Chapter 6- Safe Stalker

'I saved you you idiot! I was there for you when you needed me.'

'No..'

'They're monsters and I saved you all. You should thank me!'

Collette woke up with a start, her eyes immediately shutting again as the bright lights hit them.

"Collette." She heard Adam call as the bed dipped beside her. His voice was frantic and worried.

"Collette can you hear me? Are you okay baby girl?"

She managed to open her eyes slightly to look into worried chocolate eyes.

Adam held her hand gently. "How are you feeling baby girl? Wait; let me get you some water."

He twisted his body to fetch for the glass of water on the bedside table.

He helped Collette into a comfortable sitting position, aiding her with drinking her water.

"I'm okay Adam." She croaked out, her throat still feeling like sandpaper.

"What happened pumpkin? The doctor said that you fell from severe emotional distress."

Collette looked up at her husband as the memories of what happened flashed inside her head one by one and she couldn't help it as the tears cascaded down her face like a raging waterfall. She buried herself into his chest wanting nothing more than to feel safe again and she knew Adam would gladly provide that.

She let his warmth bask her body fully as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Adam remained quiet, providing his wife with the time she needed. He held her close as he ran gentle strokes down her back to calm her down.

"I'm right here baby." He whispered into her hair.

Collette's weeps started dying down gradually.

"He's the one who killed my father Adam." She said as she pulled away from Adam's embrace.

"What? He who?"

"E, Adam. E is the one who saved my mother and me and killed my father."

---

After showing him the note and explaining everything from her visit to the Everglades to the same message from E they both received, the couple sat quietly in their kitchen as Adam prepared something for Collette to eat. She was sure however, to not mention anything about the threat note sent to the Everglades by the Holers.

They said nothing even after Adam placed the plate of spaghetti in front of Collette to eat. She had no appetite to have anything though.

"You shouldn't have gone there alone." Adam finally broke the silence.

"She wouldn't have said anything with you around." She retorted in a faded voice.

"Collette you can't just-"

"Adam I need time. I can't do this right now." She cut him off as she got up from her place not wanting to get into an argument with him right now and she knew very well that one was brewing.

"Where are you going?" Adam shot up from his place as well.

"I'm going for a walk Adam. I need to think."

"Collette wait."

Just as Collette opened the front door, she was met with Ken and Avery midway in action to ring of the doorbell.

"Is everything alright?" Avery was the first to speak but Collette didn't answer as she rushed out the door.

"Collette!" Adam called from behind her but decided eventually to let her be as he stood in front of his teammates.

"Everything okay boss?" Ken asked.

"Peachy." Sarcasm dripped. "Come in." He led them into the kitchen, offering them drinks.

"Elliot and Kristen have been searching nonstop for anything that can give us any intel on that cult but it seems nonexistent. Everything they came up with turned faux." Avery filled in.

"The problem is that we find information and people by strings attaching them to this world. Technology they use and places they go to but it looks like the Holers don't even use phones." Ken added.

"What? you're telling me they use pigeons to communicate?" Adam retorted with agitated sarcasm. Something he found himself to be doing quite often lately.

"Take these." He handed them the notes Collette had. The two are from E. "See if you can find anything from them."

Meanwhile, Adam and his team members busied themselves with the case; Collette found herself walking down the road on her own.

It was already night time so the darkness didn't help with her nerves. Her emotions were all over the place and didn't know how to get her head straight with thought. She owed E her life, and her mother's. She didn't even want to think of the other possibilities that would be bestowed upon her and her mom if it wasn't for E. Yet she knew all too well that no matter what the motive was, nothing justifies for murder. Killers have a lust for blood and with the first taste they get, they can't seem to stop wanting more.

E might just start killing other innocent people after finishing off all the cult members.

She groaned out loud at the dilemma taking place in her head.

She didn't want E to be caught as a big chunk of her wanted him to finish off all those abusing bastards. She wanted to end all their families' misery. And E would be the only one able to set them free. But she knew that the right thing to do was to stop them legally. That they should all be caught, arrested, and prosecuted according to the law.

A shiver ran down her spine and she was suddenly more aware of her dark and eerie surroundings. She didn't notice how far she went until she could no longer get familiar with the street.

Another shiver ran through her as she felt eyes boring into her back. She turned around with wide eyes but came in sight of nothing. The street was empty and drop-dead silent. She decided it was best to go back home and her legs made a quick spin for it.

Knowing that she would be walking towards whoever was following her, she crossed the road to the other side, giving herself space away from her potential stalker.

With hurried steps, she started making her way towards her house, but when the crawling spiders on her back intensified, she went into full sprint mode.

Her house started coming in her line of vision and it only made her run faster but just as she was about to go through her front porch, she felt a hand brush against her back causing a scream to ripple from her throat on impulse. Yet the feeling vanished just as quickly as it came.

Almost instantly, Adam was sprinting out of the house, followed by Ken and Avery.

"Collette!" He called as he rushed towards her.

"Someone was running after me." She managed to choke out as she tried to get some oxygen into her lungs.

Ken and Avery didn't wait a second before going each towards one side of the road trying to get hold of the stalker.

Adam picked up his wife and took her into the safe confines of their house. "Wait here." He ordered as he placed her on their living room couch then started heading towards the door.

He reached for his gun, holding it ready in his hand as he went outside. He didn't get to go far away as he saw his teammates retreating empty-handed.

"I couldn't find anyone boss." Avery reported in ragged breath.

"I came out short too. Like he disappeared into thin air or something." Ken added trying to regain his breathing. He stood attentively resting his hands on his hips.

"Check any CCTV that's put on the road and check for any black box installed into any of the cars nearby. Maybe they will get us somewhere. Follow Collette's trail." Adam ordered.

Ken and Avery took their orders before leaving to go get them done, leaving Adam to look after his shaken up wife.

She's been through more than she needs to in a matter of two days and it was starting to make Adam himself feel uneasy.

It felt the same as how it was one year ago.

"Adam!" She called once he stepped into the house, making sure to lock it properly. "Did you catch him?"

"No. We came out empty-handed." He replied with a sigh. "But we'll catch him."

Silence welcomed itself again between them before Adam broke it.

"I can't do this. We can't go through this again Collette. Not me and definitely not you."

"I'm not stopping Adam. I'm directly related to this." Collette argued.

"Don't you get it Collette? That's the more reason that you should keep away!"

"No I won't. E only kills male Holers and the Holers themselves probably forgot about my existence altogether. We never even got a note threatening us to keep our mouths shut."

"Oh really? Wasn't what happened just now proof enough that they might be after you?"

Collette shook her head. "It's not possible Adam. Not this fast at least. I'm sure it was nothing related. Or maybe I was imagining for all I know." She tried to blame it on herself.

"Look, what happened today will not happen again. I promise. And instead of fighting me, let's concentrate on the leads that we have." She spoke, even though she still didn't make up her mind on what she thinks about E's cause and motives. She was still not sure if she wanted to catch him or not but knew for a fact that working this case will give her the answers she needed.

"I'm not fighting you." Adam mumbled under his breath. "You're out and that's final. I'd be damned if I allowed you to be put in any sort of danger."

Leaving no space for argument, he turned around and went to his room.