The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 84: Back To Safety(?)

Chapter 84: Back To Safety(?)

"Hounds...I hear dogs, Fizzy... They are looking for us, aren’t they?" Rory took a step forward.

"Yeah, they should be," Liam placed his hand on the small of her back. He hoped it was the dogs from her grandmother’s place.

But by the luck they encountered till then, he didn’t dare to hold much hope.

"Apollo!" Rory shouted. "It is him. I recognize his voice."She told Liam with a big grin.

She ran in the direction they heard the dogs. Liam followed her closely having an eye over everything. He cannot be careless now.

"Apollo! Minerva!" Rory shouted. "We are here!"

As she got closer, Liam could hear the barks of the dogs intensifying.

And torches... he saw at least five people with torches.

"Rory! Liam!"

Both of them heard the familiar voice.

"Derick!" Rory waved her hand and plopped on the ground kneeling. Covering her face she cried.

"Thank God you’re here..." She mumbled.

Liam patted her back gently to assure her. He couldn’t stop chuckling.

"Uncle! You’re here too!" Liam was surprised to see his uncle there.

"Of course," Lennon shouted back.

The dogs darted toward them and the men with them came running toward them. Liam covered his eyes as the light of the torches blinded them.

He plopped beside Rory relieved that they are saved. They are found in this dangerous place, somehow they’ve survived more than twelve hours.

He—the man—did only a little. Everything was his smart wife.

The dogs reached them first and circled them and sniffed them. Rory was never a big lover of dogs. But she hugged one of the dogs out of glee.

"Thank you..." she mumbled.

Lennon saw the couple happy beyond belief. He looked at Derick. He was not moving and stood frozen.

"I told you to go West, didn’t I?" he whispered in Derick’s ears. "I knew they would figure it out, the moment I saw Aurora Borealis in the sky."

"Yeah? I taught them survival, uncle. I knew they would be walking toward the river too," Derick scoffed and walked with a larger gait.

He couldn’t accept the fact that the guy who wore oxfords to walk on muddy terrain is thinking that he the greatest tracker in the whole wide world.

Rory was on her knees for some time but then she suddenly looked up. Derick was the one walking in the front.

"Derick!" she shouted and ran toward him.

Liam stood up and wiped the dust off his knees. Seeing her running clumsily, his lips curved to a smile.

But he was surprised to see her running back with Derick’s torch. "Cherry, what are you doing?" he tried to block her, but she ran around him.

Having no other way, he ran behind her. Others followed them too.

"Rory, tell me where you’re going!" Derick shouted. He ran fast, but he could not catch up with Rory who was running like a gazelle.

But Liam had an idea where she might be running. "We encountered a weird creature, Derick... You should see it and have it investigated."

Liam thought that creature should be reported and tests need to be run to figure out what caused a human to turn that way. The thought that the creature is not from this planet crossed his mind too. It had a humanoid form, but it didn’t appear like a human too.

Cannibalism, perhaps?

"Creature?" Derick asked as he caught up with Liam. Rory was still ahead of them by two meters.

"It has- It had my ring!" Rory shouted.

Derick looked at Liam for answers as he could not get what was going on. Liam could only sigh.

Is she still planning on getting the ring back?

"You’ll see..." Liam couldn’t explain it further.

Rory was perfectly retracing their steps and they finally came to the thick rows of trees where they had the last stand against that creature.

Rory slowed down and looked around with the torch. But as far as they could see, there was nothing on the ground.

"Was it here?" Derick asked.

Rory did not answer him and looked around with her eyes squinted. "I am sure it was here..." she mumbled.

"Liam?" she turned and looked at him.

Liam was shocked to see the creature not there too. "It was here... we..." he got the torch from Lennon and ran near a tree.

The bloody rock was there.

"This...." Liam pointed. "She-We hit it in the head with this rock. It was lying right here... I made sure to..." he shook his head in disbelief. "How could it be?"

"Can you tell me what happened here, Liam?" Derick asked and his hand went to the holster in his waist naturally.

Liam let out a deep breath. "There was this creature... he was grey and had...Uh, Derick! He tried to attack us. He called Cherry as ’Little Rose’ and said that he wanted to eat her. And~"

"The ring!!" Rory was focused only on the ring. "He stole my ring! My engagement ring!"

Liam nodded at Derick who looked at him for answers. He opened his phone and took pictures of that place.

"We should pick this up too, right?" Liam tried to pick up the rock. "It would have his DNA."

"No!" Derick shouted in panic. "Don’t touch anything and do not disturb anything. I’ll contact the rangers. It’s their jurisdiction and they will start their investigation."

He pulled out his SAT phone and called the rangers. He informed them that they’ve found Liam and Rory and he then passed the information about the creature they encountered.

Liam could not hear their conversation but he could understand that the rangers are not taking it seriously.

"Derick, we can do something... see... right here... he was lying right here... look closely. There is dried blood. Let’s take a sample. If it rains once more, all the evidence will be lost," Liam almost begged Derick.

"I can’t! I’m a fed, Liam. I cannot do anything in the jurisdiction of another department. Get Rory. We are leaving. I’ve left the coordinates with the Forest Service. The rangers will be here to do their~"

"I thought national forests are under federal jurisdiction," Lennon interjected Derick.

Liam nodded along. "He is right!"

Derick glared at Lennon. "You know nothing! This might be federal land but~"

His words were interjected by a plopping sound. "Missy!" The guys sent from Agnes Roberts who was searching around for any signs of that creature ran to Rory who was slumped on the ground.

"The ring...please find the ring," she mumbled.

"She has a fever!" one of the big guys lifted her. "We are leaving!"

Liam’s mind entirely turned toward Rory and he ran behind the big guy. The barking dogs all followed the big guy.

Derick shrugged at Lennon and picked up the torch left by Rory. He then walked away.

Lennon stood there for a moment and looked around. It was dark everywhere. He took a glance at the ground. He couldn’t see anything flashing. The ring must not be here.

Letting out a sigh, he followed the others.

-----

A couple of hours later...

"Has she stabilized?" Mrs. Delport walked into the local hospital holding baby Ellie in the carrycot.

"Yes, ma’am. Come here..." the staff brought Mrs. Delport to the room where Rory was getting treated.

She saw Liam sitting by her bedside holding her hand and let out a sigh. Rory had an IV running and she was lying with her eyes closed.

Maybe Ellie could smell her mother even in that place overwhelmed with the scent of disinfectants and medicines, she started wailing.

"Ellie!" Rory woke up and almost jumped from the bed not minding the IV. Liam held her back and Mrs. Delport passed Ellie to her.

"Oh, Ellie..." with tears streaming down her face, Rory hugged her. Liam, although felt unwanted by his wife and daughter, joined in the hug.

Ellie’s wail reduced to a whimper and she nuzzled her face on Rory’s chest and made sucking movements.

"Are you hungry, my poor wee baby? Did your stupid mother leave you hungry for a day? Oh, sweet baby... I’m sorry..." Rory undressed on the hospital gown and fed her.

Mrs. Delport left the room to give them privacy. Liam stayed.

"My sweetie... Mommy’s here now.... mommy’s never gonna leave you again...." Rory kept on talking to Ellie as she ate like she was starved for a week.

-----

It was early morning and in the deep forest, one grey creature limped its way to its usual spot inside the crevice of the rocky hill. He’s lost track of the time of how long he’s been here. There were three of them in the beginning. But only he is left now.

He looked at the ring in his hand.

"She was beautiful... An angel..." he squealed.

A part of his face was mashed and bloody. He whimpered as he felt the sting.

"I want to see her again... Her hair..." he said and curled up in the corner of the cave. The wind whirled around and heard a whistle inside the small cave.

And amidst that sound, he heard a familiar and yet the sound he didn’t hear for a long time.

The sound of Welly boots...

The creature whimpered and pressed itself to the walls of the cave. He held the ring close to his chest.

"No... He’s here..." he voiced his fear, but then his face twisted with happiness the next moment.

"Master...brings food for Gollum.."