Page 71 of Four Times Saved

"So, what now? Are we supposed to follow Tyler?" Eric asked, looking back to see if he could spot where he went.

We were all startled when he moved in front of the car.

A text message followed. 'Ditch your car here. We're taking mine.'

I gulped. I didn't know about the other guys, but I guessed that he drove a nondescript car so that what we were about to do or witness wouldn't trace back to us, and that fact chilled me. The inside of that Women's Shelter was looking a lot more appealing by the second. Still, once we parked, I followed my legs over to his odd-looking jalopy where he was waiting for us.

Matt

The small unremarkable car that we were all piled into bobbed along the bumpy terrain.

"Really? This is the car you chose?" I asked, as the engine puffed out exhaust co-mingling with the putrid scent of the deep forest. I shuddered at the prospect that the smell of death had little to do with dead animals.

It wasn't the forest that Lily was dragged through by her kidnapper. But it was close enough of a resemblance for my fear to be topped off by fury. Still, I couldn't help but try to at least say something to lighten this heavy silence.

"The thing doesn't even have air conditioning," I said, speaking like a true member of the one percent.

I don't think I've ever driven in something this disgusting, and I'm not even a picky guy. Seriously. If you look at me, you wouldn't guess that I have money. It's either sweatpants or basketball shorts for me, and a T-shirt. Sneakers or slippers.

And when I went on vacation, I didn't always fly my vehicles over. Sometimes I rented cars that were far from being luxurious. But they always had the basic functions of a car, a good engine that didn't sputter and blow smoke from its lungs like a granny smoker, and air conditioning.

Sticking my nose out the window wasn't pleasant, and I was developing a headache on top of this nausea. The whole forest didn't stink of decay, but when it hit, it fucking hit. One moment, you were breathing fresh air and the next, you regretted even having a nose.

"Your wife didn't think, 'where the hell is he going with that?'" I curled my lip.

"Of course I didn't drive her around in this. I had it parked at the shelter." He shrugged as he went over another bump that rattled my brain around, but apparently didn't faze him one bit.

"And you just happened to know that we'd be coming here today?" I grimaced.

"Call it a sixth sense. Serves me well in this business." He grinned.

He's a fucking maniac. What are we doing here again?

"There's no way." Ethan continued. I guessed that was the thing that interested him the most about this situation. He was just so intrigued over Tyler's sixth sense, he had to know more.

Tyler was happy to share. "The other night, the women were talking about therapy. I knew that despite the moral ground you were standing on, you guys were going to come. So I bought this piece of scrap metal for a bit of change and parked it here, just in case."

It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since our discussion, and he knew that Lily was going to speak to a therapist today and that we were all going to meet here at the women's center. What didn't this man know? He freaked me out.

Not only was he Lily's best friend's husband, but I doubted that after this we were just going to be able to walk away and not see him again. We'd be seeing a lot of him after, and I didn't like that idea. But there was no turning back now.

I could hop out of this car, sure.

However, I was met with images of him hunting me through this forest and putting a bullet in my head. That thought sobered me though, not because I feared dying, which I did. But because for that split second as the image flashed in my brain, I was in Lily's shoes. Instead of being on the other side, watching and holding my gutted heart in my hand, dying at the thought of her dying, I experienced the terror of running through an unknown forest, with nowhere to hide with a man intent on killing me, on my heel. That fear was what my Lily felt.

And as we approached the container in the woods, that bleeding heart beat with the need to let these guys experience that same fear.

Eric

It was so fucking satisfying when we stepped inside the rusted container to find rat face and his stupid partner tied up on chairs in the dark, windowless 'room'.

"Kind of a full circle moment here, isn't it?" Matt gasped a laugh as if the realization just hit him.

Tyler, pleased with himself, nodded. "Thought the shipping container was a nice touch." He grinned. "Figured you guys would like the whole vibe."

"Well, that's...thoughtful." Ryan hesitated before training his eyes on the bloody men.

From deep within me, a laugh bubbled, unexpected as I watched the pure horror in Terry's eyes. I didn't know why I laughed. I supposed it had something to do with seeing him humbled, once and for fucking for all. As I said, so damn satisfying.

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