The Cage by Brian Keene

Author:Brian Keene [Keene, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Deadite Press
Published: 2012-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

“We’re fucked,” Jeff moaned. “We are absolutely one hundred and ten percent fucked. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. There’s no ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card. We’re just…fucked.”

“Stop saying that,” Jared wailed. “Just stop it! I don’t want to hear it anymore. You’re just making things worse.”

“Well that’s too damned bad, Jared. If you want to hold hands and sing Kumba-fucking-ya, then be my guest. But leave me the hell out of it.”

Five, maybe ten minutes had passed since Scott’s abduction. Jeff had no way of knowing for sure, but it didn’t seem like any longer than that. Scott’s bloodstains were still fresh—not yet dried and brown.

“Both of you knock it off,” Roy wheezed. He sat with his back against the wall, his collar unbuttoned and his tie hanging loose. His sleeves were rolled up and his shirttail hung out loosely over his hips. Roy’s expression had gone from pale to alabaster, and the sweat on his face had increased to the point where his skin shone like he was lathered in cooking oil. Big droplets of perspiration rolled down his cheeks and the back of his neck. His breathing came in short gasps, and he kept flexing the fingers on his left hand.

“Are you okay?” Jared asked him. A thin layer of snot coated Jared’s upper lip. Jared didn’t seem to notice.

“No, I’m most definitely not okay. Do I look okay to you?”

“No. That’s why I asked.”

“I’m having chest pains. And you’ve got snot on your lip.”

Jared wiped his lip with his shirt sleeve.

“Is it a heart attack?” Jeff asked.

Roy shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It could be angina. It could just be gas or stress, or maybe a pulled muscle. Or it could be the big one. All I know is that it hurts like a son of a bitch and I can’t breathe. It feels like somebody is squeezing my chest. And I’m tired. God, I’m tired.”

“Just lie back,” Jared said. “Try to take it easy until help arrives.”

Jeff snorted. “Oh, come on, man. Are you high? Help isn’t arriving. I’m telling you, we’re fucked.”

“Shut up!” Jared whirled around to face him. “I mean it, Jeff, if you say that one more time, I’ll—”

“You’ll what, Jared? Beat me up? Kill me? Well go ahead, dude. Come on. Give it your best shot. If I’m lucky, maybe you’ll kill me before he does.”

Roy tried to speak but broke into a violent fit of coughing, and Jared and Jeff fell silent, glancing at him in concern.

“Jeff,” Roy rasped. “Stop it. You’ve been our rock through all of this. If it weren’t for you, the rest of us would have freaked out already.”

“We’re already freaked out,” Jeff said.

“Even worse than we’ve already done. You’re the one that’s been holding things together. You’re the glue. We need you to stay strong. I need you to stay strong. I’m scared and I’m worried and I’m in a lot of pain right now. I need somebody to lean on. So be that person, okay? Please?”

“I’m sorry,” Jeff said.

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