They Don't Know About Us

Chapter 13

Gavin immediately raised a finger to his lips as Ava flashed him a worried look. He slowly got up from the bed and made his way over to the window, carefully pulling the thick green curtain back just slightly to peer outside. He immediately ducked back into the room and made his way over to her. “I think they’ve found us. We have to make a run for it,” he told her, grabbing her shaky hands and pulling her from the bed. He leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” he told her, his own hands threatening to shake.

Ava could tell that he was scared, but he was trying to keep calm in front of her. She drew in a deep breath, knowing that she was literally about to run for her life. She knew there wasn’t really anything around the motel but a few other old buildings and the highway. She didn’t know where they could even go, but she knew that they couldn’t stay there. “I’m right with you,” she told him, calming herself as much as she could. She had to keep her head somewhat clear if she was going to make it. She had to make it.

“We’re going to run along the side of the building and then keep going,” Gavin told her, having no exact plan but to just run and try to get away. He grabbed her hand and led her to the door, his eyes meeting hers once more. “Ready?”

Ava gripped his hand tightly, feeling some comfort in the hold. At least she wasn’t all alone in this. “Ready,” she told him, only feeling sort of ready, but they didn’t have any time to waste. When she heard him open the door, she immediately ran forward with him, darting along the side of the building. She heard car doors fly open behind her, her head turning to dare a glance back to see three men running after them, one being the man that was trying to deliver the pizza earlier. Her breath threatened to get caught in her chest as she realized that what he did was a whole con. She had been tricked. 

“Around here!” Gavin told her, cutting to the right to sprint behind the motel building, the grass uncut and unruly. He headed for an abandoned gas station up ahead, weaving around the gas pumps, his head glancing back to see where the men were at.

Ava knew that the men chasing them were closing in on them. She could hear their footsteps grow faster and faster as they raced through the darkness. She could hardly see anything in front of her, the dim, orange streetlights only illuminating so much of the area. She turned a corner with Gavin, suddenly being thrown into a bunch of bushes that lined the building. 

“Stay here,” Gavin hissed to her quickly before continuing to run off, hoping to lead the men away from her. 

Ava hit the ground with a huff, feeling too sore to immediately get up. The approaching sounds of the men’s footsteps coaxed her to stay still and stay silent, her body completely shrouded by the thick bushes. She watched them run past through the leaves, her breath stilling to not make any sort of noise.

Once they passed by, she peered out a little to look for Gavin, trying to see through the dimly lit area for his figure. She saw someone running up ahead with three shadows right behind him. Suddenly, he was taken down to the ground, a gasp ringing from her. She wanted to get out of the bushes, run to him, and help him, but he had told her to remain there in the bushes out of sight. She knew that her chances of being able to actually help him were slim. She would just get in the way and get captured or killed. She was just leverage for the men against Gavin.

Gavin struck up with his fist, catching one of the Ukrainian men in the cheek. He kicked out with his right foot, striking another in the stomach. He rolled over to try to push himself up and off the ground, but someone stepped on his back, forcing him back down to the ground roughly, his face striking the ground. A pained groan sounded from him as he struggled, doing everything he could to fight off the three men. Eventually, his struggle faltered as they landed kick after kick against his body, his strength fading until he laid helpless on the ground.

“Your father has been looking for you, boy,” one of the men growled out, reaching down to harshly grab Gavin’s hair to jerk his head back.

“You might as well go ahead and kill me because I’m not going back!” Gavin shouted, throwing his shoulders back to try to get away. He kicked his legs and tried to toss his head around, doing anything he could to try to land a hit on someone.

The man released Gavin’s hair with a deep laugh before driving another kick against Gavin’s side, a pained shout sounding from Gavin. “Get him up. Let’s get him back to the house,” the man sighed out, motioning for the other two men to grab Gavin and drag him back toward the motel.

As much as Ava wanted to reach out and grab Gavin, she remained still as they brought him near the bushes. She gazed through the leaves quietly, noting Gavin’s eyes shift just slightly toward her. It pained her to see how beaten up he was as he was dragged by the men. He had blood dripping down his chin from a busted lip, his body hunched from the damage to his ribs. She knew that she couldn’t sit there forever. She had to try to get him back somehow, but she felt so lost without him. He had been guiding her on this chaotic adventure, and now she was all alone.

Once the men made it around to the front of the motel, Ava silently got up from the bushes and crept to the back of the motel. She eased around to the side and peered out to look at them in the front, watching them load Gavin up in the back of a black SUV. She glanced at the car that Gavin had stolen from the last town, an idea forming in her mind. When she heard the SUV start up, she ducked down, hiding against the wall as the SUV pulled out of the parking spot and headed out toward the road. As soon as it turned to go to the left down the long and lone highway, she made a break for the white Corolla, immediately jumping into the driver’s seat and leaning down to look at the red wires she was supposed to use to hotwire the car. She thought back on his instructions, skipping a few steps to get back to where she was then. She brought the wire tips together, a spark crackling from the connection and the engine gunning to life.

Ava sat up in the driver’s seat, a look of disbelief and awe crossing her face. She couldn’t believe she successfully hotwired a car all thanks to her psychology professor who she had almost kissed not too long ago. It was all a strange time for her. She quickly backed out of the parking lot and headed down the same direction as the SUV. She picked up her speed, knowing she needed to go fast to have a chance at catching up and following them wherever they were going with Gavin. She had to get to him before they did anything really bad to him. 

Luckily, there were no other cars on the old highway, letting her speed freely as she searched for red lights that meant there was a vehicle in front of her. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to quell her fear as much as she could. She was scared for her life, but she was always petrified for Gavin’s. She had promised to have his back, so she had to do what she could to save him. She wanted him to be okay. If he wasn’t, she wasn’t sure what she would do. The thought of that sent an ache echoing through her heart, her teeth gritting as she stepped on the gas even more. 

After what felt like an eternity driving, Ava squinted her eyes to make out faint red lights. She realized they were the taillights of a vehicle ahead of her. She kept with her speed, steadily catching up as back roads started to pop up that were connected to the highway. She saw the brake lights appear on the back of the car before it turned onto a road off of the highway, her headlights bright enough for her to see that the car was indeed the black SUV that Gavin was held captive in. She slowed her speed a little, pulling off into the turning lane before driving onto the road and switching her lights off. She could still make out the red lights up ahead, carefully following them at a safe distance through the darkness on the back road. 

Her eyes shifted up to see the faint outline of a house up ahead through the trees. She slowed her car to a stop, wanting to play it safe and not follow them too close to the house. She waited for a few moments, stalling for when she thought they had finally parked. She quietly opened her door and got out of the car, silently creeping down the driveway toward the house. She bent down near some more bushes, peering over the thick leaves at a small brick house with dull outside lights near the door. She watched them open the back door of the SUV and pull Gavin out roughly, holding his arms back behind his back as they led him to the front door.

“Let me go! I’m not going!” Gavin cried out, trying to throw his shoulder against the two men pushing him forward. He managed to roughly shoulder one man, making the man stumble to the side a bit from the force of Gavin’s blow. 

The man that was hit had enough of Gavin’s rough struggling and struck Gavin across the face with a hefty punch, sending Gavin to the ground in a broken heap.

Ava clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay still despite wanting to punch that guy in the face. She watched them pick Gavin back up and drag him inside of the house before shutting the door. She knelt on the ground, burying her face in her hands for a moment. She had to figure out what to do, but her mind was a chaotic mess. She didn’t know how to get Gavin out. Panic seized her for a few moments, her breathing turning shaky for a few moments. After drawing in a few deep breaths, she centered herself, calming herself so that she could somehow think of a plan.

Ava knew that she would have to do something risky. She would have to do something dangerous, but she needed to know the situation first. She had to sneak up to the house and look through the clear windows to see where Gavin was at and where the men were at. If she could figure out a way to get the men away from Gavin, she could sneak in and free him. Then, they would have to make another run for it and hopefully make it that time. She sighed softly, pulling together as much courage as she had left. She had to do this for Gavin and for herself, and she wasn’t going to give up until there was nothing left to do. With that thought in her mind, she stood and slowly made her way toward the brick house.