No Service

by Susan Luciano

  She tried to remember where it would probably do the least damage. Where did Chris say the worst wounds of the ER were from? Where had the fatal blow been dealt to the people that had died on the table before him? A deep skin wound would do the trick.

  Steph’s grip was like a vice. It was close to smashing and breaking fingers for the both of them.

  Kevin ran his tongue over his lips, wetting them while he watched. Jess gripped the knife out of the view of Steph. She wasn’t surprised if years of therapy in her future if she made it out. The way that Kevin watched her, she wasn’t too certain she’d survive the night anymore.

  With the knife firmly held in her hand, she struck. The blade shredded into Steph’s skin grazing over the surface of Steph’s ribs. Jess closed her eyes, but didn’t let go with either hand for even a second. Steph convulsed under her for just a moment, then went silent. Jess was terrified that she’d killed Steph. Two deaths on her hands in one day.

  She let out a guttural howl at the sky. Her body couldn’t manage to audibly recreate the devastation she felt. She was a monster, a murderer of innocents. Again she cried out and then rested her head on Steph’s chest and sobbed one long loud sound.

  She heard Chris yell to her. He shouted her name over and over, but her heart was mutilated by her monstrosity and she just wanted to cry to herself for a while. Rough hands were on her shoulders dragging her back before she could react and fight them off.

  “Let go of her!” Chris screamed. He strained against the duct tape, biting at it frantically. He’d already been making progress on it, but it hadn’t been loosened enough her could get free.

  Kevin held Jess from behind, her arms pinned at her side as his her wrapped his own around her like a bear hug. Jess struggled and swore, but his hold was like iron. Finally, a single backward kick got lucky. Kevin let out a growl and dropped her. Jess scrambled forward and picked up the ax from where it leaned.

  Kevin lunged at her and she swung it. She missed and he positioned himself like a football player ready for the tackle. She swung again and once the blade passed him, he lunged at her again. Latching onto her around the middle, he drove her back into a tree. Her back slammed with such force the wind was knocked out of her, but she kept her hands wrapped around the handle.

  Kevin pulled her forward to slam her again and she brought the end of the handle down on the nape of his neck. He didn’t let go and she hit him again. He let go to grab frantically at the ax. The two of them struggled for it, locked in a face-to-face battle. He was stronger and was definitely gaining the advantage.

  She kicked him in the shin as hard as she could. Her hiking boots gouged his skin through his pants. She repeated her vicious attack again and again. His grip slipped enough that she threw the ax out of his hands. They both watched as it fell headfirst into the fire. There was a pause as they stared each other down, then they both bolted toward the weapon.

  Jess took a flying leap and landed on her chest, grabbing the handle. Kevin jerked her back by the legs at the same time. A flurry of sparks shot out as the ax knocked over logs. Jess swung upward. The angle was terrible and she missed again.

  Chris was chewing away at his wrists, the tape was nearly completely weakened. His teeth were mucked up with adhesive and fibers. He didn’t dare glance at the fight going on nearby as he remained focused on his task.

  Jess kicked wildly hoping to get in another fortuitous blow, but Kevin dropped her legs and pounced on her. He pinned the handle between the two of them, his full weight on top of her. She squirmed and tried to shake him off, but he was too heavy and the weapon prevented her from turning too far to one side or the other.

  Kevin put his hands around her neck and started to crush with as much force as he could. The compression was unbearable. He shook her as he choked her. Not hard because he was still keeping her pinned down, but enough to make stars burst before her eyes. Jess slid the handle with one hand bringing the blade in between their chests. The heat of the scorched metal burned into each of them.

  She couldn’t get her right hand out of the way and it ate into the side of her palm quickly blistering the skin. The scalding hot head seared through her shirt sleeve and she felt the flesh cook on her upper arm. Kevin leaned back, a dark patch burnt into the front of his red shirt near the neck.

  He wrenched the ax from her hands as she focused on the burning pain. With a single sideways swing, Jess heard the ax hit something. Looking up, she shrieked so loudly she hurt her own ears. Chris looked down at the growing red seeping from around the silver blade lodged in his chest. He put his fingers up and touched it for a moment before collapsing. Kevin gave a triumphant smile. Distracted with pleasure, he lost the weapon back to the enraged woman pinned under him.

  With a forceful, hateful swing upward, she attacked.

  The blade carved through the air with ease and when it met flesh, it slowed only for a second. Kevin gurgled and fell back off of her to a sitting position on the ground. He pressed his hands against his throat. Blood trickled from under his hands.

  Pushing Kevin off herself as he clutched at his wound, she ran to Chris.

  “Run!” Chris groaned.

  She bounded through the forest, blind and clumsy. The ax head collided with a tree and she dropped it into the darkness. Her arms were outstretched in front of her, protecting her from smacking herself across the face with a branch or speed-walking straight into a trunk. The darkness made it impossible to figure out where she was going.

  Jess at least felt the reassurance that she generally knew which way the lake was. A moving light behind her caused her to turn and look back.

  Barging through the forest his figure illuminated by the fire behind, Kevin was gaining on her.

  She dashed as fast as she could manage while tripping over things and stubbing their feet. It would only slow her down and cause even more pain to fall. It was barely faster than a brisk walking speed in regular daylight.

  Jess’s whole body ached and she wished the whole ordeal would be over soon.

  She perked up her head listening. It was faint, but it was there. The lake!

  She popped through the edge of the trees out onto the beach. There was an instant feeling of relief and the air was cooler. The grass beneath her feet was wet with dew and water spray. It was a magical sight after how long she’d been lost.

  Jess peeked over her shoulder and saw Kevin emerge, barely visible in the light from the distant lampposts. He seemed to pause for a second, too, taking in the cooler air and the less cramped conditions. Kevin suddenly turned toward her and broke into a sprint.

  She sped up, running as fast as her legs could carry her, but she was so broken and exhausted that soon she heard the footfalls growing close.

  She crossed over the boardwalk path of huge sandstone blocks laid flat in a long beautiful path of pink and grey marbling. In the dark, she couldn’t even see the coloring of the stones at all, but it was at least reliably flat as she pounded across it thankful she wouldn’t trip. The boardwalk butted up to a wall of enormous boulders that stretched out for about fifteen feet straight into the lake.

  In the dark, she didn’t dare try to traverse them. Even on the brightest, sunniest day, walking the rocks took a solid amount of coordination. The gaps in between were large enough that if she fell, she’d be trapped. Even if she didn’t fall all the way in, it was an easy way to break a leg or fall and snap her neck.

  She dashed along the boardwalk until she came to one of the stone piers. She could hear Kevin rampaging behind her, coming for her with his fearsome hatred ready to be released. She sprinted as quickly as she could. At the end of the pier was a coin-operated viewfinder. She used it to brace herself long enough to gauge the risk. The pier was surrounded by the same huge boulders as the shoreline.

  Chapter 7

  The black outline of the rocky barrier was barely visible in the slightly glimmering water reflecting back the barely visible starlight and the sliver of moon. She couldn’
t stay there and be positively slaughtered; that would be a stupid option.

  Crawling on her hands and knees, she edged out onto the stones, the water splashing up with each wave sending spray in her face. The lake was freshwater, but it smelled like algae and stung her eyes nonetheless. Carefully navigating one limb at a time, she stretched herself from one rock to the next.

  Kevin came up to the edge and stopped long enough to swear at her. She could hear him making his way toward her.

  Finally, she reached the edge of the water. The splashes from the waves were more vigorous this close up, sending a shower of water all over her. She climbed down onto a submerged stone and then jumped out into the black lake.

  The water came up over her head. It was disorienting, but she kept herself upright. The lake instantly froze her to the core. The water this far from shore was deep and had almost no warmth at all. Jess kicked and scooped until she surfaced. At first the motion pushed her up against the boulders, smashing her against them under the surface. She struggled against it and when it pulled back, she swam as hard as she could. The water surged against her again, but she’d gained enough distance that she didn’t make contact with anything hard. A few more seconds and she couldn’t feel the push and pull.

  Looking behind her, she couldn’t see much, but she knew Kevin was there somewhere.

  She began to stroke her way out into the darkness. It was endless black before her and to the sides. The only way to orient herself was looking back at shore where the streetlights sparkled on the surface. It was nerve-wracking to go that far into the lake with no lights and nothing to protect herself with. She was grateful she was such a good swimmer.

  A splash behind her announced Kevin’s presence. Jess floated quietly, hoping he couldn’t see her. If he couldn’t find her, he might just give up. The night air was still and the water lapped around her as she tried to calm her fluttering heart.

  Something latched onto her leg and her head was dragged under. She kicked and twisted, freeing herself, and then swimming as hard and fast as she could out into the dark she made another escape. Kevin surfaced nearby.

  “Get back here, bitch!” he shouted splashing toward her.

  Normally, Jess would elegantly split through the waves gliding along like a water spirit. It was her element and she was quicker and more skilled at zipping along with ease. Now she was barely managing to stay afloat. The waves along the surface were just large enough that she had to work to stay up.

  Kevin came at her again. She glided backward trying to maintain the distance.

  “Let’s just end this, huh?” he asked. He clearly thought he had the superior standing, but Jess knew she was the better swimmer.

  Jess decided she was happy to give him the grand finale he was looking for. When he came at her again, she raised an arm up and hit him across the face. Immediately they were tangled in a battle with each other, tearing at each other’s clothing and hair. Jess finally put her hands around his neck. He repeated the treatment for her and they each worked to choke the life out of the other.

  It was too hard to stay afloat while they fought and just before they submerged, Jess was able to get in a breath. Under the water, there was only the sensation of touch between them. He was trying to wring her neck with all he was worth, she kicked at him trying to knock the air out of him, hoping to land a firm enough blow to his stomach.

  Changing tactic, she moved her hands up to his face and pressed her thumbs into his eyes. His grip loosened a bit and she threw him off and surfaced. Her lungs screamed for air as she hit the air and took a fast breath. Kevin began to surface too and she jumped at him again.

  She moved on top of him, pressing her stomach into the top of his head. He had strength, but with buoyancy and speed, she knew she could use the water to her benefit. She could feel him under her kicking and his hands ripping at her shirt and skin, but each time they bobbed to the surface, she kept herself on positioned over him.

  His kicks became less frantic and soon bubbles came to the surface. Jess didn’t relent. She was going to make sure he didn’t come back up alive. There wasn’t going to be a chance of CPR working for him; she’d make sure of it.

  One minute. Two minutes. Three. Four. Five. Jess gripped his head and wrapped her legs around his back. Headlights came blazing down from the camp road. She let go and began to make her way back to shore.

  Two vehicles on shore came to a grinding halt while the rest drove on. Spotlights began to immediately shine up and down the shoreline frantically looking for her. She let go and let Kevin’s body floated up to the surface, face down. Swiftly, she doggy paddled toward land.

  She had a nasty fear in the back of her head that at any moment, a hand would reach out and grasp her ankle. Kevin’s corpse would snatch her and drag her into the depths. She knew that was the sort of thing that happened in movies, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. Casting a glance over her shoulder she tried to pinpoint him floating in the waves, but she couldn’t see anything with the glare of lights from the park. Third death on her hands in one day.

  The familiar push and pull of the water told her she was close to shore. Finding her feet, she stood up. As she touched down, she realized she’d lost a shoe somewhere out in the water. She felt a strange pang of annoyance.

  With one heavy wet step after another, she slogged her way onto a boulder. The water caressed her feet a few more times before she made it to totally dry land.

  “Ma’am?” a woman asked.

  Jess looked past the beam at a black woman in a tan uniform. The gleaming star on her chest said she was some sort of law enforcement. Jess gave a quick jerk of her head and then felt the world go out of focus.

  “Ma’am?”

  A hand was on her shoulder now trying to steady her. She put her hand on top of it, not wanting to pass out.

  “He’s out there,” Jess said. “I killed him.”

  “It’s okay, we’re going to take of this,” the woman said. The weight of everything crashed down on her and she could feel herself falling.

  Chapter 8

  Jess opened her eyes. It was so bright. Sunlight was streaming vividly through the slats of the blinds. The curtains were drawn back completely and the television was on although muted.

  Jess let her lids flutter as she adjusted to this new waking reality. It hadn’t been the forest after all, just some really awesome morphine in the hospital at night. She was glad she hadn’t had any nightmares, or at least not ones she could remember.

  Sitting next to her, bored and watching The Price is Right, sat Steph sipping a cheap hospital coffee. The side of her head was shaved and she had four or five stitches over her ear. Her forearms and face had little lines of scabs where the cuts had started to heal. A couple of hospital gowns tied up in opposite directions covered the rest of her. The contestant spun the big wheel and she watched intently as the numbers rotated around until it landed on the 35-cent space.

  “Hi,” Jess said quietly. It felt like her throat had been scrubbed with a toilet brush. Her voice was froggy and scratchy.

  Steph handed her a glass of water and she accepted it eagerly.

  “Morning.”

  Jess gulped down the water. She wasn’t necessarily thirsty, just generally dry feeling. Her fingers felt crackly and her lips were chapped. The water did little for her, but she hoped it would have an effect as it absorbed in. It felt nice to have something in her stomach.

  Steph took the empty glass from her. “The police were really impressed.”

  Jess shrugged as if it couldn’t possibly be a big deal. She had, after all, only offed two assholes before they killed her. Although she had---

  “Oh God, but what about Chris?”

  She wasn’t ready to feel such gut-wrenching pain again, but Jess felt the edges of her world beginning to collapse and turn into a black hole to suck her in. Jess covered her mouth and scrunched up her face as the tears escaped anyway.

  “Jess,” Steph said quietl
y. As Steph leaned forward, the hospital gowns gaped in the front and Jess saw the mass of bandages all over her chest.

  The tears would stop. Her anguish leaked out and she cried until she began to scream. The nurse rushed in and shooed Steph away. Jess thrashed and nearly tore out her IVs. A new drug was popped into one and after a few minutes Jess lay back quietly on the pillow and slept again.

  Chapter 9

  The smell of fire permeated the air as gulls cawed overhead. The surf washed in and out along the shore. The trees rustled with the breeze. Jess ran her hand over the still-healing scar down the front of her right calf. It was a craggy, ugly mess, but she still wore shorts and skirts leaving it uncovered and unhidden. A mark of survival.

  Rows of chairs sat in straight lines in front of her. Each seat held a reporter. Standing around the group were cameramen capturing all the angles. Jess took her place at the podium. The breeze blew her long dark hair into her face, but she brushed it away relishing the free feeling of the day.

  A female reporter in a navy power suit in the front row stood and held out a microphone in her direction. It began the onslaught of questions.

  A young man with a poorly knotted tie raised his hand first and Jess pointed to him. “What would you say is the most important thing for people to take away from this?”

  Jess watched the water turn white as it came in as a wave and crashed over itself on the shore. The beach was so close, yet so far. She lamented that she wouldn’t be able to swim until her injuries had all healed enough that there was little chance of bacterial infection from the water.

  The media stared at her quietly. A few digital cameras clicked away as their shutters captured her momentary trance.

  She turned back to them and smiled leaning onto the podium. “Live fearlessly when possible. We live in a world with so much fear and distrust, but honestly,” she said thoughtfully, “there’s not as much to be afraid of as everyone thinks. We can fight back.”