“Do you know Martin, Lester?”
“Martin is Lester’s friend.”
Cindy didn’t know if she bought that. But Martin was a psychologist, and he did work with all types of people.
“How do you know Martin, Lester?” she asked.
“Martin is Lester’s friend.” He paused, cocking his head to the side. “Would the boy and the girl like to follow Lester to Martin?”
God, did she ever. Martin was smart, and strong, and Cindy trusted him like she trusted Sara. Unlike most teens, Cindy liked adults. During her drug years, Cindy had begged for money from hundreds of adults, and the overwhelming majority were either indifferent or somewhat caring. But as much as she wanted to trust this tall man, he had a strange vibe to him.
She came out from behind Tyrone and took a tentative step closer. “Do you know where Martin is, Lester?”
“Lester knows. The boy and the girl should come with Lester.”
Lester smiled. Cindy was shocked to see fangs in the big man’s mouth.
Tyrone shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He backed up, pulling Cindy with him.
“Lester won’t hurt the boy and the girl. That would make Martin angry. They should come with Lester.”
“Where’s Martin?” Cindy asked.
Lester took another picture.
“Stop taking pictures and tell me where Martin is!”
The strength in her voice surprised her. It must have surprised Lester too, because his smile became a deep frown.
“The girl yelled at Lester. Lester doesn’t like that.”
Tyrone pulled her closer. “You know where Martin is, man? Then tell us.”
It hit Cindy all at once, like a physical blow. Lester. Lester Paks. This was the serial killer Sarah had told them about, the one that crazy doctor had experimented on.
“Lester will take the boy and girl to Martin.” The giant moved toward them, spreading out his arms. His reach was so wide he looked like he could hug a truck. “Martin will be so happy.”
When Lester got within five yards he’d officially gone from menacing, to threatening, to terrifying. She and Tyrone continued to back up, but Lester’s strides were so big he’d be on them in only a few seconds.
“The boy and the girl shouldn’t try to run. Lester gets angry when they run.”
That’s when Cindy was grabbed from behind.
Sara couldn’t find the kids.
After hearing Tom’s screams, she quickly stuck her head back through the window and into the cabin to grab something she saw inside. By the time she had it, the screaming had stopped.
Her first intention was to go after Tom, to protect him, to save him, and without considering anything else she’d impulsively headed in the direction of his cries.
But Sara wasn’t sure where he was, or even how far away, without the sound cues. Even worse, once she lost sight of the boat she became lost, unable to find her way back.
Oh God, I’ve abandoned Cindy and Tyrone…
She spent a good minute studying the compass, panicking to the point of hysteria, and then decided to follow a south-west direction, keeping as quiet as possible, listening for their voices.
Luckily, she found them, coming up from behind and placing a hand on Cindy’s shoulder so she didn’t get trampled by their quick pace.
Unluckily, they weren’t alone.
The man chasing them was so grotesquely tall it was almost funny. But unlike the cannibals, he had short hair and was clean shaven, and his clothes, though odd, looked relatively new.
Sara raised the weapon in her hand, pointing it at the tall man.
“Stop,” she said, Not loud enough to attract undesired attention, but hard enough to show it wasn’t a request, but rather an order.
The tall man stood still, his arms still outstretched. “The woman has a flare gun.”
Sara had hoped it would be mistaken for the real thing, but she rolled with it. “And if you come any closer, I’m going to shoot it at you. It doesn’t shoot bullets, but I’m pretty sure it can set you on fire.”
He lowered his arms and titled his head at an angle, like a confused dog.
“Is the woman Martin’s wife?”
She wasn’t prepared for the question, but she answered. “Yes. I’m Sara.”
“Lester will take the Sara woman to Martin.”
“Where is Martin?”
“Martin is at the prison. With Tom boy, and Georgia girl.”
“Is Jack there?”
Lester smiled, baring teeth that looked like they belonged to an alligator. “Baby Jack is there. Doctor is taking care of baby Jack.”
“Doctor Plincer.” Sara felt the lump in her throat. “And you’re Lester Paks.”
“Lester is Lester Paks. Doctor Plincer is Lester’s friend. Martin is Lester’s friend. The Sara woman should come with Lester.”
Sara’s hand was shaking now. She believed, hoped, he was lying, and desperately wanted this man to get the hell away from her and the kids. But first…
“How about Joseph? Joe? Joe Randhurst? Is he at the prison, too?”
Lester’s eyes got wide, and his angular head bobbed up and down in a nod. “Of course Joe is there.”
Sara limped in front of Cindy and Tyrone, putting herself between them and the serial killer. Her gun hand was shaking, but she made sure her words were strong.
“Thank you for talking with us, Lester. But we aren’t going to go with you right now.” She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. “We’d like you to go away.”
Lester pulled something out of his pocket, and Sara cringed, trying to shield the kids. But Lester didn’t have a weapon. It was only a camera.
He snapped a picture, the flash momentarily blinding her.
“The Sara woman is pretty.”
Sara blinked a few times, tried to focus.
“Thank you for the compliment, Lester. Now you really do have to go. I don’t want to have to shoot you.”
Lester took another picture.
“I’m serious, Lester. It’s time for you to leave.”
A tongue flicked out of Lester’s mouth, running across his bottom lip. He seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. “Lester is going to ask Martin.”
“We want you to leave us alone, Lester.”
“Lester will ask. Lester wants permission first.”
“You need to go. Now.”
“Lester wants permission to bite the Sara woman’s pretty face off.”
He opened and closed his jaw several times, his sharp teeth making clicking sounds.
“Get. The fuck. Back.” Sara said.
Lester raised the camera, took one more picture, and then advanced on them.
Sara didn’t think. She reacted. Planting one foot, pivoting her hips, swiveling them around and kicked Lester as hard as she could, throwing her bad leg into his stomach.
The pain was otherworldly, making her vision burn orange.
But the blow had its desired effect, doubling the tall man over, making him fall onto his ass.
Lester stared up at Sara, his face a mask of disbelief. Blood tricked from the corner of his mouth.
“Lester bit his tongue.” The aforementioned tongue darted out, licking at the line of blood, making an even bigger line of blood.
Lester’s eyes got a glassy look, and he smiled, his vampire teeth streaked with red. He held up his hand and stared at it, as if in a trance. Then he opened his jaws wide, and began to gnaw on his fingers.
The blood really started to flow after that.
“We need to leave,” Sara said.
Tyrone nodded. “No shit.”
Lester moaned, then locked eyes with Sara. She saw depths of hatred there that she didn’t think possible in a fellow human being. He tugged his bleeding hand from his mouth, spat at her, and then rolled over, scurrying on all fours off into the woods.