AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But it runs, and that's all that matters.
I merge onto the highway, the traffic blessedly light at this late hour. I keep my eyes on the road, my mind racing as I try to plan my next move.
I'll have to ditch this car soon enough, trade it in for something else to throw off any potential pursuers, but I figure this should buy me a day at least. And I need to stock up on supplies—food, water, maybe even a weapon if I can find one in a similarly unofficial fashion. After the Hunter showed up in my hotel room, I've decided it's worth the risk.
There's gotta be a flea market somewhere a state or two from here with an unscrupulous vendor willing to sell me a gun without any fanfare.
But first things first—gas. The needle on the fuel gauge is hovering just above empty, the light blinking an angry red in the darkness of the cab. Of course that drunk asshole wouldn't think ahead.
I take the next exit, pulling into a 24-hour gas station just off the highway. The fluorescent lights flicker and buzz as I fill up the tank, casting harsh shadows across the cracked concrete.
As I wait for the pump to click off, I rummage through the junk scattered across the back of the truck bed beneath a pile of blankets and tarps. Just a few old tires and rusty junk the owner was probably planning on selling for scrap. The back of the cab isn't much better. Fast food wrappers, empty soda cans, a few crumpled receipts. But wedged between the seats, I find a treasure trove—a battered leather jacket that smells faintly of cigarettes and a baseball cap with a logo I don't recognize.
I slip them on, pulling the cap low over my eyes and zipping the jacket up to my chin. It's not much of a disguise, but it's better than nothing. At least I won't be quite so recognizable if anyone comes looking for me.
The pump clicks off and I replace the nozzle, my movements quick and efficient. I climb back into the driver's seat, my heart pounding as I pull out onto the highway once more.
I've been driving for about an hour when the burner phone buzzes in my pocket, the vibration startling me out of my anxious thoughts. I glance at the screen, my blood running cold at the message displayed there.
The Hunt has begun. You have seven days, little fawn. Run fast and run far, but know that I will always find you. - H
H?
Oh. For Hunter.
Cute.
My hands tighten on the wheel, my knuckles turning white with the force of my grip. He's taunting me, the bastard. Toying with me like a cat with a mouse, secure in the knowledge that he holds all the power.
But I won't let him win. I can't. Too much is at stake—my life, my freedom, my very sanity. I'll run as far and as fast as I can, and when he catches up to me?
I'll be ready.
Chapter Nine
THE FAWN
I press down on the accelerator, the engine roaring in protest as the speedometer climbs higher and higher. The road stretches out before me, an endless ribbon of asphalt cutting through the darkness.
In the distance, the sun is just starting to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. It's a beautiful sight, one that would normally fill me with a sense of peace and wonder.
But all I can feel is the cold grip of fear, the icy tendrils of dread that curl around my heart and squeeze until I can barely breathe. Because I know that somewhere out there, a wolf is on my trail, his hunger growing with every passing mile.
And he won't stop until he's devoured me whole.
The burner phone buzzes again, the sound as loud as a gunshot in the quiet of the car. I flinch, my heart leaping into my throat as I fumble for the device with shaking hands.
Four messages from him, the words stark and chilling against the bright screen.
Tick tock, little fawn.
The clock is ticking away, and I'm getting closer with every second.
Can you feel me breathing down your neck yet?
- H
I hurl the phone into the passenger seat with a strangled cry, my eyes blurring with tears of rage and terror. He's in my head, the sick fuck. Burrowing into my thoughts like a parasite, feeding off my fear and desperation.
