“Does it hurt?”
“A little,” she said.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I wish everyone would quit saying that,” she said.
He flinched. He was such a tool.
It sounded like she was laughing. He realized she was crying. He was mortified.
He leaned over, unsure what to do. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back.
“It’s okay,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll get him. I promise.”
She nodded but the tears continued. She wiped her face on her other arm. He let her cry, saying softly, “Shhhh, it’s okay. Let it all out. It’s okay.” He never let go of her hand.
After a few minutes, she was done.
“God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lay this on you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. And look at me. I looked in the mirror. Big mistake. I look like the princess ogre in Shrek.”
“You still are beautiful. Maybe even more so.”
For a second, she stared at him. It made him uncomfortable. He was so dumb. If anything, he was Shrek, who would always look that way. And she was the princess who only turned into an ogre at night. Except that in her case, she’d heal and then she would go back to being beautiful.
He held his breath, waiting for her response to him calling her beautiful.
“Shut the front door,” she finally said. “You don’t have to be so nice to me. It’s not your fault. In fact, now I’m even more glad we made that video.”
“You are?” He was officially astounded.
“Hell yeah,” she said. “Now that I’ve come face to face with that evil, piece-of-shit, waste-of-space guy, I’d do anything to stop him. Anything.”
Conrad looked down.
She cleared her throat. “There’s another reason I’m doubly glad I did it.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad I got to meet you.”
“What?” He scrunched up his face in a scowl.
“I don’t know,” Molly said looking down and scrunching up her face. “I guess I needed to meet a guy like you. I needed to be reminded that not all guys are dogs. I’m just glad to know there are guys like you out there, you know.”
She looked down as she spoke, tracing her finger on the hem of the sheet. After a few seconds of silence, she looked up.
“Sorry. I don’t know why I said that. Maybe…”
“They’ve obviously given you too much morphine,” Conrad said.
Molly chortled with laughter. “That must be it.”
He burst into laughter as well. But then he grew somber as he remembered the real reason he’d rushed to the hospital: Not just to see her. To apologize.
“I’m really, really sorry this happened. I can’t help but feel it’s my fault. I brought you into his sick world. I know you said you don’t want people to say that to you—to say sorry—but I have to say it. I can’t live with myself unless I ask this of you: Can you ever forgive me?”
Molly listened carefully as he spoke, not taking her eyes off him.
When he finished, the silence seemed interminable.
Molly gripped his wrist and pulled him in closer to her until their faces were only a few inches apart.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” She paused for a few seconds. “But you have to swear to me that you’ll do everything you can to stop him. And that you’ll let me be a part of it. Bring me in on it. All of it—all the plans, everything. Promise me that. You said we’re a team. I need in on this now more than ever.”
Conrad swallowed. He could easily promise to do everything in his power to stop ChadHater. It was letting Molly put herself in danger that he was balking at.
“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to stop him.”
“And that you’ll let me be part of that.”
Conrad shook his head. “I can’t. That’s too much responsibility. If you got hurt … I can’t live with that guilt. But I won’t stop you.”
Molly chewed her lip and looked away, sighing loudly. She released her death grip on his wrist and he drew back, rubbing the skin a little.
She turned back. “I guess that’s the best I’m going to get from you. I have another favor to ask though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“They spring me tomorrow at eight, if you aren’t out there kicking the shit out of the ChadHater right then, do you think you could come pick me up?”
He nodded solemnly. “Kicking the shit out of him would be the only thing that would stop me from being here.”
Molly smiled. “Get out of here. I need to get some sleep.”
Once Conrad stepped into the hall, Eva was at his side.
“How is she?”
He didn’t have a chance to answer.
“I better go talk to her,” Eva said. “Call me later?”
He nodded. Eva disappeared inside the room. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. The rush of emotions streaming through him was overwhelming. Relief. Happiness. Anger. Confusion.
He opened his eyes when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, on the side of his body and face that wasn’t mangled. “You okay?”
A man’s voice.
He was startled by the touch and words, and he jerked and then turned to face the man. “Yeah. I’m doing great. Thanks.”
“Okay. Just checking.” The guy smiled and headed down the hall. He was about to turn into Molly’s room but then drew up short. He gave a small wave and said, “I’ll check back later.”
For a second, a torrent of jealousy raced through him. That guy was good looking, and he obviously knew Molly. Of course she’d know good-looking guys like that. What was he thinking? That he was even in her league to be her friend? Hardly.
A nurse came from the opposite direction and smiled as she passed the handsome guy. That never happened to him. No woman just randomly smiled at him in passing. Maybe after a woman saw his face, she might give him a pity smile.
The nurse glanced at Conrad and then grabbed the clipboard out of the plastic holder outside Molly’s door and headed into the room.
A few seconds later, two uniformed security guards appeared from the direction of the elevator. Eva stepped out in the hall to meet them. He saw her slip them some cash and then she stepped back into Molly’s room.
He waited a minute, but when Eva didn’t return, he decided to check with her later. He wanted to get on the incel site and see if ChadHater had posted anything or messaged him.
It was only when Conrad was in the parking lot that he realized the handsome man hadn’t flinched at all when he’d turned his head and looked at him full-on. He had looked the man right in the eyes, and the guy didn’t even blink. It was the first time he could remember that happening in, well, forever. Even the Queen of Spades and Molly had first looked at him with some measure of pity or compassion or something. And nobody ever looked at him just matter-of-fucking-fact like that nurse had just now. What the hell was going on? The world was turning upside down.
28
Sebastian/Username: ChadHater
His fury was like a live thing writhing inside him.
It was not a fatal mistake, but it almost ruined everything. Not only had she escaped, but she was still alive. He’d taken a huge risk by showing up at the hospital, but he knew that the mask had done its job. He’d felt overwhelmingly compelled to see her again, to see the damage he’d inflicted. It felt risky, exciting, dangerous to walk into that hospital knowing that he was the one who had inflicted the damage. To walk past uniformed guards and police officers in the lobby who would’ve arrested him immediately if they had known what he had done earlier. Even though the Stacy hadn’t been alone in her room as he’d hoped, the trip had been worth it. When he’d peeked in the room, she’d given him a shy smile that thrilled him to no end. If she only knew.
And in the hall? What the fuck? He couldn’t believe that the One-Eyed Jack was at the hospital. At first, he wondered who the defo
rmed dude was, but the idiot was wearing the exact same plaid shirt he’d had on when he supposedly “raped” the Stacy. Why would he be at the hospital if he’d raped her and she’d seen his face? Something was really, really fucked up. He needed to take the One-Eyed Jack out. But killing him would be a distraction. He didn’t have time
It was now time to act. Breaking into the girl’s home had set the ball rolling. There was no going back now. The basic plan was already in place. It was simply a matter of executing it. Step one would kick off as soon as his mom and dad got home.
He felt a flush of excitement. He wondered what it would be like to pull the trigger, to take a life. He knew from what he’d read that it would be a rush unlike any he’d ever experienced in his woeful, pathetic life. He knew that the thrill of the kill would be enhanced by the hunt. He might even pass up the easy prey, the people right in front of him and go after the ones who thought they were getting away.
It would be like the best fucking Manhunter video game he’d ever played. But it would be real.
To tamp down his excitement, he logged on and started up a game of Death Doctor. One last game or two, he thought. One last chance to refine his skills before he brought those talents to real life.
Exhilaration filled him. He would go down in history as the mass shooter who took down the highest number of people at once. His name would go down in glory. He eyed the mask on his desk. It’s too bad they wouldn’t see what he looked like as he killed them. They would wonder why such a good looking young man had decided to kill them.
Now, as he sat at his desk pounding on his keyboard, he had come up with the perfect edit to his manifesto.
Scanning the document, he found the perfect place to add in a description of the past few weeks before he took action. If he couldn’t kill the One-Eyed Jack with his bare hands, he’d at least ruin him in the incel community forever.
He wrote in detail about how the One-Eyed Jack had raped his Stacy and how it had encouraged him to do the same to her. He wrote how he found her so, so easily. But when it came to raping her, he failed. Even when she was tied up and gagged, it went awry.
Re-reading this, he pressed the delete button, backing up all the way to where The One-Eyed Jack was the only rapist. He wanted to be a hero to the other incels. Not a pathetic loser.
He wanted their respect. He wanted revenge. He wanted blood on his hands. His destiny was to be the most revered mass shooter in American history. People wouldn’t even know who ER was in another year.
He would be a legend.
29
After the sketch artist had come and completed a sketch based on Molly’s recollections, Eva paid the woman and then stood by the bed.
“Hey, Molly,” Eva said, “is there anyone I should call. To come. To be here with you?” She paused, hoping and praying she was saying it right. She added, “We can make up a plausible story.”
She wondered if Molly was embarrassed of how ChadHater had targeted her.
Molly exhaled and shook her head. “No.”
Eva inwardly cringed. Nobody.
“You sure?”
Molly nodded but looked disappointed, not meeting Eva’s eyes.
Eva spoke quickly. “I’m not allowed to stay the night in the room here with you.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll just be out in the family waiting room. It’s just down the hall. You can call my cell if you need anything. Anything at all.”
Molly looked a little teary-eyed.
“You okay? Are you in pain? Should I get the nurse?”
Molly smiled. “You can go home, you know. I mean…back to your hotel.”
Eva shook her head firmly. Then she leaned down and kissed Molly’s brow. “Try to get some sleep.”
Out in the family waiting area, Eva curled her legs under her on the couch and dialed Jonathan.
“I texted you a sketch a few minutes ago.”
“Got it. Our guy? How the hell did you get this?”
Eva explained the entire situation and then said, “Can you get this to your guys? Tell them the whole story. She didn’t tell the local authorities everything yet, and I’m not convinced she should. Remember what happened when Conrad tried to tell the local cops? Well, we’re still in the same county, same jurisdiction.”
“Yeah. Maybe have her hold off on that for now. I’ll get all this to the FBI agent I’ve been in contact with. He seems straight up. I’ll send it and see what he says. At the very least, they can see if the sketch matches anyone in the system. They should at least be able to do that.”
“You’d think,” Eva said.
“How is she?”
“I think she’s okay. Hard to say. She’s a tough kid. I don’t think she has any family. She said there was nobody to call.”
“That sucks.”
“I know,” Eva said. “And we have only hours until all three events kick off. I don’t know how we’re going to stop him if we can’t figure out who he is.”
“I’m going to call that agent right now and send him the sketch.”
“I have an idea,” Eva said. “It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try. Unfortunately, it’s going to have to wait until morning.”
Jonathan yawned. “Okay. Well, keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
She clicked off and then pulled her cashmere scarf out her bag. She spread it out over her like a blanket and laid her head back on the cushion. She would try to sleep for a few hours before she got back on her computer and started to dig around more.
30
Conrad/Username: One-EyedJack
Conrad woke at five and was at the hospital by six with a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant. When he walked into her room, Molly was sitting up, stretching and yawning.
“Oh good,” he said. “I was afraid you might still be asleep.”
She groaned. “I wish. They kept waking me up all night, and a nurse just came in a few minutes ago. I can’t wait to get out of here.”
He handed her the coffee and croissant.
“Thanks. I’m starved. And I’m sure the coffee here is crap.” She took a sip of coffee and a bite of her croissant before she said, “Did you see Eva out in the waiting room?”
He shook his head. “No, but I wasn’t looking for her either.” He stood. “Do you want me to go find her?”
“Nah. I was just wondering. I think she slept in the waiting room.”
For a second, guilt flickered through him. Maybe he should have done the same.
“I told her not to, but she insisted,” Molly said. “She is sort of motherly that way, isn’t she?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
Just then a doctor and nurse came in.
“You gonna spring me, doc?” Molly asked.
“We’ll see,” the doctor said.
Conrad excused himself.
Out in the waiting room he found Eva on a couch typing on a laptop.
She smiled when she saw him. “No coffee for me?”
He blushed. She’d seen him walk by. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I know,” Eva said and winked. Then she frowned. “I think there might be a lead on our guy. My friend sent the sketch to his FBI contact. Fed computers compared it to mug shots in Florida over the past five years. About four years ago, a young man was arrested about an hour west of here for peeping.
“What was his name?” Conrad asked.
“That’s the thing,” Eva said, shaking her head. “As soon as there was a possible match, the contact turned all the information we’ve been feeding him over to his superiors. In other words, after what happened to Molly, they are finally taking us seriously.”
“That’s good, right?” Conrad asked.
“I hope so.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
“What are you doing?” He asked, pointing at her laptop screen. He knew it was sort of rude, but he knew Eva wouldn’t take it that way. That wasn’t her style.
>
And he was right. She smiled and said, “Well, right or wrong, I’m not sure I want to leave this in the hands of the government. In my country, we can’t always trust those in authority. So, I’m scanning arrest records in connection with peeping tom-type offenses four years ago in the two counties west of here.
Conrad nodded. “Any bites?”
She frowned. “Maybe. I was just looking at this guy. Come sit down.”
After she scooted over, he settled onto the small couch beside her.
He could smell her perfume or shampoo or something. It was sort of spicy and vanilla—somehow both exotic and comforting at the same time.
The screen showed a mugshot of a guy in his twenties. Conrad examined it.
The guy in the photo had a widow’s peak and was prematurely balding. He also had a weirdness about his jaw. His eyes were set too close together, and his nose was pinched.
Conrad racked his brains to remember anything ChadHater had ever said about his appearance. As he studied the guy’s face, Eva leaned over her phone.
“I just texted my associate his information. She should be able to get back to us with an address within the hour.”
Well, the guy in the mugshot definitely fit the profile of an incel. He was not attractive. But there was something else odd about him. He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Conrad stood. “Too bad he was wearing a mask or we could show Molly.”
“Let’s show her anyway,” Eva said.
They filed into Molly’s room. The doctor was gone.
“I know he had on a mask, but this might be our guy,” Eva held out her phone.
“The only thing I really remember noticing was these blue eyes looking out of the mask that didn’t look like a real color,” Molly said. “This guy’s eyes don’t really look the same.”
“Could they have been contacts?” Conrad asked.
“I’ve never seen eyes that blue before, so yeah.”
Eva’s phone dinged. She read a message and then looked up. “Just got an address on this guy. I’ll go see how blue his eyes are now.”
One-Eyed Jack Page 9
