Woke up to fake your smile again
The door banged open, waking her up. She woke just as tired, brokenhearted, and despairing as before she fell asleep. Still – she felt safe. Empty and sad, but safe.
«He's escaped – Danny's fighting him!» Shea's voice had more than an edge of hysteria. Oh, she wasn't safe – it was just her imagination. Again. Abby untangled herself from Henry - how on earth had she ended up snuggled so close to him anyway? - and sat up.
«What? Wakefield is on the loose? How did it happen?» she asked, blinking at Shea.
«He's out? How did it happen?» Henry said simultaneously, sitting up himself, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.
«Someone helped him», Shea told them, «he must have an accomplice. One of us!»
«No, I don't believe that!» Henry said sharply, standing up. He stretched himself a little, and Abby saw that he had sleep marks on his right cheek. Marks from her hair, actually. He must have rested his head to her's while she slept.
«It was Jimmy, I'm sure!» Sully said, entering the boathouse, with Trish on his heels. Abby felt a slow, simmering burn in her stomach, growing steadily stronger by the sight of Jimmy's killer.
«He got the key and gave it to Wakefield, planning to kill us all – it's obvious», he continued, making her anger starting to boil.
«It could just as easily been me», Henry said, «I locked him up».
«Yeah, right,» Sully scoffed, «everything points to Jimmy. The murders in Seattle, knowing his way about the island, not being killed by Wakefield – it all adds up to Jimmy. Thank God he's dead! At least we have «only» one killer to worry about now».
«Ssssh! Think about Abby!», Shea whispered to Sully, nudging him. «Poor girl..!»
But Abby couldn't take it any longer. «It could be yourself, Sully! You killed Jimmy – maybe you killed the rest too?» she shouted, shaking her fist towards Sully. «It makes no sense – why would Jimmy kill Shane, his best friend? Or people he didn't know?»
«He killed strangers in Seattle, or what? Why not here too?» Sully countered. «And it could be YOU, Abby. You're a likely candidate too. Wakefield's daughter, right? Are you helping daddy out, or what?»
Her anger surging, she jumped up from the bench, moving towards Sully.
Henry stepped between them, holding his hands out to separate them.
«This is not helping, shut it, both of you! We don't know who the accomplice is, and it will only further John Wakefield's plans if we suspect each other. Sully, take a look at the radio, see if you can fix it. Hurry!» He turned to her, his face a mix of worry and exasperation, saying: «Abby... Please, I know what you're going through, but don't make this any easier for John Wakefield, will you?»
She backed down, seating herself on the bench again. Oh, Jimmy... She was so angry with Sully, but she'd have to bury her rage until they were safe. Hugging herself with her arms as if to contain her grief and anger inside, she looked up at Henry and said: «You're right. I' ll...shut up. For now.»
He sighed, and sympathy and relief flashed over his face. Stepping towards her, looking like he intended to hug her, his arms fell and he turned around when Trish said his name questioningly. «Henry..?»
Abby saw them hug each other hard. «There you are! Are you alright, Trish?»
«Yeah,» Trish said, «I am. Don't separate us again, Henry, it's so awful to be apart when we are in danger. I worried so much! After we met Shea and Madison on the way - oh, Henry, think about Danny....»
«Oh, Trish, we didn't know Wakefield was freed, we'll stick together from now on», he murmured to her, kissing her.
Abby watched them, tears burning in her eyes. That could have been her and Jimmy. He'd comfort her, stay with her, just like Henry did for Trish. And she'd take care of Jimmy, like Trish did for Henry. Thanks to Sully, this would never happen. She laid down, trying to shut out the world again, like she'd almost managed when Henry held her. It didn't work.
«This radio need batteries», Sully said. "The batteries are removed, but otherwise it should work. What about Danny - shouldn't we help him?»
«Don't go after Danny - either he's fine - or he's not..." Henry said. "Getting off the island has to be our priority number one now, even before finding Danny. There might be some batteries at the Candlewick. Trish, why don't we go there and have a look? The rest of you stay here, keep Madison safe. Keep together at all costs!»
xxx
What kept his Dad? How much resistance could Trish put up? He paced the agreed spot in the woods restlessly. Every delay was more time away from Abby. He prayed Shea and Madison could keep both Abby and Sully in check. Where WAS his Dad?
He was so glad his father had agreed to kill Trish. He loved her, but always as a pale shadow of his love for Abby. Like watching a candle compared to a volcanic eruption. He'd hate to kill her himself, that would be both painful and hard for him. Then again, she always interrupted when he wanted to be with Abby, just like in the boathouse recently. And what she said - not wanting to be separated from him for the rest of their time on the island – it was plainly ridiculuos. This was the perfect moment to finish Trish, before she got even more in his way. Still, her being dead was just...sad. But then his mouth quirked by the thought that they had had the chance to say «goodbye» in a fitting manner alone at the cabin. He'd miss Trish, at least until Abby came round to loving him. Oh well, this had to happen...
«Henry! Oh my God, Henry!»
Damn! Trish was running towards him, stumbling a little in her wedding dress, looking scared, but relieved to see him. She looked so beautiful, too. Damn! He'd have to do it himself. He could bet his dad had failed on purpose – this was a part of the «kill everyone you love»-philosophy. His father had planned for this, he was sure! Poor Trish, she deserved the truth before she died, at least he could give her that. He sighed – there was work to do.
xxx
Henry stumbled in through the door, panting desperately.
«I lost Trish – in the woods – Wakefield – I heard her scream – we've got to go... Where's the rest? Damn it, Sully, where's Abby? Shea, Madison...?» He looked around the boathouse, panic rising inside.
Sully shifted, looking guilty. «Abby left. She wanted to have a look at Jimmy. I put Shea and Madison on the boat that was hanging from the rafters. It's big enough for the two of them, and I just don't think it's right that the little kid should be here any longer than necessary. They should be able to make it to the mainland by themselves. Did you find Danny?»
«You let Abby leave?! Alone? Are you mad – Sully, it's Wakefield out there! And no, we didn't see Danny, we met Wakefield!»
«Oh no, Danny - then he is..?» Sully whispered horrified.
«I'm afraid so. At least, it's more than likely. But Abby - you let her go off alone?»
«It's not like she would listen to me, Henry, and Jimmy is only a few hundred meters from here.»
«What do you think Wakefield can make out of a few hundred meters? Like he'll care if you're two meters away! We got to find her, now, immediately!»
He felt just as desperately worried as he had pretended to be for Trish. Damn – Wakefield had broken the deal on Trish – it would take very little encouragment and opportunity for him to break the deal on Abby.
«What about Trish? Shouldn't we find her first – we know she's in danger! Abby might be just fine. Even with Wakefield out there», Sully muttered the last words. «What about the batteries - did you find any?»
«Yes, yes,» Henry answered impatiently. «Here they are. Fix the radio - contact the Coast guard - I'll go outside to check on Abby.»
«Here – take the rifle – I see you've lost yours», Sully said with a concerned look.
«Thanks – I gave mine to Trish», he lied easily.
He ran to where Jimmy's corpse should be, but neither Abby nor Jimmy's body were present. Oh God, what had his Dad done? Where was Abby?
He ran back to the boathouse, stopping outside only to remove the shells from the gun.
«Sully! She's not there, we've got to go find Trish and Abby!»
«Alright, the coast guard will be here in two hours», Sully said, grabbing the rifle from Henry's hands as he passed him on the way to the door.
He had no time to spare – he had to find Abby. He suspected his Dad had something spectacular planned for her – but he fervently prayed that she wasn't captured yet. Probably not, he tried to reassure himself. His Dad wouldn't have had the time after seeing Henry in the woods – would he?
Right. More work to be done. He'd take care of Sully on the way – but this time, he would at least enjoy himself. He smiled, eyes cold on Sully's back.
