“Time for you to get away from here and entertain yourself,” Glenn said to Jimmy. “Gimme a swig of wine first though. And just remember what I said,” Glenn warned as he climbed in on the driver’s side, pulled a couple of swallows from the wine bottle, and passed it back. For a moment the two men stared at one another. Then, taking a beer, Jimmy headed for a tree stump at the edge of the car’s lights, some forty feet away.
The gun in his hip pocket felt uncomfortable. He didn’t like touching it. Would he use the pistol if Terrie needed help? He didn’t want to have to find out.
Terrie wasn’t any virgin. He would be willing to bet on that, he told himself. She was mature enough to know what she wanted and if that was the old man it was all right with him. After they were through, they could get back on the road or they could let her off, whatever she wanted. Still, he didn’t feel good about it.
Jay was becoming weirder all the time. He drove a stolen car, and the man wanted to rob a bank. Was he capable of cold-blooded killing?
He looked around. There was no doubt there was plenty of room up here to conceal two bodies. They were really hidden from the world. Jimmy listened but couldn’t hear the sound of a car on the road or a dog barking. They must not be anywhere near an inhabited area.
All he knew was they had parked in an isolated clearing. Tall trees grew up all around and far overhead there was a sky filled with stars.
He wondered where, exactly, they were. Somewhere far up in northern California, he supposed. The last he remembered they had left Yreka and headed north. Yeah, they must be close to Oregon.
Or somewhere on the back side of the moon, for all Jimmy knew. Exactly where wasn’t important. Survival was taking center stage in his troubled mind. As he took a swig of wine, he wondered if Terrie and the old man were getting it on while he froze out there alone.
Hell, they would never get to Seattle. By now he would have been willing to bet on that.
The chilly night air was filled with the scent of pines. Jimmy heard the call of an owl and not far from where he sat some large animal ran through the brush, spooking him.
Out of habit, Glenn had taken the keys when he’d left. Now he poked them back into the ignition slot.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Nothing that you should worry about.”
“You’re not going to drive off, are you? You wouldn’t put me out and leave me alone up here, would you?”
“You know I wouldn’t,” he said. “You’re much too important to me.”
“What do you mean? I thought we were going to see Slim and Virginia.”
“They can wait. We’re not in a hurry. You be a good friend to old Jay and I’ll take you to see Virginia and Slim and the singing group, too. But first we gotta have us a little fun.”
Not that far from them, Jimmy was sitting on the stump lifting the wine bottle to his lips. Though he could make them out, he felt far away.
Glenn scooted across the seat. Nothing could stop him now. He had waited too long. He’d picked the bitch up, spent money on her, and let her drink as much as she wanted to get herself ready for the celebration. Now it was payback time.
Whether or not he would have to bury her up here was hardly significant at the moment. What was important was that he have his way with her while she was still breathing. It was more fun if the girl cooperated but he was determined to plunge into her no matter what.
“Stay away from me,” Terrie warned. Her voice was rising fast. Jimmy caught only its echo. “What are you doing? Don’t come any closer.”
Glenn didn’t answer. One hand gripped her shoulder as the other slipped under her dress, determined to pull her panties down. His cool hand against her bare belly caused her to gasp. She pushed him with all her strength, and he fell back. “Bitch!” he growled. “You might as well like it. Makes it better for both of us.”
Glenn fell on her, his mouth a whisper from her lips while one hand stroked her neck and the other shot back up under her dress.
Terrie screamed.
“Shut up, bitch! You’re asking for trouble.”
He grasped a handful of hair and pulled her mouth to his.
Jimmy had just taken another swallow of wine when he heard Terrie scream. He hesitated momentarily, wondering. Was it a scream or a squeal? He knew that sometimes girls squealed out when they were aroused. Maybe old Jay was having that kind of an effect on her. Might be she was only crying out for more.
There was banging and thumping coming from the car. He set the bottle on the ground and got to his feet. The car seemed far away. Dammit, he shouldn’t mix beer and wine. He was feeling a little tipsy.
“Help!” Terrie shouted. Her scream rose until it became one of desperation. “Help me!”
There could have been some doubt as to whether the original sound had been a scream or a squeal but there was no doubt as to her call for help.
He vacillated for a moment, wanting to get away from the scene, tempted to head down the mountain on foot. Take a chance on what might be out there. Bigfoot, or whatever. Since Terrie was resisting, Jay sure as hell would kill her. And the old man wasn’t about to leave a witness. He would kill them both!
But Jimmy couldn’t run. Neither could he stand idly by and listen to Terrie’s cries for help.
He stumbled towards the car, pulling the small gun out of his pocket. Why, he wondered, was he so protective towards women? There was a girl in trouble and he was rushing to the rescue. Stupid! He was no Clint Eastwood.
The car lights were still on. Inside, the dash lights provided a dim illumination. His only hope now was to try and get the upper hand. Standing outside the door, Jimmy eventually found his voice that wasn’t all that firm and was able to say, “Get off of her.”
Glenn lifted his head and Jimmy saw a look of pure hatred on the man’s face.
Jimmy lifted the gun and pointed it at Clark. “Just leave her alone,” he said, his voice trembling.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” With an astonished look on his face, Glenn glared at him as if he couldn’t believe this little man could be threatening him. Not if he expected to live. “Put that damned gun down and get away!” Glenn shouted. “Don’t you remember what I told you? You or nobody else is stopping me this time. You’d better run while you still can.”
“Get off her. Leave her alone. Get out of the car!”
As Glenn raised up uncertainly, Jimmy grabbed the passenger side door. Terrie was crying and trembling uncontrollably. She climbed out. “You get out the other door,” Jimmy said to Glenn.
“You ignorant son of a bitch, let me tell you something,” Glenn growled. “There’s room enough to bury the two of you up here. Hell, I already told you that. You’ll lay there and rot in the ground. Don’t think I won’t do it. Put that gun away or you’re a dead man!”
“Get
