Dead On Arrival~ Season 2- Episode 27: The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (Part 1)

Episode 27: The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (Part 1)

"Audrey! Audrey! Calm down!" DJ yelled from only a few feet away, but he sounded as if he was miles away. Too far to reach me.

I looked at Gemma. My mind was racing. My breathing labored. My katana pointed at her. I don't know when or how I escaped her sickening embrace, but I did and all I could think about was what she said. Her words repeating back to me in my head over and over again. The images of Vince bleeding from his torso and Grace's lifeless body. The Vultures had done all this? I couldn't wrap my mind around it all, but I felt rage bubbling inside me. All of it aimed at Gemma.

"You did this!"

"I did what? What are you talking about?"

"You hurt Vince. You hurt my friends. You killed Grace!"

"What? I didn't hurt anyone and Grace was killed by a rotter. Remember?" she replied still claiming ignorance. She looked over at DJ and shrugged. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"She knows Ace. She said his name! She tried to say she meant to say John and that she said Grace instead, but she said Ace. Not Grace. I heard her!"

DJ gasped. "Whoa! Whoa! What? Slow down!"

"I saved her from the zombie and she sai-"

"I said John would have never saved me. Well, he's usually too chicken shit to save me. Anyway, I called him Grace accidentally. Omar's story about her demise much like my attack just now must have been on my mind, so I said her name instead of John. That's all."

"You're lying! I know what I heard."

"Ok, so what if I said Ace? What does that have to do with Grace's death? I had nothing to do with that. I wasn't there that night. I was no way near this place."

"She described it as if she had been there, DJ. She knew the color of the cat and that it was torn to pieces. She even knew that Grace probably died following after it. We weren't even sure about that."

"Omar told me."

"Bullshit!"

"So I killed her? What did I do? Turn into a rotter and bite her on the neck and turn back?" she scoffed. She then cut her eye at DJ and whispered loudly. "I think she's having a breakdown."

"How do you know she got bit on the neck?" DJ asked eyeing her suspiciously.

"Um...uh...Omar told me. I lent my ear to him one night and he broke down telling me everything. It was heartbreaking."

"Yeah sure."

"I'm serious," she said alarmed looking from one to the other. "Don't be ridiculous. You can't believe..."

"I believe we need to talk. About that and your involvement with Ace."

B..b..but..."

"Yeah whatever, let's just get inside where it's safe," he said glancing over at the zombie's corpse. "Where's there's one, they'll be others."

We entered the house together. Gemma in front, me in the middle with my blade still drawn, and DJ bringing up the rear. He closed the door behind us and the tension returned.

She held up her hands as she stared down at my weapon and DJ stood beside me still eyeing her suspiciously.

"We need to talk. Just you, me, grandpa, and Omar. The four of us will talk in Gramps's room," he said breaking up the silence. He shot me a look. "Lower your weapon. I got it from here."

"Wait. Just the four of you? How about me? And we need to tell Madison and Nathan. The whole house needs to know."

He shook his head. "This needs to be private for now. At least till Gramps makes a decision. She'll be good as dead if Madison or Nathan caught wind of this."

"You don't understand..."

"No, you don't understand. We don't handle things with swords and guns or executions or threats. This is our house and we'll deal with it our way. Not Madison. Not Nathan. Not Wade. Not Vince. Not yours. Our way."

He placed his hand on the top of my katana and lowered it for me. He then placed his hand on Gemma's back and began guiding her to the stairs.

"No. Wait! What about me? Shouldn't I be included in this?"

He glanced over his shoulder and sighed. "No. Just sit back and chill. I'll let you know if I need you. Just...just let me handle it."

"But I'm the one who heard it!" I cried, but they were gone before I could even finish my plea. Up the stairs, they went leaving me alone in the dining room.

I pounded my fist on the table out of frustration. I didn't understand. Why was I being left out of this? What was DJ up to? I pulled out the dining room chair and sat down. I placed my head on the cool surface of the table trying to calm down, but I couldn't. I couldn't just stay out of it. I jumped up and stormed up the stairs. My feet carrying me to the end of the hall to Jones' room.

As I passed Aaron's room just inches away from my goal, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I looked up to see Vince staring at me in the doorway.

"Where the hell are you going?" he growled.

"None of you business," I snapped feeling my anger rising again, but he shot me a look that made me instantly regret it. He grabbed hold my shirt and yanked me into the room. I fell onto arm of the couch and he slammed the door shut. I looked up at him aghast. "What the hell?"

"Shut up!"

"No! What is your problem?"

"That woman is in there with Jones and DJ. That's what."

"I know. I should be in there."

"For what?"

"She slipped up. Just now in the garden. I was with her. She mentioned Ace and from the way she described it, I think she was involved with Grace's death. That's what they're talking about in there in Jones' room. I can't believe they're leaving me out of it. I'm the one who heard it. Not DJ or Jones or Omar. Me! I should be in there!"

"No. You shouldn't. That woman is dangerous."

I snorted and I laid back on the couch. "No, she not. Well, I think I can handle her at least. She can't even fight off a zomb for fuck sakes. I just saved her in the garden. It grabbed her and she almost got bit."

"Don't be stupid! If you think that's how she really is than you've already lost. That's just an act."

"But you didn't see it. It grabbed her and she fell over -"

"I don't care. It's all an act. If she's one of those wack jobs, it's an act. She would have saved herself if you hadn't intervened. She's not stupid."

I groaned. "You're not listening to me. DJ told me to keep quiet, but I'll tell you the whole story."

He crossed his arms and sat down beside me. "Not going change my opinion, but go ahead."

I told him everything. From the idle chatter to the exact moment Gemma revealed her ties to the Vultures. He just sat there stone-faced. Then when I was done, he shrugged, and to my shock he seemed unmoved. His exact words: "So?"

"So? Wade said she would slip up and she did! And I was there!"

He frowned and let out a small sigh. "I don't want you talking to that woman anymore. I want you to stay away from her. The less you're involved, the better. It's best DJ and Mr. Jones handle it."

"Did you even hear me?"

"I heard you. You shouldn't have been out there with her. I told DJ to keep you away from her. I caught wind of Madison's little plan of making you her spy from Tao, so I asked DJ to keep you out of anything involving her. But that Madison. The balls on that woman. Putting you in danger. How dare her?!"

I felt like the veins in my head were about to pop from sheer rage. "What? What did you say?"

"You need to understand. She's dangerous, Audrey," he said troubled. "The other night, I snuck out to get a snack and something to drink. Aaron thinks he can keep me cooped up here, but I sneak downstairs from time to time. Anyway, I ran into her in the kitchen. Wade and Omar were on guard, but they were too busy flapping their gums to even notice me. Well, she was just standing by the sink looking out the window. I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to turn around and leave, so I said hello. She turned around. Looked at me as if she had seen a ghost and ran out. Never said a word. I saw her again a few days after that one afternoon. She was wiping the dining room table. Looked up at me and I got the same reaction. It was strange. Unnerving. She wasn't scared either. It was almost like she knew me. Like I wasn't supposed to be here. Like she knew what happened. "

"And that justifies you going behind my back and asking DJ to keep me away from big bad scary Gemma?"

"I get that you're mad, but The Vultures are ruthless murderers. I almost died out there. If Gemma is a Vulture, she was sent here for a reason and she can't be some pushover. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"I don't need you to keep me safe! I can take care of myself!"

"Audrey..."

"How dare you go behind my back! Treating me like some kid!"

"That's not.."

"Stop treating me like some fucking child! I'm not your daughter! I'm not Maya!"

"Low blow. Low fucking blow!" he roared. He jumped up from the couch and clenched his fist as he stared down at me angrily. "Maybe if you stopped acting like a child, I would stop treating you like one!"

"I don't act like -!"

"Yes, you do! A spoiled insufferable one. A little girl that hides behind a tough exterior with her little sword. Waving it around like she some fucking badass, but you're no badass. No. Deep down you're just a scared little child looking for attention. Running recklessly and stupidly into everything and anything just so you can feel something. Just so you keep up this facade of a tough girl act when you're nothing more than an immature brat scared shitless like everyone else!"

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Vince..?"

"Grow the fuck up and do it fast! And keep Maya's name out your god-damned mouth!"

Before I could even utter another word, he was gone. He slammed the door with such a force I'm surprised the door frame didn't crack. I sat there in a state of shock and tears streamed down my face.

I was still so angry, but I knew I had crossed a line. He dreamed of his daughter, Maya every night. Sometimes crying out the little girl's name in his sleep. His reaction was to be expected. I fucked up and I knew it.