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He turned around and smiled wickedly at me.
I was done hiding.
"Finally, some alone time," he hissed, smiling like the Cheshire cat.
His white shirt was covered in sweat and dirt, and his jeans were tucked into brown hiking boots. His greasy hair was pulled back into a bun, with several stray strands hanging down.
My heart raced with adrenaline and fear. I knew how stupid it was that I ran after him by myself. But it was the only thing I could think of to do after seeing the absolute devastation he caused back at the mill. I didn't know what to do when I caught up with him but seeing him feet away made my skin crawl. My legs hurt, and my lungs burned, but I would make him pay for what he did.
"This ends now."
"Look around; there's no one here to protect you anymore.” His voice was low and menacing. “And you, littlelamb, just walked into my den."
"I'm done listening to you." I pressed the trigger, but no bullet came out.
I clicked it a couple of times, but the magazine was empty.
"Fuck."
He pulled a knife from a sheath on his waistband and walked towards me. I stumbled backward and looked around for anything I could use against him. I threw the pistol at him, and he dodged it effortlessly. Fear crawled up my spine as I scrambled for something to defend myself with. He lunged at me with the knife, but I blocked him with the branch. I pushed him back by swinging the branch back and forth. His eyes burned with hatred, but he made no move to retaliate as if relishing in the moment.
There was nowhere to run.
If I turned around, he would catch me and probably stab me. He slowly advanced on me, a sneer on his lips. I backed away, tightening my fists around the wooden branch in my hands, sweating profusely in sheer panic.
I had to find a way out of this.
"Ava?" James yelled, breaking through the brush with his weapon drawn.
James fired at the killer. One of the bullets pierced through his shoulder, and he stumbled back and fell. The cliff edge was behind him, and the last thing I saw was a rush of white and blue clothes falling over it. We both rushed to the edge and looked down, but he disappeared into the water below.
James stood there, rage and fear contorting his features. His hands balled up into fists as he shouted into the radio, "I need air support and a team to comb the river for his body. Bring the dogs. If he survived the fall, I want him found today." He ordered.
He turned towards me, his eyes blazing with fury. He grabbed my arms and inspected my body for injuries, gritting out each word.
"I'm ok, James. I'm not hurt."
“What the hell were you thinking going after him? He could have killed you. He would have if I had gotten here any later than I did. Damn it, Ava! What the fuck?" He yelled angrily.
My heart raced in fear at his reaction, and I stammered an apology.
He shook his head, his anger fading away, and pulled me close.
“I was so scared when I saw you go after him,” he whispered brokenly into my hair. “The thought of losing you...I can't bear it." His voice cracked with emotion.
Wrapping his strong arms around me tightly, he kissed my forehead and held me up. My legs felt like jello, and I clung to him, trembling violently while he murmured apologies and soothing words.
“Let’s get you home.”
He led me through the woods. Multiple cops and agents were combing through the woods with dogs passing us. We made it to the car, and he drove me home. His grip on my hand never loosened, and I welcomed the warmth that came with his touch; somehow, it was calming after all the chaos that had unfolded. There was so much chatter and movement, and I felt tired. He told me that Sarah and Everett were ok but that several officers had sustained life-threatening injuries and had not survived. James tried to tell me it wasn't my fault, but I could feel the guilt slowly suffocating me. Every step away from the car felt like a walk towards death - all those people died because of me.
How many more would follow suit in this endless game of hide-and-seek?
How many more people had to die protecting me?
Because of me?
As I exited the car, I didn't wait for him to follow. I walked through the front door and up to my room, pulled off my sweaty, blood-splattered clothes, and took a cold shower. I crawled into bed, closed my eyes, and let exhaustion consume me.
