“I have reserved seats in the front row,” he said. “Would you like to accompany me?”
“Okay…”
They walked through the theatre together. The house lights flickered and flashed overhead. Not completely dark, but plenty of shadow looming over each other’s faces. The curtains were closed on stage and it was otherwise bare.
Fae looked around for Morello, but it was nothing but a sea of masks.
“Here we are then,” Viktor said guiding her.
He led her to the middle of the first row and motioned for her to sit down, while he remained standing. Fae adjusted herself.
“Almost…” Viktor murmured.
“What’s that?” Fae said.
He ignored her.
She looked over her shoulder. Practically every chair was taken.
She looked back to Viktor and saw he was sneering at her.
Fae pressed her knees together, unsettled.
She was about to say something, but he abruptly turned and hurried alongside the stage. He went to the end and ascended the wooden steps.
Viktor walked to the centre of the stage.
A blue spotlight hit his face and the overhead lights went out. Applause erupted within the theatre. Fae looked to either side of her and saw each person was happily clapping.
Viktor let it go on for around twenty seconds before waving it away.
“Thank you,” he said adjusting a microphone hanging over his ear. “Thank you all for coming. My name is Doctor V and I will be your host tonight. Some of you may have seen one of my plays before and you know the rules. For others it may be your first time. Not everything you see here is real – it is a performance after all. But it is important that you keep what you see here to yourselves. I can promise you, if you do speak out against us, there will be consequences.”
He bowed his head momentarily.
“Tonight’s play is about the hopeless sensation of falling. What the mind and body share in their experience. For example – you there in the second row. Not you, you.”
Fae peered over her shoulder as the audience locked eyes with the chosen member.
“Yes?” croaked the reply.
“What is the greatest distance you’ve ever fallen?” Doctor V asked.
“I jumped off a roof once. It was close to the ground.”
“Can you tell the audience what it felt like?”
“It was painful on my feet. It sent these waves up my legs when I landed.”
“Do you remember the fall itself?”
“I guess.”
“And how did it feel?”
“Like nothing. Just air below my feet. It was over in a second.”
“Over in a second, exactly.” Doctor V went to the curtain and motioned to someone on the side of the stage. A white screen backdrop was reeled down over the curtain. “Tonight, we shall learn about the true sensation of falling. Of having nothing below your feet. Of having nothing to grab onto. That my friends, is true agony.”
An image was coming to life on the screen.
“Tonight, we shall examine the falling lives of both one man and one woman,” Doctor V said.
Fae suddenly saw there were stills of both Stasia and Graves captured on the screen.
“I have been personally studying both of these individuals for a number of months, but it is the work of my great friend, and the true STAR of the show tonight that warrants your praise.”
Doctor V locked eyes with Fae.
Sickness crept into the back of the throat.
“I am now proud to introduce you to The Trapdoor Master, Mr. Jason Hong!”
CHAPTER 49
BANG – BANG – BANG –
Stasia whirled around. They weren’t shots. They were high powered lights coming to life in all directions.
Graves, who’d almost looked like he was about to give the gun to her, was now rushing towards Hong.
“Congratulations, Detectives,” a voice rasped from speakers in snow. “You just fell into our trap.”
Graves forced Hong to his feet. “Where is it?” Graves demanded. “Where’s the device?”
“I don’t know what you’re –”
He ripped out the contents of Hong’s jeans and amongst the wallet, the receipts, the pocketbook – was a glowing blue stick. With a button on the end.
“What the hell is that?” Graves cried.
Stasia hurried over and scooped it up. “Just a glowstick.”
Graves snatched it off her. “No, it’s not, is it? There’s something else going on here.”
“You’re crazy,” Hong said. “You messed up in the head.”
Graves pointed the gun in the air and fired a shot. “This is your last chance before I –”
Stasia threw herself at Graves, trying to wrestle his gun. “Go!” she shouted to Hong. “Run!”
Hong shook his head with dismay, and then took off.
Stasia almost had the gun free before Graves stomped on her knee and subsequently backhanded her across the face. She fell to her knees, watching the blood drip from her lips in the snow.
“If you truly loved me, you’d let me kill him,” Graves seethed.
Graves steadied his aim towards Hong.
“I never loved you, asshole,” Stasia barked and kicked his knees from out under him.
Graves collapsed to ground, on top of her, the gun smashing into the side of her face.
His eyes then lifted from her, towards where Hong was running.
“I don’t believe it,” Graves whispered.
“What?” Stasia said.
“Look.”
She rolled herself over and Graves backed away. She now saw where Hong was running.
He was out on the ice.
“Oh it’s perfect,” Graves said, genuinely pleased. “Exactly what he deserves.”
“You jerk,” Stasia muttered. She tried to get up, but his knee went into her back. “Hong!” she yelled. “HONG!!!”
Hong stopped. Turned to face them.
“GET OFF THE ICE!!!”
He looked down at his feet. He began searching his pockets.
Stasia forced herself away from Graves just as Hong collapsed through the ice.
Stasia raced towards the edge to save him.
BANG!
This time a bullet.
In her back.
She hit the ground and rolled over, choking.
Graves’ shadow loomed over her.
“What was that you were saying?” he goaded. “About not loving me?”
He pointed his gun at her.
Even with all the agony she was in, Stasia still found enough resolve to show her disgust. “The others will be here soon. You have nowhere to go.”
“But I can take you with me,” Graves said.
Stasia forced herself to sit up.
Tears. Blood. Saliva.
“Have you learnt nothing?” she choked.
The gun’s barrel was moving closer to her forehead.
She closed her eyes. Ready to accept it.
Ready to fail. Ready to fall.
Then he inhaled sharply.
Stasia opened her eyes.
“I guess this is what I should have done…”
“No, Nicholas – don’t –”
He shot himself in the head.
CHAPTER 50
The gunshot rang throughout the theatre.
Fae batted away tears of relief as she watched Detective Graves fall away off screen, leaving Stasia still breathing and alive.
“Well done for her,” Doctor V announced, the live feed fading out. “She’s been through a lot. Everyone put your hands together for Stasia Rhine.”
The crowd clapped on command.
Not wishing to be part of this madness for any longer, Fae climbed out of her chair and made her way across the row.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Doctor V asked.
The spotlight shone on Fae. She turned sharply, dazzled by the light.
“A little sleight of hand,” Doctor V said pulling the gun from his pocket and aiming it at her. “Of course, this was never the preferred means of attack.” He tossed it along the stage.
Fae turned around and began to run.
“Glowsticks everyone…”
Fae turned the corner and scurried along as everyone rummaged through their bags.
“Wait for it…”
She could see the light of the foyer almost upon her –
Click click click click click click click click click click click –
Fae saw the entire theatre fill up with blue light.
And then the ground was ripped from her as she found herself falling into the cold, hard pavement below.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Fae… Fae – Wake up!”
Fae’s eyes fluttered. Pain immediately shot through both legs as well as her back. She looked up and saw Special Agent Morello standing over her.
“What happened?” she choked.
“You were unconscious,” Morello said. “You must’ve been attacked.”
“My legs,” Fae whined.
“Can you walk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Here,” he said. “Use me for support.” He bent forward, and she put her hands out, clinging to her shoulder. He helped her up. “Well?”
“They haven’t made a paraplegic out of me yet.”
Fae limped around a little and saw they were in the car park underneath the theatre. Golden orange rays of sunlight were streaming in from the morning dawn.
“Where were you?” Fae demanded.
“Where was I?” Morello spluttered. “Where were you?”
“In the theatre! Looking for you…”
“I wasn’t in the theatre,” Morello said. “I checked around the perimeter and then I went back to the car. When I saw you weren’t there, I figured you’d gotten bored and taken the bus home.”
“What are you, a bleeding moron?” Fae shouted.
“Sorry. Lucky, I decided to come back, hey.”
“What about Dr. Taggart? The others? Have you been up yet?”
“No, I haven’t been inside.”
“Well, come on.” Fae forced herself along.
Morello tagged along behind. “Are you sure you don’t need –”
“No, I don’t, thank you.”
♦ ♦ ♦
The double-doors at the front were locked so they had to go up the drive and follow the ramp up to enter from the top. The glass door up there was also locked, but they had no trouble breaking the glass and forcing their way through. Over the next half an hour, Fae and Morello searched through the theatre and all its separate rooms. There was no sign of anyone that had been present from last night. The display cases and models were also gone. All traces from the night before were completely removed.
Sitting on the steps outside, reflecting on the night that had preceded them, Fae still couldn’t shake the sensation of falling. To think the chase would have to go on, that for at least a time Dr. Taggart would be on the loose, probably setting up his next venture, made her sick to her stomach. There was only one thing that could cheer her up.
Morello handed her the phone. “It’s for you.”
“Hello?”
“Hi Fae,” Stasia said in a quiet voice.
“Oh my God, Stasia! You made it.”
“Of course I made it. I wasn’t going to let a bullet kill me.”
“It missed your vitals?”
“The main stuff, yeah.”
“What a bastard for shooting you.”
“He was a bastard. You’ll never guess who it was. Or did Carmichael already tell you?” Stasia asked.
“No,” Fae said, standing up. “I saw it. I saw it all.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was on this giant screen at the theatre. That Dr. Taggart guy you and Graves were seeing. He was the one behind everything.”
“Taggart? I hope you’re joking.”
“No joke.”
“What do you mean behind it all? I don’t understand.”
“He was the Trapdoor Master. At least he might as well have been. It was all part of some sick film he was making for his audience.”
“Are you being truthful? Dr. Taggart?”
“Yes, it was him,” Fae answered.
“I feel sick. Oh God. I told him so many things. I told him –”
“It doesn’t matter, Stasia. It’s over now.”
“You mean you caught him?”
“Well, no –”
“Then what if he comes after me? What if –?”
“He can’t get to you,” Fae said. “He won’t. I promise.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I actually … I think he respects you…”
“What?”
“He had the audience clap when Graves didn’t kill you.”
“So what? So – God – fuck –”
“Stasia,” Fae whispered. “We won’t let anything happen to you okay. There’s no need to panic. It’s over.”
“We’ll see.”
“Stasia.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“For Christian.”
“I know you are.”
“I mean for stealing him from you.”
A pause. “I know you’re sorry.”
Fae swallowed. “Do you forgive me?”
“Of course, I forgive you, silly,” Stasia said. “You’re my only friend now. You’re all I’ve got.”
Tears flooded Fae’s cheeks. “You’re all I’ve got too, Stasia. And no matter what happens. I’ll never hurt you again…”
EPILOGUE
Three Weeks Later
Stasia arrived for her first day at the new job at six am in the morning, a couple of hours before anyone else was supposed to arrive. She called ahead to make sure security would be there to let her in, and then she was carrying boxes up the stairwell to her office on the second floor. She unpacked each one and arranged things as best she could. She opened the tiny window near the ceiling to let some air in. When she was finished she had made a new little nest for her. Photos of Christian, Mei-Lee and Wendy formed a semi-circle around the desk. She opened her computer and brought up the email she’d been sent, regarding her first assignment. And then she got to work.
It was around 9.45am that she finished her report. Instead of emailing it back as she was supposed to, Stasia printed a copy out and took it downstairs, where the office was packed and brimming. She walked along, taking small steps towards Fae’s office. One door was open and the other was closed. She could see Fae standing at the back of the room on the phone with someone, while three other officials waited along the opposing sofas.
Stasia thought about coming back.
She went to the front desk and asked if things would be quieting down this afternoon.
“Are you kidding?” the receptionist replied. “If anything, it’s going to get busier. Just email it to her.”
But Stasia didn’t want to email it.
She went back to where Fae was and squeezed herself through the opening.
“That’s right,” Fae was barking over the phone. “I don’t care what it takes. You tell her if she doesn’t have him in custody by the weekend she’s out on the street. Our clients have standards, even if she doesn’t –”
“Fae!” Stasia said meekly. “Fae… Can you?”
Fae looked in her direction and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah,” she said quietly into the phone. “Just get it done. I’ll see you at lunch.” She put it away. “Did we have an appointment?”
“Who? Me?” Stasia said, blushing.
Fae nodded.
“I thought maybe we could talk properly, seeing that it’s my first day.”
“I am freaking under the pump here, Stasia. Can’t we do th
is some other time?”
Stasia bit her lower lip, trembling.
A flash of guilt hit Fae’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. Guy – yes, guys. Can you wait out in the lobby? I’ll just be five minutes.”
The officials got up and walked past Stasia, two ignoring her, one showing a look of disdain.
Stasia went to the door after they were gone and closed it after them.
“What can I do for you?”
Stasia turned around. “I finished that report you asked for.”
“Already?”
“Well, I thought we should go over what I’ve written so far.”
“Stasia, it’s not an official report. I just gave it to you, so you would have something to do this week. We’re going to get you into proper investigations once you’re better.”
“I see. But don’t you think it’s important? You know. Trying to make sense of Taggart and everything.”
Fae shrugged. “It’s Morello’s investigation now. Of course, if there’s something you uncover, it goes straight to him. No money in it for the company though.”
“You’re very business orientated now, aren’t you?”
“Stasia, don’t stand all the way over there. Come here. Let’s. Let’s talk. Let’s be us.”
Stasia smiled. She made her way across the room.
Fae sat down in the big-ass, super comfy swivel chair while Stasia got a tiny, plastic chair opposite. “How’s Janette?”
“Oh Janette,” Stasia murmured. “Well. You can imagine. I’m doing everything I can to see her but she wants to live with her Dad now, so I’m getting cut out of the picture again. Nothing I can do.”
“What’s the father like?”
Stasia shrugged. “Nothing special.”
Fae thought a moment. “Well then. Let’s see your report.”
Stasia handed it over.
Fae pulled her glasses off the table and put them to her face as she laid the report out flat. “Good. That’s … I concur. Very nice…”
She was skimming.
“Which part?”
“Oh just … all of it,” Fae said. “You know. I read some of what was on Taggart’s computer about you.”
“You did … what did he say about –”
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