The Soothville Murders.

Chapter 10: Tock...

Chapter 10: Tock...

"Wake up," a young man's voice whispered in Christina's ear. She woke up to find David fully dressed, standing above her. He was holding a pair of jeans and a white hoodie towards her. Christina looked around the room, and saw Joshua Moore sleeping in the door entrance. "We've got to leave," David whispered, answering the unasked question about why he was dressed. 

Christina agreed, without asking about anything, in fear of waking the detective. The two youths left the hospital acting natural, and walked out into the sunrise.

Jason was alive. Oliver Hearst hadn't killed him. Yet. But nobody knew. Nobody knew he was alive, trapped in a basement in Marristown, in a warehouse. Nobody except one person. Chester Andrews. Or, as he called himself, Oliver Hearst. Chester had already visited him twice this night. One time to feed him, and one time to stab him. With a scalpel. In his leg. Jason was still bleeding. 

There was only one problem. Jason didn't know how to get out. He was bound and gagged to a chair, and the metal door was locked. 

Chester had told him everything, like the super villains on films. He had told him how he didn't trust any of his friends. He had told him how he had waited for the gang outside the church, but ended up with only Tonio and TJ. He had told him how he had fooled the nurses into believing he was healthy. How he had figured Jason out, that Jason could be his friend.

But Jason wasn't Chester's friend. Jason wasn't friend with killers. Jason could not accept anybody killing somebody he knew. He had already lost too many.

Jason looked around the dark basement. He had gotten used to the light now. He had even started to recognize objects in the room. There was a dim light from a window that had been covered by a garbage bag. It meant it was morning. The sun was up. 

Jason was lucky in all his misery. The warehouse was an old lumber mill. He had recognized the large saw from his dad's workplace. He was still bound to the chair, but not for long. He was going to get off the ropes by cutting them on the saw. It would take time to move his chair over to the saw. But he was going to make it. He had to make it. Because now that he knew who the killer was, only he could save his friends. 

***

The sun was rising. Emma and Serena were running through the woods south for Soothville, heading for the decided place. Soothville Mall was their destination. 

"He has to be the one!" Serena shouted while they ran, away from the detectives and their families. "He is the only one with motive!"

"Fine! You have a point!" Emma yelled back. "He could be the killer. But now, we'll know for sure. Did you remember the knife?"

"It's in my bag," Serena answered, and stopped to breathe. "Do you think they know we're gone, yet?"

"I don't know. Mom would probably have gone checked with me by now."

"Then we can't stop running," Serena concluded, and started to run again. "We have to stop Oliver."

"Yeah!" Emma answered. "But call him by his rightful name. Chester."

"Really? I'm not so sure that is his real name," Serena hesitated, but Emma pretended she didn't hear what her friend and cousin had said.

***

Gun and ammo? Check! Proviants? Check! Knife? Check! Chester had finished his list. He had gotten what he needed for this final job. One last job, and he, Emma and Red could alone. Only them, only his closest friends, without any disturbances. 

The security guard followed him with his eyes. The guy was suspicious of him. Chester Andrews could not handle any disturbances right now. He had to finish this. Today. This was going to be the last day anybody had to die.