Our campfire was ablaze at our usual campsite on Sierra Mountain. I pitched my tent while my three best friends gathered more firewood from the forest. That gave me time to steal their cell phones.
Mike prepared the marshmallows for roasting while Jack and Gary setup the other tents; our normal routine, one weekend a month. I killed my wife one year ago today, right here in fact, thanks to my buddies. Tonight I'll tell them. She cheated on me, first with Gary then Jack. Mike knew, but never told me. I followed them, took pictures, and planted a bug. Alice is buried less than a hundred yards from our campsite. Sort of poetic I think.
Later as we ate roasted marshmallows I pulled out my 9 mil, shot Gary in the calf and Jack in the thigh. Mike screamed so I pointed my semi at him. Gary and Jack were in shock. I laughed and placed my recorder on the ground, I pressed play. They listened to themselves. Now they knew. I tossed tourniquets to both bleeders.
"Paul, what the hell?" Mike eked out with chopped breath. "Please…"
"Shut up." They gaped, their faces ashen. "The bullshit is over. I killed Alice, she's right up there." I pointed. They looked.
"Paul, I, I'm sorry, I…" Jack looked at my face and shut up. I put a thick plastic zip tie on Mike's wrists behind his back and shoved him down by the fire.
"I'm going to give you two a chance," my semi pointed to Gary then Jack. "I set timers on explosives in your homes. Your families are sleeping about now, I imagine." Their expressions changed from hopeful to despair instantly. "Mike stays here."
"I don't understand, how do we…" Gary sputtered then flinched when I took aim at his head.
"It's simple. You have eight hours to get to the highway. I buried a box with a cell phone fifty yards this side of the road by the boulder. It's three miles to the fire road then 13 more to the box; better hurry. The timers are set to go off," I checked my watch, "in eight hours and 22 minutes actually. By the way, I pulled the fuses on my SUV, don't waste your time there. Start walking!"
The moon arced across the sky as time passed.
"Mike." He looked at me with desperation. "It's been about eight hours or so. Guess what?" I smirked.
"What…?" He gasped.
"The box is rigged with explosives, not their homes." I laughed. "We'll hear the explosion." There's a walkie-talkie near the box, I held mine up. Guess what happens then?" He cringed as I raised my gun. "Your turn!"
I give them hope then take it back. It's cheating. I know.
Mike cried. My walkie-talkie came alive with the sounds of the explosion. I paused to savor the moment. I put a bullet in Mike's head.
"Happy anniversary, Alice." I put the 9 mil to my temple…