Escaping the Psycho's Grasp novel Chapter 4

The family's plan for revenge unfolded faster than I'd anticipated. No sooner had I stepped off the Amtrak in the middle of nowhere than I found myself walking down a narrow alleyway that connected the station to the bus stop.

I'd barely turned the corner when five guys jumped me. They were a menacing sight: tattooed skin, biker jackets, and an arsenal of baseball bats and machetes. efore I could even think of defending myself, their leader closed the distance between us. "You the punk who messed with my son?" he snarled, his fist connecting with my face in a sickening crunch.

The unexpected blow sent me reeling. As I stumbled to the ground, the other guys immediately pinned me down. "Little bastard, How dare you lay a hand on my kid!" He crouched down, grabbing my hair. "There are no cameras here. I could cripple you, and no one would ever know."

He leaned in, his voice a venomous whisper. "I'm gonna teach you what happens when you mess with the wrong people."

That's when I heard the magic words.

No cameras?

No witnesses?

Jackpot!

And now, I finally had a chance to put them to good use.

The dad was the first to recover. He swung his baseball bat at my head. I didn't even flinch. I raised the machete and brought it down towards his skull.

It was a suicide move, a head-on collision. Like two drivers playing chicken, whoever blinked first was the loser.