Jimmy POV:
After Abby and I had run away from the explosion, I'd ran home to make sure my parents were aware of the fact that there had been a major explosion not two miles from our house, while Abby ran to find her mom and tell her the news.
What awful timing. Couldn't whoever have caused the explosion have waited till tomorrow? Abby and I should be setting up our tent now, I should be grabbing firewood, and she should be setting up sleeping bags. Maybe we'll just have to postpone till tomorrow, as long as we get the fire out by nightfall.
I hopped up the porch step lightly, and swung the front door open. A typical Mance family moment was at hand, Beth with a bottle of beer drooped lazily over the couch, flipping through our ten channels on the tv, and Paul snoring with his mouth open in the recliner chair.
"Mom did you hear about the explosion? Somebody blew up the Marina," She nodded slightly and pointed her beer bottle towards the tv, where the news cast was on about it. It looked like a camera crew had flown down from Seattle to broadcast it.
"Oh, okay…" I was a little shocked that she was actually watching the news. Beth was more into hair products and makeup infomercials. "Ah, I'm gonna take the truck and pick Abby up at her house, Be back later." Beth eyed me curiously. She was skeptical about my choice in Abby, especially after the sheriff had made it very clear that he was unhappy with the situation, and hated me just as much as some of the actual criminals he locked up.
I rolled my eyes and walked back out the front door. Why should her dad's opinion matter so much to me, when I really loved Abby? I loved her more than the sheriff knew, more than my parents knew, and probably more than even Abby knew. It didn't matter to me what people thought. Some guys were pretty shocked when she didn't end up hooking up with Henry, they'd always been tight. But Abby had pointed out that he was like a brother, however cliché that might be. Best friends since infants.
The keys were already in my truck, and I leaped in the cab without hesitation. The truck grumbled when I started it, I'd have to fix that, and I headed off down the hill and to the road that would lead me to Sheriff Mill's house, and his daughter.
Not ten minutes down the road, I saw an odd sight. A man, with a whaling knife. I sped up a little, and saw another body, struggling against ropes. I picked up my speed to forty mph, and screeched to a halt just in time to see the man beheaded. The crunch of his bones made my skin crawl. Looking quickly at the scene, I saw someone in the bushes. Dressed in blue.
Abby, The man with the knife had spotted her, and was walking toward her, a greedy, hungry look on his face. No! I heaved myself up and out of the cab, "HEY!" I called, distracting the man, Abby looked up, but ran away quickly as soon as I had the man's attention. He took one step toward me, and I jumped right back into my car and drove off.
What to do, What to do, What to do. Shit, shit, shit. Abby was okay, but that man had just been decapitated. I turned my truck at a fork in the road, and sped, not caring about the speed limit, all the way to the Sheriff's station. That man was still out there, and Abby was alone in the woods.
I hit the brakes and lunged out of the car like a rocket, running head long into the front door of the station. People were running in and out, the burning man from the marina was on a cot being treated by paramedics, and the few cops that this Island had were running around, some on the phone and others rushing out the front door. I grabbed the attention of one that I knew, the one that had locked me up the night of Henry's party on Wellington's yacht.
"Stratford! There was a man, he killed another guy with a whaling knife, Abby Mills is still out there, you need to get some help!"
Stratford eyed me like I'd gone mad, then his eyes grew wide and took a step back. "What did he look like?" He demanded.
"Ahh, salty blond hair, scruffy, black eyes, I didn't get a good look at him." The deputy cursed and turned around, running his fingers through his hair, muttering unintelligible words under his breath.
I have to call the sheriff, yeah, call the sheriff." I waited impatiently while he looked around the hectic room for a walkie, but it went off with a beep before his hands even touched it. It was full of static, and the room hadn't stopped for even a second. The deputy raised his hands to his mouth and whistled. Everyone froze, "I need to hear this, Wakefield's back." The atmosphere in the room became very cold, not a soul moved.
"Wakefield?" I asked, but the deputy shushed me, and waved me off as the walkie went off again.
"Stratford? Stratford come in, over." The sheriff's voice came through the walkie.
"This is Stratford, Charlie, we have a problem." The man croaked.
"I know, Wakefield. I need you to get as many people down by Huntings road asap, Bring a car to grab Abby, we have a problem."
Abby? A problem? Shit, shit shit. "Is she okay?" I asked the deputy, voice sounding strained with worry. The deputy looked at me, eyes still wide.
"Is she okay?" He spoke into the walkie. This time the sheriff sounded mad.
"She's fine just get your ass down here. I need backup and a team. It isn't pretty so quit your gabbing and get in your car. I'll fill you in once you get down here, although… It's kinda self explanatory. Just hurry up, for god sakes."
It must have been bad, because everyone in the office started grabbing gear and heading out the door in less than five seconds. I followed Stratford out the door, and grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around and look at me. "I want to come, to help."
"Go home kid, you shouldn't be there." I pulled his arm away.
"No, I want to see Abby and make sure she's okay. I won't be in your way. I just need to see that she's okay." He rolled his eyes at me.
"Get in." I pulled a Dukes of Hazard move over the front of the car, and slid into the front seat, receiving another eye roll from Stratford. He started the engine and pulled out of the lot, not bothering to watch his speed limit. The drive was silent, and took about ten minutes, of which I was sitting anxiously in the back seat. We pulled to the side of Huntings road, followed by three other police cars. Stratford looked around, and spoke into the walkie, "Charlie?"
The response was automatic, "Head to the old tree, not far off the side of the road. Hurry" The team of small town police ran with their guns ready. I ran just behind them, not sure what to expect. Then we spotted it.
High in the old tree, were three bodies, hanging from branches near the top. I got closer, and saw the Sheriff holding a stiff Abby, I ran forward, forgetting the police with guns in their hands. I looked back up to the tree, the obvious reason for Abby's distress. But once I got closer, I saw a familiar face. Abby's mom was hanging in the middle of the tree.
Shit. I ran closer, and Abby spotted me over her dad's shoulder. She pushed him away, slowly, and took a step towards me, stumbling over roots and leaves. She walked stiffly into my arms, holding onto my shirt, and I wrapped my arms around her protectively, holding her steady. The rest of the police ran ahead of me, with the sheriff still looking up at his wife. Had Wakefield done this? The man that had beheaded a stranger with a whaling knife?
"Abby, Abby are you okay?" I held her back to look at her face, she nodded but grabbed me closer. I stroked her hair, and held her tight against me. Oh how this day had gone wrong. We should have been having fun- tons of fun actually- laughing and running around like crazy in love teens. I sighed.
The sheriff came over to me, "Take her home, don't let her out of your sight, you hear me? Do not let her out of your sight, or you'll be in jail longer than the last time, I can promise you."
Abby spoke up, turning her head slightly, "Dad, stop it." I just nodded to the sheriff.
"I promise, nothing will happen to her."