CHAPTER 2: FAMILY REUNIONS.
Crested Butte, Gunnison County, Colorado. October 11 th , 2004.
The yellow car stopped in front of the vine-covered driveway. From the rear stepped a woman in her late twenties wearing her desert camouflage battle dress. Kelly O'Brian slung her standard duffel bag over her shoulder and walked toward the entrance. The door opened Molly, her seven year old daughter ran to intercept it. Behind her, her husband Tim de Ella walked slowly, smiling.
-"I missed you so much!" Kelly said as she leaned down to hug the little girl, lifting her off the ground. "Wow, how big you are!" she exclaimed.
-"I know," Tim chimed in, going over to give her a hug. "It's good you're back at home." He said he then kissed her lightly.
-"Did you bring something for me?" Molly said, leaning down to rummage through her mother's duffel bag.
-"Let's see," Kelly joined in. From her bag she took out a barbie doll.
Molly frowned. "I already have enough of those." she growled angrily, and then rummaged through the bag again, finally pulling out some strange black goggles. "What's this?"
-"That," Kelly replied, "is the ATN-PVS7 infrared sight."
-"Mom," the girl looked at her with questioning eyes, "I don't speak soldier..."
Kelly smiled and took the device. "This allows you to see in the dark as clearly as day," she explained. "I'll show you later."
-"This is so much better than a barbie doll," Molly said, grabbing the visor and running into the house. The doll was lying on the grass looking at the sky with its big painted eyes.
Tim looked at Kelly and then at the girl, took Kelly's backpack and headed back to the residence. Kelly stood there for a moment, looking down the street. Across the street, she was surprised to see the sheriff's SUV, and a young man was getting out of the unit to bid the sheriff farewell with an almost military salute. Kelly recognized him, he had gone to high school with Dallas, and hadn't seen him since he was arrested three years ago. She saluted him, raising her arm. Dallas smiled slightly and politely returned the greeting. Kelly took a deep breath and headed to join his newly reunited family.
- o -
Dallas Howard said goodbye to Eddie and headed for the door of the house his parents had left them. Across the street he saw a woman saluting him. Despite years having passed and the fact she was wearing a military uniform, Dallas recognized Kelly O'Brian, an old classmate and returned the salute.
-"Ricky! Brother it's me!" He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out the key he hadn't used in three years, hoping the lock hadn't been changed. The door opened with a creak. "Ricky?" he insisted, but the house was empty. His brother wasn't home, possibly still at work. Eddie had told him that Ricky had a part-time job to cover his expenses.
He decided that he would wait on the couch in the living room, sat down and leaned back, sighing. Home, at last.
An hour later, Dallas heard noises coming from the backyard, followed by a groan and someone struggling to open a window. He approached stealthily, ready to beat up any thief who was trying to break in, though surprised that something like this would happen in a town like this, where everyone knew each other.
Or at least they all seem to know each other, Dallas shook his head and smiled, considering the irony. He had been in prison, serving a three-year sentence for robbery and breaking and entering.
To his surprise, a battered Ricky climbed out the window and crept in.
-"Is there a problem with the door?" Dallas said.
-"Damn! Ricky turned startled. He didn't expect to see his brother there. When did you come back?"
-"Today," Dallas answered, and raised a finger towards Ricky, "What happened to your face."
-"We'll talk later," he said, ignoring him and continuing on his way. Dallas stood up, visibly upset.
-"No!"
-"We'll talk later." Ricky repeated. Dallas stepped in his way.
-"We'll talk now!" he demanded, stopping him.
-"Hey, take your hands off me, will you?" Ricky said, pushing his brother back.
-"What the hell happened to you?" Dallas asked, though from what Eddie had told him, it wasn't hard to imagine that his little brother was in trouble again.
-"I've had a bad day," he said, putting a hand on Dallas's shoulder.
-"At least tell me that the others were worse off," he answered, trying to be empathic with his brother.
Ricky grimaced and negated, throwing himself on the couch, recalling that afternoon's events.
- o -
Earlier.
-"You have to wear the cap," Drew, the Pizza parlor manager, shouted behind the counter.
-"I'm not wearing that stupid cap," Ricky responded with disdain, putting on his uniform's shirt. "You make us wear the hat because some manager had one made you wear it."
Drew frowned and grunted, visibly annoyed. He took a pile of recently packed pizza and deposited them carefully on the counter. "Listen Ricky," he said, "someday you can be an assistant manager," he handed her a receipt, patting her on the back. "1427 Watercrest." he added in a malicious tone.
Ricky's head snapped up at the address. "I'll be the best assistant," he replied, "I'll even wear the cap if you let Barry make that delivery." Ricky handed the receipt back.
-"Barry's across town," Drew said, shaking his head, "he wouldn't be here in thirty minutes." Then, putting the receipt back into Ricky's hands, he concluded, "1427 Watercrest."
Damn , Ricky cursed. He knew very well who would be in that direction. He took the pizzas and crossed the door. Behind him, Drew yelled. "And wear the cap!"
Ricky parked his battered chevy pickup across the street from the address. He turned off the engine and walked around to the passenger seat, picking up the pile of pizza boxes. He heard the music coming from inside and correctly deduced that a party was taking place. Damn it, she exclaimed again, and adjusted her yellow cap. At that moment, the door opened and a blonde girl trotted out to a jeep parked in front of the house. The girl leaned out the driver's window and Ricky tried not to notice her assets, visible through a pair of jean shorts. She picked up a CD, then quickly went back inside the house.
-"Shit" he said, walking towards the door.
He rang the bell and waited. It wasn't long before the young blonde from earlier appeared in the doorway.
-"Hello Ricky," she said, smiling. "Come in."
-"H-hi Jessie," Ricky replied.
Ricky had had a crush on Jessica Salinger since the first day of high school. He knew full well that she was out of her league, her parents were part owners of the mountain ski resort, and lived in the suburbs, while Ricky had to work part time to pay the rent. But being wealthy didn't stop her from being nice to hers.
He followed Jessie into the kitchen and put the pizzas on the table, patiently waiting for the girl to pay him. From the room, he heard a mocking voice.
-"I thought Halloween isn't until two weeks from now," said the boy sprawled out on the couch. The comment elicited a series of laughs. Ricky recognized Dale Collins, Jessie's boyfriend, and two of her friends, watching a game on TV and drinking beer.
-"Ah, Now I know who ordered the extra-sausage." Ricky said, walking over to the kitchen. The laughs ended abruptly.
Dale looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Ricky clenched his fists, ready to respond...
"Sorry, he's an idiot," the girl added. "I'll break up with him." Ricky snorted. "How much do I owe you?"
"It's fifty-three fifty."
"Here's Ricky," Jessie said, taking the money from her bag. "Save the change."
"Thank you," he said, taking the bills, and went out into the street. "See you later."
As he reached the driver's door, an enraged Dale came running up and pushed him against the truck, then punched him terribly in the face. Ricky fell to the ground, totally taken by surprise. Dale kicked him in the gut.
-"Are you still laughing?" he asked him, "Don't you answer?"
-"Come on! Enough!" Jessie came running. The other young people milled about, contemplating the scene without doing anything.
Dale reached down and grabbed the truck keys, which had fallen during the first assault.
"Give me the keys," Ricky said.
Dale waved the keychain in his hand and then, in one quick motion, tossed them into the nearest storm drain.
-"I hope you find them in thirty minutes or less," he said and spat. "Let's go." He and his friends headed back inside the house, laughing.
- o -
Dallas said, getting up from the couch, after hearing the story.
-"Why? Do you miss your cell?" Ricky replied.
Dallas rolled his eyes, "Your keys, idiot." He said, patting her on the back, "let's go get them."
- o -
Darcy Benson finished preparing dinner and gazed anxiously out the window. Sam and Bud should be back by now. Her husband had told her that they would just take a hike up the mountain, look for a couple of rabbits, and come back in the middle of the afternoon. She looked at the picture of the three of them that she had on the kitchen shelf. One about her wedding, another about Sam's last baseball championship, and Christmas vacation with her parents in Aspen.
She didn't want to worry too much, but eventually her anxiety got the better of her. She picked up the phone and called the Sheriff's office. She worked at the cafe with Carrie, the wife of Deputy Ray Adams.
-"Hello?" she asked as soon as the call came in, "The sheriff please," after a pause, "Eddie? This is Darcy Benson. I'm worried, Sam and Bud aren't back."
"They may have had a flat tire," Eddie tried to cheer her up, "plus the meteor this morning affected the phone signal."
-"Could you tell Ray to check?" she asked.
"Ray's out checking the sump," Eddie said, "I'll tell him to take a look down the road."
Darcy sighed, slightly relieved. If they were stuck, the sheriff's deputy would help them, or at best, bring them home.
-"This is R31 David," Ray Adams activated his walkie-talkie, walking through the ferns at the foot of the mountain. "Reported a 10-66 at water collector junction 4."
A few feet ahead of him was one of the few tunnels of the water harvesting system, which ran from the Grand Mesa National Forest to the water treatment plant that distributed water to Crested Butte, passing under the city.
-"Roger R31 David," answered the station's radio operator.
Ray grunted as he crouched at the entrance to the manifold. The wide opening was littered with trash: bags, pieces of rotten wood, a rusty shopping cart, and dirty clothes. Evidence that the vagrants had taken up residence in the place again.
-"Ray?" the radio crackled again, "Are you there, Ray?" Morales' voice startled him. Ray picked up the phone and pressed the transmit button.
-"This is Ray," he said, "What's wrong Eddie?"
-"When you get back, I want you to check the road," the sheriff said, "Buddy Benson and his son Sam haven't come back." Yeah, he knew Bud Benson, his wife and Carrie worked at Denny's.
-"Sure," he replied, "I'll take a look, boss."
The sheriff's deputy switched on his flashlight and stepped into the darkness, careful not to put his shoes in the water or worse.
A few meters ahead, a shadow was walking unsteadily towards the interior of the tunnel. Ray stopped, wary. The shape turned very slowly and Ray shined his flashlight on it. A calloused hand interposed itself between the beam and a face covered with a shaggy gray beard.
-"Damn Harry!" Ray exclaimed, recognizing the worn coveralls. "We told them to get out of here, and they keep coming. I hate to arrest you." He said, pulling a handcuff from his belt.
The old tramp sighed, considering whether a cell was much more comfortable than this garbage-filled sewer.
-"Just let me bring my dog," he finally said, "Butch!"
-"I can't take a dog," Ray replied, "you know."
-"He's a good fellow," Harry insisted, "he even brings the ball," he showed the bailiff a dirty tennis ball, which he might have found near the country club. "Butch!" Harry hissed, "I've got something for you, boy."
Ray heard a bark and saw a crossbreed shepherd dog come running from the woods, it had something in its snout.
-"You brought a good rabbit, didn't you," Harry said. "Good doggo."
The dog deposited his load at Harry's feet.
-"Jesus Christ!" He cried out in fright as he bent down to pick it up.
Ray aimed the flashlight at him and cursed. It was a human arm, and judging by the musculature and hair, a grown man. Ray grabbed his radio and called. "Sheriff, can you hear me?"
- o -
Eddie parked the SUV just behind the dark blue driveway at the side of the road, sneaked up with his hand on the holstered pistol. Buddy Benson's truck did not appear to be damaged and a quick look confirmed that there were no signs of a struggle. They just hadn't come back.
-"Sheriff, can you hear me?"
-"I hear you, Ray," he answered on the radio, "Did you find something?"
"Yeah," Ray hesitated, "although I don't think you're going to like it."
- o -
Sam woke up, his body ached but he couldn't move for some reason. Then he realized he was glued to a tree trunk by some black resin. In front of him, his father was stuck as well. His severed arm was cauterized by the same acid which had dissolved it. "Sam!" he called the kid.
-"I am here Dad!" Sam cried, "Help me, I'm scared."
-"I know, buddy," Bud struggled with the resin that immobilized to no avail. "Try to squeeze out of it Sam." Bud advised.
Sam wrapped his arms around his body and tried to wriggle out of the cocoon but he was firmly stuck. "I can't!"
-"It's ok, it's ok… coff" Bud eased him. "Sheriff Morales… coff coff… He must be on his way here. He'll help us." A coughing attack surprised him.
-"What about that thing?" Sam asked him.
-"He… coff… the sheriff would deal with…" A puncturing pain started and the man screamed. "Aghhhh it hurts!"
"Dad?!" Sam screamed louder. He feared it was a heart attack, he had learned first aid and CPR on the scouts but in their current predicament he would be helpless.
The wet sound of ripping flesh filled the clearing. Bud's cries were silenced when a worm-like monster erupted from the cocoon at his father's chest height.
-"Dad!" the kid sobbed. Bud's face hung low in the cocoon, blood dripping from mouth and nose. The worm jumped out from the cocoon and fled crawling into the forest. "Dad… coff, coff."
He started coughing just like his father moments before. The realization of what was to come came with horror as his own chest burned in fire.