Tourniquet

by Chuck Buda

  Todd tried to wrest control of the argument back. He interjected about Zoe’s cryptic message about her history with Jordyn. The conversation went silent as everyone collectively thought about the possibilities behind the clue. After several moments, Aiden snapped back into control. He told Todd to work his way back to the center of town. Todd didn’t like taking orders, least of all from puny Aiden, but he kept his opinions to himself to speed up the process of finding Zoe. Aiden’s theory was that Zoe would need to be as close to as many paths of escape as possible. She would also require resources in order to take out all of them. Hiding in the fringes of the small town would be too slow and difficult for her. Zoe would need to move fast and have many options. Todd couldn’t bring himself to argue with Aiden’s beliefs.

  As Todd tugged Jordyn along the sidewalk, he wrapped up the plan with Aiden and Samantha. Todd and Jordyn would head east, down the hill toward the center of town. Samantha and Aiden would do a grid search through the main thoroughfares, first covering the streets running north and south, then those going east and west. Around that point, the two groups would most likely rejoin and figure out the next step in the search.

  Todd hung up, sliding his phone into his back pocket. He stopped for a moment to comfort Jordyn. Part of him felt bad for not spending enough energy consoling her. Jordyn had been through a tremendous amount of upheaval tonight. She had the blowout fight of the year with her mother. Then she had guilted her mom into doing all kinds of nasty things with her friends. Now, one of them was dead. Another member was on the lam. And they were all staring at prison sentences or, at the very least, a lengthy trial during which all their reputations would be ruined and their futures at college would go up in smoke.

  Todd wrapped his arms around Jordyn. She felt so small inside his grasp. He wondered how a girl as stacked as Jordyn, with womanly curves, could feel like such a frail little bird. He sniffed the mixture of sweat and shampoo in her hair. Todd kissed Jordyn’s head and squeezed her tight. Jordyn’s body trembled; her tears began to heat up and soak Todd’s chest.

  For the first time, Todd pondered his relationship with Jordyn. It was no secret that Jordyn had been in love with him since grade school. Todd had decided to keep her at arm’s length so she wouldn’t cramp his style. Why go with the sure thing when the game was so much fun? He had figured if he ever grew weary of chasing tail, he could always settle down with Jordyn. It’s not that he didn’t find her attractive. Quite the opposite. Jordyn was smoking hot, just like her mother. Her body had matured in places where it wouldn’t happen to other students until later in their college years. And her beauty was textbook cover girl material. It never seemed right to Todd to date people within the circle of friends. There was an underlying fear that if the relationship imploded, the group would be torn apart, siding with one person or the other.

  Their group of friends had been close for so long. It was a risk he hadn’t been willing to take.

  Until now.

  Todd promised himself he would start to change. After they found Zoe and crushed her like a bug, he would begin a new adventure. He would serve his time, if he was sentenced to jail. And he would redeem himself. No more bravado. No more fighting. No more whoring around. Todd would work towards a quieter, simpler life. One filled with peace and happiness.

  A life with Jordyn. Making her happy and giving her the love she deserved for being so patient with his immaturity all these years.

  Todd smiled at the stars and kissed Jordyn’s head once more. He took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs in a cleansing embrace.

  He envisioned how life would be different.

  Chapter 17

  Zoe harnessed her excitement. Things were beginning to fall into place. Zoe prided herself on being a woman of action and results. This night further cemented her self-esteem as a go-getter.

  A woman of power.

  Peter’s shirt was over-sized for her petite figure. The garment draped down to hide her nudity, resting just above her knees. She giggled as she remembered how she would play house when she was younger, trying on her parent’s clothing. Zoe would wear her father’s clothes when she played the part of the daddy. Then she would swap outfits to pretend she was the mommy. Zoe had enjoyed the dress-up even though it slowed down her story lines.

  Zoe caressed her own breast. She squeezed the nipple to heighten the excitement she felt. It also pinpointed the pain, narrowing her focus. The end was near and she must maintain complete control of her emotions in order to rise to victory.

  They would all feel her wrath.

  Zoe had set the trap for Jordyn. If everything worked the way she hoped, Jordyn would come to her. And she would bring Todd with her. Zoe shivered at the thought of knocking off both of them. Together. Like Jordyn had always fantasized about Todd.

  And Ryan.

  Zoe almost felt guilty for her handiwork with Ryan. Of all the members of The First Cut, Ryan was the easiest to manipulate. Zoe knew each of their buttons. What they cared about. What motivated them. She understood their secret desires. Ryan was simpler. The only thing Ryan cared about was pussy. Nothing else.

  Zoe ran a slick finger through her slit. The wave of orgasm crested and abated in time for her to ride the mystical roller coaster of her womanhood. Now that Zoe had seized the powers of the universe, through her training, she was overwhelmed with the possibilities of what she could take. The world was at her disposal, available for her uses as she saw fit.

  Ryan’s car turned up the street.

  Zoe faded into the shadows, watching her prey approach. She was surprised how cautious Ryan had been on the phone. He drove slowly now too. Like he sensed danger. The waiting began to annoy her. Zoe wanted to move on to the next piece of her sadistic puzzle. Yet, there was no need to be hasty.

  Ryan’s car pulled closer to the end of the lot. The headlights poured over the grass and landscaping in search of her shape. Zoe listened to the whine of the engine, the belts circling through their loops, each with a distinct cadence. She waited a few moments longer. She wanted Ryan to quake a bit before she revealed herself.

  Zoe stepped into view.

  She watched Ryan lean forward to get a better look at her through the windshield. He killed the engine and the headlights blinked out. Ryan gently shut the car door and came toward Zoe. She read the confusion upon his face. It was clear Ryan might not be one hundred percent sold on her story.

  Zoe needed to add some sugar.

  Fake tears filled her eyes and Zoe ran to Ryan, arms outstretched for help. Ryan accepted her embrace. Zoe forced her body to tremble against Ryan’s chest. She felt his hands stroke her back, tentatively at first.

  Zoe rambled incoherently. She painted the picture of her victimization and how her life was now ruined. Her friends hated her and the police would take her away for murder. She had nothing left to live for and she didn’t know what to do. Ryan shushed her to calm her fears.

  She smirked inside his arms.

  Ryan held her away so he could look into her face. She sniffled and moaned as his eyes darted along her visage. Zoe begged for his forgiveness. She pleaded for his help. What should she do? She had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to. Could he hide her and take care of her?

  Ryan, as usual, had few answers worth their weight. He stammered about getting the others to understand that it had been Spencer all along who had tricked the gang into doing things they didn’t want to do. Things they didn’t really understand.

  Zoe snickered internally. Ryan hardly needed to be tricked into fucking the girls. And he certainly understood enough to push his pecker into every moist void he could find.

  Zoe felt the monster stirring against her belly. It was time to crank it up a notch.

  She dropped to her knees, holding Ryan’s body close. His erection pressed against the side of her face. She cried some more and entreated him to help her. Zoe sobbed that she would do anything to make it all right again. She wanted to atone for her transgressions
and she would be open to any suggestions on how to redeem herself. To up the ante, she dug her fingernails into Ryan’s backside. His gluteal muscles were taut.

  Ryan began to cave. Zoe sniffled as she listened to his bullshit ideas about making sure Zoe was protected against the big bad Spencer. His hands pressed the back of her head against his groin. Zoe could tell he wanted it to seem as if he were caressing her in a comforting way. She knew better. He was grinding on her, hoping she would turn her face and open her mouth wide.

  He spewed unrealistic tales about getting her to a place he knew about in the woods. An abandoned hunting cabin in Ringwood where his uncle used to take him for hikes. Zoe had heard countless sexcapades in the past about Ryan taking some of his conquests to this hovel. The group used to tease him that the only way he could get laid was to bring unsuspecting girls out to the middle of nowhere. A place where they couldn’t scream for help or run away from. Ryan would get sore at the comments. He was a sex addict and horn dog, but he was no rapist or molester.

  But he was clearly only thinking with his cock. And Zoe had counted on it.

  She shot to her feet and kissed Ryan deeply. Zoe ran her hands through his hair. She felt his breathing become instantly more shallow and erratic. Zoe thanked him for coming to her aid. She told him she knew he would be the only one she could reason with. The only friend who would listen to her and understand what she had been through.

  Zoe stared into Ryan’s eyes.

  “I love you. I have always loved you but I was afraid to let down my guard.”

  Ryan tugged her hair, pulling her head back as he devoured her neck.

  Zoe smiled at the night sky.

  Chapter 18

  Aiden and Samantha drove as fast as they could without attracting attention or getting unwanted speeding tickets. This late at night, with fewer cars on the road, the police would easily pick them off for driving over the limit. They had covered half the town in just under thirty minutes.

  Aiden felt uneasy around Samantha. Every time he looked at her, each time she spoke, Aiden found semblances of Leah.

  Leah.

  His heart skipped a beat with sorrow. He quickly turned his attention to the yards on the passenger side of the road. There would be plenty of time to think about Leah while he sat in jail. He reprimanded himself to keep his eye on the ball.

  Gotta find Zoe.

  As they covered the town in silence, Aiden could hear Samantha whimper and sniffle. He couldn’t imagine how she must feel since finding out she had lost her daughter. Her first born child. It had to be devastating.

  He felt awful about Samantha’s loss. But he was still a bit miffed with her. She had been very difficult about how to search for Zoe. She acted like an overbearing mother. In all the years Aiden had known them, he had never seen Samantha in this light. She had always been very demure and caring. Leah only spoke of her mother with reverence, as if the woman were a gentle saint. Aiden guessed any mother would take a turn for the worse if they found themselves in a similar position.

  He glanced at Samantha as she turned the car onto County Road. She must have sensed his look; she shot Aiden a forced smile and continued to scope the scenery for any clues of Zoe’s whereabouts. Aiden was grateful the shared connection had been brief.

  Something in his gut told him they should re-think their plan. With people on foot and in cars, they had still failed to locate their quarry. Time was slipping away and the longer it took for them find Zoe, the higher the chances the cops would find her first. And them.

  “Stop the car.”

  Samantha tapped the brakes.

  “Stop the car.”

  She pulled over to the side of the road and hurled a look which was half surprise and half frustration.

  “I want to try something else.”

  Samantha sighed. “Aiden, we don’t have time to try things. We have to keep moving.” She whisked away a stray strand of hair which had fallen across her face.

  Aiden turned his entire body to face Samantha. “I think I know how to find Zoe. We’ve been doing this all wrong.”

  “And you’re just realizing this now?” The derision in Samantha’s voice prickled Aiden’s flesh. She pointed at the digital clock on the dash.

  “Look, I’m just as tired and angry as you are, okay? So I don’t need any more shit from you or anybody else.” Aiden’s voice rose to a level that even caused himself to wince in the confines of the closed vehicle. He watched Samantha’s expression droop from hostility to sadness. It made him feel terrible. He knew better than to speak to an adult that way. And of all people, Leah’s mom, whom he had known and respected for years.

  “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Aiden fidgeted with his hands, averting his eyes. Samantha sobbed into her palm while staring out the driver side window. Aiden could tell she was disgusted with him, refusing to even look at him.

  “All I meant is...if I were Zoe...we would have to act like Zoe would. If I were Zoe, I would go to someplace I was familiar with. A place that still provided me the options I needed to escape or avoid being found. Someplace I felt comfortable with.”

  Samantha appeared to regain her composure. She met Aiden’s gaze. He lifted his cheeks in a gentle smile to soften his verbal attack from a few moments ago.

  “Where would that be, Aiden?”

  He held up his index finger like a professor stating a fact. “Zoe loves hanging out at the park. The one off Madison Avenue by the swim club.” Aiden slapped the dashboard with certainty. “That’s where she is. I feel it in my bones. Let’s go.”

  Samantha began pulling away from the curb. She would need to bang a k-turn in order to go in the other direction. “And what if you’re wrong?” She asked the question without looking at him.

  Aiden briefly considered her question. He didn’t even want to believe the possibility of being wrong. His instincts became so strong, Aiden refused to deny their veracity. Instead, Aiden pointed through the windshield, directing Samantha to keep turning the car in the direction of the park.

  “I’m not wrong. This time.” He swallowed a lump of nervousness. His palms grew sweaty, not with fear of being wrong. He was sweating with anticipation of the final battle. He felt it deep inside. He knew he was close to finding Zoe now and the end would be near.

  Death.

  Somebody else would die. It would either be him or Zoe. But his subconscious told him, regardless of the outcome, neither one of them would be going home tonight. There would be only two options. Hell or prison.

  Aiden chuckled.

  Samantha grimaced and mumbled something under her breath.

  “Huh?”

  “I said, I don’t know what could be so funny.” Samantha snuck a quick peek at him.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t laughing because anything was funny.” He released a calming breath. “I guess I have just resigned myself to my fate.”

  They traveled a few more miles until they reached the park Aiden had indicated. Samantha turned the vehicle up the long road. They slowly scanned the soccer fields along the left side of the street. They approached the swim club building, darkened and buckled up for the night.

  Aiden’s hope sank.

  Ahead, parked at the end of the lot near the woods, sat Ryan’s car.

  His mind flipped through all the scenarios that could have led to this conclusion. He thought Ryan had run home to crap. And, if he had, how did he come to this place instead of calling Aiden to rejoin forces with him? Or had Ryan faked his urgent need of a toilet to ditch Aiden and Samantha so he could meet up with Zoe?

  Zoe.

  Aiden feared what he might find. Either Ryan would be dead, another body piled up at the altar of the devil, or he had come back to team up with her, to fight against Aiden and the rest of the group.

  Aiden and Samantha stared into the darkness that shrouded Ryan’s car and the wood line before them.

  Chapter 19

  Spencer did his best to keep the car on the road. His a
ttention had been split between driving and reading text messages on his phone. He glanced back down, scrolling through the newest messages from Aiden and Jordyn. Spencer did a double take at the last message. It was from an unknown source. Spencer had no clue whose phone number it was. He thumbed the message and checked the road again.

  Flashing lights drew his attention. His rearview mirror was full of blue and red strobes. The side mirror blinded his one remaining eye with the brightness of the squad car’s spotlight, perfectly squared into the reflection.

  Spencer hit the brake pedal and pulled to the side of the road. He looked down at the phone in his lap.

  You’re dead.

  Spencer’s mind fumbled through a list of people the message could’ve come from. Within an instant, he knew the text had come from Zoe. She must’ve gotten herself a burner phone or something.

  Cunt.

  Spencer checked the rearview mirror in time to catch a silhouette of an officer with his gun drawn and trained on the back of Spencer’s car. He lowered his window.

  The officer’s shoes scuffed the pavement. “Turn off the vehicle. Get your hands in the air. Now.”

  Spencer thought fast. How could he talk his way out of this? Covered in dried blood and toting a killing blade next to his seat wouldn’t be easily explainable.

  “Do it. Now.”

  Spencer heard the officer call for backup on his walkie. The cop said he had the serial killer stopped and he needed immediate assistance.

  Serial killer? Why the fuck would he think I’m a serial killer? Had Zoe called the cops on him? It would’ve been so easy for her to place an anonymous call to the police. She knew his car’s make and model. She knew he had been at the scene of the crime where Leah died. Zoe probably even figured he would still be blood-soaked. And missing his eye. It would be a no-brainer for the cops to put two and two together.