Free: A Jc Caylen Sequel

Chapter Sixteen

Staring out the car window was somewhat mesmerizing, I know that it may sound silly but after being cooped up in the same crummy motel room for three days I was ready to get out of there. I sat in the passenger seat next to Mel, it was the first time he and I had been left by ourselves in a long time. I glanced to the rear-view mirror, of course we weren't completely alone, I could see the headlights of another SUV in the dark distance. I propped my head on the side of the car door just enough so I could stare up at the night sky, the stars twinkling brighter than I had remembered them before.

"You shouldn't sit like that," Mel said breaking the silence that had been in place since we stepped foot in the car.

"Sit like what?" I said confused shifting my feet but not breaking sight with the sky.

"With your head all up in the car door, perhaps we get in an accident and your door gets t-boned. Death would be your only option." Mel said without looking away from the road, his words were strong and serious, I sat up looking forward at the empty country road ahead of us.

"Mel?" I said softly.

"Yes?" he said his voice still serious.

"Can I know yet?"

"Know what?" his puzzled voice surprised me, normally Mel was always a step ahead of me.

"What I am hiding from?" I shifted in my seat to face him. "Everything is more serious now why? What is going on?"

"Skylar," he paused sighing heavily. "Skylar when I first met you I was mesmerized by your case, a girl at such a young age surviving such a horrific crime. I was shocked, I have expected you to be so screwed up that I would need to place you in a mental institution."

"Is this supposed to be a compliment?" I interrupted.

"Skylar the point is you were strong, you understood that you had to grow up quickly and maintain strength throughout. I have to admit that you have easily been my favorite case, with everything you have been through you should be a lot more messed up than you are. You inspire me to pass that on to my other cases. But sometimes cases aren't over when you catch the bad guy."

"What are you saying?" I was confused at the way Mel spoke slowly with such seriousness.

"Sometimes the bad guys have angry children." He paused sighing again, "And sometimes those children seek revenge."

"Excuse me?"

"Skylar, we had to reopen your case because we were directly sent a letter threatening your safety from the son of the man that killed your family, he wants nothing more than to finish what his father started."

"What?" I sat still speechless, I cringed at the words killed and finish. My mind raced with thoughts and hypothetical situations in which Mel burst out laughing and told me this was all a joke. I half expected Jc to shake me awake and tell me I must have been having a nightmare, wrapping me up in a warm embrace.

"Skylar, he sent photographs of you and Jc, threatening you and him both. He made it clear he would stop at nothing to achieve revenge in his father's name." Mel said before pulling over to the side of the road. "We kept it from you for fear that you would do something drastic."

"Drastic?" I muttered out, "Drastic is lying to me after everything we've been through Melman!"

"Skylar! Listen to me, I am keeping you safe and in order for me to keep you safe this is what I have to do."

"What about Jc?" I interrupted again.

"We have two officials watching him at all times," Mel said with a smirk, "I assure you he is just as safe as you are."

"What's going to happen? Am I just supposed to keep running around like a nomad until this guy turns up?" I said after realizing that perhaps I would never be free to go back to Jc.

"We have a plan, we're on our way to a location at which an official has spotted the suspect. Skylar this is where it gets more serious."

"Serious?" I questioned.

"We need you to be bait."

"Well call me an earthworm, let's get this thing done and finished." I said strongly before turning back in my seat to face the road ahead. I felt tears start to stream down my cheeks as Mel pulled back on the road, the headlights behind us quickly following in the distance. I looked up at the stars twinkling some what brighter than before, I liked to think that mom, dad, and Noah were watching over me at that very moment sending down good vibes to keep me safe from harm. I closed my eyes for a moment, seeing Jc's face in the darkness of my closed eyelids, I found comfort in his eyes knowing that if all went well I would see them in person soon.