JACK KILBORN ~ TRAPPED (23 page)

Sara felt ready to explode. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since Cindy crawled into the tent, but each second seemed like a little stretch of eternity in hell. Not being able to see her, not knowing what was happening to one of her kids, made Sara’s imagination run riot with atrocities.

She forced herself to count the seconds. A minute was more than enough time for Cindy to find the radio. After a minute, Sara was determined to go in after her.

Sara began a slow count to sixty.

“
How long Cindy been in there?” Tyrone nudged her.

“
Not long,” she whispered back.

The numbers ticked through Sara’s mind, and she pictured them as she thought of them, each one big and red and sounding like a gong.

By the time she reached number twenty, it felt like a year had passed.

“
I’m going after her.”

Sara held Tyrone back. “Give her a minute.”

“
Been more than a minute.”

The number thirty shone like a spotlight in Sara’s head. “He’s still asleep. She’s okay.”

“
There were two of those cannibals,” Tyrone said.

Number thirty-four hung in the air, then disintegrated. “Two?”

“
I just had a bad thought. Maybe the other guy is in the tent.”

“
Oh… shit.”

Sara abandoned the count, springing up from the crouching position, making her way through the thicket to the campsite.

It’s murder, Sara. You can’t murder another human being. Not while he’s asleep.

She crept over to him, crossing the damp ground where blood had mixed with the dirt, making mud. Bits of sinew clung to her hiking boots, and organ meat squished beneath her feet. On the ground, next to him, were some filthy eating utensils, dried bits of gore stuck to them.

This is cold-blooded. It’s not even self-defense.

Sara stood next to the sleeping cannibal, raising up her foot, ready to stomp down on his neck.

He’s asleep for chrissakes. You’re killing a defenseless, sleeping man.

The cannibal opened his eyes.

He’s not asleep anymore.

Sara brought her heel down as hard as she could. She put her weight into it, twisting her hips, trying to separate his head from his body.

But he moved at the last moment, and her foot hit his shoulder.

Then Sara was stumbling backward, thrown off balance, and the cannibal was on his feet and eyeing her malevolently, crouching in an attack position. He’d picked up his cutlery, the blood-stained fork in his right hand, a rusty steak knife in his left. Sara found her center, spread her feet, and waited for the charge.

Behind her, in the tent, Cindy screamed.

That distracted Sara long enough for the cannibal to slip inside Sara’s defenses, feinting with his left, jabbing the right at Sara’s thigh.

The fork penetrated her jeans, her skin, her muscle, and stuck firmly in the bone.

Sara spun, whipping her elbow around, hitting her attacker squarely in the nose. The cannibal staggered back, arms pinwheeling, and then tripped and fell onto his ass, right in the middle of the campfire.

He laid there for a second, then began to flap his limbs, almost like he was making a snow angel in the burning ashes. He cried out—trying to turn over—his legs getting tangled in some of the firewood—getting to his feet—slipping and falling face-first—getting to his feet again with his hair and beard on fire—and finally running into the woods, screaming like a police siren as he retreated into the night.

That’s when the pain hit. Sara doubled over, her hands fluttering around the utensil sticking out of her leg, afraid to touch it. This was worse than a charley horse, reducing Sara’s world to nothing but an agonizing throb. She whimpered, saw Tyrone in her peripheral vision. He was streaking out of the woods and heading for the tent.

Now there are two of my kids in danger.

Sara slammed her eyelids closed, clenched her fingers around the fork handle, and yanked.

She staggered sideways, her balance, her stomach, her mind all going wavy. Jerking her eyes open, Sara oriented herself and limped to the tent, ducking inside, seeing Tyrone struggling with a man, a man who was growling and biting Cindy on her shoulder. Cindy beat at his head and whined like a kicked dog.

Sara made a fist, pressing her thumb down hard across the top of her index finger knuckle, and threw the punch.

Her thumbnail jabbed into the cannibal’s eye. He opened his teeth and howled, allowing Tyrone to snake his arm across his neck. Sara grabbed his torn, filthy shirt, and she and Tyrone manhandled him out of the tent, forcing him to his knees. The eye she’d poked was bleeding. The other one was bloodshot and… crying.

He ceased struggling, his arms limp at his sides.

“
I… am… bad… man.” His voice was odd, somewhere between a croak and a hiccup.

Sara paused. She was hurt, and sick to her stomach, and part of her knew she needed to end this monster’s life, but another, bigger part saw he was not only docile, but quite possible in need of help himself.

“
Who are you?” Sara asked.

“
My… name …John.”

Cindy crawled out of the tent, crying. She held a white gym sock to her bleeding shoulder.

“
What’s your last name, John?”

He blinked. His body shook with sobs, but there were no tears.

“
Don’t… know.”

“
How many of, uh,
your group
, are on this island?”

“
Many.” The wildness in his red eyes was still there, but behind it was a tinge of sanity. “Like… animals. We… hunt. We… kill. We… eat.”

Sara bent down, wincing at the pain in her leg. “What happened to you, John?”

“
Brought… here…” He swallowed, and moaned. “Doctor… did… something… to… brain.”

“
Dr. Plincer?” Sara asked.

John made a nodding motion, restricted by Tyrone’s grip.

“
Maybe we can get you help, John.”

“
I’ve…done…
things.
”

By his tone, Sara could assume what those things were.

“
Maybe that’s not all your fault, John.” She felt revulsion, and pity. Sara was a big proponent of free will, but she also knew that decision-making, morals, values, and even personality could all be altered with drugs or damage to the brain. But the fact that he was aware of his actions meant he had a choice.

His breath came faster. “I… want…”

Sara looked into his eyes. They seemed to implore her.

“
What is it, John?”

“
Want… to…”

“
Want to get help?”

Sara wondered if she could get him help. They would have to restrain him somehow, maybe tie him up. Then, when the Coast Guard arrived, maybe he could be taken somewhere and treated. Sara had no clue what Plincer had done to this poor man, but perhaps it could be reversed.

“…
to…”

“
Maybe we can get you help, John. Maybe you don’t have to be like this.”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

“
Want… to…
EAT!
”

He grabbed Sara’s hair, pulling her close, his ugly mouth opening to bite her face. His breath was hot and the few teeth he had left were tinged red.

Tyrone pulled him back, muscling him to the ground. They wrestled for a moment, and then everyone heard the
crack
.

Both Tyrone and John stopped moving. Then, slowly, Tyrone disentangled himself, letting John slump onto his face, unmoving.

John blinked. “Can’t… feel… body.”

Tyrone scooted further away on his butt and elbows. “I think I broke his neck, man. I think I broke his fuckin’ neck.”

John let out a breath, blowing dirt away from his mouth. His eyes darted around, frantic.

“
Kill… me.”

Sara went to Cindy, peeled the sock back. The bite was ragged, ugly, but not very deep. She limped over to the tent and almost stepped on the first aid kit. She picked the box up and opened it. Inside were bandages, hydrogen peroxide, acetaminophen, and—thank God—a mini flashlight.

John began to wail. “They… will… eat… me! Kill… me!”

“
Tyrone. Come here.”

After pouring peroxide on Cindy’s shoulder, Sara had Tyrone hold out his hands. She dumped half the bottle into his palms, the blisters foaming pink and gray from blood and dirt.

“
KILLMEKILLMEKILLME!”

“
There are bottles of water inthe tent. Get a few, and each of you take some painkillers.” She handed him the acetaminophen, which he gingerly took using two fingers. “Don’t come out until I say so.”

Sara and Tyrone exchanged a knowing look, and he nodded, putting his arm around Cindy and leading her away. Sara moved over to John. He looked pathetic, sad, terrified. Human.

“
Please! They… will… cook… me… alive.”

Sara chewed on her lower lip. She knew what the right thing to do was, and it made her stomach churn. With effort, she sat down next to him.

“
Chi… children…”

“
Are you a father, John?”

He blinked. “Yes…”

She didn’t want to do this. She really didn’t want to do this.

“
Do you remember their names, John?”

“
Greg… Jen…”

“
Do you want me to,” Sara swallowed the lump in her throat, “give a message to your children?”

“
You… can’t…”

Sara closed her eyes, the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“
Yes I can, John. When I get off the island, I’ll make sure I find out who you are. I promise I will, John.”

She looked at him, and he was smiling again. Sara placed her other hand under John’s chin, winding her fingers in his hair.

“
Tell me, John. What should I say to your kids?”

His eyes opened really wide. “I… ATE… THEM!”

Human beings always had a choice. If you knew the difference between good and evil, you could choose good. If you knew the difference between mercy and vengeance, you could choose mercy.

Sare looked deep inside herself, and found mercy.

The
crack
when John’s neck hyper-extended wasn’t as loud this time. It was more like a
pop
.

Lester peered at the vomiting boy through the viewfinder, then pressed the button again. The flash went off, and he looked at the screen on his digital camera to see how the picture came out.

Very nice. He glanced up at the boy, who was looking around, wondering what was happening.

Time for Lester to show him.

Lester tucked the camera into the bib pocket of his overalls and walked out of the scrub brush. He smiled at the boy’s reaction, a mixture of fear and awe.

“
The boy shouldn’t try to run. It will just make Lester mad.”

Lester strolled over, appearing casual but ready to bolt if the boy took off. But the boy stayed on his knees, mouth hanging open, some barf on his chin.

Lester stood next to the boy and peered down at him. He reached down, and with his index finger, caressed the lad’s cheek.

“
What is the boy’s name?”

“
T…Tom.”

“
Lester.”

Lester glanced down at the mess Tom made, locking his eyes onto one of the bigger chunks. He tried to remember all the things he’d ever put in his mouth, but knew he’d never be able to remember them all. If Lester could bite it, he had. But he didn’t think he’d ever eaten something that had already been eaten by someone else.

Unable to control the impulse, Lester snagged the piece of meat from the puddle of stomach acid. He opened his jaws and tossed it in like popcorn.

Tangy.

“
Lester has a girlfriend,” Lester said, chewing.

“
That’s…uh…cool.”

Lester nodded. “Does Tom have a girlfriend?”

Tom’s eyes were very wide. He shook his head. “No.”

“
That’s sad. Does Tom have a boyfriend?” Lester asked.

The boy shook his head again.

“
That’s good.” Lester got on his knees. He still towered over the boy, and had to lean down.

“
Lester doesn’t have a boyfriend either. What a lucky day for Tom and Lester.”

Lester felt Tom scream in his mouth as he kissed the boy’s deliciously tangy lips.

Doctor Plincer got under the bed covers, then reached onto the nightstand for his earplugs. Subject 33 was really coaxing some screams out of his new playmate, and Plincer needed to get some sleep before the meeting tomorrow.

He found the two foam plugs by the base of the lamp, and spent a minute taking off his prosthetic ears and shoving the plugs into the holes. When the cries were dulled to a whisper, Plincer placed his glasses where the earplugs had been, switched off the light, and rested his head back on the pillow.