Annihilation

Chapter 16

My darling can you hear it?
Something's lurking in the leaves
I can feel it's preying eyes on us
From somewhere in the trees
Meghan

"Where do you live?" Meghan asks as she backs the car out of the parking lot.
"53 lake-side " Jackson mumbles face planting the window
"Whoa, upper coast? Damn." The Lake side upper coast as the very original name suggested was the home to the wealthiest people in Blackwood.
Meghan had visited that side of town so less that she didn't even know the directions to it. She opened her purse searching for her phone to switch on the gps.
She couldn't find it. Rushing through the contents she searched every pocket of the bag and yet no phone. She sighed trying to remember the last time she used it and then cursed herself when she realised that she must have dropped it in the back alley when she was with Michael. Unclipping her seatbelt Meghan turned to Jack " Hey, i think i forgot my phone in there. I will just go and get it okay?"
"Yeah. Want me to come with you?"
"No. It's fine. Be back in a sec"
Stepping out of the car Meghan started towards the back alley, hoping to quickly recover her phone and just as she was about to round the corner she heard a deep voice say "Well, I certainly didn't hope to see you here still."
Meghan moved to make her presence known but stopped mid-step when she heard a very familiar voice reply "I told you i'd be here"
Michael.
Turning herself to glance around the wall , Meghan saw a guy in a suit standing opposite to Michael. With his back facing her, Michael had the same black backpack that she had seen him carry that day at the carnival with him. Confusion gripped Meghan as she listened on to their conversation.
"So you did" the guy in the suit said throwing his cigarette on the ground. He...he looked vaguely familiar and Meghan felt as if she should have known who he is,which was bizarre because she had never met him before or if she had, she didn't remember it.
"But it was your first time" he continued on, moving closer to Michael "Tell me,Michael.How is my sister?"
Sister?
"Actually don't. I never had the time nor patience for her drama. But if she has done something of merit ...... " he looked at Michael " It was introducing you to me.You have the steel, but your loyalty...."
Michael remained silent for a moment before smirking "You set me up for child's chore" he said moving in and confronting him"and you expect me to show my loyalty?"
Not breaking eye contact, he threw the bag at him, " The seal is intact Damion, " he said " But I don't need to look inside to know it's empty." Michael said looking him in the eye
"So next time, when you send someone on a fool's errand, check if they know the game as well as you do."
Damion.
Meghan stifled a gasp as the pieces start to fall together.Realisation making her heady as she stared in disbelief, she now saw just who the man in the suit was.
Damion Caruthers. Caroline's brother. You couldn't not live here and not hear about him. He  was arrested for drug possession and alleged murder and rape of a nineteen year old girl. Nina Tortíní . Even the thought of her sent a shiver down Meghan's spine.
The girl, she had studied at the same high school Meghan went to, one day she was there, the other she just wasn't . She disappeared. No trace not even a single lead. The case was open and shut , everyone had given up.
That was until the police received a tip from an anonymous source that accused Damion Caruthers of killing his girlfriend of two years, Nina. Everyone was shocked to the core.
Damion was the golden boy. If you'd never met him, you'd hear all the rumours and believe them. For you he'd become  this sweet heartbroken person who was mourning the loss of his precious beloved girlfriend but one look at those eyes and you'd realise that something is just...wrong here. You'd see the darkness in his eyes and realise maybe he is not who he is made out to be.
Maybe the gold shined just too bright.So bright that you were too blinded by the shine to see the tarnish underneath.
Meghan remembered seeing the photographs in the paper. Remembered seeing the boy with those cold eyes, looking back at the camera as he dared it to go against him. He was just too calm, too collected. Meghan remembered seeing Caroline Caruthers for the first time stumble on her pedestal.
An investigation was conducted. The source proved to be true and Nina was discovered. Sitting dead in her car underneath the river,her seatbelt still on.
There were no skid marks on the road that indicated an accident and Skin cells were was found underneath her nails. Her body bruised broken abused and blue. All signs pointed to Damion.He was done for.
But then....
Then everything changed . Two days before the trial a road construction operative came forward and said that there was construction going on the road beside the river and it had been tarred over just a week ago. That was also a week after Nina's disappearance.The road before that had been a dirt road that couldn't have possibly retained any skid marks. Then the chief medical examiner came forward said in his report that on further investigation it was found that since the body had been under water for weeks all the medical evidence had in-fact been washed away . The bruises could be easily caused by the car accident and the skin cells were from when Damion had seen his girlfriend's body for the first time. Supposedly he held her hand until the medical examination team came to the scene. The anonymous source disappeared, no contact could be established. The house of cards fell. Too delicate to remain under the weight of the hefty dollar bills the Caruthers spent like spare change.

The Tortínís lost the trial and instead got charged with slander. They left town after that.
Caroline went back to her usual self, making sure everyone knew just how unjust it had been on her brother. Nobody saw Damion after that.

Until now it appears.

Damion may have been absolved of murder but the drug possession? That was swiftly slid under the carpet.
Not to be mentioned, not to be pondered.

Every town has that one little secret.That one little incidence that they don't talk about. For Blackwood it's Nina Tortíní.
Now as Meghan stared at the black bag , she wondered what could've been in it.
And the it registered with her for the first time that Michael had picked it up for Damion.
He had picked it up for him when he was with her.
Meghan took a step back as ice filled  her veins.An annihilating chill over taking her.A loud crunch sounded and Meghan closed her eyes. She had stepped on a beer can.
Silence sounded as she stood still. Incapacitated.
Footsteps started towards her and Meghan turned to run when she heard him
"I wouldn't do that, little one"
Meghan turned to face Damion. "Come on out" he said.When Meghan hesitated, Damion took a step forward "Don't make me make you do it" he warned in a low threatening tone. Placing his hand on her elbow he ushered her out from around the wall.And as her eyes connected with Michael's she saw his shock for a momentary second before he covered it up. Meghan stared at him, begging him to explain this. To tell her that this wasn't what it clearly appeared to be. But as he stared, his jaw locked, Meghan saw nothing in his eyes. It was like a wall was separating them.
"Now, Darling." Damion said "Care to explain what you were doing standing there"
" I-I .." Meghan stopped and then looked at Michael " I dropped my phone. I came back for it."
Dominic chuckled "Now now" he said placing a finger gently underneath her chin. Turning her face to face him.He warmly smiled at her and yet she felt nothing but the cold fear surrounding her "That doesn't seem very plausible does it" he whispers . Looking at her. And then he brutally yanked her forward and gripped her chin in a tight hold between his thumb and forefinger. Meghan swallowed her scream but wasn't able to control her flinch "What the fuck were you doing here?" Damion shouted at her a warning in his voice. When she remained silent Damion took another step forward but Michael put a hand on his shoulder
" Let her go right fucking now unless you want to lose your hand" Michael said and Meghan's eyes widened in shock. She had never heard Michael speak this way. His voice was calm and unwavering yet so dangerous. So vicious that it gave Meghan a pause.And as Meghan stood there she stared at a face she knew as well as the back of her hand.Knew every crevice, every blemish, every sculpted curve of and yet she couldn't recognise the man who wore it.

Damion stilled.

For a moment no one moved but then he slowly let her go. Stumbling back Meghan bought her hand to her jaw. Wincing at the pain. She's going to have bruises.
Turning to Michael ,Damion said "You two know each other?"
He turned to look at her, his eyes travelling up and down her body, he smirked and said "Hmm..interesting. You should have told me. I wouldn't have messed with her."
And yet his voice contradicted his own words
"She certainly is pretty" he said "where have you been hiding her?" Turning to her he asked "Who are you little one?"
  Michael clenched his jaw. "She is no one. Forget about her. Are we done here or not?"

"Someone special then?" Damion asked humming under his breath.And Then he looked Meghan in the eye and smiled.
"We are far from done".