CHAPTER 3 THE TRUTH SHALL… TERRIFY YOU
Why isn’t he calling back? Angel fidgeted restlessly, his eyes glued to his phone, even though he knew it would notify him of any calls or messages. He lingered at the end of the hall near the back door, torn between frustration and hope as he stared at his phone, silently urging Dane to call.
“You all right, son?” Max entered the hallway and approached the young man.
“No.” Angel sniffed, his insides a chaotic mix of anxiety and anticipation, reminiscent of the uneasy churn he felt when he caught the stomach flu. “Why isn’t Dane calling back?”
Max reached out and touched Angel's shoulder gently. “I don’t know,” he murmured, the words heavy with the same deep worry that mirrored the concern reflected on Angel's face.
The lines of anxiety were etched clearly into Max's features, a testament to how much he regarded Maddy—and by extension, Angel—as his own sons.
“I'm gonna call him,” Angel whispered, yet his fingers hesitated over the phone, a storm of doubt swirling in his mind. What if he doesn’t pick up? What if he’s disappeared, too?
Sensing the turmoil within Angel, Max gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“He’ll answer, son,” he said with quiet conviction.
His eyes drifted down the dimly lit hallway.
“I’m going to check on Franny. Let me know what he says.
” Max's voice carried a note of calm, like a steady anchor amid their shared uncertainty.
Angel nodded, sniffled once more, and then exited through the back door onto the porch, shutting it softly behind him. After a brief pause, he made the call.
On the third ring, Angel started to panic. “Answer your phone, baby…” he whispered brokenly. “Answer—”
“Hello? Babe?”
Angel leaned against the porch rail as his legs weakened with relief. “Why didn’t you call back? Did Cole come back to the hospital?”
“Yes,” Dane said. “He’s here. He’s safe.”
“And Gabe…?”
“He’s out of surgery. He’s okay.”
Relief washed over Angel briefly. “What did Cole tell you? You said he had something important to tell you and Devlin; what was it? Does he know where Maddy and the others are?” The hesitation on the other end of the call felt ominous, chilling Angel to the core. “Dane?”
“Angel…” Another pause. The strain in Dane’s voice scared Angel—scared him bad.
“Dane, tell me what the fuck is going on? Where is my brother?”
When Dane appeared unable to answer or speak at all, Angel knew something was terribly wrong.
His heartbeat stuttering in panic, Angel said thickly, “I’m coming to the hospital.”
“Angel, no—”
Angel ended the call and gripped the railing, shakes coursing through him as tears burned his eyes. He knows something about Maddy. The fact that Dane couldn’t bring himself to say it threw Angel into full-blown panic.
He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes before going back inside. He grabbed his jacket from Maddy’s bedroom and slipped into it as he headed to the kitchen. “I’m going down to the hospital,” he told Max and Horatio, his voice carrying a noticeable rasp.
“What?” Max exchanged a concerned look with Horatio. “You’re supposed to stay here. What did Dane say? Is Cole back? And Gabe…?”
Angel nodded. “Cole is there. He’s okay. And Gabe is out of surgery. He’s fine.”
“Why are you going to the hospital?”
“Because…” Angel struggled to hold it together. “There’s something he isn’t telling me, and I need to know what it is.”
“Something about Maddy? The others?” Horatio asked, his concern heightening.
“I think so.” Angel swallowed, fighting tears.
“Angel…” Max touched his arm. “What did he say? Clearly, he said something to upset you.”
“No,” Angel rasped. “It’s what he didn’t say. What he couldn’t say.”
“What do you mean?” Horatio whispered.
Angel shook his head, his vision swimming. “I-I gotta go.”
“You shouldn’t go alone,” Max said. “Maybe I should come with you.”
“No,” Angel sniffed. “I’ll be okay. I’ll go straight to the hospital.”
Horatio looked doubtful and anxious. “Maybe it isn’t a good idea.”
“I have to know what’s going on,” Angel said. “Dane knows something. If he can’t tell me, then it’s bad. And I won’t be kept in the fucking dark about my brother.” Angel wiped fresh tears from his eyes and walked to the front door. Max followed him.
“Call me the second you get there, understand?”
Angel nodded as their eyes met and held for a moment, both fearing the worst.
“Drive carefully.” Max hugged him and kissed his head, holding him a moment longer than usual before letting go. Max cleared his throat. “Remember what I said; the second you get there.”
“I will.” Angel walked to his car while Max watched from the open front door. He didn’t go back inside until Angel drove away.
“Goddamnit…” Dane hissed tightly.
“What?” Devlin’s voice strained with fear—though it couldn’t stretch much tighter.
“Angel.” Dane squeezed his eyes shut and pressed the phone to his forehead, the stress coming to a head, about to explode. He took a deep breath, lowered the phone, and then called Max. “Is Angel there?” he asked quickly when the man answered.
“He just left,” Max said quietly. “I tried to get him to stay here, but he refused.”
“He’s stubborn like that,” Dane mumbled, wanting to hang up before Max started asking questions too. But it was too late.
“He was very upset,” Max said. “He said you knew something about Maddy that you weren’t telling him.
Maddy is my son, Dane. Tell me what you know.
” The desperation and despair in Max’s voice tore at Dane’s heart.
But how much worse would it be if he knew Maddy and the others had been abducted by a serial killer?
How the fuck was he supposed to tell him that?
The words hadn’t come when Angel asked—and they weren’t coming now.
“Just… Just let me deal with Angel when he gets here, and then…” Then what? “I’ll call you back,” he finished weakly.
“Why can’t you tell me now?” Max pressed. “Do you know where they are? They are all my kids; I have a right to know what is happening with them.”
Dane hung his head and rubbed his eyes. “Max…” God —how the fuck could he tell him the truth?
“Dane, you’re scaring the shit out of me,” Max whispered unsteadily. “ Where are my kids?”
Tears rolled down Dane’s face as he stared at the floor. Devlin stood close, his hand resting on Dane’s back. He appreciated the comfort more than he could express, but it didn’t make the words come any easier.
“They were… taken.”
Horatio's blood ran cold as he watched Max's face transform during Dane's call.
His husband's features contorted—first with confusion, then disbelief, and finally with raw horror that etched deep lines around his mouth.
Max's knuckles whitened around the phone, and a vein throbbed fiercely at his temple as he listened, his breathing becoming shallow and uneven.
When Max finally lowered the phone, he looked like a man who had been gutted.
The cell slipped from his trembling fingers, clattering onto the counter.
He collapsed onto a stool, his body folding inward as if protecting a mortal wound.
His eyes—God, his eyes—stared through Horatio, hollow and devastated, pupils blown wide with terror.
“Max...” Horatio's voice cracked as bile rose in his throat. “What is it?” The question hung between them like a blade about to fall.
Max's body jerked as he twisted on the stool, his elbows cracking against the counter.
His face vanished into his hands before his fingers clawed into his hair, ripping at the roots.
Each breath cut through him like broken glass, tears not falling but pouring down his face, splashing onto the granite in dark, expanding circles.
Horatio's heart pounded violently against his ribcage, the thundering in his ears drowning out everything except Max's suffering. His lungs clenched, desperate for air that wouldn't come. “Max...?” The name slipped out as a strained whisper.
Maddy. Abel. Savannah. Was someone… dead? The word detonated in his mind.
The floor seemed to tilt beneath him as Horatio lurched onto the stool beside Max, his fingers gripping his husband's arm like a drowning man. “Max... tell me.” His voice fractured completely, tears flooding his vision as the room dissolved into a watery blur.
Please, God, not that… don’t take our children from us... anything but that… please, God, anything but that.
Horatio gently but urgently lowered Max’s trembling hands and cupped his tear-streaked face, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Max’s eyes were clenched shut, tears streaming through his lashes like a relentless flood.
“Max…” Horatio pressed his forehead against Max’s, desperation in his voice.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Is someone hurt? Please, talk to me. ”
Max shook violently, clutching Horatio with a desperation that bordered on panic. “They were taken...” he whispered, his voice cracking and breaking with anguish.
“Taken?” Horatio’s stomach twisted into knots as he pulled Max even closer, feeling his own fear rise like a tidal wave.
“By… who?” Seeing Max so vulnerable, so shattered, terrified him.
Max was always the unyielding pillar, the unwavering fortress in every storm.
But now, that fortress was collapsing, each piece falling away with terrifying speed.
Max clung to him with a fierce grip, burying his face in Horatio’s neck, his breath ragged and uneven. “A… serial killer…” Max’s voice was barely audible, yet the words struck like a dagger, piercing Horatio’s heart and freezing his blood. “A serial killer… has our kids…”
Angel blinked rapidly, trying to wipe away the tears that blurred his vision as the city lights and traffic whirled in a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors. He swept his arm across his eyes and fought back sobs that clogged his throat.
Something bad happened—something fucking bad!
Was Maddy hurt… or worse?
Angel fought to resist the terror and panic that came with those thoughts, but his nerves were frayed, and he was dangling precariously at the end of his rope. Maddy had made it back from the island — he was supposed to be safe now, goddammit! When was enough fucking enough?
The car took the same familiar route to the hospital, almost on autopilot as Angel’s mind exploded with terrifying images of his little brother.
And Abel and Savannah…
Had something horrible happened to all of them?
Abel was practically his brother as well. And Savannah… the love of Maddy’s life… everyone adored Savannah; one of the sweetest, kindest girls Angel had ever met. Hadn’t they all suffered enough? Why did this shit keep happening to their family?
Bitterness and anger surged inside Angel, and he had to resist the urge to stomp on the gas pedal and put himself in danger while rushing to the hospital.
After a few close calls with other drivers—and some salty insults flung his way—Angel sped into the hospital parking lot near the emergency room entrance.
His heart pounded in his chest, making him breathe quickly and sharply. Angel hurriedly exited his car and sprinted toward the entrance doors. He ran past a man standing outside, barely noticing him. But the man saw Angel.
“Hey, kid.”
Angel was at the entrance before he realized the man was speaking to him. He paused, anxious to get inside and find Dane. “What?” He blinked and rubbed his eyes as the man’s face came into focus, and he recognized him as the deputy who had come to Max’s house.
“You were at Mr. Raines’ house, weren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Angel mumbled and sniffed, dragging his arm over his damp eyes.
“Is something wrong? You look upset.”
“I… I need to talk to my husband,” he whispered unevenly and moved toward the entrance.
“Dane?”
Angel faltered and looked at the deputy. “How did you know?”
“There are only four men up there,” the man said. “Cole and his husband, Gabe. And Dr. Grant, whose husband is missing. And Dane. Just… deduction.”
“Yeah,” Angel mumbled. “Okay. I-I gotta go.”
“Wait.” The deputy walked closer. “As upset as you seem to be, I assume you’ve been told about your brother, Maddy.”
Angel went still, his skin prickling. “You know where my brother is?”
The man nodded. “Well, not his exact location, but I know who took him.”
Took him? Angel swallowed, his pulse spiking. “Who…?”
The deputy frowned. “You don’t know? Then your husband didn’t tell you…”
“Tell me what?” Angel stepped toward him.
Suddenly uncertain, the man cleared his throat. “Maybe I should, uh, let your husband tell you.”
“Maddy is my brother,” Angel replied tightly. “If you know what happened to him, fucking tell me.”
“Right, of course,” the deputy murmured. “You have a right to know.”
Angel stared at him almost fiercely.
“A man known as the Mill Creek Mangler took your brother and your friends.”
“What?” Angel breathed, beginning to shake. “Who the fuck is… is the Mill Creek Mangler?” But the name said it all, didn’t it?
The deputy hesitated, then said, “He’s a… serial killer… and… Cole’s father.”
A serial killer?
Angel staggered back a couple of steps.
Cole’s father?
Angel slowly backed away, each step feeling heavy as if the air itself resisted his movement.
He entered the hospital, the sterile odor of antiseptic and faint echoes of distant voices surrounding him.
A creeping numbness started to spread, beginning from the tips of his fingers and toes, gradually moving up through his limbs.
It advanced like a cold, relentless tide, inching toward his core before surging up his spine—a relentless wave of frost—until it reached his brain, wrapping around his thoughts, freezing his mind, and shrouding it in a haze that left him feeling disconnected and disoriented.