Last Rites by Kim Paffenroth Read Free Book Online Page B

controlled.”
    Will’s voice was plaintive. “They are controlled. Look at them. They’re fine. They do whatever I tell them.” He glanced at Lucy, then back to the man. “Whatever I ask them to. You don’t have to do anything with them.”
    “Then you’ve got no reason to worry,” CJ continued. “We’ll just put ‘em to work.”
    He had that tone of authority and condescension in his voice that Truman hated. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Lucy had raised the frying pan just a bit, but there was no way even she would try to cover the length of the cabin to attack. To Truman, her rage seemed nearly palpable as heat, though he noticed her expression was slack-jawed and uncomprehending. Women were so much better actors, he thought.
    “They understand what you’re saying?” Terry asked.
    Truman wondered if the man had seen many dead people before. He didn’t look scared, but more incredulous than anything, maybe even a little curious about them, as if he were seeing an exotic animal for the first time.
    “Of course,” Will said. “They’re not like others. They can even...” Again he glanced at Lucy, and Truman felt her stiffen. “They help me around the ship all the time.”
    The older man nodded. “Yeah, you find some like that. Don’t know why, but some aren’t as messed up as others. That’s why we keep ‘em for work. So like I say—yours should be fine. They’ll be useful. That’s a good thing. But you got to decide. Oh, and we have to see this girlfriend of yours, too. If she’s sick, you know what we’re thinking. Maybe one of your ‘friends’ here bit her. And that means she isn’t coming in, either.”
    “No, no, it’s not like that.” Will opened the door to Rachel’s cabin. “Here, see. She’s sick. She has a fever. I don’t know what it is. But she wasn’t bitten.”
    “Terry, cover those two,” CJ said. “Especially the bitch.”
    The barrel of Terry’s shotgun went back up. It was aimed right at Lucy’s face.
    “Don’t call her that,” Will said quietly, but Truman noticed he stood still and didn’t intervene.
    “Oh. Sorry.” CJ pointed at Lucy. “But this is good practice for you, Terry. You got to learn which ones are more trouble. You can tell just by looking at her she’s smarter than the rest. Even holding something as a weapon. And the way she’s looking at us now, you know she wants it, even if she’s behaved so far.” He leered at her.
    Truman hated him more, but he kept his mouth open and his eyes looking slightly up and over the man’s shoulder.
    CJ said, “Oh yeah, that’s it honey, you know you hate us. You know you could take us if it weren’t for the boomsticks, don’t you? And that makes you just about as mad as you can get, doesn’t it?”
    Truman thought she might spring, she was getting so tense next to him.
    Right as Truman felt certain Lucy would lose all control, and the two of them would be grey paste splattered all over the bulkhead, Will stepped forward, hand on his gun. “Stop it,” he said. “Don’t taunt her. You don’t need to do that. Leave her alone. I said she was under control.”
    CJ chuckled a little and held his open hands up at shoulder level. “Okay, kid. We’ll leave your friend alone. But keep an eye on her, Terry. Just everybody hold still for a second while I see what’s going on.”
    He stepped past Will and looked in the little cabin. “Okay, kid, get in there and uncover the lady. All of her.”
    “You can see she’s not bitten.”
    “I can see her pretty face, and her arms, and one leg. Plus, the place smells like rot and sick, just like when someone’s bit and waiting to die. And she’s not even moving. So let’s see all of her. Come on. We’ve all seen tits and ass before.”
    Will grunted and pushed past him.
    CJ put one foot in the doorway and leaned inside. “Okay. Pull her hair up over her head. Tilt her head. Lift up her arm. The other one too. I can’t see her side.