**Flashback**
“Stop right there!!” A voice shouted from behind just as they emerged from the basement, making them freeze. The three of them turned to see Joey, eyes burning with anger.
“Where do you all think you’re going?” Joey demanded furiously, pacing closer.
The stranger set Hannah down gently, shielding her behind them. “We don’t want any trouble. Let us go!” the stranger said firmly, their voice filled with authority.
“Who the hell are you to give us orders?” Gilbert yelled from beside Joey. “And what even are you, a man or a woman? Show yourself!”
“My identity is none of your concern. Just let us leave, and no one gets hurt,” the stranger responded coolly.
Louis and Hannah exchanged glances, both confused but also in awe of the stranger’s confidence. They too couldn’t help but wonder about the stranger’s gender, but their priority was survival.
“You want us to just let you walk out of here?” Joey chuckled, a sly grin creeping across his face as he signaled Gilbert and the others to prepare to attack.
The light around them grew dimmer as the evening deepened, and soon, darkness would blanket the entire house. Sensing the danger, the stranger leaned toward Louis, whispering softly in his ear, “Are you and Hannah able to run?”
Louis blinked, confused at first. “I… I think we can try,” he whispered back after a brief pause, his mind racing.
“Good. On the count of three, you both run to the left door. There’s a hidden exit that leads outside. Wait for me there,” the stranger explained, their voice calm but urgent.
“But what about you?” Louis asked, concern rising in his voice. “Can you handle them on your own?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve dealt with worse than this,” the stranger replied confidently, then raised their hand, preparing to count.
Louis, understanding the plan, gripped Hannah’s hand tightly. The stranger started the countdown in a low voice, “One… two…”
Before they could reach three, Joey and Gilbert charged at them, but Louis and Hannah bolted toward the door as instructed.
“Don’t let them escape!” Gilbert screamed furiously, and the others rushed after them.
But before they could reach Louis and Hannah, the stranger blocked their path, taking down the men with swift, powerful blows that left them groaning on the floor.
The stranger stood tall in front of the door, laughing loudly as Louis and Hannah made their escape.
“Come at me if you can!” the stranger taunted, waving them forward.
Enraged, Joey, Gilbert, and the others lunged at the stranger with a unified scream.
***
Outside, Louis and Hannah had been waiting near the hidden exit for several minutes. They exchanged worried glances but saw no sign of anyone following them out.
“Do you think we should keep waiting?” Hannah asked, her voice trembling with worry.
“We have to trust the stranger’s plan,” Louis said, though doubt was creeping into his own voice.
“But how long are we supposed to wait? What if those men come after us again? We barely got out once!” Hannah argued, panic clear in her eyes.
Louis remained silent for a moment, thinking over her words. She was right-they couldn’t wait forever. What if the stranger was already dead?
“You’re right. We can’t just stand here and hope for the best,” Louis said finally, determination settling in his voice. “We have to protect ourselves.”
“Exactly!” Hannah said, relieved that Louis agreed. “Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Louis said, taking her hand and leading the way.
They hadn’t made it more than a few meters when the sharp crack of a gunshot rang out, stopping them in their tracks. A voice, cold and menacing, came from behind them.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Louis and Hannah froze, terror spreading through them as they turned around. Sweat trickled down their foreheads, and their legs felt weak.
“You!” they both gasped in shock, eyes widening as they recognized the face of the person who had spoken.
**Kimberly’s POV**
After we reached the second floor, the security guard pulled up the CCTV footage. My heart raced as I saw the first thing on the screen-Hannah being slapped hard by one of the men. Blood streamed down her lips. My hands clenched into fists. How dare they hurt her?
I forced myself to keep watching, even though my anger surged with every frame. The next clip showed Hannah and Louis in a basement, huddled together as one of the masked men handed them food. The sight of him disgusted me, knowing he was the one who hit her.
“Wait,” I said abruptly, pointing to a different clip on the screen. “Play that one.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The guard pressed play.
A masked stranger appeared on screen, talking to Hannah and Louis. We couldn’t tell if they were male or female, but it was clear they were helping my friends escape.
“Can we hear what they’re saying?” I asked, frustration evident in my voice.
“No, ma’am. There’s no sound,” the guard replied apologetically.
“Ugh, fine,” I muttered, staring hard at the screen.
We watched as the stranger carried Hannah out of the basement, then confronted the kidnappers. There was no footage showing how Hannah and Louis got away after that. It just cut off.
“What’s going on?” I asked, confused. “Why can’t we see how they escaped? Something’s off.”
“This video was tampered with,” my father said thoughtfully. “Whoever left it for us removed the remaining clips.”
“But who could’ve done that?” Mona asked, her voice filled with confusion.
“It had to be that stranger,” Alpha Derrick said calmly. “They killed the men in the room and took the rest of the footage.”
His confidence startled me. “How can you be so sure?” I wondered. Then I remembered how sharp Alpha Derrick was-nothing escaped him.
“I agree,” my father nodded. “The stranger must know we’re watching.”
I stood in silence, processing everything. The situation was more complicated than I could have ever imagined. This stranger… who were they?
Without thinking, I turned to Alpha Derrick and challenged him, “You’re an Alpha with incredible powers. Why don’t you use your insight to find out what happened last night?”
Everyone froze, shocked by my boldness.
“Kimberly!” my father scolded immediately, turning to Alpha Derrick. “I’m sorry for her rudeness.”
But I ignored him and kept my gaze on Alpha Derrick. “No, Dad! I need to know what happened to my friends. He’s the only one who can help us right now.”
“Kim-”
“Let her speak,” Alpha Derrick cut my father off. “I’ll do it.”
Everyone stared, stunned by his response. Even I hadn’t expected him to agree.
“Are you sure?” Mona asked, worry lacing her voice. “You know the price you’ll pay for using your power.”
“I’m sure,” he said softly, kissing her forehead. “Stay back for the next few minutes.”
We all stepped back, watching nervously as Alpha Derrick closed his eyes, sinking into deep concentration.