The rest of the ride to wherever the fuck they're bringing me was long and silent.
I fell asleep.
I feel something wet on my cheek, jolting up to see Alan grinning from ear to ear at me.
"Ew! What the hell?!"
I wipe my cheek, shivering.
"Did you just—lick me, Alan?!"
He flicks my head.
"What're you going to do about it, Williams?"
I quickly sit up, squishing myself against the opposite side door.
"Ugh—punch you or something! Ian should've left your ass in jail! They should've put you in a mental hospital! You're crazy! No one in the right mind just licks someone! What are you—a dog?!"
He throws his hand on his forehead dramatically.
"Oh, Jae! I'll be your spaniel! You can hit me and I'll still love you and be loyal! Do you get it? That was a Shakespeare reference."
Ian looks at us strangely through the rear view mirror.
"What in the actual fuck."
His cold eyes snap on Alan.
"There's something wrong with you. I knew theatre kids were weird."
Alan narrows his eyes.
"Whatever, Ian. Don't be jealous of me."
I unbuckle my seatbelt, eyes darting between the two of them.
"What is going on?! If someone doesn't explain anything in five seconds I'm getting out and running down the road."
"Run down the road and I'll run you over. How does that sound, sweetness?"
I glare at his annoying smirk.
"Everything with you is threats. Do you think that makes you scary, Ian?"
He moves his eyes from mine with a chuckle, pulling the key from the ignition.
"Don't taunt me, Jae. You won't like the consequences. Alan? Get the girl in the trunk."
Alan rubs his forehead.
"You don't think touching 33 dead corpses was enough? Now I have to touch another."
My eyebrows furrow.
"But she isn't dead, right?! I wouldn't forgive myself if she was. Ian?!"
He smiles.
"I can't make any promises that she isn't."
My heart drops as they both get out of the car, and I look around.
A neighborhood.
How stupid could they be to bring me to a neighborhood?! There's people outside—and they're trying to take in a bleeding woman's body?!
And I thought they were smart. If I just went over there I could get help, right? Right.
I see Alan occupied by collecting and concealing Georgia's body, but I don't see Ian.
I stand on my tip toes to at least try and see him on the other side of the car, he isn't there.
Nothing.
Where the fuck did he go?!
I see a woman and a man across the street, smoking cigarettes and completely unfazed.
I wave my hand, trying to get their attention.
The woman looks at me, eyebrows furrowed.
"Is there something you need, sweetie?"
She calls, and as I open my mouth to say something I feel the point of a knife against my back.
"Donna! Hello."
She smiles.
"Ian! You've grown tall, my young boy! Me and Daniel miss ya over here! When are you going to visit?"
I look up at him with my eyes narrowed and he simply gives the older couple his award-winning fake smile.
"Soon, Donna, soon. Me and Alan have just been busy."
She smiles.
"Alan? He's here too?"
Alan turns around and waves.
"Hey, Donna! Hi, Daniel!"
"Oh! You look so different, son! You changed your hair after so many years. But enough with that—who's this pretty young lady with you? She seemed to want something."
Alan turns back around and Ian nods.
"This is Jae. A new friend. She likes to meet new people, right, tea cup?"
I nod with an even faker smile.
Goddamnit. I fucking suck. I'm an FBI agent and can't even get myself out of this situation?!
"Yeah. I just wanted to say hi."
The man looks a little suspicious but the woman smiles brightly.
"Well it's nice to meet you, Jae. We'll let you three get back to your business. Have a good one!"
Ian nods.
"You too, Donna."
Alan discreetly walks towards the garage with Georgia's body, I don't even know how those people can't notice something's off, and Ian turns me around before sliding his knife back in its place.
"Don't point a knife at me again. I think pointing a gun at my head was enough, bastard."
"I wouldn't, button, but you continue to give me reasons to threaten you. The gun was part of my plan."
He grins, causing a sick feeling in my stomach.
"I wouldn't shoot you. That would make it too easy. I like to have fun with the people I kill first."
I grimace and he guides me into the house, shutting the door and locking it behind me.
I turn to look at him.
"What're you doing?! What's going on?"
"Come with me. You want to see your friend, right?"
My eyes widen slightly.
"She's awake?!"
He nods.
"Yes."
I follow him uneasily down a tight hall, multiple doors on either side that have padlocks keeping them shut.
I wonder what's in them?
I hear humming and a woman's muffled yells coming from one room, which is the one Ian unlocks.
He pushes it open, a nasty smirk on his face as it reveals Georgia tied up against a metal chair, blood dripping down her head and a bandage placed neatly on her stomach.
I see Alan, sitting somewhat in the dark with a knife and a damn scalpel in his hand.
Tears are streaming down her face and I look down, seeing an absurd amount of blood.
My head spins, and I look between the three of them.
"What the hell happened?! Who's blood is that?!"
"Georgia's!"
Alan smiles and I stare frozen at the blood and Georgia.
"What did you do, Alan?"
"Makeshift surgery! She needed that bullet out of her stomach you know...I just might've had a little too much fun digging around for it! Your friend has a high pain tolerance though."
My eye twitches and I just imagine poor Georgia—
My eyes move over to a bed with white sheets and a shit ton of blood.
I shiver.
I look down at her, tears now streaming down my face.
"I'm so sorry, Georgia!"
She chokes on the gag in her mouth and I pull it off.
"I-I'm fine—it didn't hurt that's bad, it's just—"
"Maybe it hurt a little when I sewed her back together."
I resist the urge to vomit as I hear both brothers' laughs, my head throbbing.
"I think I'm going to be sick..."
I pass out, feeling someone catch me right before I hit the ground.
*******
THREE HOURS LATER...
10:57 PM.
I open my eyes to be in some sort of living room, seeing two shadows in front of me.
"Jae? You good?"
My eyes adjust to the lighting, and Ian and a somewhat bloody Alan look at me.
"I'm okay—" my eyes snap on Alan and I narrow my eyes. "You!"
"Me?"
"You hurt Georgia, and you're gonna pay for it you little—"
I feel someone's finger against my lips, and Ian smiles.
"Quiet down, chipmunk. You see—Alan was trying to help her, right?"
He gives Alan a sort of warning look and he nods.
"Yeah. I was trying to help her."
"Correct. But, my idiotic brother got a little carried away and might've cut Georgia a little too deep. But he fixed it, and she's doing better. She said so herself. In a few days she'll be good as new, alright?"
I look at his finger then his dead eyes that are usually full of life.
"Okay..."
He drops his hand and Alan yawns.
"Staring at you sleeping made me tired. I'm going to take a shower then go to bed. I'll be up early for more fun."
He grins creepily, disappearing down the hallway.
I look back at Ian with my eyes slightly narrowed.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Me? I don't know what you're talking about, dear Jae."
He stands up, and I grip his wrist.
"What're you hiding, Thomas?!"
Ian's eyes snap on my hand, and he looks back at me while shaking my hand off.
"Don't do that again. And what are you talking about? Since when did you give a flying fuck about what I'm feeling? I basically kidnapped you, nutjob."
I roll my eyes.
"I can't be a decent human being? Why do you look so—dead?! What the fuck is behind those doors?!"
He laughs humorlessly.
"I find it funny that you think I'm going to tell you, Jae. Go to sleep. Take a shower. Do something other than bother me. We have important things to do tomorrow, love."
I make a face.
"What "important things"?"
"Use your imagination. Your room is the first door on your left. You're lucky I'm not locking you up like Florida. I'll see you tomorrow, babe. Don't try anything stupid or we'll have a problem. Remember—you're always being watched."
He disappears without another word, leaving me sitting there.
If he thinks I'm not going to do anything then he's stupid.
Like hell I'm just going to go to sleep and pretend like this isn't fucking insane!
I'm getting Georgia out of here at least.
And finding out what's in those damn rooms.
*********
After showering and changing into something that was left for me, I go back into the hallway.
Who's house even is this?!
And who would have the key to these rooms?
I sneak down the hall, seeing a door without a padlock.
Hmm...
I rest my hand on the doorknob, carefully pushing it open.
I look around, seeing a large monitor and computers, with a single chair at the desk.
I turn around and see another desk, with a dresser of sorts next to it with drawers upon drawers upon drawers.
I pull one open, seeing a file.
Rachel Alexander.
My eyebrows furrow.
Wait a minute...
*******
THREE DAYS AGO...
I stare at my TV, sighing.
"Gigi?! Is the hot chocolate ready?"
"No, bitch! It doesn't take five seconds for the water to boil! Calm your ass down!"
I open my mouth to say something when the news comes back on.
"Breaking news! Word is being spread around that yet another girl went missing last night from her home in East Chicago! Her name is Rachel Alexander, and if any of you see this woman,"
A picture of a pretty teenage girl with amber hair and brown eyes pops up on the screen, and my eyebrows furrow.
"Please contact the police. We hope Rachel can get back to her family as soon as possible. We wish you all the best, and please make sure you're inside before your town's curfew! We're trying to slow this predator down before they can kidnap any more women. Have a good night, and we're onto Nate!"
********
PRESENT.
Rachel Alexander.
What the—how?!
She went missing three days ago...why would they have a file?!
She wasn't one of the girls who showed up dead when Alan went on a killing spree...wait a minute.
I look more closely at the file, my eyes focusing on a date.
Went missing: 12/3/20.
I pick up another file from the drawer.
Cassidy Kane.
Went missing: 12/3/19.
Another.
Lynette Bryce.
Went missing: 12/3/18.
More.
Maya Black, Dahlia Trinity, Sasha Cunningham, Carrington Stratus, Sophie Patrick, Patty Charlotte...it goes on and on.
They all went missing on December 3rd of each year.
It's a pattern.
These date back to—to the 1930's...there's no way in hell this was Alan and Ian's work.
Unless...
My heart stops.
They're continuing on in their father's footsteps.
They're finishing what he couldn't when he was executed.
Alan killing those 33 people...
I pick up another file from the top of the dresser, seeing multiple news paper articles attached to the front.
33 women found dead floating in a lake.
Chicago Serial Killer on the loose.
Five missing girls found mutilated in Victorian home.
Chicago Serial Killer caught.
Harold Thomas. Harold Thomas.
The name is fucking everywhere.
Alan killing those women was a replica of what his father did 33 years ago. When he wasn't even alive.
What the fuck...?
Papers and photos fall from Rachel's file, and a sick feeling settles in my gut when I see them.
Journal entries.
Photos.
Photos of her twisted body in the ground.
Photos of her tied up and beaten—that looks like the same exact room Georgia's in.
I hear a scream, my heart stopping.
"Georgia!"
I flip around, about to run out when I run into someone, feeling their cold grip on my arms.
I get jerked around to face someone, my heartbeat thumping in my ears as his face comes into view.
Alan's mismatched cat eyes bore into mine, and the look of derangement in them is enough to send chills down my spine.
"Looks like you found out my secret, princess! And if you know everything...that means I certainly can't keep you alive anymore. Time to die!"