Page 29 of King of the Cage

Nikolai was quiet for a few seconds. “Of course. What does it do?”

I swallowed a knot of disgust, the words lodged in my throat. “It turns the taker into a human doll. The lights are on, but no oneis home. A blank slate, to be positioned however you want… You can make them do whatever you want when they’re on it.”

“Z Juice. Zombie Juice. I’ve heard of it. I’ve never seen it in real life. Is there no end to the evil of men?” Nikolai swore viciously. “It sounds like the source of this new product needs a talking-to.”

“Yes. We’ll find him,” I said determinedly.

“Yes, we will, and then… we will talk to him. It’s been a while since we talked to someone together.” Niko’s voice was warm with the anticipation of violence.

A car had pulled up down below, and Keiran jumped out and rounded the vehicle, helping Quinn out. So, she was home already. Good. That meant there was nothing physically wrong with her. Just that her memory had more holes than a sieve. Someone had been inside my sister’s fucking head. Fury built steadily within me.

“Yes, it has. Too fucking long.”

“She wasn’t eating.The nurses are worried,” Quinn said, following behind me as I strode down the hallway of the nursing home where our mother lived.

She’d only been out of the hospital a few hours and she was already worried about something else. Unfortunately, worrying about Mam fell to me and Quinn, since my father had long since stopped pretending to care.

“So, what’s their plan?” I asked.

We passed the nurses’ station in a hurry.

“They want to tube-feed her,” Quinn said, sounding very upset at the thought.

I reached my mother’s door and stopped. “I don’t know what you think I can do about it.”

“I don’t know. I don’t have any other ideas. Try and talk to her. You were always her favorite,” Quinn lamented.

I shook my head, already sensing my impending failure, and slipped off my leather jacket and draped it over my arm. The jacket seemed to set her off more than anything.

“I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up.”

I knocked softly and went inside. The room was a peaceful light-blue color, complemented by an emerald-green chair and bedding. My mother sat in her ocean-colored oasis and stared out the window blankly.

“Afternoon,” I called to her.

She turned to look at me. I waited to see which way she would go. These times were always the hardest. The hope encapsulated in those previous seconds was cruel and painful when the lack of recognition filled her eyes, and she’d treat me like a stranger. There was always a moment when I imagined it wouldn’t go that way.

I was always disappointed.

She blinked and turned away. “Oh, it’s you.”

I swallowed thickly.

“Yes, just me.” I went farther into the room and sat near her. “How are they treating you here?”

“You know. The food is terrible. Hardly five-star. The cheek they have to charge this much for a holiday when the food is the same all the time.” Ma tutted and looked at me. “You should find another job,” she proclaimed.

I nodded. “I should, shouldn’t I?” So today, I was an orderly at the nursing home. That wasn’t too terrible.

“No one with self-respect would work here… take it from me. I raised boys, I know that it matters. What a man does, is who he is,” she muttered away.

“Yes, you’re right,” I agreed.

“A person’s life should mean something, shouldn’t it?” Ma continued.

I stared at her precious profile. Fuck, I missed this woman.

“It should,” I agreed softly.

---