Hurrying past a window, I catch sight of Zombie's mom. She's been dead for more than a day, and her life wasn't snuffed gently.
With a fire at the back and the front doors, Zombie only has a few options for escape. The flames rise, turning the dark night into a festive orange. Hiding behind a tree, I hope the asshole makes a run towards me. I crave to be the one who makes him bleed first.
Zombie holds out for as long as he can, but eventually comes running out the backdoor. His gun blazing, he isn't aiming. My shot is more careful and takes out his hand holding the weapon.
Pain doesn't even slow him down. He's planning on going over the fence, so I wait until he's nearly on top of me before I swing the bat. The impact knocks the wind out of him, and he crumbles to the ground.
Zombie stares up at me like a crazed animal. All wide-eyed, but no smirk.
Ford hurries to my side, staring down at Zombie. "You should have saved yourself the torture and blown off your head when you had the chance."
Once I lower the bat on Zombie's head, he's out. We drag him past the burning house to the front yard. The neighbors refuse to come out to see the commotion. They're rightfully scared in this rough neighborhood.
Ford hot-wires Zombie's mom's car, and we shove the asshole in the trunk. After folding his body in half to make him fit, I finally get the lid down.
I drive the car, while Ford follows on his Harley. We never planned where to take him, so I make the decision to head to the 14th Street underpass. Parking on the side of the road, I drag a semi-conscious Zombie from the trunk then toss him down the embankment. Ford and I follow his flopping body.
"Got a text from Joker," Ford says. "If I understand his code correctly, the Blairsville sheriff is dead. Every cop in town is hanging out at the donut shop where he got killed. I guess stealth isn't a concern for us."
"Were we being stealth? I kinda felt like we were being sloppy and obvious."
Ford grins. "It's been a long day, so whatever."
We grab Zombie under the armpits and drag him into the underpass.
"A whole lot of rats around here," I announce. "I figured we'd kill him then dump the body. Or maybe we don't make death so easy."
"It's your little girl in the hospital. If you want him to bleed slow, I'm here for you, turd."
"We're naming our first boy Roy," I say, dropping Zombie in the dark tunnel.
"Why?"
"Roy Reed."
"Sounds like a serial killer. Just make sure he has a good middle name for the news reports."
I flip off Ford, who stretches with his bat over his head. Studying Zombie, I want him awake for the next part. Tallulah didn't have the luxury of sleeping during the attack. How many nightmares will Perri's children suffer because of this evil fucker? No, Zombie needs to be awake for the suffering.
"Why kill your mom?" I ask Zombie.
Staring through half-open, swollen eyes, he sighs, "She was a nag."
"Lots of moms are," Ford says, frowning. "But people don't kill them. You know you're crazy, right?"
Zombie grins. "Crazy? Or maybe I just see the world the way it is, and you fuckers live the lie."
"Nope," I say, bring the bat down and separating his shoulder bones.
His scream relaxing me, I allow myself to think of Jenn's smile. She's a funny broad and loves Lucky something fierce. Today, her blood was spilled because of this piece of shit.
Ford breaks Zombie's right leg. I think of all those people screaming at the parking lot. How afraid they were. I wonder if the man who died had kids. How will they enjoy Christmas after burying their dad?
Zombie's legs are past broken by the time we stop beating on them. I suspect the bones are dust, yet Zombie remains conscious.
"What did Trigger say to you when he found out you shot up the mall?" Ford asks, digging a blade into Zombie's gut.
"He said I should've saved my bullets for you two."
Ford grins. "Good. I'd hate for the old man to grow a conscience right before we break him."
Studying Zombie, I think about Tallulah, who's seen too much in her young life.
"Are you alright?" Ford asks, standing next to me.
"What happens one day when Tallulah is grown up and finds out what we do? What do I tell her?"
Ford looks around at the dark tunnel then back at me. "She'll understand. You'll just need to explain you aren't like Zombie. You keep your family safe, and the club is part of the family. Kids grow up seeing stuff, and she'll understand more than you think."
"What if I don't have it in me to be a good dad?"