Page 144 of Stalker

However, I knew how the monster thought. That was the end of what little humanity was left in the man.

I took the stairs two at a time, bolting into the darkness. I’d come equipped for a long-haul hunt including carrying a heavy-duty flashlight. Now we were playing by my rules. I rushed into the darkness, swinging the light from side to side.

I remained as quiet as possible as I shifted through the trees, listening for any sounds. The only noise was that of crickets coming from every direction.

With every step, I could feel her pulse in my hands. I could sense her presence.

Another sound drew my attention and I cut the light. Something reminded me of the recording I’d taken earlier.

Play his game.

I pulled my phone into my hands, immediately switching screens until I was able to play the simple recording.

As her voice broke through the night sky, I closed my eyes long enough to capture an image of her face in my mind.

She was everything to me. Everything good. The light.

She was the goddamn dancing light that I’d said I couldn’t handle, that I didn’t want. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t go through the same pain all over again.

As I played the second snippet, I suddenly heard a laugh.

His laugh, only it sounded like my voice.

“My son. It’s good to finally see you. My, how you’ve grown.”

I stepped away from the tree, coming face to face with our true enemy, the man who’d haunted our nightmares and driven our souls into blackness.

He was wearing a mask, his glowing eyes a representation of my own. Only this time, I wasn’t interested in playing a game.

Perhaps I’d never be able to again.

I ripped off my mask, pointing the beam of the flashlight toward my face. “Is this what you wanted all along, Dad? A carbon copy of yourself? Same face. Same voice. Same desire for darkness?”

While I was allowed to inch closer, I took my time and didn’t push my luck.

He shifted from foot to foot, but slowly removed his mask as well. When he held out his arms, I shifted the beam directly to his face.

The years and prison hadn’t been kind to him, his once handsome face lined with scars, one eye slightly misshapen. Now he looked like a monster.

“You were always your mother’s kid. Did you know that? Her favorite. She cared more about you than her own husband.”

I licked my lips, taking the opportunity to scan the forest. “Yeah, well, she had hundreds of reasons to stay away from you. More than that. You have me curious how you managed to escape.”

He tilted his head. “Escape? Is that what you were told?”

I narrowed my eyes, reflecting on what Cassandra had suggested. “You took the fall on purpose.”

“Very good. I was the butcher back then, but there were dozens of men who lined up for prime grade-A meat.”

As the wind shifted through the trees, I was able to gather a whiff of Cassandra’s perfume. What the fuck had the bastard done to her? “Who the fuck are these assholes?”

“You might be surprised, son. Powerful men who had no qualms about what they did, including paying me dearly to carve up the wives of men who were determined to lessen their empires. I assure you I plan on picking them off one by one. I have a nice list waiting for me, so I won’t forget. You’ll be proud of me when I’m finished.”

“Nothing would surprise me. How did you know my name? The Stalker.”

“Oh, come on. You didn’t think I kept up with the work my sons did? The Sinner, the Seducer, and the Stalker. Clever. The three of you gave me so many incredible ideas on how to handle my next victims. And I assure you I used many of them and will so again. That’s when I knew I was right about the three of you. You’re just like me.”

He was pleased with himself. I almost shouted at him that we were nothing like him but stopped myself. What good would it do?

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