the tension went out of her, and she tossed the baton over on the sofa. She put her arms around his neck. “Okay. We'll be nice guys. We'll split them up and throw them back. Your mother would be pleased.”
“If we have to kill people in order to live here, in order to live happily....”
“It would be an ugly price.”
“It would be.”
....
The blond woman and the indeterminate companion lay on the floor, on their stomachs, hands and ankles tied, with a single line tied to the wrists, looped around the ankle ties, and then once around the neck. Any hand or leg movement would choke them; they lay motionless.
It was evening, three candles around the room, and only Jack sat watching over them. Natalie had taken the man out to the road over an hour before. He was damaged enough they suspected he would be dead of infection in a week. The plan was that Natalie would accompany him in one direction down the highway and then send the other the other direction. The blond woman didn't seem a huge danger to anyone, so they would just turn her loose.
Jack started at the noise at the door, but it was Natalie, already inside. “Okay, that's one. He was so happy to get away from me, he even said thank you. What a guy.” To the blond woman, she said, “He's stupid and cruel and he runs like a girl. I can see why you find him appealing.”
“I don't like your being out there at night. Let me take this one.” He indicated the big person. “You can rest for a bit.”
“No, no. I know the land a lot better than you do, especially at night. You can take that one out and shoo her away. Let her keep her shoes. I want her to do some traveling.”
Natalie took the man's pen knife and held it in front of their big friend's face. Natalie cut the ankle rope and the tie-line and gave the person a hard kick below the ribs. “Stand.”
Still gagged, hands still tied behind in the back, the person struggled to get on both feet and stand up.
Jack wasn't quite sure what he saw but he thought he saw Natalie in one place, and then she was another, up against the big person. One of Natalie's hands in the small of the person's back, and the other holding the pen knife tip-deep, no blood, just under the person's right eyeball.
Natalie whispered, “Don't fuss with me.”
The big person's head shook No-no-no.
“If I see you after tonight, I'll cripple you and tie you out for the dogs.”
No-no-no.
Natalie was away from her in an eyeblink. She picked up the baton and tossed it to Jack. “Take that one out to the highway in half an hour. Beat her if she gives you the slightest reason.”
“Which direction should I send her.”
“It doesn't matter. Either way, she won't last a week. She's too stupid to live.”
She opened the door for her captive, the big person, who staggered out into the darkness.
“I'll see you in an hour,” she said over her shoulder and closed the door behind her.
Jack gazed at the blond woman on the floor. She stared at him with wide dark eyes and whimpered through her wet gag.
He wondered what, for her, would be merciful?
....
The little moonlight was enough to see their way around to the highway. Still gagged with her hands tied behind her, the blond woman scuffed in front of Jack, sobbing and whimpering. At the highway, Jack cut her hands free. She threw off the gag and immediately began talking.
“Don't, please don't make me leave. I never been alone in my life! Please help me! We could still be friends. Everything was all their ideas! I never did nothing! Did I? I never did nothing!” When she stepped toward him, he poised the baton over his shoulder, like a batter.
“But I don't have no food, no water! I'll die out here! Please save me, mister! What did I ever do to you? I got hooked up with some bad people and they used me! Both of 'em used me and beat me. I got bruises all over — look.”
Jack pulled a plastic liter bottle of water out of his jacket and tossed it to her. “You're on
“If we have to kill people in order to live here, in order to live happily....”
“It would be an ugly price.”
“It would be.”
....
The blond woman and the indeterminate companion lay on the floor, on their stomachs, hands and ankles tied, with a single line tied to the wrists, looped around the ankle ties, and then once around the neck. Any hand or leg movement would choke them; they lay motionless.
It was evening, three candles around the room, and only Jack sat watching over them. Natalie had taken the man out to the road over an hour before. He was damaged enough they suspected he would be dead of infection in a week. The plan was that Natalie would accompany him in one direction down the highway and then send the other the other direction. The blond woman didn't seem a huge danger to anyone, so they would just turn her loose.
Jack started at the noise at the door, but it was Natalie, already inside. “Okay, that's one. He was so happy to get away from me, he even said thank you. What a guy.” To the blond woman, she said, “He's stupid and cruel and he runs like a girl. I can see why you find him appealing.”
“I don't like your being out there at night. Let me take this one.” He indicated the big person. “You can rest for a bit.”
“No, no. I know the land a lot better than you do, especially at night. You can take that one out and shoo her away. Let her keep her shoes. I want her to do some traveling.”
Natalie took the man's pen knife and held it in front of their big friend's face. Natalie cut the ankle rope and the tie-line and gave the person a hard kick below the ribs. “Stand.”
Still gagged, hands still tied behind in the back, the person struggled to get on both feet and stand up.
Jack wasn't quite sure what he saw but he thought he saw Natalie in one place, and then she was another, up against the big person. One of Natalie's hands in the small of the person's back, and the other holding the pen knife tip-deep, no blood, just under the person's right eyeball.
Natalie whispered, “Don't fuss with me.”
The big person's head shook No-no-no.
“If I see you after tonight, I'll cripple you and tie you out for the dogs.”
No-no-no.
Natalie was away from her in an eyeblink. She picked up the baton and tossed it to Jack. “Take that one out to the highway in half an hour. Beat her if she gives you the slightest reason.”
“Which direction should I send her.”
“It doesn't matter. Either way, she won't last a week. She's too stupid to live.”
She opened the door for her captive, the big person, who staggered out into the darkness.
“I'll see you in an hour,” she said over her shoulder and closed the door behind her.
Jack gazed at the blond woman on the floor. She stared at him with wide dark eyes and whimpered through her wet gag.
He wondered what, for her, would be merciful?
....
The little moonlight was enough to see their way around to the highway. Still gagged with her hands tied behind her, the blond woman scuffed in front of Jack, sobbing and whimpering. At the highway, Jack cut her hands free. She threw off the gag and immediately began talking.
“Don't, please don't make me leave. I never been alone in my life! Please help me! We could still be friends. Everything was all their ideas! I never did nothing! Did I? I never did nothing!” When she stepped toward him, he poised the baton over his shoulder, like a batter.
“But I don't have no food, no water! I'll die out here! Please save me, mister! What did I ever do to you? I got hooked up with some bad people and they used me! Both of 'em used me and beat me. I got bruises all over — look.”
Jack pulled a plastic liter bottle of water out of his jacket and tossed it to her. “You're on
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