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Her hand was crushed beneath her hip, fingers scratching at her skin to try to reach her neck. Legs kicking uselessly, she felt her skin scrape away from her knees against the rough ground.

The assailant’s hot breath pressed against her cheek as black spots danced at the edge of her vision.

Grasping at the narrowing sight of the row of battered motel room doors ahead, she willed someone to come out. Someone. Anyone.

“Get the fuck out of Sylen before you can’t leave at all.” With one final squeeze to punctuate his threat, his arm was gone, and all of the pressure lifted from her back. The sound of heavy steps and breaking branches sounded.

Gasping for air, she didn’t have the mind to consider where he went as she rolled over, trying to remember how to breathe. Finally, a rough cough came out, the lash of pain so brutal she felt tears run into her hairline.

“Vera!” Teddi kneeled over her, hair glowing from the light in their room behind her. “What happened? Holy shit, your neck.” Weakly, Vera pointed a shaking finger towards the wood, words impossible. “Who was it, did you see?” She moved her head side to side weakly. “Fuck. Fuckfuck. I don’t see anyone.” Her hand rested on Vera’s shoulder as she scanned, her pistol lifted at nothing but a quiet forest sheltering her attacker. The tenuous moment seemed to last forever as blood ran into Vera’s eye. Teddi looked back down in frustration. “Let’s get inside.”

Gasping loudly, a wildfire burned down Vera’s throat. She looped an arm underneath her, her gun in the opposite hand. Making sure they didn’t turn their back on the woods, Teddi nearly carried her full weight into the room before setting her on a bed. Vera heard the bolt slide into place and the curtains rustle.

Releasing a ragged groan, Vera tried to fall backward onto the mattress. The adrenaline began to fade from her body, pulling her energy out with it like it was sucked through a straw.

“No, no. Sit up for me. I’ve got to check your wounds.” All she could do was rasp a choppy breath in reply as two black shadows began to swallow up the image of Teddi. “Vera, c’mon. Open your eyes.”

“I’m fine,” she tried to whisper. The swelling around her throat made the effort feel too monumental to complete. Folding forward, she tried to steady herself as Teddi hurried to the bathroom. Like angry waves pummeling a rock wall, her ears rang so loud she struggled to hear.

“Attacked… woods. No hospital. She’s... I think.” The sound of something being set down suggested the end of the brief conversation.

Vera jumped when a cold compress wiped at the blood running from her nose.

“They got you good, the left side of your face is bleeding.” She gently pressed the rag against her forehead, this time the sensation more cooling than painful. “Your neck is a bit swollen and you’re going to bruise. Pretty sure there’s a burst blood vessel in your eye as well. Can you talk? Move your jaw? What hurts the most?”

Eyes still closed, Vera shook her head. Opening her jaw on command, Teddi was satisfied that it wasn’t broken and none of her teeth were out of place. She pressed a bottle of water into her hands with the cap loosened.

“I’d say we should call and report it but I have a feeling Sheriff Malis would be happy to see one of us in this situation. Sadistic fuck. It’d be enough to drive us out of the town limits personally.”

“Don’t,” Vera whispered as she halted Teddi’s work on her face. Cracking her eyes open, she looked up. Fear washed away the healthy color of her skin, leaving it almost sickly white. “I’m alright.” The reassurance did little to alleviate the roundness of her eyes as she took in her wounds.

“You’re not alright. Someone just tried to kill you while I was asleep.” Vera huffed a laugh, regretting it when it felt like acid washed down her throat.

“Was a warning,” she mouthed more than whispered.

“A warning about what?”

“To leave. We’ll be next.” She swallowed thickly. “Said Alex is missing tongue, eyes, penis. Like the others. Sam told the truth.” A heavy pause filled the air. Both of them thinking it, almost afraid to say it out loud as if it would make it true.

“Do you think it was the killer?” Teddi asked quietly.

“Possible.” There were only a handful of people who knew those details. The Sheriff, his deputies, and the killer. The possibility that the person who took Alex’s life just threatened her own made her fists clench. Sharp tears of pain from her torn knuckles forced her to loosen them. Dark rage rose inside her with its eyes wide open. Fangs and claws and thirsty for blood, it wanted to eviscerate and pulverize and destroy.

Whoever it was felt it was their right to take and take and take until there was nothing left.

The memory of the men’s melted hearts rose unbidden. It was inhuman and illogical, and it nagged at her with an annoyance she knew she shouldn’t ignore. It was another part of the twisted, fucked-up puzzle. Seething, she realized she could have lost her own heart at their hands. Her mind roared at the idea.

Vera forced herself to focus on the rough pain on her face, the throbbing in her neck, steadying herself with their ferocity.

“I’m so tired of this,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, I’m halfway done.” Teddi’s hands remained steady.

“No. Of this killer. Of people thinking they can do whatever they want and never face the consequences. I’m done with sick fucks getting away with everything.” The tremble in her hands wasn’t from the waning adrenaline any longer.

Only the crinkle of a band-aid replied. Vera took another drink to quell the burning beneath her ribs.

“Who got away?” Teddi asked tentatively.