Page 4 of Into The Rabbit Hole

He went right inside but stayed close to the entrance. It was dark, but the remains of daylight gave the him just enough light to see around. He set the bag down and positioned himself on the steps so he could see through the crevice in thedoor.

He could see her. She’d arranged the hay above to hide him but he could stillsee.

Just as she rushed back towards the main doors to make her escape, they busted in. Ben Vanderville and JacksonDonovan.

He’d seen Jackson a few times, too, at the state’s attorney’s office. The man had never acknowledged him. Ever. He just had that look—a creepy look that saiddon’t even sayhello.

Ben grabbed his mother and shescreamed.

“Who did you tell?” hedemanded.

“No one, I swear. I told no one,” shecried.

“You threatened to go to the press,” Ben snarled. “You must have toldsomeone.”

“Ididn’t.”

When Ben shoved his mother to the floor, Aaron wanted to jump out of hiding and defend her, but he restrained himself, remembering hispromise.

Aaron had never really spoken to Ben, but when he had the man had always been pleasant. He’d asked him how he was getting on in school, how he was coping since his father died. It was the usual stuff people asked. All friendly and sociable. He’d never taken him to be the kind of man to push a woman around, especially one that had worked so hard for him, and for so manyyears.

“Jackson, I think she’s lying,” Ben said in a singsongvoice.

All this time Jackson never said a word. He had something in his hands that Aaron couldn’t quite see. It was a small metal object that made a clickingnoise.

“I’m not lying,” his mother cried, shaking withterror.

Ben lowered to one knee and held her gaze. “Rachel, you took copies of something, you downloaded files. All so quickly. Like you were in a hurry to tellsomeone.”

“But I didn’t and I won’t. Ipromise.”

“Where’re the copies, Rachel? Did you already give them away? Did you give them away already?” Ben spoke in a voice Aaron had never heard before. His tone was cold and menacing, with the promise ofevil.

“No, Ben, Ididn’t.”

“Jackson, I think we need to show Rachel how serious weare.”

At that, Jackson moved lightning fast and grabbed his mother. She cried out and Aaron again restrainedhimself.

By then he was shaking, seething with anger and rage. He wanted to help, he wanted to do something. It was torture just watching and he didn’t think he could take any more ofit.

He watched Jackson hold his mother down and grip her hands. He took her left hand and secured the metal object over her ring finger. It was some sort of cutter, like something a plumber would use to cut metal pipping. Aaron remembered seeing something like it at school, but never thought Jackson could have intended to use it onher.

Before Aaron could even think, Jackson clicked down on the cutter and snapped off his mother’s finger. The scream that ripped from her throat was piercing and ran through his soul. Blood spurted from her hand but it didn’t bother Jackson. He just held her as if nothing was happening and secured the cutter to the next finger on her hand, snapping it off as if it wasnothing.

It was shock, now, that paralyzed Aaron. Shock. He’d always remember that feeling of displacement. As if what he was watching never actually took place. As if it was a dream, anightmare.

“Okay Rachel, you see we aren’t joking. So, tell me the truth. Who’d you tell?” Ben said toher.

“No one. Please just let mego.”

Ben looked at her for a few intense seconds, like he was deciding what to do withher.

“Okay.”

Relief had washed over Aaron at the thought of them letting her go. He’d started processing in his mind what he had to do. The hospital would be the first stop the minute they left so he could get her fingers reattached. Then they’d both go to his grandmother’s. They didn’t need to stay in L.A. for anything. He thought he could change schools, or hell, work and take care ofher.

Ben stood up and Jackson released hismother.