An unmarked black van pulled up to the still smoking remains of the Tigg’s estate entrance. The driver’s door opened and a masked figure stepped out. After scanning the immediate surroundings the masked figure jogged over to Kylee’s unconscious body and began to inspect the wound.

“Oh you kind boy.” A muffled feminin voice whispered lovingly when she noticed the makeshift bandage. “To think you’d waste such effort on something so vile.”

A second masked figure appeared across the street and raced towards the masked woman. The second figure had a long suppressed sniper rifle slung over their shoulder.

“Jessica is still inside, do you want to grab her now?” A deep male voice asked.

The woman shook her head.

“Not yet. She may yet have a role to play.” The woman jerked her head towards the van. “You trail Jason. Same rules of engagement apply. I need to take care of this one and the kidnapper.”

The woman didn’t like leaving Jason in the hands of others. Even Marcus. But need outweighed want. Especially when she was this close to achieving her goal. In the distance, a police siren made itself known.

“I take it we’re short on time?” The woman asked Marcus.

“I told you I could only delay them for so long.” The deep male voice grumbled.

The woman gripped Kylee’s legs and started to lift.

“Then we better move quickly. Change of plans, we’ll deal with the brat later.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtney’s life was over. Nothing meant anything anymore. Her purpose for existing had left without looking back. She was so numb from the cold colorless reality around her that she didn’t even recognize the broken body of her father as she passed it. Courtney’s feet carried her to her room where Jason’s face looked down on her from every angle. She let herself lay down on her bed and simply stared at the ceiling.

She wanted it to be over. Everything. Where once her heart was full of drive and purpose it was now empty and hollow. This pain was too deep. Too overwhelming. Courtney couldn’t live the rest of her life feeling like this. She knew she would never feel whole again. Her hand absentmindedly found the knife kept under her pillow. Courtney pulled it gently free and began to trail the edge across her fingertips.

A soft buzzing broke through her stupor. Blinking, Courtney leaned over and pulled a phone off of her bedside table. It took a moment for her brain to realize that it wasn’t her phone. She had completely forgotten that she had ordered Jason’s phone to be striped away from him and left in her room.

I should have destroyed this. Courtney tried to remember why she had kept such an easily tracked device in one piece.

Because it belonged to Jason? Was that it?

With no answers to be found in her own mind, Courtney swiped up on the phone and scanned the notifications. Over twenty missed calls and thirty missed messages from Hayden Lindon.

He’s Jason’s friend… 

Courtney read the latest message.

“Where are you dude? You’re scaring me! I swung by your house but it's got police tape all over it. Call me when you get this. Or at least meet me at the mall tomorrow. I think I know where you need to go to get this thing solved.”

Courtney really didn’t care about Hayden but her mind did latch onto one detail.

“The mall tomorrow.” She repeated breathlessly.

“I just need to see him. Just one more time.” Courtney lifted herself off of her bed and put on some mismatched clothes over her nightgown.

There was no rhyme or reason to her decisions. Courtney just grabbed the nearest long sleeve shirt, pants, and hat that she could find.

“I’ll feel better if I just see him. I don’t need anything else.”

Courtney shuffled out of her room like a possessed corpse. She wasn’t even aware of the knife still clutched tightly in her hand.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t think going back to my house is a good idea.” Jason said while eyeing the gun in Kirsten’s lap from the back seat.

Kirsten shot him a dirty look through the rearview mirror.

“It’s the only option. I will not return home and you are not going to leave my sight until this is finished.”

Jason sighed and turned his head to the window next to him. There wasn’t much traffic this early in the day. The faintest light on the horizon let him know it would be fully morning in an hour or two. The pair rode in silence for the rest of the trip. When they got to the street corner nearest his home, Kirsten parked and got out of the car. Jason followed soon after. He hoped that Kirsten would forgo taking her father’s gun with her but those hopes were dashed when she brought the small bag with her. Kirsten put the revolver in her right hand and stuffed both into the bag before holding it with her other hand in front of her. It looked extremely suspicious.

“We can’t walk up to my house like that.” Jason pointed out. “We’ll get arrested before we’re through the front door.”

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “That’s why w-we’re going around the back. There should only be one unit posted in front of your house. As long as we’re quiet we can get in and out without issue.”

“Then why are you bringing the gun?” Jason lifted an eyebrow.

Kirsten scowled. “In case you try to back out.”

Her expression softened. “Not that I think you would now. I just worry you’ll try to drive back to Courtney’s home and be a hero.”

Jason frowned. It still felt wrong to be here and not helping Kylee or finding Jessica. The whole situation made him sick to his stomach.

“Right.” Jason answered stiffly.

An awkward air of tension settled between the pair as they walked past Jason’s street, which had a police car situated directly in front of his house, and over to the alley that ran behind all of the homes. Jason cautiously peered around the corner and was surprised to find it completely empty. 

“I thought for sure they’d have a second car back here.” Jason muttered aloud.

“They did.” Kirsten responded confidently.

Jason glanced at her. “Then where did they go?”

Kirsten shrugged. “Answering an emergency call or something.”

“Convenient.” Jason said with a suspicious look at his companion.

Kirsten nodded and began to walk down the alleyway. Jason followed suit. Since the houses on these streets didn’t have garages and everyone parked on the street, this back alley served primarily as a place for the sanitation department to pick up the residents’ trash and avoid the crowded main streets. Being a trash day, Jason and Kirsten had to walk around the trash cans waiting for pickup. The pair drew within a dozen feet of Jason’s back fence when they heard a noise further down the alley. A can was tipped over and a figure stumbled out into their path.

“Wha-” Jason’s initial confusion died on his lips.

You absolute idiot! Jason screamed at himself.

Blue hair. Blood red eyes. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she could still be around. After everything he had been through the past two days the memory of her appearance had been forced down into the deepest recesses of Jason’s mind. Kirsten didn’t know. How could she? Jason didn’t tell her what had happened before Courtney’s men had kidnapped him.

“Run!” Jason snagged Kirsten’s hand and sprinted back the way they had come.

Although she was clearly confused, Kirsten didn’t argue or fight like Jason had assumed she would. It took longer for her than it had for Jason, but Kirsten too seemed to recognize the person behind them.

“She’s here?” Kirsten shouted.

Jason didn’t answer. He needed all of his strength to keep running. Though he had been able to walk down the alleyway normally, his body was not ready for a sudden surge of adrenaline and dramatic increase in activity. Jason was much slower than normal. His body felt too heavy and unbalanced. Meanwhile, Kirsten had been fumbling trying to pull her hand out of the bag.

The laughter. The joyous laughter behind them grew closer and louder as they ran. Jason didn’t dare look back, but he knew Adaline was gaining on them. They needed to get to the street. Jason prayed that someone would pass by and help them. There was no way they could make it back to the car in time. Kirsten finally managed to free her hand from the bag and she turned to aim it behind them.

Jason was no gun expert, but even he could tell the small revolver would not be very accurate at any meaningful distance. True to his fears, Kirsten’s wild shot behind them flew well above Adaline. If Kirsten had been standing still and given time to aim she might have been able to hit the deranged lunatic closing in on them. It would have been a miracle if she had been able to hit her on the run. Unfortunately no miracle occurred. Kirsten screamed and was yanked out of Jason’s grip.

“No need for extra baggage.” Adaline kicked the gun out of Kirsten’s grip and pulled a knife from her baggy coat pocket.

Jason dove for the gun. He grunted in pain as his shoulder hit the unforgiving pavement but his hand wrapped around the revolver’s handle. Rolling up, Jason lifted the gun and pointed it back at Adaline.

“Ah ah ah.” Adaline had managed to pull Kirsten up and place her between Jason and his target.

“Is this trash important to you Jason?” Adaline asked blankly. “Wasn’t she bothering you?”

Kirsten’s wide pleading eyes locked onto Jason as Adaline’s knife dug into her back.

“Let her go.” Jason couldn’t keep a slight quiver out of his voice.

Adaline tilted her head. “Why?”

Jason grit his teeth. He only had one bargaining chip to play.

“If you let her go, I’ll come with you. Wherever you want to go.” Jason offered.

Adaline smiled that unnaturally large smile of hers.

“You were going to do that anyway silly.”

Adaline jabbed her knife forward violently into Kirsten’s back. Kirsten lurched forward. Blood trickled from her lips.

“No!” Jason tried to aim high enough to not hit Kirsten and pulled the trigger.

Adaline ducked behind her hostage and the shot flew wide. Kirsten’s body was suddenly airborne as Adaline tossed her towards Jason. Caught off guard, Jason turned the gun away and snagged the injured girl out of the air with his free left hand. A sharp pain exploded from Jason’s right hand and he looked down to see Adaline biting down on his hand where his thumb connected. Jason cried out in pain. The revolver was pried from his grip and Adaline kicked him away from her. Jason fell back and his head struck the pavement. His vision flashed white for a moment. Blurred and unfocused, Jason tried to get up but was stopped by a small foot on his chest.

“Shhhhh.” Adaline’s gentle hand pushed his head back down onto the pavement. “Sleep now my love. I’ll take us somewhere we can be alone.”

A flash of movement, a sharp sudden impact to the side of his head, and Jason’s world faded to black.

JTNestman

All right after trying the bulk release I'm making the executive decision to go back to releases every other day. I work better this way and feel less stressed when I'm only focusing on one chapter at a time. With three releases a week being the goal it wont exactly be every other day but that is what I'll strive for.

As always, thanks so much for reading and I hope to see you here again next time.