She heard a sound. The hint of a sound really, but it was enough to trigger her years of training. She leaped to one side, whirling to face her stepfather. His hands and arms were wet with blood, his shirt splattered and stained. He was smiling, his face serene, his eyes warm with welcome.
“They’re gone now, honey. We won’t ever have to listen to their whining again.” Tyler held out a hand to her, clearly expecting her to take it.
Jaxon backed a cautious step down the hall. She didn’t want to alarm Tyler. He didn’t seem to notice he had blood all over him. “I’m supposed to be in school, Uncle Tyler.” Her voice didn’t sound natural even to her own ears.
A sudden scowl crossed his face. “You haven’t called me Uncle Tyler since you were eight years old. What happened to Daddy? Your mother turned you against me, didn’t she?” He was moving toward her.
Jaxon stayed very quiet, very still, a look of innocence on her face. “No one could ever turn me against you. That would be impossible. And you know Mom doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
Tyler relaxed visibly. He was close enough to touch her. Jaxon couldn’t allow that; her tremendous self-discipline would not extend far enough to let him touch her with the blood of her family on his hands. She struck without warning, jabbing a fist straight into his throat, kicking his kneecap hard. The moment she connected, Jaxon turned and ran. She didn’t look back once. She didn’t dare. Tyler was trained to respond despite being injured. In any case, she was very small compared to her stepfather. Her blows might stun him but would never incapacitate him completely. With luck her kick might have broken his knee, but she doubted it. Jaxon ran through the house and straight out the door. Rebecca had always liked the protection of living on the naval base, and Jaxon was grateful now. She screamed at the top of her lungs, running straight across the street to Russell Andrews’s house.
Russell’s wife, Bernice, rushed out to meet her, distress on her face. “What is it, dear? Are you hurt?”
Russell joined them, circling Jaxon’s slender shoulders with one arm. “Is your mother ill?” He knew better; he knew Jaxon. She was always a child in complete control, calm under fire, always thinking. If Rebecca were ill, Jaxon would have called for medical aid. Right now her face was so pale, she looked like a ghost. There was horror in her eyes, terror in her expression. Russell glanced across the street at the silent house with its door wide open. The wind was blowing, the air crisp and cold. For some unknown reason, the house gave him the creeps.
Russell started across the street. Jaxon caught his arm. “No, Uncle Russell, not by yourself. You can’t save them. They’re already dead. Call the MPs.” .
“Who’s dead, Jaxon?” Russell asked quietly, knowing Jaxon wouldn’t lie.
“Mathew and my mother. Tyler killed them. He told Mom he killed my father, too. He’s been so strange and violent lately. He hated Mother and Mathew. I tried to tell you, but none of you would believe me.” Jaxon was sobbing, her hands over her face. “You wouldn’t listen to me. None of you would listen.” She felt so sick, her stomach rebelling, her mind replaying the scenes she’d just seen until she thought she might go insane. “There was so much blood. He gouged out Mathew’s eyes. Why would he do that? Mathew was only a little boy.”
Russell pushed her toward Bernice. “See to her, honey. She’s going into shock.”
“He killed everyone, my entire family. He took everyone away from me. I didn’t save them,” Jaxon said softly. Bernice hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry, Jaxon, you’re with us.”
*****
Jaxon, Seventeen years old
“Hey, beautiful.” Don Jacobson leaned down to ruffle Jaxon’s mop of wild blond hair. He tried not to act too possessive. Jaxon always shot down anyone who tried to get close to her. She had a wall erected so high around her, no one seemed to be able to break into her world. Since the death of her family, Don had seen her laugh only with Bernice and Russell Andrews and their daughter, Sabrina. Sabrina was two years older than Jaxon and home for spring break. “Where you off to in such a hurry? Master-Chief told me your times were better than his new recruits.'”