“What are you doing?” I asked, changing my question.
Jaelyn rolled her eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? You know, I really thought you were smarter than this. I mean honestly, I left you enough clues. What does a girl have to do to get you to follow simple instructions?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why are you doing this?”
Zoe flinched when Jaelyn threw her head back laughing, causing the gun’s barrel to slam against her already bruised head. She looked like she’d been in a fight, but I chose not to focus on that at the moment. It was more important to get her away from the dangerous weapon and the person holding it.
“Calla, what’s going o… Jaelyn? What are you doing?”
Jordan froze at the sight of his cousin holding a gun to a poor, innocent girl’s head. I would be too if someone I thought I knew turned out to be a psychotic lunatic.
“Jordan, what a surprise. It’s good to see you,” Jaelyn said with a smile as if this was just another ordinary conversation in a normal situation.
“I wish I could say the same. We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he said with a cautious tone.
“And here I am. Congratulations, you found me.”
“I kind of wish I hadn’t,” he said, and I couldn’t agree more.
Jaelyn didn’t appear sympathetic however. She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. What happened to the girl who got so excited over the smallest victories? It was like someone or something had invaded her body and taken over.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this? What did Zoe do to deserve what happened to her?” I asked, unable to keep quiet about her state. “I thought you two were friends.”
Shrugging, Jaelyn looked down at the girl in her arms and sighed. “We were. Unfortunately, she got too nosey and got too close to finding out where I was. I’m honestly surprised she looked so hard to find me. I didn’t expect her to care that much, but I guess I was wrong. I didn’t want to have to get her involved. She should have just let it go.”
“You could just let her go. I’m sure she won’t say anything. It looks like she’s barely conscious as it is. She doesn’t have to be involved any further,” I said, trying to latch on to any semblance of the roommate I remember. “If you really consider her a friend, you can leave-”
“Sorry, but I can’t do that, not now that she knows the truth.”
“The truth?” Jordan asked.
Rolling her eyes again, Jaelyn let out a breath. “Hello? What are you guys, stupid? I’m literally holding a gun here. I’d think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not the person you thought I was,” she said, waving the gun around as if to make a point.
“She won’t say anything,” I repeated, but Jaelyn just shook her head.
“You see, this isn’t just about Zoe blabbing with her big mouth, which we both know would happen, this is about you,” she said, pointing her gun in my direction, and I forced myself not to jump. She hadn’t shot me so far, so I should be safe for at least a little while longer.
“What does taking this girl hostage have to do with Calla?” Jordan asked, and I nodded. I would like the answer to that as well.
Jaelyn grinned. “She’s my leverage.”
My blood ran cold from the look on Jaelyn’s face. It was the look of someone who was looking forward to something, but it wasn’t her usual excitement. No, it was much more sinister… evil.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked, prepared to sacrifice myself for Zoe if I had to. After all, I didn’t have anything left to lose, unlike her. Zoe’s family was still alive and well. She had a boyfriend who loved her and so many friends who adored her. I had nothing.
“Right now,” Jaelyn said, grin widening. “I want you to drive.”
Jordan led the way back to his car as Jaelyn walked us with the gun alternating between the back of Zoe’s head and our backs. She practically had to drag Zoe with her who appeared to be having trouble keeping up. I was surprised she was even still conscious with how little she was responding.
“Get in,” Jaelyn said, shoving Zoe into the back seat.
Zoe slumped into the seat, pulling herself across to the other side at Jaelyn’s instruction. Then she told Jordan and I to both get in.
“No,” Jaelyn said when I went to get behind the driver’s seat, then pointed at Jordan. “You drive.”
We shared a glance before switching sides, and Jordan got in behind the wheel as I slid into the passenger’s seat, and Jaelyn moved to sit beside Zoe in the back, keeping the gun firmly locked on us.
“Where are we going?” I asked, and Jaelyn growled, a purely guttural sound.
“You’ll see when we get there!” she yelled. “Now drive!”
When the car didn’t start, I looked at Jordan to see that he had his hands on the steering wheel and was currently staring back at Jaelyn with narrowed eyes.
“I said drive,” Jaelyn warned, aiming the gun at the back of his head. “Or I’ll get rid of you.”
Jordan didn’t even flinch, and I forced myself not to say anything. How could someone treat their own family that way? He’d spent all day helping me look for her because he was just as worried as I was - if not more - and this was how she thanked him.
“You have all the leverage here, Jae. There’s no reason for you to shove the gun at anyone. I can’t just drive around aimlessly. Put the gun down, and I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” he said, sounding much calmer than I felt in that moment.
Jaelyn studied him in the rearview mirror, their eyes not parting for even a second until she, finally, lowered her weapon into her lap. Nodding, Jordan turned the key in the ignition, and the car roared to life.
“Now, where do you want me to go?” he asked.
“Just drive straight. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
Looked like we were in for the long haul. At least there was no long a gun aimed at me ready to go off at any second.
We drove for what felt like hours. The only sound in the car being Jaelyn’s haphazard directions of ‘turn left at the next road’ or ‘drive straight for thirty miles’ without a single clue as to where they were heading. Whenever Jordan tried to get more than one direction at a time, Jaelyn raised the gun and told him to just do as he was told. Thankfully, she lowered it again when he complied without question.
“Get off at the next exit and turn right,” Jaelyn said, startling me.
It was the first direction she’d given in the last hour, and I was beginning to nod off. After staying up most of the night studying and the excitement of the day’s events, I was exhausted. But I forced myself to keep my eyes open and stay alert no matter what, because there was currently a crazy person holding a gun in the backseat. I would be a fool to let my guard down that much.
Jordan switched lanes just before the exit, and when I read the sign, my breath hitched.
Welcome to New Orleans
As he got off the exit and turned right, memories came flooding back of our family trip the week before the fire. If I remembered correctly, we were heading directly into the heart of the city. Just a little farther, and they would reach the French Quarter.
“Turn right,” Jaelyn ordered, and Jordan once again followed the direction without fail.
“Where are we going?” I asked, unable to keep my questions to myself. “Why are we here?”
Jaelyn didn’t immediately tell me to shut up or yell at me, and when I looked back to see why, she was reading something on her phone. It took a moment for my words to register, but she was so distracted that she answered, seemingly without thinking.
“Because this is where you belong,” she said before realizing what she said. Shaking herself back to reality, Jaelyn focused on what she was doing. “Why did you stop?”
Eyeing Jordan, I silently wondered the same thing. He had pulled into one of the parking spaces on the side of the road just before the French Quarter and switched the car off. I forced myself not to com
ment, however, because Jaelyn’s attention was not focused on me and my questions.
“I can’t go any farther,” he said gesturing in front of him.
Sure enough, just a little way up the road, a long white banner, held up by two orange warning posts, stretched across the road, blocking the entrance.
“Crap,” Jaelyn hissed. “I thought we beat the festival setup. This is all your fault!” Jaelyn screeched, but to my surprise, she wasn’t pointing at me, she was pointing at Jordan. “You were supposed to bring her to the house sooner. What took you so long anyway? You just had to spend more alone time with you little girlfriend.”
My brows shot up into my forehead as I looked at Jordan. He appeared calm and a little too bored considering he was being yelled at by a girl holding a gun, except she wasn’t pointing the gun at him. It was sitting on the seat beside her, forgotten.
“What is she talking about?” I asked, wondering if it would be a bad idea to reach for it. Maybe I could send some sort of signal to Zoe… if only she wasn’t completely passed out, slumped across the seat.
Jordan sighed. “You really are an idiot. Don’t you know when to keep your mouth shut?”
Rolling her eyes, Jaelyn threw her hands up with an exasperated gasp. “Me? The plan was perfectly clear. You were supposed to drag her along with your sad little my cousin is missing and I need help eyes, then when she found the note, convince her to come to the house, but you had to go and pittle around. What? Was she too hard for you to convince? Too strong willed? I thought this wouldn’t be a problem for a strong, handsome man like you. Isn’t that what you said?”
Jordan’s hands clenched around the steering wheel, and I turned my body so I could see them both at once. My pulse raced as my body tightened, ready to dart at any moment.
“Shut up, Jaelyn!”
I jumped when Jordan yelled, his face twisted into rage, and I was thankful his narrowed eyes were not directed at me. Unbuckling my belt, I reached behind me, careful to take slow, cautious movements as I tried not to catch their attention. The lights flicked on as I pulled the handle, and the pair looked up in confusion before turning their gaze on me. Spinning around, I shoved the door open, and lunged out into the street.
Jordan yelled something, but I ignored him as I darted down the street in the direction of the blocked road. At least they wouldn’t be able to follow me in the car. Racing around the building, my hopes rose slightly at the sight of the crowded square. I weaved my way in and out of the crowd, resisting the urge to look behind me to see if I was being followed.
“Watch out!” someone yelled when I bumped into them, but I didn’t bother stopping to see who it was or apologize as I picked up speed.
My legs protested as I pushed them to run farther and farther. I was nowhere near athletic, but I’d pushed myself more in the last month than I had my entire life. Moving from a clouded memory, I followed the stretch of roads Lily and I used to get to club that night so as not to get too lost. I had no idea how to locate the police, and my phone was back in the car, forgotten in my haste.
Did I risk asking a stranger for help? What if they didn’t believe me? How did I know who could be trusted? What if I talked to the wrong person? No, I couldn’t afford to think that way. I had to get away, create as much distance between myself and those two as I could and then ask someone to use their phone and call 9-1-1. That was my only option.
Turning down the next alley, I finally stopped running and leaned against the wall to catch my breath, keeping an ear out for heavy footsteps coming my way. How did everything turn out like this? All I wanted was for things to go back to normal, and they were getting that way - or so I thought. Why couldn’t it be like in the movies where this is all just a dream? I’ll close my eyes and wake up in my bed with Jaelyn getting ready across the room. We’ll go down together and meet Zoe for breakfast… Zoe. How could I have forgotten about Zoe?
Shit. What was I going to do now? If I got away, what would they do with her? Would they still try to use her as leverage or would they let her go? Or would they get rid of her? Jaelyn already said so herself, Zoe knew too much. There was no way she would risk her telling someone by just dropping her off on the side of the road somewhere.
Taking a deep breath, I leaned around the corner of the building and sighed. Nobody was there. I’d lost them - which would be great if I now didn’t have to worry about Zoe’s life instead of my own. I yanked my hair back into a bun, and steadied myself as I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my arm.
Walking around to the other side of the building, I retraced my steps, careful to stay hidden among the shadows or blended into a crowd of people. I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any sign of either Jaelyn or Jordan, wondering how I got myself into a situation where two different people I thought I could trust turned out to be the opposite. My life couldn’t possibly get any worse.
Sweat pooled at the base of my neck and ran down my back as the heat from the sun and humid air worked in conjunction to bring about the hottest day of the year - at least that’s what it felt like while running through the streets of New Orleans.
As I made my way back to the car, praying it was still there, I ran my plan through my mind. If only one of them was waiting in the car, I would take a large rock or something and throw it at them through the window. If no one was in the car, I would sneak in and pull her out, only resorting to breaking the windows if the doors were locked. Hopefully, the gun would still be sitting in the back seat, and I could use it to help us escape. If both of them were in the car… well, let’s just hope that wasn’t the case.
The entire time I was walking back to the parked car, it felt like I was voluntarily walking to my demise. Each step closer, my heart constricted in my chest, and I had to fight the urge to forget about Zoe and just save myself. I couldn’t do that though, not when I was the reason she was involved in all of this in the first place, even if I had no idea why.
Expecting one of them to jump out at any moment, I was surprised when I came to the final turn and still hadn’t come across either of them. That could only mean one of two things was true. They were both still waiting for me in the car, or I had successfully managed to get away and had returned to my potential captors like a completely idiot.
It took me a few minutes to work up the courage to peer around the corner, but when I did, I breathed a sigh of relief to see that it appeared empty. I couldn’t tell whether Zoe was still inside, but it was more likely that she was still slumped over in the back seat than it was for them to have carried her somewhere since she was in no condition to walk on her own.
Giving one last look up and down the street, I raced down the sidewalk to the car and yanked on the back door. Not prepared for it to just pop open, I fell back and was met with an armful of unconscious female.
I had to push through the moment of recovering and rose to my feet, dragging Zoe with me. She groaned as I lifted her and struggled to open her eyes.
“Come on. We have to go before they come back,” I whispered urgently.
“I think it’s a little too late for that Calla.”
I froze at Jordan’s voice behind me. When did he get here? I was sure I looked everywhere and he was nowhere to be seen. There’s no way he just appeared.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to leave Zoe behind. You’re just too good of a person for your own good,” Jaelyn said as she walked around to the side so I could see her out of the corner of my eye.
Setting Zoe down gently and leaning her against the car, I turned to face the two, and a glint of silver caught my attention. Looking down to make sure I didn’t trip over Zoe’s outstretched limbs, I lunged into the back seat, and Jaelyn, who must have realized her error the same time I did, screamed.
Her arms wrapped around my ankles and yanked me back. Clawing at the leather seats, I kicked her hands away, landing a satisfying hit to her ribs. She grunted, then renewed her efforts to pull me from the car, but I’d already reac
hed my goal.
Letting her pull me back out, I twisted to my back on the seat and pointed the gun straight at her face. Jaelyn froze and dropped my legs before taking a step back. She lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender, and I climbed to my feet, putting myself between those two and Zoe. Making sure to keep an eye on both of them, I inched to the front passenger side door and opened it. My phone sat like a prize in the middle of the seat, and I scooped it up quickly, not giving them time to take advantage of the brief distraction.
“What are you going to do?” Jordan asked. “Call the police?”
I froze, fingers hovering over the screen. “Why wouldn’t I?”
He laughed. “What would you tell them? From where I’m standing, you’re the one holding a weapon. All it would take is for one of us to say that we were here for a trip into the city and were held up by a crazy girl with a gun. You even attacked our poor friend who was just trying to protect us,” he said, giving a good impression of a scared victim.
“That’s not true-”
Jordan shrugged. “So what? Who do you think the police will believe? The girl holding the gun or the two people on the receiving end.”
My hand clenched around the phone, and I fought the urge to scream. “If they won’t believe me anyway, then what’s stopping me from shooting you here and now?” I asked, feeling out of control.
“As much as I would enjoy seeing my children get what they deserve, I can’t just sit back and let you shoot them in broad daylight. That wouldn’t turn out well for anyone.”
Something pressed against my side, and I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see a large muscular man wearing a cap and sunglasses.
EIGHT
Now why don’t we put that down. There’s no need for anyone to get hurt today.”
My teeth clenched as I slowly lowered my weapon, and the sharp point of the knife pressed into my side disappeared, but I doubted it wouldn’t immediately make a reappearance if I did anything suspicious.
You Could Have Saved Her Page 8