Chapter Three
Bane went to his old room and unlocked a secret cabinet. Then he got dressed in his old clothes. Clothing that no one else knew he still had. When he was dressed he opened a hidden wall safe. Reaching inside, he armed himself with a special rifle and closed the safe again.
Then he grabbed a jar of black face paint like the football teams used to darken his face.
Then he carefully locked the cabinet again and covered it back up with the pull-out panel that had hidden it for years.
He walked down the stairs, went to a special staircase and pulled the door shut and then locked the door.
Leaving the mansion, he made his way to the garage. When he drove out, he left the property in a small car. He made his way to a secret path he used back in his youth.
He parked out of sight but close to Owens’ place. Opening his small pack, he grabbed a scanner out of it and carefully searched the area.
Getting out of the car he knelt and brought the scanner up to find the cameras. He locked into the cameras Owens had used to find him and switched them off by using the jammers he had previously set up.
Then he left the car there and walked to the wooded area behind the main house. He made his way slowly and carefully, scanning the route for Spencer’s men. He got close to the warehouse before he saw anyone.
He crouched down when he saw three men walking the perimeter with rifles.
He also noted three men on the roof. also carrying rifles.
He sat there studying the area and the terrain.
Then he thought through his earlier visits in his memory.
The warehouse had been abandoned when he was growing up.
He had explored it many times when he had been younger but it had also been here a long time.
He’d discovered how to secretly enter the structure but he could also see where someone had made repairs to the building.
His eyes narrowed as he remembered that there had been a tunnel running underneath this building.
He found it thirty years ago and he had no idea if it was still there or not, maybe it had caved in from the repairs.
Bane shrugged and decided he would check it out.
Perhaps that could be his way inside the warehouse.
He moved slowly and carefully to the area where the tunnel came out. Dressed all in black he knew he wouldn’t be seen but he was careful on purpose. He wanted to get inside the warehouse and grab Spencer then get away without anyone seeing him.
Bane found the old opening and reached for his flashlight.
He stepped inside. The air in the tunnel felt damp and smelled earthy.
Back in the day, the air had been the same but many years had passed between then and now.
He had to tread very carefully as the tunnel might have been damaged over the years.
As he walked through he could see piles of loose dirt all along the way.
Every once in a while he would pause to figure out where he was and at one point he even heard voices above him.
That’s when he stopped to listen to the voices.
He could only hear bits and pieces but one of the speakers was Spencer Wagner’s.
He knew where this tunnel ended and it wasn’t far from where he stood right now.
He also knew where the office Spencer was using now.
One of things Bane was known for was once he had found a place he always remembered it.
And he’d been here as practice for his training many times growing up.
He waited until the second voice left the room and silently made his way to the end of the tunnel.
A staircase that led up to the first level was still there.
It opened to the office he knew was above him.
He walked up the stairs quietly and paused at the door leading to the office area. Then he smiled.
You see, Bane knew something about this old place that not too many people were aware of.
When he was younger this warehouse belonged to a man named Andrew Payne.
Another man who thought he could use this place like a hideout when the police came around.
He had built this staircase and tunnel in order to evade the cops.
Only problem he had was keeping his big mouth shut.
Then the wrong person heard him bragging and that was the biggest mistake Payne made.
When the police hauled his contraband away and pushed him into the cop car with his hands cuffed behind his back Andrew knew he’d never breathe free air again.
Bane had heard how he had paid for his bragging.
As that same night in lockup his partners beat the hell out of him.
And they didn’t stop until they broke his jaw and both of his arms. Bane always liked that part of the story.
In his own way he knew justice had come for Andrew Payne, the same as it would now come for Spencer Wagner. A man who had to crow about his accomplishments was a man who would end up eating crow as they call it.
Bane had done many spectacularly brilliant things that he never bragged about.
And not just in killing or maiming. No, those deeds were just his favorite things to do.
He had crafted designs of weapons to make them more efficient and deadly.
He knew how to adjust software to make it more efficient in tracking someone.
He himself had designed the vehicle safety enhancements.
He also hand-crafted knives. Beautiful, perfectly balanced pieces that were rare in the world.
And swords as well, only those were just for collectors.
He sold them to high bidders. Just for fun.
Yes, he had more skills than most knew about.
Finally, inside the building, he waited to make his move. He checked through the hidden peephole.
Spencer sat alone at his desk with his back to Bane.
Scrolling his phone, Spencer wasn’t paying attention as Bane quietly opened the door and slipped inside the room.
Then he stood right behind him. It wasn’t until the cold hard steel of his gun being shoved into the back of his neck that Spencer became aware that Bane was even there.
Bane leaned close to Spencer’s ear and whispered, “If you make a sound, you’ll be dead before anyone hears you. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Spencer swallowed hard and nodded slowly. He carefully put his phone down and placed his hands on top of the desk.
Bane grabbed him up by his shirt collar. “Put your hands behind your back.”
When Spencer put his hands behind his back and Bane cuffed them. Next, he pushed him toward the stairs. Before he stepped into the tunnel, Bane took the time to slap packing tape over his mouth. He didn’t want Spencer to be able to call for help. Then he moved him through the doorway.
When he stepped through the door, Spencer took a deep breath through his nose, stunned. Apparently, he didn’t know about the tunnel.
After he closed the door behind them, Bane forced the other man down the stairs and into the tunnel.
Spencer stumbled through the tunnel. Finally, when they reached the end to come out into the night he looked around to stare at the distance between them and the tunnel.
Spencer slowly turned his head to see Bane for the first time.
His eyes widened slightly as he took in the sight of the man that had literally kidnapped him.
Bane didn’t hesitate as he pushed him farther into the woods until they reached the back path. He maneuvered Spencer along the path and soon they reached Owens place. Once there, Bane pressed his finger into Spencer’s neck.
Closing his eyes, he slumped forward.
Bane loaded him into the car then got behind the wheel and drove them both back to the mansion.
When he pulled into the garage he saw James waiting for him in the shadows.
James just raised an eyebrow when Bane shut down the vehicle.
Bane just stared back at him and stepped out. Heading around the car, he opened the back door, hauled Spencer out and hefted him over his own shoulder.
James finally reacted to seeing Spencer over Bane’s shoulder and asked, “Where the hell did you find him?”
Bane smiled but his eyes were cold. “There’s more to that warehouse than Wagner or anyone else knows. I know its secrets.”
James didn’t look surprised by this answer. “What the hell are you going to do with him?”
Bane grinned. “We’re just gonna have a little chat, him and I.”
“A chat?” James asked curiously. “Will it include blood and guts spilling out all over the floor?”
Bane shrugged. “If he lies to me... maybe.”
James rolled his eyes and reminded him, “You know you have to leave enough of him so Shay can throw him into prison, right?”
Bane shrugged and said, “We’ll see. It all depends on whether he’s an honest man I guess. And he owes me for the car he blew up tonight. That SUV cost me a small fortune.” He turned around and walked from the garage to the back door of the house.