Deadly Discern - Book Three ✔️

Chapter Twenty Eight - Ripple Effect -

Alex POV

Surrounded by dark flickers of my past, I try my damn hardest not to think of those long ignored memories, knowing they'll only frustrate me and I can't go into this with an angered mind.

Clear head, smart moves. That's how this has to go.

But even knowing this, I've got the idea planted in my head that with finding Seth and ending his tirade of death I will somehow find some closure between myself and him, but logic tells me otherwise. I want to be able to say that I'm not desperate to get to Seth and stop him, but that'd be a lie. I'd only be lying to myself and that's never been something that I do.

I live in the real world. Where a fact is a fact, and it's not to be ignored as though it doesn't exist. I'm not about fantasies. I live my life knowing what is the truth and what is made up, and nothing gets by me without a thorough checking into.

First up, I need to get a better idea on exactly where I'll find his hideout. My memory of the place is fuzzy, a blur of trees and rough ground, not taking note of which turns I'd taken and I can't recall anything else that stood out to me. Above all, I hadn't gotten a clear idea as to where exactly it was then, even my trip back home isn't particularly memorable, I'd assume I was too caught up in my own thoughts to think otherwise. I never ventured back there either, deciding it was better to leave the place to him and his friends and not let it get to me.

It'll be interesting to see if I can find it on my first attempt, I've got high hopes, but confidence only goes so far. The terrain is no doubt vastly different now, considering the last time I wandered the area I was only a kid. It would have grown denser over the years, certainly more treacherous. And I'm not going in completely blind, I've researched the area, studied the pictures I found of it now, but that only helps me a fraction. The other fact is that I'd only been there once. One occasion doesn't solidify much, especially when everything changes with time.

Time is something I think about a lot.

The time it takes to get from point A to point B.
The time that has gone by since I last saw his face.
The time that's wasted living in the past, which is where my mind is right now. Thrown back a few weeks to the moment his face filled the television screen. Then, back to the last time I saw him in person. That was a disaster of a day. But I don't allow the memory to replay in my minds eye, shutting it down before it comes to life again. I can't handle going through those memories now, reliving them changes nothing, I'm firm in my position, I know this has to end before it worsens. Before there are more innocents at his hands.

Seth is a cancer, he is a danger to many and with having the knowledge of what he has been up to, I can't let him slip by and destroy more lives. I need to set aside my personal issues and focus on him as an object, not a human being because the humanity in him died long ago.

"We should grab a few brews before heading out." Dex says from beside me in the passenger seat, his sight settled firmly on a store nearby.

I smile despite myself, Dex is always good at detecting when I'm too deeply in thought and I'm grateful for the swift distraction on his part. "I knew I brought you along for a reason." I steer the car in the direction of the store, parking out front and step out, with Dex hot on my heels. Like a moth to a fuckin flame. Not that I felt any different. I'm definitely thirsty after the drive.

The atmosphere is completely different here. Much more relaxed, less surrounding noise from vehicles, but definitely more talk amongst the people around us. The casual chatter of the store owner to a patron drifts over to us as we scour the options.