Faint of Heart
Page 12
She dialed 911.
* * *
They decided that it was better to wait for the authorities to pinpoint the cell phone signal than to risk getting lost trying to drive out of the woods, or passing out at the wheel of a moving vehicle. So they sat against the wall, holding each other.
"Did you really get into a bar fight?" she asked.
"Scott did," Gary admitted. "It was really stupid. We chewed him out the entire way to the campsite." He chuckled then winced. "I hope I didn't puncture a lung."
"So Scott and Doug are both dead?"
Gary gave her a sad nod. "Yeah." He wiped at his eyes. "I had no idea what those psychos wanted. They asked me all kinds of questions about what we'd done that day but they didn't say why they needed to know. I kept waiting for them to kill me. I was just...I was completely freaking out the entire time. I can't believe you rescued me."
"And now you're never allowed to leave me again."
Gary kissed her cheek. "Never."
* * *
They saw the flashing lights of the ambulance, and then the cabin was filled with paramedics and police officers. They lifted Rebecca onto a stretcher, assuring her that she was going to be all right.
As two cops raised Stephen's mangled body, he opened his eyes and shrieked in pain.
"You bitch!" he said. He sounded like he was trying to shout but his voice wasn't working right. "I'll find you! I'll hunt you down, and..." He coughed up some blood, and then shrieked out again as the cops lifted him onto his own stretcher, none too gently. "I'll find you," he repeated, and then he succumbed to pathetic sobbing.
Rebecca looked him straight in the eye and smiled.
"You don't scare me."
The End
Other Books by Jeff Strand
A Bad Day For Voodoo. A young adult horror/comedy about why sticking pins in a voodoo doll of your history teacher isn't always the best idea.
Fangboy. A dark comedy fairy tale about the adventures of Nathan Pepper, who was born with a mouth full of sharp teeth.
Wolf Hunt. Two thugs for hire. One beautiful woman. And one vicious frickin' werewolf.
The Sinister Mr. Corpse. The feel-good zombie novel of the year.
Dweller. The story of a decades-long friendship between Toby and the monster that lives in the woods behind his home. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.
Benjamin's Parasite. A rather disgusting action/horror/comedy about why getting infected with a ghastly parasite is unpleasant.
Pressure. What if your best friend was a killer...and he wanted you to be just like him? Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.
Kutter. Charlie Stanlon is a reprehensible serial killer, a vicious beast who cares about nobody...until he finds an injured Boston Terrier in the park...
Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary). First in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Single White Psychopath Seeks Same. Second in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Casket For Sale (Only Used Once). Third in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley"). Fourth in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Suckers (with JA Konrath). Andrew Mayhem meets Harry McGlade. Which one will prove to be more incompetent?
Gleefully Macabre Tales. A collection of thirty-two demented tales. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Collection.
The Severed Nose. What would you do if you came home one evening and found a severed nose lying on a plate on your dining room table?
Disposal. Frank, a self-proclaimed scumbag, is hired to murder an old man...but the old bastard just won't DIE!!!
Elrod McBugle on the Loose. A comedy for kids (and adults who were warped as kids).
Out of Whack. A coming-of-age comedy about love, friendship, and the realization that trying to yank somebody's panties off in a passionate manner can only lead to wedgies.
How to Rescue a Dead Princess. A ridiculous spoof of fantasy novels. Lots and lots and lots of jokes, but I'm willing to admit that it perhaps tries a bit too hard.
The Haunted Forest Tour (with Jim Moore). The greatest theme park attraction in the world! Take a completely safe ride through an actual haunted forest! Just hope that your tram doesn't break down, because this forest is PACKED with monsters...
Draculas (with JA Konrath, Blake Crouch, and F. Paul Wilson). An outbreak of feral vampires in a secluded hospital. This one isn't much like Twilight.
For information on all of these books, visit Jeff Strand's more-or-less official website at http://www.jeffstrand.com