Eight

Frank's eyes widened as he swiftly pushed Faith behind him to block her body with his. His face had gone red and angry and Faith was scared.

"Faith, get out of here! Head out the back door and go to the Downing's now!" Frank shouted, his voice booming through the room like a thunderclap. He slowly started to back her towards the door, his eyes never leaving Lucy.

"Why? I'm not gonna leave you, Frank." Faith said protesting. "Who is this woman and why is she in your house?"

Frank turned and grabbed Faith's arm to shove her out the back door. "Do as I say please!"

Faith tore her arm away from Frank's grasp. "NO! I wanna know what's going on!"

"Oh please, let me do that." Lucy Butler calmly stepped into the room as the two of them returned their gaze back to her. She was dressed in a long sleeved black dress and black boots. She had braided choker around her neck that seemed to be chestnut brown human hair. Her hair was down and her lips were red. She pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. "You see, Frank and I go back a long way. It took me a while to find him after our last encounter, but then I received messages from a secret source. Frank was going to fall in love and of course, I had to interfere. Therefore, I planned the perfect Harlequin romance novel. A beautiful lonely woman narrowly escapes death and is rescued by the lonely peace officer hero." Lucy looked up at the two of them and smiled a wide grin. "Give them a chance to lick each other's wounds then POOFT!" Lucy's hands went playfully up in the air as if she was surprising a 5 year old at a birthday party. She turned her head towards the kitchen doorway and spoke. "Come on out Marcus. It's time."

Frank stood together with Faith, his hand clutching hers as tightly as it did the first night they met. Dragging footsteps emerged from the hallway and they watched in horror as a very dead Marcus Krieger appeared. He was carrying a gun in one gray-skinned rotting hand and a very large machete in the other. His face held no emotion and his eyes were black as night. He took one-step into the room slowly and then another, inching his way towards Frank and Faith.

"So, I dug myself up a dead husband and made a plan which as I can see turned out perfectly. I get my fun and Frank and his new love get dead."

The color had drained away from Faith's face, her heart thumping madly like a trapped bird. She stepped slowly to the left side of Frank and stared at Marcus, her face softening in a mix of terror and sadness.

"Faith don't do this!" Frank grabbed her wrist hard and tried to stop her from stepping towards the zombie. She shook her hand away again and took another step.

"Marcus?" She managed to pull the word from her healing throat. She cautiously took another step towards him, the tears streaming down her face. "Marcus, its Faithie." She said in a mix of total confusion and grief. Suddenly Faith turned to face Lucy with a hot fiery anger that made Frank's heart freeze in fear.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Faith screamed even though it made her throat rip and burn to throw the words out. Violent tears sizzled as they ran down her face. "YOU TOOK PEACE FROM HIM FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL SATISIFACTION? All because YOU cannot stand someone else being happy! HOW MUCH OF A MONSTER ARE YOU?"

Lucy shot up from her chair, grabbed a handful of Faith's hair, and pulled her close.

"I can show you."

Frank wanted to lunge but Lucy swiftly turned them around and showed Frank she had the upper hand.

"Move and I snap her neck!" She glared at him with burning eyes. Again, it was Lucy Butler making him feel helpless and he realized that he had to do something this time. Lucy turned back to face Marcus with her hand entangled and gripping Faith's hair.

"All I need to do is say one thing and he can kill you just like he killed your sister, Faith. Do you remember that night? Remember the darkness and the fear that went through you as you heard your sister scream and the shots that deafened your ears? I find the thoughts very satisfying." Frank's blood boiled through his body as his heart pounded in anger as he watched Lucy lean in and lick the side of Faith's tear soaked face. "Mmmm." She smiled with an air of pleasure.

"That's ENOUGH Lucy! You have done enough to me and it's time all of this ended!" It was time to take action. Frank had seen too much blood in his life, felt too much pain and heard too many people cry. He was not going to let it happen ever again as long as there was breath still in him. Frank took another step forward, Lucy's hand clenched tightly into Faith's hair, and she pulled harder.

"I mean it Frank. Do not take another step or I WILL kill her."

"If you wanted to kill her Lucy you would've done it already." Frank's voice calmed softly. "You would've done it that night you had Taylor killed. You have a plan don't you? This is all about power and the upper hand. It's always been about you in control but now it's time all this has ended." Frank suddenly reached over to the counter and grabbed a knife out of the butcher's block. He hurled it at Lucy and it caught her in the right collarbone. She released the grip she had on Faith and screeched as she eased the knife out of her skin. Faith tried to run off but found herself in the arms of Marcus, who held her and squeezed like a doll. Frank sprung out at Lucy and wrestled her to the floor, pinning her down.

"YOU WILL NOT WIN LUCY! NOT THIS TIME! THIS IS DONE! TELL ME NOW HOW TO RELEASE MARCUS! TELL ME!"

Lucy just laid there and smirked beneath the strong arms of Frank. She slithered one of her legs between his and jammed her knee upwards. Frank winced and rolled off her, moaning in pain. Lucy shot up on her feet but Frank managed to grab the hem of her skirt and used it to pull himself up. The adrenaline flowing through him numbed his pain for the moment. He lunged and Lucy found herself out of breath shortly as Frank clocked her in the chin. He made a great effort to stay on his feet and kicked her hard repeatedly. If it was possible to break Lucy's bones, Frank was making a huge attempt.

"Frank!" Faith's voice screeched as Frank looked up and realized that she was not there. He dashed to chase after her but stopped dead in his tracks to listen. He turned and made his way back to the kitchen and noticed Lucy was gone. He darted out the back door and into the yard; the rain hit his body like sharp needles. Frank closed his eyes, trying to feel Faith's presence. He heard her faintly cry out his name and he made his way through the muddy back yard terrain and hopped over the peeling white log fence and into the deep woods. He ran a few more feet and then felt something hit the back of his neck and he passed out.