Starlight

Chapter 11

"We're being followed" Mae said, looking harshly into the rearview mirror. My heartbeat picked up.

"How do you know?" I said, my voice coming out higher than I wanted it too.

"Just trust me, I used to work in New Mexico, if people down there thought you knew something, you were followed. This guy has been tagging us." She said with a serious tone. It was odd to hear her being serious, it was a completely different Mae.

"Okay." I said leaning back in my seat, trying to focus on anything besides the white car behind us.

"Hey we've got a problem." Mae said. I thought she was talking to me, until I saw her phone in hand.

"What's up?" Theo's voice rang out loud and clear. Even though nothing can compare to being with him in person, his voice was just enough to steady my heartbeat.

"We're being followed, in case you forgot I'm with Drew." She said. I heard shuffling and curses on the other end. From the sound of it, he totally forgot.

"Where are you going to stop I'll try meeting you there." He said, out of breath.

"No need I'll just lose him." Oh God, her driving from earlier was normal. How bad is it going to be this time.

"Do not! It isn't just you Mae, I don't want you to crash and kill yourself or Drew." He said, anger lacing his tone.

"I forgot about your girlfriend." She said. I just shot her a look, why on earth would she call me that!

"Mae, this is serious, find a place to stop." He said, probably getting in a car from all the beeping I heard.

"Go to my apartment, you're closer." I said and now it was Mae's turn to shoot me a look.

"No way Drew! If this is Carson then we will be leading him straight to your home." She said annoyed.

"I sadly have to agree with Mae. We can't do that." Theo said, like I just told him the earth is flat.

"You both are forgetting that I'm moving in less than a week. If I rush it I could be out of my apartment in two days. I already have stuff packed up." I said noticing Mae nodding. Theo just sighed.

"If it's him than you are out of there tonight." He said.

"I just submitted it, there's no way it'll be confirmed yet." I replied.

"We can use the police excuse of 'it's a safe house'." Mae said.

"No, we will have Drew pay tonight, and move in tomorrow, I'll just stay with her." Theo said. Mae didn't reply, but her mouth opened and she started wiggling her eyebrows yet again.

We continued our silent fight. First me slapping her telling her to stop it, then her pointing at the phone making a kissy face. Next me shooting a look that said 'don't you dare say anything'. Lastly, the face from this morning.

"Drew, are you guys there?" Theo asked, we probably hadn't replied for a good 15 seconds.

"Yeah that's fine I haven't packed up my couch yet." I said.

"Damn it." Mae said. Shooting me a disappointed look.

"What's wro-"

"Mae!" I yelled cutting Theo off. Not from embarrassment, but because our tail just rear ended us. Effectively shooting both of us back into the seat. Even though my neck hurt, just as Mae's probably did, she kept driving.

"Theo I need to go full blast, this guy isn't giving." She said, and before he could protest, she shifted gears and we were flying. Not literally, but any faster and we might take off.

"What happened." He said. Gone was his confused voice, now it was all worry. Worry for Mae, and for me. God Drew this is not the time.

"The jerk rear ended us. I'm fine, but I think Drew has a case of whiplash." She said, only now did I notice that Mae was calm. She didn't look in pain at all, I realized she probably had her head against the seat. I was all the way leaned forward.

"Drew, how bad does it hurt?" He asked. We were almost at my complex.

"It's fine, I'll just be sore for a couple of days." I said and he just sighed. As we pulled into the complex, Theo stood tall and strong right by the entrance. I was shocked to see him not in his car, but even more shocked when the car following us quickly sped away. Mae parked and got out so I did the same.

"Why did he just leave?" I asked and Mae smirked.

"Because he's afraid of Theo." She said, and he smiled.

"Did you get the license plate?" Theo asked us, I felt guilty. I hadn't even thought to look for it.

"There weren't any, did you get a look at his face?" He just shook his head.

"The sun visor was down. All I could see was that he was a man in a black hoodie." Theo said, Mae nodded, like she noticed all the same things.

"At least we know the type of car he has, it will at least narrow down the search won't it?" I asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"That's actually why I called Mae earlier. Someone reported their car missing. The make and model match the car that followed you." Mae's eyes widen, but I'm just shocked.

"This guy really wants you." She said, and Theo's jaw clenched. I still didn't move, I don't think I could've.

"We won't let him get you Drew." Theo said, trying to sound reassuring, but still sounding emotionless.

"I don't think you'll have a choice." I said, speaking for the first time.

"Why do you say that? Do you think we can't protect you?" Mae asked, and I just shook my head.

"I know you can, I'm asking you not to." I said and Theo, remembering our conversation from last night, knew exactly what I was thinking.

"You are not doing that." He said and I just laughed.

"You can't stop me. I'll keep my phone on and go after therapy. If I figure out who it is, I'll let you know." I said. Theo started protesting and Mae looked at me sadly. The woman who became my best friend wasn't objecting, because she knew I was right. She knew the only way to get him was to draw him out.

"Theo she's right." Mae said, cutting off all his arguing.

"How can you possibly be okay with this." He said, and she just sighed.

"I'm not, but she's right. As much as I hate it she's completely right. We need to get him before he hurts someone else.

"How do we know he'll even come?" He said. He is just looking for excuses.

"Trust me he'll come for his 'starlight'." I said disgusted. Theo's head whipped over to look at me. His eyebrows narrowed slightly.

"Say that again." Theo asked, although it was more like a demand.

"Starlight. Does that mean something to you?" I asked. He rubbed his hand through his hair, he definitely recognized it. But why wasn't he saying.

"It was the name of my first classified mission. I'd only ever told one person." Theo said, looking sad.

"Theo?" Mae said, warning lacing her tone. If it related to the case he had to tell us.

"My childhood friend, Rob." He said, but he was still hiding something.

"Well let's go talk to him. Starlight didn't just drop out of the sky for him." Mae said, getting aggravated now.

"We can't." He just murmured.

"Why the hell not? This could be the guy that's targeting Drew." She said sounding appalled. I'd never heard Mae sound like this before.

"It most certainly is not." He tried to reason. But even I could tell that there was an obvious connection, the way the car sped off when the driver saw Theo.

"How do you know? You have been gone for a while, who knows what this kid turned into. Just because you were fri-"

"Because he's dead!" He yelled, shutting both of us up.