Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Chapter 39

Back in the lounge, Cara is sitting on Mitch’s knee. “Getting into practice?” I ask.

Hope and tears war in her voice. “I suppose.” Then as Cara stretches chubby arms out to me. “I think she wants a hug.”

My baby daughter gives me a gummy smile as I pick her up, cradling her to my chest and bouncing her a bit. “You been a good girl then?”

A burble is my only reply, but Georgie looks at me a little oddly. “You never used to do that with me.”

“In fact, Georgie, I did. But your mother didn't like it. She always took you away from me when she could.”

She frowns. “Mom stopped you picking me up?”

“That’s right.”

“But…why would she do something like that?”

I shrug. “I suppose she wanted control of you.” I speak off-handedly, but suddenly, the conversation is uncomfortable. “Mitch I’m making tea. Peppermint for you?”

*****

 

Klempner

Nightmares…

The world spinning…

A face… Juliana, grinning at me… Her teeth sharp and pointed, like a cat’s.

Pain… Something gnawing at me, some monster biting at my ankle.

I know I’m in a nightmare, but I can’t jolt myself out of sleep. Sickeningly, the world spins and wavers around me. I want to retch, but my sleep-bound body won’t let me.

*****

Harsh white light filters through my lashes to stab at crusty eyes. The world still revolves. Or is it me that’s turning?

Consciousness returns only slowly, one sensation after another settling enough to make sense of them.

The spinning around me slowly dies and my world settles. I’m chilled and numb. Pain stabs behind my eyes and as I move, my stomach threatens rebellion. Gradually, it comes to me that, while my shoulder muscles burn, my hands are free.

A male voice: “He should be awake now, shouldn’t he?”

A female voice: “Yes. I didn’t give him much. He should be awake by now. He’s probably faking it.”

Just lie here…

Eyes closed…

Listen…

I’m lying on some cold, hard surface, slick with damp, coated with Christ-knows-what unnamable muck. And for some reason, I’m stretched out full-length, one arm reaching out above my head.

The male voice again: “Wakey, wakey, Larry.” And something plants itself in my ribs, whoofing the air out of my lungs.

Instinctively I roll, snatching for a foot, a leg, a fist: but I catch only empty air. Then I pull up short, with the clink of metal and something biting into my ankle.

What the hell…?

The air stinks. A fetid smell; stagnant water and the rank scent of decay, washes over me. All without meaning to, I react, covering my mouth and nose with my hand before realising that my hand is part of the smell, foul with slime and muck.

Somewhere close by: a trickling sound, and the slap of water against hard sides.

Where the fuck am I?

Oddly out of place, the smell of fresh paint tickles my nostrils.

The male voice again. “He’s awake for sure. He opened his eyes just then, but closed them again.” The words sound far away, as though carried through a tunnel. My eyes won’t focus properly. Nor my head: stuffed and unclear.

you awake again. How it’s going?” The female voice sparkles with glee.

at my ankle competes with the rebellion of my

it away with the back of my hand

Someone giggles.

are sticky with something besides the filth: white, already drying, crisping at the edges. Cautiously,

?

me screams protest as, stiff-muscled, my

my ankle

eyes still unfocused, I reach for my ankle, finding a steel cuff, snapped closed. And as my vision clears, I see a padlock. With leaden fingers, I feel at the metal, probing sluggishly: it’s good quality, the steel polished and new. My feet are bare; there’s no sign of

short gasps, finally I look up and around, take

and white, But it quickly fades, illuminating only a small area around me, three or four yards, before fading to an

Between them and me, trickled over muck and slime, a thick white line is painted

lips. “You won’t escape that padlock, Larry. I chose

it in her fingers, glinting dully: a small brass key: She passes it to Jose,

distance from me, smirking. “Don’t worry, the nausea will pass… Or…” She sweeps an arm around… “Or maybe it won’t. I’d

to a channel containing an uncertain depth of oozing water. Rusted metal grates obstruct narrow black

Sewers?

from a single overhead bulb, marks out the confined space with sharp dark shadows. And set in the wall behind Juliana, towards the ceiling, a camera eye aims at me,

I’ll say that for you. You imprisoned Jenny below ground in primitive conditions. Now you plan to do the same

it.” She squats down, noticeably well to her side of the painted line,

your cellars at Blessingmoors, whenever you or that bastard Jenkins…” Her lips curls…”That fucking perv you put in charge…

We all spent time there; with

comment, don’t move, try

and dark places, this is your life now… for as much of it as you have left.” She

the words at her, trying to inject

“You still

“Of course.”

“Give it to me.”

from his pocket, passing it across grip first. She turns it over in her hands, examining it, as though she has never seen such a thing before. Then, holding it loosely, almost negligently,

She won’t shoot…

She’s a gloater…

she doesn’t

Not yet….

But my breath holds…

apparently randomly, first one way, then the other,

to do with you? I haven't decided properly yet, you know.” She aims at my forehead. “I might just shoot you dead. Bang! Bang!…” She mimes firing… Fake

were a genuine question,

other hand…” she muses… “… I could take you a piece at a time.” She stares upward, as though addressing the ceiling.

myself to

In… Out… In… Out…

know all about these games: making the victim collaborate in their own

nose of the barrel drifts between my feet. “Which will it be, Larry? Left or right? If you don't choose, of course, it will

Fuck this…

right, Larry? Time

Keep calm…

Don't panic…

Baxter…

not as though you’re going to need it again. I'll leave you the other one for a bit. You’ll

with gunshot wounds down here, Juliana, and they'll be infected

gives a quick, sharp nod. “It's

folded, legs akimbo; radiating machismo. “All

way. I don’t think you have more than a few days. And they’re not going to

in trouble, Jose? If your only use to Juliana was to make me her prisoner, your life expectancy is down

do what she wants with you. No one else

I am.” Juliana‘s lips curve, but Jose doesn't see the knife in the smile. She moves closer to him, slides one hand over his cheek, then around his neck, as though to kiss him. “As you say, Jose, only we know

can he not see

in his

Dumb bastard…

“Hey, look out. She's...”

too wrapped up

and I’m too

of the Glock pressed into his belly, she

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