“Feel free to help yourself to anything you want,” he said as he got up from the table with his plate in his hand. “The TV in your room is hooked up if you want to watch the satellite, and there’s a pool out back if you want to go swimming. I have a few things to do, but holler if you need anything.”
Andraeon mustered a smile and nodded. “Thanks.”
Chase patted his shoulder and left the dining room, dropping his plate off in the kitchen on the way by. Andraeon listened to his footsteps recede away down the hall, then got to his feet and took his own plate into the kitchen. He debated just leaving it on the side, then scraped it clean and put it in the dishwasher, along with Chase’s plate. Just that simple act of cleaning up made him feel a little better and he decided to go out into the backyard for a swim.
The backyard was surrounded by huge trees that reminded him uncomfortably of The Collector’s yard. He hesitated out on the back porch, then squared his shoulders and stripped down to his boxers before heading for the pool. The water was clear and cool in the muggy heat of the evening and with a sigh of relief he let himself sink down into it until it lapped against the underside of his chin. When he felt sufficiently cooled down he swam a few laps then just turned onto his back and let himself float.
With the water buoying him up, he let his mind drift and tried to relax, pushing away thoughts of Jones. Jones was gone and no matter what he had said, Andraeon didn’t really believe he would come back. He would find his daughter and take her away, and there would be no room for Andraeon anymore.
The hurt all came rushing back and he let his legs sink, standing up in the shallow end of the pool. A stray breeze brushed across his bare back and he shivered; he’d been floating so long the sun had gone down and now the water was growing cold. He looked up at the first few stars coming out in the sky then waded to the steps and climbed out. Grabbing his clothes with one hand, he hurried up onto the porch and into the house to find a towel.
The spare room Chase had shown him earlier had a half-bath connected to it and he grabbed a towel out of the cupboard to wrap around his waist. His skin had risen up in goose pimples and he was still shivering, though the house was warm. He took another towel to drape across his shoulders then went into the bedroom to change out of his wet shorts, frowning at the gold bands still around his wrists, ankles, and neck. There had been no chance to remove them while with Jones—they seemed to be made of solid gold, with no clasps—but he thought Chase would probably have something that could cut through them.
He pulled on the clean clothes Chase had found for him earlier and went back downstairs, using the towel he’d had draped over his shoulders to continue drying his hair. On the way up he had heard the steady clacking of Chase typing in the little office down the hall, but now there was only silence. Outside the long fingers of dusk crept across the ground, darkening the windows and creating shadows in the corners. He swallowed hard then told himself to stop acting like a frightened child; it was only getting dark, as it did every day and always would.
“Chase?” He knocked lightly on the half-open door. “Are you in here?” There was no answer and he knocked again, harder, then pushed the door open to peek inside.
He saw Chase’s legs first, splayed out in an awkward V across the carpet. The upper half of his body was hidden by the solid wood desk but Andraeon didn’t dare go closer to check on him. He could already see wet red patches soaking into the carpet around the splayed legs, and smell something heavy and coppery in the air.
“Chase?” he whispered anyway, unable to stop himself, then turned to run.
He’d only taken a few steps when his feet tangled together and he fell hard, just barely catching himself on his elbows before his face slammed into the floor. Pain shot through his arms and all the way up one shoulder and as he gingerly pushed himself up, he felt blood begin to run down his forearm. Cradling that arm against his chest he pushed himself up and put his back against the wall, trying to see anything in the lengthening shadows.
The next blow caught him in the ribs, hard enough to spin him halfway around and knock the air out of his lungs. He stumbled and nearly fell but managed to catch himself on the wall, kicking out at the air in a panic. He hit nothing, but whatever was in the hallway with him took advantage of his unbalanced stance to knock his other leg out from beneath him, landing him flat on his back. The back of his head rapped against the hardwood floor and he saw stars.
Sudden vicious rage swept through him and he felt something inside him lash out. The window at the end of the hall exploded outwards in a shower of glass fragments and the nearest door bowed in around itself as though made of taffy. Breathing hard, Andraeon looked up and down the hallway, then carefully got to his feet and limped towards the front door. He had his hand on the doorknob when an invisible hand caught him by his collar and flung him sideways into the living room. His lower back hit the edge of the heavy glass coffee table and he yelped in pain, struggling to hold onto consciousness.
In the shadows something moved, a deeper darkness that detached itself and became a tall man stepping out into the living room. He was smiling a bit, a gentle smile that still sent fear twisting through Andraeon’s belly. Ignoring the pain, Andraeon scrambled to his feet and stood sway as the stranger approached.
“You’re cute, kid, but you have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” The man reached out to touch his hair, laughing when he flinched away. “Quit fighting me. You’ll just end up hurt.”
Andraeon shook his head silently, trying to find whatever it was inside him that had blown the window out and bent the door. It felt like straining to reach for something that was just beyond his fingertips, so close he could practically touch it but not close enough for him to grab. He fought to get just a little closer to it, then suddenly it was there, ready to lash out at the man in front of him. He saw the man’s eyes widen in surprised and felt a brief thrill of triumph, then the stranger said a sharp word and the gold bands around his wrist, ankles, and throat began to burn against his skin.
He went down on his knees, clawing at the collar around his neck, but his movements quickly became sluggish and awkward. His muscles gave out and he tipped over onto his side, unable to take any breaths that weren’t shallow and quick. His body refused to respond to any of his brain’s commands and all he could do was stare at his own outstretched arm, vaguely registering that the engraved runes in the cuff around his wrist were glowing with a pale blue light.
He didn’t lose consciousness but he was helpless as the stranger leaned down and hoisted him up into a fireman’s carry. He dangled limply over the stranger’s shoulder as he moved out of the living room and, between one step and the next, into an entirely different room. Andraeon couldn’t see much more than the floor—tiled, in white with little blue accents—and the heels of his captor’s boots, but he didn’t need to see more to know it was a cell. Wherever he was now he was a prisoner, and one that couldn’t even find the energy to lift his own head.
Jones, he thought. Jones will come.
He won’t, the little voice deep inside him whispered. He doesn’t know where you are, and even if he did, he doesn’t care.
“Please,” he said, his voice slurred and barely above a whisper. “Jones, I need you.”
“Jones? Your merc?” The man dumped him on a cot in the corner of the room and clipped a length of steel chain to the cuff around his ankle. “He’s dead. He won’t be coming to your rescue.”
Andraeon just shook his head, too tired to even form words. The light of the runes had slowly faded away and he was getting feeling back into his limbs but every effort to move anything was sluggish and exhausting. The heavy steel chain dragged down on his ankle and all he wanted to do was sleep.
“Hey, pay attention.” The man shoved his shoulder and he realized he’d let his eyes close. “All I need you to do is cooperate and you’ll be out of here soon. Try anything on me again and you’re going to regret it. Are we clear?”
He nodded again, unable to keep from flinching when the man patted his head. The stranger just laughed then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Andraeon didn’t bother to try the chain, just closed his eyes and let himself drift off.
No comments:
Post a Comment