Daniel turned his attention forward and saw a small hill with what looked like a red metal box on top. He opened his door and stepped out on the pine needles that littered the ground. The air was a lot cooler than it was in the city. He was glad he listened to Greg and packed a jacket. He hugged himself, not used to the colder climate. Being in the city had conditioned him to thinking that anything below eighty degrees was cold. “So, what is this?”
Greg stepped out of the truck. “This is all ours.” He held his arms out and pointed up the hill. “Let’s head up.”
The hill wasn’t large, but it was just enough to hide whatever was on top of it. Daniel planted his feet, trying to keep from skidding down the steep incline. He leaned forward and took it step by step. He got to the top, more winded than he was proud to admit, and looked forward. What had looked like a red box from below was actually a shipping container. No, it was a few shipping containers that looked like they had been welded together. “What the hell is this place?”
“I told you.”
Daniel shrugged and shook his head. “You’re being about as clear as that pile of shit over there.” Daniel pointed to the ground where petrified droppings were left by some animal that was long gone.
“Remember when I had you sign all those papers a couple of weeks ago?”
Daniel tried to think about it. There had been some things Greg wanted him to fill out. He had no idea what it was, but since Greg asked him to do it, he did. “Vaguely.”
“That’s what this is. By the way, you should really start asking questions about shit like that.”
“So, what? You bought a shipping container?”
“No, we own a shipping container. Well, it used to be a shipping container. Now, it’s our cabin. Our shack. Hell, call it a man cave if you’d like.”
“Really? What for?”
“Don’t you see? This is our place now. We can come up here and disconnect. You need to be Danny out there, just like I need to be Gregory. This is our place to unwind. It’s our place to unleash.”
A smile crept onto Daniel’s face. “Okay. So, like our playground?”
Greg smiled. “Now you’re getting it. Nobody will bother us up here. We can be whoever the fuck we want to be. We can be ourselves.”
“Killing?”
“Of course. We still have to be careful, still use the same techniques and processes. We can’t just choose anyone but look at this place. Nobody will know anything. We’re far enough away that nobody can hear a scream.”
Daniel had never thought about anything like this before. It was going to be him and Greg. They could bring whoever they wanted and they could kill whoever they wanted. He didn’t have to rush to do it. It would be on their time, it would be at their discretion. No more waiting for the right time. That time was now. “You’re a fucking genius.”
“I know. I wanted you and me to be in on this together. It’s paid for, but it’s in both of our names.”
“What do I owe you?”
Greg shook his head as the two of them walked to the front. There was a handle and lock on the door. “No, Daniel. I’ve been doing this a long time and was alone in it. There’s not many people out there like me, at least not that I’ve found. But you get it. You’ve done more for me than you know already.”
Daniel smiled. That was the nicest thing Greg had ever said to him. “You’re still so far ahead of me, though.”
“You’ll get there. Now, enough of this man crush shit. Let’s get inside and check it out. It’s already stocked with steaks and beers. I told you I’d grill something up, so let’s get to it.” Greg unlocked the door and opened it. Daniel could see everything from standing outside. It looked like a kitchen in the center. There was a living area to the left and to the right were a couple of beds. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he ever dreamed of. For the first time in Daniel’s life, he felt like he had a place in the world.
5
Daniel needed to stretch his legs after the long car ride. Besides, the steaks that Greg had grilled were huge, so it would be a good idea to walk some of it off. Keeping himself healthy and active was still an important thing to him, as silly as that might sound to anyone who knew who he really was. He made his way down the hill and found what looked like a trail at the base on the other side from where they parked.
Hiking after drinking a few beers was interesting. The beer made him feel lighter, more open to anything that came his way. He wasn’t drunk, but it sure felt nice to relax. There was no need to pick up his pace, and he’d prefer not to. If he started jogging the trail, he would probably be throwing up somewhere down the line. He’d much rather keep his stride nice and easy. The cold air filled his lungs, and everything just felt fresh to him. He felt like this was the beginning of a lot of things for him, and he wanted to remember these moments.
He walked a while and turned around. The bunker, which is what Daniel decided to call his newly found home, was out of sight. The hill was nowhere to be seen either. He shrugged and turned back to his walk. He hadn’t made a lot of twists and turns, so he figured he could make his way back whenever he needed to. He hoped that wasn’t just the beer talking.
He heard a vehicle in the distance and started to jog toward the sound. He neared the edge of the trees and saw a road. He really must have been walking a while because he was certain Greg had told him there weren’t many roads near the bunker. He was higher than the paved road below him. He watched a bus pull over to the side of the road and pause. It eventually took off, and the only thing that remained was a woman in the road. She had a large backpack slung over her shoulder and looked down the road. Daniel was too hidden in the trees for her to see him.
It dawned on Daniel as he watched the girl look both ways down the street. It was like a gift landed directly in front of him. This girl was how he was going to repay Greg. Greg had done all of the heavy lifting. He researched the area, he secured the location and bought the building. Hell, he even drove them both up here. But he still had one thing left to do. He needed to secure the target. Sure, there were probably plenty of people up here just waiting to be killed, but here was what seemed like the perfect person. Daniel watched as the young woman started walking the road east of her.
Daniel hurried through the forest, staying at the edge of the trees so he wouldn’t be seen. He got closer to get a better look, but his foot slid against a tree. The bus had long gone and the only noise existing were a few birds chirping. The noise his foot made against the tree broke the silence in the worst way.
Daniel froze, his body cringing behind a tree. He watched the young brunette turn and look right into the forest. Lucky for him, the trees were fairly dense and hid him from view. She shook her head and continued along her path. He noticed her face, slightly tanned, as she brushed her hair behind her ear. She had a few piercings in her ear, and her eyes were vivid blue. She was very pretty but a little bit of the free looking type. He didn’t have a type, as sex wasn’t his main mission in life, like it was for a lot of guys his age, but she definitely piqued his interest, even more so than just another throat to slit.
She continued to heave the backpack over her shoulder and down the road toward what looked like a rundown motel. Daniel continued to follow, keeping a fair distance. He looked at the motel as it came closer. It was the epitome of a shit hole, and he almost felt bad for anyone who had to stay in the place. It wasn’t even a question of if there was semen and bedbugs in the rooms, but how much semen and bedbugs were there? She was obviously heading to the motel, which was a good sign for him. It meant she didn’t have anyone to stay with. Just one more check off the list of being a perfect mark. He had to get closer to know for sure, though.
She opened the door to the front office and went inside. Daniel checked the street both ways for cars and dashed across the pavement. He couldn’t miss the conversation, otherwise he wouldn’t be sure if she was the right fit. Before the door was able to close, Daniel quickly slid a foot in and
pushed the door open. She stood at the desk, arms resting on the top of the chipped laminate. The breeze of the door pushed through the room, alerting the woman and the clerk to Daniel’s presence. They both looked his way. Daniel gave his cheesiest smile he could muster, and they both went back to their own dealings. A little of Daniel’s inner hatred stabbed at him.
“You guys take cash then?” the woman asked. Daniel hadn’t noticed before, but she had a streak of purple dyed in her hair.
The clerk seemed too old to be looking down the at the young woman’s cleavage, but he still did anyway. He definitely seemed too old to give a shit about hiding it, which was dead on for what he was doing. “Well, I’m supposed to take a deposit if you aren’t gonna use a credit card.” He wiped his mouth, still not making eye contact with her.
“What’s the deposit?”
He continued to stare, his breathing getting a little heavier. She slammed her hand on the counter. He quickly jumped out of his trance on her sweater puppies and made eye contact. “I was gonna say you don’t hafta have one, cause you seem so nice.”
“I’m sure.”
“But now you don’t seem so nice.”
“I’m gonna give you fifty bucks, and you’re gonna figure it out.” She slid a wad of cash across the counter.
He grabbed at it, and she grabbed his hand. She leaned in to his ear and loudly whispered. “There better not be any shady shit going on with my room, got it?”
He pulled back and counted the money. He slid a key across the counter. “Room 202. I’m sure you can figure it out.”
She grabbed the key and turned around, meeting Daniel’s eyes. Something was different about the way she looked at him. It was almost as if there was a hint of recognition in her eye. Maybe it was just from her conversation with the clerk that had thrown her off and she was trying to get out as fast as she could. Daniel couldn’t blame her. Creeps came in all different shapes and sizes, but Daniel had no love for perverts. He quickly grabbed the door and held it open for the girl. “Miss,” Daniel nodded in the politest tone he could.
“Don’t hurt yourself, asshole,” she said and stormed by him. She turned around and looked at the clerk, still standing next to Daniel. “Hey, where’s somewhere I can get a bite to eat?”
“`Bout a mile down the road. Place called Chomps.”
“What about a bar, maybe a club? If there is one around here. Just somewhere to get fucked up.”
The clerk licked his teeth over with a smile. “Penny’s. Got a dance floor and everything. I could take ya if—”
“I’ll find it myself.” She turned back to Daniel and looked him up and down, still standing in the doorway. “Thanks.” She disappeared out the door and ran up the rickety stairs outside.
“Woo boy. She’s got a little sass in her,” the clerk said, getting himself excited. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m a little lost. Which way was Chomps at?”
The clerk pointed in a direction, not that Daniel cared much. He could figure it out, but he needed something to tell the man, anyway. “Thanks,” Daniel said and turned out the door.
Outside, Daniel looked around, trying to figure out where he was going. He hadn’t really gotten lost already, had he? It didn’t matter much. He could find his way back. Besides, he needed to stake out this woman a little more. He knew where she was going to be headed, so that was where he was going to be. He looked up. The blinds in her window were pulled back and he saw the woman standing in her room. He knew she was going to be a big part of this weekend for them.
6
Daniel sat in the booth of Chomp’s diner, sipping coffee. He looked around and couldn’t think of another way they could incorporate beige into their color scheme. It was everywhere. Daniel didn’t have much of a taste for design, but even he thought the place needed a facelift. He slurped down the last of the coffee in his mug. At the very least, the service had been good.
“Another fill up?” the waitress asked. Theresa, as it said on her name tag, had been attentive to Daniel’s needs. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense to service with how quick she was. It was a pleasant surprise.
“Absolutely,” Daniel said, putting on his best friendly Danny voice he could.
Theresa brought the pitcher over and poured the steaming liquid into his mug. He took notice of the crow’s feet around her eyes and wrinkles around her mouth and wondered how long she had worked here. Did she have previous passions that never took, and then she got stuck working a place like this? He didn’t care for her sake but was always interested in people and their wants and needs. It was amazing to him how easy it was for people to lose sight of their goals and have them slip through their hands while they wasted away at something that didn’t matter to them. “Anything else I can get you?” she asked with a smile.
“I think I’m good, thank you,” Daniel said. It wasn’t a big surprise that she had been so on top of her job. There was a man at the counter drinking coffee and reading a newspaper, and there was an old couple sitting in a booth on the other side of the room, splitting a sandwich. By the looks of how thin they were, they could probably use a sandwich for each of them. Nobody else was around to have any needs. He wondered how long he would be waiting for the woman to show up.
Just after he thought about it, the door swung open and the bell rang. The young woman with the purple streak in her brunette hair walked in and looked around. Daniel averted his eyes to the magazine that had been left on the table when he arrived. She paid no attention to him and was greeted by Theresa. “How are you today? Just yourself?”
“Please,” the girl said.
Theresa sat her two tables over from Daniel’s booth. It gave him the perfect vantage point to watch and listen. He still looked down at his magazine, not paying any attention to the horses of whatever equestrian literature he held. He could easily see what she was up to from the corner of his eye, sometimes making quick glances up to verify.
“Here’s the menu. I’ll give you a minute and come back—”
“I’m ready to order,” the young woman said. She never even looked at the menu. Theresa looked at her, pen ready. “I’ll take three eggs, sunny side up, four pieces of toast on white bread. Whatever hot sauce you have that’s red, and a Sierra Mist.”
“Sorry, we don’t have Sierra Mist. We have Sprite.”
“I’ll take a root beer. Whatever brand is fine.”
“Alright, I’ll be right back. Shouldn’t take long.”
Daniel watched the young woman put her silverware in place. It was strange how she arranged everything to be so square to the table. It reminded him a little of how Greg would always wipe down the table or booth before he sat down. She cleared her throat and glanced around the room. She paid seemingly close attention to where the restroom was. Daniel wondered if that would be a good time for him to try and make his attempt, or if he was better waiting until she was on the road. It’s not like there were many people around this part of town.
Theresa came back with her eggs and set them down in front of her. The girl looked pleased and doused them with the Cholula that was brought with them. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
The young woman began to scarf down the meal. Daniel hadn’t seen someone eat so fast before, which might mean that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Daniel wasn’t sure what that meant for him, other than she didn’t have someone to buy her food whenever she wanted it. Just another check of the list for him. Daniel sipped his coffee and continued to watch her.
When she finished, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked down at it. It seemed she was using it as a mirror and adjusted her eyes and face. She tossed the sides of her hair a little and squinted hard. She put the phone down and took a deep breath, glancing up at Theresa, who had her back to the table as she talked to the man at the counter. Suddenly, tears started rolling down the young woman’s face. Her eye liner began to run. Daniel had no idea what was happening.
There
sa turned around at the sounds of her sobbing and took a concerned look at the girl. “Honey, are you alright?” Theresa asked, walking to the table. The man got up from the counter and slid some cash into the small black folder that held his bill.
“Thanks, Theresa. See you tomorrow,” he said and waived. Theresa was too involved in her concern for the young woman that she only held a hand up but didn’t turn his way.
The young woman shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. It’s just- It’s just that I’m on my way to say goodbye to my father. He died two days ago, and I’ve been trying to make it to the funeral.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, we were really close, but you know how life is.”
Theresa nodded and rubbed the girl’s back. “It’s gonna be alright, sweetie.”
The girl began bawling. Mucus ejected from her nose and mixed with the tears from her eyes. Makeup was everywhere. It was one of the ugliest cries Daniel had seen, and he had seen a few ugly cries from the few people who saw their deaths coming from him. “Thank you, you’re too kind,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, no, no. You have nothing to be sorry about. But maybe you should go to the bathroom, maybe check your makeup and try to calm down.”
The woman nodded. “I think I might.” She tried to catch her breath and talk at the same time. “I-don’t-know-if-I—”
Theresa cut her off and put a hand on her back again. “You take all the time you need, honey. I’ll be out here if you need someone to talk to. But don’t worry, you clean yourself up and nobody will bother you. I promise.” She smiled a comforting smile at the young girl.
The girl tried to smile back but was still too caught up in tears. She got up and walked to the bathroom. Theresa walked to Daniel, still obviously concerned about the young woman. “Everything okay, hun?”
“I’m good. Thanks for checking, though.” Daniel watched the woman stop at the hallway leading to the bathroom. She glanced behind her and saw Theresa looking at Daniel. She reached over at the bar and grabbed the small folder that held the check from the man who sat there earlier. She quickly scurried off into the back where the bathrooms were. A smile crept over Daniel’s face as he realized that it was an act. “You know what, I think I’m gonna call it a day.”
Tribulation (Soulless Wanderers, #0) Page 2