Girl in Trouble

by Stacy Claflin

  He stepped closer to the water and braced himself before running into it. The biting cold went straight to his bones and almost stopped him in his tracks. Almost. He pressed on, running until the murky water reached his waist. He pressed his hands together and dove in, ignoring the utter chill on his skin.

  Alex swam, feeling winded almost immediately. He kept going. There was no way he was going to stop until Ariana was safe and Flynn was either dead or in police custody, he didn't care which.

  The cold made it hard to keep going. He could barely feel his legs. Alex stopped and treaded water for a minute, trying to catch his breath. In the woods, Zoey ran down a trail.

  He glanced over toward the boat, but didn't see it. In a moment of panic, he looked around, nearly going under. The corner of the boat stuck out from the edge of the island. He was almost there.

  "You can do it, Mercer." He gasped for air. "You have to."

  A commotion sounded on the island. Two figures appeared, the smaller running from the other.

  Ariana was still alive.

  Blessed relief ran through Alex, followed by a renewed burst of energy. He took a deep breath and went under, swimming with all his might. The island was so close—Ari was so close.

  He pushed forward. Water gushed into his nose, burning and stinging. He blew it out and kept going.

  Finally, his fingers touched land. He'd made it.

  He reached his feet down and felt the sand on the bottom. He stood and walked onto the land. The air was even colder than the frigid water. The cotton boxers did nothing for him.

  Alex shivered and shook off what excess water he could. Ariana screamed from somewhere to the right.

  Fury tore through him. He ran in the direction of her voice. Sharp rocks and twigs dug into the soles of his feet. He ignored the pain and pressed on.

  Ariana was so close. He wouldn't let anything get in his way.

  She screamed again, this time closer. He turned slightly, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. His lungs burned. Something dug into his right foot. He cried out in surprise.

  "What was that?" Flynn asked.

  Alex was closer than he thought. He raised his foot and pulled out a piece of broken glass. Blood gushed from the wound.

  Sirens blared in the distance.

  "They couldn't have found me," Flynn said.

  A helicopter sounded from not far away.

  "Ow!" Ariana cried. "That hurts!"

  Struggle

  Blind rage ripped through Alex. He ran toward their voices, jumping over roots and rocks while getting dirt and mud in his cut.

  They came into view, Flynn first. Alex wanted to tear him from limb to limb. The sirens and helicopters grew louder. They were too far away. Flynn could easily kill Ariana before they reached the island.

  He ran over, pausing behind a tree. Ariana now wore a costume. She had on cat ears and wore all black. At least she had more clothes on than she'd had in the picture he'd received.

  Flynn shoved Ariana against a tree. "Behave now."

  Alex dashed toward them, no time to think or plan.

  Ariana's eyes widened as she saw him. Flynn's back was to him. Alex put a finger to his mouth. She nodded.

  Alex grabbed Flynn's shoulders and slammed into him. Flynn let go of Ariana and fell to the ground, taking Alex with him. Branches and pine cones dug into Alex's side.

  "Run!" he told Ariana.

  He punched Flynn in the side of the head. Ariana spun around and ran.

  Flynn rolled over and grabbed his neck, digging into his flesh and squeezing. "You should've left it alone."

  Alex gagged, unable to respond. He kneed Flynn in the crotch, and his hold on Alex's neck loosened. Alex scrambled to his feet and ran in the direction Ariana had gone, ignoring the pain in his feet.

  The sirens and helicopter grew louder. A light shone down on the far side of the tiny island.

  Something hard hit Alex in the back of his head. He stumbled and turned around, rubbing the knot that was already forming at the base of his skull.

  Flynn ran at him. "You need to leave!"

  "You need to give me back Ariana!"

  "No, you need to leave Jan alone!"

  Flynn threw a fist-sized rock at Alex. He ducked and flinched, barely missing getting struck in the forehead. Should he attack Flynn or look for Ariana? While he hesitated, Flynn took advantage of his delay and ran at him.

  Alex balled his fist and punched him across the face. Flynn's head flew back, blood flew out from his nose. Alex spun around and ran. The whole island seemed lit up—police lights shone from where he'd left his clothes and the spotlight from above kept sweeping the area.

  He glanced back to see Flynn running after him, covering more ground because he had shoes and clothes—and a knife.

  Alex swore and sped up. "Ariana!"

  "Stop!" Flynn yelled, sounding even closer.

  Alex darted around trees, jumped over branches and oversized rocks. Something sounded in the water.

  "Alex!"

  His heart sank. It was Zoey. He spun around. She stood near the shore. He glanced back—Flynn was now running in her direction. He ran after him and kicked the back of his knee. Flynn stumbled, but didn't fall.

  Alex grabbed the back of his shirt, pulled on the collar. Flynn gagged and flailed his arms.

  "Zo, Ariana's that way." Alex nodded his head in the direction she'd gone.

  Zoey burst into a run. "Ari!"

  Alex slammed Flynn into a tree. "It's over."

  "It's not. It never will be."

  "Shut up."

  Footsteps sounded from not too far away, followed by shouts and bouncing lights from flashlights.

  "Over here!" Alex called.

  Nick and two other cops appeared around some bushes.

  "I've got him." Alex shoved him against the tree again for good measure. "Just like I said, he had Ariana."

  One of the other cops cuffed Flynn while the other read him his rights. Nick turned to Alex. "Where's Ariana?"

  "She went over there. Zoey went after her." Alex shivered.

  "I'll find them. You get to our boat. There's some blankets in there."

  Alex ran over to the shore and found the boat. He climbed in and wrapped one around him, continuing to shiver. The two cops returned with Flynn and climbed in. One held onto his arm and the other pushed the boat into the water and began rowing.

  "What about Ariana and Zoey?" Alex exclaimed.

  "They're taking the boat Zoey brought over. Don't worry. Your daughter is safe."

  Shore

  Alex let go of the blanket and jumped out of the boat. He ran over to where he'd left his clothes and fought to slide them back on.

  An ambulance barreled down the dirt road, stopping behind all the police cars.

  The other boat arrived, carrying Ariana, Zoey, and Nick.

  Alex ran over to the boat. Nick and the other cops were helping Zoey and Ariana out. Alex wrapped his arms around Ariana, squeezing her tight. She clung to him. He would never let go of her if he had anything to say about it.

  Zoey wrapped her arms around both of them.

  Tears stung Alex's eyes. He couldn't hold them in. With tears streaming down his face, he kissed the top of her head.

  She looked up at him, tears shining in her own eyes. "You saved me, Dad."

  "Did you doubt me?" he teased.

  The corners of her mouth twitched, then her expression turned serious. "I was really scared."

  "So were we," Zoey said. "I've never been more scared in my life."

  "Me, neither," Alex said. "You really scared everyone."

  Her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry. I never should've talked to him."

  Alex kissed her cheek. "You're back now. That's all that matters."

  "Just never do that again," Zoey said.

  "I promise."

  Nick came over and smiled. "I hate to break up this reunion, but the medics need to check you guys out." He nodded toward the ambulan
ce. "Also, we're going to need some statements. Unfortunately, it's going to be a little while before everyone can return home."

  Alex gave Ariana another kiss. "Go with Captain Fleshman. He's the best policeman there is." Alex let go of Ariana and threw his arms around Nick. "Thank you for believing me."

  Nick returned the hug. "I'm just glad everything worked out—that she's safe." He stepped back. "Once this is done, I'm flying out to see my kids." He turned to Ariana. "I've got three kids. I bet you'd make good friends with Ava. Come with me. We're going to meet the medics so they can make sure you're still healthy."

  She nodded and followed him, glancing back at Alex and Zoey. Then the two of them disappeared behind the ambulance.

  Alex wiped his eyes and turned to Zoey. "We make a pretty good team."

  Zoey nodded. "Surprisingly, we do."

  Their gaze lingered. Alex wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened, but she returned the kiss and then rested her head against his shoulder. He held her close and rubbed her back. "Our nightmare is finally over."

  Reversal

  Alex opened the restaurant door, allowing everyone else to go in first. Ariana went in followed by Zoey, her parents, Alex's parents, Luke, Nick, Kellen, and a handful of Ariana's friends and teachers. It warmed his heart to see so many people there for her welcome back celebration.

  Once they were all inside, the manager led them to the private party room. Streamers hung from the ceiling and single roses rested at each spot on the table. Alex had told them it was for the newly returned Ariana Nakano, and they had gone all out.

  He turned to the manager. "Thank you. This is perfect."

  She smiled. "All of it—including the meals—is on us. It's our way of saying we're glad she's back, sir."

  Alex's mouth dropped. "I don't know what to say."

  "Just enjoy the party. Let us know if you need anything. Servers will be in shortly." She smiled again and left the room.

  Everyone began taking their seats. Ariana waved Alex over. Zoey sat on one side of her, and she pointed furiously for Alex to sit on the other. He went over, gave her a hug—he'd been giving her a lot of them the past few days—and took his seat.

  Dad sat next to him and pulled out his notebook. "Have you read any of the news articles?"

  Alex shook his head. "After everything that was said before, I don't care. The only thing that matters is spending time with Ariana."

  "It's a good thing she likes attention," he replied. "I don't think she's had two seconds to herself."

  He frowned. "I don't think she's wanted it. From what she said about her time there, she was alone most of the time."

  "I think everyone has done a great job of making up for that." Dad scrolled around the screen of his tablet and handed it to Alex. "Everyone's calling you a hero."

  Alex gave him a double-take. No more death threats and name calling? He skimmed over the news article, which went over some of the details of the kidnapping and rescue. Sure enough, instead of being called a stupid idiot who deserved to die, he was now being lauded as a hero who had taken down a killer.

  Zoey tapped his shoulder. "How are your stitches?"

  He shrugged, stretching a few muscles. "Nothing that won't heal."

  Ariana beamed. "You should've seen him. He fought Lloyd like in the movies."

  Alex kissed the top of her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

  Kellen came over and gave Ariana a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe. Everyone was so worried about you."

  She returned the embrace. "Why aren't you sitting with Mom?"

  Zoey and Kellen exchanged a glance. Kellen cleared his throat. "You'll probably see less of me, sweetie, but I still care about you just as much." He glanced back at Zoey. "We just decided that getting married isn't the best thing for us."

  Ariana pouted. "I'm going to miss you."

  "I'll come see you anytime you want, kiddo. Just send me a text, okay?"

  Her face lit up. "Really?"

  "Of course. Just because your mom and I aren't getting married doesn't mean we can't be friends." He gave her a hug and took his seat next to Emily's dad.

  Maybe Golden Boy really wasn't so bad. Alex picked up the menu and glanced around. His appetite had doubled since Ariana's return. Probably because he'd hardly eaten while she was gone.

  The door to the private room opened, and along with it came the smells of delicious food. Three servers came in, carrying trays of appetizers. They set them on the connected tables and took orders for drinks.

  It was tempting to order a beer, but he ordered some sweetened tea instead. He wanted to live healthier for Ariana.

  Alex's phone rang. It was Darren. Alex answered out of curiosity.

  "Hey, boss. Am I late for work?"

  "Funny. No, I'm calling to say I'm really happy your daughter's back."

  "Thanks. So am I."

  "I'm also calling to offer you your job back, and to apologize for the way I handled the threat. I shouldn't have fired you."

  Of course he wanted Alex back. Now that Alex was a hero, at least according to the media. "No, thanks. I'm going to be staying here." He smiled at Ariana, who was pulling stringy cheese out of a cheese stick and giggling.

  "Well, if you change your mind, it's always here."

  "Maybe I'll stop in and say hi to everyone when I clear out my apartment. My rent's almost due, and I have to get my things."

  "Give me a heads up, and I'll order some foot-long subs. We'll send you off properly."

  A going away party after being fired for possession of pot? "Sure. How about Tuesday around noon?"

  "Tuesday at noon?" Darren asked. "Got it on the calendar. Well, if you ever need a reference, I'll give you a glowing one. You've been one of my best guys for a long time."

  "Thanks, but I'm working for family—at least for a while." Dad claimed to need another assistant, so Alex agreed to help. He'd see if Dad really needed the help or if he was going to give him busy work to keep him home.

  Alex said goodbye to Darren and reached for a cheese stick. He bit down and pulled, making the cheese stretch twice as long as Ariana's. She burst into laughter and tried to outdo him.

  Zoey shook her head at them, but she had a grin on her face.

  Luke came over, holding his phone. "Hey, Ariana. Macy wants to say hi from the hospital."

  Ari put her cheese stick down and smiled at the screen for video chat. "Hi, Aunt Macy. I wish you could be here."

  "So do I, but the good news is that I should be able to go home soon."

  "Yay! Dad's moving over here, too. Did you know that?"

  "That's what I heard. I can't wait to see you. Take care of Uncle Luke while he's there, okay?"

  Ari giggled. "Sure."

  Luke turned the screen back to himself and went back to his seat, still talking with Macy.

  Alex leaned back in the chair and looked around the table. Everyone was so happy, but he was sure he was the happiest of them all.

  Watching

  The man sat in the back of the courtroom, shaking his head at the scene before him. His twin brother told the stories of their childhood, stories colored by his own grief and mental illness. He had been forever trapped in them, trying year after year to return everything to the way it had been before their younger sister had died and the family began the downward spiral from which they would never recover.

  Their mom had killed herself in the nuthouse and their dad had sent himself to an early grave thanks to the alcohol. Not that Flynn minded—not after his father, his own flesh and blood, had kicked him out of the house before he was old enough to drive, just because he liked to have a good time. He should have sent Lloyd away, too, but he had always been the perfect one, the better one.

  His goody-two-shoes twin was the one the who could've prevented Jan's death. He was the one who'd helped her sneak out that Halloween so many years ago. It wasn't Flynn's fault she had found him and his friends. They
hadn't even known she'd hidden herself in that little boat.

  Flynn and his friends had gotten drunk and high, then started a fistfight. The boat had flipped over. If Flynn would have known that Jan was in there, he'd have risked his own life to save her. But he didn't know until it was too late.

  Lloyd stood at the edge of the lake, waving his arms like the ridiculous nerd he was, screaming something. Flynn had either been too high to understand or they were too far to hear. Flynn's friends started making fun of him for being related to the fool.

  Flushed with humiliation, Flynn had stormed off into the little island, unaware of his sister fighting for her life only feet away.

  It was a decision he would live to regret every single day of his life. Not only because sweet Jan didn't deserve to die like that—alone and scared—but also because of what Lloyd did with his own grief. The lunatic had relived the nightmare every year since, putting a new girl in Jan's place.

  Finally, it had caught up with him. He probably would have continued getting away with it, but he'd dragged Flynn into it. Flynn had told Lloyd to stop killing girls as soon as he'd found out about his sick exploits years earlier, but Lloyd had threatened to turn Flynn in for his part in Jan's death. He doubted he'd be held responsible legally, but he never wanted to find out.

  Then this last time, Lloyd had been careless. He'd been seen, and then the girl's dad had pegged Flynn. And why not? Despite Flynn's identity change, he and Lloyd were still mirror images of each other.

  And now Lloyd had taken Flynn's long-standing identity. It was Flynn Myer on the stand for the murder of all those girls, not Lloyd Vassman. Not even Flynn Vassman, but the good name Flynn had worked so hard for. The rock solid alibi hadn't even helped—Lloyd had been caught with the girl and pretended to be Flynn. The fact that the cops couldn't explain the video didn't keep them from prosecuting him.

  Luckily, Flynn was resourceful and smart. He already had a new identity and a new look. He surreptitiously checked his hair piece, making sure it was in place. His new brown, wavy hair was just right. His darkened skin was starting to fade, though. It was a good thing he had an appointment for another spray the next day. That reminded him, he needed to order more blue contacts.