33

THE STITCHED BLACK MATERIAL swallowing his face made it hard to breathe. But it didn’t stop Kevin from yelling as loudly as he could. He wanted to know why he was being kept around like a sick pet, and why he was tied up.

His voice echoed. “I haven’t eaten anything in over twenty-four hours.”

What time of day was it, or was it even day at all?

And then his head began to swim. No, drown. The scene where Morgan separated his soul from his body, turning all supernatural at Chubb’s nightclub, rushed him all at once. Nothing that twisted was possible, he reasoned. But reason had been kicked out of the conversation hours ago, hadn’t it? All that remained were splinters of doubt and unease. He’d never even heard of The Pearl before last night, and that’s probably how the fat cats liked it. Now he’d never forget it as long as he lived.

His thoughts painted pictures across his subconscious. He prayed to God they’d go away, and soon. There was no room in his head for such nightmares. The why of his arrival notwithstanding, Kevin quickly arranged and rearranged the events leading up to the how. And it came rapidly, to his surprise. Morgan, whatever monster he was, had punched him good, knocking him out however many hours ago. Yeah, that was it. They hadn’t been in the white Mercedes three minutes before Morgan put him to sleep. Like a bad dog. And voila, he awoke with a colossal migraine.

“Let me out of this thing! Why am I here!” he screamed. He took a strong whiff. The place smelled like a basement.

Anxiety had already sunk in, along with rage, confusion, fear. Then the craving hit him like a ten-pound brick. He tried reaching in his pocket for it, but the bag of powder wasn’t there to calm him down. For all he knew, Morgan could’ve beaten him and done God knew what else in the time it took for his brain to turn back on. He wouldn’t even know.

Kevin reached into his memories, to fight it. In there, he searched for the words to the Hail Mary prayer. Praying didn’t magically wash the images out, though; didn’t even give his heart a chance to catch a breather. But his lips didn’t quit uttering the things his mother had taught him growing up. He repeated every line and verse.

“What is this place? What are you going to do with me!” Kevin shouted, his vocal cords worn down.

Seconds later, Kevin’s bagged face was basking in the smell of…he didn’t know what it was. But from the taste and the awful smell of cheap booze…

“You leaked yourself.” The wretched voice was Morgan Cross. “Got all jittery and dripped all over the floor.”

“Let me outta this thing. My brother’s a cop, chump! When he finds out where I am, you better pray.”

A long pause. “Is this the part where I hightail it out of here? I was a cop too, once upon a time. Now, for the love of God, shut your trap. We wouldn’t want the neighbors to hear. Don’t want their blood staining your conscience, do you, buddy?”

“I’m not your buddy.”

“Now, now, Kevin. Yes, you are. Doesn’t matter what the other kids say. We’re still friends. At least, we will be so long as you cooperate.” Morgan removed the glove suffocating him and got up close. He kissed Kevin’s cheek. The exchange was a delicate discomfort.

Kevin sat rigidly. His eyes roamed the oppressed, black room. He had guessed right. Dark, damp basement. Haunting figurines loomed over him, carved with downcast stares. They watched. They did nothing to save him. Hidden in the shadows and helpless, he waited for the plastic angels to swoop down and unleash hell.

“Where am I?”

“I don’t think where you are is as important as why you are here. For now, call it home. Home is where the heart is.” Morgan paused, his eyes a white pasty jelly that moved back and forth inside grieving sockets.

“Don’t stare, rat. It isn’t polite.”

“It’s just, your eyes, they’re red. And they’re moving. Like they’re alive. Like something’s trapped inside ’em.”

“What would you know about being trapped?” Morgan said, snapping his fingers. Then, gathering composure once more, he added, “What would you say to me if I were to tell you that your brother set you up?”

Kevin squirmed, the discomfort creeping back.

“You’re innocent, aren’t you? You didn’t kill Crystal. We both know you never could. You…loved her, right?”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

“You have every right to feel betrayed. I know exactly how it feels, Kevin. But this is part of the sport. Enemy hits us, knocks us down, but we must get back up again and strike more fiercely in return.”

“You’re the enemy. You kidnapped me!”

Morgan looked shocked. “From prison. Or have you forgotten my mercy already? I freed you from that cell where Jude left you to rot.”

“You killed those men back at The Pearl. I know what you are!”

“Really?” Morgan recoiled. “And what is that?”

“A cold-blooded murderer.”

Morgan’s applause danced off the walls. He seemed impressed, a sick kind of happy. “Bravo. I suppose it’s time to lock me up, then? Is that right? But what if I told you I’m not the one you should hate? What if I showed you the truth about how your beloved Crystal died?”

Kevin became alert immediately.

“Now the little rat wants to know the truth, doesn’t he?” Morgan gently pressed his palm to Kevin’s temple. Instantly, a slew of images came rushing in. Pictures of Jude stormed through, pictures of him searching Kevin’s cluttered apartment for the precise blade. Making love to Crystal in Kevin’s bed then stabbing her several times until her eyes rolled back.

“Oh God!” Kevin cried. “It can’t be. Get out of my freaking head!”

“It’s so hard to imagine the ones we love embraced by their darker side. To think, your own flesh and blood could be capable of such menace.”

“Jude, how could you?” Kevin sobbed, tears running down his cheeks.

Morgan yanked a blade from his back pocket and cut through the bandages around Kevin’s wrists and ankles. “I have saved you from your brother, make no mistake. He is the monster. But you’re safe here, with me.”

“It can’t be true. How’d you do it? How’d you trick me?”

“No trick,” Morgan answered, showing Kevin his sleeves as magicians often do.

“My brother cares about me. He’ll take care of me.”

“He doesn’t care about anyone. I should know. I trusted him with my life. Those lost in the crosshairs of your brother’s hatred meet…unfavorable ends, I’m afraid.”

“Why should I believe any of this? I don’t even know you.”

“Because deep down, you have searched, and you know that what my powers have shown you is the truth. Let him go.”

“You tried to kill my brother, didn’t you? He told me about it.”

“And you believed his lies, did you? There are two sides to every story, Kevin.”

“You’ll try to kill me too,” Kevin said, reaching for Morgan’s throat. “I know the truth already, and it isn’t you.”

“Go on. Kill me, if you think it’ll change him. If you think it’ll give you your life back.” Morgan struggled to get more words out. “But…he’s a…brute! You know this. Don’t be taken by him. He tried to…kill…me!”

Kevin thought for a long moment. He didn’t want to process this, any of it. He wanted to go home, to a home where Crystal would be waiting for him with a bowl of popcorn and a bad movie. He wanted to escape in her, and then to one day take her away from the world their lives had created.

“Your brother took the only woman you’ve ever loved away from you.”

“I never loved her. She was just a slut I paid when I got lonely,” Kevin cried, knowing his false words would freeze, frail, in the cold air.

“No, she…wasn’t. No matter how much you wish for that to be so, it isn’t. She was more to you than that.”

Releasing Morgan, Kevin fell to his seat.

“Quite a stronghold you’ve got there,” Morgan said, rubbing his neck. “By the way, these are yours. I have your money too. It’s safe upstairs.”

Kevin held out his hand as a pack of cigarettes fell inside. He lit up immediately, not caring about the cash. The cigarette caught between his teeth glowed with a bright, orange light.

“I won’t lie to you the way he did.”

“Then tell me what I’m doing here.”

“I’m going to give your life meaning, Kevin. I’m going to give you purpose.” Suddenly, Morgan was gone. How did he manage to disappear like vapor? Where did he go?

In no time, a light bloomed in the still darkness within a small, hidden section of the basement. Kevin wasn’t sure entirely what he saw glowing in there, but he was certain there were chains fashioned to the walls of that secret area. Chains and clamps formed for small, human hands.

He could taste the dampness on his tongue, and he swore something upstairs was leaking. The sound of a faucet draining its weak life drip after drip. What he hadn’t heard was the starting of an engine or the driving by of someone in a neighboring house. How long had it been since he’d listened for any signs of life outside these walls?

What if Morgan was right? But why would Jude rip Crystal away from him? Why would he send him to a prison cell to rot?

He always wanted Dad’s approval. Never cared about you, not really. Not more than a few hundred bucks whenever the guilt got to him. But the one truth in all of it remained: The past couldn’t get cleaned up that easily. A lifetime full of mistakes and jealousy was a lot of blood to wash off.