Page 55 of The Eraser

STEPHEN

I pullup in front of my farmhouse. It's eerily similar to the one where I found my da the day I killed him. I hadn't intended on it being that way. I needed a fucking shit load of acreage and this house came with the land. There are no neighbors for miles, and it's great as no one can hear my victims scream. That's the great thing about the countryside. There's already so many sounds thanks to the wildlife. Having a fucking asshole scream as the wood chipper's on is just another noise. Of course, if it ever came out that I was killing people here, those who have heard some noises will automatically think that's what it was. But I have no intention of being caught and I'll be damned if I go to prison. It won't happen. I have an exit plan in place if that were to ever arise. We all have one. It's one of the musts that Jer insists on for us. He has no idea where we're going, and that's how it's to be. But we'll never use it. There's no way. I'm too fucking careful when it comes to my craft.

Maverick pulls the cop from the trunk as I stalk toward the wood chipper and switch it on. Over the years, I've had many. The blades dull out after so many kills, which makes the killings even sweeter. It's even more painful as the blades don’t slice straight through like they do when they’re sharp. Unfortunately for this asshole, he's getting the worst experience as my wood chipper needs to be changed. The blades are duller than they've ever been before and I've already eyed up my new machine.

"This fucker," Maverick sighs with disappointment as he comes to stand beside me, throwing the cop onto the grass at our feet. "He passed out again once he saw the wood chipper. I have to say, Stephen, I don't think I've ever seen anyone pass out from fear before."

I chuckle. "You'd be surprised what happens when you're viewed as the boogeyman."

I reach for the cop and drag him to his feet. His eyes flutter open, and I see true fear shining brightly in them. He's terrified. I laugh. He's not even seen anything yet. He's going to be in for a world of hurt and has no idea just what is coming to him.

"Where is Thomas Grace?" I growl, my fists clenching around his clothes as I shake him, emphasizing how serious I am.

"Wh—what?" he stutters.

"Thomas Grace," I repeat. "Where is he?"

"Please," he pleads. "I don't know. Please, I promise you I don't know."

I roll my eyes at his pleas. Surely a man who’s looked into us knows that there's no pleading for your life? "Where's Fintan O'Leary?"

He continues to beg for his life, promising he'll not say anything, that he'll leave us be and go far away. I'm not stupid, nor do I believe he'd ever let us be if I were to let him go. No, he'd jump at the chance to use it against us. He was never escaping tonight. No matter what he said, I'd never have let him live.

"He's useless," Maverick hisses. "Utterly fucking useless. He wasn't working for O'Leary," he says. "He was on their payroll, that's all. He has no valuable information for us."

I have to agree. A weasel has self-preservation. They'll tell you everything you want to know in order to save themselves. This fucker has no information so there's no point in dragging this out any longer.

"Remember when you're screaming in pain that this is all on you. Had you left well enough alone, you'd be in bed tucked up safely," I taunt and throw him into the wood chipper. Thankfully, he's worked out and isn't heavy, making it easy to put him inside.

I step back and let my machine do its job. I'm shocked. For someone who's passed out from fear, he's not screaming. That's something I have only experienced a few times and usually by men who are criminals.

Maverick chuckles. "He's passed out again. Fuck, what a useless prick."

Well, that's why there are no screams. He'll be dead before he'll wake again. The blades are slicing into his skin, cutting through muscle and cartilage and hacking away at his bones. Blood spurts everywhere, and I know that the way this fucker is going, it's not going to be an enjoyable kill. I love hearing the screams. It soothes that killer instinct I have.

I'm fixated on the blades as they whirl, pulling pieces of the cop inside the machine with them, then spitting out blood and little pieces, all of which are being collected in a clear plastic tarp that'll be burned once I'm finished. He's missing an arm and both of his legs. Soon, all of him will be inside, but it takes time. I'm a patient man. The way this method is means I have to be. Not that I'm complaining.

"Fucking useless," Maverick hisses once again a while later. "That was a fucking let down."

When people look at Maverick and I, they see a man who is filled with darkness and is a killer. Everyone can see that from one look at me. But with Mav, he's got an easy smile, bright eyes, and is constantly joking. It's who he is. He grew up in a happy home. His parents were the best you could get. He didn’t plan to become the man he is today, but there are things that change a man. Having a fucking animal put his hands on your sister and put her in hospital, stalk her, and try to burn her alive is what set Maverick off. It was those events that made him kill. He ended that bastard's life and made sure his sister was safe. No one could ever fault him for that. But he got a taste of death and it's a hard thing to get rid of. It was then that Maverick turned into a monster. Yet no one would ever expect it when they look at him.

"So, are you going to talk to Denis?" I ask, loud enough to be heard over the whir of the machine and the sound of flesh being torn and bones being crunched.

"Yeah, but only when you tell everyone you're married."

I roll my eyes. He's like a fucking child. "I'll speak with Jess. I know she'll never admit it, but she feels abandoned by your ma and sister."

He shoves both of his hands in his hair. "I know," he sighs. "It's fucked up. Both of them promised her they'd be there for her and neither of them have been. Chloe always tried to be there, but Jess wouldn't let her in."

I nod. "Chloe had her own ma to deal with, then being kidnapped in America. That shit was fucked up and it scarred her. I get that Jess didn't want to add more horror to her life."

Jess is sweet as fuck. She always worries about other people rather than herself. She'll put people before her own needs. It's what she's done most of her life, especially since her ma died. Her da is a fucking piece of shit and deserves to burn in Hell for what he's done to her, and I'm glad that I'm the man who gets to deliver that pain and punishment to him.

"Still, Callie and Chloe are going to be upset," Mav says. "Chloe especially."

"Chloe will understand," I assure him. She'll know exactly what Jess is feeling and she'll understand why she wasn't told. Callie and Nicola, on the other hand, they're the ones who are going to have a hard time dealing with everything. They are also the ones who are going to piss me the fuck off if they do anything to upset Jess.

"As I said, the sooner you get it out in the open, the better."

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