Seventy

The pines stretched out in front of them.

“Couldn’t we take the road?” Sherrie called from behind him.

“No,” he replied. He was walking faster, head down, pushing through the rain. “Too exposed. It’s dangerous. This way is safer.”

“How do you know we’ll even find the church this way?” she continued. “We’re not even retracing the route that got us here!”

Because this is the way Zoe came, he thought to himself. It has to be!

He’d decided that while they had been hiding in the forest, taking a diagonal route and walking by the river on the other side of the road, Zoe had been making a direct line to the barn on this side of the road.

That’s how she got here so fast and was waiting for us.

“John, please,” Sherrie called from behind him. “Slow down!”

No time, I can’t.

Lightning jagged above them.

“You’re walking too fast!” she called. “Please!”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

She walked towards him looking tired and worn-out. Her long hair was plastered across her forehead and on her shoulders. She was walking with a limp and holding her side. A painful expression flashed across her face every time she took a step with her right foot.

Poor Sherrie.

She just doesn’t understand…

Doesn’t she have a right to?

Yes, she does.

Zoe said she loved Sherrie too.

She said she was doing all this for her.

There were still pieces missing. And John wanted to fill in some of the gaps. The more he knew, the better his chance of beating Zoe at her own game.

Time to play the game like she does. Time to know everything before I strike.

The rain fell heavily around them, punching into the ground and their bodies.

He waited until she had caught up to him.

She smiled, “Thanks. You were walking too fast.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to know now. No matter what.

“You knew who Zoe was,” he said to her. “You know her, right?”

Her smile vanished as thunder echoed around them.

“Yes,” she looked to the ground. “I know her.”

“How?”

“It’s a long story, John,” she began, her face turning dark.

“We’ve got time.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it now.”

“Honey, I think we need to.”

She sighed. “I don’t know where to start.”

He turned and put his arm around her once more. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s talk while we head back.”

She nodded and smiled up at him.

More pieces…more pieces of the puzzle…

They continued walking through the forest, sludging through the wet undergrowth and being careful not to slip.

The wind blew through the pines, but not nearly as hard as it did in the valley. They weren’t as cold now. It was almost as if the forest kept the worst of the wind and night from them, sheltering them as they walked.

Thunder rolled above. John noticed the thunder was moving away, taking longer to break after each bolt of lightning.

Maybe this storm will soon be over.

Maybe…

“I’m listening…” he prompted her.

She sighed deeply.

“Anything you tell me might be able to help us stop Zoe. You know her better than I do. Anything you can tell me could help. Please?”

“Okay,” she began after a few more seconds of silence. “Here it goes! I’ve known Zoe for a few years. Probably about five in fact. Before I met you, we used to live together. Actually, even when I met you, she was still living with me. But eventually we grew apart. It wasn’t the same as it used to be. She moved out after we had a big fight. We used to be good friends, but then something happened and it just changed how we were with each other. We couldn’t live together anymore. So, she packed herself up and left. I haven’t seen her for at least a year.”

She fell silent.

John didn’t say anything.

“I got such a shock at the church,” she continued as they walked further through the forest. “I mean, I had no idea whose Jeep was out the front. She never owned a car when I knew her. But when I talked with you on the phone I could tell you were scared and in danger. And when you didn’t show up at the hotel, I feared that maybe something had gone wrong and you were really in trouble. So I parked the car out of sight at the end of the driveway and walked the rest of the way.

“It was so quiet when I got there. I couldn’t hear anything. I first thought maybe the place was deserted and I’d missed you somehow back at the hotel. But after a few seconds, I could hear a voice from inside the church. I walked around to the side and looked in the window. I could see Zoe standing there near the kitchen. I didn’t see you then. I couldn’t see the bed from where I was. But I saw her.”

Lightning flashed.

“I didn’t know what she was doing there. My mind couldn’t connect it all together in those few split seconds. So I just barged into the church and asked Zoe what the fuck was going on. Then I saw you down on the bed all tied up and in a dreadful state. And then I knew.”

They walked in silence for quite a while.

The pieces were beginning to fit together.

“She loves you, you know,” John said.

“I know,” she nodded. “And I loved her…for a while.”

“You were living together as lovers?”

Sherrie nodded.

John was too tired and too exhausted to be surprised. Part of him suspected anyhow. After what Zoe had told him at the barn, what else could he think?

“It was a one bedroom apartment, John. We were a couple for a while.”

“And you never thought to tell me this?”

“I wanted to. But I didn’t know how you’d react. I would’ve told you one day, John. Honestly, I would’ve. But I saw it as a little side-step that I took, just to experiment and to see what it was like. It didn’t work out, so I didn’t think it mattered.”

“What broke you both up?” he asked.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

“You did,” she replied.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

I did…

Of course…

Then he turned to face her.

“That’s what all this is about, you know…”

She nodded, “I know. From the moment I saw you tied to that bed in the church, I knew. She swore she’d hurt the next person I fell in love with. She told me she would. But it was part of our huge final argument and I just thought it was an empty threat. I had no idea she would take it this far.”

John nodded.

“This is all our fault.”

“You can’t think that way,” he replied.

“But it’s true!”

They walked on together. He squeezed her hand.

“Was she always that extreme?” he asked. “In bed, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Sherrie replied. “She was a rough fuck, that’s for sure. She was always into tying me up and spanking and stuff. For a while I enjoyed it, but then it just got too dangerous. Her games always got out of hand. She was always pushing to the edge.”

John nodded.

“And further…” she whispered.

“She wants us all to live together, as a threesome.”

Sherrie sighed and ran her fingers through her wet hair.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she muttered. “When did she tell you this? At the church when she had you tied up?”

Here goes…

“At the barn.”

“What?”

“She was at the barn, waiting for us. That was when she told me why she was doing it all.”

“You said no one was at the barn!”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“Because I thought it was for the best.”

She shook her head and let go of his hand, “Really?”

“Yeah,” he muttered.

“You lied to me, John,” she said in a firm voice.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m sorry, but I did think it was for the best. While you were still stuck down there in that hole, I didn’t think telling you what Zoe said in the barn was going to help the situation.”

She nodded.

They walked through the rain.

Silence.

“I don’t believe it!” Sherrie continued after a short distance. “That’s why you were so long?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe you stayed there and actually talked to her!”

“I didn’t have much choice, she still had the gun.”

“Jesus!”

They walked on in silence.

“She said she’d made Fox up.”

“She made him up?” she turned to look at him, surprise in her eyes.

John nodded. “He doesn’t exist. It was all a story to get me out here.”

Sherrie walked on in silence, shaking her head. “No…” she finally said.

“She’s the one who abducted Helen. She told her about you and me having an affair. But Helen didn’t believe her, she said it wasn’t true. So Zoe killed her instead.”

“Oh, John. I’m so sorry.”

John walked on, his head down in the rain.

“Now, Helen’s back at the church somewhere and there’s evidence to prove I’m the one who killed her. She’s set me up perfectly, sweets. And she’s going to use our relationship as extra proof.”

“Shit! I can’t believe this is happening…”

“Neither can I, but it’s true. That’s why we have to get back to the church before she does. We have to find Helen and we have to stop Zoe!”

“I understand,” she said in a soft voice.

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“I know.”

“She’s totally insane,” he continued.

“I know that now.”

“And I understand if you want to continue walking on past the church and back to Hepburn Lakes.”

Sherrie stopped and turned to face him, her bottom lip quivered. “Oh, honey, I want to be with you! I can’t leave you to fight this battle yourself.”

He smiled at her as his heart beat hard.

“You can walk away if you want to,” he replied, reaching out and touching a soaked curl on her forehead.

She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek. “No way. Anyway, looks like this is my battle as well.”

He looked deep into her gorgeous green eyes. He knew she meant it and he loved her even more.

“Okay,” John nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”

She nodded. “I’m here for you. I want to see this through with you. I want to be yours forever.”

“You can leave at any time. I’ll understand.”

“I won’t be leaving, ever.”

John leaned forward and kissed her hard on the mouth. He felt her salty wet skin and live hot tongue. He wanted her so badly.

Right now.

Make the whole world disappear.

If only it were that easy!

He pulled away from her.

“I’m yours too, you know that,” he said.

She nodded.

The rain continued to fall.

They turned and walked through the forest.

If only I hadn’t gone to the hospital that first time, he thought to himself.

If only Helen and I could’ve worked things out.

If only…

“Too late for that now, buddy,” Richard called from his mind.

You!

“You’re so far up shit creek, pal, you can’t see the sun for all the turds.”

I don’t need this right now!

“So your little fuck-mate turns out not only to be horny and kinky, but she’s also been fucking your other little fuck-mate too!”

Shut up.

“It’s a small world, my friend. A small world.”

I don’t need you right now!

“Looks like everyone’s screwing everyone!”

I can handle this. I can do this myself!

“I wonder if Zoe fucked Helen too, just before she killed her.”

Get out of my head!

“Or maybe after…”

Get the fuck out of my head!

Lightning struck around them.

Sherrie was the first to see it.

She stopped in her tracks.

“Look!” she turned to him as she pointed.

John saw it too.

In the middle of the forest, in a tiny clearing just to their left, sat a small wooden caravan. It was badly weathered, and looked to have been abandoned a long time ago.

Both its tires were flat and it was propped up on one side by a pile of weed-covered old bricks. The brown paint was peeling from the wooden slats on its sides and the tin chimney was infected with rust.

The arched iron roof was tarnished and bent, but it looked whole from where they stood. The rain bounced on it and slid to the sides, falling to the large puddles on the ground.

The door to the caravan was wide open and the interior was dark.

Was Helen here? he wondered.

But there was no sign of anyone.

It wouldn’t hold many people anyway, he thought. Just one or two at the most.

John squeezed Sherrie’s hand and smiled.

I can’t leave here without checking…

They turned and started walking towards it.

Anyway, he thought. This maybe just what we need!

A place to rest.

A sanctuary from the cold winds and wet driving rain.

A shelter from the dark night.

And a place to plot their final moves…