i hired a hitman on myself // joshler [✓]

XXIV

tyler, sarah, and i were still standing outside the cars, but most of the tension had left the atmosphere, though i was still on edge after the random bullet firing incident.

sarah was sitting on the hood of my car with her legs crossed while tyler and i stood next to her from where she was sitting.

"so tell us everything that's happened up until this point." sarah suggested, tyler nodded in agreement as the two were ready to hear the story.

i sighed and shook my head a bit, "i wouldn't know where to start." i admitted, staring down at the ground and then making eye contact with tyler again.

"well, how'd you end up searching the deep web anyway?" tyler wondered. i stood there silently for a few seconds as to gather my thoughts, it really was a weird story.

"so i came home from work just really mad after talking to my boss and when i came home my roommate pete was leaving--"

"pete? pete who?" sarah quickly chimed in with her question, which took me by surprise as i didn't expect to be cross-examined yet.

"oh, uh-- i think his last name is wentz? i don't know too much about him. i found him through a craigslist ad when i was in desperate need of a place to say after i turned 18." i explained to the both of them.

tyler and sarah exchanged confused looks which made me slightly worry,
"what is it?" i ask them both. their concerned facial expressions never faded.

"i feel like i've heard that name before..." tyler trailed off, repeating petes first and last name slowly under his breath in hopes of triggering a thought or memory of something, and sarah did the same thing silently.

after almost a minute of the both of them trying to come up with something, they came up empty handed, however it was clear that they've heard of pete before.

but nevertheless, they asked me to continue on with my story and i complied,
"right so... yeah and i noticed that same day he had weird codes written on post-it notes. so the next day i tried them out and--"

"did you ever think to ask pete what they were?" there was clear judgment in sarahs tone when she asked me, i shook my head.

"i was stupid, okay?" i dismissed her condemnatory nature as i was tired of hearing it. i already give myself crap for all of this, i didn't need to hear it again from someone else.

i sighed and continued, "so i think it was in a few days time i found out the code was an access key to the deep web and that's when i met a deep web guide who went by 'ann' but her name was actually ashley so--"

"ashley?!" sarah and tyler simultaneously questioned me with wide eyes and disbelief having flood their voices. both of their jaws had dropped and they stared at each other in complete incredulity.

"yeah... ashley... i already know she and raz--"

sarah cut me off, "it's no fuckin' wonder raz is after you, he's psychotically obsessed with ashley, those two have a shit ton of history." she expressed with clear concern.

"just-- go on with the story." tyler was in utter shock too, but insisted i continue.

"right so... raz found me like shortly after i met ashley and then he threatened me coz i wouldn't watch his stupid killing festival. and then a day later he ends up making me hire a hitman on myself in order to keep my roommate pete alive," i heavily sighed before continuing,

"so then ashley vaguely tells me about her and raz but she still helped me find places to stay so that you wouldn't kill me," i motioned towards tyler, "but then we weirdly lost contact when i was already at the second motel, so the fast forward all the stuff you guys already witnessed my car ended up breaking down here and raz was basically harassing me through text and telling me he has ashley--"

"can you show me the messages?" tyler asked me, i nodded and compiled by giving him my phone. sarah was looking over tyler's shoulder while still sitting on car in order to look at the messages as well.

sarah looked at tyler while he was still focused on the messages, "you think jenna can decode the IP 'n track him?" she wondered, tyler shook his head.

"i don't think he's dumb enough to contact him through a real IP," tyler concluded, "guy may be sick but he's not dumb."

sarah sighed but nodded in agreement while simultaneously taking out her own phone to check for something, "it's already late," she noted, "maybe we should just do the thing and get him there soon."

tyler nodded, handing me my phone back while doing so, "alright, so sarah's gonna take your car and abandon it in a ditch," he breathlessly stated, "and when she gives me the okay we'll go get her and take you somewhere."

a lot of information was being thrown at me and in a disarray of thought i approved, "o-okay," i stuttered, tyler helps sarah jumpstart my car, and the afterwards sarah drives around tyler's car and off into the distance.

tyler then leads me into his car and we both sit in the front seat, and i knew this was my chance to get the answers i wanted.