Dylan
This time, Emma better fucking listen to me.
I can’t believe she followed me. As if I didn’t have enough on my mind without worrying about her. The last thing I want is to have her snooping around the scene of the accident.
It takes me less than a minute to get to the wreckage. I’m pretty fucking sure the dudes are dead, but I want to be one hundred percent sure before I let Emma stand up again.
On my approach, I see the steam rise from the crumpled-up engine and hear the hiss it makes. I keep my eyes peeled for any sign of a spark or fire. If this thing is about to explode, it won’t be good for us.
There’s definitely no movement. As I get closer, I can see the driver’s head lying backwards in an awkward angle and his eyes stare straight ahead, lifeless.
The others look no better. Still, I make myself go closer. I need to be absolutely fucking sure they’re dead. I don’t want to be suddenly faced with the perfect shot from a dying hitman.
The closer I get to the smashed car, the stronger the smell of burning rubber and smashed metal becomes. It’s a sickening scent. I slowly walk around the car wreck.
No airbags have gone off and I think one of the guns of one of the men in the back seat might have shot his passenger just before or during impact.
Talk about bad fucking luck.
I turn around and find Emma just a few steps away. My right hand gives her the thumbs up; they’re all dead.
She seems to take the news alright.
The authorities will need to be contacted. As much as I don’t want to, I’ll have to rummage around the bodies to find a phone. I don’t have one. There’s no other way to contact anyone.
The driver has a phone in his shirt pocket. It’s got battery and shows full signal. I call the cops and inform them of the terrible accident.
“No I don’t know any of the men.” I answer the question and listen.
“Before the crash they tried to kill me and my girlfriend.”
Eventually, I think I’ve convinced some police officer somewhere that this is a more serious situation than just your ordinary car accident.
It doesn’t take long for the sirens to travel up the mountain. Why sirens are necessary is beyond me. I mean come on, the men are dead and we’re unlikely to go anywhere.
Not one, but five police cars pull up, as well as an unmarked car.
Soon, the place is swarming with cops.
I direct them to the wreckage of my house and answer questions about what happened. Emma says very little. She stays close to me.
“Do you want a doctor to take a look at you?” a rather too good-looking policeman asks Emma.
She shakes her head.
He seems to take a little too much interest in Emma.
“And you say these men tried to kill you?”
I roll my eyes.
“If someone turns up with guns and sets fire to your house, what conclusion would you draw?”
The whole thing is getting a little tiresome.
“And then what happened?”
This is the trouble with having to call the cops. You’ve got to spend hours going over the same old shit over and over again.
“We got away. And then we ran down here,” I gesture vaguely in the direction we had been coming from. “Next minute, I saw this tree fall onto the road and the car smashing into it.”
Constable Brown is making notes in a little black book. He nods and glances in the direction my hand is pointing.
“Anything else?”
“Apart from these guys being part of a huge illegal and corrupt company? No, I think that just about covers it. What do you say, sweetheart?”
Emma says nothing. I’m not sure if she’s shell-shocked, or whatever. I know it’s a lot to fucking take in.
I’m still trying to grasp the fact that my mountain cabin is no more. All my hard work, sweat and tears gone up in smoke. Not to mention my stuff. Sure, I didn’t have a lot, but what I had, I needed.
“Some hot tea?” Someone calls over to our little huddled group, and Brown nods.
I’m not quite sure who’s asking, but Emma nods and so do I.
“Let’s take a break,” says the police officer that had been asking all the dumbass questions.
Emma and I sit in silence for a while. Boss doesn’t like all the noise and people and has gone into hiding. I can just see the tip of his head. He’s watching us closely but I know he won’t come out. Smart animal, that fucking bear cub.
If the cops knew we had a bear cub, they might call the local Ranger.
I sigh.
“Are you going to tell them?”
I turn to Emma after I take another sip of the hot tea. “What do you mean?” Of course I know what she means. But I’m just not sure if I’m ready.
Would they believe me? I still carry the little USB stick with me, the one with all the evidence.
“You know,” Emma nudges her elbow into my ribs. “All the dirt we—I discovered first time round.”
For a while, I say nothing. I’m pondering. It’s not that I don’t want to. I just don’t have any fucking faith in the system.
Although, I’ve not done terribly fucking well on my own have I?
Eventually, after what seems like hours but could only be minutes, I turn to Emma.
“What do you advise?”
“Tell them everything you know. I’ll back you up wherever I can.”
I knew she’d say that. I know it’s the right thing to do—and yet, I don’t know if I trust the system.
If those guys have been able to start logging here, who’s to say they don’t have someone on the books in the police department and get off, despite all the evidence I’ve got against them?
I guess you can’t go second guessing in life. I’ve just got to do it, and trust that it’ll be alright.
Just as I’m about to go find the police officer, a tall thin man in a suit pant and thick jacket approaches.
“FBI,” he says and flashes a badge. If he thought I could make out anything from the official pass, he’s mistaken. “Special agent Jackson.”
I nod and wait.
“Constable Brown thought you might tell me a bit more about these guys and what they were up to.”
I sigh. I reach into my pockets and pull out a little memory stick.
“I think you’ll find all the information you’ll need on here.”
With a raised eyebrow, Jackson takes the memory stick.
“And if you happen to accidentally lose it,” I say with emphasis on accidentally. “I’ve got a copy in a safe place.”
Special agent Jackson takes the little object.
“I can assure you we’ll do everything to put these guys behind bars for good. They won’t be a threat anymore to you or your girlfriend.”
Emma’s cheeks color at little at his words and my insides melt.
“Well,” the special agent makes to leave. “I think I’m all done here.” He hesitates. “You want a lift into the city?”
His question is directed at Emma. I see a mixture of emotions travel across her face.
“That would be great,” she finally says and avoids my gaze.
Suddenly, a huge rock settles in the pit of my stomach. She was going to go back. I knew she would, but I had hoped she wouldn’t.
Of course there’s nothing here for her, particularly since the cabin’s burnt down.
“Well,” I turn to her and I’m not sure if I should hold out my hand or give her a kiss.
“Thanks,” she mumbles, and the way her shoulders sag reminds me of a lost puppy.
“I don’t think Boss will come over to say goodbye.”
She nods.
“Look after him for me.”
I nod.
Jackson clears his throat.
“We better get going.”
I watch him give me a curt nod and walk off.
For a second, Emma hesitates. Then she turns around to follow the FBI agent.
“Emma,” I call after her and she stops.
It takes me two strides to be beside her.
“Goodbye.”
I take her by the shoulder and kiss her. My mouth is gentle and soft.
She leaves without another word.
When the last of the cars is finally gone, Boss comes out to stand next to me. He’s crying.
“Yeah, my friend. She’s gone.”
I pat him on the head and crouch down beside him. He nuzzles his head into me and I pick him up.
“Let’s go and find a place to spend the night.” I say, but stay rooted to the same spot for what seems like hours.
In my mind, I still see Emma standing here. I can’t believe she’s gone. My brain can’t accept it and neither can my heart.
Much later, Boss and I head back to the ruins of my cabin. Nothing is left but the memories I made with Emma over the last few days.
She’s made such an impact that I can’t accept she won’t be here anymore. I half expect her to come jumping out from behind a tree and call ‘peek-a-boo.’ But of course, she doesn’t.
As I stare at the rubble, I vow to rebuild not only my cabin, but my life—a life without Emma.