“I am,” Sade said. “I just… it’s hard to separate sometimes.”
“Who told you that?” Kane said lightly. “Not hard at all. It all starts right here.” Kane tapped his own head now. “With you saying this is the deal. This is how it works. This is the way. The truth. You do that steady Son, and your body will catch on.” He spread his arms wide now. “But that doesn’t help me right now, does it? Because I need answers from that sick fuck!” he pointed behind him.
“I know,” Sade agreed, feeling like a fucking wimp and a failure. “How about you tell me what to do, I’m not into orchestrating this shit, just tell me where to cut and I’ll fucking do it.”
Another span of silence came before Kane said, “Don’t you see it?”
Sade made himself look at Kane, feeling like nothing about him would ever be right. “See what? That I can’t even be fucked up right? Can’t even do that right? Yeah, I see it,” Sade muttered, looking down.
“Holy fuck, man,” Kane whispered. “No. No, not how you suck at being fucked up. At how fucked up you’re actually not.”
Sade looked at him, confused.
“I mean, here I am needing to torture answers out of this sick fuck and I’ve got a sudden humanitarian crisis, and all you can see is how you don’t quite make the cut for the job. Don’t you see what it takes to not lust for this man’s torture? Don’t you? It takes having a heart that isn’t black as death. And you, son, don’t have that.” He gripped his shoulder and smiled. “That’s a good thing!” he whispered. “You feeling what I’m saying to you, son? You’re more of a good man than you give yourself credit for, remember that. Preferably when Mercy wants to do her little therapy sessions with you,” he said.
Sade let out a gasp of confused shock. He really hadn’t seen that coming, not that.
“Can you imagine that?” Kane mused softly. “Sade the sadist doesn’t like to torture people.”
“Not like that,” Sade admitted. “I can give pain, but I don’t… I have to be…”
“Angry?”
Sade thought about it. “Yeah.”
“So if this sick fuck had done that shit to Mercy, that shit you saw in those photos, do you think you could… you know?” he said lightly.
The pictures flashed in his mind and his brain put Mercy in them, making him scrub his face. “I’d kill him, yes. I would beat him to death with my bare hands, I don’t know, yes, fuck, I’m not sure now.”
“See that’s the key right there. It’s putting those you love in those pictures, those close to you. That’s the key,” he hissed. “Those kids are all little Mercys before I had a chance to save her.”
“I know, I know,” Sade muttered, not just feeling like a pussy, but a stupid one. “Like I said just… tell me what to do, I’ll do it. Not a problem.”
“Compartmentalize, Son.” He tapped his temple again. “Organize your passions and your lusts. Give them the right purpose and with that comes the courage to do the right thing at the right time. No matter what it looks like, feels like, seems like. But…” Kane patted his back roughly. “That does take more time than we have to give right now.”
Sade spun at the sound of a moan behind him.
“Looks like I won’t be getting my damn coffee,” Kane muttered with a low eagerness, turning and standing. “Good morning, Father Abraham,” he boomed loudly, his voice bouncing off the metal walls.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The bound man’s head hung and Sade was a little surprised at how much smaller he looked tied up. He slowly lifted his head and Sade held his breath at how the man would react. He blinked several times, seeming to focus his eyes on Kane who stood before him with both arms crossed over his chest, waiting.
“Mmph,” was all Abraham said, until he saw Sade. That ice blue gaze slowly softened, maybe in memory of the purpose for his trip. Either way, seeing those nasty eyes on him niggled at Sade’s sadistic side, the one he was familiar with. Abraham’s softened gaze narrowed, then with more grunting sounds.
“I hope the trip here was pleasant,” Kane said. “Because we have some exciting business, the three of us.” Kane leaned and ripped the gray tape off his mouth with a hiss. “Sorry, better to yank it like a Band-Aid.”
“W-what…what business?” Abraham fumbled the words before looking at Sade. His stare turned immediately lusty, turning his stomach.
“Well… you know, I was going to go with a fun and artistic three day ceremony, but… it doesn’t really suit my son’s tastes. And since this is his first ride with me, I’ll expedite the end game. You good with that Father?” Kane nodded, not waiting for his answer, “Good,” he said happily, straightening then glancing back at Sade. “You think I should go ahead and tell him? I don’t see why we need to wait at this point.”
Sade wasn’t sure what he meant, but felt he was supposed to say, “I don’t see why either.”
Kane leaned forward, just to the left of the man, his mouth near his ear. Sade realized he was talking to him, whispering.
Sade strained to hear what he was saying but only got mumbling. He watched Abraham’s countenance slowly change until he was gasping in shock. Kane continued talking quietly, placing a gentle hand on Abe’s shoulder nearest him, patting softly as the man’s face slowly hardened into a mask of fury.
Kane finally stood before him and opened his arms wide and said, “Do you think maybe they don’t know who they fucked with, Abraham? You think, maybe this is a classic case of kindness being taken for stupidity? I mean, even I know who you are, the question is, how is it that they don’t?”
“They. Have. No. Clue what I am capable of!” Abraham roared, his face shaking with rage.
Kane paced before him as he nodded, then angled his head at him. “I’m very sure they don’t. Which is why I spoke to God about it. Pulled some strings.” Kane stopped before the furious man. “And I think what I obtained for you will be worth so much more than the measly years you’ll spend on this filthy planet.”
Abraham’s face slowly morphed from fury to burning rapture. “What do you mean?”
“In a nutshell,” Kane said, walking to his supplies and picking up the ruby cross blade, “God gave me a gift.” He straightened and turned, aiming the blade at Abe. “Don’t think he hasn’t noticed your faithfulness… brother,” Kane said. “To the darkness-to the light,” Kane gestured with either-or. “Faithfulness is faithfulness. Hot is hot, cold is cold.”
“I’m more faithful than any before me,” Abraham hissed, his cheeks trembling.
“Indeed,” Kane said lightly, fingering the blade of the knife now. “And that’s why when you leave this world… you will enter the underworld as Vicar of the flesh demons.”
Abraham gasped as a hungry light burned in his eyes. “Vicar?” His shock said the position was one he’d only dreamed of ever getting.
“All that is required of you…” Kane held his arms out at his sides. “Is to give that which your brother, and the good Father Assford, have sworn you would never give. Have sworn you would never have the guts to give. The very thing both used to steal your rightful place in Hell.” Kane knelt on one knee before him now, putting his gaze even with the monsters. “Give…. Me…. Eden.”
Sade realized he was holding his breath as he watched Abraham. As though sensing Sade’s eyes on him, he looked his way. “What do you think of this, Johnny? Do you think this is a good deal?”
Sade nodded slowly, not knowing what the fuck any of that was or meant. “I think… you’ve worked hard for the position. If anybody deserves it, it’s you.”
“I have! I do!” he cried, as though wanting to convince him. “Johnny, I’ve worked looooong and so very hard.” He said it with an erotic lilt.
“Then take it,” Sade whispered, his gut twisted with disgust. “Take what’s rightfully yours.”
Abraham looked at Kane now, angling his head. “How do I know you’re not just another liar?!”
Kane gave a low laugh. “Who am I, Abraham
?”
He seemed to slowly consider, or remember. “I know who you are,” he snarled. “I won’t say it.”
Kane nodded slowly. “Knowing is enough.”
He looked at Sade again. “Is he lying Johnny? You would tell me. I know you would,” he said sincerely.
Sade’s heart pounded as he mustered as much convincing authority as he could. “He’s a man of his word.”
The excited light in Abe’s eyes said he believed him. He looked at Kane now, a slow grin filling his face before whispering, “Eden is under the Vatican.” He gave a gleeful laugh, looking from Kane to Sade, then back to Kane. “Who would ever guess?! Who would ever guess,” he said lustily, looking at Sade. “That was my idea. All of it was my idea, I’m the one who thought it up. I’m the one who made it happen! Me!” he yelled to Kane now.
Kane put his left hand behind Abe’s neck. “Brother,” he whispered, making Sade strain to hear. “The voices of the tortured innocent sing to me. Vengeance, they cry. Vengeance.” He plunged the blade into the man’s heart and Abraham’s eyes flew open with choked gasps. “But the Lord said… vengeance is mine... deliver him to me.” Kane stared serenely into his face before he twisted the knife in his chest then slowly pulled it out. “Go,” he whispered softly, wiping the blade on the man’s suit. “Eternal wrath awaits you.”
****
The boat ride back to the house was full of screaming internal reflection. At least it was for Sade. He wasn’t sure where Kane’s mind was but judging by the light whistling, his head was someplace Sade’s longed to be. At fucking peace.
To do what they just did, and were about to finish doing, took more restraint than Sade could fathom. Somewhere between here and yonder, they’d dump the body strapped with every manner of weight they could find, into the deep blue, and then head home for a nice dinner with the family. That wasn’t unusually fucked up in the least. Compartmentalize Sade reminded himself. The whys. Fix the whys and he was good to go. They’d just taken out the source of countless children’s nightmares. That was a good thing. Not a bad thing. Killing to protect was not sadistic if that was the last option. It was humane. It was just. It was good. And with an insane individual like Abe, the qualifications applied.
“You know,” Kane yelled to Sade who sat in the passenger seat next to him. “I wasn’t really planning to do all that shit to him.”
Sade looked at him with a mix of surprise and skepticism at his words. Mostly skepticism.
Kane laughed, scanning the ocean before them. “I’m not kidding,” he said. “I knew you weren’t the torture type son, I just needed you to realize that about yourself and see it for what that was. A positive, not a negative.”
Sade continued to stare at him, the burn of being schooled in such a way slowly taking him. “You’re shitting me,” he said.
Kane busted out laughing and shook his head. “Not at all.”
“So plan B was…”
“Always plan A,” he finished with a sly glance his way, hand gliding over the steering wheel with a contented grin.
“You’re shitting me!” Sade said again, dumbfounded.
Kane laughed even more. “I’m not! Do I look like a man that likes to torture?” he said, looking offended. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,” Kane said loudly.
Sade turned his chair at those words and faced him, incredulous. “You cut their dicks off and shove them up their asses.”
Kane stared out at the ocean, nodding a little before giving him an apologetic look. “I’m a work in progress Son, nobody’s perfect. And compared to what I used to do, it’s really just…” he turned to Sade, “cute.”
“Cute?” Sade gasped, unable to hold back his laughter. “No, cute is you tying me up for hours while my bladder is full.”
Kane laughed with him on that. “You’re so right, that was so cute! And it reminds me,” he said, angling a stare at Sade.
Sade nodded, looking out at the water grinning. “Right, what did I do and why. I held it of course.”
“Duh,” Kane said. “Aaaaand why?”
“Because I wasn’t going to piss on myself. That’s…” he shrugged.
“Shows a lack of self-control?”
“Was thinking more it showed I was a pussy.”
“Of course,” Kane muttered. “So give me the why, impress me.”
Sade looked out at the water again. “Honestly I didn’t have a why yet.”
“You didn’t have a why?”
“Right,” he muttered, grinning at the fun Kane poked at him. “But now…” he stroked his finger along the vinyl armrest with a shrug. “I think I realize that… when I thought I couldn’t control something—and yes there was a point when my bladder said I couldn’t,” he laughed. “I realized I could in fact control it.” He looked at Kane then. “I didn’t know why I decided to do it at the time, I was hoping an impressive answer would come to me.”
“And I see it has,” Kane said with raised brows. “I’m officially impressed.”
Sade couldn’t keep his grin back at the compliment. It felt so damn good coming from him.
“Alright,” Kane said, standing and shutting off the engine. “This is as good a place as any.”
Sade’s stomach jerked at that final business they had left to do. He followed Kane to the holding room and helped drag the body out. Once at the side of the boat, Kane and Sade panted, staring down at Abraham wrapped entirely in duct tape, weights taped to him as well.
Before Sade could wonder how they were going to do it, Kane scooped the body up into his arms and chunked it over. “There,” he huffed, leaning over the edge to see. Sade looked too and watched as Abraham sank into the blue sapphire. The odd sight was surreal as the source of their own nightmare descended into the darkness beyond the deep. A cold shiver rode his spine at the ominous sight of it and that it was over. And the insanity known as Abraham, was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Surprise in basement,” Kane muttered, reading the note on the door. “I told her not to do anything for my birthday.”
“It’s your birthday?” Sade asked, peering in the window, hoping to see Mercy. His heart raced hard, feeling like he’d been away from her for days instead of twelve hours.
“No,” he said, angling a lying glare. “It’s not my birthday.”
Opening the door and looking around, Sade headed to the stairs only to stop when Kane clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. “Oh no you don’t,” he muttered. “You’re coming with me. I’m sure your lovely Mercy is in on this.”
“I’m sure too and was thinking I should shower,” Sade said, following him.
“Well, that can be our get out of the party card.”
Heading down the stairs, Kane paused at the bottom and put a finger to his lips. “I think they’re trying to surprise us,” he whispered. He opened the door and called extra loudly, “Well, I wonder where everybody is.”
Sade grinned as he followed him in, only to run into his backside a second later.
“Welcome home!”
The familiar male voice jerked Sade’s heart. His father.
****
There it was, the nightmare, standing behind his mom with a gun to her head. Two masked men rushed Sade and Kane from either side with guns as Sade stared into his mother’s wide eyes, filled with I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Sickness hit his stomach at seeing her face bloodied and bruised, hands and legs duct taped to the chair.
“Come in and shut the fucking door or I blow her fucking brains out. And Johnny!” he yelled as Sade and Kane were shoved into empty chairs. That’s when he saw Mercy, across from his mother, head hanging. The blood on the front of her white summer dress, the matted knots in her hair, stole his sanity. “Get your sorry ass in here before I have my way with your girlfriend’s brains. Damn,” he said, laughing, “I thought you sorry bastards would never get here! Come in, come join the party, as you can see, we’ve been enjoying ourselves here!”
Sade’s heart ha
mmered as he barely held on to his reflexes that screamed rampage. The gun at his mother’s head wasn’t the problem, it was the man behind it. He’d use it on her, Mercy, and all of them, without blinking an eye about it.
Mercy slowly lifted her head, showing what they’d done, what they’d fucking done. Sade roared at seeing both her eyes black, her lower lip split wide open, nose bleeding. Her cheek, eyes and half of her forehead swollen.
Sade’s dad laughed. “Ohhhh, Johnny’s mad at daddy!” he mocked. “What did you think would happen Johnny when you betrayed your flesh and blood?” he yelled, storming over and slapping him across the face with his fist. Sade jerked back to him, glaring with a burning hate.
“Ohhhh,” his father said, eyes wide at seeing it. “You want to fuck with me Johnny boy? You want me to remind you what daddy can do? Huh?” He went in reverse to his mother and grabbed her hair, jerking it back. He yanked the gray tape off of her mouth and aimed her face at Sade. “Tell your boy what he needs to do momma, tell your pussy face boy what he needs to do!”
She screamed and rammed her head into his face.
“Fucking whore!” he cocked back and punched her in the forehead, rocking her entire chair back.
“Stop it!” Sade begged.
“Fucking dick is mine!” Kane roared, lunging at him with his chair and hitting the floor. “Your dick is mine, you hear me! I’m going to kill you so fucking slowly!”
“Work that motherfucker over will you?” his dad muttered. “Teach him some fucking manners. Jesus you people are so unhospitable around here.” He kicked Kane in the face. “Teach him what happens when he steals another man’s wife!”
His mom and Mercy screamed as he kicked Kane’s face repeatedly.
“I never loved you, I never loved you,” his mom screamed! “I loved him, he was the best fucking thing that ever happened to me you piece of shit!”
Mercy jerked and lunged with her chair at the men beating her dad, hitting the floor while his father stormed to his mom.