Koontz, R. Dean - Night Chills by Dean Koontz

Author:Dean Koontz [Koontz, Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub

“Pull tighter,” Salsbury told Holbrook.

The Englishman obliged. A fierce grin, not of humor but of effort, seemed to transform his face into a death’s head.

Picard fell against Holbrook.

Holbrook stepped back.

Picard went to his knees.

His hands were still at his sides. He was making no effort to save himself.

“Jesus jump to hell,” Klinger said, amazed, numbed, unable to speak above a whisper.

Shuddering, convulsing, Picard lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Salsbury was pleased that he had thought to provide the canvas dropcloth.

Seconds later Holbrook stepped away from Picard, his task completed. The garrote had made deep, angry red impressions in the palms of his hands.

Salsbury took another length of cord from another pocket in his smock and gave it to Rossner. “Do you know what that is, Glenn?”

“Yes.” He had watched impassively as Holbrook murdered the Frenchman.

“Glenn, I want you to give the cord to Peter.” Without even pausing to think about it, Rossner placed the second garrote in the Englishman’s hands.

“Now turn your back to Peter.”

Rossner turned.

“Are you relaxed, Glenn?”

“Relax. Be calm. Don’t worry about anything at all. That’s an order.”

The lines in Rossner’s face softened.

“How do you feel, Glenn?”

“Relaxed.”

“Good. You won’t try to keep Peter from obeying the orders I give him, regardless of what those orders are.”

“I won’t interfere,” Rossner said.

Salsbury turned to the Englishman. “Loop that cord around Glenn’s neck as you did with Michel.”

With an expert flip and twist of the garrote, Holbrook was in position. He waited for orders.

“Glenn,” Salsbury said, “are you tense?”

“No. I’m relaxed.”

“That’s fine. Just fine. You will continue to be relaxed. Now, I’m going to tell Peter to kill you—and you are going to permit him to do that. Is that clear?”

"Yes. I understand.” His placid expression didn’t waver.

Don t you want to live?

“Yes. Yes, I want to live.”

“Then why are you willing to die?”

“I—I—” He looked confused.

“You are willing to die because refusal to obey the key means pain and death anyway. Isn’t that right,, Glenn?”

“That’s right.”

Salsbury watched the two men closely for signs of panic. There were none. Nor even any of stress.

The stench from Michel Picard’s fouled body was nearly overpowering and getting worse.

Rossner surely knew what was about to happen to him. He had seen Michel die, had been told he would die in the same way. Yet he stood unmoving, apparently unafraid.

He was willing to commit what amounted to suicide rather than disobey the key.

In fact disobedience was literally inconceivable to him.

“Total control,” the general said. “Yet they don’t look or behave like zombies.”

“Because they aren’t. There’s nothing supernatural involved. Just the ultimate in behavior modification techniques.” Salsbury was elated. “Peter, give me the cord. Thank you. You have both done well. Exceptionally well. Now, I want you to wrap Michel’s body in the canvas and move it to the next room. Wait there until I have additional orders for you.”

As if they were a pair of ordinary laborers talking about how to move a load of bricks from here to there, Rossner and Holbrook quickly discussed the job at hand.

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