Pull the Trigger

Three years. Three years had elapsed since Brian and Sierra had heard from the psycho stalker who had ruined their lives. They had been forced to move from their old house and into a safe house that was only blocks from the Huntington Beach Police Department. All of Brian's mail had to be through email, and fan mail was slowly piling up at the federal mail building. Touring had been short and not as fun filled as it used to be, for two reasons only. The first being that Brian hated leaving his young family alone for too long, and the second reason being that every male he saw infuriated him. His heart would race with anger and his jaw would clench at each male face he saw. He couldn't help but think that one of them was the guy that was causing so much hell in their lives.

It wasn't all bad, however. Since moving to the newer house, Sierra had given birth to two baby girls, both very happy and healthy. Rhian Alexandra and Riley Leigh. Brian had picked out both the names after falling in love with them both. To say the girls were the apple of his eye would be an understatement. He had impressed Sierra with all the involvement he had played in his daughters lives, and how committed he was to making them happy. Not a day went by that Brian didn't play with them as well as hug and kiss them. Making sure that the three year olds knew how much they meant to him was something that was a priority on his list.

Sierra was happy with their family, but Brian could tell that she wanted to break out. She was tired of hiding from the man who was stalking her, and by hiding out, they had both agreed that they would no longer try to conceive. Though his wife loved their daughters with all her heart, she wanted to try for a little boy. She knew how much it meant to Brian to have a son that he could teach guitar to and get drunk with on his 19th birthday. She wanted so badly to try, but Brian was firm on making sure that no other children were put in danger. It was bad enough that Rhian and Riley were jeopardized by being with them, and the thought of a newborn baby having to suffer pained him immensely.

Because of the fact that this stalker was a red alert, police came by daily to check up on them. It bothered Brian mainly because he didn't want his daughters to become accustomed to it, and he could see how much of a toll it was starting to have on his wife. He grew increasingly frustrated as time wore on, and nothing was done about the stalker.

Throwing out the letters and packages had really come back to kick him in the ass. Since they were all resting at the bottom of the dump across town, the police had very little to go by. The jerk off who had brought him the package hadn't been much help either, and Brian could feel himself losing faith in almost everything.

His daughter's laughter, however, managed to keep him together. It helped too when he could hear Sierra telling them a scary story that made them shriek with laughter instead of be scared. They had inherited their father's taste for monsters and the supernatural.

"And the ghost swooped down and tickled the two little girls until they told their Mommy how much they loved her!" Sierra hollered, her hands coming down on the little ones stomachs.

The girls screamed with laughter, holding their sides as their mother tickled them. Sierra caught Brian's eyes with her own, and an impish grin spread across her face. Jerking her head towards the children, she winked once and started to speak.

"Suddenly, a big, handsome, Daddy by the name of Synyster Gates appeared, and threw the little girls high up in the air!"

Brian came into the room, picking up Rhian and throwing her into the air. Rhian squealed with laughter as she came back down, her dark hair like a halo around her head. The beautiful child in his arms smiled up at him and cooed a 'dadda' before he placed her in his wife's lap and grabbed Riley. She too laughed and smiled, her face almost identical to her sister's.

"Again, again!" The twins exclaimed, clapping their hands.

Sierra and Brian chuckled as they plopped down on the floor, exhausted and panting like they had just ran a 5 K marathon. They exchanged looks, gauging the other's reaction. What they saw on each other's faces made them burst out laughing. They were not in the shape to do that again.

"Sorry beautiful ladies, but Mommy and Daddy are old geezers."

"Speak for yourself! I'm still young and beautiful!" Brian said in a high pitched voice, running a hand through his dark hair.

That cracked all three girls up, the twins pretty much gasping for air as they climbed over their father's legs. Brian smiled, pulling Rhian and Riley up closer to him, placing a kiss on their foreheads.

"My munchkins look like they need some Sunday morning cartoons!" Brian said.

"Yay!" the two girls exclaimed, excitement billowing up in their identical brown eyes.

"Alright, let's go!" Brian hollered.

Rhian and Riley raced away from their parents, their awkward footfalls running down the hall to the living room.

"You're doing great, Daddy Haner," Sierra murmured as she pulled herself off the ground.

"You're doing better, Mamma Haner," Brian replied, pulling his wife under his arm and to his chest.

Sierra let out a loud sigh, her eyes closing as Brian rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"You're still worried," he said softly.

"Yes."

"The police will find him."

"It's been three years, Brian. I've lost all hope in the police. I don't know why he's doing this to me, or who he is, and I want it to stop. He has been blocked so many times that it's probably made him furious. I don't want the girls or you around when he comes here," Sierra spoke bravely, but a hint of fear tinged her voice.

"What are you saying, babe?" Brian asked, keeping his voice low so that the kids didn't hear him down the hall.

"If he comes here, I'll take care of him."

Brian couldn't help it. He laughed. Sierra took that as if he was making fun of her, but he was really laughing because it made him mad. It drove him insane to know that Sierra had thought about confronting this psycho, sacrificing herself for him and their two daughters. Like hell that was going to happen!

"Go on with the girls," Brian said tersely, trying his best to control his anger.

Sierra, sensing that she had crossed a line, nodded quickly and pecked his cheek with her lips before heading down the hallway where the two girls were giggling. Brian rubbed his eyes in frustration, one hand slipping down to his pocket where his cell was located.

Pressing one on the speed dial, he put the phone to his ear and was greeted by Constable Green's booming voice.

"Mr. Haner, what can I do for you today?" the older man greeted.

"Morning Constable Green. I was just calling to see if there were any new developments on Sierra's stalker," Brian murmured, softly closing the door to his office behind him.

Constable Green cleared his throat awkwardly, and Brian could already feel himself tense up. Whenever the Constable did that, Brian knew it wasn't good news.

"Well, we started to allow mail back at your old residence, and letters and packages have flooded in like crazy. We have a team of experts working on drawing up a profile of the man, but I'm pretty sure he knows your new location. He has expressed in his letters the frustration he feels that Sierra is not as easily seen, and we're worried he's going to come after you."

"And you tell me this now, after I call you?" Brian roared, losing his temper.

"Mr. Haner, I understand that you are incredibly frustrated with our services, but I can assure you that we're doing all that we can."

"You don't understand, Constable. I have two three year old girls that need to be looked after. I can't have an insane man stalking my entire fucking life," Brian growled.

"I agree, and that's why we're working overtime to assure your safety. Now, I've got a meeting concerning this problem, so I'll call you later on tonight. Good bye, Mr. Haner." And with that, Brian was left with a dead end phone call.

Hollering in frustration, Brian cast his cellphone down on the desk and stood up. Stalking towards the rather large wooden chest in the far right corner, he pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked it. Row upon rows of guns were there, a collection Brian was very fond and proud of. When he got pissed off, he came in here and detailed the guns, making sure that they were in tip top shape. It was an odd habit, but it relaxed him very much. He didn't want to lash out at his wife and children because he was angry, so this was the best option.

Brian pulled out one of his favourite hunting guns, a cleaning cloth, and a bottle of cleaner. He put all of it on the desk, unloaded the gun, and began to work. It was hard, honest work, and it consumed Brian immediately.

He only paused throughout the day to raise his head when Sierra came in to tell him things, but not once did he stop. He even skipped dinner, his work utterly fascinating to him. Sierra had come in about five minutes ago, and was just standing there, watching him. By then, Brian had finished almost all of the guns, and only had his best rifle yet. He hadn't fired it yet, as he wanted it in pristine condition, but it sure was beautiful.

"It's stuffy in here, Bri," Sierra finally broke the silence that had floated around Brian nearly all day, and he grunted, annoyed.

She sighed and walked behind his desk, throwing the window open. A cool breeze fluttered through the window and around the room, lowering the temperature. Brian relaxed, wiping one free hand across his brow and noticed that it was slick with sweat. Maybe it was really stuffy in here. Brian shrugged his shoulders anyways, not wanting to bother himself with that.

"I'm going to put the girls to bed now. They wanted to stay up until Daddy was done in his office but it's already eight o'clock."

He jerked his head up to look at her, shock flitting across his face. It was already that late? Really?

"I lost track of time," Brian murmured finally, still cleaning the muzzle of the gun.

"I know. You've been in here all day," Sierra replied, her voice bitter.

"Yeah, well I've been notified that the jerk off that's been stalking you might know where we are," Brian said gruffly, cleaning the gun harder than necessary.

"Oh my god, Brian. Are you serious?" she breathed, her face stark white with terror.

"Yes I am. So make sure the girls windows are all locked up firmly, and that you pull the shades down. Do the same everywhere."

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Sierra asked.

"Expect me around one," Brian muttered.

"Baby, that's late. You haven't been out of this room all day."

"I don't care, Sierra. I'm worried and this is what I do when I'm worried. Just go to bed and I'll be in later." Brian hated how gruff his voice sounded, but it was for the best.

"Okay," Sierra whispered, her voice quiet. "I love you, Brian."

"Love you too. Say goodnight to the girls for me."

Sierra sighed once more before the latch on the door closed behind her. With her gone, Brian finally let his thoughts drift away, something that rarely happened. He thought back to how crazy things had gotten ever since that first letter arrived. All of the letters and packages had been so insignificant compared to actually having to uproot what they had just started to form. He couldn't deny that he was angry and wanted to wring the neck of the so called man who enjoyed tormenting his wife, and three years ago he would have. However, he had to think of little Rhian and Riley, who were more than likely asleep at the moment. He wouldn't do anything that would take him away from them, and if it meant restraining himself around the creep once he was finally caught, then he would have to do it.

Hours passed as Brian focused on his pride and joy, making sure that every single area was spic and span. Finally, he was satisfied and sat back in his chair and reloaded the gun. It was dangerous to have loaded weapons in the house with two young girls, but they never came anywhere close to his office, and he kept the key to the chest on a necklace usually. He had to be careful if he wanted to keep the guns, so he did everything that was necessary to keep his children safe.

Suddenly, there was a soft crack from the tree next to his window. Brian jumped up, although logic told him that it was just the wind tearing a branch off the tree. Peering into the black abyss just outside of his window, he surveyed the tree, trying to figure out the source of the noise. A silver zipper caught his eye and he realized that it was attached to a hoodie. Somebody was sitting in his tree.

Brian made it closer to the window, watching the figures stealthily shuffling his way across the large oak tree. From around his neck hung a very good camera, and the man's face was hidden by a hood. He was walking towards his bedroom, where Sierra was probably sleeping. This was the man who had been sending them the letters and packages. He had found them.

His mind was plagued of images. Of Sierra looking absolutely frightened each time the mail came, of them having to move, the box of photos, the constant packages, the birth of their daughters, the constant flow of police officers in and out of his house... All of it he was having trouble with, and it was all because of this one man and his inability to take a hint.

A white hot, pulsing feeling took over his chest, his breath fading away until it felt like he was a statue. The feeling ran through his veins, making his heart explode into overdrive. His body began to shake, minimally at first, and then earth shattering quakes overcame him. He didn't know who he was, how old he was, what he was doing here, anything like that. All he could focus on was that there was a man in a tree, up to no good, and it was pissing him right the fuck off.

Not even thinking, Brian cocked back the gun in his hand and raised it to his eye, taking on a hunter stance. His trigger finger hit the small piece of metal and it gave way, sending off a spine tingling, bone jarring crack.

The sound echoed throughout the room, a blinding white light from where the bullet scrapped against the barrel, momentarily blinding him. That second without sight gave him a clear vision. He had just shot someone. His eyes jerked open to watch the man fall over dead, a clean red bullet hole in his head. He hit the branch and then fell straight to the ground, his body making an angry and loud thump as it hit the earth.

"Oh god!" Brian hollered, his gun falling from his hand and onto the floor.

"Brian! BRIAN!" Sierra screamed long and loud from the bedroom down the hall, and soon her pounding footsteps could be heard on the hardwood flooring.

Brian dropped to his knees, his elbows propped up on the window sill as he stared down at the hooded figure. He was lying face down on the ground, his body twisted at an odd angle. Brian felt extremely sick, and his heart had plummeted to his stomach.

"Am I going to jail for this?" he screamed out into the air, just as Sierra pushed the door open.

"I called Constable Green. He'll be here in five minutes. What did you do?" Sierra asked, tears streaming down her face as she watched her husband pull himself up from the ground.

"I-I shot him," Brian choked out, his own tears appearing.

"Brian! Why?"

"I don't know! I just saw him and something in me snapped. All I could think about was the girls and you. It made me so angry...I didn't even think," Brian started to gasp for air, the whole thing becoming way to emotional for him.

Sierra pulled Brian into an embrace, the look on his face telling her that he needed her. Brian sobbed into the front of her shirt, fear and anguish wracking his rather large build.

"Everything's going to be okay baby. It'll be okay," Sierra soothed, rubbing his back.

Rhian and Riley looked utterly confused as they appeared at the door, four police officers behind them. Constable Green was in the lead, his face grim.

"What happened, Brian?" he asked, his voice friendly but businesslike.

Brian looked down at the girls and swallowed hard. Constable Green got the hint and ushered Sierra, the two girls,and two of his best officers out of the room. When they had closed the door behind him, Constable Green pulled out a notepad.

"I didn't mean to do it, Constable," Brian started off, then began to explain what had occurred during the final moments of the stalker's life.

Constable Green was hard to read, and Brian had to bite the inside of his cheek several times to stop from screaming at him. He had just murdered a man, and the officer looked like he was having a friendly chat.

"Well Brian," Constable Green sighed, flicking his notepad as he finished writing. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Accidents like this are called crimes of passion. I doubt you'll be getting any jail time at all, but you will have to come over to the police station and fill out an official report."

A huge weight suddenly lifted off of Brian's chest. He laughed, the sound loud and jovial, and he couldn't stop. The nightmare was over. He could continue on with his family, move in to a bigger and better house near his friends, and live happily with the woman of his dreams. Shooting that stalker was the best thing he had ever done. It was finally over, and nothing would bother his young family ever again.