by A J Newman
They began searching the building starting with the first floor and didn’t find anyone. The hotel didn’t smell moldy or dusty as Cobie had imagined and several windows were open on each floor allowing the wind and sun to enter the building. The second floor was also unfruitful, and they used up valuable time. They climbed the stairs to the third floor and heard someone talking. Then an offensive odor came from somewhere ahead of them. They passed a bathroom, and Emily stuck her head in and almost vomited from the wretched smell of human excrement.
“That is a true shithole. The toilets are full of crap,” Emily said as she tried to stop gagging at the smell.
With guns drawn, they proceeded down the long dark hallway until they saw a room with a plaque that said, “Honeymoon Suite.” They listened and heard a woman’s voice. Cobie started a countdown from three with her fingers, and they broke through the door at one.
A partially clothed red-headed young woman yelled, “Don’t shoot.”
Another nude lady said, “Are you here to help him or us?”
“Are there any more of you in this building?” Cobie asked.
“There were two more, but we heard screams, and they disappeared. Please unlock the chains, the keys are over there on the wall by the closet,” The red-headed woman begged.
Emily fetched the keys, unlocked the women, and then began searching for clothes for them. She found drawers full of women and men’s clothes in the dresser and closet. The women quickly dressed as they told their story.
The redhead said, “I’m Joan, and this is my mother, Paula. That monster captured us about two weeks ago. We were hiding from the mayhem in a small house about a mile south from here. The bastard killed my dad and boyfriend and brought us here. He raped and ….”
The young lady broke into tears and cried on her mom’s shoulder. Her mom seemed to be in a daze and didn’t say anything. It was obvious these women had been sexually and mentally abused.
“We need to head back to our place and get you two cleaned up. I’m sorry for what Mal did to you, but he should be dead before now,” Cobie said.
“What about his partner? They left a couple of hours ago and laughed about bringing several more women back here from another Bed and Breakfast,” Joan said
“What do you mean? Are there two of the perverts?” Emily cried out.
“Yes, one of them was always with us until today. Mal said they were getting tired of us and wanted some fresh …err …women. They are the worst perverts you can imagine. We’ve had it lucky compared to the two women that just disappeared. They made us watch their perverted acts. I want to kill the beasts,” Joan replied.
“This is bad. My folks are only expecting Mal. It looks like he set a trap for us on the same day we set our trap. We need to go help Mom and Dad,” Emily said.
They hurried down the stairs and out the back door to the lake and retraced their steps back to the other B&B. They were about 5 minutes out when they heard sporadic gunfire coming from the B&B’s direction. Then abruptly the gunfire stopped, which made everyone wonder who had won the battle.
They were in the woods behind their destination when they heard the sound of a truck drive off. Emily pointed through the trees and said, “My mom is in that truck, and Mal was driving. Come on.”
They slowly walked up to the back of the building while trying to keep hidden when they saw the first bodies. Rob’s boys Jimmy and Bobby lay dead along with a stranger.
“That’s Jose, the other monster. Where are your folks?” Joan asked.
They entered Rob’s suite in the B&B and found the answer. Rob and John had been executed. Both had wounds to the back of their heads. Emily dropped to her knees, hugged her dead father, and cried profusely. Cobie tried to console her, the best she could.
“Those monsters are going to get away with this. We’ll never see Mal again,” Joan moaned.
Cobie looked around and didn’t see Paula. She looked outside and saw Paula straddling the dead pervert’s body. She was repeatedly plunging a butcher knife into the dead body. Cobie tried to get her to stop, but the woman glared at Cobie and kept stabbing the corpse.
“Emily, Joan, we need to get your mom cleaned up and prepare for a trip. We are going to find that SOB and free Lyn and your mom. If we’re lucky, we will kill Mal also. Get your asses in gear and be ready to move in an hour. Gather all weapons, ammunition, and food for our trip,” Cobie said as she barked out orders.
The four women had backpacks, a rifle and pistol each, and a small carry bag for extra supplies. They walked at a fast pace heading down the paved road to Ashland.
***
Dan West saw the truck speeding along toward Ashland and saw two women in the cab with a man. One of the women rolled a window down and yelled, “Help.” The truck was out of sight before Dan could react.
***
Mal reached across Lyn and slapped Gail with his pistol when he saw her signal for help.
“Bitch if you do that again I’ll kill you. You two are now my women thanks to your stupid attempt to kill me. I just wanted Jane Doe and would have left you two alone. Shit, that was a lie. I also wanted that sweet Emily. I’ll bet she would be great in the sack.”
Gail was afraid to curse the man for his depraved comments about her daughter. Gail vowed that she would kill this sick bastard if given a chance. She watched as the truck headed down the mountain and on to Dead Indian Road. She hoped someone in Ashland would help them.
As though Mal read her thoughts Mal said, “Don’t think you are going to get any help in Ashland. My brother’s people are quietly moving into town and will soon take it over once his men find a way to get rid of the gangs. Tom will soon be the King of Southern Oregon and Northern California. His group has been waiting patiently for everyone to starve or kill each other before flexing their muscle.”
“Why don’t you let us go? We hate you and will never be your women,” Gail said.
“My brother and I share everything, but I get to sample you two first. We’re stopping just outside of town to spend a night together. If you’re good to me, I’ll be good to you. Other women made bold statements like that, and they all came begging me to be their lover in the end. You will too,” Mal said.
***
Dan walked over to Ben’s place, which was on his way home. Ben came from his backyard to greet Dan.
“Hey man. How’s it hanging?” Ben asked.
“Down to my knees on a good day,” Dan laughed as he replied.
“You are so full of shit we won’t need fertilizer for the gardens. What’s up?”
“I just saw a truck go by. Did you see it?” Dan asked.
“Yes, and something bad was going on in the truck. I saw a man slap a blonde woman as they drove past. I glared at the man, and he stopped and then backed up. I showed him my AR, and he hauled ass out of here,” Ben replied.
“That’s the truck I saw. The blonde yelled help, and the truck sped away. I think I saw the man hit the woman,” Dan told Ben.
“Dan, Cobie wasn’t in the truck, if that’s what you are getting at. I feel so sorry for Cloe and Joe but no help,” Ben stammered.
Dan trekked back to his home and called for his wife Ginny and Jane to come outside and join him. He told them, “I just saw a truck go by with a man and two women. One cried for help as they passed.”
“Was Cobie in the truck?” Jane asked.
“No, she wasn’t, but it made me sick what these women are going through.”
“Shit, Joe will probably be gone another week. That could be the same man who took Cobie,” Ginny said.
“Ladies, if that man took Cobie she is already dead or worse,” Dan said.
“My God! Why didn’t God kill all of the perverts and criminals when the nukes went off,” Ginny asked.
“Because he has faith that the good guys have enough faith to prevail,” Jane answered.
☆
Chapter 3
The sun was still below the eastern horizon, b
ut the light from the sun highlighted the ridges and snow-capped peaks. This made the mountains look surreal against a deep blue sky. The air was cold and crisp with the usual hint of smoke with a big dose of pine smell. Joe’s head rested against the window with his eyes staring blindly into the forest as he talked with Cloe.
He felt emotionally drained, and it took all his effort to open the Jeep’s door to go relieve himself. This simple act made him think about sanitation. Someday in the near future, they would have to worry more about enough clean drinking water and larger septic tanks and fields. He took some jerky from his pack and split the package with Cloe when she came back from the woods.
“Joe, the birds are chirping, and I saw squirrels playing in the woods. Spring is officially here to stay. I hope we don’t get one of those mid-spring snow storms that shut everything down and ruins our crops,” Cloe said.
Joe breathed in the crisp mountain air and noticed several distinct odors. The faint smell of wood smoke mixed with the strong pine scent made him think about his camping trips with his Grandma. The other predominant odor was the stink from Joe that was the result of several days without a bath. Then he thought back to his Grandma.
“Oh shit!” Joe said.
“What’s wrong Joe,” Cloe replied with fear in her voice.
“I haven’t read one of my Grandma’s letters in a while. I have two in my backpack. I’m reading one now,” Joe said.
Joe sat against a huge tree and read.
Dear Joe:
I hope all is well with you and things are going great up in the mountains. It may seem funny, but I know you are staying in my cabin and living a good life. I never considered that you would go back to Tennessee when you inherited the property and cabins. If by some chance you are back in Tennessee, pack your bags, get your happy ass out to Oregon, and live in your cabin. I’ve warned you many times of the upcoming disaster.
The apocalypse is coming. The only question is will it be caused by an economic collapse, plague, or Rocket Man dropping nukes on our heads.
Get prepared and stay prepared.
PS Have you found you a woman yet? A man is not meant to live alone.
Love Grandma.
Joe had a big smile on his face when he finished the letter, which piqued Cloe’s interest. “What did the letter say?”
“Here you can read this one. A few are too personal but here read it,” Joe said.
Cloe read the note and then exclaimed, “Your Grandma knew this crap was coming. She must have been a very smart person.”
“She was very smart and my best friend when I was growing up,” he replied.
“Is my mom your new girlfriend?” Cobie asked.
“Yes, we love each other and as I said before I will ask her to marry me when we get her back,” Joe said even though he had almost given up on finding Cobie alive.
Joe felt that the chances of finding Cobie alive were very slim as they finished their jerky and water for breakfast. He needed closure. He was scared that meant finding Cobie’s body or place she was buried. He knew he had to keep a brave face for Cloe’s sake but deep down inside he was a wreck.
“Girl, shake a leg. We need to head back to that B&B and kick Mal’s ass until he tells us the truth,” Joe said.
“I think regardless what that pervert says we should go on and talk with the people at the other B&B up the road. I’m starting to think you can’t trust anyone these days,” Cloe answered.
“You got that right Baby Girl.”
Joe parked the Jeep in the woods a half mile before the Rose Petal Bed & Breakfasts driveway where they had seen Mal the day before. They marched briskly through the woods to the back of the building and noticed the truck was gone. There were no signs of any people. Joe advanced to the back door while Cloe covered him. The door was locked, so he checked another and found the door had been pried open.
“Cloe, someone broke into this place. We must be careful. There might be robbers in the building,” Joe said.
Joe entered the room and saw it was a storage room for pool toys and lawn chairs. The next several rooms were staff offices. The hotel had a pleasant odor that reminded Joe of pineapples. Joe checked several rooms and found most of them in pristine condition. They searched the bottom two floors and found them to be empty before taking the stairs to the top floor.
Joe’s nose was assaulted by a stench as he opened the door to the third floor. It was a mixture of strong chemicals, human excrement, and urine. His eyes burned as he moved up the hallway checking the rooms.
“Joe this smells like piss and shit with ammonia thrown into the mix,” Cloe said.
“I don’t think your mother would like that language,” Joe counseled.
“Well, she ain’t here now, and I guess I can cuss if I want to,” Cloe barked back.
“Cloe cut the tough talk. Your almost 13 and as your friend I’m telling you to cut it out,” Joe said.
“Joe, I turned 13 yesterday, and I’m almost a woman. I didn’t think about it being my birthday until now,” Cloe said.
“Well Happy Birthday and cut the cussing or I’ll bend you over my knee and spank your butt. That’s what a father should do,” a frustrated Joe replied.
“Okay, but no child abuse,” Cloe said.
“Whoa, a minute ago you were almost a woman then you play the child card,” Joe laughed as he spoke.
“Joe, that’s what us women do to keep you men off balance,” Cloe replied.
“Hush up and let’s find out what is causing this putrid odor,” Joe said.
“Do we really want to know?”
“Probably not but it might help us understand what happened to your mom,” he replied.
They entered the common bathroom across from the Bridal Suite and saw the cause of most of the foul odor. The toilets were clogged with crap and urine. The place was a mess. Lining the wall were several five-gallon buckets that had been used as chamber pots.
“I guess that explains most of the odor. Who could live like this?” Cloe asked.
“I don’t know because the rest of the place is in good condition.”
Joe opened the door to the bridal suite, and his heart sank as he saw the chains locked to the beds on one end and the other lying free on the floor. He went into the bathroom, and the odor turned to a most repugnant Sulphur smell. He opened the door to a huge closet, sank to his knees, and covered his eyes, nose, and mouth as a swarm of flies flew from the room.
“Joe, what is it? What do you see?”
Joe opened his eyes and said, “Cloe, stay back. There are bodies in here, and I need to search through the bodies. You don’t need to see this.”
“Joe one might be my momma!”
“Cloe, stay out,” Joe screamed.
Joe saw a pile of a dozen women of all ages. All were nude and had been tortured. He put gloves on and began moving arms and legs until his heart sank when he saw the back of a short black haired woman with a knife sticking out of her skull. He rolled her over and began to weep uncontrollably. He stood up, walked to Cloe, and held her tight.
“Baby Girl your mom isn’t in there. Let’s get the fuck out of here and go kill that monster, Mal.”
Joe led Cloe back down the steps and out the back door to the cool fresh air. They sat on a picnic table for several minutes before Cloe said, “What’s next?”
“We must travel over to that other B&B and check out all of the houses in this area. I can’t believe that man went very far with several slaves,” Joe said.
“Joe my instincts tell me that mom is nearby. Let’s shake a leg as my new father says,” Cloe replied.
They walked back to the Jeep and it was all Joe could do to keep from falling on the ground and bawling like a child. Just thinking that Cobie could have suffered at the hands of the men who tortured those dead women haunted Joe’s mind.
Cloe took Joe’s hand in hers. “Joe thanks for not letting me see those dead women. That’s one picture that I don’t want to carry arou
nd for the rest of my life.”
Joe gripped her hand. “Baby Girl, it’s my job to protect you. Sometimes you will just have to jump when I say jump and let me explain later.”
It only took a few minutes to drive to the other B&B and again Joe parked a safe distance away. They walked to the building through the woods. Joe saw several buzzards circling in the air above the back of the building. He knew that was a bad sign and said, “Cloe, I need to go ahead of you and make sure it’s safe. Cover me and watch for activity in the windows. I don’t need a sniper plugging me in the back.”
“You da boss.”
Joe kept a small shed between him and the back of the B&B until he was only a hundred feet from the back of the building. He saw the bodies and they were all men or boys. He hated himself for thinking that was okay as long as it wasn’t Cobie. He signaled to Cloe to join him behind the shed.
“There are three dead men in the backyard. Cover me while I advance to the back door,” he instructed.
The back door was ajar, and the entryway was empty, so he waved for Cloe to join him.
“Cloe this building is a duplicate of the last one. We’ll clear the rooms the same as last time.”
This time there was no stench, and the people had set up living quarters on the second floor. The bathrooms were clean, and there were buckets of water ready to flush the toilets. The first inhabited suite appeared to be the quarters of a small family. They searched the bedrooms and found clothes for a man, woman, and two different size boys. The rooms were neat and clean. Joe didn’t say anything, but he knew the boys were outside dead on the ground.
There were two dead men in the next room. Both were bound and gagged. They had been executed and had a small hole in the back of their skulls. Joe didn’t waste any time and moved on to the next suite. This one was clean but not as tidy as the other was. There were animal hides drying by the front window and camping gear stacked against one wall. The master bedroom had clothes from a man and woman and the second had a young woman’s clothing and magazines. The third bedroom was bare except for a few articles of clothing.