The Finder (Wolves of the Northwoods Book 1) Read online

  The Finder

  Wolves of the Northwoods Series

  Book 1

  A.J. Manney

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.

  The Finder. Wolves of the Northwoods Series Book 1

  Copyright A.J. Manney (2021). All rights reserved.

  The right of Amanda Manney to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the authors.

  Edited: Caryn Pine

  Cover Design: Germancreative

  Layout Design: Manney Resource Solutions

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forthy-Six

  Epilogue

  Bonus Chapter: The Dreamer

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Emersyn held her breath and opened the door as quietly as possible. She let her breath out slowly when it opened without a sound. Clutching the strap to her backpack, she slipped out into the hallway and silently closed the door behind her. With her heart pounding, she made herself move forward as quietly as possible. She moved through the hallway but froze when she heard a sound coming from her step-brother's room. She didn’t dare move or even breathe. Her heart slammed against her chest, certain she was about to get found out.

  When her lungs couldn’t go without air any longer, she sucked in a quiet breath. After realizing she was safe for the moment, she began moving once again. After the longest few moments of her life, she finally reached the front door. She worked the chain free with clumsy fingers. Once it was undone, she slowly turned the handle to the front door. Her fear was suffocating her. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure she would be discovered at any moment. She finally got the door opened. She stepped out onto the front porch and turned back, slowly closing the front door. She turned and made her way down the rickety front steps, avoiding the one that creaked loudly.

  She hit the sidewalk in a full run. She had no idea how long it would be before she was discovered; she needed to make it to the bus stop before they caught up to her. If she could just get on a bus, she could escape. If she didn’t make it, if they caught up to her before she could get on the bus... she shuddered and pushed what would happen from her mind.

  Emersyn willed herself to go faster as she ran through the darkness. The few streetlamps lit her way. She ran the eight blocks to the bus stop faster than she had ever run in her life. When she finally made it, she slowed herself before stepping into the bus stop overhang. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She pulled her hoodie down over her hair, shoving the pieces that had escaped back inside. She had dressed as nondescript as possible, dressing in black leggings, a t-shirt, and a black hoodie. She knew her clothes wouldn’t catch anybody’s attention. Her hair, however, would. Her eye-catching red curls were definitely memorable. She needed to keep them covered. She kept her eyes downcast as well, even though no one was around. She didn’t want anybody to have the chance to see her eyes and be able to give a description of them. Her eyes would be just as much of a giveaway as her hair; they were a mix somewhere between blue and green. That particular color made them pop. She stood with her head down, all the while trying to keep aware of her surroundings.

  Her heart threatened to burst now that she stood still. She tried to catch her breath and willed the bus to show up. The first buses started at five a.m. It had been four forty-five when she had left her house. The minutes ticked away, bringing her closer and closer to being discovered. She tightened the strap of her backpack. Everything she owned in the world was in there, excluding the money she had stolen from her step-dad. That was in her pocket. It was only three hundred dollars, but it was all she could get her hands on. It had pained her to take the money, but she didn’t know what else to do. She wasn’t allowed to work, so she had no way of getting her hands on any money of her own. The infuriating thing was that there were thousands of dollars in a bank account that was supposed to be hers. It had been left to her and her mother when her father died, but she had never been able to touch it. Her step-father had seen to that. Somehow, he had convinced her mom to sign over access to him. She knew she would never access that money.

  Grief hit her—as it always did—when she thought about her father. Her heart had literally ripped in two when her father passed away. She thought her mother’s had too, but then she had married again in less than a year to a horrible man. Emersyn’s life had changed from the moment her mother married him. Her step-father was abusive, but he wasn’t nearly as bad as her step-brother. A shudder ran through her as she thought of her step-brother. Alec was two years older than her and built like a tank truck. His sole job in life was to make her miserable. He and his friends spent several years of her life tormenting her.

  She had promised herself she would run as soon as she turned eighteen. That way if she was caught, no one could force her to return to her horrible home. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and now it was time to run. She had tried to convince her mother to go with her, but it was to no avail. Her heart picked up speed as she thought of her step-brother, Alec, and his two friends who had cornered her before she went to bed last night. They had made all sorts of crude comments and suggestions, knowing she was turning eighteen the next day. Emersyn realized she could no longer wait. She would have to leave and she would have to run by herself, leaving her mother behind. Emersyn pushed her feelings of guilt aside or they would paralyze her. She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She hated leaving her mom, but she didn’t know what else to do.

  Hearing sounds behind her, Emersyn panicked and turned around. She saw a guy with a leather bag slung over one shoulder coming her way. Emersyn lowered her eyes, not meeting his. She held herself stiffly as he came closer. She tried to keep calm, even t
hough her brain was screaming at her to run. She tried to take deep breaths and forced herself to think rationally. She didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t part of Alec’s group, or gang as she called it. He looked about the right age, and her brother had no shortage of friends, even though he was a selfish, brutal bully. Why anyone wanted to be friends with him, she had no idea.

  She tried to calm her breathing and willed the bus to hurry. She wasn’t sure how long she had been gone because she didn’t own a phone or a watch, but it felt like the bus should have been here by now. She chanced looking up for just a moment and caught her breath when she saw the guy looking right at her. Faster than she could track, he held up a phone and she heard the sickening sound of a picture being taken. Horror filled her, and she felt her heart drop. Adrenaline coursed through her as she spun around and took off running.

  She could hear him giving chase behind her. The only advantage she had was that she knew these streets in downtown Atlanta in and out. She threw herself into an alleyway and pulled down a couple of trash cans as she flew past. She glanced back briefly to see if he followed and was shocked to see him jump, clearing the trash cans in a single leap. This guy was fast. There was no way she was going to get away from him.

  She rounded the corner, threw her bag as far as she could in one direction, and ran in the other. She glanced over her shoulder to see the guy had gone for her bag first. She heard more noise behind her and the unmistakable shout of her step-brother. Fear ripped through her so strongly, it made her stumble. She almost went down but was able to right herself at the last moment. Panic flooded her as she tried to think of how to get away. At least two people were chasing her now, if not more. She knew Alec was athletic and fast and so was this other guy chasing her. There was no way she could outrun them.

  She only had a slight lead on them. Her solution came a moment later when she cut through another alleyway and saw a bus pulling out from a bus stop. She ran as fast as she could, waving her arms. It was slow taking off, and she was able to catch it. The doors opened and she threw herself inside. She quickly pulled out the wad of cash that she was incredibly thankful she had put in her pocket and not her bag. The driver must have seen it because he took off a moment later.

  Emersyn paid the fee quickly and ducked into a seat, pulling her hoodie low. She turned and looked out the window. She saw her step-brother and the other guy with her bag arriving at the bus stop just moments after she left. She knew Alec could easily catch the bus—he was that fast. But the other guy grabbed his shoulder when he started towards the bus. She watched as Alec turned and yanked the bag out of the other guy’s hand and threw it on the ground in anger. He looked towards her, and Emersyn couldn’t look away. The hatred in his eyes burned into her. He pulled a wicked-looking knife out and pointed it at her. Emersyn didn’t miss the threat. She watched until the bus turned a corner and she could no longer see him.

  She put her head against the seat and tried to still her racing heart. She knew she needed a plan and fast. She looked up to the front of the bus to see where the bus was headed. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Alec would be at the next stop, and if he caught her, she was as good as dead. She had less than twenty minutes to make a plan.

  Her brain scrambled to come up with an idea. She looked up towards the bus driver and knew she had to try something. Gathering her courage, she stood and approached him. Knowing her step-brother already knew she was on the bus, she pulled her hoodie down and pulled her hair free of the rubber band, letting it fall around her face. She hoped that would make her look younger and more vulnerable.

  She moved towards the driver. “Excuse me,” she started.

  The driver didn’t let her finish. “Ma’am, you need to find your seat. If you need to stop, just pull the chord and I’ll stop at the next bus stop.”

  “Oh, um,” Emersyn stumbled with her words. “Listen, I really need to stop and get off before the next bus stop. Would you...”

  “Lady, I can’t stop until the next scheduled stop. Now please take your seat,” the driver said sternly.

  “But it’s an emergency. I,” Emersyn pleaded her case.

  “You had better find your seat or I will call this in and the police will be on-site when we stop,” the driver said angrily.

  Emersyn blinked back tears of frustration and made her way back to her seat, avoiding the stares she felt on her. She was too scared to be embarrassed. She sat down and immediately started thinking again, but panic was closing in and she was having a hard time thinking clearly. If she didn’t come up with something, she was only minutes away from being found. She couldn’t let that happen.

  Chapter 2

  Emersyn scanned the bus once again, taking in the occupants. Her mind raced as each mile brought her closer to the next stop. Her eyes caught sight of one of the windows near the back. She turned back in her seat and steadied herself for a moment before standing and moving towards the back. She kept her eyes down and made her way to the empty seat next to the window that had caught her attention. She sat down and glanced at the window. It was an emergency exit of sorts. It wasn’t large, but then again, neither was she. She glanced around the bus; nobody seemed to be paying her any attention. She got on her knees on the seat and reached out and flipped the lever on the left side of the window, holding her breath to see if an alarm would go off. When it didn’t, she quickly flipped the one on the right as well. The last one was a little harder as it was on top. She had to stand to flip the last one. She did it quickly and sat down. She took a few deep breaths and prepared herself for what she was about to do. She was absolutely certain an alarm would sound as soon as she pushed the window open. She would have to do it quickly and be out the window before anyone could stop her. She chose not to think about the fall. The bus wasn’t going fast enough that the fall would kill her, but it certainly could injure her. It didn't matter. Any injury she sustained was better than facing Alec’s anger.

  She knew she couldn’t wait any longer. It wouldn’t be long before they made it to their next stop. She took a deep breath and launched herself up. Just as she thought, the alarm immediately started beeping. She heard shouts behind her, but she was already on her way out the window. The ground rushed up at her before she could prepare herself. At the last second, she tucked herself into a ball. She hit the ground hard and rolled. Almost before she stopped rolling, she was up on her feet and running. She had no idea where she was going; she just knew she had to get away. She heard shouts behind her, but she paid no mind and ran. She cut across someone’s yard and ran in between houses, covering the distance quickly. After cutting through several streets, she ran towards an intersection so she could see what street she was on.

  Without slowing down, she redirected herself towards the bus stop she knew to be a few streets over. She knew that it was a busy stop; she hoped that was the case today. She really needed a bus to be there. If there wasn’t, she would just have to push on and find another bus stop. She glanced behind her for just a moment to make sure she wasn’t being pursued. When she was confident she wasn’t, she picked up her speed and finally came to the block where the bus stop was. She forced herself to slow to a walk. She pushed her hair out of her face and tried to slow her breathing. She pulled her hoodie up over her hair and tucked in any strands that had escaped.

  She saw several people waiting for the bus. She walked that way and stood waiting a little distance from where the others sat on benches. She tried to act calm, though she was anything but. She really hoped the bus was due to arrive soon. The minutes dragged by before she finally heard the sound of a bus coming. She scanned the area, keeping a careful watch as the bus drew closer.

  When the bus finally stopped, it took everything in her to keep from rushing in front of everyone and boarding. She made herself wait in line. When she finally boarded, she paid the fee and allowed herself to look over each and every passenger for a moment. When she didn’t recognize anyone and nobody seemed t
o notice her, she moved towards the back, keeping her eyes locked on the floor in front of her. She sank into her seat and kept her eyes glued to the door. She willed the bus to start moving. Finally, the doors closed and the bus began moving.

  Emersyn put her head against the seat and worked at calming her heart. Her eyes scanned the passengers in front of her again. She felt good that no one was turning their head to look in her direction. Next, she looked at the sign at the front of the bus to see what the next stop was.

  Marietta. She recognized that town. It was about a twenty-five-minute ride. She knew it would be a large bus stop. She would be able to find another bus there. She tried to relax but didn’t dare close her eyes. She needed to stay alert at all times.

  She passed the time by looking out the window and thinking through a plan. The ride went too fast and suddenly they were stopping in Marietta. Again, Emersyn tried to still the panic pushing her towards trying to be the first one off the bus. She waited her turn, all the while scanning the bus stop for any sign of her step-brother or his friends.

  She stepped off the bus and looked for the next bus about to leave. It didn’t matter what direction it was headed in. She just needed to keep moving. She saw a bus just about to take off and ran that way. She ran alongside it and slipped in just before the doors closed.

  “That was close,” the friendly driver said with a smile. Emersyn just nodded at her, paid the fee, and slipped into a seat near the front as this bus was almost full. It took a few minutes before her breathing had calmed again and she could make a plan. She looked up and saw they were headed west to Jacksonville, Alabama. It was about a two-hour drive. Emersyn nodded in satisfaction. She was glad she was crossing state lines. That would help as she tried to get as far away as quickly as possible from Alec and his friends. She had never been outside of Georgia before, so it would be interesting.