Tuesday. Manon and Jake give up trying to learn from their evidence and head into town. Some tooth rotting fluff in the middle and then I'll be quiet and let you read so I don't spoil everything 😉
A/N: I can't stop writing. It just keeps coming and I'm so excited to share the fun things I've had written for almost two years! Those will start to come out over the next few chapters. This one is an indulgent escape.
When I have a hard time in real life, I escape into writing. I don't usually update this often but fibro, anxiety and life in general is kicking my ass. So, I focus on Manon and Jake instead. I hope you enjoy ❤️
"I've been up in the air
Out of my head
Stuck in a moment of emotion I destroyed
Is this the end I feel?
Up in the air
Fucked up on life
All of the laws I've broken
Love's that I've sacrificed
Is this the end?
I'll wrap my hands around your neck
So tight with love
I've been up in the air
Lost in the night
I wouldn't trade an eye for your lies
Your lust for my life
Is this the end?
A thousand times I tempted fate
A thousand times I played this game
A thousand times that I have said
Today, today, today
Take no more
I'll take no more"
Up In The Air – Thirty Seconds To Mars
**********
Manon
The glow of her laptop screen burned into her retinas, dry eyes stinging as she read the same page over and over again. Nothing had changed since the last six times she'd read it, but it still offered no explanation. She'd been at it for hours. Scouring through their files of evidence, listening to the recording of Richy's kidnap repeatedly until she could recite it like a poem. One line stuck out to her now she'd met with his father.
"Don't hurt him, he didn't know, take me instead, take me please!"
Richy had begged that fateful day. It hadn't registered at the time, but it rang like a death knell now. She heard it like an earworm song lyric she couldn't shake as she skimmed everything for any other clues pointing to Paul. One thing Richy had mentioned was that his dad had told him Hannah didn't have Sat Nav. That had been a lie. Thanks to Jessy, they knew this for sure. But why would he lie about something so innocuous? Why did Michael Hanson let him go free, knowing Paul would go straight to the police? What was Paul hiding?
She wanted answers to those three questions, but after another hour of trawling through everything, she realized there was nothing to help her. Seeing no other option, she had to get into town and investigate herself. She glanced over the top of her laptop to Jake. He had headphones on as he listened to a recording of Alan's walk through Amy's house. He had let her hear it earlier, and now he was scanning it for anything they might've missed. Clearing her throat, she called his name. But he couldn't hear her. She chuckled, balling up a scrap of notebook paper before chucking it at his head, grinning brightly when he turned around with one of those marvelous brows arched in exasperation.
She mimed removing the headphones, laughed when he rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer to pause the recording before doing as she asked.
Wasting no time, Manon shared her idea.
"I think we should go into town. Snoop around and see if we can find anything. This is just wasting precious time."
Jake nodded, scratching the back of his neck, "I agree, Alan isn't particularly loquacious, and any thoughts he had must've been written down elsewhere. I can't find them here."
"Come on, then, Hackerman. Let's get out of here and go look for clues." She giggled and rose from her chair to get ready. Smiling as Jake chuckled indulgently behind her, she heard him step away to change his clothes.
Soon they were on the road to Duskwood, windows down and music blaring as the wind ripped through her loose hair. The troubles of the day before felt very far away to her then, banished by hands and teeth last night, she breathed in the fresh air, tasting the sun and wind on her tongue as she coasted into Duskwood proper. It wasn't as warm that day. A cool breeze had moved in overnight, and she had a feeling it might rain later. She parked in a side street close to the town center, and they got out of the car in silence. Not speaking until Jake had stepped into stride with her and took her hand in his, she peered up at him, finding him a little tense, so she squeezed his hand and tried to distract him.
"You should take me for lunch." She said, grinning when he looked down at her, and she saw that bemused look in his eyes, sparkling like polished sapphires under the sunlight.
"I thought we were here on business." He returned, shoulders relaxing as she sniffed and turned her nose up in the air.
"A lady can't be expected to work on an empty stomach, Jacob." She teased, adopting a snobby accent, watching him from the corner of her eyes and cackling when his head jerked back at her using his full name.
He soon recovered and turned it back on her, "You're the farthest thing from a lady, Manon. Wicked, infuriating, or mad, either option would be a better descriptor." He muttered seductively, and she thrilled at the midnight caress in his voice.
She gave a fond snort, lifting their joined hands to smack his chest. His eyes flashed, and he tugged her into his side, letting go of her hand to slide his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped hers around his trim waist and hooked her thumb through his belt loop. It wasn't the most elegant way to wade through the busy town center, but she wouldn't complain, not now she was right where she wanted to be. They fell quiet as they were swallowed by the tide of people roaming around, staring at the pretty storefronts. No sign of the sinister truth the town worked so hard to hide. Smudges of its carefully covered darkness were there if you knew where to look. Manon spied no less than four police officers, and a few of the missing posters for Hannah still smiled out at her from a few of the shop windows. They were offset by huge, vibrant banners declaring the beginning of the Pine Glade Festival. Most wouldn't notice the tiny appeal for information when the eye was immediately drawn to the pageantry.
Jake had relaxed more now that they were simply two faceless lovers in a mass of other strangers. Her heavy bag bumped against her hip, her weapons concealed inside, so she didn't cause a panic. It would've been silly to leave the house without at least a gun on her. They were halfway through the street when Jake turned her towards a quaint little restaurant that she hadn't noticed as it bore no sign other than one hanging from an iron bar above the red door. She looked at him quizzically, but he only smirked and led her inside, dropping his arm as they approached the harried hostess. The place looked full, and she opened her mouth to tell him she had only been joking when he spoke.
"I made a reservation online, Jacob Allwood." He smiled at the dark-haired hostess whose nametag told her was called Claire.
Manon barely managed to conceal her shock as Claire nodded and beamed, telling them to follow her. In a daze, they were taken upstairs to a more secluded area. The tables upstairs were private booths and screened off from each other. They were guided to the only empty one, and Jake waited for her to sit before he did. He wore a smug smirk at her uncharacteristic silence, and she wanted to wipe it away with a snappy comment, but she failed to come up with one. All around them buzzed the happy chatter of others dining and enjoying each other's company, the scent of tomatoes, fresh herbs, and fragrant garlic as a waiter walked by holding plates of pasta making her stomach grumble as Jake accepted two menus and ordered drinks for them.
When the hostess left, and they were alone, she arched a brow and silently demanded he explain. He handed her a menu and threaded his fingers together, resting his elbows on the table and propping his chin on his folded hands.
"You're not the only one who can pull off a surprise, Manon." He said simply and winked.
She shook her head, grinning and fizzing inside, grateful she'd worn the blue sundress instead of her usual garb of black. When they'd left the house, she hadn't thought to question his dressier attire: that blue shirt she adored, sleeves rolled up how she liked, and dark jeans that looked expensive. She'd just assumed he'd run out of hoodies.
Manon cleared her throat and opened her leatherbound menu, pretending she wasn't affected. Still, her pulse fluttered in her neck, and she could feel a pink flush creeping over her chest.
"I see." Was all she could say, ignoring his self-satisfied chuckle and hiding her dreamy smile behind the menu to pick what she wanted. Settling on the first pasta dish she came across, she set the menu down and eyed Jake, who seemed entirely at ease despite the public setting. She looked over to the window, head shaking as she thought back to the very beginning and the secrecy between them, how he'd thought they'd never be able to do this. There were many things she loved to do, but proving people wrong would always taste the sweetest, and she silently vowed to savor every damn moment of it.
"You ready to order?" Jake asked, breaking her out of her reverie.
Turning back to him, she nodded and caught their waitress bustling over with their drinks. She had no clue what he'd ordered for her, but she didn't miss the fact the leggy brunette was checking Jake out. He was oblivious, eyes only for her, but she saw and got a little taste of what Jake must've felt each time Phil flirted with her. She was pretty and had that bubbly energy about her that reminded her of Jessy. Manon sat back and watched the waitress attempt to flirt as she set the drinks down, biting back a laugh when Jake didn't react or seem to understand this woman wanted him. She wanted to be angry, but seeing the woman get flustered as Jake answered with one-word answers and never looked anywhere but at Manon was too funny to bother getting upset.
Manon thanked her, a saccharine smile on her maroon painted mouth, and gave her order before the waitress could go back to ignoring her in favor of Jake. After she handed the menu back, the redhead put her back to Manon and focused on fawning over Jake, who had finally noticed the disparity in how he was being treated, eyes darkening and mouth thinning as he curtly gave her his order and didn't thank her before she walked away.
"Women are ballsy in Duskwood." Manon joked and sipped at the glass of wine, only remembering she was driving after she'd swallowed. Jake held his glass up when she grimaced, he'd ordered a soda, and she relaxed, understanding he planned to drive.
"I don't get it. We're obviously together," Jake said and set his glass down.
Manon couldn't help it. She threw her head back and laughed, delighting in the confused frown he gave her.
Once she calmed down, she realized he meant it and wondered if he'd ever looked in a mirror, but she knew he had. They'd spent a glorious night in front of the bathroom mirror.
"Jake... you look like... that," She jested, waving her hand over his general self, and saw the roses bloom in his cheeks.
He scowled, and she saw he was going to deny it, so she jumped in before he could.
"The first time I saw you, I wanted to climb into your lap and claim you for myself before anyone else could. You're a beautiful man, Jake. People notice." She gave an indolent shrug and smiled as he cocked his head and rubbed a hand over his neatly trimmed jaw.
"It's been a long time since I could be so exposed to people. Appearances were the last thing on my mind." He said, and her smile faltered a little, wishing they'd found each other much sooner than they had.
She leaned across the table, whispering for only him to hear, "I only need to imagine you naked, and it's almost impossible not to touch myself." She winked and sat back to watch his magnificent eyes go violet as her words sunk in.
"I want to see that one day." He growled, low and deep enough that she felt it like a current beneath her skin.
"Hmm, we'll see." She teased, and crossed her legs, feeling that delectable burn settling low in her belly.
"No, you'll show me, Manon." He ordered, and she blinked slowly and instinctively nodded as Jake smirked. His murmur of "good girl" was almost too much for her, and she contemplated dragging him into the bathroom to give him a demonstration now. The idea was so tantalizing she almost said it aloud when the waitress brought over their food, smiling blandly at both of them before heading back to the kitchen. Moment over, they dug in and stuck to safe topics that wouldn't leave her thighs a sticky mess, enjoying the food and each other for a precious amount of time she'd treasure forever. One day, this would be their reality all the time. She refused to believe any differently.
***
By the time they left, it was well into the afternoon, and the street had only grown more hectic. Manon hadn't thought Duskwood would ever attract so many people, but the conversations that drifted to her ears told her the festival was a bigger deal than she'd assumed. Children ran in between their parent's legs, screaming in hyperactive joy, and she narrowly avoided tripping over a little girl as they wove into the melee. Each person moved as if unseeing hands dragged them this way and that, eyes jumping from one thing to another as they made their way through and discovered the treasures Duskwood had to offer. Phil had said it officially started on Wednesday, tomorrow, but most had obviously decided to get an early start while the weather was favorable.
Women bearing a Gates of Hope badge were milling around, handing out brochures to grabbing hands, and Manon thought it was a mistake to come here. She had expected a few early birds, not a damn herd of them. Jake gripped her hand tight, tugging her to the outside of the crowd, so they walked along the front of a building. She glanced around, scanning for anything unusual, and huffed when someone elbowed her, turning to glare at the offender, who ignored her. Just as she was about to tell Jake it was best they went home, she saw someone that made her heart go still before kicking up a marching beat. Her eyes sharpened on the sorry figure hobbling through the street, and something akin to lightning crackled through her veins as she put the pieces together.
Manon turned, grabbed the front of Jake's shirt, and shoved him against the wall, ignoring the indignant looks she was getting from people near them and shaking her head when Jake opened his mouth to complain.
"Be quiet. Keep your eyes on me." She murmured and pressed against him, hooking her arms around his neck to bring him to her level.
He frowned but allowed her to tug him closer, their lips a hairsbreadth apart, and hers were already tingling, but she resisted kissing him. Hissing the words straight onto his mouth.
"Behind me, grey hair, black clothing. Looks sick and is limping. Richy's dad. He took great pains not to let me see him walk when I visited. Do you remember I stabbed one of them at Hanson's house?"
Jake jolted, and she rolled her eyes, pushing up on her toes to press her lips to his and hopefully disguise his reaction as lust, given how she was plastered against him. She pulled back after a lingering moment and saw him nod. His arms tightened around her waist, and he bent to kiss the spot below her ear that made her shiver and weak-kneed. He was better at this than she thought he'd be.
"And what are you planning to do about it?" He whispered, and she fought the urge to jump on him and suggest they go somewhere less populated.
"We're going to follow him and see where he goes." She said, and thankfully, he didn't object.
Watching from the corner of her eye, she waited until Paul had passed them by and was far enough away he wouldn't think he was being followed. She urged Jake to walk ahead of her, knowing she was too recognizable, and held on to his shirt as someone pushed into her. Jake appeared to be simply taking a stroll, with no sign of his usual reserve whenever she wanted to do something he felt was risky, but they had to see where he was going. Manon chanced a sly glimpse around his broad back to ensure Paul was still within sight, her free hand unzipping her bag to slip inside and wrap around the taser.
Jake cursed under his breath and walked faster. She sighed and came to his side and saw why. Paul had quickened his pace, head swiveling from side to side as if he sensed he was being followed. Manon scowled and took off after him, ignoring Jake's long-suffering groan as she kept her eyes trained on Paul's limping form. Darting back when he looked over his shoulder, she crept closer, taser in hand and primed for use. She was getting ready to leap forward and grab him when a gaggle of gossiping women spilled out of the rainbow cafe and blocked her way. Sharpening her elbows and snarling at them to get out of the way, she forced her way through them and came to a halt. He'd vanished. Jake's hands landed on her shoulders a second later as she tried to establish where he might've gone.
Too many people. It was too easy for him to escape, and he'd be extra skittish now. Cursing under her breath, she shoved the taser back in her bag and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"He's gone." She stated uselessly, pissed off, and her good mood drained away, irritation taking its place.
"There are too many places he could've gone... We could go the garage." Jake suggested, but she heard the doubt in his voice.
"No, he won't go back there yet, not if he realized it was me following him."
"What do you want to do?" He asked, face a hard mask of annoyance at the situation.
Thinking it over, she remembered what day it was and who was supposed to be back today.
"We should call the Motel and see if Mrs. Walter came back." She said.
Jake nodded and took her hand, leading her out of the town center and down an alleyway to get to the side street where their car was parked. She handed him the keys and walked to the passenger side, getting in once he'd unlocked it and taking her phone out of her bag once he was seated beside her.
"She has to be booked up for this damn festival. If she's not back, I don't know what to do." She admitted, wanting to chase something down and make it bleed for the stress this fucked up town was causing her.
"We'll figure it out. Call and see." He said with a gentle smile, and she called the number she hadn't thought she would have to use again.
The phone rang for so long that she started to grind her teeth, but a wary female voice answered, and Manon's instincts perked up at the anxiety she could almost feel through her phone.
"Hi, I wanted to see if you had re-opened, we stopped by last week, and you were closed." She explained and waited through a long, tense pause as the woman drew in a tight breath.
"Yes, we are open, but we have no rooms available to rent."
Manon rolled her eyes, "I'm actually calling about the graffiti that was left on your building. I'm working with -" She started but was cut off.
"I can't discuss that. The police are dealing with it. Goodbye." The woman said angrily, and the line went dead.
Manon looked at Jake and felt a bitter smile twist her mouth.
"The police station. Alan has some explaining to do." She said. Jake agreed and started the car; this time, he drove as fast as she would have.
Jake
On the outside, Manon appeared calm, serene even. But that didn't settle his nerves. Two things were likely running through her head when she got like this. She might be thinking about all the ways she could taunt and inconveniently arouse him. Or she was thinking of all the ways she could murder Alan Bloomgate and get away with it. He was betting on the latter, all fucking in, and if he were honest with himself, he'd help her bury the body and erase all evidence of them being there. Digital or otherwise. It was a good job they were surrounded by miles of forest with plenty of places to dispose of a corpse if it came to it. Alan was either a prize idiot, or he was playing a game of his own. It was past time he showed his hand and accepted the help being offered to him instead of blocking them at every turn.
He pulled into the police station car park, his heart rate elevating at the fact he was about to walk inside a building full of cops willingly. They were useless ones, but cops all the same. Heat prickled his skin as he fought back images of him in cuffs, beaten and tied to a chair as they demanded answers he would never give. He hadn't even stopped the car when Manon flung open her door and leaped out, face like thunder about to break. He left the car parked haphazardly across multiple spaces and bolted after her. Jake slipped inside the station door just before it closed and caught up with the woman who was part hurricane and part summer sun, about to unleash herself on Duskwood's finest.
Manon stormed through the police station like she owned the place or simply didn't care who did. Ignoring the outraged yelling of the receptionist as she flung open the gate to the bullpen and strode straight for what he assumed was Alan's office, not bothering to knock as she turned the handle and kicked the door open. He was grinning, he realized, as the few officers milling about stared wide-eyed and frozen. She'd moved too fast for anyone to do more than stand up behind their desks or freeze midway through pouring coffee that was now overflowing the cup. Jake shrugged at them and followed Manon inside.
He closed and locked the door, finding Manon leaning over the chief's desk, palms flat on the table as she growled in his face. If he cared, he'd be disturbed by the lust sinking down his spine at the sight of the chief almost cowering under the heat of her stare, but he didn't. Crossing his arms and leaning against the door to keep anyone from getting inside, he watched the show. He'd missed her opening lines and Alan's but caught the gist quickly.
"... You didn't think that was important enough to tell me? He threatens a little boy, and you think that I wouldn't want to hear that?" She demanded, and he smothered his shock, remembering the Motel owner had a son who'd been the one to tell them about the Man Without a Face in the first place.
Alan's eyes narrowed, face turning red, "We have it under control. An officer is living in the motel to keep an eye on them. Nothing will happen."
Manon chuckled, bitter and full of spite, as she spat her next words at the chief. Her dress fluttered above her knees, and the way she was bent over was highly distracting, but he managed not to give into the urges only she could bring out of him.
"You have failed in every aspect of this case so far. It has taken a group of civilians and myself to get you this fucking far. I should have been informed immediately, Alan. What did the threat say?"
Alan shrunk under her observation, and Jake could see just how heavily his failures weighed on him. The chief had probably wanted to prove to himself he could handle this alone. Forgetting that Manon was like a dog with a bone once she got a hint of something.
"I don't appreciate you barging in here to berate me. We followed protocol, and we have eyes on the Motel. There was no need to bring you in." He blustered, full of false bravado that failed as Manon straightened and leveled him with a look so damning Jake was surprised the man didn't drop dead.
"What. Did. The. Threat. Say." Manon bit out, giving Alan no quarter, and Jake wasn't surprised when the chief sighed and rifled through the stack of papers on his desk to pull out a crumpled piece of paper.
Manon snatched it from him and read it, head shaking as she digested it. Jake could see it was another note made up of cut-out newspapers, no handwriting, so the police would be scrambling as they tried to pin it on someone. He saw only one word as she slapped the note down on Alan's desk. Manon. In thick black typed letters and his heart stopped dead in his chest, blood turning to ice in his veins.
"It's addressed to me, Alan. That means it should've been brought to me the day it was left there." Manon said too quietly. The hair on Jake's neck stood up as Alan gulped and nodded.
Manon made a show of picking the note back up and reading it aloud, the air in Jake's lungs choking off as she did.
"If Manon doesn't hand herself over, I will take the boy in her place. I will only swap her life for his. She is my price."
Alan only nodded while Jake couldn't form words, too lost in his head trying to figure out if Hanson had figured out that Alfie had seen him when Manon laughed. Laughed.
"I'm a bit confused. Is this a death threat or a love letter? I've had better." She said once she'd stopped and didn't acknowledge the two men staring at her in blind disbelief.
"You're actually insane," Alan breathed, eyes unblinking as he stared at Manon, "He is out to kill you, and you're happy about it."
Manon nodded, "I am. Because that means he's focused on me and not the people he's got tied up in some basement! If he's busy hunting me, they're safe. He's getting reckless, and that's what I've been hoping for... You said Alfie is safe?"
"He is. My best officers are swapping shifts to keep a close eye on him and the motel. Nothing will get near him." Alan promised, and Manon nodded.
"Good. You might want to add yourself to that list. You're more invested than those officers. This is personal for you. It's your name being dragged through the mud, after all. Make sure that little boy is safe because if you don't, Alan, I can have you transferred to bumfuck nowhere within 24 hours, and you'll be chief of fucking nothing for the rest of your sorry life." Manon threatened and turned toward Jake, emerald eyes spewing venom as he opened the door, and they left the chief staring after them. The station was as quiet as a library as they walked through and out the door, nobody tried to stop them, and Jake breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out, still thankful he could.
Neither of them would have been able to tell anyone how they managed to drive away without crashing, thanks to both of them being completely lost in thought. Manon stewed beside him and fretted over all they'd learned. The web kept growing wider and more intricate, encompassing the entirety of the town, the countless hands weaving it changing course whenever the wind changed, and no thread led to the truth. Everywhere they looked, lies, betrayal, and secrets. Their friends might be their foes, none seemed to be telling them the truth, and Jake was sick of it. He'd revealed himself to save his sister, thinking it would be a walk in the park to find her. But then legends had come to life, masked monsters bearing the promise of death and blood, seeking retribution and a perverted form of justice.
He felt completely irrelevant amidst it all. Computers he understood, Manon too, but this? Nothing could have prepared him for this, and he regretted the day he ever learned of Hannah and their relation. Things would be easier. He'd still be in hiding, dodging pursuers and hiding out in tunnels and caves, surviving off of what food he could buy and carry the rare time he could surface to go to a store. Memories of battling his way out when they closed in on him, and he could almost feel their fingers glance off his skin as they came within spitting distance of catching him. The memories of that time haunted him, darkness all around and within, no light to be found. Until that day Manon had shown up. She was soothing moonlight made human, a fiery beacon in the nightmare his existence had become. And all he'd given her in return was shadows and monsters, dragging her into his mess.
"I know what you're doing, and if you even think of telling me to leave and try to blame yourself for this, I will thump you." She grumbled, cutting into his thoughts.
"You know it's true, Manon. If it weren't for me -"
"Nope. Don't start. I got myself into this. I could've walked away. I didn't. Now we deal with it. I won't let him win Jake, and if you ask me to, I'll never forgive you." she said, tone severe, and the idea of her hating him was worse than anything he could inflict on himself.
"Okay, I won't. Just promise me something?" He asked instead, catching her off guard as she turned the full power of those wicked eyes on him.
"If it comes to it, and there is no other choice but to run, you'll do it. You won't offer your life up in exchange for anyone else. That's all I need, Manon." He said urgently, almost begging, and her eyes softened a shade.
She was quiet so long his heart sunk into his boots, but he caught her whisper as he turned onto the road that would lead them home.
"I won't, I promise."
What she didn't know was he wouldn't make her the same promise. There wasn't a force on this earth strong enough to make him do it, and she didn't think to ask as she stared out the window and worried at her lip. He turned the radio up and let it drown out the thoughts pacing in his head like an animal caged against its will. Whatever it took, they'd make it out alive and whole. He didn't care what he had to give to make sure of it. She'd saved him, ending a life on the run or in some prison. Dragged him out of the gutter with nothing but a smile and a promise from him that he wouldn't run. No, no more running. He'd come to care for the others too, and he couldn't stand by as they risked themselves time and again while he remained safe. It was time for him to stand beside them, shoulder to shoulder, and face this with all he had, and pray they all walked away from it. To hell with the consequences. He'd paid enough for his mistakes. He was owed some good back. Jake felt it settle in him, a cloak of determination around his shoulders he would never allow to fall.