Black Harvest

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

The steps going down into the basement were part of the old house. At the bottom everything turned to new concrete. A lighted corridor ten feet wide and ten feet high ran the length of the house above. The stairs came out by a furnace and utility room set at one end. At the other end of the corridor were two metal doors with view plates. The doors were closed. The view plates were closed. It was cool in the basement.

They moved silent as cats down the corridor and paused. Nick listened. He heard nothing. He signaled. Right door first. He opened it onto an empty room. He took in the cot, the toilet, the camera on the ceiling.

He shook his head at the others. One room left. What if she wasn't in there?

He gestured for the others to stand out of sight and opened the door, pistol ready. He saw Stephanie.

She was strapped naked into a chair. Her eyes were wide. An odd little man stood behind her, holding a syringe filled with a dark fluid next to her throat in one hand. The point of the needle was next to her jugular. Nick could see the vein throbbing. He could smell Stephanie's fear. There was a puddle of liquid under her chair. In his other hand the man held a 9mm pistol aimed at Nick's chest.

"Stop."

Nick froze where he was.

"Put down your weapon."

"Not yet. Who are you?"

"This syringe is filled with an especially nasty poison. There is no antidote. She will die in terrible pain. It takes several minutes. Put down your weapon. I will not ask again."

He leaned close to Stephanie. "Tell him I mean what I say."

"He means it, Nick. He does."

"Okay. I'm putting it down." Nick bent and put the .45 on the floor. He straightened.

"Kick the gun over here. Easy."

The gun rasped across the floor and stopped a foot from the chair.

"What do you want?"

"This is not a discussion. Raise your hands. Move to the side." The little man gestured with his head. He kept the gun pointed at Nick's chest. "That way."

Nick raised his hands and stepped to the side.

"Now tell the others to come inside and put their weapons on the floor."

"Others?"

"Don't play games. I've got nothing to lose. She does. You do. Tell them to come in, one by one. Weapons on the floor and kick them toward me or she dies."

"Korov," Nick called out. "He's got her strapped to a chair and a needle at her neck. He'll kill her. Come in and do as he says."

The man sighed. "The woman too. I know she's there, Carter. Quick."

Knows my name.

Korov came in and then Selena. They put their guns on the floor, kicked them toward the chair and moved over to Nick. In the hall, Lucas waited unseen. He thought about Stephanie. He felt the cool anger descend, the killer angel.

"Now lie down, except the woman."

They lay down. Selena stood waiting, hands raised.

"You. Get on your hands and knees and crawl to the front of the chair."

Selena got down on the floor. The surface was rough against her skin. She focused on Stephanie's eyes as she crawled to the chair, trying to send a message. A subtle change came into Steph's face.

Selena reached the chair.

"Unbuckle the leg straps. If you do anything else, if this one moves, she dies."

Steph sat rigid in the chair. Selena undid the straps, one by one. "Now the arms. Right one first. Be very careful."

Selena unbuckled the straps. Stephanie sat still.

"Very good. Now back away and lie down with the others."

"You can't kill us all."

He laughed. "I can certainly kill your friend here. You too. Back away and lie down."

Selena crawled backwards and lay down on the floor.

"Stand up," he said to Stephanie. "Be careful. The needle could slip."

He moved behind her as she stood, keeping his pistol trained on the others. They watched from the floor. His left arm pressed against her, keeping her tight against him. Through his pants she felt his erection against her naked buttocks.

His breath was hot in her ear. "We're going to back out the door and lock your friends inside. Be careful. We'll continue our session somewhere else. It's gotten crowded in here, don't you think?"

In the hall, Lucas waited. One chance.

As they backed into the hall Lucas pulled the hand with the needle away from Stephanie's neck and twisted the gun away. Stephanie broke free. Lucas kept his grip on the man's hand and drove the needle down, deep into the side of her captor's leg. He felt the needle strike bone. He pushed the plunger in all the way.

The man screamed and fell to the floor. The others came out of the cell. Selena went to Stephanie. Nick handed Selena his jacket. She draped it around Stephanie's body and put her arms around her.

"It's okay, Steph. You're all right now. You're safe."

Steph began sobbing on Selena's shoulder.

On the floor, the little man writhed and shrieked. Froth and spittle foamed from his mouth. His eyes were wide, terrified. His body went into terrible spasms on the floor. He became rigid, then arched backward in an impossible curve. Nick heard bones snapping. He gave a final scream of unbearable agony and died.

Lucas looked down at the body.

"Asshole," he said.

Then he went to Stephanie and held her close.