Caedes

epilogue | the night after

Friday, 1:27 A.M.

Cristina continued biting her thumbnail as she hung on every word of the news broadcaster's voice. She had been curled up in the driver's seat of her trusty red Jeep for a few hours now, not so patiently waiting for any sign of him.

After confirming that her sister had died in a brutal car crash earlier that day, she had replayed Tim's words in her head over and over again. And who could blame her? He had basically admitted to killing both Annabelle and her husband. Anna hadn't always been the best sister to her or the best daughter to a worried father, but she hadn't deserved to die.

Cris hadn't realized that she'd bitten right down on the bed of her nail until she tasted blood. Frowning in disgust, she dropped her hand to inspect the small wound. After retrieving a tissue from the glove box, she wrapped it around her finger. The cool night air, along with the distant sound of cars and people, drifted into the Jeep through the open passenger window.

All these people just kept going about their lives, entirely oblivious to what had happened in the small desert town not far from here. It had barely made the nine o'clock evening news, mostly overshadowed by the oversized animal situation in Yosemite and some weird talk of meteors. Then there was also a growing number of sick people in Arizona and New Mexico.

None of these happenings were coincidences. Coincidences didn't exist. Something much bigger was going on here and all these people—including her—were just unlucky enough to be caught in the middle. That wasn't going to stop her from going after him though.

Although she had grabbed her cozy hoodie hours ago, Cris was cold. She didn't want to risk closing the window in case something happened outside. That was why she had parked right alongside Las Vegas Boulevard in the first place. No way in hell was she just going to let him get away with it. Even if he hadn't killed Anna directly, he was responsible. He had confirmed as much earlier.

Las Vegas seemed like the most probable place for him to show up. It was only logical. Since he had found that strange sword in the desert, Cris figured that he would likely head to a more populated area. Why else would he have threatened her like that? She clenched her fists. No one ever threatened her and got away with it. No one.

But Cris was no idiot. When those hikers had started trying to off each other in the parking lot, hitting the road had been the only smart option. Besides, finding her sister had been more of a priority than dealing with a stranger. Even if that stranger had grown on her in the short time they had spent together. Hell, he had saved her and that cop lady, and that wasn't something she took lightly.

Yet, Tim—if that was even his real name—had not been whom he seemed. Cris couldn't decide whether she was angrier at herself for helping him, or because she had let him trick her. Either way, she would not let him get away with it. She couldn't. He had to pay.

"Breaking news," a news reporter's excited voice interrupted her dark thoughts. Her hand shot forward and she increased the radio's volume. "We've had multiple reports of animal attacks on the outskirts of Las Vegas. The police have been investigating the situation, but according to our reporter on-site, they are now involved in a physical altercation between each other and several bystanders."

Bingo.

The bloody tissue glided to the floor, but Cris paid no attention to it as she sat bolt upright. Could he be involved? Considering what had happened at the police station and the parking lot, it would make sense. She was about to bite her nail again when she remembered the wound. Lowering her hand, she contemplated her next action.

If she followed through, she risked getting caught in the crossfire of whatever these people were fighting about. Sitting here waiting was not an option. She had nothing left to lose, no one left to find.