Page 34 of The Reaper

“No!” I cried. “No, please don’t do this.”

The man holding the gun stood over Luke’s body, aiming it at my friend’s head.

Bang.

“Luke!” I screamed. Then pain reverberated from the back of my head and I knew no more. My world went dark.

Wailing sirens dragged me from a nightmare. Relieved that I was awake, I rubbed the back of my throbbing head. I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my brain. I wasn’t at home.

Everything came rushing back in feverish droves and panic took over my senses.

The men.

Wolf.

The dead bodies.

Luke.

“Luke?” I called, my voice hoarse. I pushed off the cold, dirt-covered floor and looked around. He was only a few feet away, but my brain still felt disconnected from my body and the distance felt like miles.

I scrambled over, collapsed next to him, and grabbed his hand. “Luke?” I asked helplessly. I knew he was gone, but I didn’t want it to be true. “I’m so sorry,” I murmured to his lifeless body.

The sirens were so loud, echoing through the old warehouse, piercing my ears and causing me to wince.

I had to get out of here. Seeing the gun a few inches away, I dropped Luke’s hand and picked up the gun to get rid of it just as tires screeched outside, followed by the popping of car doors and feet pounding on gravel.

I was surrounded. It was just a dream.

The warehouse doors flew open, the flashing lights caused me to lift my hand to shield my face.

“Drop your weapon!” the cop said.

I lowered my hand and stared at the gun as if it was an alien object. Oh god. This was bad. “I didn’t do it,” I croaked. Shaking my head, I cried, “It wasn’t me!”

“Drop your weapon and put your hands over your head where I can see them.”

I tossed the gun Wolf had used to shoot Luke and raised my hands. “It wasn’t me. You have to believe me. Luke is my friend,” I pleaded when one of the officers cuffed my hands and pushed me forward.

“What the fuck happened here?” one of the officers murmured.

“It wasn’t me. I was set up.”

I was taken into custody that evening. All the evidence pointed to me. The police never found Wolf, and the only person who could vouch for my innocence was Luke … and he was dead.

***

I was dragged back to the present when my monitor pinged, notifying me of activity outside. I focused my attention on the screen and watched as Max walked down the hallway to his room. He had his arm draped over a woman’s shoulders and was whispering in her ear. I zeroed in on his lips.

“Ready to have some fun?” he’d said to her.

She nodded, giggling.

Max tickled her side, before slapping her ass as they entered his room.

Damn it. I was hoping to get this shit over with so I could go back home, but I couldn’t do that with a possible witness. I was about to close the computer when the same woman rushed out of Max’s room, barefoot. She clutched her coat and shoes to her chest, yelling behind her.

“Well, what do we have here?” I whispered.

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