"On the second floor? Lin, are you sure you're not seeing things?"
"No, Vince. I'm not."
"Aaron could have slipped you something in your drink to help you sleep. You could be hallucinating."
"No, I saw something. No. Someone. I saw someone. He was at my window. He...he looked like a skeleton. A skeleton with bright red eyes."
"Now I know you've lost your marbles."
"I'm serious!"
I looked out the window and saw what I expected. A whole bunch of nothing under a pitch-black sky. I rolled my eyes and stared back at Audrey. She was helping Tao up off the floor. The door had knocked him on his ass pretty good.
I scoffed. "So Tao, what the hell did you call yourself doing? Snooping?"
"Um...I was..um," he stuttered. He looked over at Audrey all bug-eyed and blushed. "I was just wondering what you were doing? Sis said you were..."
"I said nothing. He was being a perv hoping to hear you bump uglies!" she huffed. "Now nevermind that. I saw something. I'm sure of it now."
"Well, I'll go outside and take a look. Anything, to get away from here."
Audrey raised her hand. "I'll go with you. Not because of anything weird or anything. I'll...I'll just go."
I shook my head in disgust and hurried out of the room. She practically ran into me as she raced out herself. She followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen where Gemma remained hostage. The pale redhead was tied up, but humming happily. I glanced over at Wade who was on guard. I studied his face for a clue as to why, but he frowned and shrugged.
"Why you so goddamnit happy?" I growled staring down at her.
"Huh?"
"Why you humming that tune?"
She giggled. "Aren't you the one they call 'Vince'?
"Yeah. What of it?"
"Oh, nothing."
"So why you so damn happy?"
"I'm just excited about something," she whispered. A grin then spread across her face. "You're going be in for quite a surprise."
"Like what?"
"You'll see."
She then immediately went back to humming. Her head swaying side to side slowly. I looked back at Audrey who was standing behind me looking just as confused. She shook her head and made the sign for crazy. She was definitely right about that, but what she said didn't sit right with me. Surprise? What kind of surprise? Not a good surprise I bet. Shit.
I thought about getting an explanation out of her, but Madison peeked her head in. She looked like she had climbed out of bed. She ditched her leather jacket and jeans for a bathrobe. Her neat short hair all over her head. She seemed to notice our stares and became subconscious. She combed her hair back with her fingers and fussed with her robe. She then gave up and frowned leaning on the door frame. "I thought I heard a gunshot. Everybody alright?"
"A gunshot?" Audrey gasped.
"Yeah. I was coming out of the bathroom and heard a gunshot. I thought I was hearing things at first, but I decided I should check on everyone. Sound like it came from right out back."
As she said this, the front door burst open. Madison jumped and stood aside as Nathan and Aaron appeared. Aaron seemed fine, but Nathan looked worse for wear. His hair loose and messy. His clothes dirty. His face bruised on the side.
"What the hell happened to you?" Madison asked taking the words out of my mouth. "What happened to your face? Are you ok?"
"Oh, I'm just fine," he said sarcastically. "I just got my gun kicked out of my hands and the side of my face kicked like a football by a masked skeleton guy, but I'm great!"
"What?!"
"Wait! Did you say a masked skeleton guy?" I asked astounded.
"Yeah. He had a creepy skeleton mask with red eyes. He was creeping around here and I went after him."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Madison fumed. "You could have been killed! Aaron could have been killed!"
"It was one guy. I thought I could handle it. I did technically."
"Actually, you got knocked flat on your back," Aaron said clearing his throat. "Then you laid there for a few minutes moaning in pain. I'm still quite worried you may have a concussion, Parker. The bruising you're exhibiting and-"
"Aaron."
"Yes, I know. Shut my trap."
Wade chuckled. "So you got beat up? I wished I had seen that."
"I wished I had seen that," Nathan repeated bitterly mocking him. He rolled his eyes. "It's too bad he didn't run into your fat ass."
"Guys! This is serious! What if it was more?" Madison said looking panicked. "Someone should go check. I'll go get dressed."
"Nah. I'll go look," I said holding up my hand. "By the time you finish dressing, they'll be long gone. Someone should also go check on Lin. She did say she saw some skeleton looking guy at her window. I thought she was nuts but I guess not. Still strange how he got up there."
"He used the bus. He did some type of parkour shit and jump down from there. Heard Lin scream now that I think of it. I feel like shit for not believing her. Dammit," he groaned.
"Nope. That's on me. Lin said something strange earlier about someone looking into her window the other night. She asked me to move the bus and I brushed it off," Wade said sadly. "I'll take a look and move the bus. You stay here with Gemma."
"And I'll check on Lin," Audrey offered. "Tell her she's not crazy at least."
He pushed past me and headed for the front door. He stopped and called for Omar who sprung up from the couch in the living room. He pulled out a handgun and followed Wade out the door. Audrey, on the other hand, headed upstairs. I looked back at Gemma who seemed to be looking forward as if clueless to what was happening. I was pretty sure she was listening.
"The skeleton dude. Did he say anything?" I asked Nathan as he pushed past me and sat down at the kitchen table. Aaron followed.
He held his face in his hands as Aaron rubbed his back. He looked up at me and answered. "No. He didn't say anything. Not a word."
"Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure I saw someone like that back at the junkyard. Him, a pig mask guy, and some cat or fox mask chick."
"Well, maybe we should ask Gemma about it," he frowned as he rubbed the side of his face. He got up and stood in front of Gemma. "Got anything to say?"
She smirked. "No. I do hope you catch whoever you're talking about. He seemed to got the best of you there."
"You're real funny. Got the best of me huh?"
"Yeah. He gave you a good beating there. That bruise is a nasty one."
"You know I've never hit a woman before, but right now I'm tempted."
"Nathan!" Madison groaned. "Don't sink to her level."
"Why not? We're not going to get anything out of her if we don't do something."
"Like what?"
"Like this." He smirked and grabbed a kitchen knife. He then placed the blade at her neck. "Now tell me who was your skeleton friend, Gemma?"
"I don't know who you're talking about, but killing me certainly isn't going get you the answer."
"Who said I'm going kill you?" he said. He brought the knife up to her cheek and made a slight cut. He then put the tip of it onto her shoulder. "Who was the skeleton mask guy in the garden?"
"I don't know. It sounds so scary."
"Stop the whole act. It's annoying now."
"I'm not acting- Ahhhh!"
He dug the blade into her shoulder and she screamed. He stopped and she began sobbing. Me, Madison, and Aaron stood back watching. Our faces a mixture of disturbed and unease.
He held the knife up to her face and asked again. "Who was that and why was he here?"
"I told you..."
"Stop lying!"
"I don't know..."
He plunged the tip of the knife back into her shoulder and she screamed. He then pulled it away.
"Ok. Looking like you may need some more stitches."
"Fuck off!"
"Who are you? Why are you here? And who was the man?"
"I'm not telling you anything! Mr. Jones!!!"
He grabbed her face and placed the knife tip close to her right eye. "Tell me or you're going be missing an eye in a few seconds."
"His name is Bones. It's Bones."
"Why was he here?"
"F..f..for me!"
"Why?!
"Help me! Someone help me! Mr. Jones! Jones!"
"Mr. Jones isn’t going to help you. No one is going to help you. Now fess up!"
"Nothing to report except those bastards slashed the tires," Wade bellowed entering the front door. He looked into the kitchen and gasped. "Jesus, Nathan! What are you doing?!"
"Doing what should have been done in the first place!"
"But if Luther sees you...er I mean finds out- "
"What Luther doesn't know, won't hurt him. It's time we stop playing nice. We tried and it didn't work!"
"But..."
We heard footsteps on the stairs. Maybe Tao? Or Audrey? Or maybe worse, DJ or Luther? Shit! I stepped in front of Gemma and Nathan. Wade grabbed the knife from him and headed for the sink. Nathan put his hand over her mouth. We all froze as DJ face appeared in the doorway. His eyes widen and he came closer.
"Me and gramps thought we heard screaming. "Is everything alright?"
"DJ, we...." Nathan started, but he gasped and screamed out in pain. He snatched his hand away. Apparently, Gemma had bit into it. He glared at her. "You little..."
"DJ, they tried to kill me! They've been cutting on me. Hurting me. I told them I don't know what they're talking about," she cried being able to speak now. "Tell them to leave me alone. Please!"
We all began to speak at the same time. Spitting out excuses and tonight’s events as Gemma whimpered about her mistreatment. Finally, DJ had enough and waved his hand and roared, "Quiet. All of you!"
The room grew quiet and he sighed. "A guy with a skeleton mask was here?"
"Yes!" Nathan spluttered. "I fought with...well he got the better of me, but..."
"Lin saw him," I added. "At her window!"
"Gemma said his name is Bones!"
"Okay! I got it, guys!" DJ mumbled. He pushed me and Nathan out the way. He looked down at Gemma. He saw the blood on her shoulder. Tears streaming down her bloody cheek. I thought we were screwed, but he seemed unmoved. He bent down to meet her eye level looking stern. "Gemma, did you say the skeleton mask guy’s name was Bones?"
"I...I made it up. I had to. He threatened to gorge my eye out."
"Do you know him?"
"No! I told-"
"But you knew his codename?"
"Huh?"
"I heard one of them call him, Bones. As he was taking our stuff. As I fear for my life and begged for mercy. Interesting you would choose that name."
"I swear it was just a coincidence! I...I swear!"
"Coincidence or not, he was here for a reason. The reason being you."
"Wait. No! DJ!"
He looked back at us. "Gramps can't see, but he can hear real well. I suggest you hang it up for tonight and keep her quiet. I'll calm Gramps and tell him everything's fine -"
"But DJ please! Save me! They're going kill me!"
He scowled. "I don't care how you do it, but shut her up!"
"My pleasure," Madison smiled. She pulled up her sleeve and balled up her fist. Then she took a swing and hit Gemma square in the face. Her cries silenced and her head slumped over.
Nathan gasped. "Jesus, Madison! Really?"
"What? You said no more playing nice," she smirked. "Besides, I've been dying to do that."
I did it! This took me forever and now I have a cold, so I’m just going to fall out over in a corner somewhere. lol Now for the shit to really hit the fan because Gemma is right. They will be a surprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment