"Is her finger broken?" I ask the general audience of Enzo and Oscar. In a normal situation, I would've added these guys to my string of followers. We would've met at a party like Destiny's, we would've had a few drinks, I'd twirl my hair around my fingers and run my fingertips up their arms. I'd part my lips and make them beg for my number. Now, I'm in a hospital that's locked down by the killer and their men, where an innocent person is murdered every hour for no reason. Reyna's middle finger was broken for some reason, and now I'm watching over her with a complete stranger and legitimate psychopath. These aren't your normal situations, anymore.
"Looks like it," Oscar confirms.
"Should someone go down and check for Hanzo?" I question, spotting Aero in the lobby. He darts in and out of rooms with medical supplies.
"Baby brother," Enzo grumbles under his breath, glaring out the door. "Playing nurse."
No one answers my question, so I huff and stand up. "Guess I'm going."
"Going where?" Enzo inquires, snapping out of his hateful thoughts. He looks at me with fiery yellow eyes, and I wonder how they're interpreted by Makai and Reyna -brother and sister – the tortured and the girlfriend. There's an underlying intensity about Enzo that reaches every part of him; his flaring eyes, his wound up posture, his edgy attitude. But then again, Enzo also contains a cool front. He's the guy every growing boy want to be. He's like the star quarterback prom king who can fix anything with a simple smile. But under his smile and charisma, there's a serious problem with this deputy, and the fact that he hides it so well is disturbing.
"Downstairs. Hanzo is down there and I'd rather him not die while we're on bad terms," I explain.
"Oh, but if you guys were on good terms then him dying wouldn't be a problem?" Enzochallenges.
I scrutinize him. "Are you accusing me of something? Because if so, just say it."
Enzo's jaw feathers and his eyes burn into mine. For an instant, I think he'll attack. He has a gun, after all. "Oscar Meyer wiener," Enzo summons, staring at me but talking to Oscar. "Go check on Hanzo. I'm sure you know all about him, too."
"Wait, what? And why can't I go?" '
"Because you don't need to go. If anyone's going to die this next hour," Enzo jabs his thumb at Oscar. "I want it to be this creep."
"That's kind of sick..." I note.
"Yeah, well I'm a sicko. Happy? Don't care. Oz Poz, go down."
"Yes, sir," he salutes, walking towards the door. "And you're Adelina, right?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" I ask, looking into Oscar's multi-coloured eyes.
"I'm sure Prince Enzo will fill you in," he says with a wink.
Once Ozzy leaves, I sit by Reyna's body. "Who is he, exactly?"
"Some kid obsessed with us. He reads an all-knowing blog, apparently."
Enzo stretches, appearing relaxed amidst the chaos. With his arms high in the air, he winces and sits down abruptly. I study him, trying to wrap my mind around how this guy– a deputy – can be such a psychological monstrosity. After a moment of sitting, I notice a hole in his green shirt. Underneath that hole, I expected tan skin. Instead, there's white gauze. Slowly, it oozes crimson blood – a fresh wound...a gunshot wound.
"What happened to Reyna, again?"
Enzo looks at her with eerie nothingness. "She was in a locked closet, passed out. Her middle finger was broken."
"And what about the gunshots?"
"She shot, I'm assuming because I gave her my gun and that's the only gun I know of in here."
I nod, staring at Enzo's bleeding wound. Reyna wouldn't have shot him if she knew Enzo was her attacker...but then again Enzo wouldn't attack his girlfriend if he knew that she would see him.
Enzo follows my line of sight before realizing that I've figured out he's the one who took Reyna. "You going to tell anyone?"
"Why kidnap her?" I inquire, ignoring his question. "Did you do it just to save her?"
Enzo shrugs and sits up, leaning on his knees. "Ozzy broke his arm just to meet us, yet he's the good guy?"
"I never said that," I argue, seething. This guy is twisted. Is this really how he thinks and reacts? Has he never heard of apologizing and trust and time? "So when you went downstairs to get Hanzo and Reyna's mom, you went to get Reyna?"
"No. I checked on Hanzo. Then went back up to create a plan of action. Then came back down in case any of you saw me."
"That's why you were so out of breath," I acknowledge. "I mean, you're fit. A few flights of stairs shouldn't have bothered you, but those same flights four times after kidnapping some girl-"
"She's not just some girl, or I wouldn't go to great lengths, sparky."
"Do you love her?" I pry, sitting up beside Reyna on the ground.
Enzo gives me a half shrug and a smirk. "As much as a guy like me can." I nod in response.
"So you going to tell anyone?" he repeats.
"Maybe," I respond, refusing to be bullied by this guy. I've handled a lot of cocky, bastard guys in my years. Enzo isn't the first. "So what if I do? Using your gun attracts attention and Oscar's got your knife."
"Is that how it's going to be?" he asks quietly. So quiet, in fact, that I wonder if he even said anything. Standing, he gracefully saunters to the café door. He closes it. Locks it and puts a chair by the handle. "I really wish you weren't going to be such a wildcard. See, Makai was getting interesting the night I found Reyna. But once he stopped, I was going to kill him. However, I had other plans in mind. See, you were getting interesting – oh, yeah. You were my diva, snotty, selfish bitch who everyone had to love because you had a body. But then you turned out to be stronger than people recognized. At least, I recognized it...everyone else won't have the chance to."
Standing up, I back away, bumping into a counter with computers. I clutch a mouse and discretely unplug it from the computer. "They won't have the chance to?" I interrogate. "You going to kill all my friends?"
"No, of course not," he softly says, smiling and softening his eyes. If we were anywhere else, I would've deducted that he was rearing up for a kiss. Slowly, he approaches me.
"Why ruin their potential to give me entertainment, when I can eliminate the person who already ruins their chance of being interesting?"
"What are you going to do?" I slyly ask. "Strangle me?" As I suggest strangulation, I fling the mouse cord around Enzo's neck and run behind him, yanking on the cord with all my body weight. Suddenly, the tightness in the cord snaps and my leverage is gone, making me collapse to the ground. What?
I look up to see Enzo twirling his knife and laughing. "The thing about being a criminal and a deputy is that you learn a few tricks, Del. Pickpocketing is common knowledge.Now...about that mouse...were you really expecting to kill me with that petty little manoeuvre?"
"What do you get out of this?" I question, back on my feet, fists forming.
"That's the question, honey," he laughs. Laughs. "At first, it was for drugs. Then, for money. Then I saved Makai for Reyna. Now, it's just because it's fun. Type doesn't know who's side I'm on – no one does – and it's exhilarating, kid!"
Enzo and I circle each other. I try to stall. Maybe if Reyna wakes up, then she can help me. Or maybe he'll just kill her, too. "So you're the killer?"
He shrugs. "It was strict employment, at first. I got money for taking people and torturing them while the other guy killed people. But now, it's a little different."
"How is now different?" Come on, Della. Figure something out. Enzo said you were strong. Prove him right. Kick his ass!
"Because now, I guess I am the killer!" he shouts, growing frenzied like a wild dog.Lunging for me, his knife sinks into my side as I punch him in his gunshot wound twice.We both groan and tears pool in my eyes. The knife slices through my skin and tears at my organs. "I wouldn't be if you hadn't tried to kill me, Del. Did you know that? It was that simple to not freaking die."
I try to scream and call out for help, but all that comes out of me is a childish squeal that mortifies me and makes Enzo burst out in a hysteria of laughter. "Is that it, little mouse? Is that all you can manage? Surely, you can do a bit more." With that, he thrashes the blade across my stomach. I make no sounds, but I sink to my knees in pain, feeling my body deflate with blood loss. "Scream for me, Adelina." Enzo brings the knife up with two hands and bashes me in the shoulder, dangerously close to my neck.
"Stop," I whisper, pleading.
"I didn't ask you to beg, sweetheart. I asked you to scream."
Outwardly, I cry now. Is this really how I end? Stabbed to death by Reyna's boyfriend in a serial killer-induced hospital lockdown? I was meant for more than this. I was going to be famous. I was going to change the world.
My vision starts to darken around the edges. "You're a monster..."
"Psychopath, Adelina," he corrects, tapping my mouth with the tip of his bloodied, silver blade. "You know..." he balances on his feet and crosses his arms over his knees. Pointedly, he directs his knife in my direction. "Maybe I overestimated you. That would be a first."
"You're a liar," I mumble, feeling blood gurgle up to my mouth. I lean over to spit it out.
"Duh."
"You said you wouldn't have killed me if I didn't strangle you..." I spit again, the blood thick. "But you decided to kill me long ago, didn't you?"
Sweetly, he smiles. "There's the intelligent Della no one knew."
"Tell..." my breathing increases, going at a rate I can't control. "T-tell Makai that...thatI..."
"That you love him," Enzo sighs, rolling his amber eyes. "Such a damn cliché. So boring. See, this is why I'm killing you." And with that, Enzo sinks his knife into my heart until it seizes. Sinks his knife into my heart until my existence seizes.
I close my eyes and am engulfed in a basking warmth. I see a vision; a memory. Makai and I are in my backyard. We're young...around eight, back when we had a playground. Makai pretends the slide is a rocket and he's launching into space. I pretend the monkey bars are the only thing keeping me from the lava that is the ground.
"Della, it's so much more fun when you're an astronaut. Come on!" he cheers, waiting for me on the other side of the monkey bars, a gap-toothed smile on his bright face. Even back then, I think I knew I loved him. "Hurry!"
Childishly, I laugh. "You try being a secret agent and see how fast you can go." "Hurry," he says when I reach the end. "I'll be at the other end waiting for you."
Makaiducks into the green slide and I hear him tunnelling down.
I duck my head and look to the other side. Oddly enough, it's blindingly bright. Also, it's the thing emanating this glowing, radiant warmth. I feel good. Fantastic.
"Della," Makai cheers, voice pre-puberty. "Come on!" Makai chuckles. Suddenly, his voice changes into what he sounds like now; older and deeper. The smell of spice and pine fills my lungs – the smell of Makai Keanu. "Adelina..." his voice is echoing, but surrounding me in its silky, soft texture. "Adelina, I'm waiting for you. I'm just on the other side. Come on down, Della. I'm here. I always will be. I promise."
I don't know if I say it, but I know I think it. I'm coming, Makai. My own thoughts become a whisper in the wind; they're audible and smooth. I'll see you on the other side.
I sit on the slide and look back at the playground, the swings idle and the fireman pole empty. Then I look ahead at the light at the bottom of the slide, and I catapult myself into its warmth and glow.