the door. "Ew, oh my god." Piper wrinkled her nose and stepped back outside. The smell was pretty bad. It was like a potent must and wet dog smell blowing around because of the air conditioner.

  The whole room was way beyond needing remodeled. Old dark blue carpet, a long brown dresser with a bubble TV, two beds, one with a box spring falling apart, both covered in a very thin over washed floral blanket and the bathroom sink was being held up by a large piece of wood. Yeah, the sign was a riot.

  "We should have slept in the car." She grumbled. Only one light in the room worked and as she drew open the old faded curtains to let light in that really showed how bad the room looked, they did a bedbug check and the room passed. "Let’s go find this gas station and see if they have some air freshener and cleaning stuff." Piper readily agreed, neither of them wanted to be in this room. The gas station was in fact about a fifteen minute walk up the barren road but when it was as hot as it was it felt like an hour.

  She was already in shorts and a tank top she couldn't lose much more clothing. As they entered the gas station a girl who looked about their age greeted them. "You guys clearly aren't from around here; pretty girls don't hang here for long." She said it as a compliment but she wasn't exactly ugly herself, she had a unique style thing going on for her.

  One half of her hair was red the other was black and pulled into a sleek half up half down style. She was pale and had a tiny hoop in her nose and brown eyes.

  Then the girl added "Unless you’re Amy, but she’s a whore so we don't count her."

  It was clear the girl was friendly. "I'm Morgana or Morgan and this is Piper." She gestured to her friend who cheerily waved. "I'm Kira." She said smiling at them.

  "So, what are you guys doing in the middle of nowhere here?" She came around the counter. "My car started overheating which is weird; I just got it like four months ago brand new. So, were at the little motel up the road and came for some reinforcements." Kira laughed and walked down one of the isles.

  "You don't love the elegant suites?"

  She followed her down the aisle she had gone down and saw little air fresheners, fabreeze and cleaning products. "We love you much more." Piper said as she snatched up almost every smell good she could fit in her arms.

  As they were paying for the small but doubled variety of the smell goods and cleaning products Kira double bagged everything for them. "I get off at seven, there's a little restaurant across the street they have great pizza and they're actually clean. It’s like a mom and pop place. You guys wanna meet me there?"

  She looked at Piper who nodded. "Yeah sure, here." She wrote down her cell number and slid it to her. They said goodbye and left after that. The walk back seemed to take even longer but was well worth it to get everything they got.

  It was already going on five so they had work to do. They stripped the flowered blankets off the beds and checked the cleanliness of the sheets which were surprisingly new looking.

  Piper got to hanging air fresheners on the air unit and spraying the room down.

  Why she did that she walked back to the bathroom area and wanted to scream at how disgusting it was. The toilet was horrible and gags worthy.The tub was peeling and the shower head was rusty.

  She went bleach crazy, her eyes were burning with tears and they were both coughing
by the time she was done.

  A black gaping hole in the wall above the toilet was really starting to bother her so she grabbed two of the dingy faded white towels and shoved them into it to plug it.

  After that they drug their bags up and took turns rushing through a shower. She put on another pair of shorts and a floral tank, Piper dressed in a similar outfit. It was almost seven by now so they decided to head up to the little restaurant and meet Kira.

  Chapter Two

  The restaurant was called Pam and Dave’s and it was more of a bar than a restaurant. They grabbed a back table and waited for Kira before ordering. The place had a small crowd; a group of men was playing pool and two girls sat off to the side watching them play.

  They probably sat for ten minutes before Kira came strolling in and broke into a grin when she saw them. "Are you guys ready to order?" She asked sliding in. "Yeah, just waiting on you, do we just go to the bar?" Kira nodded and stood to order for them.

  "Peps and sausage?" She asked looking back. They both nodded. She came back with shooters. She wasn't much of a drinker but it’s not like she had anywhere to be.

  "So, where were you guys heading?" Kira asked after they drank the shots. "Beach City, we were supposed to be on a mission of healing." Piper laughed. They quickly explained about their pig ex's. "Men suck, I've had my share of losers to."

  Kira sighed as a little lady brought their pizza to them and they smiled and thanked her.

  The pizza smelled delicious, it looked like a cheesy heaven of pepperoni and sausage.

  They each grabbed a slice and dug in. "Mmmmm, this is really good." Piper moaned. She agreed around her own mouth full of pizza. They ate and got to know each other some more.

  Kira lived alone in a small ranch house her mother had left her with her cat. She had moved here two years ago and never left.

  After they finished eating they did a few more rounds and then settled in for a game of pool. As they were playing she heard a loud fake feminine laugh and looked across the room to where four large men sat. Large in the sense of muscle not fat, one had an eye patch over his eye and a scarred face but still had a very pretty red head tucked into his side.

  Two looked like they were brothers with the same light brown hair neatly styled and the fourth had black hair and brilliant blue eyes she could see from where she stood. He had slight sexy stubble on his face; they were all staring at them.

  "They're not from around here, well the women aren't I've seen the guys a few times, sexy right?" Kira said following her line of sight. She nodded. They were pretty good looking even the one with the eye patch. She forgot they were there as their night went on and the shots kept coming. Around eleven the three of them made their way to the motel. Kira couldn't drive in her state so she was staying with them by default.

  They made their way up the stairs and fell into the room. Kira settled on her soft pink felt blanket she had covered her bed in and Piper hopped onto her own purple one on her bed. They flipped the TV on and started watching some late night comedy stand up.

  It wasn't long before the sound of moaning drowned out the television. They all looked at one another and laughed. It was coming from the room that would be directly around the corner from them. Their bathroom had to be on the flip side of the other rooms because the hole was like a microphone booming from that direction.

  "There's more than one." Piper whispered like it was a secret. There was definitely more than one woman in there. "Gross, at this motel, on these beds? No way." Kira shook her head in disgust.

  She had to agree that was pretty trashy and her car had been the only one here when they got back so this had to be a late night booty call going down. As they sat timing the action the moans stopped, they didn't hear anything for a split second before loud screams rang through the air. Not sounding anything like the good kind.

  Someone was yelling no and stop and then it was just one woman left screaming out for help. "We have to do something!" She yelled. As soon as the sentence left her mouth the screaming came to a halt. She was immediately concerned.

  They were all very sober now and looking at one another. They went back to the bathroom. It was deathly silent now. They heard a sound on the other side of the wall and then the towels were shoved through.

  A hand popped through a second later and they screamed. She grabbed it and bent it back only to hear a snarl and it be pulled back through. Something heavy hit the wall after that.

  She knew these walls were nothing but thin pieces of painted wood. "Let’s get the hell out of here!" Piper yelled. They slammed the bathroom door shut and she grabbed her keys and her phone. She looked through the peephole and held up her hand to her friends.

  The eye patch guy was standing with his back to their door. This couldn't be a coincidence, Piper ran and dug through her bag and came back with a switch blade. She stood to the side of her and they counted to three silently.

  She flung the door open and Piper didn't hesitate slamming the blade into the man as he turned. He let out a yelp of pain and Kira roughly shoved him out of their way.

  They ran at break neck speed to her car and she hit the unlock button before they reached it.

  They piled in and she hit the locks just as the eye patch man grabbed her door and yanked. She started the car and threw it in reverse.

  The hotel employee from earlier ran out from the lobby and began yelling at the eye patch man and they watched as the eye patch man reached out and snapped his neck like he was a twig.

  "Drive!" Kira yelled the same time Piper yelled "Go!" She didn't need to be told twice she floored it. The Lincoln shot forward kicking up dust and dirt from the parking lot, "Call the police!" She yelled checking her mirrors and as she expected a set of headlights was shining brightly in the dark behind them.

  Kira pulled her phone out and dialed emergency. Piper was in the back watching out the back window. She looked at her cars thermometer and saw it steadily rising, she turned her heat on full blast and it stopped moving. "Shit!" She yelled and jerked her wheel as someone ran out in front of her car.

  The car went off road into the open plain of nothingness that surrounded them. "He's from their group, go!" Piper yelled from the back. She pressed her foot to the pedal and they shot off again.

  She had no idea what was out here so she flipped her brights on, glancing at her meter she saw it had started rising again. She knew if she kept moving it should be okay for just a little while. "I don't fucking know!" Kira yelled into her phone. She cursed a few seconds later.

  "They're sending cops now; I just lost the call with the operator." They weren't even on the main road how would the cops help them now?

  "Come on baby." She muttered to her car knowing she was pushing it. Piper kept watch out the back window why Kira redialed the operator.

  "No signals out here." Kira said checking all of their phones. She didn't see the lights behind them anymore but that didn't mean they still weren't being followed she knew her tail and headlights had to be like a fiery beacon in the darkness of the night.

  The car suddenly smashed into something hard and stopped moving. She held the pedal down but that only resulted in her bumper smashing in and her car blinking and beeping at her it was overheating.

  It cut off a second after that. "What do we do?!" Kira asked. She started her car again and threw it in reverse, it cut off and she started it once again. She got it to move forward but it promptly cut back off. She could hear a loud engine in the distance growing closer. "We haul ass!" Piper yelled from the back seat. Her friend was right, they had to get out and run and they had to do it now.

  Chapter Three

  They flung their doors open and they all got out of the car not hesitating in taking off. She saw a stupid large log of some sort was what had stopped her car from moving further. “What’s out here?!” She yelled to Kira. “I don’t know, I don’t take runs through here!” She sarcastically yelled back.

  “Move quietly, don’t let them
hear where we are.” She said quietly. Piper and Kira nodded. In the distance she heard sirens blaring and a cruiser’s lights flashing from further back the way they came. They ran towards it in a diagonal line knowing whoever was chasing them was still out here.

  She had no idea where though. Almost as if answering her, truck lights came on and shone down upon them. It was loud and was barreling towards them. It suddenly stopped and she heard laughter and cat calls as more than one man stepped out. They began to chase after them.

  She glanced back once and they were already right on them and gaining. How were they moving so fast? They hit the road, the cop car came speeding towards them and hit the brakes but from behind her a large pair of hands roughly grabbed her and threw her down. Piper was yanked back roughly by her hair and Kira was down beside her.

  “Well, lookie here. It’s the pretty ones from the bar.” The black haired man stood above her, his companions with him. The eye patch man seemed fine, like he hadn’t just been stabbed. “Think the masters will be happy?” One of the brown haired men asked. “Oh yeah, they got some fight in em. It’s perfect to finish the round up with.” Eye patch answered.

  “Step away from the girls!” The cop got out of his car his gun aimed at the four men. “This girl?” The man reached down and yanked her up by her hair. She gritted her teeth through the pain. “Get the hell off of me!” She tried to jerk away. He only tightened his grip and laughed. “Yeah, they’ll like you pretty girl.” He licked her cheek and she shied away from him as far as she could.

  “No can do officer, these women belong to us now.” The other brown haired man said and she saw him withdraw a brown bottle and a rag. She knew exactly what that was. “I won’t ask you again!” The officer yelled. The man holding her passed her to eye patch who gripped her arms just as hard and began dragging her back towards their large lifted pickup.

  She struggled uselessly. Piper was being carried already passed out from chloroform and Kira was roughly being drug as she was. She heard a shot ring out and then the sound of the officer screaming in pain before the night went back to silent.