His eyes bulge, mirroring his throat, and he stares up at me like I might save him. “Leo, Leo,” I murmur as a wicked smile spreads across my face. “Did you really think we’d let any of you walk out of here alive?”
Dolly chuckles and pinches his nose shut with one hand while forcing him to swallow another inch of the dildo. “Of course not. But we had to at least give them hope now, didn’t we?” Leo’s shoulders drop and tears leak from his eyes. He doesn’t stop looking at me, and I’m glad I’m the last thing he’ll see.
I was forced to see his face a thousand times in my nightmares.
When his eyes glaze over, I drop him like the trash he is and haul Dolly into my arms. She winds her hands into my hair and meets my mouth with hers. Thom and Chris shout and rattle, but we ignore them.
“Three down, little bird. Three to go.”
Chapter 11
Wren
My heart races as I dash back into the tunnels while Sinister sets Thom free and restarts the clock. He’s smarter than Leo; he races into the maze while Chris shouts instructions to him. I let him get further in before sliding the entrance panel shut and heading toward the middle.
Chris, from his vantage point, may be able to view ninety percent of the maze, but he can’t see the exit—because there isn’t one. His help will only send Thom into a dead end, where we’ll be waiting for him.
A shiver of glee runs over my shoulders at the knowledge that they get to experience some of the fear we did. Watching their friends die, knowing they’re helpless to do anything to stop it, and realizing they’re next. The hope of an escape followed by the certainty of death.
Fuck them and what they put us through. They deserve this, and I’m glad I’m fucked up enough to not feel guilty over not feeling guilty. The world will be a better place without them.
I stop at the next peephole and wait for Thom to pass by. After closing off this section, I follow him toward the center,palming my knife. A list of potential nursery rhymes plays through my mind, and a smile flutters at my lips as I select the perfect one.
“Three blind mice, three blind mice. See how they run, see how they run…”
“Fuck off, you freaky bitch!” Thom shouts, making me chuckle. Sinister won’t like that.
“They all ran after the farmer’s wife…”I slide out from behind the wall, appearing in front of him. He shouts and stumbles backward, right into Sinister’s chest. I tilt my head and slash the knife through the air.“She cut off their tails with a carving knife.”
“No! No, fuck you.” Sinister wraps his arms around Thom’s, holding him in place. His face grows red as I advance, and he fights against Sinister’s superior grip. I raise my arm but stop and look at my brother with a raised brow. His lips purse, but he nods.
Thom’s legs scramble against the floor, the whites of his eyes showing as I snap gloves on. I’m not touching that with my bare skin. Once was enough for a lifetime.
“Did you ever see such a sight in your life…”I sing, drawing out the words in a lower octave. My hand whips out and grabs his dick, stretching it toward me.“As three blind mice.”
Thoms neck bulges as screams rip from his throat. Poor guy. I should have chosen a sharper knife. Blood spurts everywhere, staining my dress as the air fills with the coppery scent. I end up having to use a sawing motion to cut off the offending member Thom used to harm so many children.
Now, he’ll never be able to hurt anyone again.
“You know, you’re awfully loud,” I remark, waving his severed penis in the air like a trophy. “Good little boys keep their mouths shut. Sin, could you help me out?”
Sinister forces Thom to his knees and squeezes the sides of his jaw, making him open his mouth. Thom glares at me, his eyes filled with hatred. I giggle and stuff his dick in his mouth, pressing it down into his throat. Sin snaps Thom’s chin up and holds his mouth closed.
“You know, I don’t like the way he’s looking at me, Sin. Maybe he should be as blind as the mice too.” Thom tries to shake his head, but Sinister’s hands tighten their grip on him. Knowing the serum Sin gave him won’t allow him to lose consciousness makes this all the better.
I don’t have long before he suffocates on his dick, though, so I work fast, slashing an X over each eye. Gurgled noises sound in his throat, and his whole body trembles before he gives up the fight. Sinister releases his body and steps over him, pulling me into his side. He drops a kiss on my forehead and whispers, “Four down, little bird.”
After resetting the clock and pulling the panels back, I tap my brother on the shoulder. “Sin, I’m bored. This maze thing just isn’t doing it for me. Can we switch it up a little?”
“Read my mind, little stalker.” Sinister strides over to a panel and switches off the blue lights and scoreboard. The warehouse plunges into darkness, and Chris cuts off his endless complaints. Thank fuck.
Strobe lights click on, blue and purple pulses of light that illuminate then shadow the room. The demonic and eerie notes of Khanate’s “Commuted” fill the room, causing a sliver of apprehension to slither down my spine.
Chris struggles in his chains as his body lowers down the wall, and he kicks out at Sinister when he walks toward him with a syringe in his hand. Sinister punches him in the face and injects it before grabbing his chin. “I can end this now. Tell me where Richard Norris is, and I’ll kill you quickly. No torture, no pain.”
Chris sobs and shakes his head. “I don’t know,” heblubbers. “Last I heard, he was in Chicago. He left Arcadia years ago.”
Sinister cocks his head and tuts. “Well, now, that’s a shame.” He unclips Chris’s hands and shoves him away. “I suggest you start running.” I lick my lips and lean down to pick up Barbie. She hasn’t seen enough action today and deserves to wet her thirst. Chris stumbles away, then turns and runs around the side of the maze.
