I saw that stubborness that Jenna carried, that kind could drive you mad if you insist on doing the opposite. I knew better than to stand there and argue with her as blood leaked out of me.
“Fine” I told her and I went to take my seat in the passenger side, she got in the driver’s seat.
Slowly, she started to get the hang of it.
I directed her to the hospital I had taken Marcellino.
“You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine” she said as we reached the hospital.
*****
The younger man’s grip on my neck finally fell off as automatic gun was pointing at him.
My legs started trembling and I took the opportunity to run away from them.
“He has a gun” I told Josef as I ran behind him, not caring that he was also a threat.
I knew, deep inside me that those men were the bigger threats, I better deal with them first and I would find out how to escape from the snares of Josef.
Or what if I just run now.
The younger man raised his gun and before he could pull the trigger, Josef put a bullet in his chest. He fell down slowly, on his knees he went and he fell face flat to the ground.
The pot bellied man raised both hands up to show that he was without a weapon, bad move. Josef pulled the trigger twice, one bullet in his head and another in his guts.
I stood there transfixed, watching everything go down. My initial plan of running, now long forgotten.
“Are you alright?” Josef asked.
I was still facing the two men… I couldn’t feel my legs or hands.
I want to puke.
Josef cupped my face and turned me to look at him, he was a better sight to look at than two dead bodies.
“Talk to me Jenna, are you okay?” His face was etched in concern and his thumb was gently grazing my cheeks as he held my face.
I nodded my head and broke free from his grip.
“How did you know?” I managed to whisper.
“I’ve been in the woods since morning. I dropped the last note under your pillow, I told you about my plans..” I took a step backwards and he stopped talking.
There was a binocular hanging on his neck, he had been watching the house from over here, maybe he climbed the top of a tree because there were leaves and twings in his hair.
“I’m sorry I killed them, I had to. They were going to… You knew what they were going to do. Immediately saw that bloody bastard dragging you over here, I couldn’t think of anything else but to kill him”
“Why-why are you hol-holding a gun?” I asked him.
He looked down at the rifle in his hand and he put on the safety to show me that he wouldn’t shoot me.
He was going to use gun to shoot someone, was he going to use it to kill my Christian?
“You wanted to shoot him?” I asked, the tears that I was too shocked to cry started pouring out now. What if he had succeeded and Christian would have died, permanently.
He would be ripped out of my life.
I felt an overwhelming need to hold Christian, to smell him, to assure myself that he’s alive and well.
“Don’t cry.. Cheaters deserve hell” he cooed and held my shoulders in what was an attempt to cool my down.
“Stop, please stop” I begged him.
He was not making any sense, he was no beautiful and yet he was a crazy ass mother fucker.
“Stop what?”
“I know it’s you that wrote the notes, I know. The condom package was silicon gels for your shoes. The say Christian arrived, we fucked, me and him… For hours. Kylee was downstairs”
His eyes darkened in a way that made him look different, as if he had taken off his mask and now I saw his true expression.
“I see” he said.
“Josef, you’re a good guy” I whispered.
He frowned.
“No, I’m not” he said.
“You saved me” I reminded him.
“That was because I wanted you all to myself. I was selfish”
Dear God.
“Josef, I have not done anything wrong to you”
“Being this alluring is a crime, bring this beautiful is a crime, you should be locked up for it. Look” he held my face and made me look at the dead bodies.
“You killed them, do you know how many more you’ve killed, how many you will kill? Kylee was a big mouth and she trusted me with all the secrets, Greene, Harrison… The people he has injured, the casualties he had caused, the lives he had ruined just because of you!”
I could only cry, there was nothing I could do. I should know how to protect myself. Another moment of truth, if I escaped this, I would train, I swear, I would be better than this, I felt so ashamed of my helplessness.
“Whoever is listening, I’ll change. Please help me, I’ll be stronger, I understand now”
“Who are you talking to?” Josef asked releasing my face.
I was quiet.
“Who!” He yelled.
“God” I said and he started laughing.
He had his head thrown back… Eyes on the road was what I always told Christian, because my father always told me that a moment of distraction could cause you your life.
I ran to the dead body, the younger man’s dead fingers were holding the gun. I heard Josef gasp, I ran as fast as I could. I grabbed the gun, I heard him pull the trigger but there was no response only a choking sound.
He put on the safety earlier.. I wrapped my fingers around the gun, he turned off the safety, I turned around and pointed the gun at him.
I was on the ground, beside the dead man, my chest was heaving fast and my hands were trembling but my finger was on the trigger.
“Lower the gun” I said, my voice was a mixture of crying and demanding.
Josef’s face was filled with disbelief.
“Drop your weapon!” I yelled again, this time more authoritatively.