Secrets and Lies | ✔️

Chapter 8 - Jackson

Ch8 - Jackson Levitt

Florida.

It had been several years since he'd last traveled those sunny, southern roads. Business had taken him there then, and business was taking him there now. Only this would be an assignment of a different kind.

He loaded the last of his bags into the trunk of a rented 2011 Honda Accord - a little too common for his expensive tastes - but he knew he would have no need for a luxury vehicle on this trip. He would just have to make due driving the four-year-old silver sedan, with gray cloth interior and an unsightly luggage rack on top. The car was normal, average, and he hoped it would help him blend into the crowd of hard-working, middle-class Americans with whom he was about to mingle. With any luck, he wouldn't be in the Sunshine State for long. He had every intention of getting in, doing what he had to do, and getting out. Quick and easy. Back to the comfort of his lavish home and away from the small rental he would be residing in. He wasn't looking forward to the swampy scenery Florida had to offer, he much preferred the rolling mountains and glistening sapphire waters he was accustomed to.

He hopped into the cramped driver's seat and inserted the key, bringing the engine to life. Taking one last look at the beautiful home behind him, he set out, determination gleaming in his seasoned blue eyes. He glanced into the rear view mirror and noted with annoyance the lines that now etched his face. They'd gotten deeper over the last few years, more prominent - caused by stress, no doubt. His skin looked weathered, beaten, as if every aged crease revealed a long-hidden secret. He'd suffered a great loss not very long ago, and the weight of that trouble hung heavy in the thick air that followed him. They say losing a child is the most horrific catastrophes a parent could ever endure, and he was now able to attest to that fact. And even though he hadn't seen his son in several years prior to the tragedy, the unexpected disaster still caused him great pain.

Senseless. A cowardly act performed by the lowest form of life.

His son's death had been no accident. He'd been murdered, in cold blood. Shot in the forehead at point-blank range. He hadn't even had a weapon in his possession to defend himself.

What kind of monster is capable of something like that?

The forced absence of his son from his life had been through no fault of his own, of course. It had been the boy's doing. The last time he'd seen his offspring in the flesh had been at his wife's funeral. Married nearly twenty-two years before she'd passed away unexpectedly. Their son had been going on twenty at the time, a sophomore in college. He'd taken the news rather hard, too, sobbing like a child. The boy had been unusually close with his mother - a little too close if you asked him. His wife had coddled him from the very beginning, and the over-nurturing did nothing to foster his sense-of-self. Their son had a bit of a soft side, much too delicate for his rugged tastes. Men were supposed to be stronger than that. He'd warned his wife countless times to let the boy become a man, but she just couldn't listen. Or wouldn't listen...he still wasn't sure which.

There's nothing I can do about it now, it's too late. Time to let it go. Easier said than done.

He shook his head, trying to clear his cluttered mind. Reaching toward the dashboard, he pushed on the radio, turning the dial until a classical music station filtered throughout the compact car. The soothing sounds of Debussy and Mozart always seemed to ease his frayed nerves - along with a hefty glass of Cabernet, which would be illegal at this point in time - and he was in for a very long drive across the country. If he was ever going to make it to his destination without going insane, he would need to find different ways to occupy his thoughts, and help chase away the dark clouds that had been lingering for much too long.

But what is sanity..?

The question had been plaguing him quite a bit as of late.

One person's craziness is another person's reality. Oh, where had he heard that quote? It didn't much matter where he'd heard it, it was the truth. Who cared where it came from or who'd said it first.

As the silver sedan approached the jagged terrain of the Rocky Mountains, his mind was far too busy to take notice of the astonishing landscape around him. The bouldered range stretched as far as the eye could see, with peaks climbing high into the turquoise sky, far beyond the swollen clouds. Travelers came from far and wide to experience the awe of the Continental Divide. To see the sights, climb the summits, view the wildlife. He'd never been a big fan of wildlife, himself. He was just passing through, on his way to overly-sunny pastures.

Florida. A State of Embarrassment. He'd read an article titled that just the year before. High home foreclosure rates. Poor emergency medical care. Regressive taxes. Behind Florida's famous palm trees and exotic tropical birds, lies a state with a multitude of problems. The Wilson family being one of them.

Some days, he felt as if he might be going insane, slipping a little farther and farther away from sensibility. Could that happen if one was left alone with their thoughts for too long? How long had he been living on his own now? It had to be going on fifteen years.

Fifteen years. My how time flies...

His son would be thirty-five right now, that is, if he were alive. So full of life, so full of promise and potential. The boy had really made a name for himself, and without his help. Pure luck, of course. Who could believe it? He could have been of great assistance to him, helping further his career and climb even higher up the corporate ladder. If only he hadn't been so foolish! But no, he'd severed the ties that bound them together.

What's done is done. I can't change the past, all I can do is make sure the future goes according to plan... My plan.

And he had lots of plans. Plans that he'd been plotting out for quite some time now. Plans that were three long years in the making. He'd had to wait. Patiently. If he'd acted too quickly it would have seemed suspicious, it would have ruined everything. Timing was essential. It was smartest to just lay low until the storm had passed. And he was nothing if not smart.

The moment had finally arrived. No longer was he bound by restraining chains, there was no need to confine himself any longer. His careful calculations were about to pay off. An opportunity had risen, opening the door for him to slide in and strike.

He had a job to do.

It was up to him to redeem his son's actions, to right the wrong that had been made. If the boy had been more careful, maybe he would have met his goal. But that hadn't been the case. He'd acted too quickly, got caught up in the moment. He'd gotten himself killed.

He knew what needed to be done.

And he was going to do it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Welcome to the story, Jackson Levitt - any idea who he might be? ;)

Hello, and thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter I ask that you please remember to vote.

This chapter is dedicated to my WPC2014 friend @JoshTownley! He is an amazing author and an incredible artist, as well! I hope you will check out this talented Wattpadder by heading over to his profile page. He has some super creepy stories waiting for you!