Joel didn’t respond.
“You also probably know I have her panties in my pocket, don’t you?”
“What?”
“See?” He crammed his hand into his pocket and tugged out a damp pair of black panties. “These were between your sister’s legs, hugging her …”
Joel felt sick. “Did you do anything to Haley?”
“I wish.” He shook his head as if it were a shame, took a savoring breath, and exhaled. Then he stuffed the panties back into his pocket. “Haley. Probably the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen in this shitball of a world. But of course you already know that, huh?” Now he stood at Joel’s feet. “She has my mind so messed up right now…” He laughed a nervous, maniacal laugh. “Bet you’ve spied on her lying out in the sun, or in the shower a time or two, haven’t you?”
Remembering the incident from this morning, Joel winced, shook his head.
“Come on, you can tell me. I’ll keep quiet about it. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret of my own. I used to peek on my own sister when she showered. But, hell, that was different. She knew I was doing it and didn’t mind. There would be times when she’d really put on a show for me.” He laughed. “She was a looker too, but nothing like Haley. I think I might be in love.” He took a moment to breathe before continuing. “But, they’ll kill her if I don’t take you back to the house…I don’t give a shit what they do to you, but Haley can’t die until I’ve at least fucked her.”
Joel was shaking, and not entirely from fear. The more Geoffrey Jones talked, the more he found himself wishing he had something to stab him with. This asshole was talking about his sister in a way Joel didn’t approve of. No one got that benefit, including Ethan and Paul. The few times they’d spoken of her derogatively, they’d paid for it with either a punch to the face or gut. Don’t cross that line if you know what’s good for you. Obviously, this piece of trash hadn’t learned what was good for him, yet. Joel planned to teach him.
With the toe of his mud-caked leather shoe, he nudged the bottom of Joel’s shoe. “What’s the matter? Did I say something to upset you?” He laughed, again, but the unnatural grin he wore looked too fake and sick to be real. “I bet you’ve even jerked off to her before, haven’t you?”
Joel’s hands clenched to fists. Geoffrey with a G noticed.
“Uh-oh. Looks like you’re aiming to use those little dick swatters as weapons.” His grin diminished. “Don’t even try it. Just because I’m wearing a suit doesn’t mean I can’t kick the shit out of a spoiled brat like you. I wouldn’t even break a sweat.”
Joel knew just by looking at him he was lying about not breaking a sweat, because he was drenched in a layer so thick it looked like his skin was secreting it. He also knew he didn’t stand a chance against fighting this guy.
No way in hell.
But, knowing that still wasn’t going to stop him from trying.
Geoffrey with a G’s foot nudge turned into a kick the second time. “Now get up so we can get this over with.”
Nodding, Joel shifted his weight against the tree and pushed himself up with his feet. How am I going to do this? The man wasn’t big, or ripped, but he was stronger, which was a lot more than Joel surely had going for him.
Joel’s intentions must have been written across his face.
“You want to hit me?”
Hesitating a moment, Joel shook his head.
“Didn’t think so. It’s time to go, so come on.”
Joel tried shoving his unwilling body into motion, but it just wouldn’t cooperate. Work legs, damn it, move!!! They wouldn’t listen, nor would his feet. Apparently, they were just happy where they were.
“All right, you’re pissing me off.”
“F-F-Fuck you.” In his mind, Joel pictured that would have sounded threatening. It was nothing close. His voice had betrayed him. He shut his eyes, and sighed.
Geoffrey Jones tilted back his head and really cut a laugh. When he looked back at Joel he was wiping tears from his eyes and holding his side. Joel had never made anyone laugh so hard before, and this time he hadn’t tried. “Good one. Oh shit, you’re a pretty witty kid. Know that?” He sniggered some more.
Joel used this moment to survey his situation. The temptation to attack the man was unbearable. He must try for it. He saw the shovel still leaning against the tree where he’d left it. If he was going to do any kind of damage he would have to use it. How long would it take to grab the shovel, raise it, and bring it down on his skull? Would he be quick enough before Geoffrey noticed it was coming?
Only one way to find out.
He sprung for it, passing Geoffrey Jones as he leapt through the air. He landed inches from the shovel, rolled, and snatched it up. The handle nearly slid through his sweaty hands.
The humor drained from Geoffrey Jones’ face.
Joel acted quickly, much quicker than he thought he could.
He brought the shovel up and down with a ferocious speed unparalleled for most twelve year olds.
Maybe if he’d swung a second sooner…
Geoffrey Jones caught the shovel under its base, stopping the plunge in mid-swing. “You dirty little shit,” he said between gritted teeth.
He jerked the shovel in his direction, bringing Joel with it. Then pushed the handle back, cracking the wooden staff across Joel’s forehead. Everything went black for a moment, then fuzzy. Joel lost all his momentum and sagged to his knees. He felt his stomach turning.
“Try to get me by surprise?” He seemed appalled by such an act.
Joel coughed, gagged. He’d failed. He felt pathetic.
Geoffrey Jones shook his head. “I should bust your fucking skull for what you just did.” He slammed the metal end of the shovel into the ground. It stuck, protruding like a shaft that was sowed there. “I think I’ll just kick the shit out of you instead. Then drag you back to the damn house by your little pecker.”
Joel knew it would hurt and braced himself. He was right. The first kick caught him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He fell on his back, an acorn or pecan digging into his spine. That seemed to hurt just as bad.
His muscles and lungs acted confused over what to do. Spasms raked his body while his lungs desperately tried to inhale. It hurt to do either. He swore his chest had caved in. He screamed with the second kick on his side. It felt to Joel that whatever organ was in there had burst, not just popped, but exploded. He was crying now. Bawling.
Geoffrey Jones struggled to stand upright on his bad knee. “Not such a tough little shit now, are you? Want to hit me with that shovel still?” Joel’s answer was a convulsion of sobs. This pleased him. “Didn’t think so. But you know what? I’m not done proving my point. I can hold a grudge for a long fucking time!” Laughing, he leaned over and grabbed Joel under the arms like an infant, then hoisted him up, putting him in some kind of bear hug.
Now, Joel really couldn’t breathe. His lungs were pleading, but Joel was helpless to give them what they wanted. The pressure was intense, paralyzing. He knew he could probably kick him, but doubted it would do much other than angering him even more.
I’m going to die… Joel was slipping into a void, a sort of tranquil state where the pain wasn’t so bad. And he knew Geoffrey Jones wasn’t going to stop until he realized the error of his ways after he’d killed him. He needed to fight. By some means, whatever he could muster, he had to fight.
He began to squirm.
“Be still. If you’d just calm down we can get moving and all this will be over. If you keep moving it’s just going to hurt that much worse until you finally pass out.”
Or until he died. Joel wondered how long it would be before his back snapped. Either asphyxiation or a broken spine would get him out of this situation. But his vote lay in the third choice, the one where he came out unscathed. Squirming like the wind!
Wriggling, twisting like a worm that’s about to be hooked, he managed to free his right arm. This allowed Geoffrey Jones to compress even
harder. Like a boa constrictor, he tightened, slowly applying more strain. Joel’s arm was free, but he couldn’t do a damn thing with it. He was hurting too bad to think straight. His arm just drooped about like a loose piece of grass.
“You ready to give up?” asked Geoffrey with G.
Joel stopped struggling.
Geoffrey Jones was calmer, “That’s a good boy. Now when we get back to the house, I want you to convince those guys that I should take Haley, because I’m not going to give you to them until they agree. If I don’t hurry up and do something about my infatuation with her, there’s no telling what I’ll do next. I mean, I’ve broken into her room, jacked off in her panties, burned down a bookstore, killed her dog, and now I’m about to hand over her baby brother to a pack of psychos just to have her.”
Killed Rusky?
Joel began to bubble inside.
“Maybe…yeah…maybe your death will bring us closer together…”
Joel’s arm suddenly felt rejuvenated. On its own whim it shot his hand up, thumb extended, and jabbed into Geoffrey Jones’ left eye. He pushed inward with ease. Inside the socket was warm and squishy like poking a finger into a fresh jelly doughnut.
Geoffrey shook thunderously as Joel pushed his thumb in as far as it would go. Finally, he was dropped. His thumb ripped out of the socket with a slippery pop. On the ground, he heaved for air that wouldn’t come fast enough.
Jones hunched over, cupping a hand over his eye. Blood and another mixture like white paint leaked through the cracks between his fingers.
“My eye!” He pulled his hand away. Where his eye had been a few moments ago was now a deep cavity. The left side of his face was coated in blood. He looked like a distraught Viking Warrior. He reared back his head and howled like one.
Joel couldn’t relish the victory a moment longer. He crawled over to the shovel, curving his hands around the wooden pole, and using it as leverage, hauled himself up. He was woozy, but he didn’t have the time to find his balance.
“You little bastard! I’m going to tear you apart!”
Joel stood to the side as if stepping up to the mound on a baseball diamond. The one sport he had ever been good at was baseball. He’d played a few years for his Dad’s team when he was younger. He hiked the shovel over his shoulder like a bat and swung the way the pros did it.
Dad would have been proud.
The metal base cuffed Geoffrey with a G’s face with a loud twang. The drive lifted him in the air, launching him a few feet away. He landed on his back and didn’t move a twitch.
Motionless.
Joel hoped he was dead. Walking around the side of Geoffrey with a G’s body, he kept the shovel ready, expecting any moment for a hand to snatch at his ankle.
One never did.
But that didn’t stop Joel from whacking him again for good measure.
And again.
Another time.
One more, gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
(I)
Alan rolled over. Haley clenched her legs tighter to keep him inside of her.
“Where do you think you’re going, mister?”
Alan smiled. “Felt like I was crushing you.”
“Not at all…” She rubbed her hand through his hair, then watched it droop right back into his eyes. “Feel better?”
He laughed softly. “A lot.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“You’re amazing,” he said. “Did you know that?”
“Amazing?” She pretended to mull over it. “I assumed outstanding, but amazing? Wow.”
“Did I say amazing?”
“You can’t take it back. You said it, no take backs.”
He put his fingers against her side and tickled. She squirmed and squealed.
“Stop,” she shrieked behind her laughs.
He did. “Sorry, just couldn’t resist.” He kissed her on the forehead.
Haley didn’t want this moment to end, just the two of them, caressing each other as if nothing else mattered. It was a false realism, but one that she enjoyed. She sat her head up, and looked toward her door that they’d left wide open while exploring each other. A chill of fear snagged her belly. “I wonder if Joel came home while we were…”
Alan’s eyes widened. “Do you think so?”
“Well…I didn’t hear him, but that doesn’t mean anything…”
“Yeah, we were being a little too loud to notice.”
Her skin went prickly. “A little loud?”
“Well, I was being a little loud, but you?” He shook his head.
“Stop it,” she said, laughing. “You’re so mean to me.”
“Want me to make it up to you?”
“You better.”
He put his hand on the side of her cheek, and held it there. Then he gently kissed her. It developed into heavy smacks, but Alan pulled away before it went much farther.
“Why’d you stop?”
“Sorry,” he said. “But, I really have to use the bathroom, and now that you’ve mentioned the possibility of Joel having come home, I feel too weird about lying naked on top of your bed with the door open.”
She glanced at the doorway again. “Yeah, I see your point. Close it on your way back in?”
“Absolutely.”
He sat up, shifted his hips, and pulled out. Haley already missed him being there. “Hurry back.”
Smiling, he sat at the edge of the bed putting on his boxers. “Please, I would pee out the window so I wouldn’t have to leave if I knew you wouldn’t think differently of me in the morning.”
Haley laughed. “If you peed on me then we might have a problem.”
“Well…the temptation would be there…”
She laughed again. Alan had always had a great sense of humor, and she was glad it was back and he’d been able to abandon his sadness with the rubble of the store. It’s like they say…sometimes in tragedy, happiness is always there waiting to be found, again. She wasn’t exactly sure if anyone had ever said that before, but they should. It was a good line.
Pulling his shirt on, Alan walked to the doorway. He peeked his head out. Then he glanced back at Haley. “I don’t see anything.”
“Hurry up.” She bounced on the bed anxiously.
“I will!” He stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut behind him.
Haley laid her head back on the pillow. She was tempted to get under the blankets, but decided not to. They’d just get in the way when he came back.
How long had it been since she’d had sex? Not counting last night, of course. She thought about it. Maybe a month after the funeral… Yes, that was it. She and Carlee had gone out with strict intentions of picking up a guy for each of them, taking them back to Carlee’s apartment, and screwing them. They’d succeeded. Carlee took her choice to her bedroom, and Haley accompanied hers in the guest room.
The guy…Eric or Mike, or whatever, was a decent enough looking guy, but awkward and quick on the release in the sack. She could tell when they had finished that he was embarrassed over his uninspiring performance by how he’d acted so over-sexual afterward. She was polite and went along with it, but her eyes wouldn’t stop gawking at the digital wall clock across the room. She nearly jumped with joy when she heard Carlee and her date in the living room talking.
She was so thankful when the guys finally left. Apparently, Carlee’s bedroom adventure hadn’t thrived any better.
Haley stretched, relaxing her arm across her eyes, and smiled. She planned to see where this relationship with Alan took her. It was obvious he felt the same way about her, and she intended to be there for him through his difficult time. It was something she wished she’d had several months ago. He wouldn’t be going through all of this alone.
He’d probably want to go apartment or house rental shopping in the next day or so, once he talked with his insurance company. She would take him. Probably need to take him back to the parking lot in the morning to get his car. Worry about that la
ter.
Was she already falling in love with him?
The sound of the doorknob engaging silenced her variable thoughts. She flicked her toes, excited to have him back in the room with her. “Get it all flushed out?”
He didn’t answer, nor did he shut the door behind him like he’d promised. Actually, the aura in the room felt off balance, not as it had been before Alan left. The new presence with her didn’t feel at all like Alan.
Was it Joel?
She moved her arm away from her eyes. The brightness of the room shocked her, so she rapidly blinked to soften it. She started to sit up. “Alan, what’s going…?”
Her voice hitched.
Fear blasted her so quick and sudden that she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, nor could she blink. All she could do was stare…stare at the hideous looking man that had entered her bedroom. He was gargantuan in size; his exposed arms reminding her of the superheroes from Joel’s comics. They were so ripped that they didn’t seem real. No way could someone in real life have that much muscle.
The ogre of a man approached her on the bed, cautiously reaching his hand out to her as if she were a snake that might strike. She wished she was something that could strike, and even if she could move and stop squeaking when she tried to scream, she doubted she could do much harm to him.
Her eyes fixed on his mask, some kind of hood, and recognition kicked in.
It was Joel’s. He’d made it.
Why was this guy wearing it?
His hand trembled as it reached for her calf. When it touched her, his eyes fluttered closed as if his sensations were being overloaded. She could hear his wheezy, fervent breaths behind the burlap hood.
As scary as this situation was, and as horrifying as it should be, Haley didn’t feel as if she was in any real danger from this man. There was a hint of bashfulness in his movements, in his approach, like a virgin about to have to sex with a porn star.
Bad analogy.
Haley could feel the roughness of his calloused hands as he massaged her calf, moving up to the back of her thigh. She let him, knowing it was pointless in trying to stop him. Plus, she couldn’t move, her body seemed to be locked up like a computer screen.
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