by J. D. Cavan
* * *
SAMANTHA RIPPED THE driver’s-side door open, jumped inside and woke him up. Charlie lifted his head off the side of the passenger’s window. His neck was killing him from sleeping in the truck.
“I just got us jobs!” Samantha announced. She handed Luca and Charlie two hangers of clothing, a black bowtie dangling off the top of each.
“What’s this?” Luca asked.
“You two are parking cars, and I’ll be waiting tables. We’re lucky, this is a super fancy resort but apparently they need help so don’t blow this—”
“I’m not wearing this clown suit.” Luca dumped the hanger of clothing in the back.
“We get one room in the staff building and big tips, so deal with it!” Samantha snapped.
“I’ve never parked cars before,” Charlie said sheepishly.
“It’s easy. Rich people in expensive cars pull up, hand you their keys and you try not to smash their cars.” Luca started to get out of the truck.
“I’ll show you how to drive, Charlie,” Samantha told him. Charlie tried to hide his smile and nodded his head thankfully. However, he could feel Luca’s jealousy.
He spent the next hour in the truck with Samantha. He must have known how to drive in his past life because it came back to him quickly after a little bit of a rough start. It was like walking or other things that become automatic over time—that kind of muscle memory came back. When it came to anything specific about his life, totally blank.
More importantly, he was thrilled to have time with Samantha without Luca. He’d noticed she was different when he wasn’t around, more open with him and silly. They got laughing when he stalled the truck over and over again, and it became impossible for him to concentrate. She kept smiling and moving her hair and he kept staring at her. She touched his hand a couple times while he was learning how to shift, and he felt his face flush and his heart jump. There was a moment when he glanced over at her and thought they might kiss. He actually leaned in slightly, but she looked away and then leapt out of the truck, ending their lesson.
Charlie sat there for a moment before he kicked himself in the butt. Stupid move! he shouted at himself, totally embarrassed. He should be focused on getting his memory back and figuring out what the hell was going on, not falling for a girl he barely knew. Plus, Luca liked her, and they’d been friends forever. Who knew what he’d be stepping into between Samantha and Luca? There was just something about her that made him feel so much better about himself, like he wasn’t just some guy with a mark on his back, destined to be cursed, with nothing to offer.
In the end, he decided to squash his feelings for Samantha. If the universe wanted it to happen then it would happen, he thought to himself before he shut the truck off and got out.
* * *
CHARLIE WALKED AROUND the giant resort toward the staff quarters in the back. His first day on the job had been a long one and he couldn’t wait to get off his feet. Running around and parking cars was hard work, he’d learned.
The staff housing was a shabby-looking building compared to the sprawling and well-kept resort. It was pitch dark out and the area wasn’t lit, so Charlie was careful as he walked along the stone path toward the quarters. He glanced over at the incredible estate the resort sat on, with its many acres of land.
The staff’s quarters were quiet as Charlie walked the dimly lit hallways to reach their room. He knocked on the door and Luca opened it.
“It’s not much, but it’s got double beds and it’s better than sleeping in the truck,” Luca announced. Charlie glanced around the room. It looked fine to him, since he was used to sleeping with four men in a small cabin on the floor. Luca had changed into a pair of shorts and t-shirt. He threw himself down on the bed and switched on the T.V. with the remote.
“Sam will be out of the shower in a second if you need it. She said she cleaned up tonight, cash-wise. How’d you do?”
“About fifty bucks,” Charlie replied before sitting on a chair next to a small table in the corner of the room. It felt good just to sit down.
“That’s pretty good for a night’s work. I pulled in about the same.” Luca clicked through the channels. “But I think we need to keep on the move, get outta here tomorrow morning.”
Charlie could hear the shower turning off and within minutes Samantha came out. She had a towel on her head and wore a robe. She smiled at Charlie when she saw him. Samantha looked different again, with her hair up and under the towel. Charlie felt his heart rate pick up and he tried not to stare at her.
“Shower’s all yours, Charlie,” she said before she plopping down on her bed. “I snatched some nice soaps and lotions from the main house; use them up if you want.” Charlie got up and started to walk toward the bathroom.
“If we can pull this off for a week, we’ll have some real cash—”
“A week? No way,” Luca blurted, cutting Samantha off.
“We just got here.” Samantha was looking at her phone. “They haven’t found the killer yet but there’s an army of cops searching the woods—”
“That’s great, but we’re still not that far from where everything went down.”
“They don’t have anything on us; he never ran a plate, and we didn’t do anything. You stopped the killer for them and I called it in.”
“I don’t think they’re gonna see it that way, Sam. We left the scene of a crime, a bad crime, probably the worst kind of crime,” Luca replied.
Samantha smiled. “I love this place. It’s beautiful, and we can make tons of cash and I get discounts at the spa—”
“By discount, do you mean the stuff you’re stealing from the spa?” Luca said snidely. Samantha clutched her big white fluffy robe and smirked.
Charlie couldn’t shed the bad sense he was getting. It had really never left him, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He didn’t know for sure, but he had a strong sense that Bill was out there looking for him.
“I think Luca’s right, we oughta keep on the run,” Charlie chimed in.
“Plus, I hate the resort manager. Thinks he’s better than us. Keeps snappin’ his fingers in my face to park cars faster. I’ll break his fingers.” Luca shut the T.V. off.
Samantha sighed. “Let’s work one more night; the money is way good. There’s supposed to be some big-time business guy coming in, he owns like everything and throws money around, and I’ll be working his table. They call him the Destroyer, because I guess he destroys his competition.” Luca groaned and rolled his eyes. “I don’t care about rich people either, Luca. All I know is I can make a lot of money.”
“Alright!” Luca said in frustration. “But I think we’re risking it. If it isn’t the cops showing up looking for us it could be the hunters. I’m sure they haven’t given up looking for Charlie.”
The next night Charlie found himself working twice as hard but making twice the money. Samantha was right the weekend night was far better cash-wise. But Milton, the house manager, was unfortunately bothering them every five seconds. Luca called him Ichabod, for Ichabod Crane, who Charlie didn’t know but Luca said he looked exactly like. If a car was parked for more then one second, Ichabod was out and snapping his fingers at them. Luca didn’t even look at him, just ignored him totally, which seemed to infuriate Ichabod even more.
Samantha popped out for a second and said the tips were better than ever so Luca should keep his head. They could make close to a thousand dollars for the night. Just as she ducked back inside to the dinning room a huge limo pulled up and the door opened. Milton came running over. Apparently this was the famous businessman, the one they called the Destroyer.
He didn’t seem like a businessman to Charlie. He looked more like a professional wrestler or football player in an expensive suit. He was also very young looking, couldn’t have been more then twenty years old. He was massive, six-seven easily, and beyond muscle-bound. He had on heavy-looking jewelry and a woman in a tight skirt and very high heels on each of his gigantic arms. As he st
rolled through the front of the resort, he handed out money. A wad of cash went to Milton, who was gushing over him disgustingly, and a fifty-dollar bill went in Charlie’s hand. The Destroyer finally disappeared inside before Milton barked at them to get back to work.
Charlie sat down on a small bench next to the key stand and caught his breath. The night was soon to be over and they’d planned to get back on the road when the last of the tips had been counted. He saw another car pull up that needed to be parked, but when Charlie stood up he stopped and grabbed his head. It happened again, the voices piercing his brain. But this time, to his terror, it was the familiar voices of Bill and Hank! He knew it! He’d been sensing it.
He shook his head back and forth to rattle it, make it go away, but the voices didn’t, and he scanned the parking lot in panic. The car had stopped in front of him and the man was out of it, holding a set of keys for Charlie to take, but he was mentally searching. Luca came over and glanced at Charlie strangely before quickly taking the key from the man.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked as he got into the man’s car. Charlie felt his chest rising and falling before he started to follow Bill and Hank’s voices. They led him around the side of the front entrance toward the back parking lot. He searched the lot and finally watched as the light inside a black truck came on. He hid behind a small bush on the side of the building and watched as Hank and Bill got out of the truck. Then he ran back toward Luca.
“They’re here!” Charlie cried, out of breath. “The hunters!” A line of cars had formed, and people were waiting.
“I told you we should have gotten outta here! I’ll get Sam, you get back to our room and start packing!” Luca raced into the lobby and Charlie turned and headed toward the room.
He quickly made it to the staff’s quarters. They were all gone for the evening and the place was eerily quiet. Charlie felt his pulse race as he opened the door to their room. He started to throw everything in their bags. Then he stopped, hearing something in the hallway. He watched the handle turn and the door open. If it was Bill and Hank, he was dead for sure.
“Let’s move it!” Luca said, standing by the door. Charlie breathed out a sigh of relief when Samantha walked into the room.
“Did you grab the soaps?” she asked before gathering up the towels and her spa robe. She even started to take the comforter off the bed.
“Sam, what the hell are you doing?” Luca shook his head.
“I’m taking this, it’s super comfortable. Since we’ll be back to sleeping in the stupid truck again—”
“I’m going!” Luca called and headed out of the room.
“Okay, I’m ready now,” Samantha said with a smirk, and raced past Charlie out the door.
They snuck across an empty field toward the workers’ parking area, where everything was deserted and silent. Off in the distance Charlie could see the lights and hear the sounds of the busy resort.
“I wonder who they have parking cars and waiting my tables,” Samantha said with a chuckle.
“Shush,” Luca said. They moved through some tall grass and finally into the large parking lot for employees. There was no one there and Charlie could see the pickup truck under some lights. He felt his pulse rate drop as they got closer. They reached the truck and started putting their stuff in the back.
“Another swift getaway,” Samantha whispered, before another voice rang out in the darkness.
“Well, well, well… if it isn’t my good old friend, Charlie.”
Charlie shut his eyes and moaned as Bill walked around a line of cars carrying his hunting rifle. Hank was fast behind him. He heard Luca grunt in frustration. All three of them stood in front of the truck as Bill and Hank walked up.
“And if it isn’t the punk that busted me up.” Bill pointed his rifle at Luca. “Don’t look so surprised. We track wolves in the woods; you didn’t think we’d find you?”
“What are you gonna do, shoot us? They’ll catch you in seconds,” Samantha said.
“Charlie’s coming back with us, and then I’m gonna blow your heads off. A couple nobody kids, no one will care.” Bill spit some tobacco out of his mouth as he spoke. Charlie tried to make eye contact with Hank but he wouldn’t even look at him.
“Nobody kids,” Luca repeated in anger as he started walking toward Bill.
“Luca, stop,” Charlie begged, “Hank, please—”
“Shut up, Charlie. You’ll live, that’s the best I could do,” Hank said, not taking his eyes off Luca and Samantha. Charlie watched as Bill raised his rifle and put Luca in his sight. But Charlie moved quickly. Bill had his eyes off him for a second, and he was able to knock Bill’s rifle up and kick his leg out from behind.
“Move!” Charlie shouted to Luca and Samantha while he tore the rifle out of Bill’s hands, smashing him in the face with the butt end. Blood shot up all over Charlie, so he must have broken Bill’s nose.
Hank was slow with his rifle and Samantha was able to punch him square in the face. He twisted backward, landing on the ground as Luca leapt on him, throwing right and left punches. Charlie went to hit Bill again, but he was already standing back up and blasted Charlie with a punch to the jaw. Charlie flew backward off his feet and crashed to the ground. He went out for a second and then was seeing stars. Hank had somehow escaped Luca and the two were toe to toe, slugging it out viciously.
Charlie panicked. He’d dropped Bill’s rifle and Bill was about to pick it up when Samantha landed a nasty kick to the side of his jaw, sending him away from the gun. Bill shook it off and spit blood out of his mouth, growling and grunting.
“You are a tough girl,” he said. “But I’m gonna beat you to death.” Samantha crouched and put her hands up in a fighting position, and as Bill came at her she ducked, landing blows to his stomach. She was lightning fast, moving around him and snapping punches. Bill was able to backhand her once, surprising her, and looked as if he’d get another shot in when he froze.
“Don’t move,” Charlie ordered. He had grabbed the rifle and pointed it at Bill. Hank was on one knee, barely able to get up. Luca had gotten the better of him.
Bill wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spit more blood out of it, growling in anger. “You’re not gonna use that thing, Charlie. You got no balls!”
“Samantha, Luca, get in the truck,” Charlie told them while keeping the rifle aimed at Bill.
Bill took one step toward Charlie and before Charlie could pull the trigger, Bill collapsed and fell to the ground. Hank stood up and turned to see, but his head snapped back, a bullet ripping through it. Both Bill and Hank lay dead on the earth in seconds with fatal gunshot wounds. Charlie had not fired a single shot.
Stunned, Charlie swung around and tried to focus his eyesight in the darkness. Finally, out of the pitch-black night walked the biggest man Charlie had ever seen. The Destroyer. His sleeves were rolled up and he had taken off his expensive tie. He carried a huge pistol with a silencer on the end of it in one hand, and a thick chain holding his two Rottweiler dogs on the other. He had the two drug-dealer guys with him, the ones from the club, and both of them were carrying semi-automatics.
“Oh boy,” Luca mumbled. It was the first time Charlie had seen him frightened.
“Drop the gun,” the Destroyer said. Charlie had almost forgotten he had the rifle, but he quickly let it fall to the ground.
“We don’t have anything to do with them,” Samantha blurted immediately. The Destroyer just smiled at her as his dogs silently pulled on their chains, drooling and showing their teeth. One of them started growling, and then the other one.
“That’s enough, boys,” the Destroyer ordered, and both dogs quickly sat down and silenced themselves.
“We don’t have your money or your drugs,” Charlie said. The Destroyer glanced at him like he was an idiot, then huffed aloud.
“I know that! We have our money and drugs. Get on your knees,” he ordered.
“I swear, I didn’t know Bill and Hank were going t
o steal from you,” Charlie tried to say.
“I don’t care about that!” He laughed deeply. Charlie thought of Lang—maybe he wanted to know about that.
“We’re just kids looking for jobs and money and—” Luca started to say, but the Destroyer reached over and smashed him in the head with the end of the gun. Luca grabbed his temple and winced in pain.
One of the Destroyer’s men brought the silver metal suitcase over and the Destroyer held it by the handle. It was the same one Hank and Bill had taken from them.
“You got everything back, so let us go!” Charlie pleaded. The Destroyer smirked a nasty grin. He had broken and brown-looking teeth. He’s no rich businessman, Charlie thought. This guy is evil, pure evil.
Charlie’s head started to spin. He glared into the Destroyer’s eyes. They were black inside, no pupil or iris, just an obsidian cover of darkness, the same he’d seen in Lang’s eyes. Then it hit him like a bus. A lighting bolt of panic shot through him when he realized what he had been trying to deny.
“You’re a killer, and that’s all you are. You’re a part of this, aren’t you?” Charlie blurted out.
The Destroyer dropped his head down for a moment, but couldn’t hide his smirk. He then frowned a little disapprovingly. He raised his pistol up and Charlie threw his hands up reflexively in front of his face, squinting his eyes shut. He heard two quick pops from the gun and the sound of two people falling to the earth. “No!” he cried to himself. He opened his eyes to see that it wasn’t Samantha and Luca, but his two drug-dealing minions lying on the ground.