They all looked at Toby, eyes pooled with fear and confusion.
“Tell me! Or else I’ll kill all of you, even if you weren’t involved.”
“It was all Dwayne’s doing,” Sam blurted, his face twitching. “He made us do it.”
“It’s true,” Scotty said. “We didn’t mean for Frankie to die. Honest. Yeah, we wanted to hurt you two, give you some payback, but not kill. But Dwayne took it too far. He got carried away.”
“Yeah, it was... an accident, that’s all,” Sam said.
Toby turned the gun on Sam. The teenager took a step backwards, shock and fear etched on his thin face. “Accident? Accident my ass. Now just tell me where Dwayne is.”
“You’re not serious?” Deb cried, flicking the tiny cigarette away. “Guys, don’t lie just to save your skin. Tell Toby the truth, you weren’t involved. It was that homeless bum, he was the one who did it.” She turned to Toby. “Toby, come on. Be reasonable. Dwayne and the guys didn’t have anything to do with the attack. They’re just saying they did because they’re afraid.” She took a step forward.
Toby aimed the gun at her. She stopped in her tracks. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?”
“If I have to.”
The world fell quiet.
Then Deb muttered, “Jesus.”
“Dwayne,” Toby breathed. “Where the hell is he?”
“He’s not here,” Scotty said.
“Bullshit. I saw his car out front. Where’s he hiding?”
“He’s not hiding,” Scotty said. “He and Rusty went up to the party to get some more beers.”
“You’re lying! I was up there. I didn’t see them.”
“Well shit Toby, I don’t know what to tell you. That’s where they went, honest to God.”
“Deb?”
Deb, looking scared and in shock, said, “It’s true. They went up to get beers.”
A distant voice: “Toby? Toby, you in here?”
Oh no!
“Gloria, go away,” Toby cried.
“Gloria, help! He’s got a gun and he’s going to shoot us!” Deb cried.
“Shut up!” Toby told her.
“Deb?” Gloria said, her voice closer.
Toby turned towards Gloria’s voice. He didn’t want her here. He didn’t want her to witness this. “Gloria, you have to...”
An arm grabbed Toby around his neck. Strong, slick with sweat; it wrapped around Toby’s throat, choking him. The gun flew from Toby’s hand, and then a deep, familiar voice tickled Toby’s left ear. “Surprise, Fairchild.”
Toby hadn’t heard Dwayne coming; no leaves crunching, no twigs snapping. It was like he just appeared out of nowhere—a silent hunter.
“Scotty, pick up the gun,” Dwayne ordered.
Scotty ventured forward, bent down and picked the revolver up off the ground. Holding it in his hands, he turned the gun over, studying it, like he was checking to make sure it was real.
From off to one side, Rusty Helm stepped out of the shadows, half a dozen beers cradled in his arms. “Shit, we was sure Toby was going to shoot you guys.” He dropped the beers to the ground.
“How long have you two been hiding?” Sam asked.
“Long enough,” Dwayne said.
The grip around Toby’s throat tightened; he couldn’t breathe.
“Bad mistake coming here, Fairchild,” Dwayne said into Toby’s ear. “A real bad mistake.”
The grip loosened and then Toby was pushed forward. He landed on the ground, his head smacking into the dirt.
Gloria appeared. She started to say, “Toby, I heard you shouting and I...” but she stopped, gasped. “My god Toby, are you all right?”
Gloria rushed to Toby’s side.
Toby turned away from Gloria, spat out dirt, and then, with her help, got to his feet.
“What the hell’s going on?” Gloria asked no one in particular.
“Your boyfriend here crashed our party, accusing Dwayne and the others of killing Frankie. He reckons he was going to kill us all.” Deb spoke fast, breathlessly.
“What?” Gloria turned to Toby. “Is that true?”
Toby nodded.
“What on earth makes you think they were responsible for Frankie’s death?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
The world once again fell silent.
Then: “Shit Dwayne, what are you doing?” Scotty cried.
“Yeah, we have the gun, we don’t have to play his games anymore,” Rusty said.
Toby looked over at Dwayne. Wearing jeans and a polo shirt, he looked like the all-American jock. His smooth, chiseled face was covered in a light sheen of sweat, his short dirty blond hair looked like yellow needles in the moon’s light. He strolled over to Scotty and took the gun from his friend. He clicked open the chamber. Half smiling, half frowning, he flipped the chamber back into place. “What’s the point in hiding it? He knows,” Dwayne answered, voice cold and flat. His gaze shifted between Scotty and Sam. “But you two fuckers were quick to make sure his suspicions were confirmed. And quick to lay the blame on me.”
Scotty and Sam exchanged nervous looks.
“But the little fucker will go to the police now that he’s remembered,” Rusty said.
“If he was going to go to the cops, he would’ve already gone,” Dwayne said. “Besides, there’s no evidence. We’re still in the clear. As long as we get rid of the excess baggage, we should be fine.”
“Jesus!” Deb cried. “I don’t believe this. I covered for you. I told the cops that you were with me the whole night. You and your pathetic loser friends. And all this time you bastard.”
Dwayne turned to Deb. He grinned, only slightly, but it contained so much darkness it looked like a black hole had been cut across his face. “Grab her,” he said, turning to Scotty and Rusty.
Deb, eyes wide, turned and started running as fast as her drunken, stoned legs could manage.
“Grab her!” Dwayne bellowed, and Scotty and Rusty dashed after her. They quickly caught up with her.
“Let go, fuckers!” she cried as they grabbed her.
“Let her go!” Gloria gasped.
“Dwayne...” Toby said, but stopped when the murdering teenager pointed Mr. Joseph’s gun at Toby.
“You be quiet. And if either of you think about trying to run away, think again.” Then he called to Rusty and Scotty, “Bring the bitch back.”
“Get your hands off me, you fuck-heads!” Deb cried, bucking, as Scotty and Rusty dragged her back to Dwayne.
When they had Deb back in front of Dwayne, she cried, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“Bitch, bitch, bitch, that’s all you do. Well, that and gossip. I couldn’t let you go.”
Debbie’s face contorted into a visage of fear. “What... what do you mean?”
Dwayne, still keeping the gun trained on Toby, shook his head. “You really are a stupid cow. A great lay with a great set of tits, but dumb as a cucumber.” Then, with his free hand, he socked her in the face.
Toby heard the sickening smack of knuckle against flesh.
“Deb!” Gloria cried.
Next Dwayne punched Deb in the gut. She doubled over and Dwayne stepped back as vomit sprayed forth.
“You bastard,” Gloria whimpered.
Toby felt powerless. And useless. He had come here to avenge Frankie’s death, and he couldn’t even do that right. And what’s worse, he had put Gloria in danger.
He wanted to do something, wanted to stop Dwayne, but what could he do? Dwayne now held the gun.
Scotty and Rusty let go of Deb. She dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
“Watch her,” Dwayne ordered. “Don’t let her get away.”
“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Sam whispered to Dwayne. He looked scared.
“We have no choice. And we have Fairchild to thank for it. Don’t we?”
Toby looked over at Dwayne. “You attacked me and Franki
e. You killed my best friend. This is all your fault.”
Dwayne snarled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Fairchild. This is your fault. Yours and Wilmont’s. So I’m not to blame for all this. You started it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Toby said.
“Sure you do. You think I don’t know? I know everything you little shit-heel. Your little water bomb stunt? I know it was you. You and your fat fuck of a friend. Well, he paid. He paid real good.”
Tears flowed freely down Toby’s cheeks. “You killed Frankie just because we water bombed your car?”
“I couldn’t let that slide. Not with my rep. No fucking way. I had to pay you two back. But it wasn’t just the water bombing. I also know about you spying on us that night when we egged Mr. Joseph’s house, and that your little pervert of a friend saw Deb’s tits. Damn little pervert. Yeah, I know everything, and you two shits had it coming.”
“Dwayne,” Toby said. “Please, just let us go. We promise we won’t say anything.”
“Yes, just leave us alone,” Gloria muttered. “Jesus, haven’t you done enough?”
“Let you go?” Dwayne huffed. “You really think I’m gonna do that? Fuck no, Fairchild. You know too much. You’re gonna have to pay. Gloria and Deb are gonna have to pay.”
The realization of what Dwayne meant hit Toby full-force.
The realization apparently hit Debbie then, too.
She got to her feet and, still dazed from the two punches, lunged at Dwayne.
Dwayne turned and fired two shots.
The gunfire was short, sharp. The bullets smacked into Debbie’s chest and gut. She stumbled, falling near an old, chipped headstone.
Gloria screamed and it was louder and more piercing than the gun blasts.
She rushed over to her sister.
“Debbie!” she cried. “Debbie!”
“Gloria...” Toby started, but then Dwayne turned the gun back on him.
Toby looked over at Gloria, wailing beside her sister, and noticed that Deb was still alive—he could hear her sharp wheezing breaths.
Toby turned away and puked up the rum, beer, and the barbecue ribs he had eaten for dinner.
“Scotty, grab the little cunt,” Dwayne said, “and bring her over to me.”
Toby watched through teary eyes as the fat oaf waddled over and grabbed a hold of Gloria. Like her sister, she fought, but she was no match for Scotty. He dragged her kicking and screaming to Dwayne. Dwayne smiled, licked his lips. “I’ve always wanted to have a go at Deb’s little sister. Now I’ll get my chance.” He raised the revolver and brought the butt of the gun down across Gloria’s face and she fell quiet, her body flopping like a rag doll in Scotty’s arms.
“No,” Toby choked.
“Put her down and keep an eye on her,” Dwayne told Scotty.
As Scotty dragged her away, Toby noticed with a sickening blow to the gut where one of his hands was cupped. He dumped her on the ground nearby, straightened and then readjusted his crotch. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they planned to do to Gloria. It was up to Toby to make sure they didn’t get the chance. Even if it meant death, somehow he would make sure these filthy sickos didn’t do that to Gloria.
“Finally, a bit of peace and quiet,” Dwayne said. “Damn broads, pain in the ass if you ask me. They’re only good for two things. Laying on their backs, and using their mouths as vacuum cleaners. Isn’t that right big boy?” Dwayne winked at Toby, picked up the bottle of whiskey from off the ground and took a long drink. When he had drained the bottle, he threw it to the ground. “So tell me. Man to boy. I know you’ve felt her tits, Warrick told me all about it, but the question is, have you fucked her? Has she sucked your pecker? Have you eaten her...?”
“People will come,” Toby interrupted. “They would’ve heard the gunshots.”
“Not with the party going on. Besides, even if someone did hear, they’ll think it was just firecrackers, or a car backfiring. No one’s saving you, Fairchild. Still...” Dwayne turned to Rusty and Sam. “You two, go to the front gate and keep an eye out, just in case some nosy fucker did hear and decides to call the cops. If you guys see anything or anyone, come straight back.”
“Sure,” they both said, and then hurried off through the graveyard.
“I don’t want to be disturbed while I have my fun with Gloria,” Dwayne said, facing Toby. “And you’re gonna watch me, before I end your pathetic life.”
“Please Dwayne,” Toby said. “Just leave Gloria out of this. This is between you and me, she has nothing to do with any of this. Do what you want with me, but please don’t hurt Gloria.”
Dwayne giggled; a drunken, almost girlish giggle. “You really think that pathetic pleading’s going to work? She knows too much now. I can’t let her live, just like I can’t let you live. But don’t worry, the guys and I will have some fun with her before her time is up. You may not have been man enough to pop her cherry, but we’ll make sure she’s had a taste of Dwayne before she bites the dust.”
“You won’t get away with this, you know that, don’t you? You don’t have that old hobo to take the blame for you this time. Luck’s not on your side tonight.”
“Luck? You think it was a simple case of luck? Shit, give us some credit, Fairchild. We planned on getting you and Wilmont back for the water bombing, the spying, the perving, but we weren’t sure when. We were biding our time for the right moment. When that homeless fuck arrived in town, we knew we had to capitalize on him being here. We figured if we did it while he was here, everyone would think it was him who attacked you and Wilmont. And we were right. That stupid cock-sucking nigger took all the heat off us. We were still smart, mind you. We made sure there were no witnesses, no evidence like fingerprints and shit. And with Deb as our alibi... I knew we wouldn’t be caught. The cops questioned us and everything. They had no fucking clue. You got lucky that night my friend. Damn lucky. Lucky that nigger boyfriend of yours came along when he did. But it was all over. Everyone thought that hobo was responsible, there was nothing linking us to the crime, you hardly remembered anything about that night, so we left it at that. But now you’ve gone and fucked everything up.” He glanced at Gloria, slumped on the ground. He grinned. “But at least I’m gonna finally get me taste of her.”
In a flash decision, Toby lunged at Dwayne. He knew he stood a good chance of getting shot, but at that moment, he didn’t care. All he cared about was stopping Dwayne from hurting Gloria.
Toby managed one clumsy punch. It connected with Dwayne’s jaw, but the punch probably hurt Toby more than it did Dwayne—Toby’s right hand roared with pain. Dwayne stepped back, looking more stunned than hurt, and once the initial surprise of the sudden attack had worn off, he jacked up his right knee and busted Toby’s nose open.
Toby collapsed to the ground.
The pain was immense, the coppery taste of blood was strong, sickening.
“Hey, you all right, Dwayne?” Scotty called, still standing watch over Gloria.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dwayne said. “Nothing I can’t handle. You just stay with Gloria and make sure the princess doesn’t escape.”
Toby lay on the ground, heaving. He spotted the empty whiskey bottle lying a few feet away, pictured smashing the bottle open and using one jagged half to open Dwayne’s throat. Toby started crawling towards it, but before he was able to grab it, Dwayne snarled, “You stupid little shit,” and kicked the bottle away. Toby’s only chance of survival, at saving Gloria, had just skipped away, coming to a stop near Debbie’s motionless body.
“You’re pathetic,” Dwayne said and kicked Toby in the gut.
The wind was knocked out of him and he struggled for breath.
“You fight like a goddamn girl. No, worse than a girl. A faggot.”
Dwayne spat and Toby felt the thick glob of phlegm paste itself to his face.
“Just remember, this is your fault. You and your idiot friend had to act like a couple of fucking infants. So you bro
ught this on yourself.” Dwayne huffed. “It was a good thing you and Wilmont were stupid enough to fall for Warrick’s charms. Well, that and the beer and whiskey.”
With blood streaming from his nose and into his mouth, Toby gazed up at Dwayne. “What are you saying? That you gave Warrick the alcohol?”
“Fuck no, as if I’d waste booze on him. Nah, he swiped all that shit from his old man; got a good beating because of it, too. But it was worth it—at least, for me. Warrick told me everything. All of what you and Wilmont said during that fucking sleepover.” He chuckled. “A sleepover. God, what a pair of pussies.”
Toby spat blood from his mouth.
Warrick had betrayed them? He had told Dwayne all of what they had told him in confidence? Toby felt bitterly disappointed, sad; but not, unfortunately, surprised.
“Poor, poor Warrick. So desperate to be liked, to be part of the cool crowd. Once we had learnt who it was that had water bombed my car, he knew we were after yours and Wilmont’s blood, that’s why he told us that you and Wilmont were going off to get your bike that night. I knew, then and there, that it was the perfect moment to strike. Pity Warrick had to grow a conscience and a loose tongue. We were watching him closely, I know he didn’t tell you anything, but still, we couldn’t take the chance that he eventually would.”
Suddenly it all made sense. “You killed Warrick,” Toby breathed.
“Didn’t want to. We had to.”
“Because he knew. Was he with you that night?”
“Yeah, but he stayed in the car. He didn’t participate, if that’s what you’re wondering—he was much too big of a wimp for that; but he was a witness, so he knew he had to keep quiet. But he had to grow a conscience, the fool. So, he had to go.”
“And I bet you were the ones who sprayed graffiti on mine and Mr. Joseph’s house and sent me the chicken’s head?”
Dwayne smiled, showing off his pearly whites. “Guilty as charged.”
Toby gazed up into Dwayne’s eyes. The very eyes that so many girls had swooned over, had called ‘dreamy’. If only they knew the monster lurking behind those eyes.
Is that why Warrick came to see me that day? To confess?
“You’re crazy,” Toby said, choking back blood and tears.
The Awakening Page 46