[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Eight

It was a slow process carrying AJ up the tunnel. Desiree's head hit the trap door before we realized we had made it all the way through the tunnel. We both set AJ on the ground. She reached up and pushed on the door. It opened. Light flooded down on us.

"Let me through first," I said. She stepped aside. I wrapped my fingers around the hole and hoisted myself up.

"Jesus Christ," I said.

"What do you see?" Desiree asked.

I glanced around. All of the monitors were dark. I had a feeling that the murderer had found the control room first and then gone after Howie. The three of them had all suffered the most violent deaths.

Jen and Justin were scattered around the room. Body parts were laying around as if they had been cows primed for butchering. The smell of blood was overwhelming. I pulled my t-shirt up over my nose.

"They're dead," I said. I was getting sick of saying it. It was beginning to have a numbing effect on me. No one should ever have to get used to death.

I surveyed the room quickly. I checked the cell phones still sitting at the control station. Both had no signal. I spotted a wall phone in the corner of the room and picked it up.

The wires had been slashed.

"The phone's destroyed," I said. I tried not to think about the fact that I was stepping over torsos.

I heard a moan.

"AJ's waking up!"

I jumped back down.

"Help me hoist him up."

As AJ's head tossed to and fro, Desiree and I struggled to get his body up into the room. Once we did so, I hoisted myself back up and lowered my hand down. Desiree grabbed onto it tightly and I yanked her up. When she saw the destruction in the room she swayed.

"Don't faint," I warned. "I need you to be able to walk."

She put her sleeve to her mouth and took a couple deep breaths. As she did so, AJ's eyes opened.

"Where am I?" he croaked.

"You're with me," I said. "We're getting the fuck out of here."

"Where's here?"

"Hell," I answered. At least I was honest.

After another minute or so he sat up. When he looked around and saw the arms and legs scattered around, he had to lay back down.

"Monkee," he whispered.

"AJ, I need your help. There's power in numbers," I said.

"One is the loneliest number," AJ said mournfully.

"Exactly. But there's three of us."

I glanced around. There was a metal bar leaning against the wall. I took it and held it out to AJ.

"C'mon, you're not going down without a fight. Ro wouldn't want it any other way. Think about this as vengeance."

My pep talk to a couple minutes to sink it, but once it did, AJ sat up and took the bar. He looked over at Desiree who was still breathing into her shirt.

"So we need to find a way out?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Are any of the other girls alive?"

"Alyssa's dead," I said. "I don't know about the rest."

"Who could have done this?" AJ asked.

"Ivanka," Desiree said. "We were short a player and we found her on the fanclub."

She started to cry.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said. "How were you supposed to know that she was a serial killer?"

AJ tossed the bar in the air and caught it as if testing it's weight.

"We need to get going," he said.

"I agree."

I held out my free hand. Desiree took it after a moment's hesitation.

"Justin walked us through the whole house," AJ explained. "The back door has been sealed shut. Did you try the front?"

"Rigged."

"Damn."

We both raised our weapons as AJ opened the door. The hallway was empty.

Except for a very dead security guard. AJ stopped and knelt by him.

"His gun's missing," he said. He patted around. "And his cuffs."

"So the killer has a very sharp knife, a loaded gun, and handcuffs," I said. "And we've got a board and a bar. That's just great."

Desiree let out a loud sob. She clamped her hand over her mouth.

AJ stood up and nodded down the hall. Desiree and I slowly followed.

"I think there might be another way out through the basement," I said. "I recall seeing a tornado shelter door from the outside."

A look of pain crossed AJ's face. Ro was in the basement.

"Well, we better double check," he said.

We started to head back towards the stairs. We were almost there when Desiree stopped.

"The light's on in the library," she said. "Leigh's already dead, but someone else is in there."

"Maybe it's Kasey or Andrea," I said. "They'll come out in a second once they see..."

"Nick, are you crazy? You want to wait around out here in the hallway?" AJ asked.

"Well, we don't have a choice," I argued.

"Yes we do."

AJ took his jump drive and stuck it into the panel.

"I've got override powers."

The red light flickered off and the door unlocked. All three of us walked in. The door didn't lock behind us.

Leigh must have been pretending to be reading a book. I noticed a book with a bullet hole flipped open on the floor. An identical bullet hole had seared through her chest. Ripped pages of another book had been stuffed in her mouth.

"Oh," AJ said. He stopped in horror. He couldn't seem to stop staring at Leigh.

"THERE!" Desiree cried. She pointed past Leigh and started to scream.

If the house had been newer and I wasn't tripping over dead bodies left and right, I might have been at least a little impressed with the library. The bookcases went all the way to the ceiling. A rolling ladder was attached to the shelves.

Andrea was cuffed to the ladder. It looked like she had been used for shooting practice. Blood was still dripping.

The attack was fresh.

We didn't have much time to think about that. The door started to creak open.

"RUN!" I yelled.

"This way!" AJ called.

I took off after him. There was another huge painting. He pressed on it and it swung open. We ran inside. AJ pressed against button and it swung closed. I looked around.

"Desiree!" I whispered. I started to press the button, but AJ grabbed my hand.

I was sure that my heart was beating so loudly that it would give us away. My ears strained for a sound. I heard a scuffling. Then, very clearly I heard a scream. Desiree's scream.

"BUT IVANKA---!"

Then there was nothing.

"Oh shit," I said. I slumped against the wall. AJ began to pace.

"We've got to get to the basement," he said. He looked at me. It was my turn to look pathetic.

"C'mon Nick," he said. He wrapped a hand around my arm. I staggered to my feet.

I followed him through the tunnel. I kept hearing Desiree's screams in my head.

If there had been any doubt in my mind before, there was none now.

Ivanka was celebrating Halloween with a blood bath.

And she was moving quickly.