Thane’s hand’s trembled as he quickly moved the 8-ton block to the entry door. The doorknob jiggled.
Uncle Jesse’s foot slammed against the door and he yelled, “Now that you’re trespassing, I’m calling the police.”
Thane staggered to the center of the garage and collapsed onto the floor, panting.
While Uncle Jesse yelled and cussed outside, Thane kept quiet. As his adrenaline rush subsided, the pain of the beating Uncle Jesse gave him set in. He felt a stabbing burn in his ribs, and his face and upper body ached.
The pounding on the door stopped. After a brief pause, Uncle Jesse said, “Listen, I’m sorry I lost my temper, Thane. Let me in so we can talk this out. We’re family, and you’re making this situation a lot uglier than it needs to be.”
Thane ignored him, waiting quietly in the garage until he was sure his uncle was gone. He crawled to the countertop and pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed a towel and wiped the blood from his mouth, then picked up the phone and dialed Morana.
Chapter 33
MORANA ARRIVED AT the garage less than 15 minutes after Thane’s urgent call. When Thane opened the door, Morana said, “My God, what happened to you?” She lifted his chin to examine his face.
Thane took her wrist and pulled her inside. He quickly closed the door and locked it. “My uncle cornered me in the house. We had an uncomfortable exchange, and one thing led to another.”
“Your uncle did this to you?” Morana asked, suppressing her anger while she smoothed his shirt.
“He tried to intimidate me by threatening to kick me off the property today.”
“He can’t do that. We will have closed escrow before he can legally evict you. You can stay.”
“Still, he became angry and attacked me. I managed to free myself and ran out the back door. He chased me, and then he threatened to call the police.”
Morana sucked her teeth. “That’s unfortunate.”
Thane quickly added, “He bluffs all the time—he didn’t mean it.”
“You can’t be sure.” Morana strolled to the countertop and back, tapping her chin while she thought. “We can’t allow him to follow through on his threat.”
“So, what are you saying?” Thane asked, wringing his hands.
“I’m saying—” Morana paused when she saw the tension spreading on Thane’s face. “I know it might be difficult for you to hear, but your uncle is positioning himself to become an ongoing problem that requires an immediate solution. I assume you won’t have a problem if I remove him as a concern.”
Thane winced.
Morana said, “His threats to bring police to the property risks our future as much as Waylon’s threats risked your life. You’re lucky to have escaped from both of them.”
“I don’t think my uncle would’ve killed me.”
“Again, you can’t know that. He knew he was about to lose everything, including his marriage. Permanently silencing you could have felt like his best option at that moment. Your uncle is an example of the problems Prey for Us will resolve. When he attacked you, he showed an unmistakable willingness to continue abusing you—or worse.”
Thane stared at his feet.
Morana stepped closer and rested her hands on his shoulders, holding him at arm’s-length to see his eyes. “Your uncle tried to hurt you. Things need to be made right. Don’t forget an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Don’t forget that Newton’s third law of motion requires an equal and opposite reaction. If your uncle calls the police, it will ruin our plan to help victims like you. Think of how they will suffer because we let this opportunity go. Your uncle needs to be dealt with.”
Thane looked at her, trying to formulate a response.
“Have I misunderstood?” Morana asked. “Do you have feelings for a man who virtually enslaved you?”
“No, but I do for my Aunt Gina.”
“Dispensing with your Uncle will be a favor to her. He’s a serial cheater, he’s got a gambling issue. He illegally tampered with his sister’s will to steal property that she wanted you to inherit. He’s verbally abusive, and you and I both know your Aunt Gina won’t see a nickel of the profit he gets from this property. When Prey for Us gets going, we’ll be in a position to take care of your aunt financially.”
Morana’s consolation did nothing to soften Thane’s expression. He left her and walked around the inside perimeter of the garage with his fingers interlocked on his head. On his second lap, he abruptly turned and came back to her. His face lit up. “I have an idea.”
Morana picked up a towel and wiped a smudge of blood from Thane’s face. “Please tell me. I’m all ears.”
†
That evening, Thane moved his remaining tools and supplies down to the sub-lair. Later that night, he returned to the garage and loaded his truck with the blocks that he used to obstruct the garage doors. He made three trips, transporting them to one of his secret disposal locations.
To avoid another confrontation with Uncle Jesse, Thane spent most of the next week safely hidden in the sub-lair after Morana gave him a burner phone. With it, he could reach her without using the landline on his occasional, brief trips to the garage. Thane eventually gave her permission to visit him more than once, always giving her an arrival time after dark. He left the garage door unlocked and allowed Morana to operate the lift—for descent only—to meet him in the sub-lair. On each visit, she brought food, and they continued planning for the Prey for Us venture.
Two weeks after Uncle Jesse’s assault on Thane, Morana broke protocol by going to visit Thane in the midafternoon. Although Thane had always given her visiting times after dark, he had not forbidden her to visit during the day. If he was upset by today’s visit, she hoped he would forgive her when she explained its purpose.
She stayed close to the house as she made her way back to the garage.
As she expected, the door was locked. She produced a key that Clay had made for her after he picked it the night before.
She entered the garage and saw that Thane had the trap floor activated, also as expected. She went to the sub-lair lift and threw back the carpet on the Gateway block. She stomped her heel on the corner of the lift. It descended, swallowing her into the shaft as she sank into the floor. Not knowing whether Thane would be ecstatic or furious about this visit made her take a deep breath.
When the lift came to a stop, Morana’s heart pounded. She should have reached the sub-lair’s lift chamber, but she was still enveloped in pitch darkness except for the tiny square of light produced by the shaft opening in the garage above. She stomped her foot on the lift to make it move, but it wouldn’t.
She reached out, feeling toward where the chamber should be, and her fingers touched nothing. She reached in further, waving her hand around to feel for a wall, suddenly realizing that she had reached the sub-lair. All the lights were off. “Thane? …Sweetheart, are you here?”
There was no answer.
Morana cursed herself for forgetting a flashlight. She cautiously put some of her weight on one foot outside of the lift, before stepping completely off it and into the dark chamber.
“Thane!” She yelled, louder.
The lights blinked on.
“Thank God,” Morana said. But as she looked around the chamber, she saw something different. The corridor was gone. She was sealed in a solid chamber with no exit. She dragged her fingers around the wall, looking for an opening. Thane had to know she was here. When she had almost completed a full search around the perimeter of the chamber, a wall block suddenly moved, pulling back to create a doorway as air rushed through the lift shaft.
Thane stepped into the chamber, his face distraught. “What are you doing here during the day?”
Morana held out a set of keys to him and said, “Congratulations! You are a property owner.”
“Already? You said not until next week.”
“Next week came sooner. Escrow closed today.”
; Thane smiled as he looked at the key in his hand, rubbing it with his thumb. “Yes.”
“Clay and I arranged a cash sale after we convinced your uncle to accept our own set of contingencies, which included an as-is sale skipping all appraisals and inspections.”
“He accepted that?”
“Well, he did counter with one request: He was adamant about getting that piano from the garage. We agreed to let him pick it up.”
“He’s coming back?” Anxiety flowed into Thane’s face.
Morana said, “It’ll be the last time you have to deal with him. Meanwhile, we have more planning to do.”
They went to Thane’s bedroom and sat on the mattress. For the next half hour, they continued their discussion on the logistics and security measures they would require for the sub-lair.
Morana produced an architectural draft of a possible sub-lair expansion concept from her bag and spread it out between them. She overlaid it with parchment paper and used a pencil to highlight the perimeter of a facility that contained twenty rooms. She tapped a pencil on it. “Can you expand the sub-lair to this?”
Thane scratched his neck. “Yes, but it would take some time. I estimate that it would require seven to eight months to remove the quarried block discards, but it can be done.”
“Are you absolutely sure there is enough solid subterranean coral rock to encapsulate the type of facility we’re envisioning?” she asked.
Thane briefly left the bedroom and came back with an aerial layout of the house, backyard, and easement beyond it. “The mantle is immense,” he said, pointing out the property boundaries. “I’ve acquired data on a recent subterranean geologic survey, and aside from a few aquifer veins, there’s no break in the rock for at least a square mile and well over one-hundred and fifty feet deep.”
“Excellent,” Morana said.
Morana checked her watch and said, “I almost forgot to ask—what have you done with your truck?”
“What do you mean?” Thane asked.
“I didn’t see it parked up there.” Morana pointed up.
“He towed it! My uncle must have towed it.”
“Are you sure?”
“There’s no other explanation. He must know I’m still here. He took my truck to spite me.”
Morana took his hand. “Don’t worry. We will get it back for you.”
“But when? I need my truck! No sub-lair expansion happens without it.”
Thane got up and left the bedroom. Morana followed him along the corridor, saying, “Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about.”
“I have everything to worry about. There would be no sub-lair without that truck.”
The lift was still in place when they entered the chamber. Morana squeezed onto it with him, and it immediately began to ascend. They rode quietly, while Thane shook his head and occasionally sighed.
After they reached the garage, Thane went straight for the garage door. When he opened it to confirm the horrible news, he froze. Parked beside his small, dilapidated truck was a brand-new Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup truck.
Clay climbed out of the driver’s door and came to Thane, holding the keys out to him.
“You’re kidding me,” Thane said, taking them.
“I hope you don’t mind—we added the heavy service suspension package,” Clay said, beaming. “This should double what you can transport with your old truck and do so with a lot more comfort. The mobile window tinting service will be here tomorrow to add some privacy to your new ride.”
Thane grinned as he slowly walked around the truck, shaking his head. He pointed down the driveway to the pergola and said, “This is so big. I can’t believe it fit through the archway.”
“Barely, but yes,” Clay said.
Morana clasped her hands under her chin. “Get in and have a look around.”
Clay opened the driver’s door for him, and Thane climbed in. He looked up and around the cab, taking in the amenities. He caressed the plush seats and opened the center console. It was fully stocked with an assortment of tools and snacks. He got out and stepped back from the truck to take the whole thing in. “What about insurance?”
“We’ve taken care of everything,” Morana said. “In fact, take this, too.” She handed him a gas card. “All the fuel you need for this truck is prepaid.”
“How?” Thane said.
“We are embarking on a business venture together. Your gasoline use is a business expense we’ve already anticipated.”
“Thank you,” Thane said.
“You’re welcome.” Morana smiled at him.
“Thank you for your partnership,” Clay added. “Our work makes a vehicle upgrade for you a no-brainer.”
Morana turned to Clay. “Now, Thane and I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh?” Clay said, suddenly uneasy.
Thane looked at her, confused.
Morana went to Thane, put her arm around him and pulled him close. “We’re pregnant!”
Clay gasped.
Thane’s face went pale. “You’re kidding…”
“You’re right, I am kidding. But wouldn’t that be wild?” She laughed.
Thane leaned onto his knees to exhale.
Morana laughed as she rubbed his back. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart.”
Clay said, “Not funny, Mo. You could have seriously hurt him!”
A buzz echoed inside the garage. Thane spun toward the door and said, “What was that?”
“It’s okay,” Clay said. “I wired the house doorbell so we can hear it while we’re in the garage.”
“It’s probably your uncle,” Morana said, looking at her watch. “I’ll go get him and bring him back.”
Thane backed toward the garage door, looking as though he might run.
“Don’t worry,” Morana said. “Remember, this won’t take long, and then he’ll be out of your life.” She and Clay split up, Morana walked down the driveway to the front and Clay went straight to the back of the house.
As Clay opened the back door, he said, “The boss still doesn’t know my involvement in the purchase of this property, and I’d like to keep it that way for the time being. I’m going undercover until he’s gone.”
Thane disappeared into the garage and made quick work of moving the piano to a location just to the side of the roll-up door. As he came to the entry door, he heard voices approaching outside.
“I’m going to need you to move your truck, so my buyer can back his truck in for the piano,” Uncle Jesse said.
“That truck isn’t mine,” Morana said. “I’ll ask the owner to move it.”
Thane opened the door and stepped outside.
“Oh, there he is,” Morana said. “Sweetheart, can you move your truck?”
Uncle Jesse stopped and stared, visibly stunned. “What the hell are you still doing here?”
Thane didn’t answer. He went to the truck and climbed into the cab.
Uncle Jesse turned to Morana. “What’s going on, here?”
Thane started the truck and slowly rolled toward the front of the house.
“He’s the new owner of the property.”
“Is this a joke?” Uncle Jesse said.
“It’s no joke.”
“But Thane’s name was not on the title.”
“It was a corporate purchase.”
“Then he can’t be the owner,” Uncle Jesse said, crossing his arms.
“Thane has a controlling interest in the organization. You seem upset.”
“No, no, not at all,” Uncle Jesse said, clearing his throat. “Just… surprised. I’m wondering how he pulled this off.”
“You should be proud of him. Thane is a genius, but I’m sure you knew that.”
“Right,” Uncle Jesse said, kicking a small stone.
“He’s told me about you.”
“Hmph,” Uncle Jesse said, briefly widening his eyes.
“What exactly did he say?�
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“Straighten out!” Thane’s voice interrupted them, echoing from around the corner.
They moved so they could see the full length of the driveway.
Thane walked backward, guiding a different pickup truck as it backed through the pergola until it came to a stop just outside the garage where Thane’s new truck had been parked.
†
Inside the house, Clay knelt on the living room floor below the window, typing on his laptop. A wire ran from it through a crack in the edge of the living room window and outside to a receiver hidden in the flower bed below. He opened the software for the radio transceiver kit and showed a successful signal capture of the FOB for Uncle Jesse’s car. He plugged in a blank FOB. Within seconds it was programmed with the unlock codes. He took his laptop and the FOB out the front door and hurried to the car. With the press of a button, Uncle Jesse’s driver’s door unlocked. Clay connected his laptop to the electronic control unit under the dash. After a few mouse clicks, he had disabled the truck’s ignition system. He hurried back into the house. In the living room, he activated a signal jammer, blocking all mobile phone signals within a 100-meter radius. He checked his phone to verify that the signal was blocked, then tucked the laptop under the living room sofa. With his tasks completed, he went to the kitchen window to watch.
A pickup truck that had a Golly Dolly Movers sign on the door was backed to the closed garage door. A muscular guy wearing a Golly Dolly Movers T-shirt got out of the driver’s side. The piano buyer got out of the passenger side. He had white hair and wore a dress shirt, pressed slacks, and loafers with no socks.
The garage door slid up. Thane stood inside. He brushed off his hands and pointed to the piano he’d moved from the back wall to the edge of the doorway, then joined Morana outside.
After glaring at Thane, Uncle Jesse turned to the other men and said, “Load her up.”
The moving guy connected a metal ramp to the bed of the pickup truck. He and the buyer took hold of the piano and rotated it to align it with the ramp. The moving guy gave a three-count, and they lifted one side of the piano, dragging it to rest on the ramp. After another three-count, they heaved, trying to push the piano up the ramp. During the effort, their faces reddened, and their neck veins bulged. Halfway up the ramp, they paused to rest. The moving guy said, “She’s heavy—real heavy.”
Prey for Us Page 33