Zodiac's toy by John Jones (best free ereader .TXT) 📖

their arms in the T position to say: 'The scales of justice are not in your favour'. Also occasionally, the television would change channel to a courtroom drama, and he would not be able to turn it over or off. Someone on the programme would say at one point: 'The scales of justice are not balanced in their favour', then it would change back to the channel he was watching.

Several times he had to remind himself that it seemed a lot of people didn't believe in the zodiac. There was always a rational explanation. A coincidence. If they didn’t believe that then neither do I, he had thought, convincing himself. His lack of belief reinforced but only moderately.

He had also found the Libra card on the kitchen counter, telling himself he must have missed it before. That then went out of the window.

He scrabbled together what breakfast he could, the fear of Gary still surging through him, and he soon found himself in the hallway, and saw the piece of paper under the door.

He picked it up and read it:

Dear Ray,

Cant take this any more ray. gary has desided to kill you becos you thretened to grass them up. I wish you woud have. Id do it myself but they would hunt after me. I've desided Im going up north to try and make a go of this personel trainer thing. I've gone cold turky on the drink and the ciggies and coke. I hope somthing happens and they deside not to shoot you, sorry I cant save you. I think gary has made his mind up. Glad to have known you ray.

Goodbye mate. Shane.

He walked slowly back into the living room and sat on the sofa, re-reading it. He put a hand to his head, trembling.

Then he heard voices outside the flat, and a loud bang on the door. Something heavy crashed into it. Again, and again, until it swung open, and Blotto stood there with a sledgehammer. Gary was there with his arms folded behind. Lee nearby, hands in pockets, eyes downcast. Gary nodded to someone out of sight, and then Nugget came in grinning with a CZ 97B handgun.

Gary, Blotto and Lee closed their eyes and walked backwards into Gary’s place, Blotto and Lee sitting on the sofa, Gary at the desk.

Nugget was pointing the gun at Ray.

"Now it seems that the scales of justice are balanced in your favour," he said, and pressed the gun to the side of his own head and pulled the trigger. The bullet powered through, splattering blood, brains and cranium across the wall and linoleum floor. He collapsed, Ray staring at him wide-eyed.

For the next few minutes Ray just wandered aimlessly around the flat. Wondering why Blotto and Gary were not in here finishing him off. He saw through the door the flat opposite. He couldn't see either of them from his vantage point, but came to realise now would perhaps be a good time to leave.

So he left, and ran as quickly as he could away into the streets.

Gary, Lee and Blotto opened their eyes.

"Alright," said Gary, "let's go and shoot Ray. Do you want to do it or Nugget?" he said to Blotto.

"Let Nugget do it, but I need a sledgehammer. I'll have to go and buy one".

"Fuck's sake Blotto, hurry up. I've got someone coming in an hour". Blotto stood up and left the flat, only to see the door had already been smashed open. He tentatively walked inside, and it wasn't long before he was looking at Nugget's body.

"Gary!" he shouted, and moments later, they were all stood in the flat.

"Fucking bastard!" shouted Gary, and jabbed an angry finger at Lee and Blotto.

"You two, find him. I want him alive. I'll skin the cunt. Fucking find him!" he then stormed out, and Lee and Blotto just stood there like two chastised children.

"Must have fought Nugget and then shot him, then put the gun in his hand to make it look like suicide," said Blotto. Lee just nodded.

"Looks like it," he admitted, "but I think I know where he's going. His sisters".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 35

 

Ray wandered through the streets like a drug addict in need of a fix, like a hobo searching for a drink. He didn't know where he was headed, except away from the high-rise as far as possible, as he knew Gary, Blotto, and probably Lee would be gunning for him.

He bumped into a few people and a couple of cars had to screech to a halt when he wandered into traffic, but soon he was wavering down a road with terraced houses, with mirror image houses opposite, and the door to one of them opened up ahead and a woman stepped out and looked at him. She was around his height, maybe slightly older, curly blonde with a yellow polka dot dress.

"Hey," she said, as he came near, "you are gorgeous". She looked him up and down and nodded approvingly.

"Fancy coming in for a shower and something to eat?". Before Ray could comprehend, he found himself walking inside the small house. It was one of those places where you stepped straight into the living room. There was a man sitting in an armchair, smiling at him.

"My name's Virginia," said the woman, closing the door, “and that's Adrian".

"Are you gonna take her cherry?" Adrian asked, smiling.

"What? I don't kn..."

"You look hungry. Adrian, make us a meal," said Virginia, and the man got up and headed to the small kitchen at the back.

"While that's cooking, come upstairs and take a shower".

What the fuck's going on? thought Ray. Virginia made her way up the stairs and Ray followed. She led him into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

"There's a towel here, you can shave or whatever. Just treat everything like it's yours. And come through into the bedroom where you can choose any of Adrian's clothes and shoes".

"Are you serious? This doesn't happen to me...I mean..." Steam billowed in the bathroom from the shower and Virginia just smiled at him and said:

"When you're finished come down and the food should be ready". She closed the door and went downstairs into the kitchen where she sat at a little table wedged into the corner while Adrian cooked. She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

 

Ten minutes later, having showered and shaved, Ray was stood in the bedroom looking in the cupboard. He took advantage of her offer and was soon dressed in Adrian’s jeans, jumper, jacket and boots. They were however, slightly too big, and he made his way down the stairs.

Virginia opened her eyes and walked out to greet him in the living room.

"There you are, well look at you," Adrian came out, smiling at him.

"They're a bit too big, but I'll take them".

"There not too big," said Virginia, "they're a perfect fit". Ray looked again, only to find the clothes were the right size. He frowned, confused, and still confused that a woman, stranger had invited him in off the street for a shower and food.

"All done," said Adrian, putting a plate of steaming food on the table. Ray walked into the kitchen and found it was what he would have eaten anyway. Onion rings, peas, chips and spaghetti. There was also a cup of tea.

"Tuck in," said Virginia, "then maybe you can tuck into me". Ray just stared at her as if to say: Okay, where's the catch for all this? but he cautiously walked over to the table, sat down and began eating. Adrian went back to his armchair and Virginia stood near him, out of Ray's sight, stock still, staring at the wall.

When he ate his last forkful and drank the tea, Virginia became animated again and looked at Ray as he appeared in the doorway.

"Well thanks for all this," he said, but Virginia just smiled and said:

"How about we go upstairs and you can fuck me". Ray was speechless, and didn't know how to answer.

"She's a virgin you know," said Adrian, "won't let me touch her".

"But you," she said at Ray, "you look like you know what you're doing. A red-hot blooded man that would be loving and passionate in the bedroom".

"Hang on," said Adrian, "if he takes your cherry. That means you won't be a virgin anymore".

Virginia looked surprised, as if realising that for the first time.

"Oh," she said, "you're right. I'll no longer be a virgin. I won't be pure". She crossed to the door and opened it.

"Sorry Ray," she said, and nodded to the road.

I knew it was too good to be true, thought Ray. Still, meal and clothes. He thanked them both, and then left.

"Who was that?" asked Adrian. The woman looked confused.

"I don't know" she said.

 

Ray's thoughts from wondering why a woman stranger would offer him food and sex morphed back into Lee, into Gary, and his henchman, and the adrenalin of fear came back into his system.

He was heading for Caroline's, and believed he could persuade her to let him stay a while, but there was also the fact that the psychopaths could not track him. He had no phone. They had a whole town to search so they would probably revert to option two.

Where would he go? Lee would perhaps guess where he would head to, and knew where she lived. Would they be psychotic enough to threaten Caroline?

Of course they fucking would, he thought, and hurried in that direction.

As he passed by, some women turned their heads approvingly.

"...lovely...gorgeous..fine.." he heard as he passed by, with a couple of wolf whistles, but as he neared the house they faded, and he was soon heading up the pathway.

To see the door already open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 36

 

The lock had been damaged and the wood around it dented. He slowly walked inside, as he knew he had to, where Lee grabbed him from behind the door and threw him down.

"Here he fucking is, about time". He was dragged into the living room where Blotto was sitting on the sofa, the sledgehammer leaning next to him.

"Finally". Ray lay beside the coffee table in front of the blank television. Blotto leaned forward.

"Do you know how long we've been here? Two hours. Two fucking hours. That's highly inconsiderate and disrespectful, making us wait like that". Blotto stood up, stepped across and kicked Ray hard in the ribs.

"We came here expecting to find you, and we were kind of hoping to find your sister and what's-his-name? but instead we find an empty house".

"They'll..be...at work," Ray muttered.

"Well that means we'll have to wait won't we. We'll all just have to wait until they both get back, so you can watch me slash her face up, and then she's gonna watch me carve you open". He kicked him again, then took from his pocket a Stanley knife. He slid out the blade and knelt down, showing Ray.

"Say hello Stanley". Ray said nothing. "This is my friend Stanley. Show him some respect". Ray again said nothing, and Blotto pressed the blade into his fore-head. He flinched back. A rivulet of blood coursed down onto the carpet.

"I said say hello".

"H..hello" Ray managed.

"That's better," he said, standing up.

"Are we really waiting until they get back?" Lee asked. Blotto nodded.

"Somebody needs to be taught a lesson that we are not to be fucked with," he said, looking down at Ray. "So we wait. I'll slash them a few times, then they can watch what I do to him. Maybe they won't want to get married if I turn them both into a pair of ugly bastards," Blotto said, laughing. Lee smiled, then stamped on Ray's head several times.

"What the fuck Ray?" he said, when he stopped. "Why did you do it?"

"...didn't do nothing.." Ray managed. Blotto kicked him again, then sat back on the sofa.

"How long are they gonna be?" Blotto asked.

"...don't know.."

"Lee, go the kitchen and rustle up some food". Lee did so, and Ray simply lay there in the foetus position, Blotto saying nothing but putting his hands behind his head and leaning back.

Lee came