Phoenix's Lies

Can Things Get Any Worse?

River

The next few weeks after Nix and I make it up to the safehouse remain uneventful for the most part. Ash or one of the others check in now and again but for the majority of the time they leave us to it, just repeating the suggestion to stay inside and out of sight from the few people who could see us. Not that many lived as far out toward the cliffs as we do.

But even with how quiet it's been I can't relax my vigilance that's become a habit over the past four years. Still looking around every corner as if someone is behind me, waiting for when I drop my guard so I'll vanish. Or worse Nix will when I can't see where he is or hear him moving about in the house. Terrified. Always so fucking terrified and I'm done with it. Yet should I let go and become complacent....I dread to see the fallout of that decision even more.

Sighing I look away from the window and stand, stretching my stiff limbs as I walk around to look for my partner, hearing where he's walking in the kitchen and lounge areas. Smiling, I'm almost out the door when my phone rings on the chest nearest me and I stop, seeing that it's just Mads. picking it up I slide across to accept the call. "Heya Mads. Nothing new here, how's things back home?"

"Not good Riv." He sounds tense and I pause where I'd walked out the door to stand at the top of the stairs, spotting the back of Nix's head as he turns, eyes finding mine. Mad's words make me worried though and I can't place why. "It's not good here, for you especially," he pauses. "Are you both there, it's easier if you...if I...."

I blink once and then hurry down the stairs, clicking onto speakers as I go "Yeah we're both here. Mads what happened?" Nothing comes from the other end of the line for a second before I hear a low sigh from my friend, my worry spiking for the first time in weeks. Next to me, Nix puts an arm around my shoulder and the two of us wait. Silently waiting until the silence gets too thick. "Mads? What happened?"

Another sigh. "They found the footage from Old Meadow Road. The night you two left." My heart drops and I cast a worried look at Nix who frowns but doesn't speak. "I've seen them and the others are right, what you did was self-defence, we have a copy and managed to get the audio to clear enough to hear what they said. But the copy that the sheriff has....the audio is too soft on their end to make out the threats and since you don't say a lot it looks like ...."

"It looks like I attacked them." My stomach drops with my heart then and I shiver once. "Mads, how bad is it? Be honest with me. How bad is it for me if - when - I come back? We come back." I stutter over my words but Nix's hand in mine steadies me enough to carry on. "How bad?"

Another lengthy silence, then Mad's whispered response. "I think you know how bad Riv. I'm sorry, for what it's worth and we'll do everything we can once you two come back to fix it, we'll start now. But it doesn't look very promising. Just wanted to give you the heads up." His tone is heavy with regret and I realise what he means.

They'll put me away for it. For what happened when I took out at least Blaze, Cassimir and Jax. I don't know who else I took out that night but for at least three people my daggers hit home too well. My chickens are coming home to roost. I give Nix another look but he's staring into the distance, eyes occupied with whatever is going on inside his head. I sigh and rest mine on his shoulder hearing silence from Mads on the other end of the line. Both sides are silent until Nix speaks up.

"What about the ones who died in the cars? Could - would - they charge and try her for that too or just the three she took out before we left?" He sounds unsure but what feels worse is the silence from Mads. "Mads? Could they?"

Another long, low sigh, "I don't think so Nix since when the cars were recovered no daggers were found near there, but the fact remains she took out Jax, Blaze, Cassimir and Zeke. She put Logan and Cam in the ICU too. It's not looking good since that tallies up to four counts of murder and two of attempted murder, both of which were to people who should they gain the ability to testify would have no issues making her look guiltier than she already is. And that's not even counting the others who chased you two who I'm assuming should this all go to trial would also get involved. And no, before you ask it won't matter to the cops that the others instigated it, nor that she got the daggers from you passing her them. She's the guilty one, the one whose prints they found, who they have on camera throwing them."