Detective, We've Got a Problem...

Chapter 7

The plan was set. It had taken a few hours with a major interruption when Nic and Aaron needed to attend a press conference with the police chief to explain the current happenstance. However, even with the interruptions, the plan was finished.

Hallie stood in an abandoned lumber mill, while Sammy, Nic, and Aaron were in an unmarked white van nearby. Hallie was looking through her phone waiting for Aaron to give the signal, a phone call saying he wasn't coming. Nic was making sure three guns were ready to go in case the plan worked and the killer arrived. Sammy was looking at a monitor which was connected to cameras placed around Hallie to keep her safe.

As it turned 6, Nic nodded to Aaron, the signal for him to call Hallie. He pulled out his phone and dialled her number and looked at the monitor with Sammy.

"Hal? It's A. Go time."

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

Aaron saw Hallie give the sign that she was on speaker, a wink towards a camera.

"I had some personal biz come up dude, I know you wanted this to be a secret and everything, but I figured I had to tell you."

Hallie plopped down on an old conveyor belt. "Who am I supposed to explore with now? Sammy's sick!"

"I guess you'll have to go it alone."

Hallie sighed. "Alright, catch ya later bae."

"See ya tiger."

Aaron hung up and nodded to Nic. "And now we wait."

***

It had been over four hours. Hallie had fallen asleep and Sammy was dozing. Aaron and Nic however stared at the monitor, watching for any sort of movement. Even though there was nothing happening, so much was staked on this set up that Aaron couldn't find it in himself to be tired. Even Nic, who had pulled an all-nighter the day before was wide awake. It was the waiting that was setting Aaron on edge. To him, something should have happened by now. He was nervous about this.

Nic suddenly gasped, startling Sammy out of her daydream. "Jesus, what is it?" asked Sammy, rubbing her eyes.

"There," Nic pointed at the screen.

A short yet curvy figure appeared on camera behind Hallie. Not close, but even just seeing the figure sent a shiver down Aaron's spine. He knew that body but he couldn't put his finger on it. He did notice the person was creeping closer to Hallie.

"We need to move, now."

Nic took a gun and gave one to Aaron. He offered one to Sammy when she said she would come too. The back door of the van was slammed open as Nic led Sammy and Aaron to where Hallie was last seen.

Suddenly, a piercing scream ripped through the air, causing Nic to double down on their pace and tell Sammy to turn back and call for both an ambulance and a police squad. Sammy did as such, leaving Nic and Aaron alone. The two men practically sprinted over to where Hallie was and the sight they were met with was a gruesome one.

Hallie was standing, albeit barely, as she was holding an obvious stab wound on her right shoulder that was bleeding rather quickly. She was rapidly growing pale. From afar, the mysterious figure was a bit easier to see. They were almost surely female, since their bloodstained black v-neck shirt was showing a bit of darker skin. Her pants, or rather shorts, were also black, like she was trying to blend in with the darkness.

Aaron heard Nic whisper under his breath to him. "This is worst case scenario. No matter what keep your gun trained on the criminal. No. Matter. What."

Nic jolted out into the clearing but stopped when the figure grabbed Hallie and held a bloody knife to her neck. Aaron stepped out as soon as he turned on the old factory lights, a generator whirring obnoxiously loud. He gasped as soon as he trained his gun on the criminal.

It was Melody.

"M-Mel? What're you doing?"

Melody sighed. "I'm trying to kill this harlot! What else would I be doing?"

Aaron shook his head, hands quivering. "That makes no sense Melody. Why murder, why- why this?"

"Because I'm in love with you and no one can love you like I love you."

As she finished her sentence, police came and swarmed around Melody. She looked around wildly and made a show of holding the knife to Hallie's neck. Hallie was petrified, refusing to move from her position. Her knuckles were white from gripping Melody's arm.

Aaron took a step forward, prompting Melody to turn slightly to make distance between Aaron and Hallie and pressed the flat side of the knife further into Hallie's throat. Aaron stopped in his tracks, mortified.

"What? Too scared to step up and be a man, Aaron?"

Aaron gripped his gun, standing up a bit straighter. "Melody that's toxic masculinity and you know it. And you know exactly why I'm not moving forward, don't act like you don't."

Melody started laughing, pressing the knife hard enough to draw a bit of blood on Hallie's neck making her whimper. Melody noticed this and calmed down, removing the knife from Hallie's neck and placing it by her side.

"Aw, Honey, don't be like that," whined Melody.

Aaron's eye almost started to twitch. "Melody Caine. Former friend and no time relationship partner. Sound about right Detective?"

Nic sidestepped closer to Aaron while still keeping his gun trained on Melody. "I do believe you are correct, Rookie."

Melody's face turned from jovial to a twisted mask of hatred. She threw Hallie to the ground and slammed her foot into Hallie's back. She raised her knife to the sound of Hallie's groans and the safety being switched off of 10 guns, including Aaron's. She eyed around before pointing the knife at Nic, her hand shaking with fury.

"Don't you refer to him so casually, bastard. He is Aaron to you and Honey to me," She spun to face the police as well. "And that goes for all you mofos too."

Aaron had had enough. "Melody. I am giving you 5 seconds to give Hallie over to me or I'll be forced to take drastic action."

"But... But Honey!"

"5"

"You can't be serious!"

"4"

"Why are you doing this?!"

"3"

"Aaron, listen to me!"

"2"

"You don't understand!"

"1"

Melody kicked Hallie away from her. She threw the knife into the ground and closed her fists shaking. "I did this for us..."

Aaron glared at Melody. "There was never an 'us'."

Aaron moved towards Hallie slowly, grabbing her and helping her get up without touching her hurt shoulder to the best of his ability. The entire time he tried to keep the gun aimed at Melody. The moment he turned around with the safety on his gun and Hallie in his arms, Aaron let two, malice soaked words slide from his lips.

"Get her."