Rampage - Patrick Hockstetter

Chapter 32

The two made their way to the door, knocking twice. "Look you don't even have to be with us the entire time. You can go off and play with Henry if you want."

Jay chuckled at her dad and his attempt to seem open towards Henry. "Dad, I'm 17. We don't play anymore."

The two waited in silence before the door squeaked open and they were greeted with Butch. "Hey Butch." Dexter smiled before clapping his shoulder and stepping inside.

"Nice to see you guys." Butch smiled back walking into the house with Dexter. Jay stepped inside after being left on the porch as she closed the door softly behind her.

The house still had that stale smell like the last time she was there. The wood creaked under her and her hands began to sweat as she realized numerous open windows. No AC. Fuckin great.

"You coming honey?" Jay's dad called after her. "Oh.. y-yeah." Jay stuttered as she hurried down the hallway.

As she caught up to the two she slowly watched as they entered the dining room as the four boys sitting at the table came into view, their eyes all trained on her.

"What's for lunch Pops." Henry asked as she flicked with his lighter.

"Nothin that you'll be eatin', this is a local department meeting and get your goddamn feet off my table." Butch threatened to Henry, Henry quickly obeying and hoisting his legs off the table.

"Y'all can take a seat, don't worry about the lil' snot nose bastards." Butch muttered as he wandered into the kitchen.

Jay and her dad made her way to the table, Jay quickly taking a seat next to her dad at the head of the table, avoiding the open seat next to Patrick.

"You can't sit there." Henry blurted, "That's Pop's seat, he'll get mad."

Jay froze, like a deer in the head lights as everyone was now looking towards her. "Yeah Jay, how about you sit across from me. I can hear you better you know my right ear isn't the best."

You played with fireworks once as a teenager now you say that you're partially deaf you idiot.

Jay nodded as she got up from the chair and hesitantly took a seat next to Hockstetter. As she sat down, Patrick gripped her seat and pulled it towards his.

"So." Butch muttered as he returned with sandwiches on a plate. His idea of lunch.

The boys quickly grabbed at the sandwiches, tearing at them instantly. "My boy says that your daughter is extremely involved at school. Is that right?" Butch asked. Jay on the other hand was too focused on the meat suck to the side of Butch's mouth to even comprehend the question.

"Oh yeah!" Dexter exclaimed, "She's in the Law Enforcement course at her school."

Jay blushed and nodded, "I like that course, it's one of my favorites."

"So you're already excelling in the criminal justice field?" Butch asked.

Jay nodded.

"I heard that there's only 6 kids in that class." Belch mumbled from other side of the table.

"Well-"

"The rest of them died from boredom!" Henry blurted, slamming his hand onto the table in fits of laughter.

"Enough boy!" Butch belted from the end of the table. "Now you're going to sit here and not say another word for this entire meetin you understand?"

Henry nodded as his eyes remained on the table.

"Regarding the Meredith case, what can we expect from future attacks?"

Jay glanced to her dad as he glanced to her. "Jay?"

Glancing up from the ant crawling across the floor, Jay cleated her throat quickly, "Oh um... I think that... what happened with the Meredith case is a sign."

Butch nodded as Jay fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "As in.. a sign from god?"

As Jay opened her mouth to speak, Patrick snaked his hand to her thigh, his cold hands coming in contact with her tanned skin.

"Yes!" Jay blurted.

The boys chuckled as Jay squirmed in her seat. "I mean... not entirely- um- I think that since these killings have started, things have been... weird." Jay rambled.

Patrick nodded, smirking as he glanced from Jay to her father as his hand remained on her thigh.

"I agree, I see the way things were at the beginning, people were outside enjoying themselves, going to church, going to school. That doesn't happen anymore." Her father replied, rubbing his hands along his beard and jawline.

Butch nodded as he glanced across the table to his son. "Henry." His voice boomed.

"Yes?" Henry answered. His demeanor seemed to tense up as his fingers clutched seems of his shirt.

"You notice this too, boy?"

Jay glanced back to Henry, everything seemed to quiet. If Butch was her dad, she would be just as terrified as Henry.

"Y-Yes, I-I notice that, um, the kids at school a-and at Church... they d-don't go outside anymore."

As Henry glanced back down the to the table, the seven eyes turned back to Butch as he processed what his son said.

"The real question is how do we get the people to not be afraid." Dexter asked.

Jay nodded, the feeling of Hockstetter's hand on her leg still embedded in her mind. Something different about his hand made her contemplate his mood. It wasn't lust or sexual tension. It was a comforting and sympathetic feeling. And that made her wish that his hand was there everyday.

"Make the threat go away." Patrick spoke.

Glancing up to his eyes, Patrick glanced to her and smirked. He had finally said something intelligent.

"How do we do that." Jay replied as their eyes remained locked. "If we don't know what the threat is, how do make it go away."

His eyes bounced between her eyes and then her lips as his hand tightened around her thigh.

"She's got a point, Hockstetter." Butch mumbled, his elbow leaning against the wooden table.

"What is this so called threat and how do we dispose of it." Dexter spoke adjusting his glasses.

"What about the kids." Henry asked.

All eyes turned to Henry as the room grew quiet again. "What do you mean, boy?" Butch asked, his eyes narrowing on his son.

"I mean," He paused, "What if it's the kids who find out what this thing is. If you think about it, it's the-"

"The kids who are dying." Jay finished, glancing to Henry from across the table.

"Exactly." He nodded, "The kids can be the ones who find the sick son of a bitch who's doing this since, obviously, this investigation ain't doin' jack shit."

Butch contemplated reprimanding his son for his language but declined as he thought about that plan.

"WE could find this guy." Belch spoke up gesturing to the four boys, "What do you think would be so bad about that?!"

Jay quickly shifted her eyes, "You could die."