Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen
Martha stood, just a mere five feet from the door that Richard had disappeared through. Butcher blades held in both of her shaking hands that rested to each of her sides, the worried cousin bit down on her lower lip. Her eyes stared at the door, darting to any sound heard caused by the wind.

Slowly, from within the darkness down the brick hallway that Martha stood in, a face emerged from around the corner. It was the white, cartoon drawn masked face of Scarecrow Jack. Like a spider, his lanky legs and arms moved against the wall from behind Martha. With machete in his right hand, the animated man moved without sound towards his target. The weapon was ready for the attack, pointing directly at Martha's back.

Still kept attentive to the door, Martha did not hear the man approach.

Close enough to Martha, Scarecrow Jack quickly placed the blade around Martha's slender neck and pulled her body closer to him by placing a forceful hand on her waist. "Hello, baby." He said in a horrible Elvis impersonation.

Martha's wide eyes darted around her. She breathed heavily.

Jack leaned his mask covered face into the woman's left ear. "I remember you ... When Diabolo was asking for the 'pretty one,' I assumed it was you."

"Is that suppose to be a compliment?" Martha asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Jack gave a chuckle under his breath. "What is going on in my pants is a compliment, honey."

Martha straightened her face and aimed the left blade. With a snarl and grunt, Martha quickly jabbed the blade into Jack's left thigh! Using the other blade, Martha crossed her arm and sliced Jack's machete holding hand!

Jack grunted in pain and pushed Martha away from him, allowing her to pass from his weapon. He staggered backwards and glanced to the blade sticking out of a bloody wound in the front of his thigh. "Bitch!"

Martha held the last remaining blade out in front of her. "I am sick and tired of you freaks!"

Jack gave a chuckle and pulled out the blade from his thigh with a scream. He heaved as the blood poured out of his wound. "I ... I knew you were the one, for me baby."

Martha shook her head. "Come any closer ... I swear to God, I will kill you!" Her threat was hidden in a frightened voice.

Jack gave a shrill laugh. "Let's not forget, I am the killer here. I am the freak. What are you?"

Martha glared her eyes at the man with a mix of fright and anger. "I am not going to play your games!"

Jack readied his machete to attack Martha by pointing the tip it at her. "Just as I thought, not a freak. See, it takes one to kill one, baby. And you are not even close to be a freak like me."

At that very moment, Jack's skinny body was thrown against the brick wall back an unseen speeding force! Once Jack was held against the wall by overly large hands that held black long sharp nails, it was clear what the force was. It was Zachary Taylor. His pale skin whiter than ever before; his red eyes glared at the insane man with rage; the corners of his mouth were stretched to his ears and his mouth was wide open, exposing many rows of sharp, lion like, teeth!

Jack let out a whimper as Zachary dug his vicious teeth through the clothing and into his flesh. A horrible slurping sound let out as Zachary continued to drink the man's blood.

Martha dropped her blade and covered her mouth. Her eyes wide with fear as she stepped backwards. "My ... My ..."

Around the corner, where Zachary appeared, stepped Sherrif Reynolds, shot gun held tight to his left shoulder. His eyes did glance to Zachary and Jack, but they did not seem surprised. Instead, the bald man turned his attention to the terror struck Martha. He lowered his weapon and walked over to her carefully. "Miss Thomas?"

Martha's blue eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body went limp.

As Martha's body fell, Reynolds dropped his weapon and grabbed the poor woman with his arms. "I've got ya."

Zachary let out a loud shrill before throwing Jack's body onto the ground. His mouth was covered in blood as he turned his red glowing eyes to Reynolds. Slowly, his mouth shrunk along with his enlarged hands. As Zachary's face switched into his once human looking one, his pale skin seemed to hold a bright pink instead of a frail pale. He ran the sleeve of his jacket over his mouth and walked over to the two. "Is she alright?" He asked with fear in his eyes.

Reynolds slowly let Martha fall onto the ground. "Yeah, she just fainted." He gently laid the woman's head on the concrete floor before returning to his weapon.

Zachary knelt down and pulled a lock of Martha's sweat covered red hair away from her face. "Thank God you are alright, my dear."

Reynolds opened the door that led to the hospital's corridor. He glanced over his shoulder. "Come on!"

Zachary quickly stood up and walked over Martha with ease. "I will look for Chloe and Richard, you stay here."

Reynolds glared at Zachary. "What? To protect your crush? My little girl is somewhere in here!"

Zachary placed a hand on Reynolds' right shoulder. His red eyes glowed as he gave an assured smile to the Sherrif. "And I will find her. I am far faster than you are and far more dangerous. Please, Jason. Watch after Martha and I will promise you, I'll return with your daughter, safe and sound."

Reynolds glanced to Martha and then back to Zachary. "Can you make me another promise?"

Zachary held his face still.

"If you find that monster that did this to these people, make him pay."

Zachary nodded, a look of anger crossed his face. "Even though I promised myself this, I will promise it again." He took in a deep breath and within a blink, Zachary's form disappeared.

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Clouds of dust flew into the air down the corridor and Zachary's invisible form emerged, kneeling down at the bloody body of Louise Diabolo. His red eyes studied the body before him. "Poor devil." He said under his breath, before taking in another deep breath and disappearing.

Within a fraction of a second, Zachary stood at the Employees Only door. He pushed on the double doors and stepped into another room.

This room was very large and rounded in designed. It had been cleared of any furnitured that had been bolted down once before. In the center of the room sat a throne, which was a chair with human and animal bone screwed or glued to it. The walls held long strands of black thread and on this thread hung rows upon rows of human and animal teeth! Hanging from the center of the rounded ceiling was a chandelare, antique and made of entirly gold. Its candle mimic designed lights gave off a dim light into the room. On one side of the room, a naked woman laid on the floor dead; her throat was fastened to a leather collar that was chained to the wall. Just around the room, on the other side of the woman, was another naked woman, struggling to free herself from a similar collar. It was then that Zachary's red eyes caught sight of Richard and Chloe trying to free the woman.

Without knowing of Zachary's presence, they were trying to free another naked woman from a leather collar chained to the wall. Her face seemed to be horribly scarred and her head was shaved to the skin. Around her naked torso was Chloe's black sweater, which covered her body to her knees.

　

　

Chloe tried to remove the collar around the woman's neck as Richard tried with all his might to pull the chain away from the bolts on the wall.

As Zachary slowly moved further into the room, the leashed woman's eyes darted at Zachary. She moaned and cried out with fear.

Chloe turned her attention to Zachary behind her. Her face was covered in smeared makeup and just above her right eye was a deep gash made by a heavy blow. Her bottom lip was swollen and bruised. Her neck held dark purple bruising from a hand grabbing her throat. Her t-shirt was ripped just enough to expose her black laced bra and a large knife wound sat on her right thigh just above her knee. The young woman's eyes teared up at the sight of Zachary. "Mr. Taylor." She called out in a harsh voice.

Richard turned to Zachary approaching. His eyes widened. "Oh thank God."

Chloe walked in front of the woman and looked into her eyes. "It's okay ... Mr. Taylor is here to help."

Richard tugged on the chain. "I can not ... Pull this thing off."

Zachary ran up to Richard's aid and grabbed the chain with his left hand. With one pull, the chain pried off the wall.

The woman fell to her knees. She scrambled into a ball, wrapping her arms around her knees and pushing her knees to her chest. She moaned and cried.

Zachary wrapped his arms around Richard and gave him a quick hug. "Good boy ... Good lad." He patted Richard on the back. With a grin, he pulled himself away from Richard and pointed to Chloe. "Your father is expecting you. Richard, be a kind lad and take Miss Reynolds to her father at the end of the corridor. I'll bring the woman."

Chloe shook her head and cleared her sore throat. "She is too scared ... I'll take her."

Zachary shook his own head and walked over to the woman. "Go, please. I will feel much safer if the two of you are away from this."

Richard ran over to Chole. The two wrapped each other in their arms. Then, with Chloe holding onto Richard's waist and Richard holding onto Chloe's shoulder, the two walked quickly out of the room. As the two neared the exit, Chloe glanced over her shoulder to see Zachary.

The man was staring into the eyes of the woman and whispering to her. The woman's face seemed to be in a heavy trance.

Richard looked down at Chloe. "Are you alright? Am I hurting you?"

Chloe returned her attention to the double doors. "No ... Thank God you were here."

Richard pushed the double doors open. "I ... I ... I am just glad you are alright."

Chloe shook her head and started to sob. "They ... They were going to do ... Oh God Richard ... Thank you for saving me."

Richard kissed Chloe's head. "It is going to be alright."

Chloe stopped and held back Richard. Without a moment of hesitation, Chloe grabbed Richard's head and pulled it to hers. She then gave the young man a passionate kiss. Richard wrapped his arms around her and held her close as they kissed. As Chloe removed her lips from his, she laid her head on his chest. "I owe you big time."