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The Laughing Corpse :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 199 из 213"It's too tight."
"You can do it, Wanda."
She picked at the knot with her fingers, until after what seemed hours, but was probably about five minutes, I felt the rope give. Slack, I had slack. Yea!
"You've almost got it, Wanda." I felt like a cheerleader.
The sound of footsteps clattered down the hall towards us. Wanda's battered face stared up at me, terror in her eyes. "There's not time," she whispered.
"Go back where you were. Do it: We'll finish later," I said.
Wanda hand-walked back to where Bruno had laid her. She had just arranged herself into nearly the same position when the door opened. Wanda was pretending to be unconscious, not a bad idea.
Tommy stood in the doorway. He'd taken off his jacket and the black webbing of the shoulder rig stood out on his white polo shirt. Black jeans emphasized his pinched-in waist. He looked top-heavy from lifting so many weights.
He'd added one new thing to the outfit. A knife. He twirled it in his hand like a baton. It was almost a perfect sheen of light. Manual dexterity. Wowee.
"I didn't know you used a knife, Tommy." My voice sounded calm, normal, amazing.
He grinned. "I have a lot of talents. Gaynor wants to know if you've changed your mind about the zombie raising."
It wasn't exactly a question, but I answered it. "I won't do it."
His grin widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Why?" I was afraid I knew the answer.
"Because he sent me in here to persuade you."
I stared at the glittering knife, I couldn't help myself. "With a knife?"
"With something else long and hard, but not so cold," he said.
"Rape?" I asked. The word sort of hung there in the hot, still air.
He nodded, grinning like a damn Cheshire cat. I wished I could make him disappear except for his smile. I wasn't afraid of his smile. It was the other end I was worried about.
I jerked at the ropes helplessly. The right wrist gave a little more. Had Wanda loosened the rope enough? Had she? Please God, let it be.
Tommy stood over me. I stared up the length of his body and what I saw in his eyes was nothing human. There were all sorts of ways to become a monster. Tommy had found one. There was nothing but an animal hunger in his gaze. Nothing, human left.
He put a leg on either side of the chair, straddling me without sitting down. His flat stomach was pressed against my face. His shirt smelled of expensive after-shave. I jerked my head back, trying not to touch him.
"You can do it, Wanda."
She picked at the knot with her fingers, until after what seemed hours, but was probably about five minutes, I felt the rope give. Slack, I had slack. Yea!
"You've almost got it, Wanda." I felt like a cheerleader.
The sound of footsteps clattered down the hall towards us. Wanda's battered face stared up at me, terror in her eyes. "There's not time," she whispered.
"Go back where you were. Do it: We'll finish later," I said.
Wanda hand-walked back to where Bruno had laid her. She had just arranged herself into nearly the same position when the door opened. Wanda was pretending to be unconscious, not a bad idea.
Tommy stood in the doorway. He'd taken off his jacket and the black webbing of the shoulder rig stood out on his white polo shirt. Black jeans emphasized his pinched-in waist. He looked top-heavy from lifting so many weights.
He'd added one new thing to the outfit. A knife. He twirled it in his hand like a baton. It was almost a perfect sheen of light. Manual dexterity. Wowee.
"I didn't know you used a knife, Tommy." My voice sounded calm, normal, amazing.
He grinned. "I have a lot of talents. Gaynor wants to know if you've changed your mind about the zombie raising."
It wasn't exactly a question, but I answered it. "I won't do it."
His grin widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Why?" I was afraid I knew the answer.
"Because he sent me in here to persuade you."
I stared at the glittering knife, I couldn't help myself. "With a knife?"
"With something else long and hard, but not so cold," he said.
"Rape?" I asked. The word sort of hung there in the hot, still air.
He nodded, grinning like a damn Cheshire cat. I wished I could make him disappear except for his smile. I wasn't afraid of his smile. It was the other end I was worried about.
I jerked at the ropes helplessly. The right wrist gave a little more. Had Wanda loosened the rope enough? Had she? Please God, let it be.
Tommy stood over me. I stared up the length of his body and what I saw in his eyes was nothing human. There were all sorts of ways to become a monster. Tommy had found one. There was nothing but an animal hunger in his gaze. Nothing, human left.
He put a leg on either side of the chair, straddling me without sitting down. His flat stomach was pressed against my face. His shirt smelled of expensive after-shave. I jerked my head back, trying not to touch him.