by J. E. Taylor
The scream barreling from Tommy’s mouth, rocked the walls before it drowned in the flood of blood filling the gaping cavity. Tommy coughed, swallowed, wailed and coughed some more. Nothing the doctor had done to that point prepared him for the onslaught of pain and despair flooding him faster than the blood filling his mouth.
The burning pain of the cauterization tool came next, searing the stump of his tongue and stopping the bleeding. The doctor removed the retractor and tossed it onto the table. “There, that ought to shut you up.” He turned and stormed out of the room, turning the light off and leaving Tommy sobbing in the dark.
Tommy’s stomach lurched and he rolled as far to the side as he could, vomiting blood and bile over the side of the table. His chest hitched, the pain of the vomit on his ruined tongue akin to pouring acid on an open wound. He tried to spit but he couldn’t and the sob filled the dark space.
Down the hall, a scream as loud as his own shattered the air.
Chapter 48
Jennifer shot out of the bed, stumbling to the bathroom as the vomit catapulted out of her mouth. She reached the toilet just in time, her entire frame shaking and convulsing from the vision.
Steve knelt by her side, wiping the hair away from her face when the retching stopped. “How long?”
Jennifer turned. “Minutes, hours, I don’t know.” Her tear filled eyes found his.
The sound of shattering glass reached them along with CJ’s guttural scream and Steve shot out of the bedroom, bolting across the living quarters heedless of the shards of glass spearing his feet. He threw the bedroom door open, expecting to find CJ in Jessica’s arms but she was nowhere to be found. CJ sat in the center of his bed, wrapped in sheets, shaking in a pile of his own vomit, his eyes as wild as the scream filling the room.
Steve crossed, pulling him from the mess and leading him to the bathroom. “Where’s your mother?”
CJ just sobbed, shaking his head. He let Steve undress him and place him in the tub.
Once the boy was clean, Steve wrapped him in a towel and closed his eyes. With a flurry of commands, the glass laden living area was swept clean, reinstated to its former glory. His feet ached from where the shards of glass pierced his skin and he took a seat on the toilet, fishing the tiny daggers out. Each plink in the garbage can accompanied by a suppressed wince.
CJ stopped crying and numbly watched Steve. “That bastard cut my brother’s tongue out.”
Steve nodded, pulling the last shard out and summoning Jennifer to fix his wounds. He wiped the blood off his foot with a towel and raised his gaze to CJ. “I know, I saw too,” he said, attempting to keep the fear out of his voice. He had seen the vision in all its gory detail.
Without a tongue, Tommy couldn’t plead for his life.
Without pleading, Tommy couldn’t buy any more time.
Without time, Tommy was dead.
Chapter 49
Jessica slid around the side of the house, peering in the windows for some clue. She heard a noise and spun, ducking behind the large arborvitae. A tall dark haired man strode from the back building, muttering under his breath. His chest bare, his feet clad in flip-flops and his hair a mess of spikes.
Jessica ducked farther behind the tree until she heard the front door snap shut behind the man. She sprinted the distance between the house and the outer building, checking once behind her before she tried the door. It swung easily and she stepped inside.
Her eyes took a moment to focus and she slowly made her way across the expansive garage that housed an assortment of rare sports cars. Jaguar XKSS, Aston Martin, McLaren F1, a Miura Lamborghini, Testarossa Ferrari and a Maserati Birdcage. She stopped at the Corvette Stingray, running her fingers along the graceful lines and turning away suddenly as the pain flared in her heart. Chris would have loved these toys. Her eyes misted and she blinked back tears, turning and surveying the walls, looking for signs of a stairwell or any entryway that led elsewhere.
At the far end of the garage was a small office. Remembering the elevator in Frank Aris’s warehouse, hidden in his office closet, she jogged to it, testing the doorknob. It turned easily and Jessica shook her head. These people were entirely too trustworthy. This garage should have been locked up like Fort Knox. The little office was just that, no closet, no hidden stairs in the wall nothing, she stepped out of the room.
The door latched but before she took a step away, the low growl permeated the garage. Jessica slowly turned, her heart pounding in her chest and her eyes landed on the massive Golden Retriever, his lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines and the fur on his neck stood on end.
“Easy now,” Jessica said putting her hands up slowly, sliding her back against the wall. She moved inch by inch in the direction she came. For every step she took, the dog matched it. His growl was menacing and she didn’t dare take her eyes from his. She backed into something solid, her hands fluttered by her side and felt cool metal, one of the expansion posts she had seen on her way by, and she stopped. The dog stopped as well. If he was going to attack, he would have by now.
“Easy boy,” she whispered and tore her eyes away, studying the lay of the garage again. “Where’d you come from?” She cocked her head, returning her gaze to the dog. He hadn’t been visible when she stepped into the building. She studied the floor again and that’s when she saw it, a section of the floor dipped to a crevice—one like in a Jiffy Lube shop, so a mechanic could change the oil without raising the vehicle. She glanced at the dog pointing toward the indentation. “Did you come from down there boy?” Her voice peppy and playful, the same tone she used playing catch with Sam.
The dog’s tail swayed and his fur-lined lips sank a fraction. His teeth still bared but the growl had ceased.
“Good boy!” She shuffled toward the opening. “You want a treat?”
The dog froze, his head cocked and the tail swished.
“You want a treat?” Jessica asked again and the dog jumped past her, diving in the hole and turning toward her, his demeanor altered, his eyes glittering. He pranced in front of a thick door, his nails clicking on the concrete.
Jessica reached over his head, clasping the knob. This time it didn’t give when she turned. The dog pawed at the door and a hatch opened, the dog bound through into the darkness beyond. “That’s why I didn’t see you before.”
She crouched down and pushed through the flap, feeling the ground before her with her hands. As she moved forward, the ground dropped away and she tumbled through the shoot and down the short stairwell, landing with a thud in the pitch black. The dog’s cool nose touched her face and she got to her hands and knees. The first thing that hit her was the smell. Urine and feces and a coppery undertone. Her breath hitched. Death, she smelled death.
“Oh, my god.”
The dog left her, bounding down the hall toward an inhuman sound.
Jessica stood, running her hands along the wall, looking for a source of light, a source that would illuminate where she was. Panting as loud as the dog, she made her way toward the clicking noise, blinking madly willing her eyes to adjust to the blackness surrounding her. Absolute blackness, surrounded by cool concrete. Jessica froze, suddenly aware of the fur rubbing against her leg. She reached down, feeling the dog’s head, finding the spot behind his ears and rubbing.
“Light. I need light.” She ran her hands along the concrete, to her right, covering the length of the unbroken solid wall. “Shit.”
“O, peeee, o!” A voice called out between harsh sobs.
It was close, coming from her left and she felt her way along the back wall, her fingers crawling along the joint in the wall, palms flat searching until she found it.
A switch.
She rested her forehead against the cool concrete and closed her eyes, flipping the switch. Light filled the cavern, followed by frightened moans. She glanced at the dog dancing at her feet and her stomach rolled.
Her Tommy was in here and so were others.
When she stepped into the first
surgical bay, her hand shot to her mouth.
Chapter 50
Tommy heard the click of the toenails and his trembling body betrayed him. A low moan filled his throat and he pressed his lips together, holding it in as long as he could. No, please, no, please, no, please. In his mind, the words formed correctly, but his mouth couldn’t articulate any more, not without a tongue.
The clicks of the toenails back and forth drove him nuts. And a hot stream of piss shot into the already soiled diaper. The moan escaped, repeating the horrid “O, peeee, o!”
The lights took longer than usual and when he opened his eyes, his voice fell silent. For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming but the sudden appearance of Alex at his side and the cool swath of his tongue on Tommy’s cheek told him otherwise. He blinked once, twice and then the wail filled the room. “Momeeee!”
* * * *
Jessica lowered her hand and shot across the room, the dog danced around her feet and then sat expectantly.
“Oh, Tommy,” she said, her hands fluttered over his battered body as her eyes surveyed the damage. “I don’t have it anymore. I can’t fix you.” Tears poured out her eyes, sliding down her cheeks. She yanked on the chains, staring at the shackles holding his wrists and ankles in place, so much like the ones in the hellhole she survived.
“Heee heee om.” His eyes frantically jumped from her face to the door and back.
Jessica’s eyes met his and lowered to his mouth. “What did he do to you?”
Tommy opened his mouth, tears blurring his vision at the look of horror on his mother’s face.
Click.
Jessica froze with her hands on Tommy’s cheek. She straightened turning toward the door, staring down the barrel of a nine-millimeter. The dark eyes as familiar as the name on the sheet of paper and a rush of anger filled her.
“You bastard!” She launched herself at the man and the bullet tore a hole through her shoulder, twisting her body in an unnatural arch, knocking her back against the instrument table. Bone and blood splattered over the sheet and Jessica caught the edge for support, regaining her footing and spinning back in his direction undeterred by the throb dulled by adrenaline. The deafening gun report in the small chamber left her ears ringing.
“You shouldn’t have come, Mrs. Ryan.”
The second bullet ripped through her knee, knocking her supporting leg out from under her. She crumpled on the floor, her hands wrapping around her ruined appendage and a shrill scream launching from her lips. Pain flared white spots in front of her eyes. She wasn’t the only one in the room screaming and her gaze switched to her mute boy.
Tommy strained against the chains, a guttural roar filling the room, replacing the echo of the gunshots. His eyes now wild and filled with a hatred that went beyond anything she thought him capable. His roar was that of a bear and not a boy, the chords in his neck stood out, the muscles rippled in his arms as he yanked against his bindings, fighting to get loose. “Aaaayyyyeee!”
Jessica’s scream trailed off and her eyes widened. Standing behind the bastard was her dead husband with the most beautiful wings fluttering in anger, his face a mask of pain as his angelic eyes locked with hers. “Oh, God,” she whispered and then her focus switched to something coming down fast.
All went black.
Chapter 51
Tommy bucked in the chains when his father’s ghost disappeared. “OOOOOO!” he roared kicking his legs and thrashing as the doctor dragged his mother from the room.
CJ, please god if you can hear me, please, please send help. He’s got Mom.
Tears hot and burning filled his eyes and coated his throat, choking. His chest rose and fell rapidly, sucking air in frantically. And when the whistling started again, the sobs bled from his chest.
The doctor stepped back into his room dropping his mother’s clothes on the chair. Without a word, he pulled the cloth back and grabbed the bone saw and the cauterizer, retreating from the room with a smile and a wink.
Tommy stared at the pile, listening to the hum of the saw. When the hum quieted, the smell of burnt flesh drifted into the room. Tommy closed his eyes, turning inside himself, retreating, running and finding a safe place at the core of his soul.
Chapter 52
Jennifer sat on the couch next to CJ, both drawing on the pads Steve had brought them. Silent and sullen after the last vision, she didn’t want to broach the subject and her eyes darted to the clock again. It was after ten. Steve had left for the office at a little after seven and Jessica still wasn’t back.
“What time did your mom leave?”
“It was still dark out,” CJ said. He tossed the pad onto the table and turned, looking out the window, biting his lower lip. When his eyes returned to hers, they were full of unshed tears. “I don’t think she’s okay.”
She didn’t think so either. The knot in the pit of Jennifer’s stomach tightened and she reached for the phone.
He answered on the third ring. “Hey.”
“She isn’t back yet.”
Silence on the other line. She could picture him holding the bridge of his nose as he formulated what to say. He had his guard up and she couldn’t hear a sound other than distant static coming from his mind.
Steve was pinching the bridge of his nose trying to grasp the ramifications of what Jennifer insinuated when the fluttering of wings caught his attention.
He has Jessie.
Steve felt like someone took a two by four to his gut. “Excuse me?”
“Jessica hasn’t come back to the hotel.”
He has Jessie!
Both Jennifer and Chris spoke at the same time and Steve closed his eyes, one hand dropping to his side as his head dipped. “Fuck!”
“What is it?” Jennifer, Cleary and Sarah said in unison.
“Where is she?”
“If I knew I wouldn’t be calling you,” Jennifer said.
“Where’s who?” Sarah and Cleary asked.
I don’t know. But he has her right now! Chris hissed drowning out the rest of the commentary.
“Right now?”
Yeah, right now.
“Jen, I gotta go. I’m on it, I’ll find them.” He flipped the phone closed and stepped out into the bullpen with the list in hand, crossing off names of those that were sitting at their desks. That left six people on his list. He turned to Cleary and Sarah.
“Anyone from your list missing?” She scanned the room and nodded.
Steve looked at Cleary. “You?”
He nodded and went back to the make shift office. “Cross off the names of those already here and give me the remaining ones.” They handed their edited lists to Steve and he scanned the results. An even dozen and again both Lieutenant Danforth and Officer Gagnon were on the list. He tapped his pen to the paper. “One of these guys has Tommy and Jessica.” He raised his eyes to his boss.
“How do you know that?”
“Did Jennifer tell you that or was it Chris?”
Cleary looked at Sarah and then back to Steve. “Chris? Chris who?”
Steve quietly glared at Sarah before swinging his gaze to Cleary. He shifted uncomfortably. “Um, Chris Ryan.” He glanced back at the list.
“You realize he’s dead, right?”
Steve nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of that.” The feathers ruffled, causing the air in the room to ripple and some of the papers on the desk to take flight.
Do something!
“Cut the shit Chris, we’ve got twelve names. We’ll catch him,” he said to the ceiling and headed toward the door.
He shot Jessie.
Steve stopped mid-stride. The color drained from his face and he glanced back at Sarah and then down at his list. “Did you see his face?”
Silence met the question.
“God damn it, Ty!” Steve yelled at the ceiling. “Least you could do is give me a fucking name!”
“Did you just say what I think you said?” Cleary eyed Steve.
Steve stiffened and looked down at
the list in his hand before turning to Cleary. He inhaled. “We don’t have time for this right now.”
Cleary stared at Steve his eyes narrowing into slits and the blood vessel in his forehead visibly pounded with the fury etched in his gaze. “Are you kidding me?” The body of Ty Aris was never found and things began to click into place in Cleary’s mind.
Steve closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly, listening to the pattern of his boss’s thoughts. Piece by piece, he put the puzzle together, all the while an underlying anger grew and when Steve opened his eyes, Cleary’s face was beet red.
“You little shit. You didn’t arrest that fucker when you figured out who he was. Instead, you blackmailed him.”
Steve shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
Cleary stepped close. “You blackmailed them, didn’t you? You traded your wife’s health for their secret.” The harsh words whistled from between his clenched teeth.
Cleary crowded him and Steve stood his ground, meeting his angry glare. “Look Ron, we don’t have time for this! You can have my badge once we catch this fucker, but right now, we need to move and move fast. He shot Jessica Ryan and we need to find him before he slaughters them all. Understand?”
Cleary’s jaw set and he looked at the crumpled list in his hand. He pointed his finger in Steve’s face. “This conversation isn’t finished.” Cleary and Sarah stepped out of the room.
Steve paused and looked up at the ceiling. Can you give me any more than that?
The guy has dark hair, but you already knew that, and he shot her with a nine millimeter. Chris’s voice shook and Steve didn’t know if it was from rage or fear.
Chapter 53
The darkness works for me, it brings me back to the moment I crave, the moment of surrender in their faces, in their eyes. So I study reactions, pain, and resiliency and feed my dog in the process.
