Wish by Scarlett Haven Page A

the gate. Some of your bodyguards,” he says. “I can’t stop now.
I have to follow through.”
    “ No, you don’t. Dad can help you,”
I say. “He works for the government in Russia. He will help your
family out.”
    Raslan slows the car down, as we get close to
the gates of the school. I know that it’s now or never.
    “ Kat, I can’t…”
    I pull the handle on the car and
jump.
    My body hits the ground hard and I roll for
what seems like forever before I come to a stop. I hear breaks
squalling behind me. I stand up and feel dizzy, but I know I only
have a few seconds. I take off running as fast and as hard as I
can. I take the path through the woods. It’s two miles from here
back to the school. And I know this path. There is no way that
Raslan can catch up with me. I just have to get back to Tristan’s
dorm room.
    I can’t believe I was stupid enough to leave
my phone behind! I should have known better!
    “ Kat!” I hear Raslan yelling
behind me.
    I push myself harder, knowing that
my life depends on this. I am not getting kidnapped again. There is no way that I
would make it out alive this time.
    A guy that I don’t recognize steps out onto
the path in front of me. I dodge around him towards the right, and
run smack into somebody else.
    Matthews.
    He grabs ahold of me, pulling my arms behind
my back so I’m not able to move.
    “ I knew
the kid couldn’t do it ,” the guy I don’t
recognize says in Russian to Matthews.
    Raslan, who is still running up the path,
pauses when he seems the two guys. He’s out of breath.
    “ You got
her, ” he says. He doesn’t look happy about
it, though. In fact, he looks panicked.
    “ You let
her get away ,” Matthews says from behind
me.
    I jerk against him, but he doesn’t loosen his
grip.
    “ But I
got her out of her dorm ,” Raslan says.
“ You guy can’t back out now. I killed
people for you. You never would’ve gotten her out of her room if it
wasn’t for me. She came with me willingly, right out the front
door. ”
    The guy next to Matthews lifts his arm. I look
over and see him point a gun straight at Raslan. He pulls the
trigger before Raslan can even react.
    I scream and I watch Raslan’s body fall to the
ground. It’s too dark to see anything, so I don’t know if he’s
alive or not.
    “ Let me
go! ” I yell, jerking against
Matthews.
    I hear more footsteps.
    The guy beside Matthews shines a flashlight at
the person approaching. I recognize him. He was the guard who was
standing outside the window at the house in Russia where we were
being held captive.
    He’s got ropes wrapped around Salvador’s
hands, and he’s dragging him along. Salvador isn’t going quietly
though. He is fighting hard.
    “ Salvador,” I say, my voice
breaking.
    “ Katerina,” he says. “Are you all
right?”
    “ They shot Raslan,” I tell
him.
    Raslan was trying to kidnap me, but I didn’t
want him dead. He was my friend for so long.
    “ What are
they saying ?” the guy holding Salvador
asks.
    “ Russian
only, ” Matthews says, tightening his grip
on my arm. I am definitely going to have a bruise where he held
onto me.
    In the distance, I hear sirens.
    Cops are coming.
    Hope bubbles up inside me.
    “ We have
to get going. The helicopter is waiting ,”
Matthews says to the others.
    Helicopter?
    He pushes me forward, and I nearly stumble,
but his tight hold on me keeps me from falling.
    “ Salvador, what are we going to
do?” I ask him, speaking English.
    “ Shut
up, ” Matthews says.
    “ Don’t
worry Katerina. I will protect you ,”
Salvador says, answering in Russian. I guess he doesn’t want to
make them any angrier than they already are. It’s probably a good
idea, especially if they manage to get us on that
helicopter.
    If they are successful, I will die. So will
Salvador. I have to at least try and save him.
    “ Why are
you taking Salvador ?” I ask.
“ It’s not him you want. It’s
me .”
    “ He
betrayed us. His father will be