Page 5

“Mr. Smith, please stop—don’t do that!”

Devlin was nearby when chaos broke out in Gabe’s room. He quickly dashed to the door and rushed in, discovering the nurse grappling with Gabe, who was trying to pull out his IV.

“Let me out of here!” Gabe raged at the nurse as he ripped at the tape holding the IV in place.

The poor girl was no match for Gabe, and Devlin rushed to her aid. “Gabe!”

“Dr. Grant!” the nurse looked relieved. “I’m not sure what happened,” she said, visibly shaken. Being young, just in her early twenties, and new to the hospital staff, she added, “He just panicked.”

“What’s going on?” Devlin pressed, turning his focus to Gabe. “Gabe, stop! You could hurt yourself! What are you doing?” Devlin pushed Gabe to recline against the elevated bed and kept him there briefly. “Gabe,” Devlin said in a soothing tone, even though he felt far from tranquil inside. “What’s wrong?”

Gabe looked frantically at Devlin, his chest heaving. “Where is Cole?”

“He’s in the hospital's waiting room. He’s fine.” He wasn’t fine—far from it—but Gabe didn’t need to know that right now. “Just calm down and speak to me.” He looked at the nurse and gestured towards the IV that was coming loose. “Tape it down again.”

The young woman paused, glancing nervously at Gabe before she obeyed Devlin’s instructions to fix the IV.

Gabe gripped Devlin’s arm with his free hand, his fingers gouging. “Abel…” he whispered tightly. “Is Abel okay? And Savannah? Maddy?”

They weren’t okay—but how did Gabe know? Why was he asking about them?

Devlin’s hesitation intensified Gabe’s fear. “ Tell me!” Gabe cried. “Are they okay?”

Devlin swallowed hard and glanced at the nurse who had finished with the IV. “Can you excuse us, Nurse Amy? I’ll take it from here.”

The woman nodded, looked concerned at Gabe, and exited the room.

“What the fuck is going on?” Gabe breathed heavily. “Who was that man who was here before?”

“What man?” Devlin tensed.

Gabe’s voice trembled as he recounted his visitor’s words to Devlin. “Who the hell is Henry?” Gabe asked fiercely. “What the hell was he talking about?”

Devlin felt himself shaking; the monster was here? Right here in the hospital, in Gabe’s room?

Until now, everything Cole had shared seemed… phantastic… like some sinister tale of dark fiction. Yet the monster was real—and he displayed no fear as he strode into their midst… and claimed what he desired.

“Devlin.”

Devlin flinched as Gabe’s fingers dug into his arm.

“Who the fuck was that man?” Gabe demanded. “Why did he say those things about Abel and the kids? What the fuck is going on?”

“You…” Devlin cleared his throat, overwhelmed by emotions. “You have to speak to Cole. I can’t…” His vision became hazy as fear for Abel and the kids surged within him. “Just… talk to Cole.”

Gabe struggled to speak as he whispered, “Get him now .”

Cole sat with his head in his hands. He didn’t look up when the waiting room door opened; his mind was fragmented.

“Cole,” Dane said quietly, touching his shoulder.

His head felt heavy as he slowly raised his bloodshot eyes to the law officer standing before him. The man swam in Cole’s blurry vision, his features distorted. Cole sniffed and cleared his throat, sitting up straighter.

“Mr. Young?” the cop asked.

Gathering his strength, Cole pushed himself up with some effort. “Yes.” His voice was thick and raspy, tinged with tears. “I’m Cole Smith-Young.”

For a moment, the officer simply looked at him.

As Cole's vision sharpened, he saw the man more clearly and realized he knew this person.

“Do you remember me?” The cop, who Cole now noticed was wearing a deputy’s hat, softened his voice to a more personable tone.

A surreal sensation raced up Cole’s spine, causing his skin to prickle as he gazed at the familiar face from his past. “Deputy... Roland?”

The man smiled slightly. “I must say, you’ve grown into quite a stout man. You were just a little thing as a boy.”

Cole blinked. “What… what are you doing here?” His brow furrowed. “How did you… find me?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Roland admitted. “I searched for you for over a decade. When you ran off and disappeared, it was as if you vanished into thin air… not a trace left behind.”

Swallowing thickly, Cole said, “I didn’t want any traces to my past.” A chill rippled through him. “I didn’t want to be… Henry Pruett… anymore.” He shook his head. “I still don’t.”

The deputy exhaled deeply. “Unfortunately, changing your identity doesn’t erase who you are. Your past is inescapable. I fear it’s beginning to catch up with you, which is why I’m here.” He took a brief pause. “Your father didn’t die in the woods that day. He would have, had I not found him.” Roland let out a heavy breath. “Now, I regret finding him… or perhaps I should have left him to die. I know that sounds terrible, but…” He looked at Cole. “…you already understand what he was.”

“You found him?” Cole whispered.

Roland nodded. “I also found… the cellar in the barn. I knew Daniel wasn’t the friendliest of men, but I had no idea he was capable of… the things he did.” He rubbed his mouth. “I wish you had told me what he was doing. I would have helped you, gotten you away from him… put him in prison much sooner.”

Cole sank onto the chair again. “I couldn’t tell you,” he whispered. “My dad said if I told…” He looked up at Roland. “… he would do to you what he did to the women… and make me help.”

“You remained in that hell to protect me?” Roland murmured. “That took incredible courage, but even so, I’m so sorry you suffered because of me.”

Cole hung his head, shoulders slumping. “When did you find me?”

“About a year ago,” Roland said and smiled, “around the time of your wedding. You seemed happy and well-adjusted. I didn’t want to approach you and bring up bad memories; I just wanted to see for myself that you had made it and were okay. Your father was in prison on death row. I saw no need for you to know he was still alive.” He released a stiff breath. “Until now. He escaped from a prison transport bus while being transferred to another facility. I think he may have found out where you are and may be coming here.”

Cole exchanged a dire look with Dane. “He’s already here,” Cole whispered. “He attacked my husband and… abducted three of my friends. Two of them are teens, a boy and a girl.”

“He’s already here,” Roland mumbled. “I didn’t know he would arrive so soon. I’ve been monitoring his incarceration all these years, but only learned of his escape yesterday.” He released another heavy breath. “How is your husband?”

“He just came out of surgery,” Cole murmured. “I haven’t seen him yet, but he’s doing well.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Roland frowned thoughtfully. “Do you believe he was trying to kill your husband—or abduct him as well?”

“Abduct him.” Cole closed his eyes as the monster’s proposed trade chilled him to the bones.

“You seem certain.”

“I am.” Cole sniffed as fresh tears dampened his eyes, and he looked at Roland. “He told me that he wants Gabe. He said he would trade the others for Gabe.”

Roland frowned. “You spoke to him? Over the phone?”

Cole nodded. “And in person. He made me meet with him.”

“Jesus,” the deputy breathed. “How did that go?”

Cole trembled. “I felt like a kid again, the day my dad removed his mask… and unveiled the monster.”

Following his removal from school, Henry spent nearly every waking hour with his dad over the next few weeks. Although he suspected this time was intended for bonding, it ultimately created a deeper rift between them, at least from Henry's perspective. Daniel Pruett took Henry hunting almost daily, where they targeted small game and young deer. Henry appreciated that his dad didn’t force him to shoot the animals, but what Daniel expected of him proved much worse.

It began with a rabbit. Henry watched his dad pin the bunny to a board, legs spread out and soft, furry belly exposed. When Daniel offered him the knife, Henry recoiled.

“I-I can’t.” Henry shook his head. “I… I don’t want to.”

“You can,” his dad insisted. “And you will.” He pressed the knife into Henry’s hand. “You’ll get used to it. After a while… you’ll enjoy it.”

Enjoy it? Why would he ever enjoy gutting another creature?

Daniel squeezed his son’s hand around the knife handle and guided him, showing him where to penetrate the animal and how to slice it open without puncturing the internal organs. Next, he made Henry pull out the guts with his bare hands. Henry gagged and puked in a trash can. His dad forced him to continue even after vomiting and instructed him on dismembering the small animal.

With every hunting expedition, the game became larger, until Henry was gutting and dismembering entire deer. He numbed himself to the scent of entrails and blood, along with the sensation of blood soaking his hands, arms, and clothes. Yet, he never truly “got used” to it, despite his father's assurances.

Henry believed things couldn’t get any worse—until he entered the cellar and discovered a live rabbit nailed to the board. The poor creature squealed in pain and panic, flopping against the nails that cruelly pinned it to the wood.

“What... what is this?” Henry gasped, tears forming in sympathy for the creature.

“All the other was just practice,” his dad said with an odd glint in his eye, “for this.”

Henry felt sick as his dad picked up the knife and dragged the tip of the blade down the rabbit’s soft belly without puncturing the skin. The creature’s chest vibrated under its racing heartbeat. Its dark eyes bulged in terror.

“Dad, don’t… please,” Henry whimpered.

“I’m not.” Daniel offered the knife to Henry, handle first. “You are.”

“No…” Henry ducked his head and backed away.

Sighing, Daniel stepped forward and gripped Henry’s shoulder gently. “It’s in you to do this, son,” he spoke reassuringly. “Once you do it, you’ll understand. Taking a life… it makes you stronger, powerful, in a way nothing else can.” A smile jerked his lips. “And it just feels fucking amazing.” He shoved the knife into Henry’s hand. “Now, kill it, and you’ll see I’m right.”

Henry shook as he gripped the knife—then dropped the weapon, shaking his head and sobbing. “I can’t… I can’t…”

Daniel grasped the knife and breathed out slowly. “You can.” He compelled Henry to grip the knife once more. “I told you, it’s within you to do this. It’s within you to kill. I should have trained you from the beginning, but your mama...” His face twitched, and his head tilted. “... I let her divert my attention from what truly mattered. But it’s not too late. I can still teach you and reveal your true nature.”

His words frightened Henry; what was he talking about?

With a firm grip on Henry’s shoulder, his dad guided him to the table where the agitated bunny struggled against the rough, merciless bindings. The man seemed to derive pleasure from the animal’s panicked squeals and the sheer terror reflected in its eyes. Henry felt no pleasure—only revulsion.

As with the first dead bunny he gutted, his dad forced his hand again. But this time, there was no careful precision as he squeezed Henry’s hand around the knife handle and plunged the blade into the rabbit, repeatedly stabbing the creature until it stopped squealing and struggling.

“Uh!” Henry wrenched free of his dad and stumbled back, shaking violently as warm blood coated his hands.

Panting, Daniel Pruett turned to Henry with a grin. “You felt it, didn’t you? The thrill—the power.” His grin turned monstrous. “Just wait… the real fun is about to begin.”