Trust the Killer

Chapter Eleven

     I sat up straight in the van, in the driver seat was Johnny with the headset around his neck preparing to put it back on as usual by fiddling with the dials, at least that's what it looked like he was doing. I peered past him out of the driver side window and noticed the white car was no longer parked.
     That may have been what Wyck was doing while I was asleep.
     At my feet was my small backpack, and it felt nice to see something familiar.
    I checked the passenger side mirror next to see Wyck was outside talking to Julia and Mason, they seemed to be agreeing on something before Wyck gave Mason a hard pat on the shoulder and turned to walk to the passenger door.
    I straightened up and looked forward, as I did I noticed dark clouds warning heavy rain. Today was colder that usual too and inside the van was freezing.
I heard the door open and I stared ahead as Wyck climbed into the seat, he sat beside me but less close than usual. I shook my head that I noticed his distance.
He had a black hoodie in his hand that I hadn't seen him grab. It was the same jacket from last night but seemed to be clean from the red that stained it before.
"Buckle in." He spoke deeply and pulled the hoodie over his head.
I shivered as it felt like the van was getting colder the longer the engine was running.
Johnny zipped up the unappealing green hoodie he was wearing and spoke for the first time in a while, "The heaters fucked so we're just getting the air from the back."
"Yeah Mason told me. Turn off the ice'r there's nothing back there." Wyck responded while watching me shiver.
"Oh, did you already take care of that?"
Wyck nodded to Johnny's question and the brown haired boy in the green hoody leaned forward to press a blue button. I noted the inside of the van, I've never seen a car with this many strange buttons. He then put the headphones over his ears and put the van in reverse, pulling from the parking lot and onto the road.
"It's going to be a cold drive." Wyck looked down at me. I wasn't sure what to say, so I nodded back.
     "Just let me know if you need my jacket... or something." He ended the sentence awkwardly, which was the first time I ever heard him fumble his words. I nodded again.
     He said we'd talk more in the van, and I was waiting for him to begin the conversation but, the black haired boy leaned into the seat and turned his head to look out the window. We sat in silence.

As we drove quickly down the street the weather seemed to get worse but the van was less cold than before. I saw a road sign saying we entered the state of Utah, my stomach hurt suddenly after seeing how far away I was from Seattle, where I was meant to be. I was sure by now someone would have to notice I wasn't around, my mom likely would have called to check on me. I then remembered that Wyck had my phone, I wonder if he was paying attention to such calls.
I also began to wonder how soon we would be in Louisiana, it couldn't be more than a two day drive? But Wyck told me we'd be getting another hotel in a few hours. Just then it started to pound rain down on the windshield of then van, we were on a highway and I noticed Johnny slow down as it was hard to see far. He kept his headset on which made me nervous that he would be distracted while driving through the heavy rain.
"Are you hungry yet?" Wycks voice cut through the splatter of rain against the van. I looked at him and shook my head, I still haven't found my appetite.
"You'll have to eat eventually." He warned me. I was nervous by his tone but I wanted to keep the conversation from ending.
"I know." Was all I could think to say, but he didn't respond. There were many questions left in my mind from before we left the last motel, and I planned on having them answered on the road, but it had been at least an hour of silence. I tried to formulate up something to begin a conversation, the thought of speaking first left me feeling uneasy though.
I took in a quiet breath before blurting out the first question that came to my mind before I could chicken out, "Where are you staying tonight?" I regretted my question purely in embarrassment. What kind of idiot starts small talk with her kidnapper?
Wyck turned his head and stared at me without expression for several seconds, I squirmed under his gaze. "You mean where are we staying?" He corrected me.
I nodded.
"Depends how far we get, hoping for Colorado." He looked forward at the swaying windshield wipers.
The conversation seemed to end again and I felt slightly frustrated, I huffed by accident in my annoyance. Wycks eyes turned to me quickly and I looked to the side to avoid him.
"Are you upset?" He sounded entertained in a strange way.
I took a minute to think through what I would do next, I wasn't exactly sure how freely I could talk to him, or how much he cares what I have to say. I bit my cheek and decided to shove for answers, "I thought we were going to talk in the van?" I tried to look him in the eyes but failed, I opted to stare ahead and make an unhappy face.
"Yeah? What did you want to talk about?" In the corner of my eye I could see Wyck lean towards the door to look at my fully, he had a smirk on his face as he reached up to rest his elbow on the van door and lean his head onto his hand. I wondered how it was possible someone could be so relaxed while I on the other hand was at a constant state of anxiety.
His amusement made me upset, here I was extremely confused by his explosive rant about how he should have left me on the side of the road, but for some unknown reason he didn't. Not only that but is strange remarks about wanting to keep me safe, and Julia's comment about him caring for me.
     "I don't know, I asked why you decided bring me with you and you said you were confused."
Wycks smirk faded after my question and he looked away after a moment. His eyebrows furrowed and his hands raised to rub his eyes.
I looked at his face then, he was stressed. "Do you regret it?"
"Regret what?" He snapped while still rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.
"Bringing me with you?" I spoke meekly. I was nervous of his response. It was definitely not to late to toss me to the curb, there was also a small part of me that sunk at the thought of Wyck not wanting me here, but I wasn't sure what that feeling was.
He paused which made my stomach sink, his hands dropped and he let out a sigh before looking out the passenger window at the rain that blurred the glass. "No." His voice made my stomach flutter, and then I considered punching my stomach for daring to feel such a way in this situation.
Wyck looked at me again and I was trapped in eye contact with his cool blue eyes.
"I don't know Ava, this is a very complex situation I'm in." His eyes scanned my face. "I have to be careful here, I don't want you to be scared of me and I'm trying to work out how to make that possible."
"I don't feel scared." My words came out before I could think.
Wyck stared at me for a long time, "You probably should." His voice was quiet. I wasn't sure what to say, or how to feel. I stared back at him and got lost in the conversation, it was to unclear to make sense of. The water outside smacked harder against the exterior of the van. Wyck looked forward at the weather.
"You would look beautiful in the rain." He paused.
Wycks statement made my eyes shoot wide and he quickly looked to the passenger window, "What?" I was both shocked by the compliment, unsettled and flattered at once. I felt my cheeks grow warm and turn pink.
"Never mind." He spoke bluntly and I sunk further.
"I can't fucking drive in this." Johnny's sudden shout made me suck in a harsh breath and jump, Wyck reacted to me by turning and instinctively placing his hand on my knee, but he pulled away in the same moment. He looked past me at Johnny who shoved the headset down and around his neck, he switched into the right lane to search for an exit.
"We're still in fucking Utah." Wyck argued, his eyes turned to me for a moment to check my expression but he refocused on Johnny almost immediately.
"I can't fucking see!" Johnny shouted and swerved the van harshly while turning to an exit, the wheels squealed briefly and my hand shot out to grab Wyck's forearm.
Wyck looked down at me for a moment, he confidently wrapped his hand around my thigh and squished the distance between us. I felt warmer.
"Don't fucking kill us." Wyck spoke under his breath towards Johnnys driving.
A phone rang in Wycks pocket, I assumed it was his cell phone but hoped it would be mine by chance.
He pulled out the cell phone that was clearly not mine and put it to his ear.
"What?" He answered, "He swerved to an exit, Johnny can't drive in the rain I guess, why don't you call the nearest motel and book three rooms... Yeah, motel 6."
"The gps says there's only one in the area." Johnny spoke while pointing on a small screen attached to the dash, Wyck nodded to him once and continued on the phone. "No Mason, three rooms." He spoke in an aggressive tone before hanging up. He shook his head and rubbed his face again before pulling the beanie down slightly on his forehead.
I could see Johnny in my peripheral vision look towards me, I looked over to him and felt slightly embarrassed that he was staring at Wycks hand on my leg, and my hand around his arm. I loosened my grip and slipped my hand away after Johnny raised a brow judgmentally. Wyck looked over at me once I did with brows raised as well, but seemingly for a different reason, I kept my hands in my lap.

Less than five minutes off the exit we pulled into another motel parking lot that was just as sketchy looking as the last. The rain was flat pouring and I could see that it was only 6:20pm on the digital dash board clock. As we parked Wyck let go of my leg and turned to me, he reached over to unbuckle my seatbelt and then pulled the grey hood of my jacket over my head, tugging it once to make sure it covered me well. I touched the hood with my own hands before placing them back in my lap. He gave me a smirk as the van turned off. Wyck popped open the van door and pulled his own hood over his head before jumping out and turning to help me from of the van as well. This time, without thought I grabbed him by the arm for him to lead me out of the rain, I kept my head down while being showered on heavily. The van door slammed and Wyck paused for a moment at my touch but began walking quickly with me beside him to the covering that branched off the motels roof.
     Once we were out of the rain I looked up and pushed the hood off my head. Julia, Johnny and Mason were running for shelter from the rain as well and stepped under the porch like covering beside us.
     "Alright I'll go grab the keys. I don't know which two rooms are ours."
     "Three." Wyck spoke after Mason who was turning for the motel office.
     "Yeah, three." Mason looked at him with a smile and walked away with Johnny behind him.