by J. Lea
“Aaargh,” I roar. The sirens in the distance are getting closer. The attacker pulls the knife out before I collapse to the floor. I try to get a good look at him, but a dark hood obscures his face. A wave of intense pain passes through me, my eyes shutting closed. By the time I open them again the attacker has climbed out the window and disappeared into the night.
“In there.” April’s panicked voice is getting closer and I hear several sets of footsteps. Cops. Couldn’t they get here sooner? I hiss when I try to move, feeling a burning sensation that doesn’t want to cease, in my shoulder. I clench my teeth. Reaching my good arm out to lean on the bed, I scramble to my feet, cursing all the while.
“He got out the window.” I nod toward the broken window when officers Guzman and Becker rush into the room, battle ready. April’s right behind them, and when she sees me she runs into my arms. Guzman and Becker take off after the perpetrator.
“Ugh, shit,” I mutter.
“What’s wrong?” April looks up at me, fear and panic in her eyes.
“The fucker stabbed me.” I take a step back so I can press the hand of my good arm on the wound to stop the bleeding.
“What? Where?” She takes a step back, immediately noticing the red stain on my shirt. “Jesus. I’m calling the ambulance.”
“I’m fine.” I’ve been hurt worse before.
“You’re bleeding, how can you be fine? And your face, you have a nasty gash on your cheek.”
Becker and Guzman decide to return, guns in their holsters. “Did you find anything?” I ask, hopefully.
“Not a trace of him.”
“This can’t be happening,” I shake my head. “He always gets away. How’s that possible?” I kick the wall in anger.
“How’s your shoulder?” Becker points his head to my wound.
“I’ll live,” I wave my arm at him, still furious for letting the fucker get the hit in.
April called the ambulance despite my protests and they took me to the nearest hospital. April rode in the ambulance with me, Guzman and Becker driving close behind. I made them promise to never let April out of their sight until I’m patched up and ready to go.
As I’m sitting on the examination table, I think back to the moment I decided to leave April alone, a foolish mistake I’m never going to let myself make again. The stalker’s gotten bolder and I’m going to have to find a way to stop him once and for all.
“You’ll need stitches,” the nurse announces when she checks my injured shoulder. “Luckily, the knife avoided the artery and important nerves, but it’s still pretty deep.”
“Fine, just get it over with,” I say curtly.
April
While we’re waiting for Jude to get stitches—his wound was worse than he claimed it to be—I’m thinking about what my life has turned into. From seemingly innocent messages and then harsher threats, the stalker started attacking people I care about. I can’t let that happen anymore. Leo’s dead and Jude could’ve been stabbed fatally today. Who’s next? I shiver at the thought. No one’s going to be next. I’m going to make sure about that.
“I was thinking…” I think out loud.
“Yes?” Guzman asks.
“This man who’s stalking me is supposed to be in love with me, right?”
“Yes…” Becker nods, waiting for me to get to the point.
“Jude says it has to be someone I know, someone who used Leo to get to me.”
“That’s right.”
“What if… What if the next time he calls I suggest we meet? So we can draw him out into the open? If he’s so in love with me as he claims, then he won’t be able to resist my offer. He wants me and I’m more than glad to offer myself as the bait.”
The officers share a look. “Miss Brookes, this would be extremely dangerous.”
“Isn’t it dangerous already?” I throw my arms in the air. “Leo’s dead, Jude’s been hurt. I won’t let him hurt anyone else. I can’t. We have to make him come out of hiding.”
“We could try—“
“Over my dead body!” we hear a shout behind us. Turning our heads, we see Jude walking toward us in long strides, his shoulder bandaged and the wound on his cheek cleaned out. “I won’t let you do that.”
“Jude, I don’t care what you think, I want to help. I’m tired of hiding and not doing anything.” I get to my feet, walk up to him and take his face into my hands. Jude grabs my wrist with his good hand, a soft look in his eyes.
“No,” he says quietly, yet firmly.
I wriggle out of his hold, facing away from him. “I’ve made my decision and there’s nothing you can say or do to stop me.” Turning to Guzman and Becker I say, “So it can be done?” They nod.
“It could work,” Becker says.
“No, I don’t care if it might work. We’re not sacrificing her,” Jude huffs.
“Don’t be so stubborn. You don’t know how it feels to be so paranoid you keep looking over your shoulder, constantly on the watch to see if you can see your psycho stalker in the distance somewhere, or worse, close by. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff not knowing what waits for me at the bottom. This is no way to live. I’m sick and tired of being afraid. I never realized how dangerous a person can be until I’ve experienced it on my own. I don’t know who the stalker is or what he looks like. He could be anybody I encounter on a daily basis. I’m ready to take action and find out for myself, willing to put myself on the line if that’s what it takes to catch him. I can’t live like this anymore, Jude.”
“You’ll be an easy target.”
“That’s the whole point. I’ll be surrounded with cops, right?” I look at the two officers next to me for confirmation.
“Besides,” I continue, “I have your bracelet.” I stick my wrist under his nose. “If I feel threatened in any way, I’ll press the button. You said it yourself. You can find me anywhere.”
Jude clenches his teeth, scratching his jaw. “I don’t like this.”
“Like it or not, that’s our only remaining option.”
“She’s right,” Becker and Guzman back me up.
Jude is silent for a minute. “Fine. But we’re doing it my way. If you want this to happen, you’re going to have to listen to me. Every. Word. I. Say,” he says with emphasis on every word.
“I will, I promise.” I start feeling hopeful again, like the light at the end of the tunnel has turned on again.
“And if I get the feeling you’re in any sort of danger, I’m pulling the plug on the operation.”
“Jude—“ I start to argue but he silences me by pressing a finger to my lips.
“No, don’t object. These are my conditions. Take it or leave it. What happened today wasn’t a coincidence. He was planning this; planning to take you. Do you understand me? He wanted to kidnap you. And since his plan’s gone awry I’m sure he’s not feeling very pleased right now. He’s smart, I admit that. And that’s why we have to outsmart him.”
“Okay,” I relent, “Okay.”
The next three days pass without any contact from the stalker. No calls, no threats, which doesn’t make me feel any better; in fact, I’m more nervous by the hour. I want him to contact me so we can play out our very carefully laid out plan.
We made a plan of action the same evening Jude was stabbed and when I hear from the stalker, which is only a matter of time, we’ll be able to set things in motion and finally catch the son of a bitch. The guest room window was repaired immediately. Jude and I returned to my house, alone, so the stalker wouldn’t suspect anything and lay low.
Every night since then, I went to bed feeling anxious and afraid, waiting for the call that just wouldn’t come. I need desperately to get this chapter of my life behind me and start a new one. Jude’s barely slept a wink all this time, stubbornly ignoring my pleas to get some rest and go easy on his shoulder, but he keeps assuring me he’s alright. I noticed his green eyes are not as full of life as they were before. They’ve lost their spark and he�
�s constantly nervous, on edge, and the dark circles under his eyes make him look much older. Before the night the stalker managed to get into my house, it seemed like we were making progress, becoming closer, but now that time feels like a distant memory. Like I’ve imagined the whole thing. He hasn’t even as much as touched me in three days. He doesn’t sleep next to me, but sits in an armchair next to my bed, his gun in his hand, in constant readiness. I miss him, talking to him, having him close to me.
“Jude, I’m begging you, go to sleep. You’re tired and you need to rest. Please, at least for a few hours, sleep.” I pat the space beside me.
“I’ll have plenty of time to rest when I’m six feet under, Princess,” he barks, his gaze distant.
“Don’t say that.”
“What am I supposed to say then?” He finally looks at me. “It doesn’t look like he’s going to make contact any time soon. He obviously altered his plans and he’s probably looking for a new way to take you. And if I’m not careful, he’ll succeed. Understand? I can’t fucking sleep!” I flinch at his words.
I don’t know how to reply to that. I simply nod once, turn my back to him and close my eyes, trying not to think further about his sudden change in behavior around me.
Two more days pass. I’m sitting in the living room when I hear my phone ring in the kitchen. Sprinting to the next room, Jude at my heels, we share a look before I answer.
“Hello?”
“April,” the familiar muted voice sounds through the line. “My love.” Jude stands beside me, shifting weight from one foot to another. I nod to let him know it’s the call we’ve been waiting for.
“Who are you?” I ask harshly. I was told to speak with the stalker in a more pleasant and respectful manner but it’s so hard to hold myself back.
“Your destiny,” he responds. “I’m slightly angered your little detective friend ruined my plans, but that doesn’t matter now. All is fair in love and war, isn’t that so?” he chuckles, the sound muffled and giving me the creeps. “By the way, how’s his shoulder?” My temper rises and I’d like to tell him to fuck off but I bite my tongue and respond calmly, “It’s okay.” My gaze flies to Jude. “And I’d like it to stay that way. That’s why I have a suggestion.”
“A suggestion, huh? I’m not going to like it, right?”
“You can have me if you promise not to hurt Jude, or anyone else, in any way. If you leave everyone I care about alone, I’m yours. It’s me you want, isn’t that so?”
“Why the sudden change of heart, angel?”
“I just told you. I don’t want you to harm anyone else. I’m yours if you leave them alone.”
“Why do I find it hard to believe you?” I sense his doubt. “What’s the catch?”
“There is no catch.”
“There’s always a catch, angel. Even though I love you, I can’t trust you.”
“Please, I’ll do anything.”
“Anything, huh?”
“Yes. I can meet you someplace and I’ll willingly leave with you. I promise.”
“Okay,” he says after an excruciatingly long pause. “Meet me at Fenway Park, noon.”
“Today?” I exclaim in surprise.
“Yes, today. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you.” And he hangs up.
“The meetup is today?” Jude sounds suspicious.
“Yes, at noon.”
“That’s not enough time to set everything up. Two hours is nothing.”
“It’ll have to do!”
“Shit!” Jude exclaims, rubbing his face. He grabs his phone, making phone calls for the next thirty minutes, setting our plan in motion.
Precisely at noon, I’m standing by the entrance to the Fenway Park. As usual, there is a crowd of people around, children playing in the snow making snowmen, and I’m nervously shuffling in my spot, anxiously waiting for the moment I’m finally going to meet my stalker face to face. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified. My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. I catch myself stroking Jude’s bracelet without even realizing it.
Jude managed to set everything up. We went to the police station where we worked out the last details and I was equipped with a microphone, hidden under my coat, with a tiny earpiece that’ll connect me to Jude. Jude assured me a thousand times he won’t let me out of his sight. Besides, there are under-cover cops nearby, waiting to take action and arrest my stalker. I’m praying our plan works out.
“Ready?” I hear Jude’s voice through my earpiece.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m scared, but it’ll be worth it so I can put this nightmare behind me once and for all.”
“Not long now.”
“Jude…” I whisper. My words are left hanging in the air. I have no idea what to say to him. Our time together is almost up. He has no reason to stick around once the stalker is caught. I don’t want to say goodbye to him. I want to thank him for all that he’s done for me, tell him I have feelings for him. I can’t believe I fell for him, but I did. Hard. I need him to tell me why he’d gotten so closed off and distant. I want to know if it’s because of something I did or said… And before I get the courage to say any of that a man, wearing a hood on his head, appears in front of me. I flinch. This is it.
“Come with me.” He grabs my hand not so gently and starts dragging me down the street. I’ve mentally prepared myself for this moment so many times, made countless scenarios, and now that I’m here, I freeze.
“Is it him?” Jude’s voice is echoing in my ear. I don’t give them the signal we agreed on. I can’t. I’m not sure. I don’t smell stale cigarettes combined with something sweet.
“Where are we going?” I ask the hooded man instead.
“April, is it him or not?” Jude repeats more impatiently. I still don’t say anything. “Can you hear me?”
How can I be sure it’s him? It could be. The hoodie he’s wearing is the same as the one I’ve seen the stalker wear before but there are no other visible clues. We take a turn into a small alley, and suddenly, we’re surrounded by police. Everything happens so fast I’m in a daze.
“Hands up!” one officer says, and the hooded man drops my hands and raises his in the air. They push him against the wall and search him for weapons while I’m watching them, wondering if this is it. Is it finally over? Have we caught him? One of the officers pulls the hood off the man’s head as I hold my breath in anticipation. A middle-aged man, unshaven, with his ash grey hair messy and dirty, is staring at us, fear in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Jude runs to me, pulling me into a tight hug. He sounds relieved as he’s studying my face, brushing hair off my face. “April?”
“Yes,” I nod, but my eyes are still glued to the stranger in a hoodie, now cuffed and being put into the backseat of a police car. A group of people gathered to watch the event, whispering and guessing what’s just happened.
“Come, let’s drive behind them.” He wants to be present when the police interrogate the suspect so I get into the car without hesitation.
Fifteen
Jude
“Where do you know April Brookes from?” Guzman asks the suspect. I’m standing in the corner of the interrogation room, listening. The Captain allowed me to be in the room as long as I remained quiet and didn’t cause any problems.
“I don’t know her,” the man spits out. “I’ve told you a dozen times already.” We’ve been here for half an hour and he’s been claiming the whole time he has no idea what we’re talking about.
“Why did you have her picture in your pocket?” Guzman continues.
“Some guy gave it to me. He told me his sister’s gonna be at the Fenway Park at noon and I was supposed to take her to a car parked a few blocks away. It was supposed to be a surprise for her birthday or something.”
“So, you did as he said? Just like that?”
“No. He gave me a hundred bucks.”
“Fucker!” I lose my mind for a moment, slammi
ng my hands on the table in front of him and looking him in the eyes. “For a fucking hundred bucks? I can’t believe it.” I run my hand through my hair in frustration and take a few steps back so I wouldn’t be as tempted to punch him.
“What? What did I say?” the suspect asks Becker, who’s also present in the interrogation room.
“What did the guy look like?” Becker ignores his question.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t really looking at him. All I saw was the sweater and a hundred bucks he shoved under my nose. It doesn’t often happen that a homeless guy gets so lucky.”
“Homeless?” I jump in.
“Yes, I live on the streets. That’s why I didn’t ask questions. I was hungry, cold, and all I had to do was to take a girl a few blocks over to a car.”
“I can’t fucking believe it,” I mutter to myself.
The door opens. Captain walks in and nods for me to come closer.
“His fingerprints were in the database. His name is Randy Ingram.”
“I told you so,” Randy frowns.
“He was arrested multiple times for begging on the street.”
“I was hungry. I told you that already. Why is no one listening to me?” Randy speaks up again.
“So, we have nothing,” I say to Captain.
“It looks that way.”
“Fuck! We’re right back at square one.” I march out of the interrogation room, slamming the door behind me. I find April sitting in Captain Reeves’ office, bent over, phone in hand, looking pale.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her. She seemed quiet and distant before, but I can feel something’s bothering her now.
“He called me.” Her gaze is fixed to the floor.
“He called you?” I repeat, not really knowing what she’s talking about, but soon realizing what she meant. “He called you!? When?”
“A few minutes ago.”
“What did he say?” I don’t know if I want to know, but I still need to hear it.