PillowFace (28 page)

He stood up straight with an ache in his lower back. He rubbed the tender spot.  It was
really
sore.
Did I pull something? 
That was all he needed on top of everything else.  He imagined his back going out, and being unable to walk back to the house, and having to lie with the dead bodies until dark.  What if that happened and Haley came looking for him?  She’d not only find him, but would also uncover all of his secrets. 

A twig snapped off in the distance. Then another. Joel whipped his head around, prepared to catch Paul sneaking up on him with his face twisted into a demented leer, but found no one.  Just trees and plenty of them. 
Paul’s not going to ambush me.  My back isn’t going to give out.  Get over all that and get this shit done. 

Ignoring the sounds of the woods, he went back to work.

(IV)

Geoffrey Jones watched the kid pitch a body into a hole, and using the head of a shovel to do it.  Then he began scraping dirt that had gathered around the edges on top of it to cover it up. 
That must be Haley’s brother. 
He studied the kid, his features, and determined that he was definitely her brother.  They had the same jaw line and blue eyes.  His hair was a little darker though, but there was no mistaking that the two were siblings.

Whatever the kid was mixed up in he seriously doubted Haley knew about it.  Here he was…
burying
a body…with a monster man back at the house.  At least, he hoped he was back at the house.  He did a quick scan of the woods and decided that he was.  And, for whatever reason, this same kid had two other sickos wanting to kill him.

Do they want to kill Haley? 

Of course they did.  They would probably kill her soon after he delivered the kid.  It was the kid they really wanted, why would they hurt Haley? 
Maybe I can use the kid as a negotiation, offer them a trade. 
Or, he could just ask them to let him take Haley.  If they did, he knew the perfect place to take her. 

The cabin. 

He owned a cabin on the other side of the mountain in Bear Hill.  It was secluded, and his bitch of a wife never went out there.  He could take her there, then take a week off work, but tell the wife he was going out of town, and he could spend seven days and nights doing whatever he wanted to Haley. 

But, even with a cast on his leg?  Surely he would get a cast put on his leg once he went to the hospital.  It had to be broken; there was no way it wasn’t. 

He’d make it work one way or another.

The kid began scraping loose dirt that was around the hole into it. 

Geoff checked his watch and cringed.  It was nearing six.  He wouldn’t be surprised if his wife had the police out looking for him. 

How should he approach the kid?  Not only would it be odd seeing a man dressed as he was in the woods, he wasn’t sure if the kid hadn’t spotted him leaping through Haley’s window.

Geoff watched a few more moments.  The kid stopped working, leaned the shovel against a tree, and sat down on the ground across from it.  He was probably taking a break, and this gave him the perfect opening to make his move. 

(V)

Joel didn’t know if it was the overindulgence of concealing bodies, or the lack of sleep, but he was drained.  Not just drained, but sick.  Exhausted.  For the first time, he truly knew how it felt to be so tired.  He felt guilty for the hard times he used to give his Dad for not wanting to do something Joel wanted because he was
tired. 
He used to get so furious with his father.  But, he didn’t understand.  How different would things have been if he had understood? 

More thoughts he didn’t need to dwell on right now; more thoughts that would just bring him down farther than he already was.  He needed to finish…

Don’t want to…
 

He leaned his head against the tree.  It felt good letting it take the burden of holding up his head away from his neck.    He could already feel his eyes wanting to shut, and he didn’t mind letting them.  With his eyes closed, his body suddenly felt weightless.  A tingling current started in his toes and moved up to his thighs.  All over he felt relaxed.  He promised he wouldn’t fall asleep, swore to it, but could already sense the oncoming images of a dream. 

Can’t be asleep, I’m just thinking. 
Was he?  Or was it a dream?  It felt as if he were above himself, looking down at a sleeping soon to be thirteen-year-old boy that had suffered through more in less than a year than most would in several.

He was thinking about all these things when he heard the sudden exodus of a flock of crows. 
A murder of crows. 
He’d always liked that expression.  He listened to their cawing and shrieking as they lifted into the air.  Their wings flapping like a raised flag in the wind.   

He opened his eyes.  And saw why they’d taken flight.

A man in a suit was creeping amongst the trees.  His pointed face was aimed at Joel, and his narrowed eyes focused intently on him.  The growing fear pushed away his drowsiness.  He tried to scoot back, but the tree kept him there.  Not only did the man not look friendly, he was walking with a severe limp.  The kind of injury falling from a second story window could make.  He checked his hands and didn’t find a weapon, but not seeing one didn’t make him feel any better. 

“You’re Joel, right?  Joel with a J?” 

He knew his name.  How in the hell did he know that?  But, instead of asking those questions, Joel only nodded. 

An eerie smile stretched across the man’s face. “Thought so. I’m Geoffrey Jones…with a G.”

Joel knew he should recognize that name, but his brain seemed to be on pause.

Geoffrey with a G Jones rounded the trees to Joel’s side, bypassing the incline so he could keep his eyes locked on him.  “Your sister works for me…”

That was why he should know him. Because he
did
know him.  He’d met him a few times and had always thought of him as a very creepy guy, not the fun kind of creepy he liked to watch in movies, but the bad kind, the
real
kind.  Joel’s eyes focused on his torn clothes, and his shamble of a walk.

Why is he out here in the woods?

Geoffrey with a G looked down at his legs, then back at Joel as if he’d forgotten about the limp, but when he raised his head a shifty smile was arching his lips.  “Wondering why I have this limp?”

Joel shook his head.  He wasn’t wondering because he already knew why.  He was the person inside Haley’s room, the one who’d broken the screen. 

“You seem like a smart kid…You’ve probably got it all figured out.” 

“What do you want with me?”

The man named Geoffrey laughed, his nose sputtering with each giggle.  “You have to come with me.”

Joel shook his head.

“It’s not your choice to make,” he told Joel. “It’s not my choice either…unfortunately.”

“Get away from me.”

“People will die.”

Joel’s throat tightened.  “What do you mean?  Who will die?”

“Me for one…and Haley.”

Joel was confused.  How did he know all this? “I don’t…”  Joel didn’t know what to say.

“Two men snagged me and said if I didn’t bring you back to the house, they would kill me, and Haley too.”

“What two men?”

“How the hell should I know? Two men…said they were looking for the big guy.”

“Pillowface?”

“Pillow…?”  He looked as if he wanted to laugh.  “Whatever his name is…The two that told me to come get you were going to your house and they wanted me to take you there.”

Joel wasn’t going anywhere with him. 

“Now come on…let’s go.” 

“No.”

He leaned back as if Joel’s answer had taken a swing at him.  “What did you say?”

“I said
no.
”

He checked his pants again, then nodded.  He pointed at his knee.  “It’s this isn’t it?  You won’t come back with me because of my limp.  So, you probably know I was in Haley’s room, don’t you?”

Joel didn’t respond.

“You also probably know I have her panties in my pocket, don’t you?”

“What?”

“See?”  He crammed his hand into his pocket and tugged out a damp pair of black panties.  “These were between your sister’s legs, hugging her …”

Joel felt sick. “Did you do anything to Haley?”

“I wish.”  He shook his head as if it were a shame, took a savoring breath, and exhaled.  Then he stuffed the panties back into his pocket.  “Haley.  Probably the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen in this shitball of a world.  But of course you already know that, huh?”  Now he stood at Joel’s feet.  “She has my mind so messed up right now…”  He laughed a nervous, maniacal laugh.  “Bet you’ve spied on her lying out in the sun, or in the shower a time or two, haven’t you?” 

Remembering the incident from this morning, Joel winced, shook his head. 

“Come on, you can tell me.  I’ll keep quiet about it.  In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret of my own.  I used to peek on my own sister when she showered.  But, hell, that was different.  She knew I was doing it and didn’t mind.  There would be times when she’d really put on a show for me.”  He laughed.  “She was a looker too, but nothing like Haley
. I think I might be in love.” He took a moment to breathe before continuing.  “But, they’ll kill her if I don’t take you back to the house…I don’t give a shit what they do to you, but Haley can’t die until I’ve at least fucked her.”

Joel was shaking, and not entirely from fear.  The more Geoffrey Jones talked, the more he found himself wishing he had something to stab him with.  This asshole was talking about his
sister
in a way Joel didn’t approve of.  No one got that benefit, including Ethan and Paul.  The few times they’d spoken of her derogatively, they’d paid for it with either a punch to the face or gut.  Don’t cross that line if you know what’s good for you.  Obviously, this piece of trash hadn’t learned what was good for him, yet.  Joel planned to teach him.

With the toe of his mud-caked leather shoe, he nudged the bottom of Joel’s shoe.  “What’s the matter?  Did I say something to upset you?”  He laughed, again, but the unnatural grin he wore looked too fake and sick to be real.  “I bet you’ve even jerked off to her before, haven’t you?” 

Joel’s hands clenched to fists.  Geoffrey with a G noticed. 

“Uh-oh.  Looks like you’re aiming to use those little dick swatters as weapons.”  His grin diminished.  “Don’t even try it.  Just because I’m wearing a suit doesn’t mean I can’t kick the shit out of a spoiled brat like you.  I wouldn’t even break a sweat.” 

Joel knew just by looking at him he was lying about not breaking a sweat, because he was drenched in a layer so thick it looked like his skin was secreting it.  He also knew he didn’t stand a chance against fighting this guy.

No way in hell.

But, knowing that still wasn’t going to stop him from trying. 

Geoffrey with a G’s foot nudge turned into a kick the second time.  “Now get up so we can get this over with.”

Nodding, Joel shifted his weight against the tree and pushed himself up with his feet. 
How am I going to do this? 
The man wasn’t big, or ripped, but he was stronger, which was a lot more than Joel surely had going for him. 

Joel’s intentions must have been written across his face. 

“You want to hit me?”

Hesitating a moment, Joel shook his head. 

“Didn’t think so.  It’s time to go, so come on.” 

Joel tried shoving his unwilling body into motion, but it just wouldn’t cooperate.
Work legs, damn it, move!!!
They wouldn’t listen, nor would his feet. Apparently, they were just happy where they were. 

“All right, you’re pissing me off.” 

“F-F-Fuck you.” In his mind, Joel pictured that would have sounded threatening.  It was nothing close.  His voice had betrayed him.  He shut his eyes, and sighed. 

Geoffrey Jones tilted back his head and really cut a laugh.  When he looked back at Joel he was wiping tears from his eyes and holding his side.  Joel had never made anyone laugh so hard before, and this time he hadn’t tried.  “Good one.  Oh shit, you’re a pretty witty kid.  Know that?”  He sniggered some more.

Joel used this moment to survey his situation.  The temptation to attack the man was unbearable.  He
must
try for it.  He saw the shovel still leaning against the tree where he’d left it.  If he was going to do any kind of damage he would have to use it.  How long would it take to grab the shovel, raise it, and bring it down on his skull?  Would he be quick enough before Geoffrey noticed it was coming? 

Only one way to find out. 

He sprung for it, passing Geoffrey Jones as he leapt through the air.  He landed inches from the shovel, rolled, and snatched it up.  The handle nearly slid through his sweaty hands. 

The humor drained from Geoffrey Jones’ face.