Chapter 124

(trigger warning: suicide)

“Now!” Captain Whitlock’s signal came through. “All units move in!” The skilled battalion of officers converged on the building. It was an abandoned office building that had been slated for demolition. It was four stories tall, along with a basement. Dripping pipes, hungry rats, and silent darkness made for the perfect horror movie setting. The officers could only hope that what they found didn’t further that narrative. The thundering of their boots echoed throughout the building, bouncing off of the walls. There were only about fifteen of them, but they sounded like a force of hundreds.
They burst into every room, every storage closet, and scoured every floor. Captain Whitlock had provided them with photos of their targets. But other than the rats, not a living soul inhabited this building. They made their way to the top floor. A partially completed office suite drew their attention. The lead officer smashed his way through the door, hopeful to find the women he was entrusted to save.
To their dismay, they found something else.
“Call the captain,” he spoke. “We’ve been had.”
“Yes, sir!”
***
“Thank you all for coming,” Will said as he concluded the press conference. “I am giving this city my solemn vow that Stewart Industries will continue to serve its people with the utmost veracity and transparency. I am personally dedicated to bringing this individual or group to justice. Another press conference will be held at such a time when more is uncovered. No further questions or comments at this time. Thank you all again.”
Calls and cries erupted from the crowd, begging for another statement as Will walked away. Once he was away from prying eyes, he removed the earpiece and called the captain.
“Do we have them?” Will asked.
“There’s a problem,” Captain Whitlock answered.
“What problem? Are they hurt?”
“They weren’t there. The call was being fed through a burner phone. Essentially, Robert called this phone, and someone else added you to the call. It’s sloppy, but good enough to throw off a trace.”
“What does that mean? Did we fail?” Will’s stomach fell to his feet.
“Not necessarily. That phone is being examined now. We can find what calls were made to it and ping the original call’s signal. That process takes about an entire minute. We’re going to find them, Will. I promise.”
“You’ve got to, Captain. Bring them back. Bring her back to me.” Despair lodged itself in his throat, and for the first time since this nightmare began, he allowed himself to think of the danger Emma could really be in. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her. If necessary, he’d burn the entire city down to find her.
“We’re going to bring them home. And by the way… Great job. This will probably be the last compliment you ever get from me. But you were born to lead. You’re not the same idiot kid from back then. Your grandfather would be proud of you.”
Captain Whitlock hung up before Will could respond. His words left Will with a small lump in his throat. Would Pop be proud of me? Something Conrad always said to him growing up was, “You can never get up if you don’t fall.”
“I’m getting up, Pop. All the way up.”
A few minutes later, the police received the location of the call made to Will when he was allowed to speak to Emma. Captain Whitlock said he would meet them there. Everyone mobilized into action and moved out of the building. The troop stormed out when one of them spotted a figure lurking in the alleyway beside the building.
“We have movement!” one of them said over the communicator.
“I want half of the battalion to pursue! The other half go to the secondary location. It’s only a few blocks over.” Captain Whitlock ordered. “It could be the suspect or an accomplice! I repeat, pursue! I will make my way to you. Do not enter until we have secured whoever that is!”
“Yes sir!” The officers did as they were instructed and half of them moved to the new location. The remaining half engaged the mysterious person. Captain Whitlock ran toward them and saw the mysterious person running down a back street.
“Do not lose them!” he yelled as the other officers came into view. His feet pounded the concrete as he chased the person. As he got closer, he saw they were wearing some kind of cloak. What in the unnecessary drama is going on? A flash of white peaked out from underneath. It was then he realized it was a woman… wearing a wedding dress. She ran down another alleyway and came to a dead end.
“Stop!” Captain Whitlock yelled. The other officers caught up to him. The person stopped, her back to them. One of the men tried to walk forward, but the captain stopped him. He motioned for them to raise their guns, just in case. “You’re trapped,” he said. “We’ve got you surrounded. Put your hands up and slowly turn around.
“Is he with you?” she asked. Her voice had sad but manic quality to it. She did not turn around.
“Who?”
“Is Will with you?” she yelled. She turned around, and Captain Whitlock almost couldn’t look at her. He had known Grace. The beautiful, elegant soul she had been was reduced to this crazed shell of a person. Her face was stained with black, runny mascara. The once pristine wedding dress was splattered with blood and dirt. Her hair was twisted up into a haphazard updo.
“No, he isn’t with us.”
“Bring him!” she shrieked and put a gun to her head. “Bring him now!”
“All right,” he said. “Just calm down. I can have him here in a minute.”
Captain Whitlock called Will and told him to come to his current location.
“Just come,” the captain replied.
“Is it Emma? Do you have her?” Will asked, but the captain could hear that he was already running.
“No, but I need you for something else. It’s urgent. There is another life that you might be able to save.”
“I’m coming.”
Will arrived a few minutes later. He saw the crowd of officers at the alleyway entrance. Because of the captain word’s he expected that they’d found Jess. When they parted and made for him, he was greeted with a sight he did not expect. She looked maniacal. Her face was a twisted mask of sadness and insanity. She smiled when she saw, but the expression looked more terrifying.
“You came,” she said. The gun was still poised to her head.
“What are you doing?” he asked slowly approaching her.
“Keep your weapons on her,” the captain ordered. “If it moves from her head at all, shoot.”
“I messed things up,” she said. She was looking at him, but it was though she was seeing something else. “I did. I know that now.”
“Put the gun down, Grace. Put it down, and then let us help you,” Will continued to approach her as though he was approaching a wounded animal.
“I never wanted to hurt you, but you let her convince you that you didn’t love me.”
“I don’t love you,” he started to say.
“Yes, you do!” she cried. “You only ever loved me! But that bitch came into your life and stole you from me! Everything is her fault!”
“Where is she?”
“Why? Why did you pick her over me? Why is she important and I’m not? You promised me!”
“Grace, please calm down.”
“Do you love her?”
“Put the gun down,” Will repeated.
“Do you love her?” she shrieked.
“Yes,” he answered. “Please tell me where she is.”
“I didn’t mean it,” she sniffled, thick tears ran down her face. “I didn’t mean it when I left you. It was only supposed to be for a little while. The truth is, I liked seeing how much you missed me, how much you needed me. You were never supposed to need anyone else. Even if I never came back. I was supposed to be the only one. I didn’t care if you messed around with other people, but I was supposed to be the only one that made you happy! Me! No one else! That’s why I did it. That’s why I ruined you two. I didn’t want you to be happy with anyone else. You were supposed to be mine and no one else’s!” she took a deep breath and the tears stopped. She smiled at him again and it was wicked. “I thought about killing you. That way you no one else could have you. But it wasn’t your fault. It was her fault.”
“Did you hurt her?” Will yelled. “Where is she?”
“I didn’t hurt her too bad. Not as much as I should have,” she laughed.
“Enough, Grace!”
“I always loved the way you said my name,” she sighed. “Say it again.”
“I’ve had enough of this game of yours! Tell me where Emma is!”
Grace face morphed into a lost, sad façade.
“Her name. It’s her name you say now? Not mine?”
“Where is she?”
“What are you going to do with me if I tell you? Just throw me away and forget me? No. I’ll make sure you never forget me. I’ll be a part of you forever. Goodbye, Will.”