The decoy

Chapt 18

Chapter Eighteen

For the first year and a half of his life in captivity Sebastian slept next to the dogs. He had numerous chores to dog for Hill and one of them was to care for the dogs.

They were Pesa Canarios, a particularly large vicious breed that looked a little like pit bulls but weighed twice as much. There were five of them on Hill's ranch. The largest a seven year old male named Max who weighed just over 120 pounds. He grew to be Sebastian's favorite, although Sebastian played with all of them. They all howled with joy when ever Sebastian entered the barn.

He fed them, slept with them, exercised them and trained them. He gave them the only human affection they ever received.  Although Hill was very proud of his collection of guard dogs he was never kind to them and over the first year of imprisonment, while he slept in the barn, the dogs became loyal to Sebastian.

Hill worried that he was too soft on the dogs. All that kindness could cause them to lose their ferocity. He tormented them on occasion and starved them to toughen them up. Often, when he was told not to feed them, Sebastian would give them food from his private stash of dried meat anyway.

He wasn't able to talk clearly for over a year and it was just three months after his tongue had been severed that Hill announced they were hunting again.

Sebastian knew something was brewing that morning. Two days prior to their new expedition Hill had ordered that the dogs not be fed. This was a frightening sign. It meant that the dogs would be hungry, desperate and violent. He knew that Hill did this when he wanted the dogs ready to kill. Most often, it was done to frighten Sebastian from attempting an escape.

Hill and Sebastian would ride on horseback to a far corner of the ranch and Hill would assign Sebastian a task. The dogs would follow them out on a leash ready to chase anything that moved. Occasionally a rabbit or armadillo would make an appearance and Hill would unleash Max, who would chase it down and kill it instantly.

Sebastian understood the message. Flee if you like but the dogs would soon be released to chase you down and kill you.

Sebastian assumed the dogs were being starved to follow him out to the fields again that day but Hill surprised him.

"You've been fixed, Hill said, "Like a fighting dog that needed to have his ears clipped I have clipped your tongue. Now you'll be much better at hunting."

It was after four when they climbed into the car and again drove north towards Las Vegas. This was his third trip with Hill and he was just as he had before Sebastian made mental notes to aid him in an escape.

Sebastian now had a good knowledge of places along the road where he would hide if he got away from Hill. He knew where he could find old barns to sleep in and he considered ways to avoid the dogs that would be pursuing him. There were vehicles that appeared to be unused sitting in fields and Sebastian was confident he could find one that he would be able to start up if he had the chance. He knew where he could go for help or to find food if he was desperate. He was confident that soon he would make his escape but tonight he was going to help Deacon Hill snatch another young person from the streets of Las Vegas and he had no idea how he could avoid being the accomplice this time.

This time it was a small strip plaza in a rundown community just outside of Las Vegas where the car stopped. There was just a tire shop which was closed for the night and a liquor store in the plaza. The Liquor store was open. It was Saturday night and it would be busy that evening.

It seemed to Sebastian that this place would not be an ideal spot to snatch someone. The flow of cars in and out, picking up their booze for the weekend, was endless.

Hill leaned forward in his seat and pointed down the street.

"Some time in the next hour a young man will stop his car down at that corner," Hill said, "When he arrives you will get out and wait over by that tire store. A young woman will get out of the car and walk down here to purchase liquor for the weekend. She does it every week. They are both too young to buy it so the boyfriend gives her money and she approaches men and requests that they buy a bottle of malt liquor for her.

I've seen her do it many times. She approaches every man who goes in. Twice I have bought it for them, myself.

I believe her boyfriend makes her do it. It's very dangerous. Most of the men ask for sex in return but she insists that it only be a monetary reward. She'll give twenty five dollars for a twenty dollar bottle.

She doesn't drink and she doesn't have sex with strange men but she does this for her boyfriend who knows men would not buy a bottle for him but they will do a favor for a pretty young teenage girl.

I think he's a cad don't you Sebastian. To send her down here to approach strange men is not very chivalrous."

            Sebastian stared down the corner. He didn't even think about the irony of a monster who was about to kidnap a teenage girl complaining about her boyfriends lack of good manners.

He didn't try to respond. He couldn't speak even if he wanted too. His tongue was healing quickly but it would a while before he could speak and be understood. He listened to Hill and struggled in his to find a way to avoid giving this girl over to him.

"Now this area is frequented by Hispanics," Hill explained, "You'll notice very few people of any other race. This young girl appears to me to be biracial. She's quite pretty. I think you'll agree with me. I believe her name is Cassandra. I've heard her boyfriend calling to her to hurry up with his bottle.

It's a little dangerous for us to spend too much time here. But I'm heavily armed and as you wait for our young prey I will keep an eye out for you.

As I said earlier, when she approaches you will come to the car and I will give you this bottle of gin. Hill held up a small bottle. You will take it and give me back this twenty dollar bill and then begin walking up the highway. The girl will watch the exchange and assuming that I am selling liquor to young people she will approach me.

I will quickly taser her and then you will run back and help me put her in the back of the car. From this angle and in the dark, her boyfriend will not see us.

We'll drive right back along the road past her ignorant boyfriend who will be sitting in the car and waiting for her to return. Of course if it doesn't work I'll kill her and the boyfriend. Then I will take you back to our dogs that haven't eaten for a few days and allow them to feed on you."

Sebastian had already decided he would not help. He was listening to the plan and he knew there wasn't much chance for escape. He would likely get shot or possibly tasered and fed to the dogs. He understood that but he also knew he would not allow this monster to get her into the car. She would die for certain if he did and if he was careful he might be able to save them both. Hopefully if he took a bullet it wouldn't kill him and the plaza was busy enough that Hill would not have enough time to finish the job. If a fight broke out and Hill shot a gun, the owner of the liquor store, who had to be well armed would call the cops and probably begin shooting at Hill.

Sebastian was certain he could save this girl.

He knew that Hill kept him to help on the farm and in a strange way he liked the boy. He recognized his intelligence but he had no need for this girl. She would be used until she annoyed Hill and then killed and fed to the dogs.

Sebastian waited in the car and prepared himself for a fight with Hill. He was willing to take a bullet if it came to that. He might not be able to speak but he knew he would not help this monster tonight.

Hill hadn't realized just how strong the seventeen year old Sebastian had become. Sebastian was confident that if it came to a physical struggle between them he could now hold his own against this tall slender man. He had been frightened of the man for many years now but he felt an inner strength and a physical superiority which he would now put into effect. Hill was armed and dangerous but Sebastian was ready to challenge him to save this girl.