Turning, I made out Winnie’s shape in the darkness, putting it together with her voice. “Winnie?”
“Goddammit, Forest.” She pulled the covers back, which I quickly took from her.
“I’m naked.”
“I don’t give a shit. We have to go.” Grabbing clothes from the top of the dresser, she threw them at me. “Put these on.”
“Where’s Sheldon?”
“There’s been a breach. Someone’s in the building. He told me to make sure you’re protected. I need to get you to the safe house. He’ll meet us there when he can.”
“Oh my god. Is it the person after us?”
“I don’t know. Please, Forest. We have to leave.”
If someone was in the building, that meant they had taken out multiple guards. Sheldon could be hurt. My friends could be injured. Whoever this was could be here for us or for Jordan.
I finally got my ass in gear, no longer trying to discern dream from reality. Scrambling out of bed, I grabbed the clothes and quickly shoved them on, not caring if they were mine or Sheldon’s. My hands shook, but I managed to get dressed.
“Let’s go!” Winnie called from the hallway. The light from the living room cast a low glow on her. Tears shimmered in her eyes, worry etched on her face. I wasn’t the only one affected. “Listen closely. We have to be very quiet. I don’t know who or where this person is. Stay behind me at all times. No matter what you hear or see, don’t leave my side.”
I nodded, scared for all of us. My brother was in the building, and my best friend. Jordan would protect them with his life, but what if this was more than one person? What if there were many here who wanted to hurt us?
Winnie carefully opened the door, checking we were safe to leave. With her gun drawn, she walked ahead while I stayed as close as possible without pushing against her. The hallway was eerily quiet. The lights flickered every few steps we took. I didn’t like this at all. On top of being frightened, this had a whole horror movie vibe to it.
We bypassed the elevator and went for the stairwell. Winnie stopped every so often to make sure we weren’t being followed. Flight by flight, we descended. That was when I realized I didn’t have shoes on, not that it mattered. There was something for meto wear at the safe house. They kept a lot of clothes there, as well as enough guns to take out many people.
When we got to the bottom of the stairs, there were two guards waiting with their guns drawn, as well as a running SUV.
“Thank you for answering when I called,” she told them.
They walked with us from the building until we got inside, where I buckled in the back and Winnie slid behind the wheel.
We were almost out of the garage when Winnie yelled that she saw someone with a gun. I ducked quickly. Undoing the seat belt, I slid onto the floor behind the driver’s seat and curled into a ball with my arms covering my head. Tears burned my eyes, but I kept telling myself that everything was going to be okay. Sheldon and the others would handle it, then I would be in his arms again. They’d catch and kill these people. We’d be safe.
If I kept repeating it in my head, it had to come true. That was what manifestation was all about, right? Positive words we put out in the universe. I’d been reading about it, given how into it Colleen was. She and I had spoken on the phone a couple of times. If only I could talk to her now. She always knew just what to say to put things into perspective and help me see the bright side.
I also began praying to my spirit guides. I still wasn’t sure I believed in them like Colleen did, but it couldn’t hurt. All the help I could get was welcome. And not just for me, but for the others too. I’d be ripped to pieces if anything happened to the people I loved.
“It’s okay,” Winnie said. “We’re almost out of the city. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” Her voice wasn’t steady, the words shaking.
“Where was Micah?” I asked, trying to get my mind off what was going on and how close someone had been to us.
“I… I saw him lying on the ground.” She sucked in a trembling breath. “I don’t know if he’s alive.”
“No.” I shook my head. I might not have befriended him like I did Winnie, but I didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“Sheldon was okay though,” she reassured me. “I spoke to him before coming to you. He was pissed and ready to do damage.”
“Good.” Sheldon would do whatever he had to. I just hoped he was protected when he did so.
The SUV moved this way and that, navigating over bumps and dipping into potholes. All the while, I stayed on the floor, unable to move. I really wanted to wake up and for this to be a horrible dream.
Too bad I couldn’t call Sheldon to make sure he was okay or Colleen to ask if she could see anything from her guides. I didn’t even grab my phone when we left. Not that trying to get a hold of Sheldon right now would be smart. He had to concentrate on his job. Talking on the phone to reassure me wasn’t a priority.
I started to keep a running commentary in my head. I had to keep distracting myself. I couldn’t focus on the drive or even look out the windows. I was too afraid to. Sitting here, hoping with everything inside me that we would all be okay, that was what I could do, and start reciting different shit I learned at the shop. It didn’t matter what it was, just as long as I could remember and replay it in my head. Conversations with Keith or one of the other guys. When I finished doing that, I started thinking about Sheldon and how he proposed to me, the words we said, and how we made love afterward.
The SUV eventually slowed and turned. It was bumpy, not feeling like pavement. I glanced out the window and saw the sun beginning to light up the sky before thick trees blocked out the light. I didn’t remember these trees on the property of the safe house when I’d been there before.
