It merged into traffic and disappeared.
That was late this afternoon.
Now it was 9:40 p.m.
If all went as planned, Jaden and Bristol would be showing up in the next twenty minutes.
Waverly pulled the gun all the way out, pointed it at the rocky cliff behind her and pulled the trigger. A blast of yellow fire shot out of the barrel and the weapon kicked back, almost out of her hand.
Okay, good.
It worked.
She tucked it back in her waist.
The barrel was warm.
It felt good.
Emmanuelle.
Emmanuelle.
Emmanuelle.
Could she really be the killer?
Was she really keeping tabs on Waverly instead of helping her? The more Waverly thought about it the more it quivered up her spine. If she was going to kill Bristol, she needed to be absolutely sure he admitted to the killings and that the admission was unambiguous.
Suddenly lights snaked up the mountain from below.
Waverly wedged back into the rocks.
A car pulled into the turnoff, it’s front bumper against the boulders that had been placed there to keep cars from running off the edge.
The headlights went out.
The engine turned off.
Waverly stayed where she was.
No one got out of the car.
It was too dark to see who was inside.
She pulled the gun out of her waist.
Then she crouched down and made her way slowly towards the back end of the vehicle, ending up on the passenger side, next to the tire. Suddenly the window rolled halfway down.
Waverly heard a woman talking.
The voice belonged to Jaden.
This was it.
Her chest tightened.
Her lungs hyperventilated.
She crept forward until she was next to the passenger door, staying down in case a bolt of lighting struck too close.
A man said, “Hold on a minute, I have to take a piss.”
The voice belonged to Bristol.
The driver’s door opened.
The vehicle rocked slightly as the man got out.
The door shut.
Waverly didn’t move a muscle.
Bristol wouldn’t go far, one or two steps away from the car at most. He’d piss, he’d get back in and that would be it. Waverly concentrated on keeping down and not moving even an iota.
Suddenly the side of her head exploded in pain.
Lights flashed inside her skull.
Her legs gave out and she crumbled to the ground.
Gravel grabbed her cheek and bit in.
Then rough hands grabbed her, yanked her up and threw her into the back seat. Before she could get her bearings, Bristol was in the front seat, twisted around, pointing a gun into her face.
“Surprise,” he said.
His face was contorted, almost insane.
Waverly looked at Jaden.
The woman’s face was cold.
It showed no compassion.
“I don’t understand,” Waverly said.
“It looks like I’m really not your friend after all,” Jaden said. “It looks like you’ve been set up.”
“No!”
Bristol swung his arm back and smacked Waverly on the side of the head.
“I gave you every chance to back off,” he said. “You worked yourself into this corner. You don’t have anyone to blame but your own stupid self.”
Waverly fought through the pain.
Think!
Think!
Think!
She reached into her back pocket with as little motion as she could and pulled out a knife. She unfolded it. Bristol was too far away.
Jaden was right in front of her though.
Waverly grabbed the woman’s hair, yanked her head back and put the blade to her throat. Then she hardened her face and looked into Bristol’s maniac eyes.
“Put the gun down!”
He smiled.
“You won’t kill her.”
“Yes I will.”
“Show me.”
Jaden squirmed.
Waverly pulled harder on her hair and sunk the edge deeper against her skin.
“I’ll do it, I swear to God.”
“Go ahead,” Bristol said. “You’ll save me the trouble.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Kill her,” he said. “Do it.” He brought the barrel of the gun up over the seat and pointed it at Waverly’s face. She was trapped. There was no way she could get her hand out from around Jaden’s neck and over to him. He’d be able to pull the trigger five times. “I’m going to count to three,” he said.
“One.”
Waverly couldn’t move.
“Two.”
She couldn’t breath.
She couldn’t think.
She couldn’t do anything.
“Three!”
The gun fired.
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