A long cast.
This is a selection of a fiction novel I wrote back in 2006. It isn't completely proofread, and needs some work.
But! LET'S GO!
Get Back
Chapter 1:
The Sound in the Night
I woke up to the sound of Sara’s voice. She was shaking me gently, and she had a look of
absolute horror. “I heard something downstairs, Luke. Did you hear it too?” Sara is always
hearing things. I tell her she has an overactive imagination all the time. The look on her face
was so sincere; she was completely mortified. I guess you could say that I felt like she was the
one who cried wolf too many times. But I looked at this magnificent woman, her long, flowing
auburn hair, her soulfully deep, sparkling hazel eyes. She has an angelic face, delicate and soft.
Her body is something you dream of. In my eyes, she is the perfect woman. “Sara, are you sure
you heard something?” I said thoughtlessly. “Luke, if I knew what it was, do you think I would
have woken you up?” Her face started to twist up; she was getting upset with me. “Luke! Go
look downstairs and see what it is!” She was getting very anxious now. I had better go and look,
or I will never get to live this down, let alone sleep at all tonight. We’ve done this before, so I
knew that I had to check it out. “Okay, Sara. I’ll be right back. Just stay right here, wait. Shh!”
Now I heard something. A faint creak, or maybe it was a shuffling sound, perhaps the shuffling
of feet? Now I was convinced there was definitely something, or someone, down there, right? I
sat up and got out of bed, not really sure if I was imagining all of this too. Sara has the ability to
implant ideas into my head. She always has. Sometimes I joke with her, tell her that her gig is
up, I know she is a witch and has a spell on me. Anyhow, I was still somewhat concerned about
what I believed was going on. I slipped on my house shoes, then grabbed my trusty Louisville
Slugger and commenced out of the room. Sara was looking thoroughly distraught. “Be careful
and hurry back,” she whispered. I gave her the thumbs-up and proceeded out of the door.
It was unusually dark tonight. It must be a new moon or something, if that’s what you call it.
Walking down the hall in my boxers, I felt somewhat silly with this bat in my hand, yet also
concerned about what I thought I’d heard. Slowly, I walked down the stairs, bypassing the
upstairs rooms. Then, all at once, I saw it, or at least I thought I did, over by the kitchen. Why
would someone breaking into my house go to the kitchen? The sarcastic little guy in my head
told me they must be parched, going for some refreshments. Carefully, I walked toward the
kitchen, step after step. Now I was actually feeling pretty freaked out. As I peeked around the
corner, I heard something, a faint noise, but from where? I stood completely still and tried to
focus, it was the garage! Now I was fully aware that there was definitely someone in the house.
Someone, by their presence, was threatening the sanctity of my house. What did they have in
mind? What was in store for my family? What were they here to gain? My mind was racing over
many possible reasons for their being here and the outcomes that might be. As I walked
stealthily toward the garage, it occurred to me, who’s to say there’s only one intruder? Wouldn’t I
feel totally silly if this was just Sara’s cat? That cat is very peculiar. It has probably found a
plaything and is chasing shadows or something. As I walked up to the interior door to the
garage, I noticed that it was ajar. I felt a rush of adrenaline sweep through my body, a feeling I
hadn’t felt since my days of partying in college. It felt like every hair on my body was standing on
end and like fire pumping through my veins. I felt my grip tighten on my sole tool, my wooden
bat. Fleeting thoughts of security were now replaced with exhilaration and fear. What do I do?
Should I sound off and alert the assailants of my presence? No, I shall try to hold on to what I
consider possibly my only advantage; I have the drop on them. They are more than likely not
expecting a bat-wielding man roaming through this great urban home. As I stepped into the
pitch-black garage, I paused to allow my eyes to adjust. Then I heard it. It was, in fact, that
mischievous cat. I turned on the light, and there he was. What a relief. “Snitches, what in the
hell are you doing out here? And how in the hell did you open the door?” Wait, the door was
open? At this exact moment of realization, I heard the most horrible sound, a sound you hear in
your nightmares, a chain of events that makes your heart hit the floor and an encompassing
feeling of doom and unending terror. It was the sound of a small-caliber pistol, probably a 9mm,
followed by the shriek of a mortified woman. Sara!
Chapter 2:
The Assault
My beautiful wife was alone and possibly had just taken a bullet! Wait, she was not alone.
Whoever was in the house was there with her! I felt the rage boiling up through my body. I raced
through my dark home, up the stairs, directly to my bedroom. I saw Sara lying on the bed; she
was completely still. I could see she had not been shot. What a relief! Why was she not talking
to me? What had they done to my wife? As I scanned the room, I did not see anyone anywhere.
“Sara, are you okay?” I asked her in desperation. Sara was trembling, and her normally
olive-colored skin was so ghostly white it was unreal. The look in her eyes was like she had just
seen something strange, something unimaginably terrible. She nodded her head yes; however,
she looked very shaken up. At that moment, I was running through my brain frantically, where
did the gunshot come from? Where was the person who pulled the trigger? “Sara, where did
they go?” I asked. Sara’s eyes were growing very large, but she was saying nothing. Why was
she not answering me? She was doing something with her eyes, she was gesturing to me.
Behind me! Gripping my bat, I felt the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. As I began to turn
around, I felt a shock run through my spine. Had I been shot? Then I saw him, those eyes, so
demonic, so sinister, and yet vaguely familiar. My legs were weak; my grip on my only hope, the
bat, was faltering. Then again, I felt the shock, but this time it seemed to be emanating from the
left side of my head. Yes, definitely my head! I fell to my knees, clutching the bat; my vision was
hazy and closing in on me. “What do you want from us?” I wasn’t sure if the words were actually
coming out of my mouth audibly or if they were just indiscernible thoughts. The intruder was
looking at me, looking into my eyes through some sort of mask. He was saying something, but I
didn’t hear anything except a hideous ringing. He had something shiny in his right hand and also
something in the other, the pistol! He raised the pistol and directed the barrel directly at my face!
This guy was gonna execute me in my own house, in front of my terrified wife. I was frozen in
time. I could not move. He was saying something to me, but I still heard nothing. My vision was
closing in so very quickly; I was having a difficult time focusing. All of a sudden, he pulled the
gun back and swung it right into my head. 3 replies
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Chapter 3:
A Dangerous Proposition
“I don’t understand why, Sam, why you’d even wanna consider doing this but it sounds
deviously exciting. You know I’ll do anything for you!” the woman shouted over the pounding
techno music and the roar of all the ecstasy-enhanced youth. They were in an out-of-the-way
underground club in an industrial area. The man sitting opposite her at the table, Sam, was
looking at her with a mixture of disgust and longing. Sam had never enjoyed the company of a
woman who was so quick to conform, to do his every wish right at his command. Sam had
always enjoyed the chase, the game, and the challenge of a headstrong woman. Vanessa was
definitely not that type of woman, but she’d definitely do. She was youthful and physically
strong, with a body that resembled a long-distance runner’s lean, tight, and what Sam would call
“ready.” Ready for just about anything physical. Vanessa was looking back at him with a puzzled
yet devious expression. She truly enjoyed the idea of this endeavor. “Vanessa, this, in fact, is
not something that you’re required to understand, but you must, however, be willing to do
everything I ask without hesitation. Everything!” Sam’s gaze pierced into her with the utmost
seriousness. Vanessa looked away, swirling the straw in her drink. The thought of this
proposition was truly thrilling. To possibly get back what she so desired, what she’d lost what
seemed such a long, long time ago, was almost unfathomable. She was filled with excitement
and a desire to act right now, to begin tonight, this exact moment in time. “Sam, I’ll do anything
you desire, no questions asked,” she said, drinking up the last bit of her beverage through one
of those fluorescent green straws you see in some clubs. Looking up at him, she sensed
something, something emanating from this man, from his soul, something so focused, on the
verge of evil, an animalistic desire. This drive excited her; she felt deep inside her an urge to
seduce him. But for some reason, she knew, even though she considered herself irresistible, as
did most men, this man just seemed as if he’d deny her. Maybe later, maybe after this starts,
she thought to herself. “Vanessa, this is something that, once you start, there’s no backing out.
I’ll, how do I say this? Make you vanish, disappear, if you decide you want out or falter in any
way.” She was shocked at these words and felt her face flush. Thankfully, it was rather dark in
this club, she said to herself. “I’m in one hundred percent. Now tell me where to begin.” “Don’t
concern yourself with the details, my young vixen. Just be ready. We’ll begin one evening this
month. I’ll make all the arrangements and prepare for anything imaginable. Don’t lose that
charm of yours and have a bag packed.” “Sir, would you and the young lady like another drink?”
said the barmaid who had just slid up next to the table. How long she’d been standing there
concerned Sam. “One more Stoli martini for me and for my beautiful guest” looking at Vanessa
as he spoke. “Oh, I’ll have one more please, yes, Sex on the Beach,” gazing back at Sam. They
sat in silence for a few moments, the pulsing of the music and the flash of the lights surrounding
them, thoughts of what was to come filling both of their minds, revenge. Sam thought to himself
how sweet it was or actually, how sweet it’d be once everything fell into place. “Here you are,
ma’am, sir,” the waitress said as she placed the drinks on the small table, thinking to herself,
what an unlikely pair. Maybe just friends or business associates, but no, look at how they look at
each other, anyway, why do I care? “Thank you. Please bring me the bill,” said Sam, his eyes
glancing from Vanessa and burning into the young waitress. Damn, this guy looks absolutely
insane, she thought. “Yes, sir, I’ll be right back with it,” as she hurried away. “Vanessa, this is to Get Back…” raising his glass, gesturing for a toast. Vanessa, with an evil smirk on her face,
raised her glass, clinking it to his. “To Get Back…” They drank to this toast, consecrating a bond
that’d lead them to finality, a closure on a part of their lives.
Chapter 4:
The Plan Unfolds
“Take me home, Sam. I think I’ve had enough.” “Very well,” he said dryly, not particularly wanting
to go anywhere but not wanting to stay in this club alone. Dropping a fifty on the table, Sam
stepped off his chair, grabbed Vanessa by the hand, looked into her eyes, and said to her in a
most serious tone, “This is all between you and me, until death.” Vanessa, fearful yet very
excited, knew this was a threat, and a promise. “‘Til death,” she said. “Let’s go.” Walking out of
the dark, smoky club into the brisk night air, she sensed something, like a fresh beginning, a
renewed vigor for life. She looked at this man beside her, such an intense man. Sinister yet so
attractive, she thought to herself. This guy is… is so dangerous! If I didn’t know any better, I’d
think he was Satan himself. Sam looked down at his young accomplice, noticing her gazing at
him. “Take this,” he said to her, pulling an envelope out of his jacket pocket, handing it to her.
“Review it in the privacy of your home, memorize it, and destroy it.” “Here comes a cab, will you
come with me?” she asked Sam invitingly. She always did this, without fail. “You know the
answer to that, my dear,” said Sam. She looked a bit disappointed but didn’t expect anything
different. Opening the cab door and helping Vanessa in, he said to her, “Good night, rest, and I’ll
be in touch.” Closing the door and watching the cab speed away, Sam wondered what it’d be
like to just take her up on the offer, just once. I bet she’s a banshee in the sack, he thought, but
it’d change everything. It’d never work out. Hailing a cab, Sam thought to himself, I wonder what
that bastard is doing right now? As the cab pulled up, he decided to take a few moments of the
night and go find out. “Cabbie, I need about an hour of your time.” “Time is money, mister,” the
cabbie said, eyeing Sam. “Money’s not an issue, sir,” said Sam as he handed him two crisp
one-hundred-dollar bills. “Just forget me and this little road trip, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“You’re the boss! Where to?” said the cabbie energetically. “Get on the loop southbound and get
off on exit 134.” The cabbie looked back at Sam. “Nice neighborhood, here we go.” Riding by
the house, it occurred to Sam, why not now? I’ve got most everything planned, and it looks like
the neighborhood is dead. Dialing his phone, he said to the cabbie, “Back to the club you picked
me up at.” The cab made a right and sped back to the origin of this trip. As the phone rang, Sam
became irritated and impatient, thinking to himself how he’d told her to be ready at any moment.
Then he heard her voice. “Sam, have you finally changed your mind and decided to come stay
the night?” He heard the desire and anxiety in her voice, and it made him smile. Such a silly
woman. One day, I’m sure, but not tonight, young lady. “Vanessa, listen to me very carefully. It
begins tonight. Have you looked in the envelope?” “Yes, and I’ve got most everything except”
“Never mind, Vanessa, I’ll handle it. Dress appropriately, and I’ll be at your door in forty-five
minutes.” Back at the club, Sam stepped out of the cab and walked two blocks to his car. He
never parked at the club, instead parking in a pay garage. His baby, the 2006 Z06 Corvette, just
wasn’t safe outside! As the valet brought up his car, Sam thought to himself how he loathed the idea of this young kid behind the wheel of such a magnificent piece of American engineering.
“Your car is amazing, sir!” the young man said as he handed over the keys. “I know,” Sam said,
grabbing his keys as he sat in the cockpit of his only love. Rolling away in his horse-drawn
chariot, 505 horses, he thought to himself. As he pulled into his garage, he thought to himself,
it’s finally beginning, now! With the items in the gym bag they’d need, Sam got into the old panel
van he’d “requisitioned” a few days ago. 1 reply
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Chapter 5:
Bound and Helpless
Oh my God, what a nightmare, I thought to myself. Jesus, that was extremely too real! Still
half-asleep, feeling this intense throbbing in my neck and head, I realized that this unimaginable
nightmare was, in fact, reality. I was bound to an old wooden chair that Sara’s late father had
made her. Sara. Sara? “Sara, where are you?” I asked her in desperation. “Sara!” No answer.
What the hell was going on here? What really happened? I looked down at myself. I was taped
with duct tape to the chair. My legs were wrapped up in this shit an innumerable number of
times. My hands were behind my back, and they were wrapped together by tape, I was sure and
the shit was around my chest and the back of the chair. Whoever did this didn’t want me to
move too much; my legs were bound to the legs of the chair. “Sara!” Where was my wife? Dear
Lord, please let her be alive, I said to myself. Okay, I wondered how long I’d been tied like this.
As I looked around the room, nothing looked out of place. Above a photo of us from last summer
was the clock, 4:30. Damn, I’d been out for a while. Who in the hell did this? I was seriously
becoming furious, considering the dire condition I was in. Where was my wife? Struggling with
the tape and the chair seemed futile. I had to find Sara. Maybe I could stand and break the chair
somehow. “Ring, ring.” Oh great, the phone. The answering machine would get it. “…Luke, this
is Tom. Don’t forget about dinner tonight. The reservation’s at seven sharp. Bring the plans for
the house. See ya then, bro.” Click. Somehow, I didn’t feel that dinner with my best friend was
really important right now. Now, to get out of this entrapment. How? Oh yeah, try to break the
chair. Rocking back and forth, the chair was creaking under the pressure, but I seriously
doubted it’d give way. Who’d have thought duct tape would seriously be this strong? I had to find
my wife. Okay, I remembered Sara and the gunshot, and she’d looked okay, but damn, it was all
blank after that. If she was shot… my God, I had to get up there in case she needed help!
Maybe I could… yes. Lunging and hopping over to the small round table that Sara insisted we
put the phone on, I realized this might actually work. Knocking the phone off the table, yes!
Okay, the house shoe, how to get this thing off? Shit, it was hopeless. “Ring, ring.” Eureka! I
bounced the chair to get my foot to the phone “Ring.” Shit, I couldn’t quite get it. “Ring.” Just a
bit more. “Luke, I forgot to let you know that” ah, got it. “Tom! Listen carefully, can you hear me?”
I asked him, hoping he realized I was here. “Luke, I can barely hear you.” Tom’s voice projected
over the answering machine. “Tom, I need you here now. Someone broke into the house, and I
believe Sara may be upstairs, shot!” I could hear the fear and disbelief in my own voice, the
verbalization of my worst fear ringing in my ears. “Luke, I can’t quite get it all, but I heard, I think,
that you said Sara was shot! I’m on 4th and Vine, be there in five minutes!” Click. A dial tone. Hurry, Tom, hurry, I said to myself. This had gotta be the longest five minutes I’d experienced.
Jesus, what if she was up there bleeding, dead? No, she must be alive; she looked okay when I
saw her last! Click, ah, the door. “Luke, where are you?” Tom called out to me; he sounded
somewhat frantic. “In the den.” Tom dashed into the room, looking completely surprised when
he saw me. “Luke, you look horrible, what did they do to you? Nice shiner!” “Tom, I don’t have
any idea. Just get me loose!” “Okay.” As he cut the duct tape, I recollected and explained to him
everything that had happened, well, everything I remembered. Sara! Finally loose from the
bindings, I ran up the stairs to our room. She wasn’t there. Sprinting through the house
frantically, looking, searching, Sara was nowhere! “Luke, come in here,” Tom called to me from
what sounded like the kitchen. I felt my heart sink. He’d found her. “I think you need to see this,
Luke.” “Who’d do this? Who?” I asked myself, but spoke aloud, Tom looking at me quizzically.
My stomach turned inside out as I saw the horrendous sight. 1 reply
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Chapter 6:
The Intruders’ Move
Rolling away from his home, Sam ran a checklist in his head: Pistols, two, check. Night vision,
check. Cuffs, check. Crazed female accomplice, soon. He smiled to himself, thinking of
Vanessa. Such a devout partner. Yes, she’d prove to be invaluable, he thought to himself. Sam
wheeled the van up to Vanessa’s driveway, seeing her watching out between the mini blinds
from her kitchen. At once, the blinds bounced back to normal as she stepped away, and in a few
short moments, she came strolling out of the front door. Carefully locking the door, she turned
and proceeded to the van. Sam reached over to open the door for her, looking her over to make
sure her attire was suitable. It’d do, he thought to himself as Vanessa stepped up into the van’s
captain chair. “Nice ride!” she said in a sarcastic tone, looking Sam and the van over as if they
were an odd pair. “Vanessa, are you ready? I mean for anything? I’m sure this’ll be basically
uneventful, but people are known to do anything out of fear.” Sam eyed her and looked for any
sign of weakness, but of course, she was as solid and strong as ever. She truly would be perfect
for this, he told himself. “Don’t you forget what anguish I’ve suffered, Sam. What we’re
beginning will be a relief. This bitch is gonna pay!” Vanessa’s demeanor suddenly hinted at a
demonic side; the pain and hurt burned inside her. They rode in silence for a while, passing
through the town, a town of strangers, unaware of these two insane cohorts’ plan. As they
neared their destination, Sam reached down to the gym bag between them and handed it over
to Vanessa. “Open it up and get your insurance.” Vanessa looked at him with a fiendish smirk,
unzipped the bag, and rummaged through the contents until she found the case for the pistol,
the pistol she’d shot only a few times, but it felt perfectly at home in her petite hands: the
Walther PPKS. She opened the case and extracted the pistol, checking the magazine to ensure
it was, in fact, loaded to capacity. It’s ready, she thought to herself. It makes me feel like an
international spy, like James Bond, no, Jane Bond! Vanessa smiled to herself, looked back in
the bag, and pulled out the other “insurance,” as Sam called it. It was way too big for her hands,
but she thought it was just right for Sam: the HK USP. “Here you go, Clyde,” she said to Sam.
“Cute, Bonnie. Now let’s get serious. When we pull up to the house, we’ve got a short window of time. Now, we should have no problem with the neighbors, but we must act swiftly nonetheless.
Follow my lead.” Sam was looking at Vanessa in a very stern manner, very serious. “If it gets out
of hand here, we cannot leave anything to trace us. Grab the cuffs from the bag, here we are,”
pulling right up into the driveway, only after shutting off the headlights on the roadway. “Sam,
there’s no tape. There’s NO tape!” Vanessa exclaimed, looking at him anxiously. Shit, mistake
number one, Sam. “It’s fine, Van. We’ll get through this just fine. We’ll go in; I’ll go directly to the
garage and find some tape,” he said as he grabbed the night-vision monocle and put it in his
pocket. Vanessa, seeing him do this, grabbed the other and did the same. “Now let’s do this.”
“Okay.” Sam slowly opened the door, stepped out, and shut it back just enough to extinguish the
interior dome light. Vanessa did the same, and they quietly walked directly to the front door of
the “target” home. Sam looked at Vanessa, gestured for complete silence, and withdrew his
lock-pick kit from his inside pocket. Vanessa watched anxiously as he worked his magic on the
deadbolt. She looked around at the neighborhood, thinking, this should be mine. Click. Wow,
that was quick, she thought to herself. They stepped into the dark house. Sam turned to the
right, and there it was, the alarm console. Holding his breath, he entered the code: 4375. Beep,
beep. All clear. Well-spent hundred dollars. Looking back at Vanessa, Sam signaled her to
follow. As they walked toward the stairs, he signaled her to stand guard here while he
proceeded to the garage. She nodded in understanding and slipped into a shadow cast by some
large piece of furniture. Sam continued on past the kitchen, down a hallway in darkness, out
came the night vision. Oh yes, he thought to himself. Let there be sight! Here we go,
everything’s going fine. Sam spotted the door to the garage; it was locked. Good thing I’m
already in, Sam smiled as he turned the lock, opened the door, and stepped into the garage. It
was very organized, with a workbench, shelves, and a pegboard with various hand tools
hanging on it. Stepping over to the pegboard on the wall, he suddenly sensed something and
froze in his tracks, looked around, and at that instant, he had the source of the presence in his
line of sight: two glowing eyes peering up at him with a curious expression. A damn house cat!
Relief! Sam turned back to focus on the task at hand, find the duct tape; this was taking too
long. Hanging on the second peg, right by a claw hammer, was the bounty. Grabbing the tape,
Sam turned and suddenly heard something. Someone was coming! Ducking and hiding behind
the pickup truck just in the nick of time, he put the night-vision monocle in his pocket and
readied his pistol. The light immediately illuminated the garage. Sam’s blood began to boil in his
veins. He felt the anger attempt to take over, but he pushed it down deep inside. No time for
you, he realized. Startled, he heard the man’s voice “Snitches…” Crack! A shot rang through the
house! The man was gone! Sam cautiously proceeded through the garage. Then he realized the
man had walked right by Vanessa, and she must be up with the woman! 1 reply
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