Mistaken Hope

by Sarah Elizabeth

  I rake the both of my hands through my hair, blowing a deep and unsteady breath out through my mouth as I make my way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me before heading back downstairs. Alright. This is it. It’s time to lie.

  When I reach the bottom step, I notice that the living room door is slightly ajar as I make my way over to grab my jacket from off of the hooks by the front door. I slide my arms inside the sleeves, and then fasten the zipper up high until its resting just below my chin.

  “Are you going somewhere?” Shit.

  I briefly close my eyes before turning back around, “Yeah …” I say, sliding my hands inside my pockets to check for my keys. Rach is looking right at me, waiting for me to say more. “I’m um …”

  “Ryan?” she asks with a raised brow, wrapping her arms around herself while leaning up against the wall.

  Ryan? Rye.

  “Yeah. Yeah … I need to go and see Rye.” That’ll work. If she thinks that I’m heading over to see Rye, then she’s not gonna be wondering why I wanna be going out for a stroll this late at night. Yeah, after what we talked about earlier tonight, Rye is the perfect alibi.

  “Tell him and Alyssa that I said hi,” she says, her face relaxing into a small smile as Paul makes his way toward us.

  “It’s late,” he says, and I know that he’s gonna be questioning my motives. He always has and he always will. “Would it not be for the best to wait until morning?” Tomorrow morning’s gonna be too late. He’s watching me with narrowed eyes, waiting for me to answer him. Just as I open my mouth up to speak, Holly peeks her head around the living room door, opening it up wider when she sees the three of us standing here.

  She heads by Paul and Rach until she’s standing right in front of me, and I kneel down, wrapping my arms around her so goddamn tight, pulling her into me, “Are you going outside?” she asks, pulling away from me only slightly, her big blue eyes searching mine. “Daddy, it’s dark outside.” I swallow, hard, and lift my left hand, running my fingers through her hair, making the most of having her here in my arms. I mean, who knows if I’m gonna have another opportunity to hold her like this again after tonight? Exactly. We don’t. “Will you be back before I have to go to bed?” She’s never up this late, but with her having a nap earlier, I’ll let tonight be the only exception to the rule. Usually, she’s in bed by seven every night, but tonight isn’t the same as every other night, is it? Shit. This could be the last night that I’ll ever see my daughter.

  “Holly, I’m …” I can’t do this. I can’t make another promise when I don’t know what the outcome’s gonna be. I refuse to break my word again. “I don’t know.”

  When she tries to move away, I grip her tighter, not ever wanting to let her go.

  “Brandon?” Shit.

  “I … um …” I loosen my hold on Holly and swipe my hand over my face, inhaling another sharp breath as I bring my gaze to meet with my daughters. “I love you.” I say, my voice barely a whisper. “I’ll love you forever.”

  Rach moves away from the wall and takes a step forward, “Holly, come here.” She speaks the words, but her eyes don’t move away from me once as I stand back up straight.

  If I stay here any longer then she’s gonna figure it out, “I’d better get going.” Do I say see you later? How am I supposed to say goodbye without actually saying it in the way that I need to or the way that I mean? No. No, I’ll just go. I need to go now because I can see the look in Paul’s eyes. He’s watching me like a hawk. Yeah. Yeah, I need to leave now.

  I turn around and open the door up as sharp, agonizing pains rip through my chest. The cold of the night hits me when I step out onto the porch, and I reach behind me, softly closing the door back up.

  When I get halfway down the pathway, I hear the sound of the front door opening back up, “Brandon?” I still my steps, my shoulders slouch low, and I take a deep breath before turning back around. It’s almost 9:19. I shouldn’t still be here.

  “Yeah?” I ask, watching him as he slowly approaches me, his whole face tight. Before I know it, he has his arms around me and my body is pressed up against his. “Paul?” He doesn’t loosen his grip on me as he leans back, looking me right in the eye.

  “Please bring her home safe.” My stomach twists in the tightest knot from knowing that he knows. He knows that I just lied back there, but I’m thankful that he’s not asking me any questions about when, where, how, or why. He’s letting me do this. He knows that this is the only way and I know that he’s not gonna say a word to anybody else back in the house.

  “I will,” I say, my voice barely audible. “God, I’m gonna try.”

  He steps away, releasing me from out his grasp as he lifts his hand, tapping my face a couple of times, his eyes teary now.

  “Make sure you bring the both of you back home safe, son.” Son.

  I clench my eyes closed and blow out a slow breath. Nobody’s called me that since I was seven years old, and it’s now that I know. After all of these years of trying, he’s finally accepted me as a part of his family.

  Chapter Eleven

  I cut the engine and rest back in my seat. He told me to be here just after ten, and now I know why. The nature park has already closed. The sign to my left is telling me that it closed only a few minutes ago, which means that there’s not gonna be anybody else around. There won’t be anybody around to witness what’s about to unfold here tonight; nobody but me and him.

  I inhale some slow, deep breaths, trying to calm my increasing heart rate back down as I reach forward and switch off the headlights. I blink a couple of times in an attempt to help my eyes adjust to the newfound darkness; the darkness that lies right ahead.

  Am I scared?

  No.

  I’m terrified.

  This is it. This is my last chance, our last chance, and tonight, my number one priority is to make sure that Alexis gets out of this alive. I’m gonna need to do whatever it takes to make sure that she gets out of this safe and back home to our daughter. There’s only one way this can play out. There’s no two ways about it. Me and Alexis, we’re gonna be going home together tonight, side by side, and we’re gonna live out the promise I made to her all of those years ago. I meant my word back then, and I’ll mean it for the rest of my goddamn life.

  I glance to the digital clock on the dashboard.

  It’s 10:07.

  I unfasten my seatbelt and reach for the handle, opening up the driver’s side door before stepping out onto the stony pathway. It’s cold, it’s dark, and the wind’s picking up in its strength.

  The only lighting out here now is the dim orange glow that’s shining down from the amber streetlamp to my right, illuminating the mist as it hovers just above the ground. It’s clinging in the air, obscuring my vision, but I know which way I need to be headed.

  As I pull my hood up over my head, shielding my face from the ice cold wind, I feel my shoulders becoming tense as I start making my way toward the iron gates. I glance all around me, but the only footsteps I can hear are my own, grinding against the stones and water beneath my sneakers. I lift my hands, cupping them together by my mouth, blowing into them, trying to keep warm.

  When I reach the gates, I pause, swallowing hard when I glance down and see that the padlock is already broken.

  He’s here, and he’s close.

  And then it hits me.

  This isn’t some dream; this isn’t even some kinda nightmare. This isn’t something that I’m ever gonna wake up from. He’s never gonna stop. He’s never gonna give us the happy ever after that me and Alexis so desperately crave. He’s out to finish this, and he won’t stop until he’s won. Well, tonight, I’m not gonna let that happen. He may have won the battle in the past, but there’s no way in hell that I’m gonna let him win the fucking war.

  My breaths quicken, and my heart is pounding harder inside my chest. Once I walk through these gates, there’s gonna be no turning back. I need to put an end to this for good. He started all o
f this, and now it’s my time to finish it.

  It’s time to finish this tonight.

  It’s time to finish this forever.

  As I take a small and hesitant step forward, I hear some movement behind me, making me pause in my tracks. My heart’s thundering harder and louder inside my chest now, and my hands are involuntarily shaking by my sides. You know when you can feel a presence? You can feel something or somebody close by, and it’s like they’re watching you, but you have absolutely no idea where they are or where they’re gonna jump out from? Yeah. Yeah, that’s what it feels like. It feels like Neil’s the predator, and I’m his prey.

  Are the eyes of the forest watching me?

  No.

  They’re the eyes of the devil.

  I glance over my shoulder one final time before moving forward some more, and then the sound of the cell phone breaks through the eerie silence, startling me some. My mouth instantly goes dry, and I start to hear a rhythmic swishing sound inside my ears as I reach inside my jacket, sliding the cell phone from out of my pocket. I glance behind me because it wouldn’t be a good idea to lose my focus now. I can’t become distracted. I need to stay on my guard because who knows when or where he’s gonna strike from?

  This time, it’s not a message.

  He’s calling.

  I hit the green key and bring the cell higher until it’s beside my left ear.

  His breaths are heavy, and I grind my jaw together tight when I hear his cold, venomous laughter traveling down through the earpiece.

  This is a game to him. It’s a fucking game!

  “Why?” I growl. Oh, there’s so much more that I wanna say to him.

  There are so many things that I wanna say to that twisted motherfucker; so many things that I wanna do to him. I’ve never felt so much hate for another person or wished harm on another human being before in my whole goddamn life, but him? He’s not human. He’s the fucking son of Satan. He’s deranged. He’s—“Are you ready to fight for your forever?” His laughter cuts off, and for the first time in years, I hear the coldness within his tone; the menacing evil inside his voice.

  There’s a muffled sound and then the line goes dead. I lower my hand and stare at the screen in front of me, but when I hear more footsteps, I twist around, my eyes growing wide. He’s much closer than I thought he was gonna be. My breaths become ragged, but I know that I’ve gotta stay calm. I need to stay calm for her. For Alexis. For Holly. For our forever.

  I spin around again when I hear footsteps coming from the opposite direction. How did he do that? How did he make it sound as though he was behind me one minute, then straight ahead of me the next?

  No. He’s not out here alone. There’s somebody else. Somebody else is out here with him. Fuck, no. I don’t stand a chance. I never stood a fucking chance out here against him, did I? Two against one, when at least one of the two of them have a hold of a gun? My eyes are at their widest, but all I’m seeing are images; visions as they start flashing through my mind.

  Alexis’ beautiful smile, the sound of her laughter, the feel of her touch.

  Holly skipping in the back yard, smiling happily as both me and Alexis watch her, Alexis clapping her hands together excitedly when Holly manages to beat her record.

  I can see and feel the both of them here with me.

  Sweat beads start forming over my brow, and my heart is pounding so hard in my chest now that it’s almost becoming distracting. No. No, I can’t get distracted. Not now. I need to do what I set out to do tonight. I’ve gotta think about my wife, my daughter … I’ve gotta think about my fucking forever!

  My heart almost stops beating when my gaze zooms in on a dark figure approaching me from afar, the sound of his footsteps growing louder as he draws closer. He’s walking slowly, casually, like he’s got all of the time in the goddamn world.

  “Where is she?” I spit out. “Where’s Alexis?”

  More laughter.

  Hearing the sound of his mocking amusement makes my blood boil to the maximum, every single muscle inside my body tenses, and I start heading directly toward him. He can’t do this to us. We need each other. I need her. “You motherfucker!” I hiss, but then I hear another sound. That somebody else? That somebody else is closer than they were before. I was right. I tried telling myself that it was all gonna be okay; that I was gonna live to see another day. But, I’m not, am I? This is it for me. I don’t get to go home. I don’t get to go home and see my little girl or my wife ever again. I don’t get to live my forever.

  “Why?” I growl as my hands ball into tight fists by my sides, and I keep my attention directly on him. I have to because one false move is all it’s gonna take for him to gain his advantage over me. I can’t allow him that.

  When I see him pause and no longer hear his footsteps, I take another small step forward.

  “I told you to come here alone!” he snarls. “Were three dead bodies on your conscience not enough?” What the hell is he talking about?

  Footsteps behind me.

  Footsteps drawing closer.

  Footsteps beside me.

  I instantly turn to the side, and then I see him. My gaze starts darting between the both of them. How is he here? Why is he out here? Nobody else should be out here but me and him.

  “Rye?” I only just manage to mumble the word in a whisper.

  “There’s no way in hell that I’m going to let you take him down on your own,” he answers, the tone of his voice revealing his anger. “Rachael called me. She told me you lied to her. She said that you were acting weird, that Paul wasn’t talking, and that she found your search … she told me where you were headed.” He doesn’t look my way once. He’s keeping his gaze focused right ahead. “Now do you believe me?” His voice is quieter now and I lower my head.

  “I’m so sorry, man. I just—”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he interrupts me, his tone is flat. “All that matters now is that we take that son of a motherfucking bitch down.” I nod, averting my gaze back toward the dark pathway ahead. He’s closer now, close enough to be able to see the look in his eyes; the expression over his face.

  “It looks like you and your friend here have just sealed your wife’s fate!” He snarls, and then I see it. I see him reaching behind him as Rye starts making his way over to him. He’s reaching toward his back pocket and … no … NO!

  “NO!” I shout, the sound of my voice echoing in the distance and all around us at the same time that everything becomes a blur. The sound of my heartbeat is almost nonexistent, and it’s like being inside a dream; everything’s starting to play out in slow motion. I hear shouting, but I can’t hear any of the words spoken. All I can see is the gun in his hands as he brings it around to the front of him, lifting it higher as his lips curl up at the sides. That’s all. That’s it, until something happens.

  The next thing I know, I’m charging straight ahead, my adrenaline taking over my entire body. When I’m close enough, I leap forward, knocking him off of his feet until I’m lying on top of him on the ground. He’s struggling beneath me, but I see it. It’s dark, but I can see the gun in his left hand.

  I punch him hard around the cheek, grabbing a hold of his shirt, banging his head repeatedly against the ground beneath us. He delivers a right hook to the left side of my face, and I reach out, trying to grasp a hold of the gun. Without that, he’s useless. He doesn’t play fair; he plays dirty. Without a weapon, he doesn’t stand a chance against the two of us.

  “Rye! Get outta here!” I call out to him, receiving another punch, to the lower abdomen this time. “Go home!”

  Neil’s writhing around beneath me now, my gaze still transfixed right into his. All I can see is the wideness of his eyes as he struggles against me, and then from out of nowhere, I’m catapulted backward. I’m no longer on top of him. I’m no longer anywhere near him. I’m lying on the ground, staring at the sky above me.

  It takes me a couple of seconds to sit up before I immediately start glancing aro
und. Rye’s over to my left, Neil’s to my right. I’ve gotta do something. I’ve gotta—“Argh!” That sound. That sound’s coming over from my left. It’s coming from Rye.

  I try and move. I try and get to him. The pain in my side isn’t helping me any, but I manage to move forward until I’m lying on my front, making my way toward him by using my elbows to drag myself through the dirt and over to his side.

  “Rye?” His eyes are closed, and my breaths are coming out heavier and faster now. No. “RYE!” I shout louder, watching as his eyes flicker open before his gaze finally settles on mine.

  “He … he shot me.” He’s struggling to speak and I lean over him, watching him, looking over his entire body, trying to find … no. Blood. “I …” He coughs again, this time wincing through the pain. I place my hand on his shoulder, over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

  Fuck.

  “I ... Rye … I need to—” It won’t stop. The bleeding … it isn’t stopping!

  “We did it, bro,” his voice is raspy. “We did it … She’s …. Alyssa … She’s having our baby …” When he lifts his head, I see a small smile pulling up on his lips, a slight glimmer of hope inside his eyes. “When me and Alyssa wouldn’t stop … stop calling you? That’s why … I wanted my best friend to be the … the first to … to know …” My stomach rolls when I hear the words he’s just spoken. All of the times he tried calling me over the past couple of days? The calls I refused to take? He’d already forgiven me. He’d already forgiven me for accusing him … Fuck! He wasn’t supposed to be here tonight. He was never supposed to get messed up in all of this. “Listen, I’m … go. Go and get your forever before that motherfucker wins this shit.” He chokes out through another cough, resting his head back against the ground as I glance over my shoulder.

  He isn’t there. He isn’t there anymore. He’s isn’t lying on the ground. He’s … “Rye, I can’t—”