Chapter 32:Gus?
Inside the sheriff's station, tension crackled as two disfigured figures loomed menacingly. Porter, spotting the threat, lunged forward, his instincts driving him into action.
"Wait!" Sheriff Angela commanded, her voice slicing through the chaos.
Mose, a drunkard man with a weathered face and weary eyes, stood a few feet behind them, his posture tense. His eyes darted around the room, urgently scanning for any object that could serve as a makeshift weapon. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a sturdy chair near the reception desk. Acting quickly, he seized it, holding it up defensively in front of him.
As the disfigured figures advanced, their horrifying features becoming more apparent, Porter felt his heart pounding in his chest. He took a bold step forward, his mind racing through different possible outcomes.
"Kiddo, what are you doing?!" Mose's voice trembled with fear as he witnessed Porter's abrupt action.
As one of the disfigured attackers charged at Porter with a rusty knife, he quickly moved aside with agility, dodging the blade that sliced through the air with a chilling sound. Without hesitation, Porter pulled out his Glock 19, a gun he knew well despite its worn grip, and pointed it straight at the attacker's distorted face in one smooth motion.
"Eat this shit." Porter growled, his voice laced with defiance. The gunshot thundered through the station, the noise echoing off the walls. The disfigured attacker's body jerked backward as the bullet found its mark, sending a spray of crimson across the room. Porter felt warm blood splatter across his face, the droplets staining his cheek like a grim battle paint.
Before he could fully comprehend the second victory, another attacker lunged at Porter from behind. Sheriff Angela, her eyes widening in alarm, acted swiftly and instinctively. Gripping her custom-molded Glock 17 tightly, she fired two shots in rapid succession. Both bullets found their mark in the assailant's chest with deadly accuracy. The impact of the shots knocked the attacker off balance, causing him to stagger backward in surprise and pain.
Seizing the opportunity, Porter pivoted on his heel, his finger steady on the trigger. He fired a single shot aimed at the third attacker's face, the bullet finding its mark with deadly precision. The impact was brutal; blood and brain matter erupted in a gruesome display, splattering across the walls and floor. The attacker convulsed violently in its final moments, grotesquely spasms before slumping lifeless to the ground.
Porter wiped the blood from his face with his hand, his expression a mix of resolve and grim satisfaction.
Sheriff Angela stared at Porter, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and awe. "What are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
At that moment, Julian Jones, Billy's friend, stood in the doorway, his face pale with shock as he took in the scene.
Porter turned to him, a hardened look in his eyes. "I am Porter Harmss." he said, his voice steady and unyielding.
.......
[Meanwhile In the Motel Room]
Lita and Gus lay together on the small bed, their bodies intertwined after making love. The mattress creaked softly as they shifted, and the rough sheets provided minimal comfort against their skin. Lita nestled her head on Gus's chest, her dark hair spilling across his shoulder, Gus tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, both enjoying the intimate closeness of the moment.
Gus's voice broke the silence, tentative yet earnest. "Lita..."
Lita lifted her head slightly, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of curiosity and affection. "What?" Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of tenderness that belied the gravity of their conversation.
"I've been thinking," Gus began, his voice trailing off for a moment as he searched for the right words. His fingers continued their soothing motion against the small of her back, tracing invisible lines that mirrored the complexities of his thoughts. "We both graduate in May. And I was thinking we could move in together."
Lita's brow furrowed slightly, a small crease forming between her brows as she processed his words. "Gus, come on," she replied gently, her voice tinged with a mixture of warmth and resignation. "You know I'm moving to New York."
Gus sighed softly, his gaze drifting to the cracked ceiling as he contemplated her response. "But accounting is so boring," he said with a faint hint of amusement, attempting to inject levity into the weighty conversation. His eyes returned to meet hers, pleading silently for her to reconsider. "Don't go."
Lita's expression softened, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Babe, we've talked about this a thousand times," she murmured, her fingers absently tracing circles on his chest. "I'm going."
A pained silence settled between them, Gus shifted uncomfortably, his eyes never leaving Lita's face as he struggled to find the right words.
"Then I'll go with you," Gus declared suddenly, his voice filled with determination as he voiced the thought that had been swirling in his mind. His fingers instinctively tightened around hers, silently pleading for her to consider his proposal.
Lita's gaze softened, her heart aching at the sincerity she saw in Gus's eyes. "Look..." She paused, her voice catching slightly as she gathered her thoughts. "Gus, I like you. I might even love you. But..." She sighed, gently pulling away from his embrace and sitting up at the edge of the bed. "I don't know, I just... I need to spend some time on my own."
Gus rose from the bed as well, his movements slow and deliberate as he stood beside her. He reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "Lita, I love you," he confessed softly, his voice thick with emotion. "And I don't want to lose you."
His words hung in the air, charged with unspoken longing and vulnerability. Lita met his gaze, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she searched his face for understanding.
"Marry me." Gus blurted out suddenly, the words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them. His heart pounded in his chest, fear and hope warring within him as he awaited her response.
Lita's eyes widened in surprise, her breath catching in her throat. "What?" She shook her head slightly, disbelief evident in her voice. "Oh, my God. You're proposing to me in some fleabag motel..." Her voice trailed off, her expression a mix of incredulity and affection as she looked at Gus's earnest face. "...in the middle of West Virginia?"
She sighed softly, her fingertips gently brushing against his cheek in a tender gesture. "Gus, come on." she murmured, her voice gentle yet tinged with sadness. Her touch conveyed both affection and a sense of finality, as if she were gently guiding him through a difficult realization.
"It's the thought that counts." Gus replied quietly, his eyes never leaving hers as he tried to salvage the moment.
Yeah," Lita agreed softly, her voice carrying a trace of melancholy. "Babe... come on. Let's not make this more complicated than it needs to be."
Sensing the need to change the topic, Lita glanced toward the bathroom with a small smile. "Get dressed before Julian comes back. I'm going to take a shower."
Gus nodded silently, his gaze lingering on Lita's retreating figure as she headed towards the bathroom. His shoulders slumped slightly as he sank back onto the bed, the weight of their conversation settling heavily upon him.
Lita paused at the bathroom door, her hand resting on the frame as she looked back at Gus with a mixture of affection and regret. "I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving Gus to wrestle with his emotions in the quiet solitude of the dimly lit motel room.
As Gus sat on the bed, trying to dismiss his thoughts, suddenly a series of loud, insistent knocks coming from there door. He sighed in irritation, assuming it was Julian returning or another festival-goer lost in a drunken stupor.
"All right, I heard you. Keep your shirt on." Gus muttered, getting up to answer the door. With a sense of annoyance, he swung it open, ready to confront whoever was on the other side. To his surprise and growing concern, he was greeted by a disfigured figure standing there and it was One eye from the Odets trio brothers
Gus's brows furrowed in confusion and wariness. "Who the fuck are you?"
One Eye remained silent, his gaze fixed on Gus with an unsettling intensity.
"You got the wrong hotel room, pal. Move along." Gus demanded, his frustration starting to show.
Still, One Eye stood motionless, not responding to Gus's attempts to dismiss him.
"Are you so fucking drunk you don't speak English?" Gus's voice rose, his patience wearing thin.
One Eye's silence persisted, unnerving Gus even more.
"I said, move along, you dumb shit!!!" Gus finally snapped, slamming the door shut in One Eye's face.
Meanwhile, in the shower, Lita heard Gus's outburst and called out over the sound of the running water. "Gus, who was that?"
Gus returned to the bed, trying to shake off the encounter. "Some drunk guy from the festival. Couldn't find his room."
He settled back on the bed, trying to relax. "Cool costume though." Gus remarked casually, mistaking One Eye's disfigured face for a meticulously crafted Halloween disguise.
Inside the shower, Lita finished rinsing off, but as she turned off the water, she realized the shower was still spraying cold water on her.
"Fuck. Stupid shower. Stupid shower doesn't work. It's freezing," Lita cursed under her breath, shivering as she hurriedly reached for a towel.
Gus had just started to relax on the bed when there was another, more forceful knock on the door. His irritation surged, and he quickly got up, his patience wearing thin.
"Goddamn, you son of a bitch." Gus muttered angrily as he marched back to the door and flung it open.
"Whoa, what the..." Gus started, trying to appear calm but feeling his confidence crumble as he grasped the seriousness of the situation. His annoyance melted away, replaced by a tight knot of fear in his stomach.
This time, standing before him was another disfigured figure. This one had a saw protruding from his tooth, and yes it was Saw tooth. Anger radiated from Saw Tooth's face as he locked eyes with Gus.
"Look, I already told your drunk little buddy he's got the wrong room." Gus said, trying to inject some humor into his voice to mask his growing unease. He cast a quick, nervous glance at the disfigured figure standing before him, feeling the air thick with an inexplicable tension.
But Saw tooth didn't move or speak, maintaining an eerie stillness that sent a shiver down Gus's spine. Meanwhile, One Eye is just hiding, waiting for the opportunity
"What is it with you people? What, are you fucking retarded?" Gus snapped, his irritation flaring up again, masking a growing sense of fear.
Before Gus could react, One Eye moved with startling speed. In a swift, unexpected motion, he lunged forward and grabbed Gus from behind. At the same time, Saw Tooth stood beside him, gripping Gus's arms with a strength that left no room for resistance.
Gus's startled shout was muffled as One Eye's hand clamped over his mouth, while Saw Tooth's firm hold immobilized him completely. Panic surged through Gus as he struggled against their relentless grip, his mind racing with fear and confusion.
In a matter of seconds, Gus found himself forcefully pulled out of the motel room. As he disappeared into the hallway, the room fell into an eerie silence. leaving Lita alone and unaware in the shower.
"Gus?" Lita called out, her voice tinged with concern as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel. "Gus?"
To be continue