“That’s mean, Gus. I find us gainful employment, and this is the thanks I get. It also means triple my fee if I make a recording. We’ll take the whole day off tomorrow. It’s blasphemous to do a job on Sunday. You and I will drive to Norwalk on Monday. I’ll buy the girls a spa day with all the trimmings while we’re gone. Rach already knew this would be a working vacation.”
“A book signing type work vacation, not a killing spree. I’m in on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“The Jed sex change is off the table along with his death forevermore. Diego is stuck with him. I like the book signings.”
“You drive a hard bargain, partner. Okay… deal.”
“Cool. Have you been writing at all on the new novel?”
“Thirty thousand more words done, Gus. Writers write, pal.”
“And apparently killers kill.”
*
Dominic Leka washed his hands, smiling over at the two cages in the concrete room built below his cellar. The teenage girls looked at him in silent horror. They knew what he would do if they cried out. Runaways, originally from the Midwest, the two had bonded while trying to survive in New York City. Leka had convinced them he was a talent scout for a Broadway producer. He took them to dinner, bought them clothes supposedly for a big party the producer was giving. At his house, he served them Champagne cocktails, telling them he needed to get dressed for the party. He excused himself. They drank the drugged cocktails, and woke in the cages. That had been two months ago.
Leka walked over to the cages after drying his hands. “Who wants to party tonight? I have some special plans for one of my special girls.”
“I’ll party with you, Dom.”
Leka spun around in a panic. He glimpsed a black masked figure a split second before the Taser needles hit. Then there was only darkness, but unfortunately not for long.
*
Nick bound Leka with plastic ties, hands behind his back, ankles secured together. He joined ankles and hands together with spliced together ties. The girls kept silent when Nick walked over after restraining Leka.
“Hi girls. I’m betting you’re wondering who the hell I am. A buddy of mine calls me El Muerto. Maybe we better stick with that.”
“The… the dead one?”
Nick nodded at the brunette girl on his right. “That’s right, but I’m not really dead. He nicknamed me after a comic character who has the power to give life or death – kind of poetic. Tonight, I’m giving you girls life, but I’m giving Dominic over there something entirely different. When I get done with him, I’ll call the police and tell them where to find you. You have my word on that, and Muerto’s word is gospel.
“Couldn’t you… just let us go?” The blonde girl sobbed, and the brunette reached over through her bars and into the blonde’s cage, grasping her friend’s hand.
“He can’t, Jill. The cops would think we did it. Muerto’s going to kill him.”
“That’s right, honey,” Nick confirmed what she said. “How long have you two been here?”
“We…we don’t know, Sir.” The blonde wiped at her eyes. “It seems like months.”
“Okay then. I’ll get busy with my task, and it won’t be long after that I’ll have help here for you.” Nick walked over, grabbed Leka’s feet, and dragged him to the stairwell. “Watch your head, Dom.”
With Leka dragged to the cellar part of the house, Nick put duct tape over his mouth, noting his head was bleeding from some of the thumps on the stairs. He then positioned his camera on the floor, pointed at Leka nearly ten feet away. After making sure it was capturing the bound man, Nick went in search of a prop he’d need. He found it and returned to the cellar. By then, Leka was moaning into consciousness. His eyes widened at the sight of Nick. The florescent lights made him blink painfully as his head throbbed. He started to scream behind the duct tape as Nick crouched down in front of him with the scalpel.
“This is going to be a painful ending for you, Dom. That camera over there is to take a movie of it for someone who wanted you done special. After seeing those two girls down there in the cages, I’m thinking I’ll enjoy this more than I thought.”
Nick disemboweled Leka, who only thought he knew pain. Nick then showed the camera the prop he had brought with him – a gallon bottle of bleach. Nick poured it on Leka’s exposed intestines until he passed out. Nick brought him to three more times, and repeated the process. After the fourth time, Leka died, his heart finally giving out. Nick left everything as it was, but packed his Taser and camera. He went over to the stairs leading down to the cages.
“All done, girls. I’m going to get help now.”
“Bye Muerto,” the brunette called out. “Thank you.”
“El Muerto away!” Nick shouted out. Boy, I could get into this comic book gig. Wait until Gus hears about this.