Fear

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

   I couldn’t stop asking questions as we drove. We were at Rockford when Richard finally asked me to stut up. His partners were in a small town called Oak Lodge outside of Sterling Illinois. We drove for two hours and after I stopped asking questions I had just passed out. I wasn’t really asleep though I could still hear what was going on around like I was in so sort of coma. Forty five minutes after Rockford I could feel the sierra slow and then jolt into a stop. I blinked my eyes only slightly open to see the red neon sign that I could make out said Wal-Mart. I heard Richard yawn and nestle deeper into his seat. Seconds later his breathing deepened and he too fell into sleep. And I thought the motels I picked were dumpy. But I guess it made sense. I looked over to see the little colt peeking out from under my duffle bag that sat in between me and Richard. I pushed back under so it was almost impossible to see. Then I leaned back, letting out a sigh of relief and slowly dosed off.

  When I woke up I was alone in the truck. So much for don’t ever stay alone in the truck. My bone ached and my muscles were stiff. The night in the car had been hard on me. I sat up starter and looked at the time on the dash board which said six forty five am. I moaned thinking I’d sleep longer than that. The driver’s door flew open and I leaped out of my seat. “Did I scare you?” Richard asked sitting beside me with a takeout bag and a coffee. He put the bag in the middle and I began to dig for some sort food. There was a blueberry muffin, an orange and a small carton of one percent milk. “It’s all yours.” Richard said as I lifted the muffin out of the bag.

“What about you?” I asked, wondering if he even ate at all.

“I already ate at Sterling’s finest.” He said pointing to a small diner called King’s Court.

“Sterling?” I questioned through a mouth full of muffin. “Did we pass Oak Lodge?” he shook his head and I started to peel the orange.

“It’s only about a twenty minute drive from here.” He stated and the trucks engine growled awake. “Oh and here.” He held out a Blackberry pearl flip, brand new. Why was he giving me a phone? I didn’t need one. “Your old phone has a tracking device this one doesn’t, you don’t need that now.”

“What happen to that old phone anyway?” I asked rejecting to take it from his extended hand.

“I run it over with the truck.” He confidently stated.

  I grasped the phone and started to look through its contents. It already had four contacts. My other phone hadn’t ever had more than that before. I didn’t know any of them but the one the said Barns. “Are two of these your partners?” I asked hoping for a yes.

“Yes Coal and Hayden are the two rock heads we are about to find.” Richard said. I realised I wasn’t going to be stuck with one redneck monster hunter, but three. I decided I didn’t want to know any more and didn’t talk for fifteen minutes.

  Five minutes till we got to Oak Lodge I spotted a black 2012 Concept ford mustang parked along the side of the road. A boy with semi long dark brown hair stood at the back of the car. He looked to be younger than me and he had a shotgun aimed at the middle aged man that the other boy had pinned to the passenger side of the car. That one had fly away dirty blond hair. He held his silver knife to the throat of the other man. Richard let out a sigh of disapproval and pulled up behind the mustang. Leaping out of the truck he walked over to the younger boy with the gun and I slowly followed. “You know that won’t kill it Coal.” Richard said to the boy who dropped the gun to his side.

“It’ll slow it down.” He grinned at his remark seeming not to notice me. I had followed Richard out because of curiosity.

“Where did you find it, Hayden told me you guys couldn’t find it in the sewer system?” Richard said glancing over to the taller boy and middle aged man. The man’s arm had skin peeling off of its arm like it was shedding. I remembered the phone call Richard had gotten when we were leaving the hospital. He had brought up killing a shape shifter. These must have been his partners. I didn’t expect them be like this at all. I thought they’d be as old if not older than Richard and all have the whole Montana hunter feel. But Hayden looked to be only a bit older than me and Coal was a bit younger.