Prey for Us

by Geoffrey Neil

  “The garage is quiet. If multiple people broke in, any that weren’t trapped would be calling out.” He dropped his hand to his side, the lift started to ascend.

  She took his hand and whispered, “Even if it’s only one person, you should assume that whoever is trapped is armed. We need to be careful.”

  “No, the person that broke in should have been more careful. And you don’t need to be quiet. Whoever is trapped in it cannot hear us.”

  “What if it isn’t Waylon?”

  “At this point, I don’t care who it is. You watched me lock the garage door knob. Whoever is trapped, broke in.”

  “Thane, slow down, all I’m asking is that you first make sure it’s Waylon.”

  “So what if it isn’t? You told me he has connections. One thing I can tell you is whoever is in that trap floor will be sorry.”

  “How? Thane, please tell me what you’re planning.”

  “The lift block you saw hoisted doesn’t overlap the trap floor shaft. It’s not a lid. I designed it to slide into the shaft like a syringe plunger.”

  “You’re planning to… crush the person?”

  “Like a bug,” he replied.

  A small laugh escaped Morana.

  “You don’t believe me?” Thane said.

  “It’s just that I’m surprised by whatever has come over you since my last visit. When I first suggested that you dispense with Waylon when we had him the first time, you couldn’t buy into the idea. When I offered to do it for you, your face looked like you would throw up. Now, you’re willing to single-handedly execute him?”

  A band of light reflected from the shaft wall slid down Thane’s front. “I’ve put a lot of thought into this. I don’t have it in me to kill someone—directly. I certainly couldn’t shoot anyone. But when I hear that some monster somewhere has paid the ultimate price for victimizing someone else, I have to admit that I don’t feel bad about it. I’m happy for the monster’s victims. I believe most people would admit they feel the same—if they are honest.”

  “Then what stopped you the first time?”

  “I was worried that I’d feel ashamed for doing it with my hands—while he watched. This is another reason why I hoped you would take care of it for me.”

  “Then if Waylon is trapped, just take him below and let me finish him. You won’t have to worry about any guilt.”

  “No, I’ve decided to deal with him myself. The trap floor method allows him to be crushed by accident. I won’t see or hear any of it.”

  “So, he dies, you don’t see it happen, and you’re fine with that?”

  “That buffer makes all the difference.”

  Morana squeezed his hand and said, “I’m glad you’re not into bomb-making.”

  As they neared the surface, the growing ambient light brought the details of Thane’s face into view.

  Thane said, “What you told me about standing up for myself makes sense to me now. Waylon will never stop bullying me. He will torment me until the day I die. You helped me realize that the sub-lair is the ultimate way to maintain my secrecy. But if you are wrong, and what I’m about to do leads to an investigation, I can promise you that the sub-lair will never be found.”

  “I love that you want to stand up for yourself, and I don’t blame you for feeling as adamant as you do. But you still need to be careful. We should talk this through together. Don’t let your emotions make you reckless.”

  “It was reckless for me to let him go the first time. There’s nothing more to discuss. I told you I would correct that mistake.” Thane’s voice quivered, and he paused to swallow. “I’m tired of being afraid.” He stared upward.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “There’s no other option. I hate him.” Thane squeezed the words through gritted teeth. “Why does it feel like you’re suddenly dissuading me?”

  “I’m not. When you told me how he treated you for so many years, I wanted to make him pay for it. I’m advising you to be cautious in case you’ve trapped someone other than Waylon.”

  “Who else would it be?”

  “What if the police came back? I’ve never seen you this worked up and I’m just saying we need to have a plan before you drop… the plunger.”

  “The only other person that would want to get into the garage is my uncle, and I made sure he doesn’t have a key. He doesn’t know how to pick a lock, and he wouldn’t break in because he’s too cheap to replace a doorknob.”

  Morana hesitated, and said, “Thane, this is a perfect example of a situation I’ve been trying to describe. With Clay’s help, you could already know who is in the trap floor,” Morana said.

  “Stop pushing for cameras!” Thane yelled. “You know how I feel about them.”

  “I’m sorry! Calm down,” Morana said, raising her hands.

  The lift came to a stop in the garage. The whir of rushing air that spun the new turbine vents in the ceiling went silent. The garage entry door was ajar. Thane hurried toward it.

  “Thane, wait!” Morana ran after him and grabbed his arm.

  He pulled his arm free and stopped. While staring at the opening left by the sunken trap floor, he said, “Did you bring your gun?”

  She felt under her waistband. “No, I didn’t. It’s in my bag below. We should go get it before you do anything.”

  “No. We don’t need it.”

  They went to the edge of the opening. The lid block had dropped, precisely as Thane had planned, stopping a few feet below the surface. From below it, they heard the faint calls of a man’s voice from below. “Thane, is that you? Buddy, help me!”

  Thane looked at Morana.

  She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “It’s Clay.”

  Chapter 28

  THANE KICKED THE entry door and then shook his head as he stared at the trap floor.

  Morana said, “Let’s get him out.”

  “I don’t think so,” Thane said.

  “Of course, we have to get him out. It’s Clay!”

  “Buddy, please!” Clay shouted from below.

  “You broke in,” Thane shouted back. “You violated my privacy.”

  “I’m sorry—I’m so sorry.”

  Morana came to Thane and quietly said, “Sweetheart, we need him. I know you don’t want cameras, I know you are angry, but he’s valuable, and we can’t make things worse than they are. Please trust me on this.”

  “Are you guys still there?” Clay hollered.

  “Shut up!” Thane said.

  Morana’s head jerked, surprised by Thane’s sharp reprimand.

  Thane walked to the opposite side of the garage, and then slowly came back rubbing his chin.

  Morana quietly watched, not wanting to trigger him again.

  “I need to raise the lid block,” Thane said as he went to the door.

  “Are you going to make me step outside?” Morana asked.

  “Not necessary this time,” Thane said. He flipped a switch on the wall. The garage went completely dark.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” Morana asked, straining to see.

  Thane didn’t answer, but his footsteps echoed as they scuffed several times.

  “Thane? Sweetheart?” Morana said.

  The faint hum came from above. A few moments later, the lights came on. The lid block had moved up to its original position near the ceiling.

  Clay, now visible, looked up from the sunken trap floor. “Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me. Get me out of here—please.”

  Thane knelt at the shaft’s edge and shouted, “What were you doing in here?”

  Morana moved closer and peered over the edge, standing a safe distance from it.

  “I was looking for you and Mo,” Clay said.

  “You should have called,” Thane said.

  “I did call! Check your voicemail. I left a message before I got here.”

  “So, because I don’t answer, you think
that gives you the right to break in?”

  “I told you not to come here,” Morana said to Clay.

  “I was worried that maybe Waylon had gotten to the both of you and hid you here.”

  “Hid us where?”

  Morana whispered, “He means the garage. Sweetheart, he’s an idiot, but he meant no harm.”

  “Quiet!” Thane snapped at her. “Let him answer.”

  Morana stepped back from him with her hands up.

  “What do you mean by hide?” Thane repeated. “Where would Waylon hide us, Clay?” Thane looked over his shoulder at Morana.

  “I don’t know,” Clay said. “Somewhere in the garage. Maybe he wanted to see you move the blocks.”

  “What do you know about blocks? I’ve shown you only one block.”

  Thane turned to Morana and glared at her. “You lied to me.”

  “No, I didn’t!” she said. “Clay saw you lift one block. You showed him, remember? Clay knows nothing else.”

  Thane’s expression didn’t soften. He grabbed his hair and said, “Why can’t everyone leave me alone?”

  “Buddy, calm down,” Clay said. “If you get me out of here I can explain, and it will all make sense, I swear. Mo, I thought we were working on this project together.”

  “What project?” Thane asked, giving Morana a new quizzical look.

  “Now is not the time,” Morana shouted down to Clay.

  “No, tell me. What project are you working on together?” Thane asked.

  “Clay is talking about our efforts to help you with the Waylon situation. We call it a project,” Morana replied.

  “That’s right,” Clay said. “But she won’t tell me anything about what you two have been doing. Please, I’m begging you, get me out of this dungeon, I’m getting claustrophobic.”

  “He’s learned his lesson and the guy is terrified,” Morana said, pointing to Clay.

  Thane said, “He’s no better than Waylon for breaking in.”

  “But this is different,” Morana said. “Clay doesn’t want to hurt you. He isn’t a bully. There’s a huge difference.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Thane said. He stepped back from the edge of the trap floor and walked to another part of the wall adjacent to the trap floor.

  “Be still,” Thane said to Clay. He then spread his hands on the wall between two wooden support beams. The faint hum overhead resumed, and air rushed out of the garage as the turbine vent above them spun. A brief, faint scrape echoed from the trap floor shaft before it silently rose.

  Morana watched Thane, trying to figure out how he had used his hands to trigger the trap floor to rise. Aside from merely placing his hands on the wall, Thane had visibly manipulated no other object.

  He stepped back and shook his head as he looked down into the dark shaft. “I hope I don’t regret this,” he said.

  “You won’t,” Morana said.

  Clay’s head, shoulders and then his torso rose into view. Clay took a running jump to the edge of the trap floor, where he climbed out beside Morana. He brushed himself off, looking down at his temporary dungeon. “God, that was awful,” he said.

  The base of the trap floor slowed to become perfectly level with the garage floor.

  Clay said, “Thank you, buddy. You gotta understand that I’m on your side.”

  “No, I don’t. You had no right to come in here without permission,” Thane said. “It’s disrespectful.” Thane turned his back to Clay, and while looking up to examine the wire connected to the notched block, he said, “You’re lucky.”

  “I’m sorry. It will never happen again… Would you be willing to show us how you lowered that?” Clay said, pointing to the trap floor.

  Morana cleared her throat. When Clay looked, she widened her eyes.

  “What?” Clay said. “I’m not allowed to ask?”

  Thane walked onto the trap floor and picked up the area rug. He shook it out, spreading it evenly between the trap floor seams. He looked at Clay and said, “Mo tells me you could enhance security for me in here.”

  “Of course,” Clay said, beaming. “Whatever you need regarding surveillance, background information on anyone, and electronics. Are you open to that?”

  “Maybe,” Thane said, interlocking his fingers behind his back.

  “Since you’ve already seen this shaft, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to show you a little more about how things work in here. Let’s take a ride.” He pointed to the trap floor rug.

  “No—no,” Clay said. “I don’t know if I could take that again.”

  Thane stepped onto the center of the rug. “If the two of you want to learn, join me.” Thane pointed beside his feet.

  “Oh, come on Clay. He’s giving us an opportunity,” Morana said she came and stood beside Thane.

  Clay slowly stepped back onto the trap floor, outstretching his arms in preparation for the floor to drop again.

  “Not too close to the edge, it could be dangerous,” Thane said, pointing to where he wanted them to stand.

  Morana and Clay moved to the center.

  “Excellent. Don’t be alarmed—you’re going to feel some motion.” Thane moved to the edge of the trap floor. He squatted slightly and then leaped from it the instant it began to drop.

  Morana shrieked and dove for the edge as they went down. Her fingertips caught the rim, but couldn’t support her weight, and she fell. Clay also lunged to grab the edge, but his fingers fell short. After the trap floor’s initial drop of 20 feet, it continued to slowly sink, dropping them into the darkness.

  Morana yelled, “Thane! What are you doing?”

  “Goddammit, Thane!” Clay said.

  Thane looked down at them from above, his toes jutting over the edge. Adrenaline had him breathing hard. He stepped away from the edge, disappearing from their view.

  “Thane, Sweetheart,” Morana called out to him. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but you’ve chosen a bad time for a joke. Please bring us back up.”

  As they sank deeper, the shaft darkened. Clay shouted, “Buddy, C’mon! What’s going on? We are only trying to help you, and this isn’t funny!”

  “Shh,” Morana hushed him. The trap floor bumped to a stop. Above they heard the metallic jostle of a wire as Thane’s arm came into view, reaching to check its connection to the notched lid block suspended overhead. Moments later, the lid block slowly descended.

  “Oh, God! No!” Morana yelled.

  “Jesus Christ,” Clay said.

  The lid block stopped descending knee-high above the trap floor shaft. Thane reached out and gently spread his fingers on the side of the lid block, its corners dipping and rising as he manually positioned it over the shaft opening. He held it at shoulder height and moved it with the ease of adjusting a cardboard box. He looked down at them, and his voice echoed in the shaft as he said, “I’m sorry for this. I need to leave because I don’t want to watch. I promise it will be quick.”

  “Thane, please!” Morana said, slapping the shaft wall with her palm. “What has happened to you?”

  Thane disappeared from view for few moments as Morana and Clay shouted, pleading for mercy.

  Thane came back into view and shined a flashlight down at them. “You want to know what’s happened to me? I’ll tell you… Two weeks ago, my life was quiet. Nobody bothered me, nobody wanted to talk to me, and nobody wanted anything from me. I had virtually no friends, but I had all of the freedom and privacy I’ve always wanted.” He aimed the flashlight squarely at Clay’s face. “Then I shared part of my private world with you.”

  Clay squinted and raised his hand to block the beam. “And, buddy, I swear I haven’t told anybody about it! Is that what you’re worried about?”

  “And then you introduced me to her,” Thane said, moving the flashlight beam to light up Morana’s face. She didn’t try to block the beam, only closed her eyes.

  Thane said, “You both told me that you wanted to help me�
�gave me every indication that we were friends.”

  “We do want to help you,” Morana said.

  Clay added, “Buddy, we are friends. I swear.” He held up his hand.

  “Then why can’t I shake the feeling that your friendship comes at a huge cost.”

  Clay started to speak until Morana nudged him and whispered, “Shut up.” She looked up at Thane. “Sweetheart, listen to me. If you are planning to harm us, please understand that it will create a much bigger problem than the one you’re trying to resolve. I’ve told you we’re willing to help you, and you will owe us nothing for it.”

  “Actually, I already owe you something.”

  “I don’t understand,” Morana said.

  “I owe you a debt of gratitude. I’m grateful that you convinced me to finally stand up for myself. I’m grateful that you’ve helped me realize how perfect the sub-lair is for containing and controlling secrets. I had never considered using it for that purpose. Your excitement about it was eye-opening. I’m sorry for this blindside, but I have no choice but to use what you explained—the importance of a firm commitment to a decision. You taught me about V1, remember?”

  Morana said, “No, I mean, yes, that’s true, but this is different. Being reckless ruins it! We need to talk this over—please!”

  “All we’ve done is talk while Waylon remains free to come after me. You couldn’t even handle him with a gun. For three days you didn’t call when I needed to talk to you. Waylon could have killed me during that time. My situation with Waylon is out of control, and neither of you can do a thing about it.”

  “Yes, we can!” Clay shouted. “But we can’t help you while we're trapped in here. Now let us out, goddammit!”

  Morana shoved Clay and said, “Don’t talk to him that way!”

  “I never meant to show anyone my work,” Thane said. “I regret having leaked my ability to you two, but I can’t undo that. Unfortunately, the only way to restore my privacy is to plug that leak and handle Waylon myself. I’m sorry.”

  “Thane, wait!” Morana shouted, clasping her hands in front of her. “Think about this… you were concerned that anything you did to Waylon on your property would come back to haunt you legally. I can tell you that covering up for our disappearances compounds that many times.”