Jagger

by Kristopher Rufty

  “Will it work?” she asked without looking up.

  He thought, I have no idea but he said, “I think so.”

  Looking over his shoulder, he glimpsed the dog. It hadn’t budged. It watched them, probably waiting to see what their next move would be.

  Kenny faced Brianna. “Ready?”

  “No...”

  “Let’s do this.”

  Kenny turned first, putting his back to the dog. It felt much worse this way, knowing it was there but not being able to see it. He could feel its angry eyes all over him.

  “Your turn,” Kenny said.

  Brianna screamed.

  Kenny was turning around when he felt something like a horse kick on his back. The impact threw him forward, sent him crashing to the ground. His chin scraped the damp earth.

  Dazed, he looked up. His vision was jittery, tilting in all directions. He could make out Brianna stepping away from him, her hands up to her mouth as she sobbed.

  “Bri...?”

  The weight pounded him again, pressing him into the mud. Hot breath wafted across the nape of his neck, making the hairs stand up. He felt warm droplets of the dog’s slobber trickle across him, getting in his hair.

  Kenny reached out for Brianna. “Help!”

  She acted as if she were about to come forward, then hesitated. Before Kenny felt the dog’s mouth on the back of his neck, Brianna ran away.

  Leaving Kenny behind.

  He cussed her in his mind.

  Then the dog bit down, igniting a brief flurry of pain before Kenny went numb from the neck down.

  His last thought before he died was something about being paralyzed.

  * * * *

  Jeremiah was opening the cooler he kept in his truck when he heard something that might have been a scream. He listened, but heard nothing more than the buzzing of June Bugs.

  He stuck his hand in the cold water, grabbed an ice cube and pulled it out. He rubbed it across the back of his neck, cringing from the brutal frigid kiss. The ice quickly melted, trickling down his shirt in a chilly path. He flicked the excess water from his fingers, then reached inside the cooler’s cold pool again. This time his hand found a can.

  Stepping back, Jeremiah let the lid close with a soft thump. He used his knee to shut the passenger door. The Pepsi was slick and wet in his hold, dripping across the ground as he walked back to the front of the truck. Using his index finger, he popped the tab, then raised it to his mouth and guzzled. The soda was cold and sweet, wonderful on his throat as it swished down.

  Damn, it’s getting hot.

  His clothes felt hot and uncomfortable on his body, itchy on his skin. The hat kept the sun off his face, but did nothing to shield him from the heat. He was starting to think hanging out here hadn’t been such a good idea.

  It’s better than being cooped up in the truck.

  There was no A/C in there, so no matter how hot it was out here, it was nothing compared to how stuffy and unbearable it would be inside the truck.

  He’d hang out here a little longer, praying for the sun to move behind the trees so he could have some shade. He had a sandwich in the cooler that his stomach growled to have, but the heat had ruined his appetite.

  Damn. Varner was right. I’m going to have a damn heat stroke out here. What the hell am I doing?

  Waiting for the dog to come through, simple as that. He was certain that it would. Dogs stuck to a formula in their behaviors, moving on an autopilot they probably didn’t even realize they had. If it had fled west, it would continue west until finding a spot to claim as home.

  He’d hoped it would have gotten here a little sooner. The idea of spending all day out here was not something he was anxious to do.

  Jeremiah guzzled more Pepsi. His stomach was starting to hurt a little from how fast he was drinking. He didn’t care. The soda was refreshing. He might even have another.

  Someone screamed from the woods.

  Jeremiah jumped. The can slipped from his fingers and smacked the ground. He could hear the fizzy gulps of soda pouring out. He stepped toward the field, pausing when his feet crunched dehydrated weeds. Staring across the tall stagnant grass, his eyes moved along the trees. He saw no one, but he was certain he’d heard a scream. There was no mistaking it. Sounded like a woman.

  Not a woman, a girl. Young.

  Jeremiah turned away from the field and ran to the back of his truck. He saw the rubber guard of the catch pole poking out from between the cages. Reaching over the tailgate, he pulled it out, letting the end drop to the ground. He held it like a staff as he returned to the front of his truck.

  He patted his left hip and felt the hump of the tranquilizer gun. A dart loaded for a hundred pounds was inside, plus he had two more in the clips with the same mixture. With such a big dog, the first shot would only slow it down, hopefully long enough for him to reload and shoot it again. A third shot would kill the dog, but it was there if needed.

  And if for some reason the sleeping sauce wasn’t enough, he had his 9 mm Browning on his other hip.

  More screams resonated from the woods. Closer now.

  He started running.

  * * * *

  Brianna dashed through the woods. Low-hanging limbs whipped her exposed skin, leaving pink stripes across her milky flesh where the bikini didn’t cover. All she had on her feet were flip-flops, and though they made running more difficult, she didn’t want to lose them. Not on this uneven terrain where roots seemed to be jutting up from the ground everywhere she turned. She wished she would have at least thought to grab her shirt. It wouldn’t have protected her from much, but maybe her skin wouldn’t be hot in a flurry of stings.

  You bitch. Kenny’s dead and you want your damn shirt!?!

  Tears filled her eyes, turning her vision blurry. Poor Kenny, poor stupid Kenny. He’d brought them out here so they could be alone without worrying somebody might see them together.

  And now he was dead.

  His head was nearly bitten off!

  In one bite, the dog had left a large conduit in Kenny’s neck so deep that the top of his spine could be seen through the gross tendons and meat. And something that looked like a clear hose. It hung out of his throat, off to the side, curling out from the gore.

  Hopefully it didn’t hurt much. Hopefully it was quick and he didn’t suffer.

  What do you care?

  She cared plenty. Kenny had been great to her, better than anybody ever had been, including her parents. She loved their time together. Maybe she even loved him.

  And he’s dead. Because he wanted to be with me, he’s dead!

  What was she going to tell people when they found out? What was her dad going to say when he learned she had been fooling around with someone almost ten years older than her?

  He’s going to hate me. He’ll say something about being right about me.

  Mom would probably go into her bedroom and pray for days, and fast from food.

  But Brianna would have to find her car first before any of that could happen. She’d met Kenny in the gravel parking lot beside the ball field and they’d hiked out to the woods from there. She had no idea which direction she was heading now, but she doubted it was the one she needed to be going in. She was all turned around and confused, running anywhere that would take her away from the dog.

  Where’s it at? Is it still following me?

  Slowing down so she wouldn’t crash into a tree, Brianna stole a quick glance over her shoulder.

  The dog wasn’t far behind, keeping his pace steady as he leaped over a fallen branch.

  Brianna screamed. She turned around and pushed herself harder. Her arms worked at her sides, fists thrusting into the air. She felt her breasts bouncing in front of her, the straps of her bikini hauling them back.

  She cut to the left, and rushed toward a throng of large Evergreens. They stood tall in even rows that went on for a great distance. How perfectly they were arranged and consistently spaced, Brianna supposed somebody had planted
them. Maybe she was getting close to a house, or a farm.

  Please!

  Brianna entered a corridor between the Evergreens. Darkness dropped over her, messing with her vision. From the bright light of the woods, she felt as if she had suddenly put on sunglasses. She saw flashes whenever she blinked. Tiny splotches burst ahead of her. A sweet odor that reminded her of Christmas hung in the air. It felt so much cooler in this piney chasm than it had in the woods.

  She kept running. Her legs hurt, feet throbbed each time they slapped down on the ground. A funny tingling feeling spread through her thighs. The flip-flops slid on the carpet of tiny needles and loose dirt.

  Brianna was over halfway through the Evergreen fortress when she saw a blinding sheet of daylight up ahead. It looked as if a portal had opened at the end of the sweet-smelling stretch. At first she wasn’t sure what she was seeing, but as she neared it, she realized it was the end of the line. The woods were ending on what she believed was a field.

  This gave her exhausted body a surge of encouragement. She kicked her legs harder, stretched them wider to increase her gait. Hopefully the field was close to a road and not just a random clearing. If she got out there and saw she was still in the middle of nowhere, she might just give up.

  No! I won’t!

  She didn’t chance looking behind her. The heavy pants and grunts of the dog were back there, so she didn’t need the visual confirmation to know it was still after her. It seemed no matter how hard she pushed herself, she couldn’t get ahead. The dog was playing with her, allowing her to stay in front of him. If it wanted, it could end this chase and have her.

  And kill me just like Kenny!

  Why didn’t it? Was this a big game?

  Brianna was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice she’d exited the woods until the sun was blinding her. It reminded her of her dreams, how they always seemed to be washed out, burning her eyes with brightness. The glare caused tears to stream down her face. The soft ground that had been padded with needles and fuzzy bristles quickly turned hard and bumpy.

  She stumbled to one side, almost falling, losing one of her flip-flops in her near tumble. Thick grass brushed her legs, making them itch.

  “This way!”

  A voice?

  Staggering, Brianna looked right and could see a smeared moving shape. It looked like a blurry movie as the dark form seemed to stretch and wave from side to side.

  “Help me!” she cried.

  “I’m coming!”

  Brianna shuffled through the high grass, her feet dropping into hovels, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, fell onto her knee, but quickly pushed herself back up and ran. Now she had lost her other flip-flop, and her bare feet slapped down on spiky earth.

  Vision clearing, she began to make out she was in a field. The weeds were very high, tickling her hips. She spotted a few bales of hay that looked like giant pieces of wheat cereal along the edges. She looked forward and loosed a wild cackle of relief when she saw the man.

  He was dressed in the tan markings of a police uniform. In his waving hand was a gun of some kind.

  “Come to me,” he shouted, hurdling through the tall grass as if he were running in snow.

  Then she remembered the dog. It had been right behind her. Spinning around, she peered at the border of Evergreens. The corridors between the trunks were filled with impenetrable darkness. She saw no dog, only specks of shimmering sunlight cutting through the shadows.

  “Is it coming?” she heard the man shout. “The dog? Is it after you?”

  Brianna turned around. How’d he know about the dog? “Yes!”

  The man halted, holding the gun away from him and angled up. His eyes scanned the area. “Where?”

  “I don’t know! It was right behind me!”

  She was close enough to him now that she could see his nod. He ushered her forward with his other hand. “Come on. I’ll get you in my truck. You’ll be safe there.”

  Safe.

  A word that had never held much meaning to her before had become the most gloriously spoken form of the English language. She felt a smile tug the corners of her parched mouth so high they burned.

  Brianna was about to start heading his way when the cop’s eyes widened in frenzied shock.

  “Shit!” he yelled.

  Then he was yanked down. He vanished into the abyss of brown weeds.

  Brianna screamed, clawing at her own face as if she could somehow scrape away what she’d seen.

  The weeds trembled. She heard short angry growls, juicy ripping. The cop unleashed a tormented wail that bordered on a howl. Blood sprayed up in a thick mist, thinning as it splashed the weeds.

  More screams were like a slap on her rump that threw her back in this nightmare.

  She ran.

  For the second time today, she left somebody behind to die so she could live.

  Guilt would probably come eventually, but right now all she could focus on was her own survival.

  She spotted the cop’s truck. It wasn’t very far away, but at the rate she was moving, it could have been two miles. The ground titled and dipped every few steps, making her stumble. Her bare feet snagged holes. Sharp things jabbed her. Something sent a stinging pang up her leg that she assumed was a wasp.

  Almost there!

  The truck grew in size as she neared. She glanced behind her, expecting to see the dog still busy with the cop.

  He was just a short distance behind her, tearing through the weeds. They parted around his bulky front, his big feet scraping up dirt as they yanked him forward. Crimson froth coated his jaw like a foamy beard. His evil eyes were the color of piss.

  Screaming, Brianna nearly lost her balance. Her foot slipped out to the side, but she was quick to counter the weight. She turned in a circle. When she straightened, she was off her path. The truck was over to the right now. She would have to cut across at an angle to get to it.

  Bearing right, she dashed in front of the dog, feeling the hot wind of its snapping teeth. One foot in the field, the other on cut grass, she rocked each way as she made for the truck. Her arms flapped, keeping her upright as if she were walking a tight rope.

  Spinning around, she glimpsed the dog exiting the field. She angled toward the truck. The dog’s feet pounded the ground, sounding like rocks raining from the sky.

  Brianna wouldn’t have time to open the door, so she bypassed it. Headed for the rear tire. She threw her wasp-stung foot forward, briefly noticing how much it had swollen. Her toes hooked the edge of the tire, fingers curled over the lip of the truck bed. She heaved herself up and forward. A cold moistness streaked the back of her calve, marking a path down to her heel. She recognized it as being the dog’s wet nose, narrowly missing the meaty chunk of her lower leg. Her foot rose above the powerful clamp of its jaws.

  She dived into the back of the truck. The top of her head bumped metal. Her legs carried her over, flipping her, the heels of her feet banging against jagged objects. Things clattered, scooted around as if to make room for her. She landed on her back, her legs spread and bent, feet hooked above her.

  Something slammed against the truck, rocking it as if a car had crashed into the side.

  Sitting up, Brianna noticed her feet were hooked over the edges of cages. Different sizes and widths, a taller cage had lifted her right leg higher than left, making her thighs burn with tightness. She pulled her feet down, dragged her legs to her, and hugged her knees to her chest.

  The dog growled and barked below, banging against the truck, his claws squealing across the metal. It made a sound like knife blades slashing steel.

  Burying her face between the tight valley between her thighs, Brianna cried.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Mark sat beside Brianna in the back of the ambulance, staring at the blank page of his notepad. He’d hoped to get some useful information before the paramedics escorted her to the hospital and she was pumped full of drugs.

  Not happening.

 
; The girl was too succumbed by shock to offer him any information. He couldn’t blame her. After what she’d gone through, she was lucky to not have died from fright.

  A paramedic stuck her head in. She was a thick woman, not fat by any means, but buff and stocky, with short dark hair.

  “We’ve got to get going,” she told him, annoyance in her voice.

  Mark looked at Brianna, lying back on the stretcher. A sheet was pulled up to her throat. She had a natural fair complexion, but the day’s events had left her skin in a sickly, almost green hue around the dark red of sunburn.

  He tightened his lips, exhaled through his nose, and nodded. “All right,” he answered the stocky woman.

  Mark, keeping to a slight crouch, stood up from the bench. He gave Brianna one last glance, then dropped down from the bus.

  “She give you anything valuable?” asked the medic.

  Mark shook his head. “She’s too far gone.”

  The big woman grunted as she climbed into the back of the ambulance. “Come by the hospital tomorrow afternoon, she might be able to talk then.”

  Tomorrow afternoon will be way too late. Jagger will be long gone by then.

  Mark forced a smile. “Thanks.”

  He stepped back to avoid the door swinging past as the medic’s partner closed it. He was much smaller and thinner than his female counterpart, and barely acknowledged Mark when he passed in front of him to get the other door.

  “Varner!”

  Mark turned around, recognizing Pierce’s voice above the others who were shouting at each other and conversing all over the field.

  The dark skinned man ran toward him, waving his hand above his head as if Mark might not know he was the one calling for him.

  “Yeah, Pierce?”

  Mark headed to meet the running man as the ambulance’s siren began to wail. He heard it leaving the scene within seconds.

  Pierce stopped at the front of Jeremiah’s truck. Putting a hand on the hood, the other found his waist. He bent over slightly, panting. He was a thin man, but had a sagging gut that showed how little he exercised. His face was glossy under a sweaty sheen.