The Collected

CHAPTER 12

Nate’s eyes shot open as he gasped for air.

Before he could even register that he was soaking wet, another wave of water slammed into him.

He gasped again.

Close by, someone laughed.

He twisted his head toward the noise, and saw a big man with scraggly blond hair and a goatee, a foot long and braided. He grinned at Quinn, an empty bucket in his hand.

“You up now. Good,” the man said. “No fall back asleep, okay?”

The man wagged a finger at Nate, exited the room, and shut the door.

It wasn’t until he was alone again that Nate realized the bag was no longer over his head.

He turned to look around to get a sense of where he was, but had to stop and squeeze his eyes shut as a wave of nausea swept over him. Nearly half a minute passed before he could open his eyelids again.

This time, when he scanned the room, he kept his movements slow to prevent another attack. He was in a space that couldn’t have been more than ten feet square, enclosed by stone walls broken only by the single door. No windows, he realized, and no drain in the floor. Which meant this wasn’t the same room he’d been in when he met the bald man.

He turned his attention to the metal chair he was sitting in, and quickly discovered that it was attached firmly to the concrete floor. Straps across his chest and lap held him in place. In addition, cuffs around his ankles were connected to the chair’s legs.

Apparently, his captors hadn’t realized that his lower right leg was artificial. Of course, without patting down the area where it met his stub or taking his pants off entirely, there was no reason why they would. The limb was wrapped with a synthetic exterior that created the look and feel of a real leg.

Missing this detail was a mistake he hoped they didn’t rectify. His leg was more than just a means of helping him get around. If he could get to the secret compartment in the calf area, then he might have a chance.

The other partially good news was that even though his wrists were still cuffed together, they were now on his lap instead of behind his back. More comfortable, and easier to use if the chance arose.

He leaned his head back and tried to recall the last thing he clearly remembered.

Quinn, he thought. The bald man had called me Quinn.

From the aches and pains he felt, he could tell he’d taken a beating, but as for more memories, he was a blank.

No. Wait.

He closed his eyes. There was more. A burst of sound…and…and…vibrations. A jolt, too. What the hell had that been?

Moved. Yes, that had to be it. I was moved.

It was the method used he was having a hard time identifying. It had been distinctive, he was sure about that, something he should have been able to identify, but the answer remained elusive.

Pieces, that’s all he had to figure out what was going on. The run for the border. The police who hadn’t taken him to an official jail. The bald man. The noises. The vibrations.

And then there was the job itself.

Unfortunately, the pieces that bound everything together were still missing, and he wasn’t going to figure anything out just sitting there.

He refocused his mind.

Priorities.

Number one: Get free.

Number two: If possible, find out what is going on, but not at the sacrifice of the first goal.

Number three: Once free, find that bastard Burke.

What he’d do with that asshole once he had him was something he could figure out later. At the moment, the thought of ripping Burke apart limb by limb was pretty damn appealing.

The door opened again, and the big blond man with the stupid grin reentered. Only he wasn’t alone. Coming in right behind him was the bald man.

I guess it’s time to play.

The big guy was carrying another bucket of water. He set in on the floor as the bald man closed the door. The two of them then stepped in front of Nate.

“Have a good rest?” the bald man asked.

The less said, the better, Nate knew, so he didn’t answer.

“You were out for quite some time.”

Nate kept his expression blank.

The man looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I am unable to chat right now, but I just wanted to say that I’m glad to see you’re up, and if you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask Janus, here.” He gestured to the other man. “You and I will talk later, Mr. Quinn.”

He dipped his head an inch, in what amounted to a farewell bow, and left the room. Janus stayed.

“Brought you more water,” the man said, picking up the bucket. “Thought you might be thirsty.”

He tossed the contents at Nate.

This time the water was freezing and filled with bits and pieces of ice that pelted Nate in the face and shoulders. Nate turned his head just in time to avoid a chunk stabbing him in the eye.

Janus laughed loud and deep, almost doubling over as he did. “Cold, huh? Good for skin.” Another laugh and he, too, was gone.

What Janus hadn’t noticed, though, was that as Nate’s body reacted to the shock, he’d automatically shoved up on his feet, tilting the chair backward a quarter of an inch as the bolts holding the front two legs down gave a little under the pressure. Nate had sensed it immediately, and had used his toes to slow his descent back to the floor so the movement wouldn’t be noticeable.

He remained motionless for the first three minutes he was alone. Finally, when he felt his visitors wouldn’t be returning right away, he rocked back again. He went up a quarter inch before the bolts caught. On his next try he used more force, moving higher. He kept at it, each time gaining a fraction of an inch, until finally he heard one of the bolts pop.

Instantly, he dropped the chair to the floor and eyed the door, expecting Janus to come rushing in. He counted off seconds, stopping when he reached the four-minute mark without the door opening.

He finally allowed himself to glance at the floor. Because his chest was strapped to the chair, he couldn’t lean far enough forward to see the front legs. Also, if he’d heard right, the pop had come from the right side, so even if the bolt had come loose and fallen to the floor, it would have been difficult to detect with his faux foot.

Keeping an eye on the door, he rocks slowly back. While the left front leg of the chair still caught on its bolt, the right side was definitely free.

The door started to open. He quickly put the legs back down, and hoped to God the bolt was hidden by the chair or his own legs.

Janus entered. Instead of a bucket, he had a Taser.

“We go for a walk,” the man said. “You will be good boy, yes?”

Nate stuck to the same script he’d been reading from since his captivity began and kept his mouth shut.

As Janus approached him, he touched a button on the side of the Taser. An electronic hiss emanated from the device.

“See this? You don’t want me touch you with this. Not feel nice. I guarantee. So you be good boy.”

Nate kept his face blank as Janus circled around behind the chair.

Don’t look down. Don’t see the bolt.

Janus undid the straps across Nate’s thighs, released the one around his chest, and backed away.

“Unbuckle your ankles,” he said.

A smart move, taking away the possibility he might get kicked or punched in the process. But it also gave Nate the opportunity to find the bolt. As he leaned down, he searched the floor, but couldn’t see it.

“Faster,” Janus ordered.

Nate undid one ankle, then the other as he continued to hunt for the piece of hardware.

There it is.

It was directly behind his right heel. As he started to reach for it, Janus pushed him on the back, sending him sprawling from his chair.

“On your feet.”

Silently cursing himself, Nate slowly rose. As he did, he kept his head down like he was tired, and glanced back at the chair. The bolt was still there.

“Let’s go,” Janus said, underlining his order with a test zap of the Taser.

Nate took a single step forward, then halted.

“Keep moving,” Janus told him.

Nate turned toward the other man. “I don’t feel very-”

Before he could finish, he saw the Taser shoot toward him. Nate acted like he was going to throw up and dropped to the floor, Janus’s weapon slicing harmlessly through the space where he’d just been. He shot his arms forward, grabbed the bolt, and brought it down to his chest as the Taser touched his back.

For the next several seconds, he jerked and jolted on the ground, the electric pain seemingly touching every nerve ending as he lost control of his body. When the hissing stopped, he continued to spasm for several seconds, playing out the last of the Taser’s effects.

Nearly a minute passed before Janus said, “I tell you to be good boy. Now, get up.”

Nate felt a pain on his chest. Not electrical from the Taser, more like a bruise. The bolt, he realized. He’d been thrashing against it. He put his hand over it and curled it into a loose fist as he shakily pushed himself back to his feet.

“No more stupid move, okay? Now go.”

Nate walked out of the room into a narrow passageway. As Janus closed the door, Nate slipped his potential weapon into his pocket.