The shadow

Jake had hidden himself behind the couch where he had sat down with Laila earlier and he had hugged her for the first time in over ten years. But although the thought that she had played him hadn't fully set in, the type of man he had let himself in with, had. After Harold had picked up the phone, Jake tried to get his anger across without alerting the large man that was clearly out to hurt whoever he ran into.

He started the call by saying, "What the hell is going on Harold?!! You promised you wouldn't hurt them! So, why is there some kind maniac here going after Laila. And what is that comment about going for their blood because they went after yours??"

But Harold was in no mood to hear his words and answered back with a rant of his own. "Shut up! That was before they came after my nephew and started attacking my company. Do you even know what mess I am currently dealing with because of your and Olivia's stupid and naïve actions? My face is even on the damn news! Instead of nagging me about your little trollop, you should be happy that it is not you I am trying to harm. You two got played. You got fooled by two goodie goodies."

Jake protested by saying, "How do you know it was us that got fooled? Why do you have to assume that we are involved at all in what you are currently dealing with. That is no reason for you to try and harm Laila."

Harold scoffed and rolled his eyes at Jake's words before he came back blazing and said, "I know because they f**king arrested my nephew in his own house! I know because they attacked me on all fronts knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to protect all sides. If you two didn't get played, how else would they have known that I was in town and the location of my company?? They clearly outsmarted one of you and got my information that way. You two were the only ones who knew where I was aside from my own sister and nephew, and I know it wasn't them. Now your stupid actions even got my nephew involved as well in this mess. So, you had better pray that he doesn't get convicted otherwise I will be coming for your ass as well. You just had to go and show those pictures to that little whore and create this mess. If anything, you have yourself to thank for all of this. So, I don't care whatever I did or did not tell you before. I am going to pay that pesky Noah back for what he has done to make and make sure he won't ever be able to do it again."

Jake was feeling shivers all over and he was beginning to see just how crazy Harold was. He got flashbacks of words Harold had said before and wondered how he could have missed just how delusional and twisted the man was. His anger for Noah had really blinded him. All the hypothetical situations they had talked about, all the ways that they would get to victory, he had just passed them off as stories to vent their anger and frustrations. Things that people say but never do. But now that they were talking about Laila, his Laila, it became all too real. Those hypotheticals were becoming a reality and in the most extreme way.

In a shaking voice, while trying to come across as calm as possible in order to not give himself away to the enraged Harold, Jake asked, "W-what are you planning on doing..?" Harold didn't right away. Instead he let out a sinister laugh that chilled Jake to his bones, before he said, "Let's just say that I am sending him and his little friend off with a bang". His words were followed by an ear deafening silence as he had ended the call. Leaving Jake in a state of shock as his phone remained pressed against his face.

Jake let himself fall to the ground as he leaned against the side of the couch trying to take all that was happening in and not knowing what to do. That is when he suddenly noticed another shadow moving from behind him and dashing away in the direction of the library where a big commotion was taking place. He was confused if it was just a figment of his imagination an illusion produced by the stress of the situation or if someone had actually just been there. Feeling shocked, worried, confused, Jake just sat there and stared into the emptiness as he waited for it all to be over.

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Over at the panic room Laila and Maria were still keeping an eye on the situation after contacting the police. They too saw the shadow that Jake had seen and they wondered if he was a partner of the man trying to force his way into the panic room at that very moment or if he was someone that was on their side. The dangerous man had somehow figured out that they were in the library and had trashed a big part of it already in search of them. All that Laila and Maria could do was watch him do it as they hoped for the police to arrive soon and stop this madness.

But as the sound of sirens came from a distance and panic was all around, there was one other player in the game that planned on turning things around. The shadow that had left Jake's side, came into the room and seemed to lack a sense of presence as he was being completely unnoticed by the crazed man screaming and throwing things around. Seeing the way he was moving and approaching the man, it became clear to both Laila and Maria that he at least was not the partner of the crazy man. But who he was, that was still a mystery.