The Ice House

by Ray Ouellette

  “What now?” said Lawrence.

  Scott looked at Lawrence with an expression that said it all. “Lawrence noticed the bulge in Scott's pants and felt the same in his pants.

  Lawrence pulled her pants down around her ankles, her shirt already in shreds was completely torn off having been used for the gag. The sight of her restrained caused Scott to go one step farther. He tore off her bra pulling it over her head. Some of her hair caught in the clasp and Scott yanked the bra the rest of the way pulling out a clump of hair along with it. She struggled but soon gave up. Scott stared at her breasts for a while, then emboldened, he pulled her panties down to her ankles to join her pants.

  “Who's first?” Scott didn't answer. This would have been his first experience with sex and even with the girl helpless he felt insecure. Lawrence didn't ask again.

  Scott, thinking back, laughed as he remembered how neither of them admitted that they had never had a sexual experience before. He looked at Lynn and looked forward to how it would be with her. But he enjoyed thinking back to his first time and he continued to relive it.

  Gradually they became so turned on with the girl's helplessness that they overcame their reluctance. Zippers were opened, pants pulled down to their knees. Scott tentatively got on top of her

  “We've got to move her legs apart,” he said. “I can't get in. They undid the belt, took her panties and pants the rest of the way off and dragged her over to a scrub bush with a thick trunk that was growing out of the top of the huge rock. They anchored one leg to it and searched for something to tie the other leg to, and something to tie it with. They found neither.

  “I'll hold it,” said Lawrence.

  Scott got back on the girl and entered her. The rest happened by itself, more than compensating for his lack of experience.

  “Now you,” panted Scott. Lawrence repeated Scott's pleasure while Scott secured the girl's other leg. Then they just sat back and looked at the girl, lying there in a daze not even trying to struggle or scream, a trickle of blood flowing from the cut on her face where Scott had punched her.

  “What now?” Scott didn't answer, just sat there staring at the girl, enjoying the feeling of being in control, her fate in his hands. Lawrence must have known what was going to happen next but made no move to be the one to do it.

  Scott and Lawrence had always stuck together in the neighborhood and school yard and fought as one. Neither was big but anyone who gave one of them trouble knew that he gave trouble to both of them. Scott got on top of the girl again but this time put his hands around her throat and tightened his grip. Lawrence had an inspiration. He covered the girl's mouth and nose so that she couldn't breathe. They would do the act together too. When they were finished they removed the belts and secured the body to the scrub brush and made their way down. The body wasn't visible from the ground.

  Standing, looking at Lynn, Scott wondered if the girl's body had ever been found and imagined that if he went back there and back to the top of the boulder, he'd find bones scattered around up there by animals. Surely the boulder must have been climbed since then and the body found but he had never heard of it being found by anyone and it thrilled him to think that it might still be there. The thought amused him and the memory turned him on. He felt an increasing bulge in his pants and he looked down at it proudly as the bulge increased in size.

  Now for Lynn.

  Lynn had remained silent as Scott appeared to be zoned out, hoping that he was about to have a stroke or maybe at least fall asleep. She watched his face. If he fell asleep she'd remain quiet. Maybe it would buy time for someone to show up and stop Scott from doing anything to her. She noticed the bulge in his pants. Scott saw her look down at it, made no attempt to conceal it, instead straightened up to make it more prominent. He laughed, the look on Lynn's face reminding him of that girl on top of the boulder. “Don't worry honey. Not just now. He glanced down at the bulge in his pants. Maybe later we can have some fun. Right now I've got a call to make.” He walked out, closed the door and left the light on so Lynn could look over the devices present in the room and contemplate her fate.

  Lynn felt like vomiting about the sight she had just seen but strangely, the thought that ran through her mind was how much erectile dysfunction drug the old bastard must have taken.

  Scott got back on the phone and called Bostwick back, continuing his earlier conversation that Lynn's discovery had interrupted.

  “Get to the Ice House. I'll be right over. Frank Tilton should be there soon. Delivered by the SPD. Play program 45 for him. That will keep him occupied until I get there.” Bostwick acknowledged. Then Scott continued. “Get the team ready; we'll be doing a freezing...two live freezings.”

  Bostwick's hand went to his chest and a sour look came over his face as Scott hung up... “Live freezings? What! Must be animals. I'm not freezing any animals. That's way in the past. Never again.”

  The valve at the entrance to Bostwick's stomach had given up its battle and stomach acid shot up his esophagus, a red-hot poker behind his breastbone. He sighed and wondered if any antacid was left in his office. His hand went to the phone. Maybe he might try to talk Scott out of this, make him wait. There was about as much chance of that, he thought, as there was of Forrest Gump solving Fermat's Last Theorem. Bostwick's hand left the phone and he walked away.

  CHAPTER 28

  Around a sharp bend were two police cars blocking the road. Frank stared at an overdone parody of a scene from Bonnie and Clyde. Four officers stood in the road, their two cars blocking it, their hands on their guns. Before Frank could react, another policeman came from the side of the road and pointed a gun in Frank's face. “Get out. Hands where I can see them!”

  .Frank was frisked for weapons while the guns were kept pointed at him. When they were certain he had no weapons, they let up a bit. He wasn't cuffed. It surprised him when he was told to get back in his car and follow them to the Ice House. One car preceded Frank, the other followed. An officer sat in the seat opposite Frank.

  “What's the problem officer? Is my tail light out?” Frank smirked.

  “We were told to return you to the Ice House if you tried to leave town. That's all I know. We just follow orders.”

  “Whose orders. The Ice House staff?”

  Ir would be best if you just remain silent and drive to the Ice House. I'm sure you'll find out there.”

  Frank was led into the board room and told to have a seat. He was left there watching the figure of Lawrence Lowell staring blankly into space. Bostwick finally arrived, passed through the board room without acknowledging Frank and went into the control room. Then he came back out, still refusing to meet Frank's gaze. Bostwick flipped on the switch.

  Lawrence Lowell spoke. “I am told that you are an important person to this project, that your cooperation has become necessary to the success of the project. I am prepared to offer you...

  Frank gave Bostwick a look of desperate disbelief. This was definitely the old 'insult added to injury.' Frank got up and and shouted in Bostwick's face. “What is this?” You're going to kill me right? What is this crap for? Making me listen to this God-damned thing too!”

  Bostwick stepped back, shocked at the outburst, he flipped off the switch and the figure went silent. “I know,” he said, “that it may seem a bit degrading to be lectured to by an animated figure. It's part of Lawrence Lowell's contingency plans. A recording for every eventuality. This is the one that best fits your situation. Would you at least want to hear the end of Mister Lowell's speech?”

  What Frank said must have just sunk in. Bostwick said, “what do you mean about us...” Bostwick hesitated, looking embarrassed. He put on a forced transitory smile and continued the sentence, “killing you?”

  Frank challenged him about the car bomb and told about Allison. Bostwick's concerned look disappeared and his face was expressionless. Then he said, “My God! He's gone this far then?”

  “Who the hell are you talking about?”

 
; “Lawrence Lowell's older brother. A rather eccentric person. Worse than eccentric actually. Obsessed. They were real close. When Lawrence Lowell was frozen, his brother was devastated. He begged him to hold out until later but Lawrence knew that his best chance for revival was to have himself frozen before his disease, Leukemia, did more damage.

  Anyway, his brother comes here often.” Bostwick took a deep breath, stared blankly for a moment, probably running through his mind the implications, then continued. “Sometimes he just sits in the tomb and stares at the sarcophagus. Other times he'll come in and spend hours questioning us about progress or about something he's read about that he wants us to try, or he'll just watch us do our work. He could do a freezing and revival himself.

  Bostwick looked away from Frank, maybe recalling what Scott had said about two more freezings. He got back to his explanation. “He hasn't been here since you arrived. Used to come in at least three or four times a week. Sometimes he'd just sit in at meetings, then he would slowly turn to me and I could see the question that was in his eyes. He wouldn't even have to ask any more. I could just see it there...When?

  But I'm getting ahead of myself. He was going to be frozen before he got old but he couldn't bring himself to trust us to be on our own. So forty years later here he is. Waiting for us to revive his brother.” Bostwick shook his head. “It is an obsession. He and his brother spent their days when they were kids playing and fishing and camping by a pond near their childhood home. Now he owns the pond, in the town woods. He lives there during warmer weather. He and his brother used to fish and camp there before Lawrence was frozen. He lives there all alone, just him and his memories. He built--”

  “What did you say?” Frank interrupted in a panicked voice. “Scott? Please tell me his name isn't Scott.”

  Bostwick, surprised by Frank's reaction, stepped back and just said, “Yes. F. Scott Lowell. Doesn't use the F. through.”

  “Oh Christ! I've got to get out there. I left my friend with him. You've got to let me go. I don't know if you know what goes on out there, but you've got to let me go.”

  Bostwick moved his head up and down reluctantly and said, “Get going.”

  Frank started to rush out and stopped. “Will the police stop me again?”

  “No they won't. Not by my actions anyway. But Scott... He's the one who has all the power in this town.” Bostwick shook his head in disbelief. “Scott said to prepare for live freezings. He'll be bringing her in I think. Maybe wait here to confront him.” Bostwick put on a look of disbelief. “Then it's true,” he said. The rumors I've heard. I can't believe he's gone this far.” Bostwick lowered his head and sat down. Frank wanted to tell Bostwick that he thought he was full of crap with that last statement that he had made about never having known about Scott, or never even having suspected. Instead he asked, “Why didn't someone ever mention him?”

  “No one likes him. We don't talk about him. How could I ever have imagined you'd have met him? We had orders from way back never to mention his name or put his name in the reports, records or any documents.”

  “Didn't he ever make an entry in the log? I never saw his name in there.”

  I guess he didn't. Maybe he felt above it. I don't know. I suppose he didn't want his name on even that, sort of like a silent partner.

  “So he's F. Scott Lowell, right? I should have known. I should have caught it.”

  Bostwick said, Once you arrived in this town, I think your fate was sealed. You couldn't have changed anything.”

  “Maybe...but I do control my soul. Scott doesn't. We'll see what happens. I'm going to his compound anyway. If he arrives here with Lynn, I strongly advise you to call the State Police or to advise the South ford Police about the truth about Scott.”

  Frank rushed out. Bostwick said nothing else. He figured it would be best if Frank got out of the Ice House before Scott showed up so that he would run into Scott at the camp or on the road and have it out there, leaving Bostwick out of it. Let it hit the fan elsewhere, and not with him involved, he thought.

  Bostwick slammed his fist down. Images of the Nuremberg Trails and Nazis saying that they were following orders filled his head. He wondered if this was how the project was to end, with indictments all around and long jail sentences. No more unlimited funding, doing the research he loved. Scott could go to hell. Murder? Bostwick wasn't willing to go this far. Why did Scott have to get so impatient? They were close. Real close. Scott didn't have to kill or try to kill anyone. The staff would have succeeded. They were legal. 'Were' was the word that made that statement true now. After 40 years. So close. A million dollars down the drain. No more big salary.

  As Frank drove out of the second gate he screamed to himself, “Now I know why Bostwick hired me so quickly!” Frank took a few quick breaths. I guess, Frank thought, it was just wishful thinking because the dreams scared the hell out of me so bad. I thought it was the same as when I applied to the accounting firm all over again. I just felt that they were doing me a favor. I had a problem, I wanted to be rid of it and hoped they could do it.

  Frank hit the steering wheel and yelled, “They needed me!” Then thought to himself, That's what it was. Christ am I stupid! I should have figured out something else to do. I should never have come near the Ice House. It's my soul and I should have figured out a way to keep it...and to keep Lawrence Lowell the frozen vegetable that he is. It's my soul and no matter how much they think of Lawrence Lowell or how much they're being paid, they're wrong if they think they're justified in stealing my soul to bring Lawrence Lowell back.

  Frank's anger made him feel renewed hope, the way anger will sometimes, overcome fear. He'd go to Scott's compound and beat the hell out of the son-of-a-bitch. He suppressed thoughts of what might be happening to Lynn right now and that Scott might be armed. Frank's only hope, he knew, was that Scott would expect Frank to be detained at the Ice House. Scott wouldn't know that Bostwick was caving-in and had let Frank go. Frank just hoped he wouldn't be too late or that Scott might have other plans for Lynn and not even be at the compound. But then Scott had told Bostwick to prepare for two...two...live freezings.

  CHAPTER 29

  Frank drove to about 200 yards from Scott's compound, then walked the rest of the way, being careful not to make noise and also not to step in a hole in the road and turn an ankle. Soon Frank was able to see the cabin. It was dark and he could barely make out the outline of the structure. Not one light was on.

  Frank stood silent for a while and listened. There wasn't a sound except for his heart pounding. He held his breath as long as he could to increase his ability to hear any sound that might indicate that Scott was there. Nothing. Unsure about what to do next, he just stood there, straining his eyes to watch the house. He took a few more steps, then winced as he stepped on a sharp rock that made its presence known right through the soul of his shoe. He reached down, picked it up, held it in his hand for a moment then raised his arm to throw the rock toward the house. It hit the ground just short of the house and bounced against the wall making a noise like a blow from a hammer. Frank stepped off to the side of the road and watched from cover. Again, nothing. He thought a moment then went back and got the car.

  Frank pulled in to Scott's compound and left the car running and the headlights on to provide light. The compound seemed deserted except for what Frank recognized as the sound of a raccoon searching through some trash. A light drizzle fell, blocking out even the starlight. An occasional larger drop plopped on a leaf or plinked on the roof of his car. Frank started to go up the trail to the pond but stopped and yelled out Lynn's name. The only thing resembling acknowledgment was from the raccoon who fell silent for the first time. Frank stood and listened for a while trying to decide what to do.

  He looked at the camp buildings and walked over to the front door cautiously. The buildings were dark but he still wondered if Scoot might be in there watching him from the corner of a window. Frank strained to make out any sound, remaining motionless waiting for
any possible noises from inside.

  The raccoon knocked over something in the trash startling Frank. “Scott!” he yelled. No response. Frank approached. The door was locked. Slowly he made his way around the building, going in the direction that would avoid the raccoon. Frank had left the headlights of his car on, the engine running to prevent the battery from running down, but the headlights pointed at the trail that led from the camp to the ridge, not at the house. They didn't do Frank much good here, only a bit of light was reflected back to light his way around the house. His eyes adjusted a bit more as he made his way around back. Maybe there was an unlocked door. Instead Frank found two unlocked doors, on a garage. A pickup truck was there, the other vehicle was gone. As his eyes adjusted more, he saw ruts and tire marks leading to the dirt road. Frank had probably passed Scott's vehicle on the way here and not knowing the car or truck and not being able to see past the headlights anyway, drove on, having maybe passed Lynn a few feet away.

  “The God-damned phony bastard!” He smashed the nearest window with a stick, knocked the remaining glass fragments out, releasing some of the anger on the nearest thing to Scott that was available now, his house. Frank climbed in and felt his way around the wall until he felt a switch. He flipped it and his eyes were hit by a barrage of light. But they did adjust and the first thing he saw was signs of a struggle. No attempt had been made to cover it up, the arrogance of being part of a family that controlled the town. So what if Frank knew Scott had Lynn. He probably even wanted him to know. Frank examined the cabin, wanting to make sure there were no signs of Lynn before leaving. What stood out most was the security system. There were fire detectors., intrusion protection and a security camera monitor that Frank imagined showed a view down the dirt road approaching the cabin. Scott hadn't even bothered to turn on the security when he left.

  Frank saw an oversize piece of paper on a table. In marker was written, 'In case you make it past the police and come back here, I took Lynn for a visit to the Ice House. Come and see her.'