The Maze

The Maze: Pt 2

The headlights of a small red sports car almost blinded Jason as it pulled up and backed into the parking spot under the tree he sat in.

His boss didn't like the employees to hang out and smoke near the building, so Jason came here for his breaks. The low hanging branches of the tree hid him from the public, it was near the back of the parking lot so it was quiet, plus the branch next to him had a knot-hole that perfectly fit his drink can.

The arrival of the car signaled the end of his break. He would wait until the couple was at the gate before jumping out of the tree to avoid awkward conversations about why he was up there.

He stayed as quiet as possible as they got out of the car, the guy walked to the trunk and opened it. He watched as the guy put something in his pocket. Then did a double-take as he saw what the trunk held. Careful not to make too much noise, Jason moved some of the leaves that blocked his view. Then he tried to see the girl… she was too far away.

Once they reached the gate Jason jumped out of the tree and tried to open the trunk. It was locked tight. Using his phone he took a picture of the license plate then looked up at the security camera to see if it was at the right angle to get a shot of what was in the trunk. He couldn't tell.

He took off running for the building. “Excuse me, excuse me.” He pushed through the line then stopped in front of the red sports car girl. He could only stare at her… Should he tell her right now that her boyfriend was a killer… would she believe him… what if he was wrong… what if he was right and the guy went on a killing spree right here right now… He had to be smart… “Excuse me, sorry.” he pushed through the rest of the people and into the building.

Once in the control room, Jason closed and locked the door. Then called for everyone's attention. “We may have an emergency on our hands. I need everyone's attention and co-operation on this.” He turned on the computer at his workstation and searched for the security video. “Got it” He sent the video to the large main screen on the wall in front of them then paused it. “ Sam, Call down to the gate and asked Timmy to delay the entry of the last couple for about ten or fifteen minutes,” He brought everyone's attention to the screen “Look at this and tell me what you see.”

“Duct tape, zip ties, rope, knives, a lot of knives… Jesus, who the hell is this guy?” Tanya asked

“Yes, but what do you see..?” Jason prompted...

Tanya stared at the screen trying to see what Jason saw. Her eyes grew “A murder kit.”

Jason's head bobbed up and down “That was my thought.” he said feeling less crazy now knowing he wasn't the only one who saw it.

“Timmy said he can do ten minutes any longer than that and he has to deal with complaints and he doesn't want to do that.” Sam interrupted.

“Okay, we will have to hurry then. Sam, I want you to call the police. Give them this plate number and a rundown of what we saw in the trunk. Ask them what we should do” Jason handed him his phone open to the photo of the plate. “Let's keep them apart until we hear from the police.”

All monitors in the control room sprang to life. The tech crew of the Wonder Maze became hyper-focused on the task at hand.

“We can start with the trap door at the entrance.” Tanya said leaning into the screen for a better look “Wait a minute!” she said “I know this guy! He was here last Wednesday and Thursday, by himself each time. He wandered around for like an hour just looking at everything like he was trying to memorize it.”

Jason stared at the screen trying to put together all the information they had… “You don't think he is planning on killing her right here in the maze do you?”

Tanya's eyebrows rose “If he is the new update has probably put a huge dent in his plans.” Tanya typed the code to close the door between them. She turned up the volume and listened to him rage as he walked away, “I'm going to gut you like a rabbit?”

“Use the lights.” Sam said putting his hand over the telephone receiver “Timmy said he noticed her reading the signs out front while they waited.”

“There!” Tanya said louder than she had intended. The guys ranting had her creeped out “Red light that turn, and use the flowers to push her the other way”

“Damn it!” Jason swore as he watched her jump and look over the wall calling “Mason!” “She isn't looking for the lights she is looking for him!”

“Jesus, she found him” Tanya pointed out

“There's a door there, use it before she reaches him.”

Sam hung up the phone “We have some real trouble here. This guy is a real monster. He finds girl's online, takes them out on a date. Then he hunts them like a game in their favorite places. They found a girl in the zoo last year. She had been gutted like a deer and thrown to the lions. They said no one in or out until they get here.”

“Lock the place down,” Jason ordered

Jasper, “Your job is to keep, that family out of harm's way. Any way you can.”

“Door five will need to be repaired” Tanya called out “This guy is an animal.” Tanya pulled off her headset dropping them on the desk in front of her. “I can't listen to him ramble on about what he wants to do to her anymore…” she leaned forward in her chair and rubbed her temples

“Hang in there,” Sam said squeezing her shoulder “The police are on their way. I think she’s finally got it.” sam called as he watched the girl inspect the lights on the floor. “Son of a bitch!” he heard her say “Mason!”

“Jesus, can we get her to stop calling out to him!” Jason said in frustration

“I got it” Sam grinned. He typed the command into the computer “Que the red queen!” he said and watched the hologram appear and run towards the girl yelling Quiet! She screamed and ran right into the arms of her stalker. “God damn it!”

“Wait, wait! I have some actors in that area” Tanya put on her headset “Andy, Kai, Ed! Get her away from him now!” she ordered “Stay in character though, we don't want him figuring out we know what he is up to”

Tanya and Jason held their breath as they watched the three playing cards march towards the unsuspecting couple. Kai and Ed looped their arms through the girl's and began dragging her backward. She didn't resist. Andy stayed behind holding his paintbrush like a sword, playfully trying to keep Mason from following them. Tanya couldn't resist a chuckle when she heard the red queen's voice yelling Off with his head!

Still blissfully unaware of how bad her situation was the girl yelled out “Follow the green lights!”

Ed gave her a gentle shake and whispered something to her

“Take her to the pear tree.” Jason ordered, “We can lock her in the large living room if we have to.”

“How is the family doing Jasper?” Sam asked

“I have them locked in the white castle by the exit. They think it's the final puzzle room. They are okay for a while.”

“Good job,” Jason said impressed by the new guy's intelligence.

“He's following her,” Tanya said nervously. She didn't want to watch this woman get killed. “There are no doors down there.”

They suddenly began to hear singing “A very merry unbirthday to you…” The actors from the tea party had been listening on her open mic and decided to help. They skipped towards mason with their props a real cake and iced tea in a pot... They dance happily around the murderer

“Get the hell away from me!” Mason ordered as he tried to get around them The mad hatter offered Mason some tea, unfortunately, the pot didn't have a lid and the liquid sloshed all down the front of Mason's jacket ... “Oh my, what a waste of good tea…” the hatter tried to wipe off his jacket

Mason slapped his hands away “You idiot! Do you have any idea how much this jacket cost!”

“Do you know what goes best with tea?” The march hare asked “Cake!” he held the cake out to Mason but accidently on purpose misjudged the distance between them and the cake hit Mason in the face… the whole cake!

Laughing Tanya said okay guys, she picked the pear. Your all heroes!” the tea party skipped away…

Sam typed a few words into his computer and queued the white rabbit. They watched the hologram run down the hall away from the pear tree hoping mason would follow.

Mason watched the white rabbit run down the hall in a loop. “I think he is catching on,” Taya said as she watched suspicion grow on his face. “He didn't take the bate”

“She's in Lock the doors!” Sam told them

“Good, he just found the pear tree,” Tanya said then watched Sam nervously when he picked up the buzzing phone.

“The family is out. Now they want the girl.” He said

“What? She's safe right now. ..”

“I know, they said they don't want to take the chance of leaving her in here with him.”

Tanya rolled her eyes. “Okay then, use the lights to lead him away from her” Tanya said

“How do we keep her from calling him again?” Sam asked

“I know how,” Jason said. His expression said it wasn't something he actually wanted to do. He hi a few keys on his computer and the television in the oversized living room lit up…

“Harsh” Tanya said when she saw the security videos begin to play on it. She tapped a few keys and killed the volume. “She doesn't have to hear it to get the idea,” she told Jason when he gave her a questioning look. She couldn't watch the girl's face as she learned she was being hunted so she searched for mason.

Still at the pear tree. The pear tree was a dead-end if you didn't pick the pear. She locked the trap door and triggered the green light near the door.

The blinking green light got his attention. He looked at it for a minute as if trying to decide if it was a decoy then he said “Follow the green lights...Okay, little rabbit. Let's see how much luck your foot still holds…. Maybe I'll keep it for myself…”

“Creep!” Tanya insulted “He's following. Get her out”

Jason activated the Cheshire cat. They watch it jump onto the arm of the chair and look down at her “The little red light means stop… The little green light means go… The exit door opened. When she didn't move Jason activated the white queen “Go child” he whispered into the mic.

Sam notified the police when she reached the door.

They all watched on the security screen as the door opened and an officer grabbed the girl and put his hand over her mouth “You're safe” he whispered to her and led her away.

Jason nodded to Tanya and they all watched as the murderer stepped through the door “Stacy” he sang holding the knife high in the air “Where did you scamper to my little rabbit”

“Drop the knife….”