Our Cause (Let the Monsters Live in Fear Book 1)

by Jennifer Jane Jennings

  Kat smiled. “Who’d have thought he’d become so nice?”

  “Angel earned his nickname there. I’ll drop you off and head back through the backstreets not the freeway. I’ll be listening to everything you say. If there is someone there, I’ll probably hear it.”

  “Should I still hit the distress button if there’s a problem?”

  “You can, but it isn’t necessary. If you or anyone else raises their voice, I’ll be speeding back.”

  “Thanks, Sensei Damon. You really do make me feel safe.”

  Damon turned off the freeway. “Hopefully, not too safe that your instincts stop working.”

  Damon pulled up where Kat’s parents usually did. “I’ll see you this afternoon at the gym. Let us know if Sasha can’t make it.”

  “Will do. Thanks, Sensei.” Kat got out of the car and started walking into the college as usual. As she approached the laneway, the eerie feeling hit her worse than before and the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention. “I feel it. I’m heading down the laneway to check it out.”

  Kat turned into the laneway and started walking. Most people arrived a little later. It was just her and the empty lane, but her spider-sense was going off. She saw a few closed doors and an open roller door that seemed to belong to a maintenance room. “I’ll see if the maintenance guy’s here.” Kat stepped into the room. “Hello.”

  The roller door slammed shut. A man with a beard wielding a knife stepped forward. “You’re not a rich, stuck up cunt like the others. You’re worse. You’re helping them like a whore. They should be suffering forever, but you’re making the fucking cunts feel better than they are.” He held the knife purposefully. “I’m going to fuck you like the others, but I’m not sure if I’ll mark or kill you. Surgery’s fixed most of their marks and you fixed the rest. You need to pay for that.”

  “You hurt my friends, you fucking arsehole! Put the knife down or things are going to get really bad for you.”

  “Big threat, karate girl. I guess I’ll cut you before I fuck you.” He lunged forward with the knife.

  Kat used a crescent kick to knock the knife out of his hand, grabbed onto his wrist and brought the heel of her other hand into his humerus just above his elbow with most of her body weight. It caused a loud cracking sound. The broken bone pierced his skin. Kat came up with an elbow to his jaw, pulling him into it with the hand holding his wrist. This time it sounded like a crunch. “They’re my friends! You had no right to hurt them. No right to rape them!” Tears poured down Kat’s cheeks as she let go of his wrist and slammed her palm heel into his broken jaw. She followed it through with her other hand, breaking the other side of his jaw.

  He yelled something Kat couldn’t understand and threw a punch with his left arm. Kat caught his wrist and brought the blade of her foot into his shin, breaking one bone.

  He cried out and fell to the floor.

  The roller door went up, making the sun glint off the knife. Kat should have turned to the roller door, but she was no longer in the maintenance room; she was on the beach. Brandon Underhill had just killed Courtney, and Kat had the chance to even the score. Kat grabbed the knife and was about to jump on top of him when Damon’s voice brought her back to now.

  “Kat, I’m here. Do you really want to do that?”

  Kat started shaking. “I thought I was on the beach. This isn’t Brandon Underhill. This is the monster who raped Sheridan and Avery.” Kat ripped his pants down and pressed the blade of the knife against the base of his penis, hard enough to draw blood. “If you ever rape again, I will cut it off and make you eat it. Do you understand?”

  Tears ran down the rapist’s face. “Yes. I won’t do it again. Please, put the knife down.”

  Kat threw the knife away from both of them and got up.

  Damon pulled her into his chest, keeping one eye on the rapist on the floor. “You’re safe, Kat. I think he’s as terrified of you as the girls were of him. If he hurts another girl, one of us will definitely fulfil your promise.”

  25

  Damon let go of Kat and crouched down next to the rapist. “I’m going to call the police. That’s not what I want to do, though. I’ve done my share of wet work for the military. Getting you out of here when students are starting to arrive would be challenging. I’d wait until they were in class. Disposing of the body would be a piece of cake.” Damon sighed and called Gareth. “I’ve got good news. Kat caught the scum who hurt Sheridan and Avery. He’s got a broken arm, broken leg, his jaw’s shattered on one side and broken on the other.” Damon paused, took the phone away from his mouth and looked at the monster on the ground. “You were going to kill Kat.” He brought the phone back to his mouth. “Scratch that. He’s got two broken arms, two broken legs and both sides of his jaw are shattered.”

  Gareth laughed. “I’m surprised you only did that much, Rambo.”

  “I haven’t touched him – yet. That was all Kat. Well, the first part was. I’m just going to tidy him up a bit. This was self-defence. He was waiting for Kat. I don’t want her getting in trouble for this.”

  Gareth’s voice was serious. “She won’t. Is she with you?”

  “Yeah, she’s here.”

  “Put me on speaker, please.”

  Damon did as he was asked. “You’re on speaker, Gareth.”

  “Kitty Kat, I’m so proud of you. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m a bit freaked out about him attacking me and me doing so much damage, but then again I’m not. I’m not sure if I should go to class. I don’t want to miss it but…”

  Damon shook his head. “No. You could go into shock. I need to make sure you’re safe and okay.”

  “I agree with Rambo. We need to look after you, Kitty Kat. I’m on my way. We’ll write down the list of injuries when I get there with the ambo. Just ensure he’s alive.”

  “Will do. Thanks, Gareth.” Damon hung up.

  Kat put her hand on Damon’s shoulder. “Before you do anything, let me talk with him, please?”

  “Okay, but I’m staying here.”

  Kat walked around the other side of him and crouched down. “Look at me.”

  The monster flinched in fear and started to tremble as he turned his head to look at Kat.

  “Who are you more scared of, me or him?” Kat asked.

  “You.”

  Damon nodded. “He’s telling the truth.”

  “Don’t touch him, Sensei. I want to keep it that way. I want all his injuries to be from a sixteen-year-old girl.” Kat brought her face down close to the rapist. “If you rape again, I will fulfil my promise.”

  Eric opened his front door to have Tony throw his arms around him. “That’s the best news I’ve had since we had our little girl. Where’s our hero, and can I buy her a car, please?”

  Kari spoke before Eric could. “At least wait till we see if she’s okay.”

  Kat met them at the door. “I’m okay. Please come in, and I’ll tell you all what happened. Avery, you’re going to want to hear this.” Kat walked into the living area and sat down on one of the sofas. “Please, take a seat.” Kat waited for them to all sit down. “I had this eerie feeling last time I went to college, so Sensei Damon drove me today. We decided he should drop me off but stay close. I walked to the laneway and had the same creepy feeling. I said out loud I was going to check it out, and I did. He looked different to the photos and drawings. He’d grown a beard, but when I looked closely, it was definitely the same face. His face was all over the news. I’m guessing he grew the beard to change his appearance. He was filled with so much hate and jealousy. He loathed me because I helped you. He attacked me with a knife, and I broke his arm and jaw. He tried to punch me, and I broke his leg.” Kat looked at the adults in the room. “They probably don’t want to know what else I did, so I’ll tell you later, Avery.”

  Eric looked at his daughter. “You do know we heard every word you said. ‘If you ever rape again, I’ll cut it off and make you eat it.’ There’s only one t
hing you could be talking about to make him that scared.”

  Kat bit her bottom lip and smiled. “Oh, I’m so going to get in trouble for this. He was so scared because I pulled down his pants and held his knife against his dick. There may have been blood.”

  Tony jumped up and punched the air. “Yes! Can I buy her a house? Our house? I’m not sure if I can find an island? I’m just so happy, so thankful.”

  Kat beamed. “It’s okay, Mr Church. I’m just glad I’m not in trouble.”

  Dominique put her arms around Kat. “You were amazing. You’re not in trouble, but if it needs to happen, let Sensei Damon do it.”

  Kat shook her head. “Sorry, Mum. It needs to be me. You must’ve heard him say he’s more scared of me. I need to keep it that way. It’s like when I was a kid, you’d only threaten me with something you’d do; otherwise, it didn’t mean anything. I’m hoping it won’t come to that, but I’ll do it if I have to.”

  Dominique took a deep breath. “Wow. That’s very grown up of you. You’re right.”

  Kat nodded. “Yeah. I’m also hoping his fear of me also applies to other girls and he leaves them all alone. I know Sensei Damon could kill him, but I’d rather he be rehabilitated. If he does rape again, he needs to be punished. I’m not sure if Sensei Damon will kill him after that. I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t even know if I could, and honestly, I don’t want to find out.”

  Damon’s message tone sounded. “I’ll do my best to stop you from ever needing to. I’ve got your back.”

  The doorbell rang just before four. Kat ran to the door with Avery close behind her and opened the door. “Hey, Sheridan.”

  Sheridan was wearing her summer school uniform. “We had a revision day before our exams next week. Mum’s in theatre, but will meet us at the gym when she can. I can’t believe you caught him! It’s the best news ever.”

  Sheridan’s dad, Richard, nodded. “It certainly is.”

  “Come in. Come in. I’ll fill you in and then we’ll go to the gym. My class starts at five thirty. I’m so glad it happened before your exams.”

  Sheridan nodded as she followed Kat into the living area. “Absolutely. Hopefully, I’ll just be able to worry about the VCE.”

  Richard smiled. “It’s such a relief. You don’t need to worry about your safety anymore.” Not from him, at least.

  Sheridan said what her dad had thought. “Not from him, at least.”

  Richard smiled and tried to fake confidence. “He’s dealt with. Everything will be okay.”

  Sheridan put her hand on her dad’s arm. “I know you’re worried too, Dad.”

  Kat intervened. “You both have your earrings and are learning self-defence. You’ll both be fine, not because the bad guys have disappeared but because you can handle it.”

  Kat walked into the gym with Avery and Sheridan followed by their parents. Damon and Connor met them at the entrance.

  Connor looked Kat in the eyes. “You are amazing,” and hugged her.

  Kat hugged him and looked up into his brown eyes. “Thanks, Connor. You were listening? Oops, Sensei Connor.”

  Connor grinned and shook his head. “Leave Sensei for the dojo. You have well and truly proved yourself an equal.”

  Damon nodded. “I agree.” He glanced at Connor. “We’ve been talking with Sensei Lucas over the past few weeks.” Damon smiled cheekily. “Best to call him Sensei Lucas. My old man has a bit of an ego and can kick my butt. Yeah, I know you can hear me, Dad.”

  Damon’s phone sounded with his dad’s ringtone. “Put me on speaker, boy.”

  Damon walked outside and beckoned the group to follow him. “You’re on speaker, Dad.”

  “That’s Sensei Dad to you.” Lucas’s American accent sounded stronger over the phone. “You were incredible today, Kat. But what I’m about to say has little to do with today. It has to do with you teaching Sheridan and Avery self-defence. You have been gentle with them and firm with our students in the dojo when they need it, yet you have been patient with all. You are an excellent Sensei. We’ll give you your own classes teaching female self-defence within the next few weeks, but you will be known as Sensei Kat from now. You’ve earned it. We’re all so proud of you.”

  “Oh my God. Thank you, Sensei Lucas.” She threw her arms around Damon. “Thank you!” She hugged Connor next. “Thank you so much.” She turned to her parents and friends. “Wow. What a great day.”

  Brent’s Audi turned into the car park and Brent yelled through his window. “You couldn’t wait for me, could you?” As soon as he parked, he rushed over and hugged Kat. “Well done on all accounts.”

  Kat started walking towards the stairs with the group.

  Kari kissed Tony. “Enjoy weights with the boys, but don’t overdo it.”

  Tony smiled and looked at Damon. “I’m in good hands. I’ll be fine. Have fun at aerobics. I’m really looking forward to karate.” He kissed his wife again.

  Two men and two women in their mid-twenties walked past. “I’m sure they got together because they’ve got so much in common. There’s at least twenty years between them. Did you see those cars out the front?” They kept walking and were getting harder to hear.

  Damon looked at both Tony and Kari. “My Dad and Sensei Heather have fifteen years between them. Dad just hides his age well. It’s obvious you’re both Avery’s biological parents and have been together at least sixteen years.”

  “Twenty-one years at the end of November,” Kari made clear. “I’ve never been unfaithful and I’d be furious if Tony has.”

  “Hell no. I’ve hit the jackpot. Why would I want anyone else?”

  Kari hugged Tony. “I was twenty-five when we met. Tony was fifty-one. He was in charge of everything and so damn good at it. I smiled and flirted a little.”

  Tony pulled Kari into his chest. “I could barely believe it. I’d spent so long building up my business, I thought I’d missed the bus on the love part.” He looked from Kari to Avery. “These two girls mean everything to me.”

  Damon smiled and nodded. “I saw that the first time we met. It’s a pity people say things like that around you.”

  Kari shrugged. “We’re used to it. I just hate them saying it in front of Avery.”

  Avery walked over to her parents. “I go to school with a lot of rich kids. Half of their parents are divorced and married to someone else. Some of their parents live separate lives. I know one girl; her dad takes a different ‘secretary’ on a business trip several times a year. They barely do anything as a family. We do. Dad rarely goes away without us. He even hired a teacher to come with us when I was in primary school.”

  “You remember that?” Tony asked.

  “Of course I do. Once it was for about six months. We may not be the stereotypical family, but one thing that monster showed me is we’re happy. I don’t think it was our money he was really jealous about but our happiness.” Avery looked at all the girls walking down the stairs to aerobics. “We can’t make Sensei Kat late for her aerobics class. Sheridan tells me they’re fantastic.”

  Sensei Dereck bowed into the dojo towards the end of Damon’s class. After class was over, he approached Damon. “I’ll take it from here, Sensei. Have dinner with Kat and the group. You deserve to celebrate.”

  Damon bowed and gave him a manly hug. “Thanks, Sensei Dereck.”

  Brent walked up. “I’d offer you a lift but I saw your Territory out the front.”

  Damon smiled. “Yeah. I needed it to give Kat a lift to College and everything else. I’m starving. Chinese?”

  “My shout,” Tony piped up before anyone could say anything. “Eat in?”

  Eric shook his head. “Best to eat at ours, so we can talk freely.”

  Tony nodded. “Good call.”

  Kat had just finished eating when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”

  Damon looked around the table. “It’s probably Gareth, but to be safe…I’ll come with you.”

  Kat looked at him. “You were going to
offer to do it for me.”

  “Yeah, but we’re equals. We can do it together. My protective side just comes out.” Damon walked over to the door with Kat. “Who is it?”

  “Gareth.”

  Damon opened the door and took in the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s gone.”

  Kat’s mouth dropped open. “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  “He’s not in the hospital. Apparently, he’s never been in the hospital. The paperwork’s gone and the system has nothing.”

  Brent started walking over, his brow creasing behind his glasses. “They just may not have put it in yet. I know they’re supposed to but...”

  Gareth shook his head. “That’s not all. I entered all his information into the police system myself. The files on Sheridan and Avery are still there. So are the photos and drawing, but everything from today is gone.”

  Brent frowned. “I didn’t do that.” He looked at Eric who shook his head.

  Damon looked at Tony and shook his head. “We were all happy with what happened. I doubt anyone in this room deleted those files but please say so if you did.” He waited for a few moments while everyone shook their head or said no. “Why would anyone else want him gone?”

  Kat stood up straighter. “They don’t want anyone to know I won.”

  26

  Dominique pulled up outside the college. “I’m going to stay here until you’re safely inside. Let me know if you sense anything.” She picked up her earbud. “I’ll have this in.”

  Kat hugged her. “Thanks for always having my back, Mum. Love you.”

  “I love you.”

  Kat walked past the laneway without her spider-sense going off. “All good, Mum. Meet you at the gym.” Kat walked into her building and met Evan in the foyer. “Hey, Evan.”