"Bowes-ShadowAndGunman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bowes Richard)

A time later, I found myself up on the second floor knocking on a locked door.
After a while, the music and voices inside stopped. In the silence, I called
"Stacey!" The door swung wide and Dr. X stood in an open bathrobe. He was
semi-hard. Behind him, a slab of moonlight, maybe streetlight, fell on a slim
figure on a wide bed. "Stacey?" I stepped into the room.

"Don't let him see me," she said. Immediately, Dr. X turned on a lamp. Stacey
was covered by a sheet. Her hands were tied before her with the bathrobe cord.
Instead of getting mad at Dr. X, she said to me, "What the hell are you doing
here? Did I invite you?"

Dr. X laughed. "Look at how angry this makes him. Wait downstairs, Kevin.
There's something we have to do." I knew what he intended. But I obeyed.

My heart should have been crushed. I should have been staggering and falling
down. Instead, remote and cold and wide awake, I moved with great purpose. Down
in the kitchen, Max gave me another pill. I yawned and pretended to lose my
balance when he led me to the white room. I slid down the wall and lay on the
floor with my coat as a pillow.

Max watched me and then went back upstairs. I slept open-eyed the way sharks do.
Everything was red and grainy and I could see myself lying on the floor. "You're
in the Eye of Storm," a voice whispered in my ear.

It was a while before Dr. X appeared. He held me up while Max emptied my
pockets. I watched them guide me toward the open trap door with my head lolling,
empty pockets hanging out like dogs' ears.

As Dr. X opened the trap door, I made it as easy as possible for Max to hold me
upright. When they brought Lisa out of the oubliette, Dr. X had gone down to
help her. As I watched from above, he descended again.

That's when my Shadow and I made our move. Max, stunned, looked from the zombie
he held upright to the figure who grabbed him. Dr. X, wide-eyed, breathed,
"Doppelganger!"

Then I swung Max over the trap door. I planted a shoe on his skinny ass and
shoved him down on top of Dr. X. I slammed the trap door and locked it shut. On
the table were my keys, wallet, and cigarettes. There was also a prescription
pad. Everything went in my pockets.

From the oubliette, Dr. X said calmly, "I thought you were more mature than
this, Kevin. Just undo the latch and we can talk." Upstairs on the kitchen table
were many pills which I scooped up. Only then did the booze and drugs start to
hit me. My stomach lurched, blood banged in my head.

Upstairs, Stacey cried out like she was still tied up. I waited but she didn't
say my name. I needed fresh air. "Don't forget to call me!" I yelled and headed
for the front door. She started to wail.