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DEATH

“They’ll tell tales of the lamb that strayed, but none will speak of how the darkness sang it sweetly home.” ~ Anonymous

“If this is true, then why are you telling me all of this now?” I asked, suspicious of his every word.

“Because you deserve to know the truth.”

“I don’t buy that,” I growled.

“You have no choice. But let me continue with Emma Jo and Martin.” He crossed his legs before he continued.

“Over the years, my appetite grew, and I became known as the Pied Piper. It fit, so I was fine with the nickname. Emma Jo struggled with what my work entailed, though.” He flashed me a sly grin. “Not many can understand the bloodlust and fascination with what we do, Death. But …” He pointed at me. “There’s a little twist here. She appreciated what I did enough to blackmail me into killing your father.”

“For what he did to me?” I asked, my voice low and deadly.

“Yes. She hated him for it, and she hated herself for being a coward and not standing up to him. Emma Jo couldn’t afford my services, so she threatened to turn me in for the backlist of my victims. Since our tight-knit group held our dirtiest secrets, she had access to a few of the names, but not many. Clearly, I couldn’t have that. Not to mention that if I ended Martin’s life, she would hold that over my head as well. If she was willing to blackmail me once, she would do it again.”

“So, you killed her first.”

He winked at me. “Exactly.”

“Why did you use me to help kill my father … Martin?” I spit out the word “father” with venom, refusing to give that title to Martin any longer. He was a despicable creature, capable of unspeakable acts against innocent children. “Why did you manipulate me into helping kill that monster? I was just a kid,” I said, my voice shaking with rage.

“You were at a perfect age for me to train. Emma Jo mentioned there was something dark about you. She at times was more terrified of you than Martin. Poor woman really stepped in shit when she stole you. No offense, but she was trapped and terrified of the man she slept next to and the young man she’d taken in as her own son. It all turned out to be a little fucked up if you ask me.”

“Why was she scared of me? I never laid a hand on her even if I wanted to.” I stared at him, trying to read his expression, but he was an expert at masking his thoughts.

“She said she began to see the moment that you weren’t yourself. Emma Jo said she sensed an unspeakable evil lurking within you, a darkness that made her skin crawl. And yet, you were always a good young man, never causing any trouble. However, as you grew older, she noticed a change in you. You started watching her while she cooked dinner, your face turning cold and calculating, twisting into something sinister. She actually said that your eyes turned from blue to grey. I couldn’t ignore the signs anymore. When I finally killed your parents, it confirmed my suspicions. You carried the same darkness as me, but yours manifested itself differently … as Death. I may be just one man, but you … you are two.”

I didn’t know how to process this information, but deep down there was a small sense of gratitude for being freed from the clutches of the monstrous man who raised me. The Pied Piper had unwittingly set me free from his cruelty. And yet, even in death, Martin’s spirit haunted me with memories seared into my mind like branding irons.

“So, there you have it. Those are the answers to your questions.” He slapped his leg as if he was announcing that our conversation was over. It wasn’t.

“And what happened to Xavier?”

“Oh, your brother?”

I nodded, not willing to claim him as my blood.

“After he got revenge on the wretched family that took him … in case you don’t know, he killed them, then stuffed them. They’re sitting at his kitchen table even now.”

“I saw.”

“He had a little help. I took him under my wing since he was all alone. You did, though. Unlike Xavier you had people in your life. Dope’s family was good to you and so were your friends. Xavier had no one. We spent a lot of long hours talking and preparing his parents and sister for the taxidermy. It was poetic justice if you ask me.” He sneered. “As he got older, I told him about you. He was so curious about who you were, that I included him as I kept tabs on you. It was rather fascinating when he became obsessed with everything about Sebastian and Death, though. He begged for a replica of the house so he could live there and feel close to you. I didn’t figure it would hurt anything, so I had it built for him. Unfortunately, he had spent so much time locked up in the dark, he still felt at home in that familiar environment. He decided to live in the basement instead of the rest of the place. I figured whatever made him happy.”

“And why was Ella taken?” I had heard the answer from Ella and Xavier, but I needed to know from the Pied Piper.

“Just as bait to draw you away from your friends and family. I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time now.” He leaned forward and rubbed his hands together. “As I already mentioned, Xavier wanted to keep Ella instead of turning her over to me. Poor guy fell head over heels for your wife. You’ve got a smart girl by your side. She escaped and found her way back to you.”

I wanted to remind him that Ella wasn’t married to me, but I thought better of it.

“She’s very resourceful.” Inwardly, my heart swelled with pride. My queen had shown the world what she was made of.

“Why now? If you’ve kept tabs on me my entire life, then why am I here talking to you now?”

The Pied Piper rose from his seat and approached me. I towered over him by several inches, but he wasn’t intimidated.

“I’ve just learned that I have cancer. I’ll do my best to fight it, but if I don’t win, I want you to know the truth. Do what you want with it, but I do have one regret.”

I scoffed at the idea that this cold-blooded killer could experience remorse. It wasn’t in our nature. But then again, neither was love. Ella had been my weakness, the only person who made me feel something other than numbness in this life of violence and death. “What is that?”

He placed his hand on my arm. “You. I wish that I’d taken you as well as Xavier. I could have taught you everything I know to keep you from killing too many men at one time, to ditch the cops off your trail, to teach you the skills that I’ve developed. I wanted to be in your life, but I felt it best to leave you where you were. Sebastian needed that emotional nourishment that I couldn’t provide. He’s a good man, and I didn’t think it wise to extinguish that part of who you are.”

My mind reeled as I studied his expression, trying to make sense of everything he had just revealed. Was anything he told me even true? But then again, if my real parents weren’t alive, why would he lie about that? My stomach churned with conflicting emotions, and I struggled to find the words to ask him about one thing that still bothered me.

“You said my real parents were killed in a train accident. Was that a lie?”

He chuckled as he stepped back and put some space in between us. His moves made me wonder if he thought I would lash out when he answered me.

“Are you ready to return to your friends and Xavier? I really would appreciate it if you showed some mercy and turned him over to me. He won’t be a problem for you any longer. You have my word. Besides, I would owe you.”

“Explain to me why I should make this worth your while.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

His dark chuckle filled the room. “Let me see if I can put this simply. Return Xavier to me, and I’ll make sure that you remain a free man. The FBI will never know you existed. Any DNA you accidentally left behind would vanish, and you would never be charged for anything you’ve ever done.If you kill Xavier, then I’ll lead the FBI to your door and not only see that you're charged with your crimes …” A vicious smile eased across his face. “But mine too. Believe me, there are a lot of bodies I’ve left around the country. You would see death row faster than most.”

If that happened, Ella and the kids would be a target of the Pied Piper and his people.

“How can you even guarantee my protection from the FBI?”

His smile held decades of secrets. “When you’ve spent thirty years consulting on their most gruesome cases, you learn where all the bodies are buried—literally. Half their behavioral analysis unit owes me favors, and the other half would lose their careers if certain evidence came to light. I’ve built this network carefully, Death. Every case I helped them solve bought me more influence, more access, more power to safeguard my own interests. Why do you think no one’s caught you yet? I’ve been steering them away for a very long time.” He paused, allowing me a moment to think about what he’d said.

“When you’re dropped off at the warehouse, you’ll have three hours to contact me with a decision or the FBI will arrive shortly. You can run, but it won’t do you any good. I would think carefully about your next steps.” He reached in the front pocket of his dress shirt and removed a business card. “You can reach me here.” He extended his hand to me.

I took the card from him. “I’ll take it under consideration, but what about my real parents? Are they actually alive, or are you just trying to manipulate me? For all I know you’re my real father.”

He tilted his head and offered me a practiced, compassionate smile. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”