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Since then, he’d tried to hang the phone up by pushing it with his chin No luck He did et a dial tone, but the phone was an old rotary: no way he was going to dial it, not even 911

Still, he kept trying, using the tip of his nose to try and turn the dial The labor seemed to take forever, and by the tiin signaling that it was off the hook and he would have to push the plunger down again to get a fresh dial tone It was tedious, frantic, frustrating work

Karl Ruger made it a pointless exercise as well

Mark didn’t even know that the man was in the house until he saw the shadow that washed over hi over hi the tiny autoer whispered "Are we having fun yet?"

Mark tried to squir violently like an arthritic snake, but Karl laughed and kept pace with hiainst the couch and could go no farther

Ruger leaned over and picked up the phone’s handset, weighing it thoughtfully in his hand "You knohen I got up thisI had no idea howto turn out to be My teaet chased by the cops, crash our car Tony buys it Boyd busts his fucking leg I get stuck here in Green-​fucking-​Acres And now, you knohat’s happened? Should I tell you?" Ruger’s eyes ide and unblinking, like those of an alligator; Mark’s eyes ide and staring, the eyes of a trapped rabbit "Well, first," Ruger said, tapping Mark on the chest with the phone, "I go to all the trouble to fetch a stretcher forit all the way out there, and you knohat? Do you fucking want to knohat?" he dereater force with each word "So friend,stash! Isn’t that just fucking precious?"

Mark stared up at Ruger, afraid to even breathe Stale air burned in his lungs

Ruger sighed and considered the phone "Some days just blow…" he murmured "To top it all off, your shit-​head old et all cute and ballsy Decides he wants to run out on ol’ Karl Now, don’t you think that’s rude?"

Mark just stared, dreading what Ruger was saying, reunshot

"And your broke-​nose sister lit out, too Fast little bitch Never could catch her Pity I’d have liked to show her soer smiled and winked "I’m sure you knohat IMark’s bound legs, still jiggling the phone lightly in his hand "But old Dad…well, he can’t run for shit, can he? No, sirree Can’t run worth shit"

Mark’s heart was pounding so loud he wanted to screaer extended the pistol and touched Mark’s cheek with it "Poof! No more dad"

Mark tried to screa the flesh of his soul, rending his ha couldn’t stop all of it

Ruger laughed His appetite fed on just that kind of exquisite pain; it was a far, far better drug than any cocaine or heroin, and after the way things had been spiraling doard all night, he needed a fix to set his e

Mark thrashed and bucked and howled Tears burned in his eyes and then broke and spilled down his cheeks

Connie whied So shifted and squirmed behind his dark eyes and his lips see worms

"Well, well," he said softly, "at least I won’t co for ht, wouldn’t you say? Hardly see, Mark rolled back and kicked up with both bound ankles, catching Ruger in the ruht his balance and as Mark raised his legs for a second kick, he bent forward and jammed the pistol into Mark’s shoulder Mark froze and the world froze around hiain and shook his head

"Oh no, onna pop you Not yet, anyway You, et a front-​row seat forhis legs for the kick, but Ruger was much, much faster With that terrible speed of his he lashed out with the phone handset and cracked Mark across the cheek It was a hard blow, but not a killing one, not even a crippling one He didn’t want Mark unconscious That would spoil the fun It was just enough of a blow to send Mark reeling and twisting over onto his face so hard he struck his head against the hardwood Fresh tears sprang into his eyes and he could taste blood in histhe handset onto the floor He bent down and set his pistol carefully on the coffee table, his black eyes fixing on Connie as his srew

4

"Oh, Daddy…" Val whispered, but only the wind could hear her

The rain beat down on her, and as best she could with a useless arm and a broken heart, she tried to shelter her father from the storm She had done her best to patch the bullet hole in his back, but there was so much blood pooled between his shirt and coveralls Sonever stopped, and the thunder bellowed insanely A freak eddy of wind brought a sound to her, rolling in h, lonely wail of a police siren

Val raised her head, listened to the sound, straining to understand it, to locate it, but the hipped it away again Still, she thought she could tell where it was co from The farm road The one that connected A-32 with their front yard

A police siren Cops! Co this way

"Oh, God, please help us!" she cried and staggered to her feet She looked down at her father "Daddy, I have to leave you Just for a little bit I’ll get help and come back Please…wait for me, Daddy" Her eyes were juo away, Daddy You just wait here"

She turned and ran back toward the house<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>