DJ//killer//building a mystery

[James Barker]

James hated to see her go. Especially after such a good date. He hadn't known her long enough really to invite her up with him. Now now, don't go right to sex. He really meant to cuddle close, maybe touch a little more than they had. Technically, he was still a virgin anyway, he'd done everything but actually get inside anyone, and he was more nervous about it than he'd let on. Not that me was worried about being naked, that didn't bother him at all. But he didn't want to scare her at all, so he was trying to be careful about how things might sound. So James did what he usually did, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her squarely on the lips, not without a little fooling around of course. "I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

James smiled and said goodbye before going up to his dorm room. It was quiet, since it was a thursday night and most people had class. Not to mention it was getting cold so people were outside, rather than in. So he went to his room and turned on the TV. He didn't feel like sleeping just yet.

He hadn't been there very long when his phone vibrated. It was a text from DJ. "Following her?" he restated, and without a second thought he was out the door again. Now he just had to find her. He really should have walked her to her car...

[`The Killer]

The police in this town were getting too comfortable. It seemed they had the ridiculous idea that this crime spree wouldn't effect them. That it would stay away from their families. But they'd been meddling in his life long enough that he was willing to mess with theirs.

The police chief had two daughters, and it seemed he loved them more than he even loved himself. It was just too bad for the two of them that they had to be so attached to someone he needed to get back at.

He'd followed her most of the week, and it seemed Danielle was always with someone. The stupid boy she'd chosen to spend her time with was apparently infatuated with her, and he might have presented a problem. It had never been the man's intention to have more than one victim at a time, but he'd have changed his practices to get back at Chief Trighton. Luckily, the boy finally parted ways with her on Thursday evening. He followed her to her car, careful to stay a few yards behind. That was until he saw her pull her cell phone out. Cell phones meant contact. That meant she wouldn't be alone for long.

Quickening his pace, he caught up to the girl within a matter of moments. His gloved hand wrapped around hers, tightening until she let out a shriek and dropped the little purple device. The moment it hit the ground, he brought his boot down on it heavily, crushing it so that she wouldn't be able to use the thing again. A grin twisted across his face, but she probably didn't see it in the dark. The girl's eyes were wide and dark, and he was sure she knew she was going to die.

"Hello, my pet," he greeted her, one hand tangling into her hair. Her mouth opened to scream, and he smashed her head against the car they were standing beside. She'd probably bleed, but she wouldn't be unconscious, which was exactly what he wanted. It was no fun to kill a person if they didn't realize they were being killed.

Left hand still tangled in the girl's hair, he reached into his black coat, drawing out a switchblade knife. He flicked the knife out and grinned, pulling the girl close to him and gently resting the blade against her throat, just under her chin. A grin twisted his lips. He moved the knife to just below her ribs and pressed a rough kiss onto her lips, forcing his tongue into her mouth just as he pressed the first inch of the kife through her flesh.

[DJ Trighton]

Things with James were quickly becoming much more than DJ had even thought to expect. She'd been spending as much time with him as possible, and was actually pretty sad that she had to leave him tonight. They were taking their time as much as possible, though. Rushing things was sure to be a mistake, and the last thing Danielle wanted at this point was a mistake. So she reluctantly let him go with a goodnight kiss, finally heading for her car feeling as if she were walking on air.

Walking on air, though, didn't include the sound of steps behind her. Brow furrowed, she peeked over her shoulder. She didn't see anyone, but the sound of the footsteps didn't stop. She pulled out her phone and, just to be safe, sent a text to James. But the footsteps quickened, and before she knew what was going on, she'd been grabbed. Forced to drop her phone.

Her father had taught her to scream even if she did nothing else, but this man didn't seem to be willing to allow that. She felt his hand tangle into her hair, and the next thing she knew, her head met with the cold metal of the car she was standing beside. She felt the metal buckle and knew that there would be a steady stream of blood trickling from her scalp. Before she could process much more, though, a pair of unwelcome lips were pressed to her own. She would have pulled back, but even the stupid kiss was muddled up by the feel of something sharp and cold pressing into her stomach, just below the ribs. A scream tore from DJ's lips as she realized it was the knife that he'd been pressing to her throat only moments before. He was grinning, and she had a feeling that wasn't the last time she'd be feeling that knife tonight.

[James Barker]

James was running across campus as fast as he could go. Things took so much longer in real life. In movies, people are always right there, and now he felt like he was running through molasses. But at least he could see her car. But that wasn't all he could see. He saw a figure in black catch up to Danielle and slam her into a car. He was too out of breath to yell, and frankly. He figured doing anything this far away wouldn't be any help at all.

So he kept running, her screams ripping through his head, pulling his heart a million different ways, and when he kissed her... "Get away from her!" he shouted. But what could he do? He didn't want to risk hurting Danni too. And he couldn't tell just yet what the man had on her, hands at her throat, a knife, the butt of a gun....?

James was right on them now, skidding to a stop by the car.

[`The Killer]

Keeping her alone after she'd managed to use her phone was entirely too much to hope for, and if he hadn't been such a fan of watching the pain, he'd have killed her quickly. There wasn't a point in keeping her from suffering, though. It wasn't any fun. As the scream tore from her lips, he pressed the knife a little deeper and moved it toward her navel slowly, effectively tearing a gash in her stomach. But then the sound of running footsteps stopped, and he heard the boy she'd been with yelling at him. A cold laugh fell from his lips, and he finished the curved cut, pulling the knife from the girl's stomach when it reached her navel. Finally, he pulled the blade out and turned to see their company.

"You're awfully stupid, aren't you?" he asked, taking a couple of steps toward the boy. His ears perked up at the sound of the girl falling to the ground behind him. He twirled the knife around in his fingers and grinned at the boy. "Are you going to be her knight in shining armor? Or do I get two for the price of one?"

[James Barker]

James clenched his fist at his side as the man turned to face him. He heard DJ thud to the ground, but he knew if he ran over to her body then they'd both be dead... right?There was not appropriate come back to his words. the man made his blood run hold, but he was still thrumming with anger and fear. So he did what came naturally, he ran into the killer. Obviously this the was the Killer, capital K. He had that feeling about him. Was this what it felt like to know you were going to die?

He felt his body make contact with the other man, who was definitely well built. Did James stand a chance? His mind was racing and his heart already pounding. But he had the man on the ground and thus far, he didn't feel a blade in his skin. So far so good. At this point he couldn't think of DJ. Her best chance of making it out was if he could get rid of the killer. Maybe he couldn't kill him, just slow him down somehow.

They were rolling around now and James tried to get some good punches in, but it was difficult to defend yourself and attack your opponent at the same time.

[`The Killer]

The boy just kept becoming more stupid by the moment. This wasn't a simple, high school fight, but the boy charged at him. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was caught off guard, the tackle wouldn't have brought the man to the ground. While the boy had a lot of muscle going for him, the man boasted muscles of his own, as well. They seemed to be a fairly even match.

Once he'd made it to the ground, it became a battle of fists, and his fist happened to have the benefit of a weapon. The boy's fists caught him a couple of times, but it wasn't long before the knife entered the battle. The man dug the blade into the boy's forearm, near his elbow, and pulled it back, drawing a gash about four inches long down the boy's arm. It wouldn't kill him, but it would distract him.

Satisfied that the boy's attention would be fixed on his arm, the man raised a knee to his groin. It was a low blow, and most guys avoided it, but it worked every time. He threw the boy off of him and pushed himself to his feet when he heard the girl behind them moving around again. "James!" she screamed. So that was her darling's name.

"James is busy bleeding right now," the man replied, turning to advance on her again.

[James Barker]

James felt like he was getting somewhere for a moment, that was before the knife pierced his skin near his elbow and was ripped open several inches. the pain was immense, not to mention the fact that for a moment he feared it would ruin all his tendons and such, would he ever be able to use this arm again? And shit did it hurt. James's grip on the killer diminished, and as if that wasn't enough the killer kneed him between the legs and James let out a shout. His eyes were starting to water as he rolled off the man.

The pain he was in was killing him, not literally of course, but he was pretty sure if he didn't hurry up, neither he nor DJ were getting out alive. So he struggled to his feet, leaving his bleeding arm hanging at his side. He needed to be quiet so he could grab something to hit the man with since his back was turned. James' eyes darted around and he barely heard what the killer was saying now.

James looked around, noticing his truck a few cars away, he crept away as quickly and carefully as he could. He just hoped DJ didn't think he was deserting her and hoped she didn't call out to him, he needed the element of surprise.

He came back more quickly and using his still functioning arm, whacked the killer in the head with a tire iron. The figure crumpled down to the ground and james stepped over hos body to help Danni up, and he pulled her into his arms, noticing the slice in her stomach and racked with pain. "Danielle," he breathed kissing her face softly, as if he couldn't believe she was really right there. "We have to call your dad, and get us an ambulance." He said. But the trick was, did they stay with the body. He didn't know if the killer was dead or knocked out, and he didn't want to be here where he woke up. But he knew if they ran from a murder they'd be fucked.

[DJ Trighton]

She hated that she needed to be rescued, but DJ was unconscious before she actually knew what was going on. When her eyes opened again, James was on top of the killer, and it looked like he might have been causing some damage. That was until she saw the glimmer of the knife. She might have cried out, but distracting James at this point would have been a really bad idea, and she knew it. So she watched helplessly from the ground as the killer dug the knife into James' arm. It didn't look like it was deep enough to ruin his arm forever, though.

When the man's knee met with James' groin, she couldn't stay quiet. She called out to him and tried to pull herself to her feet. It was probably a bad idea, though. The killer knew she wasn't dead now. DJ pulled herself up, using the side of the car she was beside for support. If she was going to be attacked again, at least she could be standing up for it. She braced herself against the vehicle, forcing herself to stand, and fought the urge to cry as the man headed toward her. Holding her breath, Danni tried to ignore the fact that James had headed off in another direction. She didn't know what he was doing, but she knew he wouldn't just leave her.

The man brandished his knife, now tainted with her own blood as well as James' blood, and Danni felt a tear run down her cheek. He was close enough now that she could tell the man was smiling again, and it only took him a moment to get close enough to use his stupid knife again. This time, it cut in above her hip, a few inches below the first gash, and DJ screamed again. The knife didn't get any further, though. A dull thud rang out as James beat the man in the head with something he'd retrieved from his truck. The killer crumpled to the ground, and so did DJ, too frightened to even think about trying to stay upright.

She didn't argue when James came over to help her to her feet. She just winced and tried to keep from making too much of a fuss. When she'd gotten to her feet, she let out a sigh that ended up turning into a bit of a whimper. "Do you... have a phone?" The words were soft and it took her much longer than usual to get them out. Speaking hurt.

[James Barker]

James held her close and pulled out his phone with a shaking hand. His groin was still throbbing though it didn't mask the pain in his arm, nor the blood gushing out. "You know what, we need to get the hospital." He pulled pulled open her car door for her, breathing hard, before he walked around to the driver side and got in.

He didn't have enough hands to call and drive at once so once he was in and buckled at DJ was too, he dialed DJ's house number, hoping her dad was at home. James started to drive, putting the phone on speaker and sticking it between the seats.

"Hello?"

"This is James, DJ and I were attacked by the killer, I knocked him out and figured it was more important to get your daughter to the hospital than call 911, in case he woke up. He's in the parking lot of the college." James's voice was shallow and uneven from the pain and blood loss. Did her dad even remember him? Did he even know that Danielle was dating him?

[DJ Trighton]

Getting into the car was harder than she had expected, but DJ didn't let out much more than a whimper. She sat in the seat, shaking, not at all sure what to say. James took his own seat and dialed a number on his cell phone, placing the device between the seats.

When she heard her father's voice, DJ nearly cried. She didn't trust herself to explain the situation with any clarity, though, so she let James do the talking. Her dad didn't say anything for a few minutes, so she figured she ought to at least let him know she was alive. "Daddy... we're.... going to the hospital... can you... meet us?" Her breathing was labored, and her words were soft, but she heard her father's reply almost immediately.

"I'll be there," he answered. The line went dead, and DJ let her eyes trail over to her boyfriend. She didn't speak for several seconds. She just let her eyes run over him, checking to be sure that he really was safe. "Thank you," she told him. She was getting dizzy, though, so she wasn't sure she'd be able to carry on much more conversation.

[James Barker]

"You're welcome," he said softly, turning to look at her. Her wound was potentially fatal, his wasn't yet, it would be if he lost too much blood. "Put pressure on your wounds, that's supposed to slow bleeding isn't it? I haven't saved you yet."James wasn't going to let himself break down until he had gotten DJ to the ER where she needed to be.

They couldn't waste time so he sped up and didn't stop until they reached the hospital and he stumbled out of the car, going around to her side and pulling the door open, trying to help her out with one hand. James didn't even have to do much, as soon as they were in the door, people swooped on them. This town was small, and they would be able to see someone soon enough.

He was given gauze to wrap around his arm while he waited to get stitches. Danni would be able to see a doctor first since her wounds were worse. "Danielle, I love you, and you're going to be fine, I promise." James said to her, giving her a soft kiss before a nurse came to take her away.

Once he was alone he called 911 to tell them the story as best he could.

[DJ Trighton]

Things were starting to go gray, and DJ wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be doing about it, but putting pressure on the gash in her stomach seemed like a pretty good idea, so she pressed against it as hard as she could stand to. That didn't do a whole lot to slow the bleeding, though. She was weak and exhausted from the fight, the fear, and the blood loss. Her eyelids were heavy, but she refused to let them fall so that her eyes were closed. She had a feeling falling asleep would be a very, very bad thing.

By the time they reached the hospital, her eyes were barely open, and her shirt, which had been a light gray color, was nearly black with blood. She let James help her inside because she wasn't sure if she was capable of getting there without his help. Once inside, though, it was out of their hands. They were rushed by nurses, and Danni's protests weren't doing much to keep her from being hauled away from James. She barely heard him when he told her he loved her, and she wanted to say it back, but her voice just didn't seem to be working, and it was taking most of her effort to stay upright.

She wasn't aware of time passing. The nurses had helped her into a bed with wheels on the bottom and scratchy, papery sheets. Her eyes had closed almost immediately afterward. After that, everything was black. It wasn't until she woke up, her eyes assaulted by the florescent lights in the ceiling, that she even realized she was in a hospital.

The moment her eyes opened, she started trying to command her voice. "Jamey?" she asked, though she couldn't see him, and she really wasn't sure anyone more than an inch away from her would have even heard her speaking.

[James Barker]

James watched as they took her away, it was hard to watch her go and while he was only a little religious, as soon as he hung up with 911, he closed his eyes and prayed for her life. She couldn't die, not on his watch, but at least he had been there, and she had a chance. Right?

After several long minutes a nurse came to him and pulled him into a separate room where she could clean his arm and sew it shut. He wasn't nearly as hurt as anyone else, so he could wait. He was soaked in blood now though, both his own and hers, and he knew that he would be fine, and probably still able to reproduce, but he wasn't sure what would happen to DJ. So he wasted no time in asking once he was sewn up. "Where is she? Is she alright?"

Still in surgery was the answer, and James still asked for the room. He sat outside, staring at the door. He never once looked at the clock, no one called his phone. He was just waiting for someone to let him in to see her. Hopefully they wouldn't say anything about him not being family, he had been there with her. The blood on his clothes was drying now, so it must have been quite a chunk of time. They wheeled her out and he followed them, but he got the answer he expected. He wasn't family, and therefore, not allowed to see her yet.

James didn't leave though, he sat on the floor outside of her room. Maybe her father would let him in.... maybe... Where was he anyway?

[DJ Trighton]

She didn't get an answer, and DJ forced her eyes open a bit further, sitting up even though it hurt. No one was in her room yet. Not that she could see anyway. "James?!" she demanded, actually loud enough to be heard this time. A head poked in her door, and it took her a moment to focus enough to realize that it belonged to her father. "Where is he?" she asked. "I want to see him." Her father didn't seem to be listening because he stepped into the room instead of going out to get James, wherever he was.

Frustrated, DJ tried to pull herself so that she was sitting upright rather than half-slouching as she was now. "You'll rip your stitches," her father said gruffly. DJ's eyes narrowed, but she let go of the bed rail. Her father pressed a button on the side of the bed that tilted her into a sitting position.

"Where's James?" she demanded. Her father still didn't answer her. Danni stared at him for a couple of seconds, trying to decide if it was worth it to be polite to him or not. Finally, she decided that good manners hadn't gotten her anywhere. She furiously jabbed at the red button on the side of her bed that would page a nurse. "I want to see James!!" she yelled. They'd probably end up shooting her with something to make her sleep before long, but if she got to at least see that James was here and alive, she'd be alright with that.