by Alan Wild
He smiled, laughed, and thought, “Living alone with no one to talk to has given me all the time in the world to think about what I would do in a situation like this.”
The sound of someone with heavy feet, stomping around, made Noah go still. Listening for more noises. He returned to his struggle with the rope. The sound of a door flying open startled him, he jumped out of his skin. Regaining his composure, Noah fell back into the position he found himself in when he regained consciousness. The stench from the cat piss was terrible; however, the smell of onions, mold, dirty feet, and poor hygiene of the man moving close to him was outright nauseating. The strike to his face sent his limp neck and closed eyes lolling around as his head landed back in the slumped position. The man screams out of frustration. “Fuck, god damn brownie packer. Pussy ass cock sucker, Wake the fuck up!”
Noah remained still; his plan was working. The man stomps up the stairs leaving the lights on. Taking inventory and making a mental note of items in the room he is held captive in. In the box sitting by the wall, Noah sees the things he can use to protect himself. Wiggling his arms and legs at the same time brings him a little comfort as the rope is loosening.
Being a wallflower his entire life, Noah observed several times that people will tell you how they expect you to behave or react; you just have to pay attention to their words, actions, and facial expressions. It is now clear what Noah had to do.
“I need to act afraid and cry. I need to shake in terror and let this guy think he has power over me. Shit, if I am being honest, I am afraid. He can cut me up any time he wants. Shit get it together. Don’t go there. Give him what he wants and let him think he has power. You can do this.” Noah tried grasping at whatever he could to remain sane and coherent. Taking a deep breath, the first thing that came to mind is Oliver.
“This beautiful, kind, and caring man came into my life and saved me from myself, saved me in more ways than even he knows. His touch is so soft, and he is attentive. He is so beautiful, and he can have anyone he wants. He has people all over wanting him. Ray wants him. I’ve seen how Nate looks at him like he is a refreshing tall glass of water on a hot summer day. Even Willa wants to…what did she say again? She wants to sample his spread like the snack that he is.
And…he wants me. ME, what if he wakes up and decides that I am too weird, I already fucked his life up with all this shit.”
“Oh My God! What if Oliver is gone. What if this sick fuck killed him? We were together when he attacked me. I am sure Oliver would have fought him off. Oh, my God.”
Noah was crying again. The man he didn’t even know existed two weeks ago became someone he couldn’t imagine living without. Every sob, every tear that fell, brought the sinking feeling that he would have to go back to the lonely life he had before Oliver. “How am I ever going to face his friends? They accepted me into their life and their circle without question. They treated me like I was part of their beautiful created family.”
The sobs were causing him to shake, His breathing was broken, and he tried to think of Oliver telling him to breathe. He tried to think of all the breathing exercises that the wonderful man talked him through. The thoughts flooded Noah’s mind “Oliver’s voice, his touch, his smell, and the way he cares about the people he surrounds himself with.
Noah couldn’t stop crying, sobbing, and he was on the verge of a panic attack. His plan to remain still had failed him. Standing in front of him was Sal, with a smile so big. He said, “Hey, pussy bitch, I am glad you could join me.” Without warning, Sal delivered two quick blows hitting Noah. The first punch missed his face and hit his shoulder; pain shot through Noah’s body. His shoulder, on fire from the strike, had dislocated. The second punch landed on his jaw. Tasting blood, Noah pushed the spit out of his mouth in the most dramatic fashion. Screaming and crying, he said, “I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Sal raised his hand again, ready to bitch slap, Noah. The tormented and tied up man flinched, jumping, sending another round of searing pain from his shoulder. Laughing with spit flying out of his mouth, Noah could see the remains of what he assumed was tuna fish salad stuck to Sal’s teeth. Sal breathed in an exaggerated breath and said, “My dad was right, you really are a faggot ass pussy. Look at you shake; a real man would take it.” Sal looked Noah over and began laughing and pointing at his crotch, “You even pissed yourself. You fucking pissed your pants, pussy fag!”
Noah asked, “What do you want with me. What did I ever do to you?” His face scrunched up, eyebrows slamming together in a scowl when he spoke, spit flew. With venomous disdain, Sal spits out the words, “It is nothing you did. You are just a pussy. There isn’t anything you could do to hurt me. No, this is about what is rightfully mine. This is about revenge! After all, we all have to pay for the sins of our fathers.”
Raising his hand again to strike Noah, Sal abruptly stopped when the sound of the doorbell rang frantically. Sal reached out and pinched Noah, digging his filthy nails into the flesh of the tied man’s belly. Noah, let out a genuine cry as memories of his childhood flooded his brain. Sal said, “Shut the fuck up, one more sound, and I am going to knock you out.” Noah cried louder. To his surprise, when Sal punched him, dislocating his shoulder, it also loosened the rope. Noah could easily just pull his hand out of the knot. Before he could make his move, His eyes caught Sal’s movement. Pouring something on a filthy rag, Sal covered Noah’s nose and mouth. Trying not to breathe, Noah lost his battle, and darkness took him in no time.
When Noah regained consciousness, he was alone again. The lights were blazing bright, everything was foggy. Blinking several times made the fogginess disappear. Looking around the room, Noah again took note of the contents in the basement to make sure nothing changed. Moving his arm, he sent pain shooting up his neck, down his back, and throbbing in his shoulder. Noah told himself to think, “What can you use to fight back with. He saw boxes of handmade pillows, dolls with doilies, old cat toys, and a lamp without a lampshade. The lamp was dated from the ’70s, made of amber glass with specks of gold. It had a large glass ball at the bottom and several other smaller balls tapering up the base.
Deciding it would have to make do, Noah began plotting out his plan. Not knowing how long he had before Sal returned, he pulled his arm out, and the pain shot up, making him gasp. Rising to grab the lamp, he tripped, forgetting he didn’t untie his feet. Landing on his face in a pile of cat litter, Noah was reminded of his fall the morning he woke up screaming. With Oliver sitting on his bed, rubbing his leg and his back. His body reacted to the touch as his erection grew.
Shaking off the memory and smiling at his stupidity, Noah slipped out of his shoes and pulled his feet out of the rope. He jolted over and grabbed the lamp; the cord was stuck between an old discarded Epson printer and a stack of white plastic three-ring binders full of papers. Closer inspection revealed the notebooks were sales instruction for something called Amway. Pulling the cord, the printer on top of it made a loud noise. Stopping to hear if Sal was coming, Noah struggled to hear anything over the pounding in his ears.
Placing the lamp behind a stack of boxes by the chair he was tied to, Noah sat back in the chair, making it appear as though he hadn’t moved. Loosening the rope around his legs so when he had to move, he could get out fast. He sat and waited for Sal’s return. Noah’s mind began to wander as he spotted the plastic container containing the chemical Sal used to knock him out. “What the hell is that?” Squinting, he read “Chloro…” He couldn’t read the rest. He tried to guess what it was. Just as the name came to him, he heard Sal stomping down the stairs. “Chloroform”
Back in front of Noah stood Sal. Noah raised his head and asked, “What do you want from me?”
Sal scowled and said, “I am going to take the money that is rightfully mine. Then, you are going to suffer the way your dad made my dad suffer.” Noah gave it some thought and began to escalate, losing his temper. “Suffer, Suffer? Don’t fucking talk to me about Suffering. Your dad poured boiling
coffee on me. He ruined my life. My father was protecting your mother. He beat the shit out of her the same way he beat the shit out of you. But you don’t remember that because you were just a baby. Is that what makes you think you can kill people and get away with it? Did he give you brain damage?”
Sal was faster with his fist than Noah imagined possible. He didn’t even see it coming. The punch to his belly sent all air out of his lungs, leaving him gasping. Sal said, “That shut you up really good, now, didn’t it?” As he was trying to catch his breath, Noah watched as Sal set up what appeared to be an old camcorder. Pressing the record button, Sal said in a falsetto voice, let's begin, shall we pussy fag?
Noah spotted the massive knife in Sal’s back pocket. Trying to buy time, Noah asked, “So, how are you going to get the money? I have it in several accounts, to transfer that much money, I would have to do it in person. How is that going to work?” Sal gave it some thought and said, “It is too late for that. I found enough money stashed in this house to keep me set for a very long time, so you don’t matter anymore. I probably won’t even make it out of here alive anyway.
“What do you mean, you won’t make it out of here alive? Where are we anyway?” Sal stood there with a look of pity. He asked, “Are you really that stupid? That fucking pretty boy cunt of yours has the pigs beating down the door. Noah felt a sigh of relief as he thought, “Thank god, Oliver is alive.”
Noah needed to buy himself time, so he asked, “Do you even want to know about your mother?” With a look of disgust, Sal said, “Nah, why do I want to know anything about that bitch? She gave me up.” Noah shook his head and said, so that is what they told you. It’s not true. Rage building up in his chest, Sal began to growl. “How would you fucking know? You don’t know shit!” Noah said, “I know your mother named you after your father so he would love you. She was afraid he would beat you like he beat her.”
“She was pregnant late in life, and all she could do is worry about you. After you were born, your mother and father moved to their own apartment after living with your aunt and uncle. That is when the abuse started back up. He beat her daily. She was holding you in her arms when he pulled you from her and knocked you to the floor. He beat her unconscious, and when she came to, you were lying on the floor. You weren’t crying or even moving. She picked you up and tried everything she could to get you to eat. Finally, you started to take milk. Your father came home that night and told your mother that she was going to give you up to his brother. He thought that you were going to grow up with brain damage.”
Raging with anger, he picked up a box full of VHS tapes and threw it across the room. He said, “Bullshit! That is not what happened, He said “Your whole family was lying sacks of shit.” Noah screamed back “Why would I lie? Why would she lie to us? She was miserable after your dad was out of her life. He beat her down, and she gave up. She gave up on life. She was a bitch to everyone around her. That is how she protected herself, but everyone who got close to her, let her down and disappointed her. I spent years of my life taking care of her. I changed her diapers, and I fucking fed her. She pushed everyone else away.”
Sal said, “What, do you want me to thank you for taking care of my so-called loving mother? Is that what you want? Huh, pussy boy? With the captor exploding and losing his temper, Noah had Sal exactly where he wanted him to be. He began to pull his hands out from the ropes. Sal screamed, “Fuck you, I am done talking.” Pulling out the knife, He started in Noah’s direction. The first cut made Noah gasp. Making every effort to remain focused. He remembered to stay on track with his plan. Noah let out the loudest scream he could muster. The sound startled Sal. He jumped and slapped Noah. As he was reaching out to cut again, Noah screamed as someone began to beat on the door.
Chapter 25
Oliver Thaddeus
Oliver woke, reaching over to feel for Noah. First came despair at knowing that Noah wasn’t with him. Not knowing if Noah was safe or even if he is alive. The thought that Noah could be dead has Oliver shaking. “He can’t be dead; He has to be okay.” Using his fear as motivation, Oliver pulled his beaten and bruised body out of bed.
With his head throbbing, he pulled his clothes on slowly, moaning when he caught the T-shirt on his stitches. Looking for a pair of socks and his shoes, looking up, he startled and jumped, “Fucking hell, Jesus Christ.” Standing in his doorway was a woman he didn’t recognize. She gave a slight smile and said, “Don’t let my mom hear you talk like that. Even with her bum hip, she will kick your ass then wash your mouth out with soap.” Walking over to Oliver, she said, “Hey, I’m Nora.” Oliver stuck his hand out. Nora pushed it away and said, “You are sleeping with my brother; he obviously loves you, so we are past handshakes.” She moved closer to Oliver, pulling him into her arms.
The hug reminded him of Noah, and he broke down sobbing. “He has to be okay.” Holding onto Oliver, she said, “Knowing my brother the way I do; I am sure he is fine. He made it this far in life, and I am sure he isn’t going to fall victim to a psychotic freak. Noah is a survivor.” Oliver pulled back and said, “We need to find him. I can’t just lay around waiting for someone to find him.”
Nora smiled and said, “I knew I liked you for a reason. Everyone is downstairs waiting for an update. Let’s go join them.”
Walking down the stairs, Nora pulled Oliver close and said, “Just let me help you damn it. Plus, I kind of owe you. I have your friends terrified of me. Sergeant Matthews was my first victim. He has a better understanding of where I am coming from. I used my FBI contacts to get his personal phone number. After I finished, the man was sporting two assholes. I might consider apologizing if he finds my brother. Oliver said, “I am happy you have your brother’s back. I am so sorry I failed to keep him safe.” Nora squeezed his arm. “Stop, I heard what happened, and there is nothing you could have done. Are you telling me that you weren’t drugged up, knocked out and beaten? Is that what you are saying?”
Oliver rolled his eyes, “No, I was knocked out and beaten. I should have been more careful, so we had a fighting chance.” Moving into the dining room where everyone had gathered, Nora stood on her tippy toes and whispered in his ear. “He got you from behind. There is nothing you could have done. So shut the fuck up, and let's find my brother. And if you tell my mother or my brother that I cussed at you, I will end you. Just blink if you agree.”
Once Oliver was spotted, everyone began to speak at once. Willa spoke louder than everyone, though, “Is there something in your eyes Ollie? I think I have some eye drops in my bag.”
Someone spoke up that he at first didn’t recognize until he heard what she said “He is fine, that is just my sister being a bitch. I’m sure she told him to blink twice if he understands or some shit like that.” Oliver smiled and said, “You must be NelDean” She moved over and pushed her sister out of the way to hug Oliver. She said, “Mom can’t wait to meet you, she is still recovering, the trip really took it out of her, so she is still sleeping. Nora said, “I guess giving her a sleeping pill didn’t have anything to do with her still sleeping.” NelDean said, “Nora, her son is missing, and she is still recovering. She needs to sleep. I didn’t give it to her anyway, the nurse here did,”
Ajay pulled Oliver into a hug and said, sit down before you fall over. Pulling out a chair, Oliver was surprised to see so many people in the room. He didn’t recognize everyone, but he guessed they were some off-duty police. Ajay must have read Oliver’s mind as he said, “It’s the feds. They are pissed they weren’t called in sooner. They are treating Summer like it is her fault for not calling them in sooner. She has held her own, though.”
Ray walked in and said, “Thank you all for joining us. We do not know much more than last night. We have been knocking on the doors, and no one has seen anything. Noah’s neighbor still isn't home, but we continue to check. Oliver said, “Exactly what neighbor are you talking about?” Ray said, “The one on the left. They call her “The Crazy Cat Lady” Oliver sat there for a fe
w minutes thinking. He leaned over and whispered to Ajay, “Get the sledgehammer out of the garage and meet me in the front yard now.” Ajay got up and ran to the garage, leaving everyone looking after him. That gave Oliver the distraction he needed. He rose and made his way to the front door. He was halfway to the door when someone grabbed his arm.
“What in the hell do you think you are doing?” asked Ray. “Get off of me, Ray, we do not have time.” Oliver turned around and continued, “Whoever is armed, please join me. I don’t have time to get my gun from the safe.” Pulling free, he made his way out of the door. Walking over to the Crazy Cat Lady’s house, Oliver was joined by almost everyone. He made it to the house and began to beat on the door. Ajay asked, “Do you want me to do the honors?” Ray said, “Fuck no, you dumb ass. You of all people should know that we can't go in without a search warrant. We don’t even have probable cause.”
Oliver stood there for a moment and said, “This is on me. I am going in. You can arrest me once I am in. Just give me long enough to search for Noah before you arrest me. He took the sledgehammer from Ajay and told everyone to go to the street. Oliver tried to knock on the door, he just didn’t have his strength back and certainly didn’t have what it took to knock in the door. Nora stood next to him and said, “Give it to me, I’ll do it. Are you sure he is in there?” Oliver said, “This lady never leaves. She is sweet, but she is way too nosy for her own good. She once told me that she didn’t have any family left. Where would she go?” That answer was good enough for Nora. She made eye contact with two people, Ajay and Summer. She made a signal with her fingers and pointed to the door.” Oliver made a mental note to ask her about that.
