“Sure.”
7
“Shit,” mumbling to myself as I glance around. I left my phone at the house before I left. But the burner flashes in my head. Remembering Ash’s exact words as he told me where to place it in different kinds of vehicles, as he placed the Faraday cage in the trunk of my first car. An ‘in case of emergency’. I may have upgraded cars since then, but I moved over the box.
Ripping the back seat of the truck up and pulling the cage out from inside the seat itself. Opening it and pulling the phone out, I power the phone on and dial the number.
“Who is this?”
“It’s me.” I stammer as the images of what just happened play back in my mind like a bad movie I can’t turn off. Fuck, how am I going to explain all of this. “I need your help, but you can’t ask too many questions.”
* * *
Earlier that night
Pulling into the drive, I’m staring out the window at nothing in particular.
“There’s someone on your porch,” Collins states, concerned.
“What?”
“Well, there’s at least a body on your porch.”
My head snaps over to where he’s looking, and I pause, seeing the dark mass lying on the porch. Why the fuck would there be a body on my porch?
“The hell?” I move out of the passenger seat, rushing up to where the body lies.
“Show yourself.” I shout, my hand hovering over my holstered gun. I can already feel Collins behind me.
“I’ve got your back.” He whispers.
“You need to get the fuck off my property.” I shout louder at the shadow of a person laid out across the porch.
The shadow jumps as if I woke them this time and attempts to stand, slipping and hitting the wood underneath them hard.
“Ow,” followed by a giggle.
“Sketch?”
“I hate that fucking name.” Her voice sounding off as she laughs to herself.
Pointing my flashlight at her, she squints her eyes, holding her hand up and trying to block the stream until her eyes adjust.
“Why are you here?” I ask her.
Her laugh starts again. “I have no clue.”
“Get the door?” I ask Collins, tossing my keys in his direction as I walk over to Drew, lifting her off the ground, wrapping myarm around her waist to stabilize her. I can feel Collins’s eyes scathing into me as he glances around, showing the fear that Z brings out of him. Flicking on the lights, I move her over to the couch.
Looking at her as she settles into the cushions, she exhales as if she can now release all her tension.
“Drew...” I trail, sitting down on the coffee table, looking at her. “Why were you lying on my porch in the dark?”
“Cause I needed to feel safe.” Her voice is so quiet I can barely make out what she’s saying. Her breathing slows down as her eyes flutter shut and the stress leaves her. “I had no idea where I was going. I just knew I had to get away, and then you woke me up.”
“What the fuck happened?” Collins asks me.
“Just wanted to feel safe.” She repeats, her voice quieter this time.
