Page 2 of Mutual Prey

If the tables were turned, he’d be six feet under by now.

I’m so focused on keeping an eye out for my would-be killer that I don’t hear the sound of the car engine until its lights are blinding me.

That’s not Finn’s car. Is it? No, it can’t be.Can it?

It’s not. Thank god.

I’m so relieved I nearly crumple to the ground. I guess I was a little scared after all. And I’m not so relieved now that I don’t realize how much of a threat Finn Austen still is.

He’s the kind of threat I need to dismantle. For good.

From the car, a familiar voice calls out, “Cass?”

The chubby guy with the twinkling eyes and cheerful smile is number two on my list. Right after his son.

Though seeing as the latter is currently rotting away in the warehouse thanks to me, I guess his dad has just graduated to number one.

“Cass,” he gasps, as he reaches over to open the passenger car door. “I’m looking for my kid. Do you know where he is? Oh my god! Are you okay?”

I arrange my features so that it looks like I’ve been crying.

“No, I’m not okay,” I sob out. “My wrists are broken. And… and… Mr. Campbell… I’msosorry but…”

“But what?” he asks, his face suddenly pale.

“Mr. Campbell, Finn Austen killed your son!”

Five years later.

1

“Cass, I’msohappy we can count on you.”

“What can I say? As soon as I heard about this project, I just had to be involved.”

I beam sweetly at Mr. Campbell, and he returns my smile before resuming his tour of the campus.

He’s changed. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve been keeping regular tabs on him since I last saw him, I wonder if I would even have recognized him. Gone is the jovial, chubby man who always seemed at odds with his job of leading Devil’s nefarious scientific experiments.

He still doesn’t look the part, but at least, he’s no longer so maddeningly cheerful. He looks exhausted. His smile is strained, his face has grown gaunt, there are dark bags under his eyes. Iguess losing your only child can really have an effect on you.

Good.

“This is the science department,” he continues. “Top notch facilities. State of the art. You’re going to love the graduate program here.”

“I’m sure I will,” I agree, looking around at the large gothic style building that houses the science lecture halls.

“It’s impressive,” I add as I follow him inside, admiring the various classrooms and laboratory equipment, “how you managed to outfit this place so quickly. What has it been… less than a year since you bought the building? And you’re already welcoming your first students?”

“Well,Ididn’t buy it, of course,” chuckles Campbell. “I’m only the dean. We have the founders of Devil to thank for this college.”

He lets out one of his old cheesy chuckles that still make me cringe.

Damn it,is the guy healing already? The thought makes my stomach clench. He’s not supposed to heal. He’s supposed to suffer for the rest of his life.

Maybe I should move his wife to the top of my…

No.