Jack In The Box

Riley

One of the two brothers could die and I needed to do something. I tried to look in the car for a key, in case Ezra had left it in the car console and forgotten to take it with him but of course he was smart, he wouldn’t make such a juvenile mistake.

I leaned towards the car door and brought my restrained hands to the car lock. I flipped the lock and it gave away easily. I threw the door open and flung myself out on my feet. The clouds began hiding behind the mountains. I walked towards the barn slowly and opened the door to it.

I let myself inside the barn and closed the door behind me. I stayed hidden behind a stack of hay. The place was creepy and smelled of cattle. Standing there amid the dusty old junk were the twins. Ezra was facing Jack, who had his side facing towards me.

“You look like a dead man walking.” Ezra said to Jack.

“Why, Ez, thanks for the compliment. You don’t look bad yourself.” Jack said in a voice that was almost good-natured. Jack’s voice, his presence made my heart beat faster. “Where is Riley?”

“Why is there blood on your shirt?” Ezra asked him, his voice was eerily calm. Their voices were so similar to each other; it was becoming hard to understand who was talking unless I kept looking.

“You promised me that if I showed up, you’d let Riley go. Here I am where you want me to be, you have no use of that woman. Let her go.” Jack said. “I did as I was told and left my gun in the car.”

“I never promised anything. I told you we needed to talk first.”

Jack rubbed his temples; I could tell he was loosing his patience as well as his temper. “What do you wanna talk about?” Frustrated, Jack laughed. “Wait, are you even real, or perhaps you’re a figment of my imagination. Maybe I finally lost all my marbles.”

“I can hear the sarcasm.” Ezra said. “You have to understand. I had to pretend to be dead. There was no other way. You see, I’m—”

“An FBI Agent.” Jack completed for him. “I gathered as much.”

Ezra’s eyes widened. His cover had already been blown. Jack knew of his real identity. Jack continued. “What I don’t understand is why you would go to such lengths to pretend to be me? Unless you have a hidden agenda. What is it, Ezra? What do you want? Name it. I don’t have the time or the inclination to play childish games.”

“I want the truth from you. That’s all I need.” Ezra said.

“You tell me. You’re the FBI Agent. I’m the criminal, remember?” Jack mocked him.

Ezra’s expressions turned hard. “I know you killed three people. I didn’t ask about that. I want to know if you killed the others.” Then his eyes focused on something else. “The blood on your shirt. How’d you get it?”

A long pause. “I went to the mansion.”

“You what?!”

“You heard me the first time. I went to the mansion...”

“And?”

phone began ringing. Ezra reached for his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Agent

how’s that possible? There has

would burst, “What the fuck did you do, Jackson?” The cool persona that he’d maintained until

“What if I did?”

did what? What were they

call from the P.D. The maid found a body ripped apart in a bed that’s soaked in blood. The walls are painted red, Jack.” He was breathing hard. Anger was giving away to grief. He lunged at Jack and caught the collar of his shirt. “You! You’re so driven by your lust for revenge that you didn’t even

produced a gun from the waistband of his jeans and offered it to his brother. “You think I killed him? Well, guess what, I’m not going to attempt to convince you otherwise. You can tell the officials that

in two

towards them. The sound of my shoes scrapping

“Jack.” I called out.

get out of the

as if he were a puppeteer pulling the strings. His eyes flicked

Jack said in

“No.”

glared at his brother. “Take these off. I won’t ask

was still scared of his brother. He pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket and tossed it towards Jack who caught the keys in mid-air. Without a word, Jack

walk out of the barn.” Ezra

my hand in his. “Do what he

head as I leaned in and whispered. “There are people hidden here who will

no other way around it. The killer did this on purpose and I walked right into the trap he laid out at my house.

can’t...I can’t leave you.”

“Riley!” Ezra warned me.

trust Jack.” I

doesn’t matter if you trust him or not. The law will

you won’t shoot.” I said. “Promise me,

at the back. “Lower your weapons. Jackson, I’m going

Bang!

the gunshot roared through

the fuck?! I told you not to

and there was someone, a dark form moved towards the window and disappeared. Jack staggered and he fell down on

was too shocked to even

him, cradling his head in his lap.

smiled and touched the bloodied hand to Ezra’s face. “I never once...” he coughed. “I never doubted you.....that you would kill people and frame me for the crimes. I trust

my job, and for those helpless people! I was never interested in the company you foolish man, I thought you wanted

was matted in blood. “If I die,

“Jackson! Stay with me!” He turned to the men who