Chloe's POV
I got out of my truck and demanded Max turn on her phone to use as a flashlight, as my own phone died shortly after I got that message from Nathan. Yet I was in front of her, but with good intentions to kill that fucker, after what he did to Rachel. I searched my way through the junkyard to find that spot, with the bema of light from her phone coming from behind me.
"Nathan needs to die, now." I muttered, but she heard me.
"Chloe, you don't get it! We could die!" I ignored her response and rushed to where Rachel's body was. No, is. I started digging and I realized the dirt was still fresh, as it was easier to dig than earlier today. Someone put the dirt back, but she was still there. "Don't look, Chloe."
I heard her start to walk backwards, and soon after I heard a whimper from her. I assumed it was the smell. God, it almost made me throw up right then and there. I heard her fall, and I got worried. I reached a hand to my gun, and clutched it, ready to fire at Nathan.
"Chloe! Look out!" Was all I heard from her, and I looked behind me to see a dark figure, with a syringe in one hand, and something else in the other. He started to raise his hand that didn't have the syringe, and I realized it was a gun. It was Nathan's gun.
"What the fuck?!" I got out when I swiftly spun around and aimed my revolver at Nathan, but his face was then shown in the light, and I gasped before there was a boom. I felt the bullet enter my head. But it didn't go through the way one would think. It never broke through my skull. The bullet went in a straight line that seemingly went through my brain in a different perspective, but I felt it go around my skull. Yes, it is possible, but very unlikely. Maybe Max's Irish luck washed off on me.
It went out the other side, but I felt almost no pain. The only thigh I felt was hatred against the shooter. He wasn't Nathan, no. He was someone Max said we could trust. Mark Jefferson, his face expressing no remorse, no sorrow, no regret. Only pure evil. An evil that could only be related to the Devil himself.
I fell to the ground, and I knew what to do. When I was a kid, I was the staring contest champion. I kept my face like that, my eyes open, and I held my breath. I heard him carry Max away, and take my necklace off me. I saw him, and it was extremely difficult to keep my eyes in that same position for thirty or so seconds while he removed my necklace, obviously going to add it to his sick collection.
I waited until he left, and I heard a car speed off, and I knew it was his car, as my truck was more noisy, and it was a stick shift. I remember Max saying something about Jefferson's car not having a stick shift, not knowing how to operate one. I felt the blood pour down my face, but I grabbed a small pocket knife and tore off a piece of my tank top. I made it long enough to tie around my head to stop the bleeding. Then again, I have a lighter in case the temporary bandage doesn't work.
I rushed back to my truck to speed off to my house. It was the only place I knew he wouldn't go to find me, mainly because he thought he killed me. I stumbled into my house, praying that someone would find me. Joyce and David were having an argument in the kitchen, and I didn't have a care in the world. I went into the kitchen, almost falling over and Joyce catching me.
"I'm home…"
"Chloe! What happened? Do you need to go to the-"
"No mom, I'm fine. This on my head is the least of my worries right now."
"Chloe, just tell us what happened." I stared at David, he must've been here to collect a few more things before he returned to his motel room. I almost fainted because of the blood, but I managed to whisper before passing out.
"Mark Jefferson… kidnapped Max… shot me… the Dark Room." Then all was black.
I opened my eyes to the familiar smell of my room. Weed, cigarettes, and soft music playing on the Hi-Fi. I clutched my head to find a precessional bandage on my head where my torn piece of clothing used to be. I sat up and scanned the room, and I was the only one there. I slowly got off my bed, and found I was wearing the same clothes. I was slightly dizzy, but I recovered my composure. I checked my phone and found a message from Nathan, but it was sent to me before the text I got after the party. It was a voice message. I pressed the play button.
"Chloe, it's… it's Nathan. I just wanted to say… I never wanted to hurt you… or Rachel… didn't wanna hurt anybody. Everyone… fucking used me! Mr Jefferson… he's coming for me now. All this shit… will be over soon. Make sure Max is in a safe place, because he wants to hurt her next. And he'll hurt you if you're with her. Take her to your house. I know Madsen will watch over you two. Sorry…" The message was followed by large banging in the background, soon followed by the door breaking down, and the message ended.
I started to cry. I couldn't believe it. The one who I thought was the enemy was really just confused. Now he's dead. Killed by the one who was thought of as a friend. I couldn't let it happen to Max. No, she deserves way more than to be killed in the Dark Room. I went downstairs to see my parents holding their hands, and their faces lit up when they saw me coming down the stairs. They hugged me tightly, and I asked them if they called a doctor for the bandage. It turns out David was trained basic medical procedures in the army, and cauterized my wound before wrapping it up properly.
"I need to get there fast." I said without thinking, remembering the situation at hand. "David, where's the gun? Where's the gun I had in me when I passed out?"
"Why do you need it?"
"If I don't have a gun, people including me will die." This was enough to give me my gun back, and I found it was fully loaded. I left without a word, and the weather was crazy. Max's tornado was real! I rushed to my truck and sped off to the barn, forgetting to shut the car door, leaving it be forcefully shut by the speed and air against it.
I pulled up to the barn to find Jefferson's car there. Christ, he was here. But I have to safe her! I went to the trap door, and waited, using a tactic that I, interestingly enough, learned from Call of Duty. I pointed the revolver at the lock, and waited. I heard the thunder boom, and I shot the lock right when the thunder roared, masking my shot and muffling it. I opened the trap door, and went down the set of concrete stairs to the huge vault door. Thankfully, I remembered the code, and opened the door.
I drew my gun out and walked slowly, approaching the blinds that covers the Dark Room. I turned around the corner only to have Mark smack the gun out of my hands with a tripod. He swung at me, and I ducked low enough to have it miss me and hit the wall. I tackled him which made him fall onto a trolley with drugs and pictures with a folder titled: Max.
This only made me more angry. He stood back up, and I held my fists in the air. "Come on, you old hippie! Can't hit a girl."
"No girl would have the balls to fuck with me. Let's see if you have them." Then he kicked me right in the crotch. I know it hurst for guys, but it also hurts for women. It was right in the baby… deliverer. I quickly became aware of the situation, and saw him start to run to the other side of the room, and I saw Max. She was wide awake, and astonished at the sight of me.
I looked at where he was going and saw there was a gun in a cabinet. I quickly ducked behind the couch and gripped my pistol. I had to shoot him NOW. I ran out of the corner and while running, aimed right at him, and hit him in the shoulder, making him drop the gun. I walked over to him, and I aimed the gun at his head.
"Neither of us miss the shot, but you didn't hit what I'm gonna hit. Say hello to Hitler for me." Then, I shot him. Right through the eye socket, making where his eye was now a large red area. I looked at Max, and I quickly went to untie her from the chair she was tied to. "Max, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he… did he touch you? Max, talk to me!"
"Chloe, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, what?"
"Is your head okay?" She pointed to my forehead, and I laughed.
"Max, even if you use your powers or not, you need to realize you can't kill me."
"But I saw Nathan shoot you in the bathroom."
"Max!"
"What?"
"No one can kill me."
