Don't Read After Dark: Keep the lights on while reading these! (A McCray Horror Collection) (13 page)

“What are you doing?” Evie demanded of Papa.

“Oh, I’ve been watching you,” Papa answered.

Papa leaned down, grabbing the metal fragment. He then maneuvered the fragment to cut through his restraints. Once his hands were free, he stroked down Evie’s side, narrowly missing her full breasts. Evie squirmed, trying to fight him off, but the sheer weight difference didn’t let her budge an inch.

“Don’t worry, dear. I won’t molest you. I need your body perfect for the transformation.”

“You bastard,” Evie cursed then spat.

“Such language,” Papa chided. “But I will purify you, don’t you worry.”

Andrew couldn’t hear what Evie said, but she whispered something. Clearly, Papa didn’t hear either, as he leaned in. “What?”

Evie whispered again, drawing Papa in even closer. This time, though, she bit his lip, drawing blood. If she thought that would dislodge Papa, she clearly forgot how many zaps Papa took to gain her trust.

The guy was in it for the long game.

Evie lashed out with a kick that got Papa to let go enough for her to dart from his weighty embrace. But how far could she get? Papa’s cell was locked again. She climbed up on the cot.

“Child, it is time,” Papa announced, then lunged.

Evie grabbed his collar, zapping them both. Papa had enough wherewithal to jerk the mattress out from under her. Evie went flying backward and landed hard. Papa rushed her, pinning her again. He banged her head against the wall over and over again.

“Just remember that you
made
me do this.”

Evie looked to Darion, who shrugged. “Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.”

Andrew wasn’t sure if she heard him, though. She looked pretty unconscious at this point.

Stage one complete. Andrew could hardly wait for Starvin’ Marvin’s next stage. Again, Andrew really, really missed his popcorn.

* * *

Jake skidded his car to a stop, jumped out, and slid his way down the riverbank. There were only two uniformed cops guarding the crime scene. They hadn’t even had a chance to throw up crime tape yet.

“Hey!” one of them protested as Jake charged toward the body.

“Let me see her,” Jake said.

The uniformed officer blocked his path though. “The coroner hasn’t cleared the body yet.”

“Get out of my way,” Jake demanded. Clearly, they did not know everything he’d been through today. A stupid rule of protocol was not going to get in his way.

He just charged past the cop and sank to his knees in the mud next to the body. She was the right height, weight and hair color. With a shaky hand, Jake reached out and grabbed the body’s shoulder and rolled her over. Hair covered the victim’s face.

Tenderly, Jake swiped the strands away from her face.

It wasn’t Evie! Like a bolt of lightning, the realization that this body was not Evie shot through Jake. Then relief flooded his body. He hadn’t realized how worried he’d been until this moment.

“Oh thank God,” Jake muttered. Plus, the woman’s neck had been slashed, certainly not Starvin’ Marvin’s MO.

He grabbed his phone and speed-dialed Brad. “It’s not her!”

“Then you are going to love this news,” Brad said. “The tire tracks from the storage unit match the ones from the alley.”

Jake rose and began the steep climb back up the river’s bank. “But that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Hey!” the uniformed cop shouted. “Where are you going?”

Jake waved him off. “It’s okay. We’re good.”

“Aren’t you going to wait for the coroner?” the cop asked.

“Naw. She’s not my vic,” Jake explained.

“But she’s been murdered, right?” the cop challenged.

“Not my perp either!” Jake shouted back as he crested the bank. “Sorry,” he explained. “Strict four-day work week!”

He got to his car and turned his attention back to Brad. “Fill me in.”

* * *

Evie’s head felt like a split-open cantaloupe—if, you know, vegetables had feelings. Her vision was blurry, and for some reason her arms were aching like she’d done a thousand reps.

Worse, someone’s hands were rubbing her down with what felt like bacon grease.

She startled fully awake to find herself strung up by her wrists while Papa was in her face, slathering her with bacon grease. She strained against her ties.

“Child, child, child,” Papa cooed to her. “You must let me anoint you, lest your skin dry and crack during your metamorphosis.”

“What are you talking about?” Evie demanded.

“I need to see your soul, dear,” Papa explained, as if he was telling a fairy tale to a small child.

“You’re crazy,” Evie spat.

Papa tsked. “Give you five, six days without sustenance, and all that hides your essence will be melted away. Then I will see your true face.”

“Darion!” Evie cried.

“Oh, what?” Door teased. “
Now
, he’s your go-to guy?”

“Darion,” Evie begged. “Please, please. You’ve got to help me.”

However, Darion didn’t even acknowledge her plea.

“I think I’ll let Papa have his fun with you for a few fucking days, then we’ll get to my kind of fun, puta.”

“No,” Evie sobbed.

CHAPTER 15

Jake inched the car forward, searching the surrounding warehouses as he spoke into his phone. “Brad, are you sure it is this block of Juniper?”

“Yes, for the tenth time,” Brad said. “This is the area where I lost track of the traffic cam images of the van.”

“I don’t see anything but closed businesses.”

“I’m telling you,” Brad said. “This whole thinking-outside-the-radar really works!”

Jake was glad that Brad was all pumped. However, that didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t find a lead anywhere around.

“Still, Brad, there aren’t any lights on anywhere around.”

“That’s the point,” Brad emphasized, for no apparent reason. “At this time of the night, there shouldn’t be hardly any energy usage. But damn,” Brad said, taking a breath. “This block is showing a huge spike in power consumption.”

Jake continued down the block. The area seemed completely dark and deserted.

“You are almost right on top of it,” Brad announced.

Jake pulled to the curb and hit his head on the steering wheel.

“What’s wrong?” Brad asked in his ear.

Jake looked up to the sign on the building. “It is Thurman’s Ice Manufacturer,” Jake explained. “It’s an ice plant.”

“Oh gawd,” Brad sighed. “Of course. They’d need energy to keep the ice frozen…I’m so sorry, Jake. I really thought I’d found a causative link.”

Jake took in a deep breath. “It’s alright,” he said. “We tried.”

Then he realized that it was dark, really dark. “Crap, what time is it?”

“Seven thirty,” Brad responded.

Crappity, crappity, crap. He had a date tonight with Candace.

“Brad, look, I’ve got to get going, and you should go home and get some much deserved rest.”

It sounded like Brad yawned from the other end. “There’s always tomorrow, Jake.”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Jake said as he started the car and put it into gear.

* * *

Evie tried not to look down or feel her skin. Or, more accurately, her lard-covered skin. Even though Papa hadn’t done anything sexual to her, she still felt violated.

Maybe it had taken a little more than ten minutes, but Darion’s words were ringing true. Papa was the worst.

Then the metal door opened and Igor limped in, pushing the door cart with dinner. Evie’s mouth watered just thinking about it.

“I’m sorry, dearest,” Papa cooed. “But there won’t be any food for you…ever.”

“Igor!” Evie shouted. “Look at me! Look straight ahead.”

Of course, the caretaker didn’t look straight ahead, or even at her. Instead, he spooned dinner into bowls. It smelled delicious. Even Darion was up, awaiting his portion.

“Damn, Darion,” Back said. “You must be fucking hungry.”

Andrew started clapping. “Oh, oh, oh, it’s stew! Oh, the ‘Zard always puts such big chunks of potatoes in, and the meat is so ‘melt in your mouth!’”

“Please, please, please, Igor,” Evie begged, sobbing, trying not to smell the bacon grease coating her body.

It didn’t matter, though. Igor just plodded along, passing out dinner. He came to Darion’s cell and leaned over to shove the dish into the slot when Darion charged the door, slamming it into Igor.

The caretaker reeled back, nearly falling over backward.

“Darion!” Evie screamed as Igor’s foot nearly lifted off the ground.

Darion dove for Igor’s leg, his collar chattering as it went off. Luckily, Igor fell toward Door and the rapist caught him, holding up his weight.

“Hold him up,” Darion encouraged.

“He’s freakin’ heavy,” Door panted, as he got zapped, as well.

Still, Igor struggled. Evie had to strain to keep herself turned toward the action. It was only a matter of time before Igor’s foot came up and it was all over in a fiery explosion.

Then Andrew dove down, sliding his skinny arms through the bars, grabbing Igor’s foot and planting it firmly on the ground.

“Got it!”

Darion handed Andrew a wad of the cloth strips. “Tie him down.”

“On it, boss.”

Darion then started ladling stew out of the pot. He tried to hand one to Andrew.

“Oh, no. Thanks, but the cupcakes spoiled my appetite.”

Darion still urged the bowl toward him. “After you tie him up, jam this into the gas pipes.”

He handed another bowl to Door. “Hurry, before he starts the flow of the knockout gas.”

Darion tried to hand some to Back, but the rapist wouldn’t take it. “What do I fucking get out of this?”

“Just clog the holes, ass-wipe,” Darion answered.

“You’ve tried this fucking before, Darion,” Back responded. “Do I need to remind you of the dire outcome?”

“And I’ve learned from my mistakes,” Darion answered.

Evie certainly hoped so. Darion noticed that Papa didn’t pick up his stew.

“Papa…”

Her captor just shrugged. “You only delay the inevitable, Darion. All I need to do is wait out your pathetic little siege.”

Gas began pouring out of the pipe above Evie’s head. “No!” She thrashed against her restraints.

“Stop it!” Papa shouted, very un-grandfatherly. “You’ll bruise your skin.”

Like Evie cared about that. Right now, she just cared about the knockout gas pouring out of the pipe. She was already feeling a little woozy.

“Papa’s right, though,” Andrew said. “There’s no way the ‘Zard is going to open Papa’s cell door.”

Darion grabbed Esau’s slingshot and handed it off to Andrew. “Work on the cameras while I worry about Papa.”

“Cool!” Andrew shouted.

Evie couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out what Darion was up to when he went back to Igor and jerked open his jacket. There were rows and rows of C-4 blocks running down his chest. Evie thought she’d known what to expect, but that was a butt-load of C-4.

Ping, ping, ping, sounded as Andrew shot at the cameras. Of course, the kid wasn’t very accurate, but he was enthusiastic, and had an unending supply of pebbles to work with.

Darion used Clyde’s old bayonet blade to shave off some C-4 from the block.

“What the fuck?” Back demanded. “That shit is volatile.”

Darion grinned. “Exactly.”

Evie watched as Darion smeared the C-4 on the lock to Papa’s door. Evie’s heart soared even as her head pounded. Papa charged forward, snapping his shears. Darion had to back off.

Using the last of her strength, Evie kicked her legs out, catching Papa around the neck. She squeezed as hard as she could. Given how greasy her legs were, she wasn’t sure how long she could hold him back.

“Do it!” she yelled at Darion.

Quickly, Darion coated the lock with the explosive. Papa squirmed out from her legs and raced to the door, trying to wipe the stuff off, but it was sticking pretty tightly to the metal.

Darion walked over to Back’s cell and put his hand out.

“Fuck you,” Back spat.

“We all know that you have a box of matches from Pyro Day,” Darion challenged, keeping his palm out.

“Why should I give you one?” Back snapped back.

“Eventually, don’t you want your door opened?” Darion asked.

Back hesitated for a moment, then went to his cot and pulled out the box of matches. At first he held out the box, then thought about it and removed just one match and handed it to Darion.

“To keep you honest,” Back explained.

Darion turned, shoved a piece of cloth into the C-4, then lit the sheet strip.

The fire spread up the fabric quickly, then ignited the C-4. A loud boom and clang of metal followed. Papa’s door swung open.

Darion stood at the entrance with the bayonet in hand. “You don’t want me to have to fight my way to her.”

Papa bit his lower lip. “And if I let you have her?”

“Safe passage out,” Darion offered. “But after that, I hunt you down.”

Papa lowered his shears and sat down on the cot. “Fair enough.”

At first Evie was confused as Darion rushed past her, then she realized that he was going to plug the gas pipe. As soon as the gas was shut off, Darion turned to her and cut her restraints.

Coughing and gagging, she fell into his arms.

Holding her up, Darion asked, “Feeling at all grateful yet?”

“Working on it,” Evie said with a smile.

Darion led her toward the door. Papa got up and tried to follow.

“Oh no,” Darion said. “You sit and you
stay
.”

Surprisingly, Papa folded his hands over his groin and sat down on the cot.

Darion got her out of the Papa’s den of starvation, then pointed her toward their old cell. “Clog the pipe.”

Evie nodded, grabbed a bowl of stew, and went to work as Darion headed to Andrew’s cell.

“If I let you out of this cell—”

“Hey!” Back interrupted. “You said—”

Darion held up a finger. “In due time, Back.”

“How about me?” Door asked. Darion just gave him a glare. Door sat back down as Darion turned to Andrew again.

“You’ve got to promise to be on your best Boy Scout behavior.”

“Promise,” Andrew said. “Pinky promise.”

The younger man held out his pinkie. To Evie’s surprise, Darion locked his pinkie around it and sealed the promise.