The Devil's Touch

'Oh—your getting fired and all that.'

'Uh-huh. I'm certain you're really torn up about it, Pat,' Monty replied.

The voice from the seat of Clark County chuckled darkly. 'All right, Pat. We'll play it your way. When did you put it all together?'

'Although it seems like a week ago, Pat—yesterday. How long has it been going on?'

Again, the chuckle. 'I don't see any harm in leveling with you, Monty. None of you people are ever going to talk about it. Long time, Monty. More than a hundred years back. Goes all the way back to my grandfather's time. Maybe even further back than that. I never question the Master, Monty. I just obey.'

'You need help, Pat.'

'I need help, son? You got it all backwards, son. Boy, you don't even realize what a bind you people are in, do you? You'll know it before long, I'm thinking. I'm going to fuck your wife, Monty. And I'm going to put it to her right in front of your eyes; make you watch me hump her. Snooty bitch always did think she was too good for us small-town folks. Of course,' the voice took on a softer, smoother, soothing tone, 'it don't have to be that way, Monty. You could change it. Join us, Monty. Don't fight us; you can't win.'

Keep him talking, Monty thought. Anything to find out the odds against us. Keep him talking. 'You're that certain you're going to win this, Pat.'

'In the bag, Monty. In the bag. Son, if the Master would let us, we'd overrun you people by sheer numbers. But he wants to play with you for a time. Like a big cat with a little mouse. You get it, Monty. Mouse. Like in pussy. Your wife's pussy.'

Monty kept his temper in check. 'I don't think God will let us down, Pat.'

'God?' the sheriff said with a nasty laugh. 'Don't count on that wimp, Monty. He don't have a big enough set of balls to meet the Master head on.'

Monty suppressed a shudder. He could not imagine himself speaking of God in that manner. 'When do you make your move against us, Pat?'

'Soon, son. Very soon. It's going to be fun listening to you beg when we nail you to a cross.'

'You're insane!' Monty said.

The dark laughter rolled through the lines.

'I'll see you, Pat,' Monty said grimly.

'You're going to see me all right, Monty. You're going to watch me hump your wife.' The line went dead.

Monty was conscious of his wife's eyes on him. He turned and looked at her. 'Trouble, Monty?' she asked. 'More trouble for us?'

He had never held back the truth from her. 'Yes. Sheriff Jenkins is one of them. I would imagine some of his men are in it, too. So, yeah, more trouble.'

'You're not telling me all of it, Monty. Did Pat mention me?'

'Yes. And I imagine you know in what way. It was—very ugly.'

'He's undressed me with his eyes every time I've been around him. Spare me the details. The things that were done to that poor girl in there—Desiree—were positively disgusting.'

'Yeah,' Monty sighed the reply. 'I bet so.'

Viv came to him and put a hand on his arm. 'We're going to make it, Monty.'

'You betcha, babe.' He grinned at her. 'We're going to hang in there and go for it.'

Monty's walkie-talkie clicked. Monty picked it up and acknowledged the signal.

'Father Le Moyne here, Monty. Let me speak with Sam for a moment, please.'

Sam picked up his handy-talkie. 'Go ahead, Father.'

'Can you and your wife meet me at your house, Sam?' the priest asked. 'Leave the child with Monty and Viv, if you will.'

'I guess so, Father,' Sam signaled. 'Sure we can. What's going on?'

'Saving a lost soul.'

'We're on our way.'

Monty had, of course, heard the entire transmission. 'Jon or Jeanne,' he said.

'Forget Jon,' Sam said, and Nydia sent a silent message to him agreeing. 'It's too late for Jon. He's lost forever.'

'Sam!' Nydia called, as a force gripped her. All present watched her grab the arms of her chair and hold on, mentally fighting the erotic images that darkly clouded her mind.

The silent voice whispered hoarsely to the young woman, bringing back the events of that afternoon. The voice spewed profanely and vividly, carrying with it actual scenes of Nydia and Jon to her mind's eyes. Nydia relived the young man parting her legs and entering her. She groaned as the sensation became real. She again experienced, mentally and physically, his long thick push inward, filling her with pain and pleasure.

Nydia fumbled for Sam's hand and gripped it tightly. He pulled her head to his chest and held her as her mental images spilled over to him. Then the force gripped Sam's mind, and he relived his moments with Janet and Desiree. Their hands and lips on him.

Nydia and Sam first experienced anger at the shared scenes. Then a renewed spirit filled them both and they concentrated on their love for one another.