Chapter 2: New Friends and Strange Creatures

Morning arrived quickly and I put on some more comfortable attire for hiking.  Dark blue denim jeans, a jacket to match and a white cotton shirt with buttons down the center.  I found some black ankle
boots to my liking and placed them on, finding they fit quite comfortably.  I put my necklace in a secret compartment of my knapsack in fear it would fall off while walking.  Extra clothing was placed
in a backpack along with my black dress from yesterday.  I walked out to the front area of the cabin and approached Stuart.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good.  I'll take you as far as I can, then you're on your own."

"If I forget to tell you.  I just want to say thanks, for helping me out."

He looked at me, not knowing what to say.  He nodded his head as a reply and gestured me out to the car.  It was a long black limousine with tinted windows.  Two guys were standing next to it, smoking
cigarettes.

"Hey, there!"  One of them said.  "Ready to go?"

"Yes."  Stuart said in a serious tone.  He placed me in the back.  "Let's go."

It was bright outside for early in the morning and I could still see a light fog on the mountains slowly burning off from the sun.  The car drove for hours as we headed for an area deeper into the woods.
A cellular phone rang and Stuart answered it.

"Yes?  Uh, huh.....what?  Oh, shit, you're kidding?  Damn it!  Well, I've got her right here.  Yes, right now!  Fine, I'll bring her over.  Yeah, yeah, bye!"  Stuart looked over at me.  I hated hearing half the
conversation.  "We have to make a stop first."  He told me.

"Who was that on the-"

"None of your goddamn business!"

I pulled back in my seat; my face looking as if I got slapped.  What was that all about?

About half an hour, the car pulled up to a halt and the four of us got out.  "Ready for a climb?"

I looked up the long hill and let out a gasp.  I looked at Stuart and frowned.  "Are you serious?"

"Yes, come on."

We treaded up the hill and approached a small encampment.  I was right.  This man did have friends.  They wore camouflage clothing, looking like rejects from the army.  Tents were set up around small
cabins which contained supplies and food.  Stuart walked me over to a tent where a tall man with blonde hair came out to greet us.

"Hello, Jewel.  It's nice to meet you.  You can call me Dan."  I shook his hand heartily.

"My friends and I were once a part of a secret clan run by the madman who is now looking for you.  Many men from the group are still loyal and will do anything to find you.  We knew your husband and
he was a great man."

"Was he apart of this cult or something?"  I felt the questions swarm in my head.

"No, but we worked in the same office together and he praised about you a lot.  When we found out our master wanted you dead, we agreed to take the job only to get you as far away from the clan
as possible."

"Where is the clan exactly?"

"As far as we know, it's nationwide.  Like the F.B.I., they're everywhere.  They could be wearing normal street clothes and you were never suspect them.  Usually they wear dark clothing in gothic style.
I guess you're husband had no idea about this or he would have told you.  Very few outsiders know about the clan and live to tell about it."

"So where am I?  Am I safe here?"

Dan looked around.  "We're in the upstate area around Yellowstone, but this spot is very secluded.  We keep in contact with trusted city folk using laptops as means of communication.  I don't feel safe
using those things since anyone can hack into the system and locate us up here.  We have high security up here that guard around the clock."

"All this for me?  There has to be more than just wanting me killed."

"Actually there is.  Our master senses you know something valid to him.  A code or something.  I can't remember exactly.  And you only know the number."

"Number?  Number to what?"  I could only think of my old combination locker from school and my bike lock.

"Whatever it is, you have it, and if his men find you, they will get it and give it to him.  Once obtained, he's unstoppable."

"If he wants me killed, how is he going to get this so called number?"

"I have no idea.  It must be something you own with the number that he probably wants."

Stuart motioned me into a tent.  "Come on.  Let's have some lunch and we'll talk some more."

The day progressed and I felt my questions were still unanswered.  Around 2pm, I could hear men shouting as I saw a whole clan of men in dark clothing approaching the site.  They found us, I thought to
myself.  We're not safe anywhere.  Stuart came up to me in a haste.

"Come on!  You have to go now!  Run to the hillside!  Go!"  He pushed me along as guns were firing.  I could only see smoke from the guns as they shot around us.  A war had broke out as I carefully
slipped through.

"Stuart, what's going on?  Who are these people?"

"Remember that phone call I got in the car?"

"What about it?  Who was that?"

"An undercover cop.  I just found out the line was bugged and the party started a little early."

"Oh, God!  Does that mean your boss knows I'm here?"

"You got it, Jewel!  He's sending out the welcoming crew."

Jewel!  I remembered I left my knapsack in the tent with Dan.

"Stuart, wait!  I forgot my knapsack!"

My necklace was still in there.  I turned around and ran back.  I reached the tent and found it empty.  My knapsack laid on the floor.  I grabbed it and ran back to where Stuart stood waiting.
A man came up behind him in dark clothing, placing a rope around his neck.  The two ended up rolling around on the dirt.  I screamed and tried to help but basically stood by as they rumbled around.
Stuart was getting the life choked out of him.  I grabbed the man in black and started pounding on him.  That eased up on the rope and Stuart was able to spin around and punch him, knocking him out senseless.  Stuart and I started running for the hills as a few of our men joined us in the pursuit.  More gunfire sped off.  We ended up in the woods and kept running.  I stopped to take a breath, feeling
I was out of harm's way.  Not quite.  Men in dark clothing came by the dozens, attacking left in right.  I screamed and felt a sharp pain to my head.  I was conscious enough to hear talking and someone
force fed me liquid mixed with some kind of drug.  It was definitely some capsules that were crunched up so that I couldn't spit it out.  Tasted awful as I swallowed the thick lump.  A blindfold was placed
over my eyes and a gag over my mouth.  My wrists were taken violently and tied with ropes.  I was overdosed and could feel the drug take effect.  I felt lightheaded and felt out of the chair to the floor.
I was carried off to another side of the woods and placed within a small room.  I was thrown face-down on the dirt floor near some boxes.  It seemed hours before I knew anything after that.
Darkness came.  Where was I?  I could still hear the guns firing outside.  I tried to move but couldn't.  My legs and body were weak.  I could feel my hands were still bonded, my mouth remained gagged,
and the dark blindfold prevented my eyes from seeing anything.  There was a loud struggle outside; lots of grunts and punching sounds.  The door burst opened and I heard men talking.

"Ah-ha!"  "Is that her?"  "Looks like her."  "Hold it.  What's that?!"  "Quick!  Someone's coming!"  "Shut the door!"

There was a light breeze of someone moving around.  My body was turned over and lifted into someone's lap.  A strong, bulky, lap.  I made no attempt to fight back as my legs remained loose on the
floor.  I felt a hand brush the dirt off my face and pull my hair away.

"It's her.  It has to be.  This is the correct location."

I brought my hands up as if begging to be untied.  I whined louder for the attention.

"Hush!  No one’s going to hurt you!"  His voice was calm yet forceful as I laid in his embrace in a small heap.  I was so upset, the blindfold became damp as I sobbed through the gag.

"Poor, thing."  A different voice came at my left.  "Should we untie her and remove the blinfold and gag?"

"No, not yet."  The first voice said quietly.

It all seem so sudden that one minute I’m running for my life, and the next I’m here cooped up like an animal in a strange place.  There was a heavily odor of sulfur in the air which stung my nostrils and closed up my throat.  I swallowed and felt a lump.  Oh, please, don’t get sick now!  These people assured me I was in good hands and have nothing to fear.  I felt safe knowing his voice won’t harm me.  Little did I know I was dealing with someone non-human!

"The trail is far too much a risk to walk on.  I suggest we go off the beaten path.  Just in case."  A third voice spoke up near the second one.

"Ah, jeez!  And I was having so much fun whipping those jerk's butts."  A fourth voice perked up near the front of the room.

"Better get moving."  The first voice said above my head.  I felt him moving up and try to stand me on my own two feet.  When I went limp, the others came over and kept me from falling.

Suddenly, I was lifted in the air; seems each took a limb and held me like a coffin.  I gasped but remained motionless.  An explosion erupted near by and everything shook.  The walls, the ground, my body.

Outside, guns were firing left and right.  My body was shaking harder, now from the fast movement of the four men.  An abrupt stop made me wince.

"Stop!"  "Halt!"  "Put her down!  Now!"

"Nothin' doin', pal!"

One of them dropped my leg and hurled himself into attack mode at the bunch of men.

"Raph!  What are ya, nuts?!"  Sounded like the first voice said that as he dropped one of my shoulders.  I heard him jump over to help his friend.

"Leo, look out!"  The second voice screamed out and released my other leg, leaving my body to drop and the last one to grab both my shoulders and back away with no defense.

He gruntled as he wasn't prepared to hold my whole body.  "Whoa!  Hey, thanks for the warning, Mike!  Ommph!  It would really help if you could you stand up on your own, you know?!"

I could only mumble angrily, bringing my tied hands up to accidentally smack him in the face with my fingers.  I tried to say an apology but failed.

"Ouch!  Hey, sorry!  I was just asking!  Don't poke my eyes out!  Hang on a sec."

He placed one arm on my back and lifted me up to his chest.  It felt hard like some sort of plated armor.  I kicked my legs frantically in his embrace, groaning now in anger and frustration with this guy.

"Hey, Helen Keller!  Stop that, already!"

I stopped kicking and gave in after feeling feverish and nauseated.  I placed my head on his hard shoulder, back to quiet whimpering.

His voice got softer.  "Just calm down.  We won't hurt you."

I moved my hands to clutch whatever I could, finding my fingers brushing against his so-called armor.  I felt him move backwards as the fighting got louder.

"Don!  We could use some help here!"  I assumed it was the first voice named Leo that screamed out from the crowd.

"And risk someone taking her from behind our shells?!  I'm kinda stuck here as it is."  Came Don's voice above me.  Shells?  Maybe armored shells.  I tilted my head up and groaned at him.

"What!  We found you, and I'm not going to be the one responsible for losing you!  Wha- hey!"

At that, I was quickly dropped and heard a loud rumble next to me.  Ow, right on my rear!  I crawled away and rammed into a solid wall, bracing myself next to it.  I tried to stand by pressing against the
wall.  I got to my feet again and rested against the wall, moaning softly.  My head hurt now even more from banging it on the wall.  I could smell a terrible odor next to me.  Smelled like a restroom.  Were
we around Yellowstone park?  I could feel my feet standing on concrete.  Must be.

The four creatures were all now fighting.  I heard two people approach me.

"That's her!"  "Get, her!"

I moaned as arms encircled me and pulled me away from the wall.  I started to kick and struggle in their grips.

"This is too easy.  Let's take her back to the camp."

"Like hell you are!"  It was that Leo person as he grabbed both men and shoved me back out of their grasp.  I went flying and landed on my rear again, letting out another moan.  Stop the ride.  I want off.

More loud rumbles.  I kicked my legs to scoot my body backwards.  Someone came close where I laid on the ground and gently stopped my body from moving.  It was Don.  I think.  He laughed softly.

"Trying to get away?  Poor, kid.  Sorry I couldn't warn you.  Had a little trouble back there with your friends."  He watched me struggle around in the dirt to get up.  My clothes must have looked filthy.
I moaned once more and tried to twist my body.  This was impossible with my hands tied.  He laughed again.  "Hey, relax. You'll get a free ride and I promise I won't drop you this time.  Okay?"

"Mmm, hmm."  was my only reply.

I felt him lift me off the ground again and walk over to join his group whom stood panting quietly.

Leo tapped my shoulder and brush some of the dirt off.  "She alright?"

Don shrugged my body in his embrace.  "Yeah, she's fine.  Maybe a bit sore but she's quite a fussy girl."

"She's a strong little chick, ain't she?"  Came Raph's voice from my right.  He too started to brush dirt off my back.  How nice.  These guys wanted a clean damsel in distress.

Mike giggled.  "I always liked those type.  She kinda reminds of Kate Capshaw from that Indiana Jones movie."

Leo started to walk off.  "Let's keep moving, guys."

They walked quite a long ways through tall trees within the dark forest till I heard a dull sound of the city nearby.  They stopped again and I shook in Don's embrace, dying to know what was going on.
I cocked my head in their direction and mumbled through the gag.

"Do you think they'll find us?" asked Mike

Don looked behind him, his voice drifting off.  "We're pretty far out of range."

Raph, I think that's who it was, punched his fist into his opened palm.  "Yeah, and if they do come, we'll be ready for 'em!"

A brief pause.  They were ignoring me.  I mumbled again in a questionable tone.

"Okay, let's get this off you."  Leo approached Don and slowly removed the ropes.  Once my hands were freed, my arms flew around and squeezed his neck tight.  I didn't want to fall again.

Don gasped.  "Gaaack!  Good one, Leo!  Real good!  Think you could not choke me?  I said I won't drop you."  I eased up a little and heard the others laugh.  I said 'sorry' through a muffle.

"Here, this should change your vocal technique."  Leo slowly pulled off the tape and removed the large gag from my mouth.  A line of saliva followed with it.  How embarrassing.

Mike frowned.  "Ewww!"

I pulled back to stretch it as Leo whipped the gag in the air, breaking the line which hung from my bottom lip.

"Whoops!  Heh, didn't mean for that to happen."

Raph was amused.  "Neat trick.  Are you available for parties?"

Now Don started to laugh, causing my body to shake.  Let me die right now.

"Sorry."  I said more clearly as I closed my mouth and wiped off the spit with the back of my hand.  I tried to lift the blindfold myself but it was on too tight.  I pointed to it.  "What about this?"

Don put me down and backed away.  I started to move around with arms extended.

"Wait-"  Taking my hands behind my head, I tried to untie the blindfold.  Why weren't they helping me with it?  Did they not want me to see them?  I started to spin around like I was playing Pin the Tail
on the Donkey with one hand working the knot and the other reaching out in front of me.  I yelped and hit the ground from the dizziness and tried to look up at them through the blindfold.  I felt defeated.

"Why are you just standing there?  Where'd you go?  Can one of you please take this thing off of me?"  My voice was very weak but audible.

"Ready for a scream?"  Raph mumbled to the group.

"Huh?"  I didn't quite understand.  I reached out again.

I felt one of them kneel beside me and work at the knot behind my head.  The blindfold was taken away and I slowly opened my eyes.  It was too dark and my vision was blurry but I could see what they
somewhat looked like.  Oh ... My ... God.  Standing in front of me were four, large things with turtle shells.  The whites of their eyes glowed in the moon light through different colored eye-masks.  The light
stood behind them, casting an eerie shadow around the front of their bodies.  I sized their features as best I could from head to toe.  One smiled at me, another glared almost right through me, the one next
to him had a look of pity, and the last one watched me closely for any sudden movement.  My jaw quivered as I stared continuously.  They were turtles!  The next thing I knew, I was passed out cold
before them.  I heard them mumble amongst themselves.

"I keep tellin’ ya, Raph!  You have that effect on people!"

"Shaddup, Mike!  It was you she looked at first!"

"Come on, guys!  Enough!  What do we do now, Leo?"

There was silence.  I knew he wasn't too thrilled at my first reaction to their appearance.  He heaved a long sigh.

"We can’t leave her here.  And they will find her if we stay out here too long.  Let’s take her home for now."

The grass crunched softly around their bare feet as they carried me off to Lord knows where.  From what I had witnessed I wasn't sure if I was either in good hands.  Or bad.