by R. Gualtieri
Bloody gore dripped down the ruined wooden post, and his head gave one final twitch as if to acknowledge his fate, but it was obvious that he was no longer a threat. The bastard had claimed his last Sarah.
Danni allowed herself a momentary reprieve, but no more. Stopping to think about what had almost happened threatened to bring with it tears. If she started crying now, she knew it wouldn’t stop for a good long time, and she couldn’t risk that. Adam Lesterfield had ordered his family to leave them alone so as to give him time to violate her at his leisure, but she knew she’d be a fool to test how long they’d wait before checking on him.
And once that happened, then what? Locked or not, they’d eventually break down the door and seek revenge for their fallen leader. But she’d also seen the lust in their eyes. There was no way they’d grant her an easy death, not before they...
No! She was far from out of danger, far from being free. Sitting there and waiting, ruminating over what had almost happened, would only make things worse.
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, she worked her legs out from beneath Adam’s bulk until she was finally freed. She got to her feet and looked down at him, partially to make sure he wasn’t playing possum. But he wasn’t. His body had ceased its post-mortem spasms and lay still. With the exception of the blood and the strange angle his head lay at, he could have been deep asleep, but she knew better. In a few hours, rigor mortis would set in, but she needed to be elsewhere long before that happened.
Danni didn’t have much time to spare, but she took a moment nevertheless to spit upon Adam’s corpse – if not for her, then for all of the girls who hadn’t been so lucky. There was no telling how many had come before her. Between unreported disappearances and those who wouldn’t be missed, perhaps it would never be known, but it was enough for her that this bastard would claim no more.
Her one small indulgence finished, she put the keys on the dresser so as to not lose them, then set about finding anything in the room that she could use to aid in her escape.
CHAPTER 31
Come on! Move it. Go grab a bite to eat. Take a piss. Do something!
Danni knew she couldn’t afford to sit and wait. She’d already gotten far luckier than she had any right to.
She hadn’t wasted any time in looting Adam’s room. Though he was far larger than she, she’d manage to cobble together a soiled t-shirt and pair of shorts that she was able to cinch up enough to keep from falling off her lean frame. Wearing his shoes was out of the question, but she’d put on a triple layer of old socks so as to protect her feet from any sharp rocks on the ground.
Clothed as best as she was going to get, she’d nearly left before giving the room one final sweep. Though she didn’t want to get anywhere near his body, she forced herself to look under the bed ... keeping as far away from him as she could. Despite him being unquestionably dead, she couldn’t shake the irrational fear that he’d pop back to life and continue what she’d only barely managed to stop the first time.
Biting down her fear had paid off better than she could have ever hoped. Far back against the wall she’d spotted a long plastic case, lying in the blood still dripping from Adam’s ruined eye socket. Not wanting to, but knowing she needed to, Danni had scooted under the bed as quickly as she could and retrieved it.
Though the case was locked, its key was among those on the dresser. Danni had almost wept with joy when she’d opened it and discovered a gleaming Remington 12 gauge shotgun, along with several shells full of buckshot. As leader of the clan, he was no doubt allowed his pick of the spoils, and this was one treasure she was happy he’d hoarded.
It was that discovery which had finally emboldened her to unlock the door and venture forth. Though she didn’t fool herself into thinking she had enough weaponry to fight her way out if need be, feeling anything other than helpless was enough by itself.
Danni briefly considered making her way back to the cells to free Sophie and anyone else she might have missed, but ruefully dismissed the idea. There was no telling if she could even find her way back, not to mention whether they were in any condition to make a run for it. Though Danni hated herself for doing so, she concluded that their best bet for rescue was her leading the rest of the team back here, preferably with plenty of reinforcements.
Her mind made up, she’d relocked the door behind her so as to hopefully buy as much time as possible, then moved quietly and purposely while sticking to the shadows – something not entirely difficult in the dank passageways.
Danni continued forward, turning randomly down hallways and backtracking when she came to any rubble-strewn dead ends. A few times she passed rooms occupied by others of the Lesterfield clan, but managed to slip by unseen. At last, just as she was beginning to conclude she was hopelessly lost and would likely never find her way out, she found a set of stairs leading up. Hoping that she wasn’t going to strand herself on a rooftop, she decided to take them.
At the top she found what she’d been hoping for. She emerged into a room with actual windows, although the glass appeared to be long gone. From the look of things, she was on the second floor of the structure and it was nighttime, the thick vegetation beyond the windows dark and foreboding. Thanks to the aged masonry of the outside wall, it was a minor matter for her to find enough handholds to climb to the ground some fifteen feet below.
It was there, outside and with freedom practically beckoning, that she finally found her way blocked.
The building, an old factory perhaps, was surrounded by a fence. Old as the rest of this place appeared, the fence itself had been greatly fortified with rusted rebar, wood, and barbed wire. Rather than risk injury by trying to climb over, she explored further, hoping to find a gate leading out.
That’s when she spied the light from up ahead – a lone lantern hanging above an opening in the fence. Unfortunately, standing between her and freedom, bathed in the light of the lamp, was another of those malformed bastards.
It was too good of an opportunity to disregard, though, so Danni quietly crept forward as far as she dared.
The man standing in the exit was armed, that much was obvious. The closer she got, the more details she was able to make out. Though she couldn’t be certain from her vantage point, he looked familiar, likely one of the trio who’d taunted her when she’d first woken up here ... Nathanial, if she recalled correctly. For all of his big talk earlier, he’d apparently drawn nothing more prestigious than guard duty.
Danni had hoped to wait him out. Certainly fatigue, hunger, or boredom would take its toll, leaving her with an opening. But it hadn’t. In her fear, she was certain she was over-exaggerating the amount of time that had passed, but it seemed an eternity in which he did nothing but stand near the opening, facing out toward the dark forest beyond. The only hint of movement from him was the occasional turn of his head as he surveyed the tree line.
Sadly, she had no frame of reference for how long Adam typically kept his victims locked up with him, but realized it was best to err on the side of caution – to assume that, even now, his family members might be breaking down the door to investigate the terrible silence within.
Danni made to move from her hiding spot, but then hesitated. If she was wrong, she could potentially give herself away.
There was also the problem of what to do once she was out. She knew from firsthand experience that these monsters had booby-trapped the surrounding woods. No matter which direction she headed, she would need to keep it slow. She’d stepped into that snare while she’d still had her flashlight on her. In the dark, she’d need to be that much more cautious.
Danni looked up at the sky. The view above was obscured by trees, but it was better than it would be once she was outside the fence. She located the North Star and got her bearings. She knew their base camp had been west of Shilough but had no idea how far off course she’d been taken after being captured. However, it seemed logical to head east. Eventually she had to come across so
mething – a road if she was lucky.
Shilough itself was another potential issue. Ezekiel was from there. It was more than possible some of the other Lesterfields, the less grotesque among them, lived there, too. Even if she made it, she’d have to keep moving rather than risk knocking on the wrong door.
Danni silently cursed at her continued inaction. She knew what she was doing, trying to think through every possible scenario in the hopes of staying in her small hiding spot a few moments longer. But her current safety was nothing more than a ruse, a temporary balm. So long as she stayed where she was, she wasn’t truly safe, and neither were any of the women left inside.
Bracing herself, she stepped from her cover and took a quick look around. There was no one in sight other than Nathanial, not that she could see very far. It was a risk she would have to take.
Though fear made her want to bolt, she’d been trained better than that. Holding the image of her brother in her mind, she crept up behind Nathanial until she was standing just outside the circle of light the oil lantern was throwing off. She was certain she hadn’t made any noise in her approach, but he somehow picked that moment to turn around.
Surprise registered in his eyes as he spied not only her but the shotgun she was pointing his way. He threw a quick glance down at his own gun, an old rifle hanging from his right hand.
“Don’t try it,” she warned.
“Hello, Sarah.” He grinned, revealing blackened teeth. “What are you doing out here at night? It isn’t safe.”
“You assholes have a strange idea of safe. Now drop that gun and step aside and maybe I’ll let you live.”
“I can’t do that, girl. It would be a sin to let you walk out on your God-given husband.”
“God didn’t give me a husband, you bastards did. And you’re not going to get a second warning.” She’d loaded the gun before leaving and had a slug already in the chamber.
“Women should not touch their husband’s belongings without permission,” he said, continuing to smile. “A little lady like you is liable to hurt herself with a big, nasty old gun like that. Why don’t you hand it over?”
She ignored him, focusing on his hands and eyes – the former in case he tried to raise his weapon, the latter as it would tell her if reinforcements were coming up behind her.
“I knew Adam should have made you my wife. Ezekiel is too soft from living in that town. Me, I’d learn you some manners real quick.” The grin widened.
Danni realized he was stalling for time. Every second he stole from her was another in which those inside might realize their leader was lying dead in his room. She tightened her finger on the trigger.
“Ain’t gonna work, dear Sarah.”
“And why’s that?”
“You left the safety on.”
You’ve gotta be kidding me. That was his trump card? Did he actually expect her to fall for such a pathetic ruse?
When she didn’t blink, the smile fell off his face, replaced with an ugly snarl. He quickly raised his gun in the hopes of calling what he no doubt thought was a bluff.
It wasn’t.
Danni let out a breath and squeezed the trigger, the thunderous report shattering the silence of the compound. Nathanial’s chest blew apart in a shower of blood and grizzle.
There was no time for regret that she’d just gunned down a man in cold blood. That would have to wait for later. There was absolutely no chance that blast hadn’t been heard by the others.
Steeling herself, Danni strode forward to where Nathanial lay in the grass. He wasn’t dead yet, but his respiration came in broken, choked wheezes and his eyes were already glazing over. There was nothing that could be done for him. It was only a matter of time.
She quickly checked him for a sidearm. Then, not finding one, she picked up his discarded weapon. It was a battered single-shot rifle. Not the best she could have hoped for, but she grabbed it anyway.
It was one less gun to use against her.
Danni briefly considered taking the lantern, but as much comfort as its light would give, it would also serve to let her enemies pinpoint her all that quicker.
She grabbed it off the hook, stepped through the gate, and then threw it onto the ground, where it shattered and ignited the grass beneath.
It wouldn’t slow them down for long, if at all, but every second counted, and she’d already wasted enough of those.
The pitch black forest of the Pine Barrens lay in front of her. After a moment, she strode forward into it, praying that luck remained on her side for a little bit longer.
CHAPTER 32
“We should have brought the ATVs.”
“There wasn’t time,” Derek said, already breathing hard. “Besides ... it’s a nice night for a walk.”
“Ow!”
Derek turned back to find that Arthur had stumbled over something. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied, looking more embarrassed than hurt.
Derek had been tempted to order him to stay behind and guard the SUV, but he didn’t like the idea of leaving the kid alone, even at the edge of these woods. That, and he wouldn’t have put it past him to follow anyway and end up hopelessly lost or worse.
“Any chance we can turn these things to, y’know, normal light?” Arthur asked, pointing to the red beam of his head lamp. “I can’t see shit.”
“Sorry,” Mitchell replied. “The red won’t screw up our night vision, which, trust me, we’re going to need if the shit hits the fan. Also, anything brighter is going to make us way too easy to spot out here.” He turned to Derek. “Is it safe to say we don’t want that?”
“Been there once. It didn’t work out too well.”
Julia stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find them.”
He nodded. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be offering you comfort.”
“I think we could all use some. How are you holding up?”
“I’ll make do. Mitch has some pretty powerful voodoo in that pack of his.”
“Just don’t go putting the lime in the coconut,” the medic replied with a huff. “Mixing cocktails might not be a great idea in your condition.”
“Noted.”
Derek checked his GPS. They still had a ways to go before they reached where he guessed the Lesterfields’ territory to be, but there was no point in being sloppy. They were up against a foe who knew these woods much better than they did and who didn’t have any moral compunctions against defending it. That alone made them dangerous.
Fortunately, that door swung both ways. Due to the nature of their work, they had access to high-powered weaponry designed to take down nearly any terrestrial foe they encountered. “All the party favors one needs for a rainy day,” Francis had once declared.
It sure is pouring now, buddy, Derek thought. When we find you, I owe you far more than just a drink.
Well-armed didn’t mean much if they were stupid about it, though. Case in point: the Mossberg 12 gauge they’d handed to Arthur. Mitch was walking with the kid, making sure he didn’t open fire at any shadows. Even though they’d double-checked that the chamber was empty prior to setting out, Derek didn’t allow himself to relax. Panic could easily lead to friendly fire.
The real problem was the Jersey Devil and the men who’d come to its rescue. He’d tried his best to prepare Julia and Arthur for what lay ahead, but telling and seeing were two different things. That knowledge frightened him almost as much as what they were hunting.
♦ ♦ ♦
“They’re not here.”
“I can see that,” Eric said from the passenger seat. “Park anyway.”
“But...”
“These guys aren’t idiots. I didn’t expect them to come back to the exact same spot. They’re probably out there somewhere, parked on the side of the road just far enough back to not be seen.”
“So what do we do?”
“You two get your shit in gea
r while I see how close Hopper and the others are with those ATVs.”
Eric stepped out of the car and slammed the door. Chris Hopper owned a pickup with a trailer hitch. Though it wasn’t an official vehicle, Eric had instructed him to stop by the campus and pick up Jenner’s ATVs. He figured they might as well use them to their advantage since they’d been left behind. There were only two, but it would give them a chance to cover more ground faster.
He checked the GPS on his phone. Eric knew where Jenner’s base camp had been and had a general idea of the direction he’d gone when whatever fuckery had befallen his people.
That story about mutated inbreds living deep in the Pine Barrens still struck him as nothing more than bullshit, but he had to admit Jenner’s actions didn’t fit Yarlberg’s theory about friendly fire. If the guy knew his friends were dead, why bother with this charade? For that matter, why drag two civilians – one of whom was a loud-mouthed reporter – into it?
Was it possible they were both in league, trying to discredit his boss out of petty spite? But then what about that college kid? He’d come across as merely a nerd, not some hippie on a quest for eco-justice.
Maybe Jenner and that reporter are planning for him to have an accident, too.
The thing was, he didn’t buy that either.
Eric shook his head and looked down at his cell phone. Ultimately it wasn’t his concern. For all he knew, they’d simply gone out into the woods to fuck beneath the stars. All that mattered was making sure his boss stayed happy. Anything else was of secondary importance.
He glanced at the dark street around him, noting lights coming on in the few houses in sight. No doubt the occupants were curious as to who was parking in their shit-water town after dark.
Take a picture, assholes. It lasts longer.
He dialed Hopper’s number without a second thought on the subject.
“Hey, it’s Eric. How far out are you guys?”
♦ ♦ ♦
Danni liked neither the pace she kept nor the noise she made as she walked, sweeping the barrel of Nathanial’s rifle ahead of her as if she were blind and it was a walking cane. But it was better than stumbling into any hidden traps.
