Page 14 of VIM Redux 10

Moving swiftly, Bane went downstairs.

Shay and Drew hurried to follow him.

James met them in the hall where the Steel Room was.

Bane stared at him.

James shrugged. “I was curious how they made it through the day after um... you know.”

Bane cocked his head at him. “After what?”

James scoffed as if Bane did not know. “The shrinking room. The steel walls.”

“Shrinking...What are you talking about?” Drew asked.

Shay shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

James pulled out his phone. “At the time we couldn’t have Shay seen by these men before the arrest and trial you know? So I made a recording of it.” He scrolled his phone and then paused. Tapping the screen, he handed the cell to Drew.

In the video...

Jasper Owens and Charlie Midland were 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, Jasper turned his head and glared at the group standing there watching them. “You lousy motherfucker,” Jasper called out to Bane. His voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. “You left us here inside a shrinking room. That damn wall almost made us into bloody pulp.”

“Oh puhlease, spare us the theatrics,” Bane quipped. “Boo-hoo, I scared you silly.”

“You did more than just scare us—asshole,” Jasper 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?”

Bane chuckled. “Damn Charlie, you might be surprised at what’s in this house. I’ve lived here most of my life and yet I still find some great places. My grandfather, who was the best hitman ever known, was also a great designer and carpenter. He had some interesting secrets, yes he sure did.” Then he stopped and sniffed the air. He made a face and waved his hand. “Did you piss your own pants, gentlemen? I must say that is disgusting.”

Charlie growled, “You would too asshole if you thought you were going to be flattened into a wall. Steel doesn’t exactly bend with pressure.”

Bane shook his head and tisked. “Gentlemen, I don’t want you dead, not yet anyway. I want the day to come when I see you entering prison for the rest of your natural lives. Nothing would make me happier than just that.”

Chapter Nine

After the video ended...

Bane shook his head and he actually chuckled. “Fuck, that was funny.” With a tapping on another wall pad, he opened the room he’d left Jasper and Charlie in.

The heavy door screeched open and two men looked up.

Jasper Owens seethed. “So you finally remembered we were here?”

Bane was still smiling. “Sorry for the delay but we’ve been a little busy.”

“Doing what?” Charlie snarled. “Pulling your thumbs out of your asses?”

James snickered. “Too funny, Uncle Idiot.”