The barn fell deathly silent as a horrid smile curled the edges of the man's thin lips. His eyes drifted from my face as he stood there, reveling in his victory. With dazed, almost possessed, steps, he walked towards the wall of weapons and selected the serrated knife for the second time. He held it in his hands, not looking at me. 

"What- What are you doing?" I asked when he finally turned back to me. That hideous smile was still on his face.

"I'm thanking you," he said, moving closer. "I genuinely appreciate the information you've just given me."

I sat rooted to my spot, too tired to move away, too scared to fight back. "No... Please, I told you what you wanted to know," I said as he cornered me. "Leave me alone!"

He knelt in front of me, taking hold of my left wrist. I resisted, but my lack of strength from the past two weeks of torture was apparent. With ease, he turned my trembling wrist upward and inhaled like he was breathing in my life force. "You should be proud," he told me, dragging the blade slowly over my skin, just rough enough for me to feel, but not enough to break the surface. "Years of work will finally pay off, and it's all thanks to you."

The closer the man leered, the more it felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out. "Just let me go," I whispered, trembling despite myself. 

The man rubbed his thumb over my palm in circles, almost as if to calm me. "It'll be fast. It will only hurt for a few seconds," he promised, breath in my hair. "Just a few moments of pain and then you won't feel a thing. Afterward, you'll feel like you're in heaven. You won't even know you're bleeding out. It'll feel... euphoric."

I couldn't watch this, sit present for my own demise. I squeezed my eyes closed as the blade rested against my skin. The world went cold. Then my wrist erupted with burning pain and I cried out, gripping the man's clothes. The man wasted no time and quickly slit my other wrist. My arms felt like they were on fire. In my moment of distraction, he sliced both my arms all the way up to my elbows before sinking the blade into the side of my stomach where he left it.

Red dripping from my mouth as I coughed, staining my tongue and lips red. I pressed my arms to my chest in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding, and the pain. Warm blood soaked my shirt and trickled off my fingertips. As I sat there, slowly becoming immobilized, the man stood up and brushed himself off, frowning at the blood that soaked his hands and clothes. He glanced down when he heard the thud of my head hitting the wall I was resting on.

"It's a shame. You seem like a pretty loyal kid. Maybe if you're still alive by the time I get back, I'll make you an apprentice to the trade," he said. With a glance at my worsening condition, he added, "Though, I highly doubt it."

Through blurred vision, I watched him leave the barn; he didn't even bother to lock up this time. Had I not been bleeding out on the barn floor, I would have taken that as my chance to escape. I would have run to the nearest sign of civilization and gotten help. Heck, I would have taken the first car up to Rowen and apologized for every horrible thing I had ever said to him. I missed Rowen...

My throat tightened. I was going to die, I realized. The longer I kept my eyes open, the more I could see my surroundings going dark. What little light existed in the barn was fading. There was only one more thing I managed to think before everything went completely black. He was right. It didn't hurt anymore, and it did feel euphoric. As my eyes began to close, I couldn't help but hate him more for that.

*******

A car sped down the road dangerously, ignoring red lights and other cars alike. The driver, Rowen, wasn't about to let anything get in his way. The car's passenger, Rick, was less enthusiastic about his reckless driving.

"Slow down," he demanded. "You're gonna get us into an accident."

"Slowing down won't help us get to Kevin in time," Rowen snapped.

"Maybe not, but it sure as hell would keep us from getting pulled over," Rick retorted. "What kind of help will we be if we get stopped or thrown in jail?"

Rick had a point; he always had a point. Rowen eased off the gas. "Sorry..." he mumbled; he stayed at a steady ten over the speed limit.

When the car approached the drive of Frank Dover's residence, Rick started telling each person what their task would be. "When we get there, Rowen and I will look through the house. Cliff will go around back," he instructed. "Zane..." He glanced at Cliff who had enough body mass to crush him against the car door until he suffocated. "Zane will stay in the car."

"Who made you in charge?" Zane questioned.

"I was in the military for ten years," Rick explained. "I think I know more about giving directions than anyone else in this car."

Zane glared at him. "So?" He didn't see why that meant he had to stay in the car and do nothing.

"From that one-word response alone, I know you're not ready for any kind of fieldwork. Just stay in the car," Rick said. 

Just as he finished speaking, Rowen parked the vehicle in front of an old house with scaffolding structures on some of the outside walls. Everyone started to get out, but Cliff grabbed Zane's arm. "Do as your told," he hissed urgently.

Though he looked unhappy, Zane relented with a final grumble. Rowen was the first to stray from the others. There were two houses, one slightly smaller than the other. Despite the land being used as a farm, there weren't any animals in sight. However, they could certainly be heard somewhere not too far off.

Rowen didn't even bother being quiet. He kicked in the front door to the closest building. "Get your fucking ass out from wherever you're hiding!" he shouted.

There was silence throughout the house. Rowen raced through the first and second floors, throwing open closets and ransacking rooms. He left nothing unchecked. When he didn't find anything, he ran to the next house, pushing past Rick and Cliff who had gotten there a few moments earlier. There were ladders and renovation tools lying about everywhere. Paintbrushes and cans littered the floor. It made maneuvering throughout the structure difficult, but that wasn't about to stop Rowen; he searched every crevice of the building. He prayed he would see that beautiful face, those lips always ready to snap at his comments. He wanted to see those eyes... so blue and cold. However, after searching the second house and finding even more nothing than before, Cliff and Rick found Rowen standing silently in the hallway. 

"Rowen-" Cliff started.

"Where is he?" Rowen asked.

Though Cliff and Rick looked at each other, neither man spoke.

With gritted teeth, Rowen threw his head back and yelled as loud as he could. "Where the fuck are you, you sorry piece of shit! I swear I'll rip your fucking head off!"

Rick grabbed his friend by the shoulders, looking him sternly in the eye. "He's here somewhere. We'll find him, but you have to stay with me," he said. "Don't lose yourself now."

All of this was like a bad dream, a nightmare that persisted even during wakefulness. Rowen's eyes drifted to the taped-off window. He had to be here... As he stared outside, something red caught his eye through the trees. Rowen walked towards the window slowly, trying to get a better look. Then it hit him. "The barn..." he murmured.

In a flash, he raced down the stairs and out the door. Kevin was in the barn. It was the only other place he could be. A million thoughts passed through Rowen's head as he ran, stumbling over brush and rocks. Was he okay? Was he hurt? ...Was he even still alive? The last one hit him like a ton of bricks, but he swallowed the fear and ran faster. He couldn't be dead. Rowen hadn't come all this way just for him to die.

*******

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