“Will I have to be with her, too? Like I was with Dilly?” Sue prayed he’d say no, and was surprised by his answer.
“No, Sue. You don’t want to be part of this. Trust me.”
Heart racing, Sue envisioned escaping. “Where will I be? At a motel? Waiting for you to finish?”
“That’s right,” Zeke replied. At Sue’s look of hope, he burst into laughter. “Get real. You’ll be with me; you just won’t be participating.”
Sue’s face fell and she turned to watch the boring winter scenery roll past. Zeke remained quiet.
The sign at the edge of town read Four Falls. Sue was dreaming of food when Zeke abruptly turned onto a side road. He drove a short distance and pulled into a drive leading to a couple of abandoned steel buildings. Sue stared at the structures. A broad expanse separated the two, and what appeared to be tiny buildings sat scattered here and there on the rooftops. A large opening with the door slid to the side gaped like a toothless mouth.
The buildings were several stories high and when Zeke drove directly into one of them, Sue saw the interior was open the complete height. Hoists hung from rusted rails, their hooks long past the capability of lifting a load. Several gargantuan pieces of machinery sat scattered about the floor. Little else occupied the space: a few broken chairs, a couple of metal desks, and an accumulation of debris that had blown inside. Zeke drove straight through to the second building, made a wide semi-circle around the interior, the whole time scanning the contents, before returning to the first building. He turned off the motor, pocketed the keys, and hopped eagerly from the vehicle. “Come on, get your ass out and over here,” he directed Sue over his shoulder.
She quickly complied, slightly apprehensive over the eerie quiet and the lurking shadows. In this environment, Sue actually felt safer beside Zeke than away from him. She stayed close as he moved deeper into the interior.
Behind one of the pieces of machinery that sat near a wall, Zeke smiled broadly. “There’s plenty of room here to hide the van from the road or from anyone who drives inside, for that matter.”
“Is this where we’re going to spend the night?”
“We’ll probably park here later, but we won’t be sleeping.”
A sense of dread enveloped Sue as Zeke grabbed her hand and stepped through the open doorway of a small building within the larger structure. The only light came from the open, windowless door they’d just passed through. With no windows in the walls, there was nothing to ease the gloom. Another door, just inside the first room gave entry to a second windowless room. Neither had second entrances. Zeke turned his full attention to the outer office and surveyed it closely. “Hell, yeah!” He thrust a fist skywards after checking out the ancient, dust-covered, wooden desk against the wall. “Help me move this to the center of the room, Susie.”
Straining, Sue pulled. She didn’t accomplish much except to break a fingernail, but the desk finally sat in the middle of the floor.
“This’ll be perfect for tonight’s party.” Zeke’s gaze lingered on Sue. “Pull that skirt up and bend over.” He pointed at the desk.
Sue looked from Zeke to the filthy desk. Surely he wasn’t ready again. But then she noticed the bulge in his pants and hurried to obey, anything to keep him mollified.
Zeke grabbed Sue’s hips and moved into the best position to mount her. He grunted and moaned while Sue faked some happy sounds to appease him. Thrusting forward, Zeke buried himself deeper and ejaculated. He pulled out, slapped Sue on the butt, and said, “Let’s go get something to eat.” He paused a moment. “That reminds me. We need more cash. We’ll have to find an ATM so you can make a withdrawal.”
Hiding her elation, Sue followed him to the van. He’s going to let me use my debit card! This could possibly be a signal, if anyone were looking for her. The thrill of anticipation died as quickly as it had kindled. Everyone probably thought she wanted to be where she was. They most likely believed the note she’d left before running off with Zeke. Plus, she’d told them she was happy when she called home. In spite of indications to the contrary, Sue clung to her dream of rescue, needing something positive to hold onto. She hid her bit of optimism as she climbed into the vehicle.
Zeke left the way they had come.
Honky-Tonk
Zeke and Sue stopped at the Pump & Save. He filled up with gas and Sue trailed behind him as they went inside to pay. “Hey, man,” Zeke said to the young man working the counter. “Do you have an ATM here?”
Handing Zeke the change, the guy pointed at the door. “Outside to your right.” He was brusque, seemed to want to distance himself from the couple.
“Yeah? Well up yours too,” Zeke muttered as he and Sue left the counter.
At the ATM, Sue dug her billfold from her bag and slid the card into the slot. She entered her information and requested her balance per Zeke’s instructions. When the display screen showed only five hundred dollars, Sue was stunned and Zeke went dead silent.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and menacing. “That’s all there is? I thought you had thousands! I thought this was your college fund.”
“It was,” Sue said, trying to reconcile this balance with the last one she’d seen; the one that had shown her having close to forty-thousand dollars. After a few seconds, she fell on the only explanation that made sense. “My mom and dad must have moved the money when I left.”
“And why the hell would they do that?” Zeke gritted his teeth.
“I don’t know. They probably didn’t want me to have it anymore. Since they matched everything I put in, they most likely thought the rest belonged to them.”
“Bullshit!”
“No, Zeke. It’s the only thing that makes sense. They wouldn’t leave me out here completely broke, so they left a small sum available. Do you want me to take the rest out?”
“This sucks. This really sucks.” Zeke looked off in space, trying to decide if this was a set-up. But, since they’d already accessed the account, if someone was watching it, the damage was already done. Eventually, Zeke decided Sue was right; her parents were mad at her for running off like she had, so they’d taken her money. He used the opportunity to lecture her. “See what I mean, Sue? This just proves what I’ve been telling you all along. They don’t care one bit about you; they never did. Take it all out. We need it.”
Sue made the transaction and reached for the bills. Zeke slapped her hand aside and slipped the money into his pocket without counting it. “The card.”
“What?” She stared at Zeke’s outstretched hand.
“Give me the fucking card.”
Sue passed it over and Zeke folded it into fourths. He threw it at her. It hit her in the face before falling to the sidewalk.
“Get it. Now!” Zeke growled.
Sue picked the card up. “What do you want me to do with it?”
“You can stick it up your ass, for all I care. Now get in the damn van.”
Sue slipped the useless piece of plastic into her coat pocket and followed Zeke.
They stopped for lunch at a drive-in. Though starving only an hour ago, Sue now found herself less than hungry. Still, under Zeke’s watchful eyes, she ate her food without comment. Afterwards they drove around town, looking at anything that caught Zeke’s eye. After a while, they stopped at a hardware store.
“Find the flashlights,” Zeke instructed.
“Don’t we already have a couple?” Sue asked, knowing full well they did.
“Yes. But they’re like you, not very bright.” He jabbed her several times on top of the head. “I need better ones for what I have planned. I want to be able to see what I’m doing.” He looked down each aisle as they came to it. “Ah, here they are.”
Their purchases included two high-powered flashlights with batteries attached to the packages, a hammer, and some six-inch nails. Sue shuddered, afraid to speculate what Zeke had in mind for the latter two items.
He had remained silent since they’d left the hardware store. Now he spoke.
“I need to make a quick trip, then we need to get out of town a ways and sleep a while. It’s going to be a long night and I want to be at my best. Put the flashlights together while we drive.”
Zeke returned to the abandoned buildings they’d discovered earlier. Making Sue follow him, he went to the desk they’d moved and opened a drawer. He stuck the camera, nails, and hammer inside. He shoved the assembled flashlights into a second drawer. “There, all ready.” Just before closing the drawer, he unobtrusively added Big Ben to the stash.
“I’m tired. Let’s get some sleep.” He found an old lane that led down to the river and pulled as far into the bushes as he felt he safely could. Zeke and Sue stepped over the ice chest into the rear of the van.
“I have to pee,” Sue said softly.
Zeke paused. “Yeah? Me too.” He slid the side door open and they stepped out into tall brown weeds. Sue started to move away but Zeke stopped her. “Go right here. You don’t have anything I haven’t seen.”
Sue stamped down an area, pulled her skirt up, squatted, and left a puddle beneath herself while Zeke playfully squirted urine all over, shooting it high up and from side to side in a childlike manner.
When finished, Sue climbed back into the vehicle and curled up on the filthy mattress, Zeke right behind her.
He handed her a couple of Xanax and her soda pop. “Take these.”
Without complaint, Sue swallowed the pills and opened her mouth so Zeke could be sure she hadn’t hidden them under her tongue. She lay back down. Zeke spooned her, resting one arm over her body so he could feel if she moved. Soon, they were both asleep.
Hours later, Zeke stirred. He held his wrist out to catch the moonlight and checked the time on his watch. Excitement lacing his voice, he shook Sue awake. “Hey, bunny. It’s time to find me a woman.”
Groggily, Sue followed Zeke back into the front seat. “What time is it?” she asked.
“I told you.” Zeke smiled.
“Other than that?” Sue grimaced.
“It’s ten o’clock. Time to hit a convenience store to clean up a little and then to a bar.”
“Bar?”
“It’s the best place to score.”
A good place to get away from you. Sue visualized a crowded tavern, people milling about, loud music. I don’t care who he threatens; I’m gonna run like hell when we get there. It’s not my fault if he hurts someone.
They found a small store and Zeke slipped into the women’s restroom with Sue. Using almost the complete supply of paper towels, the couple cleaned themselves and combed their hair. Once presentable, they drove to The Loose Screw, a country-western bar on the outskirts of Four Falls, a bar Zeke had earlier chosen as a good place to find a victim.
“Don’t forget, Sue. I’ve got you covered.” He patted his pocket. “And if you cause a scene, I’ll kill everyone, including you, but I’ll do you last, so you’ll get to watch all those people die.”
They got out and Zeke held the bar’s door open for her, putting on a good face for potential prey. He stood close behind Sue and she could feel something pressing into her back through the fabric of Zeke’s jacket.
They were stopped by a hand belonging to a bearded bruiser of a man perched on a stool right inside the door. “You’re okay,” he told Zeke, “but I need to see her ID.”
Sue’s hopes rose. He’s not gonna let us in.
Zeke turned to Sue. “Do you have your bag?”
“Oh, no.” Sue slapped her side, feigning surprise that it wasn’t hanging from her shoulder. “I left it at the motel.”
“Damn,” Zeke groused. “I guess we’ll be back,” he told the bouncer.
“Really?” The man smiled sardonically, a gold tooth glinting in the dim light. “I can hardly wait. Do hurry.”
Zeke flushed and turned on his heel, dragging Sue along by the arm. “Fucking sarcastic sack of shit,” he ranted as they crossed the parking lot. “I ought to kick his ass.”
It was the first truly funny thing Zeke had said in a long time, and in spite of her predicament, Sue snorted. Right, that dude would flatten you without breaking a sweat.
Zeke jerked her to a stop. “Something funny, Sue? You laughing at me?”
Her mirth evaporated. “No, of course not. I was just imagining that jerk getting what he deserves, that’s all. It would be hilarious if you beat him up.”
He stared at her a few seconds, uncertain. “Don’t fuck with me, Sue,” he said softly.
She swallowed hard and looked down at the ground. “I wouldn’t. I’m not.”
Back in the van, Zeke fumed. “God damn it! I would have to pick a bar that actually checks IDs.”
“Do you want to try another?” Sue asked.
“Shit! Let me think.” Zeke held his head between his hands for a couple of minutes before answering. “No. We probably can’t get in anywhere, thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, of course you. You’re the kid here, not me.”
“So what now? Are we going to leave?”
“Leave? Hell, no. The night is calling, Sue. Can’t you feel it?”
“Not really,” she said softly.
“Well, I came to find a woman, and I’m going to find one. We’ll wait here and snag someone leaving. Otherwise,” Zeke looked sideways at Sue, “I’ll have to make do with you.”
Their vigilance continued. Zeke used the time well; he taught Sue her scripts, and told her what would happen if she blew this opportunity for him. He explained repeatedly what he wanted Sue to do, depending on the situation. “You getting all this?” He reached over and poked her in the head.
“Ow! Yes, I’m getting it. Stop poking me.”
“Stop poking me,” Zeke parroted and prodded Sue in several places before becoming bored. “I just wish someone worthwhile would come out.” He settled back in his seat and stared at the door, reaching to hold Sue’s hand, not out of affection, but to keep her from doing anything stupid, like running off.
Friendly Vibes
Several people left the bar between 11:30 and midnight, but none met whatever criteria Zeke had in mind. Finally, about 12:15, a lone woman exited the tavern. Long legs encased in blue jeans and cowboy boots caught his attention immediately. He worked his way up to where her large breasts strained against a bright red sweater. They jiggled delightfully as they tried to escape their tethers. He smirked at her short, faux-fur shrug and moved his gaze higher. Her heavily made-up face was framed by bleached blond hair that fell to her waist in cascades. She wove her way toward a blue Toyota Camry, about three cars away from Zeke and Sue. She swayed a little as she attempted use her remote keyless entry to release the door locks. The key ring slipped from her fingers and hit the ground.
“That’s the one, come on.” Zeke got out, walked around to pull Sue from the van, and they swiftly descended on his prey.
“Let us help you,” Zeke said as he reached down to pick up the now muddy keys. Up close, Zeke could see she was nearer to thirty-five than the early twenties he had originally thought. Still, with her build, he figured she’d do just fine.
Pressing her hand to her heart, the woman backed up against her car. “You scared the bejesus out of me. Where’d ya all come from, anyway?” Her eyes traveled between them.
Zeke nudged Sue and she stepped forward. “We came out right behind you. We’re just parked over there.” She gestured randomly.
“I didn’t see you inside.” The woman eyed them with suspicion.
“Well,” Sue said with a forced smile, “we were in there. But, hey, the place is hopping. We only saw you as you left.”
“It was crowded,” the woman conceded. She held out her hand. “Can I have my keys?”
“I don’t think so,” Zeke proclaimed; then, at her look of panic, he quickly added, “We heard they’re going to have DUI checkpoints set out tonight. Hell, that’s why I didn’t drink.” Zeke threw her his thousand-watt smile. “Why don’t you let us drive you home and save you getting a ticket
? You can have a friend, or your husband, or someone bring you back for your car tomorrow. How about it?”
“DUI checkpoints? Boy, I can’t afford another one of those or I’ll end up doing some jail time.” She hesitated a minute.
“Well, no skin off our noses.” Zeke started backing away, pulling Sue along.
“Hold on. Maybe I’d better let you drive me.” She stumbled after the couple, worried now that they might leave her behind.
“Sounds good,” Zeke said. “Do you need to grab your purse or anything?”
“No, I never take it to the bar. I carry everything I need in my pockets.”
She caught up with them, and Zeke told Sue to sit in the rear. “Let our guest have the front seat. By the way, I’m Zeke and this is Sue.”
“My name is Brenda.”
Zeke warmed her with his eyes. “Brenda? Well, that’s a pretty name, but I had you pegged as a Juliette. Or maybe a Veronica.”
She giggled. “Nope, just plain ole Brenda.”
Zeke glanced back at Sue and sent a signal with his eyes. Sue, remembering their earlier discussions, squatted behind the ice chest and played with a curl of Brenda’s hair. Hating herself, she said, “You’re so beautiful. I wish I looked like you.”
Brenda glanced back at Sue. “Why, thank you, honey! That’s sweet of you to say. But you know, you’re pretty enough. You just need your hair fixed up and some make-up.”
Sue frowned. “I don’t know about that. But anyway, we’re going to go party at this cool place we found. You want to come along?”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not? All you were going to do was go home to bed, weren’t you? This would be way more fun. Plus...” Sue held up a bottle of grape schnapps and one of tequila. “We got a couple of friends here to help us loosen up.”
Brenda, tipsy and feeling friendly vibes around her, smiled. “What the hell. A girl only lives once, right?”
Zeke grinned broadly. If you only knew.
Blood Games
Zeke Page 27