Chapter 7

"Son of a bitch, my goddamn gun is jammed. Cletus, get your fat fucking ass in those woods and find him!"

"What about-"

"I'll take care of her."

Cletus took one look at Kathy and got up while pulling out a long, rusty machete from his leather belt.

"I'll bring you back his snoopy-ass head."

Kathy watched Cletus charge into the woods with his right hand gripped onto the length of his machete.

"Piece of shit," Buck mumbled while throwing his gun on the ground.

Kathy inched her way in moving towards Buck's direction. As she finally got to eye's view of Buck, he was walking towards her while unbuckling his belt. Kathy began to panic as she realized what he wanted. She tried her best to get her arms to release, but it was too late. Buck rolled Kathy onto her stomach and untied her feet. Kathy attempted to move her legs, but Buck sat his knees on them before she had a chance.

"You're really pretty you know that?" Buck whispered into her ear, "Now that my brother's gone, we don't have no risk of him bein' jealous now don't we? This'll only take a second." Kathy could feel Buck's hands caress her legs before beginning to take her pants off. Kathy tried her best to ignore what was happening. Her eyes caught a ladybug crawling in front of her. Blissfully unaware of the horrors of the human world. And all she could think about was Clare.

Jesse stormed out of Clare's apartment complex and headed to his car that he left parked down the street. Behind him, Jesse could hear Clare storming out as well. He sped up his pace and continued down the endless sidewalk, guided by the moonlight. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, his head downward. He hated giving up, but that was what he was doing. Giving up on his new life, on Badger Hill, and especially on Clare. If she couldn't stop her addiction and get help, then there wasn't much he could do. Hell, if he did it why couldn't she?

You were imprisoned for months in a Methamphetamine Death Camp. That's how you were able to quit, Jesse. Not of your own will, but by brute force.

His voice. Heisenberg. God, he would never leave him alone. It was like an incessant pounding in his head that resonated with malicious intent, with only a tiny glimmer of the Mr. White that he used to know. Jesse stopped and sat down on the curb. He was still only a block or two from Clare's apartment, but he just didn't care. He wanted to sit, so he would. He settled his ass down on the gritty pavement and slid a cigarette from his worn pack. He put it to his lips and sparked the light. He sucked on the nicotine addiction that he would probably never be able to quit, no matter how my horrors he went through. Jesse realized that he had an addictive personality. If it wasn't meth, it was pot. If it wasn't pot, it was cigarettes. At least the worst thing a cigarette could do is give him cancer, not a chest full of bullets or a brain choked with black holes. And from what he learned from Heisenberg, cancer wasn't all that bad.

He heard Clare approaching him, her footsteps hard and fast. "Andrew, stop… Please, you don't understand."

"I'm already stopped." Jesse took a long drag from his cigarette, not bothering to look at her. He tapped away a bit of ash and turned his head to face her. "And I do understand, Clare…I understand. Do you have any idea how many years I've spent living day in and day out with crystal? I've seen things… I've done things. Do you have any idea what I can do with these fucking hands?" Jesse pauses, taking a drag, attempting to control himself and keep matters civil. "I'm tired, Clare… I'm really tired. I'm sorry, I-"

"Andrew, whatever happened in the past is in the past, now. Whatever you've done, whatever you've seen, I'm sure life moves on and I won't judge you for it. Any of it. Please, Andrew, will you just listen. It's my sister… she' been missing for over twenty-four hours and the only person I think that knows where she could be is sitting in my apartment right now… I had to do what I've done just so he would tell me where she's at."

"Shooting up won't solve your problems, Clare. Besides, you love it, right? I've had enough. I came here to start over, not get caught up in the same shit. Goodbye." He rose from his spot on the pavement and tossed the butt of his cigarette into the street. He gave her one final nod and then turned to walk away. But Clare had one thing left to say.

"Save us, Andrew."

As much as it hurt Jesse inside, he didn't stop. He was a block away from his car and was not hesitant about staying any longer. He could still hear her tiny footsteps following him cautiously, but didn't have the energy to turn around. When he arrived at the lot, he threw his bags in the passenger side of the Monte Carlo and then slid into the driver's seat. He gripped the wheel roughly, to ease his frustration, and slammed the keys into the ignition. A strange sound was coming from outside the car. Jesse looked up to find nothing, and shrugged it off. Probably Clare continuing to stalk him with her false hopes and monstrous addictions. He turned the key in the ignition and revved his engine.

Suddenly the driver seat window shattered. Glass spewed in every direction. He shielded his eyes out of instinct, missing the hand that reached in and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him out through the open window. As Jesse came to his senses, he realized it is Cletus from the woods. He could hear Clare scream.

"Found you, motherfucker." Cletus released a short laugh, his breath rank and full of malice. "Miss me?" He held Jesse up against the car high enough so that his feet couldn't touch the ground. Cletus gripped onto Jesse's neck with just enough leeway for Jesse to speak.

"I… didn't see… anything."

"You've seen a lot, boy. Far too much, actually. That's too bad, I really didn't feel like killing anyone today, you know?" While still holding Jesse against the car, Cletus lifted up his right hand holding his favorite machete. He pressed it up against against Jesse's forehead, teasing him.

"Please…" Jesse grabbed ahold of Cletus' arm. "Let me go. Please. You don't have to do this."

"I have to."

"No, no you don't. The other guy doesn't have to know about this. Let me go and I'll drive far away from here like this never even happened…" Jesse slowly began to lift the machete away from his forehead with his hand gripping the blade hard, tearing skin and drawing blood. "You don't have to kill me." A silence grew delicately between the pair. Jesse could just make out the sound of Clare's horrified gasps from across the lot. Cletus lowered his machete and dropped it on the ground.

"No. Too easy." He smiled and gripped Jesse's neck with both hands to strangle him. Jesse clawed and scratched at Cletus' hands but to no avail. Jesse tried to pry himself away from Cletus with his legs but the man was much stronger than him.

"Get off of him!" Clare clawed at his attacker's back but he was too far into the hunt. Cletus squeezed harder, causing Jesse's face to flush a deep red. In a final surge of energy, Jesse kicked Cletus in the groin, sending him to the ground holding his crotch. Jesse dropped to the ground as well with Cletus' release, coughing and sucking in air with no sight of where he had landed. Jesse looked up to find the man charging after him. Jesse rolled out of the way just in time, allowing his opponent to ram into the side of the car, denting it on impact. Jesse blindly searched for the machete that Cletus had dropped as his attacker pushed himself up off the car and started lunging toward him.

"Stop… please." Jesse inched backwards on his hands and knees by the side of the car. Cletus ignored Jesse's pleas completely. The man reached down to his left ankle to pull out a second knife. It's blade was long but thin. A perfect weapon to slide in between two ribs. Jesse backed up faster, completely panicking. After all the shit he had been through, he wouldn't have dreamed he would die in the parking lot of Badger Hill.

Just then, Jesse's knuckles skimmed over something sharp and cold. Jesse glanced down. It was the machete. Without thinking, Jesse lifted it up, pointing towards the sky in order to protect himself. In a split second of complete madness, Cletus hurled towards him. Jesse closed his eyes, expecting the end. But Jesse's ears were met with the horrific sound of metal melding with flesh.

Then the silence.

Jesse slowly opened his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. Cletus' lifeless faced stared back at him, eyes glazed, mouth open and slack in an eternal scream. Blood squirted out of the wound in his chest, a wave of red rolling out with the last pumps of his heart. Jesse rolled out of the way, allowing Cletus to fall to the ground with a solid thud.

"What the fuck…" Jesse slid backwards so he's able to rest his back on the car. Jesse watched the body for movement, but there was nothing. Cletus was dead. Jesse took a deep breath and released his tensed shoulders. Not a slight inkling of fear or regret came upon Jesse; he just killed a man, and once again it wouldn't keep him up at night.

"Andrew. Your hand," Clare's voice. Oh yeah, she was still here. Jesse sighed and looked up at her face, which was dominated with concern and fear. She was holding out a hand to him, trying to console him. Jesse looked down at his hand, it was covered in glass, dirt and blood. Jesse wiped his hand on his jeans to reveal the cut underneath the grime.

"Do you need me to call-"

Jesse interrupted her by ripping off a small piece of his shirt and wrapping it around his hand and tied it tight. Jesse took a quick glance around before putting his eyes back on Cletus. Jesse noticed his back pocket, it was abnormally large to which Jesse came to believe he was holding money that he didn't need anymore, especially since Jesse had just recently threw all of his cash away in a burst of passion against the woman standing beside him. Jesse crawled over to pull out the wallet from his pocket, and as he did, a photograph dropped. Jesse examined the picture. It was of Clare and another, slightly older girl. Jesse had a horrible feeling deep in his gut as he realized it was the girl tied up in the woods.

Fuck, it was Clare's sister tied up in the woods. Jesse stood up and stuffed the wallet and photograph in his pocket. He could turn around and tell her. But he had already made up his mind to leave this godforsaken place behind. Jesse ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to do.

"Go home, Clare." Jesse told her.

"Are you fucking serious?" She hissed, crossing her arms and standing in a protective stance. "If you think that I'll just ignore this and go home, then you're fucking delusional."

"Unless you want to help me remove of the body, then there isn't really much of a use for you, is there?" He glared at her. She uncrossed her arms, glaring back with her fists at her sides. Then she crossed them again. For a moment, it seemed as if she wouldn't back down, but then she relaxed, nodded, and left without another word escaping her pissed off, tightened lips.

Jesse sighed and stared down at Cletus, whose blood had already began to stain the ashy black pavement .He had to dispose of the body. His eyes scanned the surrounding area. There was a dumpster just across the lot. Perfect. Jesse didn't have time for much else. With adrenaline still pumping in his veins, Jesse grabbed ahold of the body and dragged it into the dumpster. He closed the top of it, the sound of the plastic board hitting metal resounded with the finality of his actions.

It was the silence that broke him. Jesse was alone with his own thoughts and emotions and nothing else. He started to think. Which was dangerous, because then he would start to feel guilty, but it couldn't be helped. He dug the photo out of his pocket and looked at it. Clare and her sister with arms wrapped around each other and smiling.

Fuck.

He had to tell Clare. He had to. If he left without telling her where her sister was taken, he would never forgive himself. This photo was absolute proof that the girl tied up in the woods was Clare's sister. The fact that Cletus had just tried to kill him also proved that these were men of violent intent. If he left, then Jesse would be responsible for the mauling or death of an innocent woman. Without a second thought, Jesse ran toward Clare's apartment, desperately hoping she was there, and not shaked up at Gray's apartment or something. He bounded up the street, still covered in blood and dirt. When he reached the apartment, he noticed that all the lights were off. He opened the door and ran down the hall, pounding on her apartment door. He suddenly realized that Gray and the other guy could possibly still be in there. The last thing Jesse needed was to explain the reason why his clothes went from white to red, especially if Cletus was their accomplice. All he could do was hold his breath and hope for the best.

After a few moments, the door opened, revealing Clare. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Andrew?" She wiped her eyes. "Why did you come back?"

"This is her, right? Your sister?" Jesse pulled out the photograph and gave it to Clare.

Her eyes brightened as she looked at the photo, a finger softly pressing against her sister's face. "What? Where is she?"

"In the woods. I was up there hiking earlier. I saw her tied up."

"Do you remember where she was?"

Jesse furrowed his brows, pondering. "I think so. It wasn't too far. About an hour hike, maybe."

"Let's go."

"What?" Jesse protested. "Clare, it's like, four in the morning. It's dark. We can't go now."

"She's my everything. She's all I have."

"I understand." Jesse ran a hand through his hair and sighed, thinking of Jane. "Well, let's go."

Clare rushed over to her couch to grab the jacket that was lying on it. Underneath the jacket contained a rucksack with the $20,000 that Jesse has thrown at her in a moment of rage. Jesse eyed the rucksack while Clare put on her jacket.

"You forgot something," Clare whispered as she pushed past him in a hurry. She opened her apartment door and called out to him. "'Common!"

He grabbed the rucksack and followed after her.

~.~.~.~.~

Jesse led the way with Clare on his heels. They half-jogged, half-sprinted up into the woods in the search for Kathy. Jesse still had his compass, so finding the path he took earlier wasn't too difficult. They walked side by side with the rising sun. The rays kissed the evergreens and gave them a guide to their path.

"Are we close?" Clare whispered, careful not to awaken the beginnings of the day.

"I think so," Jesse glanced at his compass. "This all looks fairly familiar. Their campsite should be just over that ridge."

Clare suddenly started sprinting up and over logs and branches, her arms pumping and her wild blonde hair flowing behind her.

"Fuck," Jesse muttered under his breath. "Wait up! Be careful!" He ran after her, pushing branches out of the way and pounding at the dirt with his feet. Still, he wasn't fast enough and he lost sight of Clare's blonde head over the ridge. He breathed in deep and continued to run after her. When he finally trekked over the ridge, he nearly collided with Clare. She was standing with her back turned to him, looking down at the ground.

"What is it?" Jesse palmed her shoulder. "What's wrong."

Clare pointed at the dirt.

He rose up and looked over her shoulder to find a small trail of blood and a torn up garment. Most likely a shirt, but it was hard to tell. Clare suddenly collapsed to the ground in a torrent of sobs, shoulders shaking. Jesse knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her back, rubbing up and down to try and comfort her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Any idea of where she could be?"

She shook her head yes, hands still covering her face. There was no where else for her sister and her captors to go but to Gray's apartment back in Badger Hill.

"I thought so. Get up. Let's go."