The Plan Ch. 02

He slowly trudged down the basement stairs taking care to let his whole weight land on each stair in turn. After each step he paused for effect; slow, threatening, methodical, irresistible, implacable. He wanted to announce his approach. He wanted the anxiety and tension to have time to build as he descended the stairs.

With each step his anticipation grew, stoking the fire of his desires, which in turn caused his heart to jump in his chest. Once he reached the metal door at the bottom of the stairs he paused and reached out to gently place his hand on the door knob.

All went still save for his elevated heartbeat which, although it thumped only in his ears, he believed literally echoed off of the concrete walls. After a few quiet seconds a small, muffled sob of fear trickled out from behind the door. At this sound his felt himself salivate involuntarily. His heartbeat accelerated and his nostrils flared as if searching for the scent of fear. Desperate to calm himself he took a deep breath into his nose and released it slowly through his mouth, but his body betrayed his rising desire. His exhale caught and came out as a low, throaty growl. In response another muffled, staccato whimper emanated through the door.

All at once his heart surged, his eyes opened wildly and his breath became a shallow and audible pant. The door knob rattled under his tightening grip. Thin sweat oozed out all over his body, all of his muscles strained taut and his body began to tremble as he wrestled with his longing. He felt the beast rising up from his gut threatening to set fire to his heart and wash away the rational man. Hot blood and animal passion surged through his veins trying to break free of the control of his mind and, almost on its own, the knob slipped a bit in his sweaty palm. His thoughts began to race, contending with the primal desire to fling open the door and devour what was inside.

"Why are you waiting?" growled the animal desires in his heart. "It's all yours for the taking! Nothing ... no one can stop you, now! Take! NOW!"

One shove would open it and then nothing would stand in his way. It wouldn't even take a shove now. Just one gentle push was all it would take to remove this last barrier, but there he hesitated like a diver on the brink of a cliff, caught between the desire and the rational; the beast and the man.

"NO!" he screamed in his mind. "No, this thing has to be done exactly right! Don't blow it by losing control of yourself! Stick to the plan! DO IT RIGHT!"

With an effort of will he released the rattling door knob and forced his sweaty hands to open and relax. He closed his eyes and took a long, slow, deep breath, which he blew out of his mouth so as not to growl again. Gradually his heart stopped straining and the roar in his ears subsided. His taut muscles loosened enough that his body stopped its tremors. Despite this small victory, he knew in the end the Beast, the passion, the fire in his heart would have its way and carry off the rational man in a tidal wave of primal desire. But for now, the door would stay closed and the mind would control.

Behind the door the small isolated sounds became a string of small, pitiful muffled sobs that might have been pleading words if he had been able to concentrate on them. However, he knew if he did listen to them, he would instantly lose all of his hard-won control. Instead, he chose to focus on his breathing and lowering his heartbeat. The time of satisfaction would come, but for now he had to stick with the plan and forego instant gratification for greater rewards later. Not too much later though. He was sure of that too.

Taking another cleansing breath, he put his hand back on the door knob and pushed open the door with slow, measured force. As it slowly opened the muffled sounds became a more frantic squeaking, but he forced himself to ignore their siren call. Eventually the door reached the open position, his right hand felt for the handle of the "Rambo" knife tucked into the small of his back. Purposefully, he pulled the knife from its leather scabbard.

There he paused letting the shadow cast by his muscular six-foot frame announce his presence. The muffled sounds suddenly went silent and for a few moments he heard nothing save his breath and the thump of his heartbeat in his ears. He had to take his time now. It was critical that he proceed deliberately and purposefully. No wasted or wild actions could be allowed until the precise moment or the plan might fail. But the time of the animal would come as surely as the sun would rise on his life the next day. A sneer curled his lips at these thoughts.

With a slow deliberate motion, he flipped the light switch causing a single, bare lightbulb hanging in the middle of the small concrete room to flicker to life. Its pitifully dim light revealed a petite bound and gagged figure lying on a cot with a thin mattress in the center of the concrete floor, blanketed by his hulking shadow. Two large liquid-chocolate brown eyes, tearing with uncertain fear and pleading fixed on him. He knew he was only visible in silhouette so he stood still to let those eyes register in the sight of him. Then, still silently smirking, he raised the knife up to shoulder height as he took one purposeful stride into the room.

The two eyes went impossibly large and the liquid-chocolate brown irises were swallowed by black pupils that dilated with an immense surge of terror. The previously small, whimpering voice became a high pitched but gagged wail that might have said, "OH PLEASE, GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" if he had noticed, but he didn't. Instead, all he noticed was how calm he suddenly felt and how secure he was. It was all so crystal clear now that he could see those eyes unable to look away, paralyzed by the gut-wrenching terror he inspired simply by following the plan. Nothing to worry about now and the man and the Beast began to act in harmony for the first time since the conception of the plan. The man's doubts were gone and the Beast's desires would be fulfilled at last.

But for now, the man, coldly and rationally, carried out the plan. The door clanged shut at a small push. Now it was just him and the small form in a tight eight by ten-foot concrete space with no windows and a locked metal door. The small figure squirmed a bit on the cot, but the duct tape made escape impossible.

It was all just as the plan required.