The decoy

Chapt 25

Chapter Twenty Five

Cassandra lay alone in the animal pen that evening.

She hadn't eaten for two days. She was terrified and was slowly sliding into a state of shock. She was unable to speak and the combination of hunger, dehydration and terror was causing her body to shut down. She shivered and listened to the animals next to her as they snarled and fought with each other.  They were also becoming desperate with hunger.

Inside the house, Hill and his protégé prepared dinner. Hill was angry at Cassandra and intended to kill her. He casually chopped the lettuce and vegetables for salads as he made plans for Cassandra's murder.

"That little bitch will die today. I made a mistake Sebastian. I picked the wrong girl. She bit me. Look at my arm."

He stopped chopping and rolled up his sleeve. There was a deep bite mark on his forearm. Cassandra had left bloody tooth impressions in his arm and it was already bruising a dark purple.

Sebastian held a bread knife in his hand and stopped cutting bread long enough to look. This was a perfect opportunity to slash the six inch blade across his tormentor's arm but even though he thought he might be able to kill the man right now, he still had an overwhelming fear of Deacon Hill and this deep fear was enough to make him hesitate with the knife. Besides he had another plan.

He knew Hill was waiting for sympathy but Sebastian couldn't bring himself to criticize the young girl for defending herself against Hill. He paused and finally said, "That looks very deep. It must be sore."

            "Yes, of course it is sore. That little monster shall pay. We will feed her to the dogs tonight and we will enjoy watching her as they have their fill. By tomorrow morning she will be reduced to bones. Clean white bones that can be buried far from here. No animal will bother digging up what is left of that little bitch. There'll be no meat left."

He smiled and having described that unsettling picture, set two bowls on the table for dinner.

Sebastian picked up each bowl and ladled out a big helping of soup from the pot. The soup looked and smelled delicious. It was full of fresh vegetables from the garden and pieces of rabbit which Hill had trapped. Hill was a good cook and he had prepared a healthy meal for three but tonight Cassandra would not get her share.

Normally, Sebastian would eat three bowls of soup and many helpings of salad and bread but he was very aware of the one extra ingredient he had added to the soup and so he would eat very little. He filled Hill's bowl with soup and then spooned half a bowl for himself. He knew they both would feel the effects of the tranquilizer soon.

The bottle of tranquilizer was only a little more than half full but he had emptied it all into the pot and it was a powerful drug used to render cattle helpless. It would be enough to leave them both weak and confused.

Sebastian was a growing teenager and he knew that Hill would expect him to quickly finish his stew and then begin another bowl as he normally would but today he would sip his soup slowly, waiting to feel the effect of the drug and then he would serve Hill another bowl. He had to be careful. Hill might become suspicious if he noticed Sebastian wasn't eating. Even with a swollen tongue, Hill knew that Sebastian would be able to eat the stew.

Of course, Sebastian realized that there was also the chance that Hill already knew. There were too many times when Sebastian had thought he had tricked Hill only to discover Hill had already caught on to his plan. He had lived under Hill's total control these past four years and Hill had convinced Sebastian that he truly did have eyes in the back of his head.

Maybe Hill would surprise Sebastian and as the drug worked it would be Sebastian who would pass out and he would wake up beside Cassandra in the dog pen.