Richard Laymon - Tread Softly

"I sure hope it turns out all right. Look, one reason I called, I was wondering if you'd like to bring the bunch over tomorrow. Nick thought it sounded like a pretty good idea."

"I bet he did," Flash said. Chuckling, he took a swig of beer. "Those two sure hit it off, huh?"

"I'd say so."

"Well, sounds real good to me. I'll have to check with the general, but if I don't call back, you can expect us. Around what time?"

"If you want to make a day of it, drop in around ten or eleven. Bring your suits."

"Want us to bring anything else?"

"Just your thirsts and appetites."

"Real fine, Scott."

"Have you heard anything from the cops?"

"Their fucking chopper." He realized that the noise was fading a bit.

"About the situation."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." He swallowed some more beer. "I got a call a couple hours ago. Some deputies and a ranger went in on horses. Couldn't find the body or the woman. They brought out our tents, though. Said we can pick 'em up at the Black Butte ranger station if we're so inclined."

"I'm not."

"Me neither. Not just yet. But anyway, everything's just up in the air, since they didn't get the body. Won't be an inquest or anything."

"Nick seems to be holding up pretty well."

"I guess we can thank your daughter for that. How's Karen getting along?"

"She's here now. She's doing pretty well. But that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. She had an accident last night." Flash listened, his concern for Karen turning to uneasy confusion when Scott told of the attack on Benny at the library, and Julie's leg cramps in the pool.

"Add in that dog attack on Alice and Rose," he continued, "and we've got four incidents in the past twenty-four hours."

"What do you make of it?" Flash asked.

"I honestly don't know what to think. If it was just Karen falling in the tub and Julie's problem in the pool, I wouldn't be too concerned. I'd say it was just bad luck. But the dog attack…"

"Alice insists the thing was dead when it went for 'em." "Yeah, Nick mentioned that. And I haven't been able to figure out any logical explanation for what happened to Benny. Both those situations have me pretty worried. You can't just put them down as bad luck. They were actual assaults."

Flash frowned at the wall. He took a sip of beer.

"Every one of those incidents could've turned out fatal. I'd say we've been damn lucky so far."

"You thinking it's that old bag's hex?"

"That seems to be the consensus around here. I hate to go along with it, but I'm starting to wonder."

"What're we gonna do?"

"One thing about it — we're certainly not powerless. In each case, some quick action has saved the day. All I can suggest, for now, is that we keep on our toes and watch out."

"I guess your kid was right, huh? Benny. We should've grabbed that bitch when we had the chance."

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm not convinced she has anything to do with all this. If she is behind it, though — I mean, if it's really a curse — apparently you and Nick might be in the clear."

" 'Cause she didn't cut us?"

"Right."

The chopper was returning. Flash set his beer can on the floor.

"She seemed to think she needed blood and hair from her victims to make it work. As far as we know, she didn't get to you or Nick."

"As far as we know?" Flash asked. He pushed a forefinger into his left ear to muffle the outside noise.

"Well, I've been talking to Benny about this. He thinks you two are probably all right, unless she got something we don't know about. Apparently, it doesn't have to be blood or hair. A piece of your clothing will do. Fingernail parings. Benny was a little embarrassed to mention it, but if she dug around after we left and came up with some feces…"

Flash grimaced. "A guy can't even take a crap."

"Did you?"

"As a matter of fact, no. I didn't cut my toenails, either. Does that mean I'm safe?"

"Could be. Assuming we are dealing with a curse. We can't be completely certain in any case. Who the hell knows? None of us are exactly experts on. "

In spite of the finger plugging his ear, he couldn't hear Scott's words. The din of the helicopter was too great. "I can't hear you," Flash said. "It's no use. Thanks for calling. And the invitation. See you tomorrow, huh? So long." He hung up.

The air around him, the house itself, seemed to be shaking. What's that asshole up to? Trying to land on the goddamn roof? He took a step away from the wall, and kicked over his beer can. "Shit!"

"You behind the tree," a voice boomed. "THROW YOUR WEAPON TO THE GROUND AND STEP INTO THE LIGHT WITH YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD."

Flash charged into the living room. Alice was pushing herself off the couch, her good arm stretched toward Rose, who was rushing for the front door. "Stop!" he shouted at the girl.

"I REPEAT, THROW YOUR WEAPON TO THE GROUND AND. "

Flash caught Rose by the shoulder as she reached for the doorknob. He yanked her back. "When I tell you to stop — "

The boom of a gunshot broke through the noise.

Flash threw open the door.

"No!" Alice cried.

He lunged outside and stopped on the lawn. As he'd thought, the copter was hovering low over the house. The white beam of its searchlight was fixed on the trunk of an elm near the street. Behind the elm crouched a man with a revolver. The gun was aimed high. It jumped, blasting another shot at the chopper.

A patrol car, siren blaring, lights spinning red and blue, hurled around the corner at the end of the block.

The man fired again. Flash heard the slug smack into metal.

"You bastard!" he cried out as he raced at the man. The rotor blades threw a hot wind down on him.

In 'Nam, he'd felt the same hot wind as an army gunship descended to pick him up. It meant safety. Survival. In seconds, if a VC bullet didn't chop him down, he'd be airborne after six days of hiding, dodging enemy patrols. No bullets found him, that morning, but a rocket found the gunship as it hovered closer, and it tumbled in flames, shaking the jungle floor as it hit.

If that fucker falls on the house.

But the gun wasn't aimed at the chopper anymore. It was lowering toward Flash as he ran at the man, as the patrol car skidded to a stop, as the chopper soared over him, no longer threatening the house. It's all right now, he thought. And heard a gunshot.

Nick, pacing the theater lobby, looked jumpy. He seemed to sag, as if worn out, when Julie approached him. His eyes stayed on her face, and she didn't think he'd noticed, yet, what she'd done.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was just. You were in there so long."

"Sorry about that." She took his hand. "Did I worry you?"

"I was starting to wonder if…" He shrugged.

"Nothing happened," she said. They crossed the lobby and left the theater. "I'm sorry if you were worried. There was only one stall with a door on it. Seemed like everybody was waiting for that one. Me included."

"Oh. Well. I'm just glad nothing went wrong."

In spite of the night's warmth, Julie was trembling as they strolled along the sidewalk. She felt excited and daring.

"Where do you want to go?" Nick asked when they reached the car. He sounded very nervous. "Do you want a sundae or something?"

"Why don't we just drive around for a while?"

"Sure. Okay."

He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Julie wished she could scoot over and snuggle against him, but the bucket seats would make it awkward. Deciding to wait, she fastened her safety belt. The pressure of the harness across her breast sent a pleasant tingle through her.

"Anyplace special?" Nick asked.

"No. I'll know it when I see it. Why don't you make a left up here?"