Chapter 32 Gavin
GAVIN
Two days later, they were finally all organized and set up.
Gavin stood in front of Ace, who was holding his tablet out and ready to record.
They were standing in front of a large pit, surrounded by nothing but desert and hills. The area was desolate and unrecognizable. There were no landmarks or structures, nothing that could possibly give away their location to the untrained eye.
That was how they wanted it. They were about to hold a meeting… and sentencing… of sorts.
This was Gavin’s masterful plan. It had taken some work to set up and some arguments with Marcus, but in the end, Marcus and the guys agreed with what Gavin was proposing.
“Are you ready?” Ace asked. Gavin didn’t answer right away, his eyes fixed on Marcus as he tried to draw strength and courage from his big, strong protector.
Marcus never lacked courage. He was always so sure of himself. He was a born leader, and everyone knew it.
But this was something Gavin needed to do. This was how he could move on, closing the door on this horrific chapter once and for all. He couldn’t be a slave to his nightmares any longer.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Gavin finally responded, giving his friend a nod and waiting for Ace to give him the signal that they were live.
Ace raised his fingers, counting down from three. Once the last finger fell, Gavin began to speak.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You probably don’t know who I am, but my name is Gavin, and I am a survivor of the Valentine Killer.” Gavin paused, giving his viewers a chance to let that revelation set in.
“I… I almost wasn’t though,” Gavin said, his voice unsteady. “A few weeks ago, I went on a date with a man who seemed perfect. He was sweet, charming… everything I thought I wanted. And then we went back to his house for a drink.”
He swallowed hard, shaking his head as he looked at his interlocked fingers. “He drugged me. I didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. And then… he attacked me. I don’t know how I got away. I just ran.”
Gavin looked back up at the tablet, his eyes beginning to tear up.
“I spent weeks hiding, waiting for the police to find the man who attacked me. I kept telling myself it would be over soon, that they’d stop him before he hurt anyone else. Before he found me again.”
His voice was rough and shaky.
“But he did. He took me from my home, tied me down in a hunting shed, and… and told me what he was going to do to me before he killed me. I really thought that was it. I thought I was going to die there.”
He exhaled. “Thankfully, I was rescued by a band of brave and courageous men. If they hadn’t come when they did… I wouldn’t be here today. They saved my life.
“So… why have I asked you all to join me on this call here tonight? You are all the mothers and fathers of someone the Valentine Killer took. And I think it’s only fair that, together, we decide what happens to him next.”
Gavin stepped aside. A floodlight snapped on behind him, washing the area in harsh white light and revealing the Valentine Killer bound to a wooden pole a few feet away.
“This is the man who murdered your sons. The monster who tore your families apart and left nothing but grief behind,” Gavin growled, his fists clenched at his side.
Every part of him screamed to rip the man to pieces—to wipe the smugness from his face and make him suffer even a fraction of the pain he’d inflicted on so many others.
“The question before you tonight is simple,” Gavin said, his voice low but steady. “Do we turn this man over to the authorities? Let the justice system decide his fate and lock him away in a prison somewhere—assuming that he doesn’t get off on some sort of technicality or loophole?”
He paused, staring into the tablet, more focused than ever.
“Or… do we take matters into our own hands and give him the justice so many of us have secretly imagined?”
Gavin glanced toward the bound man before looking back at the screen. “We’ve decided to put it to a vote. Completely anonymous. No names, no pressure—just your conscience. Each of you can choose what you believe is right.”
The man behind him cursed at Gavin. Calling him a slut and a weakling, who had no right to judge him or anyone else in this world.
Ignoring the monster behind him, Gavin glanced over at Marcus, who nodded back at him with his support.
“Before we get started, I wanted to give each of you an opportunity to speak or ask questions. Your faces have all been blacked out, and your voices are disguised by a voice modulator. Your questions and comments are completely anonymous. Now, do we have anyone who would like to speak?”
There was a click on the line as someone played around with their phone.
“Umm, yes. I am victim number three’s mother.”
“You don’t have to identify yourself,” Gavin quickly stated.
“No. No. I want to. I want that piece of shit to know how much pain he’s caused me and my family.”
The woman paused. Her voice cracked as she took a moment to compose herself.
“For the first few weeks after Jacob disappeared, we had no idea what had happened,” the woman said, her voice trembling.
“There was no phone call. No text. Nothing. He went out one night and just… never came home. At first, we told ourselves it had to be an accident. Maybe his car went off the road. Maybe he’d slid into a lake somewhere.
We searched everywhere. We walked the streets, called hospitals, begged for answers.
Anything that might tell us what happened to our son. ”
She paused, sniffled, and blew her nose before continuing.
“Then, the unspeakable happened: The police found his body.” Her voice faltered. “And everything broke. Our bright, beautiful boy was gone, taken from us without warning, in the most brutal way imaginable.”
She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. “Sometimes, at night, I lie awake and wonder what he was thinking in those last moments of his life. Was he scared? Was he in pain? Was he calling out for his mom?”
Her voice cracked as sobs overtook her. Gavin waited quietly, giving her the space to breathe, knowing every person on the call carried the same kind of loss—the same unbearable emptiness left by the man bound behind him.
After a moment, she spoke again, softer now but filled with something colder. “I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single night when I haven’t imagined what I’d do if I ever faced the man who took my son from me. And for me… it’s simple. Kill the bastard and make it hurt like hell.”
Gavin nodded into the camera. He could feel the woman’s pain and knew exactly how she felt.
Behind him, the killer laughed and cursed, reveling in their misery as he taunted them with details of the murders he had committed.
Turning his head, Gavin nodded to the man standing next to the Valentine Killer and watched as he—wearing a mask to hide his identity—punched the killer in the gut, causing him to slump forward, gasping for air and ending his tirade.
Gavin said a mental thank you to Nikolai, who was gallantly guarding their prisoner, unbeknownst to the viewers online.
“I-I’m victim number six’s father. I say kill the fucker as well. He clearly has no remorse, and why should we allow him to live his life in comfort behind bars when he robbed our children of theirs? Kill the fucker and let us watch!”
Two more parents shared similar sentiments, and it became clear they needed this moment—a chance to finally voice their anger and seek the closure they had been denied for so long.
“But if we kill him, won’t the authorities come after us?” one of the parents finally asked.
Gavin shook his head.
“No. We’ll make it look like an accident—a freak death, something natural.
Nothing that’ll give the authorities a reason to start asking questions.
And honestly? I doubt any officer is going to waste time or resources digging into the death of a notorious serial killer.
Most of them will just be relieved he’s been found and that he’s not a threat anymore. ”
Marcus gave Gavin the signal that they were ready to cast the votes.
“In a moment, you’ll be prompted to cast your vote,” Gavin said.
“You can choose to turn the Valentine Killer over to the police, to be prosecuted under the laws of the United States… or you can choose to let us—the victims—pass judgment ourselves.” His jaw tightened, and his voice hardened.
“And decide whether this monster lives or dies.”
This was it—the moment that would decide everything. The choice that would define what they became after tonight. Would they carry the weight of murder for the rest of their lives, or hand the burden over to the authorities and trust that justice, somehow, would be enough?
Gavin kept his expression neutral, but deep down, he already knew what he wanted. He hoped that the group would vote to end the monster’s life.
Lifting his phone, Gavin cast his vote as well.
They all watched on the live feed as the votes for “Kill Him” continued to rise. Once the final vote was cast, it was unanimous. Every person on the call had voted to end the Valentine Killer’s life.
“The votes are in. Now, for those of you who do not wish to witness this execution, feel free to log off this video feed. For those who choose to stay, please note that the death you are about to witness will be violent and brutal.”
Gavin nodded at Marcus and his crew, who all began placing wool masks over their faces. Since the feed was live, they didn’t want any of the people watching to be able to identify them. They even wore long-sleeved shirts to hide any identifiable tattoos or body piercings.
The only one who was not wearing a mask was Gavin. He thought it was important not to hide his identity. He wanted to connect with the families of the victims so they could see him as he was. A victim. A person. A son.
Once everyone was covered, they all walked over to where the Valentine Killer was tied, seething and cursing, letting his final words fly free.