I pull my phone from my pocket and shoot Dustin a text to come get me. It shouldn’t take him long to get here. With Hazel still pretty much out, he can shackle the two of them on opposite sides of the lab. They won’t be going anywhere.
I direct Bobby to turn down a dirt lane in the middle of the woods and park. He does so without any questions. As soon as he comes to a stop, I open the door and get out. This is an isolated area that no one ever visits or drives past. I know it’s private property, and if I’m correct, it belongs to my grandfather too.
I lean against the back door as Bobby gets out. He’s looking around as he steps behind the van before turning to me. His expression is one of worry and fear. Whether it’s about getting caught or ifI’ll do the same to him, I’m unsure. If he didn’t fear me before, he should after the little incident today.
I push off the bumper with my foot and shove my hands in my pockets. He eases a bit, which was what I was hoping for, and waits for direction.
“Things are moving quicker than I had originally planned. I’m trusting Dustin’s judgment when it comes to you. He trusts you. After earlier, I can see why.” I step toward him, and he flinches as if he wants to scoot back. “Regardless of how Dustin feels about you, know that I do not feel the same. If you give me any reason to question you, I will slice your throat open and watch you bleed out.”
Bobby’s breath catches, and I can see him calculating my sanity as we stare at each other. It makes me laugh. He lets out the breath he’s been holding, almost on a huff. I stop laughing and get serious again, grabbing the door handle and pulling it open.
Erick’s body lies in the same position it was in when we got out, a small puddle of blood seeping out from under him. Bobby steps up next to me and takes in his friend dying before him.
“You get his arms, and I’ll get his legs.”
Bobby takes a deep breath before climbing inside and squatting by his head. Erick mumbles something I can’t make out, and Bobby shakes his head as he grips him under his arms.
“Sorry, friend.” His voice is full of sorrow and regret. “Thisis business. You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
Damn right.
I grip his ankles, and the two of us manage to slide him out of the van. Once we get a better hold on him, I walk backward into the trees until we find a spot with lots of growth on the earthen floor.
“This spot is as good as any.”
Bobby stops walking, and we lower Erick to the ground. He is barely conscious, and like any reasonable person, he uses his final moments to plead for his life.
“Don’t do this,” he gasps through short breaths. “I won’t tell anyone.”
I stand over him and straddle his body. Leaning down, I gaze into his glassy eyes and know that he doesn’t have much time left. He’s fading fast and won’t be a problem to me ever again.
“You’re right. You can’t talk if you’re dead.”
Pulling my knife from my pocket, I flip it open. The blood from his ear is crusted on the blade. Erick doesn’t seem shocked or scared anymore as he looks at the knife in my hand. He knew I wasn’t going to let him go. There isn’t any reason to drag this out any longer. The fucker has hung on this long only to suffer. Not that I care if he suffers, he brought it all on himself, but I don’t have the need to stretch it out longer.
Erick stares at the blade as if he’s coming to terms with how he’s going to die. It only takes a momentbefore the hard lines around his eyes and mouth smooth out as he gives himself over to his circumstance. His eyes meet mine, filled with peace and acceptance. He glances at Bobby with an expression I can’t describe before looking back at me and nodding his head once. Without even thinking about it, I shove the knife into his neck. His mouth drops open on a gasp before it’s silenced by his gurgling. I twist the knife and jerk it from his body. Erick doesn’t move as the blood squirts from the gaping hole in slow, lazy spurts. His heart was already giving up the fight after all the blood loss from the gunshot wound. A moment later, his lids droop over his vacant stare as the blood slows to a trickle, no longer being pumped by his heart.
I wipe the knife off on his shirt and stand back up to face Bobby. His hands are stuffed into his pockets as he stares off into the trees. This was good for him. If anything will harden him up, it’s watching his friend die.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Dustin isn’t far away. Time to get a move on.
“Walk with me,” I say to Bobby as I go back the way we came.
As I exit the trees, I can hear sticks snapping behind me as Bobby follows. I keep going until we reach where the lane intersects with the road. In the distance, a small cloud of dust heads our way. By the time Bobby catches up, I can hear the sound of Dustin’s motor. He comes to a stop next to me, and we watch in silence asDustin approaches.
He looks at Bobby strangely when he steps from the car and walks to the trunk. Opening it, he pulls out a shovel, slams the lid closed, and then makes his way over to us.
“Whatcha need this for?” Dustin asks as he stretches it out to me.
When I reach out to take it from him, he locks onto the blood on my hands.
“Just tying up some loose ends. Right, Bobby?”
Bobby lowers his chin and nods his head. I pat his shoulder and hand him the shovel. He takes it from me and grips it so tight that his fingers turn white. It’ll take him a minute, but he’ll get over it. Erick is gone, and there’s nothing that will bring him back now. Bobby will make peace with it all as he buries his friend and says his goodbyes. He better, or he’ll be lying next to him.
“Do what you gotta do and go home,” I tell him as I open the passenger side door. “I’ll get with you soon. Be ready.”
“Yes, sir.” He responds like a robot as he puts the shovel on his shoulder and turns to go back toward the van.
