“It doesn’t have to be like that. You promised you’d protect me.” Cody lifted his up again. “You promised!”
“Well, I’m sorry. There’s no turning back. We can’t just walk out of here and act like none of this ever happened.”
“We can move. Change our identities.”
Aaron laughed. “Yeah, like moving away did us a hell of a lot of good before.”
Aaron sat in the chair and held his head in his hands, still holding the dagger. Neither of them said anything for several minutes, until Cody broke the silence. “What happened to the baby?”
Aaron jerked his head up. “What?”
“You and Theresa’s baby? You said you wanted the baby aborted. Did she do it?”
Aaron had never told Cody the name of his ex-wife. At least, he didn’t think he had, but it didn’t surprise him that he knew either way. He sighed and stared at Cody for a moment. “What are you doing? Why are you so interested in me and Theresa?”
“Did she get an abortion, or not?”
“What does it matter? That was a long time ago.”
“Just tell me.”
Aaron rubbed the back of his neck and paced the floor. “No, she refused to abort the baby. That’s one reason why I left her. Keeping the baby would’ve been a mistake. We couldn’t afford it. I tried to get her to understand, but…” Aaron let out an exasperated sigh. Cody eyes welled over with tears. “If she would have just had the damned abortion, she would still be alive.”
“She died?”
Aaron nodded.
“How long ago was that?” Cody whimpered.
“Fourteen years ago.”
“In October?”
Aaron loosened the grip on the dagger and sat back on the chair. He glanced at Cody and ran his hand over his face. “Theresa died on October eighth. Two days after giving birth to that…” Aaron shook his head and gripped the handle of the dagger, staring at Cody.
“Why didn’t you keep him?” Cody gulped, tears dropping from his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot. “He was your son.”
Aaron clenched his jaw and twisted his grip on the dagger. “Because I didn’t love him. Theresa should never have given birth to him. All he would ever be to me was a reminder of why my wife was dead.” Aaron got up and set the dagger on the desk. He reached under the desk and grabbed the backpack. He unzipped it and dumped the contents onto the floor. He picked up Cody’s Bible and a five-by-seven photo face that was down on the floor. He set the Bible on the table next to Cody’s shoulder and flipped the photo over. It was a photo of Theresa and their infant child.
“Look at his eyes,” Cody said through choked tears. “Look at his mother’s face.”
A tear dropped from Aaron’s eye. He shook his head and dropped the photo of his ex-wife and her newborn blue-eyed baby boy. “No,” he said, and stared into Cody’s eyes. He turned away and bent over, holding himself up with hands on wobbly knees.
“It’s me, Aaron.”
“No!” Aaron yelled and turned around. He pointed the dagger at him. “You are not him! And even if you were, it gives me even more reason to ram this dagger into your chest. That baby is the reason Theresa is dead. And you’re the reason Maria is dead! Death just seems to follow you.”
Cody wept at those statements. “This isn’t you,” he whimpered. “It’s that demon. It’s—”
“I’m sorry.” Aaron placed a hand on Cody’s chest. “It’s over.”
“No,” Cody cried and gazed at the dagger. “Don’t. Please. You’re my dad. You can’t. I… I love you!”
Aaron grabbed the sacrificial dagger and held it with both hands over his head, pointing the blade downward. Tears dropped from his eyes as Cody pleaded for his life and continued to tell Aaron that he loved him. He stared into those bloodshot blue eyes and squeezed his own eyes shut.
“No,” Cody said. “Please.”
“Damn you!” Aaron cried out and jerked the dagger downward.
Cody screamed as the blade penetrated his Bible. Aaron picked it up with the dagger and threw them both across the floor against the back wall, knocking over several candles. The Bible caught fire.
Aaron screamed and fell to his knees, pressing both hands against his temples. “No! I won’t do it! I can’t do it!” He cried for several minutes and then got up, wrapping his fingers around Cody’s bicep. He gazed into the boy’s relieved eyes and apologized. He kissed Cody on the forehead and apologized again.
Cody formed a smile and sniffled. “It’s okay.”
Aaron sighed and moved his hand to Cody’s shoulder. “No, you don’t understand.”
Cody wrinkled his forehead. “What?”
“I’m sorry it has to end like this.” Aaron squeezed Cody’s shoulder. “I have to leave you here.”
“What?” Cody exclaimed, his face growing pale. “You can’t leave me here.”
“I can’t bring myself to…” Aaron turned away, his eyes watering. “But this has to end.”
“No,” Cody cried. “Don’t leave me here! Take me with you.”
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said through choked sobs. “I can’t. I love you, son.” He kissed him again on the forehead and left the room with the candles flickering, Bible burning, and Cody screaming at the top of his lungs.
As Aaron shut the door behind him, he stumbled to the dirt floor in the darkness of the tunnel and wept. Cody screamed for him to come back. He cried out for him, begging him to come back, pleading for him to not leave him alone to die. It lasted for ten minutes, until all Aaron could hear was crying. He closed his eyes and listened to the myriad whispers in his head, screams of children burning, of people getting butchered. He covered his ears, but the voices, the screams, and sounds of thunder grew louder with every passing minute. Aaron yelled and hit the door with the flat of his fist. He returned to the chamber.
Cody turned his head, facing him, but he didn’t smile. “You came back.” It was more out of surprise than joy.
Aaron took in a deep breath and walked past Cody. He found the dagger and charred Bible against the wall under the secret compartment that Agent Kramer had found. He kicked a couple of rats aside and pulled the dagger out of the Bible. Cody watched him with wide eyes as Aaron quickly approached him with the blade held in a tight grip.
Aaron used the dagger to rip through the duct tape securing Cody to the makeshift sacrificial altar. He reached into his pocket, retrieved the key to the handcuffs, and told Cody to sit up. As soon as his hands were free, he jumped off the table and wrapped his arms around Aaron.
“I knew you’d come back.”
Aaron set the dagger on the table and held his son. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me, but I…” He shook his head. “Damn it. It won’t happen again. I promise. And I mean it this time.”
“It’s not your fault.” Cody looked around the room. “What do we do now? The police are going to think you killed everyone at the house.”
Aaron gazed at the ceiling and pursed his lips. He exhaled a remorseful sigh. “I killed Scott. God, I killed Scott.” Aaron sat on the floor against the desk. “It’s just a matter of time before our faces are plastered all over the news.”
“But you didn’t kill all those people,” Cody said and stepped away from Aaron. “It was my fault. I did this.”
“No it wasn’t, Cody. It was that… demon. I shot Scott. That’s on me.” Aaron shook his head. “Damn it. I don’t know what to do.”
“If you go to jail, who’s going to take care of me? I’m not going back into the system.”
“You won’t. I’ll figure something out.”
The chamber door creaked open. Cody smiled. “I believe you.”
Aaron lowered his brow and stood as Deputy Brianna Dilbecky entered the room with a gun pointed at him. She was wearing her uniform and black leather gloves. “Hi, Aaron.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Aaron stepped between the deputy and Cody. “It was you?”
She shrugged. “If y
ou’re talking about falsifying juvenile records, planting evidence, dropping heads in freezers, and leaving presents in your field, then yeah, that was me.”
“You fucking bitch!”
“Oh, come now, Aaron. I didn’t kill anybody. That was all Cody’s doing. Well, sort of, but you get the point.” Dilbecky glanced at the rotting corpses on the floor behind Aaron and Cody. “I guess you can thank those idiots for that little gift.” She shook the gun up and down. “Demon summoning is something you shouldn’t mess with when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. And they clearly didn’t.” She smirked. “Amateurs.”
“How? Why are you doing this?”
“Revenge. It’s that simple, Aaron. Well, maybe not.” She closed one eye and raised an eyebrow upward. She then nodded. “No, simple revenge. That pretty much says it.”
“Revenge for what? You didn’t even know me until I moved to Lost Maples.”
She bobbed the gun at him and took a step forward. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. You didn’t know me, but I sure as hell knew you.” She turned her head to Cody. “You got the article and photo I put in your locker, right?” Then she slapped the side of her head and pointed to the floor. “Ah, of course, you did. There it is, right there. You know who that is, Aaron?”
“Of course, I do. That’s my ex-wife.”
“And little baby Cody in her arms.” She frowned. “I took that photo the day before my sister died.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Sister? Theresa didn’t have any sisters.”
“There are a lot of things you didn’t know about her, but I guess that’s to be expected when you marry someone in Las Vegas after only knowing her for two weeks.” She gawked at him and rolled and jerked her gun forward in her hand. “You killed her, Aaron. You took my only family away from me, and I cursed you for it. It took fourteen years and a new family for the Master to fulfill his promise to me. A lot of blood had to be shed in order to get where we are today, but it was worth it.”
“For what?” Aaron shouted. “Because you were pissed at me, you killed all of those people. Kids? You’re more demented than David Hernandez and Robert Smith.”
She laughed.
“You find that funny, bitch?”
“Oh, yes. All this time you thought David and Robert were the main source of your problems. They were just as clueless as you. They even believed Cody was the one who summoned Enlil.” She laughed. “Please.”
“If I was your target all along, why not just find me and kill me? Why punish Cody and involve so many people? Why so much death?”
She cocked her head back. “Now what would the fun be in that?”
“You are one sick bitch.”
“Maybe, but I rather enjoyed watching it all play out. And for the record, I was never going to allow Cody to die. He is my nephew, after all. Why do you think the chimera protected him?” She winked at Cody. “It even spared you.”
“Yeah? And why is that?”
She rolled her eyes. “To save you for this moment of course. Watching the chimera rip your head and limbs off in my subconscious just wouldn’t be as invigorating as witnessing your death firsthand.”
“Then get it over with, you bitch!” Aaron opened his arms wide. “Save the speech and kill me! I don’t give a shit anymore.”
She widened her eyes and pressed the gun against her chest. “Oh, you thought I was going to kill you? No, sir. You’ve got it all wrong.” She smiled and lowered the gun. “You really should have seen this coming.”
A sharp pain pierced Aaron’s back. He gasped and jerked his head back as the sacrificial dagger exited through his chest. He fell to his knees and grimaced as the blade retracted from his body, spilling his blood on the floor. He dropped to his side and wheezed. Cody stood above him, holding the dagger in clawed hands. Blood dripped from the blade as he stared, with solid black eyes, at his latest victim.
“I knew you wouldn’t do it,” the demon clone said in Cody’s voice. It grinned. “That was one hell of an act, wasn’t it?” It knelt beside Aaron and spoke softly. “Knocking Cody unconscious was your first mistake, but going back inside to mourn your wife and daughter… Well, that was fatal. Gave me plenty of time to borrow the Sheriff’s handcuff key and do that whole swaparoo. Should’ve checked the trunk.” The doppelganger patted Aaron’s head with its clawed hand. “But don’t worry, he’s still got plenty of air in that drafty old cruiser.” The demon laughed and stood.
Aaron coughed up blood and gazed up at Deputy Dilbecky.
“I know it’s a pretty sick thing to put my nephew through,” she said, “but you did a piss poor job of taking care of him. I’ll be assuming that role now.” She leaned forward. “And it’s a real shame how you were able to fool everyone into believing you were this highly decorated cop, while you were killing all those people.”
Aaron closed his eyes.
“Hey, I’m not through with you,” she said, and kicked him. “Murdering Sheriff Donovan and those FBI agents in cold blood was one thing, but killing your wife and stepdaughter? That’s just plain evil.” She laughed. “It’s a damn good thing I tracked you here too. At least I was able to save Cody from your twisted sacrificial offering.” She tilted her head upward. “Hmph. I may even get elected Sheriff on a write-in, after this.”
“Cody will never accept you as…” Aaron coughed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. “You won’t…”
“Now, now, Aaron. Save your strength.” She took the dagger from Cody’s doppelganger and tossed it on the desk in the middle of the room. She then searched Aaron’s pockets and removed the keys to Deputy Copeland’s cruiser. “Time to wake up my nephew. I think he’s had enough rest for one evening, don’t you think?”
The demonic twin nodded. “My task is done here. I’ve enjoyed my time with you and Cody, but I have others to keep me busy for quite some time.” It glanced at Dilbecky and winked. “Oh, and by the way,” the demon child knelt next to Aaron and whispered. “Cody is going to make an excellent serial killer someday. He’s been quite effective so far.”
Aaron gazed at the apparition and wheezed, blood seeping through his fingers as he pressed his hand over the wound in his chest.
“I’ll leave you with the rats, now… Daddy.” The demon kissed Aaron on the forehead. “They’ll enjoy your company.”
“Sweet dreams, asshole,” Deputy Dilbecky said in a singsong voice.
Aaron showed her his middle finger. She laughed and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her. The door locked with a metallic cling. A gust of wind that came from nowhere blew out the candles, leaving Aaron in pitch black darkness. A pair of glowing amber eyes hovered above him for a few seconds and disappeared with a deep and distant guffaw.
Aaron lay on the cold floor with the sounds of rodents squeaking and the scent of rotting flesh entering his nostrils. He listened to his own heartbeat while awaiting his death… alone and scared. Little feet scampered across the floor. The rats squeaked and chewed on the decaying bodies in the room. It was only a matter of time before his body would rot alongside theirs.
Thoughts of Aaron’s family filled his mind. He imagined kneeling with Cody next to his bed and reciting the only prayer he knew. He whispered the Lord’s Prayer over and over until he could no longer remember the words. His voice slurred as his heartbeat slowed and his breathing shallowed.
Something crawled onto his stomach and then more small clawed feet scurried up his leg and onto his side. Tiny whiskers tickled the skin on his face. A large rat rested its body on his shoulder and licked the blood from his shirt. More rats crawled on top of his body and nibbled at the wounds in his back and chest. The rats bit into his flesh, but Aaron felt no pain.
“It’s time,” a gentle voice whispered into his ear. “You can come home now. No more nightmares. No more monsters. No more pain. No more suffering.”
“Dad?” Aaron said in a childlike voice. “Is that you?”
“I’m here, son.” Aaron
’s father knelt beside him in a faint glow and grasped his hand. “Still have those Cowboys tickets I gave you during our hunting trip?”
“Yeah,” Aaron said in a gasp. “Daddy?”
“Yeah, son?”
“Is it really you?”
“It’s me.” His father smiled and ran his hand through his ten-year-old son’s hair. “Now let’s go home. We’ve got a ballgame to get ready for.”
Aaron smiled at the vision of a boy and his father walking away hand-in-hand into the darkness. He listened to the kid’s laughter, warming his heart as it stopped beating and his lungs took in one final breath.
EPILOGUE
Brianna Dilbecky pulled herself up from the basement underneath the ruins of Jerome Hadley’s office at Saint Hedwig Youth Home. She squinted and slipped on a pair of sunglasses as she breathed in the cool autumn morning air. Birds chirped cheerful songs. A woodpecker added the rapid tap-tap-tap drumming of its beak in the forest nearby.
Dilbecky stared at the two Lost Maples County Sheriff’s Department cruisers parked just outside the metal security gates. What was she going to say to Cody?
“Damn it,” she said to herself. “What was I thinking?”
By waiting for the demon doppelganger to drive the dagger into Aaron, though satisfying, it had also complicated things. The demon had pointed out Aaron’s flaws, but she had also made a significant mistake of her own. Cody would know everything, because that’s how things worked in his world. She had the same ability to some degree, but his fucking curse may have actually backfired on her. How could she have been so stupid?
She should have killed Aaron herself. She should have done it when he’d left Cody to die the first time. It would have been simple. It would have caught him by surprise. And Cody wouldn’t have seen it happen through the eyes of his demonic twin. Aaron would have believed that apparition strapped to the table was his son, and Cody would have believed Aaron had left him to die… even if it wasn’t really him. It would have been perfect, and she would have been recognized as the cop that saved Cody from a dangerous and deranged man.
Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2) Page 44
