“Yes, sure, certainly. It’s a little bit of a long story, but let me lay it out for you as briefly as I can.” Great, Nick thought. This will take all day.
“During first period, one of our students reported that someone had gotten into his locker and stolen some money and a number of valuables, including a Rolex watch and a family heirloom diamond and ruby ring he kept in there. The value of everything taken was approximately $6,500, including $500 in cash—five crisp, new $100 bills. Clearly, we discourage our students from keeping valuables in their lockers, but at times they show poor judgment, as in this case. The student had shown several students these items, including the cash.” The Principal paused. Nick sat silently.
“On a separate note, during second period our Security Administrator walked into one of the bathrooms and caught your son and another young man smoking marijuana. To be entirely accurate, he walked in and smelled marijuana. At that time the toilet in one of the stalls flushed. When he knocked on the door and ordered it opened, your son and the other young man stepped out.”
“Following Denver Independent School District policy, he brought the two young men to my office. At that time, we called the Denver Police Department. An officer arrived and searched the two boys. Nicky also had his backpack with him.” Always does, Nick thought.
The principal continued. “I believe it would be a breach of confidence to discuss the matter regarding the other young man. As a Police Detective, I’m sure you can appreciate that. However, the search of Nicky revealed two marijuana cigarettes. That is extremely troubling. But most troubling, Detective Lynch, is that the missing items from the locker were discovered in Nicky’s backpack, including five crisp $100 bills, along with a small baggie of a substance that appears to be cocaine.”
Nick was stunned. As he sat through the story, his cell phone vibrated repeatedly. He couldn’t think. Nicky had always been the completely compliant child. What was he supposed to do? Where was Phyllis?
“Where is he now?” Nick asked.
“He’s in another room with an officer from the Denver Police Department,” she replied calmly.
Nick nodded.
“Let me start again, Detective. Is there something going on at home that would cause this sudden change in behavior? Not to pry, but if there is something we should be aware of, I would appreciate it if you would share it with me. I can only imagine how difficult it has been for your family since the loss of your daughter.”
“Ms. Bulger, my head is swimming right now. While I was on my way over, my thirteen-year-old daughter called. She is sick and wants me to pick her up from school. What I would like to do right now is take Nicky, go get Michelle, and go home. My wife and I need to deal with this, and, as you suggest, we need to work with you on dealing with Nicky going forward.”
Bulger shook her head. “You cannot sweep this under the rug. This is very serious.”
“I understand and agree Ms. Bulger. I need a little time to process this.” Nick stood.
“As you wish,” she replied as she stood and started out the door. “Let me walk you down to where we have Nicky. The police have agreed to release Nicky to your custody, pending final resolution of the matters at hand. Nicky is suspended from school until further notice. I will need to talk to you and Mrs. Lynch before we will be willing to reinstate him.”
As they drove away, Nick pondered his son’s fate. As a career policeman, he knew once someone got into the system, it was difficult to ever fully get out. Nicky’s body language told his father all he needed to know, at least for the moment. Nicky was slumped and defiant, not limp and contrite. He had been through enough for right now. He would wait until a better time to talk to him about the morning.
“Michelle called while I was on the way over here,” Nick said. “She’s really sick. So we’re going to head over to pick her up, then we’ll head home.”
“Whatever,” Nicky muttered.
“Son, listen, you have had a really bad morning,” Nick started his conciliatory discourse. “Principal Bulger told me what happened, at least as she sees it. I’m certain she is very sincere and thinks she understands this exactly. I’m not certain she is right. I want you to have a little bit of time to allow your head to clear. When your mom gets home and the time is right, I would like for you to tell us exactly what happened this morning.”
“Whatever,” Nicky muttered again.
“You can tell Michelle about this if you like. That is your prerogative. Your mother and I will respect your privacy and not speak to her about this.”
“What am I supposed to tell her about why I’m out of school?” Nicky spat.
“You tell her whatever you believe is most appropriate to tell her. Don’t lie to her, though.”
Nicky slumped further. “When are you and mom getting divorced?”
Nick reacted visibly. “What?”
“Like you think I don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Dad, you and mom hate each other. It’s obvious. I don’t know why you even keep faking it.”
“Son, it’s disappointing that’s what you think. Since you have brought this up, I’ll talk to you about it. But let’s be very clear. My relationship with your mother is between her and me, just like your relationship with your wife will be between you and her. That said, if our struggles are causing hardship for you, that’s unfortunate. You are right that we are trying to find our way. I will be as honest with you as possible while also being respectful of the private nature of our relationship.”
“Fine.”
“I know you have a lot to deal with. If you need something, talk to me. I love you, and I’m sure you know that. But I can’t read your mind. You are turning into a young man with more complex thoughts and ideas. When you were little, it was easy to know your needs. Now I need some help.”
“Whatever,” he replied as only a teen can.
“I’ll say one other thing to you,” Nick continued, disconcerted by his son’s sudden change. “I’ll treat you respectfully through all of this. It’s my expectation you’ll do the same. Sit up now and act like the young man your mother and I have raised you to be.”
Nicky sat up and they drove in silence to pick up Michelle.
The door opened, and Gary Knight compliantly ducked through it into the larger room—the stage, as he understood it. As he entered, others did as well, from different openings in the walls. Gary stood amazed. There were four in all, two women, another man, and him. The other man was enormous. All were dressed in formal attire. According to the screenplay, this was during the Middle Ages, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales time. Gary struggled to recall if that was fourteenth or fifteenth century, as if it mattered.
The Doctor’s voice interrupted the stunned reverie of the group, “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you all have studied your parts closely. You have been given ample opportunity to learn your lines.” At that moment, an image appeared on the wall, the source in question. Gary suspected The Doctor somehow had managed to secret a projector through the ceiling to project the image.
“I have, however, made arrangements to ensure this will be a most professional rendition of our play,” The Doctor continued. “Your directions and lines will appear on the wall as the production progresses. If you have a momentary lapse, you may look over here and find your lines and directions. At this time each of you should move to your marks.” The four complied.
“And ACTION,” The Doctor voiced.
Gary had studied his part closely. The instructions were explicit. Gary’s part was to be extremely pornographic, including graphic sadomasochism. Each of the four would partner, and each would sustain excessive damage from the various encounters. The Doctor had supplied whips, chains, pinchers, and all sorts of sex toys even Gary had never experienced. They would be used extensively to maximize the sadomasochistic nature of the couplings. Enhancement pills were provided and plentiful for the men to ensure no performance failures. All were provided adequate lubri
cant.
According to his script, once the encounters were completed and they moved to the second part of the show, Gary was to kill each of the other participants. As the other man and two women were participating in a ‘three way,’ a large knife would be provided to Gary through a specified opening. His instructions were to kill the man first, and then either of the women. With only one woman alive, Gary was then to rape her slowly and repeatedly over an extended period of time. With each encounter, he was to strangle her to a point near death, releasing his grasp only at the last moment. After the third rape, he was to release her and allow her to live, only to moments later attack her with the knife and kill her.
Gary would gladly have died rather than accede to these macabre instructions. The Doctor, however, made it clear that the price would be too great if he did not succeed. The Doctor had given Gary a list of over twenty people very dear to him, including his siblings, their children, both his ex-wives, and a number of his closest friends. He promised to catch, torture, and kill each if Gary did not comply. He might have believed this was a bluff if The Doctor had not also provided explicit details about each of the people: addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, pictures in various public and private settings, and extremely personal particulars about behavior patterns. To his knowledge, there was not an inaccuracy to be found. Gary had to comply and succeed.
As the ghoulish performance played out, Gary found himself at the appropriate mark. The other man ground in chilling action on top of one of the women, while the other found more oral ways to pleasure each of them. All of the participants were already thoroughly bloodied and bruised.
The slot next to Gary opened and a tray with a large knife silently slid in beside him. He hesitated only momentarily. Then he grabbed the knife and gripped it murderously, stalking up behind the massive frame of the man.
“Ahhhhhhh!” the woman on bottom screamed as she saw Gary rise above them and slash down with the knife. Reacting to the scream, the man rotated as the knife came screaming down. Gary landed only a glancing blow in his side, but his follow through struck a deep wound in the man’s right leg. He fell off the table screaming.
The two women reacted defensively, moving together to the far corner of the room and huddling in safety. Gary knew he could not engage in a fight with this man and prevail. The fact the man was half again as big as Gary, and probably twenty years younger, only strengthened his resolve. Gary pounced from the table on top of him. The man reacted violently, swinging wildly. But Gary gripped the knife with both hands and landed blow after blow, quickly extinguishing the fight from the giant. Enraged by the moment, Gary continued stabbing the man long after he stopped struggling, and probably sometime after he had actually perished. Blood splattered, splashed, and sprayed all over the room and participants.
Gary turned, naked and dripping blood, and gazed intently at the two women standing in the corner. He looked down and took a moment to gather his energy and thoughts. He then calmly rose and walked over to the two women. They huddled together in a squat position, mewling in terror. Gary surveyed the two. As he looked them over, he realized one was large, probably 5’7” and 155 pounds. She looked strong. He had considered this during the earlier parts of the drama. The other was petite, maybe 5’4” and 100 pounds.
Gary made eye contact with the smaller woman and said, “Listen, I have to talk to you.”
She looked at him and tried to hide behind her newfound friend.
He grabbed her arm and said, “If you want to live, you have to pay attention to me.”
She turned her head and looked him in the eyes.
“My script says I have to kill that guy and one of you.” At that, both women began moaning loudly. “But I only have to kill one,” he lied. “As hard as this is, I’m only supposed to have sex with the one that lives.”
She turned and looked at him again, attempting to shrink into nothingness.
“If you will help me kill her,” he said, indicating the other woman, “then you’ll get to live. If I have to pick, then I’m going to pick you, because you’re smaller.”
“What do I have to do?” she asked. At that moment, the larger woman grabbed the smaller by both shoulders and pulled her in front as a shield from Gary.
“I don’t know,” Gary replied calmly, thinking, “Get away from her and help me kill her. Then we can fuck and get out of here. That’s what he promised me.”
She nodded, quickly raised her right elbow, and brought it down in the larger woman’s abdomen. She did this twice more as the other woman released her grip on her shoulders. As the smaller woman jerked and scurried away, Gary rose up and kicked the larger woman in the stomach. She was neutralized. Then, much to The Doctor’s delight, Gary raised her by her hair and began stabbing her repeatedly in the stomach, screaming profanities as he did, “You fucking bitch, who the fuck do you think you are? Fuck you.” He said this for emphasis as he dealt the final blow and dropped her limp body to the floor.
Gary turned to the smaller woman who had crawled to the far corner of the room. She had severely scratched her knees along the way, adding to her many other injuries. In a show of conciliation, Gary walked back over to the tray and set the knife down. He then walked over to the woman and said, “It’s okay, we get to live. But we have to finish our part of the play.”
She nodded and allowed him to help her up. He gently hugged and caressed her, pressing his bloodied body to hers.
They walked to the table, and Gary pushed on her shoulders, requiring her to provide oral stimulation in advance of intercourse. He swallowed one of the enhancement pills, but was nevertheless surprised at his ability to become aroused in this situation. An odd calmness came over him. No doubt the pharmaceuticals helped.
She positioned herself on the table. Gary crawled on top and entered her. As his motion increased, he moved his hands up from her buttocks, massaging her tiny breasts. As the action continued, he moved his hands to her throat, following The Doctor’s directions explicitly. As he choked her, she gagged and writhed, attempting to escape the violent encounter. He continued to follow the directions, climaxing at almost the exact same time he determined he should loosen the grip. As he rolled off of her, she regained consciousness, choking and crying.
As she regained her ability to speak, she said, “What the fuck was that?”
Gary shrugged, “that’s part of what was in my directions.”
“You fucking asshole,” she screamed at him, “why didn’t you tell me that?”
Gary, the gathered CEO, responded calmly, “If I had told you that, would you have helped me kill her?” He motioned to the woman in the corner.
When she didn’t speak, Gary continued, “What was I supposed to do? You would never have agreed if I had told you that was the way it was going to be.”
“You got that right,” she replied hoarsely, slowly getting up from the table and moving toward her clothes. “So what do we do now?”
Gary considered what he should do, and responded, “My script said once we were finished, it would be another five or six hours before he came and got us. I guess we wait.” Gary knew it would take some time before he would be able to perform again, so he wanted to buy time.
She cleaned herself with the other woman’s clothes and then dressed. Gary did the same.
Not trusting the woman, Gary had nonchalantly sat down by the knife and secreted it in the back of his pants. His head slid to one side as he dozed, and then later woke with a start. He quietly took inventory of the room. Nothing had changed other than the fact that the smaller woman had fallen asleep. With his left hand he felt inside his pants and understood ample time had passed for him to perform again. He gathered his thoughts, took another enhancement pill, stood, and walked over to the tiny figure in the corner. He knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. She woke with a start and seemed to bleed into the wall with fright.
“Hey, listen, we have to do that again,” he said. She started to cry
and shook her head.
“It’s our only choice. If you won’t, I have to kill you.” She looked up at him pleadingly.
He put his hand on her arm, firm. “C’mon,” he said, rising and attempting to get her to stand with him, “we have to.”
She looked up at him and shook her head, “I don’t care. I’m going to die, anyway. Go ahead and kill me.” She curled into the fetal position.
The Doctor’s voice boomed through the room. “Gary, if you two do not follow the script, you both will die, and so will the others.” Knight understood the meaning.
First, Gary calmly removed all of his clothes, laying the knife in a corner far from her reach. He then reached down and grabbed the woman roughly. She was limp and heavy. He lifted her and began ripping her clothes off. He then dragged her to the table and bent her over. He massaged his organ until he reached arousal and entered her from behind. As he raped her, she cried. He reached his hands up and began to choke her, as the instructions had directed. When he was finished, he walked back to the corner, put his back against the wall and sat down.
Sometime later Gary complied with the remaining directions, raping her once again, choking her to near death. Once she recovered, he stabbed her to death. She didn’t seem to care and offered no resistance.
Upon completion, The Doctor said, “Very good, Gary. You have met all my requirements. You will live, as will all those close to you. I am a man of my word.” Gary Knight very much doubted that.
The door to his room opened, and Gary Knight moved back into it. He found a tray with a basin of clean water, soap, towels, bandages, antiseptic cream, clean clothes, bottled water, and snacks. His pee glass had been replaced by a five-gallon bucket with a lid. Gary Knight took some time to repair himself physically, drank some water, and passed out on the mattress.
Nick decided he had no choice but to have the conversation with Friendly on his cell phone as he drove. After picking up Michelle, he called her back.
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