Dr.Badliss moved around and gathered his stuff.Then he set a couple of small pill bottles down on the main table.He looked over at Bane who stood in the doorway now.He gave them another warning, “If you boys go looking inside those woods, you should be careful.Owens had some mighty shifty men coming there, over the weeks he was in residence.Hell, even before then that other fellow had some movement in those woods too.It wasn’t my business but I could still hear those trucks coming and going.”
Bane looked over at Shay.A little side trip might bring everything out in the open.
Shay looked interested in finding out what Owens and Charlie were hiding in those woods.He gave Bane a nod.
After the doctor left, Shay picked up his phone and called a second team in.He looked up at Bane and smiled.“Don’t worry, these are soldiers.They know what they’re doing.”
“So do we,” Bane stated firmly.
Shay nodded.“I know but I want my men to go in there.We might have to follow protocol here.I want no mistakes made so Wagner’s high-priced lawyers can’t say mistakes were made.I’ve got a judge that will issue a warrant and my main guy will bring it with him.I want him and Owens sitting in a prison ward sooner rather than later.”
Bane turned to James and grinned.“That’s our cue.Should we check on our guests?They should be well and truly done by this time?”
Shay frowned, then asked, “Just who are your guests?”
Bane smirked.“We brought Owens and Charlie Midland here before we went looking for you.So if you want it all legal, you’d better stay out of their sight.Because I have held them against their will and they were a little beat up when we trapped them.”
“A little beat up?”Shay asked with a raised brow.
James shook his head and raised his hand to point at his face.“Look at my bruises, okay?Owens did that.Hung me from a rafter and had his men use me as an Everlast bag.”He glanced at Bane.“He simply took exception to that treatment, is all.”
Bane nodded.“I did and I showed them that no one treats James like that except for me.”
James scoffed.
“And just where are they?”Stone asked.
James brought this laptop over and tapped some keys.“Here is the video feed from my cell.It will show you where they are.You both can watch it since you are on bedrest.”
Bane turned and went out.
Everyone but Stone and Shay followed him to the secret staircase then into the basement.They all stopped in front of the heavy metal door.A light had been mounted above the door.It was now flashing red.
Bane glanced up at it and smirked.Then he wordlessly pulled out a key and turned it in the heavy looking lock.
As soon as the door was pushed open, they heard voices coming from inside, begging to be released.
Bane reached in and flipped a toggle switch.
They all just stared as the heavy steel door began backing up.When it settled back into the groove where it belonged, Bane walked in and everyone followed.
James aimed his phone at the men in the metal room.
They all saw Jasper Owens and Charlie Midland cowering in the far corner of the room.
Both men were shaking and they both had pissed themselves.
Charlie was bleeding while sitting there on the floor.
When the single light came back on, Owens turned his head and glared at the group standing there watching them.“You lousy motherfucker,” Owens called out.His voice sounded scratchy and hoarse.“You left us here inside a shrinking room.That damn wall almost made us into bloody pulp.”
“Ohpuhlease, spare us the theatrics,” Bane quipped.“Boo-hoo, I scared you silly.”
“You did more than just scare us—asshole,” Owens shouted as his voice broke.“Charlie tried to stop the wall by bracing his foot against it and it snapped his bone in half.He broke his fucking leg!”
Bane turned his head and studied Charlie Midland then he shook his head.“Not my fault.You should have known better, Charlie.”
“Yeah, it is your fault,” Charlie argued.“You aren’t exactly known for your compassion buddy.What other little secrets have you got here in this Godforsaken house of horrors?”
