Chapter Fifteen.
Kendara
“H ello again, Kendara!” a voice chirped.
My neck was stiff, and I rolled it before opening my eyes.
“Ummm,” I moaned as I focused on a non-descript man who was sitting opposite in a dining chair at a table. He looked to be mid-fifty and had a receding hairline, as I remembered before passing out. His skin was pale, and he clearly didn’t spend time working out or looking after himself. He had a paunch, and the way he dressed reminded me of a scholar.
“Kendara, it’s okay. The sedative is wearing off. I can’t say how delighted I am to speak to you again,” he said, and I wondered who the hell he was.
“Do we know each other?”
“There’s that sense of humour. I always liked that.”
Shit, I stared at him, and nothing came to mind. I’d no idea who this person was.
“Did the sedative make you a little slow?” he asked, and I saw a flash of pure anger in his eyes that I didn’t recall him.
“Yes!” I replied, grasping at the straw he offered.
“The instructions said too much might make you dopey. My name is Eugene Jones. If you remember, I was your very first client,” Eugene beamed.
Erm, I remembered a very different man as my first client.
“Gene,” I tried to say his name, but my tongue was thick in my head. However, Eugene smiled brightly.
“Yes! You called me that. You’re the only person allowed to.”
Fuck. I remained clueless about Eugene’s identity.
“Slow thinking,” I said, leaning on the pretence of too much of what he hit me with.
Eugene got to his feet and, to my surprise, turned a kettle on. None of this made sense.
“My boys,” I whispered, looking around and not seeing them. Anxiously, I tried to sit up straight but slumped back down. Hell, whatever Eugene had injected me with had lingering effects.
“They’re in my man cave enjoying themselves with some quiet time. They are unusually loud creatures, aren’t they?” Eugene replied.
“Alive?” I slurred, and Eugene spun again with that spike of anger.
“Of course they are. I’m not a monster. Not like what you saved me from,” he snapped, and then his expression wiped, and he looked civil and pleasant .
Holy fuck. What the hell was this?
“Kendara, I’d never hurt children. I’m different from her,” Eugene hissed and turned back to the kettle.
Gaining strength, I glanced around the room. It was decorated with wallpaper at least twenty years out of date and a brown carpet. I was sat at a mahogany dining table with chairs that matched, but again, it was at least thirty years old. Pictures of landscapes adorned the walls, with an old brass chandelier above the table.
The table, to my surprise, was set out for a three-person meal. In front of me was silverware, a placemat with a dining and a smaller plate. There was a cake stand with finger cakes on and another two stands with daintily cut sandwiches. A teapot, sugar bowl and creamer were sat between the settings. Three cups were sitting on matching saucers, and I realised this would have been somebody’s best china thirty years ago.
“My mother’s set. Isn’t it stunning?” Eugene said, picking up the teapot and running his hand over it before filling it with hot water.
“Beautiful. My boys? Can I see them?” I asked.
“Stop talking about them. This is our time.” Eugene scowled, and I nodded in agreement. I didn’t feel like myself and wasn’t sure how much of a fight I could muster.
“This is very nice,” I offered, and Eugene returned to smiling amicably.
“Yes. It is. And very kind, too, after the trouble you’ve caused,” he announced, waving a hand .
“Trouble?” I asked as he began serving me food on a plate.
“Yes. I kept watch over you, Kendara, checking in every few months to make sure you were okay. And then, after than evil man ran you off the road, you moved out on me. I visited and left our usual sign, and you were rather rude and left.”
“Usual sign?” I wondered what the hell he was talking about.
Eugene’s temper surged as he thumped the table, making the china rattle. “Do not play games with me, Kendara. I don’t like games, as you remember. I would move a piece of glassware, and you’d put it back. You understood it was me checking you were okay and letting you know I was watching. When you moved returned to its correct position, that was you telling me everything was fine. Only this time you left!”
“How long have you been doing that? I can’t think. Whatever you sedated me with me has made me muzzy,” I explained. Clearer-headed, I still didn’t know who the hell this was.
“Since you won my case for me. The advice you gave me that day, well, you were a miracle, and I got rid of that bitch. Valerie didn’t get what she wanted, either. How you guessed Valerie had been cheating on me was divine intervention. But it stopped her in her tracks when I presented the evidence,” Eugene said, smiling brightly.
“But I didn’t represent you,” I muttered, pretty damn sure I hadn’t .
“Oh no. You were too kind. You didn’t want my money. The memory shall stay with me forever.”
“Tell me your version,” I said coyly, and Eugene’s gaze narrowed.
“You don’t remember,” he accused, and insanity flashed in his eyes. Yeah, there it was, just as I expected.
“Yes, I do. But I want to hear it from your point of view. Because you understand how careful I have to be as a lawyer,” I explained.
Eugene bought straight into that. Why, I don’t know, but for unknown reasons, he did. “Of course, naturally, you can’t allow others to understand how you helped me. We were at court, and you were representing someone. You pretended to be on the phone, but I understood you were talking to me. We’d made eye contact, and you’d smiled. You spoke clearly so I could hear and told me to get a PI and have him follow my wife and get evidence of her cheating. Then you said, with that, I’ll be able to protect my assets.”
The day Eugene mentioned, I recalled. Indeed, I had been on the phone with my client, who was a male and had given him that counsel, but I did not recall Eugene at all. Somehow, Eugene had turned my recommendation into his own and had caught his wife cheating. But that didn’t explain his fixation on me.
“Ah yes, just how I remembered. I’m glad you took my advice to heart.”
Eugene beamed as he put my plate in front of me. “ I came home and told Mother straight away. And we investigated the witch I’d married and found the proof we needed. Mother was so happy to have evidence she confronted Valerie immediately and forced her to leave. Valerie begged and cried that day, saying she had made a mistake, but Mother dealt with her.” There was an insidious smugness to Eugene and one that warned me to tread carefully.
“And you won your divorce.”
Scared, I wondered where the boys were. Seeing the insanity in Eugene’s eyes, I was terrified for them.
“Yes. Here, Mother likes her tea rather weak, but I think you’d like it strong. Because that’s the lady you are,” he said.
“Mother is important to you. Is she here?” I asked, praying she was and was also sane.
“Indeed, I shall take her afternoon tea soon.”
“Can’t Mother join us?” I inquired, and Eugene peeked up with a beaming smile.
“You wouldn’t mind? Mother can be such a chatter, but you’ll love her,” he exclaimed.
“Please do invite her,” I said, hoping that his mom could help me out here.
Eugene leapt to his feet as I looked around for anything that might help. I considered the knife but guessed he’d miss it at once.
Moments later, Eugene came back into the room, pushing an old-fashioned, high-backed wicker seat wheelchair. From it, his mother leered at me with a terrifying grin .
I just about managed to swallow the scream from leaving my lips as I stared at the desiccated corpse of Eugene’s mother.
Kit
“Are you sure we’ve got the amounts, right?” Finn asked, peering over Kit’s shoulder.
Kit scowled.
“Want to leave?” Kit asked as he studied the container with the high dose of hydrochloric acid in it. Based on Kit’s recollection of science lessons, this should burn through metal and free them from the room.
Beside Brax lay six water bottles filled with flammable liquids from the cleaning items Kit had discovered. They’d ripped up some cloths that had been with them, and Kit had found some matches.
“Come on, I want my Kenny,” Brax said, bouncing on the sofa.
“Okay, keep back,” Kit ordered. He carefully poured some of the acid into the lid of the container and then poured it onto the door lock.
“Holy crap!” Finn cried as Kit pushed the lid back on the bottle and moved backwards. “Look at that fucker go!” The boys watched wide-eyed as the wood around the lock turned black, but the hissing and fizzing noises fascinated them. The lock melted before their eyes, and the carpet began sizzling as hot metal dropped onto it.
“Um! I think that was the good shit!” Kit exclaimed. “Come on, we’re out of here. Let’s find Kenny and psycho dude.”
Kendara
“Aren’t you going to say hello to Mother?” Eugene demanded. “Kendara, I told her you were polite!”
“Hi,” I stammered out, trying not to look at the evilly grinning corpse. Shit. How on earth did I get into this mess?
“Mother looks wonderful today. She did her hair and everything for you,” Eugene said and stroked the corpse’s hair.
“Yes. Very nice. I’m honoured,” I agreed, staring at the stark raving mad eyes in front of me.
Eugene had truly lost the plot.
“Come, sit and eat. Mother spent a long time preparing this. She doesn’t get around so easily nowadays,” Eugene ordered in a jovial tone.
There was no way I could eat with Mother staring at me. Eugene would take any offence directly. Then, I was saved by my boys.
A loud explosion came from somewhere, and Eugene leapt out of his chair. “What was that?” he demanded.
“My boys,” I murmured with a smile.
A secondary boom made Eugene panic and look frantically around. Fire alarms screeched through the air as a black cloud of smoke billowed towards us.
“Damnit, Kit, you made that too strong!” Finn yelled.
“Boys!” I screamed and got up from the chair. I staggered a little, but those were my kids.
Eugene looked between me and the doorway in horror.
“Stop them! This is Mother’s home!” he screamed.
“Boom, boom, shake the room!” Kit screeched as he burst in.
“My Kenny!” Brax squealed and raced across to me.
“No! She’s mine!” Eugene yelled, his eyes bulging from his head.
“Mine!” Brax snarled.
“Dude, is that a corpse?” Kit asked in disbelief.
“Time to go, boys. Eugene, thanks for the tea, but we’re off,” I said and grabbed Brax and Finn and began dragging them from the room.
Eugene jumped in front of the door; insanity written clear across his face. “Those children must be punished. They set Mother’s house on fire!”
“They’re capable of a lot worse if you don’t release them,” I stated, keeping them behind me.
“Hey, asshole. You might want to let out us or say goodbye to Mother Dearest,” Kit hissed.
“Leave my mother alone!” Eugene screamed.
I turned and saw Kit holding a plastic bottle of something over the wicker chair.
“I’ll burn her if you don’t let us go!” Kit warned.
Eugene began foaming at the mouth as he demanded his mother get up and thrash Kit. Meanwhile, I edged forward and gave Eugene a terrific shove. Quickly, I shoved the boys out in front of me.
“Go!” I yelled. “He’s deranged.”
“Kenny, what’s deranged?”
“Not now, Brax,” I said, heading down a corridor and dragging him behind me. I found a front door and nearly cried when I saw it was locked. I tugged hard, but it wouldn’t open.
“You’re not leaving here,” Eugene hissed.
Kit lit the bottle he was holding and threw it.
“Shit, Kit! We’re trapped as well as him!” I cried, and Kit pulled a face.
“Forgot!” he replied, looking scared.
Yup, I knew that feeling.
Zoom and Zippy.
“We’ve checked around here, asshole,” Zoom bitched.
“Check again. Those kids are here. I can smell them,” Zippy retorted.
“Ain’t no kids here, brother,” Zoom complained.
“Zoom, I’m telling you, Rooster’s kids are close,” Zippy snapped.
Zoom aimed his fingers at his brow and made twisting circles.
“I’m not fuckin’ imagining it. I can sense them,” Zippy growled out and sniffed the air.
“Lunatic!” Zoom stated.
A huge smile broke out over Zippy’s face. “Now, if you were Hellfire kids, what would you do to break free?”
“Whatever was needed,” Zoom replied, wondering where his partner in crime was going.
“Including setting a fire?” Zippy said and pointed at smoke close by. “Those kids are sending up smoke signals. Call it in, we’re in Jolly Dump.”
“Asshole, you can’t be certain it’s those kids!” Zoom yelled and chased after Zippy as he shot off. He caught up with him two minutes later as Zippy stopped his bike.
Zippy stared at the house. “Grey car outside. Chance said to keep an eye out for one. Call this in!”
Kendara
“Upstairs!” I shrieked as the hallway caught fire. I pushed the boys ahead as I began coughing in the thick smoke. Whatever Kit had made them with was lethal. We completely missed the second floor because the smoke was so dense and headed up the third level. We kept trying bedroom doors until one opened, and I shoved the kids inside.
“What is it with this asshole and dead bodies?” Kit yelled, jumping behind me.
Holy fuck! There was a second woman. And she was wearing a wedding dress.
“Bet that’s his wife. Some divorce she got,” I said, swallowing hard and racing to the window. I heaved a sigh of relief when it opened after a struggle. I peered outside and saw a steep drop down. Fuck. The kids could get badly hurt dropping from this height.
“Hey, darlin’, how’s it going?” a voice called, and I stared down in disbelief.
“You got the boys there? And are you Kendara?”
“Yes, and yes, and the house is on fire! Kit set it alight, and there’s a lunatic running around who collects dead bodies!” I screamed somewhat hysterically.
“Well, shit. Tell you what, Zoom here will keep an eye out, and you drop those kids down to me. Promise I’ll catch them,” the guy shouted back.
“I don’t know who the hell you are!” I yelled as Kit and Finn dragged a chest of drawers over the door to stop Eugene from getting in.
“Kenny, I wanna get out of here. That dead body moved,” Brax shrieked and nearly deafened me.
“Zombies don’t exist!” I yelled, panic-stricken.
“Fuck, it is moving!” Finn bellowed.
I didn’t bother to look. I grabbed Brax and held him close. “I’m going to lower you out the window and drop you into that man’s arms.”
Before Brax could find an argument, I swept him up and lowered him.
“No! No! My Kenny!” Brax yelled and gripped me tightly.
“If you don’t let go, that zombie in here will eat me and your brothers. Brax!” I cried. Brax let out a wail and dropped. I heaved a sigh of relief as the guy caught him and set Brax on his feet.
“Finn!” I yelled. I didn’t have to argue. Finn swiftly climbed onto the window ledge. I could sense something staring into my spine but refused to look. Zombies did NOT exist. Finn landed safely, and then Kit was there. My shoulder was screaming in pain, but I didn’t let it stop me from lowering him next. As I went to climb out myself, someone grabbed me with clawlike fingers.
I screamed and fell backwards and landed heavily on a man who collapsed under me.
“Zombies don’t exist, zombies don’t exist!” I babbled as I climbed off the man and raced away towards the boys.
“Ain’t no zombie,” remarked another guy nearby.
Standing at the window was Eugene and he was cackling wildly.
“Dude, jump!” the guy I landed on yelled. Instead, Eugene disappeared, and then we saw him dancing with the body in the wedding dress.
“Holy shit, there was a corpse in there. Hey girl, I’m Zippy from the Devils Damned Disciples,” he said, introducing himself.
“I’m Zoom. Hey, it’s raining. We might get Looney Tunes out alive,” Zoom stated, looking interested.
I heard Harleys and looked up. Four bikes headed towards us and skidded to a stop. Mine and the boys’ feet were moving before we even realised it. Chatter was off his bike and nearly knocked over as we all hit him hard. Chatter’s arms closed around us tightly.
“We got them, Chance. Head for the smoke in Jolly Dump. They’re here, and while dirty and bruised, they’re intact and whole,” a man said. He hung up the phone and looked at me. “Hey sweetness, I’m Spawn from the Devil’s Scythe. This is Tinker, my VP and Raddock from the Fallen Warriors. You’ve had a lot of people out looking for you.”
“I can only imagine,” I replied when I realised how high in the sky the moon was.
Chance
The relief Chance experienced when he saw his nephews and Kendara standing in the rain was immense. The details of their rescue had been somewhat confused and jumbled. Zoom had mentioned dead bodies, and Finn was in hysterics about a zombie. Brax was throwing a hissy fit and taking names of anyone who tried to separate him from Kenny. It was fucking chaos, but one Chance gladly welcomed.
As he arrived, Chance’s phone rang, and he received news that Link had pulled through his operation. Chance had informed Rooster his family was safe. Kendara had given a confused story to Chance and had spoken to Rooster, whose relief Chance could literally feel down the phone. Lio was called to work with the sheriff, who seemed eager to imprison everybody .
Finally, two hours later, Chance managed to get everyone back to Spearfish. Allies arrived and ate before leaving. The old ladies had crowded around Kenny and the boys and taken them home to wash and feed them. Chance thanked his allies one by one and offered them beds, but most rode home.
Then Chance went to Rooster’s house, where he discovered Kendara in bed with the three boys. Chance settled into an armchair in the bedroom. For now, he’d watch over them until Rooster was home. It’s what one did to keep the nightmares away from one’s family.
Kendara
The rain had put the fire out, and the police had discovered the two corpses that I’d confronted. Eugene had survived.
The story was a strange one. They believed from Eugene’s ramblings that Mother had bullied him his whole life. When he broke free and married a woman, Mother killed her and kept the body upstairs, and Eugene had broken from reality.
Then, when Mother died, Eugene was lost, and that’s when he met me at court. We don’t know why he was there and likely never will. But he’d mistaken a smile for interest and overheard my conversation. Eugene missed a part of the story when he’d explained our connection. I’d also told my client to take their career and make it theirs, to grab any training going and push for more.
Eugene had been a data puncher, but he’d taken course after course, and that’s how he managed to hack our systems. His claims that he’d checked on me over the years and had been in my home couldn’t be backed up, but it had left me feeling vulnerable. From what the police discovered, when I was attacked by Clive, Eugene heard and came running. It had triggered a breakdown, and he’d started stalking me.
Eugene promised he hadn’t wanted to hurt me, but he had a real hard-on for the kids. If he got his hands on them, he’d strangle them. It saddened but filled me with relief three days after our rescue when he was found hanged in his cell. Eugene’s tragic life would be picked over in the press, but my boys were safe.
Link continued to grow, and while still weak, our little fighter was reaching milestones that nobody had expected him to. Despite another surgery, he recovered and was now steadily gaining weight.
Sadie had died from her drug overdose, and Rooster left her for someone else to claim. She’d nearly killed Link, and that’s all we needed to know.
The boys and I had some nightmares, but when we woke screaming, Chance had been there to soothe us back to sleep. And now Link was stronger, Rooster came home and let somebody else stay with him at night.
We were good. We were strong, and love abounded through our home. But the best thing was when Rooster gave me my cut .
Now, I was officially Rooster’s woman.