Elena's warning floated through my head once more, Lucas come too late.
That couldn't be true. Lucas was here to help, he was going to fix everything. He couldn't be here too late, not after everything we've already overcome.
With new and profound fear pumping through my veins, I started towards grandma's truck. I don't know what Elena's words meant or if they were true. But this sudden urge to find Ace was all consuming and my gut told me something was off. Something wasn't right. I had to find him, I had to find him right now.
I climbed into the truck, jammed the awaiting key into the ignition, and peeled down the driveway. I couldn't be far behind, only by fifteen minutes or so. They couldn't be too far ahead of me. I had to find them, I had to stop them. I couldn't say what was coming or why I felt so desperate to get to them, but I needed to see Ace to reassure myself that he was alive.
Dust flew from behind the truck as I sped through town. I may have missed a stop sign, maybe a red light. Though cars honked and colorful words entered through the open windows, I stopped for nothing. Buildings turned to blurs, people turned to smudges, and soon all I could see was the dark asphalt stretched out before me as I raced towards someone and away from something else.
The back roads were barren, so fitting for this damn town. It was hot, and I was sweating, but none of it mattered because I needed to find Ace. Bobby's house came into view, a sad little farm forgotten by all except for it's owner. Creston's truck wasn't there. Maybe I beat them here, maybe they decided to go elsewhere. I couldn't be sure.
Tires spun against rock as I slammed down on the accelerator to reach the house faster then the truck slid across the ground as I forced down the breaks. I threw the truck into park and ran towards the house with all the power of an olympic athlete.
The door was hanging open.
White hot panic swelled in my stomach as I jumped through the doorway, screaming out Ace's name as I searched the house. But each room I checked was empty, each door left open as though someone else had been searching just before I got here. What if they found what they were looking for? What if Elena was right and Ace was already ...
I couldn't finish that thought. I didn't allow myself to. Elena said that I'd be the one to decide if Ace lived or not, so that must mean he is still alive. Somewhere. Which meant I had to find him before that decision was taken from me. But where should I start? If he wasn't in the house then maybe they hadn't come here.
But that thought vanished as I saw bright light illuminating the hallway from the back door which hung open as well. Ginger's pasture was in the back, maybe they were there. I sprinted through the back door and towards the grassy field where Ginger grazed.
Outside it was still hot. Blinding sunlight beat down upon me as I ran faster and faster with the hopes that I'd find Creston, Holly, and Ace lounging in the pasture as I had so many weeks ago. I could picture it so clearly, the three of them laying in the grass with Ginger eating just behind them. They'd laugh and wave me over and all my fears would be put to rest.
My eyes glanced up towards the top of the hill ...
A strangled gasp sliced through the air as my feet tripped over themselves. I froze. My hair flew into my eyes but that didn't hinder my sight. It couldn't erase what I had already seen. A different kind of pain entered my core, driving down my fear of what might happen with the fear of what has already happened. Ginger lay in the grass, on her side, unmoving ...
... deep crimson coating her beautiful caramel coat.
I dropped to my knees and vomited into the grass, tears springing to my eyes as I heaved.
Ginger was dead, she was dead! The blood, there was so much blood, so much dark blood. And her lifeless eyes, gaping open permanently as she stared on. More vomit gurgled up my throat as my mind when into overdrive, thinking the same thought on repeat. She was dead, she was dead, shewasdeadshewasdeadshewasdead-
I couldn't make it stop, I couldn't make any of it stop. My body trembled as tears flowed down my cheeks in waves. I couldn't help, I couldn't stop this, I couldn't do anything. All I could manage was clutching at my stomach and crying loudly as I thought of the poor, innocent creature laying at the top of this hill. She was so gentle, who could have done this?
No, I already knew the answer to that question. But if they killed Ginger just to hurt Ace then ...
Oh God ...
"Bobby?!" I screamed, stumbling to my feet and fighting to get back to the house. The sight of Ginger still burned behind my eyes, causing uncontrollable tears to surface as I ran back through the house in a desperate haze, "Bobby?!"
But no response came. Maybe he wasn't here, could it be possible that luck was finally on my side and allowed for Bobby to be safe somewhere? I almost believed that ... until I saw the barn. What if ...
I was racing towards the barn before I finished that thought. I prayed to find nothing, I begged that the barn held only old cars and bales of hay. No bodies, no blood.
This wasn't the case.
I shoved through the doors but stopped almost instantly at the sight of Bobby sitting on the floor near his work bench with his back propped against the wall. His head hung forward limply. My heart stopped. My organs stopped. My stomach churned violently as another wave of vomit threatened to come up as I stared at the pool of blood surrounding Bobby's still body. No, not him. Not Bobby, he was so kind-
A rigid breath sounded. It wasn't mine.
Through the tears I collapsed to my knees beside Bobby, ignoring the blood that splashed onto my clothes. I placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. He looked awful. His side was drenched in blood, the coppery substance invading my senses aggressively. His skin was increasingly pale and his hair stuck to his forehead in a mess of sweat. Bobby wrapped an arm around his torso, groaning in pain as I moved him.
At my touch, his eyes slowly rolled open. He spotted me then winced in pain. I couldn't stop the smile that captured my face at seeing him alive. I wiped at the tears on my face, sniffling as I scooted closer and asked again, "Bobby? Please say something."
He swallowed dryly, then nodded through labored breaths, "I'm here, darling."
Relief crashed into my chest. At least he was alive, that's more than I could say for Ace's baby. I took a moment to let my heart calm as Bobby did the same. We needn't share words to also share our concerns. I thought he was dead, he no doubt believed the same. This was one time where I was glad that we both were wrong. My hands hung uselessly in the air, unsure of how to help, "Are you okay? What happened?"
Bobby let his head fall back against the wall, his eyes closed tightly, "Vic and Roman. They came here. Shot Ginger. Shot me. Ace was saw Ginger but he didn't know I was here-" Bobby's eyes snapped open as he looked to me frantically, "Where's Ace?"
I looked around as if I might find him standing here amongst the dust, "I don't know. He's not in the house and he's not with Ginger-" Those words made me sick.
Bobby's eyes began to water and his bottom lip trembled, "You have to find him. He saw Ginger and he lost it. He's going to get himself killed."
My hands ran through my hair again, gripping it tightly. Think quickly, I have to think quickly, "Do you know where they went?"
Bobby shook his head, his breaths shallowing, "Roman said ... something about going back."
"Going back where?"
"I don't know. Just back." Bobby told. His arm tightened around his midsection as another pained groan cut through the air. I gently pulled at his arm, just enough to see the bullet hole in his side. My poker face must suck because Bobby let out a breathy chuckle, "That bad, huh?"
I swallowed roughly, shaking my head, "No. You're fine. You're going to be fine."
Bobby shook his head as well and mumbled, "No ... I'm not. I know how this one ends kid, but it's okay. This has been a long time coming."
My pulse quickened, "Don't say that, Bobby. We're going to get you all better and you'll be good as new. We just have to get you to a hospital and-"
While speaking, my hands were brushing over him as if that might help, but at my last words Bobby took my hand in one of his. My words were silenced by his eyes and his words were weak with pain, "You need to find Ace."
But how? I couldn't leave Bobby like this. Besides, I didn't know where Ace was! He was going back, Roman said to go back. Back where? There were so many places he could be referring to but how could I know which one they would be at?
I looked back to Bobby with hopelessness pressing heavily on my mind, "I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do."
Bobby's eyes closed for a moment, his face creasing in agony. He took a few deep breaths that soon turned to short, rapid ones, "You need to find him, Genevieve."
I watched as Bobby's frail body shuddered. He coughed, then again, and on the third cough, blood splattered from his mouth and dripped down his chin. He winced again, his muscles going taut as his back arched.
"Bobby?" I asked nearly delirious with fear. I didn't know how to help. My hands shook in the air, hanging uselessly above Bobby's trembling body. This was bad, so very bad. But I couldn't fix it. I wasn't a doctor and Bobby was ...
... he was fading.
He slowly rolled his head back towards me and reached out a severely weak hand to grab at my arm. I looked down at him as a tear slipped from his eye. He struggled to keep his head up, his arm shaking as he held me. Then a wavering breath passed through his lips as he whispered, "Bring back my son. Please."
A choked sob escaped me, sounding through the air as though I were nothing more than a wailing child. But I was. I was just a kid. I didn't know how to handle any of this. I leaned forward in a panic, gripping onto Bobby's shoulders and cradling him in my arms as if that could help, "Just hold on, Bobby. You're going to be fine, you have to be fine. Ace needs you, you're all he has."
Bobby's breaths became watery and his words rasped as though they were carved from his throat, "He has you."
"It's not the same. He needs you!"
"Not anymore sweetheart. My time with him is done." He shook his head in my hold, his body becoming heavier and heavier the longer I held him. His words slowed as did the rise and fall of his chest. In mere minutes, the only sign of life was his shaking hand that held my shirt loosely in his grasp while his body went limp, "Find my son. Bring him back."
Tears dripped from my chin and landed in Bobby's hair. I shook him roughly, wishing that were enough to keep him here. But it wasn't. Still he faded further, then his grip on my shirt fell. He lay in my arms, practically comatose. I leaned forward, kissing his forehead with a trembling jaw as more sobs threatened to escape.
He looked up at me with a pained smile on his face, "Don't cry, Annie. I'm coming home to you baby."
Annie? His wife?
Bobby gave one last sputtering breath before his chest sunk in. Then he was gone.
A harsh scream scratched from my throat, echoing throughout the barn as I sat in the blood and dirt, desperately holding the body of a man Ace considered to be his father. A man I was starting to think of as the same. I held him to me tightly as I cried, rocking both of us back and forth as tears mixed with blood.
How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? Bobby and Ginger were innocent, two lives stolen. But even as I looked down at the small smile still strewn across his face, I realized that maybe this was better. Bobby has been living in loneliness since his wife died, since his kids moved away. Ace made him happy but seeing Ace so beaten all the time must have taken it's toll. He must be happier wherever he is.
Right?
I curled around him, holding Bobby's head to my chest as I cried. I sat there for a long time but the longer I held him, the more I realized tears were useless. Crying wouldn't bring Bobby back and it wouldn't save Ace. He was out there somewhere, in danger and unknowing of Bobby's fate. He had to know. I had to tell him.
With shaking hands, I delicately placed Bobby on the ground. Seeing him so pale and so still had my heart breaking. I squeezed his hand one last time, hoping that somehow he could hear me from beyond, "I'll find Ace." I whispered, "I promise."
Then I was running for the truck and driving faster than ever before. All my pain and sadness was shoved down deep, beneath the layer of fear. It was the only way I could keep myself going. If I gave in to my emotions, I'd be a wreak and I couldn't afford that right now. I made a promise and I intended to keep it.
Even if it kills me.
I reached for my cell phone sitting forgotten in the passenger seat. Then I dialed my grandma's number as I wiped tears from my eyes.
"Genevieve, where are you? Why did you take off like that?" Grandma asked when she picked up my call.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and said bluntly, "Bobby's dead."
Silence met my words. She was probably in shock, I can't say that I blame her. She didn't know him well but they bonded at the graduation ceremony. In a way, they were both parents. Now he was dead and despite how strong grandma was, I heard the catch in her voice when she said, "I don't understand."
"I don't have time to explain. Put Lucas on the phone." I ordered. She was quiet once more but there was a shuffling on the other end of the receiver before Lucas' voice came through asking me the same thing grandma had, "Bobby is dead. Ace is at his old house with Vic and Roman."
Lucas' voice deepened, "What are they doing there?"
My throat closed, "I think they're going to kill him. Ask grandma for directions and get there as soon as you can."
"Genevieve, wait for us." Lucas demanded. Sounds met my ears as he scrambled through the house to collect his things before they left.
I jerked the steering wheel to the left as I turned onto a back road, "I'll just meet you there."
"You shouldn't go at all." Lucas snapped back, "Let Rico and I handle this. Don't go alone-" But I ended the call. I didn't want to hear him tell me to wait for backup. It would have been the smart thing to do but I couldn't sit by while Ace, Creston, and Holly fought for their lives. I promised Bobby that I'd bring his son back and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Elena's warning rose up again. All the times she talked about the thing that crept around the house or the time she showed me the black candle with Death scrolled across the front. There were so many signs from both Elena and the mysterious presence that sent me words of wisdom. I should have listened to them sooner.
Maybe Bobby would still be alive if I had.
But I couldn't think about that right now. If we made it through this, I'd hole up in my room and cry for days while the image of Bobby's last breath haunted me like the plague. But until then, I had to find Ace. I had to tell him what happened and then we had to end this once and for all. Too many people have been hurt, too many lives have been taken.
I pressed down on the gas, launching the truck forward. I remembered where Ace's old house was from that single memory of being kidnapped. I remembered every curve of the road, every stop sign that I didn't obey. But it wasn't until the old wooden shack came into view that I realized how integrated this house was in my brain. I memorized every inch of that greying wood, of the aging porch and the array of objects scattered across the front yard from old tires to a broken tractor which still sat unused after all this time. I memorized the way this house sat in the middle of an open field with no grass or trees to provide shade.
The entire structure still tilted dangerously to the side as if one gust of wind would cause it to crumble. I could only imagine what the inside would look like after all this time, covered in dust, still harboring memories and cries of two small children as they fought to escape the depths of the basement before the monster returned.
This place was cursed. I've always known that but being back here only reminded me of the pain and suffering. My tears were locked away in there, as were Ace's. Even Melinda spent years in misery within those walls. I guess I shouldn't blame the house, it didn't chose to have such a wicked resident. But I couldn't change the way I felt.
I hated everything about this house. It would be better off burned. Maybe I could convince my candles to help with that one.
As I neared the house and rounded the corner, a series of figures appeared. I slowed the truck once my eyes fell on Creston's unconscious body which lay in the dirt. Above him sat Holly, she held him tightly. Even from here I could see the tears glinting on her face. Her cries were as loud as mine had been at Bobby's.
Standing in front of both Creston and Holly was Ace, his arms stretched out to either side as if he could protect them both with his body. But what was he protecting them from?
That's when I spotted Vic and Roman. They were distanced on the other side of the yard but that didn't lessen my fear. Not when I watched Vic raise his hand. Something shined in his grasp, something silver. It took only half a second for me to realize what he was holding and nothing in heaven nor hell could have prepared me for what I was about to witness.
A shot rang out.
Then Ace's body dropped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early Update!!
Short, sweet, and stained by blood, eh? Sorry this chapter is a little bit shorter but I felt like it accomplished what I wanted it to so instead of worrying about it, I decided to just publish it early.
So what do we think??
And just be warned, this is only the beginning ;)
As always please vote, comment, and follow!
Thanks you my lovelies!!
xoxo