Lesley huffed, taking in deep breaths as bullets of sweat dripped from her pores. She halted her run, smoothly transitioning herself behind the trunk of a tree. Leaning forward, she rested her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She peered around the tree, scoping out her surroundings, ensuring Greg hadn't caught up with her. Finally, her labored breathing had simmered down.
Jackie's house was inching closer, evident by the scenery. And that kept Lesley's momentum and sanity- knowing a haven of safety was nearby.
As she scanned her surroundings again, she quickly dived for the pathway to Jackie's house. From there, she regained her momentum.
Without further distraction, she increased her speed. The pathway was now inclining, forcing her to run up the hill strenuously.
Breathing hard and gasping for air, she felt her body would give out any minute now.
And that's when she heard it, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Lesley!" Nick's voice shouted through the forest.
Swiftly, she turned, shifting her head and gazing down the pathway.
Her heart pounded in her chest, knocking rhythmically against her ribs at the sight of Greg.
In his hand, he held a switchblade poised at Nick's throat. Thick ties of rope bound Nick's hands behind his back, rendering him powerless.
Trembling, she felt a surge of fear race through her. She extended an open hand toward Greg, silently pleading for an alliance in that dire moment.
"Greg, please, let Nick go." She cried. "I should've never run away from you."
"No, you should've never snooped!" Greg yelled. "I heard about you going around Arcaden, playing detective. Brown nosing!"
Tears streamed down Lesley's face. Her stomach churned with nervous anticipation, bracing for the unpredictable. She took two steps down the incline, hoping she would be able to offer some solace to Greg even though she knew he was dangerous and unstable.
"Greg, I'm so sorry," Lesley began, her voice quivering. "I truly cared about Leah. I just wanted to help her," she confessed. In that tense moment, she felt compelled to share the details of her visits with Leah over the past month.
"Leah wasn't a good girlfriend!" Greg retorted, his hand trembling as the switchblade remained dangerously close to Nick's neck. "She cheated on me!" His lips quivered as if he held back tears with all his might.
"I'm so sorry she did that to you." Lesley offered her sympathy. "If you let Nick go, I promise we can help you."
"Help me how?!" He shouted. "Nobody can help me!" He cried. The tears he tried so hard to hold back were now freely falling like raindrops in a storm; he couldn't control them.
"Greg, it's gonna be okay," Lesley said softly.
"Yeah, Greg. We can help you. Whatever you need, we got you, buddy!" Nick said optimistically, trying to forget that he had a switchblade pointed at his neck.
"I'm a killer!" Greg continued to cry. "It's over for me!"
Just then, loud sirens could be heard through the cold forest air.
Lesley's heart jumped with relief at the thought of help coming their way.
Not a minute later, the police cruisers appeared. Their tires screeching to an abrupt halt, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
Swiftly, two officers emerged simultaneously, each stepping out from opposite sides of the vehicle.
They brandished their guns. Their fingers gripped the cold metal as they took defensive positions behind the opened doors of their cruisers, turning them into makeshift shields.
"Put your hands in the air!" The cop with a mustache demanded.
"Greg, put your hands in the air. Now!" The other, shorter cop further instructed.
With a thunderous boom, shots were fired.
Lesley gasped.
Greg let out a piercing scream that broke through the pine-scented air. Two bullets hit Greg in the back of his legs, causing his body to fall like a ragdoll onto the paved pathway.
"I can't move!" Greg shouted, his voice shaky. "They shot me! They shot me!"
Then, without notice, Nick had inadvertently been hit with a flying bullet. Prompting Lesley to hastily run to Nick's side.
Kneeling on the cold, hard ground, she leans over him.
"Nick!" Lesley cried. "Are you alright?"
"I think so; just got hit in the buttocks," Nick said, squenching his face in pain.
One of the officers checks on Greg. And the other comes to check on Nick.
"We have an ambulance coming up here to take you to the hospital." He reassured.
Nick nodded.
Lesley gazed into Nick's deep chocolate-colored eyes.
"Nick, where have you been?!" She began. "I was so worried about you."
"They took me and held me hostage," Nick explained. "I have to tell the police."
"Who's they?" Lesley's brows furrowed as she remained kneeled beside Nick. "Do you mean Greg?"
Nick shook his head firmly. "No."
Just then, the blaring sirens of the ambulance grew nearer and nearer. Lesley let out a heavy breath.
Their crimson lights spun, shining like an eerie light show in the dense forest. They had finally arrived. Their van came to a halting screech in sheer urgency as their tires collided with the pavement.
Two medics, a man and a woman, sprang from the van. Swiftly unfurling a stretcher, they both ran to Nick's side. The woman's brown hair was neatly tied up in a bun, and an anxious expression was etched across her face. The man, with a bald head, bore a deep and earnest look of concern as he knelt beside Nick.
Another pair of medics arrived on the scene, swiftly attending to Greg and his injuries.
"How are you feeling?" One medic asked as he inspected Nick's injury. Nick confirmed he was feeling alright, just mild pain near his injury. They lifted him onto the stretcher and wheeled him away, placing him into the back of their van.
"Can I come with him?" Lesley asked, her eyes gleaming, filled with sadness.
"I'm sorry, we don't have room in our vehicle, but you can meet us at the hospital." The female medic informed.
Lesley's heart plummeted; she wanted to be by Nick's side. She wanted to ensure he would receive the care he needed and be there if anything were to go wrong.
"What hospital are you taking him too?" Lesley inquired with urgency.
"Aracaden Medical Center." The medic responded. "However, if the injury is much worse than anticipated, he will have to be transported to a level three trauma center. Most of our level three patients are flown by helicopter to New York University Hospital." He explained.
Just then, five cop cars came careening over the hills, racing toward the scene. Their vehicles veered to the site where the activity occurred.
Their lights flashed, and their sirens blared while Lesley watched on.
The cops exited their vehicles. Officer Grant scanned the area and immediately spotted Lesley among the throng of law enforcement officers and investigators. He walked hastily toward her.
"Officer Grant!" Lesley's relief was palpable. She nearly wanted to hug him, wrapping him in a warm embrace. She knew everything would be fine as long as he handled it.
When he finally made his way to Lesley, he stood before her, his expression stern and serious. Instead of his usual police attire, he wore gray slacks and a long black peacoat, his hands stuffed inside his pockets. The wind tousled the few strands of curly gray hair he had left on his head.
"They took Greg away!" Lesley informed. "They caught him. He admitted to killing Leah." Teardrops seeped out of her eyes.
"This investigation isn't over just yet." Officer Grant explained. "Greg didn't do this all by himself. He had help." His eyes squinting as the gusty wind blew into them.
Lesley's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, there are others out there that assisted Greg." Officer Grant coughed while clearing his throat. "Someone wanted Leah dead, and it wasn't Greg."