by Groves, B.
“Then I’ll go to jail,” Randy muttered, and Gabby heard the click of the bullet entering the chamber.
“Goddammit, Randy! I said not now!”
“Fuck you, Jason!”
Gabby closed her eyes waiting for the darkness when the gun fired.
Chapter 25
Dear Diary,
I hate them all. I hate my family, my friends, and every other human being on this pathetic planet. No one cares. My parents are threatening to send me off to some kind of boarding school. If they knew… if only they knew. They live in their little bubble of the perfect life. Whatever. They can have their perfect fucking life.
This whole world can go to hell for all I care.
Today is the day, diary. Today is the day I will taste their blood. I will watch as it spills from fucking their bodies. They will beg me for fucking mercy. They will cry, and I will fucking laugh in their faces.
They’ll pay for what they did to me. He’ll pay for what he did to me. I will leave a lasting impression on the world. This world is nothing but a lie. My whole life is a motherfucking lie.
Don’t let anyone blame my family. Yeah, I’m hating on them, but they have no clue. None. Maybe one day they’ll understand why I suffered so much.
Goodbye, world. I’d like to say it was great, but that’s a joke.
-Margo
“We need to call the police,” Dean insisted as he drove to Randy White’s place.
Dean drove because he didn’t trust Michael at all, but he needed to have Michael there in case Jason went on a rampage.
“Dean, I know this sounds crazy, but I want to talk to Jason to turn himself in,” Michael said sadly. “He won’t go without a fight, and I don’t want to see my son die today.”
Michael explained everything to him on the way. He explained how Randy held the parties and was able to recruit high school students to bring to the parties. He manipulated them to work with him by offering gifts, drugs, or money. It worked all the time. Not just from Seven Hills, but many surrounding counties. If anyone ever found out, Randy threatened their lives and their families.
“There’s been mysterious car wrecks over the years,” Michael recalled. “I often wondered, but the typical explanation is to blame it on teenage stupidity.”
“I can’t believe this county looked away for so long.” Dean was incredulous. He always knew the county had a severe drug problem, but this went way beyond that.
“When you have a county that struggles most of the year for revenue and struggles to bring in new business, you are bound to have certain issues kept quiet. Can’t scare away the source of that revenue,” Michael explained.
Dean shook his head in disgust.
“I’m the one who threw the rock through Gabrielle’s window,” Michael said.
Dean turned to Michael in surprise. “Why?”
“Hoping to scare her off before Randy came for her,” Michael said. “But, Randy couldn’t wait.”
“What about yesterday?” Dean asked.
Michael shrugged. “That was nonsense.” Michael’s eyes flashed with emotions. “You know what—I may be a lot of things, but a predator is not one of them. I must say Gabrielle has a good memory. She was right. I was in the library that day because I was having an affair with one of the assistants at the time. I never wanted anyone to find out.”
“What did you expect, Michael?” Dean asked still disgusted. “She watched her sister gun down multiple people and kill herself. Those details…” Dean turned to Michael “are pretty clear.”
“If you’re not a predator then why did I see you with a young girl outside of class about a month ago?”
Michael turned as Dean blew through a red light. “Did she have long dark hair?”
“Yes.”
“That was my niece. We were planning my sister’s fiftieth birthday party. I told you, I may be a lot of things, but a predator isn’t one of them.”
Dean turned another corner. Michael wasn’t lying about that girl being his niece. Michael’s facade faded away as they drove to Randy White’s place, and Dean was seeing the real man behind the reputation for the first time.
They were almost there. He asked any powers above to protect Gabby. He silently asked Margo to watch out for her sister. His hands had been gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white.
The guilt of not staying with her this morning would haunt him the rest of his life.
Dean gritted his teeth, trying to will the truck to go faster. If a cop caught them, then it could either help them or it would be over, and he’d never see Gabby again.
“Why don’t you let me contact the police?” Dean asked as rage took over from the cars in front of him not moving fast enough.
Michael side-eyed him as he held onto the door handle while Dean sped past traffic.
“Let me handle this,” Michael said.
Dean rubbed his face. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
“I said I will not lose my son today. Besides, you should understand that,” Michael said.
Dean became depressed, but he had to ask the obvious question. “Did Jake know and take part in this?”
“I don’t know for sure, but think about it—how could he not have known?”
It was true. Jake had to have known. It depressed Dean even more. His best friend was now a person Dean hardly knew, and it tore at his gut to think Jake held that same secret until the day he died.
Dean banged the steering wheel yelling at the person in front of him to get out the way. The lines on the road were solid—no passing zone—but Dean didn’t care. He would pass other cars right now.
Time was running out. Just the thought of finding Gabby hurt or worse made him queasy.
He finally had the woman he loved almost his entire life with him, and just like that, she could be gone already.
“Pull up here,” Michael said as they turned the last corner.
Dean did as he was told. He was wary of Michael but had no other choice but to trust him with Gabby’s life on the line.
Michael and Dean exited the car. Michael pulled out a pistol and checked to see if it was loaded.
“What do you need that for?” Dean asked.
Michael turned sharply to him. “You’ll thank me later.”
Michael pointed to the house that was only the size of a shack. Dean hadn’t been back in this part of Randy’s property in years, but memories of Jake and him exploring that place flooded his mind.
“Randy fixed it up when started his…” Michael scoffed. “Business.”
“Why and how did Jason become involved in all this? How did you find out?”
Michael placed the pistol inside his jacket, making Dean relax a little.
“He found out about Randy’s parties, attended them, and it all snowballed from there. I found a few pictures in Jason’s room after he left for college. After he was injured, he dropped out of school, he came back here and picked right up where he left off. He told me if I ever told anyone he wouldn’t hesitate to expose all of my activities.”
Dean nodded in understanding.
“There is a back door to the place,” Michael explained pointing to it. “I will talk to Jason and Randy first and let you in to grab Gabby.”
“This is such a stupid plan,” Dean said.
“I know, but please let me speak to my son first. I promise, if she’s still alive we’ll get her out,” Michael said.
“Are they armed?” Dean asked.
“Yes, so let me talk. Blood does not need to be shed today. I mean—hasn’t enough spilled over this already?”
Dean exhaled. His heart was jumping out of his chest. A knot formed in his throat and his hands were shaking.
Despite all that could go wrong, the only focus he had right now was hoping that Gabby was still alive in there.
Dean suddenly walked up to Michael and threatened, “If she’d dead, then you’ll all pay. I will risk spending the rest
of my life in jail for her, Michael, I fucking mean it."
Michael never flinched away from his gaze.
“I have no doubts.”
Chapter 26
Melanie lay on the hardwood floor groaning in pain. She was shot in the leg, but from what Gabby could see she’d live if she received medical attention quickly.
Gabby also fell to the floor when Jason shot Melanie to stop Randy from killing her.
Now, Jason paced the room like a tiger ready to stomp on his prey.
Randy was bent over Melanie, tying her leg with a sheet to stop the bleeding.
“I will kill you, Jason,” Randy said.
Jason stopped pacing and set the gun to Randy’s head. “Not if I do it first.”
Randy froze. Jason grabbed his gun in the chaos. Gabby wished she’d seen it first, but Jason was too quick.
Melanie cried out as Randy tightened the knot.
Gabby had skittered into a corner and looked around trying to find a way to disarm Jason, or at least try to gain an advantage and escape.
She didn’t know how much time had passed since the two men fought over her own death.
She hoped Dean was out looking for her now.
Jason checked his watch, and said, “We have another hour until my father gets here.”
“What’s that going to do?” Randy asked. “You shot my wife. We can’t cover this up anymore.”
“No, he’ll think of something, and then we’ll get Melanie help,” Jason said.
Gabby noticed Jason’s whole demeanor had changed in the time since he shot Melanie until that moment.
He not only paced the room, but he kept putting his fingers to his temples and was mumbling incoherently. He slapped his forehead three times saying, “Think, Jason, think.”
The charismatic high school football star disappeared in a matter of seconds. In his place was a crazed and frenzied man.
This was a man who had a strange love/hate relationship with his father. It almost seemed he still desperately craved Michael’s approval while trying to break free of those binds, but pulled back when things didn’t go Jason’s way, looking for Michael to make the final decision.
Randy cradled his wife in his arms as she paled and cried from the wound in her leg.
“Kill her now,” Randy urged. “Get it over with, and we’ll take care of it.”
Jason turned his whole body in Randy’s direction, his eyes wild.
“I told you we have to wait for my dad,” Jason whined almost like a child.
While they argued, Gabby was making her way to the door, looking for any kind of weapon she could use against them.
She didn’t have much of a chance, but she’d try her best.
“Oh for fuck’s sake. Daddy this—Daddy that. Just once… for once think for yourself, boy,” Randy said.
“I told you. If we don’t have his alibi, then we’re fucked. What don’t you get about that? I'm not going to prison, man.”
“Would you two stop arguing please?” Melanie asked and gasped in pain. “I’m fucking bleeding to death over here.”
Jason turned away and laid his eyes on Gabby. Gabby froze from his stare.
Gabby stared back at him wide-eyed, waiting for the gun to discharge at her any second.
Jason rubbed his temple again and turned away. “No. We will wait for my dad. If you don’t like it, you are free to leave and take Melanie for help.”
Randy placed a pillow underneath Melanie’s head and stood to face Jason.
“Oh no. You will not deny me seeing one of the Ryan family pay for what that little whore did to my son,” Randy said.
Gabby took her moment and eased her way to the door again while both men disagreed on what to do.
Melanie lifted her head to scold both of them, but this time neither listened.
Jason took a step away from the entrance to the bedroom. Gabby swallowed hard knowing she had to be patient or she would die before anyone knew she was missing.
Move leg, keep against the wall, move butt a few inches, move the other leg. She repeated those words in her mind as sweat poured from her brow.
She stopped when Jason turned around again telling Randy to shut up.
Jason didn’t notice her movements at this point. Gabby then pinned her eyes on Melanie who was lying on her back with her head turned away.
Gabby sucked in a deep breath but kept it as quiet as possible.
She cursed her bound hands and thought if she used the wall as leverage then she could sneak into the main room and do… what?
Gabby slumped down and gave up waiting for her fate. She didn’t know how they were going to “suicide” her. Her car was still at the house, and it was obvious there was a struggle before Jason kidnapped her.
She perked up thinking about her art. There was no way they could fix that and cover their asses. She only hoped that a smart detective worked locally around the town nowadays.
Melanie was now dripping in sweat, and the blood was soaking through the sheet wrapped around her leg.
Flashbacks of Dean’s wound came back to her. An idea popped in her mind.
“I’m not a doctor, but she doesn’t have much longer if you don’t put more pressure on the wound,” Gabby spoke up.
Three sets of eyes turned to her. “I’m kind of an expert on this. I guess,” she said nervously.
“No,” Randy said.
Jason couldn’t decide and paced back and forth snarling to himself.
“I never said me, but if you guys need to work something out, it’s not helping her at all,” Gabby said sweetly.
She hoped her manipulation worked.
Melanie put her hand on her husband’s arm. “You two work out your differences. Let her do it.”
“Are you serious?” Randy turned to his wife.
“You keep fighting with Jason and you keep taking the pressure off,” Melanie said. “Let her do it.”
Gabby wasn’t sure if Melanie was desperate or stupid. She didn’t care. A plan was forming in her head, and she needed to be let loose from the handcuffs for it to work.
“I’d rather take you to the hospital,” Randy said.
“How are we going to explain this if you call for help?” Melanie asked.
Randy glared at Gabby, but stood and nodded to Jason. He made a few threats to Jason about if she dies then he dies.
Jason glared back at him but walked over to take off the handcuffs.
Gabby rubbed her wrists while Jason pointed his pistol at her. She moved over to Melanie, and Randy stopped her by grabbing her arm.
“Nothing is forgiven,” he whispered.
Gabby stayed quiet and waited patiently for Randy to let go of her.
Melanie also sent her a glare, but laid back onto the pillow and closed her eyes.
“I need a new sheet or something,” Gabby said.
Her head had been hammering from the new bump that formed on the side, but she ignored it. She needed to keep her thoughts straight if her plan would work.
She was handed another sheet and unwrapped the one Randy placed around Melanie’s lower thigh.
She inspected the wound and sat back when the blood flowed again.
She wrapped it up and placed her hand on top of it. Melanie screamed in pain for a few seconds and fell back into the pillow.
“The bullet didn’t go through,” Gabby said. “You don’t have a lot of time.”
Randy grabbed Jason by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
“You did this!”
Gabby watched closely. The trio of criminals was falling apart in front of her, and that’s what she needed.
Jason pointed the gun in Randy’s abdomen and said, “If you touch me again, I’ll kill you.”
“Not without Daddy’s permission, right?”
Jason’s face contorted into several different shapes from fury.
He pushed Randy backward with a violent shove. Randy stumbled a few steps back before falling to the f
loor in front of Gabby and hitting Melanie’s bad leg. Melanie screamed again in pain, and this time she went limp.
Gabby removed her hand from Melanie’s leg and watched as Jason pointed the pistol at Randy and fired.
Chapter 27
Dean and Michael heard the gunshots as they were about the separate.
Dean didn’t know what to do. He took out his phone to call for help not knowing what he would find inside the cabin.
Shaking, it dropped to the ground, and he left it on the ground, panicking over what he might see when they went in there.
He ran around the back and tried the door, but it was locked. He pushed, and pulled, and even kicked at it, but it wasn’t budging.
He ran around the front of the house and burst through the door to see Michael with his arms raised trying to speak to a demented Jason.
Jason had a gun pointed at Gabby’s head.
All at once, Dean felt relieved and fearful for Jason’s next move.
Dean could see into another room and thought he spotted two bodies on the floor.
By the look in Jason’s eyes, he was a desperate man who was now watching his whole life slip from his fingers.
“Son. Put the gun down, and let her go,” Michael said.
“It’s over, dad,” Jason said. “The whole thing is over.”
“I know. We’ll get you help. I’ll get you the best lawyer in the state—”
Michael's voice tried to soothe his son's frazzled demeanor. Dean didn't know if he'd have that kind of patience if it came down to a life or death situation.
“Nothing will work! Do you know what they do to cops on the inside?”
“You’re right, son. We’ll try to get you as little time as possible. I will personally make sure they treat you good inside."
Jason wavered for a moment, his grip on Gabby loosened.
Her eyes met Dean’s in desperation. Dean didn’t think Jason noticed him there.
He came out from behind Michael and moved slowly, inching ever closer to where Jason stood.
