Thank you so, so much for your lovely reviews. You have know idea how they made me happy :) I hope I can keep it up and keep you entertained. The title of this chapter is a song by Kate Bush. Placebo made an amazing cover of a few years ago.
Chapter 16 – Running Up that Hill
Where the hell did this dude come from? I squint my eyes not really sure what to believe what I'm seeing.
"Guess you didn't get him." Quinn says and if Blaine wasn't know struggling on his grip I'd almost find the strength to chuckle.
Instead I just roll my eyes and without a word the three of us were in a line between the Azimio guy and Quinn. Puck tries to reach his gun.
"Hold it right there, cowboy, if you want your friend to see the dawn." He walks a bit more so that the spotlight illuminates him.
"Nice, thing you have going here. Do they serve cocktails too?" I do what I can to hide the anxiety that is creeping up my throat making it harder and harder to swallow.
"I'll make sure to pass that suggestion to Lauren, I'm sure she'll aprove." He let's out a chuckle and it resonates in the garage. Suddenly, it doesn't seem so foreign, I've heard and seen him before. But, where?
"Your pretty face is familiar to me, have we met before?"
"Yes, Santana Lopez, we have. You almost caught me two years ago. Fortunately for me, I managed to escape that time and ,unfortunately for you, I'm going to escape again this time." He was grinning madly and I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't on some b series horror movie. He sounded as mad as that Stuntman Mike from Death Proof. But even him got his appropriate ending, we can't break that tradition in real life.
I hear Puck hiss and mutter a few words. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly this time.
"Azimio Adams, 28. Small time crook, suspect of the murder of Grace Novak. We almost got your ass."
"Almost being most certainly the most important word of all, you can't imagine how lovely it was to see you fuming as I left the building Santana. You never looked more beautiful, to bad Hispanics aren't my thing."
"What's your thing then? Dead corpses?" She knew she was pushing her luck.
"Blonde, beautiful dancers. That friend of yours, Brittany, damn I've had my eye on her for the longest time. I know she's only been around for like two weeks but you'd be surprised how much security clearance you get by being the pool cleaner in a gym." He says dragging Blaine and pointing the gun to his temple. He gets closer to the three of them with Blaine's head in the crook of his elbow. I feel Dave grabbing my wrist, he must have seen me clench my jaw by the corner of his eye. I'm two seconds away from seeing red, he must sense it because he is whispering something. Puck takes a step forward cautiously.
"Then why didn't you take her? UH? Why didn't you take Brittany instead of Quinn? Why did you have to take the woman I love? Because you can't get laid like a normal person? Because all of them were too good for you." I shake my head trying to make sense of what he is saying. Did he just ask why he hadn't taken Brittany? Did he just say he loved Quinn? I turn my head to see Quinn's reaction and she has her eyebrow so raised I think she's using all her energy to do it.
"Some friend and partner you have here Santana. Or maybe he doesn't know? I mean, Brittany couldn't stop talking about you maybe you aren't just opened about your dyke crushes"
"He's just messing with you, San. Don't listen to it. Don't do anything stupid now, think of Laura." Dave is trying to calm me down but it's getting harder by the second.
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHY QUINN?!" Puck shouted. He let out a deep breath and continued. "She's not even a professional dancer, I thought that was your thing."
"Oh sir, that you must ask that to Lauren. You are right about that, Miss Fabray here is exactly my time but it would be delightful anyway to see the life drained from her eyes."
"YOU CREEP." Dave and I launched ourselves forward but Puck had already managed to bump into Azimio with all his strength. The gun went off.
I heard myself gasp but there was not enough time for panic, I remember trying to release Blaine from Azimio's grasp only to see the barrel of the gun pointing directly between my eyes. Aparently the bullet caught Puck's shoulder. Blaine's head was intact, Puck was rolling away to manage standing up and Dave was helping him out. So it was me in the line of fire. It's not like it's the first time but it isn't exactly a feeling you get used to. He's laying on his back smothering Blaine against his chest.
"Do you know a Hitchcock film called Strangers in a Train, Santana?"
"Yes, I do. But excuse me if I don't really see the relevance of that movie in all this when you have that thing pointed to my face."
"That's why your friend Quinn is here. Lauren took inspiration from that movie. I don't know exactly how it fits, though." He says struggling and I've manage to get myself kneeling on one knee. He has his arm between is legs and I notice Dave has taken out his gun as well. I believe in the middle of the his explanation he lost the movement. Maybe if I distract him for a bit more Dave will find a way to make a clear shot without him noticing.
"In that movie, a professional tennis star is approached in a train by a stranger who offers to kill his wife if he promises to kill his father for him. The professional tennis star is involved with a beautiful girl but he needs to get rid of the wife to marry her. The idea of the stranger is that since no one would ever make the connection between them, it would be the perfect murder. How does this apply to your story?" I try to sound puzzled and ignore the large drops of sweat that are taking over my forehead. I'd really love to get out of here in one piece.
"Well, Lauren approached me one day at your dearest friend Brittany gym and introduced herself. She had been watching me, she knew I had killed girls. Apparently with the stripper girl she saw me dragging her out to an alley when she was taking out garbage in the end of her shift. So instead of going to the cops she decided to follow me that night and, to be honest, she'd probably be a way better cop than you dumbass. But, I dismissed her by some delusional psycho because she literally said she admired my work. She said, she'd be in touch. But she wasn't delusional or irrational not only she found out what I was doing and even took pictures of me with that back up dancer on the Ballet. When I finished with the girl, she appeared again, said "I have a proposition to make you.". She told me how these asshole" he nods in Puck's direction. "Ditched her to be with little miss perfect there and that she wanted me to help her get rid of her. I told her I don't do tag teams but she threatened to go to the cops with the pics."
"Yeah, I know your type" I gesture to him and watch how he doesn't even flinch, he is enjoying this. "you just couldn't let the opportunity of killing another one for the road."
He chuckles and throws his head back. It's my window of opportunity, I jump forward pouncing of his neck. In his attempt to get me from him he releases Blaine who rolls and points his pistol to Azimio's head. He keeps struggling beneath me as I manage to pin him down by straddling his torso. I hear one, no, two gun shots and I see tears out of his eyes. I bring myself to relax my grip even if i'm already straining from the effort. My arms are shaking badly but I can't let go. This person had his target on Brittany, I wasn't being paranoid. Lauren saved my BrittBritt by putting my ultimate best friend on the line. I never wanted to loosen my grip on his huge neck until I was absolutely certain they were both safe.
He eventually became unconscious and Dave helped me off. It was then I saw the blood on each feet. Dave shot him on the feet to stop him from running, big teddy bear Dave could never bring himself to kill someone except by accident. I went to seat near to Quinn as Dave uncuffed our unconscious prisoner and Puck used his good arm to call for back up. He explained Quinn's situation so they bring in something to saw her off this thing.
I notice there's something shiny in her face and it takes me forever to realize it were tears.
"Who'd say you were such a bleeding heart, Fabray. The highschool version of yourself would be rolling her eyes forever at you now." I manage to joke even though my heart was still trying to beat his way out of my chest.
"Shut up, you idiot. For a moment there I thought I'd lose you both. I'd slap both your faces if I wasn't strapped here forever and dying to use the bathroom for the last two hours" She snaps and then her expression changes. "So, Brittany, huh?"
"Do you really wanna have girl talk after all this? This isn't even over yet."
"Oh c'mon Lopez, indulge me. I almost died tonight and i'm strapped to a freaking Iron Throne okay? The least you can say is thank you."
"Well then, thank you for being such a wonderful matchmaker Miss Fabray." I roll my eyes at her and start playing with the bits of cord left on the ground. "She's too for me, Quinn. And my whole family is in love with her already."
"What do you mean by whole family?" She tries to turn to the side but ends up grunting with pain so instead she keeps staring straight ahead.
"She's at my parents' house right now." I lower my gaze as flashes of Brittany and Laura peacefully sleeping while I had a gun pointed to my head filled my mind.
"Oh-eme-gee San! That's amazing, how did they take it? I mean your mother was the biggest instigator of the "Getting Santana Lopez Laid Project" but until being confronted with the results one could never seize her reaction." She chuckles and it must hurt to because she winces.
"They all loved her, instantly."
I see Dave smiling while he sits on the floor next to Azimio and both he and Blaine give me winks. I'm going to protest but then Puck comes near Quinn and kisses her forehead and it's my time to be a douche.
"Awwww, if they aren't quite the happy couple!"
"Oh just shut up, 'Tana!" Quinn manages to whine while Puck kneels beside her and leans his head on his chest.
"I thought I lost you, I was so scared. I'm sorry I didn't stopped him before." I hear him mumble.
"Oh please, get a room you two. " I say with fake disgust and get up. "I'm going to get some fresh air while they don't get here. All this love in the air is making it hard to breathe"
I get up and start walking towards Dave and Blaine. I turn around and wink at Quinn. I can't wait to tell Laura her favourite couple is finally together.