Page 59 of Collapsed

BJ rips the glitter bow off the top and shreds the paper like a kid on Christmas morning. She lifts the lid to the box, letting out the loudest blood-curdling scream. We all rush forward as the sound of heavy footsteps fills the room.

She dropped the box back on the table, and as I peer inside, I realize exactly why she was screaming. There is a severed head in the box. Stryker and King already have their weapons drawn as they start to scope out the room. We are alone.

I grab the envelope tucked behind the man’s head and offer it to BJ. She declines the envelope as Lane wraps his arms around her. I open it.

To the beautiful bride,

Thank you for FINALLY taking care of Ivan. Take this as my gift for you. A new mission. I look forward to seeing you soon.

XOXO Ginger

P.S. You really are the most beautiful bride.

“New mission?” I hear the others asking behind me. Conrad grabs the letter from my hand. Behind the letter is a stack of polaroids of BJ. They’re all from her wedding.

“She was here?!” BJ yells out as she rips the photos from my hand. She holds one up. “Oh, I really like this one,” she says and shows it to Lane, who simply nods his head.

One thing is for sure, our lives are never boring. Whoever this man is, or was, Ginger clearly wants us to investigate. Where will it lead? We don’t know yet, but I know one thing for certain; no matter what anyone throws our way, we will overcome it together. Nothing is getting in our way as long as we have each other.