Fire at Dusk: Part 33

The inhuman wail of the monster rattled the walls of the mill. Mike turned to face his captives.

“I fell mighty bad fer draggin' y'all into this, but I ain't gettin' tossed in no slammer and I ain't ready ta go belly up. I reckon you can keep yer yapper shut Buck,” he said, walking toward the pair. “But you Shirley Sue, ya've always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes.” Mike sat down in a chair which was facing away from the table and rested his arms on the back of the chair. He tapped the pipe out into an ashtray sitting on the table.

“So, what are ya gonna do with us?” asked Buck his voice quivered as he spoke. His foot tapped against the concrete floor like a woodpecker on a tree. Why hadn't the deputy appeared yet? Where was she? Had she gotten lost in the mill? It wasn't even that big.

The wail of the beast grew louder. Mike looked at the door, then back toward his hostages.

“Judgin' by the sound of that monster, I reckon I ain't got ta do nothin' ta y'all. I tell ya what. I'll push ya both out the door and keep yer legs untied. Give y'all a fightin' chance at runnin' away from it,” he said and then chuckled.

“You can't be serious!” shouted Shirley Sue. “You can't just send us out there to die. We're your friends!”

“I'm as serious as a heart attack. It'll take off after y'all and I'll get away on the four-wheeler out back. It's a win-win fer all of us, well at least fer me it is.”

Red light poured in through the windows, creating crimson shadows around the room. The behemoth wailed its ear-piercing cry again.

“Looks like it's time fer us to mosey on out. I just want y'all ta know I'm mighty sorry 'bout this.”

Shirley Sue spit in Mike's face. “You're a fucking bastard Mike,” she said.

Mike stood up and wiped the spit from his eye. His face beet red. He glared at Shirley Sue and drew back his arm. The building rattled as the sound of twisting metal filled the air. Bricks shattered and came tumbling from the wall, through which a narrow crevice had formed. Crimson light blazed through the opening.