19- The Prey has become the Hunted

Alex

“Isabella Escaped!” is all I hear from Tony. Taking a minute to register those words fully. There’s no way in hell our Neonata (Baby Girl) could have escaped, especially after the punishment she just received the day before.

“What did you just say?” Lucus asks, his jaw clenched tightly.

“I said, Isabella escaped” Tony replies again, his own glare rising. For out of all of us, Tony was usually one of the softest people we knew, but still a beast when we needed him to be. Like now.

With jaws clenched, Lucus and I hurry to rush back up the stairs Tony behind us. Lucus barking out orders to the guards, yelling for one to fetch Grant along with any available men. For at this point we were all but sprinting for the cars. Grant already there as we move to get in, cars now racing for the house.

“Tell us what happened” sneers Lucus. Steam all but rising from his face, his ears turning red in anger.

Taking a deep breath, Tony begins to speak. “I was taking a quick break from all the system checks. So I decided to check in with our Principessa (Princess). When I went to pull up her cameras I couldn’t find her anywhere. But then I suddenly saw someone sitting on the floor near her bed so I moved to another camera. When the camera focused I realized it was one of the maids, Lily. She was on the floor crying. Our Principessa (Princess) had managed to cuff her to the bed. I even had Ben and Ameila help me with tracing back the footage. It was stamped almost 8 hours ago. During which she managed to call a maid and overpower her before rushing out the front door.”

“WHAT?!” scream the three of us. Anger clearly evident within our voices.

“What about the fucking guards? Where the fuck were they in all this?” asks Grant, seething. Uh oh, looks like some guards are about to lose their heads. Literally.

“It was apparently during a shift change” snaps Tony. After all, it wasn’t his fault she escaped. But it's a good thing he checked otherwise it could have been even longer before we realized she was missing. As it’s now 4 o’clock in the morning and the sky was still mostly black.

Moving to the call the house, Lucus goes back to barking out orders while we drive. Making it back in record time, we move to leave the car before moving towards the house.

Entering the house, we see Marco along with ten other guards all standing within the foyer, heads all bowed in submission. Four maids now stand off to the side of the room, one in which is clearly upset and being comforted by the other three.

“MARCO! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!” Lucus asks, hands balling into fists at his side.

“Sorry Boss. We didn’t know. Apparently she called the kitchen. That’s the maid over there” he answers, gesturing to the distraught girl. “The maid forgot to inform someone and just went to the room as instructed. When entering, she saw Ms. Isabella crying. Moving to comfort her, Ms. Isabella blindsided her, cuffing her to the bed before running off. It would appear she went north along the forest path”.

Glancing at Lucus, one could tell he was playing with his tongue if only one knew what to look for. It was his legendary trademark especially when he wanted to look calm and collective. Makes him a scary motherfucker.

“Alex” he says, a devilish smirk appearing on his face.

Looking to him, I arch a brow.

“Want to go hunting?” his eyes now twinkling with mischief and I fucking love it.

“FUCK YEAH!” smirking, I move back to Marco. “Get the hounds, it’s time to go hunting. Our sweet princess awaits”.

Rushing to change, we all move to head upstairs. Once there, I move to change out of my bloody suit and into a pair of army cargo pants and black boots. Making sure to grab my backpack filled with things such as handcuffs, rope, tape and extra weapons as one never can never be too prepared. I move to do a once over, before heading back downstairs, the maids greeting us with cold bottles of water. Stuffing mine into my bag, I move to head outside. My hounds waiting. Eager for the hunt to begin.

Grant coming forth with one of Isabella’s nightgowns. The one from the previous night as he moves to hand it to me in which I take over to my dogs. Allowing them to smell it. Satisfied, I give the command and they still.

“Good boys” I coo, petting each of my dogs. Looking at the guards, they move to remove the leashes.

“HUNT” I commanded. And then, just like that, they're off and running. Heading north.

Oh sweet Bambina (Baby). Now your in for it.

================

Isabella

Bugs. Trees. Sticks. Dirt

Bugs. Trees. Sticks. Dirt

Bugs. Trees. Sticks. Dirt

My new mantra for the past hour. I have been walking in what felt like forever, like a never-ending maze deep within the forest. Hoping for some sort of direction I move to keep walking along the road only to become lost. And after tripping a couple of times, I have no clue as to how far I've walked. The moonlight was the only source of light I had as I continued.

Surely I would have heard someone by now. Or at least to a main road. But no, nothing. Nada. Shrugging I move to keep walking. My body now tired. As my whole body began to hurt, especially my ass. Stopping, I tried to rest my aching muscles but got spooked at all the different sounds coming from within the forest.

I don’t think this was such a good idea.

I eventually walk for about another hour or so only to catch a break. A real paved road.

Moving for a closer look, I slowly see black wire fencing just along the tree line. The fencing looked to be about 12 feet tall and being woven together as it was one could not slip through it. Sighing, my hopes begin to fade as I move to look around, the same fence going for miles from what I could tell.

Testing the fence, I move to poke it with a stick. Sighing when it doesn’t shock me, meant it wasn’t powered by electricity. Weighing my options, I know I couldn’t just climb it or crawl under it so I move to follow it instead. Hoping for a break in which I do. Stumbling across a tree with branches that lean up and over the top of it.

YES. I used to love climbing trees as a child. Using my head, I move to climb the tree. Finding good size branches to climb, I slowly begin to shimmy my way up. Careful of the smaller branches.

Once at the top of the fence, my knee slips, gabbing into one of the spikes because who didn't need spikes for a fence. FUCK! Biting back a scream, I wince. Thankful, I was still holding onto the tree branch or else I would have completely fallen. Warm liquid now seeping from my wound, signaling to me that I was bleeding. Great.

Forcing myself to finish, I move to cross the threshold, my body falling the last 6 feet to the ground with a thud. Collapsing on impact because of my knee. A dark sticky patch now seeping through my leggings. Shit, not good!

Staying where I was, I slowly caught sight of a pair of headlights just off in the distance. Now’s my chance.

Standing, I move to quickly stand as I slowly hobble to the end of the road. My arms up in the air as I wave frantically. Hoping they would see me and stop.

Thankfully they do and come to a stop, the headlights blinding my vision.

“Hey, are you okay?” comes the sound of a deep voice. The voice sounded familiar, but unable to place it. Just knowing that it definitely wasn’t my fiance’s or any of their men. That much I knew.

“No sir, Please! Can you help me? I need to get back to the city and to where my parents are” I beg, limping over to his window only to see three other men in the car as well.

“Looks like you got yourself a pretty nasty injury. Hop in and well patch you up” comes his reply unaware of how tight he was gripping at the wheel.

“Thank you, Thank you” I practically cry as I move to hop into the car, sliding in next to the other men as the driver speeds off, barely getting the door shut as he did.

“What’s your name sweetheart?” asks another, eyes now on me.

“Isabella” I say, now tired.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Vincent and this here is Lucia. The ones in front are Antonio and Angelo”.

Too preoccupied with my mind, I only nod. Trying to calm my beating heart as I go unaware of their devilish smiles as we drive.