IF LOVE WERE A FLOWER

Tunnel of Horrors (cont.)

Winter came far too slowly for Erik's tastes now. As soon as the park was closed down like most of Coney Island he could finally send the security guards who were officially in his employ but they had been Riccy's bodyguards before, away like he had done every winter. Who needs guards in a closed down park?

But now he was able to really prepare the self-defense should there be an attack. Not everyone was allowed to participate, only Erik's most trusted friends who had to be able to fight eventually. The small group consisted of Erik himself, Dr. Johann Gängelmann, Irene Fleck, Squelch and Attamamma. Not much, but they would have to do. Tony was highly offended when Erik told him that he couldn't come to "play" at the tunnel of horrors.

"You can come later. You'll be the king in our little chess-game," Erik explained.

"Chess?" Tony, being a four years old child didn't know anything of chess of course. But since there was time, Erik used a piece of paper to paint a chessboard and explained the basics of chess. Meg stood by wondering if Tony would understand anything of chess. A four years old child - how could he understand this difficult game?

But obviously Erik's explanations seemed to pacify Tony. "You see, the king is the most important figure. He is to be protected at all costs, so it would be stupid to send him to the front, won't it? You are the king in this game."

"Do I get a crown?" Tony demanded.

"Yes, I'll get you a crown. And a sceptre," Erik promised. Surely they would find these things somewhere in the storeroom of the variety.

Tony demanded: "Who needs a sceptre? I want a sword and a Pundjap-Lasso. And a gun and a horse." He obviously had a sense for the practical things in life. Erik couldn't be more proud, but Meg found the child's demand rather frightening, given what she knew about the father. Did Tony really know what to do with lasso, sword and gun? He was only four years old, and he wasn't even a real "he"...


Meg didn't like it when Erik led her, Tony and Antoinette through the darkness in the tunnel of horrors. The electricity and the light was on - but this didn't mean that it wasn't dark. The scaring automatons were all turned off now, but seeing them made Meg and Antoinette shudder. The automatons looked rather realistic, even if Erik assured them that they were all just a fake, they looked so very realistic like the worst monsters any depraved mind could ever dream up in a nightmare. Meg shuddered. If these automatons were moving they would create the illusion the monsters were alive. No wonder people just loved this tunnel of horrors! No wonder, children and women were forbidden to go there.

"Look, Mama, look! This is my shark!" Tony exclaimed, pointing to a fake shark. "When the cart comes close, it opens its mouth and you see what's inside."

"And what is inside?" Meg asked, her voice quavering. Her mother was staring at the floor, trying not to see the monsters.

"A dead man," Tony was absolutely exited, "And when the cart passes the shark poops a skull." Erik and Tony laughed. It was no question who had had this idea. Erik had turned the innocent child's play into a hellish machine.

"Actually it is... um... a bit more. The shark can really bite, I assure you," Erik explained, "So I advise you to stay away from it. It works more or less like the combined forces of a guillotine and a battering ram."

He lead them to the cellar. This dark whole in the ground reminded Meg and Antoinette uncomfortably of another whole in the ground Erik had deemed comfortable enough to live there. What was he up to now?

He opened a door where no one would ever have expected one. It was another shark, it looked precisely like the dangerous one, but this one opened its mouth as Erik pressed a secret lever and they had to crawl through it. "You can operate the jaws from the room behind, I'll show you how. If someone manages to come here and really finds the lever you could easily chop him in half," Erik explained.

"I'm not sure if I can do this," Meg whispered.

"Me! Me! Me! I'll do it!" Tony exclaimed, pulling at his father's sleeve, "I can do it!"

"I know, Tony, I know. But you are the king, remember? Meg is the queen, she's the last line of defense, I can sacrifice her, that would be a grave loss but I wouldn't lose the whole game. If they get you, the king, I'd lose everything. So you are to stay in the safest room we have, understood? If you are a good boy, I'll teach you riding when this is over." Erik turned to Meg and looked into her eyes. "You can do this. Believe me, before you watch them seizing our child and torturing him to death in the worst way, I'm sure you can kill everyone with this nice guillotine."

Only when they were in the bedroom, Meg understood through what length Erik had gone to construct this dungeon. The bedroom had just one large bed and a table with two benches. On the table were several oil-lamps and canisters with oil stood on the floor beneath the table. There were large stacks of canned food, canisters with boiled water for drinking and extra canisters with water that should be used for washing, if necessary. There was another room with a chair with bucket and a pile with many empty buckets in the corner. "We can live here for at least four weeks without going outside. But I think this won't be necessary," Erik explained, "We either win in the next days or I'll put the escape plan into action."

"Escape plan?"

"Well, yes... more or less the same we did in France."

Tony squeaked in delight when he found what his father had placed there for him: a lasso, a real one, a cutlass made of wood, a fake crown and a woolen cape. The fitting attire for a king. For Meg and her mother there were books to read so they wouldn't get bored. As if anyone would get bored in such a situation!

"You stay here," Erik ordered, "I will be upstairs with the others. Be careful and do not try to leave - we might mistake you in the darkness and accidentally kill you."

The others. Dr. Gängelmann, Squelch, Attamamma and Irene.

The door closed, not before Erik had showed Meg how to operate the guillotine. It was quite easy: Once the man was inside the mouth of the shark, which was just wide enough for a man to crawl through, she had to pull the lever and the mouth would shut, "biting" the man in two. He even showed her how to disable this mechanism, should he come back to fetch them, but warned her to be very careful whom she would "invite" there.


It was a horrible day. Erik had put up something like a deer stand, complete with a small stove and blankets, conserved food and a canister with water for them. They could very well see if someone would approach them. The building for the tunnel of horrors was made in a way that the only staircase leading in was at the side of it, customers would walk up there while the small carts could be pulled up on a chain. The carts would roll on a railway, it worked like any slide with the power of gravity.

The door where the customers left the tunnel of horrors was at the ground floor level, but it could only be opened from inside. It was a fun-ride as much as it was a stronghold for as soon as one left the cart and the save path that only lead outside again one would have to deal with the scare-automatons which could not only scare but some were really dangerous, so dangerous that the carts had some sort of cage that prevented customers from trying to get out during the ride. This wasn't just a fancy idea to hype this attraction, it was really necessary to keep everyone save. Of course customers thought the design of the carts with the cage to keep the dangers away from the passengers of the fun-ride was just a fancy advertising gimmick and the more Erik insisted the closed cars were really necessary to keep customers save the more they were convinced this was just a publicity stunt.

The most dangerous were the guards. Squelch knew how to use an axe, it was his weapon of choice and with his strength he could kill a bull with his axe - a man's neck wouldn't be a problem at all. Attamamma was well trained in using a spear. Dr. Gängelmann had a sword and surely knew how to use it, even Irene was armed, she had a blowpipe with poisoned darts. Erik had several lassos, knifes, a cutlass and even a colt, but that was more for killing himself before he could be captured. He was armed and ready to kill.


They were ready - and nothing happened. No one came for them. Had de Mer failed to arrest Riccy and his backers? Where were the thugs that should carry out Riccy's revenge orders? Why didn't come anyone for them? They stayed in their stronghold until the 27th of December, the guards alternately going to the vaults to sleep a few hours or eat something, but nothing happened.

"Why don't they attack?" Erik complained to Dr. Gängelmann for the two were on duty in the morning of the 27th. "Nothing. I was sure we would have to deal with a gang of well armed thugs now, but... where are they?"

"Are you really complaining that we do not have to fight?" Johann asked amused, "I'd say thank heavens there was nothing. Maybe they won't attack at all when Riccy is arrested? Do you know how many of the thugs de Mer would try to arrest?"

"You make it sound like I was eager to kill, which I am most certainly not! I just want this to be over and done, I don't want the endless waiting for some unknown disaster!" Erik shivered with cold and drew the blanket he had wrapped around himself over his cloak closer. "Waiting for the bloodbath is much worse than when it actually happens, trust me, I know."

There was an uncomfortable silence. "I've been emergency surgeon in the war between Prussia and France. I know," the tall doctor replied, "I know what it is like."

That moment they saw a man approaching. He was alone and on foot. "Who is...? O. That's Mr. Smith, err, de Mer." Erik's sharp eyes could identify the man despite the dim light just before sunrise.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Y?" de Mer asked as he climbed up the wooden staircase, "Isn't it a bit cold and early for a fun-ride in the tunnel of horrors?"

"Depends on who wants the ride," Erik replied, "You, of course, are welcome. Tell me, are they arrested?"

"Riccy and his backers? All of them. Unfortunately we didn't get all of the bodyguards," de Mer explained, "And we have another bad news - we are going to need you as a witness in the trial."

"Me? Why? Never! I'm the absolutely worst witness ever! Wild horses couldn't drag me there!" Erik's reply came in a panicked rush.

"A witness, Mr. Y, not defendant!" de Mer answered, "And of course I would prepare you accordingly. I already have the papers about your immunity from prosecution for all of your past crimes. It means whatever you have done until today is like it had never happened. But if you commit a crime today or after today, you'll face stringency of the law."

"As citizen of America?"

"I see you remember every detail of our deal," de Mer answered with a shiver, "Can't we go somewhere a bit warmer? Do we have to talk here?"

"Are you sure that there won't be any... try to avenge Riccy?" Erik asked.

"You are being paranoid," de Mer replied, "As soon Riccy and his... let's say 'commanders' were arrested, the rest left New York in a hurry. They are just the jackals, they won't risk their head for a boss who already fell."

"No honor among thieves, eh?" Erik sighed, "Doesn't mean that Riccy is not in contact with someone who might try to blackmail me and all other witnesses into keeping silent before the court."

"I see. But surely we can talk somewhere else?"

Erik fought for a decision. He didn't want to share his stronghold with de Mer. "The bar is open," he suggested.


"What were you really doing up there?" de Mer asked, as they sat in a private room in the bar drinking tea.

Erik shook his head. "Can't tell. Just so much: Whatever Riccy tries, I'll protect my family. Apropos family: Did you arrest Riccy's wife and daughter?"

"Yes, because we didn't know how much they knew. Unfortunately the eleven year old girl doesn't know anything and the woman too. I'm afraid we'll have to release them soon," de Mer answered, "And not one of them is interested in a deal of a confession. That was to be expected."

"I can bring Riccy to give you a full confession in his own handwriting. He'd even sign before the court, if you like," Erik replied, thinking of a way to stop every attempt of Riccy's thugs to try to blackmail him through threatening his family.

"How? Torture is not allowed!"

"Certainly not!" Erik retorted indignantly, "Just let me know when you release Riccy's family. I will be there with a carriage to make sure they come home without trouble. Just make sure that Riccy sees this somehow when he's lead from his cell to the interrogation room."

"And you would...?"

"Protect them along with my own family until they wish to leave New York. Just let Riccy know that they are with me and I'm willing and able to protect them from any men who wants to take revenge for what Riccy and his brutal thugs did to their family. I'm sure he understands. Then you demand a full confession in his own handwriting. I'm sure he will comply."

"This is blackmail!" de Mer snapped disgusted.

Erik shrugged. "You think so? We are just letting him know his family is save and well-protected. Surely this cannot be considered blackmail?"

De Mer sipped his tea as he studied Erik. "Why do I have the nasty feeling that I made a big mistake trusting you?"

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The shoe drops far more silently then expected... or does it?

Thank you for reading and please review!

Next chapter will be up next week.