Chapter 16: Andy's Past Returned

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Elizabeth drove us home from the hospital. We both charged into the house to talk to Ben about the murders taking place in the supposedly quiet town in the middle of nowhere.

"Dad!" Elizabeth yelled the second we passed the threshold.

"In here," he called from the living room.

We walked in to find him sitting there, waiting patiently for us.

"We need to talk," Elizabeth started.

"I know. Marshall Gardner called and said to get here as fast as I could, that you girls needed protection," he stated, "Someone want to fill me in?"

So we filled him in. Every detail about the murders. Everything Andy told me about what Frank had said. Every theory we could come up with about Jason. It was like once I started talking, I just had to spill my guts on every secret.

The last thing we discussed was the theory of Jason having brought multiple killers into town with him.

"If you are right, how could he have tracked down people who the FBI have been hunted for years in only a matter of a few weeks?" Ben asked.

"I wasn't planning on asking him when he shows his face again," I assured.

"What are we going to do?" Elizabeth's voice cut through our thoughts.

"Exactly what Sarah told Silver, act normal. Follow the normal routine," he looked down at his watch, "which on that account means you two need to go to school right about now. Don't worry, there are U.S. Marshalls crawling all over campus. You two should be completely safe there."

"What about everyone else?" I asked, "We may be safe there, but when the kids leave, they aren't going to be protected. He is coming after everyone I'm close to."

"All of your friends are in the program, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't talk to them about what's coming. It's only fair for them to be given the chance to protect themselves," Ben said.

"When did you get so wise," Elizabeth joked while ruffling his greying hair.

"Comes with age," he smiled.

"Alright, we'll tell them," I promised, then a thought entered my mind, "What about those not in the program?"

"You can't tell him, Silver," Elizabeth said, knowing exactly what I was asking.

"Doesn't he deserve a chance too?"

"Not if it means putting everyone else in danger with him having that information. Right now, him being in the dark will keep him safe from those looking at him."

"He is in danger just by being close to me. He needs to know what that danger is to protect himself," I argued, "If I don't tell him, how do I keep him safe?"

She looked down for a second, "I think we both know what you have to do," she paused before continuing, "You can't be with him."

Her words stung, much more than they should have. He was the first guy I had grown close to in a very long time. He made me laugh. He knew how to get me out of my own head, and now I had to let him go.

"Alright," I whispered, "If it will keep him safe."

Elizabeth watched me with sad eyes as we both headed upstairs to prepare for school in the morning, yet somehow I knew, no preparation would be enough for me to be ready to walk away from Dylan.

*****

It had been two weeks since the day Andy was attacked. I hadn't seen Jason since then. Not a single person has gone missing, and no new bodies had been discovered.

"Silver!" someone called down the hall. Out of impulse, I turned toward the voice. The second I saw Dylan, I turned back around and headed back to class as fast as I could.

I had kept to my promise. I stayed as far away from Dylan as I could. I ignored him as best I could, and I hadn't told him why.

I couldn't tell him the reason why without spilling my entire life story to him. Being close to him was only putting him in danger, and I couldn't handle it if he was hurt because of my carelessness.

So, I pushed him away with now rhyme or reason to him, and he refused to accept it. Every time I tried to push away, he pushed back.

"Silver, wait up!" he called out to me, before falling in line right next me; "Can you just talk to me?"

"Talk about what?" I asked him with a snarky voice, annoyed by his constant persistence.

"Why are you giving me the cold shoulder? It's been two weeks and you keep walking away from me," he grabbed my arm suddenly and turned me to face him, "What did I do?"

I watched as his beautiful eyes filled with sadness as confusing was clear in his features. I took a deep breath and looked down for a second before staring right back into those painful eyes, "You didn't do anything, Dylan," I started.

"Then what-" I cut him off before he asked again.

"I just can't do this. Please just leave me alone," I stated, leaving him probably more confused than ever. I walked out of the hallway and into my class, trying not to think about him.

That plan was going to fail.

After my class was over, I walked to my locker to put my text book away before heading off to lunch.

"Hey Silver."

"Hey Ryan," I answered as I turned toward his leaning figure beside my locker.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah just let me put my books away," I said.

"So, tell me what's going on with you and Dylan?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows in anticipation.

"You know what," I told him, "Not being with him is protecting him. You know what would happen if He got a hold of him."

"I guess I get it. It just sucks," he says, "After everything you told me, you deserve to have some happiness."

"Maybe when this is all over," I say before both our heads turn toward the onslaught of the patrolling guards.

The group was roughly ten big and split off down each corridor in packs of two each. For anyone else watching, they just looked like the normal cops, but we knew better. The marshals had been here since Andy. After they disappeared down the endless halls, Ryan turned his attention back to me.

"Well that never gets old," he mocks.

"At least they are here. I just hope they don't leave until we are sure they have everyone," I say, my annoyance clear. Elizabeth and I had told the captain of what I knew about Jason being back in town, but without substantial proof, they won't believe me. The only one who does is Sarah, but she can't change anyone else's mind.

"We better go," Ryan says as we start walking towards the cafeteria.

We didn't get more than five steps when the wailing blasted through the halls. Red lights spun in circles creating a ghostly shadow over our faces. The next thing triggered was the sprinkles set off from the one who must have pulled the fire alarm.

We held our hands over our ears as the water soaked us from head to toe. We watched students being filed out of the cafeteria. We were all packed together and shuffled to the front double doors with cops on each side of the hall.

"Stay calm! This is just a drill!" one of the cops yelled over the rushing water.

Ryan and I were herded toward the front of the pack as everyone went to the double doors. I looked at Ryan with worry on my face.

Who would pull the fire alarm when all these cops were around, I thought to myself.

A pair of marshals pushed open the doors as we piled out of the now flooded school. Everyone went to the parking lot. Kids filled every available spot. In the road, between cars, some even went into their own cars.

Ryan and I were pushed to the back as we made room for the incoming students that were still coming out of the building.

I watched the crowd as some students panicked. I noticed Megan's group of cohorts standing in a circle, trying to dry the running mascara down all their faces. I almost laughed at the sight.

I moved my attention to other groups of people. I saw the twins handing out towels to a group of girls. I noticed Dylan looking around and walking over to them, asking a question. Both guys shrugged their shoulders and returned to helping the soaked girls.

"Something's wrong," I say quietly to myself, although I know Ryan heard me.

The thing that caught my attention the most was the priorities seemed to have been put in place. Every marshal and cop was helping kids out of the building. All eyes were on the school. No one was paying any attention to the parking lot.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Everyone is focusing on the school. No one is looking at the parking lot," I turned in every direction, trying to spot what had been screaming for my attention since I came out here. Something was off, I just couldn't spot it.

"There," Ryan pointed to our left.

Standing in the middle of the chaos of the high school students was an older man. He was calm among the confusion. He was taller than most of the kids with murky brownish hair. He looked as if he might have been homeless. I moved to take a step closer to him when I noticed the glimmer in his hand.

It was if the world froze as his head moved to look directly at me. He raised his hand as I stared down the barrel at what would my end. I froze as a smile creeped up on his face and he moved his finger toward the trigger.

"Gun!" someone yelled right as he pulled the trigger.

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