Page 72 of Beyond the Darkness
The broken neck of the wine bottle protruded from the throat of his attacker—blood spurted from the wound in rapid shots.
Hudson screamed and struggled out from under them.The tiles were slippery with blood and wine.
Luke reached for him, pulling him away, and the figure in the Baby Face mask rolled onto their back.Their body jerked in a series of uncontrollable spasms, coating the kitchen cabinets with a fresh paint of blood.Trembling hands grasped hopelessly at the broken bottle.
Hudson scrambled to his feet, gripping the counter, searching for the other assailant, the one who’d had the axe.They had vanished.
“Are you all right?”Luke asked, gripping his shoulders.“Did they get you?”
Hudson realised he was covered in blood.“No.”He ran his hand across his wet chest.There were no injuries.“The blood isn’t mine.”
They looked at the figure on the floor.The horrific shuddering of the body had ceased.All that remained was a still heap, the blue overalls soaked in blood, a red pool widening on the floor around them.
“Where did the other one go?”he asked.
“Back through the front.”
“Still in the house?”
“I don’t know,” Luke said.“They just ran that way.”
Hudson looked at the knife, still held by the person on the floor.They needed to arm themselves but there was no way he wanted to touch that.He tore open one drawer after another, at last finding Luke’s stash of kitchen knives.He pulled out the biggest two.When he turned around, Luke was crouching over the still figure.
“What are you doing?”Hudson gasped.
“I want to know who it is.”
“We should wait for the police?”
“Fuck that.There’s no sign of them yet.I want to know who the hell is behind this.”
Hudson knew it was wrong to touch the body—Luke might already be held responsible for their death, and the less he had to do with the corpse the better it would be for him, but Hudson was also possessed with a deep hatred and a desire for the truth.
Luke gripped the bottom of the mask.Hudson didn’t stop him.He drew it upwards over the face.
Recognition was instant.
Amber’s head lolled to one side.Her mouth was slack, blood drooling down her chin.Her eyes were lifeless pools.
“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Luke muttered.
Hudson shook his head.Amber, a cold-blooded killer.It made no sense.“Why?”
Luke stood up, his eyes hardening as he took one of the knives out of Hudson’s hand.“That’s what we need to find out.”
“No.We need to get away from here.Wait for the police.”
“They’ll come to the front.”Luke gestured to the open back door.“Let’s get out that way and go around the side.First sign of Corman—let the bastard have it.Don’t hesitate.We’ll worry about the consequences later.It’s a matter of survival first.”
Hudson couldn’t tear his gaze away from Amber as he stepped over her body.His mind was reeling, trying to make sense of the discovery.
“The bastards must have stolen my keys one day during rehearsals,” Luke said.“Had them copied and put them back in my bag before I noticed they were gone.They’ve had the damn thing planned for weeks.”
There was enough light from the kitchen window and open door to see the rear garden and the path that ran down the side of the house.Hudson scoured the deep shadows beyond, looking into the cover afforded by the well-established shrubs and trees.They hesitated, listening.There was nothing but the breeze stirring the branches, and the more distant sound of the sea.
Luke tugged his sleeve, pulling him towards the path.
They progressed slowly, listening all the time for Corman, if it was him behind the other Baby Face mask.Jesus, what kind of sick mind identifies with that kind of fucked-up character?The kind who had murdered Julian to recreate one of the film’s key scenes.Only that hadn’t been enough.No, they’d had to go further.Just like the movie, they’d needed to increase the body count to get their kicks.
