It was Deja vu, the two of them driving down an old dirt road. Dalton gripped the door handle as the car inched further past the curtain of trees. His stomach twinged as Isabeth feed the truck more gas.
Dalton looked out the window. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"I'm sure. " Isabeth gawked out the window ushering the car down the path. She applied the brake. "There's Alex's car." She pointed to the Bentley sitting in front of the rustic cabin. "And there's Alex." She pointed at him coming out the house.
Isabeth's high beams rained on Alex as he stammered down the front steps with a plastered on smile. "What are you doing out here?" He peeked her cheek. "Dalton."
Dalton nodded. "We were looking for you."
"Why are you out here? In the middle of nowhere." Isabeth flung at a fly.
"Solitude." He rammed his hands in his pockets.
"Solitude?" Isabeth forged to the house.
Alex leaped in front of her. "It's filthy in there. You don't want to go in there."
Dalton looked at the windows. "The lights are off."
"They just—they just went off." He backed up as they moved forward.
"What are you hiding?" Isabeth stepped around him.
Alex grabbed her waist, holding her back. "You don't want to go in there."
"I do." Dalton ran to the porch and into the house.
Isabeth slapped his hands off her, "Why don't I want to go in there?" She looked at the darkness leaking out of the door.
Alex held his hand over his mouth looking at the porch swing he sat on while he watched his father tie the deer to the roof of their car.
"Shit!" Dalton popped out of the door. "There's a man in there." He ran down the stairs. "You sick fuck."
"Wait!" Alex jumped back holding his hands up as Dalton pulled his fist up. "It's Fulton! It's Fulton! You didn't kill him!"
"What." Isabeth tugged at her stomach. "What." Her lungs were locking. "What." She held her chest feeling the stitches melt off her unhealed heart.
Alex caught her before her knee buckled. "You didn't hit his heart. The heart is in the middle. The hit through the shoulder, the rain must've distorted your vision."
Dalton became Casper leaning against Alex's car with wide eyes and an open mouth.
She pulled away from him, "You let me believe I killed him."
"You feared him so much you wanted him dead. What would you have done if you knew he was alive?"
A tear rolled out her eye "My soul ached and my spirit cried and you let me suffer knowing full well he was alive." She swiped the tear and squinted her eyes.
"Would it have been better if I would've told you?"
"I wouldn't have guilt and shame."
"No. You would have fear and angst."
"It wasn't for you to decide." Isabeth held up her arm, shielding her eyes from the lights blinding her. These lights were brighter than hers. They were blinding. A car door slam silenced them. Shoes crunched the gravel as a man walked around Isabeth's car.
"What do we have here?" Clayton strutted up to them.
"You followed me?" Isabeth asked.
Clayton stepped in front of the lights. "I told you I would protect you. You remember I told you that in Germany."
"In Germany?" Alex looked at Isabeth.
"It was a fling when I was a teenager." Isabeth swiped her hand around her ear trying to tuck her hair behind it but it was swooped up in a ponytail. "It was before I knew you. It had nothing to do with you." She folded her arms matching Alex's stare.
"Nothing to do with me." Alex looked at Dalton, who was looking up to the sky then he looked at Clayton. "Is this why you came to town?"
Clayton stepped up to Alex. "Not your concern."
"Let's not do this." Isabeth pulled at Alex's shirt but he jerked away. She gestured toward Dalton but he shook his head.
Alex could feel Clayton's breath, blowing on him like a bull in the stadium. His hand rolled up and winded back and before he knew it, it was smashing into Clayton's face. Clayton flew back smashing against the Bentley's rear window, shattering the glass. Teddy's screams broke through the quiet night. Isabeth ran to the car. While tight hands squeezed tight around Alex's throat.
"Let him go!" Dalton grunted trying to pry Clayton's firm grip away from Alex's skinny neck. "He's not worth it. He has Dr. Fulton chained in the cabin."
Clayton's grip loosened and Alex fell to the ground grasping for cherished oxygen. "Fulton's in the cabin." Clayton grabbed Alex's shirt and dragged him.
Alex kicked, pulling at his shirt. "Stop! Let me go! Wait." He jabbed his elbow into Clayton's shin. "Wait. You hear that?"
Clayton stopped. "Hear what?"
"Silence." Clayton let him go and he stood to his feet.
"Isabeth!" Alex dashed to the Rover. He slid around the open door to see Teddy fast asleep. "Isabeth!" He yelled.
"Where'd she go?" Clayton looked toward the darkness pouring out of the forest
"I don't know." Alex ran down the driveway yelling her name. He ran back to the car looking under as if she was just playing a game of hide and seek.
Dalton bent over picking up something that cloaked his foot. He peeled it open then held it up in front of her lights. Pencil shavings designed a face. It was a face he knew.
"What is it?" Alex rushed over to him
Dalton handed him the paper, "Isabeth was the see he wanted."
"And now he has her." Alex dropped the paper letting it cascade to the ground.