The Redemption of Stingy Jack

Chapter Eighteen

Cole was terrified as hell by his encounter with Jack, and only God knew where he ran to. Wherever that might have been, he felt it was time he left there. Cole was walking down the street where Lyn and her roommate lived, and he could still see his convertible parked far off, where he left it, under the rays of the warm street light. Cole took deep breaths, and walked casually towards his car like nothing had happened. He got in, and heaved a sigh of relief. Then it hit him. Who was that back there? Or what? That thing looked downright terrifying. And if it could terrify him, it could do the same to Lyn and her creepy roommate. But she looked comfortable having him there. What if she wasn't? What if she was under duress? Cole couldn't wipe these thoughts off his mind, and even though he knew he'd done something to hurt Lyn's feelings, he still cared for her. From where he sat, he took a glance at Lyn's fairly lit apartment, amidst other identical ones, and pulled out his phone to dial a number.

The number picked up on the first ring and it answered. "911, what's your emergency?"

Cole swallowed hard, thinking to himself that he was doing it for Lyn. "There's a man or a beast... I'm not sure, at my girlfriend's house, and I think she's in danger."

****

The police didn't take moments before a few units pulled up at Maud and Lyn's apartment. Cole had given them her address, and as soon as he saw them already at her doorstep, he jumped out of his car and ran to meet them. They asked if he was the one who called and he affirmed. They asked him other questions, but what he kept insisting on was that his girlfriend needed help. The middle-aged female officer didn't believe Cole, but her partner asked them to check her place anyway. She budged and then walked up to their doorsteps.

The leading officer knocked on the door a few times. "NOPD. Open up please." She said and knocked again.

There was no response yet, and the officer looked back at Cole. Cole gave her the look that she should try again, and when she was about to rap on the door again, the door opened.

They were all met with a messy looking Lyn, with nothing but a silky nightwear to spare.

"Good evening young lady. I'm officer White, and we got a distress call saying you might be in danger of an armed man." She said, and kind of wanted to make Lyn snicker because the officer was clearly a black woman. Lyn skipped that, and her eyes travelled behind the officer to see Cole standing beside another officer, looking worried. He probably called the cops.

"He's… he’s not armed. He's just a friend." Lyn started.

"Uh, officer, no he's not. He has a pumpkin for a head and his eyes were glowing green." Cole cut her out, stepping forwards.

If that was what Cole had led with in the first place, the officers might not have responded to his call. The look the female officer gave showed that she'd much rather be at home having a warm bath than listening to some college student shouting that he saw a ghost.

Officer White sighed, and met Lyn's gaze. Lyn didn't dispute what Cole just said, and her eyes were starting to dart around. "Can we see him though? Is he here?" She asked.

"It's nothing to worry about... look... M?" Lyn was beginning to panic and it was right there that she needed backup.

"M?" Lyn turned around to call louder. She was still pissed, about all that had happened earlier, that when she stepped out of her room she didn't notice Maud and didn't bother.

"Is it him you're calling?" Mrs. White asked.

"She's calling her creepy roommate. Let her call the monster out instead." Cole barked, and Lyn gave him a dirty stare.

"Uh, Maud. You in?" Lyn left the door to scan the living room properly. Maud wouldn’t leave without telling her, or even leaving a note, or even leaving at all. Maud didn't like night walks. And where the hell was Jack?

"Jack? Jack? Maud?" Lyn called again, like there were more rooms there and the officers outside were beginning to suspect something.

She might despise Maud at the moment, but right there, the thoughts of Maud just disappearing with a person that they'd only known a few days ago made her heart flip. She'd forgotten she hadn't invited the officers in but they came in anyway. She dashed to her room to pick up her phone, while the officers and Cole looked around.

Lyn emerged, with the phone in her ear. She’d just dialed Maud and it went straight to voicemail. That was odd. The officers could sense the panic in her.

"Where is the supposed guy and your roommate?" Mrs. White asked, hands absently resting on her strapped firearm.

"I don't know. I don't know. They were here a while ago." Lyn fidgeted, as she scrolled and tapped on her phone.

Things were now taking another turn, and the officers had begun to sense it. They kept looking around, waiting for Lyn to finish up with whatever she was doing on her phone.

"Oh, my God," Lyn gasped, and Cole rushed closer to her.

They both stare down at her phone, and the white screen presented them with a 3D map of where they were, and where Maud was. It really was good of Maud to take her phone with her so they could track her, but what was she doing in that part of town?

"That's like three miles away from here?" Cole said, and Lyn met his face. She was sad before, but now she was terrified. Was Maud in trouble?

"We have to go after her." Lyn whimpered.

"Sure. Sure." Cole agreed in haste, and looked at the officers for support.

"Come on, let's go." Mrs. White collected Lyn's phone to see where Maud was, and they all followed after her into their cop cars.