by Randy Henson
Matthew held up a finger as he chewed and then said, “That’s not entirely correct. We did acquire a promising lead. Several promising leads, in fact.”
“And what leads would those be?” Moira asked.
“Well, those leads would now be locked up downstairs with the others.”
Moira sat back and said, “So more kidnapping and torture, is that it?”
Matthew shook his head, swallowed, and said, “No, Grams, I don’t think torture will be necessary. I think these individuals will tell us what we need to know without us even asking.”
“Then why are they locked up?”
“Just a precaution, Grams. Just a precaution.”
There were a million questions I wanted to ask, but I bit my tongue. In my experience I usually get more answers by keeping my mouth shut.
It’s almost always better to just let others talk and talk and talk.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I don’t like the way he’s looking at her,” Jack whispered to Orin as he continued to stare at Bradley.
“Neither do I,” Orin said.
“Easy, fellas,” Joe said.
“How’s he looking at her?” Molly asked as she studied Bradley.
Orin shrugged and said, “The way Wile E. Coyote looks at the roadrunner.”
Molly looked over at Orin, then back over at Bradley, and asked, “You mean he wants to eat her?”
Orin and Jack looked at one another and Orin said, “I’m not even going to comment on that one.”
“Good,” Jack said.
Molly looked back at Orin and said, “You mean Brad is a cannonball?”
“Cannonball?” Orin asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“I think she means ‘cannibal’,” Jack guessed.
“He doesn’t look African,” Molly said.
“Actually, I think every verified cannibal has turned out to be white,” Orin said.
“I thought they were from Africa,” Molly said.
Orin shook his head and said, “No, California.”
“California?” Molly said.
Orin nodded and said, “And Russia, too, I think. If I remember my true crime programs correctly.”
Joe shook his head and said, “Will you kids please shut up? And you two…” he said as he pointed two fingers at Orin and Jack with a horizontal peace sign and then nodded toward Bradley, “don’t even think about messing around with that one. Bernice or Bernie or whatever you call her is perfectly safe. She’s under Moira’s protection now. So don’t go starting anything you don’t need to.”
Orin held his palms up and said, “I’m not looking for a fight.”
“Good,” Joe said. Then he gave Jack a stare and asked, “How about you, sport?”
“I’m not looking to rock the boat either,” Jack assured him.
Joe nodded and said, “Good.”
Molly looked at Jack and said, “I wonder if your sister tastes like chicken. I think people are supposed to taste like chicken. Isn’t that right? I forgot where I heard it. Have you guys heard that?”
“What?” Jack said.
“Wow, you’re kind of creeping me out, kid,” Orin said.
“The three of you are creeping me out,” Joe said.
Molly placed her palms flat on the table as she leaned over and glared at Orin and said, “My name’s not Kid!”
CHAPTER FIVE
The fat guard stuck the stun gun through the bars and pointed it at Lieutenant Hale.
“Try not to miss, Chuckles,” Hale taunted.
The guard smirked and said, “I never miss.”
“It doesn’t look like you ever miss a meal, I’ll give you that. Doesn’t mean you know how to shoot, though,” Hale said.
The guard frowned and squeezed the stun gun’s trigger and two prongs sailed through the air and buried themselves into Hale’s forehead.
Colonel Lundy smiled while Dr. Nichols flinched and braced himself for an electrical shock.
Hale grinned and said, “Thank you.”
A look of confusion swept across the guard’s face as Hale sat there grinning at him.
After a few moments the guard looked from Hale to the stun gun in his hand and said, “What the hell?”
All of a sudden sparks began shooting from the stun gun. The guard instinctively grabbed ahold of one of the cages bars as he began to convulse. He shook and shuddered and bit his tongue hard enough to make a small stream of blood trickle from the left side of his mouth and roll down his chin. Then he let go of the cage’s bar and fell to the floor where he lay twitching.
“Uh, what just happened?” Dr. Nichols asked.
“Fat boy just got the shock of his life,” Hale said as he grabbed the wires and jerked the two prongs out of his forehead.
“Was it a malfunction?” Dr. Nichols asked as he tried to make sense of what he had just witnessed.
“Good job, Hale. That was quick thinking on your part,” Colonel Lundy said as he rolled forward and started crawling across the cage toward the fallen guard who was still twitching.
The chain that linked Lundy and Hale quickly grew taut and Hale placed his palms on the cement and walked on them as he scooted across the cement after Lundy.
“Hey!” Dr. Nichols said as the chain that linked him to Hale pulled at his ankle and he found himself scooting across the cage behind Hale.
Lundy reached through the bars and grabbed the guard’s left wrist. He pulled the guard’s arm through the bars and let go. Then he reached back through the bars and unhooked the set of keys that dangled from the guard’s belt. He searched through the cluster of keys until he found the one that unlocked their leg irons.
“Okay, so we get out of these cages. Then what?” Dr. Nichols asked.
“Then we get out of the room,” Hale said as he unlocked the cuff around his ankle.
“Then what?” Dr. Nichols asked.
“Then we get out of the building,” Lundy said as Hale unlocked the cuff around Lundy’s ankle.
“Then what?” Dr. Nichols asked.
“Then I find something heavy and knock you on the head really hard so you’ll shut up with all your damn questions,” Lundy said as he rubbed his ankle.
Hale looked at Dr. Nichols and asked, “Do you want me to free you or not?”
“Yes, of course. I just want to know what the plan is.”
“I don’t care what the plan is. Just get me the hell out of here,” Rogers said from the next cage.
“Me, too,” Peterson said.
CHAPTER SIX
“That hit the spot,” Matthew said as he reached for a napkin. He then wiped his mouth, pushed his chair back from the table and said, “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I’m in a dire need of a shower and some sleep.”
“We’re not done,” Moira said.
“We are for now,” Matthew said as he stood and smiled. “Don’t worry, Grams. We’ll talk some more after I’ve slept and I’m thinking more clearly.”
“Humph,” Moira snorted as she looked from Matthew to me.
“Murder and torture has got to be tiring,” I said.
“You have no idea,” Matthew said as his smile widened. He then turned and walked across the food court and over to his buddies.
“So, what are you thinking?” Moira asked me.
I shook my head and said, “I don’t know what to think.”
“Then, what do you feel?”
“Feel?” I said. “I guess I feel the way Alice must have felt after she fell down the rabbit hole.”
Moira gave me a little smirk and nodded.
“I mean, seriously? What was that Jedi sorcery shit we saw outside? That was completely insane.”
Moira frowned and nodded.
“Can you do that?” I asked her.
Moira shook her head and said, “No, and I didn’t know he could either.”
“You didn’t know he was telekinetic?”
“I knew he could make dishes and books float around the room. I kne
w he could knock people down just by thinking about it. But cars? I never saw him move anything remotely close to that big. He’s getting stronger.”
“You don’t seem happy about it.”
“I’m not. I’m scared.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What do we do with him?” Rogers asked as he rubbed his ankle and nodded toward the still unconscious Morgan.
Hale unlocked the cuff around Morgan’s ankle as Lundy said, “I guess we carry him.”
“Why don’t we just wake him up?” Dr. Nichols asked.
“Good idea,” Rogers said as he leaned over and slapped Morgan.
Morgan moved his head and mumbled something incoherent.
“That didn’t seem to work,” Peterson said.
“Felt good, though,” Rogers said.
“What we need is a bucket of cold water,” Dr. Nichols said as he looked around the boiler room.
“There’s got to be a bathroom or something around here somewhere,” Hale said.
Rogers stood up and rotated his newly freed ankle as he pointed and said, “Those are water pipes, I think.”
Lundy picked the shotgun up off the desk and handed it to Rogers.
“Stand guard over by the elevator and stairwell while we look for some water,” Lundy said.
“Yes, sir,” Rogers said and racked the shotgun as he headed toward the elevator.
“What about these other people?” Hale asked as he nodded toward the three men and one woman who lay unconscious on mattresses inside four other cages.
“One thing at a time, Lieutenant,” Lundy said as he turned and headed toward the back of the boiler room, ducking under pipes and weaving around poles.
After a minute of searching, Peterson said, “Over here.”
Lundy and Hale worked their way under and around pipes and back to the cages to see Dr. Nichols walking behind Peterson. Peterson was rolling a mop and bucket across the floor toward the cage where Morgan was sleeping.
Lundy walked over and looked in the bucket.
“You want to dump that on him?” Lundy asked.
“Why not?” Peterson asked.
“Ought to work,” Dr. Nichols said.
“Looks like sewage,” Lundy said as he bent down and inhaled. He then jerked back straight and said, “And it smells like sewage. Sewage and ammonia.”
“Ammonia? Even better,” Dr. Nichols said.
Lundy shrugged and said, “If you’re sure. You’re the doctor.”
Peterson rolled the bucket into the cage where Morgan lay unconscious. He pulled the mop out of the bucket and tossed it on the floor. He then picked up the bucket and dumped its contents onto Morgan.
“Eeeeiiii!” Morgan screamed as he sat up and shook.
Peterson dropped the bucket, looked over at Dr. Nichols and said, “You were right. It worked.”
“What the hell happened?” Morgan said as he grabbed two of the cage’s bars and tried to stand.
“You were tasered,” Lundy said.
“Tasered?” Morgan said as his hands slipped and he fell back down.
“Electrocuted,” Peterson explained.
“Oh, yeah. Fat boy,” Morgan said as he grabbed the bars again and pulled himself up. His hands were slick from the contents of the bucket and he couldn’t get a solid grip. His hands kept sliding down the bars.
“Help him up,” Lundy ordered.
“I’m not touching him,” Dr. Nichols said.
“Are you disobeying a direct order?” Lundy asked.
Morgan brought his hands to his face and sniffed. He flinched and asked, “What the hell is that smell?”
Peterson looked down at him and said, “Don’t you remember? You pissed yourself.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Moira pushed her chair back and stood.
I stood as well and followed her across the food court.
Moira walked over to Joe and said, “Do you mind helping an old lady back to her room, Joseph?”
“Of course not,” Joe said as he stood and held his right arm out to Moira.
The others stood but I motioned for them to sit back down.
Moira linked her arm with Joe’s and the two walked off toward Macy’s.
I sat down in the seat Joe had vacated.
“What the hell is going on?” Jack asked.
“Weirdness and more weirdness,” I said.
“No shit,” Orin said.
Molly pointed a finger at Orin and said, “You cursed. You owe me a dollar.”
“Says who?” Orin asked.
“You’re not supposed to swear around girls,” Molly said.
Orin just shook his head. He then looked back over at me and said, “We need to get out of here.”
“Not yet,” I said.
Orin crinkled his brows and said, “If not now, when?”
“He’s right, Bernie. Shit is getting real. It’s too dangerous here for us now,” Jack said.
“Too dangerous compared to what?” I asked.
Molly pointed a finger at Jack and said, “You owe me a dollar too.”
Orin looked at Molly and said, “Enough with the dollars, kid.”
Molly’s face flushed as she puffed her cheeks. As she began to open her mouth, Orin held his palms up and said, “I know, I know. Your name is Molly. Just give us a break, Molly, okay?”
Molly blew out some air and crossed her arms.
I placed my elbows on the table and said, “Listen, guys. I know this place is getting to you. It’s starting to creep me out too.”
“Then we should leave,” Jack said.
“But, it’s not creeping me out any more than what’s out there,” I said as I pointed at nowhere in particular.
“Out where?” Orin asked.
“Out there. You know what I mean. If you haven’t noticed, the whole world has gone crazy,” I said.
“Well, out there we don’t have sorcerers and witches throwing cars at people,” Jack said as he jabbed a finger in the air for emphasis.
I looked over at a coffee cup that was resting in front of Orin. I held the fingers of my right hand out as I concentrated on the cup.
“What are you doing?” Orin asked.
“Shhh, give me a minute,” I said.
“A minute for what?” Orin asked.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack turn toward Orin as he said, “Yeah, we really need to get out of here. She’s starting to crack.”
I gave up on the cup and looked over at my brother.
“I’m not cracking up. I’m trying to make a point. I moved a cup like that one earlier, just by thinking about it.”
Jack made a face and said, “What?”
“I told you she was a witch,” Molly said.
I shook my head as I continued to stare at Jack.
“I’m telling you that whatever has happened to them is also happening to me. Or haven’t you noticed that my eyes are no longer green?”
“You really moved a cup just by thinking about it?” Orin asked.
I looked over at Orin and nodded.
“So you moved a cup. That’s no reason for us to stay,” Jack said.
I looked at my brother and said, “Yes, it is, Jack. We need to stay until we figure out exactly what’s going on. I have to find out what is happening to me.”
“You can figure it all out on our way to Virginia. And even if you don’t, who’s to say we won’t find more answers in Virginia than we would here?” Jack said.
I shook my head and said, “And what about you, Jack. Have you forgotten what it was like? What if we leave here and you slip back into that fog. What if your symptoms return? Do you really want to risk that?”
“But they’re supposed to have med…” Jack started to say, but then stopped as he glanced over at Molly.
“Medical assistance,” Orin said.
Jack nodded and said, “Right. They can help us in Virginia if we get there. And besides,” he paused as he tapped the table with his left index finger
, “do you know what they got downstairs? They got people downstairs locked in cages. How long until they decide to put us in a cage?”
I frowned and said, “Moira said something about that. Or maybe it was Matthew.”
“Witches,” Molly corrected, “bad witches.”
“Who says they’re bad?” Orin asked.
Molly shrugged and said, “Who would lock up good witches?”
“Bad witches, that’s who,” Jack said.
I stood up and said, “Maybe you guys better show me.”
CHAPTER NINE
Joe helped Moira into bed as he said, “You shouldn’t overexert yourself like this.”
“I’m okay, Joseph.”
“No, you’re not. I can tell.”
“I’ll be okay. I just need a little rest.”
“I just worry about you.”
“I know you do. But listen,” Moira said as she pulled the covers up to her chest and grabbed Joe’s wrist, “remember what you promised. You look after them.”
“I will. I told you I will.”
“And for heaven’s sake, keep my grandson and his men away from them.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“They’ll listen to you. They know you’re under my protection.”
“And if they don’t listen.”
“Of course they’ll listen.”
“But if they don’t. You saw Matthew out there. Have you ever seen anything like that? He’s become too powerful.”
Moira sighed and said, “And so quickly. Just a few short weeks ago it was all he could do to levitate a chair.”
“Exactly. So if he doesn’t listen to me.”
“Then, I guess, come and get me.”
“And if he doesn’t listen to you? What then?”
Moira pulled the covers up to her neck and said, “Then we’re all in trouble.”
CHAPTER TEN
