Just a Taste Part 8

Ch 8: Act Now, Think Later

Dylan

December 20th, 2024- South Carolina Woods- 8:12 PM

The call ended abruptly as the woman screamed. Leaving my twisted imagination to run wild. Dark and mangled realities began forming within my mind to justify the scream and why it sounded like Isabella.

Unfortunately, my heart wasn't listening to my mind anymore. And trust me, nobody wants that.

I watched Possum run toward the edge of the road, and then I saw the police lights flickering. The perfect scapegoat literally ran into the law's hands.

Fuck, I still have the phone! They'll track me!

After cracking the phone in half, I sprinted back to my sanctuary. Heart pounding like a drum the entire time.

Once I entered the abandoned hotel again, I locked the door and waited.

Panicked shrieks, followed by gunshots, and finally, silence. Either Possum is dead or knocked out. Both scenarios are damning. He's ruined.

The police have him now. There's no coming back from that. Not with our crimes.

Using another burner phone, yes, I have several. I typed in my source's number and waited for an answer.

It didn't even ring once. The system automatically disconnected the call.

Very smart. The bastard destroyed the phone.

Hm, I wonder though, how well was it destroyed?

Because even if someone smashed the phone to pieces, the phone's operating system contains data on a chip that hackers can access or track if it stays intact.

Only one way to find out, I suppose.

I opened the Find My Phone tracker app and typed the phone number in.

The infamous words popped up on the screen:

Please wait while we locate your device!

Pacing back and forth, I 'waited patiently' for the app to do its job.

Finally, it finished.

Displayed was a map with the location: Colombia, South Carolina. And where did the coordinates lead? To the Montgomery Mansion.

Anger boiled in me with such intensity that my head spun. How the fuck is my source at the Montgomery Mansion? Was he a member of Isabella's family? Or had he taken up residence there to claim a top-tier prize? After all, Isabella has been a target more than once recently.

You know what? It doesn't matter. Because when I get there, I'm killing that motherfucker!

Hell, depending on Isabella's family and their reactions, I might have to fight them off too.

I surveyed the map and, based on my current position, it would take about fifteen minutes to get there. With a car. By foot, it's easily thirty-five minutes. That's too fucking long.

With his expertise, he could murder and partially consume every member of the Montgomery family in less than twenty minutes .

If I hadn't ditched my car, I could've already been there! Fuck it to hell!

Then, as if I were struck by lightning, it hit me: How did Possum get here?

He moved slower than molasses, and he often grabbed more 'prey' than he could carry in his cooler, so did he have a vehicle somewhere?

Also, if he did have one, why in the hell was he just wandering around in the frigid darkness?

Now that I think about it, he knew exactly where I was. How?

Gathering my supplies, I braced myself for the horrible weather. It was time to leave my sanctuary and get to work.

I had a white rabbit to save.

The wind picked up significantly as I left the hotel, nearly knocking me on my ass. Struggling to stand, I grabbed ‌hold of a loose piece of wood and rode out the gust.

Within a few seconds, it slowed down. I yelled, ripping the wood off the wall like a maniac. Once I had it, I forced my body forward; trudging off the porch and into the knee-deep snow. To brace myself, I shoved the wood chunk into the ground; following Possum's footprints.

I walked a fair distance before I saw it: a black sedan hidden under a pile of fresh snow.

Jackpot!

Like a giddy child, I ran toward it with a wide smile. Grateful for the unexpected treasure from an unorthodox colleague.

Swiping the snow away, I pulled on the doors. They're unlocked!

Thank you Possum, you dumb bastard!

Quickly, I dropped my duffel bag and wood hunk into the cab as I slid into the driver's seat. 

I grinned at my good luck. The keys were in the ignition, too. 

Along with something weird on the dashboard.

Possum, it seemed, left a piece of paper behind. On it was: 

Diablo's last known locations: USC campus, coffee shop

Potential location: Abandoned hotel, deep in the woods, roughly five miles to the west.

He was looking for me? Why?

The two of us barely knew each other aside from in passing, so it made no sense for him to seek me out.

Given the circumstances, I guess the reason didn't matter anymore.

On a positive note, I had his car and a clear destination in mind: Montgomery Mansion.

Please, Isabella, stay alive for me.

I wouldn't forgive myself if she died before I arrived.

And I know her restless soul wouldn't either.

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and incidents are fictitious and the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, organizations, or events are entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Thank you for reading this eBook. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

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