Fiends. Part 13

*Not just yet.' He stepped over the unconscious boy and squatted beside the girl. *See that? Look at the number I did on her nose.'

*I saw.'

*A real ugly mess, huh? But it's just from the neck up, and that isn't the part that counts. Know what I mean?' He reached down and patted the girl's right breast. *Guess I'd better not take her with us. Not with her nose like this. People'd wonder.'

*They sure would.' Marty spat out a fleck of tooth. *They'd ask a lot of questions.'

*Well, since I'm not taking hera' He picked up the girl's legs and turned her until the top of her head was toward Marty. Then he dropped her legs and got on his knees between them.

*w.i.l.l.y! No!'

*Yes, yes.' He pulled the pistol out of his belt and aimed it at Marty.

*G.o.d, don't.'

He laughed. *Think I'm gonna pa.s.s up a piece like this?' He unzipped his jeans.

*Do me instead.'

*Thanks anyhow.'

*w.i.l.l.y, I'd be better. h.e.l.l, she's out cold. She'll just lie there.'

*You're for later. She's for now.'

*Don't do this to her.'

*Jealous?'

*Please.'

w.i.l.l.y, grinning, pulled his p.e.n.i.s out of his jeans. It was big and upright.

*I'm not going to let you.'

*Can't stop me.'

*We'll see abouta'

In the distance, a car engine rumbled and sputtered.

They both looked toward the entrance to the parking area. So far, there was no sign of headlights.

*It'll be here in a minute,' Marty said. *It'll be the first of a whole bunch. The movie probably just got out. Pretty soon, this place will be crawling with h.o.r.n.y teenagers.'

*I'm not quitting now.' w.i.l.l.y started to lower himself onto the girl. Marty scurried backward, half expecting a bullet to smash through her body. She crawled to w.i.l.l.y's car, stretched across its front seat and reached to the steering wheel.

As she shoved, the blare of w.i.l.l.y's car horn sounded through the night.

24.

The driver's door flew open. The revolver came in, swinging. Marty jerked her hand away an instant before the barrel hammered the steering wheel where her fingers had been. The horn went silent.

*I'm gonna fix you for that. Fix you real good. Sit up! We gotta get out of here.'

He jumped into the car and slammed the door.

*Shut your door, d.a.m.n it! I could've f.u.c.ked that girl, you stupid b.i.t.c.h. Shut it!' His fist shot sideways, pounding Marty's arm as she leaned away. She pulled the door shut. w.i.l.l.y started the engine and backed up.

The headbeams lit the boy and girl. Their bodies were motionless, but Marty knew they were alive.

Alive and lucky.

w.i.l.l.y's car rolled over the b.u.mpy road, out of the woods, onto the main road.

*Where'd that other car go?' w.i.l.l.y asked.

*I wouldn't know.'

*It was coming.'

*Maybe it turned off.'

*You said a whole bunch were coming.'

*Maybe I was wrong.'

*I oughta kill you.'

She looked out her window. There was nothing to see but dark woods.

She looked at her forearm and saw several places where splinters from the door had torn into her skin. She didn't seem to be bleeding, but the area around the cuts felt tender and sore.

Compared to the rest of her body, her arm was in good shape. Dizzying throbs pounded through her head. The roof of her mouth, cut by the gun sight, felt ragged and painful at the touch of her tongue. The front tooth was crooked and sharp. Her stomach seemed hollow and sour. Underneath the jersey and shorts, her skin itched because she'd still been wet when w.i.l.l.y made her put them on.

You're in great shape, kid.

At least he didn't rape the girl.

Thank G.o.d.

Marty slipped a hand down the back of her shorts and scratched her b.u.t.tocks. They felt clammy.

*Do you mind if I get in the back seat?' she asked. *I want to lie down.'

*Go on.'

She turned around, crawled awkwardly over the back of the front seat, and dropped onto the rear seat.

*Don't try and pull anything,' w.i.l.l.y warned. *Remember who's in the trunk.'

*I remember.'

Putting her back to w.i.l.l.y, she curled onto her side and pillowed her head on her arm just above the splinter cuts.

She wanted to take off the damp clothes so that she could get dry.

But she didn't move.

He'll look around and see me.

So what? she thought. This wouldn't be the first time he's seen me naked. Anyhow, he'll only be able to see my back. And what's he going to do about it?

Trembling slightly, Marty struggled out of her jersey. Then she pulled the shorts down to her knees.

The warm night air blowing through the windows rushed against her skin, soothing it, caressing away the itchy dampness.

w.i.l.l.y didn't make a comment, didn't touch her.

He doesn't even know.

The air kept blowing against her, and soon the pains of the body no longer mattered. Only the warm dry smoothness of the moving air mattered. After a while, she fell asleep.

In her dream, Dan was late coming home from work. Apparently, she was married to him. And he was late. And she was worried. But suddenly the front door opened, and Dan came into the bright sunny room. He was naked.

*Where are your clothes?' Marty asked.

*I had to take them off and leave them in the trunk. They're all b.l.o.o.d.y.'

Now she noticed that Dan was all b.l.o.o.d.y.

*What happened?' she asked, not terribly concerned. But curious.

*Oh, I had a little run-in with one of your old boyfriends.'

*So, it's his blood?

*Mine. But I'm all right.'

He came toward her, arms spread out to hug her. His blood would get all over her. But she didn't mind. She was naked, too. She could simply take a shower. So she opened her arms for him.

Instead of stepping into her arms, he moved a hand up the back of her leg.

Which seemed an odd trick, since he was in front of her.

His fingers delved into the crevice of her rump.

Marty suddenly woke up and felt a hand back there. She flinched rigid. A finger thrust at her a.n.u.s.

*b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' she yelled.

w.i.l.l.y laughed.

Marty swung an arm down behind her, grabbed w.i.l.l.y by the wrist and jerked his hand away. Still clutching it, she flopped onto her back. w.i.l.l.y was twisted sideways in the driver's seat, watching her over his shoulder.

*Let go,' he said.

Clutching his arm with both hands, she tugged it down and backward.

w.i.l.l.y cried out and seemed to rise higher in his seat.

*f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h! I'll kill you.' Then he suddenly turned his head forward and yelled, *s.h.i.t!'

The brakes shrieked.

Marty flew forward and let go of his arm.

The car jerked, throwing her off the seat. She landed on the narrow floor. As she tried to get up, a whining skid sent her sprawling.

Somewhere, a horn blasted. A cry of brakes surged through the night.

But not from w.i.l.l.y's car.

w.i.l.l.y's car.

Marty braced herself for the impact.

It didn't come.

Silence came instead.

The car stopped.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

Nearby, two doors slammed. Then boots scuffled across the asphalt.

Marty thought about getting up from the floor.

But then the footsteps halted near w.i.l.l.y's side of the car and a man said, *Look what we got here! Got a babe here, b.u.t.t-naked.' He sounded excited.

*Sure as h.e.l.l,' said a second voice, also male. It came from the pa.s.senger side of the car. *Hey, honey,' it said. *Honey, you all right there?'