Sirens ~Nika Mühl

Chapter 21

A/N: Just a quick preface, I was re-editing some of the earlier chapters and I noticed that Cue's mom's death date on her headstone said November 21st, 2013x I have no idea why because the date was always supposed to be November 27th, 2017. I'm sorry for the confusion. Enjoy this chapter!

Cue vividly remembered the very first time she felt fear. She was ten, wandering alone through the crowded aisles of a grocery store, her heart hammering against her rib cage as cold sweat collected on the back of her collar. She called out for her mother, voice trembling with panic as she desperately searched the towering shelves that seemed to close in on her. When she finally found her, Cue had flung herself into her mother's arms. She had begged her to never leave her side again. Since then, Cue had faced countless fearful experiences, especially as a cop.

All of that paled in comparison to what she felt now.

Sitting alone in her Infiniti, parked outside of the decrepit storage unit, Cue felt an overwhelming sense of trepidation. Her nerves were alight with terror she couldn't even begin to describe, her body humming with an electric mix of terror and adrenaline. This wasn't just fear, it was the biting anticipation of something far worse. A quiet voice in her mind whispered that she was walking into her death.

Cue glanced at the bulletproof vest strapped tightly to her chest, her fingers tracing the thin wire that underneath her shirt, rubbing against her torso, ensuring it was still functional. She sighed, her mind still racing filled with fragmented thoughts that bled into one another as she drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. The wire was recording everything, at least that part of her plan was going smoothly.

Her eyes fell onto the picture of her and Nika, the one she kept taped to her dashboard. It was the one from her birthday, taken before they had confessed their feelings to each other. In the photo, they were looking at each other with the kind of love that made the world around them disappear. A bittersweet smile crossed Cue's face, she wished her and Nika got together sooner. They both wasted so many days, dancing around their feelings.

With trembling fingers, Cue took the picture and tucked it into her bra, right over her heart. It wasn't much, but it felt like a shield, something to keep her grounded as she walked into the unknown. Cue steeled her nerves, taking one last deep breath before getting out of the car, quietly closing the door.

The storage unit loomed ahead of her, a rusted, foreboding presence that sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't know if Zeke was inside, but her gut told her he was. She moved forward, her footsteps nearly silent as she approached the lock. Picking it was easy, a skill she'd perfected in high school, and the door creaked open with a low groan. The smell of blood and decay hit her immediately, she fought the urge to gag as she stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her.

Gun in hand, Cue swept the room, her eyes widening in horror at the scene before her. Polaroids of victims were pinned to the walls, their lifeless bodies captured in grotesque detail. Blood splatters stained the concrete floor and in the center of the room was a table covered with an assortment of weapons; scalpels, knives, scissors, even surgical tools. Cue's stomach churned, this was a butcher's den.

If she wasn't sure Zeke was the killer before, she definitely was now.

As she took a cautious step forward, she suddenly felt the cold press of a gun barrel against the back of her skull. Her breath caught in her throat as a wave of dread washed over her. Every muscle in her body went rigid, and her mind raced screaming at her to do something. But before she could act, a voice she knew all too well whispered in her ear.

"Oh Jonesy," Zeke said, his tone laced with twisted sympathy. "It was never supposed to be you."

Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Then his voice sharpened, taking on a cruel edge. "Put the gun down Cue, let's have one last chat. I mean we are best friends after all... right?"