Chapter 12: Only One Survives

On the drive to Jason’s house, my mind settled into a dangerous calm.

There were only two options: jail or death.

But both of us didn’t have to die.

As long as Jason was gone, no one would ever know I was on that roof. The secret would be safe.

As for the mastermind…

I glanced at my phone. Ten minutes ago, a text from a blocked number had popped up:

[Someone has to pay with their life for Rachel, right?]

He was giving me a choice: Kill Jason, or wait to be killed.

Of course, I’d pick the former. And I wasn’t dumb enough to let the cops link it to me.

Jason had picked up bad habits over the years. He’d bought a house out by the woods, halfway up a hill—no neighbors, no cameras, just trees and old beer cans in the ditch.

If I played it right, no one would ever know. Jason was the type to disappear for days—his family wouldn’t call the cops until it was too late.

And his dad? Mr. Miller wouldn’t want a scandal. He had more than one kid, but a ruined reputation meant losing everything.

As for our tormentor…

I gripped the steering wheel, jaw clenched. After Jason, I’d find him. Tie up every loose end. Only the dead keep secrets forever.

When I pulled up to Jason’s place, it was already 2:30 a.m. The house was dark, surrounded by woods, moonlight and crickets filling the air.

I took the drugged bottle of wine I’d prepped, humming an old tune as I walked to the door. After tonight, it’d all be over.

Inside, the living room reeked of smoke and stale beer. The coffee table was littered with cans, wrappers, and an overflowing ashtray.

Jason looked rough, eyes red, hair a mess.

As soon as I sat, he blurted:

"So what’s your plan?"

I picked up the corkscrew, slowly opening the bottle that would end this nightmare.

"Remember what you said when Rachel gave us three days, back then?"

"Kill Rachel."

I nodded, pouring him a glass. He downed it like water.

"Now we don’t even know who the other person is. How do we deal with him?"

I let out a quiet sigh, barely audible. All I had to do now was wait for the drug to kick in.

"Doesn’t matter if we don’t know yet. We can lure him out. He doesn’t know the other person who killed Rachel was me. We’ll use that as bait. You don’t need me to spell out the rest, do you?"