Loose Ends

by Don Easton

  Marcie swallowed but didn’t speak. From the sound of his voice, she guessed he was slightly older than her own dad.

  “Take off all your clothes and sit on the sofa and wait.”

  Marcie could feel her body shaking. She glanced toward the locked door but then thought of the man in the car.

  “Hurry up! Are you trying to make me angry?” the man yelled.

  “No, mister,” Marcie replied.

  “I said no talking! Now take ’em off!”

  Marcie thought about what the man with the goatee had said. He was the type who only looks. It made sense. He didn’t want her to undress in the bedroom. She placed the paper packet on the coffee table and started to take off her clothes. Her hands were shaking and she had trouble with the buttons on her shirt.

  “You are a young one, that’s real gooood.”

  She finished undressing and looked back at the man.

  “Turn the light off and sit down!”

  Marcie flicked off the light, plunging the room into darkness, then sat on the sofa and drew her knees up to her chest. The man grunted something and went into the bedroom.

  She could hear him muttering. A few minutes later she heard the bedroom door open and close, then he walked in and turned on a lamp. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she gawked up at him.

  He was wearing only socks, shoes, and his plastic mask. He was a thin man with wavy black hair. There was no hair on his chest and his skin was creamy white. When she saw what he was carrying in his other hand, she bit her lip and began to tremble.

  It was a leather leash attached to a choke-chain collar — the kind used to control large dogs.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to touch you,” he said in a quiet, soothing voice. “Let me move the hair back from your pretty face a bit.” He gently stroked her hair with his fingers.

  Marcie quivered and drew her knees tighter to her chest.

  “There, that’s a good little bitch. Sit still … that’s a girl.”

  Without warning, he slipped the chain over her head.

  “Mister? What —”

  Her words were choked off as he savagely jerked the end of the leash and wrapped a loop of it around his fist. The chain bit deep into her neck as he dragged her onto the floor.

  “Bad bitch! I told you to keep quiet!”

  He squeezed the collar tight while whipping the end of the leather leash across her body with his other hand. She twisted and turned, her legs writhing as she clawed at the chain. Her fingernails broke and the jagged remains gouged her throat as she frantically fought for air.

  The pain started to go away. She realized she was still lying on the floor and the collar had loosened. Her lungs sucked in air and she gulped it down like water. She began to sob, but the air exploded from her lungs as the toe of his shoe struck deep into her stomach.

  “You’re not at all trained, are you? You need lessons!”

  He jerked on the leash and began to walk and drag her behind him. She started to get to her feet but he yanked down on the leash, bringing her to her hands and knees.

  Her scream was cut short by a kick to the side of her rib cage. The pain tore through her chest. Each breath she took caused more pain. She stayed on her hands and knees, looking down at the floor. She opened and closed her eyes, trying to see through her tears.

  This isn’t happening! It’s my body, but it isn’t me! It’s only a dream! It has to be! He’s moving again … I have to keep up. It hurts so much to breathe … this isn’t a dream!

  “That’s right, bitch! Walk on all fours!”

  He started walking her back and forth and around the coffee table, then stopped.

  “Heel!” he said, barking out the command.

  Marcie stayed quivering on her hands and knees. He slapped her thighs with the leash and said, “On the floor!”

  Marcie sat back on her heels.

  “Keep your hands on the floor,” he snarled.

  Seconds later, he started walking again, leading her on her hands and knees.

  Marcie was breathing deeply. She could taste the dust rising from the carpet as it found its way into her eyes and down her nose and throat. Her arms and knees burned from being dragged across the rug. Then he patted the floor beside the sofa and said, “Lie down!”

  He sat on the sofa for a few minutes, only to get up and jerk her around the room on the leash again and again.

  Eventually he seemed to tire of the ritual and turned on the television. He sat on the sofa to watch. Marcie stared blankly out into the room. Her brain seemed to be turning off and on. This is all a nightmare. Wake up!

  She watched him open the paper packet on the coffee table and tap out two lines of sparkling white powder. He got down on his knees beside her and turned his back to her and slid his mask up on his head. She could hear the sound, like a pig, as he placed a finger alongside his nose and snorted the cocaine. She turned her head as his bare ass touched her face. He then pulled the mask down and turned and patted her on the head before settling back on the sofa. She sensed that he was smiling at her from behind the mask.

  She could feel the swelling in her throat and the burning sensation where the sweat running down from her head found its way into the open wounds around her neck.

  He stood up and lightly tugged on the leash. Without thinking, she got up on her hands and knees.

  “That’s a good bitch! You’re young enough to teach!”

  He walked around the room once more, then led her into the washroom. He stopped in front of the sink and poured himself a glass of water. She stared down at the tiled floor. It felt cool and soothed her bloody fingertips and the burning sensation on her knees. She could hear him swallow slowly and smack his lips.

  “You’ve been a good bitch,” he said quietly.

  His voice sounded gentle. Her mind started to come back to reality as she grasped at the hope it would soon be over. At least he hasn’t touched me…

  “Do you want a drink of water? Well, do you?”

  She sensed that to say no would make him angry. She looked up and nodded her head.

  “Okay, drink then!” He flung open the toilet lid and pointed inside.

  “No!” she replied, shaking her head.

  “You don’t tell me no! You stupid bitch!”

  The chain tightened around her neck; her fingers instinctively clawed at her throat. She kicked out with her feet as he dragged her across the floor. He didn’t loosen his grip on the collar while grabbing her hair with his other hand and shoving her head inside the toilet bowl. Down into the water … out … down again.

  Briefly, she thought the water was full of small black bugs, but realized it was only her vision clouding over. Seconds later, darkness engulfed her.

  He loosened his grip and she became conscious and blinked her eyes as water dripped from her face into the toilet bowl.

  “Drink, you bitch! I said drink!”

  She felt him grab her hair as he dunked her head into the toilet again, before letting go. She lowered her face and touched the water with her lips.

  “Lap! I want to hear you lap!” he shouted.

  She made a lapping noise with her tongue. She felt his legs on each side of her rib cage as he stood straddling her. Pain shot through her side where he had kicked her. Automatically she squeezed closer to his opposite leg.

  “Lap, you bitch!”

  A condom wrapper fell in the toilet beside her face. “No DNA for you, bitch,” he muttered. She glanced back and saw him masturbating.

  “Lap, I said!”

  She turned her head back into the bowl and felt his legs grip her body while his hand twisted and pulled on her hair. Moments later he relaxed. She could hear the sound of her own breathing in the bowl.

  Without warning he yanked on the leash, pulling her backward onto the floor.

  She scrambled on her hands and knees to keep from being choked as he half-dragged her across the hall and opened the bedroom door, hauling her
inside. Then she heard him say, “Okay, Cutesy! Come here, boy, it’s your turn. Now … be a good little bitch and lick him off. Go on! Blow him!”

  For a second Marcie didn’t understand. Then she felt something cold and wet touch the back of her leg. She turned around and looked directly into the eyes of a German shepherd.

  “No! Oh, God…”

  The collar tightened, choking off her screams. She fell on her back and started kicking. The dog lunged at her, biting her fingers and then knocking her skinny arms aside to sink its teeth into her chest.

  Moments later she could breathe again and started to sob. He ignored her as he led the dog up to straddle her face.

  “Mister … please … don’t, please … I’m bleeding…”

  He picked up a camera and there was a blinding white flash of light.

  His words started to fade. “Okay, okay. That’s enough. He’s ready! Get on your hands and knees. Now! You don’t think I’m going to fuck you, do you?”

  Wizard sat in the car and watched the flash of the camera on the cabin’s curtain. He thought about Damien and chuckled out loud. Damien despised The Suit and had no stomach for this. Being a family man with two young daughters has made him weak. The Suit is the key to success. Big mistake for Damien to let me control that key.

  Wizard watched as The Suit eventually left the cabin. The Suit avoided eye contact with him and hustled down the street with his dog.

  Wizard took a syringe out from under the dash of the Acura and walked toward the cabin.

  chapter eleven

  Danny saw a figure moving down the darkened alley toward him. Light from a dirty bulb farther down the alley briefly identified the bald head. Leonard Waschuk!

  Leonard paused near the rear of the Black Water and looked around. Danny held his breath and watched. Leonard bent over and Danny heard the sound of a brick scrape as it was moved out of place. Moments later, Leonard hurried off down the alley.

  Jack saw Red glance behind him toward the front entrance of the bar. She put her beer down and casually made a thumbs-up sign with her fist, while pretending to scratch her chin with her thumb. Jack pretended not to notice Leonard as he walked by. Leonard made a circle around the pool tables, then walked out the front of the bar.

  Red looked at Jack and said, “Okay, sit tight and get your bread ready. It’s time.”

  Jack nodded to the group of men playing pool and said, “Do you want me over there?”

  Red grinned. “Naw, sorry about that. First-time customers. You know how it is.”

  Red went to the rear door and pushed it open. Seconds later, she was back. Jack passed her the money under the table. She discreetly counted it, then passed him two baggies of powder. As Jack took it, Red said, “Shit!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Bart and Rex.”

  Jack turned around and saw two large men slowly moving through the bar. They were scruffy-looking and wore jeans. Even the bouncer, who himself was a giant of a man, quickly stepped aside as they approached. One man was casually tossing a ring of keys into the air with his hand. They made a jingling sound each time he caught them. The noise in the bar died off to a few whispers and the sound of jingling keys.

  “Who are Bart and Rex?”

  “City narcs,” she whispered. “Bart’s the one with the keys.”

  With his back to the two men, Jack slowly tucked the two baggies of powder in the elastic tablecloth under the table, then glanced behind him. He saw looks of fear and hatred on the patrons’ faces as Bart and Rex walked past them.

  Jack heard the jangling of keys come closer, then stop behind him. He stared at Red, trying to read her eyes, then slowly took a sip of beer. He could see Spider sitting at another table with a junkie. The junkie let out a dry cough and put his hand to his mouth.

  The jangle of keys started again, but on the second toss, Bart missed them and they fell beside Spider’s table. Bart stooped down to pick up the keys, but as he did, he grabbed the junkie by the throat with his other hand and hurled him backward off his chair onto the floor.

  Rex immediately pulled out his gun while Bart sat on the junkie’s chest and choked him.

  “Open your yap!” Bart yelled. “Spit it out!”

  The junkie shook his head and gritted his teeth.

  Without letting go, Bart used his other hand to take out the handcuffs hanging from the back of his belt. He flipped one cuff open to expose the serrated clasp, then jammed it into the junkie’s mouth. A small bundle of dope, wrapped in a condom, spit out from between the junkie’s bloody lips. Bart then dragged him out the front of the bar while Rex tagged along, his gun still drawn.

  “Christ, I hate those fuckin’ guys,” muttered Red.

  “Too damn close, if you ask me,” said Jack, retrieving the two baggies from under the table. “Think I’ll sit and have another beer and make sure those two gorillas are gone before I leave.”

  “Yeah. Good idea.”

  Danny had seen Leonard return to his stash and then hand the drug to Red. He waited for Jack to exit. What the hell is taking him so long?

  A car came down the alley and stopped. Someone opened the trunk, and Danny cursed silently as he felt the weight of more garbage being thrown on the pile.

  The waitress came over to Red and said, “Someone called and said to tell ya your package is here.”

  “Yeah? Thanks. Send a cab around back for me, will ya?”

  Red sipped her beer. A moment later she stood up and said, “Gotta go. See ya around.” She walked out the back door into the alley.

  Jack wanted to leave as well. Danny would be fuming, in more ways than one. He decided to give Red a few minutes to clear the alley. She was paranoid enough without him walking out right behind her.

  Danny watched Red enter the alley. She looked around, then strolled over to where he was hiding as a taxi rolled to a stop behind her. Has she seen me? She reached her hand toward the garbage. Should I pretend I’m drunk?

  She shook the garbage and said, “Hey! What’re ya doin’ in there?”

  What the hell should I say?

  A girl moaned loudly. Someone is lying on top of me! Red shook her again and she started to wake up. Red stood back and said, “Oh my God, Marcie, it’s you!”

  She half-lifted and half-dragged Marcie out of the Dumpster and into the alley.

  “It’s a good thing I came along! Come on, get in the cab. What happened?”

  Red got in the taxi with Marcie and the car disappeared down the alley. Danny was able to get the taxi’s number.

  The door opened again. It was Jack.

  “It’s about bloody time!”

  Jack helped Danny stagger out of the garbage. He had sat for so long that his legs had gone numb. “Did you see Leonard?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah, I saw him. But that’s not all that happened. Red set up some young girl by the name of Marcie. Only about ten or twelve years old. She’s really hurt. They just left in a cab. I got the number.”

  “So did he stash it?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Leonard. Did you see where he stashed it?”

  “Yeah, there’s a loose brick over on the wall, but this kid —”

  “Where? Show me!”

  Danny found the loose brick and pulled it out. There was a small empty cavity in the wall behind the brick.

  Jack was pleased. “This is great! I’ve got an idea. With the amount I scored tonight, we better stay away from here for about a week. After that —”

  “Forget the fuckin’ stash for a moment, will you!”

  “What’s wrong?” “This kid! I got the number of the cab that took her away. I think we —”

  “You’re worried about someone in this ‘den of snakes’?”

  “This is different! This is just a kid!”

  Jack gestured toward the bar with his thumb and said, “Everyone in there was a kid once. We can’t let ourselves get sidetracked over —”

  “Damn
it, Jack! Aren’t kids what this is all about? The girl that Red set up tonight … she’s about the same age that Maggie was.”

  Natasha Trovinski treated her last patient of the night. She saw the child to the door and watched her leave in a taxi. Her patient left against her advice, but she was used to people ignoring her advice in this clinic. She returned to her office, straightened up the papers on her desk, and shut off her stereo. She was looking forward to going home and having a long hot bath. Considering this last patient, I’ll probably have a long cry at the same time. She took her coat off the rack as her receptionist walked in.

  “They’re back. The two Mounties who were here earlier in the week.”

  “He’s too early to have his stitches out.”

  “It’s not about that. They want to talk to you about the girl who just left.”

  She put her coat back on the rack. “Send them in.”

  Dr. Trovinski quickly located The Marriage of Figaro and turned the stereo back on.

  “Gentlemen! Come in and have a seat.” She looked at Danny and said, “How is your hand, officer? I hope you haven’t been … falling on any more glass?”

  Danny grinned, then said, “No. My hand is fine, thanks.”

  “Jack, I want to thank you for the CD. I also want to apologize for lying to you about being married.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “How did you know I wasn’t?”

  Jack smiled, then said, “Trade secret.”

  “What CD?” Danny asked.

  “The one she put on as we were walking down the hall,” said Jack. He caught her blush and added, “We want to ask you about a young girl who just left here.”

  “Her name is Marcie,” said Danny.

  “I told you gentlemen before, I don’t talk about my patients. I extended that courtesy to you. The same goes for my other patients.”

  “But we’re police officers…,” protested Danny.

  “Most of my patients are not on very good terms with the police. If I talk, especially to the police, some of them would risk dying rather than come in for treatment.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Danny, letting out a sigh. “I guess you’re right. Besides, she saw you, so I’m sure she’s okay now.”