((This is what I imagine Jackson looks like))
"Where the hell am I?" is the first thing I think as I am awoken by a mix of different masculine voices shouting all at once. I sit up quickly from the small cot I had slept on and look around to find that I am in a wooden shack with the only light coming through small holes and cracks between the logs and sticks that form the walls around me.
Panic begins to flood my mind and my muscles tense as my head whips around the room looking for a way out. I stand to my feet and begin to feel the walls for some kind of door or way out, finally touching a small handle I pull and push the door only to find it is locked. Pure adrenaline coursing through my veins causes me to be rash and back up all the way against the opposite wall and run full force forward, crashing into the door, breaking through on my first try and falling to the ground on the other side.
Light is all I see, even when I squeeze my eyes shut I can still make out bright orange and yellow spots. I cover my face with my hands and rub my eyes hoping to relive some of the burning. I open them slightly, attempting to adjust to the bright sun in the sky above me. Pushing myself off of the ground I look around me and find myself surrounded by small wooden shacks and large tents.
"How did I get here?" I wonder, turning in a circle trying to remember anything that could be useful to me right now. The last thing I remember is fighting alongside Asher with the men that we found in the house. The whole fight is a little fuzzy since most of the things I was doing were because I was high on adrenaline.
"Hey! You aren't supposed to be out here." A man yells to me as he starts to advance in my direction. My first instinct is to run, so I do run, straight into another man who was turning a corner in front of me.
I slam into the man, pushing him down and falling on top of him. I am up and running again almost as fast as I had fallen, dodging buildings and taking sharp turns left and right finding myself lost but never stopping, even though my body is begging me to breathe again.
I hear heavy footsteps and men shouting behind me. I take a peek back to see how many are chasing me and immediately regret it, knowing now that I don't stand a chance. At least eight men are following me and my body is already starting to slow. This is a race I can't win and I won't be able to fight them off when they do catch me. The only possible way for me to get away is to mentally be one step ahead.
I need to outsmart them.
I make a sharp left and then a right, finding a large tent and keeping myself on the opposite side they were on. They stop in their track and look around with angry and exhausted faces.
"Where'd she go?" One man said as he places his hands on his knees and sucks in short breaths of air.
"I don't know but we can't let her get any farther than she already is, split up and search the whole camp. Alert the guards and tell them to watch the meadow and surrounding forest in case she does manage to get past us."
The men begin to run in all different directions, some coming my way. I crouch low to the ground and try to plan what my next move should be. I see a large crate to my right and decide that I can use it for cover instead of being out in the open just waiting for someone to find me like I am now. I find my way over to the crate and huddle beside it waiting for some of the men to pass by so that I would have a better chance of running without being seen.
Ten minutes go by, then fifteen and I begin to feel little more confident in going out and leaving now. I peek over the crate and see no one. I think the coast is clear. I get up and walk fast, staying alert and ready to take off running at any moment.
![Dangerous People [COMPLETED] by iamfatimavz](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/189780005-80-k63957.jpg)
I look up and see a mountain of trees in the distance, not too far away from the edge of this camp. Picking up my speed to a run I reach the edge of the camp within five minutes and stop to take a moment to breath.
"Saige?" I hear a voice whisper beside me.
Looking towards where the voice was coming from I see a small cage containing a familiar face.
"Asher!" I run over to Asher and look at the chain draped around the wooden bars at the bottom of the cage.
Locked.
"How did you get away? Did they let you go?" He asks grabbing the bars and watching me as I fiddle with the lock holding the chain together.
"I need a key to get you out. Do you know who has it?" I ask quietly for to not to be heard by anyone.
"I think it's with one of the guys who we fought back in the house before we were taken, but don't worry about me right now I can get out myself. Just go, I'll be fine." Asher says while waving me away urgently.
I stand in front of him, contemplating what I should do. Should I stay, help him and risk getting myself caught and probably be in more trouble that I'm already in, or should I go by myself and leave him behind to fend for himself.
"I can't lea-"
"SAIGE RUN!" Asher yells, but it's too late.
Just as I turn around to see where the danger is coming from a body slams me to the ground. I fight to get out from under the large man straddling me but fail miserably, only moving the dirt underneath my squirming body.
"GET OFF HER!" I hear Asher yell from inside of the cage beating on the wooden bars trapping him in, probably wishing he could come out and fight this guy himself, but unfortunately for both of us that is not possible.
Two other men rush towards me and the man still on top of me. As the man gets off of me I am pulled up violently by my hair, giving me an instant headache and giving the man full control over my movement.
"What should we do with her now?" One man said to the others.
"Let's just take her to Jackson and see what he wants with her. She's too difficult I doubt he'll want to keep her for himself, I'm sure if we just killed her now no one would even notice." Another answered.
To this comment I pull against the hand holding my hair and attempt to get out of his strong grip, but end up only with a worse headache than I had a minute ago.
The men begin to pull me along with them, leading me to Jackson I assume. Who is this man? What did they mean by him not wanting to keep me?
I've given up on resisting and the man grip loosens on my hair. I choose not to take a risk and pull away anymore, fearing that this pounding in my head might never go away.
I am brought into the middle of the camp, passing by men- a lot of men- who's eyes are trained on me, only stopping when I am out of view. The men stop me in front of a large wooden building.
One of the men walking with us go inside and I hear two voices begin to argue, getting louder and louder. Then the man peeks his head out of the door and waves us to come in, wearing a face that reads "caution".
I enter the house without a fight and as soon as I walk through the door I am thrown down onto the dirty floor.
"So, she tried to run?" A man says from behind a desk in front of me.
"Yes sir, but of course we caught her before she could even get twenty feet away from the doctor's hut." Another man lied.
I put up a good fight and almost got away, yet they give me no credit. Oh well, I guess that will probably work to my advantage too. I'm sure if this Jackson guy knew that I was so close to getting away I would be in more trouble than I'm in now.
"Sir what will you have us do with her?" The same man says.
Jackson stares at me with curious eyes. He walks up to me, not stopping until he is standing directly in front of me, no more than a foot away. I stand straight and tall, looking deep into his dead blue eyes, challenging him to turn back around and walk away first.
After continuing this uncomfortable stare down for what felt like 5 minutes, Jackson turns around and walks back over to his desk.
"Give us a minute." He says as he sits down on a stool behind the desk. Making eye contact with me once more until the men all leave the room.
"So, you killed one of my best men." He unexpectedly blurts out.
I killed one of his men? Who?
"What are you talking about?" I question, genuinely confused.
"Well I sent a group out to collect you and your friend and one of the men didn't come back." He furrows his bushy eyebrows and his lips form a straight tight line. "My other men said that you stabbed him and he bled out before they were able to treat him."
I now realize that he is talking about Clint. "I didn't know he died. Your other minion knocked me out before we were even taken out of the house."
"That's no excuse!" He stands up and yells, causing me to jump back a little.
I regretfully open my mouth, "Well maybe if he didn't try to put his slimy hands all over me he wouldn't have been killed."
Jackson quickly marches over to me and before I can even process what he's doing I feel a hard slap across my cheek, sending to my knees while holding my face in my hands.
"Men take her to a cell, we'll give the camp a show at dinner. It'll end with her death."
The men then drag me out of the building violently while laughing amongst themselves.
I need to find a way to leave as quickly as I can, and this time when I run I can't stop for anything, or anyone. Asher is tough he can get himself out of here. Honestly, he probably has a better chance than I do. I can't afford to think of anyone else right now. This is survival, and I will do everything I can to keep myself alive.
I am brought back to the place where I was previously caught, I guess these are the cells Jackson was talking about. I see Asher sitting on a cot in front of me and he begins to stand as I am thrown - literally - into a cell next to his.
"Are you okay? What did they do to you?" He asks while looking me up and down, searching for any signs of abuse.
"I'm fine, god you sound like my teacher." I roll my eyes and plop down in a cot similar to his.
"Did they take you to Jackson?"
He sits down in his cot facing me in my cell.
"Yeah, and apparently I get to be a star tonight." He tilts his head in confusion. "Jackson really doesn't like me so he said that tonight at dinner there's going to be a show that ends in my death."
Asher's face becomes angry. Why does he care so much about me? He should be trying to find a way to get himself out, not being concerned about my life.
"I'll figure something out, I'll be fine."
I don't even sound like myself. When did I become this person?
So brave and defiant.
A few days ago I was living a normal life; talking to friends, taking long walks through the streets, eating delicious food, not having to wonder if I'll starve or die of dehydration. I guess that's just what being out here does to you.
It changes you.
I guess though, the scariest part about all of this is that this is my life now. If I escape this camp there's no going back home, I'll just have another fight of survival. I'll be all alone, never sure if I'll be alive the next day. I'll never feel completely safe again, and that is what is changing me.
***
Hey guys, sorry this was a shorter chapter but I've been having a bit of writer's block. I'm trying really hard though and I'll have some more chapters up soon. Thank you all for reading.
Enjoy ♡
