by Lucian Bane
He hung up without another word and she did too, staring at the phone briefly before throwing it under her seat along with her purse. She reached in her coat pocket, touching the blindfold. It wasn’t a blindfold but a scarf. It was all she could find. She didn’t like using her grandmother’s clothes for such a thing, but it was either that or ripping a sheet and she didn’t want to make a bad impression by not owning anything that could serve as a blindfold. The 60’s pink and white polka-dot was childish but at least feminine. And maybe she could see through it if she tried real hard.
What did it matter now? If he let her see him that meant she wasn’t going to get a chance to tell. If he kept her blindfold, then… then she didn’t know what to think. The brother was weird, she knew that. She sensed the danger in him but couldn’t put her finger on what kind of bad or how.
She’d know soon enough, hopefully.
She opened her door and shut it, not bothering to lock it even. She made her way slowly on heeled boots, feeling like the fat dumbass he no doubt thought of her as she navigated the wet shoulder in his blinding headlights. She put her right hand out, blocking the glare and he hit the brights.
Jesus. I’m not trying to look. As she neared the passenger door of the truck she held her blindfold out to show him she had it and then put it on as she stood next to the door, fighting the biting wind gusts.
“Got it,” she yelled, after tying it tight. She felt around for the door handle realizing her fingers were numb. She found the handle and fought to press the button. God, three tries and it didn’t budge. Was it welded shut?
It suddenly opened and she realized he’d done it from the inside. “Thank you,” she whispered, feeling along opening of the door for a spot to hold while she used her other hand to feel where the seat was exactly. “Freezing cold tonight,” she muttered, climbing in and reaching out for the door to shut it. Shit, where’d it go? She waved her hand out for it, not feeling anything. She found a spot on the door jam and held on as she leaned out. She found the arm rest on the door and yanked. Two inches then it jerked out of her hand like it hit a rusty wall. She leaned again, carefully, locating the arm rest again then pulling. Again, it hit that spot but she held tight to it, trying to rock it past the metal blockade, grunting with her efforts. She heard his huge sigh and called, “I got it.” She stood on the floor board then leaned for it.
“Stop!” he barked.
His word sounded like a gun shot, freezing her. She eased back inside the cab, her jaws banging together loudly as his door opened. She sat herself completely still and put her freezing numb hands in her lap. He had the heater on but she resisted the urge to put her hands to it. What kind of truck was it? Probably one he didn’t use often. His death mobile. Passenger door didn’t open often if ever.
Her door banged shut, making her jump with a yelp. She realized the truck was running then. The sudden thoughts of hopping in the driver seat and taking off, hit her body hard enough to make her twitch with the urge.
She waited in the silence and heard him climbing in. The familiar smell of his cologne hit her. It smelled fresh, like he’d just bathed. A clean killer was better than a dirty one, she guessed.
“Put your seat belt on,” he ordered.
Seatbelt?
“I can’t have you flying through the windshield if I happen to slam the brakes.”
She felt around for the seatbelt and pulled it over herself. Sounded like he meant he couldn’t have her dying before he could kill her. She searched for the connecting piece and of course it wasn’t to be found.
“Christ, are you kidding me,” he muttered, grabbing the belt from her and clicking it in.
“I can’t see,” she reminded him.
“It’s a buckle in a seat, not a needle in a haystack.”
She bit her tongue on several responses as the truck sputtered forward. They drove in silence and she waited for him to say something. But he didn’t. And she didn’t think she should try for small talk. They seemed to arrive at their destination and she resisted the survival instincts that said see where you are.
“Stay put,” he muttered.
She strained her ears, listening to figure out what was going on. Her door opened, startling her. He grabbed her hand out of her lap and tugged. The sudden momentum caused her to nearly fall and he had to catch her. The sound of disgust he gave made her skin tighten with the need to hide. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that,” she kept her voice low, not trusting it to be steady.
“Can you walk?”
The question sounded truly concerned but more for himself and what he might be forced to do. Like touch her in a helping or nice way.
“If you don’t go too fast,” she said honestly.
“It’s those damn shoes, take them off.”
“It’s freezing,” she heard another voice say right next to him.
Christopher! Where had he been? Maybe he’d met them there. Oh God, she was so glad not to be able to see the look on his face. Then it hit her. He was concerned for her!
“Well I’m not carrying her,” Bones muttered. “Fine,” he said, but she wasn’t sure what he was saying it for. “Try to keep up.”
She nodded and quickly fought to keep up with his stalker pace. Shit, he had long legs.
“Watch your step, there’s a sidewalk,” Christopher hurried.
She felt it the second he warned her. “Thank you,” she gushed before she could stop herself.
“You don’t need to drag her,” she heard him barely say.
Was Christopher going to be there the whole time? Watching? She couldn’t imagine with the way he seemed concerned for her.
They argued quietly back and forth under their breaths as she followed and then finally they stopped. He let her hand go and she shoved them in her coat pockets, shaking violently as metal clanked loudly.
The sound of a door being dragged and shoved open came next. “This is the best place,” Dragon said. But she was sure he’d not meant that for her. Was Christopher hand signaling him?
He pulled her in. “There’s stairs,” Christopher announced seeming right before her.
She grabbed hold of Bones arm with both hands and made her way down. The smell of earth hit her nostrils, making her heart hammer and her stomach knot with what was coming. She quickly called up her dead brother’s images, holding them tight to ward off her fear of death.
They cleared the stairs and she tried not to trip as he pulled her on. “We should’ve washed that,” Christopher whispered.
“She’s here to die,” Dragon hissed, “do you think she gives a shit about clean linens?”
“Well I care,” Christopher hissed back.
So, they were definitely going to do it. She swallowed and fought not to panic.
“You’re tying her?”
“I told you this.”
“She just got here,” Christopher whispered.
She listened to Dragon sigh and mutter, “Would you like to bring her cookies and hot chocolate before we start?”
Started what?
“Start what, you didn’t really explain that yet,” Christopher whispered.
“Can I talk to you in the next room?” Dragon grit.
She felt bad for Christopher as she stood there. She lifted the edge of her blindfold, peeking around. God, what a perfect horror room. It was some kind of storage shed with tools and an old desk. And a cot. Where were they? An abandoned farm?
She quickly peeked around more, seeing old picture frames on the wall and another door. Maybe a closet or bathroom? Was it a full house down here?
She heard footsteps and quickly lowered the blindfold and put her hands behind her back, resuming a submissive position.
“I’m going to tie you to the bed,” Christopher whispered before her. She didn’t say a word, allowing him to guide her. She lay down and put her legs together as he took her left hand and raised it above her head, tying it. He did the same to the other and she shuddered when the tips of his fin
gers swept slowly down her arm. “Why, Winter?”
Fear slammed her at hearing it in his voice. He was devastated! No!
“I-I’m so sorry, it’s not you, please know that. I wished things were different, I would’ve picked you, please, you have to believe me,” she gasped.
His fingers slid over her cheek. “I’ll be back,” he said.
He left her feeling like the worst of all the monsters that had ever hurt her. The sound of voices reached her and she listened. Damn, she wished she could hear.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“But what does that mean?” Reginald whispered.
“It means you agreed to trust me to help her.”
“I have to know what that involves. I won’t watch you hurt her.”
“Which you’ve said fifty fucking times.”
The way Bones scratched his forehead said he was at the end of his patience. “She wants to die.”
“You’re not killing her!” Reginald cried.
“Did I say I was?” Bones hissed.
Reginald didn’t trust him at this point. He was being… something. Hiding things. “I need you to be straight with me, Bones. I need to understand where your head is with her. “And you said you’d tell me?”
“I remember,” Bones said.
“Can we just leave her be tonight? Start your… therapy as you called it, tomorrow?” Reginald had nearly laughed when Bones used that term in regards to whatever he had in mind. Therapy coming from him was pretty damn terrifying, even to Reginald. And from the time of her picking Bones and they picking her up, Reginald had time to think past his devastation. She was so… lost. Lost and broken to pieces because of her brother’s death. Reginald had imagined doing something like that to Bones and agreed. He’d want to die too.
Then, when he saw her stumble her way to the truck in the freezing cold, it all crashed in on him. Whether she wanted him or not, he couldn’t see her hurt. Never.
He recalled how stupidly Bones pulled her out of the truck, causing her to fall into him. To feel her and smell her was overwhelming. Bones had been furious with his reaction. He didn’t get it Reginald knew, how he could like her after she’d rejected him. He didn’t know how either, but his body sure knew how. It kept no record of wrong where she was concerned. It just wanted to continue where they’d left off. Him… God, him learning her and discovering her. Commanding her.
Reginald realized this was going as wrong as wrong could, all because she picked Bones. But maybe… maybe she just needed time to realize she didn’t want to die, she wanted to live. Maybe Bones could help her see that. But Bones wouldn’t like it. At all. He’d fight him.
Unless, Reginald did it without him realizing it. But how the hell would he do that? Would Bones be willing to compromise, maybe?
“Look,” Reginald whispered. “If you don’t have a plan—”
I have a plan.
“Then what is it?”
I can’t tell you.
“Bones!” Reginald shrilled. “You have to tell me. You said you would.”
“Why do you still want her?”
Ah shit, here we go. “Because…” Reginald stood there, resisting the need to bite his nail. “I don’t know why.”
Yes you fucking do.
I can’t tell you, how about that?
“Look,” Bones whispered. “I’m going to let her tell me, okay?”
“What do you mean let her tell you?”
“What the plan is.”
Reginald squinted. “How?”
“I need to know her.”
“Know her?”
“Yes, Reginald. Know her. I can’t really help her without knowing her.”
“Wow, now that sounds logical, and no offense Bones but that worries me.”
Bones gave a dry laugh. “I know you think I’m not a logical person just because we don’t agree on logic. But I am.”
Yes, your logic is kind of on the opposite side of the spectrum from mine. They have different agendas.”
“I want to help her just like you,” Bones said with a spread of his arms. And Reginald could tell he was as genuine as he could be.
“Okay, look,” Reginald said, trying for another angle. “How about we start from worst case scenario. Okay, no, what if we establish some hard limits. Are you willing to compromise with me?”
“Why should I when I won the right to do what I want fair and square?” Pain hit Reginald at the reminder. “Fuck,” Bones muttered. “Okay Reggie, what? Tell me your hard limits and I’ll tell you mine. We’ll go from there.”
Relief hit Reggie but it was mixed with a sense of apprehension, no doubt from knowing that no matter what Bones told him, he still couldn’t be trusted. But it was a start. “No killing her, obviously.”
“Obviously!” Bones shrilled quietly now. “Is that your hardest limit?”
“You sound like it’s not so hard.”
“It’s not, Reggie. Why are you so quick to assume I am blindly bloodthirsty for her death?”
Blindly? Is that why he wanted time with her? To establish a cause or grow his thirst? “You said you’d tell me things, why I’m here, Bones.”
“I did.”
“Well?”
Bones raked a hand over his head. “I was going to tell you the truth about that.”
“Right. The truth.”
“Well the truth is, Reggie boy…” Bones’ need to pace felt like a bad sign. He was a good liar and that meant he needed to hide. “I don’t remember.”
“You what?”
“I don’t… remember.”
The most unanticipated piece of shit answer. And he meant it. Shit, shit, shit!
“I remember waking up and you were there. Nothing else”
Reginald fought despair at this dead end. “No other details at all?”
“I remember something happened. Just not what.”
Reginald nodded, grasping for a ray of hope. “It’s a start,” he said when Bones’ frustration over it felt like ants inside their skin. “So can you tell me why you want to get to know her?”
“I…”
Reginald was not used to Bones hesitating and not knowing exactly what he wanted. It could have been viewed as progression, but Reggie’s instincts said it wasn’t in a good direction if it was.
“Take your time,” Reginald barely urged, not wanting him to feel like it was wrong to not know things.
“I need time to process, Reggie. I need to understand things. With her. She… she’s different. I admit that. But I don’t know how or why exactly. I think it can’t hurt to assess, I think it’s smart, don’t you?”
The fear in Bones startled Reginald. He quickly ran through the facts and struggled to piece them together for a big picture. Something was happening in Bones, that much Reginald knew. Something of major proportions. He realized why Bones was scared. Because he knew it was happening too. Something relating to Reginald’s existence was happening. And he was worried. Bones was worried and that had to be the most terrifying thing Reginald had ever felt. Bones was never worried. He was calm, cool, cocky, confident.
“Can you give me at least some idea of what you need to do here?”
Bones’ urge to suddenly walk made it all worse. “Three days should be long enough.”
Reginald waited for more and when Bones didn’t give, he pressed carefully. “For what?”
“To know something.”
“You don’t have any clue what you need to learn?”
“I have clues, Reggie. I need to evaluate and validate them. I need time. You want me to be normal, you want me to be logical, careful, well, that’s what I’m doing for you.”
For him. He wished to God that made him feel better.
“And I remember a lot of things. A lot of one sided things.”
Hope surged at that slim ray of light. “Like what?”
“I remember I called you. I remember not wanting whatever happened or might have happened. I just… I don’t know if it�
��s good or bad. I know what I want to do with her but I don’t remember how I know, or why I want to do that, or if it’s good or bad. But something feels… off about it. Like what I want to do isn’t…”
Reginald bit his tongue on normal. “The usual?”
“Right,” he quickly said. “It’s a different kind of help, the kind of different that maybe isn’t…”
“Legal?” Reginald couldn’t keep from saying.
A thick silence sat there for five seconds. “Possibly,” Bones admitted in a mumble. “I’ve been feeling the need to research something.”
Fear gradually hardened his stomach. “Like?” That Bones didn’t volunteer the information meant he didn’t want to tell.
“Procedures.”
A word had never sounded scarier. “Bones,” he said, hoping to put them back on level ground they both were familiar with. “You can trust me.”
“I’m looking at ways to hurt without hurting.”
“Holy shit,” Reginald finally managed, swiping their mouth with a nervous hand and nodding. “I mean clearly you feel this should put me at ease and-and miss… the fucked-up derangement part of it.”
Reginald suddenly felt a tremor in the tightrope beneath their feet and took a calming breath. “Okay, well since I trust you,” in case Bones thought otherwise, “I would like to at least understand your reasoning. You would obviously research procedures to hurt somebody without actually hurting them, for a good reason.” Reginald prayed hard that he heard how crazy it was and snapped out of it.
“I think so, Reggie.”
He thought so. God, help them all. So, whether or not this came from good intentions was one of the hidden mystery items. “Okay, fair enough. How about we tackle this like an algebra equation? We know what you’re wanting, how about we use that to figure out why?” Something hit him. “Wait… you’ve been studying? When?”
“When you sleep, Reggie,” he said, like he already knew that.
Reginald stood there as it all slammed into his mind in slow motion. Bones thought he should know because he’d told him over and over. Don’t sleep too hard, Reggie. You slept hard last night, Reggie.
