“Wet shirts and panties. We’re going commando.” “What’d you win?”
“A tee shirt.”
“A tee shirt? After that performance? You girls could do that every Friday night and sell tickets.”
Glenn stepped up to Sarah and shoved a drink her way. “Here, Sarah. I thought you might be thirsty after all that…dancing.”
Sarah took the drink. “What is it?”
“A bushwhacker. It’s frozen and tastes kind of ice creamy.”
“I know what a bushwhacker is. Thanks, I love them.” She took the drink and brought it to her lips. After a sip, she shot Chet a look of indifference as he watched her, and then smiled at Glenn. “It’s delicious.” She slowly licked her lips at Glenn while watching Chet seethe.
Chapter 9
Six Months Earlier
The air conditioner on the bus doesn’t work. It hasn’t since one hour outside of Memphis. The ride is rough and the seats uncomfortable. The man sitting next to Chip snores, and the cadence is interrupted only when he passes gas.
Chip hasn’t eaten since breaking his last twenty to buy a burger off the dollar menu, minutes before departing on the 17 hour ride. His stomach rumbles, and his mouth is dry. A child crying adds hopelessness to his uncertain future.
His urge to urinate is strong. As he steps down the aisle faces turn and reflect the misery of reality. He searches for one—just one expressing hope. Many faces are blank, holding gazes toward a far off distance. The bitterness of life misshapes others into a perpetual scowl. A young woman on the verge of tears stares out the window. She wears no makeup, and her hair is a frizzy mess, but she looks kind. Innocent. He feels a compulsion to ask what’s wrong and console her. But what can he do? What can he say? He’s fourteen years old with an uncertain future. His depression only deepens.
The light outside the bathroom door switches to, ‘Unoccupied.’ A large woman turns sideways through the doorway and waddles toward him. She wears a flower print dress and has calves bulging over too tight socks. He leans over by a balding man that shoots a look of warning. The woman turns and passes. Her backside scrapes along his in a tight fit. Humiliation will become part of his everyday life.
The bathroom light is dim. The smell of urine and feces choking. The toilet is still half full of toilet paper and yellow-brown muck. He unzips his pants and aims for the bowl, raising his gaze to the mirror in front. He needs to go—badly. He pushes and grunts, but the urine doesn’t flow. He watches the pain in his face as his eyes twitch. A few drops fall followed by a weak stream that lasts only a few seconds. His money won’t carry him past a few days at best. He looks in the mirror and wonders if he can do it. He’s never had sex before and was unsure of what to do. It seems wrong. Appalling even. He is attracted to women, not men, but only a man will pay him for sex. Giving up on any further relief, he zips up, and washes his hands. For a moment he considers cupping a mouthful of water despite the warning taped to the mirror.
The bus turns, and he catches the wall with his hands. Once outside the door, people are up in their seats moving about. They are at the bus station. Chip’s new life begins.
***
She waits by a wall far enough from departing passengers not to be noticed. A small cooler by her feet contains bottles of water and sandwiches. Her white tee shirt displays, ‘Escambia County Outreach,’ in bold blue. Black hair hangs past her shoulders, and her jeans are ill fitting. Large dark sunglasses hide her face.
She watches a lanky teen boy step off the bus. He’s lost, bewildered, and hesitant to move in any direction. His bulging backpack is slung over his shoulder, and someone bumps his arm as they scurry around him. He moves quickly toward a drink machine, and she knows he is the one. She picks up the bag and meets him by the machine as he arrives.
“Hi,” her voice bright, her smile cheerful.
He looks as if he’s been caught stealing candy and waits a few seconds before he returns the greeting.
“My name is Alice Summers, and I’m part of Escambia County’s teen runaway outreach.”
“I’m not a runaway.” His denial quick.
She reaches and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re not in any trouble. No one is going to force you to go back home. I’ve been doing this a while, and I know a runaway when I see one. What’s your name?”
The boy gains color to his face, and answers, “Chip.”
“Pleased to meet you, Chip. Where’re you from?”
“Tennessee.”
“Tennessee. Wow. You must have been on a bus for a very long time.”
“Yeah. Feels like a whole day.”
“You must be hungry. I have some water and sandwiches.” She unzips the cooler.
His eyes widen. “A little.”
“The ones with the blue rubber band are ham. The others are turkey. Go ahead. Help yourself.”
Chip selects a ham sandwich and peels the wrapper aside before taking a bottle of water. He maneuvers the bottle under his arm and twists the cap off. He downs half before coming up for air.
“Drink up. There’s plenty.”
He thanks her with words muffled by the sandwich. It disappears as she patiently watches. He wads the empty wrapper and finishes the water.
“Would you like more?”
He clears his throat. “Maybe later. I ate too fast, I think. I have to wait for it to settle in my stomach. Thank you—for the sandwich.”
“You’re welcome. I’m in no hurry, but I would like to talk a bit.”
“Okay. Talk about what?”
“Your future. What kind of plans do you have? Where will you spend the night?”
“I’m not sure. I plan on working odd jobs. Maybe I can rent a garage apartment or something.”
“It’s going to be hard for someone your age to do that. Renters do background checks, and no one is going take that kind of risk with someone your age. How old are you?”
“Eighteen.” He reads the expression on her face. “Fourteen,” and sighs in disappointment.
“The Outreach has apartments downtown where you can stay.”
“Really? How much?”
“No charge. However, they’re not going to let you just hang out all day. You’ll have to enroll in school, and you will be required to work. The Outreach believes that if you earn money you’ll develop a sense of worth. It will help keep you on the straight and narrow.”
“What kind of jobs?”
“Normal stuff for a kid your age. Cutting grass, weeding flower beds, cleaning boats, things like that. Some of it is community service, and some is for private donors. Either way you will be paid for your time.”
“That sounds like something I could try. When can I start? Where do I have to go?”
“How about this? One of our donors, a very rich man, called this morning and wanted to get his boat cleaned up so he can entertain a client tomorrow. We didn’t have anyone available to send. His place is just a few miles away. I can take you there, help you clean the boat, and then drive you to the Outreach.”
“You’d do that?”
“Yes.”
“That’s so nice.”
“Yes, but you’d be doing the Outreach a favor too. We don’t want to disappoint a donor. The Outreach couldn’t operate without people like him.”
“Let’s go then. I’m going to work real hard so that he’ll want to donate even more money next time,” his sense of hope returning.
“My car’s around back. Follow me.” She turns and walks quickly away, hiding the curl of lips.
* * *
“All I see is sand. How much farther is the house?” Chip cranes his neck trying to look around the dunes bordering the Gulf.
“Not far. The house is a little isolated from the nearest development. The owner spent a huge amount of money to have utilities run to his place. He likes his isolation.”
“He must be rich.”
“One of the richest in the area. The house is coming up just arou
nd the curve.” She slows the vehicle, and the house comes into view.
“Wow. It’s awesome. Is the owner a doctor?”
“No. He’s a businessman.”
Chip sits on the edge of his seat and marvels at the opulence. The double iron gates open and the car comes to a stop in front of the garage.
“The boat’s in the slip. There’s cleaning supplies in the boathouse.” She unbuckles the seatbelt and leaves the car.
Chip bails out and follows close on her heels. “What do we have to do? I’ve never cleaned a boat before.”
“We’re going to swab the deck, matey.” She ends the jest with an, “Argh.”
Chip giggles.
“We’ll mop the deck and clean the windows. After that, we’ll polish all the metal. Salt water is corrosive, and you have to keep boats clean or they’ll ruin in no time.” She leads him into the back of the house past the pool and across the patio to the boathouse. The 36 foot Sea Ray is secure in the boat slip.
“That’s the boat?”
“Yes.”
“It’s big enough to live in.”
She opens the door and enters the boathouse. The lights come on, and she points to a closet. “There’s a mop and bucket in there.” She opens a cabinet and removes a jug of cleaner and a stack of rags.
As he pulls the mop bucket from the closet, two darts propel through the air stabbing him in the back. 50,000 volts put him on the cement floor as he shakes like sizzling bacon.
The stun gun drops as the hand replaces it with a ten inch butcher knife. She imagines a sacrifice on a stone altar waiting to spill blood to the gods above. The blade goes into the air and plunges down into the kid’s chest. It sounds dull, almost hollow, followed by the piercing cry of a wounded banshee.
There is no struggle, only frozen horror gripping an innocent, angelic face. His soul leaves without protest in one last gasp. The dream of life ends.
There is no remorse. There is no reveling. The kill was not to satisfy a lust. It is for her beloved Grey.
Chapter 10
The Present
“Holy shit, this place is a palace!” Glenn whipped his head around, taking in the spectacle that was the Rivers’ beach house.
The group of teenagers stood in the foyer, in awe of how the other half lived. A sprawling living room equipped with two massive wall-mounted televisions and plushy couches gave way to a granite countertop and stainless steel kitchen. Luke and Glenn didn’t know what to do next. Chet tossed his overnight bag on the couch and plopped down, turning the TV to SportsCenter. An analyst’s voice boomed through the surround sound speakers and filled the house.
“Turn it down,” Desmond said, as he and Serena walked into the kitchen. Mandy and Sarah stood with Luke and Glenn.
“This is incredible,” Luke said, and Mandy smiled.
“Yeah, just a little place to enjoy the weekend. We have six bedrooms upstairs, each with its own bathroom, so pick one, and make yourselves at home. There is one room at the end of the hall my stepdad used for business, so I ask you to stay out of there. It’s kind of private and hasn’t been opened since the day they died. The kitchen should have plenty of food and drinks, so eat if you’re hungry. You might want to put something in your stomach after the drinks you had tonight.”
“Get me a beer if you’re going in the kitchen,” Chet said to Luke—an order, not a request.
“Man, get your own fuckin’ beer,” Luke said, the liquid courage still in his system.
Glenn, Sarah, and Mandy laughed noisily. Glenn slapped Luke on the back. Luke couldn’t believe he’d just said that.
“Bunch of assholes,” Chet said. He hopped off the couch and strode into the kitchen.
“I have to go check on the boathouse and fish cleaning station. On some weekends, my stepdad’s friends will use the place to clean fish and stuff. They usually leave a mess, and the whole place stinks of fish guts,” Mandy said.
“Want some company?” Sarah said. She grabbed Mandy’s hand softly and pressed against her. Mandy pulled away.
“It’s cool. I’ll take care of it. Just unpack. I’ll be back soon.”
Mandy turned and walked out of the house, leaving the three alone. Luke glanced at Sarah and noticed her eyes misting with tears. It seemed the dance and kiss the two girls had shared earlier meant a little something more to Sarah than it did to Mandy. Glenn broke the tension.
“Sarah, what say you and I share a room? Seems everyone is paired up for the most part, and you shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
Sarah looked at Glenn as if the boy had sprouted a second head. With a sarcastic laugh, she walked away, joining the rest of the group in the kitchen.
“Can’t say I didn’t try,” Glenn said.
“Guess the pills didn’t work,” Luke replied, coldly.
“Oh man, don’t be like that.”
“Whatever. Let’s go check out the rooms.”
The duo passed the whoops and laughs coming from the kitchen. Luke heard ice clinking in glasses and beer tabs pulled open. It was going to be a long night of drinking, and Luke was excited to finally fit in. He rushed up the stairs to select a bedroom. The sooner he unpacked, the quicker this party could start.
*
The cool Gulf breeze sent a shiver down Mandy’s spine as she hugged her arms around her chest. Soft beach grasses lightly kissed her bare legs as sand filled her sandals with each step. The sand gave way to wood as she stepped onto the dock that led to the boathouse and cleaning station. She removed the padlock from the door and stepped inside, turning on the overhead light. The boat rocked against the gentle waves, and she stared into the blackness of the night behind it. She walked over to the cleaning station and shook her head in disappointment.
Brownish specks were still visible on the white plastic sink. She removed a rag from the shelf next to the sink and scrubbed the spots away, using water from a short, plastic hose. A splash in the Gulf caught her attention, and she turned off the hose.
“Is that you, Grey?” She dropped to her knees and flicked her fingers in the water.
The massive dorsal fin broke the surface, allowing her hands to touch it before dipping back down into the black water. Mandy smiled and licked her fingers, tasting the briny flavor of the sea. The massive body of the beast below rubbed against the boat, smacking it into the wall of the dock.
“You hungry, boy? Well, I’ll give you a little snack now, but I don’t want you to fill up. There’s going to be plenty to eat soon.”
She laughed manically and smiled like a demon. Walking over to the refrigerator next to the sink, she opened it and dipped her free hand inside, removing a flabby chunk of flesh. It was the last piece. She flung it into the water, and it bobbed on the surface.
There was a bright flash of teeth and wide black eyes that rolled over into lifeless white spheres. The meat disappeared. It did Mandy good to see Grey enjoying it.
The meat had left a trail of blood. She turned the hose back on, washing the evidence away. The dark fin cut the water, and for a second, Mandy was tempted to join him for a swim. She decided against that, as she didn’t want to explain why she was all wet when returning to the house. She looked around, made sure everything was in order, and turned off the light. She’d just closed the door when a shadow appeared behind her. Mandy screamed and dropped the lock. It hit the water with a plop.
“Jesus, Sarah, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry. You were gone for a while. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. It was a mess, like I thought it’d be. Took me forever to clean up.”
“Men, who needs them?” Sarah seductively smiled and moved in closer.
Mandy’s heart sped up as the intoxicating aroma of perfume, sweat, and smoke invaded her senses. She wasn’t sure why, but the smell of someone coming home from a bar always turned her on.
“Sarah…” Mandy started and never finished, unable to speak as Sarah nibbled on
her neck.
Mandy closed her eyes and rubbed her hands through Sarah’s hair, allowing the passion to overtake her. She brought her face up, and they kissed, long and slow, not for show like the display at the bar. She broke the embrace.
“We need to get back before Chet comes looking for me,” Mandy said.
Sarah sighed. “What do you see in that retard anyway?”
“I’m not gay…not all the way, anyway. I still like dick. Sorry, Sarah, but you know that.”
“I know. Just one of these days, though, I’m going to change your mind.”
Sarah smiled, and the moonlight made her look even more irresistible. Mandy debated letting her try right there on the beach, but instead grabbed her hand. The two walked back to the beach house. She heard a splash in the water, and all she could think was, soon.
*
“Come on you pussy! Drink!” Chet screamed as Desmond cheered.
Luke shotgunned beer number four and slammed the aluminum can down on the table. The guys let out loud cheers while Serena rolled her eyes. The door closed, and Mandy and Sarah entered the room.
“Babe, where you been all my life?” Chet grabbed Mandy and twirled her around. She laughed as he let her down.
Sarah rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle of vodka and a can of cranberry juice. Luke watched as she poured a drink that resembled slightly pink vodka. She picked it up and chugged it. She poured another which she downed just as fast.
“Let’s move this party out to the deck,” Mandy said.
Everyone fixed their drinks and marched through the double French doors which led to a large outdoor deck overlooking the bay. Waves crashing and the calls of night birds gave Luke a sense of tranquility. Chet and Desmond stacked wood in a large fire pit and lit crumpled old newspaper to get the fire started. Within minutes, a roaring inferno was ablaze, mixing heat with the cool breeze. The teens pulled chairs around the fire and sat. For a moment, no one spoke.
“I’d like to propose a toast to Mandy,” Luke said, holding his drink in the air. “Thank you for inviting us to your beach house.”
Slipway Grey: A Deep Sea Thriller Page 5
