The Heartless Prey

6. Captive

Laura awoke in a dark damp cell. There was only one light down here. Far off in the middle of this room there was a construction light set on low which was enough for her to see most of her surroundings. She was able to see the different angles of where she was situated. She noticed there was a wooden staircase that hugged against the muggy side wall. She concluded she was definitely underground. This had to be a basement.

There was one other cell across the basement from her. It was hard to see in it from the angle of the construction light. She could tell that there was someone in there though. It was a man, and he was leaning against the bars of his own cage within the shadows.

She grimaced before she called his name. "Chris... What is this?"

The figure moved his body forward a bit and casted himself into the light. "Who the hell is Chris?" His voice sounded phlegmy, stretching the vocal chords for the first time in a while.

She could recognize the raspy aged voice. "Old man Cooper?", Laura called out.

"Little Miss Laura?", the old man replied.

"Boy am I glad to see you", Laura piped. "So you know what the hell is going on?"

As she looked closer at him she noticed that Cooper had a black eye and a busted lip. It didn't look so bad in the dim light but it was probably a lot worse than she could see. "It's that bastard Dylan", he called out. "He's been holding me in here all night. I didn't realize it was you Laura, until now. He told me he'd beat the shit out of me again if I didn't shut my eyes while he drug you down here. Doesn't look like he hurt you, thank god."

"No he didn't touch me. At least not that I know of. What did he do to you?"

"He knew where I lived. He clocked me in the back of the head with a brick or some shit. I woke up here. When I told him 'hey punk ass let me out of this shit', he came in this cell here and beat the hell out of me."

"Cooper I'm so sorry".

"Well shit happens. Before he went out to get you he had your friend in the cage where you are now."

"Daisy?"

"I think that was her name. The lady with you the other night."

"That'd be her. Cooper what did he do to her?"

"He took her upstairs. She was pretty weak. I didn't look like she'd been fed for a while. Or had anything to drink."

"What's he going to do with us?"

Cooper sighed. "I don't frankly know Laura. I'm afraid I have no idea what he wants with us. But she was beaten pretty badly, that damn coward. But at least he hasn't touched you."

The door at the top of the stairs was thrusted open. It creaked and it sounded as if the base of the door was uneven, causing it to wedge against the concrete underneath. The unpleasant sound echoed throughout the basement. There was the sound of the switch and the entire basement was lit by a couple of cheap light bulbs. Laura could now see the real extent of Cooper's injuries. His right eye was heavily swollen, almost shut. Both of his lips were busted. He had a sizable gash on his right cheek.

Laura could now see that her cage was crudely constructed. A man around her age could probably break down the wooden foundation sustaining the metal bars. But neither she nor Cooper were capable of doing this.

The heavy footsteps came down, bending the old and moldy two by fours being used as steps. Just behind the footsteps were the thuds of something he was dragging down the steps.

"And sleeping beauty awakes", Dylan commented, heaving the heavy sack into the middle of the basement. Laura could quickly tell that blood was seeping through the burlap sack. Dylan quickly hustled back and grabbed a shovel and tossed it against the sack.