“Yes,” Casey said, pointing at Nicole. “Jeffrey Dahmer. Though he was completely psychotic and morbid in the manner by which he killed his victims, the way he took those victims is fascinating. Dahmer and Beneke lured their victims. Allowed them the choice to go with them, never taking any by force. So let’s open tonight’s discussion with this: What’s a greater thrill? Brute force, or the soft hook?”

They talked for an hour about Dahmer’s first victim, a hitchhiker who willingly climbed into the car and, later, entered Dahmer’s house where he was eventually killed. They moved to his other victims, mostly men picked up at gay bars and brought home to Dahmer’s grandmother’s basement. All his victims willingly followed Mr. Dahmer to his home—their eventual place of death. This type of take, Dahmer’s version and Reagan William Beneke’s version, was a different variety of abduction than the club was accustomed to. Up to this point, their mock abductions and initiations were done by force. Hood over the head, grab-and-drag style. Fast, efficient, and frightening.

“So Dahmer used his charm and his brains to get his victims to come home with him. Once they were in the basement, he drugged them and abused them and, ultimately, killed them. This club is interested in the hunt. I want us all to remember how slick Mr. Dahmer was in his approach. How charismatic he and Beneke were.” Casey smiled as he stood by the chalkboard. “This will prove vital in the days to come.”

A hushed anxiousness came over the Capture Club. Casey was planning the next abduction of a new member, and they all stirred with excitement.

Casey stared at Nicole. “The other night was a thrill for us to shove you in that shed out back. As a new member, your next stage is to turn the tables and become the abductor. Where you enjoy the thrill of stealing someone from the street, taking them to your own hideaway, and having them all to yourself. It’s almost better than being the victim. Up for it?”

The crowd collectively trained its gaze on Nicole.

“Of course,” she said.

“Good. We’ve got four prospects. All have confirmed their interest in the club.”

“Guy or girl?” Nicole asked.

“Three guys, one girl. Preference?”

There was a bit of hesitation as Nicole’s mind wandered to the dark closet in her dreams, Julie’s eyes wide and peering from within. “Girl,” she finally said.

Coleman’s cleared out as the club’s members slowly dispersed, dropping empty beer cans to the ground and leaving Casey packing up his computer and stowing away the generator. Nicole stayed behind, sipping a Miller Genuine Draft.

“I get to be part of it, right?” Nicole said.

“The take? Of course.” Casey rolled an extension cord around his arm.

“What will we do with her?”

“Bring her back here, leave her in the ruins for a while.” Casey gestured toward the back of Coleman’s where the bricks were crumbling. “We could use the shed out back, where we put you. But I think we’ll mix it up a bit. I’ll throw an old mattress in the back room, make it look like we’re going to have lots of fun with her.”

“You gonna moan in her ear?” Nicole said, sipping her beer with a seductive look in her eyes.

Casey stopped packing. “That wasn’t me.”

Nicole stood and walked over to him. “Gonna grab her chest?”

“Wasn’t me, either.”

“No?” Nicole moved closer. “Kinda wish it were.”

She was up against him now, their faces inches apart.

Casey glanced at the door. The last of the members had gone. He dropped the extension cord and grabbed her by the waist, pulled her into him.

“Don’t tease if you can’t deliver.”

Nicole dropped her beer. It hit the ground and spouted fizz. She put her hands on the back of his neck. “I’m not a teaser.” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

Casey’s hands were all over her, and after a minute he pushed her backward onto the table. Her earlobe was in his mouth when he whispered, “How old are you?”

Nicole grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. “You duct-taped my mouth and threw me in a shed overnight. This can’t be any more illegal.”

He pushed her farther onto the table. Besides their voices and their moans, the only noise came from the generator outside that gave life to the single, isolated bulb that cast the brewery in shadows.

CHAPTER 17

August 2016

Two Weeks Before the Abduction

Diana Wells was good and buzzed. A nineteen-year-old freshman at Elizabeth City State University, getting into bars was never a problem. Her fake ID said she was twenty-two, the picture was close enough, and it hadn’t failed her yet. The ID came from a friend’s sister, and Diana flashed it to bouncers with confidence. She didn’t like that it listed her fake self as 160 pounds. She was 145 since cutting carbs this summer, and could again fit into the skinny jeans from Christmas.

Out with two friends tonight, the flirting had started an hour before. First, the guy ordered them a round of lemon drop shots and waved when they all looked over. Then, he’d said hi on the way to the bathroom, ignoring all of them but Diana. With her two best friends, both size two and the ones who usually captured guys’ attention, Diana loved the spotlight tonight.

He was older. Maybe a grad student, and Diana was happy to expand outside the circle they always hung with. It was a drag to see her two friends flirt with a group of guys and casually pick the ones they thought were cutest. Diana was left with the scraps. The quiet guys who also hung in the shadows and waited for the end of the night to see what was left. Diana was it.

Tonight, though, things were different. She was finally living the college social lifestyle, crushing on a guy who was into her from the beginning, not by default.

He was with another couple, a guy and a girl who were sitting next to him at the bar. They both were obviously in on what was happening.

“Are you going to talk to him,” one of her friends asked.

“I don’t know,” Diana said. “He looks older.”

“Probably a grad student.”

In the middle of their discussion, he waved his arm, inviting her over. Diana’s eyes widened, and he waved harder. He gave her a look. Come here. I gotta beg you?

Her friends laughed and pushed her out of their circle. “Go! Lover Boy calls,” her friends teased.

Diana, drink in hand, walked shyly toward him.

“I’ve only been buying you drinks all night,” he said when she was close enough.

“Thanks for the shots,” Diana said.

“I’m Casey,” the guy said.

“Diana.”

The bartender lined up four shot glasses and poured them full with a sticky red concoction.

Casey pulled them over. “Fuzzy navels. Here.” He handed a shot to Diana.

The couple next to him grabbed the remaining shot glasses and held them up.

“These are my friends,” Casey said. “Nate and Nicole. This is Diana.”

“Cheers,” Nicole said, and they all tilted their heads and slammed the shots.

“I’m so friggin’ buzzed,” Diana said. She took the shot in one swallow and laughed. “God, that’s good.”

“I could drink these all night,” Casey said. “Or those lemon drop shots.”

“Yeah,” Diana said. “Those are good, too.”

“Sit down with us.”

Diana took a seat. They had to yell over the music. “You go to school here?” Casey asked.

“Yeah. You?”

Casey nodded. “I’m a grad student.”

“Really?” Diana asked. “In what?”

“Math.”

“Oh God! I hate math.”

“Me too,” he said.

Casey ordered more drinks and they talked for thirty minutes. He was so unlike the other guys she’d met at school who talked mostly to their friends and never directly to her. Casey asked all about her. When Diana had to use the bathroom he went with her, then waited when he was finished so they could walk back together. After another twenty minutes, Diana’s friends came over.

“We’re taking off,” they said.

“Okay,” Diana said.

Casey cocked his head to the side. “Total drag. But if you’ve gotta go, maybe we could hook up next week or something.” Casey looked at his friends, then back to Diana. “Unless you wanna hang for a while here. I’ll make sure you get home okay.”

Diana smiled at Casey, then looked at her friends. “I’m gonna stay for a while.”

It felt so good to be here at the end of the night, to be the one staying behind to talk with a guy while her friends headed back to the dorm.

“Cool,” her friend said. “See you when you get back.” Their faces carried smirks as they walked away.

“If you gotta go, that’s cool,” Casey said.

“No,” Diana said, brushing a hand at her friends. “They’re just going to get burritos.”

Casey held up his beer and Diana clinked her vodka. “Cheers,” he said.

Diana took a sip. God, he’s gorgeous.