Cole wraps his arms around his middle, the big puffer jacket with the fur-trimmed hood, shivering against the dead cold hanging in the still-damp air. He doesn't see us standing in the front yard, just turns with his head tucked down toward the back of the house.
We follow just in time to see him heft the axe that was left lying against the side of the house, grunting and muttering under his breath as he stalks toward the small pile of logs beneath a large sheet of tin tied to some trees, serving as a makeshift woodshed.
We haven't discussedhowwe're going to do this... just that we are. For all we know, it could go horribly and he'll get away, but that's the worst-case scenario. It's not like he can turn it around and kill us instead; they already did that.
I hold a hand up for Nikki, to keep her from advancing, as Cole kicks one of the logs, isolating it from the rest. He swings the axe with a grunt, a heavy thud sounding as the blade lodges itself in the center of the log and begins to split.
"We’ll let him tire himself out." I suggest, cutting a glance to Nikki, who presses her lips together without argument.
Cole is a scrawny guy. I'd feel bad that it was because of his family's financial situation and a lack of food, except for I know that's not what keeps him so thin. That is all due to the drugsthat he sells... which makes him enough money to eat like a king. He just doesn't give a fuck about his family home falling into disrepair.
"Yoohoo! Cole!"
A feminine voice captures my attention, and we turn to glance over our shoulders at the old lady standing in her yard, her threadbare robe acting as a shield against the cold.
Cole groans, choosing to ignore her as he hefts the axe again before swinging it down right overtop of the point of impact. This time, it splinters easily, and he throws the axe against the wood-pile, clearly done for now. So much for letting him wear himself out.
"Cole!" The neighbor calls again, smiling as he draws nearer to her. "Merry Christmas Eve!"
Cole ignores her, carrying his log under one arm as he brushes by her like she's not even there.
"I'm sorry to be a bother, but do you think you could split one of my logs for me for the fireplace? The furnace is out and my son will be by tomorrow for the holiday, but I'd love to get a fire going to take some of the chill out of the house."
The three of us follow Cole to his front yard, with Nikki and I hanging back at a distance.
"I have my own wood still, but I've already been through everything that was chopped. I'd try to do it myself, but after that surgery I had from tripping over Tabby, I can't lift more than five pounds. I can—"
Cole slams the front door behind him, making it clear that he's not going to so much as acknowledge her presence.
The woman looks up with tears in her eyes before blinking them away.
"Merry Christmas to you, too." She sighs, shaking her head before heading back to her own house and disappearing behind the little green door.
"Wow." Nikki laughs, but it's not an amused sound; it's dry. She licks her lips, and when I catch her eye as she strides past me like a woman on a mission, her gaze is full of fire.
I don't question her as she stalks around to where Cole was chopping wood, watching as she hefts the axe easily, like it's something she does all the time. I think, at first, that she's going to split the wood herself and drop it on the neighbor's doorstep. Instead, she swings back around, moving easily through the snow so that when she passes by me, I can feel the energy radiating off of her... and fuck, it feels good. It's a warmth that vibrates through me, waking up my need for vengeance, and pushing me to follow her just as she swings at the front door, which splinters easily despite the blunt edge of the axe.
I can't help the smirk that steals across my lips as she pulls it back and swings again, hitting right over the split she already made in the door. This time, when she pulls the blade free, I can see a sliver where the blade carved out a hole. The next blow or two ought to be enough to take the whole thing to splinters. I don't get to test that theory, though, because the door opens and Cole's angry "What the fuck?" floats out into the air, dying quickly when his eyes lock, first on the axe, and then on her.
"It's cold out here." Nikki says, taking advantage of his shock to push him into the house on her way in. I follow closely, locking the door behind us and drawing the top chain, just in case he gets any ideas about trying to escape.
By the time I face him, Cole looks like he's seeing a ghost, which is fair, because that's exactly what it is. He's too horrified by the sight of her to notice me, and I'm too enamored watching his surprise turn to horror as the implications of her presence wash over him.
"What are you... how are you here?"
"I told you..." Nikki shrugs, and the axe bobs up and down with the movement of her shoulder. "It's cold. Wanna keep me warm, Cole?"
"You can't be real." Cole swallows, shaking his head. His lank hair drags into his face with the force of the motion; he must be high and under the impression that he's just on a bad trip right now. "You were..."
"Dead?" Nikki supplies, laughing in spite of the grave matter. This time, there is humor in her laugh, and it takes me by surprise so much that I join in, unable to keep it at bay. That's when Cole seems to notice me.
"You're both dead. This can't be real..."
"We're real." Nikki promises him, stepping closer and prompting Cole to whimper as he backs himself against the back of his couch.
"What do you want? It wasn't my fault... neither of you were my fault. I didn't kill you! It was Nick!"
I'm actually astonished at how close to tears Cole is. In all the time I knew him, I wasn't sure he had any kind of emotions. He's clearly a neanderthal, driven by his Id instead of logic or reason.
