Not exactly what MC had expected from Emma's friends. He and Maximus stood petrified, their eyes adjusting to the immersion before them. The wall ran across the room, an overwhelming mishmash of notes, photographs, maps, and newspaper clippings. Red strings crossed over each other from pin to pin, creating a chaotic yet deliberate tapestry of their investigation. It was not just a wall, it was the concrete translation of years of relentless searches and refusal to allow Emma to slip away into that limbo of the forgotten missing.
The heavy silence was broken by Maximus's low whistle. "I see what you mean when you said you weren't just sitting around while Emma was missing," he said, his voice lower than usual, the rare hint of sheepishness in the tone catching MC off guard.
The girls stood a few steps behind them, watching their reactions. Their faces were complicated-a tangle of pride, sorrow, and resignation.
Rebecca was the first to break the silence, her voice soft, yet laced with raw emotion. "Yeah. We thought we'd find her, you know? We thought maybe she was locked up somewhere, waiting for us to save her. Some stalker's basement, maybe…" Her voice faltered, and she blinked hard, the weight of her words pressing down like lead. "But I guess we finally know the truth now.
Her admission landed heavily in the room, and MC felt the air shift, thick with shared grief.
He said nothing. What was there to say? These girls had spent years of their lives in the search, following threads of hope as the rest of the world moved on. And he'd given them that one truth they'd been working so long to avoid: Emma was gone. She wasn't just missing-she was dead.
The ghost of Emma lingered in that room and in every strand of this investigation: in the photos, the scribbled notes, the arrows pointing desperately toward dead ends-an inescapable haunting, which now is given the most cruel kind of closure by MC.
Shaking the heaviness off, MC turned his attention to the wall again, his eyes roaming over the details. He couldn't help but feel a bit awed. Compared to what he and Maximus had managed to put together, this was leagues ahead. These girls weren't amateurs; they were investigators.
"This is…" He paused, trying to find the words. "A lot." He glanced back at the group. "So, is someone going to explain all this? Because I'd really rather not try to piece it together myself."
Eliana stepped forward. She always seemed to carry herself with quiet authority, but now MC could see the weariness in her eyes, the way grief clung to her like a shadow.
"We were trying to figure out which one of our classmates was a stalker," she said, gesturing to a clump of photographs.
MC followed her hand to a number of pictures pinned on the wall. Some had scribbled notes down the margins while others were circled in red ink.
"These were sent to Emma," Eliana said, "pictures the stalker took of her. We knew he had to be someone in our class; he was too close to her, knew too much. So we started crossing out people we knew were innocent."
She traced the lines of their investigation, leading MC's eyes through their logic. Several photos were crossed out, the faces obscured by bold red X's. The process of elimination had left just a handful of suspects.
"We ended up with five people," Eliana said, motioning toward a row of untouched photos. The faces staring back were all young boys, smiling blissfully unaware that they had ever been under suspicion.
MC studied them. They were ordinary kids—looked innocent, even—but he knew better than to trust appearances.
"All of them were clean," Eliana said, her voice going hard as she moved to the final photo. "Except one."
She tapped the picture, and MC felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The boy in the picture was pale, his dark brown hair mussed under the ever-present hood. His eyes cut through the picture, shadowed and dull in such a way as to be unsettling in ways MC couldn't quite place. Something about the way he stood, filled the frame, even in a still image, just screamed that something was wrong.
Now MC understood why the girls had fixated on him. He looked… wrong.
"He needs a tan," Maximus grumbled, breaking the ice. "And he needs to get rid of that stupid hood."
The weightiness of the room was lifted for a second as Lisa and Rebecca chuckled softly at Maximus' observation. Even Eliana's lips barely turned up into a faint smile before she composed herself, her throat clearing.
"He was an odd boy," she said, her voice serious again. "He was rarely home. We saw him at school, but no one knew where he went afterward. He didn't have friends, and no one could tell us much about him. So one day…" She faltered, looking at her friends before continuing. "We decided to follow him."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
MC felt the lump of anxiety in his chest clench just a little tighter. There was a gravity to the way Eliana spoke, and he knew right off that whatever they had uncovered hadn't been easy to confront.
"What'd you find?" he asked, his voice low, though not really sure he wanted to hear the answer.
The room fell silent, the weight of the story pulling them all into its grip.
…
Eliana, Lisa, and Rebecca were lurking in the shadows, their eyes set on the hooded boy commonly known as Freddy. They had casually asked their teacher about him earlier, pretending it was idle curiosity, and learned his name in the process. Freddy had become a fixture of their speculations, a puzzle they were determined to solve.
He was easy to pick out with his ever-present black hood-a uniform, unchanging piece of him. The consistency intrigued Eliana; did he only own one, or was his closet filled with black hoods? That teased at the back of her mind, but one pressing question overshadowed that: what was he doing with a backpack when school wasn't in?
The three girls watched as Freddy looked around furtively up and down the street. Then, without hesitation, he started walking, his steps quick and purposeful.
"Does this feel wrong to anyone else?" Lisa asked, breaking the silence. She glanced at her friends, her tone tinged with guilt. "I mean, I feel like a total creep, spying on this guy."
Rebecca snorted, folding her arms over her chest. "This guy could've Emma stashed away somewhere, and you're giving me 'I don't wanna be a creeper'? Get your head in the game, Lisa."
"I'm not saying I am not on board," Lisa shot back, offended. "I'm just saying, this is weird."
"We have no time for this," Eliana cut in, her voice a little sharper than she intended. "Let's go. We cannot afford to lose him.
With that, they moved in step with each other, keeping a healthy distance behind Freddy. Attempting to be nonchalant, the darting of their eyes in all directions and quiet murmurs more than likely gave away their little procession. Yet they carried on, locked onto the form of the young lad ahead.
Freddy walked quickly, his head jerking this way and that, as if he was expecting someone to pop out from anywhere and attack him. His jumpy behavior made the girls stop periodically, hiding behind parked cars or melting into doorways until he was out of sight.
"What's up with this guy?" Rebecca whispered. "Why is he being so suspicious?
Maybe because he has Emma locked up somewhere," Lisa suggested grimly. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides. "I swear, if I find out he's involved…"
"Focus," Eliana snapped, cutting her off. The mere thought of Freddy having anything to do with Emma made her stomach churn. "We can't afford to lose him.
"We're focused," Lisa shot back with a shrug. "We're just talking while we follow him. Multitasking, you know?"
"That's not what I meant," Eliana grumbled. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, and the constant stress of searching for Emma was starting to wear her down. She forced herself to keep her eyes on Freddy, who was now heading toward the outskirts of town.
As they followed him further, everything grew quieter. The hum of the traffic faded, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. Freddy left the main streets behind, venturing into the woods at the town's edge.
"Where is he going?" Rebecca whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
The trees seemed to close in around him, growing closer together, the sun's setting rays casting long, unnatural shadows. It was cooler here, and a brooding silence lay over the forest.
Finally, Freddy stopped in front of a dilapidated building. The girls froze, eyes wide as they took in the view. It was an old warehouse whose walls, having been scorched black by a fire long ago, still seemed to bear testimony to the fact. The roof sagged, and parts of it looked ready to fall off at any moment. Yet Freddy briskly went inside, out of sight into the shadows.
"What the hell is this place?" Lisa murmured, hardly audible.
"I didn't even know this was out here," Rebecca said, darting uneasy eyes at the others.
It was as Eliana's imagination took flight, her heart sank. What if Emma had lain here, frozen and terrified, for days? She envisioned the girl curled into a filthy nook, her pale face streaked with tears of fear. The notion was too unbelievable, and it pushed her toward action.
"We have to go inside," she said with finality.
Three cautiously approached the warehouse, steps light and uncertain. Inside, the heavy air smelled of ash and rot. The floor was thickly covered in soot, the remnants of old furniture scattered in every direction like so many relics forgotten. There was no Freddy, but his footprints were plain in the dust, deeper into the building.
"This place is disgusting," Lisa muttered, wrinkling her nose. "At least the dirt's useful for once."
Rebecca crouched to examine the footprints, grim. "What's the plan? We can't let him know we've been here. What if he panics and moves Emma somewhere else?
Eliana hesitated, her gaze following the trail of footprints toward a door on the far side of the room. Rebecca was right. They couldn't risk alerting Freddy.
"We'll come back," Eliana decided, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "When he's not here. It's too risky now."
Lisa frowned, her eyes flicking to the door. "And if he's keeping her in there? What then?"
Eliana's resolve shook, but she squared her shoulders. "We'll have a better chance if we're careful. For now, we leave."
Regrettively, the three retreated and slipped out of the warehouse as silently as they had entered it. As they made their way back through the woods, the unanswered questions weighed heavily upon them.
What was Freddy hiding? More importantly, was Emma inside that warehouse?
…
"Find something, ever?" Maximus asked, curiosity and skepticism lacing his tone, as Eliana finished relating a part of her story.
Eliana sighed, her expression darkening. "No," she admitted softly, shaking her head. "We went back later, but there was nothing there. The place was empty."
She leaned forward, her elbows on the table as she spoke; her words were measured and tinged with frustration. "We looked in every corner, every crevice imaginable. Lisa even suggested we tear up the floorboards, but. it was pointless. It was like the place had been scrubbed clean."
"So, you just gave up?" Maximus asked, his tone edging on accusatory.
Eliana's eyes flicked up to his, a flash of defiance in her gaze. "What else were we supposed to do? We couldn't find a single thing. No footprints, no clues—nothing that tied Freddy to that warehouse. We decided to focus on him directly after that."
MC, who had been leaning silently against the edge of the table, shook his head, his face grim. "That doesn't make sense," he said, slicing through the tension. "How could the warehouse be empty? That kid must've gone there multiple times for a reason. There's no way it was just. a random spot.
It brought heavy silence over the room. The girls looked at one another uneasily but again said nothing. This was that mystery which couldn't be cracked yet, the suspension of which just kept hanging on over their lives like a looming storm cloud.
But MC wasn't willing to just drop it. Straightening, with hands clamping around the table's edge, hard resolve set features into stone. "We ain't leaving it like that," he said forcefully. "Let's just leave this blasted basement and do some digging on our own."
Eliana raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?
"Dead serious," MC said, leaving no room for discussion in his tone. He gave the three girls a sharp stare. "Coming or not?"
He did not wait for an answer but pushed himself away from the table and strode with a sense of purpose toward the door that caught him by surprise.
Maximus sprang up to his feet. "Wait—where are we going?
"The warehouse," MC called over his shoulder. "We'll find the answers ourselves. I'm not wasting any more time."
Maximus hurried after him, still trying to keep up. "The warehouse? Isn't it out of town?"
"Yeah, and I'm not walking there," MC shot back as they climbed the stairs.
"Then how—"
"We're taking a car," MC interrupted.
Maximus blinked in disbelief. "Car? What car?"
By now, Eliana and the others had closed the gap. "There's no point in asking questions," said Eliana with a wry smile, "just go along with it, trust me."
They ran out of that basement and into afternoon light, saw the Whitlock farmhouse up in front of them. The people on the porch, still sorting through Grandpa William's boxes, turned to watch.
"Mom!" MC exclaimed, chest heaving as he came to a stop. "Can I use the car? I need to take these guys somewhere."
His mom looked up from a box of old photo albums, her brow furrowed in surprise. "The car? Why? Where are you going?"
"It's important," MC insisted, looking back at his friends, who were equally out of breath. "Please?"
She watched him a moment, then nodded, her tone laced with caution. "Alright. But be careful, okay?"
"Thanks, Mom," MC said, already darting into the house to grab the keys.
He emerged a moment later, clutching them triumphantly. The group was waiting by the car, their faces a mix of anticipation and confusion. With a click, MC unlocked the doors, and everyone piled in.
As the motor started, Maximus could not hold himself back anymore. "Seriously, though," he said, turning to MC. "How do you even know how to drive? I've never seen you behind the wheel before."
MC kept his eyes on the road as he pulled out of the driveway. "I got my driver's license last year.
Maximus's jaw fell. "Wait-so you have been able to drive this whole time? And you never said anything?"
"No," MC replied flatly. "I only took the exam because I'm going to college and I'll need a car to get there."
Maximus crossed his arms and sunk back in his seat with a melodramatic huff. "Unbelievable. I should've brought my books if I knew this was happening.
Eliana chuckled from the back seat. "You'd probably get carsick anyway."
As the farmhouse disappeared behind them, MC tightened his grip on the steering wheel. This wasn't just about solving a mystery anymore. It was about proving that no matter how empty that warehouse seemed, the truth was out there—and he was going to find it.
…
Jake leaned against the porch railing, squinting as he watched MC walk toward the car with Emma's friends trailing behind him. It didn't add up. The whole town knew those girls hated MC with a vengeance. The icy glances, the gossip behind his back-they didn't even disguise their malice. And now they were walking abreast like three old pals.
Jake's eyebrows furrowed. What was going on?
But before a theory could be pieced together, MC had darted into the house. A few seconds later, he reappeared with car keys. Unlocking the vehicle in one swift motion, he hopped into the driver's seat and waved at the rest to get in. The little brother jumped into the passenger seat, while the girls crammed themselves in the back. The engine roared to life, and the car sped off, kicking up a cloud of dust as it disappeared down the driveway.
Jake froze, his confusion rapidly giving way to frustration. What was MC doing? The same glum, pitiful kid who slunk back into town for the funeral, barely saying anything to anyone? He enjoyed the view of him trying to flounder around and deal with the weight of it all. It was justice for the little brat MC used to be.
But now? Now MC was storming around with some kind of purpose, dragging his little brother and those girls along for the ride.
Jake curled his fists, nails digging into his palms. MC like this—purposed, energized—made him ill. He reminded him of how he had been at thirteen. Back then, he was bold, reckless, and perhaps irritatingly confident. He had always acted as if he could take on the world and that nobody's opinion counted except for his. Now, after years of being knocked down, he was somehow clawing his way back to that infuriating version of himself.
Jake's jaw clenched as he glared at the empty driveway. He didn't like it. Not one bit.
The frustration boiling over, he whirled and stamped toward Charlotte, who sat on the porch steps, folding Grandpa William's old shirts into a box. She hummed softly to herself, oblivious to the storm brewing in Jake's chest.
Of all the people in MC's family, Charlotte was the only one Jake could stand. Kind and practical, she mostly kept to herself. The rest of them were a disaster: loud and dramatic, always making life more interesting for everyone around them. He almost felt sorry for Charlotte, having to put up with them day in and day out.
"Aunty," Jake called, forcing himself to sound calm. He jammed his hands into his pockets, trying to keep the irritation from seeping into his voice. "Do you know where MC went?"
Charlotte looked up, startled by the sudden question. She glanced at the now-empty parking spot before brushing her hands on her jeans. "He didn't say much," she replied thoughtfully. "Just something about dropping the girls off somewhere.
Jake's frown deepened. Dropping them off? That didn't explain anything.
"Thanks, Aunty," he muttered, though the words felt hollow.
Charlotte tilted her head, watching him with a curious expression. "Is everything alright, Jake?"
"Yeah," he said quickly, waving her off. "I just don't like being left in the dark.
He spun on his heel and headed back toward the house, the crunch of gravel beneath his boots the only sound he made. But the feeling gnawing at his gut didn't ease. If anything, it got worse with every step.
Something was happening—something he didn't understand—and it put him on edge. Jake hated being out of the loop, and MC's sudden transformation only added to his frustration.
He reached the porch and stopped, turning back to the road in the direction the car had vanished. Part of him wanted to get in the car and follow them, sort out whatever was going on and put an end to whatever nonsense MC was stirring up. Part of him wanted to, but another part of him-the one that remembered MC as that cocky kid who always needed to prove something-just wanted to stay behind and let it play out.
Either way, Jake knew one thing for sure: this wasn't the end of it.
…
MC slowly brought the car to a stop, frowning as the road ahead seemed to disappear into some abyss of trees. The narrow path they had been following finally reached its end and was abruptly swallowed by this looming forest that stretched in all directions. Long, eerie shadows stretched across the forest floor as the towering pines towered high above. Although the sun had barely reached the beginning of its setting, there was a sort of unnatural darkening in the air.
They stepped out of the vehicle one by one, the crunch of gravel beneath the boots was the only sound heard beside the whispering wind. A strange stillness hung over the area, like the woods themselves were holding their breath, waiting for them to make the next move.
"Are you sure the warehouse is this way?" MC asked, locking the car and turning toward Eliana.
She nodded slightly. "Just past the trees, it will only take a moment to get to.
None of them said a word as they moved into the forest, as if some sort of unspoken rule had settled over them. The deeper in they walked, the more the world seemed to change. There was a distant chittering of unseen creatures through the trees, the cold January breeze slithering through the branches and making them rustle like whispering voices.
Maximus kept close to his brother, trying to ignore this feeling, which was growing in the back of his mind. All his life, he had lived with the neon lights of the city, the hum of motorways, and the smell of well-worn streets. This forest, full of sprawling shadows and the earthy scent of dampened dirt, was something foreign to him. He had never been into woods like this before-and frankly, he couldn't understand why anyone would want to. The place felt like the setting of some horror movie, the kind where people went in but never came out.
"How much farther?" Maximus finally whispered, the wind almost drowning his voice.
Eliana glanced at him, then pointed ahead. "Just past those trees."
Sure enough, the warehouse materialized out of the darkness, like a scar on the landscape. It was in worse shape than they'd envisioned. The skeletal remains of the building stood charred and crumbling, the blackened edges of the structure giving off the impression it had been abandoned long before the fire had ravaged it. The air around it was heavy with the residual smell of burnt wood and decay.
MC didn't hesitate. He strode to the entrance-the broken door, barely clinging to its hinges.
"Wait, aren't you worried about the footprints?!" Lisa exclaimed, jogging up to him. "That was the whole point of having to wait until later, remember?"
MC nodded. "I remember." His eyes hardened as he stepped inside. "I just don't care. If this creep is responsible for Emma's death, I need to know.
That was all it took. They followed him inside.
The warehouse had once been used for storage, but now it was no better than a graveyard of forgotten furniture and wreckage. Pieces of shattered glass crunched beneath their feet as they made their way deeper into the wreckage. Remnants of tables and shelves could hardly be found, charred and broken beyond recognition. Whatever happened here had left destruction in its wake.
MC's keen eyes scanned the floor for anything that looked out of place. His eyes landed on a series of footprints, faded and decaying, as if left long ago.
"Guess Freddy hasn't been here in a while then," he said, mumbling to himself.
The girls branched off in different directions to see different parts of the structure. MC and Maximus went upstairs to the upper floor. Grudgingly, the stairs creaked under their steps, wood that brittle, sending fresh waves of dust with every step into the air.
"This place is disgusting," grumbled Maximus. "I don't know how anybody could stand here."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a sharp crack resounded throughout the warehouse.
Before Maximus could even utter a word, the wooden boards gave way beneath him, and he fell through with a startled yelp, his fingers frantically scrabbling at the edges of the broken stairs.
"Are you shitting me?!" MC quickly turned, his heart jolting as he ran to help his brother.
Maximus was dangling over the gaping hole, his face pale. "Hey! Pull me up!"
MC gritted his teeth and grabbed his brother's arms, hauling him back up with every last drop of strength he possessed. The effort left them both breathless, and they collapsed onto the dusty floor just as the girls rushed over.
Rebecca wrinkled her nose at the sight of the broken stairs. "Are you guys okay?
Maximus let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah, just a little traumatized. Seriously, who the hell comes here willingly?"
MC shook his head. "We're stuck up here. You girls check out the lower level. We'll keep looking up here.
As the girls nodded and wandered off once more, MC turned his attention to the upper floor. The snow had blown in through the holes in the ceiling, casting a thin layer of white over the ruined floor. Most the rooms were either empty or filled with unrecognizable debris.
"This place is goddamn empty," MC growled, frustration curling through him. "Why the hell would that kid come here?"
The cold gnawed at his skin, but the anger burning inside him kept it at bay. Maybe the girls had been wrong. Maybe there was nothing here. Maybe he had wasted his time chasing ghosts.
"Hey, MC." Maximus tugged on his coat. "Look up there."
MC followed his brother's gaze and found a hole in the ceiling-actually another level above them. The ladder lay nearby, leaned against the wall, weathered but still standing.
"Good eye," MC murmured.
They propped the ladder up and climbed, being sure to test each rung before shifting their weight. By the time they reached the top, what greeted them stole their breath.
On the back wall was a huge portrait of Emma.
This wasn't some quick graffiti job or hasty sketch-this was art. Everything had been carefully chiseled, each line placed with due deliberation and thought.
MC and Maximus were both rooted to the spot, the heavy weight of this discovery upon their shoulders.
"Hey! You guys!!" Rebecca's voice echoed up from below. "You found it?!"
The grip on the flashlight in MC's hand suddenly tightened.
"Hell yeah, we found something," he muttered.
…
Eliana pinned the photo of the mural onto the investigation board, stepping back to let everyone take it in. The mural of Emma was large, detailed, and haunting. A dedication? Maybe. But the obsessive detail in the artwork sent a chill down MC's spine.
"We never found this before," Eliana said, her voice edged with unease. "But it proves one thing—Freddy was definitely obsessed with Emma."
They were huddled in Lisa's basement once again, surrounded by stacks of notes, blurry photos, and hastily scribbled theories, but this time, they had another concrete piece of evidence. Something tangible, something undeniable. To MC, it was enough. Enough to convince him that Freddy was the stalker. The signs had been there before: creepy glances, strange coincidences, the gut feeling that something was always off about the guy. But this? This was proof.
Now, all he had to do was get everyone on board with interrogating Freddy and figure out whatever Emma's ghost was trying to lead them toward.
He took a breath before speaking. "I'm going to interrogate Freddy," he announced, crossing his arms. His voice was steady, firm. "Who's with me?"
For a split second, there was silence. Then, every hand in the room shot up.
MC wasn't quite sure if he should be relieved or perturbed. First of all, well, he wouldn't be having to do this alone. The raucous vigor from the quintet, though, was a little. Intimidating.
He gave a slight stretching, trying to shake that tension off. "Alright, ladies. You do the leading; let's cross our fingers in hopes we wouldn't get cited for harassment of any kind.
Laughter rustled through, dispensing a bit of the weighted atmosphere lingering in the air, until it died just as quickly when Lisa suddenly jerked upright.
"What the…?"
And before any of them could do anything, she shot up the stairs, out of the basement, as if it was Olympic training for goodness' sake.
Nothing much to do but give chase.
By the time MC made it outside, his breath hitched from the cold air, he was relieved to see—for once—it wasn't him causing a scene.
Lisa had the scrawny kid from yesterday—the one who had asked if MC cut himself—in a chokehold, her grip so tight it looked like she was ready to snuff the life out of him.
Who are you, and why have you been following us?" she demanded, the edge of danger sharp in her voice.
Following them?
MC and Maximus exchanged a glance. Neither had sensed a single thing. Which wasn't a good omen at all. They really needed to step it up.
MC ran a hand through his hair and took one step closer. "Let me handle this," he said through his teeth and crouched down to peer closer at the kid.
The scrawny kid was shaking, his eyes darting around the group like a rabbit caught in a trap. MC could almost hear the pounding of his heart.
He lowered his voice, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Why have you been following us?" His tone was calm but laced with something cold, something calculated. "If you don't answer, I'll bust up your kneecap and toss you into the woods. The wolves could use a snack."
Maximus stiffened beside him, staring at MC in shock.
Never in his life had he seen his brother like this.
Not once.
MC had always been quiet, maybe a little lost, but this? This was something else entirely. This was some damn mafia-movie shit right here. But then again, Maximus also hadn't known his brother could fight or drive, or that he was being haunted by a ghost. So at this point, really, who was he to judge?
The scrawny kid looked at MC, his breath hitching. This wasn't what he had been expecting.
Before leaving town, Jake had told him MC was mentally unstable-depressed, even. But this? This was something different. This version of MC wasn't fragile. He wasn't broken. He was dangerous.
And the girls standing behind him?
They looked ready to dispose of a body if necessary.
Tears welled up in the kid's eyes. His voice cracked.
Jake sent me to ask what was going on with you!" he blurted, stumbling over his words in fear.
MC let out a deep sigh, already starting to rub his frozen face. He didn't have patience for this. "Of course it was him," he muttered, shaking his head.
He pushed himself back to his feet. "Tell him that whatever I'm doing is none of his damn business. And if he tries messing with me one more time, I'll put him in a hospital bed."
Lisa's grip loosened, and the scrawny kid wasted no time bolting down the street like his life depended on it.
Lisa turned back to MC, arching a brow. "You think that's a good idea?"
MC shook his head, blew a short breath. "No. But at least now, Jake will leave me alone."
He turned to the group, rolling his shoulders. "Let's go deal with Freddy."