Web of Deception: The Webbed Avenger

Chapter Thirty-one: The Identity Thief

Here he was, face to face with the very horror that New York City had been afraid of for the past month, and secretly for years.  Stiles watched how calm and collected Harris was as he held Erica's locket in his hand, with a minuscule smile on his face.

"You know, I'm actually impressed that you figured it out.  What finally cracked the seal in your head?" Harris asked, genuinely curious as to how Stiles was able to do it.  "I mean, you did what nobody else could, you found out who I was."

"It's not that it was hard, it's just so easy to see that you don't even realize it's there.  You were hidden in plain sight."

Harris smiled for the first time, and it wasn't like his murderous grins he had always given Stiles during class, no... this was one between two intellectuals.  "Indeed I was, to be quite honest I was afraid of Ms. Reyes telling you the truth.  She kept her end of the deal, it appears."

"What deal?"

"Oh, the deal I made to her after she got away from me the first time.  I told her if she told anyone about who I really was, and what I had done to her, I'd kill all of the people she cared about, starting with you.  As a matter of fact, that was why she broke up with you, Stiles.  She broke up with you to protect you."

Stiles' eyes grew wide in shock at the statement as Harris laughed.  "You're lying."

"Am I?  Think about it, for just a moment.  Isn't it surprising that right before my murders started being televised at the beginning of August, Erica mysteriously broke up with you.  How she would intentionally avoid you, especially when I was in the same room?  I thought the seizure she had that day in class would have been clue enough... but apparently I was wrong.  You were too focused on your secret affair with Lydia Martin, hmm?"

Harris laughed at the thought of Stiles getting with Lydia of all things.  "I'm sorry, I mustn't laugh.  It's just incredibly amusing to think that someone with as bright of a future as Ms. Martin would dare ruin that chance by being with the likes of you."

"Leave Lydia out of this..." Stiles warned, his fist cracking.  Harris glanced at the fist and just smiled.

"Oh don't you worry, Mr. Stilinski, I won't touch a hair on Lydia.  After all, you're too late.  I got what I wanted, and you can't stop me."

"Wanna bet?"

Harris went around the desk to the drawer, putting Erica's locket in his pocket.  As he touched the drawer, Stiles laughed.  "What are you reaching for, the knife in your drawer which you keep as protection?"

The killer just sighed, lifting his hand away from the drawer.  "So that's what you were doing by the window... you found my knife.  Clever."

"Not clever, just being cautious."

"If you're worried about the possibility of being killed by me, you don't have to worry Stiles.  In truth, I made a vow to personally never kill you.  You've made me want to kill you, just by the mere sound of your voice, but that's beside the point.  Your father saved my life, and so I owe him.  Therefore, I am saving your life in a sense."

"I don't need some vow to keep me safe.  Where's Erica?"

"Don't worry about her, she's in good hands."

"Good hands?  Really, so that scar on her arm, that's being in good hands?" Stiles hissed at him, to which Harris shrugged.

"Potato-potato." Harris said the two different pronunciations of the word with a smile.  "At least you can breathe in relief that she's alive."

"Speaking of being alive, where's Cora?"

"Safe, for now.  I need your wolf on a leash, Stiles, and I need you on one now."