by Chuck Buda
“Where are you boys headed?”
Ryan glanced at Aiden. Aiden replied before Ryan could answer. “Just driving around.”
Samantha smirked. She figured she looked like the cat before it ate the canary. She wanted to contain herself, but her tongue betrayed her intentions. “Cut the shit. I know what happened.”
The boys stared at each other.
“Who’s going to tell me the truth? I need to know how this happened. Right now. And if I detect the slightest bit of bullshit, so help me God...” Samantha rolled her eyes.
Aiden stepped closer. He spoke softly, like he was afraid the officers up the road would overhear his confession. “What do you know?”
“More than you think. So, give it to me straight. We don’t have much time.”
Ryan groaned and spun in a tight circle, kicking at small stones on the pavement. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. Aiden took a deep breath.
“You know about Leah?” Samantha began crying upon hearing her daughter’s name. Visions of her little girl danced along the dashboard in a watery choreography. Aiden picked up on Samantha’s emotions. He sighed and continued. “I’m sorry. Nothing like this was supposed to happen. It was stupid kid junk and it all went wrong.”
Samantha sniffled and dug around the car for a tissue or napkin.
“We tried to stop it. Her. The power was too much.”
Samantha snorted. “You’re not making any sense, Aiden. I need answers right now.” She slammed her fists against the steering wheel. The pain bit through her hands, bringing calm to her nerves. It prepared her for the next steps.
“We got mixed up in all this occult stuff. Zoe lost it. She wanted to overpower us all. We fought back but...we lost. And Leah...” His sentence faded into the night air.
Samantha searched their faces. Both boys looked upset. They didn’t carry the demeanor of killers. They knew they were in some deep trouble. She softened her approach. Maybe the rest of the kids weren’t responsible for Leah’s death. Not completely responsible. Rebecca had indicated Zoe was the cause of all the trouble. The story she heard from Aiden seemed to corroborate that.
“I’ll ask you again. Where you headed?”
Ryan blurted out like he had found his voice for the first time. “We’re trying to find Zoe.”
“Why not go to the police? Unless you are trying to hide something?”
Aiden leaned into the window. “We’re not hiding anything. We want to find Zoe before she does more damage.” His eyes darted back toward the town square. “She’s on a war path. I think the bodies are piling up and we want to stop her before it goes any further.”
Samantha listened carefully to the spaces between the words. She wanted to believe Aiden. He had always been a good friend to Leah. And he had been a sweet boy. She just couldn’t be sure he was the same sweet kid she had come to know over the years.
Aiden shoved his hands in his pockets. “Honestly, I want to find Zoe before anyone else.”
Samantha stared into Aiden’s eyes. She saw them well up with tears of his own. “Why?”
Aiden dabbed at the corner of his eye. He bit his upper lip.
“So I can fucking kill her with my own hands for what she did to Leah.”
Chapter 14
Todd spit on the pavement.
Jordyn tried to keep up with him. Todd’s legs were longer and stronger than hers. She had to jog every ten paces or so just to stay in the same zip code as Todd.
Todd finally stopped. He waited for Jordyn to catch up. The anger in his expression had dissipated but was still visible. Jordyn wished she could throw her arms around his neck and fall asleep in his arms. She knew those dreams were dead. Definitely for tonight. Most likely forever.
Jordyn thought about her mother. She felt deeply ashamed now for what she had done to her. Sure, the vindication of revenge had satisfied her crushed heart. It had fixed some of the ills that had been done to her. It had also made things worse. Revenge was a hollow satisfaction. On the surface, its achievement was rewarding. Underneath it all, the revenge only led to more pain. It poured salt in the existing wounds and opened fresh ones. Jordyn pushed away the thoughts of her mother before she broke down in a fit of tears.
“This is fucking pointless, man.” Todd ran his hands through his hair and plopped down on the grass along the sidewalk. “There’s no fucking way we’ll find her like this. We need to be in the car, so we can cover more ground.”
Jordyn slumped next to Todd. She was careful not to invade his space too much in case his mood caused him to lash out at her for her involvement in the night’s events.
“Aiden wants us on foot, so we can find Zoe if she is still hiding.”
“If she’s fucking hiding, we’re not going to find her walking through the streets.”
Jordyn sighed. “Driving around in a car is not going to pull her out of hiding either.” She sensed Todd’s attention on her. She looked up into his face.
Todd huffed. “You’re right. I don’t know what I’m thinking. This whole thing is fucked. I just want to beat the piss out of her and make her pay for what she’s done to us.” He picked up a twig and fired it into the street. “Our lives are over now. No more college. No more dreams. Now I’m going to rot in jail and have to fend off monstrous prison cock.”
Jordyn giggled. Todd screwed up his face. “Sorry. Just the image of you being towel-snapped in the shower.”
“It’s not fucking funny, Jordyn.” Todd shouted a bit too loud for Jordyn’s comfort at this hour of night.
They both sat in the damp grass, fiddling with whatever was in reach. The silence thick as the friends worried about their futures.
“I wonder if they found anything yet. I guess they would’ve texted or called if they had run into Zoe.” Jordyn laid back in the grass. The stars in the sky were slightly muted by the ambient light from the town center and all the streetlights. Still, Jordyn found Orion’s belt and she remembered her father taking her to the Planetarium in New York City when she was a little girl. She missed those daddy and daughter outings. Once she had reached a certain age, Jordyn had begun spending more time with her mother than her father. She had more in common with her. Make-up, clothes, boys, food. Jordyn clenched her jaw at the image of her mother. She loved her mother deeply. But she remained very hurt.
“I’ll call Ryan and see what he says.” Todd fished his cell phone out of his pocket.
“What about Spencer? He might be quicker to find Zoe because of that magic shit.” Jordyn wondered if her hypothesis could lead them closer to finding Zoe. Todd seemed to consider her idea.
“Dunno. I’d rather talk to Ryan though.” He dialed the number from the contact info. Todd spit again as he waited for Ryan to answer.
Jordyn watched the muscles in Todd’s forearm and bicep. His arms were so strong. Jordyn found herself again wishing she could roll over in the lawn and cuddle with Todd. Her despair wilted the dream as quickly as it arose.
She listened as Todd spoke to Ryan. Jordyn signaled for Todd to put the phone on speaker so she could listen in. Todd frowned and shook his head. She maneuvered closer, trying to pick up the distant voice on the other end. Jordyn heard something about Leah’s mother. She heard “cops found a body” and “joining us in the hunt.”
While she waited for Todd to wrap up the call, Jordyn’s cell phone vibrated. She reached into her back pocket. Glancing at the screen, Jordyn didn’t recognize the number which flashed across the blue background but the area code and exchange looked familiar. Jordyn had no clue who could be calling her at this hour. She was about to hit the button to connect the call but a chill passed through her like an icy spear. What if it was the cops? She was afraid to answer it. What could she say? The slam of prison bars abruptly shook her from her stupor.
She keyed the button, answering the call.
“Hello?” Todd eyed Jordyn over his shoulder. He returned to his conversation with Ryan.
Jordyn heard breathing.
“Hello? Who is this?” Her blood froze.
More breathing on the other end. Jordyn thought she heard a soft chuckle.
“I’m going to hang up now.”
“No you won’t.”
Zoe.
Jordyn wanted to vomit. The sound of Zoe’s voice frightened her. Zoe sounded more demonic than human. The cadence and timbre of the words were somewhat off kilter. Otherworldly.
Jordyn’s mouth became pasty. She tried to wet her lips but her tongue felt like a pumice stone. She felt so creeped out that she began looking up and down the street as if she expected to find Zoe lurking. Stalking her prey.
“You want to find me?”
Jordyn croaked out an unintelligible response. In her mind, she had said yes but, in reality, it sounded nothing like that.
Giggling.
“You know where to look. It’s not that hard.”
Did she just hear a slurping sound?
“What? Wait. What?”
Zoe’s grin came through the receiver loud and clear. “You and I have a history. That history will lead you to me.”
Jordyn swallowed a lump of dryness.
“Ah, you’re probably too much of an airhead to figure it out. That’s okay. Just follow the blood and you’ll find me.”
The connection died. Jordyn shook as she pressed the cell phone against the side of her face. Todd finished his call with Ryan. He faced Jordyn.
“Who was it?” Todd grimaced. “Jordyn? What is it?”
Jordyn shook.
“Are you okay?”
She dropped the phone on the lawn. Todd’s eyes followed the phone to the ground before returning to her face.
“Who called you?”
Jordyn couldn’t answer Todd. The world felt as if it were spinning in tight, fast circles around her. She held onto Todd before she fainted.
“H-H-Her.”
Chapter 15
Ryan’s energy levels had fizzled. It had been hours since he had eaten anything. He’d been awake for almost twenty hours. He yawned as he got back in the car.
Just as he sat behind the steering wheel, Ryan’s cell phone buzzed. He snatched it off the dashboard and stared at the strange message.
Where are you?
Ryan glanced in the side view mirror. Aiden was still talking with Leah’s mother. Ryan looked at the display. The phone number attached to the text message wasn’t from someone saved in his contact list. He scratched the side of his head, wondering who could be texting him.
Are you there?
Ryan typed back. Who is this?
I need your help.
Ryan puzzled over the stranger’s request. Who is this?
Zoe.
Ryan’s heart beat increased. He felt his lungs grow shallow at the thought of Zoe reaching out to him. He looked over his shoulder. Aiden and Leah’s mother continued to chat. Ryan straddled the fence about alerting Aiden immediately and carrying on with Zoe to see if he could figure out where she was. He took a deep breath. Where are you?
A long pause. Then a new message popped up on the screen. I need to know I can trust you first.
Ryan snorted. Zoe had been the one to destroy all their lives and she had the balls to ask him if HE could be trusted? Why should I trust you?
I’m a victim of all this.
Ryan rolled his eyes.
Spencer set me up. He wants to control you all. I fought against him.
Ryan tilted his head in consideration. Zoe had gone to battle with Spencer. The whole mess at Jordyn’s house had been an epic fight between the two power brokers in the club. Had he been wrong about who was good and who was bad? Ryan felt even more confused after thinking about Zoe’s point.
Then why did you kill Leah???
A brief pause before Zoe typed back. It wasn’t me! It was the demons Spencer summoned to make me do bad things. I’m a bitch but I’m not a killer.
Ryan glanced one more time in the mirror. But you said all that stuff. You changed, Zoe.
That’s what I mean! Spencer’s magic did something to me. Ryan felt sweat begin to form along his upper lip. He brushed it with the back of his hand to clear the moisture. Zoe continued. Now I’m all alone and scared. I need you. You’re the only one I can count on.
Ryan adjusted himself in the seat. He understood Zoe’s opinion. Spencer had it out for Zoe. Todd and Jordyn were hell bent to take Zoe down. And Aiden wanted revenge for Leah. Ryan had wanted to go along with everyone in their quest to hunt down their evil friend. What if he was wrong? What if they were all wrong? Spencer had always been the quiet, intelligent member of the group. Maybe he had ulterior motives to break apart the friends. He had always been into weird shit. He had even shaved his whole body for this crap, Ryan chuckled. The images of the battle in Jordyn’s house replayed and Ryan began to perceive the differences in perspective.
He struggled to figure out how to move forward. Should he tell Aiden and the others about Zoe’s outreach? Should he try to find her on his own so he could look her in the eyes and determine if she was telling the truth or not? It would be dangerous to be alone with Zoe. Why should he be afraid? He was bigger and stronger than she.
Yet, his belly roiled in turmoil.
You can trust me. Tell me where to find you.
Ryan stared at the screen for what felt like minutes before Zoe responded. She obviously had as many reservations about coming in contact as he did.
Just you. Nobody else!
He huffed and typed quickly. Yeah, yeah. Where?
Another long pause as he waited for Zoe to answer.
Zoe’s location flashed along the display. Ryan felt stupid for not thinking of looking for her in the place she had told him about. It made so much sense now that he knew where to find her. They had all gone about the search totally wrong.
Zoe responded with a kissing emoji. The sex with you was always real.
Ryan’s loins stirred. He had always enjoyed Zoe’s body. Her wildness.
On my way.
Ryan tossed the cell phone back up on the dashboard. He started the engine and pulled a quick U-turn in the gas station lot. Aiden stood up straight with his hands in the air, questioning Ryan’s haste.
Ryan pulled alongside the other car. Aiden stood between the two vehicles.
“Where are you going? We’re still trying to figure out how to divide and conquer.” Aiden’s face showed an edgy side that Ryan had not known before. It didn’t matter though. He had to go. Alone.
“Sorry. I think I’m going to have the runs.” Ryan bit the inside of his mouth in embarrassment. It had been the first lie that sprang to mind. He couldn’t look Leah’s mother in the face now that he had introduced the big deuce card. “I’ll catch up with you soon. Just gonna run home really quick. You two go together and I’ll be right behind you.”
Ryan hit the gas before Aiden or Leah’s mother could object to his inconvenient timing. He chirped the wheels as he swung the car on to the main drag, heading in the direction of his house. Ryan purposely threw them off the scent, in case they had watched him leave. He knew he could turn the car back in the opposite direction after going a few blocks out of sight. Ryan would cut through some of the back streets to avoid detection.
The shortness of breath returned as Ryan envisioned himself reconciling with Zoe. The make-up sex would be the ultimate prize. Ryan reminded himself not to jump ahead. He still needed to ensure Zoe was truly on the same side. If she was used as a pawn by Spencer, then they could both convince the others that he was the real enemy.
But not before he got a chance to enjoy the fruits of the reconciliation. Ryan licked his lips with anticipation. He grew rigid, straining against the seatbelt across his waist.
Chapter 16
Todd called Ryan’s phone. It rang half a dozen times before going to voice mail. Exasperated, Todd hung up and tried again. Six more rings and then voice mail.
“Fuck.”
Todd used one hand to rub Jordyn’s back w
hile the other hand dialed Aiden’s phone. Jordyn still looked as if she were in the middle of a nervous breakdown. Todd had tried to get Jordyn to reveal what Zoe had said. He hadn’t been very successful. Jordyn had only choked out a few words in between sobs and shaking.
Aiden answered almost on the first ring. Todd felt relief wash over him. He realized Ryan had probably been driving, most likely avoiding the phone so he could concentrate on the road. Todd explained the surprise phone call Jordyn had received from Zoe. He told Aiden about Jordyn’s condition. And how they didn’t know much more about Zoe’s whereabouts.
Aiden filled Todd in about running into Leah’s mother. Todd couldn’t believe how Samantha knew about Leah’s death. He began to wonder why Samantha was on her own in search of the group of friends when her husband was a big, strapping man. He knew if it was his daughter who had been killed, Todd would be the first one to pound the pavement in search of retribution. But Aiden disrupted Todd’s train of thought.
The conversation took a turn when Aiden explained how Ryan had gone home to shit, leaving Aiden with Samantha. Todd stifled a laugh at how childish Ryan was. Ryan had always been the one to find himself in strange situations. Compromising positions. Ryan had a knack for creating the weirdest stories based on his unique luck or curse. Either way, Ryan ended up with Hollywood-esque tales of sex and debauchery. Sometimes the stories were funny because of how unlikely they were.
Here we go again, Todd reasoned.
Samantha spoke over the boys. She suggested they combine efforts to find Zoe. Todd hadn’t realized Aiden had his phone on speaker. He quickly ran through his choice of words to see if he had said anything which would come back to haunt him with Leah’s mom. Todd felt fairly confident he hadn’t said anything earth-shattering.
Aiden argued with Samantha about their use of resources. It sounded as if they had been disagreeing over the direction of the hunt all along. Todd picked up on the frustration in Aiden’s voice. Samantha insisted they do everything together, as one big search party. Aiden was adamant they could cover more area if they went in a grid-like pattern, separate but in a logical method.