"Give Steve back the stupid talisman, so that we can go home."
"I can't do that Janet."
"You can't do it? What you mean is that you won't give it back."
"No, I mean I can't give it back to Steve."
"I'm probably going to regret asking, but why can't you give it back?"
"I can't give it back, because that was Steve's dead body that we stepped over last night.""Wait a minute. I thought that guy was some stranger, who broke into your house. You mean you knew him? Why the hell did you shoot him? Don't tell me you shot him, so you could keep the talisman."
"Don't look at me like that Janet. I had no choice. All I wanted to do was split the proceeds from his little sale. If you knew about some of the favors I've done for this man, you would realize that I earned half of that money. I helped him get the damn thing. Of course, at the time he said it was just a little gift he had given to a woman and once they broke up, she wouldn't give it back. What he didn't tell me at the time was that she was a Doorkeeper."
"This woman was a what? A doorkeeper? What? Like a doorman at some fancy high-rise apartment building," asked Janet.
"No stupid, Doorkeepers are part of an order that dates back to ancient times when they would guard religious assemblies against spies and magistrates. Of course, they've evolved into something much more...deadly. I almost died helping Steve get that damn talisman, but that's a story for another day. The point is, he wouldn't listen to reason. He started threatening me. You know I don't do well with threats. The next thing I knew, he was attacking me. Nobody puts their hands on me. Not anymore."
Andrea's expression hardened. Janet had seen that look before and knew she meant every word. There was no point in arguing with her. Andrea's temper always made things go from bad to worse. Janet jumped at the sound of a sudden knock at the door. Her first instinct was to run back down to the basement and crawl back into their hiding place.
Andrea put a restraining hand on her arm and went to open the door. Janet couldn't believe her eyes. She pounced on her sister and dragged her back from the door.
"Are you crazy? It's probably those men. They must have doubled back."
"Why the hell would they pause and knock on the door? Relax, I know who it is. I called Ethan on the way here, while you were passed out in the truck. He's going to take us someplace safe, so that we can figure out what to do next."
"How do we know we can trust this guy? Let's face it Andrea, you don't have the best track record with men. Does he know about the talisman?"
"Yes, but he doesn't know how valuable it is. I'm telling you, we can trust him. He's my ride-or-die."
"He's your what?"
Andrea rolled her eyes and went to let Ethan inside. The door opened and Andrea threw herself into the man's arms before Janet could catch so much as a glimpse of him. A tattoo sleeved arm snaked around Andrea's waist and Janet's heart sank. He looked like trouble. Ethan's husky voice sounded gin soaked to her suspicious ears.
"Sorry I'm late love. I got busy with a run last night and you know how Nate and them can be."
Janet broke off from her critical appraisal of Ethan, "Excuse me? I'd say you're more than a little late! We've been here fleeing for our lives while you were off on some stupid run. Whatever the hell that means! What the hell kind of run was so damn important that you left us high and dry? A beer run? A drug run? Judging from the looks of you, I'd say it was a drug run. See Andrea, that's what you get for calling on one of your boy toys to help us!"
"Whose this grandma Andrea?"
"Ethan, this is my sister. Please ignore her rude comments. She can't help herself, she's had a stick lodged up her ass all her life. Look Janet, Ethan knows this area like the back of his hand. If anyone can get us out of here in one piece he can."
"Oh really? Einstein here walks right in the front door seconds after a band of murders leave, in plain view of anyone who might have this place staked out. I'm surprised he didn't bump into them. Maybe he's working with them. Did you ever think of that? Whose side is he on? It's mighty funny that he finally shows up seconds after they leave."
Ethan fumed, "I made sure they were all gone. But that's not to say they won't double back. We'd better get going."
The trio walked out through the rear of the building and Janet was dismayed to see that there was no car waiting to whisk them away. They headed for the overgrown tangle of woods behind the building, wading into weeds up to their thighs.
It was slow going and Janet had to concentrate to avoid twisting her ankle on the uneven, stone littered ground. She looked behind her and was pleased to see the wild foliage closing behind them. If nothing else, it would be a little harder to track them without a clear trail. Then again, those maniacs had dogs. That thought made Janet walk a little faster.
Before long, the mosquitos arrived and begin feasting upon her in earnest. Janet didn't know what was making her more miserable, being forced to suckle a horde of mosquitos or the heat and humidity which slowly enveloped her like a hot, damp blanket.
Her breath began coming in huffs and puffs. Andrea and Ethan walked ahead of her seemingly oblivious to the stifling heat. They walked in silence and Janet allowed her mind to go blank. She was too tired to think about anything except putting one foot in front of the other.
Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the foliage thinned and she could see what looked like an abandoned farm-house in the distance. Every horror movie she had ever seen bloomed in her mind. Surely they weren't going to be staying in that house of horrors.
It looked like the house that time forgot with its broken windows and faded, peeling paint. Ethan and Andrea walked in without a backward glance at Janet who stood in the weed-choked front yard sulking until an obscenely large bumblebee began harassing her.
Janet walked into the kitchen to find Andrea seated a battered wooden table with the words "eat me" crudely carved into the top of it. Ethan was placing a plate of pitiful looking bologna sandwiches in the middle of the table. The house was a wreck inside.
Judging from the graffiti, empty beer bottles, broken hypodermic needles and used condoms strewn across the floor, the house was probably a popular hangout. Janet spied a place set for her at the table and suddenly realized that she was ravenous. She sat down and helped herself to one of the sandwiches. Baloney never tasted so good.
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