MasterMind_An Anna Monroe and Never Far crossover

by A. A. Dark

  Anna kneeled at my side, posed, statuesque. She looked toward me, but she wasn’t seeing clearly. She was so far away, in such a state of bliss, she was all I wanted to focus on. I licked over my bloody lips, forcing myself to address Boston.

  “I found it in my car last night. Why do you think I had it on me? I was going to give it back to you. You had it. Not me.”

  A pause. “That’s a lie.”

  “Is it? Maybe it fell out of your own pocket when you changed out of your suit. Think, Boston. You never think. You know you had it at some point. Try to remember the last time you saw it.”

  Confusion.

  Moments passed, and I shoved his arm off me. Before I could lift my shoulders off the floor, I was flipped to my stomach. Excruciating agony crushed into my spine sending my limbs outstretching through reflex. Oxygen left in a big gush, fading with the cracking in my spine. My mouth flew open, but nothing would come.

  “You did take her. You son of bitch.” Stomp! “She had it on the day she disappeared. I saw it. I touched it!” Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

  A deep groan came at the new kick, and air cramped in my lungs as I tried to roll onto my side. Nothing was working right. I couldn’t move my legs like I wanted. I couldn’t catch my breath. Pain. So much pain.

  “Anna, get me that knife. Anna.”

  When she didn’t move, he kicked me with such force, it sent me spinning to my back. The crunching wouldn’t stop as he continued to assault my ribs with his boots. Coughing shook my body, but oxygen was all but non-existent.

  “What did you do to her? Look at her!”

  I didn’t have to turn. I was already facing Anna, seeing the way her hollowed eyes barely blinked. Euphoric. Yes. She was on a level many rarely reached. A level I only prayed would take me over after my own kills.

  “Stop,” I managed. “You’re…wrong. Lucy—”

  “Is dead. You killed her. And now, I’m going to kill you.”

  “N-No. No!” My head shook as my mind became scrambled with disbelief. He couldn’t kill me…would he? Trying to draw my legs up was impossible. It hurt to move. To breathe. I used my arms, pushing my palms into the floor so I could attempt to sit. The excruciating agony only added to an odd fluttering fear. “Boston…you’re like a…son to me. Why would I hurt Lucy? No…you can’t believe that…I’d never do anything to hurt you. I love you. I’ve helped raise you.”

  Enraged eyes peered from over his shoulder. Light reflected from the knife Anna had used as he turned and pointed it toward me. “Yes, you did. You taught me everything I know. Including eliminating threats. You’re a threat.”

  “But I didn’t…do anything.”

  “Liar!” He lunged toward me, grabbing my hand. Before I could draw in my fingers, the blade slid through the last three. My mouth shot open, and thoughts disappeared completely.

  “Since you won’t tell me the truth, I’m just going to assume that’s the hand you hit her with. Beat her with. Did you hate her so much!”

  I gasped, losing air just as fast as he chopped right through my index finger and thumb. I jerked against the weight moving from my wrist to my forearm, but it didn’t matter. He was too strong without use of my legs.

  “Boston! I didn’t! I—”

  “Am a liar. Admit it! You killed Lucy!”

  Whack!

  A yell ripped its way free as the knife cut through the bones in my wrist. The blade embedded deep, only causing him to yank it free and hack through my flesh again. Before I could deny his claims, ringing echoed through the room. The ring wasn’t a normal one, but a collection of higher pitched tones. Anna’s head snapped over the smallest amount, and she struggled to her feet. Her mouth was parted, and her eyes blinked slowly.

  “Anna.” Panic had me scrambling to get my body to work. To fight against Boston before he could do anymore damaged. I raked against the ground with my free hand, crying out when the pain made it impossible to move.

  “What is that?” Boston asked lowly.

  “Braden?” Her eyes scanned the room. “Braden?”

  “Don’t,” I mumbled. “D-Don’t.”

  She rushed for the stairs, only to double back and spin in a circle as it continued to ring. My pulse pounded into my chest, and I knew I wasn’t getting out of here alive. Not if they discovered the detective.

  “Braden? Braden!”

  Anna ducked under the back of the stairs, lowering to crawl. When she emerged with a cell phone, I was sure I was going to pass out. How had I not seen it? I searched his pockets before dumping his body in the SUV, but all he had on him was his wallet. One thing after another. My mistakes were adding up, and they were killing me.

  “Anna.” Boston rushed over, helping her stand as she crawled back out. Mad eyes tore across the room, lost, yet found, when they stopped on me.

  “Where’s Braden? Braden! Braden!” She was spinning again. Beginning to rake down her face as she trembled through adrenaline-overload.

  My mouth opened as I searched for a lie…an excuse. Nothing would come at Boston’s glare. His hand reached for her arm, and it was seconds before he turned away from me to look at her. She was fighting against his hold, but he didn’t budge.

  “Look at me, Anna. Shhh. Look at me. Go upstairs and search the area. Outside, everywhere you can think to look. I’m going to take care of this, okay? I’m going to make everything better now.”

  “Boston?”

  “No,” he continued soothingly. “Go find your detective. Go find Braden.”

  Fingers pushed back the hair stuck to the blood on her face. Jittery, she nodded, spinning from his arms as she struggled up the stairs. Even now, so gone from her kill, the cloudiness was thickening into shock. When she disappeared through the door, Boston dropped the knife, and reached over, grabbing a hatchet.

  “Did you kill him too?”

  “You don’t…understand. He came here. He was figuring…us out. Anna, she didn’t love him anyway. She’s confused. She’s better this…way.”

  “You fucking killed him. God. Anna.”

  “Boston.” A cry left me as tremors seized my body. I tried to lift my arm, but that only gave me view of the hand dangling against my forearm. The room spun while I tried to hold on. “Please. Everything I’ve done…I’ve done for you. For…both of you. You and Anna. Lucy…you’re better now. You’ll see. You’re…better.”

  Disgust drew in his features as tears raced down his face. “Wrong. Everything you’ve done, you’ve done for yourself. Now, where is he?”

  Nothing would come. Boston reared back, and I screamed as a piercing fire ignited across my other wrist. My arm drew up against my chest for safety in reflex, but the sight of my other hand missing offered no comfort. Warmth oozed free, soaking into my shirt as I stared up, lost. I was trapped. Unable to escape. The end was closing in around me, and for the first time, I couldn’t think of anything to say to make this right. The man I had devoted myself to was turning on me. The killer I had groomed since youth was about to kill me.

  “Where. Is. He. I’d like to get there before she does. The next swing is going into your neck. I do believe Anna mentioned something about wanting your head. For the pain you’ve caused her, I’m going to give it to her.”

  “Please. I love you. I can…make this right. I…swear.”

  “She’s out there hurting right now. She needs me. Last chance. And you know I mean that.”

  The hatchet lifted, and the air grew still. The room spun, feeling offset as I watched him zero in on my throat. I knew he’d keep his word, and there was a finality as I stared into cold, hazel eyes. It came with fleeting fear, a tinge of disappointment, and despite those, acceptance. Maybe I had done a better job at teaching him than I’d realized. Maybe…I hadn’t failed in my mission. The monster that lurked in his glare was present more than ever. And if anything, meeting Anna was a blessing in disguise. I hadn’t just created one ruthless killer…I had created two.

  “Garage. Out back.”


  “WHACK!”

  Epilogue

  Boston

  3 months later…

  They said love was the root of all happiness. That love could heal the toughest wounds. They said love could drive out hate.

  What happened when love was the cause of such wounds? Or when love created hate? What did a person do when they could no longer distinguish between the two?

  The warm summer breeze filled the air with the scent of flowers. I walked slow, letting my memories of Lucy play out in my head. She was surrounded by different kinds. She pointed and nodded, acknowledging her like of each one. The long blue dress she wore swayed with her every step. We were back at the gardens. Back to smiling and laughing with each other, in a time that almost didn’t seem real. But I wasn’t really retracing our steps from that fateful day. I was leaving her grave, passing four more before coming to a stop next to Anna. Her tears were long-gone now. Dried up, just like our hearts. Sometimes we managed a fake laugh. Sometimes we just stared blankly at our food through another quiet dinner. We were inseparable in our silence. The perfect pair in an otherwise unorthodox friendship. It didn’t matter. Without each other, we had nothing. Together…still, maybe nothing.

  My hand gripped her shoulder. Robotically, she stood, kissing her finger and touching the top of Braden’s headstone, only to move over and place the kiss to Roman’s. It was the same thing every time. The same routine. The same black dresses. The same…silence.

  Chirping sounded in the distance as we walked back to my car, and the smell of flowers grew stronger. I inhaled them in, knowing somehow, I had to do something to change things. Maybe not for me, but for Anna. She needed me, and my obsession surrounding her grew from that knowledge. She was the only thing keeping me from swallowing a bullet. Perhaps, my need of her kept her alive as well.

  “Want to change and go for a run?”

  Brown eyes glanced over. Instead of answering, she shook her head.

  “Do you want to pick up Chinese food on the way home?”

  Again, a silent no.

  “Ice cream?”

  Her response was delayed, but she shook her head.

  I frowned, opening her door as she climbed in. When I got in and began heading out of the cemetery, we were once again riding in solitude. It was beginning to drive me crazy. Turning on the radio, I let some unknown song play. Anna stared ahead, a zombie of mourning. I tried to think of something to talk about, but nothing came to mind but the day that changed her life forever. It was like we were both stuck in the fog of that nightmare. I could still feel her going wild in my arms as I opened the garage door to reveal Braden’s SUV. I could still feel her sobbing against me as we discovered his dead body slouched in the passenger seat.

  Even when I cleaned her up and the police came, Anna couldn’t be controlled. Diego, Braden’s partner, couldn’t even break through her grief. I held her for hours—days—weeks. Every night, I still held her. And every night, she screamed through the new nightmares. It didn’t help that the dog she tried to cling to treated her like a dangerous stranger. Maybe he could somehow sense the owner he barely knew wasn’t there anymore. She’d get close, and he’d growl. When he bit her hand, I nearly killed him. Instead, I dropped him off at the neighbor who cared for him.

  “What about pizza? I can call it in. We can pick it up on the way.”

  “We had pizza last night.”

  “We did.”

  The song ended, and I turned at the light, glancing over as she stared out the window.

  “Have you talk to your boss? You mentioned going back soon.”

  Another shake.

  “You don’t have to work. Really, you can stay at home with me. I’m okay with that.”

  Full lips pursed, and she glanced over, raising one of her eyebrows. The smallest change in her personality had me smiling. Even if I knew the look wasn’t a good sign, it brought a happiness I hadn’t felt in months.

  “Really. I’m serious. Don’t work. I have money. We’ll stay at home all day, eat lots of candy, and spend the rest of our lives watching horror movies. It’ll be great. The best. You know, I like this plan. We can make this happen.”

  “I have to work, Boston. I’m just not sure I want to work back at the station. I can’t do that anymore.”

  “So, what do you want to do?”

  “What do you want to do? You have to work too.”

  Silence. This time on my behalf. Commercials ended, and when the news started, I was barely listening. What was I going to do with my life now that I was here in Rockford? What could I do that kept me close to Anna? I had to watch over her and make sure she was okay. But…my eyes went to the black book resting in my console.

  This is Kerry at WZMD Hot 95.9’s News at Noon. For those out and about, expect delays on East Riverside Boulevard due to a two car accident at exit twelve. For those of you passing through, I-39 is clear. A prayer vigil will be held tomorrow at seven for the two Rockford High seniors who went missing nine days ago.

  Anna flew forward, turning up the radio.

  Rockford Police Department and the FBI want to remind the public to take precautions while you’re out. A midnight curfew is still in effect until further notice. Be safe, Rockford.

  Anna’s hand was trembling as she pulled it back into her lap. Wide eyes peered over at me, but not ones of fear. She had the same look she’d had with Davis. It held madness. Rage.

  “Daniel. It has to be him. The age of the girls fits the profile. I assumed he left town, but what if he stayed?” Fog. Yes. Anna seemed to be blinking it back too. Emotions began to register and increase with every second. “Daniel…Bill…Linda.” She turned more in my direction. “Boston…ask me again what I want.”

  Life. She had life again, and it was all so she could try to save others. Or maybe it was because she wanted to put an end to the names she’d mentioned. I wasn’t sure, but I sure as hell wanted to find out. Again, I looked at the black book I’d taken from Dr. Patron’s inside pocket.

  “What do you want, Anna?”

  Tears streamed through the anger beginning to darken her face.

  “Revenge. A partner.”

  About the Author

  Alaska Angelini/A.A Dark is a Best Selling Author of dark, twisted happily-ever-afters. She currently resides in Wisconsin, but moves at the drop of a dime. Check back in a few months and she's guaranteed to live somewhere new.

  Obsessive, stalking, mega-alpha hero's/anti-heros are her thing. Throw in some rope, cuffs, and a whip or two, and watch the magic begin.

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