FoA S3 Chapter 14

You don’t have a lot of options. You think fast as Connell marches Vicky and Joey up the stairs and out of the basement.

The severed arm is holding keys. That is the only thing that can make you approach a severed arm. You move quickly because the part of your brain that isn’t in panic mode irrationally believes that the gator is going to come back as a zombie.

You grab the keys and hustle up the stairs, hearing Connell’s car pulling away. You only really have two options: take the dead guy’s truck and go for the help or take the dead guy’s truck and follow Connell.

You probably are not the smartest Free Gurl. That would be Fang. But you aren’t the dumbest, either. Connell is a dirty cop who does dirty cop things. She is not taking Joey and Vicky to jail. If you don’t follow them, you may not ever know where they were taken.

Stealing a pickup truck to follow a dirty cop might not be the best idea, but you don’t have time to think of a better one. These backroads are bumpy and terrible, full of muddy potholes. You also have a new appreciation for the water that you frequently see because gators just seem different now. You want to be a more careful driver. But you also have to hurry. You can’t follow closely or Connell will spot you, so you’re **** to keep your distance and make occasional guesses.

After something like half an hour of driving, you see brake lights and take a hint, quickly reversing and getting the truck out of sight. You point it back the way you came and leave it, hoping that it won’t sink into the mud.

Stealthily, you creep through the swamp, avoiding the water. A door slams. You push some branches aside and move closer, finding a cabin hidden in the shadows.

It’s not large, and the windows are all covered with newspaper. The cabin doesn’t look sturdy, but the door appears to be metal. It’s covered in moss and vines. The ground in front is just mud. Only Connell’s vehicle is parked here. The stench of the swamp is powerful, but the cover from the trees is so deep that it’s almost cool.

It’s so quiet. Half an hour of driving these backroads has left you without the slightest idea where you are, but it’s safe to say that you’re a long way from anything that matters. You’re guessing this place doesn’t even have electricity. Are you even still in Hornie County? Even if you had a phone, there won’t be any service in a place like this. There won’t be any help. Or rather, you are the help.

As you look at the cabin, you have **** but to think it: no one could ask for a better place to quietly **** some people.