Curious Thoughts (Part III)
"Ray... pack your shit, we're leavin'."
It was so sudden and quick that Rachel stood paralyzed for a minute or two, incapable of thinking properly.
She did not see him coming, and that was truly unsettling for her...
"Zack, what in the world are you..."
"No time to explain, Ray!" He practically shouted all the while staggering suspiciously, "Just... Just grab what ya' need and let's get movin'! If we don't... if we-" he stopped momentarily to cover his mouth with a bandaged hand and dash towards the bathroom.
... Which eventually followed to the sound of him vomitting.
'Well, this isn't uncommon...' she thought, mildly impressed while peeking at his slouched form, a worried look on her face. 'But still, what is wrong with him?'
As Zack kept on throwing up the last remains of his previous meal, Rachel believed she heard the sounds of police sirens getting near to their apartment. Alarmed, the young girl ran towards the living room to look out the window, spotting a good dozen of police cars coming dangerously close.
With wide eyes, Rachel called with a hint of worry;
"Hey... The police is coming..." she spoke, not bothering to turn to look at the serial killer, whom she was sure had finished his business... and stood behind her.
A sigh was all that it took to make her jump.
"Fuck, and here I was hoping they'd take more time..." he muttered angrily, sounding so different than usual. It was a surprise and also another thing to worry about later for Rachel, because never before did her Zack act that way.
Never.
She wanted to turn and argue in a desperate way to form a plan, but the 20 year-old had been quicker to act. In a swift move, Zack grabbed Ray by the waist and pulled her close to him, enough for their skin to touch. The act had the blonde look up in surprise, but the man she was staring at didn't seem to react apropriately.
Actually, he grinned.
"Guess we'll just have to disappear again, huh." He said with a chuckle, seemingly enjoying this new turn of events. Rachel did not find the strength in her to protest, because as soon as she opened her mouth to speak- did a familiar smell reached her nostrils.
Alcohol.
Zack was drunk.
The 'pure' serial killer she had worshipped this whole time- was drunk.
That was yet again, something to worry about later.
Visibly annoyed now, Rachel furrowed her brows as Zack grabbed her petite waist to throw her on his shoulder; carrying the pre-teen like a sack of potatoes all the while ignoring her huffs of protest. His hand stayed on the small of her back to keep her secured and in place, knowing he'll have to run and jump to places nobody could see.
Besides, she was tiny compared to him; therefore it made things a lot easier.
"Hold on tight, Ray! It's gonna get bumpy," Zack said whilst staggering, still quite dizzy. Rachel held on to his shirt for dear life as he fiercely shattered the window to pieces with his fist, wasting no time to jump towards a nearby tree. He managed to land on a steady branch, but hadn't been fast enough for the police not to see them.
"Stop right there, Isaac Foster!" A policeman yelled, gun pointed at the young serial-killer. "Hand over the girl, or else we'll shoot you down!"
"What was that?!" Zack yelled back, his voice hoarse; "Didn't hear ya."
Annoyance and rage were visible on the policeman's face, and yet he repeated himself still;
"I said, hand over the girl!" He yelled, louder than before, Zack's lips formed an 'o' of understanding as he cleaned his right ear with his pinky.
There was a certain glint in his yellow eye as he grinned.
"And what if I say no?" He spoke, sounding every bit confident.
The policeman looked at him incredulously, this wasn't the answer he had expected.
Another officer next to him spoke in a low tone, "Chief, why don't we just shoot him down?" He suggested, gun still aimed towards Zack along with his men. The chief in question shook his head, sweating visibly.
"We can't risk shooting the little girl, that devil could very well use her as a shield." He whispered back, then bit his lip in anger. "If you could aim for a body part, anything that is nowhere near her- we might have a chance destabilise him."
"Roger that."
Zack had witnessed the exchange between the two policemen and snorted, looking amused. Rachel, on the other hand, grew worried and impatient.
"Zack, what are you doing just standing here? We should run!" She hissed while wiggling her legs. Zack rolled his eyes and pinched her small, bare thigh, effectively making her gasp and jump lightly.
"They won't shoot when I'm carrying you like this," he explained while shamelessly tapping her bottom, "don't you worry, I went through that shit countless of times."
Ignoring his hand teasingly smacking her butt, Rachel began thinking if he had actually taken hostages before, and if this kind of behavior was going to be common. Either way, his confidence was a bit reassuring.
The chief paled as he saw Zack's previous 'teasing interaction' with Rachel's butt and immediately assumed the worst.
"Dear lord, don't tell me he is that kind of monster..." he spoke to himself, feeling a surge of sympathy for Rachel. "Poor little girl..." he cleared his throat, with a new resolve in mind and shook his head, shouting with new-found fury. "You beast! Unhand her right this instant! We will shoot you down unless you give us the child!"
Zack giggled, "Oh yeah? Well..." he teasingly answered as he turned around and started shaking his booty, "try and catch me if you can! Assholes!"
With that said and done, and while taking advantage of the policemen's shock; Zack bolted. Faster than anyone deemed possible, all the while laughing hysterically, his voice echoing in the night.
"Get him! Aim for the legs!" The chief ordered as they got back in their cars with the intention to chase him down.
XxX
Rachel gasped as she felt Zack's bony shoulder slam again and collide with her abdomen as he jumped roughly on the ground, running at an intense speed. The sound of police sirens chasing them and getting closer didn't seem to bother the serial killer in the slightest, actually, he was having a blast.
The road ahead was so dark and full of trees, it was clear that he had a plan to hide in the forest, that way the cars wouldn't be able to chase after them. It was a smart move, Rachel admitted, but also quite dumb; considering how dangerous the woods were at night.
Still though, she doubted she would be in any danger with Zack.
Ironically.
'I shouldn't be relieved... I should be outraged.' She thought to herself, wincing again at Zack's roughness with her and how recklessly he ran. 'He promised me that I will die, that he'll kill me. And yet why am I here, being dragged around like some kind of baggage?'
She hoped, sincerely, that the day would end without casualties. But just as she prayed for them to reach the forest did a police car come into view, with a man sitting on the edge of his car window, pointing the gun towards Zack's direction.
"Zack, watch out!" Rachel warned him while pulling on his shirt to get his attention. The serial killer turned and grinned sharply as he avoided the bullets that were meant for him.
"Gutsy, they don't care about what's gonna happen to ya, eh?" He laughed.
'When is he going to sober up...'
Frustrated beyond compare, the policeman who had fired the bullets tsked and looked at his partner on the driver seat, "I can't use the rifle with that girl being so close, hand over the magnum."
"What? You sure you can do a clean shot?!" The officer asked as he gave him the gun, worry in his face.
"We won't be able to chase him in the forest, too many trees. We don't have a choice, I'll try my luck."
The driver nodded and sped up, getting closer and closer to the chasing duo. His partner loaded the 44 magnum and concetrated deeply, aiming for the fugitive's leg. It wasn't an easy feat, considering he moved like a wild, untamed beast. But it wasn't impossible.. and he had a good aim.
Rachel felt drops of sweat on her temple as she looked at the policeman who was aiming yet again towards Zack. They were almost there- almost in the safety of the woods...
"Zack!" Rachel shouted again, this time warning him clearly.
Zack knew what was coming, but didn't falter. They were right in front of the woods, they were so close.
Determined, Zack sped up and jumped within the dark entrance quickly enough to disappear.
But not fast enough to avoid the bullet that had pierced his right leg.
As soon as they lost the duo from their sight, all cars stopped near the dark and mysterious barrier of trees. Defeated.
The police chief exited his car with a solemn expression, very irritated at their loss. They had been very close to capturing Isaac Foster and saving that girl, but for some reason, they failed.
"Damn it!" He cursed as he loudly kicked on his car, "he got away, again!"
"Chief..." came the lame reply of his partner, who looked defeated as well, yet still kept on hoping. "We can't just give up, let's go follow them!" He suggested.
But the chief only shook his head in reply, "It's dark, it'll be almost impossible for us to find them. Also..." he pointed towards the woods with a movement of his chin, "there are wolves in there, no guarantee we'll be safe."
"W-wolves?" One of them stuttered, "Are you sure, chief?"
He shrugged, "I've been told, I'm not sure but it's a possibility. I just hope that girl will be fine." He sighed, putting his gun back. The previous policeman who had shot Zack cleared his throat and waved towards their Chief, effectively gaining his attention.
"What?" He spoke irritably.
The man shrunk but still kept himself straight, "um, sir, I wanted to inform you that, er.. I shot him."
"What?"
"I uh, Isaac Foster... H-he's wounded, sir..." this time, he looked down; unsure why his chief frightened him so. Said chief approached the man, brows furrowed as he asked him;
"Where did you hit him?"
"On his right leg sir, it should be enough to slow him down." He informed him, then pointed at the entrance of the woods, where a visible stain of blood lied on a nearby tree, it was the spot he had caught him on.
The chief inspected that stain and touched it, the blood was still warm and wet, it was definitely fresh, definitely Isaac Foster's blood.
With that, he smiled.
"Officer Biggs, send a report to the police station, ask them about the perimeter. This forest shouldn't be too big, if we're lucky; we'll be able to get him tomorrow morning." He said confidently. Officer Biggs nodded then dashed towards his car to inform the station. The chief's partner raised his eyebrows and asked;
"But what if they'll be gone by tomorrow?"
The chief smiled, "Foster's wounded, there's no way he could go so far. They'll be most likely spending the night in the forest due to his weakness. By tomorrow, if the wolves don't get him- we will."
That answer was enough to reassure the officer, who turned to talk to his men about the report. As soon as the chief was alone, did obscure thoughts torment his mind.
'And if by chance, he really isn't there by tomorrow morning... Then he might really be a monster, just as we thought.'
To be continued...