I watched Maverick disappear west. Tobin touched my shoulder with two fingers and then dragged them left. I turned my head slowly in that direction and watched the cultists walk past us. I moved slowly and knocked them out.

We moved to where the tunnels were and I opened one. Burt and Tobin jumped in. I slipped in after watching for anyone. I closed the hatch then I sat against the wall feeling tired. I don't know if we should move yet...

Tobin used his hands to ask if we were moving on. I shook my head. Burt came to my side and gave me a silent indication of problems.

I put the gun to one side. Tobin asked if I was ill I told him yes. He sat next to me and hugged me. He seemed calm about this even though he was unarmed. I put my arm around him and felt something. He's wearing padding! Maybe the chief can be trusted.

He moved between one eye blink and the next. One moment he was next to me cuddled into my side and the next he was in front of me. Burt was digging my leg with his paw. I forgot to bring my pills with me! Fuck!

Tobin was sitting in front of me using his hands to give me another group of signals to say something. I missed the first bit so asked him to start again. He did, he was saying there are people out there. He had a look of panic on his face and I put my hand up. He nodded letting out a little sigh.

"This way." I heard the voice before the footsteps.

"You sure?" One of them stopped almost on top of the hatch.

"I'm sure. They must be out here, that guy was knocked out."

Their footsteps carried on away from the tunnel entrance. "You're sure it wasn't one of your lot?"

"Don't be an idiot. We are here for them not each other."

Their footsteps got more distant with their voices. I picked up the gun and Tobin moved aside so I could show him the path back to the cave. We moved slowly up the maze of tunnels to the cave at the end. I slipped into the cave first then Burt jumped up. Tobin was the last to come in and I left the hatch open. He looked at it and then to me.

I called Burt to me and Tobin looked worried. I whispered in Burt's ear. "You protect Tobin." Burt licked me. Tobin came closer and leaned into me. I put my arm around him and felt my muscles ache from the fit I'd had and all the movement I'd been doing since then. I felt tired and without my pills, I knew I would have another fit.

Tapping Tobin on the shoulder made him move so I could see him. I told him to hide in the hole with the gun and Burt if said I would have a fit. I told him if I was found he was to stay hidden until he was sure that he could leave safely and then to find Maverick. He nodded and hugged me. I reminded him not to use the gun. He held up a trigger lock from the box and I nodded. I asked him if he remembered where the food was and he nodded.

Laying down my tiredness took me and I fell asleep. I was woken up by Burt indicating another fit by nipping my hand. Tobin was moving to the hole with my gun, the trigger lock firmly in place. He tugged Burt's collar and he turned jumping down into the hole. Tobin followed him in and the box shifted to hide the hole. I heard the soft thud of the pin sliding home locking me in this cave.

I looked up at the rocky roof and then closed my eyes. This is not the time for this! The next thing I knew three cultists stood over me. I hurt all over and I was too tired to fight them when they picked me up. They started pulling me and I let them, crying out at the pain in my limbs.

They dragged me back to the house and dropped me in front of my destroyed porch. The ground was covered in blood and drag marks where the bodies were moved. I saw the pile of them on one side of the driveway. "So here you are." I rolled onto my side and saw the wheelchair above me. "You still having those fit hmm?" I sat up shaking slightly. "Don't worry I'm not going to kill you yet."

I'm not afraid of you asshole. I thought at him.

He clicked his fingers and one of the cultists grabbed my arm pushing the sleeve up roughly Another held a bucket close by. The cultist holding my arm cut it, forcing it into the bucket. "There see. Much better to just bleed you. That way I can take your strength one drop at a time."

I let them hold me as that feeling was the rare sign my body was giving me of another fit. My fingers were tingling and the feeling started to spread through my body. I must have forgotten to take my pills today...

The next thing I knew I was lying looking up at the sky my body full of pain. The bucket lay on its side and the blood trickled out of it.

I tried to move and the confusion in my mind after a fit was making the disorientation worse. I couldn't understand why I couldn't move. Looking down myself I saw I was tired at wrists and feet. One of the cultists nearby was holding their head and I matched that with a pain in my arm. I must have hit him in the face.

"So interesting the way you contort like that. I enjoy watching you like this. Now I have you, I get to watch you every day."

"Not for long if you bleed me." My voice was hoarse and dry.

"You need to get the boy to open the house."

"Not a chance." I moved again and one of the cultists picked me up forcing me to a sitting position.

My body screamed at the movement. Clenching my jaw stopped me from doing more than moan at the pain.

"If you don't let him come out on his own, we will have to go in to get him. He might not survive, but you know all this don't you." I heard the grinders on the back of the house start-up. "Bring her."

A cultist wheeled him around the back of the house. Two more cultists grabbed me and started to drag me around the back of the house. Every muscle in my body screamed at the movement. My body and mind needed sleep, but I shook my head to clear it and keep myself awake. The pain was helping with that.

They dropped me under the Kitchen window and I groaned as the landing bent my fingers back. "Not there. Bring her here."

Moving them I felt one not working right. Is it broken or dislocated?

I was able to pick up a piece of glass before they picked me back up. They left me seated next to that man as they walked over to help with the shutters. I looked into the forest for a way out while I worked the glass over the rope. "Tell me, my dear, have you enjoyed that policeman's company?"

I looked up at the man in the wheelchair. "What?" My voice was starting to regain its strength.

"You care for him, so have you enjoyed him as a man?"

"You expect me to believe you care about that? We both know you can't enjoy those pleasers any more."

He moved faster than I expected he could and hit me with his walking stick. It struck me across the back and head. "I'm trying to treat you with respect."

"Respect would require me to be able to move my hands and feet. It would also mean beating me is out."

He hit me three more times and blood ran down my face. "Now now my dear. I must insist you behave in a manner befitting your station."

Just a bit more and I can snap the rope. I grabbed my feet pulling them towards me so I could reach the rope. He saw the gesture and turned to look at me. "What's wrong my dear?"

"I feel ill."

He smiled which made his scared face look more skeletal. He had taken his mask off so I could hear him better. "Ohh do you know? Do I need to be extra careful with you whore?"

"No, I think you just gave me a concussion."

I spat on the floor next to me and he grabbed my hair yanking my head back. "I see, well no matter. I will have your body cared for. Your mind is better as mush. When a bitch like you has a mind of your own it will only cause trouble for us upstanding men."

I spat again and he turned away looking disgusted. I shifted my hands so I could cut the ropes on my feet. I was starting to feel dizzy. Maybe I do have a concussion. I kept on working on the ropes, watching the grinders slow work.

Suddenly a shot rang out and one of the men grinding at the shutter fell and his tool hit the leg of the man next to him. Screaming he too dropped to the ground as blood poured from a very deep wound in his leg. I looked around for who shot but couldn't see them. Are they fighting each other now?

"What's going on?"

"Not sure alpha, I think it's one of the others. Our men are turning up dead."

Alpha growled. "Take me and this wench to the front. I will sort this out! Keep going at those shutters. We need the boy!" His whisper of a voice was hard as he tried to yell but his orders had to be relayed to the men working.

I let them pick me up and take me back around the house. I was careful to keep my hands and feet close so the bindings didn't break before time.

They sat me back down next to the alpha again. More cultists walked out of the woods. "Get your men under control." The alpha tried to make his voice forceful but wasn't able to at a near whisper.

"You're the one betraying us. You got the one you wanted but she is also who we want." One of the others said.

"I told you, you could have her when we were done with her."

The one that spoke before stepped forward. "You want her dead, so let her die." He levelled a pistol at my head.

In one swift move, I broke the ropes binding my hands and feet rolling away from the shot that ricocheted off the tarmac. My side burned but I stood and stabbed the glass into the chest of the alpha. One of the other leaders shot at me and I dragged the alpha up to catch the bullet for me.

I dropped him back into the chair causing it to fall over and started running for the trees.

More shots rang out as they tried to hit me. I felt another burning sensation in my leg making me stumble and roll across the forest floor. "After her!"

I crawled into a bush and crouched as a group of people ran passed the bush. I made a crouched hobble towards one of the little hiding places I knew nearby.

I managed to disappear inside a tree covered in thick ivy. It was so thick you couldn't see inside the hollow. I watched trying to control my breathing as cultists ran past me a few moments later, yelling and baying for blood.

I bent and looked at my leg. It was bleeding badly. I checked the wound on my side and that was bleeding very heavily. This is a fine mess you got yourself into. Now what are you going to do about it?

I opened my coat slightly and saw the small hole that poured my blood down myself. A really fine mess. You're shot, tired and need to get back to Tobin before he leaves those tunnels. He's safe there... I need to get back to him before I pass out! I checked the pocket of my coat and found it ripped. So no first aid kit either, perfect! So I can't even patch myself up. That was when I saw my hands.

They were cut into ribbons when I used the glass shard to cut the ropes and stab the alpha.

There were more shots in the distance and I heard cultists run back the other way. God, I wish Maverick was here. Not that he would be able to do much more than I can.

Going back to my crouched position I moved slowly out of the tree. I found a thick stick and snapped it so I had two sharp ones. There was a scream nearby and I crept towards it.