Chapter 18
PHIL
IT’S been too many weeks since I got to enjoy a good high.
Although this isn’t exactly the kind of buzz I’d like to have daily, it wouldn’t be bad every once and again while I’m fucking Hazel.
She responds to it beautifully, though, and to me as well when she’s on it.
There’s enough of that batch to last a while, and I will be putting it to good use.
In no time at all, Hazel will be exactly what I need her to be. Addicted and mine.
I run my fingers through her hair and kiss the bruise forming on her cheekbone.
I’ve got to get better at controlling my rage.
Her face is too pretty to damage, and I don’t like seeing bruises on it.
The rest of her body is a different story.
It’s going to take restraint on my part, and discipline on hers, for this to work.
And I’m determined to make it work. It’ll be such a shame if it doesn’t.
Joseph keeps one eye on us as he works at the lab table.
Every time Hazel moves or makes a sound, he pauses momentarily before continuing.
He needs to keep his eyes on his work and finish this shit.
She is not his fucking concern; she’s mine, and we’re running out of time.
Two weeks. He has two weeks to complete his task before the meeting with Cash.
If he hasn’t done it by then, I’ll take Cash’s money and shoot Joseph in front of him out of spite.
I can always find someone else to do this shit, but I’d prefer not to.
Joseph will ensure this drug is potent, and as safe and pure as possible.
That takes knowledge and talent. Two things that most druggies do not possess.
The door to the lab opens, signaling Dustin’s return.
Only I hear two sets of feet coming down the stairs.
The hairs on my arms rise as I shift Hazel in my lap to reach for my gun.
When Dustin comes into view, the barrel is pointed right at him.
His eyes grow large, and he raises his hands in front of him.
“It’s just me, man. You’ll never guess who I found walking around town.”
Dustin moves out of the way and Samuel steps off the stairs. Joseph stops working and stares at the man with contempt. When Samuel turns his head toward me, I grimace. His face is busted all to hell, and one of his eyes is almost swollen shut. That must have been compliments of Cash.
“You’re a long way from home,” I say to him, lowering the gun, but keeping it pointed at him. “If you had something to tell me you could’ve just called.”
“I was actually brought here and held against my will,” he states as he takes in the lab. “I was trying to get home when Dustin found me.”
I narrow my lids at Dustin, wondering why in the hell he brought him here.
Now Samuel knows where we are and can give us away if we let him go.
I’ve got enough to deal with. What the fuck was he thinking?
I nudge Hazel to get up, and she slowly pushes herself out of my lap onto her unsteady legs.
Everyone watches as I help her sit back down once I’ve gotten up.
“I want a word with you.” I stalk toward Dustin, the gun dangling at my side, and he’s leery.
My shoulder bumps his as I storm up the stairs and out into the chilly night.
The stars shine brightly, but the only thing I can focus on is the sound of his feet growing closer as I tap the gun against my leg to the rhythm of his steps.
When the door closes behind him, I turn on him and grab the front of his shirt, slamming him against it.
His head thumps against the metal, echoing through the empty field.
“Why did you bring him here?” I push the gun against the side of his head. “Have you lost your mind?”
Dustin’s mouth opens and closes, but the only thing that comes out are his scared breaths. After a moment, he’s finally able to speak. “He can help us, Phil. He knows how to do everything and has connections that we don’t.”
“If he’s here, then that means Cash is also here. Did you think of that?”
“Yes. Cash is at Hazel’s.” His eyes skip over my face, waiting for my reaction.
“Did it occur to you that this could be a set-up, so he can find us?” I slam him back against the door.
“I don’t think it is.” When I dig the gun into his scalp he quickly finishes. “He was scared and didn’t even want to come with me. He just wanted to go home, so I knew he was running.”
I don’t see anyone running from Cash. That fucker has no backbone and wouldn’t scare a damn fly. Have I underestimated him this whole time? I drop the gun, and Dustin lets out a heavy breath.
“You realize we can’t let him go now, right?”
“You won’t want to once Joseph gets the formula right. I promise.”
“Better hope and pray that you’re right.”
I signal to go back in, and we make our way back inside, my gun hand itching to slam into the back of his head with every step. Samuel is leaning against the wall, and Joseph is still glaring at him. Guess I’ll have to find out what that’s all about later.
I walk over to Joseph and check out his progress. “How’s this one coming along?”
Joseph runs his hand over his tired face that’s in need of a shave.
“I think I’ve got it this time. The chemical compounds are remaining balanced and—” He glances at my pursed face and sighs.
“It needs tested. And it can’t be tested on Hazel, either.
We need a clean and sober test subject. Otherwise, we won’t know if the effects are from this batch or the mixture of two different batches. ”
“No problem.” I smile and turn to Samuel. “When was the last time you used?”
Samuel shuffles on his feet and clears his throat. “It’s been about a week.”
“Perfect,” I purr. “Get it ready, Joseph.”
Samuel shoves his hands in his pockets, watching Joseph intensely as he preps a syringe.
When Joseph is done, he turns to Samuel and raises it between two fingers.
Samuel doesn’t budge. He looks at the needle like it’s a death sentence.
I grab a folding chair and pop it open, tapping the back to get Samuel’s attention.
Hesitantly, he sits down, not taking his gaze off the needle in Joseph’s fingers.
“So you’re just gonna use me as a guinea pig?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Might as well enjoy your time here.” I pat his shoulder and retrieve the belt I used on Hazel’s arm earlier.
He takes it from me and prepares himself, his hands shaking slightly as he pulls it tight around his arm.
I take the syringe from Joseph and hand it to Samuel.
He holds the sharp point against his skin, the needle rising and falling with his elevated pulse.
Taking a deep breath, he pushes it into his vein.
A moment later, he depresses the plunger and releases the belt.
Joseph and I lean against the table with our arms crossed, watching him. He leans his head back and shakes it back and forth, rubbing his scalp with his fingers. Goosebumps trail over his arms, and he shivers slightly and laughs.
“I feel great,” Samuel says, beaming from ear to ear.
He jumps from the chair, making all of us flinch, and claps his hands together. His pupils gradually dilate, making it damn near impossible to see any of his iris. Samuel stands there tapping his thighs with his hands to a beat only he can hear.
I think Joseph did it. This is Snap. Well, what Snap should have been. We won’t know for sure until the drug runs its course, but I’m pretty positive that he fucking pulled it off.
“Congrats.” I turn to Joseph and hold my hand out smiling. He hesitates for a moment before grasping it and shaking once. “Looks like you just earned your ticket home.”
BOBBY
The roads are bumpy as we make our way to Phil’s hideout.
Even after what happened the other day, he still doesn’t trust me.
Can’t say that I blame him. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t trust anyone either.
That’s why I didn’t say a word when Dustin pulled over outside of town and blindfolded me for the remainder of the trip.
I was disappointed because it meant it would take longer to determine where he was and send the location to Cash.
After keeping track of all the turns he made, I was confident it was the same roads that led to Erick’s grave.
Only he turned the opposite way when we reached that road.
I try to pay close attention to how long we stay on each road, and every direction he turns.
It is difficult to do with thoughts of Erick floating through my mind, and Dustin running his mouth about shit that doesn’t matter.
All of this rests on my shoulders. Cash wants to find him before they meet in a couple of weeks, and put an end to it now.
The element of surprise. Hard to say if it will work.
This isn’t the movies, and the good guys don’t always win.
Not that I would consider Cash one of the good guys.
He’s the lesser of two evils, but he’s still somehow managed to pull all of us into his plan of revenge.
I will do it if it means Hazel will be safe from all of this when it’s over.