The Midnight Tour

She spotted a rumpled pair of jeans on the floor not far behind. Eve. To reach them, she crawled between Eve and the body of the woman. She bumped against Eve.

Eve winced.

“I’m sorry.”

“No problem. I’m a little tender here and there.”

“I’ll bet. My God.” She got to the jeans. Kneeling, she lifted them with her left hand and shook them open. These yours?”

“Wranglers?”

“Yeah.”

Groaning and wincing Eve turned herself halfway around. She peered at the jeans from beneath an upraised arm. “They look like mine.”

Dana set down her flashlight. With her right hand, she began to search the pockets. “What were you doing in Beast House last night, anyway?” she asked.

“Looking for a beast.”

“Guess you found it.”

“It found me. Whatever it was.”

“There’s nothing in the pockets.”

“Are the pocket linings shredded?”

“No. I don’t see any tears.”

“Okay. I guess that settles it.”

“Settles what?”

“It wasn’t a beast.”

“What?”

“I had my doubts.”

“It had to be a beast,” Dana said. “Look what it did to you...and to them!”

“Beasts don’t go around emptying people’s pockets,” Eve explained. “if they want something out of a pocket, they dont reach in—they rip the pocket to shreds. But that isnt the only thing. How’d he get through the padlock on the hatch?”

“I don’t ... ”

“With a key. I’ll bet everything looked normal up there tonight.”

“Yeah.”

“So he had to use a key. And tha’s no how a beast would do it.”

“You said it looked and felt like a beast.”

“Didn’t smell like one.”

“Huh?”

“Beasts don’t smoke cigarette.”

“You think it was a guy in a beast suit?”

“Scoobie-doobie doo.”

“Fuck.” Dana muttered. She dropped the jeans. With her left hand, she picked up the flashlight She shoved her right hand down the front pocket of her shorts. “You think it was Clyde?”

“Could’ve been, I guess.”

Dana pulled out the pistol. “He’s on the tour,” she said. “He runs around in that authentic beast sult. And he smokes cigarette.”

“Does her Pulling downward with her arms, Eve drew the chain taut.

Dana scurried over to her. She stopped very dose to Eve’s back. In the pale beam of her ftashlight, she saw that Eve’s shoulders and back were seamed with claw marks..

Just like Warren!

Clyde did it all! Attacked Warren, tearing him up and sodomizing him and making him always afraid. Dragged Eve in here, ripped her...

“Might not’ve been him,” Eve said.

“Did he:..rape you?”

“I got nailed pretty good,” Eve said.

With that big fake cock with its mouth and teeth?

“I’ll kill him,” Dana said.

“Let’s leave the killing to me. I’m not really sure who or what did all this.”

“It had to be Clyde,” Dana said. “He’s got the beast suit. He smokes. And he probably has keys. I bet he does have a key to the cellar hatch. He’s in charge of the whole operation whenever Tuck’s away.”

“He’s sounding pretty good for it.”

“Oh, God!”

“What?”

“He’s the one who went off to call the cops.”

“Or maybe not,” Eve said.

Dana shined her light on the handcuffs. Stretching out her right arm, she pressed the muzzle of her pistol against the thin, shiny chain connecting the handcuff braclets. Blasted apart, it would free Eve from the heavier chain that suspended her from the ceiling beam.

“Wait,” Eve staid.

“What?”

“After you fire, we won’t be able to hear ourselves think. We’ve gotta do our talking now. One shot should take care of things. But keep at it till I’m loose. Then give me the gun.”

Dana almost smiled. “It’s your gun, anyway.”

“Yep.”

“Thank God you gave it to me.”

“Soon as I’m free, I want it back. After that, best thing for you to do is get out of my way.”

“What about the flashlight?”

“I’m not gonna leave you down here in the dark. You keep it. If you can stay fairly close behind me, maybe you can light the way.”

“I’ll be right on your tail.”

“Good deal.”

“Ready?” Dana asked.

“Do it.”

Thrusting the muzzle hard against the chain, she pulled the trigger. The pistol bucked in her hand, blasting out a tongue of fire. The BLAM! smacked her ears and left them ringing.

Eve jerked her arms down.

It worked!

Twisting around, Eve snatched the pistol out of her hand.

And dropped it.

She snarled out a word that Dana couldn’t hear. Then she shook both her arms and Dana realized that they must be numb. As she kept on shaking them, Dana picked up the pistol.

Eve flexed the fingers of both hands, shook her arms some more, flexed her fingers again, then nodded and reached out.

Dana put the pistol into her right hand.

“GIVE HIM HELL!” Dana shouted into her face.

Eve’s head moved up and down. Then she twisted away, lurched forward, fell to her elbows and knees and scurried up the tunnel.

Clutching the flashlight, Dana crawled after her

Chapter Fifty-nine