“I’ll try – that’s all I can promise right now.”
“That’s a good starting point. Jake, do you have something to say to Jason?”
“Sorry.” Jake mumbled in Jason’s direction.
Turing back to their father Josh smiled, his usual good humor reappearing. “So Dad, it looks like we’ve got two stubborn brooders to deal with.”
“So it would seem, son. Which one do you think you can wind up the most?”
“Oh, I've got a handle on Jake, I just need a little more time with Jason and I’ll get back to you on that question.”
“Whatever!” Jason and Jake said at the same time. When they realized they had spoken the same thing at the same time, they glared at each other, ready to comment, thought better of it and kept quiet.
“In answer to your question, I’m the dumb-ass in the family. Jake’s IQ is one-fifty and mine is one-twenty, so I’m the dumb-ass.” Jackson laughed at Jason’s rapidly heating face. Flopping back down on the couch, Jason threw back his head and massaged his scalp with his eyes closed.
Aviva had watched and listened as the whole tabloid unfurled before her, hands over her mouth in utter amazement. Their interactions had moved from calm, to explosive and back to calm in a matter of minutes. Well one thing was for sure, she had never taken an IQ test and now she never would, otherwise she’d be the dumb-ass.
“Well if we’ve all finished fighting for the moment, maybe you could finish telling us how you grew up, Jason. Jackson suggested, once again relaxing back into his seat.
Removing his hands from his hair, Jason rubbed his shoulders in an attempt to remove the knots that seemed to be a permanent part of his existence whenever he was in their company. Without opening his eyes he once again prepared himself to conclude the story of his childhood to his family. There, he thought to himself, he had actually given them the title 'family' but he wasn’t ready to voice it, least of all to them. He needed to mull over what that actually meant for a while longer, weigh up what it would mean to him, having these men in his life.
“After I left the institute that was supposed to help me with my ‘problem’ I was enrolled into school, which turned out to be a huge disappointment. I mean the kids were happy running around dipping their fingers in paint and drawing blobs on paper saying said blobs were things like spacemen and dinosaurs. Then when they finished their blob paintings they'd vie for praise from Mrs Western, who by the way had the most discolored teeth I have ever seen. Turns out she had a fondness for chewing tobacco and hashish…”
“For goodness sake, Jason – how does a five year old know such a thing?” Aviva laughed at Jason’s outlandish comment.
“Don’t you worry about how I knew; I had my ways of extracting information, and I was six, not five. But to continue with my story that you so rudely interrupted, “School was a bit of a let-down. I now know that I was just bored, playtime was a nightmare, little girls named fluffy and bumpy pulling my hair and kicking me, and Mrs Western telling me that was what girls did when they liked a boy. Well I sure as hell didn’t like them – but I like um now.” Jason said raising his eyebrows up and down giving Aviva a suggestive look.
“Pack it in you purvey bastard and get on with it.”
Jason knew he was stalling; the others probably did as well. He also knew he had to go on with the disclosure of his formative years, no matter how painful. He especially wanted Aviva to know what she was getting into if she decided to stay with him and, at the moment, he wasn’t sure she would once he was finished with what he had to say.
“My first grade teacher Miss Damon, recognized I was ahead of the other kids and arranged for an assessment that ultimately showed that I was pretty advanced for my age. Before I really knew what was happening I was told I was being moved to another school. It transpires that the school was in Massachusetts, nobody asked me if I wanted to go, they just packed me up and shipped me off on a full scholarship – I was six years old. I suppose the state was grateful they had one less child to maintain, especially a little shit like me.” Jason finished with a self-deprecating laugh that grated the nerves of everyone who heard it.
At the mention of the location of the school a shroud of dread swept over Jackson. He already knew the answer, but he had to ask the question that would surely break his heart. “What was the name of the school, Jason?”
Jason didn’t answer, his eyes fixed on a spot above Jackson’s head. Jackson was about to repeat his question when Jason spoke. “'The Aldwin Institute for Gifted Boys, where we shape the minds of our nations’ future leaders’” he recited, scorn dripping from every word.
Jackson rose stiffly to his feet, stumbled, only just managing to stop himself from falling to the floor. Holding on to articles of furnishing, he shuffled his way to the bar and poured himself a drink, with his back towards the room he threw back the scotch in one gulp, poured another and drank it just as quickly as the first.
Turing back to face the rest of the room Jackson slammed the crystal tumbler to the counter. It was now Jason’s turn to stand looking out the window with his back to the others. “I’m sorry Jason, so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
Jake and Josh, who had both risen to their feet the same time as their father looked at each other breathing hard, fists clenched so tight at their sides their knuckles showed white with strain. Jason's solitary stance was enough for them to instinctively know what was coming, and wanted to eradicate the devastation that had been perpetrated against their brother.
Aviva was confused, the tension in the room had racked up again, so palpable it felt as if she were wading through a gale force wind, bent on holding her back. She wanted to offer comfort to a forlorn Jason but instinctively knew her overtures would be rebuffed.
Jackson's voice floated across the silence of the room. “I was approached by the same school soon after the boys were returned to me. Their school had also tested them and thought they would benefit from the work of the institute. Once I realized they only offered a boarding program, their attendance was something I refused to contemplate. I later read about the atrocities those supposed, shapers of young minds committed against boys in their care. How long were you there, Jason?”
“Two years,” he replied in a voice completely devoid of emotion.
“When did it start?”
“Not 'it' Jackson, I think your question should be, when did the sodomizing start – ten months in. By then they were sure I was the perfect candidate; a ward of the state and they were the sons of our great nation’s leading philanthropic families; who could stop them.”
“What happened to these men, were they brought to justice?” Jake asked, his mind whirling with intentions of what he would do if even one of them remained unpunished for their disgusting deeds.
“Yes they were Jake, I remember reading at the time that the four men responsible were caught and brought to justice. It was a huge scandal, tarnishing some of the most prominent families in the Massachusetts area.”
“Now that’s where you’re wrong, Jackson. It was more like eight men, not four and to answer your question Jake, they have not all been brought to justice but they will be – my brand of justice. After all what’s the point of having this level of smarts and not using it.”
Jake looked at Josh who nodded once, they then both turned, staring at Jason's broad back. Jake spoke for them both. “How many are left and how can we help?”
Turning from the window, Jason looked both his brothers up and down before answering. “It’s okay boys, I got this. I don’t need your help.”
“You've got it though, you can either make it easy for us by telling us who they are and how we can help, or you can make it slightly harder, by making us find out for ourselves. How long do you think it would take Jake?”
“Two days tops.”
“I already told you both, I've got this. Don’t let me have to say it again.”
“You might as well tell them Jason, they are every bit as s
tubborn as you, and if you don’t tell us, Jake will have the information, as he said, in two days. Furthermore, the Kingdoms always stick together; hurt one, and you hurt us all.”
“You all seem to forget – I am not a Kingdom.” Jason said through gritted teeth.
“Oh for God sake Jason, enough of this, even a blind man can see these are your brothers and I am your father, and from this moment on, you will start acting like it, do I make myself clear!”
At Jackson’s commanding words, Jason folded his arms across his chest and braced his legs apart, looking at the other men who had taken up identical stances. Snorting he told the room at large to fuck off before stalking out.
“Well...that went well.” Aviva said sarcastically under her breath, three pairs of annoyed eyes turning to look her way. “Sorry, just saying. Maybe I should go and see if he’s okay.”
“I thing he probably needs a moment. I also think it best we all leave him alone for a while, my dear. We Kingdoms can be hard to take en masse. He’ll be back when he’s had a chance to cool down. That was difficult for us all... especially so for Jason.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jason went to his office, opening and slamming drawers and tossing books around the room. He knew he was being as stubborn as Jackson had accused him of being; he also knew he was being childish but damn it, they were smothering him with their family unity crap. He wasn’t ready, why couldn’t they understand that and just back off, it was too much, just too damn much.
Sitting down at his desk, Jason thought back to what he had just revealed, his mind wandering to Aviva and how would she now view him, would she think less of him? Out of all of them, he was glad she knew what had happened to him when he was a child. If he had been able to play it his own way, he wouldn’t have revealed that part of his life until she knew him better. Part of the reason he had to leave the room was because he felt as though he were being backed into a corner, being pressed to reveal how he had dealt with those bastards. She didn’t need to hear what he had done in his quest for vengeance, what he intended to do to the men that remained to be brought to his special brand of justice. No-one knew, not even Steve, although he was sure Steve had his suspicions, but he had never voiced them.
Jason closed his eyes and thought with satisfaction of the two men he had already destroyed. He had destroyed them so completely they would never again hurt another child. It had taken him years of planning and scheming, but he had done it. Getting to the remaining men was also taking a long time, too long. He lived in torment each and every day, wondering if they still had the means and opportunity to hurt other vulnerable children. Sometimes he awoke; sweat drenching his body at what they had done to him, wondering if they were still hiding behind their positions in society, using it as a means of continuing their nefarious acts against the innocent.
Jason snatched his mind back; he knew from past experience that to continue would lead to blinding fury. He had long ago realized that the only way he could cope with his memories, was to focus on their ruin. The psychiatrists helped this time around, by the time he stopped seeing them he realized he was a victim, he also realized he was too young to fight those men, but he made himself a promise, they would pay, and pay dearly for what they had put him and those other boys through.
Pressing against a panel of the wall behind his desk chair, it slid back to reveal a hidden safe. Keying in the combination, he withdrew a flash drive and inserted it into his computer. Finding the correct folder, Jason didn’t spare a glance for the first six names, going directly to the seventh name listed in the folder and opening it. Malcolm Alexander, the seventh of the eight men who had been trustees of the institution and had yet to be brought to justice. Looking at his picture Jason’s guts knotted with such hatred he longed for the ability to reach through the screen and rip the man’s head from his shoulders. Switching files he did the same to the final man on his list, this one he had deliberately left for last, Jason wanted him to suffer, as he had suffered for all these years – Forrest Farnsworth, even his name was a bloody joke.
Jason had no doubt that both men were now aware that those of their group who had the money and connections to escape the jaws of the law, had been losing all they had fought, connived and manipulated in order to retain their positions as pillars of society, but he was going to take them down, take them down hard. His plans for them had been years in the making and were now coming to fruition, he just needed a little more time. Taking one more look at the image of Farnsworth, Jason closed the files, removed the flash drive and returned it to its hiding place with a reaffirmation that what he had planned for them was only exactly what they deserved.
~~~~~~~~~~
Returning to the sitting room, Jason saw that someone had brought in coffee and sandwiches. Accepting a cup from Aviva he sat down and took a big gulp of the pungent liquid. Looking around the room Jason saw varying looks of concern. Choosing to ignore their concern, he instead continued with his narrative as though he hadn't stormed from the room a half-hour ago. “I’m only going to do this if none of you interrupt me.” Receiving nods of affirmation, he continued.
“After I left the institute I went into a foster home. I was placed with Steve’s parents, who were both leading child psychiatrists. Steve was an only child and roughly the same age as me. After a bumpy start, he and I began to see eye to eye. As the years went by we settled into a friendship that will last a lifetime. He treated me like a brother, looked out for me when I was too reckless to do it for myself and kicked my ass when it needed a kicking, well until I got bigger than him, then we just nuked it out. I got into a lot of trouble and the cops picked me up on more than one occasion. I can’t tell you the amount of times I got suspended from school but his parents never gave up on me. When one of our fights got out of hand, his father enrolled Steve and me in Karate and Aikido classes. Karate for self-defense and Aikido for the spiritual aspects he said, but I think he just wanted us to learn some self-discipline…”
“We’ll all have to spar sometime.”
“I thought I told you not to interrupt me if you all wanted to hear what I had to say.”
“Sorry!” Josh said, making a zipping motion across his lips.
Good, they were into martial arts or at least they knew how to defend themselves, Jason thought, thinking he had just found the perfect way to kick their asses. Smiling he began speaking. “I had additional lessons throughout the time I lived with the Blackman's with specialist aid in mathematics and the sciences which seemed to be the areas in which I excelled. I graduated high school with Steve although I had completed the curriculum years before. His parents wanted to keep things as normal as they could for me.
The Blackman's died the summer we graduated. They were on their way back from Sunday morning church service, Steve and I had faked some kind of illness, I forget what the illness was, we had been out the night before and had massive hangovers. I don’t think Mr B knew what was wrong with us and spoke up for us when Mrs B started getting suspicious about our mysterious illness. That was the last time I saw them alive. Their car exploded on their way back from church. It just went up in a ball of flames. The police investigation reported a mechanical fault; but I didn’t buy it and I was right not to. Steve and I stayed in the house after they died; we were due to go off to college at the end of the summer, Steve’s parents had set up a college fund for him and I had a full scholarship lined up; Steve to study architecture at Cornell and I was going to Princeton to study pure and applied mathematics.
Steve and I were still working through the senseless death of his parents when I got a phone call that changed the course of my life. I had been secretly been digging into the lives of the men that had run the institute; the ones who had escaped prosecution. I thought I had completely covered my tracks, but I was wrong. You see, Steve and I should also have been in that car; those good people lost their lives and Steve his parents, because of me. I walked out of that house the day of that telephone call, I coul
dn't face my friend, couldn't tell him I was to blame for the death of his parents, the people who had taken a broken, twisted child and nurtured him into a human being who could function in society. I couldn't face Steve again for five years. Those bastards may have got the jump on me, but now I knew what they were prepared to do, what I was up against. That was their first mistake, only by the time they realized it, it was way too late for them.”
“What did you do Jason?” Aviva asked, not caring that he didn’t want anyone to interrupt him. She had a sinking feeling that the men who had hatched the plan that had killed the Blackman's were no longer alive. It was suddenly clear to Aviva, she didn’t know who Jason was, not really and she was beginning to suspect he had taken the law into his own hands on more than one occasion.
“Are you sure you really want to know the answer to that question, Aviva? Be sure, very sure that you really want to know because you are one of the only people in the world for whom I will answer that question with total honesty.” Jason held Aviva’s eyes to express the gravity of what she was asking him to explain. At the nod of her head Jason geared himself to tell her what she wanted to know.
“I did to them exactly what they did to the Blackmans'. I didn’t go to college; I disappeared after warning them that if Steve even caught a cold I would come for them. They didn’t take me at my word. They tried to hurt him, they should have listened to my warning. For years I had been using my spare playing the stock market and I was very good at it, I had quite a lot of money stashed away. I hired two guys to watch out for Steve without him knowing. I spent my time and money watching the perverts and planning how and when I would take them out. They liked boats, they went sailing a lot; they didn’t come back from one of their sailing trips.”
Aviva didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. How would she have reacted if she had been in his place – she honestly didn’t know? She didn’t think she was capable of killing someone but again she couldn’t be certain; given the right set of circumstances maybe she could take a life. Again she was reminded that she had only known Jason for a few days, yet her heart felt as though she had known him a lifetime. But with Jason’s admission she had to take stock of who and what type of man he really was. Throughout her musing Jason had refused to release Aviva’s gaze, certain his honesty had changed the way she would now see him. He wanted to see the exact moment he lost her. There it was, that subtle shifting of a look behind her eyes. Jason held his breath; when it was obvious she would remain silent he asked the question he needed answered.
Abandoned but Not Alone Page 19
