Though Big Ed followed him at a close clip, the big man experienced both tires dropping on the sinking pavement. He handled the dipping bike like a bronco and easily rode over the sudden flaw in the road, pulling up and finding level ground again. His balance askew, though, Big Ed hit his brakes and nearly wiped out.
The men behind him didn’t fair as well. Johnny Atlas turned his throttle hard, picking the wrong time to increase his speed. The spin of his tires and the abrupt drop of the pavement caused him to twist sideways. He saw Big Ed stop beyond him and turned his forks to avoid him. The bike roared as it dropped and slide sideways, flattening out. It hit the lip of the dropping pavement, exhaust pipes connecting hard. Atlas’ Harley flipped over. Johnny stayed with his bike, his left leg breaking as the first skid occurred, then flopping over and smashing on his right side with the bike. His shoulder separated and Johnny’s right forearm snapped, still clutching the throttle. His leg pinned under the bike, Atlas’ pants and skin ripped off as the momentum of the crash took him farther up the road, past Big Ed.
Johnny’s wreck compounded Cody Greenwell, who wobbled from side to side under the road’s change in elevation, but couldn’t avoid an impact with Atlas’ motorbike once he cleared the depressed area. Cody’s front tire smashed into the pipes under the cycle and the rider went airborne, ass over elbows, clearing the wreckage, but moving at a high rate of speed. Cody hit the pavement at over fifty miles an hour, his ass and back taking the impact point. Cody skidded for several yards, screaming as he went, his shouts of pain joining the dying engine sound.
Big Ed propelled away from the crashed cycles. In the moonlight and from their headlights, they could see the long trail left by the last biker on the pavement. A mixture of denim, leather, and skin coated the road. The cool night air made steam arise from the fresh wounds. Cody’s right hand vibrated, reaching for his leg. Hux saw the handle of a weapon there, but the hand never made it to the goal.
Hux revved his throttle, pointed at Hawg with his left hand and shouted, “Fucking thing burrowed under the road! Let’s get out of here!”
While Hux started to move away, he hesitated, for Big Ed didn’t join him.
Ed reached into his saddle bags as Hawg leapt onto the road. The beast made for Johnny Atlas, helpless under the sputtering Harley. Atlas shouted in pain, crying out and sobbing. Hawg snorted and stalked around him, then reached down to pull the bike off him. Not used to the weight of the machine, Hawg lifted it a few feet with his left claw before it slipped from his grip, crashing on the suffering man again.
Hux shouted at Ed, “What are you doing?”
Hawg looked up from Johnny. He focused in on Hux and Ed.
Ed pulled a chain with enormous links from his saddlebag. He held the chain loose and stared Hawg down.
“C’mon, ya sonofabitch,” Ed said loud, clear in his threat. “Ya think I’m gonna run away and die like a bitch, yer wrong.”
Hawg squared his shoulders to Big Ed and roared, taking up the challenge.
Ed swung the chain around once, clearly drawing Hawg’s attention. That’s when he uplifted his other hand, holding a snub nosed revolver. “You lose, dickhead,” Ed said and fired.
The report of the gun was loud enough to make Hawg jump, but the bullet Ed fired struck Hawg’s right side. In motion to the left of them, Hawg squealed in reaction to the blow. Again, Ed fired, trying to strike Hawg once more. Unsure if he hit him, Ed fired a third shot as the beast dropped into the ditch.
“I winged him,” Ed declared, happy with his act, but not celebrating. “Shit fire and save the matches!”
Hawg leapt back on the road, springing into the air high above Ed’s bike. Ed fired again, but missed. There was no way to stop Hawg from landing on him, but Ed made a desperate bid for survival. He let the gun go as Hawg hit him, and stretched the chain out. The force of the beast took Ed from his bike and pinned him to the pavement. However, Ed held the chain up, stretching it across the maw of the screaming creature, muzzling it for a moment.
Hux watched as Hawg convulsed on Big Ed, trying to get a better position. However, his back hooves slid on the grim ejecta trail of the last biker to crash. Hux felt the hate for the beast, even if he wanted Big Ed dead, he couldn’t hold back any longer. As Ed flailed under the creature, Hux pulled out his derringer and fired at Hawg. Both shots sounded puny and never hit the mark. They did get Hawg’s attention and he pulled away from Big Ed and faced Hux.
Though Hux turned his bike, preparing to flee, he never left as the sight on the road riveted him in place. Just as Hawg was going to bound after him, Ed unraveled the chain and swung it like a rope. The chain wrapped Hawg’s ankles and the beast tripped, slamming to the pavement with a screech. The steel tusks clanged on the pavement as Hawg’s head bounced.
Hawg rolled over and over, nearly slipping in the ditch, kicking, and trying to free himself from the chain.
Ed was on his all fours, trying to find the gun he dropped. Swearing, he picked up his bike instead. He swung a leg over it and hit the starter. Luckily, it fired up fast. Ed rode over near to the struggling beast and reached down. Hux was amazed at the grace and luck of the move Ed performed. He grabbed the end of the chain and looped it over the hitch on the back of his full dresser. The tactic was sloppy and Hux figured it would never work, but he read Ed’s plans. Ed cranked his throttle and the Harley went forward. The chain extended and Hawg went with him. The beast screamed as if afire in the deepening night as Big Ed dragged the beast after him. Hux was right with them, also fleeing. The feat only lasted about fifty yards as the chain came loose off the hitch, unable to carry the weight of the beast.
They paused, looked back and beheld Hawg rolling in the road, screaming. Hawg glistened wet in the moonlight. Covered in blood, either from the gunshot or the dragging, Hawg’s screams to howls of rage.
Ed’s fist hit his tank and he said, “Piss on this. Go!”
Both bikes rumbled on and they headed toward Route 66.
***
Micki put her fingers in her ears. She just wanted it to stop, the noise and her life. The screams, the echoes of the bikes, all of it sounded like chamber music in Hell’s waiting room. Would such a place be better than this? She was unsure but longed to be free of this insane state of purgatory.
The sounds separated and the motorbikes seemed to get closer, but the beast still screamed, farther away.
She rolled in the weeds and hid as best she could.
In her ears rang the words of a man, his words full of threats and anger. His tone was meant to instruct, control and protect. He told her bad things happened when one was bad. If you sowed to the whirlwind, really bad things came back to haunt you.
Eyes shut tight, Micki knew she’d been bad. She didn’t hate God for his judgment. Never before had she been so close to the Devil and his kisses, though.
***
Such pain was alien to Hawg. His right side ached and the skin on his back felt raw, like a host of bugs fed there. Blood ran off his back, down his sore buttocks and from Hawg’s side. He held his claw over the gun wound, trying to make the hurt stop. Loud grunts came from his innards and burning pain was all he understood.
Up on his hooves, he noted the wrecked bikes as he tested his limbs. His legs still worked well. Hawg stretched his limbs and thought nothing was broken. Tusks out, he bellowed at his victory over the steel machines. Hawg walked to the scene where he made the pavement dip low. He noted the last biker, unconscious on the road, then walked over to Johnny Atlas. Still awake, the man glowered at Hawg with tear soaked eyes.
Left hand out as if to ward him off, Johnny croaked, “God, no…”
Hawg dropped his head down and bit off Johnny’s fingers. Chewing fast, the pinkie fell out and struck Atlas’ knee.
The pain saturating his body made Hawg feel tired and empty. After he spit out Johnny’s wedding ring and chewed some more, Hawg felt ravenous. Johnny still begged and cried.
But not for long.
/> ***
“It’s been a helluva night, Mr. Solow,” Doug White told the old man as the floodlight from this cruiser illuminated Alex’s dead body.
“Sorry to call you out, but I didn’t know what else to do,” Solow said, still holding the wine glass in his hand. It was full again.
Doug nodded and eyed the glass. “Got another one of those, sir?”
“I bet you could use a stiff belt right now.”
As he shook his head at the sight of his dead officer, Doug said, “Several, but it’ll have to wait. Duty calls like a banshee this night, sir.”
A second cruiser stopped at the scene, lights ablaze. Matt exited the vehicle and pointed toward the spot where other lights flashed on the edge of the property. “Doug, you won’t believe what’s over there.”
“Try me.”
Matt studied the pulverized head of his friend and said, “Uh, well, yeah. More of the same.”
Hands on his waist, Doug bit the toothpick in his mouth and faced Solow. “And would you say it was some kind of monster? Are you sure of what it looked like?”
Solow sipped the wine and shrugged. “Douglas, I wouldn’t know what to call it. The thing was really big.”
“I can’t believe I’m asking this. You know your pig flesh. Did it appear like a pig man to you?”
After he imparted a doubtful stare, Solow took a second sip of wine and said, “It’s awful dark out here even with the yard lights. It just looked like a really big fella to me. Like a wild man, crazy in its eyes. It ‘taint possible to cross breed a hog and a human being, Douglas.”
“I know that, but I’m going on what the neighbor kids said.”
“Kids,” Solow chuckled, and rubbed a tired left eye. “Whoever or whatever it was never spoke a word, so maybe it is some nut case escaped from the Kankakee crazy house.”
As he cracked his knuckles, Doug said, “They shut most of that mental home down, Mr. Solow. I think it’s all offices now, but I’ll follow every lead.”
“You do that.”
“Going to have to get a detailed statement from you, sir. Probably best to come with me anyway. I don’t know how safe it is out here.”
“I understand. I’ll tell you everything I know. Damn terrible world now, Douglas. It is different from the world I grew up in. Life is cheap to these people.”
Doug felt a sermon coming on so he said to Matt. “Elias up there?”
Matt nodded. “Luella is still alive, too. Some of the usual suspects from the Green Parrot didn’t fair so well.”
“Better take them in for their own safety, at least for tonight.”
“Way ahead of ya, but Luella doesn’t want to go.”
Doug said, “I’ll talk to her.”
***
Once on Route 66 the two bikers opened it up. Their speeds cranked over a hundred miles an hour. As usual, when they wanted to find the police, they couldn’t.
The trip was fast and terminated at the Green Parrot. At the mock hitching post outside, they saw several more motorcycles.
“Gang’s all here,” Hux said lightly as they killed their Harleys.
Big Ed leered at him. Rage filled his voice as he said, “You fucking pussy, I oughtta kill you myself. You’d got a hard on if that thing’d a killed me off, huh?”
Hux held his ground. “I tried to shoot it, man. Have you ever seen anything like that before? How’d I know what to do?”
Ed reminded him, “I knew what to do. That’s why you’re a punk fuckwad wannabe and I lead.” Eyes narrowing at Hux, he added, “Anything to say? Ain’t no one here to see it, but I’ll still stomp your ass into a mud hole and walk it dry. I should use my pig sticker in on my chair. That would be fitting, huh?”
Hux said nothing. He let Ed go inside first and stayed by the row of bikes. From out of his leather jacket Hux pulled several plastic bags. Though appearing empty, Hux had planted enough residues to be convincing. He then text messaged Mr. Roberts and invited him over to see what Ed held in his saddlebags.
He closed the phone, disgusted with himself. He’d planned to kill Big Ed and plant the evidence so Roberts could say all was kosher with the world. Roberts wanted a sacrifice. He wanted Hux to kill for him. It was all a power play.
On the way in the bar, Hux felt cold, different than before. He didn’t know if he would ever be the same again. There he had his chance at revenge. He could’ve used a bigger gun on Hawg, but he hoped the beast would kill Ed for him. Now, all of his pain came back. The violation, the lack of action, he burned inside for he failed again in his eyes.
When he entered the bar, Ed stood telling the tale to a half dozen men and Double D. The man behind the bar said, “Calls came over the scanner out at the Solow place.”
“Cops are all over it by now, Double D,” Ed affirmed, taking a long neck bottle from the bar and swigging it.
Hux asked, “How long until they come here?” The bar seemed stunned at this idea. “They’ll see who is dead. They’ll find the guys on the road. Elias will talk. We’re in deep shit.”
Ed gripped the bar with both hands like he meant to rip it from its moorings. Head down, he said, “No he won’t. Elias won’t say shit to the cops, not about us personally. The cops will know where the others hang out, though.”
“C’mon, man, get real!” Hux said loud. “They were gonna string him up. They’ll put us away for that.”
Head still down, Ed said, “He won’t talk. I’m not relying on him being a good ol’ boy, either. He knows.” Ed’s head rose up and his eyes drilled into Hux’ face. “That old boy knew that creature was nearby. Didn’t ya see him? Did ya see it near him? He wasn’t scared and said, what was it? It was too late to stop it now? Yeah, that ol’ sumbitch knows the score.”
Hux recalled looking back and seeing Hawg free Elias. The creature snapped the cuffs like they were made of paper. The beast knew Elias.
Ed stared at Hux. “Connecting dots like a motherfucker in your head, huh? Good luck with that, ya fuck.”
Double D leaned both meaty hands on the bar and said, “The cops will come here, I’d bet on it, no matter what.”
Ed folded his arms across his chest. “I suppose we better clear out then. No use going to jail on drug charges filed in over zealous questioning.” He cleared his throat and said, “No way the Mayor will keep this one under wraps.”
One of the bikers picked up a helmet and said, “Someone’s here, outside.”
Hux expected it to be Roberts, but doubted the man would enter such a place.
The figure outside the Green Parrot was too tall to walk in the front door, anyway.
***
Though Elias sat in the back of a police cruiser, Luella Goodkind refused to leave her trailer. Her corpulent frame stayed on her couch, her dog Duke at her feet.
“I’ve lived most of my later years here,” Luella told
Doug, hand on her Bible. “I’ll die here if I have to.” “Ma’am,” Doug said gently, hands on his gun-belt.
“Please be reasonable.”
“I am a reasonable lady,” she responded evenly. “You
can take me to the station if you can lift me.”
The police officers exchanged glances, knowing the
enormous woman had them dead to rights. Her smile knew
and they all shared a small laugh.
“I’ll leave Matthew here to guard the place tonight, all
right?”
She nodded and smiled, her teeth dim. “Matthew was
a good boy, years ago. He weeded my flowerbeds nice, I am
told.”
Matt tipped his hat, felt stupid for doing that but said,
“You’ll be safe with me, Luella.”
Luella said, “I don’t doubt it.”
Doug stepped onto the deck with Matt and said
quietly, “Any word out of Elias?”
Matt gestured at the dead bodies and said, “He’s
pretty sure they all slipped on a banana peel
.”
The sheriff knelt by Tyler’s body and shook his head
in disgust. He saw a cigarette still stuck behind Tyler’s ear and
his mouth watered.
***
“Why I saved you, I don’t know,” Roberts told Hux as they stood beside the waters of the quarry.
Hux looked down at his hands. Blood still tinged the edges of his fingernails, though he wiped much of it on his pants. “Glad you let me in your car and didn’t leave me to die with the others.”
Roberts knelt by the side of the water and reached out. His hands shaking so, he couldn’t get a handful of water to his face. After several tries, he succeeded.
“I’ve seen men die my entire life,” Roberts told him. “I saw my uncle strangled when I was five. I saw a grandson of one of Al Capone’s enforcers put a body on a meat hook, alive and then beat him to death with brass knuckles on. I’ve never seen anything like that scene outside the biker tavern.”
“I hope they all die, anyhow,” Hux said with no emotion, eyes fixed on the water. “I’d hate to have lived like that.”
Roberts washed his face, over and over, eyes shut. No matter how hard he squeezed his eyelids, Roberts couldn’t banish the scene outside the Green Parrot.
When he had arrived at the Green Parrot, he almost had passed by, thinking something was up outside the watering hole. Well, it was, or rather down…the neon glow of the beer signs and tavern logo had shown on the tall creature by the hitching posts. Roberts had thought it was a drunken redneck, albeit a big one, dithering outside the building, nude. When his car stopped, he had seen the line of boots up on the hitching post. Six pairs of feet lay up on the long post and the tall being went to work. He had reached down with his sharp claws, tearing into the pants and leather chaps the men on the ground wore. Roberts had frozen in his car at the sight, seeing the tall beast tear the balls off each man, systematically castrating each one, then depositing their sacks into a biker helmet.
The gruesome act graded worse by the fact that each man had awakened as he was gelded. The screams rang in Roberts’ ears, a loud shout of agony, suddenly turning sharp. Fingers in his ears, wet, he couldn’t scrub the noise free.
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