Malicious Intent (Soulscape #5)

CH 16

What the hell just happened?

Frank stared after Alec, stunned to silence and immobility.

"I'm sorry..." Ron spoke quietly. "I didn't mean to upset him..."

Frank blinked and shook his head. "No..." he mumbled and moved toward the open front door. "It wasn't you." What was it? Frank was clueless.

He found Alec in the kitchen, standing still in the middle of the floor, staring at nothing.

"Alec...?" Frank paused in the kitchen doorway. "Are you okay?" Not once during Alec's life had Frank seen him disoriented—yet that's the word that came to mind now. "What was that out there?" He entered the kitchen slowly, approaching the young man with caution. He wasn't afraid but chose not to crowd him. "Was that... Zeke's memories? I don't remember you telling me those things about Zeke's parents. I knew he was abused by his father, but..."

Alec abruptly came out of his disoriented state and looked at Frank. "Zeke's dad raped him, many times."

"But... what you said about his parents..." Frank spoke quietly. "About his father raping his mother... then forcing her to give birth to Zeke..."

Alec stared at him, expressionless. "What do you mean, Doc? That didn't happen to Zeke's parents."

"Out on the porch, just a few moments ago... that's what you told Ron."

The young man's eyes pinched. "Why would I say that about Zeke?"

An unsettling sensation quivered through Frank. "Alec... are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Doc."

"Do you... not remember saying those things about Zeke's parents?"

Alec walked to the fridge and took out three beers. He handed one to Frank. "It's rude to leave our guests alone." Alec left the kitchen.

Frank remained unmoving, confused, and uneasy. What the hell was happening? Did Alec really not know he'd said that stuff concerning Zeke's parents? He'd spoken the words just a few minutes ago—how could he forget? This was something altogether new... and disturbing.

What if he wasn't talking about Zeke's parents?

Had something crawled up out of his own subconsciousness? Frank knew nothing about Alec's biological father... and very little about his mother—other than her fear and dislike of her own son. Frank had understood her fear... but how could someone hate their own child? Alec had frightened Frank as well, but he'd grown to love the boy, regardless. Had her hatred stemmed from how she conceived Alec? Was she raped? If Alec had been speaking of his own parents... how could his father force his mother to give birth to him—short of holding her captive for nine months?

If his memories were beginning to surface... maybe now was the right time to resume sessions and further consider hypnosis.

• • •

Bradley Dean met Gary Parsen at the pub after his shift. They threw back a couple of shots of whiskey then took their beers to a booth in the far corner of the small bar.

"You look beat." Gary lit a cigarette. "Tough day?"

Dean snorted. "Had a shift with Morgan today."

"Pretty boy Sean?" Gary smirked and puffed on the cancer stick, then downed half his beer. "Isn't that kind of like hanging out with a girl?"

"Yeah—except no fucking." Dean shook his head. "And if there's no fuckin'—why hang out with a chick?"