by Annie Berdel
50
Mike watched the big white dog make his way through the underbrush and disappear into the woods. He made it look easier than it was going to be on horseback that was for sure.
“Hold up” Mike commanded as he pulled the reigns back “Dixon?”
The dog came back and circled around the two men on horseback as Kevin inched in closer to Mike
“What’s wrong Unk?” Mike asked
“Not sure but something is off. Let’s just take our time. Keep your eyes peeled. I’m sure Dixon will lead us to Emma but something else I can’t explain has my Spidey senses activated.” Mike said to his nephew.
The two men reigned the horses towards the opening and entered into the forest. It was dark enough outside under the stars, let alone add an umbrella of trees to block out the moons glow. Following the trail, the men went passed cabin after cabin, making note that each were empty.
“Where the hell is your mom?” Mike asked Kevin now visibly agitated
“Maybe you should ask the dog.” Kevin said shooting Mike a look
Swinging around, Mike looked at Dixon who was sitting watching the two men.
Grumbling something unintelligible under his breath, Mike yelled at the dog
“Emma? Where is the hell is Emma?”
Dixon immediately was on his feet and taking off down the trail.
“Don’t stop him this time!” Kevin said barely missing a tree branch hitting his head
Mike hunched down closer to the horses neck and followed the dog as best he could and still keeping the walking trail in site. Dixon took them up the hill in the back of the property and stopped at the rock that Emma had sat on earlier in the night.
Mike and Kevin dismounted the horses to get a better look around.
“She was here alright” Mike said giving the area a quick glance
“How do you know that?” Kevin asked
“Look here.” he said squatting onto his haunches “See these blades of grass bend like this. If you want someone to know which way you went, you break them in the direction opposite so that the head points the way.”
“How did mom know someone would be up here looking for her though? She hadn’t planned on being back for two days”
“Habit maybe. I don’t know.”
“So where is she now?” Kevin asked “Or which way did she take off?”
“My guess is that way” he said looking at the ground and not looking where he was pointing.
“Damn. That’s towards my house! Do you think she saw the fire?” Kevin asked
“If she did, that means we went entirely the wrong way around the trail. They means we have quite a bit to go before we may find her.”
Jumping back up, Kevin took off towards his house without waiting for his Uncle. The path now was an old oil well road and other then the steep incline, was easy to see.
Mike mounted and paused, again getting the feeling that something was just not right.
“Dixon, let’s go find Emma” he commanded to the dog.
Laying straight back on the horse, with his head almost resting on the animal’s hind quarters because of the steep decline in the trail, Kevin did not see the backpack along the pathway until he was right up on it.
“Hold up!’ he said as he reigned his horse in
“What’s wrong?” Mike shouted from behind
“That’s mom’s pack!” Kevin yelled back pointing to the black clump just off to the side of the trail.
51
Dropping his hat onto the pile of papers on his desk, Ben ran his fingers through what was quickly becoming a lost cause for a professional image. Walking over to the mirror on the wall, he grimaced at what stared back. He needed a shave, which was apparent. But if you looked deeper you could see the emptiness lurking behind his eyes. When was the last time he had any fun? When was the last time he got all cleaned up and went out with the boys and blew off some steam, when he didn’t worry so much about work? Times had changed but damn if the need to sow some oats and drink some beer wasn’t still needed now and again. Grabbing his jaw between his fingers, he gave himself the once over.
“Damn Benjamin, even now you are one fine looking man!”
Startled by the noise behind him, Ben turned to see Emma standing there with a grin on her face.
“Ben”
“Emma. When did you get here?”
“Oh, long enough ago to see you gushing all over yourself. I see some things never change.”
“What brings you here into town? Not often you leave your farm and that husband of yours” he chided
Ignoring the obvious dig, Emma hobbled over to his desk and sat down in one of the two chairs set out for visitors.
“What happened to you?” he asked looking down at her leg.
Ignoring his question, Emma pulled the other chair around and propped her ankle up on it. “Lots going on in the outskirts of town. Wanted to see if you knew anything about it. My Aunt and Uncle were broken into about a week ago and they said you haven’t even been by to take a formal statement.”
“Emma, I am but one man in the apocalypse. I’m sure that there have been more important things to take care of. If you are that concerned, why don’t you cart them off to your farm so you can keep an eye on them?”
“Because they have a perfectly good home and because they know who did this” Ben started to reply but Emma kept talked “And if you did your job you could get these people off the streets before more people lose their belongings. I’m going to be here for a few more days and I will expect to see you over at their house before I leave.”
“Honey, the jail is already full of thugs’ way worse than someone stealing junk. I got no more room. You of all people should understand the dynamics of this after a blow up like we just had.”
“OH, I do! Which is why I am here giving you the benefit of taking care of it first.” Emma replied
Ben looked at her sideways “What do you mean, first?”
“I mean, if you so choose to ignore this then I have no choice but to take matters into my own hands.”
Opening the pencil drawer at his waste, Ben reached out and threw the contents at her. “Here. Welcome to the club.”
Laying on the desk between them was a dull gold colored star with the letters DEPUTY inscribed across the top. “Have at it” Ben moaned
“Don’t mind if I do.” Emma replied as she reached down and picked it up. “Someone’s gotta do your job.”
Emma slid the trinket into her pocket and limped out of his office leaving Ben nothing to do but stare in disbelief at the insanity of the women he so secretly admired.
A couple days, aye? Maybe it’s time to get ole Tommy out of the house for the night. With Emma away from the farm, what better opportunity was there?
I think I’ll even shave for this! Ben said out loud for no one to hear. Popping his head out the door to where his secretary sat, Bens only words were “Find me Johnny” before he disappeared down the hallway.
52
Tom heard the knock on the door and had forgotten the only one home to answer it was himself. Whether he admitted it or not, he was becoming accustomed to being waited on and taken care of. Sliding his legs off the bed, he made his way to the back door in the kitchen.
Must be one of the neighbors if they were coming to the back door, he thought
“Hang on” he yelled out as the frustration began to set in. He still wasn’t up to being himself physically and whoever was beating on the door wasn’t stopping any time soon. He could only go so fast!
Swinging the door open without even checking to see who it was caught Tom off guard. He was completely surprised to see Ben standing there and even more surprised when it took him a minute to recognize the sheriff.
“Ben, what brings you out to these parts this time of night? I hope everything is ok?” Tom asked
“Of course, just thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing. Boys and I were heading out to blow off some
steam, thought you might be interested.
“Oh, well. I’m not really...” he trailed off as Ben interrupted him
“Ah come on man! You need to get out and me and the boys have more than enough room for you! Come on! I won’t let you down! Ben said wrapping an arm around Tom’s shoulders.
“I’m not even dressed and by the looks of you, your plans might be above my pay scale.” Tom said
A wicked stream of laughter erupted from Ben’s throat “above your pay scale! That has to be one of the funniest things I’ve heard you say. Hell, sounds like something Emma would say!”
That was enough to hit a nerve with Tom. “Give me a few and I’ll get changed. Jeans and boots are the attire of the night?”
“Yessum sir, it is. Be comfortable.” Ben replied
Left alone in the kitchen, Emma’s kitchen, Ben helped himself to a class of cold milk out of the fridge. Walking around, he ran his fingers across the pan rack hanging from the ceiling, impressed with the amount of weight it could hold. Pulling a chair out from the table, he sat down facing the basement door as he finished his glass of milk. That door. It pulled his attention.
“You about ready there Tom?” he yelled out
No response
Ben got up and headed over to the hallway leading to the room Tom was recovering in. Hearing the shower, he knew it would be a while before Tom was ready. Retracing his footsteps back into the kitchen he walked over and placed his hand on the doorknob to the basement. It was eerily quiet in the house when no one was home. Like the house was breathing. Like the house was watching his every move. Gently turning the handle, he waiting before tugging the door open.
Damn it, he muttered under his breath
The door had a stick to it and made way more noise than Ben had anticipated trying to get it to open. Almost like it intentionally wanted the noise, Ben thought spooking himself
Stop it you idiot, Ben swore to himself.
Peering inside, Ben flipped the light switch and watched as it slightly illumined the steps going down.
How the hell does someone not kill themselves with this mess, Ben thought
Peeking his head back up and around the corner, he could still hear the shower. Taking a step in, Ben slowly went down the stairs. One thing that always scared him as a boy was stairs with no back on them. Emma’s stairs opened up into a dark room behind the stairwell that was hidden by the lack of lighting. Ben had to convince himself he was an adult and no longer believed in the boogie man but it was hard. Every hair on his body was at attention!
Damnit man, you were just down here not that long ago! Ben said to himself
It was like the house whispered back to him, “But you weren’t all alone then”
Ben had enough. This was just too much even for him. Turning, he started back up the stairs as he broke into a cold sweat.
One at a time, he kept telling himself but peering into the darkness behind the treads brought back to many nightmares as a kid. Night after night he would dream about hands coming out and grabbing his legs, pulling him behind the stringers.
Jesus he needed to get out of here fast!
Hitting the top step he catapulted himself out of the stairwell and back into the kitchen just as Tom came around the corner.
“Dios, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!” Tom exclaimed
“I, eh. I heard something” Ben started pointing towards the steps
“It’s ok man, its scary down there and I live here.” Tom replied
“Ya, I need a beer.” Ben gasped
“Let me lock up and let’s head out”
“Lock up?” Ben chuckled “From what? Come on, break a rule! Hell, leave the back door wide open! Be a rebel!”
Tom looked at the man and chalked his odd behavior up to whatever happened in the basement but grabbed his keys and a jacket just in case. Ushering Ben out the door first, Tom twisted the lock and pulled the door shut behind him after he gave a quick scribble to some paper on the board by the door. Hopping into the jeep that Ben was driving, Tom tossed his jacket in the back and buckled himself in. Ben just shook his head “Man you got to loosen up.” Reaching into the cooler in the back seat, he tossed a Miller High Life into Tom’s lap. “Don’t open that this direction. Point it out that way” Ben said shoving a finger passed Tom’s face. Ben grabbed two more, opened the first and downed it in what seemed like one long gulp to Tom. Tossing the can into Tom’s yard, he popped open the second and can and took a swig before he started the jeep.
Settling back, Tom opened the can and drank the cold beverage. He had to take several large gulps just to get the beer far enough down in the can that every time Ben hit a hole, it didn’t come sloshing back out. After a while he opened another and handed one off to Ben. It’s not like they had to worry about traffic as the jeep that Ben had gotten from his military friends was about the only working vehicle in the collective six counties.
Before he realized it, Tom had lost track of where they were going and was just enjoying the ride. Ben had jerry-rigged a disc player into the jeep and had some kind of rap music blaring from the speakers dangling from under the front dash. Tom didn’t particularly care for rap but between the effects of the alcohol and his new found freedom, he was getting into the hard bass it was known for.
Ben drove off the main road and into a field, taking a dirt path that ran between the field and some woods. Not really caring, Tom reached into the back for another beer and almost took a nose dive out of his seat when Ben hit a dirt mound. Laughing, Tom unhooked his seatbelt and decided to stand up, holding onto the top of the windshield for the rest of their journey. Ben slid the jeep a little too close to the woods and a branch snapped Tom across the cheek leaving a nice gash but Tom was so far gone he didn’t even feel it. He was having too much fun trying to hang on, drink his beer and holler at the top of his lungs.
Ben chuckled to himself “Looks like Tom is ready to have some fun!” he yelled
“Damn right!” Tom yelled back
Coming up over the next knoll, Tom noticed the bonfire in the distance. Pointing, Ben motioned that that was where they were headed.
Pulling up, Tom was yelling hello to everyone there, barely hanging inside the jeep. Ben stopped the jeep and got out waking over to a couple of the guys who were watching Tom with great interest.
“Wasted?” one asked
“Didn’t take much.” Ben replied
“Jesus, this should be fun.” The other guy replied
“That’s why we are here!” Ben exclaimed as he slapped the guy across the shoulder.
“You guys ready to party?” Ben screamed into the night as an array of whoops and hell ya’s rang out in the darkness
“Let’s ride” Ben yelled pointing at the vehicles. By this time, Tom was so intoxicated he was pissing off the side of the jeep without a care in the world.
Pulling up to the house, they did not bother to be silent. They were so far out that no one would hear them, and who would stop them anyways, they were the law after all! Ben kept Tom back a bit as he let the other boys go on ahead first. He took care of his men. No one would ever say he took first dibs. Loading Tom up with some whisky, Ben started talking to Tom about doing the deed. Teaching the women a lesson. Who was the boss? Ben started talking to Tom about the tits on the whore down at the pub and how he would like to lay into her like a bull ready to ride. Tom hadn’t felt like a man in quite a while and a combination of his now hard penis and the effects of the alcohol had him wanting to pound the neighbor’s dog let alone any nearby female.
It was time. Ben took him into the house and watched his face as Tom realized what was going on. The woman had been stripped down, her breasts now bruised and bloody from all the rough fondling Ben’s men had been subjecting them to. She lay flat on the table, her face turned away from where Ben and Tom stood. Two men stood on each side of her, each holding one of her legs wide enough out that another man could stand in between them. Tom’s dick grew harder as h
e watched a guy pound into the woman. Over and over he relieved himself in her until he was done.
“Go at it son” Ben said shoving Tom in the direction of the hostage. “Looks like she’s waiting for you. I won’t tell Emma. I doubt if she would approve. Come and get me when you’re done.” Ben said as he walked off towards the kitchen.
There wasn’t anyone else there. No one was there to hear her screams. No one was there to pick her up after they were done with her. They left her discarded like a bag of empty chips. No one was there who cared. The demons danced around the bonfire that night, stealing souls and devouring lives.
“Load ‘em up boys!” Ben yelled “Let’s get on out of here.”
“No evidence Tom.” Ben said as he handed the gun off to the other man. “No evidence.” Tom repeated as he aimed the firearm at the lifeless body of the unrecognizable female. “Consider this your initiation into our little group, Tom. You man enough to handle this or do you need to get Emma’s permission?” Ben chided. Pulling the trigger back, he destroyed her face with one shot. The adrenaline rush that Tom felt was exhilarating. It wouldn’t be his last if left unchecked.
Walking outside, Ben had Tom get back into the jeep. Taking a gas can from the back, Ben set the house on fire in multiple places. Climbing back into the jeep, he gave Tom a rough shake “Proud of you man. You got what it takes to play with the big boys. You’re welcome to ride with us anytime.”
“What now?” Tom asked thrusting his chin in the direction of the burning house.
“I think there’s a new deputy in town. Let her clean up this mess.” Ben said as he cranked the jeep. Starting off down the drive, the burning house behind them, Ben reached into the back seat for another beer. Picking up the long forgotten jacket, he tossed it into the air and watched in the mirror as it caught the waves of dust as they drove away. “Beer?” he asked handing one to his new accomplice as he drove to dump him off at Emma’s.
53
She heard him stumble into the house. Dixon was on alert, being the first one to hear the vehicle coming up the drive. Emma paused in the shadows, Mossy nearby if she needed her trusty five-hundred. For now, Emma just wanted to see who exactly was visiting her farm in the middle of the night, especially since her husband had not come home yet. While he had left a note that he would be back later, there was no additional information about where he had gone. Patience was not one of Emma’s stronger virtues and while she had no reason to not trust her husband, it was an odd place to be in within her marriage when her betrothed had no recollection of their union.
