The Devil's Woods

by Brian Moreland

  “He didn’t love me. And who knows how many bloody times he was unfaithful?”

  “I know, but Eric has a lot of pride.” And a bad temper.

  She nodded. “Okay, hands off ’til we get back to Seattle. But as soon as I move out, you and I are going on a date.”

  “I won’t let you out of my sight.”

  Jessica waved goodbye. “I’ll just be in the next room fantasizing.”

  As she started to walk away, Kyle pulled her to him. “One last kiss.” He gave her one to think about until they returned home. Then they separated to opposite ends of the den. It was going to be damned hard keeping his hands off of her.

  His brother came out a few minutes later, wearing a fresh set of shorts and bandages. Eric remained shirtless as if showing off his battle scars. Kyle didn’t believe the mountain lion story, but he was happy to see his brother had made it back alive. Now all they had to do was find Shawna and they could get the hell away from this place.

  Kyle turned his attention back to the window. He thought he saw movement out in the woods. A shadow moved from one tree to the next.

  “Dad, there’s somebody out there!” He grabbed his rifle.

  Elkheart came to the window. “Where?”

  Kyle pointed. “Just past that…”

  The forest seemed to come alive as dozens of silhouettes sifted through the pines. Kyle’s heart seized as men carrying axes gathered at the edge of the burning torches. At the front of the crowd, wearing a suit and cowboy hat, stood Mayor Thorpe.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kyle felt Jessica behind him as they looked out the front windows. Outside, at least fifty loggers had gathered. More kept coming from the forest. They circled the cabin. Many held axes, crowbars and baseball bats. They remained just outside the burning torches, their faces cast in shadows.

  Eric backed to the center of the den. “Oh fuck, what do they want?”

  Elkheart said, “Madu, Scarpetti, go upstairs and wait for my signal.”

  The two soldiers hurried up the staircase.

  “You kids, stay inside.” Elkheart started for the door.

  Kyle grabbed his father’s arm. “Are you crazy? They’ll kill you.”

  “I’ve dealt with them before. They won’t cross the sacred fire. See?”

  Some of the lumberjacks tried to enter the ring of fire and jumped back as if hit by an electric current.

  “I’m going with you then.”

  “Fine,” Elkheart said. “But let me handle the talking.”

  Eric remained by the fireplace, clutching a log poker.

  Kyle’s and Jessica’s eyes met. “Go upstairs with the soldiers,” he said.

  “I don’t want you to go out there.” She touched his hand.

  “I can’t let Dad face them alone. Hurry upstairs. We’ll be back inside in a minute.” Gripping his rifle, Kyle stepped out onto the front porch and stood next to his father. Grandfather was there, too, praying and shaking his rattle.

  “Stay on the porch,” his dad said.

  Kyle’s heart beat wildly as he watched his father walk across the yard. He stopped twenty feet from the crowd. “Mayor, you know your people aren’t supposed to be trespassing.”

  “You’re one to talk, Mr. Elkheart,” Thorpe said in his thick Danish accent. “Your curiosity has put us all in a rather dangerous predicament. When Lord Father returns tomorrow, he won’t be happy about the bones you took.”

  Kyle tightened his grip on the rifle. He saw the ghost of Nina Whitefeather appear from the crowd. She walked along the circle of torches, watching the standoff.

  Elkheart squared off against the mayor. “You want your filthy bones back? You can have them. First, you bring back my daughter. And Amy too.”

  “Sorry, but they’ve already been spoken for. They belong with us now.”

  “You son of a bitch, if you don’t bring back those girls, I’ll burn Hagen’s Cove to the ground!”

  Mayor Thorpe raised his palms. “Calm down now. Let’s be civilized.”

  “The bones for the girls…that’s my final offer.”

  Thorpe grinned. “Oh, we’re not here for the bones, Mr. Elkheart. We want that woman you got in the cabin.”

  Kyle stepped forward and aimed his rifle at the crowd. “You stay the fuck away from her!”

  Elkheart said, “Son, lower the gun! We don’t want to escalate this.”

  Kyle lowered his rifle. His body shook with rage.

  Mayor Thorpe smiled in the glow of the torches, revealing sharp teeth. “Maybe we’ll take your young man too, for our females. He’s got vigor. They like that.”

  Elkheart said, “Son, go back to the porch.”

  Kyle backed away, keeping his eyes on the Thorpe clan.

  Their leader, dressed in his suit and cowboy hat and wearing a smug grin, crossed his arms. “Kyle, did you ever wonder why you were invited back? You can thank your father for that. Around here, when a Cree crosses our town, the sins of the father fall upon his children.”

  “You leave my kids out of this.”

  “We both know that isn’t possible.”

  “Mayor, you see that window up there?” Elkheart pointed. “Right now, my snipers have you in their scopes.”

  Two red laser beams stretched from second-story windows to Thorpe’s chest. The mayor growled, his eyes burning with white fire.

  Elkheart said, “Unless you want to die on Cree soil tonight, I’d suggest you take your clan and get the hell off our property.”

  “We need the woman, Mr. Elkheart. If you don’t give her over to us by dawn, then Lord Father is going to be full of wrath tomorrow. He’ll come for all of you. We’ll take that woman, one way or another. It’s up to you whether we take your sons, as well.” The mayor tipped his cowboy hat. “Something to think about.” He walked back into the forest. The loggers challenged Kyle and Elkheart with angry stares and then followed the mayor.

  Shaking with adrenaline, Kyle joined his father in the center of the yard.

  Several shadowy faces turned and looked back, their eyes blazing white dots. Then they all faded into the darkness.

  * * *

  Thunder rumbled in the distance. Flashes of lightning branched over the treetops as storm clouds began to darken the sky. Wind rattled the windowpanes.

  While Elkheart and his mercenaries conversed in heated whispers in the kitchen, Kyle sat with Jessica on the loveseat, holding her hands. After what they had just experienced, Kyle wasn’t about to let her out of his sight. She kept looking at him with horrified eyes. “Why me?” she whispered.

  He wanted to say something to ease her fears, but there were no words. He was more afraid of losing her than of being taken himself. He would fight to the death before allowing anyone to hurt Jessica.

  A loud commotion came from up in the loft. Eric cursed as he lugged three suitcases down the stairs and headed for the front door.

  His father stepped in front of him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Driving the hell out of here. If anyone else wants to go, now’s your chance. Jess, you coming?”

  She shook her head.

  Eric made a face as if she had just slapped him. “Suit yourself then.”

  “What about Shawna?” Kyle asked. “You’re just going to abandon her?”

  Eric said, “There’s nothing we can do for her sitting around here.”

  “We have to find her,” Kyle said.

  “Then go play Rambo,” Eric said. “I’ll drive to Calgary and tell the police. Let them come search for her.”

  Elkheart remained in front of the door. “You’re staying right here.”

  “The hell I am! Out of my way, old man.”

  Their father shoved Eric backward. “Listen, goddamn it! There’s one road out of here and they’ll have it blocked. If you drive off, you’ll be dead by morning or worse.”

  Eric’s face twisted. He looked like he might cry. His voice cracked. “I don’t want to die out here.”
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  “None of us do.” Elkheart took one of his suitcases. “This is the safest place.”

  “What do we do now?” Kyle asked.

  “The only thing we can do. Wait until dawn.”

  “We’ll be dead by then,” Eric said.

  “Listen, every one of you,” their father commanded. “Those things out there feed off fear. They can find your weaknesses and use them against you. If you believe in God, now would be a good time to start praying.”

  Jessica squeezed Kyle’s hands. He gazed into her eyes, knowing what she was thinking. This was going to be the longest night of their lives.

  * * *

  In the kitchen, Eric poured himself another glass of vodka. It burned his throat, but did nothing to stop his body from shaking. Peering into the den, he noticed Kyle and Jessica sitting close to one another. She was crying, and Kyle was stroking her hair and talking to her in whispers.

  What the fuck is this? Grabbing the Stoli bottle, Eric stepped into the den. Kyle and Jessica quickly moved apart.

  Eric sat down at the fireplace. A fire in the hearth burned behind him, heating his back. He took a swig from the bottle, staring at Kyle and Jessica on the loveseat. “You two sure have gotten chummy.”

  “She’s scared,” Kyle said. “I was just consoling her.”

  “Is that so? Because it sure looks like you’re moving in on my woman.”

  “How can you think about that right now?” Kyle asked.

  The logs in the hearth popped and crackled.

  “Tell me. Did you two fuck while I was gone?”

  Kyle glared. “That’s enough, Eric.”

  “I have a right to know if my brother’s been fucking my fiancée.”

  “Ex-fiancée,” Jessica said.

  “So you jumped into bed with my brother?”

  Kyle stood and took her hand. “Come on, let’s go to another room.”

  Eric followed them. “Man, was I an idiot to invite you two on this trip. Kyle, I’m not surprised that you would try to get into Jessica’s pants. But, Jessica, I had no idea that you were such a whore.”

  When Kyle wheeled around and decked him, Eric felt an explosion of pain as the fist struck his face. Next thing Eric knew, he was flat on his back with Kyle on his chest. They rolled on the floor, grappling with one another. Kyle’s forearm pressed down on Eric’s throat, cutting off his oxygen. His vision turned fuzzy.

  “Stop it!” Their father and Madu pulled them apart.

  Elkheart stood between them. “This is exactly what the shifters want. For us to turn on one another.”

  “We should just give them what they want,” Eric said, rubbing his throat. “They’re going to come back and take her anyway.”

  Kyle charged Eric again, but Madu held him back.

  Eric stood and picked up the Stoli bottle.

  Elkheart took it away from him. “We need you sober.”

  “This is all your fault,” Eric said to his father. “We’re going to die tonight because of you.”

  “I won’t let that happen. Come with us. Madu and I have a plan.”

  * * *

  Everyone but Grandfather and Scarpetti gathered down in the bomb shelter. With its steel doors and thick concrete walls, Kyle felt safer down here. His father unlocked a door to a second, smaller room. Inside was an arsenal of submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns and pistols. Enough weapons to arm a cult of religious fanatics, or in this case, defend themselves against one.

  “Jesus Christ,” Eric said.

  “Madu and I have been preparing for this for a long time. I didn’t plan for you two being here, but we could sure use your help.”

  Kyle picked up a sawed-off shotgun.

  “That’s good for close range,” his father said. “I’d also take one of these.” He pulled a black sniper rifle off the rack. “Just put the red laser on your target and fire.”

  Kyle aimed the rifle, placing a laser on the wall.

  “What are you planning to do?” Jessica asked.

  “We have to defend ourselves,” Elkheart said. “If Thorpe’s clan wants a war, we’ll give them one.” Kyle’s father had a crazed look in his eyes, like he was looking forward to a showdown.

  Eric backed away from the gun closet. “I don’t want any part of this.”

  Elkheart said, “You got two choices, son, fight or die. It’s time to man-up.”

  Eric’s face was a mask of panic. “Why don’t we just stay down here and lock ourselves in?”

  “They would just wait us out. Up top, we can shoot them before they reach the house.”

  Eric jabbed a finger at his father. “You’re nuts if you think a few guns are going to stop that many men.”

  “I know them better than you think. Before you boys were born, our tribe got into a feud with Thorpe’s clan, and after we killed a few of them, Thorpe backed off.”

  “Maybe Eric’s right,” Jessica said. “Maybe I should go with them. Then no one has to risk getting killed.”

  “No way,” Kyle said. “They’re not taking you anywhere. Dad, I want Jessica to stay down here where she’ll be safe.”

  “Good. The rest of us will load up guns and ammo and take turns standing watch. Are you in, boys?”

  Kyle and Eric nodded.

  “Madu, will you instruct them on how to kill the shifters?”

  The mercenary pulled out one of the demon skulls. “They are difficult to kill.” He knocked on the cranium. “Very thick, like a bear. Their bones deflect bullets. You have to shoot them through the eye or the heart.”

  “A gut shot won’t stop them,” Elkheart added. “These creatures heal amazingly fast. They won’t bleed to death. But they do have one major weakness. They hate fire. Their skin is highly flammable. That’s why I built this.” He pulled out a makeshift flamethrower. He slid the canister pack on his back and gripped the nozzle. “I call it ‘dragon’s breath’.” Elkheart grinned, an unlit cigar tucked at the corner of his mouth. “With this baby I can barbecue shifters from twenty feet away.”

  Their father went on to explain that the men would all stand watch for the next hour, then take two-hour shifts throughout the night so the others could sleep. As Elkheart, Madu and Eric left the shelter, Kyle hung back with Jessica. “Lock the door when I leave. It’s six inches of steel. Nothing’s getting in here unless you let it. Our code is three knocks.”

  “I want to fight alongside you,” she protested. “I grew up on a farm. I know how to shoot a gun.”

  He shook his head. “The mayor’s men want you. I couldn’t concentrate knowing you weren’t safe. I want you down here.”

  She nodded and put her arms around his waist. “Stay with me.”

  Kyle kissed her forehead. “I wish I could, but they need me up top. When my shift is over, I’ll come check on you.”

  She rested her head on his chest. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  He held her against him. “You’re not going to Paris by yourself.”

  * * *

  In the dark cabin, each man stood post near a window in different rooms. Kyle and Madu went upstairs, while Elkheart and Scarpetti remained in the den. Eric took the study, feeling safer that he could jump down into the underground tunnel if he needed to retreat. Holding a Glock pistol, Eric stared out the window. The porch lights and circle of burning torches provided plenty of light to see the perimeter.

  He tried to figure a way out of this nightmare. His old man was crazy if he thought he could take on this town. Four of their women had nearly kicked Eric’s ass earlier. Against fifty men, they wouldn’t last five minutes. Eric wasn’t about to go down with the rest of Elkheart’s group. He needed a plan. He considered sneaking out a window and running into the woods. Maybe he could hike his way past the roadblocks. But he had no clue how far it was between here and the Trans-Canada Highway. It could take days. He would need provisions, a bedroll, a flashlight and a compass. He couldn’t collect all that without Elkheart finding out. And what if Eric got lost ou
t there? These woods were full of bears, wolves and now demons… It was a bad plan.

  Eric shook his head, disbelieving the situation he was in. When Nadine, Celeste and the twins had attacked him earlier, he had sworn they had rufied his beer and he had hallucinated them turning into demons. This was all just a bad trip, he hoped. The drugs would wear off soon and he’d wake up to find that he had imagined this whole cult standoff.