Numb: A Dark Thriller

by Lee Stevens

  “You’re tough,” McCabe suddenly told Riley. He swigged from the bottle of lager and then tossed it to one side where it shattered into a thousand glistening shards. “You’re one tough fucker, I’ll give you that much.”

  Riley forced a smile. There was no problem with any of his facial movements. McCabe had stayed away from anything above the neck. Considering he needed information from Riley, it wouldn’t be a good idea to render him unable to speak by removing teeth or accidentally cutting any tendon or muscle in his neck or face that might affect the movement of his tongue or mouth. Besides, McCabe had a lot of other places to work on and again Riley closed his eyes and tried to look at or even think about what had been done to him.

  My toes are mostly gone. McCabe’s snipped them off like he was pruning a rose bush. My feet are broken. The skin on my legs is either skinned or burnt. My kneecaps have been drilled. Everything below my waist is beyond saving...

  “It looks like you’re the toughest nut I’ve ever tried to crack,” McCabe said. He stood up and stretched, like he’d done a full shift of heavy labour. Then he smiled and winked. “Actually, I’ve got a confession for you, Riley.”

  Riley opened one eye and stared at McCabe. What...?

  “I’ve just been playing with you,” he said. “Call me sick, but I just wanted to see how much you could take before you talked. If it’s any consolation, you did better than I ever imagined.”

  “Thank you,” Riley said.

  “So it’s now time to get down to the real business.”

  Riley watched McCabe disappear into the back room.

  When he returned a few seconds later, he was pushing a wheelchair.

  Oh fuck! Riley thought in horror. McCabe you sly bastard!

  Sandra was strapped into the wheelchair, both hands bound to the arm rests and both feet tied together and taped to the foot rest. She was gagged with tape, like Riley had been earlier. She was awake and despite the dried blood on her trousers from the gun shot last night she didn’t seem to be hurt.

  But Riley knew that wouldn’t last long.

  Two hours? McCabe must have been working on me for two hours. Is that enough time?

  “I almost forgot about you out the back, San,” McCabe said and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Then he turned back to Riley. “Once I brought you back here and you were out cold I went and collected Sandra. She’s been out the back all this time. I kept her at Turner’s club last night. Have you been back there since it’s been repaired? It’s good. Nice and safe.”

  Sandra glanced up at Riley, took one look at the state of him and then burst into tears. She lowered her head, her body sinking into the wheelchair as if searching for a place to hide.

  “It’s alright, Sandra,” Riley told her, unconcerned by his lack of dignity. “Dylan and Wendy are fine. They’re miles away from here. Safe and sound.”

  “That’s enough chit-chat,” McCabe said. “Now, if I can’t get what I want by hurting you, then hopefully you’ll tell me when I start hurting her.”

  McCabe laughed and picked up the pliers and reached for one of Sandra’s hands.

  “You’re a fucking animal!” Riley shouted.

  “Animals can’t use tools,” McCabe said. He placed one of Sandra’s fingers between the sharp teeth of the pliers. Her struggling made no difference. “I’m through having fun and I want answers. I’m going to ask you one more time, Riley. Where is Purvis?”

  Sandra looked up at Riley and shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes screamed, Don’t tell him! I don’t care what happens to me, just don’t tell him!

  “I’ll count to three and then I’ll start snipping!” McCabe warned. “One!”

  “You’re going to kill her anyway!” Riley shouted. “Why should I lead you to Purvis and Wendy to do the same to them?”

  “Two.!”

  The pliers squeezed together and Riley saw the blood supply begin to be cut off from Sandra’s finger. It turned a bluish-white and seemed to throb. Sandra, behind the gag, squealed but still shook her head, begging Riley not to give in to the demands.

  “Three-”

  “Alright!” Riley shouted.

  The time had come.

  “Alright what?” McCabe asked, his grip on the pliers so tight that Sandra’s finger was actually indented in the middle.

  “If I tell you,” Riley asked, “what happens next?”

  “I call Nash and tell them I know where Purvis and Wendy are,” McCabe replied calmly.

  “And then we all die?”

  “I promise it’ll be quicker than if you don’t tell me. Put it this way. I’ll cut this bitch up in front of you right now and I’ll keep you alive until I find the other two and then I’ll do the same to them. I’ll go real slow with Wendy, make it last for days, and you, Riley my man, will witness every second of it. So tell me where the fuck they are! It’ll be easier.”

  Riley looked at Sandra. She was screaming behind the gag.

  But he had no choice anymore.

  “There’s a house about eight miles down the river,” he told McCabe. “It’s in a quiet street, not far from the old lighthouse. It used to be a hall of some kind. Used for Boy Scout’s meetings and stuff years ago. You know the one.”

  McCabe frowned.

  “Why the hell are they there?”

  “That’s where Purvis and Sandra used to meet. Purvis bought it a few years back and was doing it up to sell for a profit.”

  McCabe smirked.

  “Is this a lie?” he asked, squeezing the pliers so that the first bubbles of blood began to balloon from Sandra’s crushed finger.

  “He’s there!” Riley shouted. “For God’s sake, leave Sandra alone. I’m telling the truth!”

  “The old hall?” McCabe said. “I know the place. It’s a dump.”

  “Not anymore. Like I said, Purvis bought it and refurbished it as a little side project.”

  “But I still don’t get why they weren’t accompanying you to the doctor’s house.” He squeezed Sandra’s finger more and she started to squirm in the wheelchair. Blood was oozing now, the skin well torn. The blades must be close to the bone by now.

  “I went to see if he would watch Wendy,” Riley lied. “We were going to leave her with Carter and then me and Purvis were going to try to rescue Sandra.”

  “It didn’t quite work out though, did it?” McCabe said.

  Riley lowered his head and sighed. When he raised it again, he hoped McCabe would think he looked defeated.

  “Please, McCabe,” he said. “That’s the truth. You can’t blame us for trying. Do what you have to do but please don’t hurt Wendy. You have no grudge against her. Try and talk some sense into Nash. Have him do what he wants to us but please, don’t hurt Wendy. She’s just a little girl.”

  McCabe nodded, as if he understood.

  He looked at Sandra. Then back at Riley.

  “Right, I’ll check it out.”

  He then squeezed the pliers tightly and snipped off Sandra’s finger just below the fingernail.

  Sandra tried to scream and thrashed wildly in the chair as the end of her finger fell to the floor with a light thud.

  “You fucking bastard!” Riley shouted. “I’ve just told you everything!”

  McCabe laughed. Sandra was still thrashing as he picked up the blow torch, flicked it on and aimed it at the wound gushing blood.

  Sandra’s finger stump hissed and crackled as the heat sealed the damage and it suddenly became too much for her. She collapsed back in the wheelchair, her eyes closed, her breathing frantic and erratic, as if she were in the throes of a fever.

  McCabe switched off the blowtorch and then pulled out his phone.

  “If this is a lie, there’ll soon be nine more next to that one,” he told Riley as he pointed to the piece of a finger on the floor. Then he placed the phone to his ear. “Hello, Nash. It’s McCabe. I know where they are...”

  Riley remained quiet as McCabe relayed the inform
ation to Nash. He knew he was past the point of no return and whether Purvis had managed his end of the plan or not, he now had a chance to make a move. This had been the part that had worried him most. Giving up the location had been a big risk. There was no telling if McCabe would simply put a bullet in both his and Sandra’s head now that he knew where Purvis was. It was unlikely, but there was a chance he’d do it. Hopefully though, he’d check out the information first before doing anything rash. After all, he and Sandra couldn’t go anyway and good old detective Davison would alert McCabe if a call came in about a kidnapping here and they’d be moved before the police turned up. No, McCabe would surely go to the house and see if what he’d been told was true. If it was, he’d take care of business there and then head back here to finish up. If he’d been lied to, he’d come back here and cut more pieces off them just for fun.

  “... right, I’ll come and pick you up and we’ll go together,” McCabe said. He winked at Riley. “I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

  He hung up and pulled on his coat. Then he looked at Sandra who was still unconscious. Then he walked to Riley and pulled out the Berretta.

  Oh shit...

  “I’ve got to go,” he said. “I’m picking up Nash and Turner and then we’re going to check out what you’ve told me.”

  “So who’re you going to kill first?” Riley asked. “Purvis or Nash?”

  McCabe pointed the gun at Riley’s head.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he replied. “If everything goes to plan, when this is over, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes as a thank you.”

  “I’ll be grateful for that.”

  “You will be,” McCabe warned. “Because if you’ve lied or tried to set me up, you’ll be begging for a quick death – after you’ve watched me carve up Sandra first.” McCabe then tucked the gun into his trousers and walked to the door. He slid back the latch and said, “Back soon. Don’t you two go anywhere.”

  Then he left, slamming and locking the heavy iron door behind him. Riley heard him padlock the front. Then came the sound of the Toyota’s engine as he pulled away.

  Riley looked at Sandra. She was coming round, but still looked ill. But, as for what McCabe could’ve done to her, she’d gotten off lightly. He looked down at himself, saw his ravaged lower half and assumed things could’ve gone worse for him also. He was a mess, but still alive. He was weak, but still breathing.

  And things weren’t over for him yet.

  He looked at the keys to the handcuffs and the manacles on the floor, out of reach.

  Then he looked up at the handcuffs around his bloodied wrists.

  It was now time for the hard part.

  58

  McCabe called Davison as he drove to Nash’s apartment.

  “I know where they are,” he said as he steered carefully through the night-time traffic.

  “Riley finally spilled the beans?” the detective asked.

  “He didn’t have much choice in the end. Purvis has got some little hideaway place a few miles down the river. He’s holed up there with the kid.”

  “What’s the address?”

  McCabe told her where it was.

  “If a call comes in I’ll stall it,” she said.

  “Yeah,” McCabe said as Nash’s apartment block appeared before him. “Still keep an ear out for anything about the lock up. Riley and Sandra are still there.”

  “You haven’t got rid of them yet?” Davison sounded surprised.

  “Not until I get rid of Purvis and Nash.”

  “What if Purvis isn’t there?”

  McCabe smiled into the mouthpiece.

  “I’ve been thinking about that. If he’s there then he dies – same as Nash. We dump the bodies for them to turn up later. If he’s not there, then I kill Nash anyway and dump his body somewhere. Then when you pick up Dainton at the meeting next week and Nash’s body will turn up a few days later and you can pin the murder on him too. If Purvis and the kid get it then you can pin all three of them on Dainton.”

  “What about Riley and the girlfriend? You should’ve taken care of them first.”

  “No,” McCabe said as approached Nash’s apartment block. He could see that both Nash and Turner were waiting outside. “If I’ve been told lies I don’t want them to have a quick death. I’ll deal with both of them once Nash is out the way. Anyway, I’m at Nash’s now. He’s waiting at the door for me with Turner. I’m gonna have to hang up.”

  “What are you going to tell him?” Davison asked. “Are you going to tell him you have Riley and Sandra?”

  “No, he’ll know I’ve been holding out on him then. Besides, if he finds out then he’ll probably want to give them a beating first and one of them might open their mouth about me and put an idea in his head. We don’t want to overcomplicate this.” He was about fifty yards from the door now. “Anyway, I’ll think of something to tell him. Got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you what’s what.”

  McCabe hung up without saying goodbye and a second after his phone was back in his pocket he had pulled up outside the front door and Nash and Turner were climbing in the back of the car.

  “Right, let’s do this,” Nash said. He was dressed in one of his best suits and stank of brandy and aftershave. He looked out of his mind and didn’t even hide the gun he carried and instead sat with it cradled in his lap.

  “Are you sure they’re at this place,” Turner asked, playing along.

  “Yeah.” McCabe thought fast. “I broke into Purvis’s house and had a look around. Found a few documents that said he’d bought this place a few years back. I drove past there earlier tonight and saw a light on. Riley’s car was also parked nearby.”

  “Why the hell have they come back here?” Nash asked. He snorted and wiped his nostrils and McCabe guessed he’d just vacuumed up another white line to give him a boost.

  “I think they want to fight fire with fire,” McCabe said. “They know you won’t give up until you find them and so maybe they think their best chance is to take you out first.”

  “Purvis hasn’t got the balls,” snapped Nash. “He’s a back-stabbing coward. He’s proved that.”

  “Riley’s not though,” Turner said. “He’ll be the one to make a move.”

  “Right, drive,” Nash said, sounding convinced.

  McCabe pulled away and caught a glimpse of Nash in the back seat through the rear-view mirror. He was coked out of his tits, chewing the inside of his cheeks and staring madly out the window as he fidgeted in the seat. McCabe then caught sight of Turner, sitting alongside Nash.

  Turner nodded at him and then looked out of the window as the car sped away towards the river.

  Nash had about twenty minutes to live.

  59

  Everyone deserved punishment.

  Nash, Turner and McCabe would get theirs providing everything worked out. For cheating and lying, Sandra had already received hers - although a gun shot to the leg, a beating, a kidnapping and a finger cut off was a little harsh. The stress Purvis was already under was his payback and if things hadn’t gone to plan then the rest of his life would be a constant torment of what ifs and could have beens...

  And now, despite what he’d already been through, it was time for Riley to suffer some more.

  He looked up at his cuffed hands. Studied the chain looped through them and then the beam the chain was hung over. Maybe the beam could be snapped.

  Riley pulled down with all his strength, forcing every muscle in his upper body into overtime, but the beam stayed firm. He took a break, caught a few breaths and then tried again, this time pulling his legs up at the same time to try and snap the chain connected to the manacles around his ankles. Anything to free him up a little.

  No luck.

  Right, it was time for the big one. He had to free himself. The padlock on the outside of the door could easily be broken but the latch locking the inside wouldn’t give to any force from outside. The loading doors couldn’t be opened from the outside with
out a remote (that McCabe kept with his car keys) and so Riley had known from the start that he would have to do a Houdini somehow, get out of the cuffs and get the loading doors open. It had been part of the plan, and although he wasn’t looking forward to what he had to do, he knew it had to be done.

  Weak and shaking from what he’d already been through, Riley relaxed his hands inside the cuffs and pointed his fingers towards the ceiling. He allowed his body to sag, his hands now supporting his weight.

  Then he took several deep breaths to prepare himself.

  Sandra was still only semi-conscious and wouldn’t witness this. That was good. What he was about to do to himself was almost more horrific than what McCabe had already done.

  Riley pulled his arms down as hard as he could, the metal cuffs digging into his flesh instantly. More skin on his wrists ripped. More blood spilled. His arms shook. He felt instantly weaker.

  Then he took several more deep breaths, cleared his mind and tried to summon up every last reserve of energy hiding within his wrecked body.

  This is for Jamie Hudson!

  He gritted his teeth and pulled down on the cuffs with all his strength, leaving his hands relaxed, his fingers flexed forward, giving no resistance.

  Soon he felt the blood begin to drip and then quickly pool onto the back of his neck and shoulders. He heard the ripping of flesh and tendons and the grinding of bone. Still he kept pulling, not wanting to look up and see what damage he was inflicting upon himself. But he didn’t need to look up. He could imagine what was happening all too well. The flesh of his hands was being peeled away. The pads of his thumbs were being torn from the underlying skeleton as his thumbs themselves were slowly dislocating as they were pushed into the palm of his hand, slipping with great difficulty through the handcuffs.

  Slowly but surely, he felt his arms lowering down to his body as the metal cuffs dug through his hands, flaying skin and breaking bones. The blood began to ooze more quickly and Riley tired to ignore it as it began to run like a shower above his head.