The sheriff drove us to his house after a long conversation between him and me. Eve was casual and quiet like usual, not a big surprise because she barely shows her feelings on the surface. Although, the trip to his home was more than uncomfortable of going through my plan.
Granting the fact that I had asked about his name and that was how I knew his name was Bill, Sheriff Bill; has a nice ring to it. Bill huh, this sheriff guy really has a name that suits him well. It reminded me of someone.
We reached his place, parking at a sidewalk that is in front of his house. The house was small but simultaneously pretty big compared to other houses in this region. The neighborhood is silent like usual; even though there were lights at this time of the night.
“Were here…I’ll go get my son and..you know the rest,” Bill exited his police vehicle as he approached and enter his house. No further comment was needed from me or Eve in a serious situation like this while we sit in the back passenger seats.
I stared at the window of my side, looking at the dead of the night with stars twinkling overhead. The sight was a bit mesmerizing now…especially when we are in the neighborhood. However, that is not what my mind is at.
The man…Bill, he is a good father, threatening me just to protect his son. I found it admirable, but it is too bad that I had to resort to inhumane methods to achieve my goals. Don’t get me wrong, I feel awful for persuading him to do that for the sake of preventing anymore grieving parents but what other choice did I have?
It is just the way things are, how I do things here. And if the bait dies…well, I am not sure how I would sleep properly like that. The pain as a parent would be unbearable when he see his loved one die without ever touching or hugging them again… I did not know how painful it would be for him.
As what appears to be several minutes of waiting, the driver’s door opened with Bill entering the police vehicle. When he entered, I can see the infant in a basket…his innocent face looks adorable from the moment he laid his eyes on me and smiled. I felt sick to my stomach of what I am going to do.
Bill silently place him at the other seat while I almost feel like vomiting of resorting into this twisted plan of mine. I honestly do not know how I could even justify doing this, but it’s too late turning back now. “Now what,” Bill announced, his shaky and nervous voice telling me that he is on edge with the situation.
Holy shit, I do not know if I can do this, but as I mentioned before; there is no turning back from this. Bill could have called me out on this plan of mine, but he didn’t. I have him wrapped around my finger like a pretzel, and it’s too late to return now. “You ready?” I asked him, giving my best attempt at being reassuring even though it does not sound genuine to me. I am sure that Bill is frightened of this plan.
“Y-y-yes,” he stammered, his eyes are wide open and his voice was shaky. “I am ready.” He stated, his eyes still kept open but his voice was slightly more steady than before. “I cannot believe we are doing this…” Bill muttered, his voice trembling even more than before.
“You do not have to worry,” I told him, my voice not trembling at all. “Just relax and be ready for the impact. If everything goes well, your two-year-old month-son would be unarmed, mark my words.” Honestly, I am not fucking sure if this is going to 100 percent work without the baby dying or getting kidnapped and later eaten by that psychopath that is after these children.
I still had my doubts about this plan but I already choose this option. The situation was desperate as hell, mind as well finish this case and get it over. I want to finish this as soon as possible and get a long night’s sleep from it.
“Alright, listen carefully. First Bill, I want you to drive us 120 miles from east to west in the direction of this city,” I said, directing my voice towards Bill. “Then we will be driving on the highway while we are heading to the east. When we get there, we will stop and turn left before stopping at lone wooden bench in a park. Once we are there, I will explain the plan, got it?”
Eve silently nodded, Bill with his shaky voice, agreed with me while also nodding his head. I gave my best attempt at comforting them, but this is going to be a long and dangerous experience for them. “Good…good,” I said, making sure that they understood what I was trying to say. “Now, I want you to keep driving like it is nothing until we get there. Just keep your eyes on the road and follow my instructions carefully.”
Provided with instructions, Bill drove to the requested location I pointed out to him, then he turned right while stopping at the sidewalk near a park, after which I started explaining my plan to them. “Okay, so it is going to be like this,” I began, “I will take the baby, place him on the wooden bench and wait for the old woman to come and try to kidnap him as we hide. Eve, with her superior speed and agility, will be capable of knocking her out before she could even touch your son. Also, Bill will have to remain here,” I presented my plan to them.
“Once the old lady is knocked out, we will forcefully her and the baby back to the car,” I explained to them, “Then we drive to the police station and that’s it!” Bill didn’t seemed too confident about the plan I had in mind. Eve was looking at me with a stern expression while Bill was shaking his head. “Trust me, your son will be safe unarmed,” I told him.
Eve gave me a strange look and then she looked at Bill before turning her gaze back to me. “Are you sure this plan of yours will work?” Eve asked with a bit of worry.
“Yes, it will be fine…it has to be,” I said, trying to sound reassuring like I had done countless times in the past. Bill decided to opened his mouth, “If I caught my son dead or kidnapped…I will kill you,” he threatened me. I could not help but laugh at his amusing threatening tone of his voice.
“Bill, take it easy okay?” I said, trying to calm him down. “Everything will be fine,” I told them. Eve and Bill reluctantly agreed with my plan after some persuasion.
“Okay, let’s get to it then.”
Me and Eve left the car with the baby’s basket held in one of my hands, entering the park and after a few minutes of searching, we ultimately found the lone wooden bench. It was like an island in the middle of a snowy forest with trees, surrounded by tall bushes.
Gulping, I carefully placed the baby basket on the bench before leaving and hiding in the bushes near it with Eve as we wait for the cannibalistic killer to be lured at this crying infant. A part of me is unsure if she would really come or not, but my instincts says otherwise.
After the moment we left him, the infant quickly cried for his father and the sounds of him was hurting my heart as I heard his voice. I wanted to comfort him like a father would do. His cries were soon silenced by the sound of footsteps someone…malicious.
The moment this figure came out of the darkness, it was the face that I seen from the sketch. But her appearance as a whole..she looks like any ordinary old woman to me. She strolled with a cane while the moonlight reflected on her pale skin. Her eyes were empty without any light within them. Eve was staring at me, looking quite worried.
As I continued to stare at her face carefully, she grinned when seeing the crying infant on the bench. And after that change of look on her visage, I now know that she is the person we are looking for. “Eve…I will count to five, after it reaches zero, you know what to do,” I whispered to Eve while keeping my gaze on the old woman.
“Yes,” Eve replied before nodding.
The old woman was creepily staring down at the crying infant, smiling devilishly before speaking, “oh dear, you are a cute one, aren’t you?” she said. I could see Eve tense up as she readied herself for this moment. The old woman remained her hand on the cane, “there, there,” she crooned while looking at the baby who was more terrified than before, “grandma will cook you a nice dinner.”
“STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON!”
Bill entered the scene, much to our surprise and shock, the old woman spun in motion, “hello dear, you appear like a lovely old woman,” she said with a smile on her face. She looked at Bill, who was furious before glancing down at his son. We could see his grip shaking from holding his pistol at her before speaking, “DON’T YOU FUCK TOUCH HIM! PLACE YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM! OR I WILL BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT IF YOU MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVES!”
The old woman chuckled and nodded, “as you wish my dear,” she said while putting her hands up in the air. We could see Bill’s grip loosening as he lowered his weapon.
Big mistake, blue and thin razor sharp wires emerged from her opened palms, wrapping themselves around him before having his whole body torn apart. His screams echoed throughout the park and he was soon silenced by a loud thud after his body parts dropped on the ground.
“Now, dear…what do you have to say?” she asked as she looked at Bill’s dead body.
Oh shit, fuck! Fuck! This is not how it was supposed to go! I took a deep breath before Eve decided to emerge out of her hiding spot with dual knives in each hand, “you are not getting away this time,” she loudly announced, lunging at her at incredibly high speed.
The old woman remained still before a wider grin appeared on her face, “you are going to try and kill me like all the others?” she asked with a chuckle. Eve cut the wires that suddenly appeared around her, having know all the moves this psychopath is going to do from the moment Eve laid her eyes on this old woman.
“Hmm? Dear, I have not someone like you before. Are you new here?” she asked while smiling evilly, looking at Eve with amusement. Eve jumped meters away from her, “it is rude to disrespect your elders, child,” the old woman lectured while shaking her head.
Eve never expected an opponent like her before, for all her life she had killed all sorts of individuals but never like this. Every time she looked at her enemy, she knows their next moves and how the fight will end. This old woman, despite not appearing to be agile or dexterous like herself, she is also capable of reading my moves as well.
That is troubling for her, to say the least. Eve never fought someone capable of reading someone’s own movements and act accordingly.
“Are you going to say something dear?” The old woman taunting Eve, hoping to throw her off guard. Eve remained motionlessly, not saying a word, she throw hundreds of knives at her, the old woman being a step ahead of Eve’s attacks by slicing all the blades with her wires.
“You are truly an exceptional opponent, dear. You are capable of using your own body to defend yourself while still able to fight on the defense,” she said while using the wires to keep Eve from getting to close. “I must admit that I am in shock, I have never seen someone like you before and yet you can fight like this. It is truly a fascinating experience to face someone with your own skills child,” she said while staring at Eve.
Eve gritted her teeth, cutting the wires all around her with superhuman speeds to the point that every time she sprints, it is almost like she is running faster than cheetahs. The old woman was still amused as she watched Eve fight against the onslaughts of blue wires, and so far; Eve has not lost a single wire.
The two continued to fight, reading each other’s movements like no tomorrow. No one appeared to be winning or losing in this battle, but the old woman’s expression told that she was enjoying this fight, as if she is just having a fun time with Eve. The old woman’s eyes were filled with joy and laughter as she continued to observe Eve’s struggles despite being equal.
While I watch them continue their parade, I took this opportunity to emerge out of my hiding spot to hold the distracted old woman from behind, “Eve! THROW YOUR KNIVES!” I yelled out, grabbing the attention of Eve.
“Huh?! Who-“
Before the old woman could say anything from the sudden change of events, thrown knives appeared and dig deep on her forehead, wrists, heart and neck. She died instantly as I let her go, causing the corpse to drop on the floor.
“We did…we did it,” I pant like a dog, in disbelief and shocked of what have transpired. I then look at Eve, seeing that she was shock like I am. “Eve? Are you alright?” I asked with concern. She looks not to have been tired from the fight but she was still stunned as to what has happened.
“Adam,” she respond with a nod, wiping her forehead with her hand, “I thought your plan would work?” Eve then looks at the dead body of the old woman, “I did not expected that…this would happen.”
Hearing the baby crying louder than before, having the child see his own father ripped to shreds and being forced to kill someone; I need to get out of here, I want to get out of this situation as fast as possible. “Let’s go,” I simply announced, holding the urge to vomit.
Eve frowned from hearing my strange tone, “what about the crying baby?” She pointed at the infant who is in tears, obviously traumatized by what happened. “We need to get out of here as fast as possible, I will call the ambulance when we head back to the car, okay? ” I repeated my previous words.
“What is the matter with you?” Eve asked with concerned, she wanted to hear what I have to say, being at disbelief of leaving a lone crying child like this.
“Eve! Just listen to me, for fuck’s sake! Let’s get out of here!” I shouted out, sweat and tears covered my face as I tried to keep myself from getting more emotional than I am already. “Please, Eve…It hurts to remain here.”
Her eyes widen in shock, she saw the obvious pain and distress on my face, hearing pure terror and anxiety from my voice. She understand what I am experiencing right now, that is the failure of not keeping my promise.
“Adam..you cannot just leave..” She said with a weak tone of voice, seeing me like that. She wanted to help but I was trying to get out of these problems, to avoid getting more hurt than I already am instead of facing the problems head on.
I am a coward, and deep down I know that is a fact. I have not been able to face my own failures until now, but it was too late to correct what I have done. Now, I have to face them and carry with the guilt of my actions.
“I’m sorry.” With my final statement, I ran back to the direction of the car, leaving tears streaming down from my eyes like a river at sunset. I have failed many times to keep promises, and it is something that I always hated myself for. I hated how I am weak and cowardly, but have already accepted the fact that everything that had happened was my fault.
And I hate myself for that.
