The Cellar

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Donna started the engine of the Chrysler. Beside her sat Sandy. Roy, his head still hooded by the pillowcase and his hands still bound, sat in the back between Jud and Larry. Jud held a .45 against Roy’s chest. Larry held a machete across his lap, its curved head pressing Roy’s side.

“Once you let us off,” Jud said, “I want you to drive back to the motel. Give us half an hour, then come back for the pick-up. If we’re not waiting, don’t stick around. Take off, and come back every fifteen minutes until we show. Any questions?”

“Can’t I just park somewhere close, and wait? Then I can signal if someone comes.”

“The car might attract notice.”

“Are they really going in Beast House?” Sandy asked, as if it were a joke everyone was in on except her.

“I guess so,” Donna answered.

“That’s crazy.”

“It certainly is,” Larry agreed. “I concur 100 percent.”

“You don’t have to come,” Jud said.

“Oh, but I do. You are planning to rid the world of Lilly’s beast, I take it?”

“I’m planning to.”

“Well, if I’m to bear the expense of the operation, I certainly want to see it carried out. Besides, you may need a hand with our friend here.”

“Are you taking Daddy in there, too?”

“Yes,” Jud said, and didn’t explain.

“What for?”

“Punishment.”

“Oh. You’re gonna give him to the beast?”

“That’s right.”

“Wow! Can we go in too?” she asked Donna. “I want to see.”

“No, we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s dangerous.”

“But Jud and Larry are going in.”

“That’s different.”

“I want to. I want to see the beast get Daddy in its claws and rip him up.”

“Sandy!”

“I want to see it!”

“Take my word for it,” Larry said. “You don’t want to see the beast do that to a man. I know.”

“We’re almost there,” Donna said.

“Okay. Drive on past it, then hang a U.”

“Here?”

“Go a bit farther, so we’re past the bend.”

Donna slowed.

“This’ll be fine.”

She tried to swing the big car into a U-turn, saw that she couldn’t make it, and had to back up before finishing the turn.

“Okay,” Jud said. “Now kill the lights.”

She pushed the headlight knob, and the road ahead went dark except for patches of moonlight. The road was less dark than the woods on either side, so she had little trouble staying on it. Around the curve, the woods ended. The moon spread pale, creamy light over the road.

“Pull up in front of the ticket booth,” Jud said, his voice a tense whisper.

Donna stopped.

“I’ll need the keys for a second.”

She switched off the ignition. Turning in her seat, she handed the key case to him. “Jud?” she said.

His features were barely visible.

“Shouldn’t we just take him to the police?”

“No.”

“It’s not that I…Can’t we shoot him, or something?”

“That’d be murder.”

“It’ll be murder giving him to the beast.”

“Then the beast is the perpetrator, not us.”

“I don’t want you going in that house again. Not at night. Christ, Jud!”

“It’s all right,” Jud said quietly.

“It’s not all right. You could get killed. It’s not fair. We’ve only had two days.”

“We’ll have plenty more,” he said, and climbed from the car. He dragged out Roy, who stumbled and dropped to his knees. “Keep him here,” Jud told Larry.

Donna followed Jud to the trunk.

“Please,” he said, “get in the car.”

“One kiss.”

“All right.”

She pressed herself tightly against him, squeezing him hard, hoping that somehow their bodies might fuse and she could stop him from leaving. But after a moment, he forced her gently away.

She watched him take his torn parka from the trunk and put it on. He picked up two flashlights and a road flare. Then he quietly shut the trunk and handed the keys to her.

“What time does your watch say?” he asked.

“Ten forty-three.”

He set his. “Okay. Meet us here at eleven-fifteen.”

“Jud?”

“Go. Please. I want to get this done.”

She went back to the car, started it, and drove away without looking back at the three men she’d left along the roadside.