Mason Black (The Complete Collection): 6 Gripping Crime Stories: The Complete Collection + BONUS Story

by Adam Nicholls

  When Sandra took the gun in her hands and looked at the person to her left – Ben, swallowing hard and avoiding eye contact – Mason couldn’t hold his tongue. ‘Listen to me. Whatever you do, don’t take the fall for this one. This man is the reason you’re here.’

  Sandra shook her head, still hurt from Joshua’s betrayal. ‘I can’t kill anyone.’

  ‘You might not have to,’ Mason said, although he was doubtful. It was three out of the five empty chambers now. The odds were terrifying, and he tried not to think about poor Luke, who sat next to him so quietly that you would barely know he was there. ‘Just pretend it’s a toy, look at the man who wants to hurt you, and–’

  The revolver blasted in her hands. A splash of scarlet exploded from Ben’s head as the bullet struck. His body collapsed to one side and slumped lifelessly over the arm of the chair. Sandra dropped the gun instantly, screaming like there was no tomorrow.

  ‘Well,’ said Wendell, ‘I can’t say he won’t be missed.’ She moved over to the table, picked up the gun and put another bullet in it. She spun the cylinder into its random position and laid it back on the table.

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ Mason asked, shouting now. If only she had confessed by now, not a single person would have had to die. On some level, he was expecting the police to burst in now. Had they not heard the shot? Were they even outside?

  ‘We are going to do this over and over, until nobody remains. Understood?’ Wendell went back to the wall without letting her guard down. ‘Oh, and this time we’re reversing the direction. Sandra, it’s your turn again, sweetheart.’

  81

  The connection was re-established, and this time it was clearer. People were sobbing in the room, crying out for help. And then there was a gunshot.

  ‘Shots fired,’ Cox reported to her team via radio. ‘Prepare to move in.’

  ‘You can’t be serious,’ Bill said, pulling off his headset only seconds after he’d put it on. He moved to the back of the van and stood in the way of the only exit. ‘That’s Mason in there. Your colleague. Your friend. You promised him a chance.’

  ‘And he’s had that chance. Now get out of my way or I’ll have you suspended indefinitely.’

  Bill climbed out of the van and kept by her side, hassling her. He was hoping that she would hold out for just a little longer, but really he was as wary as she was. Anybody in there could have taken the bullet, or it may have just been a scare tactic to keep the police away. But that was doubtful. ‘I’m begging you, Captain. Give it a few more minutes.’

  Captain Cox kept walking, not paying him so much as a brief look. ‘Beg away. Somebody’s been hurt down there, and I’m not going to just sit here.’

  Bill grabbed her arm.

  ‘I’m going to tell you once, before I arrest you,’ Cox stopped walking but didn’t struggle, ‘remove your hand from my arm.’

  Reluctantly, Bill did as he was commanded. He cupped his hands around his mouth, squeezing his cheeks in his palms. ‘You heard what Wendell said. If anybody tries to go in there, she’ll shoot them all. Not only that, but we won’t even get a confession for her previous murders.’

  ‘But she’ll still go away for a long time.’

  ‘That’s not the point! Look, I want to go in there and help those people as much as you do, but that’s not why we’re here. We need to hold out for that confession. I trust Mason to get the job done, and you should too.’

  ‘Get the job done? Like he did with this bitch’s brother?’

  Bill wanted to shake her – to scream: We murdered Marvin Wendell! The son of a bitch is dead! – and put her in her place. Only, he cared for his freedom, his family, and his reputation. ‘That was a one-off. He’d never failed before then, and you know it.’

  Cox studied him, hard in thought. She looked over at her team, who were awaiting a command. Finally, she turned towards the van. ‘A few more minutes, Detective. But I’m not going to wait forever.’

  Bill let out a large sigh of relief. ‘Thank you.’ He followed her into the van, where they each picked up a headset and listened in on Alison Wendell’s sick game.

  82

  Sandra had made her choice, turning the gun on herself. It had given little more than a hollow click, before she threw it back onto the table.

  Now it was back in Joshua’s hand, and everybody was silent in awful anticipation. For the minute that he stared at it in silence, it began to look as though he might take the bullet for himself. Sadly, he had more ambitious plans.

  ‘Make your move,’ Wendell said impatiently.

  Joshua picked up the revolver… and aimed it right at her.

  Wendell’s arm came up, aiming her own gun. ‘You better pray that the next chamber is full.’

  Mason watched in shocked silence. He’s risking all our lives.

  Joshua’s hand rattled. Beads of sweat drew from his forehead, dripping onto the rotting wood of the table. ‘You’re disturbed,’ he said, his voice cracking. And then he squeezed the trigger.

  Click.

  He began to try again, but there was less than a second of hesitation before Wendell fired her own weapon. The bullet hit Joshua’s chest, but it wasn’t enough. She fired another, and another. Joshua’s body twisted with the force of the impact, and dark red pools of blood appeared on his shirt.

  ‘I warned him.’ Wendell leaned over Sandra, whose mouth was open in horrified surprise, and took the revolver from the table. ‘Guys, I’m so sorry that he ruined the game for everybody. We’ll have to start over. Mason, would you be so kind?’ She opened the cylinder and once more blindly spun it into position. She threw it across the table.

  Mason stopped it with his hand, watching Wendell return to the wall. ‘You really don’t care if you live or die, do you? You gave him the chance to shoot you.’

  Wendell shrugged. ‘You’ve taken it all from me. I believe that nobody really wants to die. I’m simply… impartial.’

  Keep her talking, Mason thought, now that the gun was in his own hand. He glanced over at Sandra, who was now crying uncontrollably, trying to look away from her dead boyfriend. ‘You’ve gone to some extreme lengths to hurt me. Why not just kill me and have it done?’

  ‘Wouldn’t that be so simple?’ She pushed away from the wall and took slow, careful steps forward, circling the table, shifting her aim from one person to the next. ‘It’s not enough that you die. I want you to feel what I’ve felt.’

  Mason’s body tensed up. If she mentioned now that he had killed Marvin Wendell – the late Lullaby Killer – it would all be over for him. But he felt that he just had to push his luck. It was the only way to draw a confession out of her. ‘So, you punish me by killing random people? Did Johnny Walker deserve to die at your hand?’

  ‘Johnny Walker? Please – he only carried a message for me.’

  That’s it, keep going… Mason looked at Luke, who looked the bravest of them all. His hands were on his head as he stared expressionlessly into his lap. ‘And you thought killing him would… what – suddenly make me feel bad about the things I’ve done?’

  Wendell shook her head slowly, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. ‘You must think I’m so stupid.’ She walked over to Luke, lifted his shirt as he fought against her, and lowered her mouth to the police microphone. ‘But I don’t give a shit if the whole world knows it. I killed those people. Everybody who had your name on their body was killed by me, and it was really fucking fun!’

  Yes! Mason was both stunned and excited as he heard her announce her crimes. Any moment now, the police would swoop in and help them all. If he could only keep hold of the gun for that long. He was vaguely aware of Evie squeezing his arm.

  And then, Alison Wendell’s smirk turned into a huge, white grin. ‘And you know why I did it, don’t you, Mason?’ She ripped the device from her son’s chest, stood up straight and held it to her mouth. ‘Because you, Mason Black, murdered Marvin Wendell.’

  83

  Wendell tore the
microphone from her son, disconnecting it entirely, and then demanded that Mason remove his. She must have known about it all along.

  Putting the revolver down, Mason pulled the wire from his chest and stuffed it forcefully into her open palm. ‘Your brother was a psycho, too.’ He had nothing else to say. It was now officially out there; the police were aware that Mason had murdered the Lullaby Killer. What followed this situation – should he make it out of here alive – was a lifetime behind bars. And then there was Evie and Sandra, who were present to hear the sick truth.

  Wendell stomped on the devices, cutting out any further communication. She smiled. ‘We really should hurry up and finish this game. Come, now.’

  Mason couldn’t help but wonder what was taking the police so long. Surely they should be in here by now, storming the place and arresting us both. But while the communications were dead, he seized the opportunity to find the answer to a question that had bothered him. ‘Why not Bill?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Detective Bill Harvey cut your brother up as much as I did. I just wondered why you never turned your attention towards him.’

  With a look of spite, Alison Wendell clenched her teeth tightly and continued to walk around the table. ‘He’s… a police officer. I didn’t want to harm those who serve the city.’

  ‘Bullshit,’ Mason said. ‘What’s the real reason?’

  Wendell shrugged, turning an angry shade of red.

  ‘You…’ Mason suddenly stumbled upon a thought. All the evidence – the photograph included – only showed himself leaving the shipping container where her brother had been held. ‘You didn’t know, did you? All this time, you’ve been pointing the finger at–’

  ‘What do you want from me?’ She slammed a fist on the table. Everybody jumped back. ‘No, I didn’t know, all right? But as soon as I get out of here, I’m going to find everyone he’s ever loved and put them through an immense amount of pain. Now, pick up the gun and play the fucking game!’

  ‘I…’ Mason had been expecting the rescue team, but it was beginning to look as if they wouldn’t come. They had their confession, so what were they waiting for? He reached out for the revolver, hesitated, then rested his hand in his lap. ‘I refuse.’

  Wendell looked surprised, and a little embarrassed. Now that he had stripped away her power, there was nothing left for her to do but release all of her anger. She stormed towards Evie, tugged her head back by her hair, and put the gun to her head. ‘Then let’s not waste any more time.’

  84

  As evening approached and the woods began to darken, the lights of the police vehicles came on. But Bill paid no mind to the situation around him, as he was too stunned to speak.

  ‘Did you know about this?’ Captain Cox barked in his ear.

  ‘Let’s talk outside.’

  They exited the van and stood halfway between it and the sweep team. Cox ran her fingers through her hair, as if to rake at her scalp. ‘Mason killed him? I don’t… Mason?’

  ‘You know what those two were like,’ Bill said, his mouth going dry. ‘After what Marvin did to little Amy, Mason just couldn’t let it go. You’re a parent, right? You understand what it must feel like to have someone hurt your kid.’

  Cox looked unbelieving, her eyes bulging and her mouth agape. ‘Of course I know how it feels, but it doesn’t mean I can just go around killing people, for Christ’s sake!’ She dropped her hands to her sides. ‘You knew about this! I can’t believe it. I’m going to lose a good detective for this. I-I’ll be lucky to keep my job. Fucking… Jesus.’

  ‘Let’s just think it over before we make any moves, all right?’

  Still, she looked horrified. ‘We need to… Let’s just move in.’

  Bill didn’t argue. It was time to get everyone out of there, even if it did mean having Mason out in handcuffs. They headed to the trapdoor and both drew their firearms.

  ‘Breach!’ Cox commanded.

  Just like that, the team moved efficiently and in perfect sync. One held the door while another tossed in a smoke grenade. Their tactical masks would give them the edge in the confined space. Bill and the captain, however, remained outside on standby, should they be called to action.

  Bill looked at Cox, who seemed distracted. She was probably still digesting the information about Mason. I should tell her, Bill thought. I should tell her that he didn’t do it alone. I can’t let Mason take the fall for something that we both did.

  The team hurried down the steps, their automatic rifles at the ready as they descended into the smoky darkness to help whoever had survived.

  85

  The metal canister rolled down the steps, cloudy white smoke hissing from it and filling the room. Within seconds, the underground space had filled with the gas, making it difficult to see anything that wasn’t right in front of him.

  As the smoke rose, Mason saw Evie twist in her seat. She shot to her feet, neglecting the pain as her hair tore off in a firm grasp, and delivered a crushing head-butt to Alison Wendell before her chains snapped her back down. There was a cracking sound, violent enough to be heard even over the steps thundering down the stairs behind them.

  Wendell stumbled back, dropping the gun and holding her hands to her bloody nose.

  ‘Shoot her!’ Evie shouted at Mason.

  Mason looked at the revolver in his hands, knowing that the police team were finally breaching the room. Wendell would recover in seconds, distributing punishments in one final angry outburst. He wanted to shoot… but he couldn’t. If there was anything he had learned lately, it was that killing Marvin Wendell had put his family back in danger. He wasn’t about to make that mistake again.

  ‘What are you waiting for?’ Evie cried.

  Wendell crouched down and scooped up the gun. Fidgeting to put it upright in her hands, the smoke raised around her. ‘Bitch!’ She burst out of the smoke and aimed the Colt at Evie.

  It was entirely based on reaction; Mason stood up fast, as far as he could. Pulling on his chains, he looped them around Wendell’s hands and pulled down. The gun went off in the struggle, splintering the wood of the table.

  Evie yelped at the sound, startled.

  ‘Move in!’ the loud cries sounded behind them.

  Now, the room was a white blur. While Mason held Wendell down, pinning the gun to the edge of the table, his eyes began to burn. He could hear multiple people coughing around him, before he too began to gag.

  ‘Get down on the ground!’ the team said, instructive and firm.

  Mason exploited Wendell’s injury, sinking his teeth into her broken nose. He could taste her blood – metallic and dry. She cried out in pain, and Mason let go before sweeping his leg around and taking her off balance.

  Alison Wendell tumbled to the floor, the gun remaining in her hand. Blindly, she raised it to deliver a bullet to Mason’s skull.

  Mason clenched his eyes shut, almost biting his tongue.

  The gun fired, and Mason felt the air leave his lungs.

  Only it wasn’t he who had been shot, nor Wendell who had fired.

  Her body slumped onto the ground, her arms sprawled outward in twisted directions. Her face was turned towards Mason, her expression one of shock. Alison Wendell was dead. Somehow, she still stared horrifyingly at Mason Black, with nothing but hatred in her eyes.

  As the room became nothing but a puffy white space, Mason caught one final glimpse of Lady Luck, who had hurt so many to get to him. And that, he would never live down.

  86

  They were escorted out individually by the team. Others had been found in the bunker; the corpses of missing men, some barely-alive missing women. They were all led out, finally free of the chaos that Lady Luck had put them through.

  Captain Cox made the arrangements, putting everybody to ease before Mason was allowed to check up on Evie.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked, approaching his sister.

  Evie sat on the step of the van, clearly worn. ‘Not the best.’
/>   ‘An ambulance is on its way.’ Mason looked around the scene. There were more than five women, all being seen to by Cox as they freaked out. It was disturbing to know the things that Wendell had been up to. If she had not been shot dead, she would surely have been locked away for a long time.

  In the distance, Sandra was sobbing at the loss of Joshua. His death, however, probably didn’t sting nearly as much as the betrayal that had come beforehand. For the first time in forever, Mason felt a pang of sympathy for his ex-wife.

  ‘Cox is waiting for you,’ Evie said, moving him on.

  Mason looked at her. It was one of those moments where it felt as though they both wanted to discuss what had happened. She knows, he thought as he read her disapproving frown. She knows what you did to Marvin Wendell. ‘I–’

  ‘Don’t say anything. We’ll talk about it later.’

  ‘There might not be a later.’

  ‘… I know.’

  Captain Cox approached from behind. ‘Evelyn, could we have a moment, please?’ They watched Evie leave, then both sat on the van’s step, looking out at the drama as it unfolded around the trapdoor. Bill walked past and nodded his head before attending to whatever business he had been assigned. ‘Some night, huh?’

  Mason uttered a short laugh. ‘For sure. Hey, what will happen to Luke now?’

  ‘Wendell’s son? We’ll take care of him.’

  ‘He’s a sweet kid. This will scar him.’

  ‘No doubt.’

  Mason shifted uncomfortably and hung his head. He knew what was coming.

  ‘I guess I owe you an apology,’ said the captain.

  ‘No. You were just doing your job. But I had to prove myself.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Cox. ‘I forgive you fully, but it will still have to go to court. You did evade police custody, you know. Some damage was caused, shots were fired. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, though. It’s just procedure.’

  ‘You sure the jury will see it that way?’