On the Run

Chapter 14: How could that be?

The shot rang out.

But I was still alive. How could that be?

I heard something like a growl, and turned back to Hades--only, he wasn't standing there anymore. He was pressed to the side railing of the boat, for the first time actual fear on his face.

And Alex was clutching the front of his shirt, lump pulsing on the side of his head and looking out of it, but more livid than I've ever seen anyone be.

"I told you," he said in a steely whisper, his breath right in Hades's face, "to stay the fuck away from her." And he punched him straight in the face, blood instantaneously pouring from his nose.

　

　

Alex kept punching him, and after a minute I had to stop him, regardless of how justified it was.

"Alex, that's enough. Come on, we can bring him to the police, we're already safe." He kept going, eyes locked on the bloody mass.

"Alex, please stop. Baby, please, don't do this, you're scaring me," my voice broke, and he blinked, looking up at me like he had just emerged from a fog.

"I didn't..I didn't mean to. I just...he was gonna kill you, Scar." His big, scared eyes looked to me for redemption, and I wrapped my arms around him. "I know. But you saved me. And we're okay now." We sat there, almost catatonic, for ages, but eventually came to our senses.

"What do we do with him?" Alex asked, face contorted with disgust. "Tie him up, first of all. We can't take any chances of him getting away, or no one will ever catch him." He hog tied him quickly, then surveyed our surroundings. "What now?"

I paused, trying to decide the best course of action. "Well, we could tie the boat up somewhere, and call the police anonymously. If we leave the phone in his pocket they'll have all the evidence they need, and a full confession. Not to mention we won't have to deal with questions or anything." He nodded, then steered us to the nearest civilized place.

"911, what is your emergency?" Alex nodded and motioned for me to talk, "The police need to come right away. It's the Cinema Shooter, I swear this isn't a prank, he came after us and we managed to knock him out. He's tied up in a boat on the river, just off Aelous Lane. There's a phone in his pocket, I recorded him and it has all the evidence and confession on it." I hung up, and we began the long trek.

　

　

"I don't know who you are, but it is THREE O' CLOCK in the morning, and there is a child--" Tiff threw open the door with blatant anger on her face, hair thrown up in a messy bun, and a huge t shirt of Rob's on, but the minute she saw us she became overjoyed.

"You're alive! Oh my gosh you're actually living and breathing, thank God!" She started crying as she squeezed me, trembling with relief. "Rob! ROB, honey, you have to get up!"

"What's happening?!" He appeared at the door in only boxers, brandishing a kitchen knife in one hand and his phone in the other. "You guys are okay!" He dropped the knife on the counter and ran to hug us (Actual hugs, THANK YOU ROB FOR HAVING A BRAIN).

Alex began describing our adventure, but I slid through the door and made a beeline for the nursery, crafted before Tiff and Rob had kids just because they already knew how often Kenzie would be there. "Baby, my baby's okay," I said to myself as I lifted her sleeping form from the small bed. Her hair still smelled like strawberries, and her slow breathing was like the fluttering of insect wings.

A tear dripped on her face and she began to stir. "Momma? What awe you doing hewe?"

I kissed her small forehead. "Momma and Daddy came back early. I missed you so so much Kenz." She pressed a small hand to my face, "I missed you tew. I had a bad dweam. I was wif the staws, and a mean man was gonna hewt you, and Daddy was sweeping on the floor. I was so scawed, but you were so bwave, so I twied to be tew. And you looked up at me and sed, 'sine wike da staws', and den I woked up."