The man shifted and grunted as he rose to his feet. Betany frantically fumbled around with her fingers until they found the gun. Violent tremors rattled through her arms, making it difficult to raise the weapon. In a flash, the stranger had rushed across the room and snatched it from her grasp. *This is it...This is how I die.* She swallowed hard, against the rocks in her throat. The overhead light flicked on. The man stood over her, a vermillion splatter across the chest of his white dress shirt. He held the gun out to the side, turned away from her. He was an imposing figure-- a herculean mass of muscle and vacuous arrogance. He snarled at her, and Betany instinctively huddled against the bed and covered her head with her arms. "Carter! I said 'Don't hurt her,' didn't I," another male voice boomed. Her attacker took a couple steps back. She dropped her arms, momentarily curious. His hands were in the air, in a yielding stance. "But...but she...SHE had WEAPONS," he stammered defensively, dangling the gun towards a second stranger who was standing in the bedroom doorway. Even in Betany's panic, the newcomer struck Betany as remarkably handsome. Fluidly, he strode over to "Carter" and retrieved Betany's gun. He then knelt beside her, carefully avoiding the rancid fluids on the floor, and placed her hands around the .308. "Carter" continued to protest, "She SHOT me!" Betany felt like she was in some sort of confusing, surreal nightmare. "Please, don't hurt me," she cried, her voice quivering. Pleadingly, she looked up into his shocking cerulean blue eyes. He pressed his hands gently around hers, around the gun, and a strange wave of ease washed through her, taming the tremors. "I have no intention of harming you, and my friend Carter apologizes for his violent behavior. Don't you, Carter?" "I do," Carter sourly returned. Betany felt herself relaxing, even though her mind was swimming in a frenzy of fear. His gaze steadily keeping hers, he slowly stood, and she found herself following his lead. "Unfortunately, there are those who DO wish to do you harm, this night. Your sister has requested that we retrieve you before that happens." Betany blinked. "I don't have a sister." She drew back. "I don't know who you are, but you need to get out of my house." The man looked at her with surprise written on his face for an instant, and then he became expressionless once more. She started to raise the gun once more, but suddenly found herself disarmed. Entirely baffled, her eyes shot around, in search of it. Her head spun. *How did he get it from me? I didn't even feel him take it?* The man tucked it into his belt and grabbed her wrists. She wanted to struggle, but all of her muscles started to slacken. "I'm sorry Miss Betany, but we really have to get you out of here NOW." The room churned and all fell into a sea of nothingness.
********** Part 3: http://www.vingle.net/posts/1370080?shsrc=v **********
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