Chapter 27 Reaper
The dungeon door creaks open, and I’m instantly hit by the cold damp air. The room is an exact replica of the hellish place I lived in for four long years. Stone walls surround me, and the sound of dripping water echoes through the room. Chains, dildos, nipple clamps, and other ghastly instruments of torture hang from the walls, a sick reminder of all the pain I endured.
As I step inside the familiar hellhole, shivers lick down my spine. When the door clicks shut behind me, I freeze. Panic sends my heart galloping. Sweat forms on my brows and collects at the base of my neck. Being trapped in this place is my worst nightmare come true.
“Reaper?” Ace’s voice, weak and scared, reaches my ears.
My heart clenches when I spot him. He’s trapped in a shiny metal cage on the floor, his wide eyes pleading for rescue. Blackstone, that sick bastard, is standing next to Ace’s prison with a twisted grin plastered across his face. Rage boils within me, but I keep it contained for now. I need to stay calm if I want to save Ace.
“Help me!” Ace cries out, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Blackstone’s dark laugh echoes through the room. He walks away from Ace, giving me room to get to my son. I run to the cage, dropping to my knees beside him. Ace’s small hand reaches through the bars, desperately grasping for mine.
“Did he touch you, Ace?” I ask, barely able to choke out the words. The thought makes my stomach turn.
“Th-the bad man made me crawl into the cage,” Ace sobs, shaking his head.
“Did he do anything else to you?” I demand, my voice low and dangerous.
“Not yet, Reaper,” Blackstone taunts, his eyes dancing with cruel intentions. “But I promise, you’ll get to watch me take his innocence away from him. Like father, like son. I wonder if he’ll be as tight and hard to penetrate are you were.”
“Disgusting piece of shit!” I clench my fists, struggling to control the fury swirling within me. Images of my own suffering flash before my eyes, and I refuse to let Ace go through the same nightmare. I will kill Blackstone, and I’ll make sure he never hurts Ace or anyone else again. This ends tonight.
“Listen to me, Ace,” I say, my voice shaking with anger. “I’m going to kill Blackstone and get you out of here. I promise.”
Blackstone smirks. “Oh, Reaper. Your little boy’s been crying for his mommy. Never his daddy, though. Why is that?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I growl.
“Do you think he knows you’re his father?” Blackstone cocks his head and taps his finger on his chin.
Ace’s gaze snaps to me and his eyes go wide. “Are you my dad?”
Before I can respond, Blackstone continues, “I’m betting he doesn’t know his whore mother spread her legs for you. I’m surprised you can get it up for a woman. Thought I’d turned you by the end.”
The words feel like a slap to the face. My stomach rolls as phantom pain from all I endured radiates through the most vulnerable parts of me.
Even now, standing here as a grown man, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being terrified by this man. Pure evil festers within him. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived through it. And now, I must destroy it.
“Shut the fuck up, Blackstone.” I didn’t want Ace to find out like this, not under these circumstances.
“Is it true?” Ace whispers. “Are you … are you my daddy? Did you come to save me?”
My heart breaks as I look into his tear-filled eyes. “Yes, Ace,” I admit. “I am your dad, and I’m going to save you from this monster.”
But before I can make another move, Blackstone interrupts again. “Did you bring the teddy bear?”
“Are you fucking serious?” I snap back, frustrated by his ridiculous question. “Why the hell would you want a stuffed animal?”
“Both you and your precious son are going to die because you couldn’t do one simple thing,” he sneers, growing irate. “Even when you were a kid, you never could follow directions. You wouldn’t have suffered so much if you just did what I told you to do.”
“Nobody should ever have to go through what you put me through!” I shout, my blood boiling. “You belong in hell!”
“You first. Be a good boy and save me a spot,” he taunts.
His laughter fuels my rage, and I swear on everything I hold dear that I’ll make him pay for every ounce of pain he’s ever caused. My only focus is on saving Ace and putting an end to Blackstone’s reign of terror.
Suddenly, Blackstone lunges at me with a snarl. Our fists collide as we engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Each punch and kick is fueled by years of hatred and pain. My heart races as I attempt to gain the upper hand, but he’s relentless.
“Get away from my son!” I roar, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
In a swift move, I reach for my gun, but Blackstone slaps it out of my grasp before I can even aim. Cursing under my breath, I manage to pull out my knife instead, ready to end this nightmare once and for all. But just as I’m about to strike, Blackstone kicks my wrist hard, causing me to drop the weapon. With a wicked grin, he lands a powerful punch that sends me crashing to the floor.
My head throbs as I struggle to regain my senses. From my position on the ground, I can hear Blackstone’s twisted voice taunting me.
“Tell me, Reaper, how are Scar, Nitro, Talon, and Matrix doing these days?” he asks, smirking. “It’s such a shame they all grew up so much. I really did enjoy their tight little bodies when they were kids.”
The vile words make bile rise in my throat. Memories of him violating those I consider family fill me with disgust. An uncontrollable urge to vomit overcomes me. As I push myself off the floor, I gag, but manage to swallow back my revulsion. I refuse to let him see how much his words affect me.
“Your reign of terror is over,” I promise through gritted teeth. “You’ll never hurt anyone again.”
With every fiber of my being, I tap into the years of pent-up frustration and rage trapped inside me. I launch myself at Blackstone, fists flying, connecting with his face again and again until he stumbles and falls to the floor. He’s barely conscious, but that’s not enough for me. I want him to watch me as I snuff out his miserable life.
“Look at me, you sick bastard!” I scream, my voice raw with fury. My hands find their way around his throat, fingers digging in deep. “I want you to see the man who’s going to send you straight to hell!”
Blackstone’s eyes widen as he gasps for breath, but he still manages a crooked smile. “See you there, Reaper,” he wheezes as I tighten my grip on his neck.
The urge to torture him the way he’d tortured me is strong, but I glance over at Ace, who’s watching with wide, frightened eyes. He doesn’t need to see this. His innocence is more important than my revenge. Rescuing him is all that matters now.
“Turn away, Ace!” I yell, my voice hoarse. “Don’t watch this, son.”
Reluctantly, Ace turns his head, closing his eyes tightly.
With one final burst of strength, I choke Blackstone and then snap his neck with a resounding crack. Light fades from his eyes, and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s over.
With Blackstone’s lifeless body at my feet, I move quickly to shield Ace from the gruesome sight. The air around us feels charged as I call forth the magic within me.
“Close your eyes, Ace,” I whisper. “I’m going to make sure he never hurts anyone again.”
I glance behind me to make sure Ace isn’t looking. He’s curled in a ball facing the wall. I’m glad he won’t be able to witness this. I’m not sure if it will even work, but I’ve got this strange feeling I can make it happen.
My hands tremble as I summon the dark energies needed to banish Blackstone’s spirit. A whirlwind of shadows and mist erupts from my fingertips, encircling his body. The atmosphere in the room grows heavy with darkness, and I can feel the presence of malevolent spirits gathering around us.
“Reaper!” Scar’s voice cuts through the darkness.
Nitro, Talon, and Matrix burst into the room behind Scar. They’re just in time to witness the demonic creatures emerging from the shadows, their monstrous forms surrounding Blackstone’s spirit.
“No! Let me go!” Blackstone’s spirit screams, struggling against the demons’ grasp. But it’s futile. They grab the essence of his soul, pulling it free from his corpse. Blackstone’s wraith-like spirit struggles to escape the evil dragging him toward a whirling red and black swirl.
I can’t tear my gaze away from the nightmare of torturous beings gathered at the precipice waiting to claim one of their own. For the first time ever, Blackstone’s eyes hold fear, and his terrified expression is the last thing I see before he disappears into the vortex that leads straight to Hell.
A sucking sound followed by an eardrum-popping rush of air closes the portal. I drop to the ground, spent from expending so much energy. But unlike the times I’ve brought people back to life, I’m less drained.
“Ace,” I whisper as I crawl across the floor toward his cage.
“Can I look now?”
“Yes.”
“Is the bad man gone?”
“Forever.”
When I reach the cage, Ace’s wide eyes stare back at me, his body trembling. My heart stops as I reach for the lock. With a simple flick of my wrist, it snaps open. The door swings free, and Ace hesitates for only a moment before throwing himself into my arms.
“Thank you for saving me, Daddy,” he whispers, burying his head against my shoulder.
Hearing him call me “Daddy” hits me like a punch to the gut, and tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. But I swallow them down, focusing on keeping Ace safe.
“You’re gonna be safe now, kiddo,” I promise, my voice cracking. “I’ll always protect you.”
“Good riddance,” Scar spits, his eyes fixed on the spot where Blackstone vanished. The others nod in agreement, relief and satisfaction etched on their faces.
“Damn right,” Nitro says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “He deserved every bit of that.”
Talon takes a deep breath, his eyes filled with unshed tears. “We’re free, brothers,” he whispers. “Finally free.”
Matrix nods, a solemn expression on his face.
“When the hell did you get here?” I ask, reaching to grasp Matrix’s clammy hand.
“Just in time.”
“I’m glad you made it to see that,” I say.
“Me too, brother. Me too.”
As I stand there, surrounded by my brothers, the weight of our shared past lifts from my shoulders. Blackstone is gone. We’ve finally put an end to the torment we suffered at his hands. And now, together, we can begin to heal.
As I carry Ace up the stairs, my brothers follow close behind. We find Tucker waiting for us in the kitchen, his face pale but resolute. He doesn’t know much about our pasts, but he knew Blackstone was a monster. I don’t know if Tucker came downstairs and saw what I did to Blackstone, but it doesn’t matter. If the prospect did see something, he wouldn’t say shit about it. I trust him to keep his mouth shut.
Scar, Nitro, Talon, and Matrix gather in one corner of the kitchen, whispering to each other. I grasp Ace’s hand and wait while they work something out.
“Blackstone’s ranch needs to be destroyed,” Scar says, finally turning to me.
“Let’s burn this place to the ground,” Nitro growls.
Talon and Matrix nod in agreement.
“What do we need?” Tucker asks, always ready to help.
“I’ve got this,” Matrix says.
He moves swiftly around the kitchen, turning on the gas stove and leaving it to fill the room. He expertly mixes chemicals from beneath the sink, creating an unstable concoction that will cause an explosion. Setting the microwave timer to five minutes, he glances around at all of us.
“Time to run,” he warns, urgency clear in his voice.
The night’s darkness is pierced by the ominous red glow of the microwave timer counting down. My heart races as I lift Ace into my arms.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” I say, clutching my son against my chest.
My brothers fall into step beside us, our footfalls echoing through the silent house. The knowledge that Blackstone can’t hurt anyone ever again fills me with a sense of grim satisfaction, but there’s no time to dwell on it. We have to move.
Our boots pound on the wooden floors as we race through the house, desperate to reach the safety of our bikes waiting outside.
“Almost there,” I whisper to Ace, feeling his small body shiver against me.
We burst through the rear door and run into the night. The cold night air chills the sweat on my skin.
“Head for the fence!” Scar yells, leading the way across the field.
Our breaths are labored and heavy as we sprint toward our bikes.
“It’s gonna blow!” Matrix warns, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the mansion.
“Keep going!” I urge them.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion roars through the night, and a wave of heat slams into us. I’m knocked off my feet, but instinctively curl around Ace, shielding him from the blast. The ground trembles beneath us as fire engulfs the house, the flames reaching desperately for the sky.
“Are you okay?” I ask Ace, my voice trembling slightly.
“Y-yeah …” he stammers, his eyes wide with fear. “You protected me.”
“Always will, son.” I help him to his feet, relieved to see he’s unharmed.
My family—my brothers—are safe too, and that’s all that matters right now.
I turn back to look at the burning mansion one last time. Watching as its twisted silhouette is consumed by the flames, a sense of finality washes over me. Blackstone’s house of horrors is finally being erased from our lives forever.
“Let’s go home,” I say softly.