Mike yanked the needle out of Alyssa’s arm. He stored her blood and the needle away in the bag. He wiped the blood away from his mouth. Alyssa watched Mike’s every move wondering what this psycho-bastard was going to do to her next. What did he mean, she thought, about “the blood I’ll be losing when Jim gets back”?
Outside the boats cabin Alyssa heard the low rumble of motorcycles.
“Hey that must be Jim and Tyler,” Mike said, covering Alyssa’s bitten breast with her tee-shirt. “Now we are just waiting for Trailer Park to get here. What the fuck were you thinking Alyssa? Really… what were you thinking? Of all the people you could have gone for… you went for that dirtbag? Well I suppose it’s like Jim always says ‘when things end they end badly. Otherwise, why would they end?’ Things are really going to end badly for you and Trailer Park tonight.”
Then Mike thrust his right hand down the front of her pants and jammed his fingers inside of her. He quickly pulled his hand back out and sniffed his fingers, and gave them a lick.
“Too bad,” Mike said to Alyssa as he was leaving the cabin. “Too bad we didn’t have just a little more time together.”
Mike turned off the light, while shutting the door behind him. Leaving Alyssa alone and bleeding in the dark.
22
Paul pulled up to the Boat House and cut the engine to his pick-up truck. He looked around to see if anybody was waiting for him. He didn’t see Jim or The Howlers. Maybe they are not here yet, Paul thought to himself. Then he noticed Alyssa’s car. Alright maybe they are here, but don’t know I am here. Maybe I can sneak Alyssa out of here with out them knowing. Yeah dream on, Paul thought, and decided that there probably is not a chance in hell of that happening.
Paul lit a cigarette, and looked around the Boat yard for signs of life. The air was thick with suffocating humidity, and a low tide stench of dead fish mixed with the smell of charged ozone, which meant that a storm was brewing. The setting Sun reflected off the approaching storm clouds. It created a grayish purple haze that was streaked with an eerie orange glow.
The full Moon faintly showed itself on a completely opposite pale blue sky. Paul carefully made his way through the Boat yard towards the dock. What is going on here, Paul thought to himself. Where are Jim and The Howlers? Where the hell are they keeping Alyssa?
Paul was standing by The Sea Howler. He took a hard drag off of his cigarette and let the smoke out slowly, while looking out over the Great South Bay. Strobe-light flashes of lightning pulsated within the thickening dark clouds. That storm is going to break soon, Paul thought to himself. He noticed the name of the boat next to The Sea Howler. That’s just great he thought as he read the name…The Bitter End. “I guess I will see if they are in the Boat House,” Paul said to himself, as he headed back through the boat yard.
A super sonic thunder-clap exploded in the sky. At the same moment Mike slipped out from behind a boat with his stun-gun, and zapped Trailer Park in the neck with 200,000 volts. Paul let out a guttural scream and then hit the ground like a dropped sack of shit. He shook and twitched on the ground. Mike stood over him and watched Paul until he stopped shaking.
“Hey Trailer Park,” Mike said grinning sadistically, “It’s like Jerry Garcia said... ‘If the thunder don’t get you, then the lightning will.’
Oh and thanks a lot, ya filthy cock-sucker. I just lost a bet. Now I’ve got to give Jim twenty bucks. Well I might as well get my money’s worth.”
Mike hit Trailer Park with the stun-gun again. Paul flopped on the ground grunting unintelligible groans of pain. Then came the boots. Paul tried to cover himself from the kicks, but was paralyzed by the shocks to his nervous system. Paul got kicked in the head, stomach, back, and the balls. There wasn’t any place that The Howlers didn’t stomp on Trailer Park.
“Hey Trailer Park,” Jim said, while kicking Paul in the stomach. “Thanks for showing up. I just won me a Jackson. Hey Mike, pay up bitch.”
“Alright here you go Jim,” Mike said, handing over the money and kicking Trailer Park in the ribs.
“Yeah Mike,” Tyler said, “I didn’t think this punk ass would show either. Trailer Park you are one stupid mother-fucker.”
“Well now everybody is here,” Jim said, “Hey Trailer Park, do you want to take a boat ride?”
Paul just groaned.
“I’ll take that as a yes Trailer Park,” Jim said. “Yeah, like you’ve even got a fuckin’ choice asshole.” Then Jim kicked Trailer Park in the back, and headed for the boat.
“Mike,” Jim said, “You and Tyler load that mother-fucker on the boat. I want to tell Alyssa the news.”
“Yeah Jim, we’ll bring this piece o’ shit aboard.”
Tyler began to pick up Trailer Park by his feet.
“Wait a minute Tyler” Mike said, “I just got to zap this buzzard one more time.”
Mike zapped Trailer Park with the stun-gun again. Paul let out a scream and rolled around on the ground.
“Damn!” Mike said, “Tyler I could fuckin’ do this all day. Will you look at that fuckin’ bitch twitch!”
“You’re whacked Mike,” Tyler said, “Come on and let’s get this piece o’ shit on the boat.”
When Trailer Park stopped twitching, Mike and Tyler picked him up and dropped him aboard The Bitter End.
23
Alyssa heard the footsteps outside the cabin and wondered what was going on. Suddenly the door swung open violently and the light was turned on. It was Jim. Alyssa didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. She watched Jim as he came toward her. He had a madness about his eyes that she had never seen. Jim stood over her now.
“Alyssa,” Jim said, “I see Mike was keeping you uncomfortable while I was gone. He can be a sick little monkey sometimes.”
Jim lifted up Alyssa’s shirt to see where the blood was oozing from. With a cruel chuckle he pulled her shirt down to cover the bitten breast of his soon to be ex-girlfriend. Outside the cabin Alyssa heard a loud thud hit the deck, which was followed by more footsteps.
“Good news Alyssa,” Jim said, “Trailer Park is here. I thought you would like to know that he was stupid enough to show up. I don’t think either one of you has a fuckin’ clue about the graveness of the situation you’re in, but you’re beginning to realize it now aren’t you baby?”
Jim went over to the same counter that Mike had gone to before. Alyssa’s eyes grew wide, and her heart began to pound when Jim turned around holding a knife. It was a long curved serrated blade. Alyssa struggled against the ropes as Jim headed towards her.
“I am going to pull the tape away from your mouth Alyssa, but if you scream… I will cut your fuckin’ throat… savvy?”
Alyssa nodded in agreement. Her face clenched as Jim yanked the duct tape off. It felt like her lips came off with it. Alyssa choked down the scream she wanted to let out, as well as the urge to start arguing with Jim about what he was doing. She could sense he was on the edge, and one wrong word from her could quickly push him over.
“We are going to have a talk Alyssa,” Jim said slipping the knife under her shirt. “We are going to talk about how badly you fucked up.” Then with one quick jerk of the blade, Jim cut open her shirt.
“Jim please stop,” Alyssa said, “What are you doing? Please Jim…”
“Shut the fuck up bitch until I say you can talk.”
With a few other quick cuts, Jim sliced off her jeans. Then he cut the flimsy pink g-string off. Alyssa was naked and vulnerable on the table. Alyssa sobbed and begged Jim to stop. He ignored her cries. Then went over to the bench and got a pair of wire cutters. Jim placed the wire cutter around Alyssa’s little finger on her right hand.
“We are going to start here, and you better think about your answers bitch or I will take you apart one piece at a fuckin’ time.”
“Please Jim no… You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut the fuck up bitch! Let me ask you this Alyssa… did you think you were going to betray me and get away with it?�
�
“No Jim I didn’t think…”
“You didn’t think what Alyssa? You would get caught? I would find out? Yeah that’s right Alyssa you didn’t fuckin’ think. You didn’t think about who you were messin’ around on.” Jim snipped off her little finger.
A loud rumble filled the cabin of The Bitter End as the boat’s engine started up.
24
Mike slowly drove The Bitter End away from the docks, and headed out into The Great South Bay. Trailer Park was recovering. He was curled up in a ball on the deck. Tyler followed everyone on The Bitter End in the Sea Howler.
The water was choppy with the approaching storm. The boats jumped and splashed down hard as they headed out into the ocean. They were cruising full throttle, which is the only way The Howlers do anything. They throw it all up in the air and give it all to chance, while leaving a wake of destruction behind them.
Mike let go of the wheel without losing speed to turn away from the wind and spark a joint. The boat nearly flipped, but Mike caught the wheel in time to spin the boat into a full 360, while circling around Tyler on The Sea Howler.
Paul felt the electric surge of adrenalin begin to move within him. He thought if he was going to make a move to get out of this mess, now would be the time to make that move. Mike had his back to him. Paul pulled out his pocket knife. He was careful to open the pocket knife slowly so as to not have it click. Not that Mike would hear it open over the boats engine and the wind, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
Paul rose a little at a time. He moved slowly towards Mike. Then Paul leaped at Mike letting out a hoarse war-cry. Mike turned around in time to get slashed across the chest. Mike returned a right handed uppercut into Paul’s jaw. Paul staggered back and fell on his ass. He smacked his head on the deck.
Mike cut the boat’s engine. Paul lunged at Mike again wrapping his arms around his waist and tackling him to the deck. Mike hammer punched Trailer Park in the back.
Paul wrestled himself on top of Mike. Paul was about to punch Mike in the face, when he felt the rope fall around his neck from behind him.
Jim twisted the rope hard around Trailer Park’s neck squeezing the air out of him. Jim wrenched Trailer Park’s neck and yanked him off of Mike. Paul found himself face down on the deck. He had someone’s knee in his back and felt the rope pull tighter. Paul was to the point of blacking out when he heard Jim say… “I think you need to cool out Trailer Park.”
Paul was quickly lifted off the deck and thrown overboard into the ocean. Paul still had the rope around his neck, but it wasn’t choking him right now. Paul panicked when he heard the boats engine start. He thought are they going to leave me here? Fuck No! Worse than that! Paul clawed at the rope to untie it, but it was too late. The boat began to move.
25
“Take it slow Mike I don’t want that buzzard dead yet.”
“No problem Jim.”
Mike pushed the boat ahead slowly. Jim watched as Trailer Park began to panic. He splashed helplessly in the dark water.
Paul felt the rope slowly tightening around his neck like a boa constrictor. He watched in horror as the boat drove away. Those fuckers are taking me for a drag, Paul thought to himself. Paul tried to scream, but nothing came out. Quickly he was pulled under water. The rope was so tight it felt like his head was going to pop off.
“So what do you think Mike, should we kill these fuckers one at a time or side by side?”
“One at time is going to take longer Jim,” Mike said. “Whatever you decide is cool with me, but I think we need to step this up. That storm is closing in on us.”
“You’ve got a point Mike, and I don’t see any reason to drag this out. Let’s fuck with Trailer Park a little with this, and then I’ll let him see what happens to Alyssa.”
“Slow it down again Mike. Let Trailer Park catch his breath. I also just thought of something too.”
Mike slowed the boat down. Jim reached down and grabbed the rope. Jim started pulling Trailer Park towards the boat.
“What are you doing Jim?”
“I just want to freak this fucker out a little more.”
“How are you going to do that Jim?”
“Watch and see.”
Paul had just about reached the boat. He was trying to cough out the salt water he had swallowed. Paul was wondering what was going to happen next. The one thing he knew was that he didn’t have to wait long. Now along side the boat, Jim reached down and pulled him up, but not exactly out of the water.
“Hey Trailer Park,” Jim said. He let Paul grab onto the side of the boat. “I hope you cooled out some Trailer Park.”
“Yeah I did Jim,” Paul said, “and look Jim, I’m sorry. I know I fucked up, but…”
“That’s right you fucked up,” Jim said, “now let me ask you something Trailer Park…”
“What is that?”
“Do you know what the best thing about living on an island is?”
“No Jim, what’s the best thing about living on an island?”
“Well I’ll tell you Trailer Park you dumb mother-fucker,” Jim said. “The best thing about living on an island is that you don’t have to dig a hole to get rid of the body. You just take the body out into the ocean and dump it, and let all the little sea creatures eat the remains.”
Jim and Mike laughed in evil unison.
“Come on Jim! Enough of this… I got it,” Paul cried.
“How about enough of you stabbing me in the back Trailer Park, and screwing around with my bitch!”
“I’m sorry Jim,” Paul pleaded, “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Hey Trailer Park,” Jim said, “I want to ask you something else.”
“What’s that?”
“Did you go home and look for this?” Jim said, and then showed Paul his gun.
“Oh shit! Jim no!” Paul screamed, as Jim pushed the barrel of the .38 pistol to his forehead.
“Jim don’t kill me! Please Jim don’t kill me!”
“Mike grab the rope.”
“Got it Jim.”
“Relax Trailer Park,” Jim said, “What I have planned for you scumbag will make you wish I capped your ass and let it go at that.”
“So what are you going to do with the gun,” Paul asked, regretting the question as soon as he asked it.
“Watch and see,” Jim said, and then smashed Trailer Park in the nose with the butt of the gun.
Paul heard the crack of his nose breaking echo in his skull as blood exploded from his face.
“Cut him Mike,” Jim said.
“Heeh heeh,” Mike laughed, as he used Trailer Park’s knife to slice him across the forehead, and then stabbed him in the left shoulder.
Paul howled with pain. He lost his grip, and fell back into the water.
“Hey Trailer Park,” Mike said. “Watch out for sharks!” Then Mike began singing the theme from the movie Jaws.
Jim rocketed the boat across the water dragging Trailer Park further out into the ocean. After a few minutes Jim cut the engine again. Tyler brought The Sea Howler along side The Bitter End.
“So what’s the plan Jim?”
“We are going to finish things up right here Tyler,” Jim said. “Mike, pull Trailer Park up to the side while I get Alyssa. I don’t want him to miss what happens next.”
26
“How long did Jim say they were going to take Katrina,” April asked.
“He didn’t say,” Katrina said, “He just said he would call.”
“When are they going call, and what are they doing?”
“I don’t know April,” Katrina said, “Just chill the fuck out. Have a beer and listen to some music.”
“Oh you aren’t gonna be all Dick-whipped already,” April said, “Are you?”
“Katrina was whipped before they hooked up,” Jenny said.
“Shut up with your ‘dick-whipped’ bull shit,” Katrina said, “I’ve been waiting a long time to get close to Jim, and now I am here. Plus I thin
k he went to end it with his girlfriend tonight, and cut Trailer Park loose too.”
Katrina went over to Jim’s stereo and looked through his CD collection. She called out some suggestions to Jenny and April. Jenny went to the refrigerator and pulled out three bottles of Budweiser.
“What do you want to listen to Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith? Do you want to hear something Bluesy? Buddy Guy or BB King? Or do you want to listen to something… Oh! Here we go… The Doors.”
Katrina put The Doors CD The Soft Parade in the stereo, and put on the title track. Jenny had opened Katrina’s beer, handed it to her and then one to April. Katrina pressed play and cranked up the volume. Katrina, always the actress, prepared to act out the beginning of The Soft Parade.
“Here she goes Jenny,” April said, and then she flopped down on the couch next to Jenny to watch Katrina’s performance.
“When I was back there in seminary school…” Jim Morrison said, as Katrina acted it out saying it along with him.
“There was a person there who put forth the proposition… That you can petition the Lord with prayer… Petition the Lord with prayer… Petition the Lord with prayer…”
Under a Thunder Moon Page 6
