It was dark outside when I woke up, I had a window that looked out to a dark forest. The lighting inside the room was low. I was in what looked like some sort of hospital room. I looked around to take in my surroundings and figure out a way to escape.

Thankfully there was no sign of Maverick in the room. I sat up. I felt a little unsteady but I gave myself a moment to recover before I slid the covers off me. I was dressed in on of those stupid hospital gowns, with the opening at the back. When had that happened. Had I been so out of it that I hadn't even noticed? The vulnerability I felt set me back and I wavered. I didn't like feeling this way at all.

It was time to get out of here. I saw my clothes folded on the chair beside the bed and got up. I was still feeling a little weak but I was determined together out of here no matter what. There was no way I was going to give Maverick the satisfaction of catching me in the act of trying to get away.

I was struggling to get dressed, I felt a little dizzy and couldn't figure out why. Earlier I had been fine but I had convinced Maverick I was sick and now I was struggling to concentrate. I squeezed my eyes closed and took a breath trying to clear the fog from my mind. Time was precious and I couldn't waste a second of it. I managed to get dressed, although it took me longer than I had hoped.

As quietly as I could, I inched my way to the doorway and peered outside. The hallway was empty so I hurried out of the room and down the corridor, hoping I was going in the right direction. I had another moment of unbalance and I had to stop to lean against the wall. What the hell was going on?

I would crawl out of here, if I had to. My determination was greater than any physical weakness I was experiencing. Nothing in life came easy, I knew that better than anyone. If I wanted to get out of here I had to do it now so I pushed through the unsteadiness.

The entrance was pretty empty, with only one guy working on a computer. He was dressed in a doctor's coat. It added more questions to where I was, but there was no time to consider them. I had to get away as quickly as possible.

Once outside I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale of the cold air. It was refreshing and helped clear my mind. I was starting to feel a little better but I wasn't out of danger yet.

The building I had been in was right next to a forest. I looked around and saw some larger buildings half circle the building was standing outside of. There were a lot of people and activity. My best bet was the forest.

It was the least populated way of getting out of there, but I did have a second of trepidation as I had no out door experience and I feared whatever wild animals there would be lurking in the darkness. I was relying on my sheer will power to get me out of this situation in one piece. I allowed myself to feel the fear before I pushed it out of my mind, I had been in far worse situations.

I looked back to the people and lights and wondered if this were some type of cult. It was the strangest place I had ever been and that was saying something.

Into the darkness I snuck trying to navigate my way through the tall tress in the darkness with very little light from the moon. A couple of times I stumbled and scraped my knees but each time I got back up more determined than before. My shoes were in no way wilderness friendly. All of the trees looked the same and it was difficult to determine if I was making any headway but I couldn't give up. There wasn't a choice.

It felt like I had been walking for hours. The sun started to rise and it was easier to see. My muscles ached and I wiped the sweat from my brow. At least I wasn't feeling dizzy anymore which made it easier than before but I feared that I was just walking deeper and deeper into the wilderness with no idea how to reach civilization.

I stopped to leaned against a tree trunk as I tried to catch my breath. I looked back to the way I had come and I considered if it would be better to head back. Dying in the middle of nowhere from thirst had no appeal but neither did being a prisoner for those bunch of freaks. There was something not right with the whole setup. Who kidnaped people right off the street? It didn't make much sense but if I had to guess I'd say they were some sort of cult. There was no other explanation.

I was thirsty and hungry but I kept walking. I began to stumble more as the heat increased. For the first time I felt a sense of hopelessness that no matter this wasn't a situation I was going to make it out of. That stupid asshole. Why had he kidnapped me? Why had he locked me up? None of his actions made any sense.

In the distance I thought I heard a howl. I halted. Silence.

It must have been my imagination, the heat and lack of water was taking its toll. I was probably hearing things that weren't there. Then I heard another sound again. It sounded like something moving toward me but I couldn't make out what it was.

Fear kept me rooted to the spot as the sound of the branches being brushed against by something and the sound of the movement on the forest floor drew closer. There was something moving at a speed that would rule out a human. It was an animal. I remembered the howl.

I couldn't think. There wasn't any time. I was too weak to climb up the tree which was my first instinct.

So this was how I was going to die? Eaten by wild animals in the middle of nowhere, while trying to escape some crazy cult.

Then a huge wolf broke through the trees and I closed my eyes. I had caught a flash of the wildness in its eyes and knew I was no match for it. It growled and I trembled with fear.

I waited for the body of the predator to knock me over and sink its teeth in me but it didn't.

Then I opened my eyes and the asshole walked over to me. I must have been hallucinating because I had just seen a wolf where he was just moments ago. It wasn't possible. Was I that dehydrated that I was seeing things that weren't there?

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" He muttered as he approached me.

I shook my head weakly. I didn't want to die. He had no idea how hard I'd been fighting to survive my whole life.

I didn't have the strength to fight him when he picked me up like I weighed nothing. I was weak and clearly delusional. This time I didn't fight him, I held onto him like my life depended on it. His arms tightened around me, giving me some sort of assurance that he would help me and that was enough for me.

"You got her?" another voice spoke.

It took too much effort to open my eyes. I just wanted something to drink. The thirst in my throat burned.

"Yeah," Maverick answered. "She's in bad shape. We need to get her back."

"She got further than we expected," the other voice said, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, she did." There was a hint of something that wasn't his usual hard, angry tone. I couldn't quite figure it out but all that mattered was they would help me.

At this point I would rather a room filled with these crazies than die of an animal attack or dehydration in the wilderness.

"Water," I croaked.

"Soon," he murmured.

I wasn't exactly heavy but I did note how easily he seemed to be able to move with me in his arms. It was another thing that didn't make any sense and I put it down to hallucination. What he was doing, just wasn't possible, was it?

I tried to hold but I grew tired or maybe it was the lack of water but I passed out before we got back to the place I had tried to escape.