The Hanging Tree

e p i l o g u e

WHEN DREW HEARD THE GUNSHOT AND NANCY'S SCREAM, he knew he couldn't continue running away. He had to go back. He had to see what had happened.

"Come on," He said to Gunnar. "We're going back."

"What if Jess gets us again?" The younger boy asked, voice trembling in what Drew assumed was fear.

"She said that if we made it out of those gates she wouldn't come after us." Drew reminded Gunnar - and himself.

"Okay, so we'll just stand outside of the gates and look in." Gunnar reasoned and Drew shrugged. It seemed to make sense - he didn't see why not.

They began to sprint back to the compound; they hadn't made it very far. Only about 100 feet. The towering fences were in their line of sight. Unfortunately. Gunnar's question was starting to get to him. How did they know they could trust Jess? How could they be sure that she would keep her word? She had also said that she would shoot them on sight. So what happens when they're outside the gates and she sees them? Will she shoot them or let them go?

He had a sneaking suspicion it would be the first option. She had been plotting to kill them, after all.

But he couldn't just leave the matter unresolved. He had to see who they had lost - if they had lost anyone. Damian could've stolen the gun and shot Zoe - maybe that's why Nancy had screamed. Drew had to think optimistically. For now.

He and Gunnar heard a whirring sound coming from overhead. Looking up, they saw that is was a group of helicopters heading for the compound. Had someone heard the gunshot? Were they coming to help? Or were they here for Jess, to help her send the bodies?

Wait, no. There were no bodies. Nancy and Damian were fine. The four of them would make it out of this alive. The helicopters touched down in the field right in front of the compound. A man dressed in everyday clothes jumped out in front of five men dressed in all black suits with 'FBI' printed in the back in bold yellow lettering.

"Where's my daughter?" The first man demanded, a woman who looked remarkably like the Swan sisters making her way to his side. "Where's my Nancy?"
Drew and Gunnar caught up to him. "Excuse me, sir," Drew tapped him on the arm to grab his attention.

"Hey, you're the Benedict boy, right?" Nancy's father asked and Drew nodded in affirmation. "What are you doing here?"

"I was kidnapped and brought here along with Gunnar," Drew gestured to the boy beside him, who waved politely. "And Nancy. And Damian Pullman, and Jess Phillips. Except-"

"Can you tell me the names of your captors, kid?" An FBI agent cut in.

"Jessica and Trenton Phillips, plus their parents. Along with Zoe Swan-"

"No, that's impossible," Mrs. Swan interrupted. "Zoe's away for the weekend for a debate meet."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Gunnar interjected. "Your daughter has been lying to you. Our school doesn't have a debate team."

Drew and Mr. Swan didn't stick around for the rest of the conversation - they barged through the gates to search for their friends, family, and enemies.

And they were greeted with a gruesome sight. Nancy's father fell to the ground as he took in his daughter's lifeless form, dangling from the tree by a taut rope, her eyes wide open and staring into nothingness.

Drew's watery eyes shifted to the base of the tree, where he saw Damian lying in a crumpled mess, scarlet blood staining his shirt and running down his chest to meet the rough ground. Drew rushed over to see if he was still breathing, but he knew all was lost. The shot had been a direct hit to the heart - his friend had died immediately.

He spun around to see Jess and Trenton being led by officers to the helicopters, and Gunnar being interrogated by a group of agents. So where was Zoe?

Drew looked back up to the walkway and found her, hand still on the lever that had took her sister's life, knees quivering out of shock.

He knew that her life would never be the same - and neither would his.

a/n: why did i do this to you

why did i do this to me

why did i do this to us

im so sorry

but there's a bonus chapter, so stick around for that!

*tries and fails to end it on a happy note*