“Maybe adding that a car ran over your ass would be better.”
“Okay.”
“You can say you had the ice chest because you were carrying a lunch with you.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you being so cooperative?”
“I just want this to be over.”
“Just tell them anything, but leave me out of it.”
“Okay.”
Thirty minutes later I pulled over. “Get out.”
He started to climb out. “I can’t see anything.”
“You can take off the sack.” I went to the back of the truck and pulled out a bicycle, then put the kickstand down. I set the cooler next to it. He looked scared as he stood next to the bike. “Can I go?”
“Of course. But I have a question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“You interested in an internship? I need some help.”
He looked confused. “I…”
“Just fucking with you.” I laughed as I walked off. “Good luck with your dick.” He took off on the bike in the opposite direction, disappearing into the dark.
Wyatt was laughing. “Do you know what happened after that?”
“He was taken to the hospital when someone reported that a naked man was riding down the highway on a bicycle.”
“Were they able to sew his dick back on?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t work. And it probably didn’t help that I kept him unconscious an additional twenty-four hours.”
“Do you think he told the police what had happened?”
“Like I said earlier, he was deemed to have a mental-health disorder, so even if he did they wouldn’t have believed him.”
“What happened to Rodney?”
“A few months later I split his dick halves in half, just like I said I was going to do. A year after that I split the four sections in half.” Seth laughed. “It looks like he has an octopus hanging out of his crotch.”
Wyatt shook his head. “It looks? I take it he’s still alive?”
“Sure is.”
“Is he in your chamber?”
“No. After I cut off his limbs, tongue, blinded him and busted his ear drums, basically turning him into a human slug, I left him on the steps of this anti-death penalty organization.”
“Why did he get it so much worse than the other two? They were child molesters as well.”
“I know. I despise all sex offenders, but his crime was calculating. It’s bad enough when a pervert harms their own children, but this bastard set out to kidnap and sexually assault someone’s child. He’s the absolute worst kind of predator.”
“You’re right. I hope he suffered.”
“Immensely.”
“Good.” Wyatt noticed the bright lights of Dallas were tranquil. “This is the first time I’ve been here. Can we stop to get something to eat?”
“We need to get gas. You can grab a bag of chips or something.”
Wyatt pointed. “Take the next exit. The sign says there’s a gas station with a Taco Bell.”
Seth pulled onto the access road. “I need you to hide in the floorboard while I get gas.”
“What about Taco Bell?”
“Fuck Taco Bell. We can’t take a chance being seen together.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”
“Go ahead and get down.”
Wyatt was sitting on the floorboard on his side when Seth pulled up to a pump. “Hurry up. This is uncomfortable.”
“It shouldn’t take long.” A few minutes later Seth got in. “Slight change of plans.”
“What’s going on?”
“Stay down for a bit longer. I need to go check something out.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed down a side street. “You can sit back in the seat.”
Wyatt looked around, noticing houses. “Where’re we at?”
Seth nodded. “See that guy walking?”
Wyatt noticed a black man walking down a sidewalk.
“It’s dark, but yeah.”
“I need to have a chat with him.”
Wyatt seemed eager. “What did he do? Are you going to kill him?”
“He’s an old informant. Remember how I told you I get information from scumbags.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s one of them.” Seth parked the truck on the side of the street. “Lock the doors and stay here. I won’t be long. If a cop comes pretend you’re asleep.”
“Alright.”
Seth quickly took off into the dark. Wyatt was a little worried as he waited, but he had come to trust Seth, knowing he would keep him safe. A few minutes later Seth tapped on the glass. Wyatt rolled down his window. “What’s going on?”
“Climb into the backseat. I don’t want this joker to see you.”
Wyatt looked around. “Why is he…”
“Hurry up, he’s coming.”
Seth walked around the front of the truck, then motioned to the man to get in. He got in the passenger’s side as Seth started the truck. No one said anything as they drove off. A few miles down the street the man pointed. “Take this road.” A short time later he pointed to another street. “This is it. Look for a yellow house. There should be a black Suburban sittin’ on twenty-fo’s in the driveway.”
Wyatt was peeking out the window, noticing the street was lined with older houses and junky cars; it looked to be a ghetto. Seth noticed the Suburban was at the house. “Is that an indication he’s there?”
“That’s his friend’s ride, so most likely.”
Seth drove on past, then parked down an alleyway. He looked at the man. “You’re coming with me when I go in.”
He shook his head. “Hold up, man, that’s not part of the deal.”
Seth shot him with a tranquilizer dart, then looked at Wyatt. “Drag his ass back there and get up here.”
He crawled into the front seat. “Why did you do that to him?”
“So, he won’t rat on me.”
“Rat on you for what?”
“Have you heard of Clayton Warner?”
Wyatt shook his head. “No.”
“He’s a murdering rapist. A few months ago, he and two accomplices, Darren and Andre, were robbing a house when the owners came home. They raped the woman, then killed her and her husband. Andre turned himself in, stating he was there just to steal stuff. Clayton and Darren have been on the run. The asshole in the backseat told me Clayton is hiding out at his friend’s house.”
“That’s the one with the Suburban?”
“Correct.” Seth backed out of the alleyway, then drove by the house.
“What are you going to do?”
“Go in and see if he’s there.”
“Is that smart?”
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“What about me?”
“I can drop you off somewhere.”
“I don’t know what to do.” He thought for a moment. “You know you could call the police.”
Seth looked at Wyatt.
“I know.”
Seth noticed a car wash. “I don’t see any cameras.” He pulled into a bay, then handed Wyatt a handful of quarters and a ball cap. “Put that on, then go spray down the truck with foam, especially the windows. And stay out in the open so people can see you, and don’t look around—that will make you look suspicious.”
“Why are we doing this?”
“I need to change into my gear.”
“Why here?”
“Because it draws less attention than being parked on the side of the road. And the foam will hide what I’m doing.”
“Less attention? We’re right out in the open.”
“And why would anyone pay attention to someone washing a vehicle?”
“I see your point.” He got out.
Seth crawled into the backseat, tied up and gagged his informant, then sat on the passenger side with his bag. A few minutes later he rolled down the window a little and yelled, “Rinse it off, then
get in the driver’s seat.”
Wyatt looked confused when he got in. “Why am I driving?”
“I need to finish getting ready.”
He noticed Seth was wearing an armored vest with neck protection. “What about your nuts?”
Seth shook his head. “You need to stay focused. This could go badly—I’m going into an unknown environment.”
“Sorry.”
Seth secured a groin protector to the bottom of his vest. “And I have already thought of that.” He looked at the speedometer. “You’re going fifteen miles under the speed limit. That will draw attention.”
Wyatt sped up. “What am I supposed to do when we get there?”
“Stay in the truck.” Seth pointed. “Turn right.”
“This isn’t the same street.”
“I know. It’s one street over.” Seth removed the bulb from the dome light. “When we get to the alleyway, don’t use the brakes. Slow the truck down by putting it low gear, let it coast so I can jump out.” He looked at his watch. “It’s a four-minute trip from the car wash. When you drop me off, go back and keep washing the truck until I call you.” He handed Wyatt a two-way radio. “If you see anything unusual give me a heads up.”
“Like what?”
“Use your best judgment.”
“What about the guy in the back?”
“Don’t worry about him—he’ll be out for several more hours.” Seth put an earpiece in his ear, then pressed a button that was clipped to the front of his vest, causing Wyatt’s radio to make a screeching sound. “We’re good to go.” Seth pointed. “The alleyway is coming up on your right.”
Wyatt looked scared. “What are you…”
Seth interrupted. “Go back to the car wash and act normal. When I call you, come back to this exact place and pull down the alleyway and stop.”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“I will come to the car wash.”
“What if you don’t?”
“I’ll be dead. Now put the shifter in low.” When the truck slowed down, Seth jumped out, then disappeared into the darkness. Wyatt’s hands were shaking as he drove away. His mind was being flooded with all the things that could go wrong. He knew he had to calm down, so he lit a cigarette. He turned on the radio, then turned it off. He noticed he was driving too slowly, so he sped up. The windshield looked foggy, so he turned on the defroster, making it worse. His heart was racing as he adjusted the temperature control, worrying that someone might notice the foggy windshield. Finally, he saw the lights of the car wash. He felt relieved until he noticed all the bays were full. He started to panic, noticing people were everywhere. He didn’t know what to do. Then he saw the vacuum cleaners. A weight felt like it had been lifted when he parked next to one. He put out his cigarette, then got out. When he pulled some change from his pocket, he dropped several quarters, causing them to scatter. He almost tripped over his feet as he ran after them. He took a deep breath, knowing he had to calm down before someone noticed he was acting strange. There was a man standing next to a bay; he seemed to be looking at him. His heart felt like it was going to explode as he stared back. He got in the truck, contemplating if he should take off.
“Sir.”
Wyatt jumped when a man’s voice startled him. He rolled down the window. “Can I help you?”
“Do you have change?”
He noticed it was the man who had been staring at him. “Sure. How much do you need?”
“A dollar.”
He was shaking as he handed him four quarters. “Keep your dollar.”
“Thanks, man.” He walked off.
Wyatt leaned his head back and started taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. When he got his heart rate down, he got out and started the vacuum. Suddenly it dawned on him that he wouldn’t be able to hear the radio with all the noise, so he tried to turn off the vacuum, but it didn’t have a stop button. He hung the hose back on the holder, then went to the other side of the truck and opened the passenger’s door, but the noise was echoing through the truck—he had left the other door open. He crawled across the front seat and closed it, reducing the noise. A car pulled up next to him as he was on all fours, knowing he looked out of place. He quickly picked up some trash out of the floorboard, then threw it in a trashcan. Relief overcame him when the vacuum shut off, then he noticed a bay was open. He got in the truck, but before he was able to pull in, someone beat him to it. Now he felt like he was sticking out like a sore thumb. He backed up, then a car horn echoed out; he almost backed into another vehicle. He put the shifter in drive, then took off down the street. Suddenly his heart felt like it stopped when he couldn’t find the radio. He quickly turned into a convenience store to turn around, then noticed the center of the street had a concrete divider to prevent just that. Sweat was pouring off his head as he took off in the same direction he had been going. A short way down he started to make a U-turn at a red light until he noticed a cop car sitting in the oncoming traffic. He locked up his brakes, finding himself stopped in the middle of the intersection. Cars were honking their horns as they drove past him. He looked back to see if he could backup, but a truck was behind him. He panicked as he made a left turn, running the red light, knowing the cop was going to come after him. When he got through the intersection he looked back. Relief overcame him when he noticed the car was only a security car.
He continued down the road for a little way, then turned around. He felt nervous about going back to the same intersection where he had just caused the commotion, but he couldn’t risk getting lost. He was already worried that he might not be able to find his way back, as it was. When he got to the car wash, someone was parked at the vacuum pump where he had been. He slowly drove by, looking for the radio; it wasn’t there. What if Seth had already radioed him, he thought. He took off for the alleyway, knowing it was his only option. Sweat was now dripping off his face as he sped down the street. A few blocks from the alleyway his heart was beating so hard that he could feel the pulse in his ears. When he saw the alleyway, he was unsure what to do. When he drove by, he didn’t see anything, wondering if Seth had been caught, but that couldn’t have happened—there were no cops around. He went down a few blocks, then turned around. Suddenly a voice startled him. “Come to the alley, over.”
He moved Seth’s bag, finding the radio. A huge weight felt like it had been lifted. He grabbed the radio. “I’m here.”
There was silence for a moment. “Here as on the radio, or at the alley? Over.”
“Pulling into the alley now.”
Seth threw something in the back of the truck, then got in. “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”
Wyatt took off down the street. “Was he home? Did you kill him? What happened?”
“We’re good.” Seth was drenched in sweat. “Why do you have the heater on? It’s hotter than hell in here.” He turned on the air conditioner.
Wyatt was drenched in sweat himself. “Well, what happened?”
“That’s a good question. Why were you so close?”
“It was a calculated guess.”
“Calculated my ass. Did everything go okay?”
“Piece of cake.”
Seth noticed how sweaty he was. “If you say so.”
“You mad?”
“No, but I need to teach you how to communicate on a radio.”
“You’re the one that came up with this scheme at the last second.”
“And you did well.”
“Nuthin’ but a thang.”
Seth took off his gear. “You want me to drive?”
Wyatt lit a cigarette. “I’m good. Now tell me what happened? Was Clayton there?”
“He was.”
“Did you kill him?”
“I killed his friend.”
Wyatt’s eyes opened wide. “Really? Why?”
“Why not? He was protecting the piece of shit.”
“What did you do to Clayton?”
“Nothing yet.”
&n
bsp; Wyatt looked confused. “Are you planning on going back?”
“Hell no.”
“Then what did you mean by yet?”
“He’s in the back of the truck. Didn’t you feel me throw him back there?”
“I thought you kicked the tire or something.”
“Why in the hell would I do that?”
Wyatt remained quiet for a moment. “What are you going to do with him?”
Seth lit a cigarette. “We can take him to Barry’s house and make him torture the fuck out of him.”
Wyatt shook his head. “That would be a bad idea.”
“He already has the experience, and we were planning on going by there anyway.”
“He could have ratted you out, and you don’t know if Jim is involved. He could be watching.”
“I have Barry’s house wired with hidden cameras. He just sits around all day with lip stick on, trying to get his dick hard to adult films, especially the porn that John Wayne Bobbitt appeared in, Frankenpenis.”
Wyatt looked at Seth with an odd expression. “Seriously?”
“Not really, but he does do weird stuff like that though.”
“And you want me to go there. No thanks. And I don’t care what you do to that piece of shit in the back of the truck, just as long as I’m not involved.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be.” Seth looked at his watch. It was almost 11 PM. “I have some land west of Lubbock. There’s an old barn that I use as a workshop. We can be there in about seven hours.”
“Why do you want to go there?”
“It’s in the direction we needed to go anyway, and it’s secluded.”
“Why does it matter if it’s secluded?” He thought for a moment. “You wanna do something to Clayton. I said I didn’t want to be involved.”
“Define involved.”
Wyatt just looked at Seth.
“Is hanging out in the truck while Clayton and I discuss his behavior involved?”
“That’s fine, but if the cops show up I will say you made me come along.”
“That’s the spirit.” He pointed to a side street. “Turn here.” A little way down, Seth held his hand out. “Stop.”
“Right here?” Wyatt noticed the area was dark.
“Yes.” When the truck stopped, Seth got out, opened the rear door, then dragged Clayton’s body into the rear seat. He got back in the front. “Let’s go.”
The complete “A Glimpse into Hell” series - 5 books, 195 chapters, 1700 pages, 600K words of pure gore Page 100