Revenge

by E M Courier

  When he woke up, paramedics were standing over him yelling. His only thought was on Ellie.

  Where is she? He continued to ask but no one would answer.

  He looked around. And around. And around.

  A blood stained white sheet is covering a small body.

  Ellie? His heart broke. That can’t be Ellie.

  But it was.

  Alexander was never the same. His heart never healed and his mind became fractured—the only thought occupying him was revenge. He became distant from the family he was so close with. Guilt ate him alive along with nightmares that stole his sleep. He got into drugs and drinking and started taking girls to bed frequently. Anything to distract him. His obsession only grew spending copious amounts of money to find the bastard who killed his little sister.

  ***

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “He isn’t at his apartment and he isn’t answering my calls,” Liam says to Scarlett.

  Four hours have passed since Liam left to check Alexander’s apartment. Scarlett called to cancel the rest of her bosses meetings and appointments. Liam came back to the Novak office building and even talked to his father and other siblings. No one has seen or heard from him.

  Liam told her his car wasn’t at his apartment either which means he could’ve gotten in an accident. She wonders if he ever got home last night from the dinner they shared.

  Scarlett calls the hospital just to be sure, but they said no one of Alexander’s description was brought in.

  His siblings are all pacing on the 75th floor spurting ideas of where he could’ve gone. Scarlett is just as worried as she continues to make phone calls and pitch in her own ideas. She notices that Olive and Liam talk quietly amongst themselves, they both look angry but not at each other.

  Was it possible that they have an idea of his whereabouts?

  “Did anything strange happen at dinner?” Liam leans on his elbows on her desk.

  “No,” she frowns. “I thought it was a pleasant dinner. He seemed happy. He seemed okay.”

  “Happy?” Liam raises an eyebrow.

  “Yeah.”

  “This is going to be a strange question but…” he takes a deep breath, “have you spoken with your father lately? Or specifically at dinner?”

  “I talked to him earlier yesterday. What’s that have to do with anything?” Her eyebrows press together.

  “Can I see your phone?”

  “No,” she becomes defensive. “What is this about?”

  “I’ll explain everything if what I see is correct,” Liam holds his hand out.

  Reluctantly she hands over her phone and watches as he looks through her call log. The last call was an incoming call from her father.

  “Shit,” Liam whispers and calls over his sister. “You were right.”

  “I’ll talk to dad,” she shakes her head. “You need to check with our private airlines. Find out where he went and bring him back before he does something that’ll ruin his life.”

  Olive grabs the rest of her siblings as they exit through the elevator. Her phone is still in Liam’s hand as he begins to pace the hallway again.

  “What is going on?”

  “I think your father is in danger,” he says gravely.

  Her heart skips a beat. “What?” Her breathing becomes irregular and she starts to panic, fearing for her father. “I don’t understand.”

  “There’s no time to talk.”

  Liam promised her an explanation but doesn’t give her one. Not in the elevator, not on their way to his car, and not in the car. They arrive at an airport where they greet ‘Mr. Novak.’ He talks with one of the managers asking where his brother flew.

  Nevada.

  Without any luggage, planning, or preparing, Liam drags Scarlett onto a small luxury plane and a crew quickly boards. She’s only been on a plane a handful of times, but every time she’s been in an airport it’s always taken the plane so long from the time she sits to take off. The second she buckled her seatbelt the plane is sealing itself shut and moving on the runway.

  Scarlett has lived in Nevada a total of six times. It has been one of their few repeat states. It was always desolate enough that you could find small towns in the middle of nowhere. When everyone in town knew who they were and as soon as they got comfortable—that’s when they would pack up and leave.

  Her father was always paranoid.

  Did he have a good reason to?

  She remembers her conversation with him the other day, the same one that warned her about working for Novak, the same conversation that told her to quit. He wanted her away from New York to live with him.

  Is it possible he wanted her away from Novak because Alexander was after her father?

  But why?

  She begs Liam for answers that he doesn’t give. His usual happy demeanor is overshadowed by worry and anger. He looks antsy as his legs shake and finger tap on the armrest. He can barely look at her and continues to ignore anything she says.

  Scarlett never got the chance to tell Jo she was leaving. She’ll be worrying.

  Maybe it’s a good thing for Jo to be worried. Suddenly Scarlett feels sick to her stomach. Liam is still relatively a stranger to her and here he brings her on an airplane headed west for some unknown reason other than that is where Alexander is. Looking down at her phone with the call log still open, she noticed the area code. 702. She recognizes that from one of the times she lived in Nevada.

  Alexander is after her father.

  Why?

  “What aren’t you telling me?” An hour has passed and Liam is still avoiding her. “Liam please, I have to know if my father is okay.”

  “I don’t know,” he whispers. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know? What is going on?!”

  “I can’t think straight right now,” he stands up and begins pacing.

  “Stop pacing!” She yells frustrated. “Talk to me, I deserve to know.”

  “I don’t know what my brother is doing.”

  “Can you at least tell me if my father is safe?”

  “I told you,” he runs his hands through his hair. “If your father is with my brother...I’m afraid that he’s in danger.”

  Scarlett curses. “How long until we arrive?”

  “Three more hours. Even when we land...I don’t know where to go.”

  “What?” She stands from her seat. “You drag us out to Nevada with no luggage, nowhere to stay, and you don’t even have a plan.”

  “I can track Alexander’s phone. I’ll figure something out just...just let me think!”

  “What is there to think about?” They’re screaming at each other.

  “I’m thinking about how I’m going to bail my brother out if he ends up murdering someone!”

  Her face falls. “What?” She whispers. “He’s going to murder my father? Liam I swear to god if you don’t tell me what is going on—”

  “Revenge. That’s what is going on.”

  ***

  Alexander meets his private investigator in the same bed and breakfast Gavin was staying at earlier. They interrogate the owner getting as much information out of her as they can.

  Of course, she knows nothing. He stayed a night, paid in cash, and didn’t utter a word of where he was going after, he just took a cab. Their trail is still hot but he can feel is slowly getting colder.

  They need to find him and fast.

  The town is small, the population barely a thousand. The cab company only has two workers and luckily for them the one working seems to know something about the man they show a picture of.

  He says Gavin wanted to be driven to the middle of the woods. He was dropped off and started walking east. The cab driver claims there are a few secluded houses out there.

  Bingo.

  The cab driver drops them off at the same location as Gavin. They search the grounds until the sun sets—that is when they find a little cabin, run down, no lights on, and very, very, secluded.

/>   They walk carefully up the dirt driveway fresh of any tire tracks. There are branches and leaves covering the driveway but they avoid making any type of noise. Alexander touches the pistol that is tucked in the back of his pants. He doesn’t plan on using it—not yet. But if the bastard runs and Alexander can take the shot, he will.

  He tries the doorknob, locked. So kicks it down and quickly checks every room in the house until…

  Gavin is climbing out the tiny window in the kitchen. Stuck. Alexander grabs him by the shirt and yanks him backwards. Gavin falls to the wood floor, fear in his eyes as he stutters and begs for mercy.

  Alexander is not the forgiving type.

  “You’re going to listen to me very carefully,” he aims the pistol at his head. “If you resist, I’m going to put a bullet through your head.”

  Gavin sits there wide-eyed and shaking like a cold dog.

  “Nod if you understand,” Alexander’s voice is deep and dark. He is possessed and bloodthirsty but feeling entirely like himself. As if the first time in forever he finally feels in control of his life.

  Gavin nods.

  Alexander ties Gavin to one of the chairs in the kitchen. Duct taping his mouth shut. He is not in the mood to hear him beg or cry or even deny what he did.

  David is standing nearby feeling just as accomplished as Alexander. For years they have been a team. Now they finally caught the rat.

  Alexander’s phone rings in his pocket. Liam again along with a slew of phone calls from his other siblings and father.

  “What?”

  “We’re in Nevada asshole, where are you?”

  “What do you mean ‘we?’”

  “I brought Scarlett with me.”

  “Are you stupid?” He spits. “Do me a favor and take Scarlett back to New York. I have things handled.”

  “No. I won’t let you go through with your plan. You’re obsessed. Do you want to ruin your entire life? Because you will if you go through with this. Ellie wouldn’t want this.”

  “She deserves to be avenged!”

  “I didn’t say she doesn’t,” Liam sighs, his voice growing softer. “Where are you?”

  “Where are you?”

  “In a motel here in Greenstone. Now tell me where you are,” he urges.

  Alexander hangs up and Liam calls back immediately. He declines the call. Looking over his shoulder he says to David, “Watch Gavin. I’ll be back.”

  There is only one motel in all of Greenstone, Nevada. The motel is just as rundown as the rest of the town. There is one car in the parking lot belonging to the lady at the front desk. She looks bored slouching in her chair reading a worn out book with yellowing pages.

  “Can you tell me what room Scarlett Halloway is in?”

  “No can do,” she doesn’t bother looking at him as she flips another page in her book.

  Alexander rolls his eyes taking out a one hundred dollar bill and slapping it on the counter. “Now can you tell me?”

  “There is a girl who just checked in. Room 203.”

  The sky is dark and filled with millions of stars. Looking at his watch it is close to eleven o’clock at night. There is only one lamppost lighting the motel, outside the grounds is pitch black unlike the heavily lighted New York City.

  He presses his ear to door and listens. Nothing. When the girl managing the front desk wasn’t looking he stole the master key that she so foolishly left sitting on the counter. He unlocks the door and inside the only thing he can hear is the shower running.

  Alexander sits on the bed and waits. Not long after the shower stops and out comes Scarlett in a long bed shirt and too-short shorts.

  She gasps, but with swift quickness he is in front of her in a second covering her mouth.

  “You’re going to pack up your things and leave.”

  She fights him, breaking free of his grasp. “No!”

  “Trust me, Scarlett, you don’t want to be involved in this.”

  “You’re going to hurt my father. I can’t let that happen.”

  “And you’d rather take his place?” Amusement plays on his face.

  “If it keeps my father safe then yes,” she raises her chin trying to look brave but he can see the fear in her eyes.

  “You’d gladly pay for your father’s crimes?”

  “My father is innocent!”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes,” she says through gritted teeth.

  “Then let's go see him? Hmm?” Alexander grabs her wrist forcing her out of the room, down the stairs of the motel and into the car of the employee.

  Did he mention he stole her car keys, too?

  Alexander remembers the coordinates and it’s only a ten minute drive before he comes up on the decrepit house. He walks around to her side opening the car door. She sits there stubbornly with her arms crossed. Rolling his eyes, he snatches her by the elbow yanking her out.

  Alexander is breathing heavy with adrenaline by the time he enters the house and shoved her into the kitchen throwing her to her father.

  “Daddy!” She wraps her arms around him, hugging him.

  His cries are muffled by the tape on his mouth.

  “What have you done? Let him go?”

  Alexander rips the tape off Gavin’s mouth. “Would you like to explain to your daughter? Or shall I?”

  “Scarlett you stay away from this man. He is crazy! I want you to run. Run, Scarlett.”

  David is blocking her only exit. She looks around frantically but there is no escape.

  “Why don’t you tell her, Gavin?” Alexander prompts.

  “Gavin?” Scarlett looks confused. “What is going on?”

  “Sweetheart, light of my life, please forgive me,” the bastard actually cries.

  Scarlett starts to back away like she is about to run. Alexander grabs her forcing her to stand still in front of her blubbering father.

  “Don’t hurt her! Please! Please don’t hurt her!”

  A cruel idea plays in Alexander’s head. For years the plan has always been to torture Gavin, but maybe this way could break him. “Don’t hurt her?” He runs an index finger down her jawline and she jerks away. “Just like how you didn’t hurt my little sister?”

  “I’m begging you. This is between you and me, don’t bring her into this. She’s innocent!”

  “So was my sister!” Alexander lashes out. “Your family is going to pay for what you did to my family.”

  “No!” Gavin kicks trying to get out his restraints. His fighting is futile.

  “Your daughter is my newest prized possession. What shall I do with her?” Alexander’s fingers roam over both her arms causing goosebumps.

  “Bastard! Don’t you touch her!”

  “No?” Alexander loves how he is getting under Gavin’s skin. To watch his face turn red, his feet kick helplessly, to watch as the thing he loves most in the world be taken from him. “I think she will enjoy my touch. I’m willing to bet a large sum that your daughter has never been touched by a man. How sweet will it be when I’m the first to take her?”

  “Get away!” He screams at the top of his lungs.

  Alexander strides over closing his hands around Gavin’s throat. “You’ll never be free again. You ran from the justice system. We never got our justice. I’ve been searching for years for you. I was planning on killing you but now...now I’m going to keep you alive,” his eyes widen with hope, “So you can watch as I destroy your daughter.”

  “Take me instead. Kill me but leave her alone,” he manages to croak out.

  “We don’t always get what we want.” He lets go of Gavin’s neck. “David, get in contact with my private plane. I want to get to New York as soon as possible. I’ll be bringing two new guests with me.”

  ***

  The plane lands early morning the next day. David helps Alexander get his prisoners from the private jet and into the car where he will take them to his private mansion in the Hamptons.

  For the plane ride, Alexander gave both
Scarlett and her father pills to make them sleep the entire time. He could hardly sleep let alone sit still. Anxious to move forward with his new plan something was bothering him. A tinge of guilt sets in his stomach as he realizes his brother is in that god forsaken town alone.

  Sending him a quick cryptic text, he lets Liam know that everyone is safe and back in New York.

  The soundproof basement in his mansion is perfect for Gavin. Perfect to torment him both physically and mentally. Having Gavin’s death on his hands isn’t something Alexander craves anymore. Breaking him and keeping him prisoner as he wishes for death is much better.

  And Scarlett.

  Ever since he first met her she has been plaguing his every thought. His dark urges wanting to corrupt her and break her innocence in every way possible.

  Enjoying the thought of his new plan to taunt and bent Scarlett to his will is exhilarating. The look on Gavin’s face as he talked about touching his virgin daughter was a picture perfect moment. He just wishes he had his camera ready. He would’ve hung the picture up at his office.

  Scarlett should be coming to any moment now. Alexander carries her in his arms up the stairs and into her new bedroom where he locks the door from the outside. Soon she’ll wake up and he’ll deal with her then.

  Very seldom know about this place. His mansion bought on a whim. He never used this place as his home, only living and sleeping at his penthouse in the City. With a few calls made his most trusted maids, cook, and bodyguards make their way to the mansion.

  Alexander takes care of some business at Novak. His father trust to make him CEO and while he isn’t willing to give up his position, he isn’t willing to lose precious time here.

  He calls his father putting his worries at ease and taking a full months worth of vacation. Alexander tells his father that he is doing it for his mental health. His father agrees. His entire family is all too aware of his unhealthy obsession with catching Gavin. His father happily welcoming this mental health break thinking it will help ease his mind of his sister’s murderer.

  Still, Alexander ignores the various texts flooding in from Liam.

  Where are you?

  What did you do with Scarlett?

  What did you do to Gavin?

  A shout from above tells him it’s showtime.