Each passing second has my breaths becoming more and more laborious.
“Jagger,” I seethe, but he doesn’t respond.
A glance out the window has him dropping his guarded stance. “What the fuck! That’s my sled. That shithead must’ve hot-wired it.”
I jump up, hands gripping the back of the couch. “Your sled? Can you see who it is?”
“Come here.” He waves me over with the knife. I slip out from behind the couch, and he keeps waving his hand. “Hurry up.”
I huff out a heavy breath. “I’m coming.”
Once I’m at his side, he pulls open the door. “Show your face you fucking coward!” he screams, knife still in hand.
I keep glancing at it, hoping like hell he doesn’t need it.
When no one responds, Jagger steps outside into the accumulating snow on the porch. “Did you hear me?” he wails. “Show your fucking face.”
I look at his sled that’s parked in the middle of the yard, fresh footprints surrounding it. “There’s more footprints,” I point out. “And they lead to the woods.”
One step forward has Jagger pulling me two steps back. “Whoa. We’re not looking for trouble tonight.” He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his keys. “I’m getting you home safely, then me and the guys will track this fucker down.”
Normally I’d argue that no one tells me what to do, but right now, home sounds nice.
Jagger tosses the knife to his side and it sinks into the snow on the porch. He grabs my hands, taking me with him. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
We’re walking across the yard, the only sound the jingling of his keys, when I see something out of the corner of my eye. “What was that?” My eyes snap to the right and I see someone running. Jagger holds up the flashlight, flicking it on, and that’s when I see her. A girl. At least, I assume it is. “There!” I point to Jagger, but it’s too late, she’s gone.
“Where?”
“Over there!” I jab my finger in the direction of where the girl went. “Jagger…it was a girl. I saw blonde hair flapping out of the hood of a black robe.” I repeat myself. “A girl. It’s not a guy doing this; it’s a fucking girl!”
“Come on.” Jagger pulls my hand, running to his snowmobile.
At this point, I’m positive my heart has fled my body, while all the blood has drained from my face.
We get right on, noticing that the helmets aren’t here, and he brings the engine to life.
“Go after her!”
Jagger takes off so quickly that my body flies back and I almost fall off. He’s at full speed, ripping down trails and dodging trees. At this point, I’m certain my death is imminent, and it won’t be at the hands of that bitch who’s been tormenting me. No. Jagger is going to kill us both.
I want to shout at him to slow down, but I’m hell-bent on catching this girl. As fast as we took off, we stop, engine off now. “What are you doing?”
Jagger turns his head and whispers, “If she stayed on the trail she took off running on, we should be meeting her any second.”
Holy shit.This is really happening. It’s all gonna end tonight.
Jagger slowly swings one leg over the sled, then the other, as he gets to his feet. I slide up to the front and grab the handlebars. “What are you doing?” I ask, tone hushed.
He doesn't respond. Instead, he crouches and walks silently and carefully through the snow. The next thing I know, he’s running as fast as he can, ready to pounce.
My heart jumps into my throat and I flee from the sled, chasing after him. “Who is it?” I yell, hoping I didn’t fuck up his attack, but my patience is getting the best of me.
His body lunges straight to the ground, and by time I reach him, I see that he’s lying on top of someone. “You caught her!”
The girl squirms and kicks, but doesn't say a word, being careful not to give up her identity. It doesn’t matter, though. We have her now.
With her arms restrained and Jagger straddling her back with his legs on either side of her, she buries her face in the snow.