Chapter 23

The area was deserted.

Amidst the endless stretch of trees on either side of the road, an eerie silence prevailed. The full moon blessed the dark night with ample of light, giving me hope that I was, at least, aware of what was around me.

Although I knew that there were police officers hiding in the woods, I still felt alone. The officers had blended so well with the trees that it was impossible to predict their presence. 

It's okay, Zuri. Fred's here too. Relax. 

I paced around to calm my nerves. When that did not work, I thought of Kol.

What was he thinking? He did not know about the change of plans. Had we shattered his hopes? Or was he wise enough to understand that this was not a sudden change of events but a well thought out plan? Was he fine… safe? 

Close to thirty minutes had passed since I had texted Kol. But there was no sign of B anywhere around here. 

It should not take him this long to come here. This place was only a fifteen-minute drive from Kol's home. 

My palms started to sweat. What if B had changed his mind? What if he had caught on to my intentions? 

No, Zuri, it's not possible. Stop with these rubbish thoughts and concentrate on the task at hand. 

I began to pace around again. It was much better than standing in one place and waiting for the time to pass. 

If only Kol had given a little more credit to my doubts that night. If only he had trusted me and believed in my instincts. If only I had not acted in anger and had tried a little harder to make him understand, then maybe we would not have been in this situation today.

Kol was an impulsive person. His choices were more instinctive than pre-planned. I had understood that much about him. But I was not like him. And yet I had let him get into this trouble by leaving him alone.

If I had not fought with him and then turned my back on him, then maybe B would not have gotten a chance to attack Kol.

In what state of health was Kol in right now? Had B harmed him in anyway?

How had Kol reacted when he realised that he had no way to escape? What was going on in his mind currently? Was he scared?

Most importantly, did Kol blame me for this? Did he blame himself?

Stop it, Zuri. There's no use of blaming yourself. It's not entirely your fault.

Seconds turned into minutes until another half hour passed. 

My eyes searched for B but there was still no sign of him. 

What is Fred thinking? 

Should I text again? 

What if B is drafting a plan of his own right now? What if he's deceiving us somehow?

I swallowed the lump in my throat and took out my phone from the pocket. It was worth a try to text him again and see what was going on. 

This was a passing hope, though, because I knew there was almost no chance that he would reply to any of my texts now. 

Where are you? I've been waiting for so long. Are you even coming? 

I'm scared! 

I hit on send and waited. 

The single tick turned into a double one. Another minute later, he had read the message. 

I waited with bated breath for him to reply. But minutes passed again, and he left me on read. 

I exhaled deeply. B was no longer giving the phone to Kol. Maybe he was not with Kol right now or maybe he was no longer bothered about replying to my messages. Anything was possible. 

The night was getting colder and colder. My skin was starting to numb. 

What is going on? Where is he?

I glanced behind me at the trees, hoping to see Fred or some other officer. I wanted reassurance. I needed to know that our plan was not failing.

Fifteen more minutes passed. 

And then I saw him. 

He was here.

B was here. 

He was right at the start of the road, slowly walking in my direction. 

Dressed in all black with the hood over his head. Nonchalantly looking at his phone and whistling as he walked. It was him, no doubt. He was trying too hard to not care, to behave like a complete stranger. It was definitely him.

My heart hammered as he closed the distance between us with every step forward. He was still a good distance away and yet I was already on an edge. My mouth had gone dry, and I seemed to have frozen in my spot. 

I wanted to turn around and pretend to not notice him as well. But my body had grown numb. 

He was near now. Close enough for me to feel his presence. 

He glanced towards me, his eyes swallowing me up whole. I was too familiar with this gaze. 

"Pretty lady," he said, grinning, "Stuck, are you?" 

I opened my mouth to answer but no words came out. 

Where were the officers? Why weren't they grabbing him yet? Were they waiting to confirm that it was B? 

"Cat got your tongue?" he said, stopping in front of me. 

I found the strength in my legs to step back, and I moved away from him. 

Get it together. Get it together. 

"I-I am. My friend…he's coming here," I said. 

The grin did not leave his face. 

He cocked his head slightly and I saw his hand going into his pocket. 

"I'm guessing it's Kol?" he said, laughing out loud. "He's not coming, sweetheart. He's already…" He clicked his tongue. 

My world stood still. 

A deafening crash sounded inside my brain and then everything went numb. The same sound fell into my ears again and again. I could not stop it. 

The scene in front of me played out like a distant, blurry vision. Officers stepping out of the trees, B getting overpowered and handcuffed, the sound of sirens. 

"Zuri." 

"Zuri." 

"Listen to me." 

"Zuri!"

Someone shook me violently until I was forced to look at him. 

Fred. 

That was when I realised that the deafening crashing and shattering sounds were my own screams. My throat was burning as if it had been ripped open.

"K-Kol," I heard myself murmur, "Kol…Kol—” 

Fred's concerned face seemed to go back farther and farther away. I felt myself losing sensation all over my body. 

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and darkness grew in my peripheral vision, slowly encroaching upon everything that I could see. 

And then it all went dark.