by Michael Bray
“Oh, also sir, before I forget, just to let you know if you leave or call the police whilst I’m gone, I'll gut that wife and kid of yours.”
Billy’s arms fell to his sides and his legs buckled. Somehow he remained upright but was powerless to do anything but stare and endure the tight feeling in his stomach, which was now doing dizzy somersaults rather than just rolling with unease. The man was waiting for something, his eyebrows raised and questioning.
He wanted confirmation that Billy understood.
Somehow, he managed to nod his head.
The man’s piggy eyes shifted to the phone clutched in Billy’s hand, and again, without a word, he knew what was expected of him. He ended the call, barely hearing his friend asking if he was still there. He tossed the phone on the table and sat down hard. The man from Trans Energy seemed satisfied and turned back towards the hallway. He started to whistle, a tune that was maddeningly familiar but one Billy could not quite place. The sound of his boots grew quiet, the door opened and closed and Billy was left alone.
CHAPTER THREE
~I~
He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there at the kitchen table. His brain felt as if it was overfilled, stuffed with hundreds of thousands of thoughts, emotions and ideas trying to fight for his attention. The only thing he could concentrate on were those words, uttered with such calm and pleasant indifference.
If you leave or call the police whilst I’m gone, I'll gut that wife and kid of yours.
He looked at his phone sitting on the table, and although he desperately wanted to call Angeline, he knew he couldn’t. If he did, he was certain the man from Trans Energy would know. The rain had started to tap at the windows again, and as Billy glanced outside, he noted the best of the day was long gone, giving the house a shadowy murkiness which only added to his unease.
Whenever he had watched movies or read books in the past, he always used to imagine himself as the hero, the go to guy when shit hit the fan. He was finding when real life presented such a horrifying situation as the one he was currently in, he was in no way cut from the hero cloth. In truth, he could barely function on a basic level, and felt as if he was slowly coming apart at the seams. Talk of Oglebonkers, Squeakers and Moonglobbers made no sense to him. Whatever they were, they seemed important to the man who had invaded his home. The ball in his stomach cavity clenched a little bit more, and he found himself, once again, looking again at the mobile phone lying face down on the table.
He was seriously considering trying to call the police. Surely, there was no way the man could know if he did, as he had been gone for some time.
It could be a trick. He could be outside watching you right now.
Billy didn’t like that idea, and let his eyes slide towards the rain streaked kitchen window and the ever deepening gloom beyond. There were certainly plenty of places out there to hide, although someone of the Trans Energy man’s size would find it difficult to remain concealed.
Unless he’s not working alone.
That idea hadn’t dawned on him, and he half wished he hadn’t thought of it at all. Like it or not, it was true. It was more than plausible he could have an accomplice, someone equally as deranged who was out there right now, watching the place. With calling the police out of the question, he considered his other options.
He could of course, just run for it, but he knew deep down his conscience would never allow it, even though a horrified part of him was considering it as a viable option. Could he leave his wife and child to a fate at the hands of this overweight, mentally unstable giant? He immediately told himself there was no way it would ever happen, the little voice in his head reminded him that it wasn’t too long ago he was questioning his love for Angeline anyway, and maybe life without her wouldn’t be so bad.
And what about Tyler?
He waited to see what his inner monologue would make of that particular bombshell, and when no answer came, he knew his decision had been made for him. He would have to do whatever it took to defend his home and protect his family.
~II~
There were two guns in the house. The first was an old Winchester rifle which hung above the fireplace in the study. Although it was functional, Billy had no ammo for it. The other gun was a 9mm pistol he had purchased on a whim ten years earlier. He had only fired it once, but it had a small amount of ammunition, and would be his best chance at defending himself if things got out of hand. The gun was upstairs on the top shelf of the walk in bedroom closet. He took a deep breath and stood, resisting the temptation to look outside into the gloom as he walked through the kitchen and upstairs, trying as best he could to keep casual and calm. Somehow, his shaky appendages carried him safely to the bedroom. He opened the closet, reaching past the old photo albums and spare blankets, he removed the dusty shoebox, and went and sat on the bed where he opened the lid. Suddenly, as he stared at the chrome of the weapon shimmering in the gloom, everything seemed so much more real somehow. It dawned on him that he might have to take another man’s life, and just to think about it made him nauseous. When it came down to it, Billy understood his primary job as a husband was to ensure his family’s safety. The bizarre man from Trans- Energy had made the conscious decision to enter their home and threaten his family, and so would have to deal with whatever consequences came from it.
He took the box of ammunition from the shoebox, wishing it was a little heavier. His suspicions there weren’t many rounds left were confirmed when he removed the lid.
There were four bullets left.
It would have to do. Although his only experience of firing the weapon had been during a singular visit to the firing range, the man from Trans Energy was a pretty big target, and he was sure if it came down to it, he could make sure at least one bullet hit its intended destination. Billy was afraid, the feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It left a thick taste in his throat, and the somersaults his stomach had been performing when the whole ordeal began had now subsided, leaving his innards feeling like a tight, compressed ball. With the weapon loaded, he stood and tucked the gun down the front of his jeans and covered it with his t-shirt, but it was too obvious and uncomfortable, and it would restrict his movements. He recalled every action movie he had ever seen, and instead of the front, he tucked the gun into the back of his jeans instead. This time, it was both concealed and secure, and even though he felt grossly out of his depth, he was determined not to let himself be intimidated. He glanced to the window, trying as best he could to ignore the glowing gloom of the coming night. Other than the torch which was downstairs on the kitchen table, he had no other means to generate light. Why hadn’t they bought candles? How many times had they walked right passed them in the store and not bothered to pick any up for situations like this one? Of course, it was easy to say now. At the time when they were trying to work out their finances, keep an eye on Tyler and the conversation between themselves civil, such things as candles were an easy oversight.
He dismissed it as best he could, ignoring his pallid, haggard reflection, made a conscious effort to will away his frustrations and force his body to relax. He couldn’t afford to give his intruder even the slightest hint anything was amiss. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to be casual as he headed back downstairs, pausing on his way to flush the toilet in the en-suite bathroom. He wasn’t entirely convinced there was anyone out there watching the house of course, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk.
Even though he had only been away for a few minutes, when he walked back downstairs, the lack of light was alarming. The entire house was now cast in a perpetual gloom, and the shadows were deep and wide, spreading across the walls and growing out of the corners as they devoured the room. He walked down the hall, passed the sitting room and into the kitchen, and sat back at the table. The silence was absolute. It weighed heavy, and even the house, which often made noises as it settled, was deathly quiet. Outside, the sky was shifting from light blue to dark. Within the hour, it
would be full night.
Once again, his eyes fell on his discarded phone on the table. He picked it up and opened the menu, grateful for the pale blue glow of light from the screen. He navigated to his contacts list and scrolled down to Angeline’s number. It would be so easy to call her. Or even send a text. At least he would be spared the agony of the current situation, stuck in a limbo where he had no idea what was happening or what was the right thing to do. He half suspected the crazy man from Trans Energy was bluffing and was hoping to achieve the exact outcome that he had – leaving Billy a prisoner in his own home who was trying to second guess every situation and unable to commit to a decision. The truth of it was, although he had to hope the crazed man was lying, something in his gut told him he was telling the truth.
There was a knock at the door, three sharp rapports which sounded deafening in the stillness of the house. Instantly, all of Billy’s attempts at retaining his composure were dissolved, and outright terror surged through his body.
The man from Trans Energy was back.
The knock came again, louder this time. Billy didn’t move. He couldn’t. Every fibre of his being told him not to answer the door, and to do so would be madness.
“Hey, man, you in there?” The muffled voice shouted from outside.
Relief replaced fear, and Billy ran for the door and swung it open.
Alex looked puzzled, an expression that morphed into fear when he saw his friends' haggard appearance in the gloom.
“What the hell happened to you?” Alex asked.
“You shouldn’t have come here.” Billy croaked, his eyes darting as he glared into the gloom.
“You look like shit. Are you okay?”
Billy nodded, then ushered his friend into the house.
“Come on, before he gets back.”
“Before who gets back? What the hell happened here Billy?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he headed to the kitchen as Alex followed.
“Why are you sitting here in the dark?” Alex asked as he sat down in the same seat the man from Trans Energy had used. Billy said nothing and sat opposite, trying to rationalise his thoughts and get them into some kind of order. He knew he must look crazy because that was exactly how he felt. Until the man from Trans Energy had knocked on the door, Billy had always considered Alex to be a ‘big’ guy. Now, though, he couldn’t help notice how small he was in comparison. He was still an imposing figure, of course, all forearms and shoulders and an expert in martial arts to boot. His skin was the colour of cocoa beans and his dark eyes shone with a sharp intelligence.
His friend waited for an explanation, his eyes sharp and attentive despite the concerned frown he now wore.
“What’s going on here Billy?” He asked.
As the gloom deepened, Billy took a deep breath and told Alex everything that had happened.
~III~
He had hoped telling it would make him feel better but was dismayed to find it had no effect other than making it even more real. Alex had listened without interrupting, nodding occasionally as the story unfolded.
“This guy’s a nut, you know that, right?” He said when Billy had finished speaking. “You have to call the police.”
“He said no cops. He was clear on that.” Billy said, shaking his head.
“Look, man, this guy is fucking with you. He doesn’t have Angeline or Tyler. He’s just telling you that to keep you from leaving.”
“No! He knew. How could he know about them otherwise?”
“It doesn’t take a genius, man. Look at the fridge.”
Billy craned his neck to see. The front was covered with drawings done by Tyler, held in place with magnets. There were also photographs there of the three of them as a family. Billy felt both relieved and stupid at the same time.
“My guess is, this guy saw the photos when he came in here and decided, for whatever reason, to fuck with you. Maybe he had a bad day at the office or something. He used a little bit of educated guesswork and let you do the rest.”
“He sounded crazy, and then there was the way he came out of the cellar without clothes.”
“The world is full of crazy people.” Alex said with a shrug “That doesn’t mean he’s dangerous.”
“Look, for the record, you are probably right. I just don’t know what to do.”
“I do,” Alex said with a grin. “I’ll speak to him, put this prick in his place. If you want him to leave, I’ll make him leave.”
“I don’t want to mix you up in all this Alex.”
“Hey, you were there for me when I needed help. I’m not much good for anything except fighting. Lucky for you, that’s the one thing I’m damn good at.”
“I don’t want this to break out into some brawl. This is still my house.”
“This isn’t about brawling,” Alex said, his teeth an ocean of white against his skin. “This is about control. About laying down ground rules.”
“He’s a big guy Alex. Really big.”
Alex shrugged. “I fought big guys before, and in my experience, speed and technique always beats size.”
“Are you sure you can take him?”
“Like candy from a baby. Let’s see what this prick has to say for himself when he comes back. I guarantee the asshole will back down and leave.”
“What if you're wrong?”
“It still doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Because even if it comes down to fighting, I’m the best. Relax buddy, we'll have this all resolved soon.”
Billy didn’t like the look in his friend’s eye. It was too cocky, too overconfident.
He doesn’t know what we're up against here.
“Don’t beat yourself up about going along with it,” Alex said. “Hell, I think I would have done the same, especially with the house in darkness like this. That alone would be enough to freak a man out. Give her a call, and then call the cops. I would bet he is long gone from here and won’t even come back now he managed to scare the shit out of you. Either way, I’ll stick around just in case he does try to get aggressive.”
“He didn’t seem aggressive.”
“That’s because he thought he was in control. It could be a different story if he thinks you have seen through his prank.”
Billy nodded. Although everything Alex had said made perfect sense, he wasn’t entirely convinced. Still, the implications he might have actually ended up shooting a man because he had been spooked by the dark weighed heavy, and he just wanted an end to the entire ordeal. He snatched up the phone and dialled Angeline’s number.
He let it ring until it went to voice-mail, then hung up without leaving a message and tried again with the same result. He looked across the table at Alex.
“Maybe she’s driving. Don’t panic.” Alex said. Although the words were expressed with conviction, his expression had changed to more closely mirror Billy’s own.
He was worried.
“She should be there by now,” Billy said, dialling the number for the third time. “She should have called to check in....”
He was desperate for her to answer as memories of his earlier nightmare came flooding back. He shoved the phone into his pocket and held his head in his hands.
“She always answers her phone. She never leaves it...” He muttered.
“Hey, you need to take a breath and get your shit together.”
Billy nodded and tried to do just that. It was the thing about Alex he liked the most. He was a no-nonsense friend. He said it how it was, always blunt and to the point.
“Thanks, man, this whole thing has me freaked out.”
“Just call the police. Tell them about this guy....”
Alex was interrupted by the sound of the van approaching the house. The two friends looked at each other.
“That him?” Alex asked.
Billy nodded. He wished he had been given more time to explain to Alex because as he watched his friend, it wasn’t fear he saw but anticipation, and pe
rhaps just a little excitement.
“Hide!” Billy blurted as he heard the engine of the van switch off.
“I’m not hiding. I’m gonna confront this guy.”
“Please, we don’t know for sure he’s lying.”
“We don’t know he’s not. The more you comply, the more power he has over you. I know about shit like this, it’s like before a fight, when an opponent is trying to intimidate you.”
“This isn’t a fucking cage fight.” Billy hissed, gripping the edges of the dining table as he heard the dim sounds of the man from Trans Energy whistling that annoyingly familiar tune as he approached the house.
“We need to stand up to this guy, show him we aren’t afraid,” Alex said, standing and staring down the hallway at the front door.
“I am afraid!” Billy said, and that at least got Alex’s attention. “It’s my family, it’s a risk I’m not willing to take. Please, just get out of sight until we know what’s going to happen.”
Alex nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry man.”
He looked around and then headed for the cellar door. “I’ll be listening. If things sound like they are getting crazy, I’m coming out.”
Billy nodded, only half listening himself. Alex lingered for another few seconds then walked quickly into the basement, fearlessly heading down into the darkness and out of sight. A split second later, the front door opened, and those heavy work boots made their way down the hall.
The man from Trans Energy was carrying a large box as he came back into the kitchen. His face was damp with sweat, which glistened in the gloom.
“I got all the parts for the repair job. It could take a couple of hours you....”
He set the box on the kitchen counter and whipped his head towards Billy, who almost screamed outright. The man’s expression was a terrifying rictus of hate and disgust.