Emily Kimelman - Sydney Rye 02 - Death in the Dark (8 page)

I smiled at him. “I am really happy to see you.”

Merl pushed off the wall and crossed the room. He approached the window and peered through its grimy pane. “Did you really think I was going to let you get yourself killed?” he asked without looking at me.

“I’m fine. But thank you for coming.”

“You’re not fine. You’re holed up in an abandoned building hunting mass murderers. Alone.” He craned his neck to get a better look the base of my skull. “With a head wound.”

“Well, I didn’t think you’d want to help.”

He turned toward me. “I don’t.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

He smiled. “You didn’t leave me any choice.”

I bit my lip. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”

Thunder, who’d stayed by the entrance, gave a low growl of warning. Merl crossed the room without a sound and looked out into the night. “The young one is getting something out of the SUV.” I heard the thunk of a car door slamming. “He’s headed back inside.”

“What did he get out of the truck,” I asked.

“A chainsaw.”

“Jesus,” I said.

Merl leaned against the wall and rested his hand on Thunder’s head. Clouds shifted and the pale light of the moon was blocked. A cool breeze blew through the open door stirring up the smell of sawdust.

“Did you have a plan?” Merl asked.

I smiled. “Plans are God’s favorite joke.”

Merl smiled. “Okay, well, what’s the joke of the evening, then?”

“Not sure. I just woke up and managed to free myself.”

Merl looked down at my ankles. “You’re not that free.”

“I don’t have a chainsaw,” I smiled.

Merl chuckled.

“What’s the deal, where are they?” I asked.

“There are three of them. They are holding Malina there.” He pointed across an expanse of cracked pavement and weeds at a large building. It appeared deserted with broken windows and patches missing from its roof. But a light burned inside, bright in the dark desert.

“They took my gun,” I said “I don’t see how we can get close enough to these guys for hand-to-hand combat.”

Merl smiled, showing off his big-gapped teeth. “I brought my throwing stars.” He opened up his trench coat to reveal a vest lined with multi-sided blades. “Quiet, accurate, deadly. More than I can say for your pistol.”

I realized my mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut. “That is seriously awesome.”

Merl nodded. “I know.”

“Will you teach me-”

He held up a hand to stop me. “Let’s see how we do here. If we survive, I’ll think about it.”

“Right. If we survive.”

“I did bring you a weapon, though.” Merl reached under his coat and pulled out a long knife. A strong wind blew across the desert and whipped around the building pulling dust with it. The door banged on its hinges and Blue growled at the sudden movement. The bluster passed as quickly as it arrived and an eerie silence fell over the compound. “Now or never,” Merl said, handing me the blade. It felt heavy in my hand and I looked down at my bound ankles. “Just remember to take tiny steps,” Merl advised, following my gaze. I nodded.

Merl tapped his hip and headed out of the door. His three dogs lined up behind him. I followed them, shuffling, trying to contain the clinking I made. Blue stayed close behind me. Merl moved across the broken pavement of the parking lot barely making a sound. The whirl of a chainsaw broke the silence, followed by a woman’s scream.

Merl sped up and hunkered under one of the building’s dirty windows. He motioned me down and I crouched by his side. Sliding up the side of the building, Merl looked through the window.

“I see two of them,” he said just loud enough for me to hear over Malina’s terrified screams. Merl lowered himself back down. “Take a look.”

I rose up until I could see into the room. It was large and lit by fluorescent fixtures that stretched the length of the space. The one closest to the door flickered, casting a light of unreality onto the whole scene. Malina was tied to a chair, she had swelling around her mouth and her dress was ripped open exposing one of her breasts. Malina’s rich hazel eyes were glued to the whirling blade of the chainsaw which Adolfo held in front of her. His back was to the door but I suspected he wore the same stony expression as at the cockfight.

Benito was pacing behind Malina. He was saying something I couldn’t hear. Not far out of Benito’s reach was a small table covered in tools and I spied my pistol. Scanning the rest of the room, I didn’t see Frito.

“Here is what we are going to do,” Merl said. I tore myself away from the horrific scene inside and concentrated on Merl’s plan. “What we’ve got is the element of surprise, you, me and four dogs.”

***

Merl kicked in the door, Benito looked up from his ranting, opened his mouth, and then brought his hands up to his neck. Blood spilled from between his fingers and dripped off his lip. Adolfo spun around to face us as Thunder and Michael led Lucy and Blue down the sides of the room. I was right about Adolfo’s face. He just saw his uncle die and there was not even the hint of emotion across his brow.

Merl launched another throwing star but Adolfo blocked its path with the chainsaw. It went wild and flew across the room breaking out one of the few remaining window panes. Blue and Lucy turned to the center of the room headed for Malina while Michael and Thunder waited for Merl’s sign.

Blue knocked into Malina sending her backwards, hard, onto the floor. She grunted but did not complain. Lucy grabbed the tatters of her dress and started pulling. Blue took hold of her jean’s cuff and helped move her away from danger. Adolfo looked over at me and narrowed his eyes. He turned to check on Malina and saw her being dragged away. Adolfo almost went after her but saw Merl playing with another throwing star and thought better of it.

Merl let out two sharp whistles that launched Thunder and Michael into action. They lowered their heads and approached Adolfo from behind, snarling and snapping their teeth. Adolfo turned around and waved the saw at them but the dogs continued their slow approach.

Merl nodded his chin at Adolfo’s exposed back. The clanging of my bonds would have given me away except the chainsaw was sucking in all the sounds. Adolf was swinging the monster back and forth at Thunder and Michael. Blue and Lucy barked from the corner they’d dragged Malina to.

My baby steps carried me within striking distance. I lined myself up with his small frame and with one more step, wrapped my left arm around his shoulder. He tensed momentarily and tried to turn toward me but I had attached myself to him. I brought the knife against his throat, quickly drawing it from one side to the other.

Adolfo dropped the chainsaw and brought his hands up to his neck. I felt a gush of wet warmth on my arm. The chainsaw spun out of control on the dusty floor, its engine whining. Adolfo fell to his knees. My arm was still gripped across his shoulders and I stumbled forward with him. I used my fist, still gripping the knife, to push against his back and right myself. Adolfo fell to the floor, his eyes fluttered and then lay open as blood spilled out of his neck.

I approached the chainsaw when another explosion of sound distracted me. It was Frito and a gun. He’d burst out of somewhere holding something metal in front of his torso and was racing across the room firing a gun at me. I saw him stumble and change his aim to Merl who was crossing the room with long, powerful strides, his trench coat billowing out behind him. His arms moved like a machine firing off stars as fast as Frito’s bullets left their chamber. But unlike Frito’s bullets, Merl’s weapons found their mark. Frito fell to his knees and continued to squeeze the trigger of his empty gun. “Mercy!” Frito yelled as Merl, without missing a step, pulled out a full-size sword from within the folds of his trench coat. With one clean stroke, he sent Frito’s head across the room.

“Jesus,” I said, but no one heard it over the sound of the wild chainsaw. Bending down I grabbed its handle and turned the thing off. Through the silence that descended upon the room I could almost hear the blood pooling. Merl looked over at me and tilted his chin toward Malina.

I hurried over to where she lay on her back, knees and feet in the air. “Malina,” I said as I approached her. She couldn’t see anything the way the dogs had her surrounded.

“Sydney! You survived. Oh, thank God.” I crouched by her side and saw tears running down her cheeks. “You got them. You really did, didn’t you?” She was smiling and crying.

I nodded. “Yeah, Malina. They’re dead.”

She started to sob, her shoulders shaking. Merl whistled and Lucy left us and ran to him. I sat Malina up and inspected her bonds as she continued to sob. Lucy returned with a key ring in her mouth. I looked over at Merl but his head was down as he searched the large room. I found a handcuff key and freed Malina’s wrists. When I came around and knelt to work on her ankle chains Malina threw her arms around me. “Gracias! Gracias!” She cried onto my shoulder.

I stiffened at the sudden embrace but soon responded, wrapping my arms around her shaking form. “Okay,” I said, “it’s okay.”

She pulled away and wiped at the tears on her face. “I must be a mess.”

I laughed. “You’re not even dressed,” I said.

Malina looked down at her ripped dress and laughed, too. “Here, I’ll give you mine.” I started unbuttoning.

“No, no, I’m fine.”

“I’m wearing a bra,” I pointed out. “You donated yours to the cause of almost getting ourselves killed.” Malina smiled. “Please,” I said, taking off my shirt and putting it over her shoulders. She nodded and her lip quivered with emotion. “Shhh. It’s okay.” She nodded again and I started working on the locks that attached her ankles. The key ring was massive but I started with the small keys and found it soon enough. Once she was free, Malina helped me with my chains.

The smell of gasoline reached my nose and I looked up to see Merl spilling it out of a large container onto Frito’s headless corpse. “Come on,” I said, standing up and offering my hand to Malina. She took it and I pulled her up. I walked over to where Merl was leading a trail of fuel to Benito’s body. “Do you need help?” I asked. He looked up from his work.

“No, why don’t you two wait outside.” He looked down at my bra and his eyebrows scrunched, then looking over at Malina, he figured it out. “Here,” he said, putting down the gasoline can. “Take my jacket.”

“I-”

He held up a hand. “I’m not arguing with you about this, Sydney. Jesus. Just accept some help when you need it.” He jerked his jacket at me.

“Sorry.”

“Fine.” He picked up the gasoline can and continued his work as I wrapped the trench around me. It smelled like sandalwood and musk. I turned toward Malina who was standing over Adolfo looking down at him. “Come on,” I said, taking her by the elbow.

She looked up at me. “I wish they would feel the burning.” I squeezed her elbow and with one last glance at Adolfo’s corpse, she followed me outside. We waited by the SUV in the parking lot with Blue, Lucy, Michael and Thunder who kept a vigilant watch. The moon was waning and I suspected it was no longer late but rather getting early. Merl came out with the tank, leading a trail to the SUV. He splashed some onto the hood and then stood back.

Pulling out a road flare from his back pocket he was about to crack it when Malina said, “Wait.” Merl paused. “May I?” She reached toward the flare. Merl looked at it, then over at me. “I just want to do something. I wish I could have killed them, you know?” Malina said.

Merl handed her the road flare and stepped back. Malina snapped the stick to life and looked down at it for a second before tossing it onto the SUV’s hood which ignited instantly. We backed up toward the open desert and watched the flame whip toward the building. It went through the open door and started as a glow, but soon the flames were licking at the roof and the building raged. Windows exploded, walls crumbled, and the sun began to rise behind it, paling in comparison.

Saying goodbye to Malina wasn’t easy but Merl insisted we leave immediately. He didn’t want me going back to a hotel covered in blood. “And besides,” he said. “With your concussion, you can’t sleep. I’ll keep you awake while we drive. Do you like show tunes?”

Malina looked over at him. “Is he serious?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. “I’ll walk you to your door.”

We stood in front of her apartment and she tried to give me back my shirt but I shook my head. “I know it’s not your style but what am I going to do with a bloody shirt?”

Malina smiled and stopped fiddling with the buttons. “If you ever need anything, you call me, okay?” she said, tears welling in her eyes.

“Listen,” I licked my lips trying to figure out how to say what I wanted to say. “I’m going to take care of you.”

“What?” Malina cocked her head.

“I’m going to set you up with an account and you won’t need to worry about money anymore. You won’t need to hope for a man to take you away. I’ll give you enough to take yourself away.”

“How?”

“Just trust me.”

“With my life.”

“Yeah, me too. Thank you, Malina.”