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Go Get Her

Emery

My leg bounced up and down as I sat on Kai's couch. I couldn't control it; the wait was getting to me. Now that we'd made a plan, I wanted it executed. I wanted him execu—

"Stop."

"I can't help it." But obviously I could as my leg stopped moving at Kai's gentle command.

We were sat watching the news. They'd discovered the body of the asshole gym owner Kai's new buddy had decapitated. You would have thought there would be more outrage, more fear after finding something like that. But no. They may as well have been reporting that it had rained candy.

"You need to rest your mind. It won't do you any good to get yourself worked up."

"I know. But I want this over."

"It will happen. It's just not the right time yet. We're missing something. If we aim to spread fear like wildfire, we need to make sure our messages are heard."

No one had picked up on the connection between our murders; we were up to four now. Well, I say our murders. I had yet to actually participate. It had been a bone of contention between Kai and I. Hell, he'd even somehow recruited a damn cop into the group and even now he was out with the others for lucky number five. And I always ended up staying behind. Lingering doubt had been creeping in over the last couple of weeks. Was I really a part of this? Did Kai even want me here?

"It's great to be back, Bob."

The repetitive loop dragged me out of my self-doubt. What on earth was he doing? "Kai?"

Kai stood up, creeping closer to the TV as if he were hypnotised. He kept rewinding what the reporter said, playing it over and over.

"It's great to be back, Bob?" Kai repeated.

"What is it?"

"Where has she been?"

He dashed over to the table to grab his laptop, then settled back next to me. He typed the reporters name in the search bar: Beverly Hope.

"There. What's that?" I pointed to the screen, where there was a video titled 'Beverly Hope Breakdown."

Kai clicked on the video and we sat back to watch. She was interviewing a man when he suddenly shouted out 'grab her right in the pussy'. I couldn't help the sigh. Men. Such a pathetic sense of humour.

There was another group to say it. When the third came, she beat him over and over with her microphone. Cue breakdown.

"Damn." I couldn't help but admire the rage she let herself feel. Completely unrestrained. She wasn't going to let anyone else mess her around.

The news cut to another reporter standing outside a treatment centre. Apparently Beverly had checked herself in voluntarily. Yeah, right.

When the video ended, I turned to Kai. "Go get her."

Kai had formulated a plan to meet Beverly. She'd be the perfect way of ensuring people knew what was happening in our town. It was genius. I don't know why we hadn't thought of it sooner. This way we could control exactly what people were hearing and seeing. They wouldn't be continued to be blinded by the corporate media.

I'd just come from home. My parents had invited some friends over for the evening. They loved to play host and hostess. Wining. Dining. Laughing. All the while, I sat there, biting back the urge to scream out that I was going to kill them, just to see their reaction. I didn't, of course. But damn had it been tempting.

I paced around the room, with nothing to fill my time apart from playing out scenarios of how the meeting was going. All I could do was wait. Beverly seemed strong-willed but if there was anyone who could bring her on board, it was Kai.

My gaze was drawn to a chest in the corner of the room. I kneeled in front of it. The hinges creaked as I opened the lid. Inside lay a pile of clothing and masks. They were creepily grotesque in their appearance. A brainchild of Kai and Meadow. Kai thought committing the killings in the costumes would amplify the fear. Meadow produced the goods. She'd looked at him as if he'd hung the moon when he told her she was talented.

I moved Kai's mask and his long leather coat aside. Beneath it was my costume. It was a red and black dress, corseted at the waist and flaring into a tutu skirt. Then there was my mask. It had a wild mass of red and black hair in the same shades as the dress. The face was almost human, aside from the elongated mouth with its needle-thin teeth, as well as the two horns that protruded from the sides of the head. And it had no skin. It was as if the outer layer had been stripped back to the bloody horror that lay beneath. It was perfect for me. I hadn't worn them yet, but as Kai had said, it wouldn't be long before I donned the dress and mask. And when I did, the countdown to my parents' last moments on this earth would begin.

A half hour later, Kai walked in.

"How did it go?"

"She's head-strong. Determined. But we can shake her down. She just needs proof."

"Proof of what?"

"That I am who I say I am. That I can do what I say I can."

It didn't surprise me. But we had to do something. Having Beverly on our puppet strings was too valuable to let go of. There had to be something that would convince her of Kai's leadership. Some sort of gift. An offering.

"I think I know how." I got Kai's laptop and went back to the video we watched. I skipped to the end where the reporter Serena Belinda spoke.

"How does this help?" Kai asked.

"I miss you Bev! Us girls got to stick together. Come on! You'd have to be deaf not to hear the bullshit. I'd bet you any amount of money that they hate each other's guts. No doubt it would have bled into their work. What if we got rid of that irritant for her?"

Kai smiled, his eyes full of wonder and pride. "You think this will work?"

"I know women. This will work."

The smile bloomed into a grin as Kai placed a resounding kiss on my lips. "Then we'd better get to work." He pulled out his cell.

"We? You mean I can go this time?"

"That's not what I meant."

Hope deflated before it even got a chance to bloom. "I don't see why I can't go with you."

"Not yet."

"Do you not trust me or something?"

"You know that's not it. You're the only one I do trust."

It was getting harder to believe that the more I was forced to stay behind. "So you've got a bunch of people out doing our dirty work that you don't even trust?"

"I trust myself, trust us, enough to keep them on our side. They're just soldiers following orders."

"Then what am I?"

"You… you're not ready."

"Excuse me? I've been with you every step of the way—"

"I know. But being by my side and committing the act are two different things. At that damn judgment house, I made sure you were ok with what was happening, but I was the one who pushed the button. I just want to make sure that you're ready. When we come for your father, I know you will be because you want it so much. Until then, I had to have the others drop more bodies to make sure the path was clear for you. I can't have anybody looking to pin your parents' deaths on you. I want you safe. But rest assured," he stroked his fingers over my cheek, "the time has almost come."

I was torn. No one had ever thought to take care of me like that, ever thought to put me first. But Kai was helping me to take a stand, to be strong. I couldn't shake my newfound confidence, even for his sake.

"I'm going with you."

Kai dropped his hands from my face. "Em—"

"No, listen. You're right. You're right to make sure I'm ready. All I think about, all I dream about is killing them. It's consuming every part of me. I want it more than anything. But what if I freeze? At that pivotal moment, before I strike the blade against their skin, what if I can't do it? I'd have failed."

Kai took my hands in his, lacing our fingers. His voice was a fraction above a whisper. "I wouldn't let that happen."

"I know. And that's why you're going to let me go. I need a practice run."

Indecision still marred his face.

"Please Kai. I'm asking you to trust me like I trust you."

His silence was deafening. Hours seemed to pass as I waited for him to speak. He wasn't going to allow me to go with him. But I couldn't sit back again. I'd felt cast aside my entire life. I couldn't stomach knowing that Kai would—

"Ok."

I hadn't heard him correctly. There was no way. "What did you say?"

He lifted my hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles. "We do this together."

Warmth flooded my chest. I guess he trusted me after all.

We'd driven out to Collingwood Park where Serena was supposed to be reporting on some jamboree. We were in a van, Kai and Harrison up front, while I was stuck in the back with Moon-Eyes Meadow. I'd decided to try and brush off her lingering looks and touches when she was near Kai—emphasis on 'try'. If worst came to worst, I'd use her infatuation to my advantage.

"Remember that she'll be recording a piece. That means the performance is key. Show no mercy." Kai said as he reached for his mask.

Before he put it on, our eyes met for the briefest of seconds in the rear-view mirror.

The rest of us put donned our masks. It was strange. I didn't feel like I was putting on a mask. If anything, it felt like I was shedding one. Right now, I felt more myself than I had in years, maybe ever.

"Harrison, you'll go from that direction." Kai pointed out the window. "Meadow, there. Emery and I will come from that side."

I felt, more than saw, Meadow turn towards me when Kai mentioned I'd be with him.

I leant towards her with a whisper. "I guess Kai is worried I'll chicken out. I hope I do well."

That was a load of bullshit, but I didn't want her thinking Kai had favourites. For now I'd let her live in the delusion that she had her claws in him.

"Let's move." Kai pushed his door open. The rest of us followed.

We separated, Meadow and Harrison heading off to where Kai had told them to position themselves.

Kai took hold of my elbow. "Remember not to say a word. Don't give away any indication of who you are."

"Ok."

"How are you feeling?"

My heart was kicking in overdrive. I knew it wasn't from nerves. It was anticipation. I took a moment to breathe.

"I'm ready."

"Good. Come on."

We stalked over to where we could see Serena and her camera guy. No rush. No care.

"Oh it looks like we have some clowns who are desperate for airtime." There was no concern or fear in Ms Belinda's voice, in her words. She probably thought she was far too important, too superior, that nothing bad could ever happen to her. We were going to prove her wrong.

Meadow struck first.

There was the fear. Her mouth fell open as blood poured from where Meadow's knife protruded from her stomach.

Her cameraman rushed over to try and help.

Harrison struck.

And then there was chaos.

Meadow and Harrison dealt with the guy while Kai and I pounced on Serena.

I slid my knife from the belt around my waist. I thought there'd be some hesitation in my movement, that I would question what I was doing. There was none of that.

I struck.

People in movies always say that sliding a knife into someone was like 'butter'. That was a lie. It was more like slicing into that first piece of velvety birthday cake you'd been longing for all year. And of course, you could never stop at one slice…

Kai and I worked in tandem. We put on a show. The fear in those that watched the video would flood through their veins like poison. Our voices, our suffering, would finally be heard.

Kai dug his knife into her chest, carving away until he held Serena's heart in his hand.

The show was over.

We walked away. No rush. No care.

We piled back into the car and shed our masks. My eyes went straight to the rear-view mirror. Kai's deep brown eyes were already waiting to meet mine. He smiled with a hint of pride. I grinned back widely. Fuck what Meadow thought.

I was at a bar with some work friends. And I used the term friends loosely. They'd been talking about how they hadn't seen much of me lately. I was only here to get them off my back. It's not like I was really getting involved in the conversation as we sat around the table. I'd barely even touched my drink.

I couldn't stop thinking about the reporter. No, that wasn't right. I couldn't stop thinking about plunging that knife into her chest. It was… exhilarating. My adrenaline hadn't stopped running since. I knew I'd be ready for what came next.

Beverly's face filled the TV screen above the bar. Looks like they'd found the missing head.

"I'll be right back." I got up off my seat and headed over to the bar. "Hey, could you turn that up?"

The bartender increased the volume so I could just about make out what she was saying.

"Police arrived after receiving an anonymous phone tip. While not yet confirmed, sources believe it was the body of Mr Ravoli that was found at the Hoyt Area Landfill last week. An innocent man dead. The sprawl of crime and decay devouring our community. There have been a number of senseless killings in the past week and our local government has turned a blind eye."

Holy shit. There was the connection we needed. This was more than just reporting the news. Did that mean what I thought it did?

"Are our children safe to walk the streets? How much carnage must we, the people, endure before we finally say enough? This is Beverly Hope. Bob, back to you."

This was it. We had our messenger to deliver our word to the people. This was just the beginning.

I raced back to the table and grabbed my jacket and bag, not sparing the others so much as a goodbye as I flew out the door.

I didn't feel the bite of the wind as I headed for Kai's. For the first time, it felt like we'd had a true win. She had to be on board with us. She wouldn't have talked about senseless killings and how much people would have to endure if she wasn't. She was stoking the flames.

I bounded up the stairs to Kai's door. Before I could insert my key, the door swung open. There he stood. A flicker of triumph in his eyes.

"She's in?" The excitement poured from me in waves.

"She is. And you know what that means?"

"What?"

He cradled my face in his palms, which was fast becoming my favourite thing, and rested his forehead on mine. "It's time."