Chapter 50

Pixie

I have Goof and a newer prospect from the Devils named Happy with me today. I accidentally named him a year ago. The guy was always happy. No matter what was going on. A fight broke out and he was still smiling. His bike breaks down, no big deal he handled it with a smile. First thing in the morning he woke up with a smile.Nothing got to this guy. One morning at the club I was tired and sore from competing and partying with the club the night before. He was going on about something I didn’t care about at the moment. I just wanted my coffee. Anyway I snapped at him. “ Alright Happy, enough talking and let me get my coffee before I hurt you.” I grumbled. You guessed it, the name stuck. And as usual it didn’t bother him. And he is now one of my favorite prospects.


When we pulled into the rink I knew something was wrong. Casper and Stone were standing by the front door like they were waiting for me but they were alert and looking around. Around the back where we keep our metal storage shed I see several Devils and Nixon. There is no reason for all of those people to be back there. We store extra blades, boots, laces and the machine we use to sharpen the blades. I jump out of the truck with Happy by my side. Casper walks up to me. “ Pixie, let’s get you inside.” he said. I shake my head no. “ Not until you tell me what is going on.” I said. “ Pixie, we have it handled. Just get inside..” Casper said. “ No, I’m tired of being left in the dark.” I said with my hands on my hips. I know they are only trying to protect me but enough is enough.

“ Fine. Come with me and stay close.” Casper said, leading me and my guards to the shed. When I get there I see the door that we keep locked is gone. Not broken down. The door is gone. The hinges are still attached to the door frame. But they are bent and twisted. I walk through the door and see Nixon surveying the damage. “ Sabine be careful. And don’t touch anything. Bradford is on his way.” Nixon said. I look around and have to fight back the tears. The entire place is destroyed. It looked like someone went to town with a sledge hammer. The hooks that held blades were ripped off the wall. The blades themselves were scattered all over the floor broken and bent.

The shelves where we store the laces, boot oil and other necessities are broken into pieces. The sharpening machine is in hundreds of pieces and scattered everywhere.Our back-up hockey sticks look more like matches now. And if that wasn’t enough the metal walls had been cut through with an ax or a hatchet. “ Stalker?” I asked Nixon. He nods and points to a wall I didn’t notice before. On it is written “ I’m coming for you. Cheating whore.” I shake my head. I don’t know what I have done to this person but I had to stop. Someone is going to get hurt. Probably me. And it is hurting our business. It is going to cost us over a thousand dollars to replace all of this stuff.

I wiped my eyes, removing the silent tears that had gathered. “ Any clues to tell us who is doing this?” I asked. “ Not much that we can see right now. There is some blood on a few blades that I’m going to have Bradford take a sample of. And he is going to see if he can get some prints.” Casper said. There is nothing for me to do here so I turn to Goof. “ I’m ready to go in. I have the toddler class coming soon.” “ When Bradford is done, clean what you can. Let me know if anything is salvageable. I’ll order new stuff when my class is over. Have someone go to the hardware store and see about ordering a new shed.” I said to Casper and Nixon.

Once inside I head to the locker room and change into my work out clothes. Goof waits outside the door. It wasn’t always like this but the more the stalker targeted me the more my detail increased.I never go anywhere without two people glued to my side. Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful to all the guys who are helping out. If they aren’t like brothers to me they are now my friends. But I have no privacy anymore. And then there is the fact that I’m always looking over my shoulder for a faceless opponent. As I head to the ice to get ready for my class. The cutest little buggers you have ever seen. A small class of three and four year olds I try to think of who I could have pissed off this much.

By the end of the hour-long class I still couldn’t come up with a single person. I have always tried to be nice to everyone. I have never taken a boyfriend from anyone. Hell, I hadn’t dated anyone until Viper came along. So who could I have cheated on? I just don’t get it. My last stalker at least made a tiny bit of sense. This one doesn’t. Or is it someone who thinks I cheated on them because they got it in their head that I’m in a relationship with them. That is what I came up with when I was helping NIxon set up for the hockey kids. His first group is five and six year olds. While he does that I go for a work out. Then it was time for me to head home.

Maybe I can convince Viper to get take out tonight. I’m just not in the mood to cook. I’m sure he will understand. I know Goof has already called him about the shed. We are in the car, one borrowed from the Renegades. I’m still not allowed to drive mine. Apparently it is easy to target. So my truck is noticeable in a town where all you see is white, tan, black and a few red cars and motorcycles. Does that really make it a target? I’m sitting in the backseat behind Happy who is driving this time. Trying to get some semblance of privacy where I can be alone with my thoughts.

Five minutes into our twenty minute ride I know something is wrong. I can feel it and by the way Goof is acting. He keeps looking in the rearview mirror and out the back window. I turn my head and look for myself. I see a large truck behind us. No big deal, right? I don’t think so. It is driving dangerously close to us. I see the truck slow down so I turn around and lay my head back. I still have an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“ Pocket, I want you to pull your seat belt as tight as you can without hurting yourself.” Goof said a minute later. I did as he asked. “ Goof?” I asked, my voice shaking. “ It is just a precaution. No matter what happens Pocket you stay with us. We have got you.” Goof said. I’m not embarrassed to admit I’m scared. It's one thing when the car comes from out of nowhere like my last accident. But to see the car coming at you is a whole new level of terrifying. I keep looking forward and focus on Happy and Goof. They can help keep me calm. Sorta.

I hear the truck’s engine rev up and the squeal of tires. Then next thing I know we are being rammed from the back. I know I screamed. Who could blame me? The car swerved from the impact but Happy stayed in control. “ Pocket, get your head down.” Goof yells. I duck down as best I can with the seat belt holding me and cover my head with my hands. Not that it is going to help much. I can’t see anything now. I feel the car turn just as we are hit again. “ Where are you going? Viper’s is in the other direction.” Goof said. “ Casper said to lead this fucker away from the house. He doesn’t want this guy knowing where Sabine lives.” Happy says.

Makes sense to me. I don’t want this nut job following us. I hear the rev of the truck again. This time is coming from the side of the car opposite me. What the hell? I hear the impact to that side. The scrap of metal. I feel the car being pushed. “ Sabine, I’m sorry but this is about to get rough.” Happy says. The amusement in his voice gone. Now I’m terrified. He isn’t his carefree self anymore. I don’t like it at all. I don’t say anything so he can concentrate on driving.

I feel the car take a sharp turn but I don’t hear an impact so it must be Happy. I feel another hit and we fishtail. “ Try to lose this guy. He is trying to run us off the road.” Goof yells. Another hit. This time from the front. It just goes on and on like that. We get hit Happy corrects. It feels like it goes on forever. I don’t know how long it really does. All I know is all the swerving and impacts are making me nauseous. We are hit again. It is so hard I feel it in every muscle and bone. I feel the car spin around at least three times. Goof shouts “ Hold on Pocket.” Hold on to what? My stomach because I feel like I’m going to vomit.
Suddenly I feel another impact just as the car stops spinning. The next thing I know is we are flipped onto the roof of the car. I am hanging upside down. Everything hurts. I feel the seat belt digging into me. I feel something sticky on my forehead and press my fingers to it. I wince when I do and pull my fingers back. I look at them and see blood. I must have hit my head. “ Goof.” I call out but don’t get an answer. I hear footsteps outside the car. My gut tells me they aren’t friendly so I don’t move or say a word hoping they will go away. I hear a femine voice say “ Finally she is out of my way. Time to claim my prize. But just to be sure.” There is some sort of canister thrown into my shattered window.

A horrible smelling smoke comes out of it going in my face. I start coughing. “ Happy?” I yell. No answer. They must be knocked out. I reach down to the belt release. But it is stuck. I try to wiggle out but it is so tight I can’t move. I don’t know where my phone is but I know I can use voice commands. “ Call Casper.” I yell then start coughing again. I’m beginning to feel dizzy. “ Pixie. Pixie. Where are you?” I hear Casper shout. “ Don’t know.” Cough. “ Upside down.” Wheeze.” Stuck.” Cough, cough.” Happy. Goof not answer.” Wheeze, cough. “ Can’t breath. Bad smoke.” Gasp. “ Tired. Find me. Help Goof, Happy.” Wheeze, wheeze.

“ Sabine, no sweety don’t fall asleep. We are on the way. You need to stay awake. Talk to me. What kind of smoke?” Casper shouts. He sounds far away. “ Acidic. Ammonia. So tired. Track phone.” I wheezed. It is getting harder to breathe. I see spots before my eyes. “ We are. Just keep talking. Are you hurt?” Casper asks. “ Everywhere. Bleeding. Tell Viper I love him. Love you. Love Nixon.” I whisper. “ Sabine, talk to me. Don’t fall asleep.” Casper barks. That is the last thing I hear before everything goes dark.