The Pale Man Rises

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

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Reese looked at Lewis excitedly. "What pier?" he asked. "There's a pier down there at the river nearby here?" he asked now pointing toward the forest before them. "Yeah–yeah it's just past the ball field. There's a path through the woods that leads to it. There are always several boats down there that anybody can use. Folks fish from 'em or just use 'em to float down the river and sight see. I guess you didn't go to school around here being from Billings, but everybody around these parts and Dayton knows all about them." Lewis told him.

The germ of an idea was taking seed in Reese's mind. He quickly reversed the van and drove through the darkness to where they stood before the space of the last two utility buildings before the boiler room. He had no problem maneuvering the vehicle in the dim light of the night-lights that encircled the school and supposed the condition he was in had somehow made his night vision even more proficient.

He turned there between the two buildings and drove to the rear of the one on their right. Seeing there was enough space there to leave the van Reese shut the engine off. Encouraging Lewis to hurry now they rushed to his uncle's truck. The keys were in the ignition and so Reese quickly took it to where the van was and parked the ratty truck beside it.

Reese seemed to be overwhelmed by some thought that was plaguing him. Lewis wondered if it had anything to do with his mention of the pier and the boats down there. It was of course ridiculous to speculate upon it for it was quite obvious the mention of the pier and the boats had definitely caused this reaction in Reese. Lewis now wondered if the young man saw a way in it that he may indeed have some extra time on his hands, some faint hope of continued life in the face of this danger. He certainly hoped that was the case. He could see Reese wanted to give him this opportunity so decided not to press him on the issue he was considering and any plan he had devised. 

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Once they were done with Willie Brown's truck Reese quickly led his captive back to the room where the master was with Crumpler and the old man Willie Brown. Little light filtered in through the bent blinds on the window but it was enough that the two men could see the devastation the pale man had brought about to Crumpler.

The sight of the blood was too much for Reese; it seemed to Lewis he had lost his enthusiasm for the escape that he seemed to be plotting mere minutes ago. The pale man had barely gestured to him to take a turn at Crumpler before he was on him. He suckled his wound eagerly trying his best to empty him of any of the red life force. He seemed to get great delight from how Crumpler attempted, albeit feebly, to fend him off. And soon enough the guard began to gurgle. That was the death knell and in seconds his body no longer protested going limp in one instant. Sated Reese turned and sat next to the man who was now on the floor seated with his back against the counter. Reese had his right arm draped around the mans's shoulder as though they were buddies sitting around on the floor of some dorm room sharing jokes and intimacies.

Blood covered Reese's mouth and it was a scene that the two black men could not withstand. They both began to vomit at the sight of the man whom they had both just seen drink another's blood. Reese smiled at them, but it was not a gracious smile, it was more one of embarrassment. Then realizing how utterly disgusting the blood he felt on his lips must look to them he wiped his forearm across his mouth.

Willie Brown hung his head now totally depressed with their predicament. Maxwell Lewis was shaking his head completely convinced that he had lost the young man, lost him to the monster and their lust for blood. He had dared not think it, he had dared not, but now, now he was certain that he had two vampires before him. That was what enabled the monster to change his shape. Soon maybe he would see the thing turn into a bat just like in the movies.

Now Reese struggled up from beside the dead guard. He walked over to where the pale man now sat and stood before him. "Master, master I have good news." he said somewhat jauntily. The pale man had removed his glasses and stared up at him with those gruesome yellow eyes. 

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"What is it son?" he asked with his mother's soothing voice. Reese smiled at him. "The river master." He turned to the younger black man. "Lewis tells me there is a pier near here down by the river. There are boats down there!" he said his enthusiasm for his new plan growing.

"What of them son?" his mother's voice now asked. Reese continued to smile. He looked to the young black man once again; he was looking at Lewis as if somehow he was seeking his approval of the plan also. He looked back to the pale man again. "I was thinking that if the cops don't leave we can go down there and get into one of the boats." Reese said pointing in the direction of the forest beyond the walls. "We can take them with us–Lewis can help with the oars." He said trying to give the pathetic man hope of living just a little bit longer. The pale man smiled as he rose up. He then patted Reese on the back. "Excellent dearest." he said as Madeline. Now he turned to the two black men. "Do you know the river Maxwell?" he asked softly with Virginia Dare's voice.

Lewis shook his head vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, so does uncle Willie. It goes southwest from here and south winding eastward as it does until it runs into the Cape Fear down around Sayerville which is maybe forty or fifty miles from here. It's kind of narrow and irregular and there's very little traffic on it 'cept for people fishin'. Is that the way you want to go?" he asked hesitantly.  The pale man grinned broadly, a crushing smile that would still the hearts of most men. "Indeed it is." he said and then he tilted his head back toward the window as if sniffing the air for some odor the two of them couldn't draw upon or even perceive was upon the air.

"It shall be slow going that way, and I am in a hurry, but to assure the safety of our journey we shall take it if we must. We may travel only on the night." he now told them. "We'll need lights then." Lewis suggested. The pale man turned to him again with yet another harsh look. "No, no lights, there will be no need for them, I dear Maxwell can see like an animal in the darkness, I am 

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nocturnal and I will show you the way." he said in another of his voices.