Ultimate Supernatural Horror Box Set

Chapter Twenty-FOUR

“Make sure it’s tight”

“I am!” Harry tugged the curtain ties around Damien’s wrists and felt them dig into the boy’s flesh. “Any tighter and I’ll cut his arms off.”

“Good,” said Nigel. “Exactly what the dirty little rapist deserves.”

When Harry had swung the whiskey bottle at Damien’s head it had instantly shattered, sending streams of Old Graham’s salty piss all over the both of them. Harry could still smell the vinegary pong on his clothes right now. Once Nigel had regained consciousness, the two of them dragged Damien’s limp body into the bar area and heaved him onto a chair. They were now currently in the process of restraining him to it as tightly as possible. The last thing they needed was Damien waking back up and endangering anybody else. They had enough on their plate as it was, and Harry still hadn’t forgotten about the incident in the dance hall. Chaos, it seemed, had started coming at him from all directions.

Harry had placed Steph downstairs on a pile of blankets and covered her up with a duvet. She had stirred briefly when he’d first lifted her from the toilet floor, but she was yet to regain full-consciousness. Lucas had promised to look after her until Harry came back.

It was unbelievable that Damien had tried to rape Steph. Harry had made a massive mistake in thinking that the lad was not capable of such evil? At least he didn’t get away with it, Harry thought, shaking his head as he thought about what could have gone down if Nigel hadn’t walked in and disturbed Damien.

“Nigel, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t walked in when you did. Steph is so lucky you were there.”

Nigel’s chest puffed up proudly. With the beating his face had taken, Harry thought he looked like a dishevelled bear hit with a shovel. “I’m just sorry the little perv got the drop on me before I could take him down first. My head’s still bloody banging.”

Harry gave the curtain ropes one last tug and was at last satisfied that Damien was restrained adequately. “I’m not surprised,” he said. “Vicious bastard really did a number on you. Soon as the phones are working, we’ll call the police and get him squared away.”

Nigel seemed to flinch. “Police, yeah”

Harry looked at him. “You okay, mate?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Just a bit dizzy. Need to sit down, I think.”

Harry stood up, frozen knees straightening with a click! “I can keep an eye on things here, buddy. You go and rest.”

“Thanks, Harry. Can I get you anything?”

Harry thought immediately about another beer, but for some reason he said, “I’m good, thanks.”

Nigel walked away gingerly, clutching at his ribs. Harry shook his head as he imagined the pain he was in. Guy’s lucky to be walking after the walloping he got. We all owe him big time.

Harry stepped back and examined Damien, asleep in the chair. What could make a person so violent as to want to rape and beat people? It made his heart ache to think of the amount of hatred that infected the world. Damien was just one tiny ant in a whole colony of remorseless monsters. Harry started to wish that he’d asked for that beer after all.

A strangled snort came from Damien’s direction and for a moment Harry thought he was going to wake up. The boy’s eyelids fluttered for a second and his nose crinkled as though a fly had landed on it. But then he fell still again.

“What do we do with you now?” Harry asked the unconscious lad. “Can’t exactly leave you in the middle of the room to freeze, can I?”

Or maybe that’s exactly what you deserve.

Harry’s fists clenched themselves automatically as he thought about how frightened Steph must have been. He had to take deep breathes until the moment passed.

Try to let it go before it drives you insane.

Harry needed to get away from Damien – just being near the scumbag made his stomach sick – but wasn’t an option just in case he woke up and tried to escape. The only place warm enough to keep Damien prisoner was over by the fire, but that was already taken up by their casualty, Peter.

Prisoners. Casualties. What the hell is happening tonight!

The only other place that would be habitable was the cellar downstairs – once they got the new fire started at least. But no way was Harry about to drag Damien to the same place as Steph. In fact he was never going to let the kid anywhere near her ever again. He’d have to leave the bastard up here, beside the fireplace.

Harry walked over to Jess and Jerry. Both of them were on their knees tending to Peter, but they didn’t seem to actually be doing anything useful, other than merely keeping an eye on him. What can they do? Harry thought. He noticed the two of them were both shivering and rubbing at their arms. The fire was obviously failing in its task of keeping back the chill. Jess looked up at him as he approached and he saw that, despite her obvious weariness, she could still manage a smile.

“Hey,” Harry smiled back, “how you two holding up?”

“It’s starting to feel a bit like that film, Alive,” said Jerry.

Harry raised both eyebrows.

Jerry sighed. “You know…that movie where the plane crashes? The one where they’re all freezing to death, one by one? They all start to eat the dead bodies to stay alive?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry.”

Jerry’s own shoulders deflated. “Goddamn it, dude.”

Jess spoke. “We want out of here, Harry.”

Harry hadn’t expected that. Sure it was an obvious thing to say, given the circumstances, but Jess was an upbeat person and didn’t seem like the kind to complain. “I know you do,” he said, “but that’s not possible right now. You know what it’s like out there. It’s not safe.”

Jess nodded. “That’s what I mean. It’s not safe here either. The snow is getting deeper and deeper, and there’s something out there that wants us dead. We weren’t lying earlier; there’s something really out there.”

Harry pictured the flames outside, growing from the snow like shimmering beanstalks, and felt a knot form in his stomach. Then he thought about the thing pretending to be his son. “I know, I believe you.” he admitted. “So why on earth do you want to go out there?”

“Because here we’re nothing but sitting ducks. I’d rather take my chances running to safety than waiting here to die.”

“No one is going to die,” Harry state firmly, “but I agree that we may not be safe in here either.”

Jerry’s face lit up. The cold air, mixed with the licking heat of the fire, made his cheeks blush like cherries. “So, you’ll help us then?”

“No,” Harry said quickly. “If we go out there we’ll be frozen stiff in a matter of minutes or the victims of something even worse. It would be insane to leave here before morning. Even then I’m not so sure. I agree we’re in danger here, but I think we would be even worse off out there.”

Jess seemed close to tears; possibly even full blown panic. She looked at Harry pleadingly. “So what do you suggest? That we wait here until someone else comes flying through the window or Damien tries to rape someone else?”

Harry felt his face pull back in a snarl. “Damien won’t be hurting anyone else, don’t you worry about that.”

Jess shrugged as if his assertion meant nothing. “Okay,” she said, “but like I said, there’s something out there that’s less than friendly. You really just expect us to wait here till it tries to get in?”

“No,” said Harry. “We prepare, and if whatever is out there tries to get in…”

Jess and Jerry both looked at him. “Yeah?”

Harry snarled. “We make it wish it hadn’t.”