by Thomas Baker
That hurt. JT wasn't expecting such an extreme reaction from Gus, but he was glad to know where he stood. That he could get an honest, no bullshit, answer from Gus. As much as he hated to admit it, Gus was right too. It would be theft and murder. If he was able to take the cabin and Harold left, it would boil down to the same as holding a gun to his head and pulling the trigger. Like he told Gus before, he liked to think of himself as a good person deep down. If it came to picking who would live, Harold or Hannah, he knew who he would choose. Even if that would mean choosing Hannah over Gus. With time, Gus may even be able toforgive him.
"Okay,Gus," JT said. "I'm still not sure what we should do, but if you have any goodideasyou let me know."
"The only good idea I have now is I need to pinch one off. We done so I can get back in time? Nature calls, but I don't want to actually go in nature."
"Gus you sick son of a bitch. Let's go."
When they got back, Harold was sitting on the cabin steps,covered in black mud, leaves, and a stank worse than a backed up sewer. He motioned at JT.
"JT. I want a word with you." It was more of a request than a question. JT exchanged looks with Gus.
"See you later buddy," Gus said, heading inside.
Harold walked back behind the cabin, not even looking to make sure JT was behind him. Guess I'm supposed to follow him. When they got to the fuel truck, Harold stopped walking and started in on JT.
"I know we talked about this before, but now you will do it immediately," Harold said, breathless. "Leave. You will take Mike with you."
"What the hell do you mean we have to leave? What in the hell is going on? We're still looking for Ashley!" JT was trying to keep his anger in check as he spoke. "No way are we leaving without her!"
"It's simplynot safe here anymore. For any of you."
"Why, because of the zombie attack?" JT was awestruck with Harold's dumbfounded request. Harold had to know they wouldn't leave without finding Ashley first. "Do you think you could have fought them all off by yourself? If we hadn't been here, you'd either be in a zombie's stomach, or one of them."
"You don't know that," Harold said, voice rising. "Who is to say you and your friends didn't attract them here in the first place? Anyway, I am not talking about zombies now. They are not the only danger."
"Then what in the hell are you talking about?" JT stopped, trying to calm himself down. "We aren't leaving until we find Ashley. End of story."
"You and your friends. Your rudeness knows no bounds," Harold continued, ignoring what JT just said. "I found your friend Dustin sneaking around in my private things." Harold's face was turning scarlet and veins stuck out on in his neck. He was just about shouting at this point. "You will all leave tonight, or I can't be held responsible for the consequences."
JT grimaced, cursing Dusty in his head, but he pressed on.
"Look, we can't just leave yet. I appreciate all that you have done. I know everyone in my group does. You didn't have to share with us, but you did. All I can do is apologize if we stepped out of line. There has to be another solution though. You and me, we can work something out. We have to stay until we find Ashley, either dead or alive."
"I'm done here. Don't say I didn't warn you," Harold turned and walked away.
JT stood fuming, his fists were white knuckle tight. Thoughts of jumping Harold and beating him into submission filled his head. Then the little girl's horrified face and the sloppy sound of flesh hitting pavement flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Instead of following his impulse, he strode into the cabin.
"Hey everybody, listen up," JT hollered. He could see Tyrone, Dusty and Gus. He guessed Hannah was still in her room. He waited until he had their attention before continuing. "We need to have a group meeting tonight. Right after dinner. We have some things we need to decide. Pass it along to anyone who is not here right now."
"What about Alan? Do we need to go searching for him?" Tyrone asked.
"You mean he is already gone again?" It shocked JT. Too much was going on too quickly.
"Yeah," Tyrone continued. "He stopped in long enough for a drink of water and went back out to look for Ashley. Guy's like a machine."
"Shit. Dusty, come with me. We'll see if we can find him," JT pointed at everyone else." I don't want anyone else wandering off alone. Try to stay in groups of at least two for now. Got it?"
They all nodded in puzzled agreement.
"Make sure you keep Hannah safe," JT added as he and Dusty headed out the door.
Alan combed through the woods with reckless abandon,exhausted but driven. He would find Ashley. He owed it to his girls.
He didn't really think Harold had the time to reset most of the traps; he was just blowing smoke. So far he hadn't found or tripped any. Why would Harold say that? Alan didn't know. The dude's out there. Takes one to know one, he thought with little humor. That night, when the zombie attack happened, Alan didn't think he could do to Thomas what Harold did. If he could have worked up the nerve to kill Thomas, it wouldn't have been so nonchalantly.
While searching for Ashley, he contemplated the last couple of weeks. It distracted him from going down the rabbit hole of memory. He liked belonging again, when his guilt would let him. He thought he was picking up a vibe that everyone was ready to settle down at the cabin, long term. He didn't think he was ready to do that. That would mean carrying on with life like it was before. Accepting that his wife and kids were truly gone.
As the day wore on, he got closer and closer to the lake without finding any trace of her. Then a terrible thought entered his mind. What if she fell in the lake and drowned? He had no idea if she knew how to swim or not. If she was at the bottom, they would probably never find her. He could only hope that wasn't the case.
The light faded away, and the fireflies came out. Coming to the boathouse, Alan went inside. He shrugged off his backpack and rolled out his sleeping bag. He sat chewing on some beef jerky and looking around. That is when he noticed the slight indentation in the wood floor. Looking closer there seemed to be a small handle carved into the planks. He put his fingers inside and lifted. An ominous feeling took hold as a trap door popped open.
Grabbing his flashlight, Alan started down the rickety stairs. At the bottom, Alan shined his light around, looking for some kind of switch. He found one nailed to a beam. He flipped it. Two rows of fluorescent lights flickered to life.
Alan was in what looked like a poorly dug out storm cellar. To his right was a makeshift wooden table, with all manner of tools scattered along it, around a hunk of bloody meat. He looked straight ahead, squinting in the dim light, and saw something white hanging from the ceiling.
He walked towards it, instinctively pulling the meat cleaver from his belt. With his other hand he swept the flashlight around, chasing back the shadows. As he got closer, the white object revealed itself to be a wedding dress and veil. He walked around it, expecting to find a mannequin. Instead, when he shined his light on it, Ashley's face stared back at him.
With everything he had been through, Alan still gasped and reeled, nearly dropped his light and weapon. Even though she was frozen in place, Ashley still looked alive. Alan set the meat cleaver down and hesitantly reached out to touch her face. It felt slick, sort of like cheap plastic.
"What the sick fuck?" Alan breathed to himself. His brain really couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. As if it was in self-defense mode against the horror he was witnessing, he turned to look at what else was back here. His foot brushed against something. He looked down to see a can of deck sealant. He registered it in the back of his mind and continued looking around the far end of the room. Here he found a claw-foot bathtub, stained with blood, containing what looked like a foot and half of an arm. Above it were some hooks hanging from the wooden beams that made up the ceiling. All the hooks but one were empty. On that one was Thomas's severed head. To the left of the bathtub in the veryback corner of the room were two more women, both wearing weddin
g gowns and veilsas well. He wasn't sure how they were held up.
Head spinning, he had to get out now, or he would be sick.
Alan stumbled back up the stairs. He went out into the woods, stopped and bent over, taking deep breaths. When he was sure he had talked his stomach into keeping his dinner down, he stood back up. I need to get back and warn the others. Ashley...how am I going to explain what happened to her to everyone? To Hannah? How had they all underestimated just what Harold was capable of?
A sudden, sharp pain exploded through his shoulder. Alan looked down and saw blood running along his arm, dripping onto the ground. Then he heard the crack of a gun. Alan fell to the ground, clutching at his wound. What the fuck?
As he laid in the grass, his blood pumping from his body, Alan heard the soft whoosh of someone quickly approaching through the grass. Thoughts and feelings rapidly flashed through him. The first was how, deep inside, he was grateful that his wife and kids didn't survive that first day. They didn't have to be in the living hell this world had become. More monsters than just the zombies had survived. What justice and reason was there, when innocent children get ripped to shreds and eaten, and an evil serial killer lives? A figure in shadows fell over him. At last there will be peace and silence.
After he and Dusty gave up trying to find Alan, JT spent the evening walking a hole in the cabin floor. He was thinking about his discussion with Gus. Thinking about Dusty's opinion when JT confronted him about going through Harold's stuff. Thinking about what he was going to say in the meeting. Thinking and thinking and not coming up with any good answers.
He had tried to talk to Hannah, to get a third take on what he was thought the group should do, but she wouldn't even open the bedroom door for him. At least she had agreed to come out for the meeting. Harold he hadn't seen for the rest of the day. He was grateful for that. Now it was time. They were all here, except for Alan. Gathered in the living room. No more putting it off.
"Let's get started," JT announced.
"First, I can't believe you did that JT," Gus said, disgusted. Hisfinger stabbed through the air as he pointed.
Mike laid tied up on the floor, over by the front door. He had duct tape over his mouth. Still, he squirmed and tried to make noises.
"Why did you do that to him?" Tyrone asked.
"I've decided he's dangerous until we know for sure where his loyalties lie," JT said.
"Why? What's going on? Why are we doing this instead of looking for Ashley?" Hannah pleaded. Her eyes were swollen and puffy and every few minutes she wiped at them.
JT swallowed a hard lump in his throat. It took three tries before he could gather himself enough to go on again.
"This is about what I think we need to do, to keep us safe..." JT said, looking to each personin turn. "We take over the cabin as our own and give Harold the choice. Either follow us, or leave."
Dusty was the first to reply." Before we do anything like vote on what our next move is, I have some things to show everyone first. I've been doing some looking around-"
"I know," JT interrupted, "so does Harold. That's part of the reason we need to decide something now. He's made vague threats against us. I feel that if we don't do something first, it's going to come down to violence."
"I don't need to know anything else," Gus said, standing. "This'll be no surprise to you JT, but I vote for moving on. This is still the good 'ole US of A. I will not start robbing people. If we force Harold to leave by himself, we're killing him. We're just letting the zombies do the dirty work. I say, let's try to follow the signs to Safe Haven."
Dusty gave JT and Gus a scathing look. He held up one hand, waiting until he had everyone's attention again before speaking.
"I think we should move on but I don't think there is such a place," Dusty said, throwing something at Gus. Gus caught it and looked down. It was a book, with the title, Safe Haven.
"What the hell is this?" He raised an eyebrow to Dusty.
"I have been telling you all and telling you all I don't trust this guy," Dusty said, talking quickly. "Something about him makes my skin crawl. I went looking for Ashley. When that was a wash, I also spent some time going through Harold's room. I found a large collection of books in his bedroom closet, along with a safe. Most of the books are survival stuff, hunting, how to preserve meat, taxidermy, things like that. It's that or crazy conspiracy stuff about the government and how they are trying to control us all. Also books on engineering, philosophy, history and a huge, old school Bible. Then I found this. It's no damn coincidence he has a diary called 'Safe Haven'. Open it up."
"Why do I get the feeling I don't want to open this?" JT said as he took the book from Gus and flipped open to the first page. Dusty had been vague on what he had found. On the title page under the heading 'Safe Haven' were written five names, one below the next. Barb, Karen, Reese, Ashley, Thomas. He flipped a few more pages, skipped ahead closer to the end. His face turned ashen. He slammed the book closed and dropped it on the floor. The look on his face was one of revulsion.
"What does it say?" Gus asked, scooping the book up.
"A list of names to begin with," JT said, in a weak hushed tone. "One of them is Ashley's. A later entry talks about how he made a woman named Karen his wife. How she would now be beautiful forever. Then, towards the end, there is an entry about how he wouldn't let anything happen to Ashley. He loved her and they would be married one day."
When he finished, he looked to Hannah. She looked horrified as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Then I also found this, in the field between here and the boathouse," Dusty threw a dirty white rag that reeked of paint thinner on top of the book. "Along with some marks that suspiciously look like someonedragged something along the ground. I think all those Safe Haven messages were just a lure. Pointing the way to Harold's cabin. Ashley's mysterious disappearance raised my suspicion to the next level. Looks like I was right. I don't think weneed to take a vote. We kill the sick son of a bitch and his friend here."
"Well, aren't you just a Good Time Charlie?" Gus said, going on the defensive. "I'm just as upset as anyone about Ashley, but we are just going to become judge, jury, and now executioner based on a book with names scribbled in it as evidence? I only glanced at a few pages, but maybe Harold just has some twisted sexual imagination he doesn't know how to deal with. Also, how do we know that Mike here had anything do with Ashley's disappearance, even if what you think about Harold is true?"
Dusty gave Gus a look. "Come on, Gus! You're not an idiot!"
"I know you will hate me for this Gus, but I am going to have to say, I think Dusty is right?" Hannah jumped in, voice quivering. "None of you are women, so you wouldn't notice it the way me and Ashley would. We both would catch him watching us, with the strangest look on his face. Like he was thinking about doing something to us. No way willI stay here if Harold will still be around. We need to find him and get some answers from him!"
JT went over to Mike and ripped the tape from his mouth. "If you know anything about this, you had better get to talking!"
JT grabbed him by his throat and stared deep into his frightened eyes.
"All he has ever done is help me," Mike said in a rush of panic. "Yes, Harold comes across as strange. From what I've been able to get out of him, he has been alone for pretty much his whole life. I know nothing about where Ashley is or what happened to her." Mike closed his eyes. JT wondered if he would get the same story after beating on the guy.
"Lets all calm down a second and-"Gus began. Then all hell broke loose.
The front door slammed open and Mike's chest exploded in a hail of bullets. JT shot back like a rocket, covered in Mike's blood. Everyone else ducked and scattered, instincts taking over. Harold stepped into the doorway, holding some kind ofautomatic assault rifle.
"I told you many days ago you all should leave, JT," Harold said. He was screaming, his voice breaking up in a high pitch. "I pulled you aside and warned you something bad would happen if you didn't."<
br />
Harold's voice dropped into a mild, low tone as he took a step inside.
"Hannah my dear, don't be afraid, I didn't mean to frighten you. So help me, Jesus. I just want you for my blushing bride. You didn't have to say anything. I knew all along you have wanted me. You don't have to pretend anymore."
JT felt that old, boiling feeling in his blood. The feeling he thought he would never have surface again. He was about to rush Harold, gun be damned, when Gus stood up from behind the couch. He had his hands up and behind his head.
Gus looked to JT. He mouthed the words "Get ready."
Gus turned back to Harold. "Now let's not be rash partner, let's talk about this," he said, taking a step closer.
He lunged, raising the knife he had hidden, bringing it down and burying it to the hilt into Harold's left shoulder.
Harold let out a scream like a wild man and kicked at Gus. It lifted him off the ground, knife sliding out of his hands, still quivering in Harold's shoulder. Harold pulled the knife out and slashed at Gus with it over and over. Blood sprayed like a fountain everywhere. Harold laughed with each savage stroke. Frozen in horror JT watched it happen in a split second. He wanted to save Gus, take out Harold, but he realized what Gus meant by telling him to get ready. He grabbed Hannah by the hand and pulled.
"Run!" JT yelled, tugging hard on Hannah's arm.
Out the back door flew JT, Hannah, Dusty, and Tyrone. They could still hear Harold's laughter rising in volume as they crossed the backyard to the tanker truck and ducked behind it. Tyrone looked to JT with shocked eyes which begged to be told what to do.
JT jumped when someone whispered, "Get out." JT looked under the tanker. He found Alan, covered in blood. In the dirt leading to the tanker were two long marks, where Alan must have dragged himself to hide.
"JT you have to get them all out of here." Alan was barely audible. JT crouched down closer. "Harold, he...he...killed people...Ashley. Stuffed and mounted her like a trophy...animal. Dressed her up in a wedding gown. It's under the boathouse."
