The Killer Among Us

Chapter 41

Three days left

Jacob

A sense of pride warmed my heart as I looked to my right and saw the brown paper file on the passenger seat of my car. I did it. I found a way to get to him. But then why did I feel so useless?

"The person you are looking for is dangerous, so if I were you, I would back off. Unless you have a death wish, boy."

The words of the sketchy person that sold me the file that contained The Solemn Serpent's phone number still rang through my mind. There was no denying how dangerous he truly was. His killing streak was entirely successful, proving how deviant and skilled he was in his craft.

After receiving the file, determination beat in my chest like a second hard. But after a while, the energy swindled. I had this tool, but I didn't exactly know how to use it to my advantage.

Instead, I found myself wishing for my dad to be at my side. He knew exactly how to handle death, how to fight danger. As a soldier, he was trained for this. I, however, had no idea what I was doing. Heck, I couldn't even distinguish reality from my hallucinations.

Knowing that determination wasn't enough, I decided to acquire some courage, liquid courage. So, I pulled into the parking lot of the first bar I came across.

The light atmosphere in the sleepy bar did nothing to soothe my anxiety.

Still, I sat down at the counter, ordering two fingers of whiskey and gulped them down quickly before ordering a second one. The burn of the cheap liquor crawled down my throat and I loved the way it stung, somehow reminding me that I wasn't only a mind full of anxiety but also a body, capable to feel pain.

With my shoulders slumped and my head hung low, I embraced the anonymity that everyone in there appreciated alike. The bartender, an older man with a long beard, leaned back and watched the TV that hung high behind me, minding his own business, but I paid no attention to it. It took all my energy to contain my own reality, let alone focus on the others around me.

Throwing back drink after drink, I started to feel the effects of the alcohol and yet nothing filled the gaping hole of restlessness in me. My knees started shaking and my hands were trembling in anticipation. It felt as if I could feel the bad moon rising in the night sky.

Through my destructive thoughts, I felt eyes on me. When I looked around, I noticed that everyone's eyes were staring at the TV behind me.

So, curious to see what captivated even these drunkards, I turned.

Immediately, a wave of shock rushed through me when I saw Tate Hartley's face staring back at me. "Turn that up," I snapped at the bartender, who did as I asked without question.

The volume increased and I began to hear the news report more clearly. A young reporter said in a monotone voice, "Last night police officers arrived at a horrific crime scene," a picture of the Hartley residence appeared, "Officials report that Solemn Serpent victim Esther Hartley's brother, Tate Hartley, committed suicide in his childhood home around midnight. His distraught mother found the body after hearing a gunshot. They have yet to determine what brought Tate Hartley to that point but more on that later."

She said her insincere goodbyes and the newscast moved on to happier topics. Just like that, the world moved on, the bar customers turned their head and resumed their drinking, unaffected by the tragedy of the Hartley family. Deep down, I couldn't recognize myself anymore. I cared nothing for the death of Tate Hartley, I even thought he deserved it.

"So, it wasn't the Serpent after all," I thought to myself. Even if it was hard for me to feel sorry for Tate, my heart ached for the loss of Mrs. Hartley, who endured the death of both her children in just a matter of months. Parents should never have to bury their children, I thought.