The Killer's Den

The Killer’s Den

Mark Schubert

Copyright 2009 Mark Schubert

Smashwords Edition

Chapter 1

Slowly opening my eyes I winced at the pain in my head. The throbbing came from the pounding the blood made as it coursed in and out. The light hurt my eyes at first, but slowly they adjusted and then the room came into view. Confused and a little afraid I let my eyes trail around the room and I did not like what I saw.

Five feet to my left, a large leather chesterfield held two more people, a man and a woman. They continued to sleep, but I knew very well that I did not know them. I could smell a sweet wood but had no idea where it came from or what the smell was. I continued to look around, counting three more women and two more men. I had no idea who any of them could be, and felt a small level of panic rise within me.

Pushing up from the wing chair holding me, I slowed down and winced at the cracks in my back as the pressure released from what must have been a long period of time sitting in the one position. I walked slowly over to the closest of the seven sleeping strangers and reached out for her. I paused, wondering if I should chance awakening her, or any of the others. I shook my head and realized I had little choice. This…situation must be explained.

I grabbed her shoulder and softly shook it back and forth. Lady? The word came out in barely a whisper. Uh, excuse me. Hello? Slowly I could see she was coming to and I stopped my efforts to back away a few steps. Crouching slightly I bent over and looked at her with concern as she brought her head forward and grabbed her neck.

She looked up at me and shrieked. I quickly put my hands up in front of myself to try to indicate good intentions. She shook her head and looked around at the others. They began to slowly come to after the shriek interrupted their slumber.

Who are you? What have you done to me? She looked up at me with complete and utter horror.

Again I raised my hands and bobbed them in the air. Relax. I did not do anything to anybody. I just woke up myself. I looked back at the others and their confused looks explained that we were all in the same boat.

I looked back to the woman in front of me and knelt down. I placed my hand on her knee to try to comfort her. She flinched at first, but then warmed to the comforting touch. Do you remember anything? As I watched her shake her head I looked to the others and raised my eyebrows. They all mimicked the woman’s movements.

"I don’t remember a thing. I…I don’t know who I am! What the hell is going on?" It was the small petite woman with dark hair who spoke.

I nodded. I had no idea who I was, or how I got here as well. What we need to do is find out where we are, maybe get some help.

The large man behind me stood and stretched out his arms. I am all for that! Let’s get some fresh air.

The woman I comforted scoffed. We have no idea why we are here, or who did this to us. If we go searching we could very well find ourselves back in the same spots.

The large man retorted once more. So we just sit here? I need to do…something.

I stood up and tried to calm everyone down. Hold up guys. Let’s relax for a second and see what we can do. I looked around the room for any clues. It appears we don’t have a phone in this room. How about you go to the rest of the rooms and look for one big guy? I looked back at the large man. He was visibly anxious for something to do.

I looked over to the small dark haired woman. She drew back slightly as I did so and I spoke a little more softly. I could see out of the corner of my eye that the big man was already stomping his way out of the room to inspect the rest of the house.

Why don’t you and… I looked for a suitable candidate and my eyes fell on the black woman. …this lady here go and look to see if we have any supplies like water. I don’t know about any of you but I am damn thirsty.

The woman was about to protest, not wanting to do anything, but it made sense. She was obviously thirsty as well. I turned to the smaller oriental man, and he shook his head.

Who made you the boss? I don’t want to do anything you say. For all we know you are lying about all of this and you are the one who put us here. He crossed his arms in defiance.

I was about to say something but the woman behind me spoke up. For all we know you are lying! Let’s just work together and see if we can get each other out of this mess, huh? Her voice contained panic, but looking at her would not reveal it.

I nodded and turned back to the group. Why don’t the rest of us split up and search the rest of this place? Let’s say we meet back here in fifteen minutes? I looked for any disagreement and saw none. The oriental man seemed to be angry, but still turned to walk out of the room. The redheaded girl skipped in her walk and walked out with him.

Let’s go together. I don’t really want to be alone right now.

The voice came from behind me and I turned slowly. The woman I woke up first of all looked up into my eyes and I could see the fear and conviction in her own eyes. I nodded and pointed to the stairs visible off to the left through the doorway of the room.

The black man sitting next to her stood and slapped me on the shoulder. I’m with you on this one. I don’t like this place too much.

I nodded and the three of us went for the stairs to search out above us. We all felt fear, but together we were a little stronger.

I hope.

My group rejoined the rest and we could see more members sitting around the living room where we all woke up. The small petite woman handed the members of my group some bottled water and we graciously accepted. I looked over and a redheaded guy was standing, waiting for us to return.

No phones. Blackie here couldn’t find any windows or doors either.

I frowned at the slightly racist remark. She did not appear to appreciate it either. They had no idea about their identities but such monikers were not the way to go. I looked to the four new members to the group and smiled. Welcome.

The oriental man continued with his blunt speaking and explained the new appearances. Found them down the hall. They were out like a light in a bedroom. They have no clue who they are either.

I shrugged my shoulders. Now what? No doors?

How did we get in here then?

The words echoed my own thoughts. How indeed? There must be something hidden behind these bookcases, or behind a wall somewhere.

How is it we still know how to speak?

Like the others I looked over to the large black man who had spoken. The question had some validity. If they could not remember anything else…

Like, if we don’t know who we are, where we come from, or how we got here, how can we remember how to speak and interact with one another? Different parts of the brain or something? He shrugged his shoulders and slumped down in the nearest chair. He looked a little lost, but a touch angry at the same time. Maybe just frustrated.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a clicking noise and a soft tapping echo interrupted. An intercom voice cut through our chatter and silenced everyone all at once.

Ahem. Excuse me folks. I think I can explain some of the confusing points for you. First of all, welcome. I am the controller. I would like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of all of this.

The oriental man angrily responded. All of what? Let us out of here!

The voice laughed slightly, then continued on undeterred. Very funny. I am here to explain a few things for you, and then I will be gone so I suggest you listen carefully.

I looked quickly over to the first woman I awakened and mimicked the action of writing something down. Quickly I could see her rip open a drawer and she found a pad and pen.

This is a controlled experiment, ladies and gentlemen. You have all volunteered for it, and are also being paid quite handsomely I might add. The voice paused and the words hung in the air like smoke. Experiment. Twelve people are trapped inside a structure with no way out. They will live together for an entire year with no interaction from the outside world. There are no windows, no doors, and no communication devices. You are here until the experiment is over.

I could not take this any longer. Experiment for what? You do not have the right to keep us here!

"But I do, sir. You, all of you volunteered. Now, let us get to the details. You each have your own bedroom. You are allowed to interact with each other on any level you wish."

Why can’t we remember anything? A couple of people spoke the question at the same time.

Your memories have been, blocked so to speak. It is an induced amnesia. You still retain your basic skills and mental controls, but everything about who you are and what you did before this are completely gone.

Inside my mind twitched and I cut in. Wait a second. That does not make complete sense. I turned and pointed to the redheaded guy. Red here referred to another member of our group as ‘blackie’. Even if he didn’t mean it as a racist comment, I took it as one, and it looked as though she did as well. If we do not possess any of our previous biases and beliefs, how would I recognize that as racist?

I looked over to Red to apologize with my eyes. He seemed a little shocked at the reference, as if he had not realized he had said it himself.

You will still retain parts of your previous personalities, as they are imprinted across many parts of your brains. Little differences here and there will be a result of your personalities. Now if you would just stop interrupting and listen, I could get to the point.

The petite dark haired woman raised her hand in a grade school attempt to interrupt. Uh, who are we?

The voice chuckled again. Each of you has a handkerchief, either in a pocket or wrapped around your head. On one corner is stenciled the name you will be designated during the entire length of the experiment. That is all you will get to know.

Everyone reached into their pockets or inspected the handkerchiefs on their bodies. Around the room everyone found their names and looked up as blankly as when they began.

Hank. The large black man waved his hand in the air in a form of greeting. He introduced himself to the group, and then waited for the rest to do the same.

I looked down at my name and went next. I’m Joe.

The black woman held up her handkerchief and tried to smile. Jane.

The woman I first woke looked around the room and fixed her eyes on me. Mary.

The small oriental man did nothing, but he blurted out his name as though he did not feel interested. Wayne.

The middleweight black man smiled brightly and waved his hand in the air. Bob. Spelled both ways. His meager joke brought a smile to some of the others.

Bill.

Kim. The petite dark haired girl spoke softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

John. Red now had a name.

Jen.

Alice.

Drew.

With all them introduced I noticed that we all seemed to feel a little bit closer together, but still lost in this valley of chaos. I felt a little more at ease with the people around me, but not with the prison we now lived in.

Drew spoke up now for the first time. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want out of the experiment. A couple of the others nodded in agreement.

I am sorry, but this is a one-way street. No changing your minds…again. The voice cackled this time and everyone cringed at the sound. Now, back to business. You have more than enough food and supplies to last you the entire year. As you have probably discovered, there are three bathrooms in the house. Everything is in working order. You have an extra large pantry, and a walk-in freezer, both stocked with everything you will need.

I looked up at the mention of food. Does anyone remember how to cook? I looked from one to the other. They all looked as though they were willing to try it, but they were each unsure of their ability.

Bill sat up straight. I’m willing to try it.

Drew nodded. Me too.

The tapping repeated over the intercom. Work on that later people. I have not got all day. The voice paused. You will simply go about everyday life and develop your relationships as they come along naturally. There are hidden cameras and microphones all over the house to record how things unfold. Don’t worry. You will not notice them. Oh, and in case you want to try to trace back the cords to find a way out, or follow the water pipes to find a way out, do not bother. You are encased in a minimum of four-foot thick brick walls. If you insist on trying to escape the area or try to dig through, the walls will be added to from the other side. There is no escape. The door, as you mentioned earlier, was bricked over once you were all placed inside.

Kim raised her hand. What if we get injured? How will you get in to help us?

We won’t. The words echoed through the room. You will have to take care of each other, acting as doctor, cook, do repairs, work out problems. Everything you must do yourselves. If you do not do a good job an injured person may die.

I could not believe what I was listening to. Why the hell did I volunteer for this thing? I heard everyone draw in a tight breath. The stakes just grew a whole bunch. Kim began to cry a little. Alice tried to comfort her, but looked like she felt the same despair.

Now for the interesting part. One of you is, or was, a killer. Again rose a collective sharp intake of breath. This person is not psychotic, so you may be unable to realize who it is. I am not saying that someone will begin hacking people up, but that is one thing we are here to determine.

I really could not believe this now. Did I know this before volunteering? My god, what did I get myself into. I looked around at my new family and wondered whom it could be. Who was the killer? Hell, it could be me. I don’t know!

Just so you are not developing inside a box, most of the rooms are equipped with flat-panel display screens and speakers. Sights and sounds of an outside world complete with weather changes and the like are programmed in so that you do not go crazy yourselves. Virtual windows will provide fresh air when you want it. I will check in on you once again in about one week’s time. Have a wonderful week.

With that the intercom clicked off and everyone sat in silence.

Chapter 2

I wondered for a moment if this was all just a crude dream and I would soon find myself awake and smiling. Somehow the thought did not bring me any comfort, and I returned to the problem at hand. One of us was a killer. That didn’t mean that the person would still be a killer.

What are we supposed to do in here? Jane broke the silence. "I mean we can’t do anything."

Hank laughed. I guess we just have to solve the mystery and save our asses.

I looked over at Hank. I am strong and muscular, but Hank is huge. If it came down to it could I defend myself against him? I have no idea. I tried to picture how I would react if he came after me, and how I would move my body. Shaking the visions from my thoughts, I tried to focus once more.

We don’t even know if the killer will even feel inclined to kill again. I hoped the comment would imprint on the person it needed to, and maybe become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yah, sure. And we all are really in Disneyland. Come on, Joe. Do you really want to place your life in that belief and go about regular everyday life? John stared at the walls of the room. At least as regular as it can get in here.

Wayne cut in. What if they don’t let us go? Maybe they will just keep us here until the person cracks. His abrasive tone softened for the first time.

I could see the panic beginning and we had to cut it out right now. Listen. We can’t sit here and guess what is going to happen. I say we start about our lives as if that…guy didn’t say anything. Apparently we still have to live together for the next year.

Drew agreed. I think he’s right. I don’t know about you guys but I am getting hungry. I am going to check out the food we’ve got and whip something together.

Bill jumped up. I’ll come with you. I have half a mind to get a big ol’…something. His look of confusion matched all of us.

I looked up at the two of them walking out together and a thought occurred to me. I looked around and tried to remember her name. Jen. You should go with them.

She looked up alarmed. Until now she had said not much other than her name. Why?

The others looked at me with apparently the same question on their minds. I think we should stay working in groups of threes as much as possible. If we do have a killer, he or she will be less likely to act if there happens to be more than one other person there. The logic made perfect sense to me. Safety in numbers so to speak.

Hank shook his head. Maybe so, but that does not help us build trust among the group.

Wayne again looked around with horror. Trust? We are fighting for our lives man! I don’t intend on building up trust and then letting my guard down. No sir-ree. He nodded his head to reinforce the statement.

I could see that it was going to be hard to keep everyone from slipping into a panic. Listen. Hank is right that we need trust. We are going to become friends for the most part over this next year, relying on each other. I just think that if we get into the habit of doing things in a way that protects us the most I see our odds of surviving a lot higher.

Hank nodded. Sure enough. Makes sense to me.

Silently, Jen began to slink off into the kitchen. She appeared to agree with my idea and Hank’s endorsement seemed to put it over the top.

Who made you the boss of us? John spoke his piece with a hint of resentment.

The comment shocked me. I had not intended, or realized my actions were bossy in any way. I…

Hank put his hand up to my shoulder and patted it until I shut my mouth. Johnny, relax. Joe just came up with some good ideas. He is not trying to be the big cheese, and either am I. We are just making the best of the situation. Chill.

I smiled at Hank. I had a strong feeling I was going to like this guy. We seemed to have the same kind of interests and personalities at heart. Whatever they may be. Hoots and laughter came from the kitchen and I wanted to go out and investigate, but I needed to relax. Not everything required my involvement.

Why don’t we try to see which bedrooms will be ours? Mary reached up and grabbed my arm. Her eyes looked straight into mine.

I nodded absently. Good idea. I wonder if we have a choice or if they are designated. I watched as the others followed, all except Wayne. He seemed to want to sit in silence. I considered asking him to join us, stay together for protection, but that would probably result in some form of insult back. I decided to leave him be, and let him stew for a while.

In the back of my mind I considered the possibility that Wayne would be left alone and a prime target. Feeling almost guilty I wondered to myself if it would be such a bad thing if the bitter bastard happened to be the first to go. I paused to go back, but the others ascending the stairs behind me pushed on and I obliged.

Wayne was alone.

We walked into the first room and looked around. It seemed normal enough. The soft wood walls matched the wood of the large bed. The bed looked inviting to me because of the thick, warm looking bedspread. Framing the bed were two night tables, and a large flat screen hung on the wall opposite the doorway. I assumed that the screen was one of the ‘virtual’ things the controller referred to.

I turned my attention to what else found a home in the bedroom. It also contained a dresser that looked to be already full of clothes. On the top sat neatly arranged a toothbrush and toothpaste, a make-up kit, a towel and a facecloth. "If this was all planned out