Wade's house is empty, just like Clyde said. I looked in every room, nothing but the usual mess. When I turn to leave though I see something. There is a note on the inside of the front door. Clyde must have overlooked it-

"Go home and check your door again."

-or it wasn't here yet when he was. Fuck. I get into my truck and speed back home as fast as the car lets me. When I get there, the door is wide open and there is another note.

"Come to see us. We are in your usual spot. Come alone."

My usual spot? He's had to of been watching us longer than I thought. He's had to seen me kill. I haven't killed anyone in a while. And the notes, the one in Wade's house seems like he was watching me when I was leaving my house. He has to have help, so I have to watch for more than one person. He's not that smart though. He's making me meet him in my territory. That's in fact plain stupid.

I take my hunting stuff, park the truck in another spot than I usually use and make my way in circles around the meeting place, to make sure no one is waiting somewhere in the trees as a backup. It takes me a little while to check the perimeter but there is no one. Why would he come without the backup if he has one? I'm nearing my spot, that is usually a place of relaxation for me, and I'm anything but relaxed. I haven't been here that many times while it was still daylight in the past few years. But it doesn't matter, I could move around this woods with my eyes closed.

As I'm getting closer I see why he doesn't need the backup. Wade's not here. He doesn't have him here. I'm really trying to keep my head clear now. I need to be smart about this, I can do this! I'm about ten feet from them when I decide to let my presence be known by snapping a branch under my feet.

Paul's head turns in my direction and there is no cheery smile on his face, only corners of his mouth lifted a bit when he sees me. He has a gun in his right hand. I'm keeping my crossbow pointed down, but ready. My eyes sway to the left, to the two figures, each tied to one of the trees here. Both gagged. One of them is Lana, she looks terrified, the other one is hard to tell because it's a mess of blood and dirt, groaning, otherwise not moving. But it's too small for it to be my brother. I can't do anything until I know how to get him back.

"Where's Wade?"

"He's alright. He's safe, for now," he says with a pointed look. "And if you're reasonable, he'll stay that way. I just wanna talk to you."

"I am very reasonable considering you kidnapped my brother." He thinks only Wade is his leverage. He doesn't know what Lana means to me. How could he? And I'm not going to give him more cards to play with.

"Let's talk then." He's eying my crossbow but doesn't ask me to put it away, I wouldn't even if he did. His eyes shift back to the two people by his side. "I hope I did okay? I wasn't sure about the legs." When I don't comment he goes on. "You know, when my friend called me, saying that our mutual friend here lives in this town, I was glad. Glad that I'd get to finish what I started. I bet you know how that feels like." He pauses again as if waiting again for my input. I don't know what he expects me to say? I always finish what I start. "Anyway, I came here all excited. And I found you. I felt like a got a sweet reward on top."

I move a little closer but still leave enough space between us. "So what is it that you want exactly? To let my brother go?"

"Oh, no, my friend. It's not about what I want! It's about what I have to offer to you. I was hoping we could avoid all this, but you are not exactly a friendly person. I get it, no hard feelings, but I just had to get your attention."

"I'm listening," is all I say and Lana cries harder. Paul's posture, on the other hand, gets more relaxed. Gotcha! He thinks he knows everything about me. Stupid fuck.

"Great. Great, so here's the thing. I start with Richard," he blurts out a little too fast. He seems to be a bit surprised his plan actually worked, like he had more prepared to say to convince me to talk to him. "You won't be able to meet him most likely, but I am sure you'd like him. He's someone who has a deep understanding for people like us." He turns to Lana. "I bet you're now wondering what I mean by 'people like us', so pay attention, you are about to get to know a whole other side of your boyfriend here." He tells her with an evil smile. My hand clenches in a fist and I try to push all the anger down, I have to play along, I have to until I'm 100% sure my brother is safe and how to get him. Seeing the look in Lana's eyes though, it tugs at something inside of me.

"I don't need you to tell me about me! What's the offer?" It successfully takes his attention from her at least. She looks ready to pass out and she can't breathe properly with the gag in her mouth.

"I'm getting there. So he took under his wing everyone who felt the need, how to say it, well the need you obviously have to feel, time to time. Taking into consideration your little hobby. But Richard is gone now, thanks to little Lana here. But the rest of us, we want to continue his work. My offer is, come and join us. You could be yourself with us, no more hiding, no more pretending." I open my mouth, but I'm not sure what I want to say, because... what? "I-I saw you, you clearly have the experience and I dare to assume, the killer the FBI is looking for, that's you, right? You can tell me." I tell him nothing, I don't even blink. "I saw you eyeing that little junkie your brother beat up the other night, so here he is. I brought him to you, as a present." He motions to the bloody mess. Oh! So it's Lana's ex. Well, I can't say I haven't thought about it, but where is the fun in this? He's all ready and more dead than alive anyway. Paul had to interpret my silent observation as a satisfaction with his work for some reason because that fucking cheery smile I hate breaks on his face.

"I knew it!" he shouts out, bringing me back. Fuck, I need to focus. Alright, I know how to play this. These little fucks are unsure of everything they do, and they think I can teach them what that Richard guy now can't, being locked up and all. What a bunch of pathetic losers.

"You can lose those gags, no one will hear anything, even if they'd scream their lungs off. The sound doesn't carry here." And just like the little obedient fucker that he is, he goes to take the gags out. This is almost too easy. When he moves to the guy, I notice the groaning stopped. And Paul confirms what I thought moment later, with the gag in his hand.

"Looks like this one didn't make it. Sorry, it was really meant as a gift for you." I see Lana's head snap in the direction of her ex and she starts screaming through her gag. He moves to her. "Do you still want me to take it out?" I just shake my head.

"You did a shitty job."

"I'm sorry about him, you can have her if you want!"

"The only thing I want at the moment is my brother. Where is he?"

"He's fine, he's just sleeping off his hangover, he doesn't even know something's wrong."

"Where?!"

"He's at Emma's, my friend, she just spiked his beer, he's sleeping."

"How are you suppose to let her know to let him go?"

"We really didn't have any intentions of hurting him. She just waits for my text, but she would let him go either way. We really want you to join us. Hurting him would be just stupid." Yeah, because otherwise, you are such a bright birds.

"Who's us?"

"Well, me and Emma at the moment, but we can get the others, if we had you, we could continue Richard's wor-" He drops like a ton of bricks, he didn't even notice me raising my hands.

"Thank you very much, stupid asshole," I mutter. I look up to Lana. Her eyes are fixed on the man lying on the ground. "Are you hurt?" I ask her. I have no idea what the prick did to her before I came. Her wide eyes move up to me and she shakes her head. "I'm gonna take that gag out, okay?" I swift nod. Alright. I reach to her and take it off. She works her jaw, but doesn't scream, she doesn't say anything either. She just keeps glancing at the, soon to be dead, body lying on the ground. I take out my knife to cut her ties. Seeing the wicked blade, she does yelp then, making me pause. "It's alright." I put my hands up in placating gesture, although still holding the knife in one. "Just gonna cut you lose darling, not gonna hurt you, you know that."

"Do I?" she ask shakily and the question makes me almost sad.

"Of course you do. You are my girl. You don't have to be scared of me. Ever." I crouch down to cut the ties on her legs, then stand up to cut the ones holding her arms up. When I do, she collapses right into my arms, as her legs, having the circulation cut off for too long, don't work right. She clings to me and turns her head left.

"Is he dead?"

"Who?" I look where she's looking, her ex. Right, I forgot about him. "Yeah, most likely. Do you want me to check?" She audibly gulps and I feel her nod against my chest.

"Please," she adds quietly.

I help her to move a little further away from the fuck lying on the ground and sit her against one of the trees. Then I go check on her ex. I know he's dead, she knows it too I think. She just needs the confirmation. I check the pulse, there is none. I look back at her and she's looking at me like she's waiting for me to make some kind of miracle or something. So I just shake my head and go back to her. She starts to cry again, but it's not hysterical. I can work with that. I squat in front of her and grab her arm. I want her to know I'm there for her, but I'm not sure how she feels about me right now.

"What about him?" She motions to Paul after she quiets some.

"He's very much alive, for now. I plan on changing that," I tell her carefully, I'm not sure how much of our conversation before did she get under all the stress. But we are here already, she's not stupid so let's deal with it.

"Good!" Okay, that was unexpected.

"You sure about that?"

"Yes, very." She doesn't even hesitate before answering. I push even more.

"You wanna stay for that? Or wait in the truck?"

"I wanna stay." Again. The answer is immediate.

"I'll cut Anthony down too, but I can't take him to the hospital or to the station. You know that right?" I ask slowly. Again not sure what her reaction will be.

"I know," she whispers, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Alright, just stay where you are," I tell her and get to work. First I get her ex's body out of the sight, then I maneuver Paul's body in the right position. The fucker is heavier than I thought. "I'm gonna be right back. He can't get out of these, don't worry." And with that, I leave to get the truck. I move it to my usual spot, which is closer and I take a pack of beers with me. Too bad I don't get anything stronger. I bet she'd appreciate it. If she's still there. I hope she is, she doesn't know the woods, if she got lost, she'd be as good as dead. But no, she's right there, at the exact spot I left her. I open two beers, hand her one and sit next to her.

"Thanks," she says quietly. "So now what?"

"Now we'll wait until he wakes up."

"Why?"

So I could watch him die properly. But I don't say that aloud, I just shrug. "I have a question for him, about Wade." We are quiet after that. Just drinking. We finish the first beer, I open the second one for her, then for me, and we just sit there and wait. About halfway through the second beer, she breaks the silence.

"Is-Is this how-what usually-I mean-"

"-Yeah!" I help her out. She got it right, that's exactly what I do. There is no pressure for her to voice it out.

"And-" she stops to clear her throat and to take a big gulp. "And you won't stop doing that?"

I shrug again. "I don't know. I was actually thinking about it today, before all of this."

She turns to look at me then. "What were you thinking about?"

"About how at peace I was with you. When you are around. I was thinking about if maybe that could be enough. Just to be with you."

Her eyes go wide at that declaration. "Really? Do you-do you think-"

"-Yeah. You know, I think with you, it's the closest to love I could ever get."

"I do love you," she whispers, and just as she does, I hear Paul groan. Good, I can't wait to get rid of him and to go get Wade. That little bitch he's with will die too tonight. Can't wait for that.

I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, feel welcome to push that little star to let me know, or better yet, leave me a comment ;)