EVERGREEN WOOD《COMPLETED✔》

HUNTER AND PREY

Chapter 35

I could hear drumming noise ringing in my ear. My heart was almost coming out of my mouth. I started counting my breaths. maybe he just noticed something unusual and is calling a bluff. I waited. The silence grew tense and I heard footsteps which stopped inches to my right.

"I would know that vanilla scent anywhere," he started for me again. I closed my eyes and waited. I wondered if he would knock me unconscious or take his time to drug me. Or maybe he would just kill me right here. I held my breath for which felt like eternity. But before he could come close enough to grab me, Luke stepped out of the closet. 

"Your game is up." He was holding the knife in a death grip. The light coming from the glass doors gave it a ghastly shine.

"Well you're not a surprise. Word has already got around that you broke out of the cell. Maybe I'll do the police a favor by killing you right here. That knife can't stand against a gun."

I could only see Luke from this angle. But judging by his face, I guess Alex brought out a gun. Only if I brought the knife I might have had the advantage of a surprise attack. He probably saw Skyler too because she came out after Luke without hesitation. I cursed my instincts for not working. Come on, think. I was freshly out of ideas because my recklessness can put them in danger. But Noah was the one to take steps.

"You're outnumbered," his voice seemed closer which meant he got out too. I cursed under my breath and got out too. "And Jenny, jeez, would it have killed you not smell like vanilla?"

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed to take a bath today," I laugh at his attempt to make me less stressed.

Noah and I stood in Alex's left and Luke and Skyler in front of him. Noah was holding the semi-automatic on his both hands aiming at Alex's chest.

"You don't know how to use that," Alex snorted.

"I know just enough to hit you," Noah didn't even flinch. "Let me tell you how this works. You try to aim, I shoot. You hit me, Luke stabs you. You shoot Luke I shoot you. Either way, you die. So let us be gentle and lower that weapon."

Alex lowered his weapon and stared at Noah. There was no fear in his eyes. Rather it was amusement. He wasn't told to put it on the ground but he did it anyway. Luke picked up the gun and held the knife near his neck. Close enough to slit his throat if he made any suspicious move. Noah positioned himself to the other side at comfortable distance to shoot when needed. Skyler and I stood at the opposite ends so that we formed a square. I was hoping Ivy would come out by now. But she didn't. Noah didn't even bother to call her out now that we had Alex cornered. But I kept my mouth shut.

"You guys came prepared I see," he took turn to meet each of our eyes.

"We know who you are. You are Thomas Cavanaugh's son. You tried to take revenge on all of us. You caused Ivy's accident. You tried to frame Luke. You framed all of us. But now it's over," Noah said in a calm voice.

"My target was to frame you," he told Noah. "But, Luke was just so eager to take the blame. Just because I told him if he opened his mouth, Jenny gets hurt. He is soooo attached to you." He let out an evil laugh.

Anger rushed inside me. It was already enough that he made Luke suffer, it was enough that I was afraid of getting attached to him so I distanced my self. But using his feelings for me against him, I'll kill him.

"How are you alive?" I asked him as rude as possible.

"That's a miracle isn't it? The whole Cavanaugh family dead and no one to take revenge. Maybe the universe has its way," he plastered a smirk on his face.

"Who's your accomplice?" Noah asked.

"That's a thing bugging you right? The one thing Noah Flickermen doesn't know. Well you're about to find out.

The next few things happened so fast it seemed like a fast forwarded movie. With a loud clink Luke fell on the ground. Alex took the distraction and snatched the gun from Noah and pointed at him. I wanted to scream as my brain processed Luke's limp unconscious body on the floor but no sound came out. I saw someone bend over him and grab the gun on the floor. As soon as she pointed it at me, I saw a ghost. She looks so much like Genevie and the dim lighting made her look ghostly.

"I would like you guys to meet my girlfriend, Lola Stone."

**********************

Lola was standing there with a gun pointed towards Skyler and me. The hockey stick she used on Luke lay beside her on the floor. She looked so much like Genevie yet so different. She looked almost murderous now. 

"Lola? What are you doing here?" Noah asked as we were gathered on the other side of the room aimed by two guns at our faces.

"Like he said, I'm his girlfriend," she made googly eyes towards him which brought out my gag reflex.

"That guy killed your sister," Skyler let out a half scream half speech.

"Let me make it easier for your tiny brain to process," Lola took a few steps closer and stood right in front of her. "I am the accomplice you're looking for. Which means I was the one who killed Genevie."

Skyler squeezed my hand and I would bet that she was on the verge of crying. Lola moved to my right and held the gun on my head level. I tried to think positive like she had never used a gun and she cannot possibly do it without doing something wrong. But my mind kept focusing on Luke lying there a few feet ahead of me. She hit him so hard that he knocked out only on one blow.

"Why?" Skyler asked one last time before she started sobbing.

"Do you think it's easy to be under the shadow of the Queen Bee? Everyone's always saying stuffs like Genevie is this, Genevie is that. I used to look up to her, try to be like her. But she pushed me away. She liked to be the only one. Her grades were better than me, her looks were better than me. I was the one getting sidelined. I was the one to suffer. Alex was the one who understood me. He took me in. Loved me like no one else did. She had it coming for her for a long time. Alex just gave a another reason for her to suffer. So she did."

I never thought there could be so much hatred inside someone. But the way Lola spoke about her sister made me realize she had been hating her for a long time. I stole a glance at Alex, he was looking at Lola with sympathy in his eyes. I could not wrap my mind around the fact that he might actually like her. 

"It was so easy. No one was allowed to know that she had woken up. But I already did. After all, I'm family. It took only moments to bribe the nurse in taking an early leave. I even booked a table for her at a nice diner. Then I posed as the nurse for the reminder of the night. I got a little frightened when another one came to check. But she didn't suspect a thing. I only had to turn the oxygen off for sometime to let her asthma kick in. When I was assured that the work was done, I turned it back on and left. A clean death, no trace," Lola smiled like she was contended about what she had achieved.

"Isn't that better than those detective stories you read?" Alex took a step forward and let the moonlight fall on him. The space behind him looked deadly dark.

"How about I tell you my stories now," Alex smirked. "Get settled."