Six years ago the quiet town of Raven Hill in upstate New York was terrorized by a serial known as the Triple-6 Killer. After marking the doors of his intended victims, six days later they would be found dead, posed in a gruesome scene. After a sixt...
The words slipped out of my mouth with such ease that it wasn't until I saw the expression on Cameron's face that I realized what I had said. "Uh, I mean the copycat. Yeah, the copycat that's been doing all this... shit."
"No, Dani, I don't think you do." Cameron gritted his teeth while he tried to process what I had said. "Triple-6... is back?"
"Yeah," I mumbled, then quickly poured myself another shot to down quickly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he frowned.
"Because...," I sighed. "Because you've been through enough."
Cameron slammed his fist down on the bar, "That asshole kidnapped my sister from my goddamn apartment! He killed her and- and molested her dead body! You don't think I have a right to know!? I am such an idiot for believing your pathetic excuse."
"I'm sorry, Cam, I really didn't want to lie to you," I pleaded.
"Bull shit! You had no problems lying to me!" he snapped. "And here I thought you were the one person I could trust! To always be honest with me!"
My shoulders lowered as I saw the friendship between us quickly disintegrating, "You want the truth? Fine! The truth is Triple-6 marked me last Friday night and I've been on the run since!"
Cameron clenched his jaw, "That guy back in Kew Gardens?"
"When I wasn't in my apartment the next night, Triple-6, or his accomplice, killed Gabe, my neighbor and friend. He was watching my place for me," I explained. "Then Triple-6 and his accomplice have been murdering people I have been in contact with and will keep doing so until they get me. So they say."
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room while Cameron processed this new knowledge, "It's Brodie, isn't it?"
"What?" I said astonished.
"Oh come on! A car fire? Have you never watched TV or a movie? It's the oldest trick in the book to go into hiding!" he humored coldly.
"You too!?" I hissed. "Actually that's why I screamed earlier. We found evidence that despite it looking like a faked death, the body in the car was indeed Brodie."
"Oh," Cameron leant back against the counter behind him and crossed his arms. "Do you know who it is?"
I squirmed on the stool. While I knew I couldn't lie to Cameron any longer, I definitely didn't want to tell him it was Henry. The mood he was in he would likely jump into his car and drive across town to confront him at the hospital immediately. Any plans Eli had would then go up in smoke.
Before I could utter a word, Cameron raised his hand, "I get it. You have your suspicions but until you catch him red-handed, you have nothing definitive."
"Something like that," I grimaced.
"How do you plan on catching him?" he questioned. "Tell me that asshole isn't planning on using you as bait."
"As a matter of a fact, I'm not," Eli's voice cut through the room like a serrated knife, rough and bloody. "But I'm not about to share my plans with you." I turned and saw Eli standing in the rear doorway glaring at us. His fierce eyes burned holes in my skin. Before I could speak, he spoke coldly, "You've been drinking."
"Relax, it was just a few shots between friends," Cameron stepped in.
"Relax? You have absolutely no fucking idea what we're up against. The last thing she should be doing is getting intoxicated!" he yelled.
"Oh I have an idea. SWAT teams, gang violence and grand theft auto, oh my!" Cameron mocked. "You've been doing a bang-up job looking after her when you're meant to be securing her safety! It seems to me that you've brought more danger into her life than you've taken away."
Eli hesitated for a moment before responding, "You think you can do better? You and your drug ring?"
"I said I was out!" Cameron reiterated.
"No one's ever out," Eli countered.
"Oh my God, would you two stop!?" I jumped up from my stool. "Eli's been doing what he can with what he has to keep me hidden from Triple-6!"
Cameron tilted his head to the side, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you fucked up last time, so maybe you should let me handle it," Eli said so smugly that the fight that broke out in front of my eyes was inevitable.
Everything happened so quickly and with such a fury that I froze in place while they wrestled around the bar. I couldn't believe my eyes that matters had become so uncivilized. I shouted, but my words fell on deaf ears. I considered getting between them to break up the fight, but with both of them seeing red, there was no way I would come through unscathed. Then again, I failed to see why it was up to me to break up the two idiots.
Shaking my head in dismay, my gaze drifted back to the bar where the bottle of whisky sat unattended. All I wanted was to drink in peace and enjoy a quiet moment. Suddenly I had a urge to grab the bottle and leave, so I did. I picked up the bottle, took a swig, then limped to the front door. Glancing over my shoulder, I confirmed that neither one of them noticed, so I limped right out onto the street.
I shivered a little as I stepped down onto the sidewalk and took another swig of the warming whisky, then started walking with no particular destination in mind. Anywhere was better than being in the same room with all that arrogance.
The moon was out in full glory, illuminating more of the town than the LED street lights. Yet, as bright as it was outside, the town was dead silent, aside from the distant sound of men cursing at each other. As I walked down Main Street, I took note of familiar sights and subtle changes. It was both nostalgic and uncanny. Everything seemed smaller somehow, which baffled me. When I was last in the town, it was our everything. Now every shop front and public building felt so insignificant. Before I knew it I had wandered across the edge of town into the forest. I had to turn around and look back. Was our town always this small? If I had walked this distance in Manhattan I wouldn't have even hit the river yet, but I would've passed at least four Starbucks and three McDonalds.
Feeling a pull of something otherworldly, I turned towards the forest again. The moon's light pierced through the fresh spring growth on the trees, illuminating the dirt path again with streams of white. Perhaps if I was more sober I would've considered the possible dangers that lurked ahead, but drunk me thought the idea hilarious. The leaves rustled ever so gently with the peaceful breeze. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Clean air filled my lungs for the first time in a long time. I could feel every muscle in my body started to relax. I wanted, no, I needed more of that feeling. So into the forest I went, bottle of whisky and all.
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