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“What happens on the full moon? You talk like you’re all vampires or some shit. ” He got a horrified look on his face. “Is that it? You think you’re vampires or creatures or something? Tucker, tell me you haven’t been sucked into this. ”
Tucker shook his head. “I haven’t been sucked into anything, Kevin. ” He turned back to Gavin. “He’ll never believe it until he sees it for himself. ”
“See what? What are you talking about?”
They both gazed back at him, Tucker nervously twisting his hands and Gavin with a speculative expression. Gavin finally spoke. “Day after tomorrow, Kevin. Can you trust us just a little until then? We’ll take you to our ceremony. We have one each month on the night of the full moon. Everything will be explained to you then. ”
“Hell no, I want to know now. I want to know what craziness you’ve made Tucker believe. ”
Gavin shook his head. “Later. ” His voice held that hint of steely determination and command Kevin had heard earlier. He doubted he could budge him further.
“Tucker, you can visit more with Kevin in the morning, but for now I’d like you to come with me. ” Gavin held out his hand.
Tucker took the hand, smiling at Kevin, probably trying to reassure him. It wasn’t working. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning, Kevin. Try to get some rest if you can. There are extra blankets in the closet if you need them. ”
They left together and Kevin sat on the bed for a few minutes before he put the tray down on the floor. He was hungry, but he still couldn’t get the idea of being drugged completely out of his head. Tucker wouldn’t drug him deliberately, but it seemed to him that Tucker wasn’t in charge of much of this. He got up and moved restlessly to the window. There was a steel mesh screen bolted to the window. So much for trying that as a way out of the room. Gazing across the yard, he saw that the outside lights were still on, lighting up the grounds of the complex. The woods outside the light seemed so dark and thick. He was reminded of the Robert Frost poem—
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep…
Exhausted, he rested his head against the cold glass, and tears stung his eyes. What the hell had he gotten himself into? Would he ever be able to go home?
A brief knock on the door made him turn to see Richard coming in with a small tray. He dashed the moisture from his eyes, but he thought Richard noticed him doing it. He stood by the door and looked meaningfully at the still full dinner tray on the floor. “I was afraid of that. Stubborn. Pigheaded…” He came farther into the room and held out the smaller tray toward Kevin. On it was an apple, a banana, several unopened packets of crackers and a wrapped piece of soft cheese, along with a canned cola. “Here, you have to eat. I figured maybe you’d know this was all safe. ”
Kevin took the tray and couldn’t resist a brief glance up into those dark eyes. “Thanks. There. Is that any improvement in my ‘manners’?” He smiled a little when he saw the blush begin on the big man’s cheeks.
“Sorry about that. I lost my temper, but you don’t need to get sick or not sleep well because you’re hungry. You can carry this defiance shit too far. ”
Kevin took a bite of the apple. “Well…thanks. ”
Richard nodded and turned to leave. When he got to the door, he turned. “I’ll come back in the morning. I usually take an early morning walk. I’d like you to go with me. You need to see things are not as bad here as you’re thinking, and it’ll get you out of here for a little while. ”
“Whate
ver,” Kevin replied.
He frowned and went out, but just before he closed the door, he leaned back in. “Goodnight, Kevin. ” The door closed gently behind him and Kevin heard the door locks snick to. Locked in, of course. He popped the lid on the can of soda and took a long sip. Well, it had been an interesting trip so far, to say the least. Maybe even life changing. He couldn’t wait to see what happened next, except for the cold chill he got every time he thought about the word assimilated.
It was like something out of some science-fiction series. Some of his favorite Star Trek and Doctor Who episodes were the ones with the Borg and the Cybermen, who went around sucking the humanity from people, saying in their robotic voices, “You will be assimilated. ”
That image almost brought a smile to his face. Almost. He took his tray over to the armchair by the window—also locked, of course—and chewed thoughtfully on his apple, staring out onto the compound. Just exactly what kind of craziness had he stumbled onto here? And what was in store for him the day after tomorrow on the night of the full moon?
* * * *
Sunlight shone through his windows early the next morning, waking Kevin up. He stretched, then got up and wandered into the bathroom. He’d slept a lot better than he thought he would. All that adrenaline had exhausted him, he supposed. Staring at himself in the mirror over the sink, he decided he looked pretty rough. He was unshaven and badly in need of a shower. He turned the water on in the big tiled shower and used the toilet. Then he stepped under the hot stream and let the water just soak him for a while. It felt good running down his back and he stood under the spray for several minutes, using the shower gel already there to clean himself. He got out and dried off on fluffy, expensive-looking towels, then looked through the drawers in the vanity. There he found toothbrushes still in the wrappers, toothpaste and even a new razor. After making use of all of it, using shower gel to help soften his beard, he felt a hundred percent better. He heard someone come in the door, and he came out to see who it was.
“Good, you’re up. ” Richard said, standing near the door. He glanced down at the towel around Kevin’s hips. “If you’ll get dressed, I’ll take you down to breakfast. ”
“Seriously? You mean you’re not going to handcuff me or blindfold me or anything?”
“I think I can handle you, Detective Bryson, just as you are. Are you interested, or should I bring you another tray?”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I may not have that many more chances…as I’m about to be assimilated and all. Who knows when I’ll have a chance to go downstairs again?”
“Assimilated? Who used that word with you? Did Tucker tell you that?”
