Page 8

Devlin stood up from the bench outside Gabe’s room when Cole emerged. Tears wet Cole’s face, and red rimmed his eyes as distress strained his face. Devlin was thankful not to be alone with his tormenting thoughts any longer, but Cole’s distraught countenance did little to calm his fear and anxiety.

“Cole…” Devlin tentatively reached out to him. “Are you… okay?” A stupid question.

Cole sniffed and wiped his eyes. His hands shook as he dug out his phone. “Gabe… he wants… he wants to make the trade now.”

A storm of conflicting emotions swept through Devlin. He needed Abel and the kids home safe and sound, out of danger, but he also needed Gabe to be safe. “Right now…?”

Tremors rippled through Cole, and he nodded. His shaky hands nearly dropped the cell phone. “Please, go… go find Dane and… and Clint.”

Devlin looked anxiously at the phone Cole was clutching in a death grip. “Are you going to wait for us before you… before you call… him?”

Cole seemed barely aware of Devlin, as his eyes glazed with a fresh film of tears. He stared blankly at the device in his hands. “Just go… find them,” he whispered hollowly.

“All right,” Devlin murmured, squeezing Cole’s arm. “Maybe wait for us, though… okay?”

No response as Cole continued to stare at the phone.

Devlin sighed and nodded. “We’ll be back soon. Just… wait for us.” Devlin took out his cell as he walked away down the corridor, calling Dane. “Hey,” he said when Dane answered. “Are you with Clint?”

“No, I’m looking for Deputy Roland. Have you seen him?”

“No. Why?”

“I’ll explain later. Have you talked to Cole? How did things go with Gabe?”

“I spoke to Cole,” Devlin said. “He’s a mess. Gabe wants to make the trade immediately. I think he was about to call… him… when I left. I asked to wait for us, but…” He shook his head. “… I don’t think he will wait. Where is Clint? He’ll want to know about this.”

“He’s busy at the moment, but he’ll be along soon.”

Devlin rounded the bend in the corridor and spotted the deputy near the nurse’s station. “I found Deputy Roland,” he told Dane. “He’s at the nurse’s station. Do you want me to tell him you’re looking for him?”

“No. Just take him back to Gabe’s room and keep him there, if possible.”

Devlin frowned. “All right,” he mumbled. “Is something wrong?”

“Just be careful.”

“Careful? Why?”

“Because the deputy may not be the friend Cole thinks he is.”

Cole sat on the bench when his legs weakened. Wait for us. He stared at the phone and watched numbly as his fingers dialed the madman’s number. Cole pressed the cell shakily to his ear.

“Son.” The man’s voice dripped with satisfaction. “I wasn’t expecting your call so soon. I was almost in the middle of something.” He chuckled, and the sound sent a chill down Cole’s spine. “You don’t want to know what. Trust me.”

“Don’t hurt them,” Cole pleaded in a broken whisper. “Please, don’t hurt them. I’m the one you want, just please… please take me.”

“But you’re not the one I want,” the man said. “Have you had your little talk with him yet? He seemed quite eager to understand the situation. Did you explain it to him?”

“Yes.” Cole squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead into the palm of his hand as a powerful wave of dizziness triggered a bout of nausea.

“And?” Another chilling chuckle. “Or do I even need to ask? Your hubby is an upstanding man; I saw that after just a minute or two of speaking with him.”

“Why are you doing this?” Cole choked. “Why do you want to hurt me?”

“You tried to kill me, son. You should have tried harder.”

“I didn’t…” Cole whispered. “I-I was just trying to get away…”

“Sons are supposed to honor their fathers. You dishonored me when you ran away and left me for dead. I thought you were my good son, the son I could be proud of.” Slight pause. “You disappointed me—in a big way. You shouldn’t have done that, son.”

“Then punish me,” Cole cried. “Not my friends… not my…”

“That’s what I’m doing… punishing you. Now, talk to me about the trade because I’m not sure I can hold out until tomorrow.” He laughed low. “This pretty young lady is awfully tempting, and I’m starting to think she likes me. Don’t you, darling?”

Cole went rigid when he heard muffled whimpering in the background. “Don’t touch her.” He sprang to his feet, terror coursing through him. “Don’t fucking touch her!”

“No promises,” Daniel sneered. “I might have to get myself a taste if you take too long to give me what I really want.” The whimpering grew sharper, panicked. “It’s been a long time since I feasted on virgin flesh, and she smells so delicious.”

“Don’t…” Cole begged.

“Then stop fucking around and give me what I fucking want.”

Cole sank back down on the bench as his strength left him. “He’ll do it,” Cole whispered, defeated. “Tell us when… and where.”

“That’s my boy,” Daniel whispered darkly, specifying a time and location. “And in case you’re planning a nefarious play with your bad boy pals, remember who I am.” There was a threatening pause. “What… I am.”

Cole hung his head, a disturbing chill quivering through him; he remembered.

Henry sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at a bowl of soggy Corn Flakes that remained untouched, his hands resting idly in his lap. He lost count of how many times he had vomited over the past few days, haunted by gruesome images of butchering the bunny. Since then, Henry struggled to eat or get much sleep. Whenever he attempted to rest, nightmares invaded his dreams—not only those about the bunny. In one particularly terrifying and vivid dream, it was Ezra beneath the blade. Henry woke up screaming, soaked in cold sweat.

He was too afraid to sleep after that.

This morning, he felt queasy and lightheaded due to a lack of sleep and food, yet the idea of eating made his stomach churn. Stress held a tight grip on him as he awaited his next “lesson.” It had been days since the bunny incident, and his dad’s behavior warned him that more horrors were coming soon.

Just wait… the real fun is about to begin.

The fear those words invoked was greater than anything Henry had ever experienced. Where he had once felt uncomfortable with his dad, he now feared the man with all his being.

Henry froze when he heard a rig rumbling up the long, winding drive. He recognized the sound of his dad’s Bronco. His hands balled into fists and pressed against his thighs as his stomach pinched and twisted. Lowering his head, Henry closed his eyes tightly, wishing he were anywhere else.

Please… I don’t want to be me anymore… I don’t want to be here… I don’t—

A soft knock on the front door dispelled the fog of fear enveloping his mind. Why would his dad knock? The front door opened.

“Sheriff? You home?” Deputy Roland.

Some of Henry’s tension eased. He left the chair and stepped into the hallway. “He’s not here,” he told the deputy quietly, his eyes focused on the floor.

“Oh, okay.” The Deputy lingered in the doorway. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

Henry shook his head. “He left last night,” he mumbled. “I-I don’t know where he went.”

“You’ve been here all night alone?”

“Yeah.” Henry shrugged, his big toe brushing against the cold wooden floor. “It’s okay. I wasn’t scared.”

“Of course not,” the deputy smiled. “I wasn’t suggesting you were. I mean, you’re almost a man.”

His dad had told him the same thing, but Henry didn’t feel like a man. Not feeling scared was a lie. However, it wasn’t being alone that frightened him—it was the thought of his dad coming home.

“Hey,” Deputy Roland murmured. “Are you okay?”

Henry nodded, keeping his gaze down.

Roland entered the house. "You don’t seem okay. Is everything good between you and your dad?”

I think he went crazy.

The words settled on his tongue, but Henry didn’t say them out loud. The deputy wouldn’t believe him; he was an adult. Adults never believed kids.

“Yeah,” Henry lied.

Deputy Roland appeared skeptical. “I know your dad can be rough on you, but he means well. I think he’s just trying to adjust to being a single parent. Without your mom, he’s probably feeling a little lost.”

I don’t think that’s it, Henry thought sickly. Did grief make people go insane? Did it turn them into monsters?

“Come on,” Deputy Roland said gently, guiding Henry back toward the kitchen. “Why don’t we sit down and talk?”

Henry returned to his chair at the table without resistance.

The deputy glanced at the bowl of cereal. “That doesn’t look appetizing. How about I make you some eggs?”

“I’m not hungry,” Henry whispered.

Taking a seat, Roland gazed at him with concern. “You don’t look well. Are you feeling okay?”

Henry shrugged.

“Do you feel sick?”

Henry swallowed hard and nodded.

“Did your dad know you were sick when he left last night?”

Henry shrugged again.

“Did you tell him?”

“No.”

Roland furrowed his brow as he gazed at him. “You can talk to me, Henry,” he said. “If something is wrong, you can tell me. I’m your friend.”

My dad is making me butcher animals and cut them into pieces—and I’m scared of what else he’ll make me kill.

Could he say that to Deputy Roland? Was the deputy really that much of a friend? Henry desperately wanted to believe he could confide in Roland and that the man would believe him. But he didn’t. If the deputy told his dad what he said…

“Nothing’s wrong,” Henry whispered, his voice cracking. He blinked rapidly as his eyes began to burn. No one would help him. The only person he trusted to have his back was Ezra, and Ezra was gone.

The memory of his dad entering the root cellar at Ezra’s house filled his mind... and a chill crept into his bones. He hurriedly pushed away the terrifying thoughts trying to take over, knowing that if he let them in... he would go crazy, too.

“Are you certain?” Roland inquired. “Because I sense that isn’t the whole truth. You don’t need to hide anything from me. I can tell something is bothering you. If it’s regarding your dad, you can still tell me. I won’t share that with him. I’ll keep it just between us.” Leaning closer, he added earnestly, “I promise.”

Henry lifted his head gradually, locking eyes with the deputy. Was he telling the truth? Could Henry trust him? Maybe Deputy Roland would remove Henry from his father and place him in a safe environment.

But what if he didn’t? What if he told Henry’s dad?

Henry lowered his head. “There’s nothing wrong.” His lie stumbled over the lump in his throat, cracking his voice.

“Henry—” Roland started when he heard another vehicle coming up the drive. “It’s the sheriff,” he murmured.

All the tension from earlier returned to Henry. He clenched his fists against his legs as his heart pounded against his ribs.

His dad’s Bronco pulled up out front. The engine turned off, and the driver’s door slammed shut, each sound amplified in Henry’s ears. The front door swung open and shut, with his dad’s heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway.

Deputy Roland rose to his feet when the sheriff stepped into the kitchen. “Sheriff. You’re back.”

Henry felt his dad’s stern gaze settle on him as he addressed the deputy. “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” Roland replied. “Just chatting with Henry till you came home.”

“Chatting,” Daniel Pruett muttered. “About what?”

“Nothing important,” Roland said. “Just friendly conversation. Right, Henry?”

Henry glanced up hesitantly and nodded.

“What do you want?” Daniel asked the deputy, his tone laced with annoyance. “I’m not on duty today, and Henry and I have things to do.”

Things to do.

Henry glanced at Deputy Roland, hoping he would stay and not leave him with his father. More than ever, he was terrified of being alone with the man.

“I need to speak with you.” Roland cast a look at Henry and lowered his voice. “In private.”

“It can wait.”

The deputy looked annoyed but didn’t argue. “Take care, Henry,” he mumbled and walked out.

Daniel Pruett stood still and silent until the deputy’s rig drove away. He sighed. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing,” Henry whispered.

“Are you lying, boy?”

“I’m not. I-I swear.”

His dad inhaled deeply. “I believe you. But if I find out otherwise…”

“I’m not lying,” Henry insisted. “I’m not.”

Daniel nodded. “All right. That’s good… that you didn’t tell him anything. Good for you… and good for him.” The implication was clear; Henry didn’t need him to explain. “What we do together is special. Our little secret. Other people wouldn’t understand. They’re not like us, son. And that makes them weak. And weak people are dangerous because they react in fear to things they don’t understand. You don’t want to be weak, do you?”

Henry trembled, knowing the answer his dad expected. “No,” he whispered.

“Then you must demonstrate greater strength than you have shown recently.” His tone shifted, becoming sharp. “I felt let down during our last lesson. Your behavior was cowardly and weak. That’s finished, understand?"

Shaking with fear, Henry nodded.

With a deep breath, Daniel gestured to Henry. “Great. Follow me. The lessons are over. Now, it's time for the real fun.” He grinned maliciously. “You’re going to enjoy this.”

Henry’s legs quaked as he stood up from the chair. He worried that they might give way with his first step. Yet, he managed to stay upright while he trailed behind his dad out of the house.

“Get in,” Daniel said as he opened the driver’s door of the Bronco and climbed in behind the wheel. Henry walked around to the passenger side and crawled up into the rig. His dad remained silent as he started the engine and backed away from the house. Rather than head down the long driveway, he steered the Bronco toward the barn, driving behind the large structure where he backed up to the rear entrance.

Confused, Henry sat silently in the front passenger seat while his dad left the truck idling, climbed out, walked to the rear sliding door, shoved it all the way open, then returned to the rig. Daniel backed the Bronco into the barn and killed the engine. Rather than immediately get out, his dad gripped the steering wheel, staring vacantly through the barn door into the woods beyond the small clearing.

Henry followed his stare, his heart clenching as he remembered all the times he’d walked those woods with Ezra. His best friend—his boyfriend—was gone now, and Henry didn’t want to think about that… didn’t want to think about what happened to him, or why he’d leave without telling Henry goodbye.

He wouldn’t. You know he wouldn’t.

The vision of his dad going into the root cellar surfaced again, and Henry shoved it away, too scared of what it could mean.

“Son.”

Henry jumped at his dad’s deep voice, breaking the silence.

Daniel cleared his throat and wiped his hand across his mouth, his gaze fixed on the trees outside the barn. “Today is a very special day. Nothing will be the same between us after today. And that’s good. You’re going to discover something about yourself… and about me. Revelations like these can’t be explained; they must be experienced.” Daniel slowly turned his head to meet Henry’s eyes. “All that other stuff? It was to prepare you for this moment, to ready you to embrace your true nature. And you will.” A vague warmth filled his gaze. “I know you will. You’re the son I can be proud of.”

This was the second time his dad referenced Henry’s true nature.

It’s in you to kill.

Henry turned away from his dad, overwhelmed by fear of what his father had in store for him. It wasn’t in him to kill; slaughtering the rabbit had traumatized him. He never wanted to take another life again.

But he’s gonna make you—you know he is.

“Get out of the truck, son.” Daniel opened his door and climbed out.

Henry felt paralyzed; he didn’t want to get out. He didn’t want to be here.

His dad walked to the rear of the Bronco and opened the back doors. “Henry.”

Shaking violently, Henry opened the passenger door and stepped out of the truck. His knees wobbled slightly when his feet hit the ground, and he grasped the door to prevent himself from falling. Henry held onto the side of the Bronco as he walked towards the back on unsteady legs.

Henry went numb when he stepped up beside his dad, looked inside the Bronco’s cargo space, and saw the body bag.

No… no…

“Here.” Daniel shoved a set of keys at Henry. “Open the cellar door.”

Henry clutched the keys, unable to look away from the body bag.

“Henry. Now.”

Breathing heavily and erratically, Henry walked numbly to the cellar entrance, unfastened the padlock, and pulled open the heavy door. His dad hoisted the body bag over his shoulder like a sack of grain and carried it toward the cellar.

“Go on down and turn on the light.”

Henry descended the wooden steps and flipped the switch at the bottom. His dad came down the stairs with the heavy body bag and dropped it on the large wooden table in the center of the room. Henry held his breath as his dad unzipped the bag.

“Huh!” Henry gasped when he glimpsed the woman inside.

“Don’t worry,” Daniel said. “She’s not dead.” He scoffed. “Not yet.”

Henry backed away, his throat working quickly as his dad pulled the bag from around the woman. She wore a short dress that seemed too small for her. Daniel dragged the bag from underneath her and set it aside. He then shackled her hands and feet, stopping to gaze at his prize.

“Lovely, hm?” He rubbed his hand up her leg, along her inner thigh, and under her dress. His eyelids grew heavy as his hand moved around beneath her dress. “And so soft and warm.”

A fresh wave of horror struck Henry, and he almost passed out.

His dad looked at him and smiled. “Want to feel?”

Henry shook his head, eyes bulging.

“Of course not.” Daniel nodded and withdrew his hand. “You don’t like pussy. I almost forgot. Although…” He waved his fingers before his nose and breathed deeply, groaning. “… you’ve never had it. Maybe you just don’t know that you like it. I can’t imagine fucking ass is more appealing than fucking pussy. How can you even compare them? Pussy is so velvety soft, wet, hot, and...” He licked his fingers. “… so fucking delicious. You have to try it at least once, son. You might discover you’re not a faggot after all.”

Henry stared at him, horrified. “No…” he whimpered. “I don’t want to…”

“Well, in time.” His dad winked. “I’ll get you a younger one closer to your age. A virgin, like you. Virgin pussy is the best. The way it resists and ultimately tears. Damn.” He looked at the unconscious woman and shook his head. “I wish this one were fresh like that, but not a chance. Not the way she was all over me at the pub, and how eagerly she sucked me off once we were in my truck.” He snorted. “We didn’t fuck. I only do that here, where it has purpose.” Daniel squinted at Henry. “You are a virgin, aren’t you? Or did you and Ezra do some deep diving when you were alone?”

“What…” Henry choked on a quiet sob. “No… we never…”

“Good. That’s good.” Daniel caressed the woman’s thigh. “A boy’s first time should be pussy… regardless of which way he swings.” Daniel gestured to his son. “Come over here. Touch her skin. Feel how soft she is.”

“No…” Henry shook his head, his chest hitching.

“Come over here,” his dad insisted.

Henry approached him, tears welling in his eyes, his breath coming so fast and hard that he could hardly catch it. Daniel grabbed his hand and pressed his palm against the woman’s leg.

“Nice, hm?” Daniel murmured. “It feels even better when it’s slippery with blood.”

Henry gasped and jerked his hand away.

His dad took out a knife and cut away the woman’s clothes until she lay naked on the table. Henry watched in horror and revulsion as his dad boldly touched, fondled, and tasted the woman’s body while the man grew visibly aroused.

Daniel straightened and sighed. “This is no fun for her. Let’s wake her up.” His dad retrieved a vial and waved it beneath the woman’s nose. She flinched, gasped, and jerked awake.

“What… where…” Her voice slurred a bit as she looked around, confused and disoriented. Panic gripped her when she realized she was bound and naked. “What’s going on?” she cried and fought against her restraints. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“Sorry, love,” Daniel crooned. “I can’t do that.” He dragged a fingertip along her jaw. “You’re going to help me show my son who he is.” Daniel picked up the knife and dragged the tip down between her breasts, lightly scratching her skin. “What he is.”

The woman screamed and thrashed. Daniel chuckled and began undressing.

“No…” Henry gasped, his frightened eyes darting between his dad and the woman. “No… don’t… please…” He covered his face and burst into tears when his dad started raping the woman.

“Watch!” Daniel demanded, panting hard. “Look!”

Henry slowly lowered his trembling hands and cried sharply when his dad took the knife and began cutting the woman while violating her, then stabbing her… careful not to kill her too soon.

Stumbling back, Henry tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor, shaking and crying.

It felt like hours passed before the horror scene ended and his dad stepped away from the mutilated woman, his naked body smeared in her blood. Except the horror wasn’t over, it would never be over.

Daniel approached Henry and squatted down, looking deep into his son’s tearful, terrified eyes. He smiled chillingly and rubbed a bloody thumb across Henry’s damp cheek. “Now you know what I am,” he murmured. “Now you know what you are.” He looked over his shoulder at the woman. “Finish what I started.”

“Huh?” Henry choked on his sobs. What did he mean—

A faint, wet gurgling sound sifted from the woman.

She’s still alive…

Daniel stood and walked up the stairs. The cellar door banged shut, snapping Henry out of his paralysis.

“No…” he cried and scrambled up the steps. “No! Don’t leave me here! Let me out!” He beat on the door, but it didn’t budge. “Let me out!” he screamed, crying uncontrollably. But he knew—his dad wouldn’t let him out until…

Finish what I started.

Henry wilted against the steps, crying harder. He could hear the sounds of the woman slowly dying… suffering. Henry slid down the stairs, one step at a time, until he reached the bottom. He looked around the wall that separated the stairs from the cellar room.

Blood bubbled out of the woman’s mouth as her chest randomly hitched. The bloody knife lying next to the woman caught Henry’s attention.

I can’t… I can’t…

The woman’s bulging, watery eyes darted back and forth, then suddenly locked on Henry. Her jaw worked, opening and closing her mouth, until a single word formed, barely audible. “Please…”

Henry covered his face and screamed into his hands, clawing his hair.

Please…

His hands dragged slowly off his face, and he crawled to his feet, breathing rapidly, sucking short gasps of air as he shuffled toward the woman. Blood dripped from the table, splattering in pools on the floor. Her legs were still spread, and Henry looked away as his shaky hand closed around the bloody knife handle. As soon as the blood squished between his fingers, he cried and dropped the knife. It struck the floor with a dull clank.

Henry gasped, trying to breathe as he stared at his smeared hand.

“Please…” the woman whimpered. “… kill… me…”

Henry sank to his heels, sobbing, and sat for a moment hunched down, staring at the knife resting in a puddle of blood. He reached out with a trembling hand, closed his eyes, and picked up the knife, retching as his fingers closed around the slippery handle. Nothing came out as he gagged forcefully. He grabbed the table's edge with his free hand and pulled himself up.

The woman stared at him, eyes bloodshot, barely reflecting life… begging him.

Sobs shaking him, Henry put the blade to her throat. He closed his eyes, crying loudly as the knife hovered in place.

I can’t-I can’t-I can’t!

“Please…”

Henry squeezed his eyes shut, screamed out loud—and ended her suffering.

Finished what he started.

Henry flung the knife away and fell to the floor, shaking, tears streaming down his face. As he lay there on the bloody floor and stared blankly into nothingness… something cracked inside him… deep, deep inside… too deep to ever heal.