Dr. Parker glanced at Patrick to ensure this information was okay to share. Patrick nodded.

  “He’s never been allowed out,” Dr. Parker answered. “He entered this facility strapped to a gurney and was transported immediately to that cell. He has never left it, and no one is permitted to get any closer than six feet from the six inches of glass in between them. That’s how I’ve made sure no one has died over the past three years. That’s how I’m going to make sure no one dies as long as he’s here.”

  Windsor nodded and turned to face Patrick. “You’ve never met Luke. The doctor has done a decent job explaining the physical boundaries keeping him at bay, but she hasn’t mentioned the psychological barriers.”

  Patrick raised his eyebrows. Windsor was talking as if he was in charge of the hospital and checking in on his employees.

  “Luke can’t escape by himself, but he’s been in this situation before,” Windsor continued without noticing Patrick’s surprise. “When we’re in front of him, things will change. I can promise you that. You’ll forget that he’s locked up. You may forget that he’s not in charge. You may start to believe what he says, but it’s important you remember that it’s all bullshit. Every single bit of it.”

  Windsor’s voice became more intense with each sentence. “Luke is dangerous physically, but that’s not even half of what he’s capable of mentally. We’re about to make ourselves vulnerable to him, so you need to be prepared.”

  Patrick broke eye contact with Windsor and looked at the doctor. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want Windsor’s stare on him anymore. The former FBI agent’s expression had grown too…intense.

  “There’s truth to what Mr. Windsor is saying,” Dr. Parker confirmed. “It doesn’t work with me because honestly, I don’t look at Titan as human. He’s a predator whose psyche is alien, but he definitely has an ability to make people see things…differently, if you let him.”

  Patrick didn’t want to hear any more. They were here for a reason, and while he might be scared that the interaction between Titan and Windsor would end badly, he wasn’t scared of Titan himself. The man was a psychopath, but he was locked up and he wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Are we ready?” he asked.

  Later, Patrick would understand what Windsor had been trying to tell him. By that time, it would be far too late.

  Christian didn’t notice the restriction of his chains any longer. He stood in a circular room with Collins, the doctor, and two orderlies. Their presence barely cracked through his consciousness.

  His focus was on the door with the single reinforced glass window in the middle. He knew what waited on the other side of this door. What he didn’t know was how he’d arrived here yet again. Of all the places in the known universe, this was the very last place he wanted to be. Christian would have rather been launched into space, his body frozen and forced to float alone for eternity.

  Yet, here he was again. Somehow. About to see Luke.

  He shook his head, not caring or knowing if anyone around him was watching.

  Collins stepped closer to him and softly elbowed his arm. “You here?”

  Christian turned wide eyes on Collins. He hadn’t realized the agent was so close. Everyone was staring at him. “Here, where?”

  Collins waved his hand at the other people in the room. “Here. With us. With me.”

  Christian realized that they’d been talking and he hadn’t heard a word. Maybe his fear was written all over his face. Either way, they thought he was about to lose it. Maybe he was.

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’m here.”

  Collins gestured at the orderlies. “You might want to listen to these guys, then.”

  Christian took the anteroom in for the first time. There was a white command center desk that was adorned with technology. Video monitors, buttons, digital readouts.

  Dr. Parker frowned at Collins. “If he’s not okay, we need to call this off.”

  Christian didn’t look at her. “I’m okay. Sorry. What were you saying?”

  One of the orderlies, a heavy-set white man, shrugged. Unsure what to do besides follow his boss’ instructions, he waited for Dr. Parker’s nod of approval before starting over.

  “I’ll introduce myself again, I guess? My name is Frank. This is Ted. We’re here to make sure you stay safe while you’re inside the division. Dr. Parker told us she’s gone over protocol with you already, but it won’t hurt to tell you again. That work for everybody here?”

  Christian understood that he was trying to be friendly. Despite wanting to look at the door in front of him, he managed a nod in Frank’s direction.

  “Sure,” Collins agreed.

  Frank nodded. “We only have one wing with this level of security, and inside are the patients who are too dangerous to be around other people. Rehabilitation is continually attempted, but the bottom line is that it’s almost a certainty someone will get hurt if these patients are let out, or if the protocols aren’t followed perfectly.” He paused, letting the gravity of his words hang in the room. “There are multiple cameras monitoring the hallway and the individual units. Each cell is made from reinforced glass. The door to each unit is controlled by our panel up here. It can’t and won’t open while you’re inside.”

  The orderly indicated the door Christian had been fixated on. “This is the only way in and out. Again, it’s controlled by the panel. We will be watching while you’re inside. When you’re ready to leave, we’ll let you out immediately.”

  Collins spoke up. “Your key cards don’t work on the door?”

  The orderly shook his head. “We need to minimize any chance the patients can escape. If they were to injure an orderly or doctor, they could steal our badges and get out. The only way in or out is the panel Ted is sitting at.”

  Collins nodded.

  “When you get in there,” Frank continued, “there are two chairs waiting for you at the end of the hallway. Titan’s room is on the far right. There are two other patients on this wing right now. We have the ability to fog the cell walls, which we’re going to do. They won’t be able to see you, but they’re going to know someone is there and they might scream at you. If that happens, don’t speak to them and keep in mind that you’re perfectly safe. When you get to the chairs, remain seated until you’re ready to leave and don’t go near the glass. You’ll see a green line on the floor. If you cross it, the interview will be over and we’ll come in to remove you. Are there any questions?”

  Christian’s head slowly returned to the window. There wasn’t anything to ask. The protocols were simple enough.

  “You ready?” Collins asked.

  He nodded in response. He knew he wasn’t.

  Collins looked at Dr. Parker. ”We’ll follow the rules. We’ll go in now, if you don’t have any objections.”

  She looked like she wanted to say something, but she nodded at the orderly sitting behind the control panel. Ted pressed a button on the panel and the door opened slowly.

  Frank stepped to the side. “If you need us, just call. We’ll be watching and listening.”

  Collins turned to Christian. When he didn’t move, the agent took the lead and stepped through the door. Christian followed him at his chain-paced shuffle.

  He stopped when the door closed behind them but paid no attention. His focus was captured by the cells to his right and left. The glass walls were grayed-out, as if a heavy fog filled the inside of the cells.

  Collins continued walking but Christian still hesitated, his eyes landing on the last cell on the right. He couldn’t see into it. He could only tell the glass was clear. No fog.

  Is that ironic? he wondered. Given what he does to the insides of people’s minds, filling them with fog?

  Collins stopped and raised his eyebrows at Christian. He didn’t speak, not wanting Titan to hear any missteps from the two of them. Christian sighed and started shuffling again. His choices had brought him here, and he couldn’t sit at the door waiting for someone to let him out.

  The clanking of his chains as he moved along the hallway alerted everyone in their cells. Someone hollered something, but he couldn’t make out the words.

  He was looking at the last cell.

  Luke stepped up to the glass wall. His hands hung loosely at his sides as he turned to face Christian.

  Their eyes met. Christian drew closer and saw that age hadn’t attacked Luke over the past two years. His hair was short and cut more raggedly than it had ever been when he was free. The lines on his face hadn’t spread. His eyes showed no more defeat at being in this cell than they had when he’d carried an FBI badge.

  Collins chose the chair closest to the wall, leaving Christian the one nearest the door. Collins sat down but Christian stood behind the chair and gripped the back with both hands, the chain draping over it.

  “Hello, Christian.” Luke smiled warmly as if he was meeting a long lost friend.

  Christian said nothing as he stared at Luke’s unscarred face, so different from his own.

  He’s got a scar, Christian thought. Even if it’s hidden beneath the gray jumpsuit he’s wearing.

  Luke turned to greet Collins. “I’m sorry. Christian is being rude. My name is Luke Titan. And you are?”

  “Patrick Collins.”

  “Agent Patrick Collins, I presume?” Luke asked.

  Collins nodded, his eyes hard and unforgiving.

  Luke chuckled softly. “A man not big on titles. I can respect that.” He gestured at the empty chair. “Won’t you sit down, Christian?”

  Christian shook his head. “I’ll stand.”

  Silence fell over the group for a few seconds, with Christian and Luke staring at one another. Christian felt Luke’s control trying to seep out of his cell and take over the situation.

  Why am I here? he asked himself. Why did I come to stand in front of this evil creature?

  Collins crossed one leg over the other. “It seems like the cat has both of your tongues, so I’ll start. I’m the one your letters go to, Titan. I read the last one and it was my decision to bring Windsor here.”

  Luke took a few steps back from the cell wall, his eyes shifting back to Collins. “Why was that? Did the letter ring true to you?”

  “Right now, I’m asking myself the same question. I don’t see any reason for being here.” He glanced at the cell beyond Luke. “Everyone has built you up as a mythological monster, but you’re just a man in a cage without the power to do anything.”

  He turned his head to face Christian. “This is the bully messing up your head?”

  Luke chuckled again. “How quickly they forget. Right, Christian? But you haven’t forgotten, have you? That’s why you’re here. What I said in the letter, that’s the truth. Your mind doesn’t function like it used to, and now the Bureau needs your help and you can’t give it to them.”

  Christian felt Collins’ eyes burn into him like hot coals. He was doing nothing but stand behind a chair and stare at the man he had to confront to open the doors in his head. Now he was here? He could barely speak.

  “You don’t see the same thing I do, huh?” Collins stood up and went right to the green line, his right foot nearly touching it. He stared at Luke and snorted in derision. “Whatever he did to you, he can’t do it anymore, Windsor. His power extends as far as that glass wall, and not an inch farther. Truth be told, the power he has inside there is limited to taking a shit and smearing it on the walls for attention. The minute he does that, they’ll put him in a straitjacket and leave him to bang his head against the floor. He can create a mess, but that’s about all he can do. I don’t think anyone would be too upset if it was his blood painting this place.”

  Luke’s warm smile faded to a tight grin that didn’t touch his eyes. “Yet, you’re here, Agent Collins. You brought Christian to me. Interesting, is it not?” He stepped up to the glass, his nose nearly touching it.

  Collins remained standing firm. “Kids go to the zoo to see the animals, Titan.” He didn’t look over his shoulder as he spoke to Christian. “You want to come see the monkey, Windsor? Or are you okay where you’re at?”

  “How did you know there were two of them, Luke?” Christian didn’t move from behind the chair, but his voice was louder than before.

  Luke didn’t glance away from Collins. “Were you able to see that much?”

  “Yeah, but how did you know it from in here?” Christian asked.

  “The world has moved on from me, Christian, but that doesn’t mean I have moved on from the world.” His eyes were dead. He looked right through Collins as if the FBI agent didn’t exist. “What happened when you went to your mansion? I know it’s not working for you, but what happened?”

  Collins stepped back to his chair, finished with entertaining Luke’s madness. Luke didn’t move an inch, he kept staring straight forward in silence, waiting on an answer.

  Christian moved to stand in front of the chair but he didn’t sit down or approach the green line. “Why does it matter to you?”

  Luke’s smile resurfaced. “If you want me to fix you, I need to know the extent of your damage.”

  Christian couldn’t help but laugh. “Fix me, Luke? You think you’re going to fix me?”

  “Isn’t that why you’re here?” Luke asked. “You came here because you need to be fixed, and you hope to accomplish that by talking to me. I’m a psychiatrist, Christian, but you’ll need to tell me what state your mind is in if you want my help.”

  Christian saw Collins’ eyes narrow from the corner of his eye. He’s thinking about getting you out of here. He’s thinking that this is going too far and you might be getting sucked in by this conversation.

  Christian smiled and shifted the chain holding his arms together. “Is that how you thought it would go? That I’d show up and just tell you what’s going on in my head? Then what? You’d analyze me and send me on my way?”

  Luke slowly turned and looked at Christian, his hands remaining at his sides. “What did you think would happen? That you could show up to my cell and regain complete dominion over your mansion again? Is that how you thought this would work?” A smirk twisted the right side of his mouth. “What do you think will happen when you leave here? The doors inside your head will open up?”

  Christian’s smile faded. Perhaps he’d been stupid to come here. He felt the same way he always did around Luke. Completely outmatched. He ignored Collins’ scrutiny. “Someone was waiting for me. They told me things, with the majority of it leading to the fact that I still...”

  He paused, not wanting to say the word.

  What does it matter? Like Luke doesn’t know?

  “The fact that I still fear you,” he finished.

  Luke nodded, no more amusement on his face. He nodded at Collins. “Is it like our friendly FBI agent says? Do you see that I can’t hurt you or anyone else? That I’m only a king in my mind?”

  Christian dropped onto the chair. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “Yes and no, but we both know that. Right now, can you hurt anyone? No. But to have us sit here and talk is not the end of your plan. The rest of them might not believe me. They may think it doesn’t matter one way or another what you want to do because you’re locked up. I hope they’re right and you stay that way. Your turn. How did you know there were two killers, Luke?”

  Luke crossed the cell so that he was standing in front of Christian. “Are you asking me to help the FBI? Haven’t I helped them enough? I think some of the doors in your head will open after this conversation. They might not be the ones you wanted opened. You want me to give them more?”

  Christian said nothing.

  Luke nodded after a moment. “Vengeance is one of the first lessons in the Bible. Cain kills his brother and god punishes him for it, casting him away and making him an endless wanderer. Some may say god was meting out justice, but vengeance always plays a part in justice. What must precede vengeance?”

  “An action,” Christian whispered.

  “Yes, an action must take place in the past, if justice is to be carried out in the present.” Luke turned his palms up in front him. “That’s how I found out there were two killers. I looked into the past, and they looked back at me.”

  Collins opened his mouth to speak, but Christian lifted his left hand as far as the chain would allow. “No. It’s fine. There’s nothing left for us here.”

  Christian stood up. “I know you think you’ll get out of here, Luke, but I don’t believe you will. Your shroud of invincibility is gone, and the people who see you now see you more clearly than I do. They see you as insane, a monster, and alien. Perhaps I’m the only one who still fears you, but Collins is right. There’s a wall between you and I, and there won’t be any need for us to ever speak again once this case is finished. I’ll look in the past and I’ll wander the halls of my mansion. I’ll catch these killers, but you and I?”

  He shook his head. “I’d rather meet the monsters in my head than see them in real life. Goodbye, Luke. Keep writing if you want, whatever helps pass the time.”

  He turned without saying anything else and shuffled back toward the door. Collins could come or stay, but Christian was done. If looking into the past was how Luke had found out about the killers, then fine. He’d do that too.

  “Agent Collins,” Luke called after them. “I do hope you’ll come back and see me when this investigation goes off the rails, as I’m sure it will. Christian, I hope you don’t hold this grudge for too long, for your own sake.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Brian and Bonnie disagreed about what they should do next. They locked themselves in a single room while they fought long arguments over their decision.

  Both of them could hear their family trying to get into the room. Knocking. Jiggling the doorknob. Calling for them to open up and let them in.

  The problem was that they were hearing different things from the people outside.

  Let me in, son, their father said. Why’d y’all stop?

  It’s too soon, their mother called from beyond the door. It’ll draw too much attention.

 

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