The Blind Man

NINE

"It's Luis!" Cristal screamed as Maggie reached her.

Maggie tried to focus on what Cristal was trying to say. She didn't want to think about what just happened between her and Jae. There had been too many sudden flash backs, and something deep down told her that the man she was seeing in those dreams was Jae, but she was still so confused and shocked. It was too much to take in at once.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" Maggie asked.

Cristal looked terrified. Her eyes were full of tears as she shook her head. "He killed him." She gasped.

Jae came over then with his sunglasses on. "Say that again?" His tone was stern but held fear.

Cristal tried to tell them but she was talking too fast for them to understand her. Maggie grabbed Cristal's hand and lead her into the living room. "Come in here and tell us what's happened."

Jae shut and locked the front door before going to check the back door. Maggie tried to calm Cristal down enough to make sense of what she was trying to explain.

Jae walked in with Rosie leading him. "Tells us what's happened." He said before leaning against the door-jam. He was clearly too worried and upset to sit still.

Cristal wiped at her tears. "I didn't think I was going to survive." Maggie gripped her friend's hand at her confession.

"Luis went walking last night before supper and told me he would be back soon." She took in a gasp of air, still trying to calm herself. "I finished cooking and he still wasn't back yet, so I went looking for him on the trail. I only walked ten minutes or more when," She paused as more tears fell down her face. "When I saw this man standing over a body, and when I got closer I knew that it was Luis on the ground." Her whole body was shacking with fear. "He was covered in blood, and when I screamed the man turned and came after me. I ran as fast as I could back to the cabin. He got in the house but I was able to get out and to the car."

"Did you see his face?" Maggie asked, knowing that Jae was in too much shock to speak.

"No," she cried. "He was wearing this terrible mask on his face, but he was a big man. I thought I was going to die!"

Cristal fell against Maggie, and she looked over at Jae. He was just standing in the door way doing nothing more but crying silently for the loss of his friend.

~~*~~

Jae felt empty. Deep down he still couldn't believe that Luis was gone; dead somewhere in the mountains.

They had gotten up with the local police and they contacted the other stations to help search for Luis's body. Even though they went to the scene and found tons of blood, they still had yet to discover a body.

Cristal was a hopeless wreck through it all. She went over her story with the sheriff and two other deputies twice to make sure she hadn't missed anything. Maggie then explained to them what had been happening the past few days.

Now, they sat in the dinning room as the officers wrapped up the interrogation. After a few more questions, Maggie helped Cristal out of the room and to bed while Jae walked with the officers to the door.

"We'll do drive-bys through shifts to make sure everything stays in order. I have a feeling the man will come looking for Cristal- or even Maggie." The sheriff said.

Jae wasn't sure what the man looked like, but his voice held the weariness of years. His tone held an edge of authority that made Jae stand a little straighter.

"Thank you, sir."

Jae heard Maggie's footsteps echo off the walls as she made her way down. "I appreciate y'all coming by." She said, when she stopped beside Jae.

One of the deputies cleared their throat. "We're sorry about what's happening, Mrs. Ripper, but we'll do everything we can to help."

Jae grinned knowing that Maggie was blushing at how they assumed her to be Jae's wife.

"We're not married; just friends." Maggie said gently.

The deputy's tone changed. "My apologies. But if y'all need anything just give us a call." He said it more to Maggie then Jae.

Jae felt himself stiffen; he didn't like the flirtatious tone the deputy was using with Maggie. Rosie scented Jae's discomfort and growled.

The men left moments later and Jae locked the door behind them. Maggie grabbed his hand instantly and he felt a rush of heat go through him.

"You okay?" She asked.

He paused taking in the feel of Maggie's hand in his. "I'll be okay."

Deep down Jae knew that the moment they had shared earlier today changed everything between them.

~~*~~

Maggie checked on Cristal before heading into the guest room to get her last pair of clothes out.

Maggie hated that her friends had to go through so much. She hadn't known Luis that well, or if she had she couldn't remember. But she was more sad for them then she was for Luis's death. She regreted not getting to know him better.

"I need to go back to the house tomorrow and get more clothes." She said, as Jae walked in with Rosie leading him.

"You might as well move in." He said it as a joke, but his tone was serious.

She didn't answer him, but kept getting her stuff together for a shower.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

She sighed as tears burned the backs of her eyes. "I can't right now, Jae. I'm already drained. I just want to take a shower and go to bed."

He took off his sunglasses and ran his hand over his jaw. "I understand." He hesitated before turning and walking out with Rosie following him. He went into his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Maggie hated to be rude to him, but she still wasn't able to make sense of her new memories herself, much less talk about them. Everything about this scared her.

An hour later after taking a hot shower and getting ready for bed, she checked on a sleeping Cristal again before going into Jae's room. She was going to sleep in Cristal's room tonight to make sure she was okay, so all Maggie needed now was to get her toothbrush out of the bathroom.

Rosie watched from the bed as Maggie crossed the room, grabbed her brush and turned to go.

"Where are you going?" Jae's deep voice echoed off the bedroom walls.

She turned and stared at him. He was lying on his back with his open eyes looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm going to sleep with Cristal tonight to make sure she settles in good."

Jae just nodded his head and Maggie turned to walk out. She didn't want to admit it, but she was sleeping in the other room more for herself than for Cristal. There was too much of the unknown between her and Jae for her to sleep beside him. She just couldn't do it tonight.

When she stepped into the other bedroom a breeze passed through and she froze. Cristal wasn't in bed and the window was wide open. Maggie looked everywhere before leaning out the window. A ladder rested against the house just below the window, and Maggie began panicking.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she rushed into Jae's room. "He's got Cristal!"