Virgo's Vice (17 page)

Chapter 30

Mark shakes his head and chuckles. “Come on, Lexie. This is how he makes his money. He has a lot invested in this show. Maybe something held him up, but he’ll get here. Man, I have to take a bath, too.” He stands again and stretches his back.

Billy comes over and drapes his arm over my shoulders. “The Old Man didn’t show up,” I say.

I catch Mark winking at Billy over my head.

“You think I’m being stupid, but I’ve had a bad feeling about this show all along. I’m a Virgo, and we often pick up the vibes of things before anyone else.”

“Where’s Andy?” Billy says.

“Still at that village. There was a skeleton there. I got pictures.”

“A real skeleton?” I say.

“Sure. Been bashed on the head. Just lying there inside one of the broken down huts. Bones are clean. I guess what the scavengers didn’t get was taken care of by ants. I’ll get my camera.” Mark trots to the shelter and comes back with the camera. Billy and I stand behind him and watch the footage. Billy’s arm is still across my shoulder and he’s rubbing it. I lean into him.

The film footage is more than frightening. I quiver. “Faith and Lela got weird,” I say. “Faith is almost . . . ah, she’s stroking that skull like she’s comforting it.”

“Yeah, they both got weird but that was the weirdest. She was chanting something too, but it was too soft for us to hear any words. And Trip was the opposite. He pretty much treated it like he saw skeletons every day. I wanted to bury it, but Andy said it could be contaminated with some sort of disease.”

“You’re shaking,” Billy whispers in my ear, and holds me closer to him. His breath is warm and I lean into him, and suddenly I want to touch him everywhere. He must be feeling the same way because he’s shaking too, and I don’t think it’s from fear.

“You don’t know how much I want you,” he whispers into my hair.

“You guys sure smell good,” Mark says when he gets back from stashing his camera.

Billy squeezes my shoulder and turns toward Mark. “Dude, you missed it. That big pool where we catch fish is perfect for swimming.” He gives me another squeeze and I know he’s thinking about us being naked.

“Where did you get soap?”

“She had it hidden in her backpack,” Billy says.

“I have some too,” Mark admits. “I wasn’t about to share it, but I guess I could offer it to the others and maybe we could go bathe tomorrow. I know I need it. Especially now that I can smell you two.”

We busy ourselves in camp, and pretty soon dusk is falling and Andy and Kelli have not made it back.

The nausea returns to my stomach, where it sits heavily and refuses to leave.

“So, what are we gonna do about Andy and Kelli?” Billy asked.

“We’re gonna have to go and search for them,” Stretch said, poking the fire with a log. “Let’s eat dinner then if they haven’t gotten back, we should go.”

“Yeah, I’m hungry,” Sam said. “They must be hungry, too. I can’t understand why they aren’t back yet. It’ll be getting dark soon. And what about Allan Dockery?” She turned her gaze toward Lexie. Billy put his arm around her and squeezed her because he knew it upset her to think about any of this.

Lexie stared at Mark, who shuffled uncomfortably on the log. “He’ll get here. The movie business is, er, difficult. To be a producer you have to pull a lot of stuff together.”

“It’s pretty irresponsible of him to leave us here without any way to communicate,” Maria said.

Billy felt Lexie shiver and he knew she had touched yet another raw nerve. “What’s for dinner, anyhow, apart from fish?” He directed the question at Rodriguez.

“I almost got a couple of birds today. Tomorrow for sure. And thanks, man. You and the others have done a real good job when it comes to fishing.” He rubbed his ankle.

“And what about those of us who found corn on the cob today and carried them home?” Lela said. “Don’t we also deserve a thank you?” She glared at Rodriguez. She was scary when she was mad. And what had she said on that film footage? She had been in a camp in Iraq or Iran. Could that be true?

“Corn on the cob,” Billy said. “Geez. Now we’re really living it up.”

“It’s old and dry,” Faith said, “but it’ll be okay.”

“Now all we need is a beer. Any more of that cinnamon whiskey stuff?” Billy said to Sam.

“Sorry, Billy, I only had the one bottle,” Sam said.

After the meal, Billy burped and lifted his arms above his head to stretch.

“We should have kept a little in the pot for them,” Lexie said. “They’ll be hungry.”

“No. They don’t need food,” Faith said.

Billy wondered what she meant by that, and he thought of the drugs they must be taking and he wondered if that was what Faith was meaning. He was about to ask, when Stretch stood up and dusted off the back of his shorts.

“Who’s coming?” he said.

“Me,” Billy said before turning to Lexie. “You coming?” She was staring at Trip. She didn’t say anything.

He knew now why she hated the dude so much. If she was right. If the dude had done any sort of sexual stuff to her when she was five years old he deserved to be in jail with the key thrown away. To rape a little kid. That was the sickest thing. He deserved the chair. And it should be done the way they did it in that movie where it all went wrong.

He put his arm around her and pulled her into him. Just the touch of her skin against his instantly brought back the desperate need in him. If the other dudes hadn’t been there today, he knew Lexie wouldn’t have pulled back, and that made him want her more.

He watched as Trip knocked the tobacco from his pipe and joined the search party, some of whom were putting on their shoes. Billy knew he was going. Trip was going, and Jared, Mark, Stretch, and Sam also volunteered. That would leave Lexie, Faith, Maria, Lela, and Rodriguez in camp. He felt torn. He wanted to be there for Lexie and protect her if necessary, but he also felt driven to search for the missing couple. They might need help and he was young and strong. He crouched down and stroked Jake. “You take good care of her, now,” he told the dog. He stood and kissed Lexie lightly on her lips. “Stay close to the fire,” he warned. “You’ll be safe if you don’t leave it.”

He followed the others down the almost dark trail, wondering how long the flashlight’s batteries would last. How many spares did Eve say she had brought? It was quite a long trudge to the deserted village. Probably more than four miles, he figured, and he was surprised when Trip, who was in the lead, announced that they had arrived. They hadn’t seen any sign of Andy or Kelli on the way there, and he was beginning to get a bad feeling. He didn’t figure Andy was so dumb that he would stay out after dark with no flashlight or anything, not even if he was high. Once they had screwed, or whatever they wanted to do alone, they should have headed back to camp.

Trip held the flashlight and swung it in an arc, revealing the crumbling half walls of the huts, and the items strewn around that had been left behind by the former inhabitants. Everyone followed behind Trip as there was only the one light. He shone it into the ruins of a hut and moved on to the next one.

“Andy, Kelli. Where are you guys?” Billy yelled.

“We ate your dinner,” Jared shouted. “And it was good.”

“Time to come home, guys,” Stretch said in his booming bass.

Only silence greeted them.

Billy was at the back when he heard a strangled yelp. “Oh, my God!”

He rushed to where the others were all gasping and moaning. “What the . . .? Shit.” His heart suddenly beating way too fast.

The others parted so he could see what the flashlight’s beam was revealing.

“What the fuck?”

Chapter 31

I huddle by the fire, vaguely aware of Faith and Maria moving around and cleaning stuff. We have set up one water bag for washing our mugs and bowls, and I guess they use it to clean the pots, too. Lela is sitting across the fire from me just staring into it. Rodriguez is hobbling around between them and us. I think he figures as the only man he has to protect us and make certain everything is okay. His ankle is a little better now and he seems to be able to get around easier.

Although it’s warm, I shiver and put my arms around Jake and hug him. If it wasn’t for him I would be a total wreck. Well. I am already that, but it would be worse. I realize how much I have come to depend on Billy for support. How long have I known him now? Four days. I feel the color rush to my face when I think back to this afternoon. We swam together. Naked. And it was okay.

My thoughts turn to the Old Man. Why have I felt this entire time that he isn’t coming back here? What if he doesn’t? How will we find our way home? And where are Andy and Kelli? Mark said they had taken drugs, which is what I thought last time they went off to the creek.

Jake pushes his nose under my hand and I pet him some more. “Good boy,” I tell him. He knows my stomach is in a knot.

Lela says, “You think they’ll find them?”

“I don’t know.” I pause for a few seconds. “Mark said you told him you were in some sort of concentration camp. Is that right?”

She sighs. “Yes. It’s true. I was in Iraq. I wanted to visit my aunt. She lives near the border with Iran and they came and took me from her house.”

“Who took you?” I ask.

“ISIS. They said because I’m from America I must be a spy.” She gives a bitter laugh.

“So . . . They can’t just do that, can they?”

She blows out air. “They can do anything they want in their country.”

“So what did they do?”

“They raped me in public. Every day. Because I didn’t wear a hijab. They fed me almost nothing. They tortured me trying to get me to admit I was a spy.”

I shudder. “For real?”

“Yeah. It was real. Look.” She comes around and sits beside me, slips down her short shirt, and exposes her left breast. Red scars encircle the nipple.

I gasp.

“They used cigarettes.”

“I don’t know how you survived all that,” I say. “And still kept your sanity. I would just die.”

She chuckles. “Maybe I’m not sane. Maybe I’m crazy. And yes, sometimes I wanted to die. But you can’t. If your body doesn’t want to you can’t just die.” At that moment I can believe her. I also think she could be a little crazy.

A cold shiver runs down my spine. “You’re lucky they didn’t cut off your head or burn you alive.”

“I know. That was before they started doing things like that, like cutting off people’s heads.” She shakes her head as if trying to dislodge the terrible memories she must have.

“What happened with Andy and Kelli today? Why didn’t they come with you and the others?”

She shrugs. “First I pissed them off because I asked about Andy being married. And Kelli said she had a serious boyfriend. Remember? When we went to find water the first day.”

“Yeah. I know. You’re right.”

“They were . . . It was like they took drugs and anyone can see they want to . . . you know. I should have offered them some of my condoms.” She laughs. “They said they will catch up. We started walking and Trip goes back to talk to them, but he comes back and says he couldn’t find them. Then Faith goes back. She is gone a long time while we are walking toward camp. When she gets back, she says she also can’t find them.” She chuckles. It echoes.

“Did they call out to them?” This sounds all wrong to me.

“I guess. I was carrying food so I don’t go back. I think they don’t want to be found.”

She falls silent.

Rodriguez lets out a yell. “They’re back.”

We all jump up and stare out towards the beam of the flashlight bouncing off the grass. Jake trots toward them. My fingernails dig into the palms of my hands as I strain to see how many are approaching us.

My heart sinks when they get into camp and I see they are carrying two large objects between them, with Sam holding the flashlight. I am almost too scared to move, but I find myself walking slowly toward them as they dump the heavy loads onto the ground.

“Dead,” Sam says.

“No.” My voice comes out hoarse and my heart is pounding.

“How?” Rodriguez asks.

“Same as Eve. Throats cut.” Sam sighs heavily. “And that’s not all.”

We all stand there, waiting for her to tell us the rest. Billy approaches me with slumped shoulders. I throw my arms around him and hold on to him. .

I stroke his back. “Who?” is all I can say.

Billy takes a couple of deep breaths and lifts his head. “I don’t know but when I find out I’m gonna kill him,” he growls. “Give him a taste of his own medicine. I’m so pissed off. Check my hands. They’re shaking. You didn’t see how . . . It was horrible. They were posed on either side of the skeleton like they were . . . hugging it.”

He’s still breathing hard and I see the anger on his face in the moonlight.

Mark approaches us. “I’m glad you didn’t come, Lexie. It was bad.” His face is drawn and pale but I can see he’s also royally pissed off.

Jared makes his way to us. “Yeah. This is so crazy. I want to get out of here.” He glances around nervously as if expecting the killer—or the legendary monster—to be lurking in the bushes. “I need a drink.” He holds his hands out and they’re shaking, and I don’t know if it’s because he needs a drink or because he’s mad.

Everyone gathers around the fire. Rodriguez piles logs on it and it flares up and illuminates the horror, anger and sadness on the pale faces around it.