by Allen Dark
Her through the headphone in his ear the one that had the microphone attached to it. He wanted to get a new pair, the wireless your but his dad just came out a year ago but he was too busy to ever get around to it. Right now is a perfect time to have Them. Eric swiped his phone open and went into his call history. He clicked the number that he memorized as lanes and called her. As the phone rang he ran down an alley that was congruent to the street Nepolai have parked on. It was long and narrow and had a slope to it. For such a nice neighborhood the alleys were disgusting. Most of the trashcan and have been knocked over and one even look like a car had ran into it.. Eric jumped away from a tall wooden fence to his right. A dog had jumped up barking like it wanted to eat him alive. He could the dogs trial viciously chomping on air and slobbering on the tip of the fence. Lane finally answered her phone.
Eric what the hell you doing? She asked.
Did you get that app working? He asked. He said covering the ear without and earbud struggling to hear her over the barking.
Yes it’s all right now. She said. Eric could tell she was pissed but he didn’t care.
Good I needed to see if I can get closer to Nepolai. Maybe see who he’s talking to on the phone house we want to get any leads? He asked.
You need to come back here now. She said as if she was his mother. If he catches you who knows what he might do to you. He could try to do whatever you want he thought to himself.
Laying we need this. He said. Eric seen what look to be the back of the tall Victorian house had a tall tan but old wooden fence. He banged on it to see if anything would come trying to chew his face off but he heard nothing. The door to the fence was locked into tall for him to climb. He looked over to his left and seen the neighbors small silver fence. It ran along the tan fence and was perfect for him the use as a stepping stool. He plopped the tip of his boot up on the fence and and pushed himself up just enough to grab on to the top of the fence. The other side of the fence look dead. It was small which surprise him it turns out the house to go most of the property. There are patches of dead grass but it was mostly mod surrounding a sidewalk leading from the side of the house to the the locked fence. It looked as though someone tried to garden once but quickly gave up. There were tools scattered around the square patch right at the corner he had been hanging over. He jumped down into the degraded garden and stood up from the crouch he had landed in. He dusted off his hands covered under from the garden and walked to the sidewalk. The windows on the house for almost 10 and it was hard for him to tell the there were does anyone home and hopefully unable to see him. He rushed to the the back porch where there was another door on the fence that led to the side of the house. The hinges on the door or lose and made buckle sound as he pushed it out. He put weight against the hinge to stop it from being so loud and slowly let the door shut behind him. He crept up the sidewalk the right side had a role of bushes nearly deprived of its leaves dividing two houses from each other. Eric could hear footsteps trotting a crossed the wooden porch. He crept up closer to the edge of the house where the porch met the house. The door knocked like a metal rod had been banged against it repeatedly. Eric peaked around the corner and seen Nepolai standing at the front door of the phone to his ear. No one answered and seem like he wasn’t one leave until he got in contact with whoever’s house this was.
Do you know whose house as his? Eric asked Lane. Careful not to speak too loudly.
Give me a sec. She said.
Yeah I’m pretty sure those guys were the same ones that showed up to Madison’s funeral. Nepolai said. What eyes Eric thought he crouch down. Listen don’t freak out okay but the man that I met with at a dinner party wants me to kill everyone that’s close to me and. He said detective Lane came back.
It looks like the house might be Rylen’s the friend of the girl who was Nepolai’s first victim, Madison. I don’t know what address he’s at but she lives in his area and I wouldn’t doubt that her house he’s at. She said.
Was this guy Nepolai was talking about and why would he want him to kill the people he closed. What sense did that make he thought. Eric was sort of intrigued but didn’t care at the same time. If they couldn’t find his mom’s heart this could be the thing that helped him prove Nepolai to be the killer Nepolai was.
Because is crazy! Nepolai’s voice rose and for second making Eric think he was talking to him for some reason and that his position had been compromised. He ducked down back behind the house and soon realized he was talking to the person on the phone. He’s naïve if he thinks I’m actually going to throw everything I have away just to be one of his hunters or better yet his slave. Nepolai said. You don’t need to worry about. Nepolai pounded on the door again this time using his fist instead of the rod hanging on the door.
Did you hear that? He asked but didn’t get a response. Lane? He rose his voice just a little. He looked at his phone to see if he had dropped a call but he was still connected.
Hello? Lane said. Her voice cracking through the phone.
Laying did you hear any of that? He asked.
Barely, I heard that someone wants him to kill someone but that’s all I heard. Eric the sound that that might be enough to get the ball rolling but he wanted to be safe than sorry.
I’m going to get closer. He said.
No! It’s too dangerous. She said.
Eric crept closer past the house and tried to the side of the tall porch.
Yeah I’m sure. Nepolai said. Because I plan on killing him instead. Nepolai said.
Eric lost his balance and leaned against the porch to support his fall. The old wood board hoping to keep any animals from living under the porch snapped. Shit! Eric mumbled under his breath. The poll has stopped talking. It was quite so Eric held his placed it for second. Avoiding any movement that will cause him to make a noise. But it was too late. Nepolai was coming to check what was lurking around the corner. Eric took large steps back until he was completely behind the porch and on the side of the house. Once he was no longer visible if he stood up he jolted for the back fence..
Nepolai looked around on the side of the house and seen a broken board sticking out the side he looked down following the naked bushes to the back and watched the fence bang open and close. Somebody was following him and he knew it. Healing the one person who vowed that they would be doing so.
Instead of following the trail the sidewalk made to the back fence door he ran across the patch of grass to the garden. He jumped and kicked himself off one side of the fence and grabbed the other lifting himself into the neighbors yard. He made a second jumped over the fence and ran into the alley until he was on the street that intersect with the Street Lane had parked on. He darted towards the car opened the passenger door and plopped himself in. He struggled to breathe trying to remember the last time he ran that fast. He wondered if he was being a coward my running. He wouldn’t be able to bash his face and what a metal rod is he was running away. Maybe he rather Nepolai rot in a cell like you plan to do to his father. Eric finally caught his breath after a few minutes they could see Nepolai rushing down from the house to his car.
What happened detective Lane asked.
I guess I leaned too hard to the side of the porch. He broke.
Did he see you? Detective Lane asked.
No I don’t think so but there’s no doubt he knows somebody was there watching him. He said.
Did you get all that? Eric asked. She pulled out the ear Jack for having plugged into her phone and hit play on the recording app everything she was able to capture. It was hard to hear but she could make out who was talking in the gist of what he was planning to do even though they weren’t 100% sure who it was.
It sounds like conspiracy detective Lane said. But we have no idea who he’s referring to. She said
who wants him to hunt and why would they make him kill someone in order for him to be a hunter Lane thought. Although what he said was damning it’s really not enough to prove he did anything only conspiracy. We might b
e able to get a search warrant for his property but that’s if the chief even thinks there’s something here. She said.
Are you fucking kidding me? He worked for the son of a bitch for over 15 years and he can’t even look into it? He said. He didn’t get it all that time his father spent away from them putting in work for the Columbus police division and no one just see if he’s telling the truth? He thought it was Bush it.
I’m sorry Eric but this is all we can do right now. She said
Eric rubbed his hand across his forehead and massaged the top of his eyes. Yeah, right. He said as if he was starting not to care. He just take me home. He said.
Chapter 18
Bexley slammed her front door and dropped her keys in the bowl and her bag. She she had been growing sick of the watcher she gained the other day. They spent most of the day following her around and even came to her class as an observer. She had been on the phone was Nepolai for the past 20 minutes trying to figure out who the hell these people were. He was convinced they had to do something with him since it happened right after that dinner party. She started to believe that being involved with Nepolai was becoming too much and too dangerous for her and especially for sister. She should have never went to that party with him. Those people wanted the closest people to him dead. She thought. And on top of that they wanted him to do the killing. She wondered if that would include her and felt a deep sense that it was true. These men weren’t just following her around for no reason. You they were watching waiting for Nepolai to act or they were taken the time to do the same. Even though she hasn’t really known Nepolai that long it didn’t really seem like he had any friends. Bexley side.
What did I get myself into. She said mumbling into the phone.
What? Nepolai sat on the other end.
Maybe Bexley shook herself off from Nepolai to eliminate all the stress she was feeling. She didn’t think Nepolai would do with the community he was telling him to do but he didn’t have anything holding him back. Yeah he said he didn’t want to be his slave or their hunter but if she was able to get to him and coerce him to get a heart for sister why would they be what did you say? She realized that there was nothing holding any of them back. What would Aubrey think if she realize they were men trying to kill her. She had to seen Aubri all morning and assume she was gone because the house was so quiet. What if they’ve been following Aubri? She thought he stood up from the couch and before she could speak, and tell Nepolai that she had to go and find Aubri she was Beretta what more stress.
We got a problem. Nepolai said.
What do you mean we have a problem? Bexley asked.
I’m being followed he said. I think it’s Eric, it has to be.
Why where are you? She asked.
I’m at Rylen’s house. When I got up this morning she was gone and she has been answering my phone calls so I came to her house to see if she was here. He said. She knew why but she hoped it wasn’t true. If she was already skeptical about who killed her friend the call she made last night may have been the reason. She didn’t say anything about it because she didn’t want to freak him out but if she knows it could be another problem. Her insides felt like they were riding. It was too much and in society for her to deal with. I just heard someone around on the side of the house and when I looked they were running through her backyard. Who knows how long he was sitting there. He said.
How do you know was Eric? She asked.
Because I just do! He told me himself when he bumped into me at the bar. He said. He was right. She remembered him vowing to take Nepolai down.
This is bad she said. It definitely wasn’t good considering what was going on at the moment. She liked Eric he was a good guy but him snooping around while a cult of cannibals were trying to kill everybody Nepolai knew was dangerous. if he wasn’t cautious he’ll end up unfortunately like his mother. What are you going to do? She asked.
Right now I need to find Rylan to make sure she somewhere safe from the father. He said sounding like he was rushing and out of breath. Can you take care of him? He asked. She could hear his car door slamming in the ignition starting over the phone. What did he mean the she didn’t quite understand is is take care of him had a double meaning or not. If so she definitely wasn’t comfortable with hurting someone who didn’t deserve it. Not anymore.
What am I supposed to do? She asked.
Do whatever you have to to keep him from following me. He said
she wonder what would happen if Eric did prove Nepolai was responsible for his mother’s death in the framing of detective Gibbs. If they took him in who knows what he’ll confess just to save his own ass. They probably come after me and uncle Arthur. She said to herself barely talking into the phone. She loves her uncle but she didn’t believe he was strong enough to keep his mouth shut about anything even if it was for the benefit of his family. If it went against the core essence of who we was he wouldn’t do it. And to be honest he probably wouldn’t even want to. What would happen to Aubri she thought. She doused it would take her heart from her that would be murder in and of itself. She couldn’t imagine what the law did to people who had stolen organs and it was hard to believe they would would take it back. But if that was the case for what they do if the donor was dead. She was positive that they would bring her in for questioning but knew they wooden letter go either. There’s no way they would believe she had nothing to do with it the matter how sick she was. Death was all the more reason for person to do the unspeakable. And even if they did she would have to live as the girl with the stolen heart for the rest of her life. It would ruin her. Having to live alone with no family and worst of all she would never forgive her. I wanted to give myself either. She thought.
Listen just bring him to the mansion and I’ll take care of the rest from there. He said. She didn’t respond she struggled to find her way out from her head. Bexley he yelled to the phone.
Yeah, yeah I bring to the mansion. She said hanging up the phone. She headed to the front door and grabbed her keys from the bowl.
Chapter 19
after grabbing her keys from the bowl Bexley crouched down and grabbed her knife from her bag. The front door flung open. It was Aubri. Her face that resembled someone who just found out they lost one but more angry than sad. Her eyes were swollen and dark red. Her cheeks were puffy and blush in her hair look wild like she had been pulling at it. Aubri slammed the door and through her bag down.
Aubri! She said startled. Was going on? She asked. Her face tightened and became more enraged staring at Bexley. She didn’t say a word and maybe was because it was hard for her to say anything. She knew what she wanted to say that she knew what she had to ask the matter how hard it was.
What did you do she asked. Her voice cracked and struggled to speak. Bexley’s eyes squinted a little bit in and tossed to an eyebrow. She was confused at what Aubri was referring to But a part of her already knew she was referring to the one thing she did one her to find out about. The secret she unmistakably believes she would be able to dive with. What did you do! She yelled stopping her boots into the hardwood floor. It was as though a grown woman was having a tantrum but one more serious.
Wool she said patting the air down. Relax I don’t know what you talking about. Bexley said.
You know damn well what am talking about Bex! He said. Stop playing games with me. She said
you need to calm down and tell me what you talking about. She said just in case there was any possibility she wasn’t talking about her heart.
Where did you get the heart? Aubri asked.
I told you already. The family… Aubri cut her off.
Stop lying to me Aubri said said almost screaming at her. Her eyes were almost glossy. Her tears were thick and heavy and fell straight to the floor skipping her face entirely. Don’t you stand there lie to my face. She said pointing to the ground. Aubri inched closer to Bexley force and Bexley to step back into the living room. I ran into Eric today. She said. Bexley’s heart began to sink. Now t
here was no doubt that she knew. He told me about Nepolai. How he’s was being investigated for the murder of a girl at your school and mutilating a man! Her eyes flared in her jaw clenched trying to keep herself from crying. Of her face and down through her hair. She started pacing around the room and in and out the doorway leading to the kitchen. She was quiet. There was a good time to speak now is the best time but she can find the words to open her mouth. Bexley. She said almost whispering. What did you do? Aubri could feel something bad coming, something she never wanted to be a part of. Every second her sister didn’t answer her she fell her life draining away from her. Bexley! Bexley’s held her head back watching the selling. Her eyes were filled with tears but she didn’t want to let them fall.
Bexley kit cleared her throat. There was never an accident on my way to school. She said. Her voice sounded like her throat was clamping and on itself. There was no family and there was no heart she said. She felt I keeping her tears falling down her face.
Aubri wiped her eyes using both the tips of her fingers to wipe them dry.
Really had a few days left and you were still number 12 on the list. She said Her voice cracked. You have to understand we didn’t think you were going to make it. She said. When I was doing work for my professor in the old anatomy department I came across Nepolai and. She paused afraid to tell what she saw. He was cutting open a student. The girl he was being investigated for. I watched him kill her and then remove her organs. Aubri’s drawer dropped as far as it could. She was surprised and didn’t know what to do with herself. Her eyes seemed as though they were gorging on her face and grew even more red than before. She knew there was something sinister in side of Nepolai. What she seen in Nepolai started to creep itself to the surface of her sister. Aubri covered her mouth. Her cheeks were damp. She fell to the couch and sat on the edge wiping her face. She was in disbelief trying to understand the situation even though was as plain as day. It was overwhelming and felt like it was crushing her.
She sniffled. Did you kill Eric’s mom she asked. Aubri didn’t respond. Although she didn’t actually take her life she was the one responsible.
