The woman didn’t respond, just moaned to herself, one hand at her chest, the other working at her groin, moving in a circular motion along with her swirling bony hips.
Mr. Harrell’s face burned a bright red as he clasped the handles of Mrs. Harrell’s wheelchair and went for the door. “We’ll be back when the doctor arrives. You kids…b-be good.”
And then they were off down the hallway, their moans of need audible for a few seconds before disappearing completely. Jake stepped into the room, his massive forearms crossed over his chest. He took in a lungful of air then looked down at Paco with pursed lips.
“I smell it, kid.” Jake’s stare was hard.
We’re screwed.
“Smell…s-smell what?”
“Come on, man. You can’t fool me,” Jake said, but then he smiled and patted Paco on the shoulder. “But you don’t have to worry about it. I’m no hypocrite.” Then the large man pulled a small package from his pocket. The meat inside wiggled, made the cellophane crackle. Jake popped a piece into his mouth, sucked on it before swallowing it down. “I don’t know where you’re keeping it, but the smell is strong. You might want to hide it better, know what I mean?”
“Yeah…yeah, okay. I will.”
“Mmm hmm.” And Jake walked out of the room, one hand massaging his groin, the other slamming the door behind him.
Paco ran to Sophia’s bedside, wiped the sweat coating his brow. “Good job getting in the bed. I thought they were going to catch you for sure.”
She sat up, her intestines draped over her legs and staining the bed sheets. “When they knocked, I got scared and hid under the covers.”
Paco pulled the tape out from his pants, motioned for Sophia to stand. “Let me see if I can fix this up.”
As he worked, stuffing the tubes into her ruined stomach, he noted how much colder she felt, how much more potent her smell was getting. Once he got one layer of tape wrapped around her, the stink dissipated slightly, but he still held his breath as he worked. It looked like he only had enough tape for one more layer, and he could only hope it would hold.
“Paco?”
“Hmm.”
“Do you really think the doctor can help me?”
“Hope so…hold still.”
“Did you see the way they looked at me? Mr. and Mrs. Harrell?”
Paco wondered if the Harrells were catching on. Just being close to Sophia sent their addiction into overdrive, but he could only hope they were too intoxicated to put two and two together. “Yeah, I saw it. I don’t think we can stay here, Sophia. After the doctor looks at you, after he…fixes you, we need to leave. Go back home.”
“I love my bedroom,” she said. “I love all my new toys…but they scare me. The look in their eyes…it makes me want to hide.”
“They’re addicted, just like all the other people walking around on the streets. Mrs. Harrell especially. She looks more dead than alive.” The duct tape ran out and Paco stuffed the brown cardboard ring under the bed, made Sophia spin while he inspected his work. “That’s going to have to do. Does it feel okay?”
Sophia shrugged. “I can’t feel anything. I haven’t been able to feel anything since I ate that meat Papa brought home.”
“S-sorry. After you’re cured, it’ll just be me and you back home, where we should be. Sound good to you?”
“And Mrs. Addington too?”
“Sure.”
“Maybe the doctor will help me eat again. I sure wish I could have some of Mrs. Addington’s cobbler. I can still remember how yummy it was, even though I can’t get hungry anymore.”
Paco just pulled her in and hugged her, squeezed her tight. She hugged back, cooed softly as she pressed her cold face against his chest.
- Chapter 20 -
Calico buttoned his shirt as he swished the Listerine in his mouth. Beauty tugged on his pant leg, grunting and groaning as she peered up at him. He spat the blue liquid into the sink, wiped his mouth, smiled down at her.
“You look so pretty in your dress, baby girl.”
“Nnnngh…gnnhhhaanh…” She yanked on the fabric at her stomach, clawed at it, stomped her foot.
“Leave it alone, baby. Daddy’s sorry…but we have to.”
She hung her head, made a few more guttural sounds before shuffling out of the bathroom and onto the living room floor. Calico watched her as she lay on her back and rolled back and forth, hugging her doll to her chest.
Please let her be okay. Please don’t let anything bad happen to her.
When the knock came, Calico flinched, knocked over the ceramic cup that held his toothbrush. Beauty made a squealing sound and kicked her legs.
“It’s okay, baby girl. We’re going to be okay, Daddy promises.”
When he opened the door, Calico was happy to see only one of Fleet’s men. The tall lanky man, surely Bunny Rabbit, smiled and sucked on the toothpick that danced between his lips. “You ready?”
“Just you, huh? Where’s your backup?”
“Now why would I need backup? You planning something?”
The men stood there for what seemed like an eternity, then Bunny Rabbit chuckled. “Actually, they’re out there doing your job. But none of that matters. Get the girl and let’s get going.”
“It’s cool, man. Just never seen one of you boys alone before, always traveling in packs.” He patted the man on the arm, doing his best to seem pleasant, then went back in to fetch Beauty. “Come on, baby. Time to go.”
They moved down the hall, the cameras following them as usual. Calico held Beauty in his arms, squeezed her tight against himself. When they reached the metal security door, Bunny Rabbit slid a card through the slot and a small bulb lit up green, the door clicked and unlocked.
“You worked over that little fucker pretty good, huh?” Bunny Rabbit said as they moved their way down another hallway, past the movie sets.
“What?” Calico eyed the card as the man ran it through another slot and they went through another door. He made a note which pocket the guy put it into. The night was cool, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon.
“The drug dealer, the kid. I saw what you did to him, helped scatter the remains.” They cut through the parking lot, full of identical black SUVs. “I gotta say, man. I was impressed, inspired really.”
“I’m good at what I do. That’s why I was brought in.” Every time this man spoke, Calico was tempted to shove his arm down the fucker’s throat, pull his internal organs out through his mouth. But he kept it cool, kept himself calm. One more night, he told himself. One more night and I’ll either be dead or free. Beauty nuzzled against him and gurgled nonsensical sounds, and Calico kissed the top of her head. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—that’s what he kept telling himself at least. But he couldn’t stand for her to be captive with these people another fucking day.
“If it’s any consolation, I’m a fan. Of you, of your work. I think it’s fucked up how they got you trapped here, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to have you on my side.” He held up a set of keys, hit the clicker, then started walking toward the SUV that flashed its lights.
“Appreciate that. How far are we going?”
“Not far. The boss likes to stay close to his business, always has. Spends more time here than at home anyway.” Bunny Rabbit held the rear passenger door open for Calico and Beauty, eased it shut behind them.
As Calico strapped his daughter in, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was walking into a trap. He had no reason to trust Fleet or anything that came out of the man’s mouth. Something didn’t seem right here, and Calico prepared himself, stayed on the defensive.
“So, will you be joining us for dinner?” Calico said to Bunny Rabbit as the man slid into the driver’s seat and brought the SUV to life.
“I’ll just be standing by. You won’t even know I’m there,” he said as he fumbled with the radio dial. He landed on a talk radio station, some guy screaming about how badly the dead are treated. “Man, this
guy kills me. Actually thinks that dead people still have some of their former selves within them. Bunch of horse shit if you ask me.” His eyes went to the rearview mirror where he locked stares with Calico. He turned and faced the back seat. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean nothing by that. I don’t think before I talk sometimes.”
Calico held back his anger as best he could. “I don’t see how anyone could not think so. My daughter knows who I am, responds to my voice. She shows affection, plays with toys. How could anyone think the dead are just useless meat?”
“Look, man, I’m not trying to piss you off and end up in pieces all over town. I got a big mouth, and I’ll shut it.” He turned back around, put the car in gear, and started rolling out of the parking lot.
“I think the world is too fucking addicted to care anymore. All they can see is the meat, not the person. It’s fucking pathetic, and I’m ashamed to live in this era. That’s why I love what I do, because I get to watch the meatheads suffer, I get to inflict the punishment.”
The radio station changed to a classic rock station and Bunny Rabbit cleared his throat. “I hate meatheads too, man. I don’t see how anybody could put dead meat into their mouth. Fucking disgusting.”
“Yet you have no problem working for the man responsible for all this. A man that probably eats more dead meat than anyone in the city?”
A chuckle. “Fleet isn’t responsible. He’s got bosses too, man. He had Ted Fleet’s Dead Meats going for only a few years before he sold the company to some big time ballers up in New York City. They agreed to keep his name on the package, let him run shit in his own little corner of the country, but that’s it. I don’t know who they are, but the guys running the shit are powerful as hell.”
Calico marinated on that for a moment as he leaned back in his seat and patted Beauty’s leg. She scratched at her belly, but Calico took her little icy hand into his, squeezed it. Her dried-out eyes fell on him, and she bared her teeth into a grimacing smile.
So Fleet’s got bosses, huh? I should have known.
Calico had never left the city. Was born there, grew up there, and had no plans of leaving. But if his plan went accordingly and he got out of this night alive, he already knew he couldn’t stop there. He had to find the men responsible for this and erase them, no matter how long it took, no matter how powerful they were.
“Can I ask you something?” Bunny Rabbit said.
Calico balled his hands into fists and seriously contemplated just slitting this guy’s throat now, get it over with. But he didn’t know where the bossman lived, didn’t know who held the detonator to the bomb inside of Beauty’s head, so for the time being, Bunny Rabbit had a purpose.
“Can we just get to the fucking house, please? Not really in a chitchat kind of mood.”
“Awe, come on, man,” Bunny Rabbit said as his eyes jumped from the road to the rearview over and over. “Why don’t they let you carry a gun?”
Calico’s knife was out of its ankle-holster and twirling in his hand in a flash. “You really need an answer to that? Besides, I don’t need a gun. I’ve grown accustomed to the personal touch that comes with my knife, feeling my enemy’s flesh open slowly. Prolonging their suffering.”
“You know what? I think I’ll stop talking now.”
“Not a bad idea.”
The rest of the ride was pure silence besides the classic rock songs that played from the speakers and Beauty’s gurgling gibberish. When they finally pulled up to what could only be Fleet’s house, Calico’s stomach churned and his chest fluttered.
“Ghnaghu…” Beauty said as she scraped her blackened nails over her stomach.
Not long now, baby girl. This nightmare is almost over…one way or another.
- Chapter 21 -
Paco didn’t know how long they had been waiting, but the sun had gone down and silver moonlight spilled into Sophia’s bedroom like liquid metal through the window. The longer they waited, the more nervous he became, the more certain he was that all of this was a mistake.
If I would’ve known the Harrells were addicts, I would have never come here, would have never brought my sister to this place. I should have went with my gut and taken us both home.
He suddenly remembered the pistol in the bag in his bedroom, and he longed to have its reassuring presence in the room with them.
“Paco?” Sophia said from the seat in front of the vanity mirror. She stared at her reflection, running a brush through her wiry hair.
“Yeah?” Paco sat on the edge of her bed, his gaze pasted to the doorknob.
“Do you think they’ll eat me? I mean, if they find out I’m dead?”
Paco had already been thinking about that. The Harrells seemed to react to Sophia’s smell—they couldn’t be anywhere near her for more than a few minutes without running off to feed their need. If they found out Sophia was dead, if they found out they had a walking feast in their house, what would they do? And what about Jake? That man looked like he could eat Sophia whole and still be hungry for dessert.
“Let’s try not to think about it, okay? We’ll get you help and get the hell out of here.” Even as the words flew from his mouth, Paco didn’t know how easy it would be to pull it off. Would the Harrells even allow them to leave? After waiting for children for so long, Paco could imagine them locking the two of them into their bedrooms and keeping them as pets…forever.
What about the doctor? What if he’s an addict too?
Just as the thought popped into his head, there was a knock at the door. Paco jumped up, his stomach tingling so hard he nearly gagged. Sophia turned to face the door, still brushing her hair, but harder, her hand shaking.
“Kids?” Mr. Harrell’s voice. “I’ve got someone here that would like to see you.”
“Just relax, okay? This is why we came here, right? To get you help,” Paco said. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Sophia or himself.
She nodded, pulled clumps of hair from her scalp with every ferocious swipe of the brush.
Paco ran to her side, took the brush, and placed it on the dresser. He patted her back and smiled at her, but she didn’t return it. Her attention was burning a hole through the bedroom door.
And then the door opened.
“Hello, kids. I hear we’ve got a sick little girl in here?” The man was short and chubby, his gut jiggling as he made his way across the room.
Thank God.
Paco hadn’t seen a single overweight person since arriving to the city, and he could tell right away that the doctor was no addict. And the man had a friendly face, almost like a cartoon character: round and pink with big blue eyes and bushy eyebrows and a thin curled mustache underneath a pointy nose. Paco could tell he was Mrs. Addington’s brother, their facial features very similar, both with warm, kind faces.
But he got about midway to where Sophia sat, and his smile stretched itself straight, a perfect line across his face. His brow became a jumble of wrinkled skin and his stride slowed to an apprehensive walk.
“Are you her brother?” the man said, now standing just in front of Sophia and staring into her.
“Y-yes…Yes I am.” Paco calmed his shaking hands by squeezing Sophia’s shoulders. He wasn’t sure if Mr. Harrell had told the doctor that Mrs. Addington had sent them to see him, but before Paco could verify, the doctor raised his eyebrows and spoke.
“I can tell by her color and the stench in this room that she is dead.” He turned to Mr. Harrell whose face slackened at the news. “Since I’m a doctor for the living, I’m afraid there’s not a damn thing I can do. And I must say, I don’t appreciate being dragged out here for—”
“I’m not dead,” Sophia said. “I’m…I’m just sick. R-right, Paco?”
The doctor turned back to face her slowly, his mustache twitching and his eyes blinking in rapid bursts.
“Yeah, yeah that’s right. She’s just sick.” Paco stood up straighter. “Addie sent us to find you. She said she misses you.”
Mr. Harrell w
as beside the doctor now, staring at Sophia with a look of curiosity coated with hunger. He squinted as he glared at her. “She’s really…dead? But how…how could she—”
“Mr. Harrell, I’m going to need you to wait in the hallway if you don’t mind,” the doctor said. “I need to run a few tests, and with all due respect, I don’t work well with someone hovering over me.” He wiped a coating of sweat from his forehead, shot a look at Paco. “The boy can stay. I’ll have questions only he can answer.”
Mr. Harrell didn’t seem to hear the man as he continued to smother Sophia with his eyes. A string of drool oozed from his bottom lip, wiggled like a freshly plucked guitar string with every breath.
“Sir! Please…”
“Oh…yes. Of course. My apologies,” Mr. Harrell said as he wiped the saliva from his mouth. “I’ll be just outside, right on the other side of the door if you need me.”
The doctor nodded and kept his eyes on Mr. Harrell until he finally exited and shut the door behind him.
“How did she die?” the doctor said to Paco. “And how long ago did it happen?” He removed his coat and opened the leather bag he’d been clutching.
“I told you…she’s not—”
“Son, there is no need to lie to me. I’m here to help…the best I can. But I need the truth.” The man’s face was as pink as baked ham and he continued to drip sweat from his face as he rolled his sleeves up, pulled out a stethoscope from his bag. A strong scent of aftershave wafted off the man, along with a hint of armpit.
“It was four days ago. She ate some dead meat, but I think it was bad. Killed our parents too, but they’re not like her. They were just dead…” Paco didn’t even realize tears were running down his cheeks. He wiped them away as he watched the doctor press the stethoscope to Sophia’s chest.
“Bad meat, huh? Happens more and more…” He moved the metal disc of the stethoscope around a few times, stared at the wall as he listened. Then he picked up Sophia’s wrist, pressed two fingers to it, stared at the wall again. “She’s definitely dead. How do you feel, young lady?”
Addicted to the Dead Page 13
