Red Red Rose

by Stephanie Hoffman McManus

  He caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger and then lowered his mouth, lightly brushing his lips over mine. “Any time you start to have doubts or feel like giving up, I’ve got you. I promise.”

  The tears that I’d managed to hold at bay, started welling in my eyes again and I had to blink them back. “How is it that I hardly know you and yet you make everything feel so right when I’m near you?”

  “Sometimes our hearts recognize what it takes our eyes longer to see.” He touched his lips to my forehead. “I have to go right now, but is it okay if I call you tonight? I want to talk to you before you go to sleep.”

  “Yes,” I answered softly.

  “You sure you’re good to go back to work?”

  “Yes. I just needed you,” I admitted.

  “You’ve got me.” With his forefinger he tilted my chin up and brought his lips to mine one more time. It was soft, slow, and sweet, and ended too quickly. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Later,” I echoed and then I watched him walk out.

  “You okay?” Will came up to me. He must have come in sometime in the last few minutes.

  “Yeah,” I forced a weak smile.

  “You sure? Looked like a tense moment.”

  “I’m good now. I was having a bad day. Spencer helped.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t look entirely convinced. “What was the reason for the bad day?”

  “What else?”

  His eyes filled with sympathy, and he reached out, placing his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. “It’s going to be okay. Just hang in there.”

  “I know, and I am.” Thanks to Spencer. “Are you off work, or on break?”

  Will’s hand dropped back to his side. “Neither. I’m headed in to work with an afternoon client. I was just dropping Cassie off for her shift and wanted to come in and see how you’re holding up.”

  “Dropping Cassie off?” I smirked.

  “Yes,” he scraped a hand over his hair. “She spent the night last night, which I’m sure you’ll get to hear about soon enough.”

  “Not if she doesn’t want me to fire her.”

  He laughed. “Okay then, I’ll leave you to it, but if you need anything, you know where to find me.”

  “Apparently in Cassie’s pants. That seems to be where you’re spending most of your time,” I snickered.

  “Funny,” he said dryly.

  I shrugged. “Couldn’t resist.”

  “I’m sure you tried real hard.’

  My only response was to smile in amusement. He shook his head. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Later.”

  Reggie was still going over the ins and outs of lattes versus americanos versus mochas with Tiffany when I returned behind the counter. Usually, I wouldn’t hire someone with no barista experience, but of the few applicants I talked to this week, she was the only one I thought would make a good fit here. Another college student, just looking for some part time hours, and she was sweet and seemed competent enough to pick it up quickly. When she made me a practice mocha and I sipped it, I knew she’d do just fine.

  As slow as the afternoon was turning out to be, I let her and Reggie both leave a little early, confident Cassie and I could handle what was left of the day. While Cassie was in the kitchen, running a load through the dishwasher, Danny approached the counter, looking slightly like a wounded dog.

  “What’s up Danny?”

  “I just really want to apologize again for earlier. I didn’t think before I spoke.”

  “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean any harm by it.”

  He breathed a relieved sigh, and then relaxed against the counter. “Your boyfriend is probably right. I’m sure they’ll catch this guy, even though as of yet he’s been extremely cautious, leaving little to no evidence behind, and seems to be of an above average intelligence, based off of his–” he stopped himself, grimacing. “I’m sorry. That’s not helpful either. I just find human nature fascinating as it hasn’t always been something I’ve been able to relate well to. As a hobby I’ve studied psychology and read over many serial cases. I’ve found it is very different though, when the case is not some old, long forgotten story, but current events playing out before your eyes, affecting the people you know and care about. I must admit that it is quite hard to face and so my coping mechanism is to retreat into facts and logic, because that I know. That I understand. All of this, how someone could do these things, despite my research, I do not understand,” he admitted, glumly.

  “I don’t either, Danny. And I don’t want to understand it. I just want it to be over.”

  “I want that as well.” He offered a sad smile and then slunk back to his table and immersed himself in his work, and I did the same. Cassie joined me after a minute, restocking the espresso station with clean frothing pitchers, shot glasses and such.

  As much as I didn’t want to hear about her night with Will, I did want to ask her how they were doing. “So you and Will, everything is good? He’s good to you?”

  She bit her lip around a wide, playful grin. “Oh, he’s very, very good to me.”

  I scrunched up my face. “I wasn’t asking about that. I mean, he’s treating you well in general?”

  She shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, most of our time is spent doing that. But he doesn’t make me feel like he’s using me, and we go out sometimes. I think it will just take time before he’s ready for something more than casual, but I’m okay with that.”

  “As long as you’re happy with it and he’s treating you right.”

  “I am, and he is,” she smiled.

  That was the last I asked her about them, afraid that if I gave her any more encouragement, she would delve into more personal details. I could do without any more of those. The shop remained slow through the rest of the night, but not so much that when I looked at the numbers at closing time it had to be counted as a bad day. I was just happy when we got out of there and I had a day off to look forward to. Or more specifically, a day off with Spencer, and hopefully much needed fun to wash away some of the darkness of the week.

  Seventeen

  Saturday morning I had to forgo typical date attire, because today was not going to be a typical date. Last night on the phone we’d agreed that he could pick me up at noon and loser would buy lunch afterward. It was my idea. I’d suggested it knowing I would likely be the one treating us. That didn’t mean I was going to make it easy on him. I dressed in a pair of camouflage cargo pants, layered over a pair of leggings. I was going for warmth, but more so, extra padding. I threw on a long sleeved thermal shirt and then pulled a hunter green hoodie on. I also planned to borrow Em’s dark brown Carhart jacket. It was probably going to save my life today or at least save my upper body from too much bruising.

  The next step was to braid my hair back and add black war paint around my eyes, simply for intimidation tactics when he picked me up since my face would be hidden beneath my mask during the game. With my hair secured and my game face ready, I pulled on my tactical vest, which not only offered extra protection, but held four, one-hundred round, paintball pods, as well as loops for grenades, which I was currently out of.

  Playing with James and some of his high school buddies, Em and I learned to take it very seriously. We went all out. Most of my gear had been Christmas presents from James. He’d outfitted both Em and I for battle.

  When Spencer showed up and I answered the door all decked out, minus the protective mask, his face split into a big, beautiful grin. “This might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  I smirked back at him. He was dressed similarly in a pair of dark green cargo pants and a hooded camouflage sweatshirt with a camo beanie pulled low. It was a good look on him.

  “We’ll see if you still think so when I take you out.” I had to talk big.

  A deep laugh rumbled from his chest. “The only place you’ll be taking me out is to lunch.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Let’s do this.” I grabbed the duffel with th
e masks and guns and extra paintballs from beside the door, and snatched Em’s coat off the hook, throwing it on. I stopped on the porch when the smell hit me. I couldn’t resist tucking my chin and bringing it up to softly inhale. Spencer frowned curiously at me and I let go of the coat, letting it fall back in place.

  “Sorry. This jacket is Em’s and it still smells like her perfume and shampoo. It’s been a while.”

  His frown relaxed, and he didn’t say anything, but he took the bag from me and carried it to the truck. I glanced up at the overcast sky, hoping those grey clouds would hold off a while longer before unleashing the forecasted showers. It’d been drizzling off and on all morning, but the sky was currently showing mercy and I hoped it would last long enough for me to make my stand without a torrential downpour hindering more of my efforts.

  It was about a fifteen minute drive to the spot. On one side of the road was Bellingham Bay and the other was all woods with a few homes. The spot I led him to, was a section of woods that butted right up to the Raynes’ property. It extended about a quarter mile back and roughly a mile down the road to the next house. The turnout where I had him stop was halfway in between the two properties. I went over the boundaries Em, James and I always used.

  “Once we’re in there, you’ll see that there are red ties around some of the trees, unless someone has removed them. They mark the area. It runs from here back to the edge of the woods. It’s just under a quarter mile, and it butts right up to a large piece of property that’s currently for sale, so no one there. Then it runs all the way to the Raynes’ property, a half mile back that way.”

  “Got it.”

  We both climbed from the truck and I grabbed the equipment bag, but noticed Spencer pulling his own from the back seat. When he came around to my side of the truck, it seemed he’d come prepared with his own gun, ammunition, harness belt and mask. I checked out his gun, recognizing the model. Damn, it was a nice one. Scope and everything.

  “So how do you want to do this?” I asked him, pulling my own gun from the bag. It was no piece of junk, and he gave it an admiring once over before meeting my gaze.

  “How do you usually play it?”

  “Usually one team sets out, and the other follows after a certain amount of time and then the hunt is on. Five hits anywhere on the body, or one killshot,” I tapped a finger over my head and my heart, “and you’re dead. Back of the head counts, but we don’t count the heart shot through the back as a killshot. That one has to be from the front.”

  “Sounds good. How long do you want me to give you before I come after you?”

  I raised my brow. “Who said you get to be the hunter?”

  “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m looking forward to hunting you.”

  “Fine,” I shrugged. I actually preferred it this way, since I knew the area and could get myself set up in a good lookout spot. “Honor system, you have to sit in the truck and can’t watch which way I go. Give me three minutes and then you can follow.” That should be enough time for me to get out of sight since I knew right where I was headed.

  “I don’t need to cheat to beat you,” he winked. “And I’ll make it five minutes.”

  “Whatever.” I wasn’t going to complain about extra time. It may actually give me a chance at winning this. I set my gun on the seat, and started loading up the pouches on my vest with pods. Spencer did the same with his harness belt. I made sure the laces on my hiking boots were done up tight and then retrieved my mask from the bag and pulled it on over my head.

  Spencer let out another laugh, shaking his head. “You just keep getting better and better.”

  He couldn’t see my grin behind the mask. Another gift from James. It was a custom mask, made in the image of a Terminator. It was awesome. Em had a Vader one, and James, Predator.

  I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt up and then slipped back into the jacket. It was heavy enough to provide protection, but not bulky enough to be a hindrance or keep me from having easy access to my vest. I snatched up my gun and slung it over my shoulder and headed for the woods. “See you soon,” I tossed over my shoulder and then crossed the road in a quick jog. Before I entered the trees, I looked back to make sure he was in the truck. He was.

  Good boy.

  Then I ran.

  Hard and fast, over the slightly muddy, uneven terrain, heading back and to the right, toward the northeast corner, not worrying about trying to cover my tracks yet. It wasn’t long before the ground started sloping upwards and then I worked harder at hiding my steps, but still moved quickly. My legs started to burn. I was so out of shape, but I kept running until I reached a spot where a few trees had been brought down by a bad storm a couple years ago. They’d never been cleared and they made the perfect cover. I jumped over the fallen trees and dropped to the ground. By now he would be on my trail.

  This spot was perfect. It was the highest point, not exactly a hill, but enough of an incline that I could duck inside the little alcove like shelter the fallen trees created and have the perfect vantage point. There were enough gaps between limbs and branches that I could not only watch for him, but I would be able to shoot through the gaps. It would be almost impossible for him to sneak up on me unless he knew right where I was and how to get at me from behind without me seeing him coming. I didn’t use this spot when I played with James and his friends anymore because they all knew about it. It had worked only once with them before they’d figured out how to pin me down here.

  If Spencer tracked me to this spot, which I was counting on, it was the perfect spot to mount my defense, or retreat up and down the backside of the slope if I had to, but if he happened to pass me by, I would probably see him and then be able to come up from behind. The elevated position gave me the best line of sight in all directions.

  And so I waited.

  And waited.

  And didn’t hear or see a damn thing besides bugs and birds and possibly a few squirrels and other little critters.

  Dammit.

  He shouldn’t have been able to slip past me. Which meant he’d either gone straight back to the edge of the woods, and could now be behind me, or was lying in wait somewhere.

  Damn. I’d counted on him being overconfident and falling into my trap.

  I had a few choices. Continue to wait for him to come by, and risk him passing behind me if he was following along the back edge, or go try to hunt him down. I sat up a little higher and did a better scan of the area over the top of my dugout. I pulled out my compact binoculars and gave the woods another scan. Still no sign of him. I listened intently, but again the only thing I heard was nature. No rustling or twigs snapping.

  With my gun ready and eyes scanning, I scooted further up the small incline, and then scanned down the backside. Nothing.

  I scurried back down to the cover of my fallen trees just as a paintball whizzed right past my head and exploded in the dirt beside me. I let myself slide the rest of the way back down through the dirt and brush, breathing heavily, my heart pounding inside my chest at the close call.

  Where the hell had that shot come from?

  I scanned through the gaps again, but saw nothing.

  This wasn’t good. He knew where I was, but I had no clue where he was. I needed to draw his fire again. I pulled off my jacket and put the hood over the hopper of my gun and then raised it above the cover. No shots were fired.

  He wasn’t falling for that.

  I tossed the coat aside, not bothering to pull it back on. I crawled along the fallen trunks to the base of a large tree that was still standing. When I reached the base of the tree that was hopefully going to offer me protection, I rose to my feet quickly and ducked behind it, but not before another pop sounded and a paintball exploded against the back of my arm.

  Shit, I hissed in my head as I rubbed the now stinging spot on my arm. I was wishing for my coat now. That was one hit to him, but I had a better idea of his location. I poked my head out from behind the tree just enough to
scan that area. He had to be behind a tree as well, but I didn’t see any that would offer him enough protection and where I wouldn’t have seen him coming.

  Another pop and an explosion against the bark right in front of my face. I jerked my head back and out of his line of fire. That had definitely come from the direction I’d been looking, but where the hell was he hiding.

  That’s it, this was bullshit.

  I darted from behind the tree and ran in the direction of the road for another close grouping of trees, sweeping my gaze all over the place and hoping I didn’t trip. Paintballs exploded at my feet, but I figured out where he was.

  That motherfucker was up in a tree!

  I reached the cluster of trees without taking another hit and dove behind them.

  I couldn’t believe it. He’d actually climbed up a damn tree, but how did I not see him do that?

  At least I knew exactly what tree he was in.

  Or I thought I did. When I dove out and aimed my gun for the spot I could have sworn he’d been firing from a second ago, he wasn’t there. And now I was a sitting duck. I moved fast, but not fast enough. Another paintball splattered painfully against my hip before I got to cover.

  It had come from a tree further to my left than the one he’d been in before. Damn monkey, moving through the trees. Who was he, Tarzan? That’s probably how he snuck up on me. I was looking for him on the ground, not up in the trees. They were packed closely enough through that area that he wouldn’t have too much trouble moving from branch to branch if he knew what he was doing, which Tarzan clearly did.

  I listened closely to see if I could hear him moving between the trees again, but with the wind lending its cover, it was damn hard to pick up anything that might be his movement. Every time he fired, I dove for cover which gave him the perfect opportunity to move, and continuously left me guessing. I wasn’t going to be able to get a shot in this way, let alone have any hope of winning. He already had two shots and the advantage.

  I needed to take it.

  I needed him out of the trees.