Hell Town -- Part 9
by Martin H Slusser

Howling in pain, one lunged for the child, but she slipped away, twisting and dodging as he chased her.

“Edad,” the first man screamed. “No!”

A brick caught Edad in the head, and he dropped into a pile of trash. A knife flashed, and his feet jerked once and were still. From deeper in the ruins a half-wild hog grunted. The sweet scent of blood brought more calls from the herd.

The first man dragged up his pants cursing the children. He pulled a gun, but a shard of glass whipped through the window to gouge his head. Blood spurting, he fired, and the girl cried out. She ran into another building.

“I’m getting gone,” the third cried. He started firing through the window and ran, dodging bricks and glass thrown at him. A brick caught him in the back, and he stumbled. More sailed out. A boy with a slingshot aimed and shot a piece of brick. It cracked the back of his head, and he screamed, tumbling down. Kids swarmed him.

“Shit.”

The third man backed away from Sue with his wallet in his hand. “Hey,” he called. “Let me go, and you can have this.”

The nine-year-old leader appeared in the doorway, a lazy grin on his face.

“Hey, man. Sounds cool, but you know tha rule.”

“The . . . rule?”

“Yeah. Tha one what say no wintnesses.”

The man brought the gun up and fired. The boy dived out of the way. The second shot landed on an empty chamber.

A child called, “Two down and one still standing.”

Blood seeping down the sleeve of her coat, the girl moved into he doorway.

“Dead man walking.”

Children boiled out of the gapes and holes in the walls dragging him down, and for long minutes he screamed and screamed until little was left, and the rats came sniffing, reddened eyes bulging and wet mouths open to the smell of fresh, raw meat.

Sue was dragged out still barely conscious.

Not far behind them the hogs were grunting and muttering, leery of the shots, but hungry. The rats swarmed into the room moments before the first hog rammed through the rotting bricks.

Hearing a light tap at the door, Pop peeked through the cracks. No cops. He blinked and saw a small shadow. The head moved back and he smiled. Behind him huddled a small circle of frightened people.

“It’s Sue Hannah,” he whispered.

Moving to one side of it, he unlocked the door and opened it. She sagged on the stoop, and Pop cried out. Careless of the people watching, he reached down to help her in and half-carry her to the kitchen table.

A half-dozen street children staying with Pop and Ma Emma stared in awe at the blood on her face. Gert ran for a bowl of cold water from the tap down the street and rushed back. The door slammed behind her, and a child pressed an eye to a crack to keep watch.

“Was raped,” she muttered, wincing at the water and the salve Emma put on the cuts.

“Who?”

“The Man’s boys.”

“Lordy, girl,” Gert muttered. “And they didn’t take you?”

Sue gave the kids a crooked grin. “Nah. TGs got ‘em. 'No witnesses,’ yo.” She choked and spat out a dark blob of blood.

“Want to go the hospital, Sue?” Emma asked.

Sue’s head jerked up and she started at Emma. “No, Auntie. The docs would have to report it. Best leave be. I’ll go see the sacred-woman if I got to. It ain’t so bad,” she said, trying to smile at Emma.

Emma gave her a sad smile and wrapped her arms around Sue.

“Just . . . A blood test. Something to be sure they had all their shots.”

“No.” Sue took a deep breath. “I got to go.” She struggled to her feet. “Harrison knows I was coming here. I know somebody followed me. The Man . . .” She left the rest unsaid, pushed through the people and out of the tiny apartment.

She closed the door behind her and stumbled down the stoop, falling heavily to her knees in a patch of frost dead pepper bushes Emma planted in cracks in the walk.

It was dark so far from the center of town. She crawled on hands and knees, her mouth dry with fear of the men that claimed to love her, only to use her. At her side Benny crawled as well, whispering and trying to help, while in the hospital tears ran from his good eye and sobs whispered in the breathing tube.

Emma opened the door, looking first at Sue, then the darker stain on the walk from the bloodied hands.

Pop brushed by her. He stepped down, and a sub lieutenant of Lord Penn’s moved out to crouch before Sue.

“Hey, kid,” he said, smiling. He glanced up, then pointed a finger past Pop at Emma. “Not you old woman, but I can take her out.”

Sue pushed herself to her knees. She glanced back and whispered, “No.”

Emma took a short step forward. “Honey, you say the word and I gets the kids –”

“No . . . I’d kill myself afore I let anything happen to you.”

Sim smiled. “Man, ain’t like she was going to her death. The Man, he likes her.”

“And Jesus loves her,” Pop said, straightening. He looked up and slowly raised a hand. A bent old woman shuffled down the street, her head covered on an animal hide and didn’t give a damn she could be arrested for it.

“Daughter,” she whispered, ignoring Sim. “Got the message, did I. O:tsi:Yu!”

“Siyu, Grandmother,” Sue whispered back. The old sacred-woman smiled from the shadows of the cape.

“Got message for ol’ Sim, here, too.”

“Me?" Eyes wary, Sim slowly stood up.

“Yep. God loves you.”

Making a cold face, Sim spit on the walk.

The woman said, “But the Devil is calling you home to hell.” She raised a finger that was swollen and bent with age and pointed it in his face. “Angelo, he needs toys to make his power. Me, was taught by my ma both good an’ evil. I got the right to return each on a man. Maybe so tonight some shon:gili comes a-calling to eat your heart.”

Scowling, Sim lifted his hands.

“Just doing my job, old woman.”

“Be best if you scooted along, sonny, afore you can’t do nothing no more.”

Smiling and a gentle look on his face, Sim shrugged. Old Maggie stared right at Benny.

“You, boy,” she shouted. “You get back where you belong. Git!”

A wind roared down the street, and Benny was torn away from Sue and slammed back in his body.

On the street, Sim’s eyes were wide and believing. He tipped his Rex Harrison hat and walked away.

Scowling and rubbing the back of his neck, Pop knelt beside Sue and picked her up. She muttered protests, but they were ignored. Emma held the door as he went in. She beckoned at the old woman, but the slight body was already shuffling away.

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