Free The Cabin in the Woods by Tim Lebbon

here? That was his stock reply. And Hadley had never argued.
    Footsteps sounded on the metal staircase and Sitterson glanced up.
    “Ms. Lin!”
    She carried a clipboard under her arm, as ever. An affectation, he knew, because everything she needed for the weekend’s activities was stored on the palm-top she carried in her lab coat pocket. He wasn’t sure whether the clipboard made her look more sexy or more terrifying, and the fact that he found both alluring sometimes unsettled him.
    “We’ve got blood work back on Louden,” she said without any preamble. “Her levels are good, but we’re recommending a fifty milligram increase of Rohyptase to boost libido.”
    “Sold,” Sitterson said. He always favored a bit of hot sex action before things kicked off. Another perk of the job.
    “Do we pipe it in or do you wanna do it orally?” Lin asked.
    Sitterson held in his laughter, closed his eyes and sighed. “Ask me that again, only slower.”
    “You’re a pig,” she said. The tone of her voice didn’t change at all, and sometimes he seriously considered Hadley’s assertion that she was a robot. “Guess how we’re slowing down her cognition.”
    Sitterson kept his eyes closed, knowing she’d tell him anyway.
    “The hair dye.” And was that a slight smugness toher voice? He opened his eyes, impressed.
    “The dumb blonde. That’s artistic.”
    “Works into the blood through the scalp, very gradual.” She looked past him at Hadley, her eternal doubter. “The Chem department keeps their end up.” “I’ll see it when I believe it,” he drawled without looking away from his control board.
    Sitterson started shrugging, but halfway through the PA sounded again.
    “Control?”
    “Go ahead,” Hadley said.
    “I have the Harbinger on line two.”
    Hadley looked across, but Sitterson held up his hands, shaking his head.
    “Christ,” Hadley said. “Can you take a message?” “Uh... I don’t think so. He’s really pushy. And... to be honest, he’s kinda freaking me out.”
    Hadley gave a defeated sigh.
    “Yeaaaahh. Okay, put him through.” He hit a button on his panel and threw Sitterson one last, cutting glare: You owe me.
    Sitterson finished his shrug and smiled.
    “Mordecai!” Hadley said into his microphone, suddenly more upbeat and animated. “How’s the weather up top?”
    “The lambs have passed through the gate,” a voice said, grizzled and grumbling—Sitterson always had been impressed by the guy’s performance. He was a true method actor—the bloodshot eye never needed encouraging, and he really was a smelly bastard. Wherethe hell the Story guys had found him, he didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. “They are come to the killing floor,” Mordecai’s voice continued, echoing around the control room.
    Hadley nodded, hand hovering above the disconnect button. But Sitterson had taken enough calls from Mordecai before to know that this was far from over.
    “Yeah, you did great out there. By the numbers. Started us off right. We’ll talk to you later, oka—” “Their blind eyes see nothing of the horrors to come. Their ears are stopped; they are God’s fools.” “Well, that’s how it works.” Hadley hung his head. His voice sounded with defeat. Sitterson chuckled.
    “Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of—” He paused, then asked, “Am I on speaker phone?”
    “No, no of course not!”
    “Yes I am,” Mordecai said. His voice raised, from subterranean grumble to eighteen-wheeler roar. “I can hear the echo. Take me off. Now.”
    Sitterson started laughing, clamping his hands over his mouth to try and hold in the mirth. Beside him Lin, ever the ice queen, was maintaining her cool. Mostly. But even her features were warmed by the subtlest precursor of a smile.
    “Okay,” Hadley said. “Sorry.”
    “I’m not kidding,” Mordecai’s voice grated through the speakers. “It’s rude. I don’t know who’s in the