Page 46 of Stalker

We stood in silence for a few minutes, the light breeze providing the backdrop of noise.

“No, Xander. Nothing and no one has ever surprised me. At least after the first time I learned that trusting anyone resulted in excruciating anguish. I’ll never take that chance again. Besides, just thinking about doing so brings out the worst in me.”

Xander slowly turned his head in my direction. There was no response needed, no brotherly love that would ease the mental torment that had followed me through decades.

My brother pulled down his mask and I did the same.

Now we were nothing but hunters.

There was no possibility of feeling peace or of receiving salvation. I’d lost the chance the day I’d killed the first bastard who’d hurt me and others.

As well as the next.

And the next.

My mind was firmly locked in the few hours of pleasure that had blocked the anger and the pain.

All because of Lady Butterfly.

CHAPTER12

Cassandra

Fresh air hit my system and I almost panicked, but I held it together.

I’d been locked inside a plain truck meant to haul supplies. There’d been no markings on the outside. There were no windows and no indication of the identity of the drivers, or the two men positioned in the back with us.

Us.

A group consisting of six women and two men.

I’d followed instructions like apparently the other contestants had, dressing in a pink sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Pink wasn’t my color, the outfit one I’d purchased only hours before driving my car to the determined location where after ten minutes of waiting, I’d been picked up and placed in the back of the truck.

But not before being tossed a hooded mask and told to put it on.

The voice had sounded ominous, the person barking the instructions dressed in all black with a terrifying looking mask on.

Other than the lantern the two men who were sitting a few feet away from the group had, there were no other forms of light. I’d been the last they’d picked up and in the brief minute or so of getting me situated on the cold, hard bench, I’d been able to take a good look at the others inside. The other contestants were also wearing sweatpants and a matching shirt in different colors as instructed.

One of the two men also dressed in black and wearing a ghoulish mask had barked out orders. Sit quietly. There would be no talking. As noted on the bottom of the NDA form, there would be no backing out now.

As the driver had headed to the destination, additional rules had been provided.

There would be a hunt. One player for every contestant. The goal was to be the first to reach the finish line, which was a mile from the start. Parameters would be marked and were not to be crossed. The hunter would do everything in his or her power to stop their earmarked contestant from reaching the end.

Although permanent damage shouldn’t be a concern, contestants were allowed to use makeshift weapons found in the forest.

Whatever that meant.

Was I supposed to carve sticks into spears or use rocks as blunt implements?

Now we were being guided out onto a thick gravel path one by one, reminded to remain silent until the start of the hunt. We were lined up like good little soldiers underneath a blinding series of white lights while at least a dozen lit torches surrounded us, the look reminding me of the ridiculous reality seriesSurvivor. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how prisoners felt when disembarking a bus that had taken them to their new home behind twelve inches of concrete and iron bars.

Even with the stupid mask, I was forced to shield my eyes as I looked around. It truly felt as if I was in a lineup. Now I had a better understanding of how demeaning being a criminal could be.

If caught.

All the while I’d been sitting in the back of the truck like some piece of meat, I’d been thinking about how ridiculous my decision had been to go through with the stupid idea. What had I been thinking, that obtaining a promotion was truly worth degrading myself to this point?

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