Ride the Nightmare

Steve pressed his lips together and tried to push himself up. His legs vibrated beneath the weight and he fell back with a muffled grunt.

He glanced at Helen. “Get over here,” he said.

“What do you want?”

“Get over here.”

Helen stood up and pushed Connie away from herself. “Stay by Daddy,” she said. Connie started to object but Helen cut her off sharply. “You have to stay by Daddy,” she said.

“Get over here, lady.” There was a half-mindless drone in Steve’s voice now.

Helen moved toward him. He swallowed and grunted.

“Take the rod out of his pocket.”

“You’re out of your mind!” Adam shouted at him.

“Take his rod.”

“His—?”

“Gun, gun! Take it!”

“Yes.” Helen edged over slowly until she was standing behind Adam. Carefully, her hand trembling, she reached toward his side coat pocket.

”Hurry up!”

Her hand twitched and bumped against Adam’s side. Swallowing, she pressed her lips together and slid her hand into the pocket. He stirred a little and Steve muttered, “Watch it.”

Helen’s fingers touched the cool, oily surface of the revolver. A sudden tension filled her. Did she dare try to shoot at Steve? She inhaled quickly, raggedly. What if she missed? She’d never fired a gun in her life. Was it possible that she could fire it while it was still inside the pocket? Otherwise, in trying to jerk it free, it might catch on the pocket lining.

“Get it out, damn it!”

There was no time, no time! With a faint, hopeless sob, Helen drew the revolver out of the pocket and stepped back. For a moment, Adam’s body stood between her and Steve. Now! Cried her mind—but her muscles would not obey. Nervously, she moved over to the table and put down the gun. She couldn’t take the chance. If she missed, Connie would be killed in seconds, Chris would be killed.

“You’re gonna get me a doctor,” Steve said.

At first she didn’t realize he was talking to her and she started back toward Connie.

“I said you’re getting me a doctor!”

She stopped and looked back at him. “Me?”

“Get in your car and—”

“For Christ’s sake, will you—?” Adam started.

“Shut up!” Steve shrilled. “I’m not dyin’ on the road for you!”

“You won’t die on the road, damn it! We’ll stop as soon as—”

“I said shut up!” The gun shook in his grip as he pointed it at Adam.

“Oh…  Christ,” said Adam, tightly.

“Go, get a doctor,” Steve said to Helen.

Helen backed off toward Connie. She felt her daughter move up into the shelter of her arm.

“How?” she asked, “I can’t—”

“I don’t care how!” Steve interrupted, “Just get him here!” As Helen stared at him, his lips flared back abruptly from yellowish teeth and he extended the pistol shakily.

“Go on!” he said.

She nodded jerkily and began leading Connie toward the doorway.

”She stays,” said Steve.

Helen looked at him with unbelieving eyes. “No,” she murmured.

“Let go of her.”

Helen found herself shaking her head fitfully. “No,” she said, “I won’t.”

“Maybe you’d like her killed right now!” he threatened.

Helen pushed Connie behind her. “I won’t leave her,” she said in a low, shaking voice, if you’re going to kill us you’ll have to do it now.” She drew in a rasping breath. “I won’t leave her,“ she said.

Steve’s fingers tensed on the trigger, then eased. He stared at Helen with a dull, almost animal-like confusion.

“Kill her!” snapped Adam. “You’re wasting time! She’ll never get you a doctor!”

“By God, then he will,” muttered Steve. He pushed up with a groan and stumbled away from the table. Abruptly, he whirled and pulled Adam’s revolver off the table, sliding it into his trouser pocket. He walked erratically across the room, eyes almost slitted from the pain, his lips drawn back, breath hissing from his mouth. He brushed by Helen and staggered over to Chris. He jabbed the tip of his right shoe against Chris’s side.

“Get up,” he said.

“You’re wasting time,” said Adam, tensely.

“Then I’ll waste it!” snapped Steve. He rammed his shoe tip against Chris’s side. “Get up!” he said. Helen winced and closed her eyes a moment.

“Get up, damn you!” With a rasping whine, he bent over and picked up the water bottle. He tilted it over and the water poured down heavily, splattering off Chris’s face. Chris twitched and grunted, his arms and legs retracting spasmodically.

“Look, we’ll stop at a doctor’s, then,” Adam said.

“Sure,” sneered Steve. “We’ll just walk into his waiting room and sit down with the other patients.”

Adam’s face tightened angrily. He looked around as if seeking some escape. When he saw that there wasn’t any, his expression grew angrier yet, color pulsed into his cheeks.

Now Chris was breathing more rapidly. His eyes still closed, he reached up one hand and pressed it to the bruise on his head.

“Get up!” Steve told him.

Chris opened his eyes. They closed a moment, then fluttered open once more. He stared up dazedly at Steve. Then he pushed up on one elbow and looked around. “Honey… “ he mumbled.

“Chris.” Helen spoke his name automatically as their eyes met. He looked, with alarm, at her and Connie.

“Get up, get up.” Steve nudged him fiercely with his shoe. Chris gasped and his gaze jumped around. He sat up dizzily, then pulled his legs in slowly and stood. He wavered there, blinking his eyes, trying to focus them properly He started to move toward Helen but Steve pushed the gun against his side and stopped him.

“By God, you better move right or I’ll blow you guts out,” he said, thickly.

Chris looked at him without expression, still not fully conscious.

“You’re gonna get me a doctor,” Steve told him.

“Doctor?”

Steve glanced at Adam. Where are the car keys?” he asked.

“At the bottom of the canyon with the car.”

“Their car,” growled Steve.

Adam stared at him coldly for several seconds. Then he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the ring of keys. He tossed it so they fell on the floor at Steve’s feet. “You’re going to regret this,” he said.

Steve ignored him and stepped back from the keys. “Pick ‘em up,” he told Chris.

Chris bent over slowly and picked them up, almost falling as he did.

“Now listen to me,” Steve told him, wheezingly, “I killed two men already, see? And I’d kill your wife and kid in a minute too. You understand me?”

Chris glanced over at Helen involuntarily. Connie was shivering against her.

“You bring the cops and you don’t have a wife and kid anymore.” said Steve, “You have a couple o’ corpses. Understand?”