Think Like A Criminal

Chapter 18

"Shay," Vincent ground out, his teeth rubbing against each other.

"I liked it more when you called me kitten," he heard her laugh mockingly.

"Where's Victor?" he asked.

'You didn't see him back at the cabin?" Alexis replied in a fake surprise, "I swear he was lying unconscious there when I ran."

"So you're a thief as well?" he asked, referring to the phone she had.

"You'll be surprised what people do," he heard her reply. Vincent glanced around his surroundings. If she had called him now it meant she was somewhere near; close but far enough to keep a safe distance.

"Why bring me all the way here?" he asked, still looking around, "We could have had a sparring match back at the cabin."

"True, but then it would have been difficult to take down two men at the same time and bring them to custody."

Vincent began walking in a random direction, his eyes alert for any indication that would point out her location. He saw a few people looking at him and some of them were walking a few steps behind him.

"Ah, I see you've called back-up," Vincent smirked, speeding into the crowded area, "Too scared to take me down on your own?"

He bumped into some running kids and adults. The kids ignored while some of the adults either apologised or sent him a small smile in alternate.

"Says the guy who's blending in the crowd," she hummed and Vincent looked around him in hopes to find her, "Relax. They won't move unless I say so. They're just here to keep an eye on you so you don't escape."

"You do know I'm armed, right?" he said as he continued swimming through the sea of people. He bumped into another person and glared down at them. The girl shrank back.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked out and walked away, blending in the crowd.

"Hm," she hummed, "But I doubt you'll use it."

"What makes you say that?" he taunted.

"Well right now you're mixing in the crowd which forces the police not to draw out their weapons," she explained, "Same goes for you. If you drew out your gun and shot anyone or fired in the air, people are going to scatter leaving you easy to spot."

"What if I do that to escape?" he questioned, before tripping on something. He cursed and steadied himself before looking down to see a teenager crouched on the floor and tying his shoelace. "Watch it, kid!"

The teenager looked up at him and profoundly apologised, "Sorry, sir."

The teenager's head shot to his side when he heard his name. He quickly finished tying his shoelace, stood up and walked away.

"You won't," he heard Alexis answer, "If you wanted to escape, you wouldn't have followed me in the first place."

"You'll be surprised what people do," he repeated her words from before.

"Is that so?" she asked, "Fine then. Turn around."

Vincent stopped at what she said, "What?"

"Turn around, thickhead," she said again. Vincent did as she said. He saw nothing except for the crowd lessening a little. There was someone standing a few feet opposite to him wearing a cat mask, one hand holding a plastic black scythe – she must have gotten it from a kid in the grim reaper's costume he passed by – and the other holding a phone to her ear and staring at him. The woman removed the phone from her ear and Vincent heard the beeping sound of hanging up from his side. Pocketing the phone, she moved her lips. His eyes narrowed when he comprehended who she was.