Finding Ella

Chapter 5

At first light Hunter, Wolf, Ryder, Storm and Blaize were up and ready to go. Having not slept a wink all night, they had spent the hours until dawn trying to keep their minds occupied and their feet from racing out the door.

Hunter and Wolf had whiled away the time cleaning their weapons, the intricacies of the familiar task helping to keep them calm and focused. They did the same thing before every mission; it was a ritual that they turned to now when they were fighting their need for action. With impulsive younger brothers like Storm and Blaize who wanted nothing more than to charge out into the forest to look for Ella, it was more important than ever for them to keep their composure so that they could keep the others under control. It was their responsibility as the leaders of their family.

The other three had passed the time alternating between pacing, brooding and working out; the physical exertion helping to keep their frustrations under control. Unlike their older brothers, Ryder, Storm and Blaize were struggling with their forced inaction. Ella was alone and injured, and the concern for her wellbeing and the fierce protectiveness they felt for her was agonizing.

The moment the dawn light was bright enough to allow them to see inside the dense cover of the forest, they were moving. Gearing up with food and water, with Storm also carrying a med kit, they headed out. The five of them moved as a single unit with a single purpose in mind; find Ella.

They came to a halt at the edge of the forest for final instructions.

"Alright, two teams. Wolf, Blaize and Ryder, you head North, Storm and I'll go South," ordered Hunter. "If you find her, radio it in with your location."

"She's terrified, remember that. Keep your distance and try to talk her down, but if she runs don't lose her," said Wolf. "She ran for a reason and until we know why we don't know what will set her off. Talk to her, try to get her to tell you why she ran in the first place."

"And the food," added Storm, "she's got to be starving so try to get her to eat something."

They all nodded their agreement and headed off in opposite directions.

*****

Spending another night alone in the forest had terrified Ella to the point that she'd simply dropped to the ground at the base of a huge tree and curled up. The exhaustion, hunger and pain were beating at her and she felt herself slipping into sleep again and again before jerking awake with each sound that echoed through the trees around her. She had eventually fallen into a fitful sleep just before the dawn light started to unfurl in the distance.

Waking abruptly a little time later, Ella uncurled her limbs from where she lay and stretched her aching muscles. She took her first good look at her surroundings in the morning light that gently shone through the trees. How far had she managed to stumble in the dark the night before? And what had made her wake so suddenly just now?

She listened carefully for a moment, straining to hear the sounds around her as she warily searched the trees from where she sat. Then she saw them; Wolf, Blaize and Ryder were walking through the forest heading straight for her. They hadn't seen her yet but they would soon. What the hell was she going to do?

Run or hide? Run or hide? Run or hide? It was a chant in her head and she was paralysed with indecision, frozen in place.

"Ella?"

Decision made, RUN!

Adrenaline flooded her body and her mind snapped back to the present. Without a second thought she leapt to her feet and took off through the trees.

"Ella, stop!" Ryder yelled behind her.

Like hell, she'd escaped the bad guys twice and these guys once and she was done. No more being captured and escaping only to be captured again, this time she was disappearing for good.