The Devil Next Door

32

Mike Hack had the girl roped-up and he dragged her down the alley, kicking her when she wouldn’t move. He had caught her digging through an overturned garbage can and jumped on her, beating her senseless. Like him, she was naked. A scavenger. Once she was unconscious, he dragged her into the Sinclair’s backyard. Then he cut some clothesline from their clothes poles and tied her up.

Bring me some gee-gee, some nice young gee-gee and don’t come back without it.

That’s what Mr. Chalmers had said.

He would be pleased with what Mike brought him.

“Move piggy!” Mike told the girl, yanking her along. “Move, piggy, piggy, piggy!”

The girl snarled at him. She was naked, streaked with dirt, her hair hanging over her face, stinking like the garbage she had been feeding on. Mike did not know who she was. He had never seen her before. He figured she was from some other neighborhood, come raiding, stealing what was theirs.

Those other neighborhoods, they’re gonna try and take what we got, so we got to hit them first. We gotta take what they got. Their women, their food, their weapons.

Oh yes, Mr. Chalmers was going to be pleased that Mike captured one of them. And a young one, too. Female. When she was out cold, Mike had fondled her pert, upturned breasts and the wetness between her legs. It was the smell of this more than anything that had intrigued him.

But he was hungry.

God, how hungry he was.

He had been thinking of meat ever since Matt and he had tried to steal the meat in that yard and were ambushed. Now Matt was dead. The others had gotten him. Mike felt no remorse over this. His simple reptile brain had inserted its practical impulses: feed, fight, flee, find shelter.

The girl hissed at him and Mike kicked her, being careful never to get in too close so she could use her nails or teeth on him.

Up until five or six hours before, her name had been Leslie Towers. She was an honor roll student, a member of the Key Club and president of the freshman student body. That was five or six hours before. Now who and what she was was really anyone’s guess.

Mike kicked her again and paused.

He was smelling meat again. Savory, juicy meat. But not raw. Cooked. A pleasant, mouth-watering odor of smoked meat. Delicious. He forgot about Mr. Chalmers momentarily and followed the meat smell. He dragged the girl along down the alley until he reached the Kenning’s yard.

Oh, the meat.

A carcass of dog was spitted over a low fire, the air redolent with the fine, juicy smells of its dripping shanks. Mr. Kenning was squatting there, slowly turning it over the flames with absolute patience and absolute rapture. His primitive mind was fascinated by the cooking meat, the flickering flames.

Mike knew he had to have some of that meat.

One way or another.

But the girl snarled again and Mr. Kenning turned. He had a knife in one hand. He rose from the fire, his body greasy with yellow dog fat he had smeared over it and slicked his hair back with.

“Are you hungry, boy?” he said.

Mike nodded.

“I have a nice dog here. It’s very tasty. I will share it with you if you will share what you have with me.”

Mike’s simple brain tried to reason it out, but reasoning was getting harder and harder. Mr. Chalmers would be angry if he didn’t bring the female to him. But Mike did not care. He wanted the meat. And he could have it without a fight, just by sharing. Simple animal desire quickly overcame reasoning.

“What do you bring me?” Mr. Kenning asked. “What do you offer?”

“This,” Mike said, yanking on the clothesline that snared the girl’s wrists and dumping her into the grass.

Mr. Kenning appraised her. “Lay it at my feet.”

Mike dragged the girl over to him and Mr. Kenning kicked her until she stopped thrashing. He sniffed her length, licked her throat, slid a finger into her. He nodded. The offering was pleasing to him.

Using his knife, he cut a greasy slab of meat from the dog and handed it to Mike. It was hot, sizzling, but Mike tore at it with his teeth, filling himself with its salty richness.

Together, wordless, they ate.

When they were done, Mr. Kenning raped the girl. Then he showed Mike how to do the same…