CHAPTER 25

Everything blurred together.

Alice's rampant heartbeat pounded against her chest. Her legs and arm were aching, but she couldn't care less. Everything and everyone was an obstacle, as she tore her way through the crowd. Alice's mind was racing. Why aren't they answering the phone? How could she have been so fucking blind?!

Alice raced through the apartment lobby, heading straight for her floor. The elevator had been broken for five months, now. She headed to the stairs. Alice's legs tore through the seemingly endless flights of stairs. She wasn't fast enough. She need to get to them, now.

Alice reached her apartment, her home, in what seemed like a century later. She didn't bother knocking, or banging on the door.

She didn't have to; the door was wide open.

A piercing scream ripped itself out of her before she could comprehend what she was even looking at.

Blood.

Bright, ruby red streaks everywhere. Handprints on the wall. Ripped up rabbits lay scattered about the apartment, completely gutted. "Alistair!?" She could hardly hear herself. Her trembling hand held her gun, it's gears warmed up and ready. Her body was trembling in fear, and she hated herself for it. Where were they? Where was he? Alice's head whipped around several times, just to make sure she didn't see anyone sneaking up behind her… Or even worse, a dead human body. "Dylan! Wilma? Patrick!?" Nothing. Absolute silence.

Blood-written words covered the walls of her home: Bunny. That was it. No clues, no taunting remarks. It was written in several different languages, both in tiny and large writing. Bunny? Why bunny-

Her blood was ice cold.

He was there. He was there when Alistair called her that. How else would he have known? Nobody knew about her nickname, except for Alistair, Dylan and the twins. He was watching her. But for how long? Alice wasted no time whipping out her phone. "Where. Are. They."

"Che cazzo?" Lovino's voice crackled on the other end. "Di cosa stai parlando?"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Alice practically screamed, boiling rage coursing through her veins. "You promised! You promised you would protect them!" Lovino sputtered a bunch of Italian shit that she was in no mood to hear.

She hung up and called Alfred. "Yo, dudette, whatsup?"

"Alfred…" Her voice shook, and her nose was prickling. "Get your ass down here with the squad. I've got a crime to report."

"Yeah, sure. Where at? What crime?" She could hear Alfred shuffle some paper on his desk, his voice changing to concern.

She swallowed thickly, looking at the carcasses and blood all around her. Suddenly, she felt sick. "J-Just… get-get to my house… and hurry."

XXX

Alice stared into the murky grey sky of London.

Her fifth fag was placed in between her fingers and the other hand held a giant bottle of a vodka, whiskey and ale mixture. It was her second one, and nearly all gone, and it still wasn't enough. The police had come and gone. Alfred was sitting next to her, making sure she didn't kill herself with liquor. She didn't protest, since she hardly noticed his presence, anyways.

Everything ran through her mind: Alistair's stupid ass drinking habits, Dylan's soft and warm smile, the twins and their pranking. Shades of green...Deep green, like the forest in the highlands of Scotland. Jade green, soft and warm, and quiet. The lucky clover twins, and their bright eyes.

Lovino called Alice after she had hung up. He explained what had happened, or rather, what didn't happen. All the Mafia guards that had been keeping watch over her siblings were killed, a bullet straight through their heads. The killer had left no trace whatsoever.

Lovino didn't bother trying to apologize to her, he knew what it was like to have your family taken away from you. Nothing could possibly make her feel better except for her siblings, safe and sound.

…And the decapitated body of the insane bastard who thought that he could get away with this shit.

Alice took another swig from her bottle. "You said that there was no one else in the apartment building, right?"

Alfred looked hesitant, but answered her anyways. He personally didn't know the other Kirklands well. He didn't really care for them, either. Yeah, he was worried for their safety, but nowhere near the level of Alice. "Yeah. They all have solid alibis. They were either at Thanksgiving with their family or working."

Alice hummed, still staring off into the sky. "I'm taking on this case."

"Alice." Alfred scolded, staring at her in shock. She'd never taken two cases at the same time, before. "Y'know you shouldn't. I get it, it's your family. I really do. But, you can't just let the serial killer case go-"

Alice said, finally looking at him. "I'm doing both at the same time." There was no room for protest in her voice, but it didn't stop Alfred from trying.

"You can't." Alfred's voice was firm. "It's against the rules to take more than two cases at once, especially at the same time."

Even in her emotionally-wrecked, tipsy, and intoxicated state, Alice knew better than to tell Alfred that the two were connected. They had to be. "I'll manage it."

"No." Alfred took the fag from her hand. "Your emotions will get it the way. You're already drinking your liver and smoking your lungs away. You can't handle this; you're just going to sink in depression-"

"Depression?" Alice hissed, yanking back the fag and then standing up. "I'm too fucking pissed to be depressed, Alfred. I'm not some weeping violet from a horribly written, teenage romance novel." She swiveled around after walking a few steps. The bright green inferno in her eyes made Alfred quiver in fear.

"This bastard wants to play games? He wants to just waltz into my life as he pleases, and then he dares- he fucking dares to mess with my family?!" Alice's body was numb, from her toes to the ends of her hair. Completely numb. With rage. "Well, then… The game is on."