by Nick James
The apartment looked neat and not quite as small as Bobby first thought. There were old oak floors and three windows that looked out onto the street. The blinds were drawn on the windows and a floor lamp was turned off next to the leather couch in front of the windows. A large flickering candle illuminated the coffee table. Smaller lit candles ran along the oak floor past the kitchen and toward a back room. Presumably the bedroom.
“Nate,” Angie called again just as Bobby grabbed her hair from behind, yanked her towards him and jammed the .38 into her ribs.
“Shut up, Angie, for your own good just shut the hell up.”
The door to the back room suddenly opened and a figure silhouetted by flickering light from inside the room stepped out. He was naked and held what looked like a glass of wine.
“Angie?” he called, then took a step or two toward them. His eyes suddenly widened and he said, “What the…Hey, wait a minute, I know you. You’re that disbarred bastard that works at DASH. Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” and took a couple of steps toward them.
Bobby squeezed Angie’s hair in his fist and she gave a little high pitched whimper.
“I asked you what in the hell do you think you’re doing? You stop that right now before I…”
Bobby placed the revolver up against Angie’s temple and said, “Why don’t you just shut up and sit down over there on the couch.”
“Do you have any idea…”
“Do it now or you’re both dead. I’ve got nothing to lose,” Bobby lied then made note of the reaction that last comment got.
“Please Nate, please, just do it,” Angie pleaded.
He walked toward the couch, never taking his eyes off Bobby. Bobby yanked Angie back a couple of steps by her hair, keeping her between the two of them as Nate sat down on the couch.
“Maybe just put that wineglass on the coffee table,” Bobby said and moved his head to indicate the table.
He set the wineglass down. Bobby released his grip on Angie’s hair and gave her a forceful shove toward the couch.
“Now look here,” Nate said, making a calming gesture with his hands as Angie settled next to him in an effort to get as far away as possible from Bobby.
“Wait a minute,” Nate pleaded. “Just wait a damn minute. I’m not sure what you were expecting to accomplish, but clearly it hasn’t worked out. Why not just leave? No one will ever know. We’re certainly not going to say anything. Just go, now, before this develops into something none of us wants to happen.”
Angie reached over and grabbed his hand, tears were running down her face.
Bobby suddenly recognized him from the firm, one of the acquisition guys. In fact there was a good chance Bobby had landed in Nate’s old office, although he couldn’t be sure.
“You’re going to come with me, Angie. I want to get you and your brother Tommy together and discuss the future. Of course now I suppose you’ll have to come along, too, Nate. No big deal, it kinda looks like you were planning to spend some time together anyway,” Bobby said and smiled.
Nate covered his lap with his hands.
“Oh no, Tommy? What have you done with him?” Angie cried.
“I don’t think we’re going to be going anywhere with you,” Nate said.
“Oh really. Tell you what, Angie why don’t you look out on the street and see if you can spot Tommy’s car. You know the one, a grey Nissan, statute of the Virgin Mary on the dash. Go ahead, take a look.”
Angie looked from Nate to Bobby then hurriedly turned round, lifted the cheap Venetian blind and glanced out onto the street.
“Just down a couple of spaces, this side of the…”
“Where is he? What did you do with him? Is he in his car?”
“Relax, he’s fine and waiting for us. I just wanted to get all of us to sit down and talk. Of course now, since your apparent indiscretion,” Bobby paused and let that last word just sort of hang out there. “There’s going to be three of you, and I just think it would really be best if you both decided to come along quietly.”
“What are you going to do?” Angie said sounding like she was on the verge of a major crying jag.
“I just told you, if you were listening. We’re simply going to talk. Now, why don’t you get your ass off the couch and go get lover boy’s clothes.”
“I can assure you that…”
“Shut up, Nate you idiot. You’re just along for the ride. I really don’t want to hear another word from you.”
“Okay, all right, I, I get it,” Nate said placing his hands out in front of him suggesting a form of surrender.
“Go get the clothes, Angie, like a good girl.”
Angie gave a pleading glance toward Nate then got off the couch and hurried into the back bedroom. She returned seconds later and set a pile of clothes on the coffee table.
“Put them on,” Bobby said, “No shoes or socks, you can just go barefoot. You too, honey, kick your shoes off. We’re all going to go to the beach.”
Nate grabbed his shirt and looked like he was going to say something, but Angie placed a hand on his thigh for a brief moment and gave a slight shake of her head.
Once Nate pulled his trousers up, Bobby said, “Put your cellphones on the table.”
Angie said, “Mine’s in my purse.”
Bobby picked her purse up off the floor and set it on the coffee table in front of her. She rummaged around for a moment then pulled her phone out and set it on the coffee table.
“You too,” Bobby said to Nate.
“I, I don’t have a cell.”
“Oh,” Bobby nodded like this made sense then took a quick step toward Angie and kicked her in the shoulder, hard.
“Arghhh,” Angie screamed spinning round and landing on the floor on her knees. She grabbed her shoulder and quietly began to sob.
“What the…” Nate started to shout, but Bobby shoved the revolver up against her tear-stained face.
“You got one more chance to shut up, hero or she’s gonna get it. Like I said, I got nothing to lose.”
“Just do it, Nate. For God’s sake, give him the damn phone, please,” Angie said and began to sob.
Nate reached in his pocket and tossed his cell onto the coffee table.
“Much better,” Bobby smiled. “Okay, on your feet. Nate, you go first, Angie, you stick with me. Either one of you try to be cute and Angie gets hurt. Got it?”
Angie seemed to get back in control and nodded.
Nate glared.
“I’m not sensing a positive response here, Nate.”
“Please.” Angie begged.
Nate nodded. “Okay, I get it. All right?”
Bobby smiled and waved him forward. He pulled Angie up by her hair then pressed the revolver against the base of her spine and said, “You ever want to walk or have babies you’ll just move along nice and easy. Maybe bring your purse, too.”
Angie gave him a strange look.
“In case we stop for something to eat, you can buy.”
The three of them walked out to Tommy’s car. Bobby pushed Angie around to the driver’s side, opened the door and said, “Okay, Nate you’re going to drive. You just climb in behind the wheel and I’ll hand you the keys.
Nate cringed as he walked around to the driver’s side, barefoot. “Look, I’m really sorry, I was just a little upset before. I don’t need to go with you two. I won’t tell anyone, I promise I won’t.”
Angie gave a wide eyed look as Bobby indicated the open door and motioned him behind the wheel. Nate slid in, Bobby slammed the door then opened the rear door and said to Angie, “Get in.”
She climbed in and started to slide across the backseat when Bobby said, “No, not that way, get down onto the floor, face first, lay down.”
Angie gave him a questioning look.
“Get down there, come on, move. You can use your purse as a pillow.”
Once she was settled on the floor Bobby climbed in, placed his feet on top of her then tossed the keys
across the front seat where they bounced off the windshield and landed on the dashboard.
“There you go, Nate. Now just follow my directions. You do anything stupid like flash the lights, honk the horn, or maybe drive over the speed limit and your little love muffin here is going to get it. Okay, let’s go. You can just hop onto 35E and head north toward Duluth, you try any sort of stunt, any nonsense and Angie here will get a bullet in the back of her head. And believe me I’m not kidding.”
The End
Thank you for reading Corridor Man 2; Opportunity Knocks. Please click on the appropriate link below if you’d care to leave a review, it really helps.
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Nick James
Corridor Man 3:
The Dungeon
Published by Credit River Publishing 2015
Copyright Mike Faricy 2015
ASIN# B018WCWKR8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior and express permission of the copyright owner.
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Corridor Man 3 is written by Mike Faricy under the pseudonym Nick James.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following people for their help & support:
Special thanks to Stephanie, Elizabeth, Robert, Tim, Julie, Mattie and Roy for their hard work, cheerful patience and positive feedback. I would like to thank family and friends for their encouragement and unqualified support. Special thanks to Maggie, Jed, Schatz, Pat, Av, Emily and Pat, for not rolling their eyes, at least when I was there. Most of all, to my wife Teresa, whose belief, support and inspiration has, from day one, never waned.
“I got something planned for your wife and kid they ain’t never gonna forget.”
Cape Fear - Max Cady
Nick James
Corridor Man 3:
The Dungeon
Chapter One
“So, ahhh just how far do you plan on going?” Nate asked then nervously glanced at Bobby in the rearview mirror. There seemed to be a sense of pleading in his voice.
Bobby was angled in the corner of the back seat with his feet resting comfortably on top of Angie down on the floor. He held the pistol in his lap and thought for a long moment before answering. “It would probably be a good idea if you just paid attention to the road. You’ll know when we get there, because I’ll tell you.”
“Look, this, this was just all my fault. I’m afraid we may have gotten off on the wrong foot and I’d just like …”
“Please, just drive and don’t say anything.”
“I can understand your…”
“I don’t think you’re listening so I’m going to tell you one more time. Shut the fuck up, Nate. Don’t talk, just drive.”
Down on the floor Angie began shaking beneath his feet, crying again, Bobby thought. He ignored her, grateful for the fact that at least she wasn’t saying anything.
Just over two hours later they drove past the sign for Spirit Mountain, the next four exits would be for the city of Duluth.
“Just stay on 35 through town, then take 61 heading north.” It was the first time anyone had spoken in the car since Bobby had told Nate to shut up a hundred and fifty miles ago. His voice started a new wave of trembling from Angie beneath his feet.
Another hour and a half beyond Duluth Bobby saw the sign for the county road exit. At this late hour they’d passed a total of just three vehicles in the last half hour, all in the town of Silver Bay. There was a cloudless sky with a full moon bright enough that he could see both sides of the road and a few feet into the forest.
“Take this next left coming up,” Bobby directed.
Nate glanced nervously in the rearview mirror then pulled into the left turn lane.
“Relax Nate, if I wanted to do something desperate I would have ended this in Angie’s apartment and saved myself the long drive. Like I said, we’re just going to have a pleasant discussion, me, Angie, her brother, well and I guess you, too since you decided to come along. I’m hoping we can all sit down and discuss the situation like reasonable adults.”
Nate gave a hard swallow and nodded.
“Okay,” Bobby said maybe five minutes later. He leaned forward so that his head was almost in the front seat. “Slow down now, up there, see that mailbox? The fish thing on the post? Turn in there. You should probably flip your brights on, it gets dark in there, the road winds and turns through the woods so go slow. Tommy will really be pissed off if you damage his car.”
At the sound of her brother’s name Angie said, “Is he all right?”
“Relax,” Bobby said looking down. “He’s fine, we had a couple of drinks, he sat in the hot tub for a bit, fell asleep watching a movie. Actually, it was nice of him to lend me his car, mine’s on the fritz, damn fuel pump or something. All in all, he’s a pretty generous guy and we sort of patched up our differences.”
Nate turned onto the trail leading back to Emily’s cabin and slowed down almost to a crawl. The overhead branches blocked any moonlight and the trail wound and twisted enough to make the idea of speed virtually impossible. Branches and small trees brushed against the side of the car as they wound their way ever deeper onto the woods. Every minute seemed to drag on for an hour. Finally, they reached the clearing with the outbuildings and the massive cabin. An outside light over the steps leading up to the cabin’s front porch was the only light on, but the full moon in the clearing was more than bright enough to illuminate the area.
“There’s a parking place just past that last outbuilding on the left hand side, you can pull in there, Nate. Good job by the way, thanks for driving.”
Nate nodded but didn’t say anything as he pulled the car into the empty parking area.
“Just turn it off and hand me the keys, carefully,” Bobby said.
“I think you’ve more than made your point. Look, I had no idea you two were an item, you know, in some kind of a relationship. Honestly, I never had a clue. If I’d known, I never would have been involved with her, believe me. I’m not that kind of guy. It was more or less her idea, anyway,” Nate said and handed the keys back to Bobby.
“Wait a minute, you…” Angie started to say, but Bobby applied pressure against her back with his foot and she sputtered for a brief moment then remained quiet.
“I understand, Nate. I really do, but then again, you are wearing a wedding ring. So, I don’t know, what does that mean? Anyway, come on, we’re actually staying in the guest cabin. We’ll take the little path.”
Chapter Two
Bobby jumped out of the car, stretched and moved his neck from side to side. Nate slowly climbed out from behind the wheel, stood and rolled his shoulders.
“Maybe you could give Angie a hand getting out. I’m sure she could use it after napping on that floor for most of the ride.”
Nate reached in the rear door and helped Angie climb out of the car as she gave off a loud groan. The two of them stood alongside the car, barefoot and huddled together staring at Bobby and his pistol. Angie’s face was streaked with lines of mascara, her eyes were puffy from crying and she was visibly shaking although it wasn’t cold.
Bobby reached into the back seat and grabbed the grocery bag with the clothesline. “Breakfast, got some bacon, red peppers, basil, thought it would be cheaper in the city than up here. Well and besides, I really wasn’t sure I would be able to trust you, Nate.”
“I just want to say that whatever the problem…”
“Sorry to interrupt, Nate, but I just want to say, shut up. Noise travels up here and if Angie’s brother is asleep, I d
on’t want to wake him. Now, we’re all just going to walk down this little trail, right over there across the way, see it?” Bobby said, then added some encouragement by waving the pistol.
“You can probably leave your purse in the car,” Bobby said and nodded at Angie. She had wrapped both arms around her purse, clutching it as if it was a floating cushion and she was adrift out in the middle of a vast ocean.
She reluctantly set her purse back in the car then clung to Nate as the three of them made their way over to the same trail Emily had driven the ATV down just a week before. Nate took short, hopping steps and occasionally grunted as he walked barefoot down the trail while Angie seemed impervious to everything beneath her bare feet.
“Just a ways in and we’ll see the guest cabin. Tommy was gonna leave the porch light on for us, I just hope he remembered.”
“Is he okay?” Angie asked sounding like she had seized on a glimmer of hope. She seemed to pick up her pace slightly. Nate groaned and hobbled along in an attempt to catch up.
“He’s fine, at least as far as I know, well, unless he ran out of beer,” Bobby said as they wound their way deeper into the woods.
“How much farther?” Angie asked a few minutes later.
“God, I’m not sure. I’ll bet Tommy forgot to leave the light on, we should be able to see it by now. Come on, I know a little shortcut. Just up that rise over to the right, see that large pine tree? I think the guest cabin is just past that,” Bobby said.
Angie looked at Nate, not sure what to do.
“All right, this has gone on long enough. Now you’ve had your little joke. You’ve made your damn point.” Nate looked from Bobby to Angie then back to Bobby again and seemed to plant himself. “Satisfied? Now this has simply got to stop and I think it’s high time you bring us back to the city.”
