Vance looks over to me, eyes connecting as we communicate to each other. “It’ll be fine.”
I look over to my rabbit, who’s calm as she looks at someone who looks just like her. “You promise she won’t get hurt? How sure are you this plan will work?”
“She’ll be fine. Vance and I will be monitoring her the entire time. She’s going for a little jog, same path you enjoy running. If he’s serious about his threats, he’ll snatch her.”
“And if he gets away?”
I cup Brixley’s face in my hands. “You have to trust me. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” Brixley places her hands over mine, nodding.
“And you’ll be fine too?” she asks, emotion making her voice raspy.
“You couldn’t get rid of me that easily.”
She laughs. “You’re right.”
I look to Madden, and he nods. “Protect them with your life.”
“You know I will.”
I know he would, but this could go wrong in so many ways, I’m not sure I can handle the guilt if this innocent girl is hurt.
The plan is to use this decoy to lure out the killer, and before he gets her, Vance and I will get him. The girls will stay here with Madden until it’s all over.
I look to Vance. “You ready?” He nods in response, shoving his gun in his pants. “Rabbit, come here.” She throws her arms around my neck. “You know I love you, right?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“You gonna make me wait forever to hear you say it back?”
“Not forever, no.”
I laugh, kissing her lips. “Be good, don’t be a hero—that’s my job—promise me.”
“I promise.” She kisses me back.
I release her, not wanting to but knowing the only way to protect her is to eliminate the threat.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Vanceand I track the girl from a distance, one on either side of her. We chose to wear dark clothes to blend in with the trees, bandanas covering our faces. The girl is not an exact replica of Brixley, but from a distance she looks very similar to her. You wouldn’t know it until you got close—got a good look at her face.
She breaks off the main course, just like Brixley usually does. Running down a path no one knows about, unless you’re a part of The Misfits. I watch around her as she dodges the tree branches, running deeper into the forest. I pull my walkie-talkie out. “She should have been grabbed by now. I haven’t seen a thing move around her.”
Vance’s voice comes through, “Let’s give her a few more minutes. There’s no way he won’t take the bait.”
We watch as she grows closer to the end mark I gave her. My heart pounds against my chest, agitation and relief fighting a war in my mind. I pick up my pace, growing closer in case he strikes at the last minute. She stops at the end of the trail, hands on her knees as Vance and I reach her at the same time. I look around, the eerie calm making my hair rise on end. “Something isn’t right,” I say.
Vance shakes his head. “It doesn’t make sense. He should have grabbed her.”
“Unless—” My phone rings, cutting me off. Vance and I look at each other as I bring it to my ear. All I hear is heavy breathing that makes my eyes widen. “Hello?”
“You fucked up. She’s mine now, Beckett.”
I hang up the phone and begin running. “We got fucking played.”
“Fuck,” Vance hisses, matching my speed.