Page 49 of Jacob Michaels is Trouble

Locating Lucas so that I could start formulating a plan wasn’t nearly as difficult as I had anticipated, because when I got to the football field at the old high school, he was simply tied to the field goal post. Not the designated home team end, but the visitor end. Kinda like rubbing salt in the wound, I thought to myself as I peered down from the shadows at the top of the stadium. I did my best to keep myself out of view of any werewolves who were certainly watching and waiting for me. Even though none of them had probably figured out that Jason was no longer amongst the living, they would be angry to see me there, trying to save my boyfriend. If they found out about Jason before I managed to get to Lucas, things would be even worse for both of us, especially if we got caught trying to escape.

Looking down at Lucas, I could kind of tell that he had been stood up in front of the goal post, his arms pulled back and secured with rope around the post and affixed to his wrists.

Did you see that?

I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts.

What about that?

My hands went to the side of my head as I fought to concentrate on what was happening with Lucas. I needed to get down on the field and untie him, rescue him from the pack of werewolves. If I waited too long and one of them went to find out where Jason was, saw that he was dead, things would turn into a total shit show. They probably wouldn’t hesitate to simply kill Lucas and move onto whatever their next planned activity was. Maybe they’d go on a rampage and start indiscriminately killing everyone in town. Just go door to door and kill anyone who answered.

Were werewolves like vampires? Could they enter homes without an invitation?

Were vampires even real?

Searching my memories, I wasn’t so sure I had that knowledge stored away from some encounter with one in my past.

Then again, it didn’t really matter what was real and what wasn’t because my boyfriend was currently tied up and awaiting slaughter.

When I looked down at Lucas, I could tell, even from that distance that his head was slumped forward. As though he was passed out or knocked out. Or worse. Would I get down to rescue him, only to find that he was actually…not alive…and it had all been a trap to lure me out into the open? My eyes searched the stands of the stadium, and not a single person was in sight. There were no people slowly stalking the stands, waiting for signs of my arrival. There was nobody on the field. No one in the stands on the other side of the field as far as I could tell. That made me feel slightly better but was also concerning. If no one was at the stadium, watching over their captive, did that mean there was no reason to watch over him? Did it mean…

I stepped out of the shadows and slowly began my descent to the field. My eyes darted back and forth, searching the stands as I made my way down to Lucas. No one was stepping out of the shadows or popping up out of nowhere to cut me off or jump me. The only audible sounds were those of my feet on the aluminum steps that led downwards. A rhythmic “clunk” sounded with each step, but nothing else moved in the stadium.

By the time that I reached the bottom level of the seating on the home side, there was still no movement on the field or in either side of the stands. It was merely dark, quiet, and motionless. I waited a moment, making sure that I was not being overly confident, then walked to the stairs that led from the stands down to the sidelines for the home team. As I descended those stairs, my footsteps were the only sounds once more. I kept my eyes peeled but continued my trek to the goal post where Lucas was. No matter what Oma had said, there was nothing that was going to stop me from saving him.

No matter what condition I found him in when I got there.

As I got closer to Lucas, I could tell that he had been roughed up a little—there was a bruise on the side of his face—but I could see his chest slowly rising and falling as he hung loosely against the goal post. Whatever the wolves—the pack—had done to him, he was alive. He was fine. My heart soared, and my feet began moving quickly, bringing me closer and closer to Lucas at a pace that made a smile form on my face.

When I finally reached Lucas, I couldn’t help but grab his face in my hands and kiss him gently. The movement against his face woke him, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. Duct tape had been slapped over his mouth, but I could see the smile in his eyes. The shifting of the makeshift gag let me know that the smile was not just in his eyes. His body began to quiver with excitement as I reached up and starting to work at a corner of the tape.

“Fast or slow?” I winced as I spoke. “Blink once for fast.”

One blink.

I ripped the tape off without a second thought. Lucas, to his credit, merely cringed, holding back the scream that had probably begged to be released from his throat. Again, I leaned forward and kissed his mouth, now that I had access to his lips, hoping it would take some of the sting out the pain from me ripping off the tape.

“Babe,” Lucas sputtered when I pulled away. “They all left, but I know they’re coming back. Get me the fuck out of here.”

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” I asked as I moved around him and started to work on the ropes at the back of the goal post.

“Not badly enough.” He stated simply. “How did you find me?”

“Well,” I said quietly as I worked on the knots. “It’s not like the football field is some random place, right?”

I laughed nervously.

“Where’s Jason?” He asked. “He wasn’t with these guys, but I know that they’re his pack. They were talking about it earlier. They said Jason would deal with you eventually. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I knew it wasn’t good.”

“Jason’s been dealt with.”

“Did he try to hurt you?” Lucas gasped as the first knot came undone.

I just laughed.

“I guess that’s an answer,” Lucas stated lowly. “I probably don’t want to know the rest, do I?”

The last knot came undone, and Lucas fell away from the goal post, barely catching himself with his feet as he stumbled. I walked around the post and pulled him in for a hug, then kissed him roughly on his mouth. When I pulled back, I looked into his eyes as I smiled.