Hide and Seek : Redemption 3

N/B : As promise, I will be updating chapters Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. If we get up to 100 power stones, I promise a mass release of 10 chapters. Have a wonderful day, Hikari's.

Music recommendation : The search by NF

'Have you ever seen the news?' Lenin sat in one of the plush chairs.

Charlotte replied. 'No. It's depressing.'

'Exactly. I never once watched it until that night. Oh, I'll never forget it. The day I saw my very own picture on TV.' Lenin chuckled.

'You must've been gleeful huh.' Charlotte returned with gritted teeth. Her struggle to loosen the tightened knot guarding her wrists failed but she was relentless.

'Lenin Hammond, charged for murder. Aye! What a headline. Am I right, boys?' Lenin leaned over to her face but didn't kiss her.

The three gentlemen behind him roared triumphantly.

'You'll rot in hell.' She snarled at him.

'Woah.' Lenin moved back. 'Feisty. I see why Levi likes ya.'

'What do you want from me?!' Screamed Charlotte. Tears swarm in her eyes. She was confused. Why was she taken? And what were they going to do to her?

Lenin drew a little breath and sank into the comfort of the chair. 'Let's just say, I want to hurt you. I want to hear you scream in pain. That's what I want.'

Fear froze her throat and a chill went down her spine. Her eyes blurred with tears before they rolled down her cheeks. She shut her eyelids and prayed silently.

'I don't wanna hear nothing! Shut up!' Lenin becomes upset. The muscles in his face tightened.

She sobbed louder and he grew impatient, clenching her jaw in his hand and squeezing hard.

'I will make sure you and your little buddy go through an amount of pain no medication can extinguish. It was wrong of Levi to underestimate me and you're just the perfect scapegoat.'

Her screams echoed in the game room.

Pacing the hallway was Lin. Guilt gnawed away at her stomach as she chewed on her fingernails. She was startled by the bang on the door. There was Lenin. Standing before her. His eyes intensely dark and menancing.

'You didn't have to hurt her.' She began.

'Thatwasn't the term of our agreement.' Lenin walked past her.

Lin followed after him. 'You said you'd do anything but hurt her.'

'Did I sign anything? Did I swear I'd not hurt her? What am I? 12?' Lenin scoffed.

'I can't do this. Let her go. If Levi finds out what I did. I'm done.' Lin said pleadingly.

Lenin shook his head. 'You were done before you even realised. He doesn't care about you but her.'

'No.' Lin broke into sobs. The thought of Levi with someone else gnawed at her aching heart. Then sobriety came with a foreign rage. Her fists were clenched and a satisfied grin was plastered on Lenin's face.

'Do what you want with Charlotte. I don't care. No will have Levi but me.' She spoke.

'Good girl' Lenin pats her hair.

'But you won't hurt him too bad, will you?' She asked.

'Nah. A scar won't hurt.' Lenin smiled before he turned on his heel.

(Jacob's POV)

Color drained from Scottie's face when he heard the screams outside the door.

Cupping his hand over his mouth, he shudders as though he was cold. 'Shit.'

Matty watched the door. Whenever we heard footsteps, we would duck. The Janitor's closet was our only refuge.

'Gemini and the others will come after us. We'll die just like that kid.' Tears of anguish filled his eyes as he sobbed.

'Hey.' I told Scottie. 'We won't.'

'You're lying.' Matty said, surprising me. Since we ran out of the lunchroom, he's been the enthusiastic one and now, it's the other way around.

Turning to face us, he pulls down his beanie, revealing his massive golden lock of hair. 'We abandoned Charlotte. That's her scream in the PA system. Who knows what they're doing to her up there? This is wrong, man.'

I try to cheer them up. 'I'm sorry. I know I dragged you all into this but I've got a plan.'

'Well, why didn't you start with that?' Scottie wipes his face and nose with the back of his hand and we squat to the ground.

'It'll sound dangerous. Believe me.' I swallowed my saliva nervously.

'Crazy is the only thing rational right now. Spill it.' Scott's eyes are determined and so are Matty's.

'Okay.'

After telling them my plan, they all rained all manner of insults on me.

'And I wanted to agree with you. You wanna die, Jacob? Well, there's the door.' Matty walked away from it and I rushed to guard it.

'That's our only option.' I whisper-yelled.

'Damn you!'

******

'So? Who's gonna die this time?' Amy folded her arms over her chest.

Ratcliff looked over at her and sighed.

'It's appaling that you can easily avoid that question!' Amy scoffed.

Ratcliff threw a fit. 'How in hell am I supposed to know that? Derek's got a million dollars to offer and the school director didn't object. How is it my business?'

'Then it's not my business either. I'm fired, right? I'm not longer working here. Now, let me go.' Amy rose to her feet but her father's thundering voice made her sit back down.

'You're involved in this as much as I am. You're staying.' Ratcliff turns to the computers.

Amy hissed. 'I should've just gone home.'

*****

(Gracie's POV)

Banging up a few lambs earned me decent points but I couldn't get access to the lunchroom. That's where Levi is. No offense to the fact that he taught me how to fight but I've gotta make some cash here.

I hide in a corner as soon as I hear movement. Someone was in my way. Probably a class 3B student. Clutching my baseball ball tightly, I creep out of position and swing it at the stranger but he was swift to dodge the attack. More like run from it.

'Mein Gott! You almost smashed my face.' It was Adolph.

Relief washed over me as I run into his embrace, burying my face in his chest and he held me dearly in his arms.

We pulled away and looked at each other.

A laugh came from him. 'You look lile the armpit of America.'

He gestured to the ink-black strokes on my cheeks.

'Ha ha.' I return dryly. Then it hit me. 'Are you okay?'

Adolph smiled. 'I am.'

And strangely, he was. There were no bruises on his face or arms. His braid and uniform were not out of place. Matter of fact, he was squeaky clean.

'How the hell did you survive all this?' I ask in bewilderment.

'I was hiding.' He said plainly.

But I knew it was a lie. 'You don't seem surprised by the game we play here. Any average student will freak but you are wickedly calm.'

Adolph sighed. 'Alright. You've got me.'

An accent suddenly appears out of nowhere and leaves me confused.

'I already knew of Hide and Seek.' He says.

I move back. 'What?'

'I never wanted to scare you.' He inched forward but I stopped him.

'Don't!' I yelled.

'You hate me.' He says softly.

I'm clearly angered by the fact that I was fighting on an empty stomach but him lying to me went way ahead the score board. Marching towards him, I raise my hand for a slap.

'Guess what? I do hate you!' I hissed.

Before I could leave, his hand held my wrist in a tight grip. 'What are you gonna do? Hurt me?'

'Will you just listen?!' His voice wasn't loud but it was authoritative.

'I'm sorry I lied to you.' His voice softened in tone and I fell in love with him again.

'I wanted to tell you but I thought you'd be frightened.' He said gently.

'What? Frightened. Dude, I beat my own classmates with a baseball bat. How will I be scared?' I roll my eyes.

'You will be scared once I tell you who I really am.' He breaths out.

The anger left me and curiousity came along. 'Who are you?'

A voice interuppted us. 'Hey!'

'Come on. Let's go.' Adolph grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.

'Wait. Who are you?' I asked as we ran

'Now is not the time, Grace.' He cut me off.

I break away our hold and we run. Him ahead of me and I behind. Confused.

****