Chapter Thirty-Four

Christian

After catching Karla up on what Rayden told us, she passed the pizzas to Adrian and started running back to my truck. Fear and determination similar to my own reflected in her expression.

"Kare, what are you doing?" I asked, following her with brows furrowed. "We don't even know where she is. We need to figure out a plan! We can't just drive around aimlessly - every minute is detrimental."

"He's right," Rayden came to stand beside me. "Mack is a sadist - if she is involved, we need to find them now. We can't waste any time."

"Well, while you boys stand around here trying to figure out a plan, I'm going to go save my best friend!"

She started climbing into the driver's seat, but I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me. "How?! Do you know where she is?! What do you know that we don't, Karla?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cellphone before waving it in my face. "Remember, I gave her my spare phone yesterday - if she still has it on her, I can locate it with the find my friends app."

My jaw dropped - why didn't I think of that!

"Why are you guys still standing around gaping - let's go!" Karla snapped, and we all started moving.

Kale snatched the keys out of Karla's hand. "I'll drive."

I opened my mouth to protest but he quickly cut me off. "Neither of you are in any state to drive - we won't be helping anyone if we end up in a ditch or worse." Kale looked from me to Karla, daring us to object.

We had no time for this, so I nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.

"I'll follow you guys on my Bike," Rayden said while walking past. Adrian, Nate, and Karla climbed into the back seat of my truck.

Karla wasn't even settled in when I turned to face her. "So, where is she?!"

"Ugh, can you give me a moment - Adrian, push over! You're on my buckle!"

"Well, move your leg out of my leg space!"

"Ouch!" Nate glared at Karla. "You just elbowed me."

"Well, tell your brother-"

"Enough!" I glared back at them. "Adrian, push over. Nate, shut up. And Karla, open that damned app and tell us where we are going."

They all looked up, ready to argue, but must've seen something on my face because they faltered. Adrian cleared his throat and then moved off Karla's buckle. Nate averted his gaze, pretending to find something interesting outside.

Karla stared back at me a moment before nodding with downcast eyes. "Sorry, Chris. We're all on edge." She pulled out her phone, and after a few minutes, looked up long faced. "I found her - it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. Halfway between Bridgewalk and Linshore. Looks like she's down some unmarked road - maybe a gravel road? Head east down 37."

Complying, Kale pulled out of the driveway.

Silence fell over the truck - we were all thinking the same thing. What was she doing down an unmarked road? Would we find Charlie ... or her remains?

My heart constricted at the thought as if someone were clenching it, squeezing harder and harder. There was an empty pit in my stomach determined to consume me whole.

I understood now why Kale refused to let me drive. He was already going ten over the speed limit, but it wasn't fast enough. Hell, fifty over wouldn't be fast enough. It took all my restraint not to reach over and slam on the gas.

Trying to distract myself, I looked into the rear-view mirror. Rayden was following us on his motorcycle. As much as I disliked the guy, I had to admit, he cared for Charlie. It wasn't in the same way that I did, but maybe more similar to the way Karla did. Or maybe more accurately, the way I cared and loved Karla.

Talking to Charlie yesterday, I could tell she felt the same way about him. There was almost a sibling-like bond between the two of them. I didn't have to like him, but I would put up with him ... for her.

"Did you have to do that, Kare-bear? We can handle this ourselves." Kale was saying, nose scrunched up in disgust.

Karla just got off the phone with 911 dispatch, much to our cousins' dismay. They never were a big fan of law enforcement, Kale especially.

"We might need back-up!" Karla said defensively. "If Mack is as bad as Rayden says, then having a couple police officers there is probably a good idea." 

I could tell Kale didn't agree—I wasn't sure if I did—but he dropped it.

It probably only took about half an hour to get to the spot indicated on Karla's phone, but it was by far the longest half hour of my life.

We pulled up to an old, abandoned house. It was less of a house and more of a shack with all the windows boarded up. The yard was overgrown and looked like it hadn't seen a weeder in years. There was an older Honda parked in the weed-covered driveway.

I didn't even wait for Kale to bring the truck to a full stop before jumping out and running up to the shack.

I tried opening the door, but it was locked.

"That's Danny's car," Rayden was saying to the others. Cautiously, they were making their way to me.

I put my ear to the door, and I could hear a soft whimpering sound.

Was that Charlie?!

Not waiting any longer, I pulled away from the door and then rammed my body into it with all the force I could muster.

BANG!

The door broke under the pressure and swung open, half hanging off the hinges. Stumbling in, I caught my balance and quickly scanned the room. I looked from the crazed, red haired girl—Mack, to the guy standing next to her.

But then I froze when I saw Charlie.

She laid limply on the floor, ropes tied around her legs and arms. She was covered in so much blood, I couldn't tell where it came from. Her face was pale, a sharp contrast to the black bruises around her neck.

My heart dropped when I realized I was staring at a corpse.

But then, her eyes slowly fluttered open.

She was still alive!

"Shit..." The guy who must've been Danny said under his breath. Him and Mack looked at each other before dropping the ropes and bolting toward the door.

But they were outnumbered.

Karla ran past me and tackled Mack to the ground. She started pounding her in the face without a second thought. Rayden grabbed Danny by the throat and threw him up against the wall. There was a gun in Rayden's hand, and he held it under Danny's chin, daring him to move.

Distantly, I could hear sirens slowly approaching.

I ignored them all and ran to Charlie. Up close, I could see she was losing a lot of blood from a wound in her thigh. Carefully untying the ropes around her, I quickly scanned her other injuries. Her arms were raw and bloodied, and her lips were cracked. She had black bruises around her neck, and her hair was crusted with blood. The leg seemed to be the worst of them from what I could see.

Tearing off my shirt, I wrapped it tightly around her bleeding thigh before pulling her up into my arms. She was sobbing at this point—I wasn't sure if it was in pain or relief. It tore at my heart, and I had to hold myself together. I was damned close to tears myself. "Charlie, I'm here. I'm here," I said comfortingly, and she clung onto me like her life depended on it.

Kale, Adrian, and Nate were standing in the room, ready to intervene if need be. Karla didn't let up until Mack was knocked unconscious.

Charlie's sobs began to quiet, but when she spoke, her voice was hoarse and barely recognizable, "A-are you really here? Am I dreaming?"

Cupping her face in my hands, I gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm really here, Charlie. I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner. I should've walked you to the door. I never-"

"What the fuck?" Kale growled.

He was holding a curved dagger and looking at an old camcorder. Adrian was pulling tapes out of a box sitting next to a metal chair. He started listing off names on the tape - Sandra, Vivian, Monica, and Jasmine. The last being the name of the girl who used to live at Hillside House. 

Charlotte paled and said barely above a whisper, "I-I wasn't their first victim."

Kale's grip tightened as he watched what was on the camcorder.

"What is it - let me see!"

He gave me a long look but slowly walked over and handed it to me.

I rewound the tape and pressed play...

Charlie was sitting in the metal chair, ropes tied around her arms, waist, and legs. Mack, twisting a thick rope between her hands, stalked in front of Charlie.

"Please," Charlie begged. "No more - please!"

"I ain't even close ta bein' done yet!" Mack wrapped the rope around Charlie's neck and pulled the ends. A sadistic smirk stretched across her face while she watched Charlie choking and gasping for air.

I could feel my muscles tightening as I watched. "Fucking Christ..." I said, voice trailing off.

Charlie's head fell limp, and Mack grabbed her by the hair and plunged her face into a big bucket of water. Charlie snapped awake and started thrashing.

Unable to watch anymore, I slammed the camcorder closed and jumped to my feet. Seething with rage, I glared at Mack's unconscious body, resentful that Karla denied me the revenge I so desperately sought. I turned my fury toward Danny. In a flash, I was over there shoving Rayden out of my way and driving my fist into Danny's face.

That was all it took. He flopped to the floor unconscious.

And then the police charged in.

They scanned the scene. Mack was lying unconscious with Karla sitting on top of her with bloodied fists. Charlie was slouched on the ground, bloodied and beaten, with Kale standing over her with the long, curved dagger. I loomed over Danny's body, and not too far from me stood Rayden, gun in hand, aiming it at Danny.

Chaos ensued.

The police pulled out their guns. "Down on the ground!" One of them shouted.

Rayden turned toward them, but he forgot to lower his arm. "No, you have the wrong-"

Without a second thought, I tackled Rayden to the ground as a bang echoed through the room.

Everyone froze.

"H-he was pointing it at me - you saw!" One of the officers stuttered, dropping his gun to the floor as if throwing it away could take back what he'd done. He looked from one partner to the next. "He pointed the gun at me! I had to!"

Rayden rolled out from under me. At first, I didn't know what happened. I reached up to my lower shoulder and felt wetness there. And then the pain hit. It was a hot, burning feeling like I was jabbed in the shoulder with a hot poker. I groaned in pain, clenching at my shoulder with blood-soaked hands.

Charlie, ignoring the police who still had guns pointed at us, rushed over to me within seconds. "No, Christian, please."

My eyes were heavy, and I let them close. I just needed to rest them for a second.

But Charlie grabbed me. "Stay with me, Christian. Help! Someone get help!"

Forcing my eyes open, I saw we were surrounded by Paramedics. The police must've brought them. Charlie still clung to me, screaming for someone to help even as they tried to tear her away. She fought to get back—she looked delirious, so I reached out and grabbed her hand. Squeezing it reassuringly, I managed to choke out, "Don't w-worry, my little n-nerd. You c-can't get rid of me that easily."

"Why?" She asked, tears flooding her face. "Why did you protect Rayden?"

I chuckled but then groaned in pain.

Wasn't it obvious?

Rayden was like a brother to Charlie. She lost enough family—I wasn't going to let her lose anymore.

The paramedics transferred me onto a stretcher. As they were rolling me away, I said, "It wasn't for Rayden."

NOTE:
Oh my Gosh! I cannot believe I am finally here! Almost at the end of this story. It has taken me so many years to complete this book - so many life distractions. Falling in love, starting a family of my own, starting a new career. But through it all, I never forgot about this book, or all of you, my amazingly patient readers. <3

I am so sorry it took so long, but here it is. The end of "Charlotte's Scars" aka Player and the Geek.

I do plan to have a little epilogue - I'm sure many of you would like that. So I will do that very soon.

I also plan to write spin off books with the other characters like Karla, Adrian, Nate, Kale, and Rayden, but I think I am going to keep those books as drafts until they are completed. Its not fair to you guys to leave half finished books sitting around for months without updates.