Beyond the Palms Page 11

  Thea stood there for a few moments longer; she wanted to cry, to scream, or throw something but instead chose to keep her composure. She walked inside and ascended the elevator to their floor. She decided to push the feelings that flooded her down deep and to keep moving.

  When she walked into the hotel room, the lights were off. Her mother, father, and brother were all asleep. She changed out of her clothes and into a t-shirt and sweatpants before crawling into bed herself.

  “Tomorrow will be a better day.” She said before closing her eyes, hoping to get swept away in her dreams.

  III

  The Risks Have Stakes

  “When we checked in, we signed our name on the dotted line of a death sentence. He would have never let us go, the longer we stayed, the more he planned and plotted our abduction.”

  -Thea Dawson

  Therapy Session 3

  13

  Conspiracy

  Eric looked out the window. Even on the 9th floor, he recognized the two people that walked up the trail from the beach. He shook his head and pulled the thick curtain closed and walked away. He couldn’t understand how his nephew just continually pushed the limit. He didn’t know how to get through to him, he has given him so many chances to make the right decision, but each time, he chooses to do whatever he wants anyway. How could he not understand after seeing Elizabeth? He knew his nephew in his current state of mind did not have what it takes to hurt others; he always looked the other way growing up despite his father pushing him into this way of life. Alex simply cared too much for people he didn’t even know. His father hated it, he wanted to turn him into a killer, and the most ruthless successor he could. However, he repeatedly failed and continually pulled away from this way of life. Eric had hoped showing him what his father had done would scare him into leaving the poor Dawson girl alone, he was wrong.

  Eric thought back to when his brother had told him that he had put Elizabeth in the cage. His brother ranted about how soft his son was.

  “He couldn’t even look at them, Eric; he just looked down at the floor. He didn’t even make it through the bidding.”

  “How the hell is he supposed to be my successor, the man walked out before the convention started. I walked outside the convention room to make sure he was OK, and the pathetic excuse for a man threw up in the corridor trash can. At least he had the audacity to leave the room; if he had done that in front of the members, lord help me, I would have shoved him into one of those cages myself. He is an embarrassment to me, and a disgrace to the grounds to which the convention was created,” his brother boasted.

  “Give him a break; he’s not made to be in this, the boy has too much compassion for life. He is like his mother, and you know that. Our father thought the same about you once upon a time. It wasn’t until—” Eric broke off.

  “No, don’t make him do this.”

  Eric looked at the unconscious woman on the floor of the cage.

  “Killing his mother made me the man I am, he will do the same,” his brother had already made up his mind and Eric knew it. There would be no getting him to waiver on a decision. Once he had made one, it was final.

  “Our father wanted you to prove your worth. When he made the convention, you clung to his ways like they were of your own making. You chose to kill her to prove that you were capable of taking his place as the lead of the Black Arbor Convention. He never asked or made you do it. You never loved that woman as much as you were devoted to the Convention. You treated that woman as a slave, forcing her to stay with you because you wanted a successor. After she gave you that, you were through with her, and what better way to get rid of her than to kill two birds with one stone. Alex loved Elizabeth, and she loved him until you screwed that up,” Eric explained, hoping to find some sort of compassion.

  His brother’s fist crunched against the bones of Eric’s face knocking him back against the floor.

  “Don’t tell me how to raise my son! I proved to him that the woman wouldn’t love him for who he was, for what he would become. I am dying Eric, he will be taking my place soon, and I need him to see that as the leader, we don’t have the luxury of having a loving family. They will leave, or worse, lead to his imprisonment or death. Yes, I told her what she needed to hear; Alex certainly wouldn’t have ever done so. She would’ve found out eventually; we can’t live two separate lives like other members of the convention. For them, they get to leave their jobs and families for a week and do as they wish only to return once the convention is over. We, well, we must make sure this hotel stays standing, we have to run it 365 days a year and make sure that the secrets of the convention are kept. That is our promise to the members of the BAC. That is how we control the chaos of people like us, who have the urge to do things that others look down on, the need to cut flesh, and inflict pain like others need caffeine. That is our curse, and Alex needs to understand that he doesn’t get a ticket out of this. I have been lenient on him and let him have as much of a normal life as I could, for as long as I could. There are stakes that come with this life, and it’s not just his that would be in jeopardy if Elizabeth shared our secrets. It would bring down everyone in the entire convention,” Eric felt like his brother could go on for hours, in an effort to get him to join his side of the fight. He wouldn’t, he would respect his brother’s decision, but would also know it was wrong.

  “She promised you that she wouldn’t tell anyone, why not let her disappear?” Eric pleaded.

  “Promises can be broken, and we can not take that risk. Therefore, Elizabeth will be the example that I and the rest of the convention need to see to be assured that Alex can fill my shoes.”

  His brother closed the door to the room that contained the cages. He grabbed his brother’s shoulder with his left hand and turned him to see his face.

  “I don’t know how long I have left. Cancer that has rendered my body almost useless is aggressive. I need you to make sure Alex does this. He will do it at the next convention. It is not just me that has doubts, but many of the members do as well. It must wait until then, they need to see, especially if I am to pass before then. Do I have your word?,” his brother asked.

  “Yes, if you feel this is what has to be done and that there is no other way, then I will.”

  Eric answered, defeat and fear leaked through his voice.

  Since the conversation with his brother, he has kept the girl alive in the cage he designed. Each day, Eric watched as Elizabeth sunk further into the pool of insanity. He wasn’t sure if it was from the captivity, malnutrition, or the dark that caused her humanity to wither away. He just knew that he had to honor his brother’s wishes.

  It wasn’t long after that conversation that his brother passed, and since he has tried so hard to keep his legacy alive and to keep Eric from becoming a monster, but knowing he has to be the one to lead. The convention rules state that the firstborn is the be the successor throughout the generations forward, and if the leader of the BAC is to pass without a successor or an unwilling one, then the torch shall be given to the second in commands bloodline. He wished the responsibility would fall onto himself; however, the second in command at the time of the creation of the convention was Roger Malcolm. He has since passed as well, but the torch was being handed to his grandson, James Malcolm. He had worked in the bar downstairs for years from the time he became old enough to do so to the present. The boy seemed so nice throughout the year, but he terrified him during the convention. He was sick and twisted as were any serial killer in the head, and Eric was aware of it. However, James became the ripper the moment he stepped on to the marble floor. He practically foamed from the mouth each year as he walked around, looking in the cages to pick his victim. It was enough to send chills down the spines of those who killed alongside him. He refused to let someone like that take ownership of his hotel. He poured his blood, sweat, and tears into it.

  Each year Eric helped set the convention up and was a part of the planning and running it. He had no interest in taki
ng part in the event itself, but if it meant that he got to run this hotel and keep his daughter safe from this vicious world, he would. One thing he never understood about James is that he could turn the primal instincts off until the following year, it was incredible. He watched his brother each year throughout their lives struggle to wait until the convention; his brother looked at people like they were food and just waited patiently for the time to come that he had free reign to do his bidding. James was a whole different species.

  He had seen James talk to those who sat at the bar. He was such a happy and charming young man. He had an infectious smile, and people gravitated toward him for it. He was even friends with Alex when they were younger; the boys were glued at the hip. James was a part of the convention first, and although Alex knew about it, he didn’t join until last year after his father threatened to take away his livelihood. He saw what his friend had become on the marble floors of the convention hall. The differences were there. James looked excited and ready to rip into the first thing that moved where Alex had looked ready to pass out.

  If it weren’t for the fact that Eric knew James wouldn’t let him continue to run the hotel and hated him with a passion, he would think he would be a good fit for the position. However, James wanted him dead, and the fact that his family was the leader of the convention protected him from it.

  Eric let the curtains fall back across the window and block the view of Alex pulling the blonde woman beside him in for a kiss. He turned around and walked into the dining room of his condo. His daughter sat there, typing on her laptop. She was a freshman in college this year. Her mother had passed in childbirth and since it has just been the two of them. He never thought he could love something so much. Yet, even though the pain of losing her mother, as he held that little girl in his arms, he knew that he would never let her go.

  James had asked her on a date a year ago. As soon as she had mentioned it, Eric flew down to the lobby and threatened to remove him from existence. He thought James would kill him right there, but he didn’t know what else to do other than try and make his anger known in hopes that he would leave her be. It was his brother who stopped him, and that he respected. If his brother hadn’t put him in his place, there was no telling what would’ve happened.

  Even now, he saw the way James looked at her, and it wasn’t in a loving way but rather in lust for blood to be spilled. Eric refused to leave this hotel, and he refused to let that man anywhere near his daughter just on the sheer fact that he knew what he was capable of doing. The bloodthirsty monster he knew James to be, didn’t exist then he might have approved. Eric had just seen too much of what he was capable of to subject his daughter to him. If James took over the convention, he would be out for his blood, and the only thing stopping him from doing so right now is that his way of life would be at stake if Alex were to kick him out of the convention. James would have to find another way of relieving his urges, and no other way was nearly as safe. This hotel was built for them to get away with what they do; there wasn’t a chance in hell for the Aruban police to discover what they do. Even if they did, they had ways to escape undetected, and they could start over elsewhere. James didn’t have the financial ability to start over without the support of the group.

  Eric brushed his daughter’s hair out of her face and turned in behind her ear. She reached up and pulled a single earbud out of the adjacent ear and looked at him.

  “Hey, Daddy,” she said looking up to him.

  “Hey there sweetie, how is the schoolwork coming?” Eric asked his daughter.

  “Good! I am almost done, just looking over my paper before I send it over,” she said, flipping page after page out of the stack in front of her.

  “That’s great! Well, don’t stay up too late. I am going to get some sleep. I love you.” He said as he kissed the top of her head.

  “I love you too.”

  She smiled at him as he walked away from her and toward his room. He knew what he had to do. He didn’t like it, but his nephew would rise to the occasion, and he would have to kill Elizabeth tomorrow night. There was no other way that he could protect himself, his daughter, and his nephew without forcing him to do it.

  As Eric climbed into bed, he thought about a conversation he had earlier with Eddie. He asked Eddie to go through the recording of room 801. He wanted to make sure that there would be no problems tomorrow night with the convention, and part of that was making sure lose strings didn’t interfere with the itinerary, especially after what their boy saw in the maids’ cart and could’ve overheard. Eric needed to be sure; he couldn’t have hiccups or possible interruptions. Eric hoped that the family was none the wiser about what was going on. If there were doubts—He wasn’t sure how to handle it. Tomorrow, he would have the answers he needed to move forward.

  14

  Game Over

  A few days later, Jack stared down the screen on the gaming console in the arcade. He desperately wanted to beat the high score and was completely entranced in the game. He slammed away on the trigger of the attached plastic gun and pretended to blow up the small spaceship blips that passed across the screen. 1000 point…….1500 points….. he was so close. He felt a dainty hand nudge his arm. He instantly lost concentration, and the large red letters ‘GAME OVER’ taunted him. He let out the breath that he had been holding and looked over to see Jane sitting next to him.

  “Hey there!” Her voice rang in his head. It was angelic and like a siren’s call all at once. She was mesmerizing. He blinked a few times, reluctant to accept that she was here. When he realized that she was still was sitting next to him, he finally answered.

  “Well, hello there.”

  Jack was determined to put on his charm; he leaned back against the plastic seat to the arcade game and relaxed. He looked at Jane and saw the redness of her face intensify.

  “I had to make sure you didn’t beat my high score.”

  She winked at him; he felt the blood rush to his face. His tongue became tied. “Well, so much for playing it cool.” He thought.

  “Oh, I see how it is. Maybe we should have a one on one competition if you want to be so cocky.” He smiled at her and swept a chunk of hair out of her face back over her shoulder.

  He saw her hesitate to look away shyly, but instead, she grinned and said,

  “You’re on, and I know just where to start. However, I’m not sure you can gimp fast enough to keep up.” She teased.

  He followed her out of the bench seat and around the arcade to the basketball hoop game.

  “OK, I am sure you’ve seen one of these based off of—” she trailed off looking him up and down.

  “Never mind, the point of the game is to make as many baskets as possible, got it?”

  “You bet.”

  Jack responded. He was ready to let her win. That was the proper way to compete with a girl.

  She slid a game card into her machine, and Jack did the same. Both games turned on, lights flashed in brightly lit colors. The sound of the music filled the air between them. They stood side by side; both of their basketball games were pushed next to each other. They had planned for the marketing technique that people would compete like they were about to. Their hoops were separated by two nets pressed up against each other, one for his and one for hers. The game had a large green start button in front of him, and just below the panel, the button was attached to the ball return.

  They looked at each other, each holding a hand over the button.

  “Ready?” he asked. Jane nodded in response.

  “Ready!”

  “OK, on three. ONE…TWO… THREE!”

  They both reached out and slapped the button. Multiple basketballs launched out of an opening under the hoop, rolled, and bobbled down towards each of them. Jack picked up one of the basketballs at a time and shot his best free throws. Each one bounced off the backboard into the net and bounced back to him. He looked at his score, the black light up sign showed a red 6. He peeked at hers, “20! How? OK, scre
w making it easy.” He picked up the pace, 13, 14, 15…. Until the game completely turned off and flashed their final score on the main screen.

  “Yes! Don’t take it personally, just like with the other game. I have head years of practice.” She said, giggling at him.

  “OK, let’s not get too carried away. I was trying to go easy on you until you started channeling your inner basketball star.”

  She laughed and looked at her feet, nervously.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just really didn’t expect you to be so good at it. It was kind of amazing.”

  She smiled and looked up at him in amusement. She changed the subject.

  “So, where are you from?”

  “We live in the States. California, to be exact.”

  “Nice! That is where my cousin lives; I am planning to move to L.A. soon. It was my Dad’s wish. I just started my first semester of college a couple of months ago and currently doing online classes. He wants me to stay in the dorms at UCLA this fall. Where do you go to college there?”

  “Oh, um. I don’t actually.”

  “Oh…”

  Jack saw the discontent in her facial expression; he wasn’t sure which would be worse. The fact that he was younger than her and about to graduate high school or lying and saying that he’s just not in college. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to or not. He decided telling the truth would be the best option.

  “I am graduating high school in May.” He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed the back of his neck. He was waiting for her to become no longer interested in his company.

  “Oh, I see. Well, do you plan on going to college?”

  “Well, I am not going to lie; UCLA sounds like it will be a good place for me to start in fall. Especially if I know that you’ll be there.”

  Jack noticed that his age didn’t seem to bother her and was relieved.