Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Death of a Monster
"...Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." – Frank Herbert
Death of a monster does not necessarily mean that the monster will not continue to haunt you on even the brightest of days. Ghosts have a way of doing that, sneaking up on you when you least expect it, and terrorizing you with memories of what was and what could've been, and what could yet happen. Living monsters, however, can only be in one place at a time. Though, they too can haunt you and make you suffer in the not knowing. They could, after all, be lurking in the shade of a tall oak tree or hiding behind a curtain in your living room. There is no way to keep tabs on them and one day, they might just grab you from behind.
"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" A mocking voice startled Reid and caused Aiken to freeze in the young agent's arms. Breath no longer issued forth from the boy's still lips and Reid forced himself to open his eyes and look toward the source of the voice that had sent chills down his spine and caused the traumatized boy to revert to a near catatonic state.
At first, Reid saw Hankel's form swim before his eyes, a menacing glare on his face as he took on the personality of his abusive father, Tobias. He gulped in hysteric breaths as black dots claimed his vision and threatened to overtake him. The only thing that kept him from blacking out was the stiff form of the boy clinging to him with clammy hands. He had still not taken a breath and his lips were turning blue.
Taking a steadying breath, Reid forced himself to look at the man who stood before him once more. This time, he could see that this was not the same monster who had tortured him and still frequently visited him in his nightmares. That man was dead, but the one who stood before him had the same grotesque sneer on his face. Looking more intently, Reid took in the man's appearance, noting the nearly shoulder-length dark brown hair and a nasty looking scar that disfigured the left side of his face. Instinctively, he knew that this was Aiken's monster and that he would do what he could to protect the boy from him.
Unwrapping his arms from around the boy, Reid pried his fingers loose and pushed Aiken behind him. He sighed in relief when he felt the boy take in an unsteady breath as though he had been holding his head underwater for a long time and had finally come up for fresh air in a panic. Aiken hid behind Reid and clung to the young man's waist, burying his face in Reid's shoulder.
"I asked you a question," the man snarled. Reid tore his eyes off Aiken to look once more at their unwanted intruder. Unsure of how to answer the man, Reid simply stared up at the man.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" The man closed the distance between himself and Reid and shoved a gun in the young agent's chest.
"Uh….uh…D..Dr. R..Reid," Reid felt Aiken trembling as the pungent stench of urine wafted up to his nostrils.
Laughing, the man stood and shut the door to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, training his gun on Reid and Aiken, "I can't believe my luck finding the Randall brat here. I was supposed to make it look like the other murders that had taken place, but this one," here he stood and grabbed Aiken by the hair attempting to lift him. Aiken clung tighter to Reid, causing the young agent to bite his lip and grimace in pain, but he forced an arm back behind himself and around the young boy to anchor his grip. Pulling out a clump of hair as he lost his hold on the boy, the man snarled and slapped Reid across the face causing stars to whirl before the young man's eyes. His hold on the boy did not loosen, however. He managed to throw a snarl of his own in his assailant's direction though he had to blink several times to clear his vision.
"This one had to hide on me," a smile darkened the man's face. Reid forced himself to swallow the bile that had threatened its way out of him as the man's gaze swept over Aiken and him. Putting the gun on the bed so that, should he need it, it would be just within reach, he knelt so that he was eye-to-eye with Reid who refused to hold his gaze.
"And I never leave a job undone," the man grasped Reid's chin roughly in his fingers, forcing Reid to look into his eyes. Pure madness danced in his eyes as he shifted his gaze from Reid to the huddled form of Aiken.
"Wh..wha…what job?" Reid cursed himself for stuttering. He wanted, no needed, to appear confident and strong, not only for himself, but for Aiken as well.
The man's eyes riveted onto Reid's once more, "The one that Steve Randall hired me to do."
"Steve Randall hired you?" Reid asked incredulously. Why had the man hired someone to kill his family? That certainly explained the subtle differences between the other murders and what had happened at the Randall house. Reid was willing to bet that this man had killed before and that he enjoyed it. If he didn't stop him now, he would kill again. No way was he going to get his hands on Aiken.
"Cute, you're getting all indignant on me. I like that," he twisted Reid's chin in his hand and Reid wrenched away, "I plan to have me a bit of fun this time around," he patted Reid on the cheek.
"We're not alone," Reid looked into the man's hard eyes, noting a menacing gleam in them. Gulping, he shakily gestured toward the front of the house, "my friends are out there looking for Aiken and they will be back any moment," at least he silently hoped they would. How long had it been since they had left?
"I know; I watched them. They won't be back in time, you're going to be coming with me," he stood, grabbed his gun from the bed and gestured for Reid to stand. Reid held the man's gaze and shook his head, holding his ground, tightening his grip on Aiken.
"I admire your courage Dr. Reid," the man smiled as he slammed the butt of the pistol against Reid's head, drawing blood and causing the young agent to slump forward. Aiken's hold on Reid grew even tighter when he felt the grasp of his protector slacken.
"Let go brat!" The man attempted to pry the boy loose. Aiken fought harder against his assailant and managed to land a bite that etched teeth marks in the man's hand and drew blood. Losing all patience, the man kicked at the boy and smiled in satisfaction when Aiken let out a small whimper as his foot connected with the boy's thigh. Reaching down, he wrenched the boy from Reid and tossed him onto the bed. Turning his attention to Reid, the man hoisted the agent up and laid him on the bed next to the boy.
"Don't you move!" He snarled at the boy who inched closer to Reid, nestling next to the unconscious agent. Aiken nodded his head, tucking a thumb into his mouth, watching with wide eyes as the monster glared at him, the red scar on his face throbbing hideously.