The Neighbor III: The Dark Web

Chapter 26

Ben ran his hands through his hair as the warm water from the shower came down on him. He rubbed from his face, down his chest, to his stomach, then back up. He titled his head back to rinse his hair, then turned the water off.

He took his towel and dried his face as he stepped out. He patted down his entire body, then went into the bedroom. He dug through his drawers until he found a t-shirt and jeans. He threw them on, then went down the stairs.

The hurricane was calming to the point some things were working, but it was still going strong. "Well, looks like this storm could end within the hour," he said. He turned to Cassie, who was bloodied and tied up to a chair. "Need to figure out what to do with you before the kids come home. I've got an idea, just don't know when it'll be safe enough to do it."

He touched the side of her face and she tried to bite him. He laughed. "Oh, my feisty girl. Don't worry, baby, you'll come back around like you always do. As a matter of fact..." He knelt down so they could be face to face. "...I'll give you an ultimatum. Either I kill you and make it look like you stupidly went outside and got crushed by a tree..."

She closed her eyes and looked away from him. "...or we can get you pregnant and give birth to my child. Your choice." She shook her head as she glared at him. "Think about it," he told her with a smirk. He stood up, then dug through the drawers until he found a meat mallet.

"Now," he said as he threw it up in the air, then caught it as it came down, "I have to deal with a teenager who planned to slip his little research project to our daughter. Be right back!" He practically skipped out of the kitchen.

As he went up the stairs, he suddenly stop and let out a sigh. "Benedict, you idiot. You should have taken a shower after doing this." He continued up the stairs, shaking his head at himself. As soon as he got to the door, he kicked the back leg of the chair and opened the door.

Zach jumped back away from the window it looked like he was trying to open. "Sorry, kid," Ben told him, "sealed tight." Zach ran to one side of the room as Ben chased him. He swung the mallet, but only hit walls, glass and other decorations.

Zach eventually maneuvered around him and escaped the room. Ben only chuckled.

He ran down the stairs, but didn't see him. He saw Cassie passed out in the chair, but nobody else. "Zach," he called in a sing-song tone, "come on, I'm only kidding. It's just a game!" He growled when he didn't hear anything.

He stalked through the living room and listened carefully. It was when he heard a quiet ding that he knew exactly where Zach was. He turned and smacked the mallet down onto the bar, making Zach jump out from behind it, but then smash down a full glass bottle of alcohol onto Ben's hand.

Ben screamed and dropped the mallet. Zach swiped it up and ran into the kitchen. Ben held his aching hand close to his chest and stormed in that direction. He walked into Zach pointing a gun at Cassie's head.

Ben's hardcore demeanor completely dropped. "No," he breathed out. Zach scoffed, "No? No?! You've practically almost killed her! I heard you threatening her!" Ben chuckled as he said, "Oh, you are like your father. Not your real father, but Tom. We have a bit of a complicated relationship here, son, something you wouldn't understand. And where in the hell did you get that gun?"

Zach pointed it at him as he said, "It was my dad's." Ben hummed, then told him, "I thought it looked familiar. Since we're sticking to the subject of your father, do you want to know what he told me? The final thing he said before dying?"

He could see Zach lose concentration. "He told me to kill your mother." He watched as the gun faltered in his hand. "Yes," he continued, "he told me to murder her. He wanted me to because he knew you would find out sooner or later about everything and we thought your mum would be the one to tell you."