“Damn it. Nothing.” Brandi felt like throwing her phone.
“Walk around and see if you can't get at least one bar. There has to be some kind of cell tower out here.” Mike encouraged her, not ready to give up. Since they didn't know where they were he didn't want to continue walking and hope they came to some kind of store where they could use a phone.
Brandi walked up the road a little ways with Mike on her heels. Hearing her sigh heavily he knew that she didn't have any signal.
“I know you don't want to hear this but we have to start walking Mike. We have to consider ourselves lucky. That old man-” Brandi tried talking to him.
“Fuck that old man Brandi. I don't care what he has to say!” Mike hollered at her. Getting tired of hearing about the old man that she had talked to at the store.
“Really, because he warned me that once we went to Myers Camp that no one got out alive. Look at our friends Mike! We were lucky to get out of there!” Brandi turned around and screamed at him. Getting upset with him.
“How does he know this Brandi huh? How does he know that no one comes back from Myers Camp unless he's the one doing this?” Mike asked, refusing to raise his voice again.
“I don't know Mike. I don't think he's doing it. Why would he warn me if he was the one who killed those girls and Maverick?” She pointed a finger at him. Knowing it was no use arguing with him it wouldn't bring Maverick back to them.
“I say we go back and help Jen. There's two of us and one of him.” Mike explained to her.
“We don't know if he has someone helping him. Just because we only saw him doesn't mean he is alone. I don't want to go back there and end up on the store wall as missing.” Brandi muttered and rolled her eyes.
Mike didn't answer her. He kept walking with her not stopping her from walking further away from Myers Camp. In the back of his mind he knew that she was right but thinking about their friends and the anger he had inside of him told him they should go back.
As they continued walking they saw headlights hit the tarred road, once again Mike pushed her towards the woods knowing it was too late for him to hide and not sure if the driver had seen Brandi being pushed into the woods.
The car slowed down and stopped. Mike looked at the car and saw that it was red. Still keeping in the back of his mind not to trust anyone out there.
“What are you doing walking this road late at night?” The man asked, looking outside the passenger side window.
“Just taking a walk.” Mike told him as calmly as he could.
“Where do you live buddy? I can give you a lift home.” The man told him lightly.
“That's alright. I'm good.” Mike gave him a smile and continued walking, hoping that Brandi didn't pop out and not wanting to leave her too far behind.
“Alright. Well watch this road at night time.” The man told him rolling up the window and driving off.
Mike went back for Brandi as soon as the car was out of sight. Thinking the man would never leave him alone.
“Brandi, Brandi where are you?” Mike asked her as he walked back to where he had pushed her into the woods.
“Damn it Mike, we could have asked him for help.” Brandi popped out when he called for her.
“Right. That's what I'm going to do.” Mike rolled his eyes at her. He was trying to keep her safe and now he had to listen to her about how he didn't do anything to get help.
Brandi and Mike were talking, trying to come up with a plan when they saw a pair of headlights coming at them at a fast pace.
“Brandi watch out!” Mike screamed at her as he pushed her further in front of him when the headlights were just inches away from them.
Mike moving out of the way just in time to watch the car go down into the woods and slam into a big tree. The car horn blaring into the night.
“What the hell!” Brandi screamed as she watched Mike go into the woods to see what had happened and why someone would want to run them down.
Brandi ran into the woods after Mike. She wasn't going to let him get into trouble on his own. If he was going to get into trouble she was going with him.
Mike moved closer to the car slowly when he saw it. The horn still blaring as he moved to the driver's side door.
“Brandi get the hell out of here.” Mike told her when he saw that she was on the other side of the door.
“I'm not leaving you.” She whispered to him.
Mike looked at her and saw that there was no point in fighting with her at the moment. He would wait until later.
“Sir. Sir are you okay?” Mike called out through the window. Taking a second look he saw it was the red car that had stopped just a few minutes earlier to give him a ride home.
There was no answer. The man's head was slammed against the steering wheel and that was why the horn was still blaring. Mike was sure he couldn't be heard over the loud noise.
“Mike what are you doing!” Brandi hollered over the noise.
Mike didn't answer he as he saw the window was all the way down. He put his hand in through the window and pushed the man's head back against the seat. The horn had stopped blaring and it was silent again but Mike's ears were just adjusting to the silence.
“Sir, can you hear me?” Mike called into him as he took his hand out of the car.
Mike couldn't tell if the man was breathing or not. He wasn't sure if the man came at them on purpose but he was pretty sure that he had.
“Mike we need to get the hell out of here.” Brandi groaned.
Mike ignored her as he slowly put his hand back in through the window and touched the side of the man's neck with two fingers. He had a pulse, a weak one but it was still there.
“He's still alive.” Mike nodded his head.
Moving his hand slowly away from the man's neck he was looking at Brandi when the man's eyes opened and he grabbed a hold of Mike's hand.
Brandi watched in horror as the man grabbed his arm and quickly getting out of the car. Blood dripping down the man's face.
“Brandi run! Get the hell out of here!” Mike hollered to her as he tried to free himself from the man's grip. Hoping that by the time she got to the road he would be able to free himself.
“I'm not leaving without you.” She whispered to him, a tear rolling down her face. She knew that if she left she would have to go back and get him regardless.
“I said fucking go!” Mike hollered at her as the man got out of the car and took a knife to Mike's throat.
“No one is going anywhere. You go running for that road I will slit his throat right here.” The man growled at her as he walked Mike around the car and heading into the woods with him.
Brandi knew she wasn't strong enough to fight the man for the knife. It was a losing battle before it even started.
“Are you the one who killed our friends?” Brandi asked him as she followed the both of them further into the woods. Leaving the road behind them.
“No.” He grunted and shook his head.
“You know whose doing this though.” Mike croaked as the man pushed the knife tightly against his throat.
“You were told weren't you? You were warned about this place.” The man looked over at Brandi. Knowing that she had been warned to stay away from Myers Camp.
Mike felt blood coming from his neck. Not too much and he was sure the man didn't know that he had cut him.
“Were you told!?” The man hollered at them.
“Yes. I was.” Brandi whispered to him. Not sure what was going to happen to them, but whatever it was it wasn't going to be good.
“As always you young kids never listen and then you have to become a victim. Everyone who comes here never get out alive.” The man muttered to them.
Brandi looked at the man and saw that he had a beard growing. A long one. That was all she could really make out except that the man was wearing jeans and the way he sounded he was about the same age as they were.
“Look you could let us go right now. No one would have to know about y
ou. We need help for our friend.” Brandi tried reasoning with him.
“He will find out. He will know that I betrayed him and then I would suffer for letting you guys go.” The man told her quickly. He had heard the same things before when someone tried leaving the woods, getting close to getting help and messing it up. Around the corner from where Brandi and Mike were walking was a gas station. If he hadn't grabbed them where they were they would've had the cops searching the woods.
“Do you have anything to do with those girls missing at the store?” Brandi asked him as she saw the cabin come into view. Her heart beating fast, her hands sweating wanting to turn and run but knowing the moment she did Mike would be bleeding on the ground and dead in a matter of minutes.
“They were all warned. Every single one of them.” The man replied as calmly as he could.
Mike would have told her to run if he could talk when he saw the cabin come into view. He knew if they went in there they would never come out. He tried to talk to her but only a gagging noise came out of his mouth.
“Stop hurting him!” Brandi hollered at the man.
“I didn't put you guys here. You guys put yourselves here.” The man glanced over at her quickly as he made Mike walk up the steps and into the cabin. Knowing that Brandi would follow them. She wasn't going to leave her boyfriend to die by himself.
“Sit down.” The man told Brandi.
Brandi sat down at the table that had once been covered with pictures. Now the table was empty and one chair was missing. As soon as Brandi sat down she saw that Jen was sitting in a chair by the sink. Her hands tied behind her back and duct tape over her mouth. For the moment Jen was still alive, staring at Mike and Brandi with tears in her eyes.
Mike sat down beside Brandi as he felt the knife being taken away from his throat. He put his hand to his throat and then took it away to look at it. He saw smeared blood on his hand.
“Are you okay?” Brandi asked him, keeping her eyes on Jen.
“For now. You should have just left. You should have left me here.” Mike glared at her. Knowing there was no use in blaming her for anything.
Brandi watched as Jen nodded her head in agreement with Mike. She wished she could have warned him not to come back with Brandi.
“Now I'm going to take the duct tape away from your mouth as long as you don't holler and scream.” The man told her what he was doing as he approached her.
He took the tape off slowly and moved away from her. Mike thought that he might be able to take the guy on knowing he should be able to as a football player he had tackled guys his size and bigger.
“Just let us go. Please, just let us go.” Jen begged him softly.
“I can't do that. I've told you over and over again why I can't do it.” The man told her as he stood behind her.
“They cut my finger off. They just cut it off.” Jen told them through tears.
“We know. I have it in my book bag.” Brandi whispered as she felt tears streaming down her own face.
“Curt I'm begging you. I'm sure you can come up with a lie.” Jen told him softly.
“He would know I'm lying. You were warned as well weren't you? You stopped at the at store I was told about it.” The man she called Curt glared at her.
Curt had red hair and a red beard now that Brandi saw him in the light. She noticed that he had hazel eyes and he wore a red shirt.
“What do you know Jen?” Mike asked, the only one who was able to remain calm out of the three. Thinking if he knew more information it might help them out.
“When I went inside the store the old woman warned me not to come here when I told her where we were headed. I thought she was crazy.” Jen shrugged her shoulders.
“Why didn't you tell us?” Mike asked her.
“We were all looking forward to having a good time Mike. I forgot all about it as soon as we got here. I didn't want to ruin our good time that we were suppose to have. Maverick....I am hoping that Maverick got away.” Jen told them.
Mike looked and Brandi and lowered his head and shook his head slowly then looked up and saw Jen staring at him.
“He's dead? God no, please tell me he's not dead!” Jen shrieked.
“If you can't quiet down I'm going to have to put that duct tape back over your mouth.” Curt warned her.
“You know why he does this. Tell us why he does this.” Mike looked at Curt, glaring at him and letting him know that he wasn't afraid of him.
“You will find out soon enough.” Was all Curt said to him.
“Tommy Bradford.” Jen said one name to them and Curt drove the knife he held in his hand through her chest. Within minutes Jen's head hung low, blood coming from her mouth and blood dripped down her body.
“Why! Why would you do that!” Brandi got up from the chair, backing away from the table trying to move towards the door.
“Sit down!” Curt screamed at her.
Brandi shook her head no and kept backing up towards the door. She had her hand on the door knob ready to make a run for it when she bumped into something in the doorway.
“I see that you found them. I've been looking all through the woods.” A rough voice made her jump and run back to the table.
“I told you I would find them.” Curt smiled at the man who was his father. Curt looked like the spitting image of the man only younger.
Mike held onto Brandi's hand as she sat back down in the chair she had just moved from. Mike kept his eye on Jen shaking his head. Though Tommy Bradford did sound familiar he just couldn't remember where he had heard the name.
“Do they know anything?” The man asked him, looking at Jen's body seeing the blood everywhere.
“They know his name. That's why I killed her. I mean she was going to die anyways.” Curt replied, shrugging his shoulders like it was no big thing.
“That name doesn't ring a bell.” Brandi shook her head trying to go through her memory but couldn't come up with a face.
“He was my son. Tommy Bradford went to Calico High School. He was killed.” The man didn't explain just gave her a little information.
“That's the school we graduated from. I know him.” Mike nodded his head slowly.
“The girls that you saw on the wall at the store. They had something to do with his death. A few of them did. They were cheerleaders and one of them asked him out on a date. I knew that I shouldn't have let him go. I had a gut feeling that it was just a mean joke. The brought him out here and started drinking and having a good time. By the time midnight rolled around there had been no call from Tommy and he hadn't returned home. They made him take his clothes off and drenched him in kerosene. Then like it didn't even matter they struck a match and threw it on him. Watched him burn alive.” The man explained to them sadly.
“How did you know we were coming here?” Brandi whispered to him, wanting to close her ears to what she was hearing.
“We didn't hurt your boy. Why are we the ones being punished.?” Mike asked him as he watched the man walk over to curt and stand beside him.
“That little bitch right there was with them. They kept it out of the papers. One of the girls was a police officer's daughter. All of them got off Scott-free. All lying for one another and having an alibi.” The man glared down at Jen and shook his head.
“Where was I? Jen and I always hung out together.” Brandi stated, shaking her head. Realizing that the man didn't answer her question.
“How did you know we were coming out this way?” Mike asked him.
“The old man at the store. He tells me all the time when someone comes out this way. Always asking young kids where they are going and if its here he tries to warn them away. Only problem is no one listens to him. Why would they? He's just a crazy, old, man right?” The man nudged Curt and began laughing.
“Tommy was always picked on because he was different. He was shy and hardly talked to anyone. How the girls got him to come out here is beyond me.” The man shook his head and cleared his throat.
“So many newspaper clippings of missing girls. Its a shame that no one listens to the old man huh?” Curt chuckled a little.
“You can keep your secret just let us go. Please, I don't know what Jen did but I am sorry that your son had to die. I can't change what she did.” Brandi begged him softly.
“No way. You say that now and before we know it cops will be crawling all over his place. The only time the cops have ever come out here is when they investigated the death of my son. They couldn't even tell who he was until they looked at his dental records. Sweeping it under the rug like it would just disappear.” The man began raising his voice a little.
“I saved Jen if you want to know the truth.” Curt told her gently.
“I don't know how many times I have to tell you not to be nice to them. Every time I tell you not to be nice. They bring it upon themselves.” The man glared at him.
“How was she suppose to die?” Mike asked them. Thinking if he kept them talking the longer they would be able to live.
Curt didn't say anything. There was a moment of silence for a few minutes.
“Well you might as well tell them now. Not like they are going to go running their mouths.” The man shook his head.
“Jen was suppose to die the same way my brother died. She was suppose to burn to death. We were going to make you watch her burn, we were going to make Maverick watch her burn too but he got stupid. Thinking that he could just run out of here when we grabbed her.” Curt explained quickly, knowing he had made his father mad.
“What's your name?” Mike asked looking at the older man.
“Jeremy.” The man told him. Never having someone ask his name before.
Mike was running out of things to say. Never expecting that to happen in his life he always found a way to keep a conversation going. He had to think fast, his life depended on it.
“I think that you deserve justice for what happened to your son but not like this. God, not like this.” Mike whispered, shaking his head.
“The cops don't care. The cops never cared, never once told me how sorry they were and how they would get to the bottom of it. I did my homework. Found out the girls names, every single one of them. Jen here was the last girl to die from what happened to my son. She was suppose to be the one that would die like my son did.” Jeremy glared at Curt.
Murder Thriller: Heart Of A Serial Killer (Murder, Serial Killer Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Gothic, Thriller & Suspense Crime, Mystery, Hard-Boiled Book 1) Page 3