Page 41 of Deadly Obsession
So I focused on the space where the windshield was meant to be, my eyes widening when I saw the figure waving at us.No, at me. His glare was locked directly on me, and judging from the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, I could tell he was smiling.
TWENTY-FIVE
JAMES
I’d found my mask downstairs. Sitting on the kitchen counter still splattered with Lola’s blood. I set the axes down and picked up the mask, my eyes locked on my trademark TikTok persona. It was just an airsoft mask I’d heavily modified until it looked like the face I’d seen in my nightmares since coming home. It wouldn’t stop a bullet, but something about it in my hands just felt right.
Unable to resist, I put it on, reaching up and cinching the straps tight. I took one deep inhale and grabbed for my axes. When I let out the breath, it was like my body came alive. Someone was out there putting my harpy’s life at risk. They were going to find out there was only room for one monster on this mountain.
Stepping out onto the front deck, I scanned the woods in front of me. My glare settling on the road. A vehicle was coming back this way. And fast. Judging from the sound of kicked-up gravel, I’d say it was my truck. Which meant they’d found something that they didn’t like or couldn’t get past. They were headed here, likely to take up the defensive and await emergency services.
Not a bad idea. They were using their heads.
Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run into the woods. It would only make sense for the killer to have a camp he used to observe the coming and goings of the group. I took off in a dead sprint, not caring for stealth. Whatever noise I was making would be hidden under the growing roar of my truck’s exhaust and the gravel it tore up on the road.
The terrain beneath my feet wasn’t too bad. Steep and rocky in places. But apart from that, I merely needed to jump over the occasional fallen branch. Off to the east, my beautiful blacked-out lifted Silverado flew backwards at a speed that made my gut twist. That sense of pain stabbed twice as hard when I noticed the windshield was missing and my headlight had been shattered.
Was Sera okay?
I caught myself turning to keep the truck in view, in hopes I’d see her beautiful face, but it was too far and moving too fast. Shaking my head, I brought myself back to the present. I couldn’t get distracted right now.
The silver lining was that I had no doubt my target was ahead, and it seemed whoever was at the wheel was very capable. Turning my attention back to the woods, I sprinted up the next hill and dropped down between a cluster of jagged boulders and two pine trees. Then I cleared a spot by my feet, proned out, and waited for my target to come to me.
TWENTY-SIX
SERA
The figure grew smaller and smaller until it was gone altogether. At the speed Danielle was driving, it wasn’t long before the cabin was back in view. In fact, we were practically there and she wasn’t slowing down. If anything, she was speeding up. When I looked up to Danielle, her face was frozen, her eyes locked on to the rearview mirror. At first glance, I thought she was hyperfocused but I quickly realized she was in shock.
“Danielle!” I screamed at the same time Brian shouted something unintelligible from the back.
Danielle shook her head, coming out of her trance. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!” She yanked the steering wheel to the side, nearly missing the light post in the front yard.
“No! Not that way!” Brian called out a little clearer, the truck jumping and rocking as it ran over something large.
The moment it was level again, Danielle slammed on the brakes, put the vehicle in park, dropped her forearms and head onto the steering wheel, and began to sob. “Fuck! What’re we going to do, guys?”
The answer was:I had no fucking clue. But we couldn’t sit in this truck and cry about it. We needed to let James loose.Surely the appearance of this other masked man while he was tied up in the closet would prove his innocence?
Reaching out a hand, I patted Danielle’s back. “First thing’s first, we need to get inside and get James out. He was in the military. I’m sure he can protect us.”
Her only response was a nod of her head as she opened the truck door and stepped outside. Following her lead, I did the same, sprinting towards her when I heard her scream again.
“What?” I asked. But I didn’t need her to answer me. My eyes landed on what had caused the truck to jump so abruptly. In front of the driver’s rear tire was Lola’s mostly-covered body. Her head now exposed and her face nearly unrecognizable.
Brian glanced down from the back of the truck and gagged. “Oh god, Lola!” He quickly turned away, bile spewing out of his mouth and onto the cab.
Snapping into action, I grabbed the blanket and recovered Lola’s face. “Guys, there’s nothing we can do for her anymore. She’s gone. She’s just a corpse now! But we aren’t. We still have a chance. Danielle, help me get Brian down, then get the gun and let’s get inside!”
Dropping the tailgate, I ushered Brian forward, and soon Danielle and I had him out of the truck and I was helping him up the stairs as best as I could with his arm slung over my shoulder. I could tell he was attempting to take on most of the weight with the way he was staggering.
The moment we stepped through the open front door, my eyes went to the pantry.James would know what to do.
Danielle and I helped Brian to the nearest couch, setting him down as gently as possible. “I’ll get James. He can help us move Jade somewhere for now.”
My shoulder was radiating with pain, but the bleeding wasn’t too bad. Although I knew I’d need to clean it and bandage it up soon. First, though, I needed to get to James.Without even waiting for Danielle’s response, I sprinted over to the pantry door and threw it open.
“James!” My heart fell.
