The Unknown

Captured

The pines got more common as they began to reach their destination. Jordan and Matthew had hardly said a word the whole drive but she suddenly broke the silence.

“My uncle was killed almost the same way.” She blurted out, instantly regretting that she'd said that.

He looked at her in shock and disbelief. Realizing he wasn't watching the road he swerved back into their lane. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He finally asks after a long stretch of silence.

Jordan went on to explain what she had seen and how this was really beginning to get creepy. He didn’t seem to want to believe her but he knew she was right. Something strange was going on. 

As they entered into town, they pulled up at a gas station. Jordan went in to get something to eat while Matthew stayed outside. She was happy to be back in her home town but was sad that she had to leave such a wonderful place after what had just happened.

Jordan got this odd chilly feeling. Like a ghost had passed through her. Her instincts told her something was wrong. She began to realize that she was being watched.

She looked up to see a pair off familiar beady eyes watching her from the corner. Suddenly the whole thing made sense. She shivered realizing that she had been located by those who had leveled neighborhoods in search of her.

She glanced back down at what she was getting. Pretending that she hadn’t noticed her stalker, she made her way to the counter acting as normal as possible. She gathered her things and made a straight line over to Matthew. 

She found a pen and got her receipt. She scribbled down something and handed it to Matthew who was still standing next to the gas pump waiting for it to finish. Jordan got in the car quickly hoping no one saw her hand him that note. He looked at it curiously and suddenly grew really pale. He finished what he was doing and got into the car and pulled away. 

She watched as her follower made a signal to a nearby car who began to pull forward and take over following them. She could sense a million questions inside Matthew's mind but he couldn’t ask them. 

“Take me to the grocery store. Drop me off in front and I want you to disappear. Don’t try following them back, they’ll just kill you.

I want you to disappear.

MATTHEW, DO YOU HEAR ME??” She asked as he just stared at the road. Finally he nodded and glanced her way. 

"What will they do to you when- if, they catch you?" he asks her.

She wouldn’t answer him. She couldn’t answer him. She was just as much in the dark about this as he was, the only difference was, she now knew who she was up against. 

As they pulled up to the grocery store, Jordan began to prepare to jump out of the vehicle quickly as soon as it was time. The car pulled up and she jumped out. Matthew hesitated for a little bit but seeing her look of urgency drove away. 

The car that had been following them parked. Jordan didn’t wait to see who was in it, she just made her way into the store and found a crowded isle to hide in. She kept glancing around nervously to see if anyone else had been stationed to watch her. 

Suddenly she heard her name being called. Within a second she jumped but turned to see that it was her grandma.

"Hi sweaty!" Her grandma said. "How are your parents doing?"

Jordan sighed. She did not have the energy to deal with this right now. It wasn't safe for her to be talking to Jordan.

"Grandma, I don't have time right now. I'm in a hurry." Jordan said trying to escape but her grandma was relentless. "Where you going to in such a hurry?

Is everything okay?

Where are you brothers?

Are they going to be doing whatever it is that's got you in a hurry?" The questions wouldn't stop and they came faster than Jordan could answer.

"I really am in a hurry. I can't stay and talk. I'll call you, okay?" Jordan stated while trying to turn around to walk away.

"Okay, well give me a hug at least. You can't be in too much of a hurry to not give me a hug." She said while grabbing Jordan and wrapping her up. Jordan squirmed. Unsolicited hugs made her uncomfortable. Suddenly she became aware that she was being watched again.

She pushed her grandma away, "You don't understand, it's not safe. I need to go." She started quickly walking away, leaving her grandma in utter shock of the treatment.

Jordan didn't care that she'd upset her, she needed to get away. And if the person watching her saw her being loving with her grandma, they might try to hurt her too and Jordan wouldn't be able to live with herself if they did that.

She hurried through the crowd of people getting a few gasps and offended glares as she accidentally knocked into a couple people. The man was right on her trail. He was a different person that the one who she'd spotted at the gas station and she didn't recognize him.

Trying to come up with a strategy on how to escape, she started pulling her phone out.

As Jordan made her way out into the open, she saw Matthew’s car pulling into the parking lot. She rolled her eyes and clenched her fist because he had once again not done what she had told him to. It pulled into a parking space at the garden section parking lot that was fairly empty. 

She was still being followed and not knowing what else to do, she began to make her way towards where Matthew had parked. Jordan figured that she'd chew him out later, right now she wanted to get away alive.

Suddenly, Jordan froze.

The car burst into flames and exploded right before her eyes.

The flames leaped out of the windows threatening anyone who may have been close to the car.

"MATTHEEWWW!......" She screamed before freezing in utter shock and singing into the ground wishing it to swallow her up.

Jordan sat there, sunk onto the ground, in a puddle of sorrow, fear, and anger as she watched the flames that engulfed the car. There was no way to get him out. There was probably nothing even left of him. Why did they want her so bad that they would kill every single person she knew in order to get to her? 

She felt a hand close around her arm and a sharp point stick into her back. Jordan didn't even care about being kidnapped anymore. She didn't want to live anymore and didn't care what they'd do to her.

Her best friend was gone and it was more than she could bear. Her family had hurt but there was no comparison to the pain she felt losing Matthew. Having seen the explosion knowing he was in there, made it ten times worse.

"Why?

Why did it have to be him?" She silently sobbed to herself as she was lifted off the ground and drug into a strange car.

Jordan felt like they had finally broken her. She searched for strength but couldn’t find any. They had taken everything that ever meant anything to her away and she felt like she couldn’t fight anymore. She felt weak.

She wished for death. At least then, she could be with Matthew again.

The tint was too dark and her pain too strong to allow her to see where they took her.

It was completely dark now and they just kept driving into the night. Jordan didn’t bother asking any questions or trying to fight them. She had no desire or want to get out. Whatever they were going to do to her, she didn’t care.

What had she done to deserve this? Any of it? Why were they doing this to her? To the people she loved most?

Her mind wondered back and took her to when she had found out her family had died. She remembered how she had been scared but somehow knew she’d make it. Then the memory hit of her uncle and how they had left him. Her stomach turned and flipped. Matthew’s family had all been killed in basically the same way as well. 

A knot seized her stomach. Would they do the same thing to her? Would they do worse? Jordan shivered but was feeling numb with pain and didn't care if they did their worst to her.

Suddenly something snapped inside her.

She hardened herself. No, she wouldn't let them see it break her. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. "I will win." She whispered to herself.

Hearing her speak, upset one of the guards sitting next to her. Without a word he turned and slapped her.

That only hardened her heart even more. She didn’t say a word but she knew what she was going to do. They would never see any feeling other than anger in her eyes. They were not going to break her. They couldn’t.