Page 47 of Cole: Bloodlines
Cole stared at him; did he really believe that would have made a difference? “It wouldn’t have mattered how you did it,” Cole said quietly. “I would have never been a killer like you.”
“We’ll see.” Daniel entered the dark room. “I still have hope for you.”
Hope for him? What the fuck did he mean by that—
Daniel flipped a switch, and a pale light flickered overhead, too dim to fully illuminate the spacious room but enough to reveal the rusted cage against the wall—and the blond girl cowering inside.
Byrne entered the boy’s room and turned on the light. The kid huddled in the far corner of the cage, knees hugged to his chest in a tight fetal position, shivering. The boy had almost shut down shortly after his abduction, and that was no fun for Byrne. Like his dad, he savored the fear. It made the whole experience so much sweeter.
Squatting before the cage, Byrne rapped on the bars with his flashlight. The kid jerked and stirred from a troubled sleep. “Did you miss me?” Byrne grinned at the boy. “I’ve been out running errands, but I’m back now andall yours.”
The kid remained huddled up and stared at him, his eyes glazed as if he wasn’t quitethere.Not good. Not good at all. But he thought he knew how to “wake” him up.
“Tell me about your girlfriend, Maddy.” Byrne sat cross-legged before the cage. “Tell me about Savannah.”
The girl’s name made the boy flinch, and his eyes cleared a little.
Byrne smiled. “I’ve seen her, you know. Very pretty, sweet. I like girls, too, just so you know. If you won’t give me the attention I want… maybe she will.”
“No.” Maddy lunged forward, falling onto his hands, and scrambled to the front of the cage. “No...” Panic flared across his face. “...leave her alone... don’t... don’ttouch her.”Fear shone in his watery eyes. “Please,” he whispered with a tremor. “I-I’ll do whatever you want... just... just don’t...” He hung his head, trembling, as tears streamed down his face. “Please, leave her alone.”
Now, they were making progress. Byrne shifted onto his knees and unzipped his pants. The boy recoiled back into the cage, panic widening his eyes.
“You said you would do whatever I want,” Byrne murmured, a sexual rasp corroding his voice. “I will need you toprovethat, or else… I’ll have to see if Savannah is more accommodating.”
Maddy shook his head, tears flooding his face. “No…”
“Come here.”
The boy hesitated before crawling forward again.
“Give me your hand,” Byrne said as he pulled out his hard cock. The boy stared at him, terrified, but still slid a shaky hand through the bars. Byrne’s smile stretched as he wrapped the kid’s fist around his cock. His breath quickening, Byrne groaned, “Jerk me off.”
Savannah!Although he knew the bodies in the park weren’ttheirkids, a part of him feared they were dead somewhere else. As terrifying as it was to see his baby girl locked in a cage—seeing heralivenearly crippled him with relief.
The girl lay with her arms over her head, sobbing uncontrollably. Her shirt and pants were gone, leaving her in only her bra and panties.
Cole ran to the cage and dropped to his knees, gripping the rusty bars. “Savannah,” he choked. “Baby girl…”
Savannah didn’t respond as she cried harder. What had they done to her? Cole squeezed the bars tighter, rage overtaking his fear of the monster from his childhood. He twisted his head, fury burning inside him as he stared at the Mangler.
“Hey…” Daniel smiled and raised his hands. “I haven’t touched her. Well, not much, anyway. We’re still… building our relationship.” He looked at the girl, her back turned to the front of the cage, body trembling violently from cold and fear. “Aren’t we, darling?”
Breath surged through Cole’s nostrils as he turned back to the young girl. “Savannah… it’s me, baby girl… It’s Cole.”
The girl went deathly still and seemed to stop breathing, waiting—to see if he was a hallucination?
“Savannah. I’m here, sweetheart,” his voice cracked with emotion. “Talk to me, darling, I need to know you’re okay.” He swallowed hard.
“Cole…”Savannah shifted slowly, as if afraid to turn and see that he wasn’t really there.
“It’s me, sweetheart.”
Savannah twisted around, eyes widening in shock. “Cole!” she cried and scurried to the front of the cage. She thrust her slender arms through the bars, desperately reaching for him. “Cole!” she sobbed, pressing her face against the bars, her body shaking as she clung to his hands and arms. She completely broke down, her cries nearly screams.
Cole gripped her hands and pressed his head to her brow through the bars, tears streaking down his face. “I’m gonna get you out of here,” he whispered. “I promise, baby girl.”
Savannah was inconsolable. “Abel…”she cried uncontrollably. “Maddy… they’re… they’re dead…”She wilted against the bars, wailing in unbearable grief.
