by Jeff Strand
Bummer of a way to die.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, they got off lucky. Bullet to the head. The end. No pain, a shocking moment, and it was over. Slowly dying from a stab wound while simultaneously dying of hypothermia (presumably) was not a glamorous way to go. It sucked. Barry demanded a recount.
Barry was not entirely sure what his brain meant by demanding a recount.
He did know that, except for maybe giving Gary somebody to stab besides the other three captives, he wasn't going to be contributing much to the escape effort.
He closed his eyes.
Nope. Not gonna do that. He opened them again. That only counted as a long blink. He hadn't given up. If he gave up, he'd die and then fifteen seconds later a SWAT team would burst into the freezer with Gary's guts on their boots, because that's the way irony worked.
He tried to wiggle his fingers. They wouldn't wiggle.
At least this was better than dying in an autoerotic asphyxiation accident. No glory in that. Dying a slow death in a walk-in freezer wouldn't elicit snickers, except maybe from his ex-wife.
Were his eyes closed, or had the lights gone out again?
His eyes were closed.
He opened them.
God, he was tired.
Sweet, sweet sleep.
Better to die here, now, peacefully, than to die on an operating table with surgeons shouting at each other, right? That was no way to go. All that chaos. Right here, right now, it was kind of serene as long as he didn't look at all of the blood on his clothes and Dana's corpse and Chad's corpse and what remained of Ethan's corpse. As long as he didn't look at them, it was fine.
If he closed his eyes, he didn't have to look at them.
He closed his eyes.
"Open your eyes!" a woman said.
Who?
He opened them. Oh. It was Vanessa. Of course.
"He tweeted back," she said.
This seemed important enough that Barry could focus. "What'd he say?"
She held the phone up to him. Barry blinked a few times.
"Too small for me to read."
"He said, 'U 4 real?' With the letter U and the number 4."
"What do we tell him?"
"I already tweeted back yes."
"Oh, good."
"Do not fade on me now, Barry. Same with you, Trevor. I need you guys."
Barry nodded. He'd stay alive for Vanessa. He owed her that much, after all they'd been through.
Stay awake. All he had to do was stay awake. Not for much longer.
The door made a clicking sound.
"I think he unlocked it," Vanessa whispered.
She looked at her phone and put a hand over her mouth.
"What'd he say?"
"He said to come on out."
"You gonna?"
Vanessa took a deep breath. "I'm going to do it just like we said." She reached out for Pete's hand. "Are you ready?"
"I don't want to."
"I know, honey, but I need you to be strong. You can see your mommy, and we can save a new mommy."
Pete took her hand.
Vanessa led him to the door. She turned the handle, then very slowly pulled it open a few inches.
"Hello?" she said.
"Don't try anything stupid," said a man outside. He sounded like he smoked approximately a thousand cigarettes a day, although Barry supposed that people his age probably vaped.
"I won't."
"Let me see Chad."
"Chad is dead," said Vanessa. "But before you get upset about that, I want you to know that I'm not trying to save my own life. There's a little boy in here. His name is Pete. He's six years old. You have to let him go."
"Open the door all the way."
Vanessa did. Gary stood only five feet away. The pregnant woman was in front of him, the meat cleaver still against her neck, with a few thin trickles of blood underneath the steel. Her eyes were so puffy they looked almost swollen shut. She was an inch taller than Gary. Barry could see how it would be difficult for a sniper to get a clear headshot.
"Look at what I'm doing here. You think I care what happens to that kid?"
"Then put him out of his misery."
"What?"
"Put him out of his misery."
"I heard you, but, what?"
"I believe in your message," said Vanessa. "I do. I don't want to be the one to die for it, but I understand its importance. Letting us freeze to death isn't going to do it. He'll have died for nothing. I can't let that happen."
"You ain't got a choice."
"Don't waste him. Let his life mean something. Either let him go to be with his mother and father, or finish him yourself." Vanessa tugged on Pete's hand. "Come on, sweetheart. Go get warm."
Pete very slowly walked out of the freezer, shivering.
"The fuck you doing?" asked Gary. "You trying to get somebody killed?"
"If that's how it has to be. Go on, sweetie."
Vanessa put her hands in the air to show that she wasn't going to try anything, and took a couple of steps backwards.
Pete shuffled forward like a zombie.
Then he dropped to his knees.
"I'll kill the kid," Gary warned. "I'll do it. I don't give a shit."
"I just want my mommy," said Pete.
"Do it," said Vanessa. "End this."
Gary looked at her. "You are one messed-up bitch, you know that?"
Vanessa lifted her shirt, flashing him, and stepped to the side.
It was meant to be a dual assault on the senses. One, a beautiful woman exposed herself at a time when Gary probably wasn't expecting to see bare breasts. Vanessa's bra rested on one of the shelves. Two, the corpses of his ex-buddies Chad and Ethan were suddenly visible. Sure, he already knew they were dead, but seeing them had to give him a momentary jolt.
In a perfect world, this would distract him just long enough for a frightened six-year-old boy to reach behind his back and take out the hunting knife that was wedged in his pants.
Pete pulled out the knife.
Then...he dropped it.
Barry didn't blame him. He was scared and his little fingers were frozen.
As the knife clattered to the floor, Gary did not draw the meat cleaver across the woman's throat. He glanced down at the knife Pete had dropped.
This gave the pregnant woman the opportunity to jab her elbow into Gary's stomach.
Gary didn't drop the meat cleaver, but as he started to double over, he lowered the weapon a few inches. This, apparently, was enough for the woman to feel comfortable pulling away from him.
The blade of the meat cleaver tore across her chest, but, thank God, not her belly or neck.
Pete tried to pick up the knife but couldn't get a grip on it.
Gary screamed with rage as the woman fled. But he didn't go after her. He had a much more convenient target.
Barry wanted to shout for Pete to forget about the knife, he didn't need it anymore, he should just run. But his voice wasn't working.
Vanessa ran out of the freezer.
Gary swung the meat cleaver down at Pete.
Blood splattered onto Gary's shirt.
Vanessa screamed. Barry would have joined her, were he able.
Gary's left ear exploded.
His body twitched as several more bullets pounded into him.
He stepped forward, did a half-pirouette, then flopped forward and hit the floor.
Pete clutched at his bloody shoulder, screaming. It was an awful sight, but it was a little boy who was badly hurt, not a little boy who was going to die.
I think we're going to be okay, thought Barry, as the men in bulletproof vests rushed into the room.
EPILOGUE
As Barry lay on the gurney in the ambulance next to Trevor, he cheered himself up with thoughts that, if those assholes were alive to do a full analysis of how their plan had gone, they'd be extremely pissed at themselves.
"I think I've just earned myself another thirty years on this plane
t," said Trevor.
"And I'm never going to eat another avocado in my life," said Barry.
"I beg your pardon?'
"Avocado."
"I heard that part."
"I was there for an avocado. That's why I was at the store. I said it earlier."
"Was it while we were freezing to death?"
"Yeah."
"That's why I don't remember."
"Fair enough."
"You shouldn't boycott avocados though. They're good for you."
"I wasn't really going to. It was just something to say after your comment about earning thirty more years."
"We should just stop talking and let the paramedics do their work."
"Yeah."
The End
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Richard Chizmar, Tod Clark, Donna Fitzpatrick, Brian Freeman, Lynne Hansen (who wrote a screenplay adaptation, if there are any movie people reading this), Michael McBride, Jim Morey, Norman Prentiss, Rhonda Rettig, and Paul Synuria II for their assistance with this project.
Remember: Readers who leave reviews deserve great big hugs!
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Books By Jeff Strand
Bring Her Back. A tale of revenge and madness.
Sick House. A home invasion from beyond the grave.
Bang Up. A filthy comedic thriller. "You want to pay me to sleep with your wife?" is just the start of the story.
How You Ruined My Life (Young Adult). Sixteen-year-old Rod has a pretty cool life until his cousin Blake moves in and slowly destroys everything he holds dear.
Everything Has Teeth. A third collection of short tales of horror and macabre comedy.
An Apocalypse of Our Own. Can the Friend Zone survive the end of the world?
Stranger Things Have Happened (Young Adult). Teenager Marcus Millian III is determined to be one of the greatest magicians who ever lived. Can he make a live shark disappear from a tank?
Cyclops Road. When newly widowed Evan Portin gives a woman named Harriett a ride out of town, she says she's on a cross-country journey to slay a Cyclops. Is she crazy, or...?
Blister. While on vacation, cartoonist Jason Tray meets the town legend, a hideously disfigured woman who lives in a shed.
The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever (Young Adult). Three best friends with more passion than talent try to make the ultimate zombie epic.
Kumquat. A road trip comedy about TV, hot dogs, death, and obscure fruit.
I Have a Bad Feeling About This (Young Adult). Geeky, non-athletic Henry Lambert is sent to survival camp, which is bad enough before the trio of murderous thugs show up.
Pressure. What if your best friend was a killer...and he wanted you to be just like him? Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.
Dweller. The lifetime story of a boy and his monster. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Novel.
A Bad Day For Voodoo. A young adult horror/comedy about why sticking pins in a voodoo doll of your history teacher isn't always the best idea. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Young Adult Novel.
Dead Clown Barbecue. A collection of demented stories about severed noses, ventriloquist dummies, giant-sized vampires, sibling stabbings, and lots of other messed-up stuff.
Dead Clown Barbecue Expansion Pack. A few more stories for those who couldn't get enough.
Wolf Hunt. Two thugs for hire. One beautiful woman. And one vicious frickin' werewolf.
Wolf Hunt 2. New wolf. Same George and Lou.
The Sinister Mr. Corpse. The feel-good zombie novel of the year.
Benjamin's Parasite. A rather disgusting action/horror/comedy about why getting infected with a ghastly parasite is unpleasant.
Fangboy. A dark and demented fairy tale for adults.
Kutter. A serial killer finds a Boston terrier, and it might just make him into a better person.
Faint of Heart. To get her kidnapped husband back, Melody has to relive her husband's nightmarish weekend, step-by-step...and survive.
Mandibles. Giant killer ants wreaking havoc in the big city!
Stalking You Now. A twisty-turny thriller soon to be the feature film Mindy Has To Die.
Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary). First in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Single White Psychopath Seeks Same. Second in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Casket For Sale (Only Used Once). Third in the Andrew Mayhem series.
Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley"). Fourth in the Andrew Mayhem series.
The Andrew Mayhem Collection. All four novels for one low price!
Suckers (with JA Konrath). Andrew Mayhem meets Harry McGlade. Which one will prove to be more incompetent?
Gleefully Macabre Tales. A collection of thirty-two demented tales. Bram Stoker Award nominee for Best Collection.
Elrod McBugle on the Loose. A comedy for kids (and adults who were warped as kids).
The Haunted Forest Tour (with Jim Moore). The greatest theme park attraction in the world! Take a completely safe ride through an actual haunted forest! Just hope that your tram doesn't break down, because this forest is PACKED with monsters...
Draculas (with JA Konrath, Blake Crouch, and F. Paul Wilson). An outbreak of feral vampires in a secluded hospital. This one isn't much like Twilight.
For information on all of these books, visit Jeff Strand's more-or-less official website at http://www.jeffstrand.com