Page 40 of Mutual Prey

He flashes me a grin, gesturing toward his tiger mask and my kitten one.

“Or Tiger and Kitten. Predator and Prey. The Cat Killers. Whaddaya think?”

“Shut up, Finn.”

“Fine. On the count of three…”

“No,Idecide. This ismykilling.”

“Of course it is, baby. But don’t forget I’m your Daddy.”

“Shutup,Finn.”

“Well, then, are you gonna count down or what?”

I huff out an exasperated sigh. “I guess you might as well do it, since…”

My words are interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. Mr. Campbell must have heard voices, because he looks at us, his welcoming smile freezing into an ugly grimace.

“What the… what the…”

The pudgy, beady-eyed scientist who’s responsible for Daddy’s death gapes at us, then takes hurried steps back.

Victims alwaysdomake it so easy. If it were me, I’d have forced my way past the guns. He’s the one who took us by surprise; we wouldn’t have had time to shoot before he was in the street, screaming his head off.

Instead, shock makes him edge backward, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to follow him into the living room, cornering him against a wall.

“Please, please, whatever you want… take it! Everything I own is yours! Take whatever you want! Please don’t kill me… fuck, don’t kill me…” He falls to his knees, sobbing loudly, and moments later a strong smell wafts up, telling me he’s just shat himself.

“Ew,” says Finn. “You’re cleaning that up, Cass.”

Mr. Campbell lifts a tear-drenched face and stares at me. “C-cassandra…? Is that you?”

“It’s Cass, Mr. Campbell. I don’t know why you always insist on calling me Cassandra. The name Cass is literally on my birth certificate. My ID card says Cass. Where on Earth are you getting this Cassandra shit from? Just for that, I should fucking kill you.”

“Language,” tuts Finn.

“I don’t… I don’t…” Mr. Campbell blinks his eyes, staring at each of us in turn, before gluing his eyes back on me. “Why are you doing this, Cassandr—I mean, Cass? This isn’t you. You’re a brilliant scientist, not a killer…”

“I’m a brilliant scientistanda killer. Now, think your last thought, and die.”

“Wait!” he cries, lifting his hands up. “Please, wait! I don’t get it! Why are you doing this, Cass? What have I ever done toyou?”

I let out a dry laugh. “I think you know, Mr. Campbell. I think you know exactly what you did. You killed my Daddy.”

“No, no, no.” The beads of sweat pearling on Mr. Campbell’s temples bely his words. “You know that’s not true. Finn Austen did it. He wasn’t convicted of it… but we all know he did it.”

“Hey, that’s not very nice.” Finn scratches an itch on his nose, moving his mask just enough that Mr. Campbell catches a glimpse of his face, and blanches. “I can hear you, you know. You’re hurting my feelings. Go on, Cass. Kill the fucker. Enough with the chatterbox killings. Just do it.”

“I… I…” Mr. Campbell sputters, staring at him. “Cass, are you being forced to do this against your will? Let’s all take it easy, okay? Finn, I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone. Cass, I’m on your side. I’vealwaysbeen on your side…”

“Yeah, and that was your first mistake, Mr. Campbell. No one’s forcing me to do a thing. Finn Austen didn’t kill my Daddy.Youdid. And Finn Austen didn’t kill your son, either. Guess whodid that?”

Mr. Campbell stares at me, the pallor of his face giving way to a distinct shade of green. “You’re… you’re the Dark Devil.”

“Good boy,” yawns Finn. “Okay, Cass, do it.”

“Don’t rush me!”