He felt a cold chill run up his spine and slammed on the brakes. The little car slid to a stop and he stared open-mouthed at the stairs where he had left Sinner. He pulled the car slightly forward and craned his neck to stare up the stone steps; he felt his chest tighten when he saw the blood smeared across the landing.
“No…no, no, no…” He opened the door to the car and practically ran to the top of the stairs. He paused and felt his stomach lurch on him.
There was the pistol he had left Sinner and a single leather biker boot. Both were drenched in blood. “No…” he moaned.
Shooter turned and glared out across the street and into the shadows. “YOU SONS OF BITCHES!” he screamed as loud as he could, his voice cracking.
He felt hot tears running down his cheeks and it took him a moment to realize he was crying. His entire body shook as he stumbled down the stairs, his mind not willing to accept what his eyes had shown it.
He wandered back to the driver’s seat and shut the door behind him. He rested his trembling hands on the steering wheel and fought the urge to lose it. He felt the anger rising inside him; he beat on the steering wheel, screaming. He needed to vent his anger, but there were no Ragers standing around willing to be his punching bag.
He threw open the door to the car and screamed hoarsely into the shadows again. “I’m gonna kill all you bastards, so help me…” his voice trailed off as he broke down.
Shooter sat on the sill of the car door and sobbed. He lifted his head and stared up at the sky. “Why Sinner?” He wiped the snot and tears from his face onto the back of his shirt sleeve and slowly pushed himself up. He fell back into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut.
He stared through the dirty windshield and pondered what to do next. Should he just hit the road, find some place in the middle of nowhere that he might eke out an existence? Or should he stick to his original plan and approach the Cagers alone? It seemed a lost cause now. His only friend and confidant was gone.
Shooter hated to admit it, but it was Sinner’s strength that gave him the courage to face the world. It was Sinner’s confidence that gave him the guts to leave Simon.
He sniffed back unshed tears and pulled the car into gear once more. “Strength in numbers.”
Simon jerked awake and snorted as he spun in the recliner. “What? Who’s that?” He sat up and blinked rapidly.
He reached down slowly and flipped the lever up on the recliner, dropping the foot rest. He slid to the edge of the chair and shook his head. “What the hell?” He stood up slowly and felt his head swim. “Them pain pills really kicked my ass.”
He turned and reached for the bottle of rum. He unscrewed the cap and grimaced as he brought the bottle to his lips. He took a long pull then held the bottle at arm’s length. “That tastes worse than…” He narrowed his gaze and stared at the bottle.
Stumbling to the kitchen he held the bottle to the window and clenched his teeth as he stared at the residue floating along the bottom of the bottle. “Little shit stain…” He dropped the bottle and grabbed for the edge of the table.
Simon took a moment, breathing hard and doing his best to focus. He took a deep breath then rammed his fingers down his throat. He gagged once then turned his head and blew the contents of his stomach across the kitchen floor.
He staggered in place and spat the bile and sour alcohol from his mouth. He could feel his sinuses burning from the acid and tried to stand up straight when the second wave hit him. He doubled over again and sprayed bile atop his first spew.
Coming up for air, Simon gasped and clutched the edge of the table. “I’m gonna kill you bastards…” He turned for the door and fell over on the living room floor. His eyes fluttered once before they closed and he slept again.
Chapter 14
Hatcher watched carefully as the people within the compound slowly worked their way toward the courtyard. He knew that most were simply curious about the fabled “tame Zulu”. His eyes were locked on Patricia as she stared at the line of people, her father holding her hand as the people slowly made their way past her, staring.
To his credit, Trevor simply smiled or nodded. Occasionally he would enter into a conversation with somebody but the talks were always brief.
Hatcher leaned on the column and crossed his arms, his mind bouncing between the potential risk and this oddity that stood in front of him. Patricia’s kind were only known for feral behavior and a never ending desire to eat humans. Why did he find this child so endearing?
He watched as Trevor suddenly stiffened. Hatcher’s eyes wandered through the thinning crowd and he noticed the heavy set brunette that now stood before the pair. As his mind connected the dots, he pushed off of the column and made his way across the courtyard.
“I thought you had left for good.”
Trevor nodded slightly. “I intended to, but then I found her and…” his voice trailed off, his eyes still unable to look at the woman before him.
“Why’d you come back?”
He shook his head slowly. “Like Simon always said, there’s safety in numbers.”
“Simon,” she cursed. “That bastard ruined my life.”
Trevor nodded gently. “Donna, I’m sorry.” His eyes were reddening as he spoke. “I heard what you said…before I left.” He looked away and cleared his throat. “I wish you had just told me up front.”
“What could you have done? If you sent me back, he’d just shove me into his harem.”
He shook his head slowly. “We could have just…I dunno. Pretended. So Simon would
