Page 6 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Feeling like he could barely walk, Aaron went to the nearest police station that same night and tried to tell the officers what had happened. Cleverly, he never revealed who he was. He even tried to hide his appearance by pulling his hair forward into his face so that it just about covered his eyes. Then he just said he’d seen what happened and wanted to reportit.

However, the minute they heard the name Vanderville, the police didn’t believe him. He was in that station for hours, the rest of the night. It was when he saw Ben Vanderville come into the station and exchange warm greetings with the same officer Aaron had reported him to that he knew that telling the police was fruitless. It was the first time that his eyes were opened to corruption. Much more than witnessing his mother’s murder. Aaron fled before either the officer or Ben could seehim.

After that he headed to his grandmother’s and told her everything. While there, he looked in his mother’s handbag and saw all the evidence and copies of everything Ben had referred to when he questioned his mother. When Aaron read it all he saw the reason for her death. Everything in her bag could definitely destroy Ben, indeed, in a handful ofseconds.

When his grandmother tried to report what happened and get an investigation underway, she was suddenly committed to a mentalinstitution.

His grandmother had been sane, healthy, a complete health freak. Only one person could have put her there. BenjaminVanderville.

Then Aaron found out Ben was looking for him. He didn’t know if Ben figured out that Aaron must have seen the incident or what, but he took off from there. Changed his name, changed his whole identity, and planned his revenge. He’d looked in on Ben and his family over the years as he played different roles in their lives, completely unknown to them. Sometimes he scared himself at how he’d developed the talent to conceal himself and manipulatepeople.

During his time of observing he’d come to know two things. The first was that Benjamin was greedy for power and would do anything to protect his interest and prospect for more power. Aaron’s mother was killed because she posed a threat tohim.

The second thing was that Ben loved his children. His wife he used because of her status, and like a fool she stayed with him, so in Aaron’s eyes she was no different. His children, Wade and Taylor, were his everything, however. He might not have been a good father, but the love was there. Losing them, their love, their respect, their lives, would destroyBen.

Aaron still had his mother’s handbag to this day, with everything intact, waiting to be unleashed to the world, along with everything else he’d gathered over the years. Ben Vanderville was afraid of being destroyed back then, but what he didn’t realize was that destruction was upon him the minute Jackson had cut off his mother’sfinger.

Aaron. Yes, he would beAaronagain. It seemed fitting to deal this last act as Aaron. It was his birth name. The name his mother gave him, naming him after hisgrandfather.

He’d promised his mother the day she died that he’d stay hidden, that whatever happened he’d stay hidden. He had, over the years, but not to protect himself. He’d stayed hidden, waiting for the right moment to strike and bring down justice on BenjaminVanderville.

Right now, he was exacting the promise he’d made to his father. He was going to take care of his mother. He’d felt like a failure to her in life, but he wouldn’t fail her indeath.

He straightened up and looked over at Jackson sitting on the chair across from him. The man widened his eyes and looked at him as he moved to him. The missing finger on his hand looked like it was starting to fester and the man looked sick. Green and clammy, sweat was dripping from him as if it was Caribbean-hot in the room. He didn’t look like he’d have long left. Maybe another week or so. He’d lost a lot of blood when Aaron chopped off hisfinger.

Jackson mumbled something through the duct tape Aaron had placed over his mouth. Aaron laughed at the sight of him. Helplessly tied to a chair with his ninefingers.

“That hand of yours looks just terrible,” Aaron cooed, looking at it. It looked really gross. Perfect for sending toBen.

The finger he’d sent to Regina was to scare her. He thought he’d repay the sentiment Jackson had delivered his mother, but Aaron was going to do much more thanthat.

Just like his mother, Jackson had been reported missing. Missing. That was what everyone thought. That Rachel Dean had just gone missing. Look up missing persons now on the police database and that is all it would say, along with the date she was lastseen.

There wasn’t really an investigation, no inquiry after he filled his report, just nothing. All corruption spreading from the state’s attorney’s office right through to thepolice.

Matters were in his hands now and he’d make every last one of them pay. It was so good he got to start withJackson.

Aaron hummed to the tune of The Beach Boys “California Girls” and grabbed the meat cleaver from the kitchen counter. He’d sharpened itearlier.

Jackson struggled against the cords that bound him to the chair and tears ran down hischeeks.

It’s funny, Aaron thought he’d looked so much scarier all those years ago. With his gun and rough-edged attitude and personality. Aaron had nightmares of this man for years after theincident.

Every night he saw the whole scene unfold before him as if sleep was a doorway to the memory stored in hismind.

Weeks ago, when he found Jackson helping out at a support group for young women who were runaways, the image came to mind and he knew the whole helping thing had to be some kind of a farce. Of course, he couldn’t have been more right. The night Aaron got him, he’d found Jackson trying to force himself on a girl who couldn’t have been older thansixteen.

He’d always been told that the wicked eventually did themselves in. That was exactly what happened there. But he was there to save the day, to some extent. He saved the girl, tackled Jackson, and brought himhere.

Brought him here to kill him. Slowly andpurposefully.

As he raised the meat clever, Jackson screamed against the tape. The sound was muffled but seemed to echo from him when Aaron brought it down and chopped off the blood-festeredhand.

He watched Jackson writhe and squirm with the pain and agony and he felt nothing. In the background, the news reporter continued to talk about Wade’s arrest. They’d just released Merissa’sname.

Jackson squirmed until he passed out. It was probably from all the bloodloss.

Aaron released a breath and rested against the wall, half watching him and theTV.

He was definitely going to enjoy this nextphase.

It was time to finish this game. Time for revenge, time forjustice.

When he was through, everyone would know the real Ben Vanderville, and he and his family would be more thandestroyed.

He’d obliteratethem.