174 The Dual Kidnap (1/2)

Raven High was a mess.

There were students screaming all around, as the entire population of the school ran towards the exit gates. Cars were pulled and bikes were scattered, several alarms went off in the distance. Someone hollered over the sudden, massive crowd that had filled the grounds of Raven International, trying to put things under control. The place had rapidly turned into a brash chaos.

As the rush of panic struck teens continued, Ben couldn't help but shiver hysterically. His eyes were wide with fear as he clutched at the shoulder of the man carrying him in a death grip. Unable to look away from the burning theatre, the child swallowed. Silent tears filled his eyes and dripped down his cheeks.

The fire was massive.

A low ache rose at the back of his head, somewhere near to the bottom of his neck. It spread to his ears quickly. And before the guard could have brought the child to the exit gate, the pain was severe enough to split Ben's head. Without warning, he coughed up blood again.

The guard gave the kid a worried look, as he made his way through the crowd. Two other guards who accompanied Ben every day, pushed through the masses too, following closely behind. One of them was bleeding from the arm, the other was respectively unhurt. When Ben looked at their approaching figures, his head spun, the pain intensifying from the movement and holler, but he also felt a strange sense of relief.

They were okay.

But…

”U-Uncle Chenric?” Ben's voice was hoarse, barely audible, as he put together the fact that four men always stayed with him during school hours. Just then though, Chenric was missing. The burly man carrying the child nodded without expression, answering his query in a grunted, ”He's getting the car around, little master.”

Ben closed his eyes, breathing hard as the pain spread. He felt slightly light in his head, almost dizzy. Benji Hunter swallowed, clutching the man's shoulders hard. Then, he passed out.

Once they had stepped out of the grounds, the guard carrying Ben was quick to pull out his gun and order the two men behind him, ”You guys get in your car and stay close. Make sure no one is following us.”

Both the men nodded back to him, simultaneously pulling out their guns as well, as they rushed towards the parking lot. The burly guard then marched forward, and flung open the door to the passenger's seat of the car that Chenric had driven to the school front. He stepped in, howling hurriedly, ”Go, go, go!”

They immediately took off.

It was only when the car had sped, that a spine chilling silence spread inside. The guard was quick to realize that something was amiss, but the door to his side had been locked and the car was racing the street. That however, was the least of his problems.

His wrist had been slit.

The guard's eyes went cold as he sensed some movement. His hand tightened around Ben's body, and he was quick to turn around and point his gun at whoever the f*** was sitting behind. He was a second too slow though. There was a muzzle pointing at Ben before the guard could make his aim.

His suspicion, however, had been confirmed.

Just behind the driver's seat, sat a thin, frail man. He was lean and small, almost as if carved out of a single bone. His face was sinister, tiny, almost invisible beneath the strands of silver hair that fell into his eyes. His lips were upturned into a crooked smile.

”F*** you,” he whispered.

And then, he shot.

The sound echoed deafeningly, as the bullet barely missed Ben's ear and cracked the windshield from the front. The guard was quick to duck the shot. In the same minute, however, Chenric's muffled gasp reverberated through the space of the car.