Falling Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 1 (30 page)

Carly took herself straight to bed when we arrived back, Seth was in the shower at the time so he
hadn't had a chance to speak to her yet.
“I can't believe it, she turns up here out of the blue and brings a stomach bug with her,” Seth said
searching through the cartoon channels.
“Well you know Carly, she's always been unpredictable. I'm sure it's only a twenty four hour thing,
she'll probably be down here in a few hours asking what times dinner?”
“I need to get ready for work.”he said handing me the remote.
“You working tonight?” I asked. I thought he'd said he wasn't working at the factories until Tuesday,
but maybe he didn't mean at the factory.
He left the room and I had to bite my tongue to refrain from saying anything. How much longer did
he think he could keep it a secret from me.
Micah nudged me hard in the leg with his boot from the other couch.
“Owww! What? You didn't have to kick me,”
“Go check on her,” he said pointing at the ceiling.
“No she's sleeping, she's fine it's just a hang over, if you're so worried go check on her yourself.” I
replied rubbing my leg.
“You know you don't have to stay. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to do a runner,
because I have no intention of leaving this place. I want to stay. Permanently.”
“It's not safe for you here, leaving is your only option.”
“For how long a week, a month, a year? I don't want to leave you can't make me,”
“No but like I said before Seth can and he will if it means keeping you safe. Why are you being so
stubborn, what's so important that you want to stay?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I like it here, the place has grown on me,”
“No it hasn't you hate it here, you complain about the rain everyday, the town doesn't have all your
favourite stores so what is it? Has this got something to do with a boy, perhaps this Mack I keep
hearing about?”
“I have homework, feel free to leave.”
“Not going to happen, I don't trust you. As soon as I leave you'll probably run off to another
partying or some other reckless teenage activity in some dangerous location.”
“No just calculus homework, Micah.”
Seth lumped back down the stairs in his boots carrying his bag.
“So which is it tonight factory work or fight club?”
Seth looked at me lost for words.
“What have you forgotten how to speak?” I asked.
“Rubes what are you talking about?” he said looking at Micah.
“Did you tell her, I told you I was going tell her. Rubes I was going to tell you,”
“Tell me what? That you know I can read minds, that your body re-heals itself and so does mine as
of the other day. Or maybe I don't know fallen angels are strolling around Heaven's Point and no
one thought it would be a good idea to bring it up.”
I quickly stormed up the stairs a little too dramatic for me but I'd just dropped a major bombshell on
my brother and now I couldn't look him in the face.
“Rube's wait,”
“Why so you can lie to me some more? Seth I know what's been going on, I know you and Micah
have been trying to hide it all from me.”

I stood at the top of the stairs watching him, waiting for him to say something, anything but he just
looked at the floor.
I can't....,
is all I heard him say and that wasn’t even out loud.
I could never find the right words..,
“You know we used to tell each other everything.”
“Ruby this wasn't just anything, it's not like I could bring it up over dinner,”
“It doesn't matter you want to send me back, then send me back then you don't have to tell me
anything cause I'll be gone.”
I could feel tears forming at the edge of my eyes, I turned and ran up the stairs, slamming the
bathroom door. I could hear Seth and Micah arguing I wasn't paying attention to what they were
saying though, I turned the shower on and jumped in and stayed under the water for as long as
possible. Carly was still asleep when I finally emerged from the bathroom. I found Micah playing
tug of war with the dog and his rope toy.
“Did you enjoy your shower? One hour and twenty six minutes to be exact, now that's impressive.”
“I was doing a lot of thinking, I forgot what the time was. Does it matter?”
“So when did you add fallen angels to your vocabulary?”
“Caitlin she was doing a history project about them and the town. So is it true?” I asked but he
ignored me.
“You know when you don't answer me it usually means I'm right or getting close to the truth so you
shut down and change the subject. Would you just be honest with me for once....Micah are you
listening?”
He had walked over to the window and became preoccupied looking at something, I wondered over
and stood on the other side of the window opposite him, not sure what he was so interested in.
“Micah?”
“Shhh!” he said at the same time a black van pulled up.
“Get down,” Micah said, pulling me to the floor with him.
“What, who is it?”
“I don't know? I didn't get a good look at them,”
He slid up the wall and peeked round the window.
“What do they want?” he said curiously.
I crawled across the floor and stood up behind him trying to peek over his shoulder. The van had
parked near the trees but I could still make out one of the men behind the wheel.
“It's the same guy from the club, how did they find me?” I said without thinking.
“What?” Micah said angrily. “You've seen them before?”
“Yes, but promise me you won't shout or get angry with me if I tell you,”
“Ruby,” he said grabbing my arm.
“The other night when you asked me where I had been and I told you I had been at Caitlin's all
night. Well I lied, I'm sorry,”
“Ruby, how did you even find the club?” he said pulling me down lower to the floor.
“We went to the rental shop and we saw someone we knew from school and Aimee thought it would
be fun to follow him, I know stupid idea.”
“Who?” he asked getting impatient.
“Mack,”
“Who is this Mack?”
“He's just some boy from school, I don't even know his surname,”
“Describe him now,”
“Tall, black hair, really green eyes I've seen him driving a mustang and a motorcycle,”

“You've got to be kidding, I told him to stay away from you. He never listens, always wants to do
his own thing. I told him this would happen. Now I've got to deal with these clowns,”
“Told who to stay away from me? I don't understand do you know Mack?” Micah looked over the
edge of the window ledge again then ducked back down next to me.
“Mack, McCormack I see Jessie got creative with his last name. This is exactly what happened in
my vision, it all makes sense now. You followed him to the club and that's how they found you. So
Cole's behind this, in the visions I could never see the face of the person wanting to take you.”
Gunner jumped up at the window and started growling.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“They're just sitting in the van, but they're probably planning on coming in. You need to get out of
here,”
“And go where?”
“Follow the river, it comes out near a bridge where you'll see Eggy's Diner wait for me there and I'll
ring you.”
“What I can't just leave Carly,”
“Ruby I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to her. Please would you just do as you're told
for once. You have to leave now. I'll get her out of here in a minute then I'll come find you, keep
your cell on. Now go they're getting out. Ruby go,”
I stepped back slowly still going over everything in my head.
“Ruby what are you doing?” I looked at him piecing everything together. He quickly grabbed my
wrist and pulled me to the back door, opened it and pushed me out. Then he grabbed the shotgun
that was propped up next to it. The dog followed us into the kitchen barking.
“Now run as fast as you can and don't stop. Do you understand?”
I stepped back hesitantly and slowly nodded. Running away didn't feel right, leaving Carly felt even
worse.
Micah closed the door quietly and nodded at me with is cellphone to his ear. I turned and jumped
off the step my feet hit the floor and I ran quickly to the river's edge and kept running, without
stopping to look back.
I was frighted I didn't know what was happening back at the cabin but Micah said he would make
sure he would take care of Carly and I believed him, maybe the gun would be enough to frighten the
guys from the club away.
I kept going but slowed down into a jog, I was surprised I was able to keep going without getting
tired or out of breath another thing Seth would have to explain to me.
The path got narrower the further I went and my jeans kept getting caught on every bramble branch
they could find. I really hoped the path led straight to the road otherwise I would be spending the
night in the forest at this rate.
I checked my cell every five minutes to make sure I had signal but it kept dropping. I pulled my
hood up to try and protect my face from the low branches that kept scraping at it.
I couldn't stop thinking about Carly I hated not knowing what was going on. The route took about
an hour but I knew I was close when I heard a passing car in the distance. I stepped out of the trees
and could see Eggy's Diner further along on the other side of the road.
I jogged across the road keeping close to the edge, each time I heard a car coming I ducked down
behind the trees.
As I approached the diner I heard a loud engine in the distance, I jogged over and hurried inside, I
stood behind the door watching out the window.
A black mustang pulled up outside and Mack stepped out with his cellphone in his hand.
His eyes landed on me and I couldn't help it but I started to tear up. I opened the door and he walked
towards me with his arms open for me. I ran into them and he held onto me.
He pulled me back to look at my face.
“What's wrong, what's happened?”
“These guys turned up at my house. I think they were going to hurt me. Micah told me to get out of
there and leave, I don't know what's happened my friend Carly was there with him. He was meant to
ring me,” I said checking my cell.
“Who were these guys?”
“I think they have something to do with someone from the fight club called Cole?”
“Okay calm down, you're shaking. Everything is going to be all right I'm sure Carly is fine. We'll
drive up there and check it out.”
“But those guy's might still be there?”
“And if they are I'll give them hell, come on,” he said taking my hand and pulling me towards the
car and opening the passenger door for me.
Mack got in and put his foot to the floor and went well over the speed limit, turning sharply at the
turning off.
“Sorry,” he said as we turned and I had to grip the seat to hold on.
“Maybe we should call the police?”
“Police round here will be no help at all, they get paid to turn a blind eye on these sort of things.”
“What do you by theses sort of things?”
“You said theses men were from the club and you said the name Cole, anything to do with Cole is
usually bad and he has the police in his back pocket as he likes to play dirty. So ringing the police
would be a bad idea. Look we're nearly there,”
He parked the car a good distance away from the cabin and turned the engine off.
“Micah's truck is still here, he's probably inside why didn't he ring me,” I said going for the door
handle.
“No, you stay here. Just cause his trucks here doesn't mean he is and there might be someone
waiting inside for you. Lock the doors when I get out. If you see anything sound the horn.”
Mack opened the door, shut it quietly then jogged over to the cabin. He ducked low round the porch
and disappeared around the back out of sight. This was crazy why hadn't Micah phoned me, he was
probably inside sitting in a corner guarding the door with a gun, I probably should have warned
Mack that Micah had a gun for intruders. I checked my cell again, I was in signal but there were no
missed calls. Gunner started barking loudly outside the car window, I jumped and dropped my cell
on the floor.
The raven had landed on the bonnet and was hopping around, Gunner stood close by barking at it.
I rolled down the window. “Shhh! Gunner, it's just a bird,”
I ducked down and grabbed my cell from the floor, as I sat back up Mack was jogging back to the
car, the raven took off and flew into the trees.
Mack knocked on the drivers window and I wondered what he was doing until I remembered I had
locked the doors. I leaned over and unlocked his side.
He opened the door and whistled over to the dog. Gunner trotted over wagging his tail and Mack
pushed his chair forward so the dog could get in the back, then he jumped in himself and started the
engine.
“Why was the dog barking?” he asked.
“It was nothing just a bird. Where's Micah and Carly?”
“They're gone.”
“What do you mean they're gone, gone where? Did you go inside did Micah leave a note or
something?”
“Ruby stop, their not in there. I searched the place from top to bottom. Whoever turned up here
looking for you took them instead. We should get out of here,” he said putting the car in reverse.
“Why would they take Micah and Carly? That's crazy that's kidnapping,”
“They probably want information from them.”
“Information?”
“Ruby don't you get it? Those men were sent to collect you, but they couldn't find you so they took
them instead to get information from them probably about where they can find you,”
“What will they do to them?”
“That night you went to the club you didn't get lost did you? You followed me. I should have been
more careful, Micah was right he always is. He knew this was going to happen, I should have
listened.”
Mack hit the steering wheel out of frustration, I was trying to listen to what he was saying most of it
wasn't making sense but I got the feeling he knew Micah better then he first let on, but I quickly got
distracted from my thoughts when I saw Mack's sleeve and wrist. It was covered in red stuff.
“What's that?” I asked.
“Ruby, do you get what I'm trying to tell you?” he asked, but I hadn't been listening to him.
“Is that blood?”
He looked at his wrist and pulled his sleeve further down to cover it.
“Are you bleeding?” I asked trying to reach for his wrist but he moved it away.
“Mack what's wrong?”
“It's not mine, it was on the kitchen floor.”
“Why is there blood on the kitchen....,” I couldn't finish the sentence I already knew.
“Do you want the truth or the sugar coated version?”
“What kind of people are they?”
“The worst kind,”
“I don't get what's so important about me? Why do they want with me?”
“It's because of what you can do. If you're like your brother then you probably have an ability and
that's why they want you so they can use you. But I'm not going to let that happen.”
He glanced over at me then quickly looked back at the road, he knew about me this whole time, he
knew I was different. Seth.....I suddenly remembered he was at work and didn't know any of this
was going on.
“Seth, I forgot he's at work I need to ring him,” I looked at my cell.
“I don't have signal, do you have signal?” I asked Mack.
“Ruby, Seth's at the club he probably won't hear his cell, I already tried.”
“So you know my brother?”
He nodded looking in his wing mirror again, he had been looking in it constantly since we had left
the cabin.
“What is it?” I asked looking around out the window and in the side mirror, but I didn't see anyone
following us.
“It's still following us,” he said in a low tone.
“What is?” I asked looking out the back window.
He swung the car round to the right and drove onto a side road through the forest. The trees whizzed
past and I was afraid to even look at the speedometer.
“Mack what's following us? I don't see anything,”
“The raven, he must have told it to follow you. It makes sense now, I even took your bracelet to
prevent him from finding you, but he's using the bird instead.”
I pushed my sleeve up thinking he couldn't be talking about my bracelet, but my bracelet was gone
from my wrist.
“You stole my bracelet?”
“I had to it's how he finds you, he linked himself to it. It's like a tracker he can always find you
when you're wearing it, but he's using the bird instead to find you. I should have known what he
was, it's so obvious now I can't believe I missed it.”
The track up ahead split into two different directions, Mack turned left and the back of the car
skidded round. He then put his foot down and drove until we came to the end of the track which led
back onto the main road.
“I think we lost it,” he said checking the mirrors.
“What or who are you talking about?” I asked holding onto the seat as he turned right and drove
down another track. He ignored me.
“So what are we going to do? Where are we going? What if their hurting Carly and Micah right
now?”
“Ruby calm down, I'm going to drop you off somewhere safe, then I'm going to go and find them
and I think I know where they'll be. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or them
okay....Okay,”
All I could do was nod my head, my body felt numb, the thought of someone hurting Carly was too
much.
Mack drove the car along a bumpy road which looked familiar. It wasn't until I saw a large gate up
ahead I realised where I was.
Mack drove the car around the gate and cut across the grass, and past a row of trailer homes, he
turned the car back onto the dirt track and turned at the end driving straight until pulled up into a
small parking space next to a trailer. A trailer that I had already seen before.
I leaned forward and looked out the window. It was the same trailer I had got myself trapped in
before. Mack got out and jogged round to my side of the car, opening my door.
“Come on, you'll be safe here while I go and find Carly.”
I slowly climbed out and looked at the trailer then back at Mack.
“How do you know Micah?” I asked.
“Ruby I will explain everything when I get back, but right now I need you to get inside and stay
put.”
“Who are you?” I asked confused.
“What?”
“Who are you?” I said louder.
“Ruby, I promise I will tell you everything when I get back. But right now I need to go inside.” he
said slamming the car door.
The rain pelted down on my face but I didn't move. I didn't trust him, I didn't know who he was. My
mind flashed back to the picture someone had taken of me stuck to a mirror, inside this very trailer.
Maybe Micah had got it wrong about who really wanted to kidnap me, maybe I was staring him in
the face?
“What's wrong? Ruby come on get inside,” he said running up the steps to the door. I looked around
and spotted the raven sitting close by on a flag pole.
I looked at the raven then back at Mack, I didn't feel safe here something felt wrong, I suddenly
didn't trust him.
“Ruby what are you doing?” Mack called to me.
I started walking backwards then I turned and ran before I had second thoughts about it.
“Ruby!” I heard Mack shouting. I didn't look back at him, even though running away from Mack
didn't fell right.
My speed soon picked up and I zigzagged round the trailers, until I saw the metal fence which I
somehow managed to climb over in a matter of seconds. I kept looking over my shoulder but there
was no one following me, I was sure I was going in the right direction back to the main road but I
had no idea where I was going to go when I got back.
I slowed down into a jog and checked my cellphone. I found Micah's number and tried ringing him
but it went straight to voicemail.
I tried Carly's but it just rang and rang. My last hope was Seth's cell, I knew he was busy and
probably wouldn't answer but hopefully he would listen to his messages, it went straight to
voicemail.
“Seth it's Ruby. Can you please ring me as soon as you get this.”
It was getting dark quickly and I didn't want to be outside in the dark. I put my hood up as the rain
continued to fall, I was soaked all the way through. I jogged out from under the trees and stopped
alongside the road. The only thing I could think of was to walk to Aimee's and hope she would be
there, her house was the closest from here. I stayed close to the edge hiding behind a tree, every
time I heard a car coming.
I looked at my cell and considered calling the police but hesitated after remembering what Mack
had said about the police.
I came to the crossroads and ran across and back into the trees on the other side. I heard another car
approaching in the distance, I ducked down behind a large tree waiting for it to pass.
I waited about thirty seconds until I was sure it was gone and stepped out onto the grass, but up
ahead I saw the back of a van, it looked like the same van that had showed up at the cabin earlier.
It was just sitting there with it's lights on and engine running. I quickly stepped back into the trees
so I wouldn't be seen. The van stayed in the same spot as another car drove along the road, it beeped
it's horn at the van and drove around it.