Page 35 of Corruption
I glanced back at Jared, who had turned his back to me.
“I was just curious why you couldn’t leave me alone. There were plenty of people to target.”
“I did switch,” I reminded him.
“True, you’d pick on others for a day, then leave them be for weeks or months. My torment was relentless.”
“What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry? I’m not, really.”
“Of course not,” he replied when he turned back toward me. “You’re shallow. You have no depth. You cling to those old prime times because you’ll never truly achieve greatness.”
“I seem to recall seeing my name on a rather large building you entered, and you’re not exactly filled with depth yourself. You’re living in this strange place, taking lives for... I don’t even know why,” I retorted.
“Someone needs to rid the world of people like you,” he declared.
“Are you Batman, then? Do you have a secret cave? Or do you rehearse that speech in front of the mirror every morning?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Right, because being a vigilante isn’t exactly legal or part of the curriculum,” I snapped.
“They actually teach a lot about vigilantes in school. They teach us about those who stood up, doing what others were too afraid to do.”
“And many of them ended up dead, becoming martyrs!” I countered. “You can’t just go around killing people and claim it’s for the sake of justice. If we all did that, there would be no one left.”
“As I said, you wouldn’t understand,” he sighed, turning away and placing his half-full cup on the counter.
“I’m glad I don’t. At least I can sleep at night knowing I’m not a murderer.”
“Just a terrible person instead. Yes, I can see how that’s an improvement.”
“Murderers are bad people!” I insisted.
“So, those who fought to protect themselves, those who killed their attackers, their rapists, their abusers, are they all bad people?” he challenged.
I fell silent, sinking a little further into my seat. “Maybe... Maybe those are exceptions.”
“Many of them still end up serving time. Even claiming self-defense won’t always save you,” he sighed. “Sometimes it’s just better to let others clean up the mess.”
“And are you the one doing the cleaning?” I asked, but Jared didn’t offer a clear answer. Instead, he motioned for me to stand, and so I did. After tidying up, I followed him out of the kitchen.
Chapter 15
-Jared-
“Alison!” My voice echoed through the house as I clutched my gun, scanning the surroundings. But as my eyes darted up to the balcony, where I expected to find her, it was empty.
“Jared!” Her terrified voice reverberated through the house, disorienting me, as if it came from every corner. Desperation surged through me as I pushed forward, racing down hallways and meticulously checking each room before moving on to the next floor. But no matter where I looked, Alison remained hidden.
“Alison!” I yelled again, fear and anxiety clawing at my chest.
“Jared!”
This time, her voice sounded clearer, guiding me toward her. I stormed into my room, only to find her on her knees, hands raised in surrender. In front of her stood another person, a gun pointed threateningly at her. She cast a desperate look in my direction.
“Jared…” she whispered.
I raised my gun, aiming it at her attacker. “Move away from her. Now!”
