The Murderers

Chapter 5: Stone

The jet ride is relaxed and quiet. Not many words are said between Jack and I until he decides to sit  next to me. I ask him about the sudden seat change and tells me something interesting.

"I know you two have a history. You must be childhood friends or something. I've been reading your mind since we got on the plane. I don't know who this girl is, but I see the drive inside of you Dave. Don't let a girl bring you down. What makes her special anyway? Does she even have a power?"

I am befuddled. I peer around the room to see how he could have possibly been looking into my eyes. After about thirty-seconds, I see a mirror discreetly placed on a window. He's clever. I assure him that my intentions are pure.

"I thought more of you. I really did. I'm not the enemy here. You trusted me and my plan. She's a part of it. I thought it was horse sense that any history I have with Rebecca won't cloud my judgement just as my history with Johnny won't. If you need me to say it than here it is. I will not let a girl or any disturbance hinder this group. I promise. And to answer your question, she does have a power. She can transform into any human being in the history of the universe. Is that powerful enough for you?"

He sits down and we continue the jet ride in silence. It is just how I remembered it. It's as charming and welcoming as the people in it. Rebecca's parents have always liked me. It is to be hoped that my villainous persona won't diminish their thoughts of me.
   
We get to her house and are welcomed by her parents. They must be around fifty by now. They ask who I'm with and I introduce them to Jack. He seems a little unsettled, but he acts comfortable. It must be because they are asking him a great deal questions.

"I thought you said this would be in and out." He whispers.

"I lied." I reply.

"And you wonder why I don't trust you?"

I smirk at him, but quickly turn my attention to Rebecca. She is quiet at first. Her parents aren't giving her much time to speak, but I still thought she would be more talkative. It's been eight years since I've seen her. I was expecting a more joyous return.

After a lengthy conversation, we finally get away from her parents and go to Rebecca's room. It's a mess. There are clothes spread all across the stained carpet and food laying in every direction possible.

"I apologize for the mess. You didn't give me much of a notice. You would think if you haven't seen someone in eight years they would give you a little heads up before showing up at your front door step with a stranger. This better be important."

"Nice to see you too." I smirk at her. "I'm here because I need your help. You are the only other person in the world who knows Johnny like I know him. You're the only one who can tap into the level of disdain I have for the man. I know you want to get revenge on him. I can see it. We can do it. With your help we can beat him. Can I count on you?" I tell her.

She is silent for a moment. There is not a whisper in the room. We are both staring her down, waiting for an answer. After what seems like an hour she speaks up.

"No. It might be to your surprise, but I don't hate Johnny. I don't want to kill him. I'm assuming that's  your plan. Isn't it? I don't want to join you in killing a man. Plus, you never called."

I snicker at the last comment. I had my reasons. I look at Jack to gauge his reaction and he is focusing on her eyes. He looks ready to hypnotize, but I stop him.

"You know, we never got to Yellowstone together." I ask.

"You want to go to Yellowstone now? You're a few years late to that." She says with some assertiveness.

"There's no time better than the present."

She simpers and gets her keys off the ground. She asks me to drive her car and we head off. It is just how I left it. It still has that yellow tan and signature smell. The ride is as bumpy as a camel's back and it's mostly silent on the way there. I guess I shouldn't have set my expectations so high. The villain never gets a heroes welcome.

When we get there it is strangely absent. I pay the $25 for admission and we head into the greatness that lies beyond us. It is a beauty. From the Mammoth Hot Springs to the Old Faithful itself, the place just takes your breath away.

Rebecca looks absolutely stunning in the raw sunlight. Her long curly hair oscillating in the slight breeze. Her simple presence radiates in the scenery. I take a moment to start, until she interrupts my gawking.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She utters.

"The most beautiful thing I have seen since you." I respond.

"You were always a flirt."

"Still the only one you went out with."

"That's true. We were so happy, then you had to ruin it." I gander at Rebecca and her blue eyes hold a mountain of thought. After a few seconds of staring she cries this. "This could have been our life. We could have gotten a cute little house and had kids. Two kids. Just like you said. Leela and Marcus. We could have gotten an annual pass here. We could come here all the time. We could have been happy together just like you said, but you had to kill her. You had to kill Emily. You broke your promise. You ruined us."

"We could still work."

"You killed an innocent girl." She screams at me.

"I was protecting Johnny. He could have gone to jail." I scream back at an even louder volume.

"You should have let him go. It was not your choice."

"I made it my choice. I take care of the people I care for."

"Then why didn't you call me back? You ran away after what you did. You ran away from me. You decided end us."

Was she right? Did I give up everything I ever loved? I ponder this while staring at the ground. She stares at me with those beautiful blue eyes and I utter this.

"You're right. I gave this all up and I'm sorry, but we could get it all back. Getting revenge on Johnny is all that I need. Then it is you and me. Then we could have all of this. We can own Yellowstone. I will never let Leela and Marcus slip away. I love you and I need you."

She starts crying. We embrace and I lean in for a kiss. Instantaneously, she puts her hand to my mouth.

"Slow your roll. I'll help you, but you have to earn it if you ever want to do that again."

I back away and call Jack to tell him of the good news. He arrives in a blink of the eye. I ask how he got here so quick and he tells me that Rebecca's parents were talking too much and he left early. We leave Yellowstone and decide to go straight to see the next villain