"And remember the all the safety measures, follow the rules, don't do anything you're not supposed to do, and-,"
"Mom," I interrupted. "I will be just fine."
Justin wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me close to his side, "I'll be following her in the shadows the whole time, Mrs. Addison; nothing is going to happen." He wouldn't take any other position, and no one dared to oppose him since it's rare to see him so adamant and borderline threatening.
She let out a small huff, completely ignoring the fact that he called her by her last name, "I just don't see why you had to volunteer to help with phase two. There are plenty of others who could."
"You know I can't turn down an opportunity to help someone, besides, it will be fun to see Phoenix and Saige's faces when they find out I'm involved. Plus," I dramatically flipped my hair over my shoulder. "You won't find a better actress in this here town."
Mom rolled her eyes unamused, "Just...be careful."
"Of course I will," I stepped forward engulfing her into a hug. "We'll be back late tonight."
"Call or text me when you get there, and throughout the night, just so I know you're okay," I promised I would and we snuck to his truck before Saige and Phoenix saw us. Once we pulled out down the road a giggle bubbled out uncontrollably.
My man shook his head fighting a smile, "We both know the real reason you volunteered is that you wanted to go to the fair."
"I haven't been in ages, Justin! Phase two will only last what? A couple hours? Then the rest of the night we can celebrate by actually having some fun!" I bobbed in my seat unable to contain my excitement. "There are animals to pet, shows to watch, junk food to eat, and rides to throw up on!"
"Isn't this a little devious?" His sea green eyes glanced at me somewhat guiltily.
"No silly, Commander really did need volunteers, I didn't lie."
"I know you didn't but, your mom's face was a little pale. Can't you see how scared she is? And after what happened at the Fall Festival-,"
"I know, Justin, it was scary," I absentmindedly rubbed my leg. "But I'm not going to let that hold me back."
He grabbed my hand intertwining our fingers, a hint of a smirk ghosting his lips, "Is this the same girl who had a huge fight with Phoenix yesterday about not taking things seriously?"
"Hey, I am taking this seriously. I'm focused and ready to test the participants."
"Really? Because all you've been talking about all night and morning is what we're going to do after phase two is over."
"Oh come on, I can't help it. It's the closest to normalcy I'll ever get."
His grip tightened slightly, "So, do you regret living here?"
"No! Of course not, Justin, it's not that. It's just...sometimes I-,"
"Miss things the way they used to be?"
The pure, sorrowful undertone drew my eyes to his face like a magnet. Those sea-green eyes I love became glassy, a deep pain embedded into them, a familiar agony I've learned comes with a smiling facade. I stroked circles on the back of his hand with my thumb, treading gently, "Is it your mom?" His silence was my answer. "Does anyone else know?"
He shook his head, "Ky has his own problems to deal with."
"That doesn't mean he shouldn't."
"He has Saige to worry about, I'm not dumping another burden on his shoulders."
"Now Justin Steel, you know good and well you are not a burden to anyone."
"I don't know how many times I've asked Nancy to come over and watch her this week. It's got to be exhausting for her, I mean the woman is the same age as my mother."
"She doesn't mind, you know that."
My body suddenly lurched forward, his foot braking hard while turning the wheel sharply to pull over on the side of the road. He shifted the gear into park and turned to face me, snatching my hands in a vice-like grip. Our gazes connected, and my breath caught in my throat, he looked so defeated. "She doesn't recognize me anymore, Lace, I have to tell her my name every time she even looks at me. And this morning, this morning she didn't remember she has a son." My eyes stung as his eyes welled up with unshed tears. "She always asks for him, Dad, and always talks about Mia. She doesn't get it, Lacey." He squeezed his eyes shut, tilting his head down in an attempt to hide the fat droplets from me.
I reached up placing my hand on his cheek wiping them away while fighting my own sob back, only managing a whisper not knowing what else to say, "I'm sorry."
He leaned heavily into my touch, quietly crying, "I don't know what else to do."
"Have you talked to your sister?"
"She's not coming." I flinched at the sharpness not used to hearing it from him. Even in his frantic state, he noticed my slight movement, his eyes immediately softened, "Sorry."
"I take it you and your sister aren't close anymore." Mia was only eighteen when she moved away wanting nothing more than normal life, she hasn't been back since, nor did Justin or his parents talk about her much after that. It's sad, really, how they drifted. I couldn't imagine going a day not talking to my sister, Sophie, she decided to move away with her newly wedded husband under witness protection, though she was able to visit briefly last Christmas. She's one of the bravest people I know, facing her fears so she can live.
"The opposite actually, she's just...busy lately."
I sighed hating how devastated he was knowing there was nothing I could really do, but I still asked anyway, "Anything I can do?"
He shook his head with a small smile, bringing our faces closer, "Well, maybe there's one thing." I rolled my eyes playfully, but nevertheless granting him his wish; our lips connected in what started out as a slow, gentle pace, but quickly intensified to something more passionate. I relished the pleasant tingles igniting my skin, his touch leaving a trail of fire behind. Our foreheads touched, our breathing coming quick, I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the lack of distance. "I love you, Lacey."
A gasp escaped me. My eyes shot open so fast, honey crashing with the sea, I forgot how to breathe. "W-what?"
He chuckled, pushing back a strand of my hair behind my ear so carefully, as if it was made of glass, "I said I love you." Not a trace of sorrow existed at that moment, he gazed at me with such adoration, such love, words scrambled around my brain refusing to form a complete sentence.
"Uh-huh," I replied lamely. "That's what I thought you said." I blinked attempting to gather my bearings mentally slapping myself. Snap out of it Lacey!
"That's very reassuring," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, a tinge of pink tinting his cheeks, making him appear that much more adorable. "I didn't mean to take you off guard, you don't have to say it back, I was just-,"
I placed my finger on his lips silencing him, shooting a toothy grin finally able to get over the initial shock, "I love you too." We grinned at each other like idiots, lost in a precious moment that I, we, will never soon forget.
***
The ground was dry, our boots kicking up dust as we walked across the field where everyone was parked, not long now before phase two starts. Hand in hand Justin and I spent the afternoon scoping the area out, I was beyond pumped. I lost count of how many times Justin had to hold me back from rushing to whatever caught my eye, insisting we wait for everyone else and focus on what we came to do first. I spotted the town's volunteers forming a group around Commander Grayson, we picked up our pace to meet on time.
"Alright y'all, first, thank you for coming," Commander boomed. "I do not take it lightly that you're here. For some of you being outside of town is a huge risk, so with that being said, let's get this over and done with as quickly and as smoothly as possible."
Ky's truck rumbled to a stop next to us just as the sun began to dip, signaling exactly one hour before the participants would arrive. He hopped out, catching sight of us and came to stand next to us keeping a straight face. "How're they doing?" I whispered.
He smiled knowing exactly who I was talking about, "Phoenix couldn't even listen to Captain Jensen give her a lecture about safety because she was bubbling with so much joy about being able to drive her car on her own. I thought she was going to explode."
Justin snickered, "Figures."
"And Saige just seemed...calm."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Is that a good thing?"
"I'm not sure," he shifted his feet, cheeks slightly flushed. I smirked having a very good idea where his thoughts shifted too. Saige was practically glowing when we made it home late last night, well that and she blurted it out as soon as the door shut to our room. Phoenix took it like a champ. I'm so proud of my best friends.
Justin lifted his elbow nudging Ky's shoulder with a smirk of his own, "Come back to Earth, man." Ky shoved him. We burst with laughter, only ceasing when we realized Commander had stopped talking, his stony gaze fixed on us. We apologized profusely.
"As I was saying, safety is our number one priority. If anyone sees anything that could jeopardize one of our own, report it immediately, I will personally check it out and let everyone know whether to abort or not. Team A will be on perimeter patrol, Team B will be tasked with making sure all participants and the town's folk are safe. Team C will be interacting with the test as directed beforehand. Team D will be with me on base coordinating and running the coms, I have set up a spot inside the fair. We don't have a lot of time so let's get to work."
People scattered about doing what they were assigned to do, I was about to ask Ky what he needed help with, but his eyes locked on something behind me with a cold glare. Justin's grip tightened around my hand, his gaze pointed in the same direction though not as angered as Ky's, he seemed more disappointed. I peeked around them, and when I did my heart dropped, a gasp escaped me seeing the state of our friend who went MIA. "What happened?" I blurted without thinking. "Are you okay?"
His dark gaze flickered between the males beside me with no emotion before landing on mine, he attempted a small smile, "I'm alright, Lace."
"Where've you been, Jackson?" I shot Ky a confused glance, is he not concerned about his injuries? Though faded a bit, shades of blue and purple swirled together in a nasty dance around his right eye accompanied with a bit of swelling. His left cheek was bandaged, and as I scanned his body, I noticed there were a couple more bandages along his arms, he was putting more weight on his left leg than the other; but I couldn't assess anything more since he was wearing jeans.
Jackson retorted, "Nice to see you too, bro."
"Don't be smart with me," I was taken aback by Ky's low tone. "Where in the world have you been?" He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. "Don't say you were on an extraction, you may have fooled Saige but we all know the truth."
Ky stepped forward radiating a wave of fiery anger that had Jackson step back, he raised his hands in surrender, "There's no need for this dude."
"Start talking," he all but growled clenching his fists.
"Look, I know this looks bad," I've never seen Jackson nervous before, the notion had me frozen to the spot, eyes wide, anticipating a brawl. "I just had to get away for a few days."
"To do what?" Justin spoke up, much more evenly.
"I needed time to think, clear my head."
"What's going on, man?"
Jackson's expressionless face crumbled into a death glare as he tensed up, snapping, "Y'all don't need to know every single detail of my life!"
"We were worried about you," I found myself saying gently, hoping to defuse the rigid atmosphere. "And you came back hurt, how do you expect us not to ask?"
As I hoped, his gaze softened as he glanced away, "I got jumped, I'm fine."
Ky strode towards him, stopping less than a foot away, his fist shot out landing a blow to his shoulder, "Dimwit. We don't ask if you don't tell, but lying is not becoming."
"We're here for you, Jax," I added.
"Even if you are being a stubborn mule," Justin smirked.
Jackson winced ever so slightly and rolled his shoulder, "Sorry."
"We're not the ones you should be apologizing to," Ky stepped back, his anger diminished a bit.
Jackson's face fell, but he nodded, "I understand."
Ky whirled around and started to walk towards the fair but stopped, turning to look over his shoulder, "Jumped was it?"
He didn't respond, as they seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes. I exchanged a glance with Justin, an understanding passing between us, the same realization that overcame Ky. We didn't believe him. I can't exactly explain it, but when you've been around the same people for years you get to know their quirks and ticks, you know when something about them is just...off, they're not themselves. This is that moment.
Ky finally broke the trance shaking his head, speaking much softer now, "I don't know what I'm more upset about, the fact that you lied, or, if you're in trouble, the fact that you didn't take us with you."
A mixture of emotions penetrated that dark gaze, emotions I'm not used to seeing adorning the brave and strong, Jackson Myles. They were gone in a mere millisecond, but no one could deny they were there. A flash of pain, a rooted agony that runs so deep one would doubt if time itself could ever heal it. But that's not what scared me the most. My heart rate skyrocketed, my grip constricted involuntarily around Justin's hand, to which he responded by rubbing soft circles with his thumb in an attempt to calm me, it did little. A shiver ran down my spine as I watched his face transform into a forged calm, unsuccessfully hiding his true feelings even if for only a moment; I loathed it, the demeanor that can destroy the strongest of men, capable of turning them into a frightening beast if left unchecked, hopelessness.
He refused to meet anyone's gaze as he stared hard at the ground clenching his fists, his voice cracked, barely above a whisper, and I strained to hear the words that brought unshed tears to my eyes, "You can't fix everything, Ky, not this time." His eyes widened, then narrowed studying him, I could see the wheels spinning in that bright mind of his trying to figure Jackson out. No one spoke, and I held my breath, waiting.
He let out a long breath casting his hazel orbs away briefly, lost in his own thoughts, "Maybe." When he looked back up, his gaze was set, his posture rigid, shoulders square, and standing tall; a polar opposite to the man across from him, "But that never stopped me from trying."
Jackson scoffed, "Spoken like someone who hasn't suffered nearly as much as the next." Ky's gaze hardened. He laughed bitterly, "All hail his highness, the mighty Kyle Grayson."
It was Justin's turn to glare and squeeze my hand, "So you got your butt handed to you." That thought alone sent another chill ripping through me, anyone who can take on Jackson is very powerful. "Doesn't give you an excuse to lash out like that, all of us have a story, all of us have gone through crap no one should have to endure," he slightly shook with anger, I placed my free hand on his arm as a silent warning not to lose it knowing where his thoughts went, his muscles instantly relaxed. "How we react to these situations is key, you of all people know. I suspect there's more to this than getting "jumped", and if you don't want to share and see if we can help, that's up to you. But don't you dare throw around mocking accusations about things you know nothing about."
A thought suddenly dawned on me, Newton's Law of Motion states, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." However random, and despite the fact he was talking about science, I couldn't help but think it can apply to people as well. So before I thought it through I asked, "Jackson, when did you get back?" He seemed startled as if he forgot I was there, but I quickly figured out the answer before he even uttered the words.
He slowly met my gaze, saddened, "Last night." It was as if someone snapped their fingers, the air shifted around us. Though I tried to ignore it, tried to reason with myself that I was overreacting, I knew.
Things were about to change.
***
I sat on Justin's tailgate resting my chin in my hand, sighing deeply. The contestants should be here within a few minutes, yet I couldn't find a smile, the conversation from earlier had soured my mood. I should be over the moon, Justin told me he loved me! And I said it back! But I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, it loomed hauntingly in my thoughts, my gut; and among it, confusion joined the ranks. I wasn't sure why I felt this way, in fact, I haven't felt like this since before I walked into the living room on the night my dad came home drunk. I absentmindedly traced the scar with my finger, slowly trailing from my collar bone down my right shoulder, shuddering at the memory. Twelve years young and I thought I was going to die that night.
"Shut up!" I sobbed uncontrollably as the broken glass smoothly sliced through my skin, the warm liquid oozing out, immediately soaking my clothes. "Stop that screaming you stupid piece of garbage!"
"Lacey? You ready?"
My head whipped so fast I thought I heard a crack, Commander furrowed his eyebrows in concern, "Y-yes, I'm coming." I slid off giving him a smile going to walk past him, he placed a hand on my shoulder stopping me.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course," I tried to reassure him, but I knew my smile was coming off as a grimace, especially when he raised a suspicious eyebrow. I dropped the poor attempt and sighed once again, "Really, I am."
"Does this have to do with the display between the four of y'all earlier?" I continued to stare, my silence my answer. He broke our gaze only for a second to scan our surroundings, "Everything will work out the way it's supposed to." I nodded, though it was more to appease him. "You're sure you're up for this?"
"Yes," I didn't miss a beat.
"Because if you're not-,"
"Commander," I stood up straighter narrowing my eyes, "Please do not question my capabilities."
His brown eyes enlarged, but a grin broke across his lips as he held his hands up in surrender, "That was not my intention, I know you are more than capable. I was merely checking on you since this is the first time you've set foot outside the safety net of the town in a long time."
"I'm never better," the excitement from before peeked through, "I can't wait to get started."
"Good," he nodded towards the gathering group near the tent with a table underneath we set up and we headed towards them. "I believe they are here."
I caught a glimpse of Saige, Phoenix, Silas, and others who participated in phase one, a little more than half passed. "I couldn't believe Phoenix and Saige's fight, that girl has come a long way. You put them together on purpose didn't you?" He smirked in response. "I knew it."
"The people want to see a good show," he shrugged casually, which pulled a laugh out of me. "Besides, Saige needed to go up against someone with equal strength to prove her readiness in combat." He paused a second, "I'm counting on you to be neutral and unbiased tonight." We stopped, I gazed at him with furrowed eyebrows, a question on the tip of my tongue, but he answered before I even asked, "You're testing, Saige."
My jaw dropped, "But I thought you didn't want close friends being directly involved-,"
"I did say that," he interrupted, "But I trust you." I instantly lit up, elated. "Besides, if you stick to what we originally planned, it would give her a run for her money."
I grinned from ear to ear, my joyful mood now bouncing back, "That would be ironic wouldn't it."
He chuckled, "This should be an interesting night." We finished the distance to the group. I glanced around for Saige, I wanted to see her face when he announces what all we have planned. Frowning, I moved through the small crowd, my heart escalating slightly when I didn't find her. On the edge, I caught her blonde hair disappearing behind the backside of a car a few of them down. I swiftly followed my goal to determine if she's in danger before drawing up unnecessary panic. I paused two cars from her and ducked down looking underneath, realizing she's not alone.
"What's the matter, Jackson? You're hurt! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, you should see the other guy."
He let out a small laugh, but it sounded forced. Saige caught on as well, "You don't sound fine."
"Never mind about me, I need to tell you something," his boots stepped closer.
"Okay," she sounded unsure, "What is it?"
"Saige I, before anything goes any further, I need you to know," he paused. My curiosity got the best of me, I peeked over the bed of a truck trying to be inconspicuous and watch the scene unfold. He rubbed the back of his neck, "I need you to know that this is real."
I stopped myself from letting out a sound that I'm sure would resemble a confused pig. Saige voiced my confusion more ladylike, "What's real? What do you mean?"
The look in his dark gaze shifted to something I couldn't quite place, she though, was suddenly on high alert, "This." In a flash, his hand slid to the back of her neck and pulled until their lips crashed into each other. I quickly stifled my gasp. I could see the conflict swirling within her, she didn't close her eyes, she stood shellshocked, completely frozen; other than the slight shake of her hand. He pulled back, rushing out, "I should've told you from the moment I saw you in the woods. I care about you way more than you know." She swallowed, managing a nod in her initial shock. "Please say something," he searched her face, possibly for a sign that she recuperated his feelings.
She remained silent with wide eyes, taking a step back and clenching her shaking fists, "I...I think you should...You've been through something traumatic, and you're not thinking clearly."
It was as if she physically slapped him, he took a step back himself, "I've never been surer of anything in my life."
She took a shaky breath, "I'm not doubting your feelings, I'm doubting your intentions at the moment."
"You think you know everything about me?" He snapped, she flinched. He took in a sharp intake of oxygen, irises expanding in alarm, "I-I'm sorry."
"This isn't the place to talk about this," she stared him dead in the eye doing her best to cover her emotions. "Save it for another time, please, after you solve whatever it is you need too."
His face fell, shoulders slumping over as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Okay, I understand."
She nodded curtly, spinning around walking away at a fast pace. I ducked behind the truck before she could spot me and waited to see if Jackson would follow, but he didn't move. So I quietly slipped back to the group, my joy snuffed once again as I processed what I just witnessed. Saige went to stand beside Commander Grayson as he came forward to address everyone. Silas on her other side leaned down and whispered something in her ear to which she nodded, shooting him a grateful smile.
"Alright participants, listen up," Commander spoke, gesturing to the table behind him. "You each will receive a file with your name on it, inside you will find the information of the person you are in charge of protecting and successfully bringing to the checkpoint. Memorize it, know it, it is your only source of information regarding when and where to meet your superior officer. Fail your mission, lose your client, and you do not move on to phase three." Nervous whispering resounded throughout the crowd. "It's every man or woman for themselves. Trust no one. You have ten minutes before the files are returned and phase two will commence. Good luck." People practically scrambled to snatch the tan colored folders like animals fighting over the last piece of meat.
I double checked my pockets making sure I had my phone, pocket knife, and pepper spray; everything else I left in Justin's truck for afterward. I caught Justin's eye across the dusty ground and he gave me a reassuring nod, we were good to go, it was time to focus. Saige frantically ran a hand through her hair letting out a frustrated sigh as she read, I giggled, my part in the test was easy. Her eyes snapped to mine, I let my smirk show letting her draw her own conclusions from it and giving her a little wave. She glanced around at everyone else, specifically Phoenix who was glued to her paper, then at Silas who casually whistled being the first one to set his file back on the table; everyone shifted uneasily. Saige huffed having an insane amount of difficulty memorizing it under this extreme amount of pressure, but that was the point.
Seven minutes passed with a total of three people have put their files back, most of them taking the time they had greedily. At the eight-minute mark, people treaded slowly over to the table, not looking up until they reached it before they turned it in. Saige shook her head already in defeat, I felt sorry for her, sure she was having trouble reading fast and comprehending it. At eight minutes and thirty seconds, she lit up taking her phone out of her back pocket. She scanned the people around her to see if she would be stopped, when she wasn't, she swiftly took pictures of all the pages. I grinned proudly for her quick thinking. At the nine-minute mark, I waved to Justin signaling him I was starting.
I'll be right behind you, he mouthed. I blew him a kiss, turning and darting into the fair with a giggle. My job is to make it difficult on the participants, and my fake profile states that I run away from the people trying to help...I think that was actually Captain Jensen's idea.
All kinds of smells assaulted my nostrils at once as I passed by the food trailers on either side of me, I made mental notes for what I was going to come back to get. I was not leaving here without fried Oreo's. I swerved to the left down the dirt path headed straight for the petting zoo, I might as well have some fun while I'm at it, and I wouldn't mind coming back here later with everyone else, because it's a petting zoo.
I glanced around for Justin who I assume is maintaining a safe distance at all times without being seen, he's probably shaking his head at me. I got in line to go inside the gate immediately since it didn't cost anything for entrance and it wasn't long before I immersed myself with petting the soft and fluffy llamas. I touched every single one before moving on to the goats, then I did the same thing before I made it my goal to pet every pig; and so on. It was when I was trying to catch a chicken, that I saw Saige about thirty feet away, eyes flitting everywhere in awe. I smiled and squatted down stroking a rabbit, once she passed, I decided to leave to go look at the calves on the other side of the food stands. With a skip in my step, I made my way towards them, cooing when I saw they still had their umbilical cord.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, the feeling of being watched by someone taking over my senses. I whirled around searching for the source but failing to distinguish any familiar faces. I was surrounded by people, families, and I know there were ones from the force somewhere in the shadows, and yet a shudder found its way down my spine. My gut twisted in warning, propelling my feet forward scouring the sea of faces about, and then I saw it. The dark figure weaving through the crowd like a snake slithers through a garden, closing in on its prey. I forgot the cute animals and hurriedly worked my way to the back of the fair where the rides consisted, peering over my shoulder periodically. The hooded figure kept up with me. I picked up my pace constantly searching for Justin, someone, anyone.
And with a rush of wind from a coaster timed with the perfect lighting, the dark hood slid back just enough, far enough for me to recognize the smile, his sinister smile. One that has been seared into my memory, forever haunting my dreams. The drunken lips who spat monstrous lies that should never be uttered to a child, curved into a creepy smirk, and he advanced. My heart rate spiked, an icy chill swept through my limbs paralyzing them, quaking in pure terror. My vision tunneled, blurred, I could only observe as he crept ever so closer. My lips parted in shock, no sound coming out, my breathing hitched at first, ceasing all together next.
A strong grip around my wrist yanked me out of my trance hastily pulling me behind them deeper into the crowd. I blindly followed letting whoever drag me since I was unable to function properly. Tears stung my eyes, rolling down in fat droplets of despair, how is this possible? He wasn't supposed to find us, we were safe. We had nothing to worry about. I was pressed against a wall, someone's hands on my shoulders slightly shaking me, speaking. I couldn't hear, I couldn't think. My mind collapsed in on itself like a ticking time bomb, imploding, crashing. My stomach churned, bile rapidly rose. I turned and retched, spewing and coughing at the burning sensation in the back of my throat. Someone held my hair while wiping my mouth with a napkin, still talking. My eardrums crackled, slowly becoming in tune with what they were saying.
"Lacey, we need to move." I blinked, gazing up at them as my vision cleared. "I know this is hard, but we have to go, right now. Something's happened."
I shook my head placing my hand on the wall to steady myself, "I-he," I spat in the dirt not caring if it was gross, finally able to see, "Saige?"
She took hold of my upper arm, peeking around the corner of the slushy trailer, "Come on, Lace."
"I-I need to call, Justin." Hands trembling, I fumbled, almost dropping my phone grabbing it from my back pocket.
"I already tried," she answered without glancing at me, "There's no service." She was right, I had no bars, strange. "I thought cell phones were supposed to come in handy in situations like this."
It was suddenly impossible to suck in air, "He did this." She spared me a look, eyebrows scrunched. "H-he's a tech genius, he knows h-how to jam signals." She cast her eyes away for a second, adrift in her own thoughts. "He's going to kill me," I whispered, petrified. "He's going to find my mom, and then my sister. He's-,"
Saige snatched my shoulders, "Stop it, don't talk like that."
"You don't understand! You don't know what he's capable of! What he's done to me, to us! You don't know, Saige!"
Her grassy gaze darkened, hardening instantly into slits, though she said nothing. Instead, after four long heartbeats, she lifted the hem of her T-shirt revealing many scars atop her abdomen. In her time of living in our house, she's always kept to herself, never volunteering information about what happened to her in the past. I knew it was bad but, seeing the result still rendered me speechless. She took a step back, her tone firm and sympathetic, "I do understand," she let her shirt drop, tightening her fists, "Better than anyone. So believe me when I say, he won't lay a finger on you, because he has to step over my cold, dead body to do so; and I won't go down so easily."
I stared at her, hardly believing this was the same girl who mysteriously showed up almost a year ago. Gone was she, a distant memory, a stark comparison to the woman who stood before me now ready to take on the world. Her confidence was contagious, and little by little, my heart rate came down and I could breathe in a full gulp of air. "Okay." She nodded and peered around the corner once more, but this time I poised ready to go behind her albeit a bit shakier, "Wait, how did you know to call someone? You couldn't have known, could you?"
"I made him at the petting zoo, I...actually thought he was Unseen," she spoke quietly. "But then I saw you and, well, here we are." I wasn't too sure what she meant by "unseen", but didn't push it because she turned to me with a skeptical look, "Our best bet is to stick with the plans of phase two, maybe by some chance someone will still be waiting for us and we can get help."
"Unless we find someone along the way," I pointed out.
"I've been looking," she shook her head irritably, "So much for protection. Speaking of which, do you have a weapon?" I sheepishly showed her my knife and pepper spray, she shrugged, "Better than nothing."
"What about you?"
"I'm packing, Captain Kelly made sure before I stepped out of the house." She took one final look about us, and with a jerk of her head, we stepped into the flow of the crowd sticking close to one another. Saige scanned every person who came near moving swiftly and quickly, never hesitating or slowing. She was so calm. I, however, became jumpy, flinching at every turn and everyone. My heart beat so rapidly there was no way the people around couldn't hear it.
Screams erupted from up ahead, bodies parted like the Red Sea, and my deranged father stood at the head, a permanent sneer etched in his wrinkled face. His chapped lips still set in that dangerous smirk, raised a gun in the air firing two shots sending the crowd into more of a frenzy zooming past us, leaving us virtually alone. Saige halted, one arm out in front of me with wide eyes, as my disgusting father put the gun to a trembling, sobbing, little boy's head. His smirk widened into a grin, showing off his yellow teeth, purring, "It's so lovely to see you again, Lacey." The icy grip of absolute terror constricted my lungs. "I've missed you."
***
Fun fact: The book is not over, and the word count is longer than Voiceless.