Page 145 of Stalker

“Why the game, dear ole Dad?” I asked and took another step closer.

He laughed and wiped his mouth. “Oh, come on now, son. I took you as a more intelligent boy.” He waited with his head tilted in the air. A fucking challenge.

“The fucking legacy. You want me to help you finish.”

“I’d love to have all three of my sons by my side, but you witnessed what I did and you hungered to work alongside your father.”

His words threw me. “I never saw you work. Mother wouldn’t allow me anywhere near your madness.”

“Think again, Wilder. You always wanted to know what was in that basement and you were determined to find a way. So you did.” This time when he started to laugh, the echo the sound created thrummed against my eardrums.

A rush of images slammed into my mind.

Horrible visions.

Blood.

Gore.

I cinched my eyes shut, trying to block them out. I knew what the fucker was doing. Exhaling, I opened my eyes. “Where is she?”

The Scorekeeper seemed annoyed.

“I asked you a question, old man? Either you tell me where the woman you took from me is or this ends right here. No more game playing.”

“Oh, I assure you the game has yet to be finished. Only I decide when that happens. But I tell you what. You have a choice. You can kill me now by simply putting a bullet in my head, but there’s a chance you’ll never find her. Or you can let me go knowing I might disappear for a little while, but I’ll never be able to get the taste of blood from my mouth. That means you’ll be responsible for additional deaths. And there’s a good chance you’ll find her because I’ll be honest about the direction you should go. You have five seconds to decide.”

I shook my head, still listening for any sounds. I took two long strides toward him, pointing the barrel right between his eyes.

“See, here’s the thing. You long to cut me up like I’ve done with almost every woman. Becoming a good butcher. Just like a good son. Simply using a bullet won’t satisfy you. But you have three seconds. Two. One.”

“Where the fuck is the woman I love?”

We stared at each other for five seconds. I wanted to tear the man apart limb from limb.

“Oh, love. Hmmm… Well, then. I made that mistake once and it cost me forty of the best years of my life. You don’t need to make the same mistake, son. I’m offering you immortality.” He looked away and I moved closer enough, arching the gun to the side and preparing to backhand him.

But that’s what he wanted.

Fuck him.

I lowered my arm, standing right in front of evil and staring him right in the eyes.

He’d offered me a choice.

Her life for his.

What the fuck.

Death would eventually find him.

“Where is she?” I asked again.

“Fine. Have it your way. You’ll regret your decision, but I’ll honor it. You might need to hurry before she runs out of air.” He took a deep breath and nodded off to the side.

Then he disappeared.

CHAPTER34

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