The Cage by Brian Keene Read Free Book Online Page B

Scott asked. “That makes about as much sense as Jared’s theory.”
    “I’m not saying that it’s supposed to make sense,” Roy countered. “Nothing the man has done tonight makes sense. Shooting people until you get down to six survivors doesn’t make sense. Locking everyone in a cage doesn’t make sense. But that’s what he did. And I’m telling you, that noise we’re hearing is the sound at the end of a record.”
    “If that’s so,” Jeff whispered, “then what the hell does it mean?”
    Shrugging, Roy sat down with his back against the mesh. “That I couldn’t tell you. It means he’s crazy, I guess. But we knew that already.”
    Jeff slid down next to him. Scott began to pace again. Jared remained standing, still listening to the strange noise. He didn’t sit down again until the ventilation system came back on, drowning out the sound. Jared’s stomach growled, loud enough that Jeff could hear it over the rumbling air ducts.
    “Sorry,” he apologized. The tips of his ears turned red. “I’m hungry.”
    “Don’t apologize,” Jeff told him. “I’m fucking starved. I’d kill for some pizza from Jim and Nena’s right about now.”
    “I’m surprised you didn’t say Olive Garden,” Scott said. “Doesn’t what’s her face still work there?”
    “Michelle?” Jeff shrugged. “Yeah, I think so. I haven’t talked to her in months, though.”
    “That’s a shame,” Roy said. “I liked her.”
    Scott nodded. “Me, too. I miss her.”
    Jeff rolled his eyes and groaned. “The only thing you guys miss is the free take-out she used to bring us when we were dating.”
    “True,” Roy laughed. “But it’s not every day that one of your co-workers is dating the manager of an Olive Garden. Opportunities like that—and food like that—don’t come along too often in life.”
    “Seriously, though,” Scott said. “Why did you guys break up? You never did tell us.”
    Jeff shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know. She was really nice. Beautiful. Great in bed. But I just didn’t feel about her the way I did about April.”
    Scott and Roy nodded. Jared said nothing.
    “You talk to April lately?” Scott asked.
    “No. But you better believe the first thing I’m going to do when we get out of here is give her a call.”
    “That’s a good idea,” Roy said. “You guys won’t understand until you’re my age, but it all goes so fast.”
    “What does?” asked Jeff.
    “Life. One day you’re twenty-five and you’ve got life by the balls. The next, you wake up and your balls are hanging down by your knees and your bones creak and your hair is gone—or gray. Your kids don’t know you, your wife barely tolerates you. You’re a stranger in your own house. And a stranger in the mirror, too. And when that happens, you look back on the last few decades and wonder where they went.”
    None of them responded. In truth, they weren’t sure what to say.
    “Call her,” Roy whispered, his voice thick with urgency and emotion. “If you love her, when we get out of here, call her and let her know, Jeff. Life is too short to dick around. Trust me on this.”
    Jeff nodded thoughtfully. “I will.”
    “At least you all have somebody,” Jared muttered. “I mean, even if you aren’t together, at least you’ve got memories to look back on and stuff.”
    “Surely you have an ex?” Roy asked.
    Jared shook his head. “No. There’s nobody. There never has been. I’ve always wanted—”
    The door swung open, slamming into the wall behind it and booming across the warehouse. The strange sound grew louder, but still, none of them could identify it. The killer strode in. His shoes tapped loudly on the concrete as he quickly approached the cage. Once again, Jeff noticed that he was still armed only with the pistol. The machete and the shotgun were missing. Jeff noticed something else as the gunman inserted the key into the lock. There was blood on his knuckles and in the webbing between his