"Ok, son, hold still."
Taylor gritted his teeth as a young woman examined his wrist. Much to his surprise, the moment he entered the building, he had been ushered to a make-shift infirmary.
"Would you mind loosening that grip a little?" the woman asked. Taylor glanced down at his uninjured hand, which had subconsciously latched onto her arm. Color returned to his pale fingers as he released her sleeve.
"Thanks."
Taylor's mind was cloudy... Pain, confusion... Reality was yet to set in...
"FUCK!"
To keep from screaming, Taylor bit on his lower lip til it bled. As gentle as the woman seemed to be, having his wrist set & wrapped in a thick bandage was anything but pleasant.
When the ordeal was over, Taylor was given 2 large capsules; Pain-killers, he suspected, and boy was he thankful for them. Within a minute or two, the pain subsided from a fierce, burning sensation to a deep but more tolerable throbbing.
The drugs also caused Taylor to become quite disoriented, and he sank into a fitful sleep moments after being led to a holding room.
"So, how do you like your room, kid?" Rod asked, entering the room, equipped with more pain medicine, which Taylor immediately consumed. His arm was extremely uncomfortable, but he didn't let on.
Taylor had been examining his new 'home' slowly for the past 15 minutes, in awe at how equipped it was. Clothes, books, even a stereo.
"Not bad," was all he said,"But it could really do without the flower and lace bedspread..."
Much to Taylor's surprise, Rod smiled,"Smart ass."
Unsure of what to say, Taylor began sorting through a stack of CDs. "Spice Girls"? Ugh, no thanks... "Stompin' Tom"???... "Aerosmith"? Now we're gettin' somewhere...
"We weren't sure what music you'd want, so we sorta got a mix..." Rod said, almost embarrassed.
"Uh, it's fine, really," Taylor stuttered, uncomfortable under the man's watchful eye. Sensing this, Rod edged toward the door.
"Wait! Before you go, I was wondering what happens next..."
Rod frowned,"Next?"
"Yeah, like, do I hit a bank first, or start out with small assaults and work my way up? I'd like to know what crimes i'm commiting beforehand, if it's not too much trouble," Tay said, trying his best to make a joke.
Not getting the humor, Rod replied,"Dunno. Boss don't tell me much."
And with that, he left the room. Now Taylor found himself alone, nothing to do but sit and wait. But wait for what?
"This is so fucked up," Taylor said to no one in particular. Suddenly, he found himself fighting the persistent urge to cry.
"Be a man," he ordered himself fiercely. They won't get away with this... In a day or two i'll be back home, goin' on tour...
But he didn't believe his own words. Slowly but surely, tears trickled down his cheeks. Every single emotion he had been holding in for the past couple of hours streamed out... Fear. Uncertainty. Reaching for a tissue, he noted the floral box it was held in. What the hell kinda hide out is this anyway? If I didn't know better, i'd think I were staying at the Ritz...
A heavy pounding on the door caused Taylor to jump.
"Who's there?"
Before he heard a reply, the door jolted open, revealing Clayton.
"Supper's ready."
"Uh, i'm not hungry, thanks," Taylor stumbled. Clayton's mannerism was very unnerving.
Clayton sighed,"Kid, you gotta eat something. If you die out on us, this whole plan's warped."
Well, at least the plan won't work if they kill me... A bit of hope there... Tay thought.
"Fine, whatever."
The two exited the room, Taylor trudging along behind Clayton, careful not to jostle his wrist... They went through a long, plain hallway before entering a small kitchen. Clayton roughly shoved Taylor into his seat and took his place across the table. Without a word, a woman whom Taylor had not yet seen gave them their food. Without another word, the three, including Rod, ate. Well, Clayton and Rod ate. Taylor had no appetite, his stomach churning from tension. He nibbled at a roll, so as not to be hassled for not eating.
Not long after, Clayton rose from the table.
"Elaina, have you received word from the Head of Operations yet?" he questioned the woman.
She shook her head,"I'm expecting the information & finalization any day now."
"Good. As soon as we get this over with, the better," Clayton noted, leaving the room. Taylor shifted to do the same, but was held down by Rod.
"You stay here. Boss says you can't go anywhere without an escort."
Taylor nodded, and inhaled deeply. Minutes later, Rod finished his meal. Motioning for Taylor to follow him, they headed to a large, open room. It was filled with telecommunications equipment... Fax machines, a few computers, and other items Taylor couldn't identify.
"This is our main room," Rod explained,"It's where all of the operations will be planned and monitored."
Taylor nodded,"I,uh,I see."
The mini-tour of the premisis continued for another half-hour. Taylor couldn't understand why he was given a tour anyway. You'd think they would want me to know as little as possible... Turning his attention back to Rod, who was now excitedly talking about the large number of video games he had collected, Taylor realized that his guide was not the smartest of people.
"Any questions?" Rod asked as they came to a stop outside the door to is room.
Only about a million... Taylor thought. Opening his mouth, he asked the first and most urgent that came to mind.
"Where's the bathroom?"
~Chapter 16~
~Chapter 14~
~Home~
