The Hands

by Andrea Speed, A. B. Gayle, Jessie Blackwood, J. J Levesque, Katisha Moreish

  He kept his hands at his side, not touching anything, hoping against hope he’d find what he was looking for. He had a keychain flashlight, which he pulled out and turned on, so he didn’t have to touch any wall switches. He couldn’t afford to have his fingerprints turn up here.

  Riley’s place had been tossed, and the guys doing it hadn’t bothered to clean up after themselves. Clearly they’d been looking for something, as they’d torn apart his bedroom, and the bathroom was a wreck, the emptied medicine cabinet almost torn off the wall. In the clothes scattered on the floor, probably from the empty dresser drawers, he saw what he was looking for, a pair of cheap acrylic gloves, and put them on. Now he could actually touch things, and no one would notice a pair of gloves missing in this chaos.

  Flynn just assumed some of Vale’s people had looked through this place. For what and why he had no idea, but this gave him the impression Riley had come to a bad end. Or he’d run off and would be impossible to find, which worked out as well. Either way, he wasn’t going to get a chance to talk to him.

  The team that tossed the room was quite thorough. They’d even gone through his DVD collection, leaving shiny discs scattered across the living room. What were they looking for?

  Just a cursory walk through told him there was no point in looking for anything himself. Whatever it was that was here, it was probably gone. But of all the rooms in the house, the kitchen looked the most untouched. Yeah, they’d gone through it, leaving cupboard doors open and leaving the plates and the food wherever they fell, but it wasn’t too bad. Ignoring the cupboards and turned out drawers, he opened the refrigerator.

  The fridge was a great place to hide stuff from burglars, unless they were aware it was a favorite hiding place, then you were screwed. There wasn’t much in the fridge, just the bachelor special (what he called a collection of random condiments and beer), a container of yogurt, and some lunch meat turning a nauseating shade of blue, and since the glass shelves were semi-transparent, he could see there was no point looking in the crisper drawers. If there was anything in here, the team took it.

  The freezer was equally pathetic. For one thing, it needed defrosting, and when you looked past the white lumps of ice growing on the sides, all there was was an old ice cream carton and a couple of frozen dinners. He looked in the ice cream quart, but it contained only what it said on the label, and when he reached in to move the frozen dinners aside, he realized they were too heavy.

  Holy shit, did the original thieves overlook something?

  It turned out that the Salisbury steak TV dinner was the hiding place. Riley had even glued the box shut, so he had to open it to see the contents.

  It was a small brown leather diary, vacuum sealed in plastic to keep the pages from getting wet. Was this what the search team had been looking for?

  He put the diary under his t-shirt, sliding the bottom part of it in the waistband of his pants, therefore if anyone saw him coming out, they wouldn’t see him take anything. It was cold enough to make him shiver.

  Once outside, he stripped off the gloves and shoved them in his coat pocket before retrieving his cell phone. He was so glad he stuck to burner phones, although it was unlikely a podunk berg like this had cell tracing technology. He dialed the Sheriff’s office number as he walked around to double check the address. When the phone was answered, he lowered his voice and reported seeing a guy breaking in to 324 Pine Street. The dispatcher was asking him for his name when he hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

  A sleepy town like this? They’d get a prowler to check it out, and by then he’d be long gone.

  Flynn just hoped that this diary had enough information to bring Vale down. Otherwise he didn’t know what he was going to do.

  Haven Falls #119: Date Night 2 - This Time It’s Personal

  Aiden Parker & Flynn Archer

  _____________________

  Aiden sat on the small patio behind his house, watching Dante playing with a ball. His goofy dog would put his paw on the ball to stop it, but then it would shoot out from under him and he would chase it. He laughed to himself, amused as he sipped his water.

  The school day had gone well enough. It was close to the end of the year and he was struggling to find things for the kids to do without them getting bored. He couldn’t start another book with them - not enough time to finish it - but he had to do something. He could give them a paper, but did he really want to be grading them that close to the end? He made a face and shook his head. Hell no. Short stories it would be, then. Maybe have the kids pair up on them and give presentations on it that he could grade as they presented. That was easy enough for both teacher and student.

  “So you’re back here? Good, you’re all ready outside,” Flynn said, waving over the side gate. “Mind if I come in? Any dog bombs I should look out for?”

  Glancing to the side, Aiden smiled. “Nah, nothing to worry about. He goes in one spot.” He gestured toward one of the trees in the back. “Come in.”

  Flynn pushed the gate open, and glanced down at the lawn just in case. “He poops in one place? Good lord, are you always that controlling? Should I hide my handcuffs and run away?”

  Aiden rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed on his face. “He’s a well trained dog. Though not well enough if he’s too busy playing and not protecting the house.” He didn’t want to know about the handcuffs. Really, he didn’t, even if the thought of what could be done with them may have sent a thrill of pleasure down his spine.

  “Protecting it from little old me? But I’m a sweetheart.” He flashed Aiden a cheesy smile, and just assumed that Aiden had gotten over the whole Vale visit. He didn’t seem to blame him for it, which was nice, as it was totally his fault. But Little Red Riding Hood was more forgiving than he was. “So, you heard about the thing down at the Falls Drive In?”

  “Protecting it from anyone who decides to come in unannounced,” Aiden said with a shrug. Dante merely glanced up from his ball, barked once at Flynn, wagged his tail, and went back to playing. “What thing at the Drive In? I’ve heard about it, but not that there was anything happening.”

  “It’s a horror movie marathon. Some great one too: Giant Spider Invasion, Dawn of the Dead, and Evil Dead II. All seen on a huge screen outdoors, as the movie gods intended. Let’s go. I’ll buy you some popcorn.”

  “Is this supposed to be a date? It’s a school night, Flynn. I don’t go out on school nights. I have to get up early.”

  “Oh, come on, live a little. I’ll get you home in time for curfew.”

  “Considering my curfew is ten, I doubt that.”

  Flynn chuckled and shook his head. “You’re gonna pass up necking in a car with me to staying home, watching the ten o’clock news, and grading papers. Really? What if I told you I was wearing some sexy new underwear? That I got a nipple pierced for the occasion? You know, I’m sure we can find a car where the front seat folds all the way down.”

  Aiden managed for once to keep any sort of blush off his face. “Did you really get your nipple pierced?”

  “No, it’s a clip on. But I was thinking of getting a tattoo. What do you think of me getting a tramp stamp?”

  “I think that would be interesting, to say the least.”

  “Great. We’ll stop at a tattoo parlor on our way home from the movies. Got any tear away clothes you can wear?”

  “No, and if we do that, I’m really going to be dead on my feet tomorrow.”

  “But you’ll be dead with a smile on your face.” He wanted to loosen Aiden up, sure, but he also wanted to get him away from here. He had no idea what Vale’s next move was, but if he could get Aiden away from his house, he’d feel so much better about everything. “Come on. What a way to go.”

  Flynn’s enthusiasm was more cute than obnoxious, and Aiden had to smile again. “I would have a smile, that’s true.” He sighed and agreed, though the sigh was just for show. Was he really not strong enough to say no to this guy? “Fine, we’ll go. To the movies, not to
get you a tattoo.”

  “Oh, but you could’ve picked out a tattoo for me. I’ve always wanted a Japanese character. Maybe a series, that I’d tell everyone meant something really philosophical, but would really say “Fuck off, American pig dogs”. Only I would know, but I’d enjoy that.”

  Aiden laughed and shook his head. “You would do that. If you want me to pick out a tattoo for you, maybe another night.”

  He grabbed Aiden around the waist, and said, “Oh, come on. I’ll fill you full of Red Bull and chocolate covered espresso beans. I’ll keep you up all night, so you can roll into class tomorrow morning with a glow light bracelet on and your hair all mussed. You’ll be so cute.”

  “I might be cute to you, but not to the principal...” Aiden sighed. “Oh what the hell. Fine, you win.”

  “Awesome! So, will you go into class tomorrow morning with lipstick smeared on your face, wearing hot pants that are clearly not yours? And roller skates. I think roller skates will bring a special integrity to the outfit.”

  “So you’re telling me you wear lipstick? Because I sure as hell don’t.” Aiden grinned and shook his head.

  “I was hoping Haven Falls had a drag club. With the right wig, and a pair of water wings, you’d make a great Dolly Parton.” He grinned at him, wondering why he hadn’t asked him if he’d been sniffing ether yet. Not that he ever had, but past boyfriends inevitably accused him of some such thing.

  Dolly Parton? Aiden frowned and wondered why he would come up with someone like that. There was no way he looked the least bit like her.

  ****

  Flynn realized this was a better idea than he thought when Aiden ducked his head into his shoulder at the beginning of Dawn of the Dead. It was when the little girl ripped out the guy’s throat. There were no problems during The Giant Spider Invasion, but maybe that was because it was a laughably bad film. The biggest spider was clearly a Volkswagen given fake legs that barely moved at all. Hard to be scared when you were laughing.

  Do you want me to tell you what’s going on on screen, or should I just put in the window shade and block the view?” Flynn asked.

  “I hate zombies,” Aiden said for the third time. He gritted his teeth, kept his eyes shut tightly and face pressed against Flynn’s shirt. This was a bad idea. He was going to have nightmares and not be able to take Dante for his early morning walk tomorrow. If he was even up in time for that.

  “You know they’re just desperate actors in latex make up, right?”

  “Part of my brain tells me that, the other part says they are real.”

  “Then we need to get that part drunk.” Flynn looked in the popcorn container, but only found unpopped kernels at the bottom. “I bet they have beer at the concession stand. Want a beer?”

  Aiden was about to say no, but he hesitated. “I guess...”

  “You wanna go, run serpentine style, to the stand? Or should I go? Will you be okay by yourself?” He shouldn’t be teasing him, but it was just too fun.

  Glaring at him, Aiden wished there was some popcorn left to throw at him. “You go, I’ll be fine.”

  He saluted, and warned him, “Pull your shirt over your face. This part is pretty bloody.” Of course he’d seen the movie before, but that wasn’t why he brought him out here. Did anyone ever go to drive ins to watch the films?

  Flynn got out and walked to the concession stand, which was manned by an acne covered guy with an impressive ponytail. The turnout for the horror night was pretty good, there were maybe twenty cars in the lot. Okay, it could probably accommodate at least fifty, but hey - the fact that this drive in was still open was a minor miracle. He bought them both a beer, and Aiden some Twizzlers, and was mildly pleased that the guy bothered to card him.

  He got back to Aiden’s car, in time to find him resolutely staring at the glove compartment. “I’m glad you survived,” he said, handing him one of the beers.

  “I did, but if anyone had come up to the car, there may have been a dead body out there,” he admitted, taking the beer and taking a large sip.

  “I meant survived the movie. What did you mean?” As an afterthought, he handed him his Twizzlers.

  “I meant the same thing.” He smiled up at him and took the candy. At least he could occupy himself and focus on eating that rather than the giant screen. Twenty foot zombies were not his idea of a good time.

  Flynn growled, and lunged for Aiden’s neck, giving it a love bite. “I’m infected! Grr, brains! Big, fat, English teacher brains!”

  Aiden let out what he later would admit was a less than manly shriek of surprise and fell over, nearly dropping the beer but managing to not spill it all over the floor of his car. “Flynn!” He ended up laughing and shoving him off.

  “Ooh, you’re not getting away that easily, my little pretty,” he said, then paused. “Was that Wizard of Oz?” He then shrugged, and pounced on Flynn. “I’ll get you and your little dog too!”

  “Yeah, that was definitely Wizard of Oz.” Aiden pulled a Twizzler out of the package and smacked him in the arm with it.

  Flynn bit at his Twizzler, and wondered what a strict Freudian would read into that. Ah, no matter. “If I asked you nicely, would you be my flying monkey?” He then attempted to bat his eyes in a coy manner, but didn’t know how you did that, and just ended up blinking. Good enough.

  “That’s not a very glamorous part,” Aiden said with a mock pout. He pulled the candy back and stuck it in his mouth. The sounds of a zombie attacking someone came over the radio and he winced.

  “But you’d look so hot naked in those wings, and those little bellboy hats,” he said, grinning. He then lunged in for another bite of his throat.

  “The wings I could deal with. But not the hat.” A scream of terror filled the car and Aiden closed his eyes, glad he couldn’t see the screen at that moment. “By the way, you are spending the night at my house tonight.” He wasn’t asking him. The way he saw it, Flynn was staying - the whole night - and that was that. What Flynn didn’t need to know was that it was because he was afraid of a zombie attack. They could have Flynn while he ran, or Flynn could fight them off. Either way worked.

  “Oh, I insist.” If Aiden was going to let him stay over because he was scared, he was going to have to take him to horror movies every night. Was there a video store in town? He bet he could move in if he showed him Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He nibbled his neck and moved his hand down to his thigh. “Ever make out in a theater, Riding Hood?”

  “No. I figured if I paid to see a movie, I was going to watch the movie. Making out could wait until later.” What the hell was with that name? Riding Hood? Was Flynn supposed to be the Big Bad Wolf? Or the Hunter?

  “You’re not exactly watching the film.”

  “You... have a point.”

  He nibbled his way up to his earlobe, and bit it gently. “So what do you think? Wanna fool around until Evil Dead?”

  This was a really, really bad idea. “What if someone were to walk by the car?” He grabbed another Twizzler and stuck the end of it in is mouth. “Like one of my students,” he said around the candy.

  Flynn pulled back and stared at him. “Kids coming to a drive in? Aiden, think about what you’re saying for a second.”

  Aiden blinked. “What’s wrong with that? My father and I went to a drive-in before. And my grandparents took me once or twice.”

  “Pre-internet, pre-Imax. Dude, this is nostalgia. Kids are sneering at us and fiddling with their IPhones.”

  “That’s sad, really. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

  “No, but it’s a new age, grandpa.” He smiled, and said, “I’d make a prostate examination joke here, but it’s too disgusting even for me.”

  “I’d have to hit you if you went there,” Aiden said, lips curling up in a smile. He finally sucked in the Twizzler and chewed the end.

  “Oh, I envy that Twizzler.”

  “Do you really?” Aiden teased. He took the end and slowly pulled it out of his mouth. “They
are one of my favorite candies.” If Flynn could tease, so could he. Besides, it was a great distraction from the horror on screen. Slowly he slipped it back between his lips.

  “You little cocktease,” he jokingly accused, and kissed him, catching the end of the Twizzler in his teeth. He didn’t really like them, but in this situation, he didn’t care.

  Aiden bit off his end and smiled, then pulled away from the kiss. “I don’t think I have been so far.

  “Oh, you think that innocent stuff is going to work with me, huh? I happen to know you’re not nearly as innocent as you like to think.” He slipped a hand down the front of his front of his pants, and found out that yes, he was as turned on as he thought he was. “Wanna tell me you’re not having fun?”

  “I’m not having fun,” he lied. He nearly choked on the candy in his mouth and swallowed it. “And how would you know that?”

  Flynn gave him a predatory grin. He was just too cute. “You kind of stumble over words when you lie. Did you know that?”

  “I do not. But answer the question.”

  “I know that ‘cause you’re harder than concession stand pizza crust, you silly bugger.” He kissed him again, this time not having to fight the candy. He still tasted like strawberry Twizzlers, though.

  Aiden blushed and returned the kiss, setting the bottle down and wrapping his arms around Flynn’s shoulders. God, this man made him do things he’d never even think about, but he found he was quickly coming to like both the man and his oddities.

  Flynn pressed Aiden back farther into the seat, slipping his hand beneath his shirt, glad he wore clothes that would be easy to pull off. Not that he wore the breakaway clothes, but you couldn’t have everything.

  Haven Falls #121 Tears and Fears

  Carter (Gil) Gillespie, Miles Sutherland

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