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CHAPTER 11

S talker

Darkness.

The absence of light.

The feel of the earth beneath your feet.

The smell of decay and moss, even death.

They were some of my favorite things.

But what I loved the most was the absence of noise. Silence had been both my prisoner and my comfort over the years.

When I hunted, I became the Stalker, but tonight wasn’t about eliminating trash. My muscles still tingled from the two hours I’d spent in the gym in preparation. Mostly to rid my bloodstream of the high doses of adrenaline and testosterone.

My hunger was more intense than usual. Maybe because I’d decided to partake in the hunt itself instead of playing rule keeper.

“Did you hear about Drew Monahan? You know, the guy you tackled in the park?” Xander asked as he moved beside me. “If the reports are true, some nice fellow laid out some pretty damning evidence that he killed several women. I wonder who that could be?”

I remained silent for a few seconds. “He’s a gutless pig. Maybe he’ll get what he deserves.”

“You don’t think Daddy will get him off?”

“Not a fucking chance.”

He laughed. “You know more than you’re telling. Don’t you? You have me very curious as to what you did. I’m also surprised you didn’t just kill the man.”

I turned to face him. We didn’t compare notes. We’d rarely worked together. But we knew what each other was capable of. “The three of us decided a long time ago to leave our past alone.”

“This isn’t our past, brother. This is very much the here and now. We know who we are and now why we are the monsters we’ve become.”

There was no reason for me to bristle in having a conversation with my brother, but that’s what was happening. “You’re convinced we’re like our father.”

“Aren’t you? Let’s not pretend. It’s just the two of us. We took great joy in hunting, capturing, torturing, and killing those who hurt us and I suspect in your case a few that you actually cared about. I had no one who cared about me. Not a single person who ever looked past the broken kid. Instead, I was tormented from the day I was put into foster care. Demon seed. Wasn’t that something you were called?”

“And you think I had them lining up to give a shit if I was beaten or starved?”

In the glow from the lit torches, Xander eyed me curiously. “But there was someone. Wasn’t there?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because you’re the one holding out on finding out what happened to our deadbeat father.”

“Who gives a shit. He’s dead. Good riddance.”

Xander sighed. “Fine. Have it your way. But I know you remember something that happened the night our mother was murdered. If I do, you certainly must.”

I pressed my fist against my forehead. “Drop it, Xander. I’m not in the goddamn mood. That was a fucking lifetime ago.”

“Yet the nightmares never leave. Do they?”

Snorting, I tried to concentrate on the contestants as they were pulled out of one of the trucks that had rolled onto the property. All blindfolded. All dressed in nondescript outfits. I was suddenly wondering why the fuck I’d bothered. “Nightmares fuel the necessity of control.”

“Which is why you didn’t kill that motherfucker.” Xander laughed. “Control. I guess you’re right. Jessica helps with that. You could do with finding someone to love.”

“Do not start that shit again.”

“Fine. You’re a hardcase tonight, which is why I’m surprised you’re participating.”

“We all need our jollies.”

Xander couldn’t help but taunt. He had since the beginning. He was right. I remembered more than the other two, enough that I knew it was possible they’d take another trip to hell and neither one deserved that after finding happiness from love.

So I kept the stories to myself.

Fuck love.

“Why let the bastard live?” he asked a few seconds later.

“Why?” I’d asked myself the same question at least ten times. “Because when my foster sister was raped, tortured, and murdered, I hunted down the four punks responsible. Instead of taking my time dismembering them I slit their throats. They didn’t suffer like she did. Drew will suffer in prison just like those women did. He’ll get exactly what he deserves.”

I expected Xander to challenge my decision. His response surprised me.

“Amen, brother. Amen.”

A deep exhale left my chest. I’d never given a shit what happened to me. I’d never been afraid of being caught and I still wasn’t. Yet, I’d learned over the years things were different. I’d enjoyed living because I created my own destiny. Now? Now I was just fucking bored.

“Does anyone intrigue you?” We were both staring into the shadows of the forest, a location only recently provided for our use. While we owned various plots of land including some with forests and dozens of acres, the areas we used for hunting were provided gratis by those believing in our cause.

At least that’s what we’d heard time and time again, men and women eager and willing to provide a pristine location for our hunts. Others had offered up their warehouses or other buildings in the midst of renovation in hopes of providing the perfect terrifying yet alluring background.

Of course they’d also been seeking either an invitation into the contest, positive affirmation of their abilities or confirmation they would soon receive all the accolades they’d been seeking.

By being allowed into the coveted Obsidian Society.

We’d had a frank meeting after the Obsidian Society had been outed by two reporters. We’d opted against holding the contest for a few months to let the buzz die down. We’d made changes in how we handled the dark games, not out of fear of repercussions, but out of practicality.

And our extensive workload.

Our company was growing at a faster rate than we’d anticipated. Success had its share of perks, disappointments, and difficulties. Tonight, we’d set aside our corporate functions for a taste of our darker needs.

Only not one of us would be satisfied.

I’d been emailed Christopher’s choice of candidates for the special hunt.

Without names, only answers. He liked to toy with the players. I was no different. The man had a devious side of his own.

“A few,” I answered, although that wasn’t the truth. Only one of the people who’d filled out the questionnaire on Instagram and had subsequently signed the NDA had intrigued me in the least. There’d been something vulnerable about her while she’d opted to remain skeptical. That came across loud and clear in the limited answers.

Women like that were far more fun to play with.

Tonight I’d chosen to participate, which was rare for me, but perhaps it would help alleviate the increasing boredom.

While Christopher was aware of the contestant’s real names, at this point there was no need for us to learn anything other than the answers to the limited questions asked.

“A few. That sounds promising.” He clapped me on the back. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a taste of what others call normal.”

“Normal. I doubt the majority of people would call our games normal, brother.”

“Perhaps not, but there are much darker proclivities than provided in the Obsidian Society.”

Yes, he wasn’t wrong. We were more tempered than the three of us would like to be.

“I’m surprised you were allowed to come out and play,” I told him. “Doesn’t Jessica frown on your nighttime activities?”

He laughed. “I’m here to supervise and make certain you don’t do anything stupid. And do you know Jessica? She’d love to join in.”

The woman was unique that way.

“And our other players?”

“I’m not worried about them. If they get themselves into trouble, they’ll need to face the consequences. Not us.”

So far, the players selected for round one included a pitcher headed from the minor leagues to the Chicago Cubs, a neurosurgeon, two politicians, a police officer, the CEO of a land development company, the owner of a restaurant, and a police officer. A fascinating group.

From what I’d heard of the women invited, they were all eager and willing to embroil themselves in the world of debauchery and sin.

But I was only interested in one.

Lady Butterfly.

What were the odds the contestant with intriguing answers was the same woman who’d enticed the darkness inside of me several months before?

Slim to none.

“And our other illustrious board members?”

Xander checked his watch. “Both had other engagements.”

“Of course they did. Women rule your lives. I want no part of it.”

He turned to me, studying my eyes more seriously than he’d done in a long time. “The first time I remember being beaten in foster care I was maybe five years old. I’d taken the last cookie without realizing it had been saved for the master of the house. Up until then, things had been okay in the house. I remember feeling as if I was fitting in. What a terrible thing for a five-year-old kid to need to think about.”

Our stories were similar and I’d always wondered why three small boys had ended up in the hands of monsters. The answer remained in learning more about our birth parents. Since the bombshell had been dropped that our biological father had been a savage serial killer, none of us had found the time or the inclination to investigate any further.

Maybe because we now lived what most would consider fantasy lives.

“The three of us have similar stories. Why bother telling me that now?”

“True,” my brother said with no emotion, “but the lesson I learned that night was that women always rule a household and I was happy that was the case. The bastard who’d tried to force me into calling him Daddy was angry, the cookie meant for him. As soon as he’d realized I’d eaten the fucking chocolate chip treat, he started to beat me. The only reason I didn’t end up in a pool of blood was that his wife came home and stopped him. She soothed the beast inside of him. Later that night, she brought me a stash of cookies she’d held back while I was crying and licking my wounds. That’s when I realized how precious women were. I’m not a decent human being, Wilder. You know that.”

“Neither am I.”

“No, you’re not. But we can’t be like our father. The need for violence and the taking of human life doesn’t manifest itself in the bloodstream or DNA.”

“Are you so certain about that?” I asked him, genuinely curious. Our father was evidently the lowest form of trash there was. Maybe that’s why I’d continued assuming the role of protector after I’d gotten my revenge on those who’d tormented me personally.

He took an exaggerated inhale of the night air. “Maybe not, but what I do know is that without Jessica, the anger inside of me would have continued to grow. She brings me peace. She’s my salvation. Perhaps it’s time for you to consider finding someone to fight the rage threatening to overtake you.”

It was my turn to laugh. “There’s no woman capable.”

“You might be surprised.”

We stood in silence for a few minutes, the light breeze providing the backdrop of noise.

“No, Xander. Nothing and no one has ever surprised me. At least after the first time I learned that trusting anyone resulted in excruciating anguish. I’ll never take that chance again. Besides, just thinking about doing so brings out the worst in me.”

Xander slowly turned his head in my direction. There was no response needed, no brotherly love that would ease the mental torment that had followed me through decades.

My brother pulled down his mask and I did the same.

Now we were nothing but hunters.

There was no possibility of feeling peace or of receiving salvation. I’d lost the chance the day I’d killed the first bastard who’d hurt me and others.

As well as the next.

And the next.

My mind was firmly locked in the few hours of pleasure that had blocked the anger and the pain.

All because of Lady Butterfly.