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11:30 am

11:30 am, September 10th, present year.

Hunter started the talking again.

            “Now, I’m sure you are all curious to why this is happening to you. Why would I, a former police detective, want to stalk your son and kill him? The answer is simple.

            Revenge.”

            “What did we ever do to you?” Dad insisted.

            “What did you do to me? I will tell you.” He got in Dad’s face. “You, Mr. Mitchels, were at one time my father. You beat your wife, my mother, and nearly killed her. She lived, however, and that is her right over there!” He thrust his pointer finger at Terri.

            My dad was also Hunter’s dad? And was once married to Terri? And had almost killed her? No way. That’s not possible. Dad would’ve recognized Terri and Hunter once he saw them.

            I voiced my reason. “Hunter, if my dad is your dad, why didn’t he recognize you and Terri when he first saw them?”

            “I would let your father answer, but he doesn’t remember. You father suffers from DID,Dissociative Identity Disorder. He has two personalities. You’ve only experienced one, because he takes his pills to keep him from switching over to his ‘other’ self.”

            I swiveled my head to Mom and Dad.

            “Mom, did you know?”

            She solemnly nodded.

            “Why didn’t you tell me? Dad, do you remember being in your ‘other’ self?”

            Dad replied, “It wasn’t necessary for you to know. Fortunately, I haven’t been in my alter personality for many years, since you were born. But now that he says it, I realize…

            He’s right.”

            “Actually, Dad,” Hunter spat this word out with disgust, “you have been in your alter ego a few times.”

            “No I haven’t!” Dad insisted.

            “You are wrong. How else would I get into Chase’s Facebook, or have the snack with the knockout chemical in it, or the readers digest with the creepy word search? That wasn’t me! That was you! In your altered state of mind, I convinced you to do all these things. And you, being evil, agreed to.”

            “No I didn’t! I didn’t do any of that!” Dad’s voice rose.

            “So you say, but you never remember anything you do in your other self! So how would you know? You are the main reason of your son’s death, except that fact,” countered Hunter.

            “I won’t let you kill him.”

            “Then I’ll kill you too.”

            A dead silence filled the air.

            “Oh come on! Be happy! We’re all family here!” Hunter threw his hands in the air.

            “You’re sick, you know that?” I snarled at him.

            “Chase! You said that already! I’m not sick, I’m perfectly healthy! Can’t you see that?”

'           “I see a man, no, a creature who has no value for human life. I’m not related to you at all.”

            “But you are! You’re my brother! Well, half-brother, but that’s a minor detail. Both you and Riley are my brother! And Terri here is your step-mom! Isn’t that exciting?’

            “She’s not my mom. Never will be. And you will never be my brother, or Riley’s. You’re just a twisted person, nothing more.”

            Hunter sighed. “I guess I can’t force you to say it.”

            Then he suddenly pulled out a gun and put it to my head.

            “On second thought, yes I can.”

*          *          *

            “No, we can’t make a move! They’ve got eyes on us. They can see what we’re doing right now!” Myrene was on the phone talking to the head of the S.W.A.T. team.

            “What do you mean, watching you?” The male voice questioned.

            “Terri Johnson, who escaped earlier today, has a gun to the head of Riley Mitchels, the younger brother. They’re both staring out the window right at us. If I so much as wave, we could have a young child’s blood on our hands! I’m not willing to risk that.”

            “What do you suggest then?”

            “…I don’t know.”

            “You said that there was a girl who met Chase last night, correct? And has family here in Prackersburg?”

            “Correct.”

            “Get her over to you. This is a long shot, but maybe she knows something about your criminal.”           

            “Will do.” Then she hung up.

*          *          *

            The gun felt stiff against my head. I’d never experienced anything like this before. I was scared, yet calm at the same time. If I’d learned anything about Hunter today, it was that he always kept to his plan.

            “You’re not going to kill me. It’s not time yet. Not even close. And you would dare kill me before its 3:15. That’s not who you are.”

            We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until he finally pulled the gun back and stuck it in his waistband.

            “It’s not worth killing you over. But don’t worry, your time will come.”

*          *          *

            Myrene made a quick decision. She called the station and ordered, “Get her here now. We’ll see if this helps any. I’m not optimistic, but I’m willing to try anything now.”

            The reply was yes, and Myrene ended the call.

            Her full attention turned back to the house. She was on edge.

            She had no idea what the suspect was doing inside there.