Chapter 21: The Truck Stop Trap

Sarah's POV

Everything went dark as the lights went out.

As if they were made of paper, I snapped the ropes around my wrists. Hayes was shouting and stumbling around in the dark when my guardian spirit strength kicked in.

"What's happening?" Hayes yelled. "Where are the emergency lights?"

I scurried to the door after rolling out of the chair. I could hear Hayes swearing and slamming into furniture in the dark. Elena's voice was crystal clear on my phone, which was still on speaker.

Sarah, keep your head down and head for the rear exit. I've turned off the building's electricity.

I began to whisper, "How did you—"

Elena stated, "Guardian spirit abilities work on electrical systems too." "Now, move quickly. In roughly 30 seconds, Hayes' backup generator will start up.

In an attempt to locate the door handle, I felt my way along the wall. Hayes was still stumbling around behind me, but I could hear him approaching the spot where I had been sitting.

"Detective Chen!" Hayes shouted. "You can't avoid me indefinitely!"

Bright lights filled the room as soon as my fingers touched the door handle. The backup generator was up and running. As I turned around, I noticed Hayes standing directly behind me, holding that large knife.

"Gotcha," he said, grinning evilly.

However, an impossibility occurred before Hayes could move. The room's temperature dropped so quickly that I could see my breath. Hayes's knife began to tremble in his hand as frost began to form on the windows.

"What the hell?" Hayes muttered.

Like a ghost emerging from a nightmare, Elena materialized in the room's corner. Her pale skin seemed to glow with its own light, and her silver eyes shone brighter than I had ever seen them. Not quite human, and certainly not something you wanted to tamper with, she looked just like she had in Marcus Rivera's basement.

Elena's voice sounded like the wind in a cemetery as she said, "Hello, Robert." "I've been anticipating our meeting."

Hayes let the knife fall. His tough guy persona completely disappeared, and he began to retreat toward the victim-photo wall.

"You're not real," Hayes stumbled. "You're not real."

Elena's teeth appeared sharper than they should have when she smiled. "Tell your grandfather and father that. Many years ago, they met someone similar to me.

"That isn't feasible. A heart attack claimed my father's life.

"Did he?" The pictures on the wall began to flutter as if there were wind in the room as Elena moved closer. "Or did he pass away from terror when justice eventually caught up with him?"

I looked at Elena and tried to make out what she was saying. Had she spent decades hunting the Hayes family?

Hayes leaned against the wall. "Avoid me!"

"Sarah," Elena said, keeping her luminous gaze fixed on Hayes, "there is a ton of evidence in this room. While I speak with Robert, take pictures of everything.

I took out my phone and began photographing the images of the victims that were displayed on the walls. Dozens of them were young ladies who had put their lives in danger to prove their trust in Hayes. Some of the faces I recognized from unsolved missing person cases made my hands shake.

"Please," Hayes pleaded with Elena. "I'll admit to everything. I'll tell you the locations of all the graves. Don't kill me, please.

Elena cocked her head as if she were listening to a distant sound. "Robert, your victims' voices are very loud. For fifteen years, they have been yelling for justice.

Desperately, Hayes said, "I can make up for it." "I can assist families in locating their daughters."

"How did you assist Jennifer Martinez? Amy Chen, perhaps? Or the dozen others who are interred in the forest behind your house?"

Elena was aware of names and information she shouldn't have. She was aware of information not included in any police report.

I continued to take photos, but I was also paying attention. Elena was extracting information from Hayes without even trying, and he was collapsing.

"How do you know all this?" Hayes muttered.

Elena explained, "Because I'm what happens when monsters like you think they're too smart to get caught." "I'm the unexpected consequence."

At that moment, I heard footsteps outside the room in the hallway.

boots that are heavy. several individuals.

"Elena," I muttered urgently. "A visitor is on their way."

Elena jerked her head in the direction of the door. Morrison, Sheriff. He also brought friends.

Despite his terrified expression, Hayes burst out laughing. "Now you're stuck! All three of Morrison's deputies are aware of my operation. They're not going to let you get out of here alive."

Just outside the door, the footsteps ceased.

"Hayes!" Sheriff Morrison yelled. "Is everything in there alright? We saw your backup lights turn on even though the power went out.

Elena's silver eyes glowed as she gazed at me. "I haven't told you everything there is to know about Sheriff Morrison, Sarah."

"What?"

"He isn't merely defending Hayes because they are friends. Morrison has also been murdering people. He is paid by the Hayes family to ensure that some missing person cases are never adequately resolved.

My blood froze. A sheriff who was also a murderer was even worse than a corrupt one. Everything changed as a result.

"Hayes!" Morrison gave another call. "Come in or answer me!"

Elena was a blur because she moved so quickly. She was standing directly behind Hayes with her hand on his shoulder one moment, and then she was on the other side of the room. Hayes became as rigid as ice.

"Sarah," Elena muttered, "I need your full trust. The only way for us to all survive is to do what I'm about to do, even though it will appear frightening.

"What are you going to do?"

I had never seen anything so terrifying as Elena's smile. "I will demonstrate the appearance of genuine monsters to Morrison and his deputies."

The handle of the door began to turn.

Morrison was entering.

Hayes stared at Elena, his eyes wide with fear, but he was unable to move or speak.

Elena had just told me that she was going to do something that would appear frightening, so I knew that whatever was going to happen would be worse than anything I had seen thus far.

Three armed deputies followed Sheriff Morrison as he entered the room through the open door.

Morrison looked at me with my phone full of evidence and said, "Well, well." "Detective Chen. I should have anticipated trouble from you.

At that moment, Elena released Hayes and looked at Morrison.

The sheriff's face went white as paper the moment he took one look at Elena—really looked at her glowing eyes and

her impossible, pale skin.

"Boys," Morrison said in a trembling voice, "I think we're going to need bigger guns.”