Shame Of Maastricht: The Revelation of Misery - Marie N. Hallen (top rated books of all time .txt) 📗

his eyes to reach everything. There were windows, but they were tightly shut and hidden, the door was made of wood and there was a lot of old furniture around. A large calendar on the wall with a strange unclear picture, a lamp on the table, some box in the corner, an old and broken TV. There was also a cabinet a few steps away in front of him with a lot of jars, thin books and something his eyes couldn’t see. Was this a house? A vet clinic? He started thinking of all the vet clinics he had been to but nothing came to his mind. He will have to wait. His mouth wasn’t sealed, taped or sewn shut, but he didn’t feel the need to scream. What is the chance to be heard in such a place? Zero to none. He was feeling rather bewildered than scared and his mind was even more clear than ever.

Finally he heard some noise outside and the door opened. Three men of his age entered the room. They were dressed in blue and black tracksuits and were carrying heavy bags and lunchboxes. “Again,” Luuk thought. “New day - new show.”

“Hey there, doggie,” the blonde man dressed in blue waved to Luuk which made him extremely angry and he couldn’t help answering in the rudest manner he was capable of although realizing it wouldn’t be possible to convince the kidnappers as long as he is encaged.

“What the hell have you done to me? Do you really think I’m a dog?”

“This is the question you have to answer yourself,” the second man in a black tracksuit replied. He put the bag on the table and sat down. In the dim light Luuk realized he was a redhead.

“Let me out and let’s talk like real men!”

“You will have a good conversation like the one you want, but a bit later.”

“Can you just explain what you want from me? You all three?” Luuk yelled trying to reach out through the bars. “I have a wife at home, by the way! She will call the police and they will…”

“The police? The police will do what? Nothing. Or do you want us to bring your wife here?” the blonde man asked.

“I was already abducted last year. This is… ridiculous… What the hell is going on?”

All three laughed ironically.

“Well, shit happens, you know. This is life.”

“Nice explanation! Ok, as you see, I’m not even asking you to let me go. I’m just trying to understand what you want from me. What do you want? What should I do? Should I pay? Want my non-existing money again?”

“Bram, he is so ridiculous, I just can’t!” the blonde man laughed to the redhead.

“Aha, Bram… Nice to meet you Bram!” Luuk stood up and shouted through the bars, feeling more and more brave. “Come here, you coward! Would be nice to know your names.”

“Why do you want to know our names?” someone replied with a question. “The thing is it’s not us you will have to talk to. We are just getting things ready and we don’t really care much. Why bother yourself...”

“Are you going to torture me? Again? My wife lost her hand and her ear because of assholes like you. You will burn in hell, all of you!”

“Ah, Bas loves to entertain himself with the bloody shows. You should be grateful, as he could do much more morbid things. How about an acid bath or getting fed with broken glass? He had all the capacities for that, and we have even more. But no, no one is going to torture you this time.”

“One could envy your luck,” the third man laughed and opened a bottle of beer. “To get kidnapped twice! Just when you thought you started a new life after escaping, and then bams! No, I don’t envy you of course... Like Ruben said, they won’t torture you, unless… unless… Ah, ok… But this doesn’t mean you won’t suffer. If Bas took bodies, here people lose their souls. They will find a way to get yours.”

“Playing the devil,” Luuk laughed but realised it was about psychological pressure. “So, why don’t you just tell me why you started all this show? This cage? Is this a circus? You think I’m a circus animal? I’m not. But you might be true devils if you kidnap a person and encage him without any reason. You’re so crazy, you need help.”

“It’s you who needs help, Luuk,” smiled Bram trying to fight the chuckle, “Do you know how we found out your address?”

“How? You kept stalking us! For weeks! And you think I haven’t seen you around my house?”

“Yes, in some way, indeed… But it’s you who attends the psychiatrist. You’re under observation. And it doesn’t seem to work. Ruben works there. It cost him nothing to check your record and look up the address and everything. We even know your diagnosis and everything about your condition.”

“You’re just another pathetic drug addict. Maybe different from the rest, but this doesn’t cancel the fact you are helpless, dependent and you will always be. Unless you kill yourself. If I were you, I would do it immediately.” Ruben interrupted him. “I feel no compassion for you. You are worthless. This is why I agreed to assist them in this abduction.”

“Yes Luuk, we decided to keep your wife safe,” Bram continued. “She doesn’t deserve this, but you do. You said we were devils... You think you are in hell? You haven’t seen the hell yet. The true hell is yet to come,” the third man finished. He was bald and his name wasn’t disclosed yet. “And don’t try to call us cowards, Luuk. We are just doing our job. If I try to explain why you are here, you won’t understand. But later, you will. Just be patient. Save the rest of your dignity. We just need to wait for someone. No rush.”

“We have brought you food and drinks. The bathroom is over there,” Bram pointed at the narrow green door Luuk hadn’t noticed yet. It was on the opposite side of the room.“Call us if you want to go there, we will come and help. You can yell as loud as you wish. The sound isolation was performed thoughtfully.”

“Also, we don’t mind if you try to escape, we won’t even hold you back. But in the end you will realise it’s all in vain.”

Luuk was listening to them and tried to control his rage. It came to him things were different this time. Time to play mind games?

“Just tell me the end purpose of this stupid show. Will I ever see my wife again? Or will you kill me?”

“The show has not begun yet,” Ruben replied. “We personally don’t kill anyone. I can only say that the end depends on the outcomes of the final meeting we are trying to prepare you for. You will meet one person soon, the one who decides. Don’t make this person angry.”

“Fuck you and your leaders. I don’t know what this all means. I’m sick of it all.” Luuk laid down on the floor and turned away.

“We are leaving for now. Here is your food. See you. Matthijs, don’t leave the beer here.”

“Come on, let the guy drink!” The unknown bald man opened the bottle of beer and put it together with food near the cage so that Luuk could reach out for it.

They left and closed the door. Another surprise to come. Matthijs… Was it the gang led by Matthijs who kidnapped him? How could he forget they were still at large?

“Wait!” Luuk shouted at the men who were about to lock the door. “Were it you guys who murdered Bas’s parents?!”

“Haha you see, this guy already knows a lot! Oh wow!” They laughed and closed the door.

      Now there was no single doubt left about who he was dealing with. It’s them. They are here. He is under their control. In their hands. In their cage. The only question is why him. Good that Kate wasn’t here. He has to protect her by all possible means. Maybe he wasn’t so paranoid as the presence he felt was quite real. Suddenly he realized it was unavoidable. Even if they left the Maastricht area and went to Leeuwarden or Rotterdam, these people would still be able to find them. But now he was feeling even more calm as he knew they wouldn’t hurt Kate otherwise they would also get their hands on her and she would be there. He only felt pain in his heart when realized how she would suffer without him, trying to find him and guess whether he was still alive.

The men came back the next day with food and drinks. Luuk behaved more calmly and wasn’t as rude as before.

“I need to let Kate know I’m alive! Please let me do it. I don’t know how. I don’t want her to suffer,” he asked Bram.

“We will take care of it. The waiting can also be a torment. Will think about it,” Bram promised. “But I’m afraid you will have to wait here for another two days. Not sure when they arrive, but once they are here, it will be over. And the ending depends on you.”

“We are not your enemies. Your adversary is on his way. But you are in his house already. No one will find you here.”

“I personally think this is stupid. And what you are doing… I won’t even comment. But I will fight. I will. I’m gonna kick his ass. I will defenestrate him.”

“Well, good luck with this, but heroism is not appreciated here. It will not help you. You should have tried to be a hero before. Too late now.”

“I don’t know who forced you all to cooperate. Ok, one of you simply doesn’t like me, but the rest… You are sheep, guys…”

“We’ve already heard a lot of such comments. Nothing new. We just don’t care about you.” Ruben replied and they left.

“Is this really a house?” Luuk wondered.

“Not really. Does it matter?”

“No it doesn’t. I hope it burns down to ashes.”

“It’s always good to hope. Unless your adversary doesn’t take the rest of your hope from you.”

They left again. He was hoping they let Kate know he is relatively fine, and will be. For a while. Unlike Kate, he didn’t have many thoughts in his head. He didn’t even feel the withdrawal effect due to lack of medicines and was happy to realize this. So, they are not going to torture him and he is not suffering without his medicines. He won’t starve. And maybe they will contact Kate and leave her at least a vague hint that he is still alive and unhurt. Four reasons to be happier. The cage was the most depressing thing. He decided to try to get out and to unbend the steel bars aside to make the space between them wider. He tried to put all his force into this but it didn’t work. Did they steal the cage from the zoo? Looked like that.

After a few hours of crazy workout Luuk realized the cage wasn’t going to give up. He decided to take a rest. The room got darker and seemed to be more than just empty. It was completely soulless, deprived of any spirit the premises usually have. It felt like he was imprisoned on a microscopic uninhabited planet and was waiting for the aliens to arrive. He also felt some kind of a low tide in his heart as the hate wave ebbed away and the race receded. Maybe he should really blame himself instead of these strangers for ending up in the same situation like a year ago. This could be karma. Could be a payback. At the same time it was useless to dig his sins trying to find the one that matches the situation and could explain it. He guessed he would be forced to confess and come clean. Forced by the “adversary”. “Where could