Chapter 16
Quinn
I exited the Jeep and looked around the unkept lawn. There was no other easy way in. I contemplated walking around the perimeter but decided against it. My gaze landed on a large oak tree with a low branch hanging just over the wall. If I drove my Jeep next to it, I could climb across. The wall itself wasn’t that tall, and the fall wouldn’t be that bad.
Following the plan, I parked and slung my camera bag over my shoulder. Luckily, I only had to stand on my bumper to pull myself on the thick branch. Despite my thin frame, I went to the gym often, so my upper body strength was on point. On my belly, I shimmied along the rough bark, gazing down at the ground below. It was maybe a ten or twelve-foot drop at most, and that was if I didn’t dangle my body and then jump.
When I made contact with the hard ground, a stinging sensation flared through my feet, causing me to fall on my butt. After a few long, patient breaths, I stood up, trying to walk off the horrid sensation. It was dark and gloomy, perfect for my mission. The grass was overgrown in most parts, climbing up to my knees. Under overgrown trees, the ground was bare, with random patches of moss. The Ferris wheel was nothing more than a giant circle in the distance, with the pods resting in piles around the base. From where I was standing, I could see the bumper car building overgrown with weeds and caked in years’ worth of filth.
Snapping a few pictures, I wandered near the long-forgotten animal exhibits; the backdrops of the old nursery rhymes were faded and decayed. After taking another shot, I locked onto the old funhouse, and a smile crept across my face. It was one of the few good memories I had in the park. I remembered my parents taking me through it. The entrance had several plastic trees that created a pathway into a dark and spooky mirror maze, transitioning into a wonky hallway that tilted at different angles, making it hard to walk. The only other part about the fun house I remembered was an animatronic dragon that jumped out when I stepped on a plate. My shriek of fear had turned into laughter. Another trigger plate at the end of the room sprung a clown with a glowing, buzzing red nose. That thing terrified me so much that I went running in the opposite direction, slamming directly into my mother’s knees.
I walked up to the building with a chuckle, wondering if the old clown was still inside. I frowned when I noticed the trees at the entrance had been pulled down, leaving a gaping hole. The inside was altered, too. All the mirrors had been removed, revealing a more open floor plan.
Unwilling to brave the old, uneven metal of the path, I stepped over the mirror tracks and began walking on the outer wooden planks. It was probably a maintenance hall for when things needed to be worked on and repaired.
Darkness engulfed me for a long while. I had to hold out my hands to make sure I was still going in the right direction. Just as I was considering pulling out my phone to use as a flashlight, a dull red light caught my attention, drawing me forward.
Creeping closer, I froze when I heard indistinct voices. If I got caught, I could get arrested for trespassing, and that was not a charge I needed in my life. Swallowing hard, I started to turn around until I heard the voices speak again. It sounded strangely familiar. Against my better judgment, I continued down the wooden walkway.
“We need to hurry up,” insisted one voice. “If you’re not going to call her tonight, I wanna see if she’ll come hang out with me.”
Butterflies flew through my stomach. That voice belonged to Zane. Dare I hope he was referring to me? Maybe I should make my presence known and take them up on that offer of a foursome. They said that they were busy, so should I really bother them? A wave of worry washed over me. My biker boys had frequently called themselves “outlaws.” What if they were doing something illegal? Like cooking meth or holding women for a sex trafficking ring?
The acid in my stomach churned, and I knew I couldn’t simply walk away. I would never be able to live with myself if I found out later that I had the opportunity to shut down a kiddy porn ring. Holding my breath, I crouched low, taking baby steps towards the voices. If they weren’t doing anything super illegal, I would make my presence known and just explain why I was there. If what they were doing was horrible, I’d bolt.
It took ages to reach the end of the hallway.
“Give me the apple,” Taven said.
My eyebrows scrunched. What an odd thing to request in a place like this. Then again, maybe they were having dinner. Keith was a contractor, so it was possible they were fixing the place up to get it running again. It wouldn’t be weird to bring food along while they took a break.
I peeked around the corner cautiously, and my blood ran cold. Taven stood in front of a dentist’s chair, forcing an apple into the gaping mouth of some poor guy. Zane and Keith stood nearby, wearing thick rubber gloves, goggles, and black butcher aprons. Three pig masks were lying on a side table with several butcher tools. When Taven stepped back, I could fully see the man who lay naked in the chair. He had a gaping wound in his midsection, and Keith moved forward to pull out his innards and dump them into a bucket.
My mind raced as cold shivers shook my body, forcing my teeth to chatter uncontrollably. I brought my hands to my mouth to muffle any noise. It was time to leave. Backing up, I tried to take cover in the shadows when my back hit a wall. I froze until I heard a loud clank and Keith asked about the noise. That was my cue to bolt.
Throwing caution to the wind, I raced back down the hallway as loud footsteps chased me towards freedom. A burning pain shot through my ankle as I tumbled to the uneven ground. Turning my head as I stood up, my eyes locked on Keith.
He stopped short. “Quinn?”
Ignoring the pain, I ran as Keith continued to yell, “Quinn, stop!”
The hell with that. I reached the front gate, slamming my body against the metal, but it didn’t budge. The chain was too thick, and the bars wouldn’t give. A squeal escaped my lips as arms wrapped around my waist. In a panic, I threw my head back, but all it caught was a chest. In a frantic attempt to escape, I strained my arms to where I believed the crotch would be, grabbed a handful, and squeezed hard. Zane’s voice shrieked, and he instantly let go. As I darted away, I looked back in time to see him fall to his knees, holding his family jewels. My eyes darted forward, and I nearly came to a complete halt as Taven cut across my path, arms open and ready to catch me if I collided with him. I bolted to the right.
“Quinn! Enough of this. Be a good little girl, and stop running,” Keith called loudly.
No way in hell that was happening; that was a line used way too often in horror movies. I witnessed them killing a man in a very brutal way. If I let them capture me, there was no way I was making it out alive. The only problem: I was getting winded, and they had much longer strides than I did. A cramp shot through my side, making it hard to catch my breath.
“Quinn, you have nowhere to go!”
I headed for the bumper cars, darting around the broken vehicles. Taven flanked my left, while Zane flanked my right. I didn’t know where Keith was. Spotting an open doorway, I went headlong towards it. My foot caught a loose board only feet away from the opening, and I went tumbling to the ground. Desperate, I forced myself back up, feeling warm blood seep from a new wound on my knee. My thoughts seemed to fracture with panic. A strong set of arms wrapped around me. Tattoos of ghosts and women. I struggled and screamed until I felt cold steel press against my temple.
“Calm down, or I’ll blow your pretty little head off,” Keith whispered in my ear, his voice seductive yet cruel.
I couldn’t fight the tears, but the rest of my body was frozen, unable to move freely. “Please don’t kill me,” I begged in a shaky, frightened voice.
He pressed his body against mine, running his tongue along my cheek to catch a tear. “Salty.”
I cringed and tried to pull away, but he only pressed the gun harder.
“Start walking. Do as we say, and you’ll make it out of this alive.”