Free Runner (The Runners, Book One) by Logan Rutherford

Chapter One
     
    H is
feet splashed in puddles of water from the rain. Thunder cracked as
lightning flashed across the night sky. The storm was right on top
of him, but something else was on top of him, too. Something much
worse than the storm that is above him. He has no clue who is
chasing him, or why. The only thing he knows was what was on
written on the note that he found the day this all began, the note
that said, “ Run ”
    The footsteps began to grow louder behind
him. He heard the shouts of the Leader barking orders to his men.
He knew the voice of the Leader of the pack that was hunting him
all too well. However, he has no clue who he is. Does this man have
a family? He doubted that. He probably had no heart, since he was
hunting after a sixteen-year-old. Maybe, he was forced to do
whatever it is he’s doing. Maybe his family was being held hostage.
He could only hope that if the Leader ever caught up to him, he
could talk his way out of whatever fate was waiting for him at that
time. However, he doubted that.
    He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He
had to focus on staying alive. The rain was blinding his eyes. He
could barely see. However, what he did see was a gas station.
    He ran into the door. It was locked. He
looked inside and saw it was closed. He searched for something to
smash open a window.
    The footsteps grew closer, and slowed to a
brisk walk. They knew they had him.
    He grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as he
could at the window. Cracks webbed from the spot where the rock
hit. He kicked the window with full force, and it shattered under
the weight. Inside, he searched for something to defend himself
with. He has to slow them down, somehow.
    He searched behind the counter…nothing. He
saw a phone, and thought about calling the police. But, he
remembered what happened last time he did that. Every officer that
was dispatched got killed. The memory brought a pang of guilt
inside of him. He was responsible for the deaths of those officers.
The probably had a family. He pushed those feelings aside, and
turned the guilt into adrenaline.
    He realized that there was no running. He had
to fight. But how could he? He is fit, and he does a lot of
running. However, he does not have knowledge of any self-defense
arts, other than just swinging his fists, which will not work
against these guys.
    Then, he saw it: the machine that turned on
the gas pumps. An idea began to form in his mind.
    He turned on one of the pumps; grabbed a
lighter from the counter; ran to the broken window; and looked
outside. He saw the Leader and his four henchmen walking straight
for him. He sprinted for the nearest pump and turned it on. He
poured to gas on the ground all around him. He left it pumping and
threw it on the ground. He ran to the opposite side of the pumps.
The pack was almost in position. He smiled as he realized his plan
was going to work. The Leader was standing in the puddle of
gasoline, now or never. He lit the lighter and tossed into the
puddle of gasoline that was on the ground. It instantly went up in
flames. The flames followed the trail back to the pump, and the
station went up in flames.
    But he was already running far, far away.

Chapter Two
     
    T he
sun was rising over the horizon. He was lying on the bed in the
motel room that he got, the night before. Normally, he wouldn’t
risk it. Nor, would he waste the money on one. But after last
night, he figured it would be safe enough to get a motel room. He
did not have to worry about the Leader or his pack chasing after
him anymore, or, at least until a new Leader and a new pack is sent
after him by whoever it is that is chasing him.
    He walked into the bathroom, turned on the
shower, and got in. After the shower, he got dressed and went down
for some breakfast. Even the free continental breakfast was one of
the best that he’s had in a while. He went back to his room and
packed his backpack. He brought with him some clothes, a
toothbrush, an extra pair of