Babysitter Massacre: Family Splatters FULL AUDIOBOOK

WEBVTT

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Hello, my spookies, welcome back
to another very special Halloween treat we have

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for you tonight. The full audiobook
for Babysitter Massacre, Family Splatters by David

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O'Hanlon narrated by me Enrique Kuto.
It's a slasher movie in novel form,

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and I know you're going to enjoy
it as it helps you get into your

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Halloween mindset. And if you love
this book, you can grab a copy

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on Amazon dot com in paperback ebook, or even purchase this audiobook on Audible.

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But now, without further ado,
let's get into Babysitter Massacre, Family

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Splatters prologue, Glee Corner, Texas. The barn sat thirty yards behind the

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Toscano home, at the end of
a well tread dirt path. Cassie body

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jumped with each meeting of the hammer
and anvil. As she shuffled closer to

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the structure, a hell fire escaped
the gap in the rickety doors that no

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longer closed properly and cast the shadow
of red Toscano across Cassie's path. She

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cradled her swollen belly with her left
arm and took a deep breath. Her

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father's swings grew more and more frenzied, Cassie squeezed the handle of her suitcase

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tighter. She took another step forward
and watched him dunk the blade in the

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quench tank. A cloud of steam
hissed from the surface, and Red turned

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to inspect the matto's blade by the
light of the hearth. Cassie's feet moved

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backwards against her wishes. A tiny
foot kicked against her palm and halted her

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retreat. She rubbed the area,
drawing another blow from the child within.

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She gave her tummy a squeeze and
hoped the baby found it as reassuring as

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she did. Soon, little one, she whispered, Mama's gonna get you

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out of here, and then you
can get out of there, and everything

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is going to be just fine.
Cassie exhaled sharply and walked into the barn

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with her head held high. She
sat the suit case down beside her and

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steeled her nerve. Red sat the
mattox on the table next to a length

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of polished hickory, then turned to
the hearth once more. He gripped a

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piece of rebar with his thick leather
gloves and turned it within the forge.

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I was hoping you'd come see me
this evening. Cassie. Red's voice was

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thunder ahead of the storm. We
need to discuss your condition. Her hands

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moved to frame her distended belly protectively. She's not a condition, pa,

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she Red spat. The saliva sizzled
into nothing against the furnace. Suppose you've

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even given it a name, Iris, Cassie said weakly. She straightened her

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back and spoke again, louder Iris, page after Mama's favorite flower and Gammy

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Page. Red's face twisted in disgust. The daughter of perdition, that's the

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only name it needs. Stop that. Stop referring to my baby is an

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it. Iris was Mama's last wish
before her accident. Cassie choked on the

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word. She knew the truth.
The whole goddamn town knew the truth.

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Red split Ethel Toscano's skull with his
hammer. They were just too afraid of

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the brutish blacksmith and his zealous wrath
to say otherwise. She slipped on the

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ice, hit her head on a
rock. That was the bedtime story they

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told their consciences every night. Her
father turned the rebar again, lifting it

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from the coals and examining its glowing
end, he grunted and shoved it back

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inside. Your mother gave you over
to the beast. Red popped his neck

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and went back to the workbench.
He hefted the hickory haft. She fell

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for the fattened lies of a false
prophet. She stole you from the word

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and grace of God. She cast
doubts in your mind. That's all the

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beast needs. Cassie shook her head, her fists clenched and her jaw locked.

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She'd never talked back to her father. Every bit of her wanted to,

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and the words clawed at the backs
of her grinding teeth to get free.

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I know you've been going to see
those snake handlers in the valley,

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against my warnings, and you returned
to me carrying that abomination. He slotted

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the mattock's head onto the sh shaft
and laid the tool down, returning to

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the kiln once more. When you
told me you were pregnant, I asked

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of the father. Do you remember
what you said? The same thing I

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said every time you asked? After
she answered, Mamma knew what was coming

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to this world. She saw it
all in her dreams. Heresy. Red

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ripped the rebar from the furnace and
marched forward. The eight inches of glowing

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iron aimed at his daughter like a
fiery, accusatory finger. Your mother's mind

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was twisted with sickness, and that
leacherous pastor manipulated her ailment like clay with

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his lies. He stole her to
his bed, made her his scarlet whore,

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and tried to deliver the anti Christ
through her. And when he couldn't,

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he brought you to his master.
Red twisted Cassie's lavender dress and his

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fist and held the orange yellow rod
close to her cheek. The girl recoiled

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from the heat. Tears welled in
her eyes, but hatred kept them from

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spilling. You're insane. You ain't
gonna hurt my baby. I'm going to

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burn that abomination from your womb.
Red pushed Cassie backwards until she struck a

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weathered support. His hand jumped to
a coil of rope hanging above, and

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slipped it over her head. Cassie
gagged as the rope tightened and lifted her

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to the tips of her toes.
She fought to get her fingers between the

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rough strands, scratching at her skin. Red took a knee in front of

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her. This will stop that evil
thing growing inside you and purify you for

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a man of God. This moment
of pain will be your baptism and your

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return to the grace of heaven.
Red moved his grip higher on the rebar

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and reached under her dress, tearing
her panties away with a forceful tug.

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Cassie's feet slipped with the pull,
and she hung from the rope. Her

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toes scraped the floor trying to get
underneath her Her vision blurred as the glowing

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rod disappeared under the hem of her
dress. She squeezed her eyes shut and

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focused her will on staying conscious for
Iris's sake. Cassie brought her knee up,

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breaking her father's nose. She watched
the rebar roll across the concrete floor

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to the pile of forgotten rags.
Free of the threat, she swung her

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other leg up, cracking Red under
the chin. She clambered up him,

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quickly using his shoulders to give her
the height she needed to slip the noose

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off. She fell to all fours. The rags sparked to a flame.

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A smile spread across her face until
the gloved fist wrenched her head back,

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hair tore from her scalp as Red
hoisted her from the floor. You little

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bitch, he growled. I tried
to spare you, and this is how

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you repay me. If I can't
kill the monster, then I'll settle for

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its mother. You'll never bring it
into this world. Red dunked Cassie's face

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into the quenching tank. He held
firm as she kicked and splashed. Her

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nails clawed at the thick heat resistant
glove to no avail. She reached into

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the bottom of the tank, groping
in the darkness of the oil bath for

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anything. This is what you chose
over my mercy child. Red flipped her

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into the trough. She swallowed a
breath of air before he pressed her back

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down. He used his whole body
to press her to the bottom of the

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tank. Red moved a hand to
her chest, trying to force that single

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breath out of her lungs. Cassie
kicked her legs, splashing the quenching oil

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over the sides. As her vision
began to darken. The room brightened.

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Her father's grip lessened as the oil
caught fire around him. Cassie scratched at

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his face and sat up violently.
A wave of oil ignited in the air

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and washed over his coat, sending
Red catterwauling backwards as he fought to remove

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the garment. He threw it to
the floor and stamped it out. Red

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scanned the barn, but Cassie was
gone. He stalked forward, kneeling next

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to a wet spot beneath the noose
he'd restrained her with. He ran his

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fingers through the puddle and brought them
to his nose. The slightly sweet fluid

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was specked with blood. Cassie's water
had broken. Red smiled and returned to

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his workbench, ignoring the fire extinguisher
below. The inferno grew around him,

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overtaking the aged lumber while he finished
assembling the mattox. There was only one

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place she could go in her condition. The White and Red nineteen seventy eight

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AMC Mattador purred along the country highway. The driver tipped the brim of his

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stetson up and smiled at the sight
of the young woman ambling along in a

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soaking wet dress. She waddled barefoot
down the shoulder of the road, and

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the driver eased on the brakes to
pull up beside her. The man lifted

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the cowboy hat from his head and
set it on the dashboard. It was

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a cool night, but after the
stifling heat of home, he never missed

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a chance to ride with the windows
down. Miss ain't nothing around here but

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soybean fields and churches, and you're
not dressed for neither, he said,

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in a slow drawl. Might I
give you a ride somewhere. Cassie rested

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her hands on the top of the
mattador, giving the driver a view of

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her pregnant belly straining against the wet
fibers of the dress. I need a

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hospital, she managed between heaving breaths. I reckon you do, hop on

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in. He stretched across the seats
and pulled the door handle. I'd come

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around, but I figure you're in
a hurry. Cassie pulled the door and

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slumped into the seat. She looked
at the burgundy upholstery, darkening as the

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quenching oil and amniotic fluid spread through
the fibers. She grimaced. The driver

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noticed two and smiled with perfectly white
square teeth. Don't worry yourself about that.

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I don't sit on that side of
the car anyhow, He squeezed her

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shoulder reassuringly and nodded to the door. Why don't you give that a pull

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and put your seat belt on.
We're gonna go real fast now. The

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tires squealed and spun, putting a
pillar of smoke behind them. As the

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Matador jumped forward and sped down the
road, Cassie rocked in the seat silently.

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On the drive to the county hospital, the driver kept his eyes on

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the road with a grin stretched across
his face. They didn't speak most of

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the way, not until they saw
the lights of West Romero, and the

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driver slapped the steering wheel with a
whoot of satisfaction. Told you we were

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gonna go real fast, asked miss
He chuckled. A flash of blue lights

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from behind the town's welcome sign came
on queue. His eyes flicked to the

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spiometer and the needle hovering over the
eighty hash. The driver caught a glimpse

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of a speed limit sign, but
was going too fast to tell how much

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trouble he was in. Don't worry
about that none, he said to Cassie

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with confidence. I'll explain the predicament
to the officer just as soon as you're

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at the hospital. It's not every
day I get to help someone bring a

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beautiful new life into this shitty world. What's your name, Cassie asked,

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before screeching at another contraction. That
hardly matters, miss Helpin' folks is my

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business, but sometimes I like doing
one for free. He patted her leg.

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We're almost there now, you just
keep that little Philly in the stable

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a little bit longer. The police
car drew closer to them as they raced

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along the mostly deserted streets. The
muscle car slid sideways as the driver narrowly

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mean his turn. The car fish
tailed and finally straightened out. The CoP's

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car screamed to a stop. The
less nimble driver turned the wheels and restarted

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his pursuit. The cruiser caught up
with the Mattador as the driver stepped out

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in front of the Gordon Mass General's
emergency entrance and waved frantically for the nurse's

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attention. The blue haired lady stuck
her fingers between her lips and whistled.

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Two orderlies came rushing out the doors. Bring a chair. I got a

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pregnant girl here that's about to drop
a litter on my floorboard, the driver

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shouted. The cop stepped out of
the Crown Victoria and made his way to

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the car, only to stop in
his tracks. The driver eased Cassie out

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of the car and into the wheelchair. The highway patrolman pointed at Cassie and

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cleared his throat. I guess that
explains why you were driving so fast,

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he said, Ever heard of an
ambulance I have? The driver straightened his

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swayed jacket. Ever seen one that
drives like me? The patrolman snorted,

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shit, I don't think I've seen
anyone drive like you. The driver bent

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over and kissed Cassie's head before she
was wheeled away. Your baby's gonna do

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great things, dear. She comes
from damn good stock. The driver leaned

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close to the cop, whispering into
his ear, and then winked before heading

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to his car. Cassie looked back
at the benevolent stranger. She desperately wanted

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to ask him his name, but
the contractions were too strong to form words.

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She had so many questions for the
man, starting with how he knew

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she was having a little girl.
The stranger waved and slithered into his seat.

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Cassie heard the mattador roar out of
the parking lot as the sliding doors

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closed behind her. The sharp smack
of a nitrial sheathed hand meeting newborn flesh,

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was followed by the squeal of the
frightened baby drawing in its first breath.

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Doctor Hansen held the infant up and
tugged the surgical mask away from his

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mustached smile. It's a girl,
he said, and a very healthy one

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at that. I'd say she's every
bit of nine pounds, I'll confirm,

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Nurse Shelley Martin said. She took
the baby and swaddled her quickly before handing

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her to Cassie. Here you go, Mama. I'll get her cleaned up

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in a bit, but you earned
this moment. Cassie squeezed the baby against

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her. Tears streaked down her face
and splashed onto the newborn's cheek. She's

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perfect. What's her name, love, Iris? Cassie stroked the tears away

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from Iris's face, and then her
own. Her name is Iris. The

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door swung open and cracked against the
wall. Cassie's face stretched in terror.

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Red stormed into the room. His
mattox tore Doctor Hanson's jaw off with a

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wide swing before coming around and impaling
the second nurse. Red cocked the tool

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over his shoulder, wrigging the hickory
handle like a batter about to go for

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the fences. Two birds, one
stone, he growled. Shelley grabbed for

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Iris's. Red swung the tool overhead
and brought the spike down right where the

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child had been laying. Cassie's chest
collapsed from the blow. The spike punched

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through the metal base of the bed
with a screech. Shelley cradled the infant

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against her and ran, ducking under
Red's wild grab and darting into the hallway

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somewhat help her hand lashed out,
tugging the fire alarm handle. Call security,

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She screamed over the wailing Clackson.
The brown uniform of a security guard

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came racing around the corner. He
caught the nurse and pulled her in close.

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What's going on, Shelley pointed at
Red Toscano lumbering after her. He

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pushed a ginger shock off his pockmarked
face and roared with anger. The guard

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shuffled Shelley and the baby behind him
and drew his revolver. Shelley didn't wait

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to see what happened. She bolted
down the corridor. The sudden eruption of

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gunfire spurred her on faster. Someone
was screaming, give me the child.

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Red bellowed. Officer Boy Danforth decided
to stay after he pursued Cassie and her

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benefactor to the hospital. He didn't
know the mysterious driver, but there was

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something in the cowboy's demeanor that made
him worth listening to. The driver told

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Danforth he needed to stick around and
meet the baby, that the infant needed

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him to be there just a bit
longer. Danforth didn't understand, but he

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listened. He was enjoying a cigarette
when the fire here alarm went off.

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He snuffed the smoke under his polished
shoe and stepped inside the er entrance.

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What's going on, he asked.
The old lady at the counter shrugged.

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A nurse ran through the lobby with
a newborn clutched to her chest. Two

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security guards passed her, running the
opposite direction with their pistols drawn. Danforth

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felt a twist in his stomach.
He thought about the stranger's cool wink and

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prophetic claim that the newborn would need
him. Danforth raced outside to his patrol

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car and retrieved his shotgun before coming
back in a brown lump slid across the

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linoleum, trailing intestines. Danforth rushed
to the falling guard. There was nothing

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he could do. He glanced back
at the entrance and saw the reflection of

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the blue haired old nurse slumped over
in her chair. Where is the abomination?

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Someone shouted. Danforth shouldered the shotgun
and went toward the voice. He

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pivoted around a corner, ready to
fire. Bodies lined the hallway. The

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cop eased forward, his finger tensing
and taking the slack of the trigger.

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A massive hand closed around the barrel. Danforth screamed and jumped back, discharging

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buckshot into the wall. The Maddox
hit him broadside in the gut, then

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hooked behind his knees and jerked his
legs out from under him. Through the

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cloud of swirling drywall dust, he
saw his shotguns sail through the air.

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It clattered down the corridor, and
the Mattox raised in the big man's hands.

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He recognized him from a nearby town. Avoiding the man was an unofficial

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part of every officer's training. Everyone
in Gordon County was afraid of Red Toscano.

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I am here to do the Lord's
work. Red growled, those that

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we stop me, our servants of
the beast. Danforth rolled as the spike

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streaked downward. He gripped his pistol
and cleared the holster just enough to fire.

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The tool shattered the tile, pelting
Danforth's face with thenoleum shrapnel. His

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bullet drew a grunt of pain.
The killer's knee buckled, and the cop

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used the moment to regain his footing. He swung around quickly, bringing his

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beretta to bear. Red caught him
by the wrist and brought the officer's arm

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down over his shoulder, snapping the
bone. A bowie knife hissed from its

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sheath on Red's hip and pinned Danforth
to the wall through his belly. Stick

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around, officer, You're going to
witness the salvation of humanity. Red turned

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away and stalked the corridor toward the
ajar door of the narcotic's closet. The

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closet door clicked shut. Red scooped
his mattox from the floor and took it

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to the mechanical lock. Wood splintered
with each wild blow. Sparks flew as

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00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:17.279
the flat blade scraped across the steel
mechanism. Shelley shushed Iris. As the

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light spilled through the broken door.
Another blow showered her with bits of wood.

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The lock couldn't be broken. It
was state of the art with the

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latest anti theft technology. The narcotics
closet was the most secure room in the

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entire hospital. That's why she'd hidden
her in the infinite side. Unfortunately,

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the door was just a door.
The mattox widened the hole, and the

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00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.839
man pressed his face to the opening. Give me the child so I can

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send it back to Hell where it
spawned, he grumbled. Shelley tucked Iris

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00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:56.720
under the shelf behind her. She
shielded the baby with her body and shook

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her head. You're not going to
hurt her, You're he said lowly,

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00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:08.079
something that small. Probably won't feel
a thing when I cleave it in two.

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The killer threw himself against the ravaged
door, splitting it further. He

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00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:17.799
stepped back and swung at the weak
spot. A chunk of wood flew past

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Shelley. She screeched at the near
miss and watched in horror as the man's

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hand came through the breach and turned
the knob, Give me the baby.

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The shotgun slide clacked forward, racking
a shell into the chamber. The blast

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illuminated the narrow closet, and Red
Toscano stumbled away, clutching the mangled pulp

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where the remaining piece of his jaw
still clung. Blood rushed down his throat

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and he gulped wetly, trying to
get air. The shotgun pumped, and

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he stared down its barrel to the
nurse that now stood rigid behind it.

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Tell me if you see the light, she said. The gun boom boomed,

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and Red spun away, spraying gore
across the corridor like a lawn sprinkler.

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He stumbled twice and fell to the
floor with a splat. The police

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officer slumped against the wall, trying
to keep his insides on the inside as

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he made his way to Shelley and
Iris. Most of Red's face was gone.

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One eye stared blankly beneath a patch
of exposed skull. The CoP's instinctual

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gag doubled him over in pain.
He took to his knees and crawled the

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rest of the way. He propped
himself against the doorframe and reached out for

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Iris, stroking her cheek and leaving
a trail of viscera across her newborn flesh.

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Happy birthday, kiddo, he said
weakly. Shelley patted his shoulder and

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rocked Iris on the floor as the
sounds of police filled the halls. They

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were going to be okay, now
was over. Don't go away, weakly,

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spooky, We'll be right back.
Chapter one, Itahuah, Oklahoma.

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Ten years later, Darren jolted upright, coughing violently. Her fingers curled into

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the sweat drenched comforter. As the
coughing subsided and she fought for one good

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breath, she shuddered, cries escaping
through her gritted teeth as squeaks and yips.

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Composure slowly returned. She swung her
legs off the bed and rested her

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head in her hands. She could
taste the river water in her mouth.

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Thirteen years later, the nightmare still
came and kept the memories of the ordeal

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00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:53.279
fresh in her mind. She rubbed
her wrists, still feeling the zip ties

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00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:57.920
cutting into them. Darren scoured the
tears from her cheeks with the edge of

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the bed sheet and up walking to
the bathroom, and flipping on the light.

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00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:07.839
She stood before the mirror, running
her fingertips over the scars across each

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of her bare breasts. She trailed
across the ruined areola with the missing nipple

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down to the thick, raised line
of flesh below her ribs. She remembered

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00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:25.279
the blade felt cold when it penetrated
her. It was the last violation before

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00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:30.079
she was dumped in the river and
left for dead. The two men that

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found her were in the woods by
pure chance, poachers out spotlighting deer,

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and she could hear them calling to
her as they came closer. The memory

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00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:45.759
of their words drifted like detritus in
the current. Darren wanted to tell them

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00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:49.160
to leave her alone, to let
her drown, but the water choked the

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00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:56.039
words down. You survived, she
told her reflection. Act like it.

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00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.799
Darren turned the faucet on and prepared
her morning routine while it got to temperature.

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00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:06.759
She didn't like cold water anymore,
not even for brushing her teeth.

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00:26:07.079 --> 00:26:10.880
Once she had everything gathered on the
counter, she returned to the bedroom.

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00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:15.400
You don't sleep for shit, the
man said, as he leaned on the

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00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:19.279
bedroom door. You've been tossing and
turning the last three hours. I couldn't

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00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:23.519
wake you, so I just went
to sleep on the couch. Darren surveyed

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00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:27.880
him. He was tall and lean, with tight knots of muscle clinging to

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00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:33.920
his narrow figure. Flecks of blue
wax clung in the waterfall of fine blonde

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00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:41.240
hairs descending from his sunken stomach to
his flaccid dick, which still bared red

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00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:45.400
marks from the rings of the chastity
cage she'd made him wear. Likewise,

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00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:51.480
the ligature had left a midnight bruise
around his throat. She didn't think she'd

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00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:56.160
been that rough. She grabbed a
hair tie from the nightstand. I don't

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00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:00.400
remember telling you to stay the night
after last night. I didn't think you

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00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:03.759
had any boundaries, he replied.
He focused on her scars for a moment,

303
00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:10.079
then cast his eyes to the floor. Do you want to talk about

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00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:15.079
your nightmare? I mean I have
a lot of them, too hard pass

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00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:19.079
Darren pulled her hair back, quickly, snapping the elastic into place. You

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00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:23.880
slept on the couch, yeah,
then you saw the front door. Get

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00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:29.079
dressed and show yourself out. I
have to get ready for work. Do

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00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:33.839
you even remember my name? Brian
Brandon? Something like that she tried to

309
00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:41.079
remember. Darren watched the look of
dejection sour his face. She conceded with

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00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:45.160
a flick of hand. The man
started to speak as she went into the

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00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:49.240
bathroom and shut the door behind her. She never bothered with names. The

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00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:55.279
men she dominated were her victims.
She took away the thing that they drew

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00:27:55.400 --> 00:28:00.400
power from and made them beg her
to give it back. She controlled them,

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00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:04.599
owned them, punished them. Then
she discarded them in the river of

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00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:10.720
her mind. One day, she'd
hurt one enough to erase what Wayne Dale

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00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:15.519
Smith did to her. Darren pulled
her favorite T shirt from the hamper and

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00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:22.759
smelled it. It was clean enough. Damnation had played Rockklahoma the year before

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00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:26.200
and instantly became her favorite band.
She bought all their merchandise, and her

319
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:32.160
tea quickly became a staple of her
weekly attire. She pulled it over her

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00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:36.279
head and grabbed a pair of jeans
from the closet. She wriggled them up

321
00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:41.400
to her ass before stopping and peeling
them off again. Darren kicked them into

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00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:45.319
the corner and picked another pair from
the back. She'd purchased them after spending

323
00:28:45.319 --> 00:28:52.519
a summer binge watching docudramas and utilizing
various food delivery services. They went on

324
00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:56.440
with ease and were only snug where
they were meant to be. Fuck my

325
00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:03.200
life, she sighed. Daron started
babysitting for Shelley Martin seven years before the

326
00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:08.039
one time gig turned into a regular
thing and Darren fell in love with little

327
00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:12.519
Iris. The child smiled at you
with her entire soul, and it broke

328
00:29:12.599 --> 00:29:18.440
straight through all the walls Darren had
built over the years. Once she was

329
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.240
with Iris, everything else went away. Those were the only times Darren felt

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00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:26.519
normal since she was fourteen, and
she looked forward to every shift she could

331
00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:33.160
get with Iris. Unfortunately, the
adorable red haired toddler with the chubby cheeks

332
00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:37.799
and gangly legs was about to turn
ten. She wouldn't need a sitter much

333
00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:44.640
longer, and Darren needed to find
a day job. PTSD in careers didn't

334
00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:48.880
make good bedfellows. It was barely
May and she was on number two for

335
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:53.160
the year. Luckily for her and
unluckily for the town of Ittawa, a

336
00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:59.599
new flu bug was going around and
Shelley Martin's clinic staff couldn't keep up Darren's

337
00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.279
year long on course in medical record
keeping and a longtime friendship with Shelley got

338
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:08.240
her a reception job. She grabbed
her backpack since she was watching Iris later

339
00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:12.519
that night, and headed into the
living room. Her guest was gone,

340
00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:18.440
but there was a note on the
coffee table. It's okay to be fucked

341
00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:22.440
up. If you want to talk
about those nightmares or anything else, you

342
00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:26.599
can call me. My name's Brendan. By the way, He even left

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00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:30.559
his phone number next to a smiley
face with a ballgag in its mouth.

344
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:34.720
She folded the note carelessly and stuffed
it into the outside pocket of her pack.

345
00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:40.559
She'd never seen the same guy twice. There was something about Brendan that

346
00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:45.279
made her want to, but she
didn't have time to contemplate the motivation.

347
00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:49.759
She pulled her green to yellow hair
into a messy bun and shook her head

348
00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:56.799
with a disbelieving giggle. That shit
was for normal people. Darren went outside

349
00:30:56.839 --> 00:31:00.160
the small house and locked the door
behind her, working each of them three

350
00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:06.039
times to ensure they were operating correctly. Before walking to the car port.

351
00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:11.160
She checked the back seat before getting
in and quickly shut the door, locking

352
00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:17.039
them before she even had the key
in the ignition she didn't take chances Smith

353
00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:19.400
had snatched her out of the back
of her father's car in broad daylight.

354
00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:26.079
The Hyundai Sonata screeched to life,
and Darren shook her head. She'd stop

355
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.119
trying to keep track of all the
noises the car made. It was only

356
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:33.400
two years younger than her, and
the odometer had exceeded its limits before she

357
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:38.119
bought it three years prior. Darren
just needed it to last a few more

358
00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:44.000
months while she saved up some money. She felt the gearshift vibrate against her

359
00:31:44.039 --> 00:31:48.440
palm as she slipped it into reverse. The rotors scraped rhythmically down the driveway

360
00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:52.839
and into the street. Darren turned
up the radio and skipped the CD back

361
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:59.559
to the first track. Just keep
it together until payday at least. Darren

362
00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:04.240
put the car and drive and sang
the entire way to the Martin Clinic.

363
00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:12.119
Chapter two. God damn it,
I'm not gonna keep having this debate with

364
00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:15.839
you, Mike Martin complained on the
opposite end of the phone. It's time

365
00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:20.079
we tell her the truth. Iris
is old enough to know she was adopted.

366
00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:24.119
You couldn't even break it to her
that Santa Claus wasn't real. Shelley

367
00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:29.119
fired back, you're going to bring
it up and dump it into my lap.

368
00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:32.799
Her mother is dead, but her
father's not. Do you know who

369
00:32:32.839 --> 00:32:37.480
he is, Shelley asked, because
unless you do, then I don't see

370
00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:45.079
how it's relevant because her grandfather was
declared legally competent yesterday. Shelley lowered the

371
00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:47.480
phone. She'd been too busy at
work to catch up with the news.

372
00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:52.119
People had been getting sick with greater
frequency in the last few weeks. On

373
00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:58.200
top of the growing workload at the
clinic. Iris's tenth birthday was rapidly approaching.

374
00:32:58.839 --> 00:33:02.839
As usual, he was making all
those arrangements herself every year. The

375
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:10.160
coming celebration also meant the onslaught of
nightmares from that horrific ordeal. It took

376
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:15.759
six months for Francis red Toscano to
come out of a coma after Shelley shot

377
00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:21.079
him in the head. Once he
did, it took less than two hours

378
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:27.319
to convict him of the nine homicides
at Gordon mass General. Unfortunately, he

379
00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:30.799
was unable to speak, and his
motor skills were so diminished that his sentencing

380
00:33:31.160 --> 00:33:36.279
became a point of contention. In
the end, it was decided that he

381
00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.880
would be remanded to state care until
a time he was mentally fit to be

382
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:45.920
executed. It seemed like an unnecessary
step. Shelley never told Iris about that

383
00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:51.200
night. When her daughter asked why
she woke up screaming as the date drew

384
00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:54.039
nearer, she would tell the little
girl that it was out of excitement for

385
00:33:54.119 --> 00:34:00.480
her baby's birthday. Shelley knew the
lie wouldn't work, not much longer.

386
00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:05.799
The whole thing is fixing to be
dragged back into the light. Mike said,

387
00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.719
what happens if her real father comes
forward? Shelley bit her lip.

388
00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:15.320
The possibility had been a lingering phantom
prowling the back of her mind since she

389
00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:20.679
decided to adopt the infant. No
one ever came out to claim her.

390
00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:24.719
However, he won't. She finally
said, if they made the decision,

391
00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:29.920
then this is almost over. Mike. No, Shell, it's been over.

392
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:34.960
Mike sighed. You've been letting Red
Toscano chase you for ten years.

393
00:34:35.639 --> 00:34:38.639
The gun, the alarm system,
the security cameras, the martial arts classes,

394
00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:43.360
it's all bullshit. You locked yourself
in that closet to protect you and

395
00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:46.280
Iris at the hospital, but you
never came out. You're still in there

396
00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:52.599
waiting for red to break down the
door. Tiny knuckles rapped on the bedroom

397
00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:57.440
door. Shelley wiped tears from her
cheeks and pressed the phone to her chest.

398
00:34:58.519 --> 00:35:00.840
Just a second, love, Shelley
put the phone back to her ear.

399
00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:05.199
I'll call you later, Mike.
I need to talk to Boyd and

400
00:35:05.239 --> 00:35:09.039
see what's going to happen next.
Jesus Christ, Shelley. Shelley pressed the

401
00:35:09.159 --> 00:35:15.280
end call button and cut off Mike's
rant. Maybe she mentioned Boyd just to

402
00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:19.639
piss him off. He deserved it. She slipped the phone into her back

403
00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:23.360
pocket and went to the bedroom door. Iris blew a red curl away from

404
00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:29.079
her face and smiled up at her
mother. It's Wednesday, the little girl

405
00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:34.320
said, excitedly. That means today
is Shelley said, rubbing her chin,

406
00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:40.599
and mock thought, Oh, it's
chocolate chip pancake day. After dropping Iris

407
00:35:40.599 --> 00:35:45.000
at school, Shelley finished her morning
duties at the clinic and went home for

408
00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:51.480
her lunch break. She wasn't expecting
company, but found it awaiting her arrival.

409
00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:55.559
Nonetheless, Shelley felt the tension rising
as she got closer to the parked

410
00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:01.039
Lincoln. The country home was nineteen
miles outside of city limits, and the

411
00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:07.760
long private drive insured no one accidentally
paid a visit. Her hand moved to

412
00:36:07.800 --> 00:36:12.960
the console as she drew alongside the
vehicle. Both front doors opened, and

413
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:17.400
Shelley's hand dipped into the storage space
to find the handle of the glock twenty

414
00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:22.480
six. The driver stepped out of
the car with a polite, practiced smile.

415
00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:28.760
He slipped the gold aviators from his
angular face and straightened his jacket.

416
00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:32.880
Shelley kept her hand on the pistol
while she sized him up. Then she

417
00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:37.599
saw the passenger wave over the top
of the car. She closed the console

418
00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:42.960
and stepped out to greet him.
Boyd, I was fixin to call you,

419
00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:46.000
she said, meeting him with a
long hug. I heard the news.

420
00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:50.519
Damn the luck. I was hoping
i'd get here before you did.

421
00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:55.159
He adjusted the discount cowboy hat atop
his head. I took too long making

422
00:36:55.239 --> 00:37:00.159
myself look official. I suppose they
actually make you dress. Shelley waved a

423
00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:06.159
hand over his visage. Like that
now, ma'am, I'll have you know

424
00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:08.639
the attire of a Texas Ranger is
a long, standin and proud tradition.

425
00:37:09.719 --> 00:37:15.480
You look like a cause player.
Well, shit Boyd looked dejected and then

426
00:37:15.559 --> 00:37:19.519
laughed, it is kinda silly,
but danned if it hasn't helped me with

427
00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:23.679
the ladies. Shelley stroked his cheek. I'm proud of you, Boyd.

428
00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:29.559
The other man cleared his throat and
waved politely when they looked his direction.

429
00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:35.480
Oh yeah, boy gestured toward the
man. This is Special Agent Jeff Duke

430
00:37:35.559 --> 00:37:40.559
of the Federal Bureau of Instigations.
Duke's smile drooped before slithering back up with

431
00:37:40.679 --> 00:37:45.559
rehearsed charm. He extended his hand
and took a step forward. Ma'am,

432
00:37:45.639 --> 00:37:50.480
it's a real honor to meet you. I read all about the Gordon mass

433
00:37:50.519 --> 00:37:54.880
incident, including Ranger Danforth's report.
You're a real hero. Spare me the

434
00:37:54.960 --> 00:38:00.320
veneration and get to the part where
this is suddenly a federal matter, She

435
00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:04.320
said frankly. I'm on my lunch
break and I'm needed at the clinic,

436
00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:08.039
of course, ma'am. Duke gestured
toward the house. Should we go inside.

437
00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:14.079
Shelley turned to Boyd, who nodded
softly. The trio entered the home,

438
00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:17.159
and Shelley showed them to the dining
room table. The men sat while

439
00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:22.280
she retrieved a tupperware dish from the
fridge and popped it into the microwave.

440
00:38:22.840 --> 00:38:25.280
You're on the clock, Agent Duke. She pressed one of the preset buttons

441
00:38:25.320 --> 00:38:31.559
in the microwave. Word. The
Bureau believes that Francis Toscano might have very

442
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:37.360
valuable information, Duke said, pointedly. Red's been in a semi vegetative state

443
00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:42.519
for the last decade. Shelley said, I don't see how he could be

444
00:38:42.599 --> 00:38:46.639
of any use to you. A
privately owned town in Kansas has been harboring

445
00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:52.400
members of a doomsday cult known as
the Word and Sword of God. They

446
00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:58.519
see mainstream Christianity as a tool of
the devil. Nelson Gaunt, the commander

447
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:01.679
of their armed wing sir in the
same unit as Toscano back in Panama.

448
00:39:02.519 --> 00:39:07.639
One of ours went after Gaunt last
year. We never found all his body

449
00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:13.480
parts, just the ones Gaunt mailed
us. We have evidence that Toscano was

450
00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:19.960
in contact with Gaunt prior to his
capture, and Shelley asked, without looking

451
00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:22.840
away from the dish circling in the
microwave, what does this have to do

452
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:28.840
with me? The State of Texas
spent a considerable amount of money on Toscano.

453
00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:31.719
Duke said. They were built most
of his face after you blew it

454
00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:37.079
off. State of the art titanium
bone replacement, VAT grown skin for grafting,

455
00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:43.599
nerve augmentations, three D printed dentures. He's a fucking science project.

456
00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:46.519
To be honest, the university gets
to play with their new toys and call

457
00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:52.039
it a humanitarian effort if anyone challenges
it, whether through their efforts or simple

458
00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:58.800
time passed, Red Toscano is showing
considerable progress. Three days ago, Red

459
00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:02.320
spoke for the first time SA that
night, Boyd interjected. The judge says,

460
00:40:02.360 --> 00:40:07.880
that's proof enough that he's mentally competent
and ready for the needle ride.

461
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:13.159
But the Bureau would prefer to delay
that. Duke added quickly, Toscano might

462
00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:16.400
be able to crack open an entire
terror network for US. No one knows

463
00:40:16.440 --> 00:40:22.119
Gaunt better than he does. Simply
put, I was asked to talk with

464
00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:28.440
you about speaking on Toscano's behalf.
The microwave droned noisily in the awkward silence

465
00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:32.719
that followed it dinged, and Shelley
opened the door, taking the steaming leftovers

466
00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:38.320
of spaghetti night from the glass carousel. She sputtered her lips and nodded slowly.

467
00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:43.679
You want me to speak on his
behalf, try to get him a

468
00:40:43.719 --> 00:40:49.480
stay of execution. That's correct,
man. Shelley slung the plastic dish at

469
00:40:49.480 --> 00:40:52.360
the agent. It bounced off the
table, splattering his white shirt and the

470
00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:58.199
wall behind him with the bubbling marinera. He jumped up, knocking his chair

471
00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:01.920
over with a clatter. Get the
fuck out of my house, Shelley roared.

472
00:41:02.679 --> 00:41:07.119
Boyd lifted his hat from the table
and pulled a noodle off the brim

473
00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:10.159
before waving toward the door. Go
on now, Duke, I'll be out

474
00:41:10.199 --> 00:41:15.840
in a moment. Duke examined the
damage to his attire, then looked at

475
00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:20.280
the reddened face of Shelley Martin as
she rounded the counter. He held his

476
00:41:20.360 --> 00:41:23.519
hands up defensively and stepped out of
the glass double doors onto the front porch.

477
00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:29.880
Boyd stood up and put a calming
hand on Shelley's shoulder. He's just

478
00:41:29.960 --> 00:41:34.039
doing his job, Boyd said softly. I tried to warn him that you

479
00:41:34.039 --> 00:41:37.679
wouldn't take it well, Take it
well, Shelley scoffed. Are you fucking

480
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:42.960
kidding me, Boyd? They want
to make a deal with him after what

481
00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:46.679
he did to all those people,
to you what he tried to, No,

482
00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:51.199
it's not gonna happen. That son
of a bitch has to die,

483
00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:55.760
and we got ringside seat. Sugar
Boyd pushed her hair back behind her ear.

484
00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:00.320
The governor don't give a damn what
the FBI wants. Texas spent money

485
00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:05.280
they did on Red because they wanted
him on that table sooner rather than later.

486
00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:07.679
Now that freak show can talk,
and that's good enough to get the

487
00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:14.360
go ahead from Governor Landry. So
it's happening. Finally, Shelley nodded to

488
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:17.320
the pacing agent on the porch.
The Feds can't stop it, can they.

489
00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:22.480
Red's not a federal prisoner, and
they can't prove he was ever part

490
00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:27.039
of that militia. They got phone
records and some letters between old war buddies,

491
00:42:27.039 --> 00:42:31.719
but that's not evidence. Boyd smiled
brightly and watched the lines of Shelley's

492
00:42:31.760 --> 00:42:37.840
face. Relax. Now, Agent
Duke does get to interview read for twenty

493
00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:40.880
four hours. Governor Landry will be
there to see the whole thing and hear

494
00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:45.400
any comments you have too. After
that, if Duke can't prove his case,

495
00:42:46.119 --> 00:42:52.400
it's lights out. And if he
can, they've moved Red to San

496
00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:59.960
pass Guillito Federal Sanitarium and Texarkana Boyd's
side, it's the FBI's last ditch attempt

497
00:43:00.119 --> 00:43:04.079
to reach Red. That hell hole
is the only alternative he's got to the

498
00:43:04.079 --> 00:43:09.199
death sentence. Her face screwed.
He could actually just get away with it

499
00:43:09.239 --> 00:43:13.760
all. No, of course not. He'd stay there for the rest of

500
00:43:13.800 --> 00:43:17.280
his life. And honestly, that
place is one big human rights No no,

501
00:43:17.719 --> 00:43:22.719
boy shrugged wouldn't exactly call Red human
though. How's it going to work?

502
00:43:23.039 --> 00:43:27.719
Shelley wrung her hands, trying to
hide the shaking. When does he

503
00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:30.840
get executed? Duke's leaving out in
a few hours. He'll go straight to

504
00:43:30.880 --> 00:43:35.920
the sanitarium and conduct his interview.
As I said, the governor will be

505
00:43:35.960 --> 00:43:37.920
there and he wants to hear from
you. If you're willing to go out.

506
00:43:38.480 --> 00:43:42.880
After that, it's on to the
death house now. If you don't

507
00:43:42.880 --> 00:43:45.599
feel up for it, you just
say the word and I'll catch a ride

508
00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:50.320
back with Agent Duke. You mean
the Texas Rangers don't give you some fancy

509
00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:54.280
Cadillac with bull's horns on the front. Of course, they do. Carnation

510
00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:59.559
pink. Even he put his hat
back on with a grin. Figured I'd

511
00:43:59.639 --> 00:44:02.360
just ride with you. However,
if it weren't for you, Red would

512
00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:07.519
have surely killed me and lots of
other folks. The least I can do

513
00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:10.960
is ride with you and pay for
snacks and gas. She stroked his cheek.

514
00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:15.599
I'll have to make arrangements for iris. We're in the home stretch now.

515
00:44:16.079 --> 00:44:21.400
Shelley leaned her forehead against Boyd's chest. I'll meet you at the hop

516
00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:24.480
house in the morning, Yes,
ma'am. Boyd kissed the top of her

517
00:44:24.519 --> 00:44:30.119
head and stepped out onto the porch
with Duke. The agent started to argue,

518
00:44:30.360 --> 00:44:32.519
but Boyd clamped a hand over his
mouth and pointed to the car.

519
00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:37.079
Shelley watched them step down from the
deck and disappear around the side of the

520
00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:42.519
house. She stared at the mess
of spilled spaghetti and cursed under her breath.

521
00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:46.480
Then something sent prickles up her spine. She jogged to the front door

522
00:44:46.519 --> 00:44:50.480
and threw it open, catching the
men as they were about to get in

523
00:44:50.519 --> 00:44:53.920
the town car. What did he
say? What got the ball moving so

524
00:44:54.119 --> 00:45:00.360
fast? I'm not really certain,
sugar Boyd licked his lips. I was

525
00:45:00.400 --> 00:45:04.440
only told that he spoke. What
do you mean Duke shook his head.

526
00:45:04.840 --> 00:45:07.840
You're the one that told me.
Boyd banged his fist on the roof of

527
00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:10.840
the car and pointed at Duke.
Let him finish, Boyd, Shelley said,

528
00:45:10.840 --> 00:45:15.599
sternly, go ahead, Agent Duke. What did Red say? Duke

529
00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:21.599
looked at Boyd and his face melted. There was no way Shelley Martin would

530
00:45:21.599 --> 00:45:25.400
help him. Once she knew the
truth, He sighed and threw his hands

531
00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:30.960
in the air. Shelley raised an
eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

532
00:45:30.840 --> 00:45:37.239
Toscano has been unresponsive to all forms
of conventional therapy. The university tried

533
00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:45.760
a combination of psychoactive drugs and hypnosis, along with sensory stimulation from specific artifacts.

534
00:45:45.960 --> 00:45:52.880
Artifacts things seized at his home after
the murders, his daughter's clothing,

535
00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:58.079
a home movie, family pictures,
things like that. Duke looked at his

536
00:45:58.119 --> 00:46:01.840
feet and shook his head before turning
his eyes back to Shelley. He kept

537
00:46:01.880 --> 00:46:07.159
sputtering, like he'd forgotten how to
make words. Then he finally got it

538
00:46:07.239 --> 00:46:12.400
right. He wouldn't say anything else
after that, just that one goddamn word

539
00:46:12.440 --> 00:46:15.760
on loop. Shelley didn't need to
hear him say it. Her skin felt

540
00:46:15.840 --> 00:46:22.320
like it could split from the tension
building inside. Maybe it was maternal instinct,

541
00:46:22.039 --> 00:46:28.320
maybe it was a doctor's deductive reasoning. Her lungs tightened, trying to

542
00:46:28.360 --> 00:46:34.039
hold in the scream she already knew
before Agent Duke could speak, but he

543
00:46:34.079 --> 00:46:42.000
did anyway. Red kept saying,
Iris, did you hear that? Better

544
00:46:42.119 --> 00:46:45.679
check the locks on your doors weekly, Spooky, We'll be right back.

545
00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:59.400
Chapter three. Darren checked the digital
thermometer and jotted down the reading on the

546
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:04.639
clipboard before handing over the emittance paperwork
and paper mask to the young man on

547
00:47:04.679 --> 00:47:09.400
the other side of the plexiglass partition. Doctor Martin decided to take extra precautions

548
00:47:09.599 --> 00:47:15.480
with a new bug going around.
Darren wasn't particularly worried. The years after

549
00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:21.880
her kidnapping were full of suicide attempts. The irony of dying from the latest

550
00:47:21.920 --> 00:47:25.000
flu bug. When she finally found
a way to cope amused her in a

551
00:47:25.039 --> 00:47:30.079
sad sort of way. She rubbed
at the scar on her left wrist from

552
00:47:30.119 --> 00:47:36.239
her first botched attempt. She'd gone
across the vane instead of down the artery.

553
00:47:36.880 --> 00:47:39.400
It hurt like a son of a
bitch and partially paralyzed her thumb.

554
00:47:39.719 --> 00:47:45.719
But the worst part was the stigma
of being that kind of girl around town.

555
00:47:45.199 --> 00:47:49.840
The second try had been with sleeping
pills. They used to do it

556
00:47:49.880 --> 00:47:52.320
all the time in the movies,
and it didn't leave scars, so it

557
00:47:52.400 --> 00:47:58.719
seemed like a good idea. The
non barbituate meds left her puking her guts

558
00:47:58.800 --> 00:48:04.239
up for hours. She studied after
that, learned about chemical reactions, and

559
00:48:04.280 --> 00:48:08.719
planned her next attempt more carefully.
Hydrogen sulfide was super easy to make,

560
00:48:09.079 --> 00:48:15.239
as it turned out. Then she
met Johnny and she didn't want to die

561
00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:20.679
anymore. Not any less either,
but it was a step. Johnny asked

562
00:48:20.679 --> 00:48:25.199
to be hurt. Darren timid,
and Mousey was hesitant at first. Then

563
00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:30.320
she heard his yelp after the crack
of the leather on his bare ass.

564
00:48:30.119 --> 00:48:35.320
It was a push in the right
direction. Johnny quickly decided he needed a

565
00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:40.519
safe word for their rendezvous. They
tried more things, restraints, leashes,

566
00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:46.039
whips, and gags, the usual
stuff. Hot wax quickly became a regular

567
00:48:46.119 --> 00:48:52.760
accessory for Darren. Ice and salt
produced tears, but Johnny hung in there

568
00:48:52.800 --> 00:48:58.320
long enough to say his safe word, sasquatch. Darren snorted, attempting to

569
00:48:58.360 --> 00:49:02.800
suppress a giggle. Johnny stopped returning
her calls after she discovered cock and ball

570
00:49:02.880 --> 00:49:07.559
torture. You could beat a man
with a cat and eine tails and barely

571
00:49:07.599 --> 00:49:10.480
get a whimper, but slap their
balls with a writing crop thirty or forty

572
00:49:10.519 --> 00:49:15.000
times, and there screaming sasquatch,
loud enough to wake the neighbors. The

573
00:49:15.039 --> 00:49:21.639
reminiscing made her squirm in her orthopedic
rolling chair. She twisted a rubber band

574
00:49:21.679 --> 00:49:27.519
around her wrist, trying to ignore
her swelling appetite. Darren's mind wandered to

575
00:49:27.599 --> 00:49:32.159
Brendan's note, and she observed the
full waiting room with a groan. There

576
00:49:32.280 --> 00:49:37.599
was no way she could take a
long lunch. She was thinking about texting

577
00:49:37.679 --> 00:49:42.880
him to be ready when she got
off when Shelley Martin came through the door,

578
00:49:43.079 --> 00:49:46.519
red faced and wringing the iPhone in
her fists. She stopped by the

579
00:49:46.519 --> 00:49:52.440
front desk and forced a smile to
the waiting patients before turning to face Darren.

580
00:49:52.239 --> 00:49:57.559
Is everything okay, Shelley, Darren
asked as quietly as she could and

581
00:49:57.599 --> 00:50:02.320
still be heard through the partition Mike's
being Mike. Shelley tapped the phone against

582
00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:07.280
the counter nervously. Something's come up
and I have to go out of town

583
00:50:07.320 --> 00:50:10.880
for a few days. Doctor Sampris
can handle the workload here. Darren knew

584
00:50:10.920 --> 00:50:15.639
what Shelley was going to say next
and beat her to it. And mister

585
00:50:15.719 --> 00:50:20.480
Martin won't come pick up Iris early, will he? Every other summer Mike

586
00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:23.760
Martin picked up Iris on the last
day of school and kept her for nine

587
00:50:23.800 --> 00:50:30.599
whole weeks at his condo in Dallas. Darren never asked what happened between the

588
00:50:30.639 --> 00:50:34.760
Martins. They split up when Iris
was two and Shelley moved her and the

589
00:50:34.800 --> 00:50:38.360
toddler to Ottawa. Darren had talked
to him a few times when it was

590
00:50:38.400 --> 00:50:43.440
his turn to get Iris for the
summer, or on the occasional business trip

591
00:50:43.480 --> 00:50:46.559
that brought him through their part of
Oklahoma. He'd come out for a Christmas

592
00:50:46.559 --> 00:50:53.039
once as well. Darren didn't particularly
dislike him. Iris was affectionate toward him,

593
00:50:53.039 --> 00:50:58.840
but more like she was with familiar
neighbors or her teachers, and the

594
00:50:58.880 --> 00:51:02.880
hostility between him and Shelley hung in
any room like a fog bank, threatening

595
00:51:02.920 --> 00:51:08.360
to sweep over the entire home.
It made Darren distrusting of the man more

596
00:51:08.400 --> 00:51:13.800
so than she was of men in
general. It's only a week extra,

597
00:51:14.119 --> 00:51:16.519
Shelley huffed. You'd think he'd jump
at the chance to spend it with his

598
00:51:16.639 --> 00:51:21.239
daughter, he said. She needs
to be in school, which she does,

599
00:51:21.480 --> 00:51:25.199
but her attendants and grades are perfect. They're basically playing games until the

600
00:51:25.320 --> 00:51:30.559
end of the year. Anyhow,
I'll gladly watch Iris while you're gone.

601
00:51:30.639 --> 00:51:34.440
You know that it's three days and
you'll have to get her up for school

602
00:51:34.480 --> 00:51:37.760
and make her dinner. I can
cook, Darren scrunched her nose and shook

603
00:51:37.760 --> 00:51:44.320
her head. I can use a
microwave. Shelley's sour expression broke into a

604
00:51:44.360 --> 00:51:49.800
soft smile. I'll leave money for
delivery. Are you sure this won't inconvenience

605
00:51:49.840 --> 00:51:53.079
you at all? Darren toyed with
her smiley, piercing with her tongue.

606
00:51:53.519 --> 00:51:59.280
Her mind drifted back to the previous
night and the note on her coffee table

607
00:52:00.119 --> 00:52:04.360
she wanted to call, and that
urge scared her enough that she pushed the

608
00:52:04.440 --> 00:52:08.159
idea into the back corner of her
mind. I don't have any other plans.

609
00:52:09.079 --> 00:52:14.480
Iris sniffled and crossed her arms over
her chest while she watched her mother

610
00:52:14.599 --> 00:52:20.239
run the spot cleaner over the spaghetti
sauce spattered rug. Shelley's black bun bobbled

611
00:52:20.239 --> 00:52:24.480
with her ferocious pretreating of another spot
while the machine whirred in place over the

612
00:52:24.559 --> 00:52:30.519
largest splash. It's just for three
days, Iris, Shelley reassured her,

613
00:52:30.960 --> 00:52:34.960
and you'll be spending all of it
with Darren. Won't that be nice?

614
00:52:35.119 --> 00:52:37.400
That's not the point. You're fixing
to get rid of me for months,

615
00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:42.920
the little girl protested. Can't you
just wait until Daddy comes to get me

616
00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:45.159
and then go? Why do you
have to leave on our last week together?

617
00:52:46.239 --> 00:52:51.519
It's not something I can reschedule.
Love. Shelley stared at the orange

618
00:52:51.559 --> 00:52:55.239
foam pulling in the wake of her
efforts and sputtered her lips. This new

619
00:52:55.280 --> 00:53:00.599
flu strain has everyone nervous. What
about pap, Iris, whined? Why

620
00:53:00.639 --> 00:53:07.519
can't he go instead? Pap was
Iris's pet name for George Sampras. George

621
00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:12.880
was the clinic's original doctor. When
Shelley arrived fresh off finishing her degree,

622
00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:15.119
he agreed to stay on at the
clinic to keep the patients coming in.

623
00:53:15.760 --> 00:53:21.280
He also served as a mentor to
Shelley and a surrogate grandfather to Iris.

624
00:53:22.159 --> 00:53:25.559
He knew the real reason Shelley was
leaving, and though he disagreed with the

625
00:53:25.599 --> 00:53:30.639
death penalty, he understood why she
needed to be there. The patients feel

626
00:53:30.639 --> 00:53:36.360
more comfortable with George at the clinic. It's just a silly cold. This

627
00:53:36.440 --> 00:53:39.679
strain could be very dangerous, Sweetie. The CDC wants the doctors dealing with

628
00:53:39.760 --> 00:53:44.320
it to come out, she lied. As far as she'd learned, no

629
00:53:44.400 --> 00:53:47.599
other doctor in the world was dealing
with the sudden sickness that had stricken Itawa.

630
00:53:49.400 --> 00:53:52.559
It's three days of boring talking and
note taking. George would just fall

631
00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:55.840
asleep and get kicked out for snoring
with that big old nose of his.

632
00:53:57.639 --> 00:54:02.119
Iris stopped pouting long enough to smile
at the thought of PAP's nose. She

633
00:54:02.360 --> 00:54:06.639
liked to pinch it every time she
saw him, and he'd return the favor

634
00:54:06.679 --> 00:54:12.159
and remind her how lucky she was
to have acute button nos. Shelley turned

635
00:54:12.199 --> 00:54:15.639
off the machine and stretched her back. You'll be gone for nine whole weeks,

636
00:54:15.679 --> 00:54:20.119
baby. This is the last time
you'll get to see Darren before then,

637
00:54:20.199 --> 00:54:22.760
so just think of it as a
special opportunity to get in as much

638
00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:28.360
fun as possible with her. I
love Darren, but it's not the same.

639
00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:31.280
Iris shuffled over and put her arms
around Shelley. I don't want you

640
00:54:31.360 --> 00:54:36.840
to go away. I'll be back
Saturday night, and school's out on Tuesday.

641
00:54:36.880 --> 00:54:38.880
So how about you skip the last
two days to make up for it.

642
00:54:39.719 --> 00:54:44.880
That gives us all day Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday before your dad picks

643
00:54:44.920 --> 00:54:47.639
you up. We'll spend those days
doing whatever you want, just the two

644
00:54:47.719 --> 00:54:53.360
of us. Sound good, I
guess. She squeezed her mom tighter.

645
00:54:53.880 --> 00:54:59.960
I love you. I love you
too, she said. I'll be home

646
00:55:00.159 --> 00:55:04.960
in no time at all, I
promise. Shelley eased her daughter back and

647
00:55:05.079 --> 00:55:07.159
pointed to the door. Why don't
you go play for a bit. It's

648
00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:09.840
supposed to storm the next couple of
days, and you're going to be all

649
00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:15.159
cooped up inside. I'll finish this
and get dinner ready. Darren'll be here

650
00:55:15.159 --> 00:55:20.559
at eight and you two can have
dessert together. You're leaving tonight, Shelley

651
00:55:20.599 --> 00:55:23.760
tussled. The girl's fiery curls.
Not until after you go to bed.

652
00:55:24.239 --> 00:55:28.679
It's a long drive. Darren will
have to get you ready for school.

653
00:55:28.760 --> 00:55:31.159
So she's going to stay the night. Can she sleep in my room?

654
00:55:31.960 --> 00:55:36.800
I got a better idea. She
nodded to the door, Go play,

655
00:55:36.800 --> 00:55:38.559
and we can dig out the sleeping
bag so the three of us can have

656
00:55:38.639 --> 00:55:45.440
a slumber party. Iris beamed with
excitement and screeched her approval of the idea

657
00:55:45.760 --> 00:55:51.199
before running outside. Shelley snickered at
the doors left standing open as the little

658
00:55:51.199 --> 00:55:54.519
girl bolted onto the porch, down
the steps, and straight to her swing

659
00:55:54.599 --> 00:55:59.719
set. She didn't want to leave
either, but it needed to be done.

660
00:56:00.440 --> 00:56:05.360
If Agent Duke managed to convince the
Governor of Red's usefulness, the nightmares

661
00:56:05.400 --> 00:56:09.719
would never end. Shelley's life was
full of regrets. Not shooting Red one

662
00:56:09.760 --> 00:56:15.599
more time top the list. She
moved the spot cleaner to the area she

663
00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:20.920
was working on and flipped the switch. The stained water sloshed into the reservoir.

664
00:56:21.559 --> 00:56:27.320
She watched it swirl, slowly,
turning redder in her mind. The

665
00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:32.239
memories of Iris's birthday took over the
moment the smell of all that blood filled

666
00:56:32.239 --> 00:56:38.000
their nostrils. She heard the scream
of the bystanders and security officers down her

667
00:56:38.039 --> 00:56:47.480
own halls. Red Tuscano had to
die. More Scarce to come weekly.

668
00:56:47.519 --> 00:57:00.880
Spooky will be right back. Chapter
four. Darren kept the Damnation's cranked up

669
00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:05.119
enough to not hear the complaints of
her car. On the long drive to

670
00:57:05.199 --> 00:57:09.039
the Martin house, she glanced out
the passenger window at the Arkansas River drawing

671
00:57:09.119 --> 00:57:14.800
closer. The water level was low, but the coming storms would swell it

672
00:57:14.840 --> 00:57:19.280
to the banks if the weatherman could
be trusted. She hadn't packed for an

673
00:57:19.320 --> 00:57:22.559
overnight's day, so the trip home
got her out of the clinic for a

674
00:57:22.559 --> 00:57:27.000
few extra hours. Shelley even let
her stay clocked in since she agreed to

675
00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:31.000
take care of IRUs on such short
notice. The corner of Brendan's note was

676
00:57:31.039 --> 00:57:36.920
sticking out of her pack, and
she felt herself smiling. Darren wasn't used

677
00:57:36.920 --> 00:57:39.480
to that. She might give him
a call when Shelley got back from her

678
00:57:39.480 --> 00:57:45.480
trip. She pressed the paper back
down and pulled the zipper up. As

679
00:57:45.519 --> 00:57:51.000
the smell started to drift through the
window. Darren scowled at the man made

680
00:57:51.039 --> 00:57:55.159
fog hovering over the next hill.
The sulfurous odors of the paper mill were

681
00:57:55.199 --> 00:58:01.639
somewhere between rotten eggs and tacco shits
depend on the day. With little wind

682
00:58:01.719 --> 00:58:07.039
and a temperature in the upper eighties, it was being extra unpleasant. Darren

683
00:58:07.079 --> 00:58:10.519
sped up. As she topped the
hill, the mill came into sight.

684
00:58:12.119 --> 00:58:15.719
It sat on the Ettawa city limits
and was the last sign of civilization for

685
00:58:15.800 --> 00:58:22.239
eight miles of winding country road until
the gas and grub From there. She

686
00:58:22.360 --> 00:58:27.320
still had another eleven miles to go. It took forty peaceful minutes to go

687
00:58:27.400 --> 00:58:32.519
from Darren's house to the Martin residence. Normally peaceful, that is, she

688
00:58:32.679 --> 00:58:37.199
realized she'd be making the trip bright
and early to get Iris to school the

689
00:58:37.239 --> 00:58:40.880
next two mornings. Her usual anxieties
kicked in, and she began running the

690
00:58:40.920 --> 00:58:45.280
timeline through her head, working out
all the details of what could go wrong.

691
00:58:46.159 --> 00:58:51.559
The song changed, and she sighed
the album had personal meaning to her,

692
00:58:52.280 --> 00:58:57.960
but none as much as would You
Stay did? She sang along,

693
00:58:58.400 --> 00:59:01.239
climbing the lyrics like a load her
up from the abyss of her own mind.

694
00:59:01.800 --> 00:59:07.320
She didn't even notice the smell getting
stronger as the mill streaked by.

695
00:59:07.400 --> 00:59:13.559
Darren crossed norma smallwood bridge and looked
out at the rows of logs bobbing in

696
00:59:13.639 --> 00:59:17.480
the river on their way to the
mill. Her eyes focused on one more

697
00:59:17.519 --> 00:59:22.280
than the others. That happened a
lot when she drove by the mill.

698
00:59:22.159 --> 00:59:28.199
She couldn't help it. Maybe some
part of her was still a hopeful dreamer.

699
00:59:29.559 --> 00:59:31.920
Last week, you were just another
tree in the forest. Next week,

700
00:59:32.280 --> 00:59:36.199
some kid might draw a picture on
you. That'll change the world,

701
00:59:36.880 --> 00:59:42.280
Darren said as she passed the bobbing
log. Or maybe you'll be toilet paper

702
00:59:42.679 --> 00:59:47.880
used up and flushed away. Then
again, maybe she wasn't so hopeful.

703
00:59:51.480 --> 00:59:54.920
Iris sat on her sleeping bag,
a tie eyed pastel number that looked like

704
00:59:54.960 --> 00:59:59.760
the Easter Bunny threw up, with
her legs crossed and the forgotten bowl of

705
00:59:59.800 --> 01:00:04.599
ice ice cream melting in her lap. Shelley aimed the flashlight under her chin.

706
01:00:05.559 --> 01:00:09.440
Darren never understood why people did that
when telling scary stories, but it

707
01:00:09.519 --> 01:00:15.079
made Iris giggle, and that was
good enough a reason for her. Shelley

708
01:00:15.159 --> 01:00:21.239
continued telling her ghastly tale about a
mad scientist and his vengeful attack tomatoes.

709
01:00:22.000 --> 01:00:25.679
Darren tried not to laugh as Shelley
contorted her face whenever she spoke for the

710
01:00:25.679 --> 01:00:30.159
insane doctor. It was a ridiculous
story, but that was the only kind

711
01:00:30.360 --> 01:00:37.320
Shelley ever told. She didn't like
real scares. Darren didn't understand why Shelley

712
01:00:37.519 --> 01:00:43.119
was the toughest lady she'd ever met. Darren laid her cheek on top of

713
01:00:43.159 --> 01:00:47.000
the little one's head. Her cotton
candy scented shampoo tickled the sitter's nose,

714
01:00:47.440 --> 01:00:55.000
and she felt herself relaxing. Whah, Shelley bellowed. At the conclusion of

715
01:00:55.000 --> 01:01:00.679
her story. Darren and Iris both
jumped before looking at each other and bursting

716
01:01:00.719 --> 01:01:06.599
into laughter. Does that mean doctor
Fungus will be back for another story,

717
01:01:07.239 --> 01:01:10.960
Iris asked, with a wide smile. I think that's the best story ever,

718
01:01:12.639 --> 01:01:17.119
so I hope so. I'm sure
there's another tale of vegetarian villainy just

719
01:01:17.239 --> 01:01:22.440
waiting to be told, Shelley said, winking to the girl. Now you

720
01:01:22.480 --> 01:01:27.440
should drink your ice cream soup and
go brush your teeth so we can get

721
01:01:27.440 --> 01:01:31.840
tucked in. Iris giggled and looked
at the mostly melted ice cream, which

722
01:01:31.960 --> 01:01:37.199
drew another burst of laughter. She
put the bowl to her lips and slurped

723
01:01:37.239 --> 01:01:42.800
it down, to the amazement of
the two women. She licked her lips,

724
01:01:43.039 --> 01:01:46.360
belched, and then went to deposit
the bowl in the sink before darting

725
01:01:46.440 --> 01:01:52.440
upstairs for her bedtime rituals. How
does she do that, Darren asked,

726
01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:59.440
incredulously. I don't know. Shelley
shook her head insighed, I got brain

727
01:01:59.519 --> 01:02:05.039
freezed watching it. Darren watched Shelley
pick up the other bowls and the discarded

728
01:02:05.039 --> 01:02:09.639
Twizzler's pack they devoured with their movie. She seemed almost sad as she made

729
01:02:09.679 --> 01:02:15.760
her way to the kitchen. Darren
collected the discarded flashlight and followed her in,

730
01:02:15.159 --> 01:02:20.920
placing it back on the charging base
next to the coffee pot. Everything

731
01:02:20.960 --> 01:02:25.599
okay, Shelley, It's just a
long drive tomorrow, she smiled weakly.

732
01:02:27.519 --> 01:02:30.199
Iris was upset with me. I
think she feels like spending time with her

733
01:02:30.280 --> 01:02:35.639
is an important She's fixing to go
to Mike's and I've been so busy with

734
01:02:35.679 --> 01:02:40.000
the clinic. Iris is a smart
girl. Darren opened the dishwasher and chewed

735
01:02:40.039 --> 01:02:45.000
Shelley out of the way. She
might feel like she's on the back burner

736
01:02:45.079 --> 01:02:47.519
at the moment. We're all prey
to our emotions at that time. Right

737
01:02:49.239 --> 01:02:52.639
once the moment is over, though, she'll see it all for what it

738
01:02:52.679 --> 01:02:57.519
really is, and what is that. Shelley rinsed a bowl and passed it

739
01:02:57.559 --> 01:03:02.679
to her superhero to Iris, you
save lives, and that's something she's very

740
01:03:02.719 --> 01:03:07.840
proud of. If you didn't go
to the CDC thing people might die.

741
01:03:07.159 --> 01:03:10.719
She might not understand the gravity of
it, but she gets the gist well

742
01:03:10.840 --> 01:03:14.960
enough to know that you're doing what
you need to do to protect people.

743
01:03:15.960 --> 01:03:20.679
Shelley stared at the water running down
the drain. I know you don't like

744
01:03:20.719 --> 01:03:24.320
talking about Wayne Smith and what happened
to you. You're right, Darren said,

745
01:03:24.360 --> 01:03:31.079
pointedly. How far would you go
for closure? Darren thought about the

746
01:03:31.159 --> 01:03:38.079
years immediately after her mind floated to
the institution, to Johnny her therapy sessions,

747
01:03:38.519 --> 01:03:44.760
and ultimately settled on her coping mechanism. Her plum stained lips twitched at

748
01:03:44.800 --> 01:03:49.840
a smile. No one knew just
how far she'd gone to find closure,

749
01:03:50.280 --> 01:03:55.519
let alone her more extreme proclivities to
help her sleep at night. There's no

750
01:03:55.679 --> 01:04:01.440
closure for what happened, Darren finally
said. I survived, but I never

751
01:04:01.519 --> 01:04:05.880
stopped being his victim. I was
powerless against Smith, and I relive it

752
01:04:05.920 --> 01:04:11.880
almost every night. So to take
away his hold over me for good and

753
01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:15.000
to have my power back, to
be in control for the first time,

754
01:04:15.119 --> 01:04:19.679
There's not a damn thing I wouldn't
be willing to do. Shelley hugged Darren,

755
01:04:19.719 --> 01:04:25.280
tight against her Darren ignored her wet
hands soaking through the back of her

756
01:04:25.280 --> 01:04:30.480
shirt and returned the embrace. You're
not going to a conference, are you,

757
01:04:30.079 --> 01:04:34.880
she asked softly. Help me get
Iris to sleep, Shelley said,

758
01:04:34.920 --> 01:04:43.280
with a sniffle. Then I'll explain. It hadn't been the story Darren was

759
01:04:43.320 --> 01:04:48.039
expecting. She watched Iris sleep behind
the waterfall of ginger curls dangling over her

760
01:04:48.079 --> 01:04:53.559
freckled face. She'd seen an episode
of Death in a Small Town about the

761
01:04:53.599 --> 01:04:57.920
incident in Texas. It was the
kind of thing that only happened in horror

762
01:04:57.960 --> 01:05:03.159
movies. Darren brushed Iris's hair off
her cheek and shook her head. Iris

763
01:05:03.199 --> 01:05:09.599
once cut down the fly paper because
even disease spreading insects deserved a chance to

764
01:05:09.639 --> 01:05:15.280
be happy. No way you related
to that guy, she thought. Shelley

765
01:05:15.400 --> 01:05:19.760
waited until Iris was asleep before she
recanted the tale of that night. It

766
01:05:19.840 --> 01:05:26.639
took her another hour to compose herself
and reapply her makeup. She packed slowly,

767
01:05:26.719 --> 01:05:30.760
making sure Iris was really down for
the count, before slipping out a

768
01:05:30.760 --> 01:05:35.159
little after midnight. Darren never said
a word during the story. How could

769
01:05:35.199 --> 01:05:42.199
she what words could possibly matter?
She just sipped her cocoa from an oversized

770
01:05:42.280 --> 01:05:47.880
mug and listened intently, offering a
reassuring pat on the shoulder or holding Shelley's

771
01:05:47.880 --> 01:05:53.840
hand during the worst of it.
Darren admired Shelley even more, knowing the

772
01:05:53.880 --> 01:05:58.360
story of that night. However,
she was well adjusted and successful after all

773
01:05:58.400 --> 01:06:00.519
of that. Now she was on
her way to see the man of her

774
01:06:00.599 --> 01:06:06.599
nightmares put to death. Darren wondered
if seeing Wayne Smith executed would really put

775
01:06:06.639 --> 01:06:12.400
an end to her own misery.
He was still on the FBI's most wanted

776
01:06:12.400 --> 01:06:15.880
list and they wouldn't ever find him, but it was an interesting thought.

777
01:06:16.960 --> 01:06:21.800
She kissed Iris on the forehead and
rolled over. Darren pulled the sleeping bag

778
01:06:21.880 --> 01:06:29.480
tight around her face and closed her
eyes. Fantasizing about Smith choking to death

779
01:06:29.840 --> 01:06:33.760
in a gas chamber, pictured him
hacking up bits of his lungs as they

780
01:06:33.800 --> 01:06:41.400
dissolved in a noxious mix of yellow
fumes. She giggled softly at that image

781
01:06:42.280 --> 01:06:48.480
and let herself drift off. Shelley
sat up and tossed her black hair away

782
01:06:48.519 --> 01:06:54.360
from her face while she searched the
unfamiliar room for the alarm clock. She

783
01:06:54.519 --> 01:06:59.840
spotted it and laid across Boyd's back
to slap the buttons randomly until the damned

784
01:07:00.320 --> 01:07:04.199
stopped squawking. Boyd grumbled and reached
up to pull her face down against his

785
01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:12.119
massaging her neck despite still being half
asleep. She kissed his cheek. It's

786
01:07:12.159 --> 01:07:16.639
time to go, Boyd groaned and
let go over, turning over and watching

787
01:07:16.679 --> 01:07:21.719
her fight the BedHead back into a
ponytail. Shelley leaned over his chest and

788
01:07:21.800 --> 01:07:27.119
gave him a disapproving look as his
fingers trailed up her belly to cup her

789
01:07:27.199 --> 01:07:30.880
right breast. We should have left
when I got here, she said.

790
01:07:31.559 --> 01:07:36.679
She moaned softly when he teased her
nipple. Stop that we're gonna miss the

791
01:07:36.679 --> 01:07:41.960
interview. We don't need to be
there for that, Boyd licked his lips.

792
01:07:42.280 --> 01:07:45.159
Besides, once we get to Texas, I have the authority to drive

793
01:07:45.199 --> 01:07:49.960
as fast as you want, Sugar. Shelley smacked his hand away and sat

794
01:07:50.039 --> 01:07:57.320
up again. Boyd squeezed her thigh
with a sheepish Texas grin. She snickered,

795
01:07:57.599 --> 01:08:02.320
running her fingers across the scar gave
him. One of the many reasons

796
01:08:02.360 --> 01:08:08.719
her marriage failed was the bond she
shared with Boyd. What they'd endured together

797
01:08:08.800 --> 01:08:13.960
that night was a constant threat to
Mike Martin's ego. He hated Shelley going

798
01:08:14.000 --> 01:08:17.880
to Boyd's physical therapy sessions or working
with him as he regained his mobility.

799
01:08:18.560 --> 01:08:25.880
He despised Boyd for surviving, because, in Mike's mind, that made Boyd

800
01:08:26.439 --> 01:08:32.000
more manly. The arguments about their
relationship and the accusations of an affair eventually

801
01:08:32.279 --> 01:08:38.359
led to one. They moved to
Oklahoma to save their marriage, only for

802
01:08:38.479 --> 01:08:43.199
Mike to immediately take a job back
in Texas. Shelley knew he planned it

803
01:08:43.239 --> 01:08:46.279
out. It was the kind of
petty revenge move Mike liked to make.

804
01:08:47.399 --> 01:08:50.640
Once she bought the clinic and got
Iris settled in at the new school,

805
01:08:51.079 --> 01:08:56.720
there was no way for Shelley to
uproot them and go to Dallas. Divorce

806
01:08:56.920 --> 01:09:00.560
was the only option, and that
made it entirely Shelley's fault as far as

807
01:09:00.600 --> 01:09:08.000
Mike was concerned. Shelley's hand slithered
up the cheap motel sheets and stroked Boyd

808
01:09:08.039 --> 01:09:14.039
to life. She chewed her lip
as fast as I want. Boyd let

809
01:09:14.039 --> 01:09:18.560
his hand venture further up her thigh. Yes, ma'am, Shelley twisted her

810
01:09:18.560 --> 01:09:24.000
hand as it slid up his length. Mike pushed her into Boyd's bed,

811
01:09:24.439 --> 01:09:29.239
but Boyd's attributes kept her coming back
to it. We're leaving in an hour,

812
01:09:29.319 --> 01:09:38.880
then chapter five. They left three
hours later and arrived in Texarcana,

813
01:09:39.039 --> 01:09:44.720
well after Agent Duke's interview had been
concluded. The first wave of the storm

814
01:09:44.840 --> 01:09:48.720
was beating down on them as they
drove the winding Country Highway toward the San

815
01:09:48.800 --> 01:09:56.880
Pasqualito Federal Sanitarium. The National Weather
Service was calling it the Midwestern Storm Complex,

816
01:09:57.399 --> 01:10:00.039
giving it a name ahead of the
destruction it was anticipate to bring over

817
01:10:00.079 --> 01:10:06.760
the next three days. Their phones
went off simultaneously, notifying them they were

818
01:10:06.840 --> 01:10:14.319
under a tornado warning. After nearly
a decade in southeast Oklahoma, such warnings

819
01:10:14.319 --> 01:10:18.199
were commonplace for Shelley. She silenced
the phone and tucked it back under her

820
01:10:18.239 --> 01:10:25.319
thigh while she squinted through the downpour. Spotlights shone brilliantly on the granite wall

821
01:10:25.359 --> 01:10:30.640
ahead of her. Two gates,
one for entering, the other for exiting,

822
01:10:30.159 --> 01:10:34.760
sat on either side of the illuminated
section, which spelled out the facility's

823
01:10:34.840 --> 01:10:41.439
name in large wrought iron letters.
Shelley took her foot off the accelerator and

824
01:10:41.520 --> 01:10:46.000
coasted along she got brief frightening glimpses
of the building beyond the wall in a

825
01:10:46.000 --> 01:10:53.279
strobing barrage of lightning. The sanitarium, built in the Kirkbride style, might

826
01:10:53.319 --> 01:10:57.279
have been a marvel when it opened
in nineteen o six. In the midst

827
01:10:57.359 --> 01:11:00.000
of the superstorm in the dead of
night, the building, sitting on the

828
01:11:00.039 --> 01:11:06.399
hilltop ahead, took on a much
more ominous appearance. The taller central annex,

829
01:11:06.920 --> 01:11:12.920
with its bell tower rising high above
and the three story high maximum security

830
01:11:12.920 --> 01:11:15.600
wings stretching out from either side of
it, made the building look like some

831
01:11:15.760 --> 01:11:23.960
horrendous night bird perched above cowering prey. Another battery of lightning reinforced the image

832
01:11:23.960 --> 01:11:28.039
in Shelley's mind as she pulled to
the gate, feeling a lot like a

833
01:11:28.039 --> 01:11:31.399
field mouse. All of the sudden, boyd flashed his credentials to get them

834
01:11:31.439 --> 01:11:38.119
through without delay. Shelley eased along
the cobblestone path. The large, unattended

835
01:11:38.199 --> 01:11:42.279
landscape was beginning to flood around them
thanks to the slope of the hill.

836
01:11:43.119 --> 01:11:46.319
She sped up slightly as the road
curved up a gentler grade to the entrance

837
01:11:46.319 --> 01:11:51.279
of the facility. The long arch
stretching out from the Central Annex finalized the

838
01:11:51.359 --> 01:11:57.560
nightmare image Shelley's mind constructed for the
building as a beak closing around her sedan.

839
01:11:58.319 --> 01:12:01.159
She slipped the car into park and
got out, walking around to join

840
01:12:01.239 --> 01:12:06.119
Boyd as a short, severe man
of considerable girth limped out to meet them

841
01:12:06.520 --> 01:12:12.159
on a polished cane. If you're
here for the interview, you're goddamned late,

842
01:12:12.960 --> 01:12:15.640
he grumbled, in a voice far
more intimidating than his appearance. Hinted

843
01:12:15.680 --> 01:12:21.039
at I'm Wallace. This is my
facility, Wallace. Is that a first

844
01:12:21.079 --> 01:12:27.159
name or a last name? Boyd
asked, yes, Wallace aimed as Caine

845
01:12:27.159 --> 01:12:30.680
at Boyd's holster. No one comes
in my building armed that stays outside,

846
01:12:31.319 --> 01:12:35.079
Yes, sir. Boyd removed the
weapon from his belt and returned to the

847
01:12:35.119 --> 01:12:41.800
car. How did the interview turn
out, Shelley asked. The governor said,

848
01:12:41.840 --> 01:12:44.720
the bureau is shit out of luck, and thank fucking Christ for that.

849
01:12:45.319 --> 01:12:48.359
Maybe I can sleep again once I
stop having to see that face they

850
01:12:48.399 --> 01:12:55.359
made for him. What do you
mean, Shelley asked, You haven't seen

851
01:12:55.399 --> 01:13:00.800
it yet, Wallace barked a sharp
laugh. Boyd returned and waved over Wallace's

852
01:13:00.800 --> 01:13:05.199
shoulder to agent Duke, who didn't
return the gesture, I haven't, Shelley

853
01:13:05.239 --> 01:13:12.039
said, the brainchild of the socially
aware liberals at the university, he said

854
01:13:12.039 --> 01:13:15.840
with a masturbatory pantomime. They thought
giving Red back his face would make him

855
01:13:15.840 --> 01:13:21.199
feel more normal and expedited his healing. If you ask me, all they

856
01:13:21.199 --> 01:13:25.680
did was make the outside look as
goddamn monstrous as the son of a bitch

857
01:13:25.760 --> 01:13:30.760
is. On the end, he
looks like a cat's asshole. Doing an

858
01:13:30.800 --> 01:13:34.119
impersonation of Freddy Krueger, Duke said, as he joined them, you'll be

859
01:13:34.159 --> 01:13:39.680
happy to know, miss Martin,
that that bastard refused to cooperate. The

860
01:13:39.800 --> 01:13:45.600
execution is greenlit. They're prepping him
for transport now. He didn't say anything.

861
01:13:45.960 --> 01:13:48.880
Boyd asked he might have had a
chance if that had been the case,

862
01:13:49.319 --> 01:13:54.119
Duke informed them I could have pushed
the issue and maybe gotten a stay.

863
01:13:54.199 --> 01:13:59.680
But the freak just laughed at me. You can leave your car here,

864
01:14:00.079 --> 01:14:03.680
Wallace said. My people are at
ministering chemical restraints now, and the

865
01:14:03.720 --> 01:14:08.880
ambulance will pull around to collect him. I assume you'll be riding in the

866
01:14:08.920 --> 01:14:15.640
wagon, Agent Duke. I will
Duke took in Shelley's grim expression. I

867
01:14:15.680 --> 01:14:19.319
gotta keep trying. You can't blame
me for that. It's only a four

868
01:14:19.319 --> 01:14:23.520
and a half hour drive, Duke, you can't honestly think you're going to

869
01:14:23.560 --> 01:14:29.359
have a breakthrough, Shelley said.
Over the pummeling rain. Thunder boomed ominously

870
01:14:29.680 --> 01:14:33.640
and continued to rumble, rattling the
windows of the asylum and sending a shutter

871
01:14:33.760 --> 01:14:40.279
up everyone's back. Duke waited for
it to subside and gave a cocksure smile

872
01:14:40.399 --> 01:14:45.359
to Boyd and Shelley. In turn, a lot can happen in four hours.

873
01:14:48.159 --> 01:14:51.640
As it turned out, nothing happened. In the first two hours of

874
01:14:51.680 --> 01:14:58.760
their journey to the Huntsville Unit deathhouse. The storm worsened, lessening the number

875
01:14:58.760 --> 01:15:02.439
of vehicles on the road. Some
drivers braving the weather were forced to pull

876
01:15:02.479 --> 01:15:08.079
over in a vain attempt to wait
it out, while others missed the curves

877
01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:12.960
and ended up in ditches. The
ambulance continued onward, with Shelley and Boyd

878
01:15:13.000 --> 01:15:17.960
directly behind. Eventually the roads became
more desolate. Just south of Marshall,

879
01:15:18.000 --> 01:15:24.279
they switched from sh forty three to
a forgotten stretch of asphalt formerly known as

880
01:15:24.359 --> 01:15:29.319
War Highway twenty two. After the
Second World War, the other twenty one

881
01:15:29.399 --> 01:15:33.840
war highways in Texas were renamed and
repurposed, wh twenty two served no other

882
01:15:33.920 --> 01:15:39.159
purpose and was just so rarely used
the state for good all about her.

883
01:15:39.920 --> 01:15:44.880
The decades since, however, had
made it popular amongst travelers seeking to bypass

884
01:15:44.920 --> 01:15:49.600
civilization and soak in the last remnants
of Texas wilderness before it could be consumed

885
01:15:49.640 --> 01:15:56.680
by the urban sprawl. Duke observed
the sedated bulk of Red Tuscano breathing shallowly

886
01:15:57.039 --> 01:16:00.319
on the gurney between him and Burke, the em TIS he assigned with monitoring

887
01:16:00.359 --> 01:16:05.960
Red's vitals. Burke kept a drawer
open beside him with four autoinjectors on standby.

888
01:16:06.800 --> 01:16:12.359
The first three were red diazepam injectors
to re sedate Red should the need

889
01:16:12.399 --> 01:16:15.640
arise, and the last was a
blue EpiPen in the event he became over

890
01:16:15.720 --> 01:16:21.640
sedated and died prematurely. Texas wouldn't
stand for someone killing the person they planned

891
01:16:21.680 --> 01:16:28.439
on killing themselves. Duke's face twisted
in disgust as he noticed the raised bulge

892
01:16:28.680 --> 01:16:32.359
in the sheet covering Red. Why
the hell does he have a rodney?

893
01:16:32.840 --> 01:16:38.560
He pointed at the menacing member.
Hmm. Burt glanced at the erection.

894
01:16:39.159 --> 01:16:45.720
Oh, it's the acipromazine, a
sepromazine. Duke tongued his cheek, trying

895
01:16:45.760 --> 01:16:50.239
to remember the name he hadn't heard
since college. You you gave him fucking

896
01:16:50.279 --> 01:16:57.239
horse tranquilizers. You're damn skippy,
Burke nodded happily. He's six six in

897
01:16:57.279 --> 01:17:01.399
weighs three twenty. I'm not gonna
give him fucking melatonin. We use it

898
01:17:01.399 --> 01:17:05.520
in all the dangerous ones. The
driver said over his shoulder. It's cheaper

899
01:17:05.600 --> 01:17:11.800
than ketamine. Ali has a point, Burke said. Besides, they used

900
01:17:11.840 --> 01:17:15.079
to use it on people back in
the fifties as an antipsychotic, which this

901
01:17:15.239 --> 01:17:20.920
big bastard needs anyhow. Why'd they
stop using it, Duke asked. Burt

902
01:17:20.960 --> 01:17:27.920
shrugged priapism ali. The driver had
the answer. Their dicks would get harder

903
01:17:28.000 --> 01:17:32.520
than Chinese arithmetic. Sometimes the foreskin
would cut off the circulation and they'd develop

904
01:17:32.640 --> 01:17:39.439
gangren. Nothing left to do but
amputate at that point, snip snip so

905
01:17:39.800 --> 01:17:44.760
long, schlong. See he'll be
dead before that becomes an issue, So

906
01:17:45.159 --> 01:17:49.359
nothing to sweat, Burke added.
Red grumbled, making Duke jump and Burke

907
01:17:49.479 --> 01:17:56.880
scream. Ali swerved the ambulance but
quickly regained control. What the sam hell

908
01:17:57.000 --> 01:18:00.760
is going on back there? Ali
demanded, fucker's talking in his sleep,

909
01:18:01.159 --> 01:18:06.159
Burke said, his fingers tightening around
an autoinjector. He looked to the screen

910
01:18:06.239 --> 01:18:11.800
next to him. He's still out. No brain wave changes, no pulse

911
01:18:11.840 --> 01:18:15.439
elevation. We're good. Don't do
that shit while I'm driving, Burke.

912
01:18:16.079 --> 01:18:19.920
Ali banged the steering wheel. Thirty
three years on the job and I had

913
01:18:19.920 --> 01:18:25.319
one accident. You almost caused two, the first being in my breeches.

914
01:18:26.119 --> 01:18:30.039
Sorry, Ali, it's all good, though, shut up. Duke leaned

915
01:18:30.039 --> 01:18:40.359
closer to Red to hear his mutterings
more clearly. IRUs Iris and tie Red

916
01:18:40.399 --> 01:18:45.039
ground his dentures together. Anti what, Duke pressed, what do you want

917
01:18:45.039 --> 01:18:50.279
to tell me? You know that
reminds me though, Ali started him sleeping

918
01:18:50.319 --> 01:18:54.399
through that close one, and you're
shrieking like a little girl. I mean,

919
01:18:55.000 --> 01:18:59.960
there was an upheaval at the Celetti
Institute back in fifty eight. Which

920
01:19:00.000 --> 01:19:02.520
did you keep it down? Duke
asked, and pushed his ear closer.

921
01:19:03.880 --> 01:19:13.479
Anti Iris Ant tie Iris, just
trying to say we're lucky he's staying asleep.

922
01:19:13.920 --> 01:19:16.560
Ali grunted. They gave it to
a couple fellas there and it had

923
01:19:16.600 --> 01:19:25.199
the opposite effect. Hyped him up, Iris and tie a. Tie Red

924
01:19:25.239 --> 01:19:33.720
continued mummering Iris, anti Christ,
Antichrist. Fuck. Duke laid his head

925
01:19:33.720 --> 01:19:43.399
on Red's chest. You really are
batshit crazy and nod asleep, Red growled,

926
01:19:43.439 --> 01:19:46.520
before clamping his teeth onto Duke's throat. Burke screamed again and swung the

927
01:19:46.560 --> 01:19:51.399
autoinjector down hard on Red's thigh.
Red shook his head from side to side.

928
01:19:51.520 --> 01:19:56.760
Burke reached for another before he noticed
the injector wiggling in the muscle the

929
01:19:56.840 --> 01:20:01.560
blue injector. Duke collapsed backward.
Blood gushed between his fingers, spraying across

930
01:20:01.600 --> 01:20:06.399
every surface. Red roared with the
rush of epinephrine coursing through him. The

931
01:20:06.439 --> 01:20:12.560
plastic restraint around his waist snapped and
his hands closed around Burke's manhood, turning

932
01:20:12.560 --> 01:20:18.399
his frantic screams to a piercing falsetto
snip, snip. Red ripped the flesh

933
01:20:18.439 --> 01:20:23.760
and fabric away in a powerful tug. Burke's eyes rolled back in his head

934
01:20:23.840 --> 01:20:28.760
as he slumped over in convulsions.
Duke pressed himself up with the barrel of

935
01:20:28.800 --> 01:20:32.840
his service weapon while Red undid the
straps holding him to the gurney. The

936
01:20:32.880 --> 01:20:38.520
agent sat up on his knees,
His pale face bobbled on his ravaged neck

937
01:20:38.600 --> 01:20:44.479
like a dashboard ornament. He raised
the weapon shakily. Red sat upright and

938
01:20:44.720 --> 01:20:48.000
slugged him in the jaw, tearing
the neck wide open and flipping Duke's head

939
01:20:48.000 --> 01:20:54.239
over his shoulders. He turned his
attention to Ali, clamping his bloody fingers

940
01:20:54.560 --> 01:21:02.800
around the driver's throat. What the
fuck are they doing, Boyd grumped as

941
01:21:02.840 --> 01:21:10.359
the ambulance swerved a second time.
Something's wrong, Shelley said lowly. Maybe

942
01:21:10.399 --> 01:21:14.479
not. The wind's getting harsh and
the ambulance is top heavy, so maybe

943
01:21:14.520 --> 01:21:18.760
it's just getting pushed around. Boyd
saw Shelley's knuckles turning white in the instrument

944
01:21:18.840 --> 01:21:25.079
lights. She was ringing the steering
wheel harder. He retrieved his beretta from

945
01:21:25.119 --> 01:21:28.760
under the seat and flipped the safety
off. He took his cell phone in

946
01:21:28.800 --> 01:21:32.720
the other hand and called Agent Duke. Look, if anything happened, Red

947
01:21:32.760 --> 01:21:36.760
would have to get out eventually,
so just keep on following him, babe.

948
01:21:36.880 --> 01:21:44.640
I'm sure it's all fine. Duke's
voicemail answered, shit, what Duke's

949
01:21:44.640 --> 01:21:48.279
not answering, Boyd whispered. He
checked the chamber of the pistol out of

950
01:21:48.279 --> 01:21:53.439
habit. The brass casing of the
hollow point reassured him it would all be

951
01:21:53.600 --> 01:21:59.920
okay. Just keep this pace and
don't act suspicious. The ambulance swerved hard

952
01:22:00.199 --> 01:22:04.279
and crashed over on its side.
Shelley mashed the brake's hydroplaning behind the tumbling

953
01:22:04.319 --> 01:22:10.239
rescue vehicle. Scattered debris bashed the
windshield. She jerked to avoid it,

954
01:22:10.319 --> 01:22:14.199
sending them into a spin. Shelley
corrected the vehicle, only to strike the

955
01:22:14.239 --> 01:22:19.159
ambulance, ramping off its ruined nose. The ambulance's motor tore through the underside

956
01:22:19.199 --> 01:22:24.960
of Shelley's car, punching through the
fuel tank as the sedan tore the top

957
01:22:25.000 --> 01:22:29.760
off the cabin and flipped over on
its roof. The car finally grated to

958
01:22:29.840 --> 01:22:33.960
a stop on the shoulder of war
Highway twenty two. Red lumbered from the

959
01:22:33.960 --> 01:22:40.479
wreckage of the ambulance. Shelley watched
him closely. He held his hand to

960
01:22:40.560 --> 01:22:45.439
his face and stood still. He
dropped something to the ground. Shelley squinted

961
01:22:45.479 --> 01:22:49.920
at it in the red light of
the ambulance's fractured strobe and realized it was

962
01:22:49.920 --> 01:22:56.960
the driver's radio. Red padded closer
to her in his hospital gown. She

963
01:22:57.119 --> 01:23:00.840
dangled from her seat belt and wrestled
with the clasp, not daring to take

964
01:23:00.880 --> 01:23:06.800
her eyes off Red Tuscano. His
unkempt ginger curls clung to his malformed features

965
01:23:08.000 --> 01:23:12.600
in the battering rain. He pressed
it back away from his eye and the

966
01:23:12.640 --> 01:23:17.359
empty socket that mirrored it. Boyd
suddenly appeared between them. Shelley shook her

967
01:23:17.399 --> 01:23:21.640
head in disbelief and looked to the
passenger seat. It was empty. Boyd

968
01:23:21.720 --> 01:23:26.439
really was out there. He'd somehow
found the strength to crawl from the wreck.

969
01:23:26.800 --> 01:23:30.680
The first shot turned her attention back
to the two men. Boyd limped

970
01:23:30.680 --> 01:23:35.039
forward, firing again and then collapsing
to his knees. Red hadn't gotten close

971
01:23:35.079 --> 01:23:40.720
to him. Shelley watched in confusion. She looked back to the seat,

972
01:23:41.239 --> 01:23:46.159
her eyes focusing on the blood smeared
upholstery, and then she saw it and

973
01:23:46.319 --> 01:23:51.840
gasped. She hadn't heard the gun
discharge. Over the crash. The ragged

974
01:23:51.880 --> 01:23:57.960
bullet hole steamed as the water poured
in, and found the hot lead nestled

975
01:23:58.000 --> 01:24:05.319
inside. Red kicked the ranger over
and stomped his face into the asphalt,

976
01:24:05.560 --> 01:24:11.159
scraping void's flesh from his cheek.
He brought his bare foot down again on

977
01:24:11.199 --> 01:24:16.000
the back of his neck, snapping
it soundlessly in the raging storm. He

978
01:24:16.079 --> 01:24:21.159
made his way towards Shelley, grinding
his false teeth in anticipation of returning the

979
01:24:21.239 --> 01:24:26.960
damages she'd done to him. While
he got the abomination's location from her,

980
01:24:27.720 --> 01:24:30.840
Shelley Martin wrestled in her seat,
twisting in the car and then slumping down

981
01:24:30.880 --> 01:24:35.119
as she freed herself from the wreckage. Red didn't have time for a chase,

982
01:24:35.800 --> 01:24:40.560
but he wanted one. He wanted
her to suffer for what she did

983
01:24:40.600 --> 01:24:44.840
to him. He took another joyous
step forward. When she raised the pistol,

984
01:24:45.600 --> 01:24:48.920
he cocked his head and stopped in
his tracks. The remaining headlight of

985
01:24:48.960 --> 01:24:55.279
the ambulance shone on the demolished car
and the pulling water around it that shimmered

986
01:24:55.439 --> 01:25:00.880
with chemical phosphorescence. His mangled nose, the one thing the scientists hadn't bothered

987
01:25:00.920 --> 01:25:06.239
fixing, took in the smells swirling
on the buffeting winds. Beyond the mud

988
01:25:06.279 --> 01:25:11.800
and rain, he smelled fuel,
spilling down the side of the sedan.

989
01:25:12.640 --> 01:25:16.800
He lunged forward and the pistol bucked
in Shelley's hands, igniting her and the

990
01:25:16.880 --> 01:25:23.319
car. In a flash, the
remaining contents of the tank exploded, sending

991
01:25:23.399 --> 01:25:29.119
him toppling across the highway. Read
roared in anger as he raised himself from

992
01:25:29.119 --> 01:25:32.479
the ground. The last words the
woman spoke to him echoed in his mind.

993
01:25:33.239 --> 01:25:38.119
She wanted to know if he saw
the light. He did now.

994
01:25:38.720 --> 01:25:43.520
As the flames consumed the vehicle,
the orange and white sticker curled away from

995
01:25:43.560 --> 01:25:47.279
them on the car's bumper. He
shielded his face against the heat. As

996
01:25:47.279 --> 01:25:53.239
he approached it. The headlight of
the ambulance lit it perfectly for him,

997
01:25:53.720 --> 01:26:00.000
like a sign from God. Proud
parent of an Itawa Elementary honor student.

998
01:26:00.479 --> 01:26:04.319
In the distance, the lights of
the rescue vehicles twinkled in the darkness.

999
01:26:05.159 --> 01:26:12.159
Red walked off the road and melted
into the shadows, preparing for an ambush

1000
01:26:12.640 --> 01:26:20.439
soon iris Red growled, Grandpa is
coming for you. The only thing scarier

1001
01:26:20.520 --> 01:26:30.960
than that is not being subscribed weekly. Spooky will be right back. Chapter

1002
01:26:30.199 --> 01:26:38.279
six. Texas ranger Miguel Gomez paced
the crime scene under the cover of the

1003
01:26:38.359 --> 01:26:43.880
Chuck Norris umbrella his grandmother got him
for his fifty fifth birthday. The storm

1004
01:26:43.920 --> 01:26:47.319
threatened to pull it from his grip
as he surveyed the damage. After escaping

1005
01:26:47.359 --> 01:26:53.319
custody, Red Toscano had called for
emergency support and laid in wait for the

1006
01:26:53.359 --> 01:26:59.760
fire and rescue crew. Toscano killed
three more paramedics and four firefighters before stealing

1007
01:26:59.800 --> 01:27:04.439
them the ambulance. Miguel Ranger Colin
Grant shouted over the torrential rain shower.

1008
01:27:05.119 --> 01:27:10.399
The fire truck's been stripped, A
bunch of rescue gear is missing. I

1009
01:27:10.439 --> 01:27:15.000
want an inventory of what this sick
bastard took, Gomez told him, before

1010
01:27:15.079 --> 01:27:19.039
nodding at the flashing blue lights streaking
down wh twenty two. Looks like this

1011
01:27:19.079 --> 01:27:24.439
is about to not be our problem. Grant watched the cars pull into gaps

1012
01:27:24.520 --> 01:27:30.079
left by the Texas DPS vehicles,
three matching Chrysler three hundreds with limo tinted

1013
01:27:30.119 --> 01:27:34.239
windows and no markings. He waited
for the typical Brooks Brothers clad agent to

1014
01:27:34.279 --> 01:27:39.680
step out, so fresh from the
frat house that he still smelled like IPA

1015
01:27:40.079 --> 01:27:44.880
and noxema. There was no point
in sticking around while Gomez and the Feds

1016
01:27:45.000 --> 01:27:48.079
argued over jurisdiction. He returned to
the fire truck and tried to get an

1017
01:27:48.119 --> 01:27:54.079
assessment of what was missing. The
wind made the body bags slap and lift,

1018
01:27:54.159 --> 01:27:58.840
like the corpses were coming back to
life. Grant skirted between them carefully.

1019
01:27:59.479 --> 01:28:02.239
His radio squawked, giving him a
start. He cursed and reached for

1020
01:28:02.279 --> 01:28:09.479
the mic goph Grant The transmission was
garbled, and he asked a dispatch to

1021
01:28:09.560 --> 01:28:14.439
repeat the information. He glanced back
at Gomez, arguing with the suit from

1022
01:28:14.640 --> 01:28:18.079
Washington. He didn't look like a
frat boy at all, more like a

1023
01:28:18.119 --> 01:28:24.720
military man. Rigid and severe,
Grant tried to piece together the transmissions from

1024
01:28:24.760 --> 01:28:29.439
each fuzzy attempt. He jogged over
to them, stepping between the agent and

1025
01:28:29.520 --> 01:28:33.720
Gomez. What is it? Gomez
asked. They found the ambulance about nineteen

1026
01:28:33.760 --> 01:28:38.479
miles east of here. Grant said, it looks like he dumped it at

1027
01:28:38.479 --> 01:28:42.000
a rest stop. He killed a
family of five that were waiting out the

1028
01:28:42.039 --> 01:28:46.000
storm. They're working on getting a
vehicle description now. Grant looked at the

1029
01:28:46.039 --> 01:28:51.239
agent more closely and tried not to
stare. A ragged scar parted his silver

1030
01:28:51.359 --> 01:28:58.039
hair and trailed down across the bridge
of his wide crooked nose. Old burns

1031
01:28:58.039 --> 01:29:01.840
were peeking over the collar of his
shirt. He wasn't sure which three letters

1032
01:29:01.880 --> 01:29:08.199
the man represented, but it was
not the FBI. Red was a marine,

1033
01:29:08.560 --> 01:29:12.960
The agent said, he received special
training at Harvey Point prior to his

1034
01:29:13.039 --> 01:29:17.600
insertion into Panama in eighty nine.
What are you saying? Grant asked,

1035
01:29:18.319 --> 01:29:23.079
you can't keep up with him.
The agent answered, you want to stop

1036
01:29:23.159 --> 01:29:25.960
him. You have to get ahead
of him. You need to know where

1037
01:29:26.000 --> 01:29:31.520
he's going, and where is he
going? Agent Merriweather Gomez asked, who

1038
01:29:31.560 --> 01:29:36.359
the fuck knows the man was insane
before he got his brain scrambled. Meriwether

1039
01:29:36.439 --> 01:29:41.359
pulled the collar of his pea coat
closer to his stone jaw, glancing around

1040
01:29:41.359 --> 01:29:46.680
conspiratorially. Red was given a psychiatric
discharge after he was caught branding POW's with

1041
01:29:46.720 --> 01:29:53.119
a crucifix in the Persian Gulf.
How did he avoid prison, Gomez asked?

1042
01:29:53.800 --> 01:29:59.319
War crimes are bad publicity, Meriweather
said bluntly. Gomez glanced to the

1043
01:29:59.399 --> 01:30:02.920
charred wreck of Shelley Martin's car,
then across the row of dead bodies in

1044
01:30:02.960 --> 01:30:08.800
their tidy black bags, the blood
soaked interior of the ambulance flickered in the

1045
01:30:08.800 --> 01:30:13.439
broken fluorescent lights. The crime scene
unit was processing every piece of evidence they

1046
01:30:13.479 --> 01:30:18.319
could salvage. Camera flashes became indistinct
from the crashing lightning. Grant's radio came

1047
01:30:18.359 --> 01:30:23.000
to life behind him, and he
listened as best he could. Another body

1048
01:30:23.039 --> 01:30:27.119
was found at the rest stop.
They couldn't chase Red. They needed to

1049
01:30:27.199 --> 01:30:31.720
trap him. They needed bait.
Gomez turned to the agent. We need

1050
01:30:31.720 --> 01:30:40.560
to find out what happened to his
granddaughter. Red watched the school from the

1051
01:30:40.600 --> 01:30:45.079
stolen explorer. The storm complex delayed
him, and he almost missed the afternoon

1052
01:30:45.119 --> 01:30:49.800
dismissal. There was no way for
him to know how his granddaughter had aged.

1053
01:30:50.560 --> 01:30:55.319
He hoped she looked enough like her
mother to pick her out. If

1054
01:30:55.359 --> 01:30:59.439
the nurse wasn't coming to get her, then it would be her father or

1055
01:30:59.479 --> 01:31:03.119
a baby's her that narrowed it down. Or she could be a bus rider,

1056
01:31:04.039 --> 01:31:08.840
or maybe she lived close by and
walked, or maybe the damn sticker

1057
01:31:08.920 --> 01:31:14.359
was old and they moved away.
Red wrung the binoculars in frustration. If

1058
01:31:14.399 --> 01:31:17.199
he couldn't find Iris, he'd be
stuck killing every ten year old girl in

1059
01:31:17.399 --> 01:31:23.760
Tawa. He glanced down at the
stolen rescue equipment. Worst case scenario,

1060
01:31:23.880 --> 01:31:28.159
he would have to wait until Monday
and assault the school. The cops would

1061
01:31:28.159 --> 01:31:31.079
take a week sorting through the false
leads he'd planted, and that didn't leave

1062
01:31:31.119 --> 01:31:36.000
him much time. He needed to
be sure. The school bell rang.

1063
01:31:36.560 --> 01:31:41.760
Red leaned forward in anticipation. As
the doors flung open and a wave of

1064
01:31:41.880 --> 01:31:45.800
children spewed forth and dispersed to the
buses. Red swept the crowd with the

1065
01:31:45.800 --> 01:31:51.279
binoculars. There were too many candidates. A little girl with rosy cheeks like

1066
01:31:51.319 --> 01:31:56.560
his wife got onto a bus.
Two girls held hands, one with auburn

1067
01:31:56.640 --> 01:32:00.199
curls, and skipped to a separate
bus. He jotted down the numbers without

1068
01:32:00.239 --> 01:32:04.479
taking his eyes off the kids.
He could torture a passenger list out of

1069
01:32:04.520 --> 01:32:10.039
the drivers later. Once the buses
were loaded, they pulled out and the

1070
01:32:10.079 --> 01:32:14.640
second wave of children came out in
an orderly line. Cars pulled forward and

1071
01:32:14.680 --> 01:32:18.560
the teacher's radioed for the student they
needed. Red cursed under his breath he

1072
01:32:18.600 --> 01:32:24.520
couldn't see the name tags hanging from
the car mirrors. A redheaded little girl

1073
01:32:24.600 --> 01:32:28.680
bobbled out of the line under a
Hello Kitty umbrella and made her way to

1074
01:32:28.720 --> 01:32:32.359
a mini van. Red licked the
stretched patch of flesh that now counted as

1075
01:32:32.359 --> 01:32:36.880
his upper lip. The child was
his best lead. He tucked the binoculars

1076
01:32:36.960 --> 01:32:42.119
under the seat and followed the van
away from the school with a smile oozing

1077
01:32:42.479 --> 01:32:47.760
across his malformed features. Soon he'd
have to save the entire world. There

1078
01:32:47.880 --> 01:32:58.159
was just a little more blood to
spill. The Sonata squealed forward, and

1079
01:32:58.239 --> 01:33:02.760
a teacher squinted through the windshield condensation
to see Iris Martin's name on the yellow

1080
01:33:02.840 --> 01:33:08.840
sign. The little girl danced and
twirled in the rain, splashing puddles all

1081
01:33:08.880 --> 01:33:13.479
the way past the tops of her
purple gloshes. Darren shook her head,

1082
01:33:13.520 --> 01:33:17.279
giggling as Iris was hurried by the
drenched staffer. Iris ran the rest of

1083
01:33:17.319 --> 01:33:20.560
the way, slipping into the back
seat and flipping back her hood in a

1084
01:33:20.600 --> 01:33:26.720
wide arc that splattered Darren's face.
As she turned to greet her whoops.

1085
01:33:27.159 --> 01:33:32.039
Iris's face puckered with embarrassment, then
cracked into a mischievous grin. We got

1086
01:33:32.039 --> 01:33:36.279
a new girl today. That's awesome. I want you to tell me everything.

1087
01:33:36.800 --> 01:33:41.399
Darren reached back and pinched her knee
lightly. As soon as you put

1088
01:33:41.399 --> 01:33:45.239
on your seat belt, yeah,
yeah, I know, Iris clicked her

1089
01:33:45.239 --> 01:33:48.119
belt as they pulled away from the
curb. Her name's Beth and she's a

1090
01:33:48.159 --> 01:33:53.039
ginger too. Oh I think I
just saw her a couple of cars up.

1091
01:33:53.399 --> 01:33:59.279
Probably she likes Hello Kitty, which
is so retro retro. Darren raised

1092
01:33:59.279 --> 01:34:04.000
an eyebrow mirror. Is that good
or bad? It depends, Iris said,

1093
01:34:04.039 --> 01:34:08.000
loud enough to be heard over the
noise of the car and the rain

1094
01:34:08.119 --> 01:34:12.239
pounding the roof. It's like,
how all your jeans are black and ripped

1095
01:34:12.439 --> 01:34:15.720
and you dye your hair weird colors
because you're a product of the nineties,

1096
01:34:15.039 --> 01:34:19.720
which is cool retro, But flannel
and anime is not cool retro, which

1097
01:34:19.760 --> 01:34:25.199
is why Uncle Danny still lives with
Grandma Lynn. Darren snickered and shook her

1098
01:34:25.199 --> 01:34:30.439
head. Wow, where did you
learn all this? Iras shrugged. YouTube.

1099
01:34:30.479 --> 01:34:35.880
Mostly I also listened to a lot
of educational podcasts. Educational huh,

1100
01:34:36.239 --> 01:34:40.840
Darren laughed. What are we doing
when we get to the house. I

1101
01:34:40.880 --> 01:34:44.560
think we can mark off any outside
games. Me and Beth are going to

1102
01:34:44.640 --> 01:34:46.920
play the Thing within together. Her
parents are going to the casinos, so

1103
01:34:47.000 --> 01:34:50.199
she's going to be all alone with
her babysitter. And she probably doesn't have

1104
01:34:50.239 --> 01:34:55.439
a cool one like I do.
Nine point five On the sucking up skills,

1105
01:34:55.520 --> 01:34:59.760
kiddo, Darren slowed to roll through
a puddle. Your mom left us

1106
01:34:59.760 --> 01:35:02.560
mon for pizza, or we can
microwave hot pockets. We also have the

1107
01:35:02.600 --> 01:35:09.760
option of chocolate Dino crunch with marshmallows
served in her giant mixing bowls. Did

1108
01:35:09.800 --> 01:35:14.319
you know you can actually make food
without a microwave? Iris informed her that's

1109
01:35:14.319 --> 01:35:18.119
a thing people actually do. You
can learn that on YouTube too. Is

1110
01:35:18.159 --> 01:35:23.000
it the red hair or being ten
that makes you such a punk? I

1111
01:35:23.039 --> 01:35:27.560
thought it was the influence of my
babysitter. Iris giggled. Let's get home.

1112
01:35:28.000 --> 01:35:30.800
Darren turned onto the farm to market
highway. This storm is making me

1113
01:35:30.880 --> 01:35:35.439
nervous. There's nothing to be scared
of. Silly lightning hit the side of

1114
01:35:35.479 --> 01:35:41.319
the road, drawing a scream from
Iris. Maybe drive a little faster.

1115
01:35:43.800 --> 01:35:50.439
Chapter seven, Beth giggled as the
animated spaceman tore off its helmet and devoured

1116
01:35:50.439 --> 01:35:56.119
her character. She didn't mind losing
because the death scenes were so comical.

1117
01:35:56.600 --> 01:36:00.079
She typed a gg for the other
players and went down to ask her sitter

1118
01:36:00.159 --> 01:36:03.720
to make Coco. She sputtered her
lips. When she got to the first

1119
01:36:03.720 --> 01:36:10.399
floor and found Rachel checking some boy's
dental work with her tongue. Gross Hugh.

1120
01:36:11.079 --> 01:36:14.800
Rachel straightened up and pushed the boy
away, trying to redo her blouse

1121
01:36:14.800 --> 01:36:21.079
buttons. This is Adam, he's
my babysitting coach, right. Beth pointed

1122
01:36:21.119 --> 01:36:26.039
to the kitchen. I'm going to
eat some fruit snacks and make myself coco

1123
01:36:26.159 --> 01:36:30.720
since you're busy getting coached. We
were working on first aid, you know,

1124
01:36:30.800 --> 01:36:33.760
in case you choke on a fruit
snack. Adam added mouth to mouth

1125
01:36:33.760 --> 01:36:39.520
and all that safety stuff. I
think I'd rather choke to death, Beth

1126
01:36:39.600 --> 01:36:44.119
said, thanks anyway. Beth went
to the pantry and collected a packet of

1127
01:36:44.159 --> 01:36:47.560
Swiss miss and the box of fruit
snacks. It wasn't like Rachel could tell

1128
01:36:47.600 --> 01:36:51.119
on her for eating the whole thing
now. She added the mix to her

1129
01:36:51.199 --> 01:36:56.800
favorite mug and went to the sink
for water. The lights flickered, giving

1130
01:36:56.840 --> 01:37:00.239
her a start and making her drop
the mug. The suram I m a

1131
01:37:00.279 --> 01:37:05.600
kitty shattered crap. Beth sulked at
the spread of adorable shrapnel. Rachel came

1132
01:37:05.680 --> 01:37:11.520
running into the kitchen to see what
happened and stepped barefoot on a triangular piece

1133
01:37:11.560 --> 01:37:14.880
of the mug. She hopped on
one foot and fell on her butt,

1134
01:37:15.199 --> 01:37:18.840
keeping the injured dependentge elevated. Blood
trickled along her soul and down her leg.

1135
01:37:19.319 --> 01:37:23.760
Adam slid to a stop next to
her, turning pale at the sight

1136
01:37:23.840 --> 01:37:28.479
of blood and sliding down the doorframe. Good thing, you know first aid,

1137
01:37:28.479 --> 01:37:31.800
alan Beth, said, Adam,
he said, stifling a gag.

1138
01:37:32.439 --> 01:37:39.039
Whatever Beth patted across the pieces,
confident and the protection offered by her oversized

1139
01:37:39.039 --> 01:37:43.560
Hello Kitty slippers, she tucked the
fruit snacks under her arm. I'll go

1140
01:37:43.600 --> 01:37:45.640
get a band aid in some ointment. Try not to puke on the carpet.

1141
01:37:45.680 --> 01:37:50.199
Alan Beth tossed the snacks onto her
bed and went into the bathroom.

1142
01:37:50.600 --> 01:37:55.880
She opened the cabinet behind the door
and found a leopard print bandage, alcohol

1143
01:37:55.960 --> 01:37:59.960
wipes, and the tube of antibiotic
ointment. She shut the door, setting

1144
01:38:00.039 --> 01:38:03.239
the items down, before climbing onto
the counter and opening the medicine cabinet Over

1145
01:38:03.279 --> 01:38:08.720
the sink. She found the orange
bottle and worked at the childproof cap until

1146
01:38:08.720 --> 01:38:12.760
it came off. She popped one
of her dad's painkillers into her palm and

1147
01:38:12.840 --> 01:38:15.760
set it next to the other supplies. Rachel was gross for kissing boys,

1148
01:38:15.880 --> 01:38:21.000
but she didn't deserve to be in
pain. The lights flickered again and then

1149
01:38:21.079 --> 01:38:26.479
went out. Beth sat in the
dark, waiting for the lights to come

1150
01:38:26.520 --> 01:38:30.439
back on. They didn't. She
sputtered her lips again and put the pill

1151
01:38:30.479 --> 01:38:35.560
bottle away. The girl hopped down, collected her things, and stepped out

1152
01:38:35.600 --> 01:38:40.800
of the bathroom. The night lights
in the hallway had batteries just for this

1153
01:38:40.960 --> 01:38:45.720
reason. She eased along the path
and went down the stairs. There was

1154
01:38:45.800 --> 01:38:51.680
far less light down there, Rachel. Beth took another hesitant step. Guys,

1155
01:38:53.439 --> 01:38:59.600
where are you? No one said
anything. She padded forward softly,

1156
01:39:00.119 --> 01:39:03.600
trying to crane her neck enough to
see Adam and Rachel. Her breath caught

1157
01:39:03.600 --> 01:39:08.600
in her chest and refused to come
out, as seconds of silence seemed to

1158
01:39:08.600 --> 01:39:15.880
stretch onward for hours. Would you
hurry up already, Rachel whined. Beth

1159
01:39:15.000 --> 01:39:19.560
screeched at the sudden voice and stomped
to the kitchen. Rachel stretched her hand

1160
01:39:19.640 --> 01:39:24.880
up and Beth dropped the medical supplies
into her palm. I got you one

1161
01:39:24.920 --> 01:39:29.600
of Dad's backpills so your foot won't
hurt anymore, she muttered. Rachel looked

1162
01:39:29.640 --> 01:39:33.159
at the little white oval and smiled. She rubbed Beth's shoulder. Thanks,

1163
01:39:33.159 --> 01:39:36.359
sweetie, I'm sorry about your mug. I'll try to find you a new

1164
01:39:36.359 --> 01:39:42.239
one once I clean the mess up. The sitter said, yeah, I

1165
01:39:42.279 --> 01:39:45.439
think I can help. Adam stared
at the blood gathering on the tile and

1166
01:39:45.520 --> 01:39:49.319
threw up in his mouth. He
choked it down, wiping tears from his

1167
01:39:49.399 --> 01:39:54.479
eyes. I think i'll do that
right now. In fact, maybe at

1168
01:39:54.520 --> 01:40:00.159
target. Rachel rolled her eyes.
The nearest target was forty minutes away.

1169
01:40:00.079 --> 01:40:02.439
Yeah, that's a good idea,
Adam. Why don't you do that?

1170
01:40:02.880 --> 01:40:06.600
The sitter shook her head. Maybe
you could stop by sporting goods and try

1171
01:40:06.600 --> 01:40:11.840
to find some bigger balls. Adam
cleared his throat and stood up, while

1172
01:40:11.920 --> 01:40:15.119
Rachel tore open the alcohol wipe and
took a deep breath to prepare herself.

1173
01:40:15.880 --> 01:40:21.119
He cocked his head and stared into
the blacked out living room. The storm

1174
01:40:21.199 --> 01:40:26.840
must have blown the door open,
He pointed at the sliver of street light

1175
01:40:27.000 --> 01:40:31.479
shining through the ajar portal. I
didn't even notice. Beth watched him for

1176
01:40:31.520 --> 01:40:35.279
a moment. When it was clear
he wasn't going to move. The child

1177
01:40:35.319 --> 01:40:41.600
groaned, don't worry, I'll go
close it. Beth stamped her feet across

1178
01:40:41.600 --> 01:40:45.319
the room and pushed the door hard, twisting the dead bolt into place.

1179
01:40:45.399 --> 01:40:50.520
She then turned and threw herself against
the door, gasping for enough breath to

1180
01:40:50.600 --> 01:40:57.680
scream. The silhouette was huge and
lumbering closer to Rachel and Adam. The

1181
01:40:57.720 --> 01:41:00.600
sitter saw him first. Her shriek
was as a starter pistol at the races.

1182
01:41:00.840 --> 01:41:05.479
Beth bolted for the stairs. Adam's
corpse fell headless across her path.

1183
01:41:06.000 --> 01:41:11.640
The child tripped and tumbled across the
carpet. Rachel was still screaming. Beth

1184
01:41:11.720 --> 01:41:15.319
watched the man swing his axe straight
down on Rachel's head, splitting it in

1185
01:41:15.399 --> 01:41:19.279
two. Beth crawled up the stairs, making it to the landing. Before

1186
01:41:19.319 --> 01:41:25.239
she could stand and run, the
heavy thump of the killer's boots echoed behind

1187
01:41:25.279 --> 01:41:30.560
her. She heard the man growl
a word behind her. She paused in

1188
01:41:30.600 --> 01:41:32.920
the door of her bedroom and watched
for him to make it to the landing

1189
01:41:33.760 --> 01:41:40.760
iris The word rumbled from beneath his
helmet. Its heavy visor covered half his

1190
01:41:40.880 --> 01:41:45.159
face and only the mangled, lipless
mouth still showed. Beth took a deep

1191
01:41:45.199 --> 01:41:50.880
breath. Iris was her new friend. Beth sniffled and scrubbed at the tears,

1192
01:41:51.000 --> 01:41:56.279
trying to keep her field of vision
clear. Why would anyone want to

1193
01:41:56.359 --> 01:42:00.119
hurt her? She backed away from
the door, inching to her bed.

1194
01:42:00.960 --> 01:42:05.239
The man's steps grew closer. Beth
pulled up the bed skirt and crawled under

1195
01:42:06.000 --> 01:42:11.960
her tiny hands clamped over her mouth. The man came into the room,

1196
01:42:12.640 --> 01:42:17.520
stalking closer to her hiding spot.
Her tablet chimed on the mattress above.

1197
01:42:18.079 --> 01:42:21.479
It was probably some of the other
kids, messaging her to play another round.

1198
01:42:23.039 --> 01:42:26.840
She watched the man's feet, hoping
he'd turn and she could reply,

1199
01:42:27.039 --> 01:42:31.000
telling them to send help. He
came toward her, and the bed flexed

1200
01:42:31.399 --> 01:42:39.159
as he took a seat. The
man huffed, not Iris, he almost

1201
01:42:39.199 --> 01:42:44.880
whispered, I hadn't thought of that. The axe had banged against the floor,

1202
01:42:44.960 --> 01:42:47.880
dripping blood on the carpet that widened
with Beth's eyes as she watched it.

1203
01:42:48.600 --> 01:42:53.640
Iris must have been the one messaging
her. That meant she was safe.

1204
01:42:54.239 --> 01:42:57.119
The man would leave now that he
knew he was in the wrong house,

1205
01:42:57.960 --> 01:43:01.079
then she could warn her friend.
Beth curled her knees close to her,

1206
01:43:01.560 --> 01:43:08.399
hoping he would go soon. The
mattress straightened as he stood. They

1207
01:43:08.479 --> 01:43:14.560
always hide under the bed, he
grumbled. The bed flipped over, and

1208
01:43:14.640 --> 01:43:18.520
the man's masked face stared down at
her while his axe raised over his shoulder.

1209
01:43:18.960 --> 01:43:25.520
Beth stretched her hands out and screamed
as the weapon began its final dissent.

1210
01:43:27.279 --> 01:43:35.520
You're not safe yet, Weekly Spooky
will be right back. Chapter eight.

1211
01:43:40.920 --> 01:43:45.000
Fuck me? Darren popped her back
as best she could. She gave

1212
01:43:45.039 --> 01:43:51.039
the sleeping bag a dirty look.
Beds tonight for sure. Darren used her

1213
01:43:51.079 --> 01:43:57.119
toes to tickle Iris under the chin. The child slapped at her foot and

1214
01:43:57.239 --> 01:44:02.800
opened her eyes. Iris scrunched her
nose and rolled away. Gross, she

1215
01:44:02.920 --> 01:44:09.560
whined, Your feet smell like grilled
cheese with baloney. That's so mean,

1216
01:44:10.199 --> 01:44:14.439
Darren said, with mock a fence. She rubbed her foot through Iris's hair.

1217
01:44:15.119 --> 01:44:19.359
Are you sure they smell that bad? Stop? You're such a butt.

1218
01:44:20.000 --> 01:44:25.520
Iris rolled over and crawled out of
the sleeping bag. Is it already

1219
01:44:25.560 --> 01:44:30.720
time for school? I think so? Darren looked at the windows, but

1220
01:44:30.800 --> 01:44:35.039
there was no sunlight coming in as
the storms continued battering the area. Go

1221
01:44:35.159 --> 01:44:40.159
upstairs and brush your teeth. Your
breath smells like you've been licking my feet.

1222
01:44:40.720 --> 01:44:45.199
Put on something appropriate for the rain
too, Yes, your majesty,

1223
01:44:45.880 --> 01:44:50.920
Iris stuck her tongue out and giggled. Darren rustled the girl's BedHead and kissed

1224
01:44:50.960 --> 01:44:55.600
her on the cheek. Hurry up, we can grab a doughnut from the

1225
01:44:55.600 --> 01:45:00.880
gas and grub before I drop you
off. Nothing says nutritional breakfast like a

1226
01:45:00.880 --> 01:45:05.520
gas station doughnut. Iris sprinted to
her room, laughing. Smart ass,

1227
01:45:06.119 --> 01:45:12.119
Darren whispered with a smile. Let's
see what depressing shit the news has in

1228
01:45:12.159 --> 01:45:16.319
store for us this morning. Darren
opened the app on her phone and started

1229
01:45:16.359 --> 01:45:24.319
scrolling. Her stomach nodded at the
headlines. That wasn't morning reading. She

1230
01:45:24.479 --> 01:45:28.840
clicked the local tab and pressed the
start button on the coffee pot. She

1231
01:45:29.000 --> 01:45:33.399
slumped against the counter. Oh fuck, Darren stared at the link between a

1232
01:45:33.439 --> 01:45:40.960
report on the storms and another meth
lab explosion mass murder in Itawa. The

1233
01:45:41.039 --> 01:45:47.079
legacy continues, there was an unparalleled
amount of such incidents in and around the

1234
01:45:47.159 --> 01:45:54.039
town. It was unofficially dubbed the
serial killer capital of America. Even though

1235
01:45:54.119 --> 01:45:59.720
Darren was sure New York or Los
Angeles really held the title. She opened

1236
01:45:59.720 --> 01:46:03.680
the art and skimmed through, stopping
at the pictures of the victims. The

1237
01:46:03.720 --> 01:46:10.359
little girl Beth was Iris's new friend. Darren sat the phone down and took

1238
01:46:10.399 --> 01:46:14.600
a deep breath. She couldn't tell
Iris the news or let her go to

1239
01:46:14.640 --> 01:46:19.399
school to find out from someone else. She dialed Shelley to ask for advice.

1240
01:46:20.319 --> 01:46:26.920
The phone beaped several times but didn't
ring. Darren took it from her

1241
01:46:26.920 --> 01:46:30.880
ear and looked at the corner.
She was getting the news through Wi Fi.

1242
01:46:30.680 --> 01:46:35.479
She had no cell service. She
was fixing to message Shelley through Facebook

1243
01:46:35.680 --> 01:46:41.560
when she remembered the headlines she had
ignored. Murder on a Texas Highway,

1244
01:46:42.039 --> 01:46:48.079
death row inmate escapes, final rest
stop. The phone fell from Darren's trembling

1245
01:46:48.159 --> 01:46:55.039
hands and met the floor with a
sharp snap. She knelt slowly and looked

1246
01:46:55.039 --> 01:47:00.800
at the illuminated black screen flickering behind
the spider web of cracks. She powered

1247
01:47:00.800 --> 01:47:05.640
it off and on, getting the
same imageless back light. Only God damn

1248
01:47:05.680 --> 01:47:12.039
it. She let her head thump
against the cabinet behind her. Please be

1249
01:47:12.199 --> 01:47:17.239
okay, Shelley. Iris stomped around
noisily overhead in her rush to get ready

1250
01:47:17.279 --> 01:47:24.479
for school. Darren thought about the
ramifications if Shelley wasn't all right. She

1251
01:47:24.560 --> 01:47:30.399
got up and stuffed the broken phone
into her backpack. Darren grabbed her clothes

1252
01:47:30.439 --> 01:47:34.000
out and headed to the guest bathroom, stripping off her pajamas on the way.

1253
01:47:34.039 --> 01:47:39.520
To save time. She needed to
think of an excuse to keep Iris

1254
01:47:39.560 --> 01:47:43.840
away from the school. She threw
on her jeans, an Evil Dead T

1255
01:47:44.000 --> 01:47:48.039
shirt, and pulled her hair into
a ponytail. She groaned at her reflection

1256
01:47:48.640 --> 01:47:56.000
and waved it off good enough.
Darren went into the kitchen and saw Iris

1257
01:47:56.039 --> 01:48:00.039
sitting at the dining table. Hey, kiddo, change a plan. We're

1258
01:48:00.079 --> 01:48:06.760
getting breakfast burritos instead. Iris chirped, whichever you prefer or both? Even

1259
01:48:08.359 --> 01:48:12.920
Darren looked around the room quickly.
The cordless phone hung on the wall next

1260
01:48:12.920 --> 01:48:16.960
to the kitchen sink. Doctor Sampris
just called, I didn't hear the phone

1261
01:48:17.039 --> 01:48:21.159
ring on my cell. I had
it on silent. She threw her hands

1262
01:48:21.239 --> 01:48:25.800
up. It actually scared the crap
out of me, and I dropped it.

1263
01:48:25.800 --> 01:48:30.000
It's totaled anyway, he said,
that new girl in your class and

1264
01:48:30.039 --> 01:48:32.520
a few were in last night.
It looks like they might have this flu,

1265
01:48:32.600 --> 01:48:35.039
and he thought it would be a
good idea for you to stay home.

1266
01:48:36.039 --> 01:48:41.479
I feel fine, Iris said lightly. It sucks that Beth's sick.

1267
01:48:42.039 --> 01:48:45.960
I guess that's why she never responded
to my messages last night. Yeah,

1268
01:48:46.399 --> 01:48:50.800
Darren choked on the word, that's
probably it. I thought we'd go get

1269
01:48:50.840 --> 01:48:55.520
breakfast and stop by dweeb Space nine
in the mall so they can fix my

1270
01:48:55.640 --> 01:48:59.359
phone. Might as well grub out
at the Chinese place you like in the

1271
01:48:59.359 --> 01:49:05.079
food court. Buffalo Wangs is Asian
fusion, not traditional Chinese cuisine. Iris

1272
01:49:05.119 --> 01:49:10.399
rolled her eyes. I could go
for a big plate of sesame garlic wings,

1273
01:49:10.399 --> 01:49:14.560
though, deal kiddo. She looked
at the time on the coffee pot.

1274
01:49:15.159 --> 01:49:17.560
We got a few hours to kill
before the mall opens. How about

1275
01:49:17.560 --> 01:49:21.600
we bake something for dessert tonight.
Are you sure you're not the one that's

1276
01:49:21.600 --> 01:49:26.760
sick, Darren, Iris giggled,
You can't even cook pizza rolls in the

1277
01:49:26.760 --> 01:49:31.279
oven. That's why we're going to
use your mom's epic cookbook collection. Wise

1278
01:49:31.359 --> 01:49:40.279
Guy Red watched the students arriving and
made additional notes for which child might be

1279
01:49:40.359 --> 01:49:45.279
Iris. Maybe the nurse changed the
girl's name It hadn't occurred to him until

1280
01:49:45.279 --> 01:49:49.960
he saw the messages the night before. Maybe Beth was his granddaughter and it

1281
01:49:50.000 --> 01:49:56.119
was all over, But maybe she
wasn't. He couldn't take that risk.

1282
01:49:57.439 --> 01:50:02.159
Cassie laid down with Satan and the
world would suffer for her infernal harletry.

1283
01:50:03.159 --> 01:50:09.319
The only way to save the world
was to destroy the hellspawn little brat before

1284
01:50:09.359 --> 01:50:15.399
she reached maturity. He had to
be sure. As buses pulled up to

1285
01:50:15.479 --> 01:50:20.840
release their passengers, red checked the
numbers against the previous afternoon surveillance. The

1286
01:50:20.920 --> 01:50:27.039
girl with the Shirley Temple curls was
his next best bet. The bus screeched

1287
01:50:27.079 --> 01:50:31.079
to the curb and read double checked
his notes. Getting shot in the head

1288
01:50:31.079 --> 01:50:36.760
had made his handwriting less than ideal. He squinted his remaining eye and decided

1289
01:50:36.800 --> 01:50:42.399
it was the correct bus. If
this plan failed, he'd have to settle

1290
01:50:42.439 --> 01:50:46.119
for killing everyone in the school On
Monday. The cops would figure out where

1291
01:50:46.159 --> 01:50:51.960
he'd gotten too soon. The bus
finished unloading its cargo and headed away from

1292
01:50:51.960 --> 01:50:57.319
the school, unaware of the danger
following it. In the s u V

1293
01:50:58.039 --> 01:51:06.159
behind it, Darren dabbed the tears
from her eyes with a paper napkin.

1294
01:51:08.039 --> 01:51:14.119
She cursed the dark spots of ruined
mascara soaked into the brown fibers across from

1295
01:51:14.119 --> 01:51:18.640
her. Iris giggled with a smile
framed in sesame garlic sauce. The little

1296
01:51:18.680 --> 01:51:25.079
one sucked the excess sauce loudly from
her fingers and waved at the old Asian

1297
01:51:25.119 --> 01:51:30.159
man in the oversized cowboy hat and
sequined country Western shirt behind the counter.

1298
01:51:30.279 --> 01:51:34.159
He tipped the brim of his hat
to her and fired finger guns into the

1299
01:51:34.199 --> 01:51:40.560
sky. Iris loved it when he
did that. She wasn't sure if the

1300
01:51:40.640 --> 01:51:45.039
man was the real Buffalo wang or
not, but she liked to think he

1301
01:51:45.319 --> 01:51:49.880
was. Darren blew out several breaths
in a vain attempt to cool her stinging

1302
01:51:49.960 --> 01:51:56.760
lips. She stared at the pity
the foo chicken platter. I swear it's

1303
01:51:56.800 --> 01:52:01.319
hotter than normal. Darren fanned her
cheeks as they reddened from the roasted habanero

1304
01:52:01.439 --> 01:52:08.159
strips. Why do I do this
to myself? Because if you finish the

1305
01:52:08.159 --> 01:52:14.560
whole thing, we eat for free, Iris reminded her hashtag facts, kiddo.

1306
01:52:14.920 --> 01:52:17.800
Darren sipped her water. Pretty sure
you still end up paying for it.

1307
01:52:17.920 --> 01:52:23.640
The next day they'd been eating at
Buffalo Wang's for two years, and

1308
01:52:23.760 --> 01:52:28.640
she'd never finished the entire platter.
The old man ambled up to the table

1309
01:52:28.680 --> 01:52:32.760
and refilled her glass from the pitcher. Howdy ladies, he said, in

1310
01:52:32.800 --> 01:52:38.800
a comically exaggerated twang. Reckon,
you might be gettin a mighty bit thirsty

1311
01:52:39.159 --> 01:52:45.520
from them peppers. Darren dabbed her
nose with the napkin and nodded vigorously.

1312
01:52:45.399 --> 01:52:49.800
You beat me again, Wang,
A wild Philly like you was never beaten,

1313
01:52:50.119 --> 01:52:56.359
miss Darren. He winked at her
and gave a reassuring smile. He

1314
01:52:56.399 --> 01:53:00.359
pulled a fortune cookie from the apron
around his waist and sat it in front

1315
01:53:00.399 --> 01:53:03.720
of Iris, before dropping another next
to Darren. I reckon, you could

1316
01:53:03.760 --> 01:53:10.319
do with some sage like wisdom.
Darren cleared her throat, thanked him,

1317
01:53:10.800 --> 01:53:15.159
and guzzled the rest of the water. She opened her cookie and read the

1318
01:53:15.159 --> 01:53:19.640
strip of paper out loud. An
empty belly is fertile soil for blooming anger,

1319
01:53:20.680 --> 01:53:25.920
and people don't think these things are
legit. Darren laughed and nodded to

1320
01:53:25.960 --> 01:53:30.560
Iris's cookie. What's your say?
Iris tore the plastic wrapper and snapped the

1321
01:53:30.600 --> 01:53:35.840
cookie in two. She scowled at
it and scrunched her button nose. She

1322
01:53:35.960 --> 01:53:43.159
slid it across the table. Spooky. Darren picked it up, her smile

1323
01:53:43.279 --> 01:53:48.960
melted away. The past is only
one step behind you. Do not stumble.

1324
01:53:50.079 --> 01:53:55.399
I don't think I like that one
as much, Darren said me neither.

1325
01:53:56.039 --> 01:54:00.399
What's next? Iris asked, want
to go see if the phone ready,

1326
01:54:00.439 --> 01:54:03.680
and then cruised some of the other
stores. Definitely, Iris stood up.

1327
01:54:04.199 --> 01:54:08.079
I'll go tell mister Wang were ready
to get ye up. I got

1328
01:54:08.119 --> 01:54:12.079
to go to the bathroom first,
though. By the time Iris got back,

1329
01:54:12.479 --> 01:54:15.920
Darren had paid the bill and collected
the to go sodas and complimentary egg

1330
01:54:16.000 --> 01:54:20.880
rolls that Wang plied on them every
time they visited. Darren felt compelled to

1331
01:54:20.920 --> 01:54:27.000
get Iris a buffalo Wang's T shirt
with a cheesy cowgirl patterned screen printed on

1332
01:54:27.079 --> 01:54:30.880
it. While she waited, she
stuffed the shirt into her bag before the

1333
01:54:30.920 --> 01:54:35.960
girl could see. It was a
dumb gift, but she knew Iris would

1334
01:54:35.960 --> 01:54:41.479
love it. Iris skipped over to
her and shot Wang with a lightning quick

1335
01:54:41.520 --> 01:54:45.520
flick of her fingers. Oh you
got me, Pardner. He feigned a

1336
01:54:45.600 --> 01:54:50.279
chest wound, stumbled, and then
blew them a kiss. Come back,

1337
01:54:50.319 --> 01:54:56.239
to Buffalo Wang's Mighty quick Now.
The two left the food court and headed

1338
01:54:56.239 --> 01:55:00.239
over to the dweeb Space nine Tech
service Kiosk. The guy behind the counter

1339
01:55:00.399 --> 01:55:04.319
was a few years younger than Darren, with scraggly hair that hung just past

1340
01:55:04.359 --> 01:55:10.319
his jaw and hid most of his
features. He was a mousey sort,

1341
01:55:10.600 --> 01:55:15.039
despite an athletic build and a cool
hint of danger behind his bright hazel eyes.

1342
01:55:16.199 --> 01:55:20.319
Darren knew he'd be a great sub
if he weren't too shy to realize

1343
01:55:20.640 --> 01:55:25.920
she was trying to take him home. He was tinkering with an old video

1344
01:55:26.000 --> 01:55:30.399
camera when they got to the counter. Hey, Flavio, she said,

1345
01:55:30.119 --> 01:55:33.640
Hi, Darren. He didn't look
up as he scraped a crevice with a

1346
01:55:33.720 --> 01:55:39.760
dental pick. He dislodged something and
straightened up in his stool. Sorry,

1347
01:55:40.039 --> 01:55:44.439
someone found this camera in a storage
unit. It's from like forever ago,

1348
01:55:44.560 --> 01:55:48.159
and the port is gunked up bad. That's a fancy ass camera to leave

1349
01:55:48.159 --> 01:55:54.479
in storage, Darren said, any
luck with my phone. I can fix

1350
01:55:54.520 --> 01:55:58.680
the screen today, but the drop
messed up a bunch of other stuff too.

1351
01:55:58.800 --> 01:56:03.359
He watched her painted nis tap the
glass case nervously. I've got to

1352
01:56:03.439 --> 01:56:09.840
resolder some connections and replace the battery. They only made that model for two

1353
01:56:09.880 --> 01:56:15.119
years for a reason. Shit,
she sighed. She looked over her shoulder

1354
01:56:15.359 --> 01:56:20.279
at the little girl flipping coins into
the mall's wishing well. How long If

1355
01:56:20.279 --> 01:56:25.319
I ordered the part, it'd be
the day after tomorrow, he said,

1356
01:56:25.720 --> 01:56:30.119
But since I called around and found
one local, I'll have it finished tonight

1357
01:56:30.159 --> 01:56:31.319
and ready for you to pick up
as soon as I get here in the

1358
01:56:31.359 --> 01:56:38.039
morning. That'll have to work.
Darren played with her smiley, thinking things

1359
01:56:38.079 --> 01:56:43.119
over. Shelley hadn't tried calling the
home phone either. She needed to know

1360
01:56:43.199 --> 01:56:47.600
what happened. Thanks, Flavio,
no problem, Darren, he leaned on

1361
01:56:47.640 --> 01:56:53.960
the counter. You good, You
look like something's bothering you other than a

1362
01:56:53.960 --> 01:57:00.000
broken phone. Just work stuff.
Darren left the kiosk and padded Iris on

1363
01:57:00.119 --> 01:57:02.880
the shoulder. The girl took her
hand and they set out through the mall

1364
01:57:02.960 --> 01:57:08.399
to visit their favorite stores. Between
A Build a Buddy and a Yolo fro

1365
01:57:08.560 --> 01:57:13.680
Yo was an internet cafe about the
size of a walk in closet. Darren

1366
01:57:13.720 --> 01:57:17.039
handed Iris the bag of egg rolls
and told her to wait outside. She

1367
01:57:17.119 --> 01:57:21.359
dumped her cup in a trash can
beneath a no Drink's a loud sign and

1368
01:57:21.520 --> 01:57:27.520
stepped into the haze of vape clouds
as she navigated the narrow space with its

1369
01:57:27.600 --> 01:57:32.279
red neon lighting running the register.
In the back was a short, powerfully

1370
01:57:32.279 --> 01:57:39.560
built jock. Darren couldn't remember his
name, but she certainly remembered his kink.

1371
01:57:40.600 --> 01:57:43.600
You might get more customers if you
turned on the lights, Harley,

1372
01:57:44.119 --> 01:57:48.439
she said, over the techno instrumental
thumping through the speakers. People come here

1373
01:57:48.479 --> 01:57:54.199
for the ambience. This cyberpunk shits
all the rage. He looked her over

1374
01:57:54.279 --> 01:57:59.479
thoughtfully. What do you want?
I need a computer for a few minutes.

1375
01:58:00.279 --> 01:58:03.720
All of them are occupied, he
said, dismissively. Then let me

1376
01:58:03.840 --> 01:58:09.880
use yours. No way, that's
company property. He looked around and leaned

1377
01:58:09.880 --> 01:58:15.159
forward, scowling. Get what I'm
saying. There's no computers here for you

1378
01:58:15.720 --> 01:58:23.600
to use, So beat it.
Franken Tits. Darren's fists clenched. Tough

1379
01:58:23.640 --> 01:58:28.720
guys loved being dominated, but hated
themselves for it. Making fun of her

1380
01:58:28.760 --> 01:58:31.560
and her scars was a common defense. It was one of the reasons she

1381
01:58:31.640 --> 01:58:36.399
stopped seeing them more than once.
I guess I can just wait. She

1382
01:58:36.520 --> 01:58:42.319
looked at the eight occupied computers.
Maybe I'll strike up a conversation with some

1383
01:58:42.359 --> 01:58:45.479
of the customers and see if anyone
else here enjoys getting pegged as much as

1384
01:58:45.479 --> 01:58:51.079
you keep your fucking voice down.
He grabbed her arm and immediately regretted it.

1385
01:58:51.600 --> 01:58:57.000
He let go and leaned away,
holding up trembling hands. I could

1386
01:58:57.000 --> 01:59:00.479
get kicked out of my frat for
that, for life, making it in

1387
01:59:00.560 --> 01:59:04.800
the ass. Darren let her voice
rise as she continued. Or for screaming,

1388
01:59:05.039 --> 01:59:10.399
daddy, while you took it.
His head jerked to either side of

1389
01:59:10.439 --> 01:59:15.199
her to see if anyone heard.
He held a shushing finger to his lips

1390
01:59:15.520 --> 01:59:23.479
and shook his head violently. Be
a shame if I accidentally uploaded the video

1391
01:59:23.880 --> 01:59:30.359
video. He slumped into his chair. I didn't know there was any Let

1392
01:59:30.359 --> 01:59:33.800
me use the computer, and no
one will know there is. There wasn't

1393
01:59:33.840 --> 01:59:40.119
one, but she knew that cut
deeper than his insult. Did her fuck

1394
01:59:40.479 --> 01:59:45.279
here, Harley sat his laptop on
the counter. Make it fast and get

1395
01:59:45.319 --> 01:59:49.199
the fuck out of here, please. Darren threw on a smile and went

1396
01:59:49.199 --> 01:59:55.920
to work searching for articles. They
weren't hard to find. Iris's grandfather was

1397
01:59:56.000 --> 02:00:01.079
making national news. She skimmed the
articles quickly, occasionally glancing over her shoulder

1398
02:00:01.119 --> 02:00:05.720
to make sure Iris was still waiting
at the door. Red as they called

1399
02:00:05.800 --> 02:00:10.960
him, had escaped when the storms
forced the convoy off the road. He

1400
02:00:11.159 --> 02:00:15.720
killed a family at a rest stop
and was believed to be heading into Louisiana.

1401
02:00:15.760 --> 02:00:21.520
She sighed with relief that alleviated one
fear. There was no mention of

1402
02:00:21.560 --> 02:00:28.039
Shelley. However, she skimmed the
article about the crash again and didn't see

1403
02:00:28.039 --> 02:00:31.199
any names at all. She clicked
back to one about the rest stop murders.

1404
02:00:31.840 --> 02:00:36.000
She read it more carefully. Then
she opened another about a fire and

1405
02:00:36.079 --> 02:00:42.359
rescue crash along a deserted highway in
Texas. They were all vague, to

1406
02:00:42.399 --> 02:00:47.520
the point it was obviously intentional.
She pushed the laptop to Harley, be

1407
02:00:47.640 --> 02:00:50.920
a good little boy, and maybe
I won't tell your frat bros. You

1408
02:00:51.119 --> 02:00:57.520
like a big, girthy cock in
your ass, She patted his flustered cheek.

1409
02:00:58.199 --> 02:01:03.520
And don't ever mention my fucking tits
again. He nodded, I don't

1410
02:01:03.560 --> 02:01:09.119
hear you, Yes, ma'am,
that's not what you called me before.

1411
02:01:10.520 --> 02:01:16.279
Yes, He tucked his chin to
his chest and sighed, yes. Daddy.

1412
02:01:17.199 --> 02:01:20.840
Darren stepped out of the cafe,
fanning the vape scents away from her

1413
02:01:20.880 --> 02:01:27.920
nose. Iris was missing. She
looked around frantically. It was still too

1414
02:01:27.960 --> 02:01:30.840
early on a weekday for there to
be many shoppers. There was no one

1415
02:01:30.880 --> 02:01:36.279
to ask. She started toward the
bathrooms and stopped, remembering the girl had

1416
02:01:36.319 --> 02:01:42.479
just gone. She peeked into the
build a buddy, but found it deserted,

1417
02:01:42.520 --> 02:01:45.920
save the one bored employee who was
arranging the sold separately accessory racks.

1418
02:01:46.479 --> 02:01:51.399
Darren jogged down the wide hall and
spotted her on the carousel outside some discount

1419
02:01:51.439 --> 02:01:57.960
shoe store. She growled with frustration
and ran to the ride. Iris.

1420
02:01:58.039 --> 02:02:02.039
What are you doing, she demanded. Riding the ponies, she called out,

1421
02:02:02.560 --> 02:02:06.760
I told you to wait for me. That place smelled funny, she

1422
02:02:06.960 --> 02:02:12.920
said, as the purple horse twirled
past Darren. I'm sorry, miss,

1423
02:02:13.239 --> 02:02:16.880
it's my fault, a cowboy said
from a nearby bench. He stood and

1424
02:02:16.960 --> 02:02:21.680
gave her a toothpaste commercial grade smile. The little one seemed bored, and

1425
02:02:21.760 --> 02:02:27.239
I offered to pay for her round
on the carousel. And you're talking to

1426
02:02:27.319 --> 02:02:31.159
strangers, Darren said, before turning
to the man. He's not a stranger

1427
02:02:31.279 --> 02:02:36.000
silly, Iris informed her, he
knows my mom. Yes, ma'am,

1428
02:02:36.119 --> 02:02:41.560
that's correct. The cowboy waved at
Iris, then turned back to Darren.

1429
02:02:42.199 --> 02:02:45.520
I didn't mean no harm, miss, I just wanted to help a princess

1430
02:02:45.560 --> 02:02:47.880
out. I must be getting back
to other business, but I do hope

1431
02:02:47.920 --> 02:02:53.680
you enjoy the rest of your day. I'm sorry, who are you exactly?

1432
02:02:54.680 --> 02:02:58.760
Just a friend of the family.
He patted Darren's shoulder and slipped the

1433
02:02:58.800 --> 02:03:02.680
stetson back onto his head. Take
good care of the little one. The

1434
02:03:02.760 --> 02:03:09.399
cowboy sauntered down the hall, his
boots striking the tiles rhythmically. Darren rushed

1435
02:03:09.439 --> 02:03:14.199
to the carousel as it stopped turning
and chimed the ride was over. She

1436
02:03:14.279 --> 02:03:17.560
put her hands on her hips and
waited for Iris to step down. Oh

1437
02:03:17.640 --> 02:03:23.319
and uh, Darren, the cowboy
called out, do be careful tonight.

1438
02:03:23.960 --> 02:03:28.960
There's a hell of a storm come
in this way. Darren scooped Iris up

1439
02:03:29.279 --> 02:03:32.319
and turned to find the stranger had
already gone. She looked at the beaming

1440
02:03:32.359 --> 02:03:38.600
smile on Iris's face and poked the
girl's nose. Don't do that again,

1441
02:03:39.279 --> 02:03:44.479
she hugged her tightly. We need
to get home, yeah, Iris,

1442
02:03:44.520 --> 02:03:47.039
agreed, I want to message Beth
and see if she's feeling any better.

1443
02:03:48.279 --> 02:03:53.960
Darren couldn't get any words out.
She simply nodded, trying not to show

1444
02:03:54.039 --> 02:03:59.359
anything. She let Iris back down
and took the child's hand. They walked

1445
02:03:59.399 --> 02:04:02.239
down to Sweet Pete's candy shops so
they could load up on gummy worms and

1446
02:04:02.279 --> 02:04:09.960
malt balls before heading home. Overhead, the skylights blackened with forming clouds.

1447
02:04:11.079 --> 02:04:20.000
The cowboy was right, there was
a hell of a storm coming. Gus

1448
02:04:20.079 --> 02:04:26.079
McGrew squeezed at the pimple on the
back of his neck. Some damned crotch

1449
02:04:26.159 --> 02:04:29.399
dumpling had been nice enough to point
it out on the morning drive to the

1450
02:04:29.439 --> 02:04:33.319
school, and wouldn't shut up about
it for the entire ride. He despised

1451
02:04:33.399 --> 02:04:39.119
kids almost as much as adults.
Unfortunately, driving a school bus was one

1452
02:04:39.119 --> 02:04:43.560
of the few jobs available for a
high school dropout who preferred not to work

1453
02:04:43.680 --> 02:04:47.520
long shifts. He made enough to
cover his rent, and the side gig

1454
02:04:47.600 --> 02:04:53.760
delivering for Hunger Hustle took care of
the rest. He groaned happily as the

1455
02:04:53.800 --> 02:04:59.640
blemish burst and wiped his fingers on
his slacks before collecting his clipboard and stepping

1456
02:04:59.640 --> 02:05:03.720
out of the bus. Gus tucked
the paperwork under his poncho and sprinted as

1457
02:05:03.760 --> 02:05:09.119
best his portly body would allow.
He wiped the rein off his face.

1458
02:05:09.159 --> 02:05:14.119
When he got inside the bus barn, the clipboard clattered onto the chipped linoleum

1459
02:05:14.159 --> 02:05:18.840
counter. The goddamn Blinker's still out, he griped. Edna looked up and

1460
02:05:18.920 --> 02:05:24.720
spat tobacco into the plastic cup,
dribbling some down her chin, where the

1461
02:05:24.760 --> 02:05:30.479
brown juice clung to dark curly hairs. Did you top off the blinker fluid

1462
02:05:30.520 --> 02:05:34.840
peck her head? Gus sighed.
Edna was a retiree who oversaw the bus

1463
02:05:34.880 --> 02:05:41.039
depot for under the table cash payments. She had been Gus's bus driver thirty

1464
02:05:41.119 --> 02:05:45.920
years prior and never forgave him for
putting gum in her seat he was eight,

1465
02:05:45.720 --> 02:05:50.039
not that she was much nicer to
anyone else. For fuck's sake,

1466
02:05:50.239 --> 02:05:55.079
Edna, can you just turn in
the request to maintenance? I did that

1467
02:05:55.239 --> 02:05:59.680
last week. She jabbed a withered
finger at his belly. Maybe if you'd

1468
02:05:59.720 --> 02:06:02.279
lose some weight, you could see
your balls again and change your own damn

1469
02:06:02.279 --> 02:06:08.479
ballb like a real man. You
don't leave enough masculinity for the rest of

1470
02:06:08.560 --> 02:06:14.680
us. Edna eat my dusty muff, you flabby cocksucker. I'll just give

1471
02:06:14.720 --> 02:06:18.319
it to them myself. Gus scooped
the clipboard and turned to the maintenance cage

1472
02:06:18.319 --> 02:06:23.840
on the far side of the barn. The chain leak cubicle was locked tight,

1473
02:06:23.960 --> 02:06:28.239
with a cardboard clock hanging next to
the padlock that said they'd be back

1474
02:06:28.279 --> 02:06:32.000
at noon. Gus flipped the clock
over angrily. It had said that for

1475
02:06:32.039 --> 02:06:36.840
two days. He slid the maintenance
request under the gate and kicked the fence.

1476
02:06:38.560 --> 02:06:44.600
Stupid ass school district can't find any
reliable employees, he grumbled. Outside

1477
02:06:44.640 --> 02:06:47.920
he slogged through the gravel toward the
employee parking lot. As usual, he

1478
02:06:48.039 --> 02:06:51.960
was the last bus in. It
wasn't his fault. He had the east

1479
02:06:53.039 --> 02:06:58.760
b root, which consisted of spread
out housing developments with winding streets and cul

1480
02:06:58.800 --> 02:07:02.199
de sacs that took twice as long
to navigate, and then he still had

1481
02:07:02.199 --> 02:07:06.800
to refuel and do his service check. Before he could clock out, his

1482
02:07:06.840 --> 02:07:12.840
foot splashed into a puddle, flooding
his shoe. Instantly, Gus shouted and

1483
02:07:12.880 --> 02:07:16.800
shook his foot pointlessly. He unclipped
the carabiner from his belt loop and fanned

1484
02:07:16.800 --> 02:07:21.359
them out to find the key to
his nineteen eighty six Corvette. He slotted

1485
02:07:21.359 --> 02:07:28.760
it into the door. Nothing fuck
my life. Gus thought the vet would

1486
02:07:28.800 --> 02:07:32.800
make him look cooler when he found
it online. Unfortunately, it normally just

1487
02:07:32.880 --> 02:07:38.079
made him look dumb. He searched
the ring and found the other GM key

1488
02:07:38.159 --> 02:07:42.159
that unlocked the doors, and then
wiggled into the driver's seat as quickly as

1489
02:07:42.199 --> 02:07:45.920
he could. He stared at the
keys in his palm with a groan.

1490
02:07:46.880 --> 02:07:51.279
He searched again for the ignition key
and slid it in when the door opened

1491
02:07:51.800 --> 02:07:58.640
and a fist slammed into his nose. The rain spattering his face kept him

1492
02:07:58.680 --> 02:08:03.680
from slipping into unconscious business completely,
though he didn't remember falling to the gravel.

1493
02:08:03.359 --> 02:08:07.239
The rain soaked through the seat of
his pants. As he sat up

1494
02:08:07.239 --> 02:08:13.199
against his will, his shattered nose
throbbed and he tried reaching to assess the

1495
02:08:13.279 --> 02:08:18.920
damage, but his hands wouldn't move. He tugged down again, feeling the

1496
02:08:18.039 --> 02:08:24.760
nylon tighten against his efforts. Gus
regained his senses slowly. His door was

1497
02:08:24.800 --> 02:08:28.920
open and he was sitting against the
sports car. He glanced up and saw

1498
02:08:28.960 --> 02:08:35.199
the seat belt twisted around his wrists. The man kneeling beside him slapped his

1499
02:08:35.279 --> 02:08:39.880
cheek to draw his attention. A
kevlar helmet shrouded his head with a rectangular

1500
02:08:41.039 --> 02:08:46.840
visor covering half of his face.
The obsidian glass blocked the man's eyes,

1501
02:08:46.199 --> 02:08:52.279
and Gus thanked God for that.
He was sure whatever evil glare was staring

1502
02:08:52.319 --> 02:08:56.199
back at him would have emptied his
bowels right there in the parking lot.

1503
02:08:56.720 --> 02:09:00.439
The man held up a metal tool
that looked a lot like the thing dieds

1504
02:09:00.520 --> 02:09:03.920
used. To check your ears.
Name's Red, I need your help,

1505
02:09:05.680 --> 02:09:09.039
the man growled. His words were
mangled by the lack of lips to form

1506
02:09:09.119 --> 02:09:13.119
the words, but he spoke slow
enough for Gus to get the gist.

1507
02:09:13.680 --> 02:09:20.880
Tell me about the girl, the
ginger what? Gus shook his head in

1508
02:09:20.960 --> 02:09:26.399
confusion. Please let me go.
Red twisted a knob on the side of

1509
02:09:26.439 --> 02:09:31.920
the tool. Rains sputtered around the
tip of the instrument, and Gus could

1510
02:09:31.920 --> 02:09:35.119
make out the hiss of the air
blowing through it. His eyes flicked from

1511
02:09:35.159 --> 02:09:41.560
the tool to the three cylinders hanging
over the man's shoulder from a thick black

1512
02:09:41.600 --> 02:09:46.479
strap. He swallowed hard. It
wasn't air, he heard, it was

1513
02:09:46.640 --> 02:09:52.520
gas. The man raised the striker
and sparked the torch to life. Oh

1514
02:09:52.560 --> 02:09:56.640
shit, Gus zeroed in on the
flame. You got the wrong guy,

1515
02:09:56.680 --> 02:10:01.399
man. I've never had any girl, not even a blonde. I don't

1516
02:10:01.399 --> 02:10:07.560
know any girls, the one from
the bus. Red waved the flame across

1517
02:10:07.600 --> 02:10:11.680
Gus's face, fast enough not to
burn him, but let him feel the

1518
02:10:11.720 --> 02:10:16.720
heat. The red headed child.
What No, I never touched any kid.

1519
02:10:16.720 --> 02:10:24.439
You've got the wrong driver. The
mask cocked in curiosity. Red adjusted

1520
02:10:24.479 --> 02:10:28.880
the knobs until the fire became a
fine blue spear point at the end of

1521
02:10:28.920 --> 02:10:35.399
the nozzle. Tell me her name. He swirled the instrument in a tightening

1522
02:10:35.439 --> 02:10:41.000
spiral until the flame touched Gus's cheek. The skin bubbled, and the bus

1523
02:10:41.119 --> 02:10:45.439
driver screamed and squirmed. He pumped
his legs through the gravel like he was

1524
02:10:45.560 --> 02:10:52.279
running. Who was the girl,
Maggie? Gus shrieked. The lunatic laughed

1525
02:10:52.439 --> 02:10:56.000
and prodded the blackening flesh with the
hot metal, peeling melted skin away on

1526
02:10:56.079 --> 02:11:01.279
the brass tip. He widened the
flame. The smell of burning meat wafted

1527
02:11:01.319 --> 02:11:07.199
through the employee parking lot. Gus
continued shouting the name. Red didn't stop

1528
02:11:07.359 --> 02:11:13.239
when the flame finally retreated. The
pelting rain hit the driver's ravaged face like

1529
02:11:13.319 --> 02:11:22.439
drops of acid. Gus shook and
sobbed. Maggie, what Maggie hawks,

1530
02:11:22.720 --> 02:11:28.800
Maggie hawks, Gus quivered in place, She's a redhead. Good. The

1531
02:11:28.880 --> 02:11:33.279
man blew out the flame in a
shower of spittle and pressed the glowing tip

1532
02:11:33.399 --> 02:11:41.119
into a crease of Gus's neck.
Address now it's I don't I don't know,

1533
02:11:41.840 --> 02:11:46.600
Gus shook his head. My route, I have a map, it's

1534
02:11:46.800 --> 02:11:50.520
it's in the bus on the dashboard. Red growled, that would have been

1535
02:11:50.560 --> 02:11:56.439
easier. Will you let me go? Of course not. Red pressed his

1536
02:11:56.520 --> 02:12:05.000
gloved fingers into Gus's eyes until they
cracked the thin bone and mashed deep into

1537
02:12:05.039 --> 02:12:11.359
his frontal lobe. Gore oozed around
his thumbs while the driver shuddered, kicking

1538
02:12:11.399 --> 02:12:15.920
his feet frantically. Red bashed his
head against the side of the car to

1539
02:12:15.960 --> 02:12:22.239
expedite the process. Gus McGrew,
you slovenly, son of a bitch.

1540
02:12:22.880 --> 02:12:26.279
Edna shrieked over the downpour. You
tracked up my clean fucking floor and left

1541
02:12:26.319 --> 02:12:31.600
goddamn bus lights on, you nit
wit. Edna rounded the hood of the

1542
02:12:31.600 --> 02:12:37.039
corvette, why the sam hell is
your door open, dummy? Edna gave

1543
02:12:37.079 --> 02:12:41.199
it a shove, only for it
to bounce off Gus's body, still doing

1544
02:12:41.239 --> 02:12:46.520
the dead man's jig, Edna jumped
back, swallowing her tobacco and choking.

1545
02:12:46.600 --> 02:12:50.800
Before she could scream, she spun
around in a gloved hand clamped down on

1546
02:12:50.880 --> 02:12:56.159
her wrinkled jaws, squeezing until the
joints separated with a pair of wet pops.

1547
02:12:58.479 --> 02:13:01.960
A woman's mouth isn't met for such
vulgarity, the man said, with

1548
02:13:03.000 --> 02:13:07.439
a skeletal grin. No soap to
wash it out, so I guess I'll

1549
02:13:07.439 --> 02:13:13.520
have to improvise. The gout of
flame caressed Edna's lips, singing her mustache

1550
02:13:13.520 --> 02:13:22.279
before the man squeezed the handle,
concentrating the intensity on to the wagging tongue.

1551
02:13:22.159 --> 02:13:26.920
If you're not afraid, then you're
already dead. Weekly spooky, We'll

1552
02:13:26.920 --> 02:13:37.159
be right back chapter nine now.
I don't want any problems this time,

1553
02:13:37.720 --> 02:13:43.079
Henry Hawkes told the girl on the
porch, it's a big night for your

1554
02:13:43.159 --> 02:13:48.079
mother. She's worked very hard on
the gala tonight. I know, Dad,

1555
02:13:48.479 --> 02:13:52.560
Maggie mumbled and rolled her eyes.
I don't need a babysitter anymore.

1556
02:13:52.600 --> 02:13:58.479
I'm eleven. Now only only eleven, and just by a week, he

1557
02:13:58.600 --> 02:14:03.840
reminded her. Henry knelt and hugged
her. Look, the Galla runs until

1558
02:14:03.960 --> 02:14:09.439
ten, and then we're going to
celebrate with the board of directors tomorrow.

1559
02:14:09.520 --> 02:14:15.119
We'll do something fun. Maggie waved
her hand in a grand gesture at the

1560
02:14:15.199 --> 02:14:20.279
downpour beyond the roof of the covered
porch, like water skiing. Okay,

1561
02:14:20.359 --> 02:14:28.199
so it'll require some creative thinking,
Henry conceded. Just behave tonight. Please,

1562
02:14:28.079 --> 02:14:31.760
no issues, no phone calls.
Just stick to the list I gave

1563
02:14:31.800 --> 02:14:35.199
you, and there won't be any
reason for you and Margaret to butt heads.

1564
02:14:37.159 --> 02:14:41.680
Hugh said, butt heeads. Mitch
snickered from behind his big sister.

1565
02:14:41.840 --> 02:14:46.479
Henry sighed. The seven year old
was proof that lightning doesn't strike the same

1566
02:14:46.520 --> 02:14:52.199
area twice. When Maggie was his
age, she was gifted and talented and

1567
02:14:52.279 --> 02:14:58.960
played Bach without looking at the sheet
music. Mitch ate crayons in order of

1568
02:14:58.039 --> 02:15:03.920
preference to flay. It was mathematically
improbable for all the kids to get Helen's

1569
02:15:03.920 --> 02:15:09.439
intellect. He should have gotten snipped
after the girls. Oh well, the

1570
02:15:09.479 --> 02:15:15.880
world needs pizza boys too. He
told himself, just stick to the list

1571
02:15:15.960 --> 02:15:18.760
and stay out of Margaret's hair.
I love you both, and I expect

1572
02:15:18.760 --> 02:15:24.119
to see you sleeping soundly when I
get home. Henry stood and opened his

1573
02:15:24.239 --> 02:15:28.640
umbrella. He glanced down at them
one last time. No bs tonight,

1574
02:15:28.720 --> 02:15:37.880
guys, I mean it. Red
pulled up to the curb and watched the

1575
02:15:37.039 --> 02:15:41.960
suv back out of the driveway.
He'd dumped the bodies from the bus barn

1576
02:15:43.039 --> 02:15:48.399
in his Explorer and left it burning
in a ditch. The bus driver's corvette

1577
02:15:48.439 --> 02:15:52.159
wasn't as roomy, but he had
already kept the other vehicle for too long.

1578
02:15:52.920 --> 02:15:56.840
The local police would assume the corpses
died in a crash until they could

1579
02:15:56.880 --> 02:16:03.119
perform an actual autopsy that would get
him through the weekend. If this didn't

1580
02:16:03.159 --> 02:16:07.600
work out, he watched the house
through his binoculars, hoping the child hadn't

1581
02:16:07.640 --> 02:16:11.920
left in the family car. A
shape walked past one of the windows.

1582
02:16:13.119 --> 02:16:18.840
Red couldn't see her clearly, but
she wasn't the child. He hoped that

1583
02:16:20.039 --> 02:16:24.760
meant she was a babysitter. He
checked the windows, watching each for a

1584
02:16:24.800 --> 02:16:31.600
stretch and then moving to another,
and repeating the cycle until he spotted a

1585
02:16:31.640 --> 02:16:39.000
smaller figure darting around. He laughed
and reached into the back seat. The

1586
02:16:39.040 --> 02:16:41.000
house was at the end of a
cul de sac in a new development.

1587
02:16:41.959 --> 02:16:46.639
The two other houses on the block
had four sail signs in the yard,

1588
02:16:46.239 --> 02:16:50.200
and the next closest still had the
dumpster in the driveway from the builders.

1589
02:16:52.239 --> 02:16:56.120
It was the perfect place for him
to try out his favorite appropriation from the

1590
02:16:56.159 --> 02:17:03.239
fire truck. He pilfered back in
Texas. His fingers curled around the side

1591
02:17:03.280 --> 02:17:07.520
handle, and he wrangled the tool
to the front with a maniacal chuckle.

1592
02:17:09.680 --> 02:17:20.840
A person should enjoy their work.
Margaret stared at the mirror and scrunched her

1593
02:17:20.879 --> 02:17:24.319
nose. Her parents wouldn't be home
until after midnight, but the brats would

1594
02:17:24.360 --> 02:17:28.639
be asleep by eight, which meant
there was still plenty of time to sneak

1595
02:17:28.680 --> 02:17:33.399
out with Robbie for a bit,
if she could do something about her face

1596
02:17:33.440 --> 02:17:39.479
before then. Anyhow, she started
with the concealer to hide the acne.

1597
02:17:39.200 --> 02:17:43.479
She thought it magically went away once
you turned twenty. A year. Beyond

1598
02:17:43.479 --> 02:17:50.000
that magic number, she still had
to hide the blemishes. Margaret glanced at

1599
02:17:50.000 --> 02:17:54.559
the antique clock on the corner of
the vanity table. It was almost time

1600
02:17:54.639 --> 02:18:00.079
to put the hooligans to bed.
She dropped the concealer and reached for her

1601
02:18:00.120 --> 02:18:03.920
glass. Mom's going to shit when
she finds out Mitch's watching horror movies,

1602
02:18:05.559 --> 02:18:11.159
Maggie said in her shrill piercing wine. God, damn, Maggie. Margaret

1603
02:18:11.200 --> 02:18:16.639
banged the cup onto the vanity and
glared at the cascade of cranberry juice detox

1604
02:18:16.799 --> 02:18:22.200
staining the front of her laptop.
I'm going to wring your neck. Margaret

1605
02:18:22.239 --> 02:18:28.520
spun on the bench and stood in
a huff. Gross Margaret, you'll have

1606
02:18:28.600 --> 02:18:33.040
pimples one day too. She shook
her head and grabbed her robe off the

1607
02:18:33.040 --> 02:18:37.280
foot of the bed. I meant
your boobs, Maggie scoffed. Yuck.

1608
02:18:37.680 --> 02:18:41.680
You can see them through your shirt. Yeah, because you made me spill

1609
02:18:41.719 --> 02:18:46.360
my drink on it, my sixty
dollars shirt from Victoria's Secret, I might

1610
02:18:46.399 --> 02:18:52.719
add, you did add. Maggie
rolled her eyes. I'm still telling Mom

1611
02:18:52.760 --> 02:18:56.840
about Mitch watching scary movies. At
least he's not bothering you if he's watching

1612
02:18:58.520 --> 02:19:05.239
wait, what is he watching?
Sorority House Cannibals. She held a finger

1613
02:19:05.319 --> 02:19:09.159
to her lip. Is it part
four or Part six? That has the

1614
02:19:09.200 --> 02:19:13.360
bimbo getting dropped in acid. Damn
it, Margaret stamped her foot. I

1615
02:19:13.360 --> 02:19:18.840
don't have time for this nonsense.
Why not? Mom and Dad won't be

1616
02:19:18.840 --> 02:19:22.399
home for hours. What do you
need? More time for a break from

1617
02:19:22.440 --> 02:19:28.639
you two? That's what Margaret stomped
out of the bedroom and made her way

1618
02:19:28.639 --> 02:19:31.399
through the house. In the laundry
room, she peeled off her shirt and

1619
02:19:31.479 --> 02:19:35.760
draped it over the top of the
dryer. She touched her flesh and felt

1620
02:19:35.760 --> 02:19:41.319
the stickiness of the juice already clinging
to her breasts. She groaned and sprayed

1621
02:19:41.319 --> 02:19:46.000
the shirt down with stain remover before
dropping it into the washer. She added

1622
02:19:46.040 --> 02:19:50.680
a few other items from the hamper
next to the door to get a full

1623
02:19:50.719 --> 02:19:56.360
load. Before starting the machine.
The lights flickered, making her jump.

1624
02:19:56.799 --> 02:20:01.479
She threw an arm across her chest
and stared at the kitchen window. When

1625
02:20:01.479 --> 02:20:05.879
the lights blinked, she could have
sworn there was someone standing directly outside.

1626
02:20:07.959 --> 02:20:11.479
She squinted at the glass and didn't
see anything else. Still, she put

1627
02:20:11.479 --> 02:20:16.760
her robe on quickly before heading to
the shelf over the sink where the mother

1628
02:20:16.879 --> 02:20:20.799
kept the melatonin gummies hidden from sight. Margaret took out two and then went

1629
02:20:20.920 --> 02:20:26.719
to the pantry for two fruit snack
packages. She tore them open and dropped

1630
02:20:26.719 --> 02:20:31.559
a gummy in each pouch, mixing
them around with her finger. She'd need

1631
02:20:31.600 --> 02:20:35.239
to work a shower into her plans
now, so the brats needed to hit

1632
02:20:35.239 --> 02:20:39.879
the hay. She strutted down the
hall to Mitch's room. First, she

1633
02:20:39.000 --> 02:20:45.040
stuck her tongue out in disgusted at
the practical effects on the television as the

1634
02:20:45.120 --> 02:20:50.000
deranged house mother gnawed the face off
of a topless cheerleader. It's definitely part

1635
02:20:50.079 --> 02:20:54.399
four, she muttered, as she
stepped into the room and flipped off the

1636
02:20:54.440 --> 02:21:00.559
TV. No more of that tonight, aw man, Come on, just

1637
02:21:00.639 --> 02:21:03.479
let me finish the movie. No, Mitch, that's not the kind of

1638
02:21:03.520 --> 02:21:07.799
scary movie I meant you could watch
anyway. She wiggled the snack pouch in

1639
02:21:07.840 --> 02:21:11.559
the air. But I will let
you have these to make up for it.

1640
02:21:13.239 --> 02:21:16.520
Sweet. He snatched the bag and
jumped onto the bed, bouncing in

1641
02:21:16.559 --> 02:21:20.959
place as he popped them into his
mouth, one after another. Can I

1642
02:21:22.000 --> 02:21:26.840
stay up and play on my tablet
at least? Sure? Margaret said,

1643
02:21:26.000 --> 02:21:31.600
with a dismissive flip of her hand. She left Mitch to his videos while

1644
02:21:31.639 --> 02:21:35.040
She proceeded down the hall and knocked
on the jam of Maggie's door. What

1645
02:21:35.040 --> 02:21:39.520
do you want now, Maggie looked
up from her drawing pad. Geez,

1646
02:21:39.799 --> 02:21:45.399
do you have something against wearing clothes? I'm fixing to get in the shower.

1647
02:21:45.639 --> 02:21:48.840
Do you want me to wear a
bathing suit? You don't own a

1648
02:21:48.879 --> 02:21:52.840
bathing suit, Maggie said, with
an exasperated expression. You own a piece

1649
02:21:52.879 --> 02:21:58.040
of string that goes in your butt
and some little cloth triangles. That's a

1650
02:21:58.120 --> 02:22:03.520
grown up bathing suit, Mags,
mom doesn't wear one like that. Well,

1651
02:22:05.200 --> 02:22:09.000
Mom's had three kids, and the
second one was an ungrateful snot that

1652
02:22:09.120 --> 02:22:13.239
left her with stretch marks. She
pulled the fruit snacks out of her pocket.

1653
02:22:13.920 --> 02:22:16.600
But you were right about Mitch's movie. He shouldn't have been watching that,

1654
02:22:16.799 --> 02:22:22.520
so I brought you a peace offering. Maggie made a show of getting

1655
02:22:22.600 --> 02:22:26.639
up and walking fifteen feet to her
sister. She took the snacks and dumped

1656
02:22:26.639 --> 02:22:33.799
the whole bag into her mouth.
She smacked them noisily and nodded deal.

1657
02:22:33.639 --> 02:22:39.799
She mumbled around the fruity bites.
Maggie turned and kicked the door shut in

1658
02:22:39.879 --> 02:22:45.079
her big sister's face. Margaret gave
her the finger and whipped around, heading

1659
02:22:45.159 --> 02:22:50.000
back to her room. She let
her robe slip to the floor, feeling

1660
02:22:50.000 --> 02:22:54.600
it cling to the tacky juice.
She sat down on the bench and grabbed

1661
02:22:54.600 --> 02:22:58.280
a fistful of tissue from a box
to clean up the drink on the vanity

1662
02:22:58.319 --> 02:23:01.559
before it dried. She leaned over
and felt a dark spot on the carpet.

1663
02:23:03.319 --> 02:23:07.680
Damn, I guess I'll spot treat
that and then I'll take a shower.

1664
02:23:07.879 --> 02:23:13.399
She heard the floorboards creak. Back
to your room, you damn hool

1665
02:23:13.399 --> 02:23:18.040
again. You're not getting any more
snacks. She squinted at the mirror and

1666
02:23:18.120 --> 02:23:24.479
leaned forward. Shit is that another
one? Margaret found her compact to get

1667
02:23:24.520 --> 02:23:28.760
a closer look at the rising knot
on the side of her nose. The

1668
02:23:28.840 --> 02:23:33.280
boards squeaked again, and her eyes
jolted to the vanity mirror. Before she

1669
02:23:33.319 --> 02:23:39.440
could scream, the man pulled the
starter cord. The motor roared and drowned

1670
02:23:39.479 --> 02:23:43.559
out her cries for help. He
stomped forward, leading with the circular rescue

1671
02:23:43.600 --> 02:23:50.440
saw. The inch long teeth became
a blur as they screamed at ten thousand

1672
02:23:50.600 --> 02:23:54.799
rotations per minute. He rocked the
saw forward on his hip, thrusting it

1673
02:23:54.879 --> 02:24:00.959
toward her. Margaret turned and reached
for her phone, jabbing the emergency call

1674
02:24:01.000 --> 02:24:05.159
button. As the saw met the
back of her skull, blood showered the

1675
02:24:05.159 --> 02:24:11.079
man and stained the light pastel decor
of the room. Margaret watched her own

1676
02:24:11.159 --> 02:24:16.000
reflection shaking in the mirror as the
saw chewed through bone and brain matter.

1677
02:24:16.840 --> 02:24:20.760
The pain went away. First she
smelled burning like the drill at a dentist's

1678
02:24:20.760 --> 02:24:26.079
office. Then she couldn't smell anymore
either. The whirring of the saw went

1679
02:24:26.120 --> 02:24:33.200
away. Next she could see it
running in the mirror, though her face

1680
02:24:33.280 --> 02:24:39.200
shuddered with the whirring of the blade. Then it split in two and everything

1681
02:24:39.760 --> 02:24:48.360
went black. The babysitter slumped to
the floor in a heap and read let

1682
02:24:48.360 --> 02:24:54.760
the saw idle. While he appreciated
the destruction it did, the room looked

1683
02:24:54.799 --> 02:24:58.879
like an avatar. It definitely wasn't
discreet. Luckily, getting shot in the

1684
02:24:58.840 --> 02:25:03.840
hea he had left him partially deaf, so he didn't mind the noise as

1685
02:25:03.920 --> 02:25:07.920
much. Still, he couldn't fire
up the saw in the middle of town.

1686
02:25:07.639 --> 02:25:13.440
However, at only twenty four pounds, it was surprisingly wieldy and not

1687
02:25:13.600 --> 02:25:18.840
nearly as clumsy as his axe.
He watched a chunk of brain matter sloth

1688
02:25:18.000 --> 02:25:22.520
down the mirror over the reflection of
a little girl watching him from the doorway.

1689
02:25:24.280 --> 02:25:30.440
That was just the preamble. Little
one Red revd the saw twice.

1690
02:25:31.479 --> 02:25:35.520
Now we can cut to the meat
of this matter. Maggie ran down the

1691
02:25:35.559 --> 02:25:43.000
hallway. A door slammed, then
another a third. Red laughed. Clever

1692
02:25:43.239 --> 02:25:48.239
girl. Red kicked open a door, revealing an empty bathroom, lit only

1693
02:25:48.280 --> 02:25:52.520
by a plug in night light.
I should expect to seat and lies from

1694
02:25:52.600 --> 02:25:56.920
you, shouldn't I, Maggie.
He swung the saw behind him and booted

1695
02:25:58.000 --> 02:26:03.040
open another door. You'll father is
the prince of lies. You look sweet

1696
02:26:03.040 --> 02:26:05.719
and innocent, but I know what
you are. I know what you are.

1697
02:26:05.879 --> 02:26:11.319
Iris read past the next two doors
and focused on one at the end

1698
02:26:11.360 --> 02:26:16.040
of the hall. Not having nostrils
made him more sensitive to smells. The

1699
02:26:16.079 --> 02:26:22.200
faint trail of a little girl's shampoo
led him straight ahead. Raspberry slushy.

1700
02:26:22.040 --> 02:26:30.639
He tried the knob locked he chuckled
so much for a happy reunion. He

1701
02:26:30.760 --> 02:26:33.680
squeezed the trigger, ramping the saw
up to full speed, and pressed it

1702
02:26:33.719 --> 02:26:37.920
to the top of the doorframe.
The carbide. Tipped blade cut through the

1703
02:26:37.959 --> 02:26:43.760
stud and struck the door, tearing
away chunks of flimsy material in its wake.

1704
02:26:43.399 --> 02:26:46.719
Red butted the door with the tool, knocking one half to the floor

1705
02:26:46.719 --> 02:26:52.639
and letting the other swing comically on
the hinges. Get out from under the

1706
02:26:52.680 --> 02:26:56.520
bed. Child. He gripped the
brass rail of the footboard. This is

1707
02:26:56.600 --> 02:27:03.920
God's will and it shall be.
Maggie didn't come out. He tipped the

1708
02:27:03.920 --> 02:27:09.399
bed over and found nothing but scattered
toys in dirty laundry, and sometimes they

1709
02:27:09.479 --> 02:27:16.479
hide in the closet. He looked
over his shoulder at the accordion doors.

1710
02:27:16.079 --> 02:27:20.920
He took two steps toward them when
something struck his visor. He looked at

1711
02:27:20.959 --> 02:27:26.799
the offending item resting on the floor. A second foam dart bounced off his

1712
02:27:26.959 --> 02:27:31.360
arm. A little boy with droopy, tear filled eyes aimed at him down

1713
02:27:31.399 --> 02:27:35.680
the sights of the plastic gun.
The kid pumped the slide to rotate another

1714
02:27:35.760 --> 02:27:39.520
dart into the chamber. Leave my
sister alone, you, you ballsack,

1715
02:27:41.440 --> 02:27:48.040
he spat defiantly. Red eyed him
suspiciously and dropped the saw. He tore

1716
02:27:48.159 --> 02:27:50.639
the closet door from its guide and
hurled it across the room, where it

1717
02:27:50.719 --> 02:27:56.200
smashed through a window. Both children
screamed. Red seized Maggie by the hair,

1718
02:27:56.559 --> 02:28:01.120
swinging her next to the boy.
He stalked to them. A barrage

1719
02:28:01.159 --> 02:28:05.760
of toy bullets pelted him until he
batted the weapon away and pressed the children's

1720
02:28:05.799 --> 02:28:13.120
faces together. He growled in frustration. Red looked to the saw to the

1721
02:28:13.200 --> 02:28:18.799
red hairs twisted around its blade.
The babysitter was related to them, an

1722
02:28:18.799 --> 02:28:24.639
older sister. He pressed their faces
harder, cocking his head and twisting theirs

1723
02:28:24.639 --> 02:28:31.479
to see their faces as hemispheres of
the same face. The similarities were too

1724
02:28:31.520 --> 02:28:37.360
great. The kids were related.
That meant Iris was still out there.

1725
02:28:37.399 --> 02:28:41.600
He knocked their heads together and left
them in a slump on the carpet.

1726
02:28:41.360 --> 02:28:46.719
Red turned and flipped the computer desk
with a roar. His boot came down

1727
02:28:46.760 --> 02:28:50.239
on a dollhouse. He rampaged through
the room as a decade of plodding turned

1728
02:28:50.239 --> 02:28:56.680
to complete shit. There was no
way to find Iris. He hefted a

1729
02:28:56.680 --> 02:29:01.600
little purple bookshelf and slammed it to
the floor. He'd have to burn down

1730
02:29:01.680 --> 02:29:05.360
the school and kill as many ten
year old girls as he could. It

1731
02:29:05.479 --> 02:29:11.440
was the only logical thing to do. He reached for his saw and paused

1732
02:29:11.319 --> 02:29:16.000
read, knelt and swept splinters away
from the cover of the book. He

1733
02:29:16.159 --> 02:29:22.799
chuckled, picking up the Ittahwua Elementary
yearbook. He slung the saw over his

1734
02:29:22.840 --> 02:29:28.040
shoulder with its strap and made his
way back to the corvette. He struggled

1735
02:29:28.040 --> 02:29:31.840
to get the saw into the back
seat, sat down, and turned on

1736
02:29:31.920 --> 02:29:35.719
the dome light. His bloody fingers
stuck to the pages as he turned them,

1737
02:29:35.760 --> 02:29:41.360
looking for any one that looked like
they might be related to him.

1738
02:29:41.040 --> 02:29:48.319
He stopped turning them and stared at
the smiling face of his granddaughter. He

1739
02:29:48.440 --> 02:29:54.239
pressed a gore covered finger down on
her image and axed it out. They

1740
02:29:54.280 --> 02:30:00.600
hadn't changed her name at all.
She was still Iris Iris Martin. Red

1741
02:30:00.680 --> 02:30:05.879
never knew the nurse's name. He
leaned back in the seat solemnly, you

1742
02:30:05.920 --> 02:30:09.920
should really know the person that shoots
you in the face. Blue and red

1743
02:30:09.000 --> 02:30:13.280
lights flashed behind him, drawing his
attention to the police cruiser in his rear

1744
02:30:13.360 --> 02:30:18.360
view mirror. Red reached between the
seats for his duffel bag. The cop

1745
02:30:18.440 --> 02:30:24.879
opened his door and stepped out,
approaching the vehicle slowly. Red watched him

1746
02:30:24.879 --> 02:30:30.760
intently. The officer tapped the tail
light and turned his flashlight on, letting

1747
02:30:30.799 --> 02:30:35.319
it hit the car mirror. Red
turned his empty eye socket up against the

1748
02:30:35.360 --> 02:30:41.360
glare and tightened his grip on the
hard plastic handle. Excuse me, sir,

1749
02:30:41.879 --> 02:30:46.239
the voice said as the speaker approached, this is a no parking zone.

1750
02:30:46.520 --> 02:30:52.559
Lucky me, officer. I was
in need of some assistance. Is

1751
02:30:52.600 --> 02:30:56.479
that so? The cop leaned into
the window and gagged at the sight of

1752
02:30:56.520 --> 02:31:03.319
Red's face. He tried to compose
himself. What can I assist you with?

1753
02:31:03.040 --> 02:31:07.440
Red reached out and snagged the CoP's
collar. He banged his face into

1754
02:31:07.440 --> 02:31:11.959
the frame of the car and dropped
him to the sidewalk. Red stepped out

1755
02:31:13.239 --> 02:31:16.920
and lifted the officer, slinging him
onto the hood. He hooked the seat

1756
02:31:16.920 --> 02:31:22.479
belt cutting tool below the hem of
the body armor. I'm trying to find

1757
02:31:22.479 --> 02:31:28.520
my granddaughter's house. Red dragged the
tool along the patrolman's belly. Gravity pulled

1758
02:31:28.559 --> 02:31:31.840
a knot of pink intestine through the
tear. Tell me where I can find

1759
02:31:31.920 --> 02:31:39.760
the Martin residence. Fuck you.
The knot unraveled, pulling more insides outside.

1760
02:31:41.200 --> 02:31:46.680
Red jerked the tool further along.
You can tell me now or after

1761
02:31:46.760 --> 02:31:52.520
I've hollowed you out. Red leaned
his mouth against the CoP's cheek, scraping

1762
02:31:52.520 --> 02:31:58.600
his flesh with his teeth. But
you are going to tell me? Are

1763
02:31:58.639 --> 02:32:09.559
you afraid? Good? Weekly Spooky, We'll be right back. Chapter ten,

1764
02:32:13.920 --> 02:32:18.399
Darren watched Iris bounce on the couch, wielding the hairbrush like a microphone

1765
02:32:18.440 --> 02:32:22.040
as she lip synced to her iPod
playlist. The girl wore an assortment of

1766
02:32:22.120 --> 02:32:28.280
random accessories over her new Buffalo Wang's
T shirt in an attempt to capture the

1767
02:32:28.319 --> 02:32:33.799
look of the glam rocker belting lyrics
through the heart shaped bluetooth speaker. She

1768
02:32:33.920 --> 02:32:37.879
twisted the red feather boa she got
during the Valentine's Clearance around her fist and

1769
02:32:39.079 --> 02:32:45.040
screamed the chorus unharmoniously along with the
lead singer. All the bands sounded the

1770
02:32:45.079 --> 02:32:50.159
same. To Darren. It was
some eighties hair metal playlist Iris curated with

1771
02:32:50.200 --> 02:32:56.399
her mother. Darren found herself thinking
about Shelley again. She tapped the house

1772
02:32:56.399 --> 02:32:58.799
phone on the dining room table in
rhythm with the drum line and hit the

1773
02:32:58.840 --> 02:33:03.600
re dial button. Shelley's phone went
straight to voicemail for the eleventh time.

1774
02:33:05.920 --> 02:33:11.399
Darren knew when she read the articles
that the police were either clueless or actively

1775
02:33:11.440 --> 02:33:16.360
concealing the truth. Red Toscana was
out there somewhere, and he sure as

1776
02:33:16.399 --> 02:33:22.239
shit wasn't heading to Louisiana. She
debated calling the Sheriff's office, but thought

1777
02:33:22.280 --> 02:33:26.920
better of it. She'd sound like
a lunatic if she told them Iris's biological

1778
02:33:26.959 --> 02:33:31.559
grandfather had escaped from prison and was
stalking the city of Ittawa. She felt

1779
02:33:31.600 --> 02:33:37.239
like a lunatic for even thinking it. Besides, it was Shelley's secret.

1780
02:33:37.760 --> 02:33:41.079
If Darren was wrong about Red,
then everyone would know the truth about Iris,

1781
02:33:41.399 --> 02:33:46.399
and she'd live with that ridicule,
while Shelley would face the sideways glances

1782
02:33:46.440 --> 02:33:50.479
of everyone in town raising the granddaughter
of a mass murderer that she tried to

1783
02:33:50.559 --> 02:33:56.639
kill. Who would come to her
clinic. Knowing that Darren's thumb hit the

1784
02:33:56.760 --> 02:34:00.840
nine and stretched to the one,
she didn't need to tell tell them everything.

1785
02:34:01.559 --> 02:34:05.479
She could just say that she saw
someone creeping around and wanted a deputy

1786
02:34:05.520 --> 02:34:09.200
to come check things out. She
hit the final one and froze over the

1787
02:34:09.239 --> 02:34:16.319
green send button. She mashed the
red one instead. Everyone already thought she

1788
02:34:16.559 --> 02:34:22.280
was crazy. She didn't talk about
what happened with Wayneedale Smith, but people

1789
02:34:22.600 --> 02:34:28.040
still knew when she first moved to
Utahwua it hadn't been bad. Darren was

1790
02:34:28.120 --> 02:34:31.719
just another weird college girl from the
West Coast. As far as the backwater

1791
02:34:31.799 --> 02:34:37.760
residents of Oklahoma were concerned, every
part of California was just a neighborhood in

1792
02:34:37.799 --> 02:34:43.760
Los Angeles. They expected eccentricities from
those kinds of people. Big Bear wasn't

1793
02:34:43.840 --> 02:34:48.200
much different than the small cities of
the Midwest. It certainly wasn't La,

1794
02:34:48.760 --> 02:34:54.639
but you couldn't convince anyone of that. They had expectations for a Californian,

1795
02:34:54.680 --> 02:34:58.799
and with her strange hair colors and
year round long sleeves, she fell into

1796
02:34:58.799 --> 02:35:05.399
their preconceived notion it was fine with
her. It kept them from asking questions.

1797
02:35:05.639 --> 02:35:11.639
Darren Popatanis wasn't exactly a common name, However, it took less than

1798
02:35:11.680 --> 02:35:16.200
a year for people to figure out
who she was, especially after the true

1799
02:35:16.239 --> 02:35:20.719
crime series Death in a Small Town
decided to do a piece on Smith.

1800
02:35:22.479 --> 02:35:26.840
Everyone loved the fiery Cajun host and
the way he spilled the tawdry details of

1801
02:35:28.000 --> 02:35:35.520
murder, especially her sorority sisters.
Smith loved towns like Big Bear and Itawa,

1802
02:35:35.959 --> 02:35:39.159
places with large enough populations to hide
in, but small enough not to

1803
02:35:39.239 --> 02:35:45.879
have competent police. He also liked
places near the water so he could dispose

1804
02:35:45.920 --> 02:35:50.479
of his toys when he was done
playing with them. Broken Bow Lake wasn't

1805
02:35:50.520 --> 02:35:56.079
even two hours from Etahwa's nearby Lone
Elk Lake. Smith had taken a victim

1806
02:35:56.120 --> 02:36:01.520
from Broken Bow three years before he
abducted Day. It made the residence pay

1807
02:36:01.559 --> 02:36:07.680
extra attention to the episode, and
soon after her secret was out. Darren

1808
02:36:07.680 --> 02:36:11.840
didn't mind. She'd been through it
enough times that her skin grew thick to

1809
02:36:11.879 --> 02:36:18.000
the ridicule and gawking. Still.
It was a stigma she carried whenever her

1810
02:36:18.040 --> 02:36:20.879
mental health might come up. She
hit a deer once on the way to

1811
02:36:20.959 --> 02:36:26.239
her overnight stocking job at the local
thrifty Piggy grocery store. The manager sent

1812
02:36:26.239 --> 02:36:33.280
her home for a week because it
aggravated her delicate emotional state. Similar events

1813
02:36:33.280 --> 02:36:37.079
were a common occurrence. Whenever she
was upset, people assumed she would break

1814
02:36:37.120 --> 02:36:41.840
down. She didn't want to risk
the same response by calling the cops on

1815
02:36:41.920 --> 02:36:46.600
a hunch. The door bell brought
her back to the present. The Martin

1816
02:36:46.680 --> 02:36:50.559
residence was too far in the middle
of nowhere for the local pizza places to

1817
02:36:50.600 --> 02:36:56.520
deliver. Luckily, for her and
Iris's taste buds, Hungry Hustle based their

1818
02:36:56.520 --> 02:37:01.360
delivery range on straight line miles.
That meant the three restaurants on Etahwa's outskirts

1819
02:37:01.360 --> 02:37:07.000
were fair game, including Sooner and
Later subs. Darren's stomach rumbled at the

1820
02:37:07.000 --> 02:37:11.680
thought of the toasted, melty goodness
awaiting at the doorstep. She sat the

1821
02:37:11.719 --> 02:37:16.360
phone on the table and went to
greet the driver. A peal of thunder

1822
02:37:16.479 --> 02:37:20.760
shook the house. Her hand froze
on the doorknob At the sudden, ominous

1823
02:37:20.799 --> 02:37:26.719
warning, Darren laughed at herself and
twisted the dead bolt to open the door.

1824
02:37:26.399 --> 02:37:31.079
The driver hurriedly removed the hood of
his company approved poncho and put on

1825
02:37:31.120 --> 02:37:37.719
a practiced please tip me smile.
Darren reached out for the bag, stopping

1826
02:37:37.760 --> 02:37:43.440
mid motion to smile back at him. Brendan, She said, yep,

1827
02:37:43.840 --> 02:37:48.079
he answered, before recognition set in. His smile shifted to a softer,

1828
02:37:48.440 --> 02:37:54.879
more genuine version of itself. Darren, I didn't expect to see you here.

1829
02:37:54.319 --> 02:37:58.239
Well, I mean, obviously I
didn't expect to see you because that

1830
02:37:58.280 --> 02:38:03.040
would be weird. But do you
want to say something while I remember how

1831
02:38:03.079 --> 02:38:09.520
not to be an idiot. Darren
giggled. I got surprised with the last

1832
02:38:09.520 --> 02:38:13.079
minute babysitting gig. I'm staying here
for a couple of nights, and I

1833
02:38:13.120 --> 02:38:18.680
broke my phone. I actually I
wanted to call you. Oh it's fine,

1834
02:38:18.159 --> 02:38:22.239
No, it's not, Darren cleared
her throat. I haven't wanted to

1835
02:38:22.280 --> 02:38:28.559
call someone before. It was weird, and I got scared and I hesitated.

1836
02:38:28.680 --> 02:38:33.079
Really, Brendan relaxed, and his
smile lifted just a little higher.

1837
02:38:33.840 --> 02:38:39.799
The lights went out, making them
jump. Crap Iras shouted. A loud

1838
02:38:39.840 --> 02:38:46.280
thud followed. Oh damn, Darren
muttered, don't go anywhere, I need

1839
02:38:46.280 --> 02:38:50.440
to check on her. Of course, Darren squinted in the dark and eased

1840
02:38:50.479 --> 02:38:56.799
into the living room. Iris you
okay, yeah, the little girl whined.

1841
02:38:58.280 --> 02:39:01.520
I fell off the couch. Well
sit down until I get the flashlight.

1842
02:39:03.280 --> 02:39:05.760
Darren tried her best to remember the
placement of everything along the path.

1843
02:39:07.440 --> 02:39:11.399
The corner of the end table clipped
her knee, Painfully adjusting her course,

1844
02:39:11.079 --> 02:39:16.840
she hopped along with her arms outstretched. They found the wall, dislodging a

1845
02:39:16.879 --> 02:39:20.239
picture in the process. The frame
shattered in the dark, drawing a scream

1846
02:39:20.280 --> 02:39:26.159
from Iris. It's okay, Darren
called out, just making deductions from my

1847
02:39:26.239 --> 02:39:31.159
paycheck. She felt along the wall
until she was in the kitchen, and

1848
02:39:31.239 --> 02:39:35.360
then followed the indigo glow of the
coffee pot's clock the rest of the way.

1849
02:39:37.319 --> 02:39:41.399
The rechargeable flashlight blazed to life.
She shined it across her path and

1850
02:39:41.479 --> 02:39:46.920
went back to check on Iris.
Anything broken, kiddo, No, I

1851
02:39:46.959 --> 02:39:52.079
missed the coffee table. I meant
bones, dufus, Darren shook her head.

1852
02:39:52.559 --> 02:39:56.280
Just sit on the couch for a
minute. I'll get our food and

1853
02:39:56.319 --> 02:40:00.399
then we can find some candles.
It'll be like a fancy dinner, except

1854
02:40:00.399 --> 02:40:05.280
with sandwiches, not just sandwiches,
the biggest subs in the state of Oklahoma.

1855
02:40:05.799 --> 02:40:11.879
Darren corrected her. Is everything okay, Brendan asked from the doorway.

1856
02:40:11.719 --> 02:40:16.840
Yeah, everything's good, Darren answered, then glanced around the darkened room.

1857
02:40:18.840 --> 02:40:22.319
Except for that everything isn't obviously,
I'll be right there, Brendan. Please

1858
02:40:22.360 --> 02:40:26.760
don't go yet. I can't,
he said, with a little laugh.

1859
02:40:26.159 --> 02:40:31.799
I still have your food, right. Darren shook her head at herself.

1860
02:40:31.159 --> 02:40:37.000
Of course you do. I knew
that babbling isn't very emo, Darren,

1861
02:40:37.680 --> 02:40:41.920
Iris whispered, you might not have
a career in music, but you've got

1862
02:40:41.959 --> 02:40:45.600
a future as a stand up comic. Darren put the light under her chin

1863
02:40:45.840 --> 02:40:50.559
and stuck her tongue out at Iris, I'll be right back. Darren stood

1864
02:40:50.639 --> 02:40:54.079
up, walked around the couch and
into the entryway. Her light shined on

1865
02:40:54.159 --> 02:40:58.559
Brendan's legs as she attempted to keep
it out of his eyes. The rain

1866
02:40:58.680 --> 02:41:03.840
was cut coming down hard, hard
enough that it blocked her view beyond the

1867
02:41:03.879 --> 02:41:07.159
awning of the wrap around porch in
the wasteland. Between the glow of the

1868
02:41:07.200 --> 02:41:13.399
solar powered stake lights and the flower
beds and her flashlight beam, something shifted.

1869
02:41:15.239 --> 02:41:18.319
Darren paused and panned the light up
over in the direction of the movement.

1870
02:41:20.280 --> 02:41:24.239
She took a step back, tilting
the light onto Brendan's face. He

1871
02:41:24.319 --> 02:41:30.000
threw a hand up against the glare. Darren's throat seized. The flashlight twinkled

1872
02:41:30.040 --> 02:41:35.719
against the darkened glass of the helmet's
visor. The hulking form, bedecked and

1873
02:41:35.840 --> 02:41:39.239
soaked coveralls, looked like a shadow
come to life. As the killer pulled

1874
02:41:39.239 --> 02:41:45.200
the starter cord, the rescue saw
roared, belting out smoke from its gas

1875
02:41:45.239 --> 02:41:50.280
powered motor. Brendan wheeled around.
Darren watched his body convulse in the blaze

1876
02:41:50.280 --> 02:41:56.559
of white led light. The saw's
growl bogged down in a sickening cacophony of

1877
02:41:56.639 --> 02:42:01.959
rending tissue and cracking bones. The
killer's arms jerked upward. The snaps came

1878
02:42:03.040 --> 02:42:09.440
faster as Brendan's ribcage opened. Darren
watched him shudder in place, the seconds

1879
02:42:09.520 --> 02:42:16.360
dragging on indefinitely until he finally fell. Brendan's blood streaked face looked up at

1880
02:42:16.399 --> 02:42:20.360
her. Steam rose from his open
torso, and his mouth moved, trying

1881
02:42:20.399 --> 02:42:28.479
desperately to say a final word.
Darren understood. She lunged for the door,

1882
02:42:28.600 --> 02:42:31.120
slamming it shut with all her weight
and snapping the dead bolt into place.

1883
02:42:31.159 --> 02:42:35.879
Before the lunatic could get around the
body, the saw blade punched through

1884
02:42:35.920 --> 02:42:41.879
the metal door in a spray of
spark. Darren gawked at the spinning disk

1885
02:42:41.159 --> 02:42:48.079
an inch from her face as it
dragged effortlessly through the steel. Red Tuscano

1886
02:42:48.879 --> 02:42:58.360
had found them. Chapter eleven.
Darren bolted into the living room while sparks

1887
02:42:58.360 --> 02:43:03.760
illuminated the entryway. The saw would
tear through the door in a minute may

1888
02:43:03.760 --> 02:43:07.440
be less, and she needed to
get Iris to safety. She hit the

1889
02:43:07.520 --> 02:43:13.440
end table again. It flipped over, its legs tangled with hers, sending

1890
02:43:13.479 --> 02:43:18.879
her face first to the floor.
The flashlight bounced away, spinning near the

1891
02:43:18.920 --> 02:43:24.040
fireplace. She pressed herself up.
Iris had the flashlight clutched in her tiny

1892
02:43:24.120 --> 02:43:31.360
hands. The lights spilled back on
her, revealing her wide teary eyes.

1893
02:43:31.360 --> 02:43:35.200
Darren grabbed her by the arm and
jerked a poker from the brass rack of

1894
02:43:35.280 --> 02:43:41.079
fireplace tools, sending the stand crashing
to the floor noisily. We have to

1895
02:43:41.159 --> 02:43:46.639
run now, kido. Iris aimed
the light while Darren guided them down the

1896
02:43:46.680 --> 02:43:52.719
hallway and up the stairs. Iris's
sobs became clearer as they moved further from

1897
02:43:52.760 --> 02:43:58.360
the grinding of the saw's intrusion.
Darren stopped at the top of the stairs

1898
02:43:58.399 --> 02:44:03.479
and looked around. Her body sagged
at the realization of what she'd done.

1899
02:44:03.479 --> 02:44:07.799
Metal thudded against tyle as a piece
of the door fell away, giving Red

1900
02:44:07.920 --> 02:44:13.479
access to the locks. It was
too late to go down and out the

1901
02:44:13.520 --> 02:44:16.840
back door. We need to move
fast, so you have to do exactly

1902
02:44:16.920 --> 02:44:22.840
as I say, got it,
she asked? Iris wiped the tears away

1903
02:44:22.360 --> 02:44:26.040
and nodded, I need words so
I know you're with me on this.

1904
02:44:28.399 --> 02:44:33.639
I'm with you, she whimpered.
What's the plan. Lock all the doors

1905
02:44:33.719 --> 02:44:39.399
and close them. Then we get
to the bathroom. The roof slants enough

1906
02:44:39.399 --> 02:44:45.159
to get down. It'll be fun
like a water slide. No one tries

1907
02:44:45.239 --> 02:44:46.920
to kill you if you don't want
to go down the water slide. Aarin,

1908
02:44:48.000 --> 02:44:54.079
yeah, I know, baby.
Darren set the lock and shut Iris's

1909
02:44:54.120 --> 02:44:58.440
door, while the girl did the
same to her mother's room. Iris sprinted

1910
02:44:58.520 --> 02:45:03.280
to the bathroom and waited for Darin
to lock the office. The sitter shut

1911
02:45:03.319 --> 02:45:05.840
the door hard. She smashed the
window at the end of the hall with

1912
02:45:05.920 --> 02:45:11.520
the fire poker and dipped into the
bathroom as the footsteps hit the stairs.

1913
02:45:11.440 --> 02:45:16.760
The old farm house didn't have many
rooms to explore on the bottom floor.

1914
02:45:16.399 --> 02:45:20.479
Red must have cleared them quickly,
and since the back door was still locked,

1915
02:45:20.879 --> 02:45:26.799
it was easy to guess where they'd
gone. Damn it, Darren whispered,

1916
02:45:26.280 --> 02:45:30.440
I left the phone downstairs. I
should have grabbed the one out of

1917
02:45:30.440 --> 02:45:35.120
the office. There's one in mom's
room. I'd have to cross in front

1918
02:45:35.120 --> 02:45:39.280
of the stairs to get there.
Darren pulled the curtain back softly and lifted

1919
02:45:39.319 --> 02:45:46.079
the window. Rain spattered her face
as the storm raged on, quickly forming

1920
02:45:46.079 --> 02:45:50.200
a puddle on the tile below.
She heard Shelley's door frame shatter with a

1921
02:45:50.319 --> 02:45:56.200
kick over the ominous purr of the
idling saw. I hope he doesn't find

1922
02:45:56.200 --> 02:46:01.000
Mom's gun, Iris squeaked. Your
mom keeps a gun in her room.

1923
02:46:01.360 --> 02:46:07.239
Iris nodded in the bedside table.
If I'd known that, we would have

1924
02:46:07.280 --> 02:46:11.760
hidden there and waited for the cops, she hissed. Iris recoiled at the

1925
02:46:11.879 --> 02:46:16.799
venom in Darren's eyes. The killer
downstairs suddenly wasn't the scariest thing in the

1926
02:46:16.840 --> 02:46:22.559
world. Darren saw the way Iris
shifted away and immediately knelt and hugged the

1927
02:46:22.600 --> 02:46:26.520
girl close. I'm sorry, I
have a plan, but first I have

1928
02:46:26.600 --> 02:46:31.879
to get you outside, Darren pointed
at the window. You're going to slide

1929
02:46:31.959 --> 02:46:37.159
down. It joins to the roof
on the porch, So you'll just wait

1930
02:46:37.200 --> 02:46:39.840
for me there and I'll come and
catch you. If I'm not there by

1931
02:46:39.879 --> 02:46:43.520
the time you count to one hundred, you jump and run as hard as

1932
02:46:43.520 --> 02:46:48.399
you can to the Devill's It's a
straight line from your front door through the

1933
02:46:48.440 --> 02:46:52.360
pasture, but you're going to be
there before I finished counting. It wasn't

1934
02:46:52.360 --> 02:46:58.680
a question. Iris was making a
non negotiable demand of Darren. The babysitter

1935
02:46:58.760 --> 02:47:01.760
fished her car keys out of her
pocket and gave them to Iris as proof

1936
02:47:01.920 --> 02:47:07.319
she was coming. She lifted the
girl through the window as another door broke

1937
02:47:07.360 --> 02:47:11.520
open. Don't leave without me,
kiddo. Darren duck next to the sink,

1938
02:47:11.840 --> 02:47:16.520
checking for anything useful. The death
she'd planned for herself was about to

1939
02:47:16.559 --> 02:47:22.520
spare her the one coming for her
from down the hall. She grabbed the

1940
02:47:22.559 --> 02:47:26.799
toilet bowl cleaner, put the stopper
in the sink, and filled it quickly.

1941
02:47:26.639 --> 02:47:31.159
She listened to Red ransacking Iris's room
while she waited for the bottles to

1942
02:47:31.200 --> 02:47:37.399
finish. Straining. Her hands trembled, rattling the shower curtain as she pulled

1943
02:47:37.440 --> 02:47:41.920
it back. She found the tub
of bath salts and said a silent prayer

1944
02:47:41.319 --> 02:47:46.680
of thanks. When she read the
ingredients it had react. She discarded the

1945
02:47:46.680 --> 02:47:52.239
lid before stepping in and slipping the
curtain back into place. A polite knock

1946
02:47:52.319 --> 02:47:58.680
came to the door. Anyone in
there, Red growled, Darren readied herself.

1947
02:48:00.159 --> 02:48:03.120
The blow splintered the door, slamming
it into the linen rack behind it.

1948
02:48:03.520 --> 02:48:07.879
Red headed straight for the open window. By passing the shower, Darren

1949
02:48:07.920 --> 02:48:13.799
took a deep breath and tossed the
salts into the sink with the acidic cleaner.

1950
02:48:13.200 --> 02:48:18.680
An audible sizzle filled the room with
the stench of rotten eggs. Darren

1951
02:48:18.680 --> 02:48:22.520
stepped off the side of the tub, lifting the curtain rod and tossing it

1952
02:48:22.559 --> 02:48:28.079
over Red. He dropped the saw, wrestling the curtain from him and roaring

1953
02:48:28.159 --> 02:48:33.000
with anger. Darren swung the fire
poker across his knee, buckling him,

1954
02:48:33.239 --> 02:48:37.040
then brought it down on the side
of his neck. She jumped back as

1955
02:48:37.040 --> 02:48:41.680
he reached for her and swung again. It clanked against his helmet. Darren

1956
02:48:41.719 --> 02:48:45.719
gripped the tool in both hands and
ran it into his shoulder like a spear,

1957
02:48:46.000 --> 02:48:50.760
and dived for the door. Crawling
into the hallway, Red howled in

1958
02:48:50.840 --> 02:48:54.639
pain as he ripped the iron out
of his arm. The action drew more

1959
02:48:54.680 --> 02:48:58.520
of the hydrogen sulfide through his disfigured
nose. He tried to rise, but

1960
02:48:58.639 --> 02:49:03.440
stumble. The room began to spin, and he slipped in the rain water.

1961
02:49:07.159 --> 02:49:11.000
Darren heard the clack of his helmet
striking porcelain. She ran straight into

1962
02:49:11.000 --> 02:49:16.559
Shelley's bed frame and used it to
find the night stand. Her hands groped

1963
02:49:16.559 --> 02:49:20.559
for the phone. She almost screamed
with joy as she lifted the receiver,

1964
02:49:20.799 --> 02:49:26.079
only to realize Red had cut the
line before coming in. Darren let it

1965
02:49:26.159 --> 02:49:31.680
fall and found the gun in the
darkness. She tried to slip her finger

1966
02:49:31.760 --> 02:49:35.360
onto the trigger, but hit the
cold steel of a safety lock. The

1967
02:49:35.440 --> 02:49:39.479
key wouldn't be far, but with
the power out and Iris still holding the

1968
02:49:39.520 --> 02:49:46.120
flashlight, it might as well have
been in another country. A flashlight beam

1969
02:49:46.239 --> 02:49:50.079
bobbled in the hallway. Darren's gut
twisted at the idea of Iris coming back

1970
02:49:50.159 --> 02:49:54.879
to find her. She ran her
fingers through the drawer, trying to find

1971
02:49:54.920 --> 02:49:58.920
the key. Red stumbled forward,
running into the door jam and propping himse

1972
02:50:00.319 --> 02:50:03.120
there. He shook his head,
trying to clear the effects of the gas.

1973
02:50:03.879 --> 02:50:09.959
The work light swung hypnotically from his
jacket. He stripped the helmet off

1974
02:50:09.200 --> 02:50:16.000
and let it thump to the floor
before straightening up. Give me the girl,

1975
02:50:16.680 --> 02:50:22.239
he grumbled, I have a gun, Darren warned him, I have

1976
02:50:22.319 --> 02:50:28.280
a saw. Red gave the trigger
a squeeze, setting the blade into motion.

1977
02:50:28.000 --> 02:50:33.520
It slowed down, and he did
it again. Give her to me.

1978
02:50:33.559 --> 02:50:39.120
He took a shaky step forward.
The engine grumbled again. The blade

1979
02:50:39.200 --> 02:50:43.840
rattled against the steel housing. Darren
pointed the pistol to try and scare him

1980
02:50:43.840 --> 02:50:48.079
away. He came closer. The
light lit his face from below, the

1981
02:50:48.079 --> 02:50:52.360
way Shelby had done when she told
them a scary story. The realization Shelley

1982
02:50:52.479 --> 02:50:58.360
was dead hit Darren hard infuriated.
She stood as Red drew closer, with

1983
02:50:58.440 --> 02:51:07.000
his face contorting with malevolent enjoyment.
The saw reved and then sputtered. The

1984
02:51:07.040 --> 02:51:15.120
blade slowed, the motor choked again
and then died. Red stopped and pulled

1985
02:51:15.159 --> 02:51:20.200
the cord. It coughed but didn't
start. He tried again, with the

1986
02:51:20.239 --> 02:51:24.040
same result. Darren seized the moment. She cocked back her arm and threw

1987
02:51:24.120 --> 02:51:30.040
the pistol. Red's head whipped back
and the light spun across the room,

1988
02:51:30.440 --> 02:51:35.040
dancing wildly as he staggered from the
pearl handed fastball, colliding with his face.

1989
02:51:35.879 --> 02:51:43.959
Darren clamored over the bed and dived
off, crashing through the window.

1990
02:51:48.360 --> 02:51:54.959
Eighty seven eighty eight. Iris whispered
to herself. She hugged her legs tightly

1991
02:51:54.280 --> 02:51:58.200
and rocked on the roof of the
porch. She rubbed the car key between

1992
02:51:58.239 --> 02:52:03.959
her finger and counting out loud.
When she heard the crash, It was

1993
02:52:03.000 --> 02:52:07.760
barely audible over the storm, but
she heard it. She stopped her rocking

1994
02:52:09.280 --> 02:52:15.040
and listened closely. There were no
screams, no more noises at all.

1995
02:52:16.319 --> 02:52:20.200
The tears started again, and she
fought to keep them back. She'd lost

1996
02:52:20.239 --> 02:52:24.159
count. She wanted to start over
and give Darren more time, but she

1997
02:52:24.280 --> 02:52:31.719
knew that wasn't an option. Ninety
she said, inching to the edge of

1998
02:52:31.760 --> 02:52:35.559
the porch. Please be okay,
Darren, come and get me like you

1999
02:52:35.559 --> 02:52:46.639
said you would. Ninety one.
Darren untangled herself from the curtains and rolled

2000
02:52:46.680 --> 02:52:52.079
over, staring up at Red watching
her from the bedroom window. The yard

2001
02:52:52.200 --> 02:52:56.760
was a flooded, muddy mess that
would have made for a soft landing if

2002
02:52:56.840 --> 02:53:01.559
Darren hadn't missed it and struck the
wooden deck instead. She twisted away as

2003
02:53:01.600 --> 02:53:07.040
the saw plummeted down and snapped the
boards where her head had been. Near

2004
02:53:07.120 --> 02:53:11.959
death experiences were becoming a common theme
for the night, and it spurred her

2005
02:53:13.120 --> 02:53:18.000
into action. A sharp pain filled
her shoulder as she pushed up from the

2006
02:53:18.040 --> 02:53:22.680
planks. She didn't have time to
survey the damage. Iris would hit one

2007
02:53:22.719 --> 02:53:26.399
hundred and start running. She needed
to get to her before that happened.

2008
02:53:26.959 --> 02:53:30.680
Darren ran around the side of the
house, slipping in the driveway as the

2009
02:53:30.799 --> 02:53:35.840
rain washed out the gravel. She
saw the flashlight drop from the front porch.

2010
02:53:35.680 --> 02:53:43.440
A child sized silhouette slid down next
and falling even less gracefully. Darren

2011
02:53:43.520 --> 02:53:46.719
limped as fast as she could.
Something popped in her hip, nearly taking

2012
02:53:46.760 --> 02:53:52.600
her off her feet. The pain
subsided in a wave of relief. Iris

2013
02:53:52.680 --> 02:53:56.639
rose up, collecting her flashlight and
shining it at the rapidly approaching shadow.

2014
02:53:58.399 --> 02:54:03.879
Darren shielded her eyes from the glare
and held her arms open. Iris darted

2015
02:54:03.879 --> 02:54:07.440
into them, nearly knocking them both
over. I did what you said,

2016
02:54:07.799 --> 02:54:13.159
she sniffled, pressing the car keys
into Darren's hand. You did good,

2017
02:54:13.239 --> 02:54:18.159
kiddo, you did really good.
Darren took her hand and guided her around

2018
02:54:18.239 --> 02:54:22.639
Brendan's Tacoma to her car. Iris
climbed over the console and buckled into the

2019
02:54:22.680 --> 02:54:28.000
passenger seat. The car screeched as
she turned the ignition. The steady ticking

2020
02:54:28.079 --> 02:54:33.959
and knocking of the engine was the
sound of freedom. She shifted into reverse

2021
02:54:33.000 --> 02:54:37.920
and gunned it. The tires spun, throwing gravel in a noisy spray against

2022
02:54:39.000 --> 02:54:45.680
the side of the delivery truck,
and the car went nowhere. Fuck.

2023
02:54:46.000 --> 02:54:52.319
Darren took a deep breath, trying
to calm herself. The headlights shined on

2024
02:54:52.360 --> 02:54:56.600
the front of the house, on
the figure lumbering toward the open front door.

2025
02:54:56.399 --> 02:55:01.879
Darren put the car in drive,
easing down on the accelerator. The

2026
02:55:01.959 --> 02:55:05.040
car fought for traction and slipped out
of the rut. As Red came fully

2027
02:55:05.079 --> 02:55:11.319
into view, his hand disappeared into
his jacket. Darren shifted into reverse and

2028
02:55:11.399 --> 02:55:16.559
gave it gas while she turned the
wheel. The car missed its groove and

2029
02:55:16.680 --> 02:55:22.159
started its retreat. The girls screamed
as the entry tool smashed the windshield.

2030
02:55:24.040 --> 02:55:28.360
The forked pride bar and stuck through
the glass a foot in front of Darren's

2031
02:55:28.399 --> 02:55:33.239
face. She whipped the car into
the turnaround and got them facing the right

2032
02:55:33.280 --> 02:55:37.799
direction. The Sonata slipped in the
rocky patch, then jumped forward. Darren

2033
02:55:37.879 --> 02:55:43.319
chanced to look in the rear view
as they fled. Red jogged after them

2034
02:55:43.680 --> 02:55:48.920
in the hell fire glow of the
tail lights. They were going to be

2035
02:55:48.719 --> 02:55:54.760
just fine. Uh, it was
only the wind. You are safe,

2036
02:55:56.200 --> 02:56:05.319
weekly spooky, We'll be right back. Chapter twelve. Darren drove as fast

2037
02:56:05.360 --> 02:56:09.719
as visibility would let her. She
leaned next to Iris to see out the

2038
02:56:09.760 --> 02:56:16.319
windshield. The driver's side wipe banged
noisily against the tools stuck in the glass,

2039
02:56:16.159 --> 02:56:20.639
making it even more difficult to see
out of than the fractures did.

2040
02:56:20.360 --> 02:56:26.879
The wiper continued battering the steel shaft
until it finally snapped free of the arm.

2041
02:56:26.159 --> 02:56:31.360
It toppled across the shattered screen on
the remains of its plastic hook,

2042
02:56:31.840 --> 02:56:37.239
and then fell off entirely. Darren
watched it scoot off the hood and disappear

2043
02:56:37.520 --> 02:56:41.799
into the storm. Oh my god, Iris shrieked. She pointed at Darren

2044
02:56:41.799 --> 02:56:48.879
accusatorily. Doesn't that hurt? Huh? Darren glanced over, her eyes widened

2045
02:56:48.879 --> 02:56:54.000
at the sight of the glass protruding
from her shoulder. Oh fuck. Her

2046
02:56:54.040 --> 02:56:58.719
stomach flipped as she tugged on it. The muscle didn't want to let it

2047
02:56:58.760 --> 02:57:03.680
go. She rocked it with a
cry and jerked it free. The ragged

2048
02:57:03.760 --> 02:57:09.200
eight inch piece of glass fell from
her shaking fingers. How can the same

2049
02:57:09.239 --> 02:57:13.360
thing be happening to me again?
She muttered. We're still alive at least,

2050
02:57:13.719 --> 02:57:18.479
Iris reminded her, and we're going
to stay that way, kiddo,

2051
02:57:18.000 --> 02:57:24.159
I promise who is that man?
Darren didn't say anything. She didn't know

2052
02:57:24.239 --> 02:57:28.200
how to even start. There was
no way to explain how she knew it

2053
02:57:28.280 --> 02:57:33.719
was Red Toscano without telling Iris the
truth. She couldn't do that, but

2054
02:57:33.840 --> 02:57:37.680
she couldn't lie to her either.
She took a deep breath and exhaled,

2055
02:57:37.719 --> 02:57:43.520
sharply, it doesn't matter, she
finally said. Crazy people do crazy things.

2056
02:57:46.479 --> 02:57:50.360
What did you mean about this happening
again? When I was a little

2057
02:57:50.399 --> 02:57:54.200
bit older than you are now,
someone took me out of my daddy's car.

2058
02:57:54.879 --> 02:58:00.319
Darren squinted through the cracks to see
the road. He heard a lot

2059
02:58:00.319 --> 02:58:05.600
of little girls. What happened to
him? He went out looking for another

2060
02:58:05.719 --> 02:58:09.760
victim. He liked picking them up
around lakes because there's always a lot of

2061
02:58:09.799 --> 02:58:16.040
traffic. No one remembers the random
face of a stranger. She stopped considering

2062
02:58:16.120 --> 02:58:22.559
the options. No one knew what
happened to Wayneedale Smith. There was no

2063
02:58:22.719 --> 02:58:26.600
reason to tell Iris. She might
not see it the way it is.

2064
02:58:26.680 --> 02:58:31.200
After all, he went away.
He never hurt anyone. Else, Iris

2065
02:58:31.239 --> 02:58:37.799
started to ask another question when a
flash of lights startled both of them.

2066
02:58:39.079 --> 02:58:43.280
It wasn't lightning this time. The
red and blue strobes cast through the rain

2067
02:58:43.399 --> 02:58:50.000
soaked back window, turning the car
into a kaleidoscope. The siren whined to

2068
02:58:50.079 --> 02:58:56.319
life, and Darren broke into laughter. My fucking hero. She placed her

2069
02:58:56.319 --> 02:59:00.479
foot on the brake and angled for
the side of the road, like we're

2070
02:59:00.520 --> 02:59:07.719
actually catching a break tonight, kiddo. The black Chrysler sped down the highway

2071
02:59:07.760 --> 02:59:13.719
with blue lights flashing behind the grill. The other two government cars have been

2072
02:59:13.719 --> 02:59:20.239
diverted straight into Ittawa to rendezvous with
local authorities. Ranger Gomez tapped the driver

2073
02:59:20.319 --> 02:59:24.680
on the shoulder from the back seat. How much further he asked, GPS

2074
02:59:24.680 --> 02:59:30.200
says will be there in less than
five minutes. The stoic NFL reject,

2075
02:59:30.239 --> 02:59:35.120
mashed behind the steering column, responded, looks like you're right, Gomez,

2076
02:59:35.639 --> 02:59:39.920
Meriweather told him, taking an earbud
out and turning to face the ranger.

2077
02:59:39.600 --> 02:59:45.319
Police chatter says there's been another murder
in Attawa. He killed a young woman

2078
02:59:45.399 --> 02:59:50.000
babysitting her siblings and a towny cop. Both kids are in critical condition and

2079
02:59:50.040 --> 02:59:56.360
they're both redheads. He's trying to
find iris. Why didn't he just go

2080
02:59:56.440 --> 03:00:01.079
straight to the Martin residence. My
guess this would be that he never knew

2081
03:00:01.120 --> 03:00:05.319
Michelle Martin's name. She was just
another person that got in the way at

2082
03:00:05.319 --> 03:00:11.079
Gordon Mass So what does the CIA
want with Red? I don't know that

2083
03:00:11.159 --> 03:00:16.040
they do. Merriweather held up three
fingers scouts on her. Gomez, I'm

2084
03:00:16.079 --> 03:00:20.120
not with the company, You're sure
a shit. Not with the FBI either,

2085
03:00:20.680 --> 03:00:24.040
No, I'm not. Merriweather looked
at the expanse of nothing out his

2086
03:00:24.120 --> 03:00:30.360
window, clearly not going to give
any more information away. Gomez opened his

2087
03:00:30.440 --> 03:00:35.079
mouth to say more and then just
shook his head. Whatever the agent was

2088
03:00:35.120 --> 03:00:39.440
really doing didn't matter. Red wasn't
going to surrender, and if he tried,

2089
03:00:39.559 --> 03:00:43.120
Gomez would just say he saw a
gun in Red's hand and put the

2090
03:00:43.200 --> 03:00:48.479
bastard down. His mortgage was paid
off, anyhow, he didn't need the

2091
03:00:48.559 --> 03:00:52.879
job. The car turned onto a
side road that twisted around a patch of

2092
03:00:52.879 --> 03:00:58.200
woods and then straightened back out,
taking them past the abandoned grain elevator before

2093
03:00:58.200 --> 03:01:03.520
it forked left to the mark House
and right to Attawa. The car turned

2094
03:01:03.600 --> 03:01:07.760
left and a minute later, they
were pulling into the driveway. A single

2095
03:01:07.840 --> 03:01:11.360
vehicle was waiting. Exhaust poured from
the muffler of the Park Tacoma pickup.

2096
03:01:13.200 --> 03:01:16.719
Meriweather's driver and the other man in
the front seat stepped out with weapons drawn

2097
03:01:18.000 --> 03:01:22.639
and secured the truck. Meriweather and
Gomez joined them at the vehicle, there

2098
03:01:22.719 --> 03:01:28.040
was no one inside. Gomez broke
from the group, running to the shape

2099
03:01:28.079 --> 03:01:31.360
on the porch. He tried to
call out, but it turned into gagging

2100
03:01:31.360 --> 03:01:35.600
as he wretched over the banister.
The agent joined him and knelt next to

2101
03:01:35.639 --> 03:01:41.200
the corpse. He signaled his men
to search the house. Mike Martin said

2102
03:01:41.200 --> 03:01:46.760
Shelley always used the same babysitter.
Gomez wiped his lips clean and pointed to

2103
03:01:46.840 --> 03:01:50.959
the driveway. Her car's not here, so maybe she took the girl to

2104
03:01:50.000 --> 03:01:54.200
stay at her place. Meriweather peeled
a sticky piece of fabric away from the

2105
03:01:54.239 --> 03:02:01.440
young man's torso to examine the logo. No, they were here. This

2106
03:02:01.559 --> 03:02:05.239
boy's a delivery driver. The agent
gestured to the insulated bag on the porch

2107
03:02:05.680 --> 03:02:09.680
and then back to the logo.
He felt the edges of the broken ribs.

2108
03:02:11.559 --> 03:02:16.719
Jesus, what a mess. Then
where did they go? The girls

2109
03:02:16.719 --> 03:02:20.000
were sourceful. Merriweather dragged the bag
to him and felt the food inside.

2110
03:02:20.799 --> 03:02:26.879
She's a survivor. Yeah, I
read about what happened with Smith. Did

2111
03:02:26.920 --> 03:02:31.000
you read about what happened at the
college? Merriweather asked, standing up,

2112
03:02:31.559 --> 03:02:37.600
Gomez shook his head. Darren Popatonis
was expelled in her freshman year. Two

2113
03:02:37.639 --> 03:02:41.520
frat boys attacked her at a party, and she defended herself castrated one of

2114
03:02:41.520 --> 03:02:46.399
them with a broken bottle. Merriweather
gave an amused grunt. Red picked the

2115
03:02:46.399 --> 03:02:52.360
wrong babysitter to fuck with. That's
nice, but it puts us right back

2116
03:02:52.399 --> 03:02:56.360
to square one, Gomez said,
Sir, the driver came to the doorway

2117
03:02:56.399 --> 03:03:01.040
and flipped the night vision device off
his eye. The house is clear,

2118
03:03:01.319 --> 03:03:05.639
no more bodies dead or otherwise.
There's a hell of a lot of damage.

2119
03:03:05.959 --> 03:03:09.680
The target ripped this place apart looking
for him. We found cleaners in

2120
03:03:09.719 --> 03:03:13.200
the sink upstairs, and there's a
trace odor of a chemical reaction. I

2121
03:03:13.360 --> 03:03:20.000
think it was a diversion. See
that, Gomez. Merriweather smiled. The

2122
03:03:20.120 --> 03:03:24.399
expression was as out of place as
a nun in a gangbang. I told

2123
03:03:24.440 --> 03:03:30.200
you she's resourceful and she could be
anywhere. The ranger added, well,

2124
03:03:30.920 --> 03:03:33.719
no vehicles passed us on the way, in which only leaves the road into

2125
03:03:33.760 --> 03:03:39.399
town. The food is still warm, as is the corpse. We're not

2126
03:03:39.479 --> 03:03:43.600
too far behind. Merriweather slapped Gomez
on the shoulder. The sharks followed the

2127
03:03:43.600 --> 03:03:50.280
guppies, pal what the hell does
that even mean? God only knows how

2128
03:03:50.280 --> 03:03:54.079
many people Reds killed? One or
two more. Isn't really going to matter

2129
03:03:54.319 --> 03:03:58.159
if we stop him. The agent
shoved his hands into the pockets of his

2130
03:03:58.200 --> 03:04:03.120
pea coat. So we find out
where the babysitter took Iris, and we

2131
03:04:03.319 --> 03:04:11.600
kill us a goddamn shark. Darren
ran to the police car and beat her

2132
03:04:11.639 --> 03:04:16.280
palm on the window frantically. The
officer didn't respond, we need help.

2133
03:04:16.639 --> 03:04:20.840
She pulled the door handle, but
it didn't budge. Come on, for

2134
03:04:20.959 --> 03:04:24.959
fuck's sake, someone is trying to
kill us. That did the trick.

2135
03:04:24.440 --> 03:04:28.760
The door unlocked and opened an inch. Darren grabbed the frame to pull it

2136
03:04:28.799 --> 03:04:31.920
the rest of the way. She
didn't have time to wait around for some

2137
03:04:33.159 --> 03:04:37.040
town cop to come out of his
doughnut coma. She stared at the shield

2138
03:04:37.120 --> 03:04:41.040
emblazoned on the door. Why is
a city cop running a speed trap way

2139
03:04:41.079 --> 03:04:46.959
out here. The door struck her
and knocked her to the asphalt. Red

2140
03:04:46.000 --> 03:04:50.239
stepped out from the cop car,
dragging an axe out before slamming the door.

2141
03:04:50.799 --> 03:04:56.479
He shook his head and hefted the
axe. This had nothing to do

2142
03:04:56.600 --> 03:05:03.200
with you, he said. The
abomin must die. The swirling lights gave

2143
03:05:03.319 --> 03:05:07.639
Darren her first look at the man
that was so desperate to kill them,

2144
03:05:07.959 --> 03:05:13.000
to kill iris. He didn't look
human at all. The patches of vat

2145
03:05:13.000 --> 03:05:18.479
grown skin formed a quilt of scars
around an empty eye socket. A horseshoe

2146
03:05:18.479 --> 03:05:24.760
of red shoulder length hair clung to
his gaunt cheeks. The hollow space where

2147
03:05:24.799 --> 03:05:28.239
a nose should have been led to
a thin line that might have counted as

2148
03:05:28.239 --> 03:05:33.120
an upper lip, leaving a snarl
across his face. He looked like a

2149
03:05:33.159 --> 03:05:39.680
skeleton, trying to pretend it was
still alive. Fuck you, Darren sat

2150
03:05:39.799 --> 03:05:45.200
up on her haunches. She's just
a child, she is the anti Christ.

2151
03:05:45.680 --> 03:05:48.559
Red swung the axe at Darren's head. The sitter laid back, the

2152
03:05:48.600 --> 03:05:52.360
blade whiffing in front of her face. There was a sharp clank and a

2153
03:05:52.360 --> 03:05:58.159
deep muffled thump. Air and rain
water slapped against her She looked over and

2154
03:05:58.239 --> 03:06:03.600
saw Red's eyes wedged into the aluminum
wheel of the cop car, with the

2155
03:06:03.680 --> 03:06:07.200
tire blown out around it. Darren
rolled over and clamored to her feet,

2156
03:06:07.479 --> 03:06:11.360
sprinting back to the Hyunday. She
slipped into the driver's seat, and then

2157
03:06:11.760 --> 03:06:18.760
the massive hand clutched her throat.
Red leaned in. Iris screamed louder when

2158
03:06:18.799 --> 03:06:22.239
she saw the freak of science staring
at her with one hate filled eye.

2159
03:06:24.319 --> 03:06:28.200
I'll snap your head clean off and
then I'll take care of you, Iris,

2160
03:06:28.840 --> 03:06:33.479
he snarled. Darren struggled with Red's
grip, but he squeezed tighter.

2161
03:06:35.040 --> 03:06:39.200
Spots filled her vision. His giant
hand restricted the blood flow to her brain.

2162
03:06:41.000 --> 03:06:45.200
Darren jerked the shifter into drive.
She felt herself getting weaker. The

2163
03:06:45.280 --> 03:06:50.760
car rolled forward gently as Darren's foot
slipped on and off the pedal. The

2164
03:06:50.799 --> 03:06:56.399
grip softened and Red screamed. Darren
mashed the pedal down. The car sped

2165
03:06:56.479 --> 03:07:00.719
up, and Red fell to the
road. Blood and air came rushing back

2166
03:07:00.760 --> 03:07:05.719
to Darren. She saw the bloody
piece of glass clenched in Iris's fist.

2167
03:07:05.760 --> 03:07:11.559
Let's get out of here, the
girl shouted. Darren stomped the brakes not

2168
03:07:11.760 --> 03:07:15.840
yet. She pushed her door open
and held it in place with her foot.

2169
03:07:16.239 --> 03:07:18.840
Red was lying on the asphalt and
pressed himself up to his knees.

2170
03:07:20.399 --> 03:07:24.360
She put the car into reverse and
floored it. The door struck Red and

2171
03:07:24.399 --> 03:07:30.000
bent backwards, slamming it into the
front fender. Now we go. The

2172
03:07:30.079 --> 03:07:33.360
two pulled away, leaving Red in
a heap on the side of the road.

2173
03:07:35.719 --> 03:07:46.040
Don't go away, weekly, spooky, We'll be right back, Chapter

2174
03:07:46.120 --> 03:07:52.760
thirteen. The Hyundai raced along the
road. Visibility be damned. It was

2175
03:07:52.799 --> 03:07:58.799
a quarter past midnight and the storm
was intensifying. There wouldn't be any other

2176
03:07:58.840 --> 03:08:01.920
traffic out on the rule stretch.
Darren put them in the middle lane to

2177
03:08:01.959 --> 03:08:07.440
give herself a wide margin of error. The engine whined, and she gave

2178
03:08:07.479 --> 03:08:11.680
it more gas. With all the
noises it made, she rarely took the

2179
03:08:11.760 --> 03:08:16.840
car over fifty. She watched the
needle cruise past ninety. He knew my

2180
03:08:16.959 --> 03:08:20.559
name, Iris said, he wants
to kill me. That's what he said.

2181
03:08:22.559 --> 03:08:24.639
His name is Read. He tried
to kill you when you were born,

2182
03:08:24.680 --> 03:08:30.040
and your mom stopped him. Darren
decided that was a good enough answer.

2183
03:08:31.200 --> 03:08:35.760
Did he kill mommy too? I
don't know. Darren lied. The

2184
03:08:35.840 --> 03:08:41.239
car slipped as they crested a hilltop
and swerved around until the sitter got it

2185
03:08:41.319 --> 03:08:45.959
under control and straightened out. The
normal ticking of the motor sounded like a

2186
03:08:46.000 --> 03:08:50.799
sewing machine. As Darren pushed the
car beyond its limits. Her eyes flicked

2187
03:08:50.799 --> 03:08:54.319
across the instrument gages. The tachometer
needle was bouncing in the red zone.

2188
03:08:54.840 --> 03:09:00.479
She eased her foot up. There
was a sharp snap, followed by a

2189
03:09:00.520 --> 03:09:05.239
louder bang from under the hood.
A jackhammer like knocking filled the cab,

2190
03:09:05.479 --> 03:09:09.280
and the steering wheel shuddered in Darren's
grip. She wrestled with it, straining

2191
03:09:09.319 --> 03:09:13.879
to move it at all. The
car was slowing dramatically. She hit the

2192
03:09:13.920 --> 03:09:20.600
gas again, only the noises sped
up. The car coasted to a stop.

2193
03:09:20.479 --> 03:09:26.079
You've gotta be kidding me, Darren
beat her fist against the dashboard.

2194
03:09:24.559 --> 03:09:31.000
Now as when you die, you
piece of shit. Darren stepped into the

2195
03:09:31.040 --> 03:09:35.200
storm and looked back the way they
came. She couldn't see the lights of

2196
03:09:35.239 --> 03:09:39.719
red stolen cop car anymore. She
didn't know how far back that was.

2197
03:09:39.440 --> 03:09:43.120
She just drove as fast as she
could, and a lot of good that

2198
03:09:43.200 --> 03:09:48.239
did her. Darren turned her attention
to the car. She could smell burned

2199
03:09:48.280 --> 03:09:54.360
oil and hot metal. She kicked
the tire and hammered her fists against the

2200
03:09:54.440 --> 03:09:58.840
car, screaming until her throat hurt
and finally fell to her knees and saw

2201
03:10:01.040 --> 03:10:05.520
Iris scooted across the seats and hugged
Darren close to her. It's going to

2202
03:10:05.559 --> 03:10:09.360
be all right, Darren, you
stopped him, No, Darren sniffled.

2203
03:10:11.040 --> 03:10:15.559
She knew there was no way Red
would stop. She reached up and cradled

2204
03:10:15.600 --> 03:10:18.760
Iris's face in her hands. He's
still out there, and you have to

2205
03:10:18.760 --> 03:10:26.079
get somewhere safe. Iris pointed over
Darren's shoulder, like there. Darren turned

2206
03:10:26.399 --> 03:10:30.239
and tried to clear her eyes.
Despite the rain. She saw the bright

2207
03:10:30.360 --> 03:10:35.440
white starburst of the fuel islands overhead
lights, and the pink and blue neons

2208
03:10:35.520 --> 03:10:39.760
merging into a faint purple hue beyond
those. She'd driven further than she thought.

2209
03:10:41.159 --> 03:10:43.920
She kissed Iris on the forehead and
stood up. The gas and grub

2210
03:10:43.959 --> 03:10:48.000
couldn't have been more than a half
a mile away. We're going to be

2211
03:10:48.040 --> 03:10:52.000
okay, now, kiddo. We're
just going to run over there as fast

2212
03:10:52.000 --> 03:10:56.600
as we can and call the police. The real ones this time. What

2213
03:10:56.719 --> 03:11:01.120
if he gets to us first,
Iris went piped her nose on the back

2214
03:11:01.159 --> 03:11:05.520
of her arm. I don't want
to die too, Darren. He's not

2215
03:11:05.600 --> 03:11:07.719
going to get us. The gas
and grub is right there, Baby,

2216
03:11:09.159 --> 03:11:13.200
We run further than that when we're
playing. This will be easy. She

2217
03:11:13.360 --> 03:11:18.440
gestured to the car. Grab your
flashlight. Darren stared at the bright yellow

2218
03:11:18.479 --> 03:11:22.920
tul Red flung through the windshield.
It had a hammer on one side of

2219
03:11:22.959 --> 03:11:26.159
its head and an axe on the
other, with a solid handle that tapered

2220
03:11:26.200 --> 03:11:31.200
into a pride bar. She grabbed
the steel shaft and jerked it free.

2221
03:11:31.239 --> 03:11:35.680
The flashlight beam bobbled about as Iris
crawled out of the car again. She

2222
03:11:35.840 --> 03:11:41.159
nodded her head to the silent question
in Darren's eyes. They ran to the

2223
03:11:41.200 --> 03:11:46.079
shoulder and then along it, keeping
the light angled toward the ditch to avoid

2224
03:11:46.120 --> 03:11:50.079
falling. A sprained ankle now would
be as deadly as a bullet to the

2225
03:11:50.120 --> 03:11:56.040
head. Darren's frenzied driving gained a
head start, but Red was still hunting

2226
03:11:56.079 --> 03:12:00.799
them. The winds were picking up
as the storm grew more violent. She

2227
03:12:00.879 --> 03:12:05.120
thought about her phone being repaired and
how it might be going off on Flavio's

2228
03:12:05.159 --> 03:12:09.639
desk, screeching a tornado. Warning
the way the rest of the night had

2229
03:12:09.680 --> 03:12:15.079
gone, a tornado wouldn't be surprising. Darren looked over her shoulder, watching

2230
03:12:15.120 --> 03:12:18.680
for Red to come speeding down the
highway, expecting to see the headlights veer

2231
03:12:18.760 --> 03:12:22.680
from their lane and spear straight into
her and Iris. As they jogged along

2232
03:12:22.719 --> 03:12:28.840
the roadside, her foot squished on
something semi solid, and she slid forward,

2233
03:12:28.920 --> 03:12:33.120
stumbling and coming down hard on her
chest. What the hell, she

2234
03:12:33.239 --> 03:12:37.760
grunted. She could feel the gravel
embedded in her palms. If it hadn't

2235
03:12:37.760 --> 03:12:41.920
been for all the rain, it
would have chewed her up a lot worse.

2236
03:12:41.479 --> 03:12:46.920
Iris screamed and quickly cuffed a hand
over her own mouth. The flashlight

2237
03:12:46.000 --> 03:12:52.319
was pointing at the exploded remains of
a raccoon. Darren got to her feet

2238
03:12:52.399 --> 03:12:56.959
and guided Iris away from the roadkill. She took the light and panned it

2239
03:12:56.000 --> 03:13:01.479
to the ditch. A miniature river
of black water roared between its banks.

2240
03:13:01.200 --> 03:13:05.600
She stared into it. The rain
stung the stab wound in her shoulder,

2241
03:13:07.079 --> 03:13:11.000
and her mind started to drift.
Iris tugged at her hand, Come on,

2242
03:13:11.559 --> 03:13:16.280
we're almost there. Darren didn't say
anything, all the pain, all

2243
03:13:16.319 --> 03:13:20.319
the fear. She was back in
the river. Come on, Darren,

2244
03:13:20.680 --> 03:13:26.479
Iris tugged again. We gotta go
right now. Iris leaned back, pulling

2245
03:13:26.559 --> 03:13:30.760
with all her weight, groaning through
gritted teeth as her fingers slid down Darren's

2246
03:13:30.760 --> 03:13:35.520
wet skin. The babysitter kept staring
at the impromptu river. She could taste

2247
03:13:35.559 --> 03:13:39.639
it in the back of her throat. She saw the spotlights of the hunters

2248
03:13:39.680 --> 03:13:45.559
in the distance. Darren snap out
of it. Iris lost her grip and

2249
03:13:45.639 --> 03:13:48.479
fell on her butt. She slapped
her hands into the mud puddle that broke

2250
03:13:48.520 --> 03:13:54.360
her fall. Please please come with
me. Lights illuminated the crest of the

2251
03:13:54.440 --> 03:14:00.760
hill and Iris's pupils went wide.
She grabbed Darren around the way and wrestled

2252
03:14:00.799 --> 03:14:03.760
her toward the ditch. Someone's coming. We have to hide, the girl

2253
03:14:03.799 --> 03:14:11.680
cried out. Leave me, she
whispered to the hunters. The car came

2254
03:14:11.719 --> 03:14:15.799
over the hill at high speed and
never had time to react to Darren's abandoned

2255
03:14:15.840 --> 03:14:20.200
vehicle. It slammed into the broken
down Hyundai, spraying to breed down the

2256
03:14:20.280 --> 03:14:26.120
highway. Darren snapped back to reality, flashing blue lights, strobed against the

2257
03:14:26.200 --> 03:14:31.159
chaos of the wreck. That was
all she needed to see. She clutched

2258
03:14:31.159 --> 03:14:37.520
Iris close and fell backwards into the
ditch with her. They hit the water

2259
03:14:37.639 --> 03:14:41.200
with a splash and sank to the
bottom, holding each other tightly so they

2260
03:14:41.200 --> 03:14:46.120
didn't lose direction in the darkness,
Darren thumbed The light on the ditch was

2261
03:14:46.159 --> 03:14:52.000
shallow enough for Iris to stand,
but only just The girl tilted her head

2262
03:14:52.040 --> 03:14:56.360
back to keep her mouth and nose
out of the murky runoff. Darren crouched

2263
03:14:56.440 --> 03:15:00.399
and kept a hand on Iris's back
so she didn't get pushed off balance by

2264
03:15:00.399 --> 03:15:05.719
the current. Keep going, Darren
whispered. They made it to the colvert

2265
03:15:05.760 --> 03:15:09.000
and ducked inside. Red wouldn't be
able to find them in there. Darren

2266
03:15:09.040 --> 03:15:13.520
pressed against the top of the drainage
tube and laid back, keeping her face

2267
03:15:13.719 --> 03:15:18.399
just above the water and pulling Iris
against her chest. The noise of the

2268
03:15:18.440 --> 03:15:22.200
crash had subsided, leaving them in
the dark with only the sounds of the

2269
03:15:22.280 --> 03:15:28.680
rushing water around them. Debris moved
under Darren's feet as she pushed them along.

2270
03:15:28.399 --> 03:15:33.959
The water seemed to be climbing higher
in the confines of the concrete pipe.

2271
03:15:33.000 --> 03:15:37.879
She tried to control her breathing,
but Every branch or beer can that

2272
03:15:37.920 --> 03:15:43.159
bumped against her tried knocking her back
into the past again. Each leaf brushing

2273
03:15:43.200 --> 03:15:48.360
her skin felt like Wayne Dale Smith's
fingers, and his voice hung on the

2274
03:15:48.399 --> 03:15:54.239
echo of the rushing current. Her
legs burned from the crouched backwards walking,

2275
03:15:54.760 --> 03:15:58.600
she stumbled, and the water flooded
into her mouth and nose. It was

2276
03:15:58.639 --> 03:16:03.319
deaf, only rising as they squeezed
through the narrow tube. Her chest tightened,

2277
03:16:03.479 --> 03:16:09.200
trying to keep the panic inside.
She put the flashlight into Iris's hands.

2278
03:16:09.879 --> 03:16:13.920
Don't turn it on unless we stop
moving, Darren whispered, I'm scared.

2279
03:16:15.360 --> 03:16:18.680
Iris cried, me too, baby. Darren used the entry tool to

2280
03:16:18.719 --> 03:16:24.000
push them along faster. We're almost
through the other side. We've got to

2281
03:16:24.040 --> 03:16:28.120
be Iris's wet curls splayed over Darren's
face. As she pressed her mouth higher,

2282
03:16:28.760 --> 03:16:33.399
the water edged along her bottom lip. Darren stopped and tried to collect

2283
03:16:33.399 --> 03:16:37.680
herself. There was no light at
the end of the tunnel, just the

2284
03:16:37.760 --> 03:16:43.680
abyss. I'll need you to take
the biggest breath you can and hold it,

2285
03:16:43.159 --> 03:16:46.559
then turn and wrap around me so
we can swim out of here faster.

2286
03:16:48.319 --> 03:16:50.600
I can't hold my breath that long. I was the worst one in

2287
03:16:50.639 --> 03:16:54.799
my class. It won't be for
very long, I promise. I was

2288
03:16:54.840 --> 03:17:00.000
a really good swimmer. Water trickled
into her mouth and she swallowed it,

2289
03:17:00.280 --> 03:17:03.879
trying to keep from panicking. Iris. We'll be out of here soon,

2290
03:17:03.959 --> 03:17:07.959
kiddo, deep, deep breath.
Iris obeyed. She sucked in a gulp

2291
03:17:09.000 --> 03:17:11.920
of air and turned, wrapping her
arms and legs around Darren. The action

2292
03:17:13.079 --> 03:17:16.360
pushed Darn under before she could grab
a full breath. There wasn't any time

2293
03:17:16.399 --> 03:17:22.040
to try again. She'd have to
swim faster. Darren held the entry tool

2294
03:17:22.079 --> 03:17:26.079
across Iris's back like a seat belt
and kicked her legs as hard as she

2295
03:17:26.079 --> 03:17:30.920
could in the tight confines of the
colvert. Her lungs were burning. Early

2296
03:17:31.399 --> 03:17:35.639
lactic acids stung in her muscles.
The concrete ceiling scraped her back whenever she

2297
03:17:35.680 --> 03:17:39.639
went too high, and the floor
raked open her knuckles when she corrected.

2298
03:17:41.479 --> 03:17:43.920
There was a narrow gap she had
to maintain without the benefit of sight.

2299
03:17:45.639 --> 03:17:50.280
Each trespass outside the safe zone battered
her body and tried to draw out a

2300
03:17:50.319 --> 03:17:54.600
scream that would drown both of them. Darren loved to swim when she was

2301
03:17:54.680 --> 03:17:58.200
little. That's where her father was
taking her. That day, her friends

2302
03:17:58.239 --> 03:18:03.440
from school wanted to go swimming in
barbecue at the lake. They stopped to

2303
03:18:03.440 --> 03:18:07.159
pick up sodas for the party.
That's when Smith moved in and took her

2304
03:18:07.200 --> 03:18:13.799
from the back seat. Darren never
swam again. Her knee banged against the

2305
03:18:13.879 --> 03:18:18.239
unforgiving floor or was it the ceiling. She couldn't tell how she was oriented

2306
03:18:18.280 --> 03:18:24.719
any longer. The darkness before her
was seemingly an endless expanse. She felt

2307
03:18:24.719 --> 03:18:28.680
her legs growing heavier. They weren't
going to make it to the other side.

2308
03:18:28.760 --> 03:18:33.399
Iris's grip weakened. She felt the
girl's fingers curling into her clothes,

2309
03:18:33.680 --> 03:18:39.760
pinching her, begging her to hurry. A final burst of strength propelled them

2310
03:18:39.840 --> 03:18:45.399
forward, but it wasn't enough.
Iris went limp, dangling over the steel

2311
03:18:45.440 --> 03:18:50.120
bar and dragging them both to the
bottom. Lights shimmered on the surface,

2312
03:18:50.600 --> 03:18:56.319
then disappeared. Darren thought she was
losing consciousness until it happened again. A

2313
03:18:56.399 --> 03:19:01.760
rippling of blue lightning broke the sky
open. Darren grabbed Iris and put her

2314
03:19:01.799 --> 03:19:07.879
feet beneath them, pushing up and
through the surface for her breath. She

2315
03:19:07.040 --> 03:19:11.639
struggled toward the bank, laying Iris
down and brushing the hair away from her

2316
03:19:11.639 --> 03:19:16.280
face. She looked over her shoulder. The mouth of the culvert stared at

2317
03:19:16.280 --> 03:19:22.120
her from twenty yards away. She'd
become so disoriented she hadn't realized they were

2318
03:19:22.159 --> 03:19:26.639
out of it. Iris coughed and
turned to her side to throw up ditchwater.

2319
03:19:28.479 --> 03:19:33.760
Darren pulled her into a hug and
cried on her shoulder that that sucked.

2320
03:19:35.200 --> 03:19:39.639
Iris mumbled, I'm so sorry,
baby. Darren pointed at the gas

2321
03:19:39.639 --> 03:19:45.040
and grub Almost there, the waist
high grass rustled as the ever strengthening winds

2322
03:19:45.079 --> 03:19:48.840
assaulted the blades. On the other
side of the field. The gas station

2323
03:19:48.000 --> 03:19:54.000
sat nearly deserted. They'd be safe
there and they could call the cops.

2324
03:19:54.600 --> 03:19:58.200
It was almost over. Just as
soon as they crossed the field, a

2325
03:19:58.239 --> 03:20:03.920
sharp bang echoed in the air.
It wasn't thunder. The girls looked at

2326
03:20:03.959 --> 03:20:09.120
each other and then back to the
gas station. We crawl across and keep

2327
03:20:09.120 --> 03:20:16.239
our heads down, Darren said,
he's still coming for us. There's more

2328
03:20:16.319 --> 03:20:26.719
scares where that came from. Weekly
Spooky will be right back, Chapter fourteen.

2329
03:20:28.639 --> 03:20:33.680
The driver didn't have time to react. The chrysler hit the abandoned vehicle

2330
03:20:33.920 --> 03:20:39.920
and sent all four men flying forward. Gomez pushed Merriweather off him and sat

2331
03:20:41.040 --> 03:20:46.479
up on the floorboard. He tried
the door, but it was too badly

2332
03:20:46.559 --> 03:20:50.600
mangled. He kicked his boots against
it until it opened and slithered through the

2333
03:20:50.639 --> 03:20:56.040
gap. He took a breather on
the asphalt while the rain bombarred at his

2334
03:20:56.120 --> 03:21:01.239
face. The driver gurgled and choked. His massive frame hadn't left much room

2335
03:21:01.280 --> 03:21:07.239
in the front seat when the motor
sheared off its mounts and came crashing inside.

2336
03:21:07.360 --> 03:21:13.399
The steering wheel had collapsed his wide
chest. A coughing fit racked his

2337
03:21:13.520 --> 03:21:18.840
body and left bloody spudham hanging from
his lip. His head lulled and fell

2338
03:21:18.920 --> 03:21:24.639
to the side. Gomez picked up
a dislodged hubcap and ran his fingers over

2339
03:21:24.719 --> 03:21:31.440
the slanted h logo, Well we
found her car. He chucked the accessory

2340
03:21:31.440 --> 03:21:37.120
into the field like a frisbee.
Merriweather's other man hung halfway out. The

2341
03:21:37.120 --> 03:21:41.600
windshield crumpled along with the hood.
Gomez tried not to vomit and turned his

2342
03:21:41.639 --> 03:21:48.360
attention to the remains of the other
vehicle. Well, Merriweather said, limping

2343
03:21:48.399 --> 03:21:54.479
around the back of the Chrysler,
what have you got over there. Gomez

2344
03:21:54.559 --> 03:21:58.559
ignored him and stretched for the glove
box, pulling out a black book with

2345
03:21:58.639 --> 03:22:03.239
the vehicle's registration inside. He read
it and groaned. The ranger made his

2346
03:22:03.280 --> 03:22:09.000
way to Merriweather and jabbed the book
into his chest. It belonged to the

2347
03:22:09.000 --> 03:22:13.639
babysitter. There's blood in the seat, but no bodies. Gomez hung his

2348
03:22:13.719 --> 03:22:18.479
head. I think we're too late. Ain't that how it always goes?

2349
03:22:18.040 --> 03:22:22.360
Meriweather said. He looked at the
registration and dropped it to the ground.

2350
03:22:24.399 --> 03:22:28.879
Guess that means we're all done here? What about the speed trap back there?

2351
03:22:28.399 --> 03:22:33.079
Gomez pointed the way they'd come.
The car was in plain sight.

2352
03:22:33.680 --> 03:22:37.959
Why didn't they stop and tell the
cop? Merriweather shrugged. Maybe he pulled

2353
03:22:39.000 --> 03:22:43.799
in later. Gomez leaned against the
chrysler and watched Meriwether walking down the road

2354
03:22:45.120 --> 03:22:48.959
the opposite direction they'd come. He
glanced back at the body sticking out of

2355
03:22:50.000 --> 03:22:54.440
the windshield. The ranger leaned over
and tapped the shattered wind screen. A

2356
03:22:54.520 --> 03:23:01.840
chunk fell away and joined other glass
pebbles on the broken dash. He smoothed

2357
03:23:01.879 --> 03:23:05.440
the corners of his mustache and walked
around to the back of the car.

2358
03:23:05.879 --> 03:23:11.760
Kneeling next to the bumper, He
thumped the Texas license plate and started after

2359
03:23:11.799 --> 03:23:16.399
the agent. Maybe it was the
shitty weather, he said, Or maybe

2360
03:23:16.440 --> 03:23:20.000
I was too distracted by all those
bodies. But I bet if I looked

2361
03:23:20.000 --> 03:23:22.799
a little hard at those credentials,
I wouldn't have bought into your shit story

2362
03:23:22.840 --> 03:23:28.399
for a second. Mereweather froze in
his tracks. He snugged his pea coat

2363
03:23:28.520 --> 03:23:33.479
up around his face and turned to
see the Ranger with his sig sour drawn.

2364
03:23:35.920 --> 03:23:41.000
What's the meaning of this ranger,
Gomez? Texas plates not government tags,

2365
03:23:41.559 --> 03:23:46.600
factory standard safety glass, not bullet
resistant. Maybe those are just a

2366
03:23:46.639 --> 03:23:52.159
coincidence. Might have overlooked them,
but federal or not. No cop walks

2367
03:23:52.200 --> 03:23:56.000
away from two of his own the
way you are now, Gomez cocked the

2368
03:23:56.040 --> 03:24:03.280
hammer with his thumb. Who are
you well, shit Gomez, Merriweather chuckled,

2369
03:24:03.680 --> 03:24:07.440
color me impressed. I'm going to
color you red if you don't start

2370
03:24:07.479 --> 03:24:11.079
talking. I thought all you Rangers
were just a bunch of tough talking,

2371
03:24:11.200 --> 03:24:16.760
howdy duty cause players. Meriweather stuffed
his hands into his jacket pockets. I

2372
03:24:16.920 --> 03:24:22.840
didn't expect you to do any investigating. The easiest lies to tell her the

2373
03:24:22.879 --> 03:24:26.920
truth, Gomez told him, you
gave me just enough information to sound legit.

2374
03:24:28.879 --> 03:24:35.360
Oh I am legit, Gomez was
anyhow, he laughed, disavowed.

2375
03:24:35.479 --> 03:24:39.559
They call it, but I still
did my duty and now it's not any

2376
03:24:39.559 --> 03:24:43.639
different, just doing it as a
civilian. Gomez braced the pistol in both

2377
03:24:43.680 --> 03:24:50.680
hands and took two steps forward.
Merriweather didn't budge. Stop talking in circles,

2378
03:24:50.159 --> 03:24:56.040
Gomez demanded, Red doesn't do subtle. In case you haven't noticed,

2379
03:24:56.600 --> 03:25:00.520
Merriweather stepped to the side and turned
to look over the field at the gas

2380
03:25:00.520 --> 03:25:05.959
station glowing in the distance. He
told me what his daughter had done about

2381
03:25:05.000 --> 03:25:11.239
her lying with the devil. The
end is nigh. Ranger Gomez, who

2382
03:25:11.280 --> 03:25:16.479
the fuck are you? He took
out the FBI credentials he'd shown Gomez back

2383
03:25:16.520 --> 03:25:22.200
in Texas and tossed them at the
ranger's feet. They're not fake, just

2384
03:25:22.360 --> 03:25:26.799
changed the picture, he said,
with a grin. Ed Merriwether tried to

2385
03:25:26.920 --> 03:25:31.959
arrest me last year. I sent
pieces of him to the FEDS before the

2386
03:25:31.000 --> 03:25:35.040
rest of him started stinking too much
to keep it up. I burned the

2387
03:25:35.120 --> 03:25:41.280
leftovers in a porta potty outside Galveston. I don't expect you to understand.

2388
03:25:41.520 --> 03:25:46.600
Then at least you won't be disappointed. Eat asphalt. Don't you see it?

2389
03:25:46.719 --> 03:25:52.159
Ranger Gomez, the fake agent Merriweather
asked as he lowered himself to the

2390
03:25:52.239 --> 03:25:58.159
highway. That's no little girl.
She is the spawn of Satan, sprang

2391
03:25:58.200 --> 03:26:01.799
from the womb of the Scarlet whore. The seals are breaking, don't you

2392
03:26:01.920 --> 03:26:05.920
see it? I see you resisting
arrest if you don't shut the fuck up.

2393
03:26:07.719 --> 03:26:11.600
Gomez took his cell phone off his
hip and tried to dial. The

2394
03:26:11.639 --> 03:26:16.040
touch screen wouldn't respond with the rain
gathering across it. He rubbed it on

2395
03:26:16.120 --> 03:26:20.680
his jeans and tried to unlock it
again. The phone vibrated and rejected his

2396
03:26:20.719 --> 03:26:24.719
thumb print. He cursed and shoved
it back into its case. Gomez approached

2397
03:26:24.719 --> 03:26:30.319
his prisoner, cautiously, keeping his
gun trained on the man's back as he

2398
03:26:30.399 --> 03:26:35.440
circled around him Gaunt. The man
said, softly, my name is Nelson

2399
03:26:35.520 --> 03:26:41.399
Gaunt. A displeasure to meet you. The ranger knelt to search him.

2400
03:26:41.399 --> 03:26:46.280
Everyone deserves to know the name of
the man that kills them. Gaunt rolled

2401
03:26:46.280 --> 03:26:50.239
over, drawing the field knife from
his sleeve and cutting Gomez across the eyes.

2402
03:26:50.520 --> 03:26:54.760
Gomez fired as he fell backwards.
The bullet struck the wreckage with a

2403
03:26:54.799 --> 03:27:01.959
sharp pang. A peal of thunder
hid Gaunt's movements. Gomez pointed the gun

2404
03:27:01.040 --> 03:27:05.920
blindly. The blade sank into his
armpit. The pistol clattered to the ground,

2405
03:27:05.959 --> 03:27:11.799
and Gomez slammed against the Hyundai.
Gaunt twisted the knife. Blood gushed

2406
03:27:11.799 --> 03:27:16.680
across his leather gloves. He pulled
the weapon free, and Gomez slumped to

2407
03:27:16.760 --> 03:27:22.120
his knees, wobbling helplessly. Gaunt
pulled his head back by the hair and

2408
03:27:22.280 --> 03:27:26.920
thrust the knife under his chin.
Nelson Gaunt left the ranger lying in the

2409
03:27:26.920 --> 03:27:33.440
street, wiping the blade clean on
his sleeve as he walked to the gas

2410
03:27:33.479 --> 03:27:41.040
station. Darren and Iris sprang from
the grass and headed straight for the gas

2411
03:27:41.040 --> 03:27:46.840
and grub. Darren ran into the
door and pushed the handle. It didn't

2412
03:27:46.879 --> 03:27:50.680
move. She pulled, which got
her nowhere either. She alternated between the

2413
03:27:50.680 --> 03:27:56.079
two methods while Iris beat her tiny
hands against the glass of the left side

2414
03:27:56.120 --> 03:28:01.360
door. An obese man in horn
rimmed glasses leaned his mop against the counter

2415
03:28:01.840 --> 03:28:05.399
and shook his head. He waved
them away and shouted, we're closed.

2416
03:28:05.760 --> 03:28:11.559
Can't you read. He jabbed a
pudgy finger toward the window, where a

2417
03:28:11.600 --> 03:28:16.520
store hours sign hung from a moldy
suction cup. Open the fucking door,

2418
03:28:16.559 --> 03:28:20.639
dickhead, it's an emergency. Darren
smacked the glass with her palm. That

2419
03:28:20.760 --> 03:28:26.520
ain't my problem, lady. The
attendant yelled and moved closer to the door.

2420
03:28:26.040 --> 03:28:30.959
He pointed at the sign again.
We're closed and I want to go

2421
03:28:31.079 --> 03:28:33.319
home, so beat it. I'll
call the cops if you don't quit all

2422
03:28:33.319 --> 03:28:39.159
the banging on my windows. Darren
wiggled her smiley as she weighed the options.

2423
03:28:39.840 --> 03:28:45.840
She pushed Iris away gently with the
entry tool. The man turned away,

2424
03:28:45.920 --> 03:28:50.680
grumbling about their manners. I'll show
you banging on the goddamn windows.

2425
03:28:50.280 --> 03:28:54.239
Darren cocked the tool back and struck
the glass with the hammerhead. The pain

2426
03:28:54.399 --> 03:29:01.559
shattered and came down in a waterfall
of sparkling stones. Reached through and pulled

2427
03:29:01.600 --> 03:29:05.200
the door open. Iris lunged inside
as soon as she could fit. You,

2428
03:29:05.399 --> 03:29:09.440
crazy broad, you just can't break
into a store. The attendant waved

2429
03:29:09.440 --> 03:29:15.079
his hands frantically. What the actual
fuck is wrong with you? I'll tell

2430
03:29:15.120 --> 03:29:18.239
you what. That's a list that
just keeps getting longer and longer tonight.

2431
03:29:18.799 --> 03:29:24.239
Look, I'm sorry you forgot to
buy enough tampons, but you're leaving now

2432
03:29:24.360 --> 03:29:28.680
or there's going to be trouble.
Darren slammed the axe head into the counter,

2433
03:29:28.159 --> 03:29:33.639
silencing him with the crack of splitting. For Micah, he swallowed hard,

2434
03:29:33.680 --> 03:29:37.799
and she poked a finger into his
chest. Listen up, Marty man

2435
03:29:37.840 --> 03:29:41.879
tits. I have been chased by
a maniac, jumped out of a window,

2436
03:29:41.040 --> 03:29:46.319
nearly drowned, and almost got decapitated
twice. I'm sure things are going

2437
03:29:46.360 --> 03:29:50.000
to get a lot fucking crazier,
but one thing that will not happen is

2438
03:29:50.040 --> 03:29:54.319
some limpdicked forty year old virgin talking
down to me so we can hurry home

2439
03:29:54.399 --> 03:29:58.959
to his sailor moon. Blow up
doll. Now, move your ass like

2440
03:29:58.959 --> 03:30:03.959
there's a fucking twin give away,
and get me a goddamn phone right now.

2441
03:30:05.000 --> 03:30:09.639
The attendant nodded his head vigorously,
sending his jowls and chins jiggling in

2442
03:30:09.680 --> 03:30:13.479
agreement. He rounded the corner and
collected the phone, sliding it gently to

2443
03:30:13.559 --> 03:30:18.200
Darren. Help yourself to coffee and
snacks too, he said, with a

2444
03:30:18.239 --> 03:30:24.280
constipated smile. Iris gathered a ball
of brown paper napkins and tried pointlessly to

2445
03:30:24.360 --> 03:30:28.319
dry her face. She dropped them
into the trash can and slid down the

2446
03:30:28.360 --> 03:30:33.319
counter, hugging her knees while she
rocked in place. Darren paced the sales

2447
03:30:33.360 --> 03:30:39.079
floor. Her shaking hands stabbed at
the buttons, mashing two at a time

2448
03:30:39.360 --> 03:30:43.440
and forcing her to start over on
the third try. She got it right.

2449
03:30:43.360 --> 03:30:46.760
Stop talking and listen, she said. When the nine one one operator

2450
03:30:46.799 --> 03:30:52.200
picked up an escaped prisoner broke into
the home I was babysitting at. He

2451
03:30:52.360 --> 03:30:54.239
killed a man and is chasing us. I think he might have killed one

2452
03:30:54.239 --> 03:30:58.479
of your cops too. We're at
the gas and grub outside of town.

2453
03:30:58.719 --> 03:31:03.760
We need help now he's still looking
for us. Darren listened while the operator

2454
03:31:03.799 --> 03:31:09.360
spoke and jabbered off questions. His
name is Red Toscano, and he looks

2455
03:31:09.440 --> 03:31:13.280
like Frankenstein's monster. He's pretty hard
to miss. What the hell does it

2456
03:31:13.360 --> 03:31:16.760
matter? I got a nine year
old little girl with me that's scared shitless.

2457
03:31:18.000 --> 03:31:20.200
This is the only business for miles. You know where we are,

2458
03:31:20.239 --> 03:31:24.920
and soon he will too. Get
here first, Darren shook her head in

2459
03:31:24.959 --> 03:31:31.719
disbelief. She squeezed the phone tighter
her face reddened and her nostrils flared as

2460
03:31:31.760 --> 03:31:35.360
the operator responded, No, shit, I hadn't thought of that. She

2461
03:31:35.520 --> 03:31:41.399
growled and ended the call. Darren
screamed with frustration and cocked the phone back

2462
03:31:41.600 --> 03:31:45.760
to throw it. When she saw
Iris rocking on the floor, she composed

2463
03:31:45.760 --> 03:31:52.120
herself and sat the phone down.
U What did they say? The attendant

2464
03:31:52.120 --> 03:31:58.159
asked softly that we should stay inside
and keep the doors locked. Gonna be

2465
03:31:58.239 --> 03:32:01.959
kind of difficult since you smashed the
window. Darren glowered at him. He

2466
03:32:03.079 --> 03:32:07.040
padded the air. Not wanting to
incite her wrath again, she made her

2467
03:32:07.040 --> 03:32:09.559
way to the wall with the drink
machine and filled the styrofoam cup with ice

2468
03:32:09.639 --> 03:32:13.719
and root beer. Before sitting next
to Iris. She handed the cup to

2469
03:32:13.760 --> 03:32:18.840
the girl. Just a little bit
longer, kiddo, Darren said. While

2470
03:32:18.840 --> 03:32:22.399
the girl sipped the soda. They
said they'll send their next available deputy.

2471
03:32:24.680 --> 03:32:30.200
I feel safer already, Iris mumbled
around the brim of the cup. Yeah,

2472
03:32:30.639 --> 03:32:35.159
I'm overflowing with confidence. Darren pulled
her close and kissed her sopping wet

2473
03:32:35.200 --> 03:32:39.040
hair. I love you, Iris, I love you too. Iris leaned

2474
03:32:39.040 --> 03:32:43.079
her head on Darren's shoulder. Even
though your whole body smells as bad as

2475
03:32:43.120 --> 03:32:48.719
your feet now. The attendant lumbered
over with his head hanging. I was

2476
03:32:48.799 --> 03:32:52.440
kind of a dick. He held
out a stack of shirts the store sold

2477
03:32:52.440 --> 03:32:56.680
to lost tourists. I got some
of the big ones to use for towels

2478
03:32:56.719 --> 03:33:01.280
too. Darren stood up and took
the shirts. She lifted the plastic name

2479
03:33:01.360 --> 03:33:05.879
tag on his vest. Thanks,
Ricky, sorry about breaking your window.

2480
03:33:07.799 --> 03:33:11.399
I hate this store anyway. Maybe
we can smash it up some more while

2481
03:33:11.440 --> 03:33:16.040
we wait. He sulked back to
the corner. Darren helped Iris up and

2482
03:33:16.079 --> 03:33:20.479
they went to the restroom. As
she pressed the door open, headlights drifted

2483
03:33:20.520 --> 03:33:24.239
across the store. She watched a
tow truck swing into the lot and pull

2484
03:33:24.360 --> 03:33:28.319
up to the pumps. Ricky gave
her a thumbs up. It's okay.

2485
03:33:28.840 --> 03:33:33.559
Bear always pays at the pump.
He's a regular. Darren ushered the girl

2486
03:33:33.639 --> 03:33:39.159
into the bathroom and folded open the
diaper changing station to set the new clothes

2487
03:33:39.200 --> 03:33:43.159
on. Ricky had grabbed one of
each in size as he thought might fit.

2488
03:33:43.840 --> 03:33:48.440
Darren toyed with her piercing and handed
Iris a child's shirt and the smallest

2489
03:33:48.479 --> 03:33:52.840
adult one, then one of the
triple xls just wear the big one over

2490
03:33:52.879 --> 03:33:56.600
it like a dress, so you
can ditch the wet pants and use the

2491
03:33:56.680 --> 03:34:01.879
huge one to dry off. She
pointed to the handicap stall. Change in

2492
03:34:01.920 --> 03:34:05.639
there and I'll wait for you.
Iris nodded and shuffled away. She closed

2493
03:34:05.639 --> 03:34:09.920
the stall door and slipped the lock
into place. Darren peeled her shirt off.

2494
03:34:11.440 --> 03:34:13.639
She caught her reflection in the mirror
as she tossed it into the sink.

2495
03:34:15.440 --> 03:34:18.719
She unhooked her braw, letting it
fall, and looked at her scars.

2496
03:34:18.520 --> 03:34:22.639
She touched each one and felt them
as if they were still new.

2497
03:34:24.639 --> 03:34:30.600
Her eyes drifted to the stall.
Iris was humming something between sniffles. Darren

2498
03:34:30.680 --> 03:34:35.000
knew she'd do anything to keep Iris
from having scars of her own. Darren

2499
03:34:35.040 --> 03:34:39.520
wrapped one of the shirts around her
hair while she tried her best to dry

2500
03:34:39.559 --> 03:34:43.319
her body with the cotton polly blend. She rubbed the shirt roughly through her

2501
03:34:43.360 --> 03:34:48.639
hair and discarded it. Snickering at
the disastrous appearance she had. She checked

2502
03:34:48.639 --> 03:34:54.000
the tags for a shirt in her
size, found the closest one and pulled

2503
03:34:54.000 --> 03:34:58.879
it on. Stretched across her chest
were the words grub here and we'll give

2504
03:34:58.920 --> 03:35:03.719
you gas above a cartoon worm swinging
on a gasoline can. She shook her

2505
03:35:03.760 --> 03:35:11.159
head. I hate Oklahoma, Darren
Iris called out, Yeah, baby.

2506
03:35:11.920 --> 03:35:16.280
Darren wrestled her wet jeans off her
hips. Her soggy socks squished when she

2507
03:35:16.319 --> 03:35:20.680
sat her foot down. Do you
think Ricky has any donuts left? We'll

2508
03:35:20.719 --> 03:35:26.120
ask him, Darren smiled, too
bad. They don't sell pants and shoes.

2509
03:35:26.719 --> 03:35:30.319
They have flip flops. Iris opened
the stall and walked to Darren,

2510
03:35:30.959 --> 03:35:35.440
taking her hand. Come on,
I'll show you. The girls stepped out

2511
03:35:35.440 --> 03:35:39.040
of the restroom. Someone was standing
next to the counter, a gray haired

2512
03:35:39.040 --> 03:35:43.760
man in a black pea coat.
The man's gloved hand caressed the handle of

2513
03:35:43.760 --> 03:35:48.639
the tool Darren had left embedded in
the countertop. She slipped her hand over

2514
03:35:48.719 --> 03:35:54.040
Iris's mouth and held a finger to
her lips. Ricky discreetly waved them away,

2515
03:35:54.920 --> 03:35:58.840
like I said, pal, someone
broke in while I was cleaning the

2516
03:35:58.920 --> 03:36:03.920
restrooms and waiting for the cops.
Now, Ricky told him they could come

2517
03:36:03.959 --> 03:36:07.959
back. The man said, it's
my civic duty to stay with you if

2518
03:36:07.000 --> 03:36:11.239
something happened. I don't think I
could live with myself. Darren hunkered down,

2519
03:36:11.559 --> 03:36:16.600
watching the exchange between snack sized bags
of chips. Don't trouble yourself.

2520
03:36:16.840 --> 03:36:22.760
It was probably just kids stealing beer. Ricky pointed to the doorway. Besides,

2521
03:36:22.399 --> 03:36:28.239
I got protection. The door opened
with an electronic chime meant to sound

2522
03:36:28.319 --> 03:36:33.079
like a bell. The new arrival
crunched across the broken glass and flipped back

2523
03:36:33.120 --> 03:36:37.799
the hood of his poncho to reveal
a bushy beard that merged with his flowing

2524
03:36:37.840 --> 03:36:41.159
hair. He walked past the man
in the pea coat and pulled the axe

2525
03:36:41.159 --> 03:36:46.200
out of the counter. Trouble Ricky, No big deal, Bear, Ricky

2526
03:36:46.280 --> 03:36:52.440
said, just some vandals, probably
those Horton boys. Little fuckers are always

2527
03:36:52.520 --> 03:36:56.319
up to something. Bear suggested and
pointed the tool at the other man.

2528
03:36:56.799 --> 03:37:01.799
Who's this. I'm just a concerned
citizen, the stranger said, hm.

2529
03:37:01.920 --> 03:37:07.920
Bear turned his attention to the attendant
receipt papers out again. I know you're

2530
03:37:07.959 --> 03:37:11.159
officially closed, but you think you
can print me a new one, sure

2531
03:37:11.200 --> 03:37:15.920
thing. Ricky turned to the register
and keyed in the numbers to open the

2532
03:37:16.000 --> 03:37:20.879
terminal. Darren eased herself away from
the end of the shelf, guiding Iris

2533
03:37:20.920 --> 03:37:24.440
toward the back of the store.
A door marked employees only stood between the

2534
03:37:24.520 --> 03:37:30.760
run of cooler doors and the three
doors of frozen food. Darren looked up

2535
03:37:30.799 --> 03:37:35.440
at a corner mirror, keeping an
eye on the exchange. You know,

2536
03:37:35.159 --> 03:37:41.200
Citizen Bear started scratching at his beard. There weren't no other cars on the

2537
03:37:41.239 --> 03:37:46.559
lot. Had a bit of car
trouble up the road some The man said,

2538
03:37:48.040 --> 03:37:50.159
I was hoping to call a tow
truck as it were. I guess

2539
03:37:50.239 --> 03:37:54.399
the Good Lord answered my prayers,
because here you are. He is a

2540
03:37:54.440 --> 03:37:58.840
loving God. You know, when
a man that looks like you happens to

2541
03:37:58.879 --> 03:38:03.280
be around in a situation like this
and starts talking about God, it's just

2542
03:38:05.200 --> 03:38:09.959
it gets my hackles up. Bear
padded the tool against his palm. Been

2543
03:38:09.040 --> 03:38:13.920
a lot of bad things happening around
town, and here I see a stranger

2544
03:38:13.399 --> 03:38:18.719
with a funky scar on his face, and I'm thinking that's an odd bit

2545
03:38:18.719 --> 03:38:22.959
of coincidence. I assure you that's
all it is, The man said,

2546
03:38:22.719 --> 03:38:28.280
just a coincidence. Iris bumped into
the shelf, dislodging a precariously stocked can

2547
03:38:28.319 --> 03:38:33.479
of microwavable pasta. The can hit
the floor with the subtlety of a hand

2548
03:38:33.479 --> 03:38:39.159
grenade. Darren saw the man turn
his attention to the noise the ragged scar

2549
03:38:39.280 --> 03:38:43.000
that slashed diagonally across his face came
into view as he glared up into the

2550
03:38:43.040 --> 03:38:48.680
mirror. It seems your intruders are
still here after all, he said,

2551
03:38:48.440 --> 03:38:54.879
I'm special Agent ed Merriweather. Ladies, you can come out now. You're

2552
03:38:54.920 --> 03:38:58.159
a fed. Bear asked, shit, I guess that makes me the Queen

2553
03:38:58.200 --> 03:39:03.719
of England. Let's see your id. The man patted his pocket and scowled.

2554
03:39:03.239 --> 03:39:07.440
It seems I left it in the
car, like I was saying.

2555
03:39:07.479 --> 03:39:09.559
I need a tow. You can
accompany me to my car and i'll show

2556
03:39:09.600 --> 03:39:13.719
you there. In the meantime,
we need to help those young ladies.

2557
03:39:13.360 --> 03:39:18.479
Darren leaned next to Iris and whispered
in her ear. I can see you,

2558
03:39:18.520 --> 03:39:22.239
miss Popatanis, The man said,
How would I know your name if

2559
03:39:22.280 --> 03:39:24.719
I wasn't telling the truth. Bring
little Iris out here so we can get

2560
03:39:24.760 --> 03:39:31.159
you somewhere safe. Bear prodded the
man's chest with the pride bar end of

2561
03:39:31.200 --> 03:39:35.040
the handle. I think they're pretty
safe here with me when the police come

2562
03:39:35.079 --> 03:39:39.200
around. I'll see you about that
tow. Darren stepped out from behind the

2563
03:39:39.239 --> 03:39:43.639
shelf and took tentative steps forward,
pulling down the hem of the shirt to

2564
03:39:43.719 --> 03:39:48.920
cover her as much as it could. She surveyed the agent carefully. She

2565
03:39:50.120 --> 03:39:54.959
wasn't sure what FBI agents looked like
outside of the movies, but something told

2566
03:39:54.959 --> 03:40:00.200
her they didn't look like Agent Merriweather. His clothing looked legit until she he

2567
03:40:00.239 --> 03:40:05.000
noticed his shoes, or rather the
pool around them. He was dripping from

2568
03:40:05.000 --> 03:40:09.559
the rain, and it was washing
something out of the fibers, leaving a

2569
03:40:09.639 --> 03:40:15.000
dark pink swirl at his feet.
Darren's mind raced back to the colvert.

2570
03:40:15.760 --> 03:40:18.479
There was a car coming, and
then a crash. She'd assumed it was

2571
03:40:18.559 --> 03:40:22.920
Red catching up in the stolen police
cruiser. He'd have already been here if

2572
03:40:22.959 --> 03:40:28.520
that were the case. No one
said they had car problems when they were

2573
03:40:28.559 --> 03:40:33.319
in a wreck, and don't FBI
agents have partners. Everything about the man

2574
03:40:33.639 --> 03:40:41.559
suddenly seemed wrong. She sidled closer
to Bear before she could make any accusations.

2575
03:40:41.639 --> 03:40:46.000
Police light drew everyone's attention to the
broken door. The agent turned his

2576
03:40:46.040 --> 03:40:50.319
eyes to the corner mirror again.
A thought crossed Darren's mind. It made

2577
03:40:50.399 --> 03:40:54.319
no sense and sounded paranoid, but
she was willing to take the risk.

2578
03:40:56.280 --> 03:41:00.399
You're working with him, she said
pointedly. The cop car pulled into the

2579
03:41:00.399 --> 03:41:03.280
lot and hit the curb as it
stopped. I'm sorry, I don't follow.

2580
03:41:03.760 --> 03:41:09.440
The agent crossed his hands over his
stomach with who don't. Darren held

2581
03:41:09.520 --> 03:41:13.799
up a finger and snatched the tool
from Bear's hands. I will smash your

2582
03:41:13.840 --> 03:41:18.239
goddamn kneecaps and leave you lying out
there to drown in the fucking ditch.

2583
03:41:20.920 --> 03:41:24.280
I used to be good at this
undercover shit, the agent smiled. The

2584
03:41:24.360 --> 03:41:28.719
name's Gaunt. Bring the girl out
here, Darren, don't make this harder.

2585
03:41:30.879 --> 03:41:33.799
No one was watching the police car
as Red lumbered out of it.

2586
03:41:35.600 --> 03:41:39.319
They didn't even look his direction until
the door chimed. Then everything happened at

2587
03:41:39.360 --> 03:41:43.680
once. Darren screamed for Iris to
run. The knife came out of the

2588
03:41:43.719 --> 03:41:48.479
fake fed's sleeve in a flash,
punching into Bear's throat. Ricky stretched over

2589
03:41:48.520 --> 03:41:52.879
the counter, grabbing Gaunt's collar and
dragging him away from his assault. Red

2590
03:41:52.920 --> 03:41:56.920
twirled the axe like a batter,
getting ready for a home run. The

2591
03:41:56.959 --> 03:42:01.360
employee door swung open, and Darren
and ran toward it. Meriweather drew a

2592
03:42:01.399 --> 03:42:07.479
pistol from inside his jacket and jammed
the barrel into Ricky's pudgy face. Glass

2593
03:42:07.559 --> 03:42:11.319
shattered everywhere in the store. The
agent fired, showering the cigarette racks with

2594
03:42:11.399 --> 03:42:18.000
brain matter. The employee door slammed
shut, and the store fell into deafening

2595
03:42:18.079 --> 03:42:22.000
silence. I told you i'd help
you with your family matters, read.

2596
03:42:22.479 --> 03:42:28.760
He fired two shots into Bear's head. Nelson Red hissed, what took you

2597
03:42:28.879 --> 03:42:31.879
so long? I've been looking for
the girl this whole time, buddy.

2598
03:42:33.479 --> 03:42:39.319
It's not our only priority. The
beast has many servants and many vessels find

2599
03:42:39.440 --> 03:42:43.000
them. They just ran into the
storeroom. Nelson pointed with the pistol.

2600
03:42:43.520 --> 03:42:48.200
I checked the perimeter before I came
in. I'm a fucking professional. In

2601
03:42:48.239 --> 03:42:52.760
case you forgot, there's one fire
exit and it's between the bathrooms. They're

2602
03:42:52.760 --> 03:42:58.399
trapped, then go get them,
sure thing. Nelson started toward the storeroom.

2603
03:43:00.040 --> 03:43:03.639
Yeve one, read, Hugh should
learn to relax. Nelson paused when

2604
03:43:03.639 --> 03:43:09.559
he spotted the broken plastic littering the
floor. He tilted his head up at

2605
03:43:09.559 --> 03:43:13.760
the corner mirror's empty frame. A
slapping sound drew his attention to the far

2606
03:43:13.920 --> 03:43:18.760
side of the store. He held
up a gun and signaled for Red to

2607
03:43:18.879 --> 03:43:22.079
check the other aisles. He rounded
the corner with the pistol leading the way.

2608
03:43:22.879 --> 03:43:26.399
The axe came down on his hand, taking off his thumb and sending

2609
03:43:26.440 --> 03:43:31.600
the gun skittering across the floor.
Darren rammed the pride bar through his mouth

2610
03:43:31.639 --> 03:43:35.760
before he could even scream. His
body shuddered and collapsed, Pulling the tool

2611
03:43:35.799 --> 03:43:41.600
from Darren's fingers. Red charged around
the corner, but the girl was gone.

2612
03:43:41.719 --> 03:43:46.719
Darren watched Iris pad over the broken
glass and her pilfered flip flops and

2613
03:43:46.799 --> 03:43:52.319
sprint across the parking lot to Bear's
idling tow truck. She hadn't meant to

2614
03:43:52.399 --> 03:43:56.879
knock the gun so far away.
There was still one weapon left, however,

2615
03:43:56.600 --> 03:44:01.239
She jerked the field knife from Bear's
throat and sprinted for the door.

2616
03:44:01.879 --> 03:44:05.200
Red knocked over a shelf with a
roar and chased after her. The glass

2617
03:44:05.280 --> 03:44:09.399
tore into her souls, but she
kept running. She heard the door chime

2618
03:44:09.479 --> 03:44:13.760
again as Red ripped the empty frame
from its hinges. The truck door opened.

2619
03:44:13.920 --> 03:44:18.239
Darren grabbed the door and jumped up
to get into the elevated cab of

2620
03:44:18.239 --> 03:44:22.959
the diesel. She stabbed the knife
into the vinyl dash and put the truck

2621
03:44:22.000 --> 03:44:26.879
into gear. Red ran beside them, trying to grab the door handle.

2622
03:44:26.200 --> 03:44:31.399
The truck blew a cloud of black
exhaust and rumbled further ahead of him.

2623
03:44:31.879 --> 03:44:37.239
His outstretched hand fell out of view
as the hulking brute crashed to the concrete.

2624
03:44:37.120 --> 03:44:43.239
Darren shifted gears and laughed. Iris
laid her head in Darren's lap.

2625
03:44:43.600 --> 03:44:48.680
Is it over now? Almost?
Baby? Darren patted her damp curls.

2626
03:44:50.559 --> 03:44:58.639
Almost. If you thought that was
scary, just you wait, weekly spooky,

2627
03:44:58.799 --> 03:45:09.520
We'll be right back. Chapter fifteen. Red's knees dragged the asphalt.

2628
03:45:09.959 --> 03:45:13.319
The leather toes stripped off his boots
until the steel beneath threw sparks in his

2629
03:45:13.399 --> 03:45:18.840
wake. He pulled on the bumper
muscles, straining to lift his bulk from

2630
03:45:18.840 --> 03:45:22.520
the road, and reached for the
base of the tow truck's wheel lift.

2631
03:45:22.479 --> 03:45:28.399
The wrecker continued gaining speed. He
got himself up enough to save what skin

2632
03:45:28.600 --> 03:45:33.120
was left. The steel toe caps
grew hotter as he climbed further up the

2633
03:45:33.200 --> 03:45:37.799
cruciform of the lift. He curled
his legs up, draping one across the

2634
03:45:37.840 --> 03:45:43.760
bumper and resting the other on the
hitch. I'm gonna kill you, slow

2635
03:45:43.200 --> 03:45:48.040
bitch. The storm swallowed his threat
so even he couldn't hear the words.

2636
03:45:48.719 --> 03:45:52.920
He hooked his fingers around a rubber
sling and pulled until he was standing on

2637
03:45:52.959 --> 03:45:58.520
the chrome bumper. He lost his
axe when he fell and kneaded a new

2638
03:45:58.559 --> 03:46:01.280
weapon. He held a sling and
stood on the back of the truck,

2639
03:46:01.680 --> 03:46:07.000
knowing the girls wouldn't be able to
see him. Amidst the tempest, a

2640
03:46:07.040 --> 03:46:11.360
diamond plate toolbox lined the back of
the cab. There was probably something useful

2641
03:46:11.360 --> 03:46:16.159
in there, but they'd feel the
weight shift if he tried to force the

2642
03:46:16.200 --> 03:46:22.440
locks. No, he needed something
else. Red crouched and maneuvered around the

2643
03:46:22.479 --> 03:46:26.319
lift, ducking into the shadow of
the boom. The hook and chain clanked

2644
03:46:26.360 --> 03:46:33.040
noisily inside the steel housing. Overhead, a lightning bolt illuminated the truck bed

2645
03:46:33.079 --> 03:46:37.680
for an instant, highlighting the jumble
of tools and straps beneath the toolbox.

2646
03:46:37.399 --> 03:46:43.159
He crawled forward, feeling for something
he could beat the babysitter's fucking skull in.

2647
03:46:43.280 --> 03:46:48.520
With his fingers closed around the cold, rough shaft of a tire iron,

2648
03:46:48.399 --> 03:46:52.399
the tool was caught under the weight
of something else. Red felt the

2649
03:46:52.440 --> 03:46:58.000
obstruction. The checkered plastic was rough
on his fingertips. He slid the case

2650
03:46:58.000 --> 03:47:03.440
out from under the tool and growled
happily. He tapped his fingers on the

2651
03:47:03.559 --> 03:47:13.600
raised lettering extrication comby tool. Red
flipped open the latches and lifted the lid

2652
03:47:13.639 --> 03:47:18.280
to reveal the battery powered jaws of
life within. The axe. Would have

2653
03:47:18.319 --> 03:47:24.159
been more practical, but this was
going to be more fun and hurt so

2654
03:47:24.360 --> 03:47:28.639
much more. The wrecker slid suddenly, hydroplaning on a sharp turn. Red

2655
03:47:28.680 --> 03:47:33.520
fell against the toolbox and rolled.
As the back tires slipped off the road,

2656
03:47:33.040 --> 03:47:37.799
mud flew in a wide spray as
the dual wheels cut through the earth

2657
03:47:37.879 --> 03:47:43.879
looking for traction. The truck thumped, bouncing Red violently. The truck got

2658
03:47:43.920 --> 03:47:50.200
back on the road, the sitter
downshifted and straightened them out once more.

2659
03:47:54.559 --> 03:47:58.799
What was that, Iris asked.
Darren shook her head. Probably tools sliding.

2660
03:48:01.000 --> 03:48:05.840
Iris looked out the back window and
saw nothing. Yeah, yeah,

2661
03:48:05.840 --> 03:48:09.200
that's it. I'll try not to
do that again. Darren sighed and moved

2662
03:48:09.200 --> 03:48:13.600
through the gears. I see the
mill lights ahead. I smell it too,

2663
03:48:13.959 --> 03:48:18.399
Iris scrunched her nose. That means
we're almost there, right, that's

2664
03:48:18.479 --> 03:48:22.159
right. We passed the mill and
turn it the foreway, and then it's

2665
03:48:22.200 --> 03:48:28.040
almost a straight shot all the way
downtown, flashing lights, crested the hilltop

2666
03:48:28.079 --> 03:48:33.120
in the distance, and raced onto
norma smallwood bridge. Darren smashed her palm

2667
03:48:33.159 --> 03:48:37.559
into the horn. Damn it what, Iris bolted upright on the edge of

2668
03:48:37.559 --> 03:48:41.520
her seat. The cops are still
going to the gas and grub. We

2669
03:48:41.600 --> 03:48:46.879
need to get their attention. Darren
glanced over at the kid and buckle your

2670
03:48:46.920 --> 03:48:50.200
seat belt. Whoops, Iris said, reaching for the restraint. And I

2671
03:48:50.360 --> 03:48:56.239
must have been too busy trying not
to be murdered. Smart ass. Darren

2672
03:48:56.280 --> 03:49:00.479
flashed her high beams at the approaching
cops and mashed down on the horn again.

2673
03:49:01.000 --> 03:49:03.559
It was too wet to try blocking
the road. They'd plow into the

2674
03:49:03.559 --> 03:49:07.840
wrecker before they could see it.
The cars streaked past her. She watched

2675
03:49:07.879 --> 03:49:11.879
them in the side mirror, hoping
they'd turn around. Something caught her eye

2676
03:49:11.920 --> 03:49:16.799
in the wash of the light bars, an arm hanging over the side of

2677
03:49:16.840 --> 03:49:20.479
the truck bed. I want you
to open the glove box and see if

2678
03:49:20.479 --> 03:49:24.840
Bear left a phone or a gun
or anything else that might be useful.

2679
03:49:24.680 --> 03:49:30.639
Can't we just turn around and follow
them? Darren accelerated and kept her eyes

2680
03:49:30.680 --> 03:49:33.319
moving between the mirrors and the road. If she slowed down enough to make

2681
03:49:33.360 --> 03:49:37.399
a U turn, it would give
Red all the time he needed to make

2682
03:49:37.440 --> 03:49:39.959
his move. She wasn't going to
let him have the initiative any longer.

2683
03:49:41.760 --> 03:49:46.120
She'd been reacting to him since he
killed Brendan. It was time to be

2684
03:49:46.280 --> 03:49:50.399
proactive. Just check the box,
baby, Iris pulled out some fast food,

2685
03:49:50.479 --> 03:49:54.600
napkins, ketchup packets, a fabric
case, and three red sticks.

2686
03:49:56.120 --> 03:50:00.840
She piled the findings onto the scat
between them and shuffled around among the papers

2687
03:50:00.879 --> 03:50:05.639
for anything else. Nothing good,
Iras said. The truck bounced on its

2688
03:50:05.639 --> 03:50:09.520
shocks as it popped onto the bridge. Darren looked over and grabbed the three

2689
03:50:09.559 --> 03:50:15.440
sticks road flares. She tucked them
under her thigh with an irritated grunt.

2690
03:50:16.159 --> 03:50:20.920
What's wrong? I don't even have
pants, let alone pockets. She pointed

2691
03:50:20.920 --> 03:50:24.440
to the case. What's in there? Iris opened it and shrugged, no

2692
03:50:24.559 --> 03:50:31.440
idea. Darren checked the mirrors and
then looked at the contents wedge kit.

2693
03:50:31.120 --> 03:50:35.680
It's no good for us. What
about the junk and the floorboard buried a

2694
03:50:35.719 --> 03:50:39.440
lot of burgers, Iris said,
as she dug around. She sat up

2695
03:50:39.440 --> 03:50:45.159
with a fanny pack and a smile. Next best thing to pockets. Darren

2696
03:50:45.200 --> 03:50:48.319
reached for it blindly and dumped it
out. Spare change, an MP three

2697
03:50:48.399 --> 03:50:52.840
player, wax, crusted earbuds,
a cheap multi toool, a pack of

2698
03:50:52.879 --> 03:50:58.600
smokes, and a refillable lighter spilled
across the seat cushion. Darren stuffed the

2699
03:50:58.600 --> 03:51:03.879
flares inside and pulled it across her
chest like a bandolier. She squeezed Iris's

2700
03:51:03.000 --> 03:51:09.799
arm and exhaled slowly. Everything is
about to get really crazy because it's been

2701
03:51:09.879 --> 03:51:16.120
normal so far. I need you
to trust me. Darren took her foot

2702
03:51:16.120 --> 03:51:20.239
off the gas pedal. The engine
quieted noticeably. I do, Darren.

2703
03:51:22.120 --> 03:51:24.200
She tapped the brakes to make it
look like she was going to turn around

2704
03:51:24.239 --> 03:51:28.559
after all. Right on cue,
Red raised himself from the truckbed. She

2705
03:51:28.719 --> 03:51:33.799
downshifted and waited until he came up
to a crouch. He was going to

2706
03:51:33.879 --> 03:51:37.719
jump over the side and pull her
out when she stopped to complete the turn.

2707
03:51:37.479 --> 03:51:43.600
He braced himself to make his move, and Darren smiled, gotcha,

2708
03:51:43.680 --> 03:51:48.280
motherfucker. She stomped the clutch and
rocked the shifter into place, punching the

2709
03:51:48.360 --> 03:51:52.319
gas. Red toppled backwards as the
truck jumped forward. Bouncing off the boom

2710
03:51:52.520 --> 03:51:58.079
and tumbling across the truckbed until he
struck the wheel lift. Darren held a

2711
03:51:58.120 --> 03:52:01.280
middle finger to the back glass and
turned the wheel. The truck leaped from

2712
03:52:01.319 --> 03:52:05.680
the shoulder. The wrecker crashed down, bouncing the girls in their seats.

2713
03:52:07.200 --> 03:52:11.440
Darren looked in the mirror and saw
red silhouette clinging to the steel cross.

2714
03:52:11.479 --> 03:52:16.319
As the truck continued bounding down the
hillside. Darren tried to steer the truck,

2715
03:52:16.360 --> 03:52:20.159
but its weight and momentum sent them
sliding through the mud in ever changing

2716
03:52:20.239 --> 03:52:24.200
directions. She lined it up as
best she could. With the approaching stretch

2717
03:52:24.239 --> 03:52:28.520
of road, the front tires hit
and she veered the wrong way. The

2718
03:52:28.680 --> 03:52:33.559
entire truck swung in a semicircle as
the back tires got to the asphalt and

2719
03:52:33.600 --> 03:52:37.239
pushed her toward the chain link security
gate. She braced herself for impact.

2720
03:52:37.879 --> 03:52:41.799
The wrecord didn't slow as it plowed
through the gate, tearing it from its

2721
03:52:41.840 --> 03:52:46.639
guides and sending it skidding across the
lot in a twisted heap. The security

2722
03:52:46.639 --> 03:52:50.479
guard came out of his shacks,
screaming and waving a fist after them.

2723
03:52:50.799 --> 03:52:56.200
That's right, now, go call
the cops. Darren turned the high beams

2724
03:52:56.239 --> 03:53:00.000
on and looked for the best place
to put the truck. The oversized block

2725
03:53:00.040 --> 03:53:03.239
ull bar stuck over the hood and
well in front of the vehicle. She

2726
03:53:03.440 --> 03:53:07.760
prayed it wasn't just for show,
and lined the truck up with a metal

2727
03:53:07.840 --> 03:53:11.840
roll up door. They crashed through
in a shower of sparks. Darren wrestled

2728
03:53:11.840 --> 03:53:16.120
the wheel, turning away from an
upright support beam. Iris screamed as the

2729
03:53:16.159 --> 03:53:20.879
mirror exploded. Oh shit. Darren
reached to hold Iris against the seat.

2730
03:53:22.600 --> 03:53:26.719
The truck went between two metal legs. The wheel lift punched into the vat

2731
03:53:26.760 --> 03:53:31.399
above with a titanic crash and the
screech of rending metal. The truck jerked

2732
03:53:31.399 --> 03:53:35.719
to a halt. The contents of
the vat poured noisily into the bed of

2733
03:53:35.760 --> 03:53:39.799
the truck. Time to move,
kiddo. Darren ripped the knife from the

2734
03:53:39.879 --> 03:53:43.440
dash and stepped out of the truck. Iris climbed into her arms, and

2735
03:53:43.479 --> 03:53:48.399
the babysitter back pedaled hurriedly, trying
to get her bare feet away from the

2736
03:53:48.440 --> 03:53:52.520
splattering chemicals. The pulp poured out
of the breech with the consistency of oatmeal.

2737
03:53:54.159 --> 03:53:58.479
The fumes of the caustic bleach brought
tears to her eyes. Red toppled

2738
03:53:58.520 --> 03:54:01.920
over the side of the bed.
He bellowed, dragging something heavy along with

2739
03:54:03.040 --> 03:54:07.920
him. He discarded the item and
stood up, clawing at the paper pulp

2740
03:54:07.159 --> 03:54:13.760
clinging to his flesh. Red scraped
the compound from his cheek, peeling away

2741
03:54:13.840 --> 03:54:18.799
flesh in the process. The titanium
jawbone gleamed as the bleaching agent melted away

2742
03:54:18.879 --> 03:54:26.600
the organic material. Spots of raw
tissue glistened bloodily. His resin dentures clenched

2743
03:54:26.600 --> 03:54:33.319
together in a howl of pain and
rage, then mushed into an indistinguishable mass.

2744
03:54:33.000 --> 03:54:37.760
Red spat them out and ran for
a chain hanging nearby, jerking it

2745
03:54:37.879 --> 03:54:45.479
hard. The emergency shower opened above
him. You've gotta be fucking kidding me,

2746
03:54:45.959 --> 03:54:50.120
Darren groaned. She moved them away
from the spreading pool and set Iris

2747
03:54:50.159 --> 03:54:54.120
down. I thought you had a
plan, Iris whimpered. I did,

2748
03:54:54.840 --> 03:55:00.719
It just didn't work. What's the
new plan? Iris backed up, watching

2749
03:55:00.799 --> 03:55:05.600
Red cower beneath the running water.
Get a head start and then figure out

2750
03:55:05.600 --> 03:55:09.280
how to kill this son of a
bitch. She pulled Iris by the arm.

2751
03:55:09.559 --> 03:55:13.319
They ran beneath the machine following it
through a wide corridor. Worrying and

2752
03:55:13.399 --> 03:55:20.200
thumping filled the massive room from the
automated processes carrying on undeterred by their intrusion.

2753
03:55:20.159 --> 03:55:24.600
Catwalks lined the ceiling, but there
were no workers to flag down for

2754
03:55:24.680 --> 03:55:33.399
help. Now what Iris asked between
breaths, keep running, I like it,

2755
03:55:33.479 --> 03:55:46.559
spooky weekly, spooky, We'll be
right back. Chapter sixteen. Charlie

2756
03:55:46.639 --> 03:55:50.680
Koons's golf cart beeped in a slow, steady rhythm that did not match the

2757
03:55:50.840 --> 03:55:56.799
urgency with which he drove it.
He wasn't sure what the sop was for

2758
03:55:56.879 --> 03:56:01.479
a truck driving through the side of
the building. He wasn't even sure there

2759
03:56:01.680 --> 03:56:05.200
was one. He knew he should
have stayed in the shack and called emergency

2760
03:56:05.280 --> 03:56:09.879
services, but someone might have been
hurt. What if they died while he

2761
03:56:09.959 --> 03:56:16.280
waited for an ambulance and the police. It'd just be another chuck the cunt

2762
03:56:16.360 --> 03:56:20.799
failure. He scowled and steered through
the downpour. It didn't matter how many

2763
03:56:20.840 --> 03:56:26.760
times he told the guys his name
was pronounced Coonts. They still called him

2764
03:56:26.760 --> 03:56:33.040
by the childish moniker. Everyone he'd
known since sixth grade had, as a

2765
03:56:33.040 --> 03:56:37.840
matter of fact, his constant fuck
ups and lifelong cowardice did little other than

2766
03:56:37.879 --> 03:56:45.040
affirm his worthiness of the title.
But not anymore. No, today,

2767
03:56:45.520 --> 03:56:48.719
Charlie was going to be a hero
and save whoever it was that plowed through

2768
03:56:48.719 --> 03:56:52.680
the side of the mill. He
was sure of it. The cart's electric

2769
03:56:52.760 --> 03:56:58.040
motor whirred as Charlie zipped along at
its top speed of fifteen miles per hour

2770
03:56:58.440 --> 03:57:03.079
and jumped the lip of the roll
up door with the power of a large

2771
03:57:03.159 --> 03:57:07.680
grasshopper. He slammed on the brakes
and let it slide on the wet concrete

2772
03:57:07.760 --> 03:57:13.120
like they did in the action movies. Charlie stepped out from under the plastic

2773
03:57:13.159 --> 03:57:18.079
canopy and gawked at the toxic mess
flowing across the floor. A red light

2774
03:57:18.200 --> 03:57:24.120
flashed on the side of the vat, signaling a containment breach. The operator

2775
03:57:24.159 --> 03:57:26.799
would have seen it and shut down, so that was one less thing to

2776
03:57:26.840 --> 03:57:33.040
worry about. Charlie took his flashlight
from the ring of his belt and shined

2777
03:57:33.040 --> 03:57:37.200
it into the cab of the wrecker. No one was there. He whistled

2778
03:57:37.200 --> 03:57:43.479
sharply, who do you call when
the tow truck needs toad? He stepped

2779
03:57:43.479 --> 03:57:48.159
around the vehicle to read the company
name The letters were scratched to hell,

2780
03:57:48.319 --> 03:57:54.479
but he recognized the logo Bear Williams. Where'd you get off to? I've

2781
03:57:54.520 --> 03:58:00.520
come to help. Charlie fanned the
air in front of him. If got

2782
03:58:00.559 --> 03:58:03.479
that stuff on him, he was
in a world of hurt and couldn't have

2783
03:58:03.520 --> 03:58:07.680
gone far. Charlie reached for the
radio transmitter on his lapel and thumbed the

2784
03:58:07.680 --> 03:58:13.799
button operator. This is a security
specialist coots down at the pulp station.

2785
03:58:15.079 --> 03:58:18.799
How goes it? Is? The
cunt staying dry in the storm. The

2786
03:58:18.840 --> 03:58:24.079
operator kept transmitting long enough to let
Charlie know he was laughing at him.

2787
03:58:24.799 --> 03:58:28.879
About as dry as you keep your
old lady, Hal, Charlie responded,

2788
03:58:28.719 --> 03:58:33.440
cute, The operator said dryly,
I got an alarm for bleach spill.

2789
03:58:33.559 --> 03:58:37.840
What's going on? Someone ran off
the road and hit the building. Call

2790
03:58:37.920 --> 03:58:43.799
emergency services. Someone's hurt. Mighty
bad. Shit. There goes our safety

2791
03:58:43.840 --> 03:58:48.360
bonus. This is serious, Hal. How bad are they hurt? I

2792
03:58:48.399 --> 03:58:52.879
don't know. I haven't found them
yet. Well, damn, chuck.

2793
03:58:52.040 --> 03:58:56.920
They're probably shitfaced and ran away hoping
we don't call the cops on their drunk

2794
03:58:56.959 --> 03:59:01.479
asses. All the more reason you
need to so pretend it's a dick and

2795
03:59:01.559 --> 03:59:05.920
get on it already. Yeah,
Hal cleared his throat. That bravado was

2796
03:59:05.959 --> 03:59:09.879
gone when he spoke again. Yeah, Charlie, Okay, I'm calling them

2797
03:59:09.920 --> 03:59:15.479
now, over and out. Charlie
beamed with pride for having stood up to

2798
03:59:15.559 --> 03:59:18.440
Hal. It felt good putting him
in his place. He'd have to do

2799
03:59:18.479 --> 03:59:24.120
that more often. He started around
the other side of the truck, rubbing

2800
03:59:24.159 --> 03:59:30.120
his eyes clear. A shadow loomed
across his path. Charlie turned sharply,

2801
03:59:30.959 --> 03:59:35.680
shining his light on the man creeping
around the supports. The light hit the

2802
03:59:35.719 --> 03:59:43.559
man's chest and continued up his broad
torso too his face. Charlie's words and

2803
03:59:43.600 --> 03:59:48.559
dinner jockeyed for position as they tried
to reach his mouth first. The man

2804
03:59:48.719 --> 03:59:52.840
swung something at Charlie with two hands. He felt the stab in his gut.

2805
03:59:54.239 --> 03:59:58.360
His flashlight hit the floor and rolled
away. The man twisted a handle

2806
03:59:58.680 --> 04:00:03.799
and the blades and Charlie's abdomen began
to open, spilling his guts as the

2807
04:00:03.799 --> 04:00:09.760
pneumatic spreader parted his flesh with ease. The man growled and pushed the combi

2808
04:00:09.879 --> 04:00:16.479
tool in, turning the handle the
other way and closing the jaws of life.

2809
04:00:16.639 --> 04:00:20.479
Charlie couldn't feel anything anymore. Shock
set in the second he felt his

2810
04:00:20.520 --> 04:00:26.719
guts piling on his feet. He
heard the wet crunch of his spine severing.

2811
04:00:28.920 --> 04:00:33.879
Charlie Konz's body hit the floor in
two different spots. His killer padded

2812
04:00:33.879 --> 04:00:46.840
the tool appreciatively before leaving Charlie to
the abyss. Darren leaned against the yellow

2813
04:00:46.879 --> 04:00:50.879
handrail of a short staircase to catch
her breath. Iris sat on the steps

2814
04:00:50.920 --> 04:00:56.440
to do the same. They had
been running for what felt like forever and

2815
04:00:56.559 --> 04:01:01.040
still hadn't seen anyone in the factory
or found the end of the machine they

2816
04:01:01.040 --> 04:01:05.239
were following. The racing of the
internal workings drowned out any other noise,

2817
04:01:05.760 --> 04:01:11.200
giving them doubts to whether or not
anyone was even working so late at night.

2818
04:01:11.040 --> 04:01:16.680
What about up there, Iris asked, pointing to the network of catwalks

2819
04:01:16.680 --> 04:01:20.600
above. We don't know where they
go. Darren shook her head. It

2820
04:01:20.639 --> 04:01:26.079
looks like they used them to work
on whatever this thing is. I can't

2821
04:01:26.120 --> 04:01:31.479
run much more. Darren looked through
a gap in the machine where a never

2822
04:01:31.600 --> 04:01:35.360
ending sheet ran between the rollers the
length of a car. Liquids pressed out

2823
04:01:35.399 --> 04:01:41.760
and collected in a reservoir below.
Bubbles popped on the surface as an unseen

2824
04:01:41.879 --> 04:01:46.600
suction device pulled the excess out and
through a large pipe that ran along the

2825
04:01:46.639 --> 04:01:52.239
floor and disappeared into the nearest wall. The school did a field trip here

2826
04:01:52.319 --> 04:01:56.559
once, Iris said, they wanted
to show us how they make our notebooks.

2827
04:01:56.200 --> 04:02:01.000
There were so many workers. Then
where there are they? I don't

2828
04:02:01.000 --> 04:02:07.000
know, kiddo, She pointed at
the reservoir. They're pumping this stuff somewhere.

2829
04:02:07.200 --> 04:02:11.200
Maybe there's an exit or an office
or something. Do you remember anything

2830
04:02:11.200 --> 04:02:15.159
else from the field trip? Iris
thought about it, shook her head,

2831
04:02:15.479 --> 04:02:20.440
then stood up and grabbed Darren's hand. There's a big room full of computers

2832
04:02:20.440 --> 04:02:24.639
and monitors. It's upstairs. The
girl pulled Darren along. They can control

2833
04:02:24.719 --> 04:02:30.440
everything from up there. That's where
the people are. They started running again,

2834
04:02:30.840 --> 04:02:35.200
Passing into a large open space.
The machine continued through another massive doorway.

2835
04:02:37.280 --> 04:02:41.840
Rows of pallettes lined the space to
their right, each holding a wide

2836
04:02:41.280 --> 04:02:46.639
cardboard wrapped roll of paper as tall
as a man. Iris stopped and turned

2837
04:02:46.639 --> 04:02:52.920
in a circle, taking everything in
where to Darren asked, I came here

2838
04:02:52.959 --> 04:02:58.600
when I was seven. Give me
a second. Iris rubbed her chin trying

2839
04:02:58.639 --> 04:03:03.440
to remember, watched the way they'd
come for any sign of Red. They'd

2840
04:03:03.479 --> 04:03:09.959
never hear him coming over the clamorous
workings of the paper making machines. Her

2841
04:03:09.000 --> 04:03:15.479
mind flashed to the way his skin
peeled away. Maybe he was already dead.

2842
04:03:16.239 --> 04:03:20.239
She rolled the field knife's round handle
between her palms. They weren't that

2843
04:03:20.399 --> 04:03:26.959
lucky. This machine stretches and drives
the paper and puts them on huge rolls.

2844
04:03:26.600 --> 04:03:31.600
Then they put them through another machine
that cuts the rolls and they store

2845
04:03:31.680 --> 04:03:35.799
those here, Iris said, thinking
aloud. Her fingers moved through the air,

2846
04:03:37.000 --> 04:03:41.280
following the path of the memory.
Then they take them to the other

2847
04:03:41.360 --> 04:03:45.280
side of the mill. That's where
they cut them into sheets. I know

2848
04:03:45.319 --> 04:03:48.239
where we are. Iris took off, running between a row of palletts,

2849
04:03:48.520 --> 04:03:54.360
waving for Darren to follow. The
babysitter sprinted after her. Darren caught up

2850
04:03:54.440 --> 04:04:00.280
quickly. Each hard step made the
cuts on her feet swell with pain that

2851
04:04:00.440 --> 04:04:05.040
fired up her legs in jolts,
like a jockey's crop telling a horse to

2852
04:04:05.079 --> 04:04:09.959
move its ass. Panic built in
her chest. As they maneuvered through the

2853
04:04:09.959 --> 04:04:13.760
maze of paper rolls. Red was
going to reach out from behind one.

2854
04:04:13.799 --> 04:04:18.959
She knew it. Her fingers tightened
around the knife. The big room is

2855
04:04:20.000 --> 04:04:24.479
over the cutting thingy, Iris called
over her shoulder. We're almost there.

2856
04:04:24.440 --> 04:04:28.440
Iris slid, falling to her butt. Darren ran into a paper roll to

2857
04:04:28.479 --> 04:04:35.280
stop herself. The little girl Crab
walked away from the man shaped shadow stretching

2858
04:04:35.639 --> 04:04:39.559
across their path. She looked to
her sitter, her face pale with fright.

2859
04:04:41.120 --> 04:04:45.440
Darren put a finger to her lips. The pallets were pushed against one

2860
04:04:45.440 --> 04:04:50.680
another in their rows, leaving only
a narrow gap between the products they held.

2861
04:04:50.559 --> 04:04:58.360
Darren squeezed between two rolls and disappeared
into the adjacent alley. The shade

2862
04:04:58.559 --> 04:05:03.600
moved suddenly and drew closer to the
end of the alley. Iris bit her

2863
04:05:03.639 --> 04:05:07.280
lip to keep the scream inside.
How the hell did you get in here?

2864
04:05:09.000 --> 04:05:13.399
The native man in blue coveralls asked, where is everyone? Darren asked.

2865
04:05:13.920 --> 04:05:16.959
The man jumped at the voice behind
him and turned. He put his

2866
04:05:18.040 --> 04:05:20.319
hands in the air when he saw
Darren aiming the knife at his face.

2867
04:05:20.719 --> 04:05:26.360
Whoa Jesus shit, The man patted
the air frantically before he let them fall

2868
04:05:26.399 --> 04:05:33.600
to his sides. His face scrunched
questioningly. Why aren't you wearing any pants.

2869
04:05:33.440 --> 04:05:39.520
It's laundry day, Darren said,
rob me every laundry day. Please.

2870
04:05:39.079 --> 04:05:43.680
The man smiled, then put his
hands back up and cleared his throat.

2871
04:05:43.280 --> 04:05:50.440
HM. Sorry, carry on,
this isn't a robbery, dumbass,

2872
04:05:50.719 --> 04:05:54.760
Iris, come here. Darren waved
the child over and lowered her knife.

2873
04:05:54.239 --> 04:05:58.959
What's your name? Dances with wolves? He said. Once he got the

2874
04:06:00.079 --> 04:06:03.319
look of confusion he was waiting for, he laughed, I'm just fucking with

2875
04:06:03.399 --> 04:06:09.120
you. Everyone thinks we got names
like that. I'm Dalton, Dalton.

2876
04:06:09.680 --> 04:06:13.079
My parents' first date was to see
roadhouse, he shrugged. Could have been

2877
04:06:13.120 --> 04:06:18.000
worse. They could have been seeing
point break. Can you imagine naming your

2878
04:06:18.040 --> 04:06:24.959
son body? That is a really
weird name, Iris agreed. Darren shook

2879
04:06:24.959 --> 04:06:28.600
her head. Okay, I can't
process any more weird today. Where is

2880
04:06:28.680 --> 04:06:35.799
everyone? It's third shift? Dalton
realized that that didn't mean anything to his

2881
04:06:35.920 --> 04:06:41.719
poorly dressed hostage taker. Everything is
automated. I do quality control for the

2882
04:06:41.760 --> 04:06:46.799
whole process from ten to six.
That's why I got the bike. Dalton

2883
04:06:46.840 --> 04:06:52.360
pointed at the bicycle resting on its
kickstand a few feet away. Daisy decals

2884
04:06:52.440 --> 04:06:58.280
lined the lavender frame with violet tassels
from the handlebars and a basket mounted behind

2885
04:06:58.280 --> 04:07:01.920
the wide padded seat. Iris and
Darren looked at it, then back to

2886
04:07:03.000 --> 04:07:07.479
Dalton with obvious questions. It was
on clearance. Dalton said, like he'd

2887
04:07:07.479 --> 04:07:13.719
explain that too many times. Anyways, I'm basically the only dude that works

2888
04:07:13.760 --> 04:07:18.239
the floor. There's one guy in
operations, a few security guards who apparently

2889
04:07:18.399 --> 04:07:24.000
aren't doing their jobs, and one
forklift driver that stacks the products for further

2890
04:07:24.079 --> 04:07:30.040
processing in the morning. What if
something breaks down, Darren asked, Operations

2891
04:07:30.079 --> 04:07:33.559
gets the alert and shuts down whatever's
dicked up. Dalton tossed his hands in

2892
04:07:33.600 --> 04:07:39.239
the air. The schools are switching
to tablets, books are digital. When's

2893
04:07:39.239 --> 04:07:41.680
the last time you mailed a real
letter. We don't need to run a

2894
04:07:41.680 --> 04:07:46.840
full output anymore. Hell, we'd
be closed already if we weren't Union.

2895
04:07:46.799 --> 04:07:52.239
We're in danger. Someone's chasing us. We need to get to Operations.

2896
04:07:52.760 --> 04:07:58.120
Oh that's easy, just go,
do you hear that? Dalton made his

2897
04:07:58.159 --> 04:08:03.440
way to the end of the palette
rows and yeah, thought, so you're

2898
04:08:03.479 --> 04:08:09.239
in luck. Here comes kunt.
Darren cocked her head. Shit, um,

2899
04:08:09.639 --> 04:08:13.280
that's our nickname for one of the
security guys, you know, because

2900
04:08:13.319 --> 04:08:18.760
he's so, because we're assholes,
Dalton conceded. The beeping of the golf

2901
04:08:18.799 --> 04:08:24.280
cart became clearer over the cacophonist manufacturing. Dalton waved his hands in the air.

2902
04:08:24.760 --> 04:08:30.360
Hey, Charlie, get down here. He looked back at Iris and

2903
04:08:30.479 --> 04:08:33.360
Darren. He can get you there
a lot faster with his stupid buggy.

2904
04:08:35.280 --> 04:08:39.000
Dalton took a step into the main
aisle and continued waving his hands. He

2905
04:08:39.079 --> 04:08:43.959
whistled and gestured for the guard to
pull in. He brought his hand to

2906
04:08:43.040 --> 04:08:48.479
his brow to shield his eyes from
the overhead lights. That's not Charlie,

2907
04:08:50.159 --> 04:08:52.479
must be a new guy, he
said, squinting at the figure on the

2908
04:08:52.559 --> 04:08:58.680
cart. Big son of a bitch
too. Hey, I got two girls

2909
04:08:58.680 --> 04:09:03.040
in trouble over here. Drive it
like you stole it. Where's Operations,

2910
04:09:03.440 --> 04:09:05.920
Darren demanded. This dude will take
you straight there. It's on the other

2911
04:09:05.959 --> 04:09:11.360
side of the plant. Dalton pointed
straight ahead. The cutter's over there,

2912
04:09:11.600 --> 04:09:16.639
yellow about five hundred yards. Can't
miss it. Operations is right over it.

2913
04:09:16.239 --> 04:09:20.639
Dalton turned back to the approaching cart, his face screwed up in disgust

2914
04:09:20.680 --> 04:09:26.200
and confusion. Darren gestured for Iris
and climbed onto the bike. What the

2915
04:09:26.280 --> 04:09:31.559
fuck is wrong with your face,
my guy, Dalton asked, Get on

2916
04:09:31.600 --> 04:09:35.639
the handlebars, just like we do
at the park. Darren clinched the knife

2917
04:09:35.639 --> 04:09:39.760
blade between her teeth and kept the
bike steady while Iris got into position.

2918
04:09:39.360 --> 04:09:43.520
She kicked the stand up with a
sharp snap and started pedaling, turning the

2919
04:09:43.520 --> 04:09:48.479
bicycle in a wide arc and pointing
its dingy white tires in the direction of

2920
04:09:48.520 --> 04:09:52.920
the operations booth. Hey, I
thought you said this wasn't a robbery.

2921
04:09:54.399 --> 04:09:58.879
Where are you going with my bike? Dalton called after them. He turned

2922
04:09:58.879 --> 04:10:01.799
as the golf cart round the corner. His eyes bulged when he saw the

2923
04:10:01.879 --> 04:10:07.639
driver, and he started running after
Darren. The cart beaped methodically behind him,

2924
04:10:07.840 --> 04:10:15.120
while Red's burned throat hacked out a
terrifying attempt at laughter. Dalton watched

2925
04:10:15.120 --> 04:10:20.399
as his bicycle flew through an intersection. The thief's bare legs pumped the petals

2926
04:10:20.479 --> 04:10:26.680
furiously, leaving him gasping behind her. Dalton's thighs burned as he crossed the

2927
04:10:26.719 --> 04:10:31.360
aisle. Thirty seconds later, he
started to waver, and the plastic bumper

2928
04:10:31.399 --> 04:10:35.120
of the cart clipped his calf,
sending him spinning to the ground. Dalton's

2929
04:10:35.159 --> 04:10:39.159
head bounced off the floor and he
rolled over, rubbing the point of impact.

2930
04:10:39.840 --> 04:10:45.799
The cart's orange safety light flashed rhythmically
as it continued the pursuit of the

2931
04:10:45.840 --> 04:10:52.239
bicycle. A new sound came into
focus, a horrible catterwalling of some nineties

2932
04:10:52.360 --> 04:10:58.719
dance tune. Dalton turned his head
and screamed, before the oblivious forklift driver

2933
04:11:00.360 --> 04:11:07.959
drove over his neck. WE don't
go this fast at the park, Iris

2934
04:11:07.959 --> 04:11:13.440
wailed. Darren glanced back at Red
in lukewarm pursuit. The golf cart's incessant

2935
04:11:13.479 --> 04:11:18.719
beeping drew nearer, forcing her to
pedal Harder. Murderers never chased them at

2936
04:11:18.719 --> 04:11:22.840
the park, but the factory floor
was much more level, and the smooth

2937
04:11:22.920 --> 04:11:28.600
surface made the ride a lot easier
than the hills and dirt cutthroughs she usually

2938
04:11:28.600 --> 04:11:33.079
pedaled Iris around On there, Iris
pointed, making the bike sway. She

2939
04:11:33.200 --> 04:11:39.680
shrieked and grabbed the handlebars again.
I see the big room, Darren leaned,

2940
04:11:39.239 --> 04:11:45.799
turning the bicycle into the larger thruway. The back tires slipped and they

2941
04:11:45.840 --> 04:11:52.440
crashed. Iris clutched her arm,
crying loudly. Blood spattered Darren's cheek as

2942
04:11:52.479 --> 04:11:58.360
her wounded shoulder met the floor,
tearing itself wider. The knife spun around

2943
04:11:58.399 --> 04:12:03.159
on its guard until it stopped with
its point aiming back at Darren like a

2944
04:12:03.200 --> 04:12:07.920
sadistic game of spin the bottle.
The sitter crawled to the weapon and then

2945
04:12:07.000 --> 04:12:11.799
got up and helped Iris to her
feet. She hissed at the sight of

2946
04:12:11.840 --> 04:12:16.639
the girl's ulna bulging against the freckled
skin of her forearm. Darren collected her

2947
04:12:16.719 --> 04:12:20.799
knife, lifted the girl, and
ran as best she could to the staircase.

2948
04:12:22.479 --> 04:12:26.520
A horrific scrape turned her around.
The golf cart ran over the bicycle,

2949
04:12:26.920 --> 04:12:31.360
dragging it across the floor before climbing
on top of it. The cart's

2950
04:12:31.399 --> 04:12:37.879
tires spun in the air. Red
grabbed a heavy cylindrical tuol from the seat

2951
04:12:37.040 --> 04:12:43.200
and continued his chase on foot.
Darren ran up the stairs, across a

2952
04:12:43.280 --> 04:12:48.239
catwalk to the next flight, and
up those to the operations booth. The

2953
04:12:48.319 --> 04:12:52.719
door was propped open with a tattered
paperback book, and the sweet smell of

2954
04:12:52.799 --> 04:12:58.200
French toast wafted through the gap.
Darren pushed it open with her shoulder and

2955
04:12:58.319 --> 04:13:01.680
kicked the door free. She slammed
the metal security door, twisting its lock

2956
04:13:01.760 --> 04:13:07.319
into place. Before setting Iris in
a rolling chair, the operator exhaled another

2957
04:13:07.360 --> 04:13:15.920
sweet scented vape cloud. Hi call
the cops now, Darren demanded, I

2958
04:13:15.959 --> 04:13:20.040
already did. I got a call
about an accident. Are you the people

2959
04:13:20.079 --> 04:13:24.159
that drove through the building. Yes, now call them again. Someone's coming

2960
04:13:24.200 --> 04:13:28.280
to kill us. Look, lady, I'm not trying to judge you or

2961
04:13:28.319 --> 04:13:31.760
anything, but he held his hands
out and shrugged. You just ran into

2962
04:13:31.799 --> 04:13:37.959
an entire damn building in your panties, and you're carrying a fucking combat knife.

2963
04:13:37.440 --> 04:13:41.799
The cops are probably the last people
you want to see right now.

2964
04:13:41.600 --> 04:13:46.760
Red rammed the door from the outside. The man straightened in his seat.

2965
04:13:46.159 --> 04:13:50.959
Darren patted across the room and grabbed
a fistful of his workshirt. She read

2966
04:13:52.000 --> 04:13:54.959
the embroidered name tag and put the
point of the knife inside his nostril.

2967
04:13:56.680 --> 04:14:01.680
Listen, hal that big motherfucker out
there is going to get in here.

2968
04:14:01.120 --> 04:14:07.000
When he does, we're all dead. The only chance we have is that

2969
04:14:07.159 --> 04:14:09.959
one door and this knife. So
either come up with a plan or get

2970
04:14:09.959 --> 04:14:16.120
on the phone. Darren rolled Iris
across the room in her chair and parked

2971
04:14:16.120 --> 04:14:18.799
her in the far corner. As
Red continued throwing himself at the door.

2972
04:14:20.120 --> 04:14:24.360
Darren opened a supply locker and pulled
the extra sets of coveralls from it.

2973
04:14:24.840 --> 04:14:30.639
She helped Iris up and guided her
into the narrow space. Baby, I

2974
04:14:30.760 --> 04:14:33.079
need you to stay in here and
be quiet. I gotta go kill this

2975
04:14:33.239 --> 04:14:39.479
bad man. Don't leave me here. It's going to be okay, Darren

2976
04:14:39.520 --> 04:14:43.159
told her, while trying to think
of any outcome where it might be true.

2977
04:14:43.879 --> 04:14:48.040
It's almost over now, Hey,
crazy chick, why do he stop

2978
04:14:48.120 --> 04:14:54.239
hitting the door? Hal asked.
The triangular blade of the combi tool spread

2979
04:14:54.280 --> 04:14:58.319
through the door. As an answer, the blades began to spread further.

2980
04:14:58.239 --> 04:15:03.559
Darren picked up the empty chair and
rammed its wheels into one of the oversized

2981
04:15:03.600 --> 04:15:09.520
window panes. The glass rained down
across the controls. She nodded for Hal

2982
04:15:09.600 --> 04:15:13.479
to go out the empty frame and
watch the door. The steel creased and

2983
04:15:13.600 --> 04:15:20.639
tore open with a slow grating screech. Hal climbed out and took off down

2984
04:15:20.680 --> 04:15:24.479
the catwalk. Take Iris and get
out of here. Darren ran to the

2985
04:15:24.520 --> 04:15:30.200
door, digging in the fanny pack. Please take the bait. She pulled

2986
04:15:30.200 --> 04:15:35.520
the cap off the road Flare,
chased the idiot and leave the tool opened

2987
04:15:35.520 --> 04:15:39.840
to full capacity and then closed again. Red knelt and looked through the two

2988
04:15:39.879 --> 04:15:45.840
foot wide hole. He growled in
frustration and reached through the hole. His

2989
04:15:46.000 --> 04:15:50.399
hand slapped at the door, feeling
for the lock. His fingers found the

2990
04:15:50.440 --> 04:15:56.399
dead bolt. Darren struck the flare, not this time. Red's groping stopped

2991
04:15:56.399 --> 04:16:00.719
at the sudden hiss of the magnesium
igniting. Stabbed the knife through his hand,

2992
04:16:00.920 --> 04:16:04.040
pinning it to the door, and
pressed the flare to his fingers.

2993
04:16:04.559 --> 04:16:11.799
Red's agonized roars grew more frantic as
his skin blackened and split. Darren screamed

2994
04:16:11.840 --> 04:16:17.920
with joy while she twisted the knife
against his frantic squirming. She heard the

2995
04:16:18.000 --> 04:16:22.680
snap of the lock. Red slung
his hand toward her, dislodging the blade.

2996
04:16:23.000 --> 04:16:29.200
The door bashed into the sitter.
Darren rose from the grubby tile and

2997
04:16:29.319 --> 04:16:33.200
passed the knife to her right hand. Red slipped the tire iron from his

2998
04:16:33.280 --> 04:16:40.639
belt and snarled his face a disgusting
mockery of humanity. Darren lowered herself slightly,

2999
04:16:40.920 --> 04:16:45.559
preparing to pounce. She's already gone, Red, You're too late.

3000
04:16:45.280 --> 04:16:52.440
Darren squeezed the knife tightly. It's
just you and me. Red's eye flicked

3001
04:16:52.440 --> 04:16:57.479
to the open window. The clanging
of Hal's boots going down the steel stairs

3002
04:16:57.799 --> 04:17:03.840
echoed faintly in the distance. Red
banged the tire iron against the doorframe and

3003
04:17:03.959 --> 04:17:11.079
turned to leave. Darren watched him
stalk past the row of windows. Red

3004
04:17:11.079 --> 04:17:15.639
fell for it. He'd chase down
Hal and by then they'd be able to

3005
04:17:15.799 --> 04:17:21.399
escape. Darren looked at the locker, or he'd kill the operator and then

3006
04:17:21.479 --> 04:17:25.600
catch up with them. If Hal
escaped, Red would keep looking for him,

3007
04:17:25.639 --> 04:17:29.840
believing he had iris. She needed
to buy him more time to get

3008
04:17:29.879 --> 04:17:34.920
away. She was tired of running
anyways. Darren stepped off Hal's chair and

3009
04:17:36.000 --> 04:17:41.040
threw herself through the open window.
She ricocheted off the guard rail and slashed

3010
04:17:41.040 --> 04:17:45.600
across Red's back from hip to shoulder. Red turned blindly, swinging his club.

3011
04:17:47.200 --> 04:17:51.200
Darren ducked and stabbed him in the
thigh. She pulled back for another

3012
04:17:51.280 --> 04:17:56.440
go, but the artery spurted,
splashing her eyes. She stumbled and limped

3013
04:17:56.479 --> 04:18:00.879
backwards, swinging the knife side to
side while she cleared her vision. Red

3014
04:18:00.959 --> 04:18:06.719
hobbled after her. Darren had gotten
his attention like she planned. Unfortunately for

3015
04:18:06.840 --> 04:18:11.079
her, that was where her plan
ended. She turned on to another catwalk

3016
04:18:11.159 --> 04:18:18.120
that ended in a rectangular shelf above
the big yellow cutting machine. Her hips

3017
04:18:18.120 --> 04:18:22.879
struck the safety chain strung across a
gap in the rails. Darren glanced over

3018
04:18:22.920 --> 04:18:26.520
the side at the six rows of
paper split from their larger rolls traveling by

3019
04:18:26.559 --> 04:18:33.319
conveyor. Her eyes followed them to
a bank of circular saws swinging on articulated

3020
04:18:33.479 --> 04:18:40.159
arms that cut them down into individual
sheets. Red stepped onto the walkway and

3021
04:18:40.319 --> 04:18:47.000
growled happily. She was cornered.
Red charged with the lug wrench cocked back.

3022
04:18:47.520 --> 04:18:52.079
Darren's hand moved behind her and fondled
the carabiner on the chain's end.

3023
04:18:52.760 --> 04:18:56.200
It slipped out of the link as
Red closed in. His arms swung in

3024
04:18:56.239 --> 04:19:02.799
a wide arc, aiming to smash
Darren's skull into pieces. The babysitter stepped

3025
04:19:02.799 --> 04:19:07.879
backwards into nothing. Red's swing whiffed
through the air as he toppled over the

3026
04:19:07.000 --> 04:19:11.799
edge. Darren's shoulder jerked from the
socket with a wet pop. She hung

3027
04:19:11.920 --> 04:19:17.120
from the chain before the pain overtook
her, and she fell to the machine's

3028
04:19:17.159 --> 04:19:22.639
canopy. Red's charred fingers curled into
her hair and dragged her along. He

3029
04:19:22.760 --> 04:19:29.000
made slow progress to the canopy's edge. His leg gushed, and he staggered

3030
04:19:29.000 --> 04:19:33.719
across the top of the machine with
the gait of a town drunk. Blood

3031
04:19:33.760 --> 04:19:38.239
poured from Darren's scalp with every violent
jerk on her hair. She cried out,

3032
04:19:38.559 --> 04:19:44.440
trying desperately to get her feet under
her. She reached for Red's wrist

3033
04:19:44.600 --> 04:19:48.959
and dug her nails in. Red
stood at the edge of the canopy and

3034
04:19:48.000 --> 04:19:53.280
began lifting her by her green locks. Darren swung the knife up, pressing

3035
04:19:53.280 --> 04:19:57.719
it to her scalp, and swiped
the serrated steel through her hair. The

3036
04:19:57.799 --> 04:20:03.600
ponytail came away in Red's fist.
He teetered on the edge, arms flaying

3037
04:20:03.680 --> 04:20:10.760
for balance. Darren rolled to her
hands and knees. The babysitter sprang forward.

3038
04:20:11.680 --> 04:20:14.760
They fell over the edge, landing
on a run of paper that raced

3039
04:20:14.799 --> 04:20:19.440
down a conveyor. Exhausted, Darren
fought to lift her head and stared down

3040
04:20:19.440 --> 04:20:26.799
the line. They were almost there. The saws buzzed through the foot thick

3041
04:20:26.920 --> 04:20:30.159
stack and came around for another pass. As the machine kept feeding them.

3042
04:20:30.600 --> 04:20:36.200
She ripped the knife from between Red's
ribs and sat on his chest. He

3043
04:20:36.319 --> 04:20:41.079
groaned weakly. Darren turned the knife
over and gripped it with both hands.

3044
04:20:42.079 --> 04:20:45.840
How's it feel to be the victim? She brought the point of the knife

3045
04:20:45.920 --> 04:20:52.600
down, driving it through his eye. Darren rolled off him, dropping between

3046
04:20:52.639 --> 04:20:57.280
the conveyor belts. Red's body continued
its ride into the next housing. The

3047
04:20:57.360 --> 04:21:03.799
six saws dropped and glided along their
programmed path. They chewed through flesh and

3048
04:21:03.879 --> 04:21:08.879
bone with the ease they did.
The never ending reams of paper blood showered

3049
04:21:08.920 --> 04:21:14.239
the inside of the chamber. The
conveyors jolted to a stop, and a

3050
04:21:14.360 --> 04:21:19.319
claxon screamed for attention. A robotic
voice announced the issue through the PA system,

3051
04:21:21.000 --> 04:21:26.040
and Darren laid her head down,
laughing until she cried, and then

3052
04:21:26.120 --> 04:21:33.280
crying until she felt like moving.
The computer continued announcing the shutdown quality error

3053
04:21:33.399 --> 04:21:44.760
detected. Darren limped past the security
shack with Iris in her arms. They

3054
04:21:44.799 --> 04:21:48.959
still hadn't seen any cops. Darren
sat Iris down and reached for the shack

3055
04:21:49.079 --> 04:21:53.559
door. When a car pulled down
the drive to the main gate. The

3056
04:21:53.600 --> 04:22:00.399
white and red AMC Mattador stopped beside
them. Its engine idled forerociously while the

3057
04:22:00.479 --> 04:22:06.239
driver leaned over to roll down the
passenger side window. He took off his

3058
04:22:06.360 --> 04:22:11.920
cowboy hat and squinted at them through
the rain. You ladies need a lift,

3059
04:22:11.600 --> 04:22:18.760
he asked, with his broad smile. Darren and Iris exchanged confused glances.

3060
04:22:18.760 --> 04:22:23.479
Darren took the child's hand and opened
the car door. She sank into

3061
04:22:23.520 --> 04:22:29.680
the seat and sat Iris in her
lap before pulling the door shut. I

3062
04:22:29.799 --> 04:22:33.079
did warn you there was a hell
of a storm coming, the cowboy said,

3063
04:22:33.399 --> 04:22:41.000
sorrowfully. Hospital they gave him a
death glare. Right, dumb question.

3064
04:22:41.840 --> 04:22:45.040
The Mattador rumbled backwards until the cowboy
could turn and put them back on

3065
04:22:45.120 --> 04:22:51.799
the road. Who are you,
mister, Iris asked, Just an old

3066
04:22:51.879 --> 04:22:56.239
soul drifting around the back roads.
The driver said. He pinched Iris's chin.

3067
04:22:57.239 --> 04:23:02.280
You look a lot like your mama, but you got your daddy's eyes.

3068
04:23:03.440 --> 04:23:07.479
Cop cars streaked past them on their
way to the paper mill, late

3069
04:23:07.520 --> 04:23:12.239
as usual. Darren started to say
something, then just laid her head back

3070
04:23:12.799 --> 04:23:22.360
and let herself fall asleep. Epilogue, Darren limped through her living room and

3071
04:23:22.479 --> 04:23:27.559
dropped her backpack on the coffee table. Mike Martin showed up to get Iris

3072
04:23:29.000 --> 04:23:34.799
and thanked Darren repeatedly for saving his
little girl. Darren resisted the urge to

3073
04:23:34.840 --> 04:23:38.799
break his jaw for not coming and
picking her up. When Shelley asked,

3074
04:23:40.479 --> 04:23:44.840
Iris begged her to come to Texas
with them. Mike offered her a job

3075
04:23:44.879 --> 04:23:48.840
too, if she found herself in
the area. Darren made her way to

3076
04:23:48.920 --> 04:23:53.280
the kitchen and retrieved a soda from
the fridge. The hospital had given her

3077
04:23:53.319 --> 04:23:59.799
nothing but water and milk for three
days. The carbonation tickled her throat and

3078
04:23:59.840 --> 04:24:04.440
she sighed happily. She took another
sip and sat it on the counter.

3079
04:24:06.399 --> 04:24:11.200
She loved Iris and was anxious to
resume her position. The best part of

3080
04:24:11.280 --> 04:24:15.159
Mike's offer was that it was a
live in nanny gig. She'd be with

3081
04:24:15.239 --> 04:24:21.040
Iris all the time. Of course, she couldn't just turn around and go.

3082
04:24:21.600 --> 04:24:23.879
She needed to pack and sell the
junk she wasn't going to bring.

3083
04:24:25.840 --> 04:24:30.920
That wouldn't take her too long,
She'd promised the girl. She reached under

3084
04:24:30.920 --> 04:24:34.479
the sink for the plastic jug with
the black label. There was still another

3085
04:24:34.559 --> 04:24:41.559
matter she couldn't leave unattended. She
opened the basement door and flipped the switch

3086
04:24:41.600 --> 04:24:47.360
inside. The yellow bulb flickered twice
and cast a weak, faint glow over

3087
04:24:47.399 --> 04:24:52.719
the rickety stairs. They protested her
every step, with loud groans. She

3088
04:24:52.840 --> 04:24:57.959
made her way carefully to the pool
chain that hung just outside the radius of

3089
04:24:59.040 --> 04:25:04.040
the other bulb's life. Night she
took a deep breath. Darren never understood

3090
04:25:04.079 --> 04:25:08.360
people being afraid of the dark.
She was always more terrified of what would

3091
04:25:08.360 --> 04:25:15.159
be waiting When the lights came back
on. She jerked the chain. Wayne

3092
04:25:15.399 --> 04:25:21.159
Dale Smith glared at her, seething
with hatred. As the fluorescence illuminated the

3093
04:25:21.200 --> 04:25:26.639
abysmal, stinking basement. Darren pinched
his nose and giggled, setting the jug

3094
04:25:26.680 --> 04:25:30.959
beside him. Good thing, I
swapped your fluid bags before I left,

3095
04:25:32.360 --> 04:25:37.440
she said, pulling the needle from
his arm. Hugh looked pretty dehydrated.

3096
04:25:37.479 --> 04:25:41.799
Nonetheless, Smith sat naked on a
narrow table with holes cut through it.

3097
04:25:42.280 --> 04:25:47.799
His wrists were cuffed and held by
a taut chain that draped over the rafter

3098
04:25:48.440 --> 04:25:52.479
and hooked to his studded collar,
forcing him to choke himself every so often

3099
04:25:52.799 --> 04:25:59.639
as his arms tired out. Flies
gathered around the trash bag lined crate beneath

3100
04:25:59.680 --> 04:26:04.520
smith bare ass. His testicles were
pulled through the other hole and discolored from

3101
04:26:04.559 --> 04:26:11.120
the weak without circulation. She wrapped
the tube around the empty saline bag and

3102
04:26:11.239 --> 04:26:15.079
threw it into the crate of bodily
waste. You know, Waine, I've

3103
04:26:15.120 --> 04:26:21.920
been thinking a lot lately. Darren
gripped the feeding tube inserted down Smith's throat.

3104
04:26:22.280 --> 04:26:26.520
When I saw you at Lone Elk
Lake searching for a little girl to

3105
04:26:26.600 --> 04:26:30.879
take home, I wanted to cut
your throat from ear to ear, right

3106
04:26:30.920 --> 04:26:36.879
there in front of all those people. Darren stroked each scar she'd carved into

3107
04:26:36.920 --> 04:26:41.600
him over the last three years with
her free hand. Her fingertips moved down

3108
04:26:41.639 --> 04:26:48.760
as torso slowly. The serial killer
trembled. Tears welled in his eyes.

3109
04:26:51.120 --> 04:26:56.360
Then I thought it was serendipitous.
I could pay you back in all the

3110
04:26:56.360 --> 04:27:00.680
ways that you'd hurt me. I
could take the power you had over me

3111
04:27:00.799 --> 04:27:07.040
and make it my own. Darren
rubbed a thumb over the raised flesh where

3112
04:27:07.040 --> 04:27:11.120
his cock used to be. Now
I realize you never took my power.

3113
04:27:11.639 --> 04:27:15.639
I let you have it by living
in the past, by keeping you here,

3114
04:27:17.079 --> 04:27:21.399
I've forced myself to stay stuck in
that shitty camper you chained me up

3115
04:27:21.399 --> 04:27:26.000
in. Darren's hand moved to the
jug and her thumb worked the cap.

3116
04:27:27.479 --> 04:27:33.920
It's time I let go, she
said, the tears poured down his cheeks.

3117
04:27:33.319 --> 04:27:37.799
Hope flooded his eyes. He sobbed, choking on the surgical tubing down

3118
04:27:37.840 --> 04:27:45.319
as esophagus. Darren laughed, No, that's not what I mean. Darren

3119
04:27:45.360 --> 04:27:48.399
tilted the mouth of the feeding tube
down. She held up the jug for

3120
04:27:48.479 --> 04:27:52.680
him to see the label. I
don't need you any more, Wayne,

3121
04:27:52.879 --> 04:28:00.319
I'm all better now. Darren poured
the Clogbuster Extreme into the tube. Smith

3122
04:28:00.399 --> 04:28:04.399
thrashed about while the bottle chugged its
contents down his throat and filled his stomach.

3123
04:28:04.920 --> 04:28:11.680
Darren tossed the empty jug into the
waist below Wayne Dale. Smith pulled

3124
04:28:11.719 --> 04:28:17.040
his arms down, trying to strangle
himself and end the pain. The skin

3125
04:28:17.239 --> 04:28:22.120
of his emaciated stomach began to blister
as the acid cooked through his abdominal wall.

3126
04:28:23.280 --> 04:28:29.920
Darren took one glance back before she
pulled the chain and left him in

3127
04:28:29.959 --> 04:28:37.639
the dark to die, scared and
alone. Shelley was right. It did

3128
04:28:37.680 --> 04:28:47.719
give her closure after all. The
end. I hope you enjoyed this audiobook

3129
04:28:47.760 --> 04:28:53.120
presentation of Babysitter Massacre, Family Splatters
narrated by Enrique Kuto, written by David

3130
04:28:53.120 --> 04:28:57.600
O'Hanlon, with music by Ray Maddison. If you enjoyed it, well,

3131
04:28:57.680 --> 04:29:03.319
there are more books to be fed
at Amazon dot Com. Just search Babysitter

3132
04:29:03.360 --> 04:29:07.760
Massacre in the book section. You
can get audiobooks and paperback and ebooks.

3133
04:29:07.799 --> 04:29:11.559
And we do appreciate it. But
now, my friends, it's time to

3134
04:29:11.840 --> 04:29:18.959
unwind after all the fear and terror
because Halloween is right around the corner.

3135
04:29:18.559 --> 04:29:22.799
Thanks for listening again, and I'll
see you back here tomorrow for even more

3136
04:29:23.200 --> 04:29:36.319
spooky content right here at Weekly Spooky