A/N: Sorry to be changing up the chapters arrangement again! Anyway, now we're back onto the right chapter! Enjoy! And the songs for this chapter are...
Go Away by: Weezer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGXiKKRbu2c
Oh. Hi. by: Now, Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YifxsYI7Wh0
Big Houses by: Squalloscope http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIK0Abrl8XY
Little Bird by: The Weepies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wox4tA7MCB8
Enjoy! Thanks for the great time, lovelies! You are all great! I could not have continued this story without you lovelies!
There was a knock on Hex’s door at exactly noon. She answered and saw Sterling and Chris. They looked like they had been arguing. Sterling looked pissed and Chris had a somber expression.
“What’s going on? Chris, why do you look like you just killed a puppy? And Sterling, why do you look like you want to rip someone’s head off?” Hex asked them, glancing between each guy. Bo wandered over to stand behind her and he glanced at each of them as well.
“Um, Hex, maybe phrase that a bit more politely next time?” Bo told her. She nodded and resumed her gazing at the two men outside her door.
“I look like I want to rip someone’s head off because I want to rip my dad’s head off,” Sterling replied. His spine was as straight as a ruler and he held himself stiffly. “I don’t want you to do what he’s going to ask you to do.”
“It’s one of the only ways we can figure out possible suspects,” Chris told Sterling. “Hex, can we come in?”
“Um, okay… what do you want me to do?” she asked, standing with her arms crossed. The guys entered and she shut the door, then resumed her stance. Bo stood beside her while Sterling sat down in an armchair and Chris gestured toward the couch.
“Maybe it’d be better for you to sit down,” he told her.
“I’d prefer to stand, just in case I have to kick you in the kneecaps,” she replied, eying him suspiciously. Bo glanced at her in alarm and she shrugged. Chris sighed and glanced at Sterling, whose head was in his hands.
“Fair enough. We were considering taking you to talk to Paul. He might be connected to the Copycat Killer in some way. We haven’t made much progress, and this would definitely help with the case,” Chris told her.
“You want Hex to talk to her kidnapper? No. Hex is basically a sister to me. If she agrees to go, I want to go with her, and be by her side the entire time,” Bo snapped at Chris, giving him a death glare.
“Bo. It’s alright. If… if it’ll help, then I suppose I can go, as long as Sterling and Bo come with,” she said quietly. She bit her lip and glanced at Chris. He considered her terms and nodded.
“That’ll be fine,” he told her. She smiled and nodded.
“Good. Oh, and one more thing, I want to take my car. Sterling can ride with me and Bo can ride with you. That is, if you guys are okay with that,” she said.
“That’s fine with me,” Bo quickly responded, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes.
“Alright, I guess that’ll work,” Chris said. He glanced at Sterling.
“I’ll ride with you and we can talk,” Sterling said quietly. Hex nodded.
“Well, we’ll see you on Friday then,” Chris said. He stood and walked out the door. “I’ll be waiting in the car.”
“You didn’t have to do this. I don’t want you to be hurt, Hex,” Sterling said as soon as Chris shut the door.
“I know, and I appreciate that, but it’s my choice. I have to help if I can. I can handle it if you and Bo are there with me,” Hex told him. Sterling wrapped his arms around her, embracing her and easing the pressure in her chest.
“I love you, Hex,” he whispered. She nodded against his muscular chest before pulling away, remembering Bo was there still.
“You should probably go… I’ll see you Friday,” Hex mumbled, her cheeks burning. Sterling smiled and leaned in, kissing her cheek.
“I’ll see you then,” he said, pressing his lips on her knuckles and then letting her hand go. She smiled lightly and then reached for the door and opened it. Sterling slipped out and raised a hand, giving Hex a slight wave. She raised her hand as well, curling her fingers. Bo walked up to stand beside her.
“What in the actual fuck just happened with you and Sterling?” he asked as soon as she closed the door. Hex raised her shoulders and chewed her lip.
“I don’t know. Was that really awkward?” Hex asked.
“Nooo… it was actually kind of cute,” Bo told her, draping his arm around her neck. “And I think I’ve gotten an answer to my questions now.”
“Wait what? Tell me what you figured out! Bo! Wait! Tell me!” Hex cried as Bo walked away. She stormed after him, yelling his name. He was laughing at her and he shook his head.
“I’m not telling you! You’re smart enough to figure this out yourself,” he called. Suddenly Bear lumbered down the stairs. Thinking that Bo was playing a game, Bear took off, skittering about chasing Bo. Bo shouted and fell on his ass as the large dog pounced on him, licking his face with his slobbering tongue. “Call your guard dog off!”
“Not until you tell me what you figured out and stop calling me adorable,” Hex shot back. Bo glared at her and she tilted her head and gave him a sweet smile.
“Fine. You are definitely in a relationship, that much is obvious. I don’t think the working together situation will be awkward unless you make it awkward… and you two are really good together,” Bo said, squirming the entire time he was speaking.
“Oh. Is that all you had to say? Well, I could’ve said all of that myself,” Hex said, then made a clicking noise with her tongue, calling Bear to her side.
“That’s what I said!” Bo replied indignantly. Hex smiled and winked.
“I don’t really listen to you though. There are often words coming out of your mouth that make sense when alone but don’t make sense when put together. Also I usually ignore you as soon as you open your mouth,” Hex told him.
“That is just mean. I might have something really important to say like the world is ending… or something,” Bo teased. Hex offered her hand to him and he accepted it, letting her help him up.
“I sincerely doubt there will be a day that something important comes out your mouth,” she retorted, letting go of his hand and smoothing down her hair.
“Well, you listened to me there for a second, at least,” he said. “I’d say that I might someday be able to explain things while you actually listen.”
“Sorry, what were you saying?” was Hex’s reply. Bo sighed and rolled his eyes, tossing his hands in the air.
“Why do I put up with this? Oh yeah, because you only revealed your true crazy once I was in too deep,” Bo muttered.
“I tend to do that to a lot of people,” she said, standing on tiptoe to ruffle his hair. He glared and she gave him an innocent smile.
**********
On Friday, Hex pulled on one of her dresses, a red sweater dress with brass buttons on it. Paul had always said that red was her color. Now it seemed to remind her of Dinah’s death. Her hands trembled slightly as she clasped a locket around her neck. Hex rolled her shoulders back and straightened, giving her reflection a nervous smile. She took a deep breath and stepped out of her bedroom. Bo would be there in ten minutes and Chris and Sterling would arrive soon after. Hex had woken up in a panic and had went into the bathroom and wretched. After her stomach had been emptied, she’d gotten dressed. Hex had calmed down quite a bit but was still nervous. She walked down the stairs, greeting Bear as she passed him. He padded along beside her. She quickly made a pot of coffee and sat at her table. The machine beeped and she poured the coffee into a thermos and screwed on the lid. She shoved it into her messenger bag and sat back down. The manilla folder sat on the table and she opened it, going over the photos.
She was startled by a knock on her door. She answered and Bo leaned against the frame. She ushered him in and went back to looking at the photos.
“I’m trying to figure out everything we know so far,” Hex explained. Bo nodded and glanced over her shoulder, also taking in the horrific images. Another knock sounded and Hex answered the door again. Sterling and Chris stood in the doorway and she stepped aside so Chris could talk to Bo.
“Come on, we’ve got to go,” Chris said, all business. Sterling smiled and Hex and she bowed her head slightly. He slipped his arm into hers and they both went to her car.
“I wish you hadn’t agreed to this,” he told her.
“I told you before, it’s my decision,” she responded. He shrugged and she started the car. Chris drove ahead of them. The car ride lasted about 3 hours and the conversation was mainly small talk. Halfway through the drive, Sterling had taken one of her hands and they’d remained that way for the remainder of the ride. They finally pulled into the parking lot and Hex took a deep breath to prepare herself. She was as ready as she would ever be. She climbed out of the car and headed for the entrance. They went through the protocols, going through metal detectors, having their weapons confiscated, and other safety measures. They were each handed vests and ID cards and buzzed into the room. Paul was slumped in a metal chair, his wrists cuffed. He straightened when he saw Hex.
“Sarah… Oh my lord, Sarah! You’ve grown up so much… You are just as pretty as ever,” he said. Hex pulled out the chair and sat down. “You’re wearing red.”
“Yeah… I remember you saying it was my color,” she told him. “I’m not just here to visit. We need your help, Daddy.” Sterling shot her a look, telling her to watch herself. She nodded and turned back to Paul. “There’s a Copycat Killer on the loose. Do you know anyone that might’ve been obsessed with young girls and famous murders?”
“I… I know one person. His name is Carson Jackson. I can give you all of the information you need,” Paul told her. Hex smiled.
“Thank you. I know this isn’t easy,” she told him, standing. His hand flashed forward and he gripped her wrist.
“Be careful. Sarah, he’s dangerous,” he whispered. Hex tried pulling her wrist away but he held on tightly. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I- I promise, okay?” she said, flustered. He nodded and released her wrist. Sterling had been as stiff as a board the entire time Paul had held her wrist and now relaxed. Hex rubbed her wrist and turned, walking out the door, being followed by Bo, Chris, and Sterling.
**********
It had been a week since Hex had talked to Paul, and the anniversary of her rescue was that night. Her mother always threw some type of charity ball BS and called Hex to see if she was coming.
"Hex, darling, you'll be at the charity ball tonight, I hope?" were the first words out of Hex's mother's mouth.
"Hello to you too. I'll be there. With a date," she snapped back.
"Watch your mouth, hon. I'm still your mother. I do hope you'll stop by at the house to talk with me," she continued, disregarding Hex's outburst. "This charity is for you, and you should be thankful I'm doing anything to help you. You've done nothing for me whatsoever." Hex bit her tongue hard and hung up without saying a word in response. She dialed Sterling's number and he picked up on the first ring.
"Are you doing anything tonight?" she asked.
"Um... no, what did you have in mind?" he answered hesitantly.
"Do you want to pick me up at my mother's place and escort me to a stupid charity ball thing where rich people get drunk?" Hex asked. "Oh, and you'll need a tux. Okay, thanks, bye! See you tonight!" She hung up and grinned.
Hex pulled into her mother's drive at 5 PM. Right as soon as she stepped out of her car she knew something was wrong. She walked up to the front door and quietly knocked. There was no answer. She texted Sterling that she was going inside and that something felt off. She then proceeded to bend down and pull out her lockpick kit. She felt for the tumblers and they gave easily. She straightened and slipped into the house. The first thing she saw were the bloody words on the wall.
"Holy shit! Oh shit... shit, shit, shit," Hex breathed, backing against the door. The words said "DO YOU LIKE MY ART." Hex racked her brain, trying to think of any killer that had used those words, but this time the phrase was entirely original. She heard someone coming down the stairs and ran to hide in the closet. As she reached for the doorknob, she felt and arm around her waist and cool metal against her throat. She swallowed hard.
"Hello, Carson. I've heard about you," she whispered. She felt Carson laughing.
"So my work has become famous, now? Good... very good," he hissed in her ear. He pressed the blade harder into her neck and she tried not to swallow or move. She put three fingers together and her thumb below them and shifted slightly to the left. She brought her elbow into Carson's groin and spun around, escaping from his grasp. He gasped in pain and fell to his knees. She slammed the three fingers into his eye and he wailed. She spun and started toward the kitchen, but tripped over her dead mother's leg and fell so that her face was right by the corpse's. She shrieked and scrambled backward on hands and knees. Carson had recovered and he yanked Hex up by her hair and slammed her face into a wall. She cursed and shrieked in pain. They both froze as they heard the door slam open. Sterling had a gun in his hand and aimed it right at Carson.
"No! Don't! We still have to find out if the girl is alive!" Hex tried to say. Carson tossed her to the ground and she fell on her elbows. She scrambled back up and Sterling pulled the trigger right as she stepped in front of Carson. She felt a burning pain and saw Sterling's eyes widen, his lips forming her name, but all she could hear was ringing and the thumping of her blood coursing through her veins. Then everything went black.
A/N: HAH! Plot twist! I have now had a chance to rearrange and add to the story, so it should be done in it's entirety now! Hugs to the lovelies!
Byyee for now!
-EnnaStark
ns 15.158.61.48da2
