Chapter Twenty Three
Elona looked around, then, noticing anyone, kissed her girlfriend. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You shouldn’t do that in public," a voice whispered in her ear.
Elona stiffened and turned around to look into Wade’s eyes. "What the hell do you want?" she demanded.
"For you to die," he said, raising his arm. He held a baseball bat.
Elona tried to step away from him, but he grabbed her. "I’ll scream," she said. Next to her, her girlfriend nodded.
"No one’s around to hear you." Wade smiled coldly, then swung his arm, hitting her with the bat. Iris, her girlfriend, screamed, and he hit her too.
"Grab them," he said to his friends, who were helping him.
"What are we going to do to them?" one asked.
Wade shrugged. "I’m not sure. I want them dead."
~*~*~
Sarah wiped her eyes as she pulled up in front of the hotel Justin was staying at. He’d called her the day he’d left the dorms and told her where he was staying, "in case you want to talk". She regretted not listening to him now.
"I’m sorry," Sarah sobbed when Justin opened the door. "I’m so sorry."
"Believe me now?" Justin asked, arching an eyebrow, his tone cold.
Sarah nodded, the tears still falling down her cheeks.
"What made you forgive me."
"Lance, he told me what actually happened. He drugged you and Faith and Wade had Britney fuck you and then he made it look so it were you and Faith."
"It took Lance telling you for you to forgive me? You didn’t trust me enough to listen to me?"
"I’m sorry, okay Justin? What did you expect me to do? He came over tonight, told us about why he was doing it, and told us that Wade was planning on hurting Elona."
Justin’s face softened at her words. "I’m sorry. Did Lance say what Wade was planning on doing?"
"He’s going to kill her," Sarah whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Chris and Joey are trying to stop him, Cat’s going to call the cops."
Justin hugged her. "Everything’ll be okay."
"I’m so sorry," Sarah sobbed against his shoulder.
"It’s okay. I forgive you."
~*~*~
"Damn Elona, not letting anyone know where she was going," Chris muttered as he pressed on the gas and the car jumped forward. He’d just tried the small club she spent a lot of her time at and no one had seen her all night.
Chris pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number, thanking who ever had insisted Elona get a cell phone. She hated modern technology, but had gotten a cell phone due to the "insisting of a friend", as she told them.
The phone rang three times before someone picked up.
"Hello?" Elona’s voice said, sounding shaky and nervous.
"Elona? Where the hell are you?" Chris demanded.
He could hear whisperings in the background and then Elona said, "It’s none of your business where I am. You’re not supposed to know until you’re initiated."
"What the fuck? Elona, don’t fuck with me. I know what Wade’s planning. You’re lucky that he hasn’t already gotten to you."
"Chris, I can’t tell you until you’re initiated into the Circle," Elona said, placing emphasis on the last words. "I have to go." She hung up.
"Can’t tell me until I’m initiated- Fuck!" Chris dialed another numbed and, when Catriona picked up, demanded, "Where do you have all of your rituals?"
"Why?"
"That’s where Elona is."
Catriona gasped, then gave him directions. "I’ll call the cops, tell them where they are."
~*~*~
"You fucking lesbian whore," Wade screamed, hitting Elona. "You gave him fucking hints."
"Go to hell," Elona told him, spitting in his face.
"Elona, you shouldn’t have done that," Iris, her girlfriend, moaned, watching in horror as Elona was beaten by Wade before her eyes.
"You fucking bitch," Wade screamed again. "You deserve to die."
Elona laughed in his face. "And you deserve to live?"
Wade grabbed her and began choking her. "Your girlfriend’s going to watch you die, then we’re going to rape her and kill her."
"Elona!" Iris screamed, as Wade continued to choke her, struggling to get out of the grasp of the two men who held her.
~*~*~
"I’m really sorry about this all," Lance said to Catriona, as he gulped down a glass of water.
"Did Wade approach you after he raped me?" Catriona asked.
"Yeah."
"Why did you agree?"
"He was threatening my family. I felt I had no choice."
"I don’t approve of your decision, but I can see why you did it." Catriona looked at him. "I’m sure, over time, everyone will forgive you."
"As long as Faith-" Lance broke off, his face turning white. "Faith! Oh god, I have to find her." He looked at Catriona and JC. "Do either of you know where she’s staying?"
They both shook their heads.
"I have to find her," Lance said again, running for the door.
"How are you going to do that?" Catriona asked, running after him.
"I’ll call every hotel in town if I have to," Lance said, hopping his car, Catriona and JC also climbing in.
They drove around town, Catriona calling the hotels and asking if they had a Faith Edwards registered and Lance riving.
She’d called ten hotels before she found her. She got directions and relayed them to Lance, who broke every traffic law to get there, a feeling of fear in his stomach.
~*~*~
"Elona," Chris screamed, not even bothering to put on the emergency brake after turning off his car. He ran towards the shadowy figures. "Hurt her Wade, and you’re dead."
Behind him, three police cars pulled up.
"Fuck," Wade said, as his friends let go of Iris and took off running and he dropped Elona’s limp body.
"That’s right, you are," Chris said, running towards Elona’s body.
A medic felt for Elona’s pulse, then shook his head. "I’m sorry."
Iris began to sob and Chris hugged her. They watched as the medics placed Elona’s body in a body bag.
"You are under arrest for the murder of Elona Cybele," Chris heard a cop intone behind him. "You have the right to remain silent. All you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
~*~*~
"Faith," Lance yelled, pounding on her door. "Faith, open the door."
"I’ll go talk to the manager," JC whispered.
Catriona nodded her head.
A minute later, JC returned with the nigh manager, who unlocked the door for them.
"Oh god," Catriona moaned, leaning against JC as she stared at the cold body of her best friend stretched out across the bed.