Chapter 16: The Breaking Point

“So, let me get this straight: Eric is supposedly some kind
of spirit, and he's possessing people?" Stephanie asked.

“Yes," Anya said, trying to keep her irritation in check. It
was the tenth time she had explained the situation to Stephanie. The whole
thing sounded crazy, but she wasn't in the mood to make something up. It would
likely do more harm than good anyway. If Stephanie was going to be here, she
needed to know exactly what they were dealing with.

Stephanie scooted as far away from Anya as possible within
the confines of the SUV. “Okay. So you think this spirit wants something from
David?"

“Something from David's past drew this…thing to him. But
when I talked to it, it was very adamant about keeping something a secret. If
all it cared about was helping David get even, it would've killed everyone by
now. What I'm worried about right now is David wanting to give it what it wants."

Stephanie was silent. Anya stole a glance at the rabbit and
saw her staring at the floor.

“Hey, don't start blanking out on me," Anya said. “You
wanted to come along. I need you focused."

Stephanie continued to stare at the floor. “How did I not
see it? I saw that something was wrong, and I still didn't do anything about it.
I thought if I told him I would listen it would make things okay. When he
started talking about Karma and getting even, I thought it was just talk."

“It's not easy to talk to someone about your problems. Not
to mention David was desperate. He felt like he was drowning, and there was no
one to help him."

“I should've been there to help him," Stephanie mumbled.

Things were quiet for the next few blocks. Anya tried to
figure out what connected David and Eric together. David was on trial for
murder, abandoned by just about everyone he knew. He wouldn't just open up to
some random user on the Internet, and risk it being used against him in court.
And Eric wouldn't just approach David with plans of revenge. But then how did
Eric build rapport?

Anya sighed and hit the steering wheel. “Dammit. What am I
missing? I can see David and Eric being drawn together, but not why David would
let himself be dragged this far down."

“You said it yourself: he was desperate," Stephanie mumbled.

“But desperate for what? Peace? Revenge? Eric had to offer
David something he couldn't get on his own."

“Maybe he didn't need to offer David anything."

“What do you mean?"

“I mean what if Eric only…I guess amplified the feelings
David already had? What if it was more about just listening to him rather than
telling him what to do?"

The words, “David is almost ready", jumped to the front of
Anya's mind again. If that was Eric's plan, to turn David's feelings against
him, then why? Why was it so important to push David so far?

The only connection was what made Eric choose David in the
first place. It couldn't just be about the accusations; it had to go deeper
than that.

“Stephanie, you knew David longer. Do you know exactly when
he started using Chatline?"

Stephanie shook her head. “I hadn't even heard of it until
you told me."

“What about the talk about getting even?"

“He hadn't mentioned it until recently. But he had been
bottling things up for a while now. Like he never mentioned Lori cheating on
him. I heard people talk about it, but I always thought they were just making
up rumors."

 “Hold on, Lori was
cheating on David? I knew Luther and Lori weren't really a couple, but she had
actually cheated on David?"

“Yeah. David was pretty broken up about it. Luther was
pretty much holding Lori hostage and, there was nothing David could do about
it."

Anya swore under her breath. Lori and Luther were the ones
having the affair, but David was the prime suspect in her death. No wonder
David was pissed. “One more question. Did David's life fall apart before or
after he found out about the affair?"

“I think after. What does that matter?"

“Just curious." It was possible Eric had been watching David
since the beginning, and everyone who crossed David mysteriously died. She
tucked the thought away for later.

They finally reached the street where Patricia Price lived.
Anya ignored the goosebumps sprouting on her arms and slowly parked the SUV several
yards away and shut off the engine.

“Why are you stopping here?" Stephanie asked. “The house is
further up."

“Eric may not know we're coming. I'd rather keep it that
way."

“Okay, but what are we going to do when we get to the house?"

“I haven't thought that far yet," Anya said, climbing out of
the SUV. The details could come later. Right now, all that mattered was putting
a stop to Eric's plans. “Stay here."

“Forget it. I'm no cop, but David's in there and you can't
go alone," Stephanie replied, climbing out as well.

Anya sighed and continued down the street. She didn't have
time to argue and no way of making Stephanie stay behind.

They walked down the street, quickly and quietly, neither
saying a word. Stephanie stayed behind Anya. The neighborhood was unnaturally
quiet. On a beautiful day like this one, no one sat on their porches to enjoy
the weather, or came out to play, or even opened a window.

Just
like with Brent Caldwell, Anya thought. That means he's either here or he's already left.

Anya kept her eyes fixed on the Price residence. The windows
were blocked by curtains, and since it was the middle of the day, the lights
wouldn't be on, so there was no way of knowing if anything was happening inside
the house. Her heart beat faster the closer they got to the house until it felt
as if it would burst out of her chest.

She knew it was beyond stupid to approach the house without
calling for backup, but Eric would be long gone by time anyone arrived. There
was also Eric's ability to possess people. He could take over someone's body
and slip out in the confusion.

Deciding to err on the side of caution, Anya slipped around
the side toward the back door. It gave her a strong sense of déjà vu.
Hopefully, she wouldn't find David and Patricia laying dead on the floor.

The back door was unlocked, stressing Anya's nervousness.
She drew her glock from the holster, whispered to Stephanie to stay close, and
went inside.

The house was just as quiet as the neighborhood. The kitchen
was set up as if someone was eating lunch and stopped midway. The house was
dark, but no signs of blood or struggle which Anya took as a good thing.

They made their way through the house slowly and quietly. The
dining room, living room, and bathroom were also empty. Anya checked every
corner and potential hiding place. Each time she saw nothing, her fears
worsened. Stephanie stayed so close, Anya could hear her frightened breathing.

There was a door behind the stairs. It had to be the
basement. If Eric and the Prices were still here, that had to be where she would
find them. Anya carefully opened the door and peered into the darkness below.
It was quiet as always. Anya took a deep breath and descended.

The basement had been modeled into a man-cave. It had
everything, a small bar, large flat-screen, poker table, but everything looked
as if it hadn't been used in weeks. The air was filled with dust made worse by
the anticipation. Sitting on the sofa, facing straight ahead at a blank TV were
two humans. Anya took one final look around before approaching them.

“Mr. and Mrs. Price?" Anya whispered.

No response. Anya slowly approached the front of the sofa.
Her mind flashed images of the two people sitting there, throats exposed, posed
to look as if they died in each other's arms. Mr. and Mrs. Price were still
alive, holding each other as best they could with their tied hands. They
noticed Anya standing there, but didn't look relieved. Laying on the floor was
David.

“It's okay," Anya whispered. She continued to look around.
Something was wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on it. “My name is
Detective Corázon. I'm here to help. Is there anyone else in the house?"

“N-No, it's just us," the man said. “I'm Richard, and this
is my wife, Patricia."

Patricia said nothing and continued to sit stiffly and stare
at Anya. Anya couldn't blame the woman, she was likely frightened

“So what happened here?" Stephanie asked. “And why is David
here? Anya you told me Eric was the one behind this."

Anya knelt down, checked David for a pulse, and found he was
still alive. “I also told you he could possess people. He probably took over
David's body. Looks like he heard us coming and ran."

Anya felt something press against the back of her head and
heard the familiar click of the hammer of a gun being pulled.

“Very smart, Detective," Richard said. “Now remove your gun
and toss it over there."

Anya swore under her breath. She knew Eric could switch
bodies, but she let her guard down because Richard and Patricia were tied up. She
slowly removed the glock from the holster and tossed it across the room.

“Good. Now, Stephanie, come here please," Richard said. When
Stephanie's footsteps stopped, he added. “Now you two sit still while my
assistant deals with you."

At that moment, David's eyes opened and he sat up. Anya
stared in shock. David was further along than she thought.

“David, what are you doing?" Stephanie asked.

“Now is not the time for talking," Richard warned.

David used a roll of tape to tie Anya and Stephanie's hands
then made them sit next to Patricia and Richard on the sofa. Anya watched David
carefully as he worked. There was remorse and sadness in his eyes especially
when he looked at Stephanie.

When David finished tying them up, he took the revolver from
Richard. There was almost glee in David's eyes, making Anya swear under her breath.
It was just like that time with Carol.

Eric was in control now.

Anya thought about how they were going to get out of this
situation, but she came up blank. Eric was breaking the routine, and it made
him too unpredictable and dangerous. He wasn't the hostage taking type, and he
had enough time to kill Richard and Patricia before she arrived.

So why was everyone still breathing?

Richard looked confused, but once he looked at David, his
expression turned to pure horror. “What did you do to me?"

“We just borrowed you for a minute," David-Eric said. “Would
rather not take unnecessary risks and damage the vessel."

Right now, David was her only play. David was no murderer. If
she could plant doubt in his mind, it could drive a wedge between him and Eric and
maybe buy some time to figure a way out of this.

She just hoped David could hear her.

“Look, Eric, I know why you want me and Patricia," Anya
said. “But what did Stephanie and Richard do to you? Up until now, you've only
gone after people who lied on David. Those two are innocent. You can let them
go."

David-Eric chuckled humorlessly. “They're not innocent,
Detective. Stephanie has teased us from the start, and Richard knew exactly
what his wife was up to but did nothing."

“David, I wasn't teasing you," Stephanie said.

“What did you expect me to do?" Richard asked. “Nothing I
said would convince Patricia of your innocence."

David-Eric growled, stormed over to Patricia, and struck her
with a vicious backhand. She cried out in pain. Richard jumped to his feet, but
one shove sent him to the floor. David-Eric struck Patricia again. Richard
struggled to get up, absolute hate in his eyes. David-Eric pointed the revolver
at Patricia's head and everyone froze.

“Do you feel helpless yet?" David-Eric asked tonelessly.
“Forced to watch as we use your wife for a punching bag? That's how you made us
feel this past year."

“You're right, David," Richard said quickly. “I-I don't
understand how you feel. I'm sorry. Just…please don't hurt her."

David-Eric shook his head. “No, you're not sorry." He pulled
back the hammer on the revolver. “Not yet."

“All right!" Anya cried. “We get it! You can stop with the
theatrics."

David-Eric smiled at her and lowered the revolver. It took
everything Anya had not to try to wipe that condescending grin off his face. It
was easy to forget that Eric was in control and David wasn't in the right state
of mind. She also noticed the use of “we" instead of “I", reminding her of what
Eric said in Carol's apartment. “See,
this body is on loan. I don't have a lot of time before Carol tries to take it
back."

Did that mean Eric didn't have full control? Was that why no
one had been killed yet? David-Eric's left hand had been shaking since Eric
took over. Was it from excitement or something else? Perhaps she didn't need to
drive a wedge between them after all.

I just
hope I can use it to my advantage, Anya thought. “Was this your
plan all along, Eric? To take over David's body? Did you ever give a shit about
him?"

“Why do you keep calling him Eric?" Patricia asked.

“Because that's what she chooses to call us," David-Eric
replied. He looked very annoyed with this new line of questioning. “It really
makes no difference to us. Eric isn't even our real name."

Anya's brow rose. “What? You're not really Eric?"

“Yes, and no. We consumed someone named Eric once. After so
long, it's hard to keep track of all the names."

Anya stared at him slack-jawed. At first, she thought she
was dealing with some kind of spirit, but now she wasn't so sure. If David wasn't
the first, just how long had this been going on? “What the hell are you?"

David-Eric looked at her as if she were something he'd never
seen before. “That's an odd question, Detective. Would knowing give you any
peace? You'll die soon, so I guess it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, we don't
know. We don't remember our life from before. We don't even remember the name
of the last vessel. We just remember the hatred, the betrayal, the pain. A
spouse, a family member, a close friend. Do you know what that's like? To feel
let down by the ones you trusted most?"

“So you help them, but you don't help them for free, do you?"
Anya said, trying to keep her anger in check. Preying on people who are at their most vulnerable. How low can you
get?

“Do you know what it's like, Detective, to want something
that's always out of reach? To never feel the warmth of the sun, the cool
summer breeze, the caress of fine linen?" He slowly brushed Stephanie's face.
She shuddered and leaned away from his hand. “The touch of a lover? It's like
starving to death without dying. After so long it can drive anyone mad."

“And David?" Stephanie asked, her voice quavering. “He asked
for this?"

“In a sense. For the last year, he was being worn down. It's
easier to break someone's mind than you think. Like all things in life, it's just
a matter of applying the right amount of pressure long enough. You people kept squeezing
and squeezing until he finally popped."

Patricia spat a glob of blood on the floor at David-Eric's
feet. “So now it's my fault you ended up a mess? How about you stop trying to
pass blame and take responsibility for once?"

Anya wanted to slap the woman. After blaming David for so
long was she really telling him not to pass blame? And Eric was clearly
unstable. Now was not the time to piss him off.

David-Eric didn't seem bothered by Patricia's comment. “The
time for passing blame is over."

Anya's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't good. It sounded
like Eric was making up his mind whether to kill them or not. I got one maybe two more chances to change
his mind. If I can't convince him by then, we're fucked. “David, don't do
this. You're not a murderer. Neither are you, Eric. You told me yourself you
haven't killed anyone up until now."

“That's right, David. Do you think Lori would want you to do
this?" Richard added. “Is that how you show appreciation for the woman you
loved? By murdering her parents?"

“I know you think you're alone, but you do have friends,"
Stephanie said. “I meant what I said about waiting until you were ready."

David-Eric looked at each of them, uncertainty in his eyes.
“Luther tried to kill us today. He wanted nothing more than to watch David die,
and David killed him."

“That's different. It was self-defense," Anya said quickly.
“I saw the damage to the door. After hearing what Luther did to you this past
year, no one will blame you."

David-Eric started laughing. “People already think David's a
cold-blooded murderer. But it's not about walking away, Detective. Even if
Luther hadn't come, David would have killed him eventually. He needed to die if
David was to move on. Honestly, you should've seen him; it was like dealing with
a damn light switch. One minute it was 'fuck the world'. The next, he didn't
want anything bad to happen to anyone. So annoying."

“It's called having a conscience," Stephanie said.
“Something you don't know anything
about."

He turned to Stephanie with a devious grin. “And what about
you, little bunny? Where was your conscience when you led David on making him
believe you could have a future together? But don't feel bad. If you hadn't
taken away his last hope, it would've been much harder to get through to him."

Stephanie's eyes widened in horror. She shook her head,
never taking her eyes off David-Eric. “No. No, you're lying."

David-Eric smiled. “ 'Fraid not."

“Stephanie, don't listen to him," Anya said. “He's just trying
to make you feel guilty."

David-Eric shot the cushion between them, causing everyone
to jump. “She should! She spouts that nonsense about caring and wanting to be
together, but where has she been this last year? What support has she given?
The only reason she even bothered to come back is because she felt guilty."

He faced Richard and Patricia. Richard shielded his wife and
stared with fear-filled eyes. “And you," David-Eric growled. “We get why your
wife is a cunt, but what's your excuse? How could you stand by and let her do
something like this to someone you welcomed into your family? Who brought your
daughter happiness?"

“D-David, I'm—" Richard began.

David-Eric growled and pressed the revolver against
Richard's temple and the man fell silent.

“Go ahead, say it," David-Eric whispered. “Try to justify
your actions with some bullshit about how you were in pain and confused. Guess
what? So was David. But that didn't stop you from beating him down until there
was nothing left!"

“What do you want from them?" Anya cried. “You made it clear
an apology isn't going to cut it. They can't undo what they've done, but at
least they're trying. You see they feel bad about what they've done and want to
make up for it. Don't they deserve a second chance?"

“I don't need this murdering bastard's pity or his forgiveness,"
Patricia spat. “Just kill us and get it over with. I'm sick of listening to you
whine."

“What are you doing?" Stephanie whispered. “He'll kill us."

“No, he won't," Patricia said firmly. Anya noticed a glimmer
of fear in David-Eric's eyes. “He's had more than enough time to kill me and my
husband, but he hasn't. Just like he's waving that gun around, but hasn't shot
us yet. Now he's pretending to be insane so we'll be afraid of him."  She straightened up and looked David-Eric in
the eye. “You don't scare me. You murdered my daughter. If my death is what
finally puts you away, then so be it."

Anya's stomach knotted. Patricia had clearly given up on the
world, or maybe she didn't care because if David killed everyone, he would
finally go to jail like she wanted. Either way, it wasn't good.

“Patricia, that isn't helping," Richard said.

David-Eric continued to stare coldly at Patricia. “You call us
a murderer, but what about you? You planned to murder an innocent just to frame
us, but you still sit on your fucking high-horse?"

David-Eric's words had an effect. Patricia stared at the
floor, looking ashamed.

“Patricia, what is he talking about?" Richard asked
fearfully.

Patricia refused to look at her husband. “We were going to
kill her, and frame David for it," she said, pointing at Stephanie.

Stephanie scooted away. “Me? What did I ever do to you?"

“It wasn't personal. We just needed someone we knew David
was close to."

“You've been calling David a murderer for how long, and you
were planning on doing the exact same thing?!" Stephanie cried, her voice laced
with rage.

“He needed to be stopped!"

“So to stop a murderer, you kill someone who has nothing to
do with it? Great plan."

Patricia's words made Anya think. Eric couldn't have gotten
close to David on his own; she knew that. But after seeing what he could do
with Carol, she also knew he could get close to David for a brief moment. If
that was the case, it meant Eric could have been in contact with David for
months, maybe even years. But that also meant Eric knew David's life was
falling apart and did nothing to stop it.

“You see, Detective, the only person we don't have a grudge
against is you," David-Eric said. “David likes you even though you are a
nuisance. Now that you see these hypocrites don't deserve to live, maybe you get
it now. So this is your last chance. Agree to keep quiet about this, and you're
free to go."

It's
the only card left to play. If it fails, we all die. “So
that's it, Eric?" Anya asked. “Anyone who crosses David dies? No exceptions?"

“Of course, Detective," David-Eric replied.

“So I guess that included Lori, too."

The trembling in David-Eric's hand worsened. “W-We don't
know what you're talking about."

Anya smiled inwardly. She found it, the crack in Eric's
foundation that may break his hold over David. She just hoped the gamble paid
off. “I think you do, Eric. You've been watching David for a while now, but
David doesn't know that, does he? Just how long have you been watching him?
Spying on him? Planning to take over his body? But first, you needed him to
trust you. You needed permission or else David would eventually force you out.
So you started killing anyone who crossed him to gain his trust. But you
couldn't just start knocking people off without a good reason. David needed to
wish they were dead. You needed to isolate him from everyone so he would
confide in only you. So you killed Lori and convinced Luther to pin it all on
David and after that, the pieces just fell into place."

David-Eric's face turned pale and his tail ducked between
his legs. The hand holding the revolver began to shake. “L-Lori died in a car
accident. Everyone knows that."

Anya nodded. “True, but then again, a lot of people in
David's life have been having 'accidents', right?"

“Shut up," David-Eric growled. The trembling in his hand
worsened and spread to the rest of his arm.

“So David is just another victim," Richard said. “If you
hadn't killed my daughter—"

“WE DIDN'T KILL HER!" David-Eric bellowed. His fur stood on end,
but there wasn't an ounce of fury in his voice. “She betrayed him! She deserved
what she got! But we had nothing to do with it!"

“You sound a little desperate there," Stephanie said. From
the look in her eyes, she caught on to Anya's plan. “David told me himself he
still suspected Lori even after the affair ended. It tormented him, but you
made the pain go away, didn't you?"

“You're the reason David's life fell apart," Anya said.
“You're the reason the love of his life is gone, the reason everyone he knew
turned on him, the reason he now gets to spend the rest of his life with your
hand up his ass like a damn puppet—"

David-Eric snarled and pointed the pistol at Anya, but his
hand trembled so badly, there was no way he could shoot. He grabbed his hand,
his face twisted in pain. “David…David listen," Eric grunted. It was no longer
David's voice speaking. It sounded as if someone were speaking through a veil
of water. “She's lying. I didn't. I would never have hurt Lori—I know how much
she meant to you."

“But you were watching him long before everyone else
betrayed him," Anya said. “You've had plenty of time to plan it all out. So,
how did David find out about Chatline anyway?
Close friend recommended it? David wouldn't've risked a public website unless
someone he trusted gave him the idea. Admit it, you've been possessing his
closest friends, haven't you? All to make sure David does what you want. You
burned all his bridges so he would have no choice but to turn to you. You
ripped his life apart so you could steal his body and feel the wind in your
hair."

David-Eric glared at Anya with a rage that made her lean back
in her seat. “You have no idea what you're dealing with, Detective," he
growled. “You think I'm sick? You haven't seen the things going on in his head.
The things he wished he could do if only he had the balls. This is one sick
puppy, and I'm the only thing holding him back." He grunted again and doubled
over, clutching at his head.

“Seeing how David never acted on those urges, I think I'll
take my chances," Anya said. “David, you have to force him out! He's almost
gone!"

“That's right, David!" Stephanie cried. “Make that bastard
pay for what he did!"

David-Eric fell on all fours and howled. It sounded like a
cry from some demonic fantasy creature, echoing off the walls and making Anya's
very bones ache. He writhed on the floor, clutching at his head as if trying to
hold it together.

Then it stopped all at once as if someone hit the world's
mute button. David remained on the floor, breathing heavily.

“David?" Anya asked.

David groaned and grabbed the pistol on the floor. Anya
tensed, wondering if Eric had reclaimed control and was going to kill them all.

“Yeah, it's me," David said.

Anya let out a sigh of relief. “It's finally over then.
C'mon, untie us."

David looked down at the revolver in his hands and didn't
move.

Anya felt her stomach knot again. “David?"

“It's funny isn't it? All this time, I thought Eric gave a
shit about me, but in the end he was using me just like everyone else."

Anya swallowed thickly. “David, it's over now. It's okay.
Eric's gone."

“Like hell it is," Patricia snapped. “He broke into our
home, assaulted me and my husband, and threatened to kill us! I'm pressing
charges!"

“Patricia, please," Richard said soothingly. “After what we
just saw, how can you blame David for this?"

“How can you sit
there and defend him? He's clearly unhinged! He needs to be institutionalized."

“Mrs. Price, just let me explain—" Anya began.

“Anya, don't bother," David said monotonously.

Anya knew how it would end before she saw it. For a split-second
that seemed to last an hour, she thought of something she could say or do that
would change the outcome. But nothing came to mind.

The events played out in slow-motion. She saw David raising
the revolver, pointing it at Patricia Price, and squeezing the trigger.
Patricia's head snapped backward, blood and bone splattering over them and the
sofa. No one made a sound nor moved.

“That woman was really getting on my damn nerves," David
said.

His voice snapped Anya back into to reality. For a moment,
she almost forgot she didn't have a weapon. She stayed in her seat, glaring
daggers at David. “Why?" she asked, her voice shaking. “If you had left things
alone, you could've claimed extreme-emotional distress. Once a jury heard how
you've been tormented this last year, you would've walked!"

David shrugged. “You heard her, Anya. She wasn't going to
leave me alone. It's either them or me. It's clear I can't trust anyone. The
only thing I can do is make sure no one ever fucks with me again. Eric, too. He's
still in here"—he pointed at his head—“but right now he has no control."

Anya could only stare at David in horror.

David looked at Anya with no emotion in his eyes. “I should
kill you. You're a cop—you can't leave me alone now. But you opened my eyes, so
I'll let you go. But in case you get any funny ideas about following me…" He
pointed the revolver at Stephanie. Stephanie's already shining eyes widened in
absolute terror. He pointed the revolver at her leg and fired. Stephanie
screamed in pain. “Hopefully I won't see you again." David disappeared up the stairs.

Anya immediately rushed to
Stephanie and pressed her hands on Stephanie's gunshot wound. “I know it hurts,
but I need to keep pressure on it."

“I know," Stephanie said through clenched teeth. “I honestly
saw that happening differently in my mind."

“I'm afraid revealing Eric's betrayal pushed David over the
edge," Anya said solemnly. He didn't even
blink when he sacrificed her so he could get away. If I get in his way, he
won't hesitate. He won't stop until he gets his hands on Alex and anyone else
on his bad side.

Anya turned to Richard, “I need you to call 911."

Richard sat there, cradling his dead wife, sobbing
uncontrollably.

“Richard! Please, I can't do it and stop the bleeding with
my hands tied like this."

Richard didn't acknowledge she was talking to him. “It's all
my fault. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

“Anya, I can apply the pressure myself," Stephanie said. “Just
leave me a phone so I can call for an ambulance."

“Are you sure?"

“Yes, I'll be fine. You have to save David. It's Eric. He's
making David do this. I don't know how Eric got control, but David can't come
back without your help."

Anya wanted to tell Stephanie David was doing this on his
own, but now was not the time. She rushed upstairs to the kitchen and used a
kitchen knife to cut her hands free. She then hurried back down and did the same for
Stephanie. She considered untying Richard, but it might be best to leave him
restrained. It wouldn't be good if he decided to go after David as well. Anya
left her cell with Stephanie and rushed back to the SUV, wishing she had
listened and not parked so far away.

David had a head-start, but she knew where he was going. He
was going to take care of Alex Fields. She
sped down the street, siren blaring.

I
don't get it, she thought. If he
really wanted me out of the way, he had the perfect opportunity to end it. He
could've killed all of us back there. Is it as Stephanie said? Can David still
be talked down?

 She didn't know the
answer to that. She did know that David was unraveling and needed to be stopped,
and if she had to kill him to do it, she would.