Page 118 of Unbalanced

I let her go, and she turns her head to stare at me. Fear replaces the anger in her eyes from a moment ago. With practiced hands, I pull a syringe with a sedative from my bag and stick her arm.

Jen’s eyes flutter and then finally close. I glance around the dark alley, then drag her to the trunk. It takes more effort than I anticipate to lift her dead weight, but once I get her head and torso inside, I grab her legs and throw them in with the rest of her. Her comfort is not a concern.

“You’re heavier than you look.”

Jen wants to play games…and I love them. Now it’s my move.

Hopping into the driver’s seat, I head down to the sketchy docks. It’s quiet at this hour, and there are no cameras. I need to deactivate the tracking system on this stupid car. It’s better for everyone to think she came here after leaving my place.

I comb through my duffel bag to find my pliers and the GPS jammer, then I plug it into the V12 power outlet.

For this make and model, the fuse box is thankfully in the engine bay. Dismantling dashboards is too time-consuming. I pop the hood and open the cover to find the fuse labeled telematics, then I pull the stupid thing out before throwing it into the water. Done with that part, I close the hood and get back behind the steering wheel. With my handy screwdriver, I pry the plastic off the center console, exposing the TCU, and yank out the blue and purple wires for the GPS and cellular ability. For my last trick, I grab the radio frequency detector.

People think I’m just a pretty face. But under the sweet mask, I’ve honed every skill necessary to stalk and capture my prey better than almost anyone.

Alden may be the exception.

Not finding any aftermarket tracking systems attached, I quickly pull spare license plates from my bag. One for the front and one for the rear. Good enough for now.

I need to beat Alden to Dunlow. Jumping back into the driver’s seat, I floor it and race away from the docks as fast as I dare.

Game on.

Let’s do this, Alden.

ALDEN

The drive to my hideaway has never felt so long. With every mile, my anxiety increases. Before leaving the city, I gathered my weapons, grabbed my mask, and dressed in all black, ready for whatever happens. But I can’t deny that I’m fucking worried. This person has been ahead of me all this time, watching me, stalking me, killing people I know…and I never had a clue.

Finally, my lights cut through the late fall mist, perfect for Halloween just around the corner, and I pull onto the road that will take me to the heart of the ghost town.

When I spot a black sedan parked in the funeral home driveway, my eyes dart around, searching the shadows for any sign of movement.

Everything is still, sending a shiver down my spine. Someone is out there, watching in the darkness just like they have for years.

Slipping my knife from its sheath, I pull the mask on and slowly open the car door to step out into the night.

It’s cold enough to see my breath in the air around me as I struggle to hear even the slightest noise. The soft rustling of nearby trees in the wind breaks the silence. I grip my blade as I step toward the car. It’s empty. I turn in a deliberate circle, searching.

“You wanted me here,” I call out. “So…I’m here. And now you hide. What kind of game is this?”

I freeze when someone steps out of the forest. A silhouette, too far away to tell if it’s a man or a woman, but the mirrored mask identical to my own reflects in the moonlight.

My lip curls up in a snarl.

“What do you want?”

They raise an arm, beckoning me closer, and then they turn, disappearing into the dark.

Oh no, you fucking don’t.

I’m off like a shot, racing to the spot where they vanished. It’s nothing more than a deer trail. I’ve got cameras and motion sensors all around the funeral home and on the street, but none in the forest. The animals would’ve been setting them off constantly, so I never bothered and figured no one else would either.

Apparently, even I can be wrong.

A dozen paces off the main road, it opens up into an old walking trail that someone has tended.

Not only has this person been stalking me, but they have invaded every corner of my life. Adding themselves as if they were invited. The moonlight cuts through the tops of the trees, bathing the trail in flickering silver and black shadows.