Free WILDly by wildly

It was my dad’s
ringtone. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and crawled out of
hiding. I slowly got up.
    They awaited me
in a half-moon shape, so close to the opening that running wasn’t a
possibility. My heart was in my throat, my phone in my hand and my
hands in the air. They stared at me.
    “Aren’t you
going to answer your phone?” one of them asked.
    I figured it
was rather unusual for attackers to allow someone to answer their
phone. What if I cried for help? But I clutched the opportunity
with both hands and answered as fast as I could before the phone
stopped ringing.
    “Valerie,
hallo!” I managed with a shaky voice, watching their reactions very
carefully. I didn’t want to reveal it was my dad.
    “Hello dear.
How are you? We were worried sick about you!”
    They didn’t
move and I grabbed the chance.
    “Dad, I’m in
the veldt behind your house. I am being held by four men. Come and
get me, please,” I said as fast as I could, watching them with a
hawk’s eye.
    Not one of them
moved a muscle; they just frowned a little harder.
    My dad’s voice
suddenly sounded very serious. “What do they look like? Oh, let me
describe them and then you confirm. They look a lot like... uh...
like Alex, strongly built, blonde and tanned. Maybe a few years
older than Alex.”
    “Yeah, they do
look like Alex!” I was surprised that my dad could describe them.
And surprised that he admitted that he knew Alex.
    “They are on
your... on our side, dear. We sent the Reds to protect you,
especially with... I can’t really talk over the phone and I don’t
have much time either. Ask the Reds. I need to hurry, dear.”
    I felt a blush
growing from my ankles up to cover my cheeks. It was so typical of
me, running away from the good guys!
    “Why do I need
protection all of a sudden?”
    “Just being
careful. And... and Alex phoned me last night after he found you.
He mentioned the attack on you while you were in hospital. But I
really need to go now, dear.”
    Then I
remembered something. “Dad? Dad, wait. I’m sorry, Dad. For walking
out the other day, I mean. It ...was all just too much for me.”
    “Valerie, it’s
understandable. As long as you are all right?”
    “I guess I am,
I’m fine, for the moment,” I said, looking up at four pairs of
eyes. “Where are you and Mom? I went home this morning and you
weren’t there?”
    “Ask the Reds.
Bye, Valerie. You take care of yourself.”
    “Bye, Dad.”
    I placed the
phone in my pocket and cleared my throat. The four men in front of
me didn’t look so intimidating anymore. They looked like regular
guys, although their looks weren’t simply regular. To me, they
would definitely pass as gorgeous.
    Their grins
didn’t help my blush at all: nor did the fact that I was still
ridiculously dressed in Alex’s oversized shorts and shirt.
    “Hi, I’m
Valerie, nice to meet you all,” I took control. I stuck out my hand
to introduce myself.
    The shortest
one answered. “Sorry Valerie, we didn’t mean to scare you. I’m
Peter. We are the closest red dwarfs.”
    I had no idea
what he meant, but felt too embarrassed to ask. “Oh,” I replied
simply.
    The others
introduced themselves as well, “Benjamin,” “Wilfred,” “Leo,” they
said, but they completely ignored my out-stretched hand.
    “Let’s go home
and get something to drink! All this running has made me thirsty!”
Leo complained, the tallest of the four.
    No one argued
as the thick clouds were opening up again and the temperature was
rising.
    We walked only
a few paces before my curiosity won the upper hand.
    “Where are my
parents? My Dad said to ask you guys.”
    “Your parents
were summoned to an emergency meeting, with Alex being in a coma
and all,” Benjamin answered. He was right next to me at that
moment.
    “Alex... in a
coma?” I was astonished. He hadn’t looked very well last night, but
I never would have dreamt that his condition was that bad.
    “But why? And
why would my parents