Page 179 of Hayden's Stalker

It’s strange that I feel no pain through the numbness, and for a moment, I assume my death was simply too instantaneous for me to feel anything. Then there’s a loud thud on the floor to my right, and I look over to see Sarah lying on the ground.

Her brown eyes blink a few times as she stares at Other Hayden before she croaks out, “I love you.”

Her eyes are still open, but the light disappears from behind them. It’s bizarre that mere moments ago, she was sitting on the sofa and talking. Now she’s dead.

“Mr. Vega, are you okay?” someone asks.

I turn to look at a man in a black suit, and I nod.

“She’s dead.”

How strange. I meant to say I was fine.

“Yes, she is. Are you hurt?”

I look down at Sarah. “She’s dead.”

She’s dead, and the FBI is here. I feel more numb than before, unable to process what is happening.

“I think he’s in shock, ma’am,” the man calls out.

A new person appears, and it’s a woman who is also wearing a suit. “Mr. Vega. I’m Special Agent McGuire from the FBI. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

I think about the question and shake my head. “No. I’m fine.” I look over at Sarah. “She’s dead.”

“Yes, she is,” the FBI agent agrees.

There are some noises from somewhere else in the cabin, and a different woman in a black suit comes to tell this woman that they’ve got Daniel. None of this feels real. I’m sure that I’ve fallen asleep and I’m dreaming that I’ve been rescued.

They take me to the kitchen I’ve never seen before, where I answer their questions and wait to wake up from this dream. I look around the room while the agents have a discussion about transporting me somewhere else to be looked over. This is where Sarah made us food, and now she’s dead.

I don’t want this to be a dream, but it can’t be real. This can’t be over. I can’t be that lucky.

“Come with us, Mr. Vega,” someone says.

I follow two agents through the cabin and out the front door into the bright sunlight. The area outside is full of big SUVs and FBI agents moving around. Some are searching the vehicle Daniel brought me here in, and another two are pushing a handcuffed Daniel into a car.

As I step into the clearing, Tati yells, “Hayden!”

I look up, and my heart flops over as I catch sight of her on the other side of the clearing, climbing out of a big black SUV. I need to hold her and see if she’s real. I run toward her, and she does the same before we meet in the middle of the clearing.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly. She throws her arms around my waist, and a shock of pain hits me, causing me to flinch. It’s nothing, though, because Tati is here with me.

Her body shakes, and hot, wet tears soak my shirt. I hold her tighter, ignoring the pain in my stomach because everything is right with the world again. Tati is here. She found me.

“I thought you had died,” she says through her tears.

For a moment, the thoughts I had about wanting to die come to my mind, and I’m relieved it never came to that. I don’t want to think about what that would’ve done to Tati.

“No, preciosa. Never. I’m here.”

“I heard a gun, though. Was somebody shot?”

The image of Sarah’s dead body lying in front of me. Of her final declaration that she loved me before she passed. I’m not sad she’s dead, and I worry that makes me a terrible person.

“Yes. She was—”

I can’t say it. There are so many thoughts jumbled in my head and so many emotions tied to this woman. I don’t want to say that I’m glad she died and have Tati judge me for it.

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