Twilight Tales For Everyone

By Dallas Releford

Dallas Releford has written over thirty five novels and many of them were derived from short stories he has written during his long writing history since he was twelve years old. He is only one of a handful of writers who has written in several different areas such as horror, science fiction, romance, paranormal, thriller, suspense, mystery, westerns and he has co-authored several computer and technical books. Twilight Tales for Everyone is a collection of short and not so short stories covering everything from horror to ghost to western stories.

For example, you will find horror stories that will grab you and drag you into the story so fast you won't know what happened. Once so enthralled with the plot you will want to read other stories. Since the collection includes stories of many types and varieties you will not become bored with reading any one type of story. If you like ghost stories you might want to read, The Next Bus To Tombstone, a short story about a couple lost in the desert on a deserted highway and can't figure out why they are there how how they got there.

Limbo is about a cowboy rancher who is invited to a card game where his soul is up for grabs and if he loses, he will never get it back.

Despite the fact that you will be reading over 450,000 words, the process has been made easy for you using interactive menus, meaning that you can select the story you want to read and then be taken there instantly. Once you have finished the story, you can go back to the main menu and select another story. This method works quite well and I think you will like it.

Perhaps the most important feature of Twilight Tales for Everyone is the fact that you are getting enough stories to keep you occupied for days and at a very reasonable price.

So grab your book reader and purchase Twilight Tales for Everyone now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dallas Releford
• Release date: Aug 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476013473

Book preview

Twilight Tales for Everyone

Dallas Releford

Published by

Dallas Releford at Smashwords.com

TWILIGHT TALES FOR EVERYONE

Copyright (C) 2012 Dallas Releford

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Twilight Tales for Everyone is a collection of 81 short stories that will provide hours of quality entertainment as it has several different generes for you to enjoy. Included in this collection are horror stories, mysteries, romances, westerns, suspense, thrillers, fantasy, paranormal, ghosts and stories for every age group. This collection is from the works of Dallas Releford, an author of 35 novels and four computer books. This is an interactive electronic book which means that you can select any chapter from the main menu, read it and then return to the main menu. I have attempted to make reading this book as easy and pleasant as possible. I would appreciate your comments.

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, places, events, organizations, areas, or locations are intended to provide a feeling of authenticity and are used in a fictitious manner. All other characters, dialogue and incidents are drawn from the author’s imagination and shouldn’t be accepted as real.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without explicit permission from the author or publisher except in brief quotations used in an article or in a similar way.

Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The ebook may not be re-sold or given to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Introduction

This book, Twilight Tales for Everyone contains eighty-one short stories (and some not so short) that are meant to keep you entertained on dark nights, rainy nights, sunlit days and any other time you feel like you'd like to read a good book. There are stories here for everyone including romances, mysteries, horror, fantasy, suspense, westerns and paranormal ghost stories. Many of these stories were written when I was a teenager while the rest are recent. Many of them were written to test an idea about a story I had for a future novel. For example, Legend of the Banshee Raiders eventually became Cicada Summer. The short story was written in 1961 when I was about twelve years old. Where They Go To Die and After Darkness Falls were short stories before I wrote novels under the same title. Usually, but not always, if I like a story concept I will write it as a short story and develop it into a novel. Both of those short stories were written in 1972. The novels weren't written for another five years or more. If you like ghost stories, I sincerely hope you enjoy The Last Bus To Tombstone, a story about a young couple attempting to find their own identities on a hot Arizona summer night. So, I'm glad you are here and I hope you stay long enough to read all the stories and I also hope you take your time and enjoy them. With that said, I'll hush and let you enjoy the fruit of my labors.

Dallas Releford

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81 short stories

Twilight Tales for Everyone

Dallas Releford

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Interactive Option

MAIN SELECTION MENU

Contents

Click on chapter you want to read

1 COLD HARD FACTS - Horror

2 COLD HANDS, HOT BLOOD - Horror

3 THE DEVIL YOU SAY - Horror

4 A BODY TO DIE FOR - Mystery

5 A MATTER OF MURDER - Mystery

6 A PIECE OF PURPLE - Mystery

7 AUTOMATION MANIA - Science Fiction

8 MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - Horror

9 BLAST FROM THE PAST - Mystery

10 BLOOD IN THE HUMVEE - Mystery

11 BRAND OF DISHONOR - Science Fiction

12 CATASTROPHIC - Horror

13 COMA - Horror

14 THE DEAD DON'T DIE - Horror

15 DEATH VOW - Mystery

16 DOUBLE STANDARDS - Horror

17 EARTH IS A STAR - Fantasy, Science Fiction

18 ELEVATOR - Science Fiction

19 FADED MEMORIES - Mystery

20 FRUSTRATION - Mystery

21 GANGSTERS GET CHRISTMAS PRESENTS TOO - Mystery

22 THE GIRL WHO KILLED TED DOHERTY - Horror

23 GRAVEYARD LUST - Mystery

24 HORRORVILLE, USA - Horror

25 1 JUDGE THE NOT - Horror

26 JASON ONLY LOVED ME - Romance

27 KILLERS DECEPTION - Mystery

28 KNIGHTS OF THE FULL MOON - Horror

29 LIES OF THE TRUTHFUL - Horror

30 LIGHTNING ROD - Horror

31 LIMBO - Western Horror

32 LITTLE WARRIOR - Science Fiction

33 MARCH OF THE OPPRESSORS - Horror

34 MASS MIGRATION - Horror

35 MY BOYFRIEND IS A MONSTER - Horror, Romance

36 MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST - Horror

37 NIGHT SESSION - Science Fiction

38 NIGHT OF A THOUSAND FACES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comedy

39 NORTH WOODS TERROR - Horror, Thriller

40 NOT A GHOST OF A CHANCE - Horror, Paranormal

41 THE OLD OAK TREE - Horror

42 THE OTHER SIDE - Horror, Paranormal, Ghosts

43 PIRATES OF SKELETON CREEK - Fantasy

44 PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA - Mystery, Thriller

45 PULSE - Science Fiction

46 QUARANTINED - Horror

47 LORD RUTHERFORD'S QUEST - Fantasy

48 THE RELUCTANT BRIDE - Mystery

49 SHADOW OF A STAR - Mystery

50 THE DAY THE GUNS WERE SILENT - Science Fiction

51 SIX VIRGINS - Horror, Mystery

52 SLASH - Horror

53 STONE COLD - Mystery, Thriller

54 SURFACE TRAP - Horror

55 THE LOST CRYSTAL TOWERS OF MARS - Science Fiction, Fantasy

56 THE LAST MAN - Horror

57 THE PERFECT FIT - Horror

58 THE BANSHEE RAIDERS - Horror

59 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - Horror

60 THE DEAD DON'T DIE - Horror

61 THE GESTATION FACTOR - Horror

62 THE GODS HAVE EYES - Science Fiction

63 THE HAT THAT CRIED MURDER - Mystery, Thriller

64 THE SWORD OF IRON MOUNTAIN - Fantasy

65 THE MOON WATCHERS - Mystery, Horror

66 NEXT BUS TO TOMBSTONE - Paranormal, Ghosts

67 THE NIGHT OF THE INVISIBLE - Horror, Thriller

68 THE PURPLE GOOSE - Mystery, Thriller, Speculative Fiction

69 THERE IS AN AGELESS PLACE - Science Fiction, Fantasy

70 THE STORM CELLAR - Horror

71 THREE STEPS AND YOU DIE - Horror, Speculative Fiction

72 TRUE BETRAYAL - Horror, Romance

73 TWILIGHT OF THE YELLOW JACKET - Light Horror, Children's Fantasy

74 VOICES OF ANGER - Mystery

75 THE WATCHMAN - Horror

76 WHEN DARKNESS COMES - Mystery

77 WHEN THE DARKNESS FALLS - Horror

78 WHEN THEY COME BACK - Horror, Fantasy

79 WHERE THERE IS FEAR - Horror

80 WHO IS WATCHING YOU NOW - Paranormal, Ghosts, Speculative Fiction

81 WINDS OF CHANGE - Fantasy

Biography of Dallas Releford, Author

Where to shop for more of the author's books

Contact the author

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1

Cold Hard Facts

Dallas Releford

Standing in front of a bank wasn’t a crime. Standing in front of a bank while casing it, memorizing every feature, every grueling detail about the structure and the activities that went on there wasn’t really a crime either, unless you carried out your plans to rob it. Walking into a bank with guns drawn was a crime and one that could get you killed, especially in the lawless days of 1933.

Barbara Naylor and Danny Cold Heart Padgett knew what they were doing. They weren’t as famous as Bonnie and Clyde in 1933, however they had one other attribute that made them almost as notorious. They had robbed more banks and killed more people than Bonnie and Clyde, the Barker Gang and all the other gangs of the time put together. Before he was twenty, it was said that Padgett, who sported a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, had killed twenty men, one for every year of his young life.

Danny Padgett was the son of a West Virginia coal miner. Quitting school when he was fourteen, he left home and wandered to Cincinnati, Ohio where he took up with a gang of young punks who had a racket selling protection to local merchants. During a disagreement with one of the thugs, Danny killed him and fled to St. Louis where he found a job as a truck driver. There he met Barbara Naylor who was a seamstress in a local clothing store. When she was accused of robbing the store, she joined Danny in a cross-country robbery spree in the stolen truck. Standing six feet tall with thick brown hair, blue eyes and a jagged cut on his left cheek, Padgett lived up to his grim legacy with a blazing automatic Colt in each hand.

Barbara Naylor had migrated to Missouri from Hustonville, Kentucky where she had grown tired of farm life and wanted something spectacular in her life, such as a new car, a husband and lots of cash to spend. Working for it seemed like the wrong way to get rich, especially in those hard times, so she robbed her employer and left the old woman in a pool of her own blood. Her hazel eyes were as chilling as the frown on her lips and those who met her rarely walked away feeling like they’d had a pleasant experience. Most of the people she met were at the other end of a Colt .45 with pearl handles. Some were hauled away on a stretcher to the morgue. She wore her long brown hair tied back with a pink ribbon. Barbara was a beautiful woman with a slim figure that instantly attracted the attention of everyone she met. Her beauty came in handy when robbing banks and eluding lawmen. They rarely thought she could hurt anyone, until it was too late. Barbara could be a charming, lovable woman when she wanted to be. The only time when she was charismatic was when she wanted something she couldn’t get with a gun. Needless to say, she had few friends.

After robbing a bank near Houston, Texas where they killed a law enforcement officer, they headed north toward wide-open spaces in Oklahoma. In Tipton, they gassed up, rested for a few hours and drove west through unpopulated areas. Arriving at an intersection, they discovered a small town ahead of them just as darkness descended announcing the coming of the night. A sign said the town was named Pledge. Barbara could not locate it on the map except she noted that it had a bank and a hotel. They spent the night in the hotel. The lonely bank looked as inviting as the hotel with a hot bath, a warm bed and a place where they could enjoy each other.

Nice little town, Padgett said while lying on the bed watching Barbara put her clothes away. Why are you unpacking everything? We’ll only be here for one night.

It makes me feel more like I’m home, she said. At least for a little while.

You still want that big white house with four bedrooms, don’t you?

Doesn’t every girl?

Maybe. If we don’t do better at robbing banks soon, that dream might be more elusive than we thought, Padgett warned her.

Hard times, Barbara reminded him removing her clothes. Standing in her bra and panties looking at a pink nightgown she was contemplating wearing for the night, she looked at Padgett and said, We just came out of the depression and for some folks, it isn’t over yet. These farmers don’t have much money to put in a bank. We need to get to the bigger banks, like the ones in Chicago.

Honey, don’t you think that if those banks were easy to rob that somebody would have done it. They have guards in the ones that are worth robbing and police have cars just as fast as ours. Chicago isn’t like this little town. They only have one sheriff and I’m betting his car can’t do forty.

I’m betting their bank doesn’t have forty dollars, Barbara replied. That won’t keep me in panties for a week the way you tear them off.

Sorry, he said. As soon as we make a good haul, I’ll buy you a whole suitcase full of them. How’s that?

Wouldn’t be necessary if you would exercise a little restraint, she complained. But sometimes I enjoy the wild side of you.

Both sides of me are wild, he bragged. It’s the only way I know how to be.

Reaching over, he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her onto the bed. Jerking her bra off breaking the strap, he kissed her as he ripped her panties from her naked body. Entangled in hot flesh, they made love until they both were exhausted.

In the darkness, Barbara whispered to him, You monster, don’t you know how to treat a woman gentle. I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, that’s the only way I know.

I know, he agreed. You like it rough and so do I. We better get some sleep if we’re going to hit that bank tomorrow.

In his arms, she stroked his chest and whispered words of love to him until he was asleep. Hoping nightmares wouldn’t bother him the way they normally did, she fell back and tried to sleep. When would death come for them? Would it be sudden and quick or would they spend the rest of their lives locked up in some prison cell where rats and roach bugs were constant companions? She didn’t know and that was what made their lives so exciting. The threat of death knocking on their door when they least expected it was so exhilarating.

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Hand in hand they walked down a dusty street from the hotel after checking out at ten o’clock and putting their luggage in the Ford parked across the street from the bank. Casing the bank, checking out how many people went through its doors and how many came out, where the sheriff was and things like that was part of their—so far—successful operation. Displeasing to Barbara and acceptable to Padgett was the fact that the sheriff’s office was only two buildings down from the bank. An old ’32 gray Dodge was parked in front of the office building, a wooden structure with a large glass window that announced that it was indeed the sheriff’s office. A lone white star painted on the side of the vehicle indicated that it was an official vehicle not to be misidentified as anything else as if everyone knew the star meant that it belonged to the sheriff. Padgett had a hankering to blast that damn star until he saw two well-armed deputies come out of the office and drive away.

They have at least two deputies and a sheriff, Barbara said glancing at Padgett. That’s unusual for a town this size. Does that mean the bank is loaded? If so, where does the money come from? This is a farming community and from the look of things, people around here aren’t doing much farming.

Maybe they have oil wells, Padgett said with a grin on his mouth. That could be the reason for the troops. It doesn’t matter, if we hit the bank while they’re out of town, we only have to worry about that sheriff.

Well, what are we waiting for? This is just another little hick town like the last ones we robbed. Let’s take a look at the inside of the bank just in case they have a guard in there or a safe we can’t crack. Barbara started walking across the dusty street noticing that the streets were crowded with people going about their business. For a Tuesday morning she thought there was a lot of people in town. As she looked up the street she saw something that caused her to stop dead in her tracks. Nothing she had ever seen before, including dead, bloody bodies and dying men turned her blood colder than what she saw now.

Padgett turned and followed her briefly touching his twin automatic Colt .45s under his gray suit coat. He never wore a tie because it made him feel as if a noose were around his neck. In a fight for his life, the tie could be used to strangle him and he sure didn’t intend to give any adversary that advantage. Wondering why so many people were in town on a weekday, he tossed the thought out of his mind as he watched Barbara wiggle her tight cute ass as she walked across the street. What the hell was she doing? Was she trying to attract attention? Already, too many old codgers with bib Overalls and blue shirts were beginning to pay attention. Not that he blamed them, her physique had a way of mesmerizing him too. Just as he was closing the distance between them, ready to whisper to her that she should walk like a normal woman—as if she weren’t already walking like a normal woman—she stopped abruptly and he bumped into her further attracting attention to them. Embarrassed, he excused himself and looked at Barbara. She was staring up the street as if she saw Edgar Hoover riding a white horse down the center of the street naked.

In the center of the dusty street, painted red was a tall gallows with two hemp ropes hanging from it. The perfectly formed nooses swung back and forth to the rhythm of a warm breeze that signaled the beginning of another hot day on the plains. Barefoot kids in dirty, ragged overalls were trying to throw rocks through the loops.

Damn, Padgett said taking Barbara by her arm. So, that’s why there are so many coppers in town.

Shaking her nervousness aside, Barbara looked at Padgett and said, That also explains why so many folks are in town. There’s going to be a hanging today. Probably about sundown if I remember my western lore. I didn’t know they still hang people?

Just criminals, a voice said from behind them. We only send criminals off to where they get their just rewards. You fine folks have nothing to worry about.

Uh. We’re just passing through and thought we would walk around town before leaving, maybe get something to eat, Padgett said quickly recovering from his surprise as he always did. Standing in front of them was a man with too much fat on his bones and a silver star pinned on his khaki clothes. He wore a traditional gray western hat that shielded a weathered face from the hot Oklahoma sun. His deep gray eyes looked at Padgett and then drifted over to where Barbara was standing. Is there a good restaurant in town, Sheriff?

Sheriff Ben Coleman at your service, he said offering Padgett his big hand. Padgett took it and felt like he wanted to rip it from his arm. He hated lawmen. Formerly of the Texas Rangers. Say, haven’t I seen you somewhere? Have you been to our fair town before?

Never, Padgett said feeling cold hands squeezing his heart. For the first time in his life, he just wanted to get behind the wheel of his Ford and leave town. Something about this place didn’t add up. He hated lawmen, the electric chair, gallows and tornadoes. He thought about adding fast women to his list and then thought better of it. He’d had plenty of hot, sinful flesh in his time. He liked it. I guess you got me mixed up with someone else, he said. Me and the lady there are on our way to California. Thought we might find work out there and get a fresh start.

Where are you from?

Padgett felt his skin itching and his legs get weak. The sheriff was getting too nosy. Maybe a bullet between his eyes would help solve the problem, he thought. Maybe not, the entire town was now watching them. Kentucky, he finally said. Now, Sheriff Coleman, if you’ll direct us to that restaurant, we’ll leave you to your business.

Sure. Ma’s Cooking Pot is up the street and on the left. If you have time, stay for the hanging. Everyone in this town does that.

Who are you hanging? Barbara didn’t really want to know, didn’t care, but it was the only thing she could think to say that might convince the sheriff that they were just passing through. Showing a casual interest in community events might throw him off the trail.

Don’t know yet, he said. We never know until the last minute, until they bring them over and that’s what makes it so interesting.

Sounds like it, Barbara said managing a brief smile for the benefit of the attentive sheriff. As they turned and walked up the street, she made sure she swung her hips to the harmony of a million dollar tune. See you later, Sheriff Coleman.

Well, that sure did mess things up, Padgett said as he took her by her hand and pulled her up on the sidewalk. Darling someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t walk in all that old dust.

Darlin’, she mocked, Are we still going to rob the damn bank or are we going to have lunch and watch them hang some poor soul.

Padgett said, We are going to have a meal at the restaurant to show the sheriff that we’re who we said we are, then we’re going to mosey down to the bank and get some change for the two hundred dollar bills we got from that robbery the other day. That will give us an excuse to get a look at the bank.

The cornbread, bacon and beans tasted good and in the spirit of the times, they were happy to get it. Even in the middle of cow country, or close to it, steak was expensive. The restaurant was almost empty. Most of the people were mulling around the gallows as if anticipating a good show.

Pretty pathetic, Barbara said putting her plate aside, staring out the window at the throng of people. We rob banks for a living and can’t afford a decent meal. Even worse is the fact we showed up the same day of a hanging to rob a bank. Maybe we should just call the whole thing off and go to the next town.

Padgett looked at her and then took her hand in his. Darlin’, we have seventy five dollars to live on. I don’t want our cash reserve to get lower than that because if the law gets any closer, we’ll need all the money we can get. Before the end of the year, I want to be across the border living a life of luxury.

You better get hustlin’, she reminded him. At the pace we’re going, a turtle will be richer than we are. All I’m saying is that this makes me feel—

Uneasy?

Precisely.

Natural.

Natural?

I mean, Padgett said, looking at her concerned face, her daunting eyes and her creamy white skin that entranced him every time he looked at her, we’re in a violent business. Death is everywhere for us. You knew that when we started doing this. A gallows would make anyone nervous under the same circumstances. They won’t be expecting us to rob the bank while they’re hanging someone.

Oh? And, what makes you think the two deputies won’t be watching the bank?

They’re here to see that nobody interferes with the hanging.

Barbara nodded her head. Maybe he was right. Maybe that was the reason for the deputies. Still, she continued to worry. Something about the entire setup didn’t quite make sense to her. Well, pay the bill and let’s go take a look at that bank.

Standing in front of the bank, Padgett let all the possible things that might happen flow through his mind. She would be in the car while he robbed the bank. He hoped he could grab the money, escape out the front door to the waiting car and while most of the town was busy watching the hanging, they would drive out of town. That was the way he thought it would work. That was the way he thought it would work before she asked the inevitable question that had been bothering him.

What if they close the bank and all the other businesses in town?

What if? Is that all you think about? If they are going to close the bank then we just have to find out about it before we actually try to rob it.

Uh-huh, she said as they walked inside. The air was humid, the temperature was approaching ninety-five and she thought that it was going to be a long time before the sun went down. Together, they walked over to a window where a teller was busy shuffling a stack of papers. Padgett cleared his throat to get the clerks attention.

Good mornin’, he said trying to imitate a deep southern drawl. Could I please get two one hundred dollar bills cut into smaller bills? Pulling out the two crumpled greenbacks, he laid them on the counter. I sure would appreciate it.

Don’t see too many folks around here with this much cash, the teller said with a solemn look on his face. He looked as if his face might break if he dared smile. You folks passing through?

Yep, Padgett said. We want to do a little shopping before we leave?

Staying for the hanging? The clerk handed him ten, ten dollar bills and twenty fives. Taking the two hundred dollar bills from the counter, he looked at them carefully and put them in a drawer beneath the counter. Padgett watched every move. He also noticed the open safe in the back room through an open door.

Maybe, he answered. Are you going?

Nope, the clerk said. I have to work. The bank doesn’t close till five and by the time I get all the paperwork done, the shebang will be well underway.

That’s sad, Barbara said, everyone should be allowed to go to a hanging.

Oh, you’re absolutely right, the clerk agreed, maybe I’ll get to go to the next one.

Have a lot of hangings, do you? Padgett backed away from the counter and glanced around the room placing everything in his picture perfect memory.

Of course, a lot of them, the clerk bragged. We have more hangings than anyone else.

Great, Padgett said. Well, you have a good day and we’ll probably see you later. We’ll be in town a little longer, getting a few things.

They walked out of the bank and went across the street to the car.

What do we do now? Barbara asked. We have almost six hours to kill. You heard what he said. The bank closes at five so if we’re going to rob it, we have to do it before they close the safe.

We’ll buy a few things and then drive out to that creek we saw back a few miles and have a picnic, he said. A cold beer would taste good with a sandwich.

Her face brightened as she thought about sitting under the shade by a silent little creek with Padgett near her. Good, let’s do it, she told him.

* * * * * *

The sandwiches and beer did taste good and after a good meal they made love under the shade trees and later, they talked about what they would do when they had enough money to go to Mexico. Immersed in dreams of a colorful future, they consumed more alcohol than they intended. Naked, they slept in each other’s arms as a cool breeze blew through the woods that ran along the narrow creek.

The sound of thunder in the distance awakened Barbara. Glancing at Padgett as naked as a newborn rabbit, she realized what had happened. Glancing at his pocket watch that had fallen out of his pants pocket, she saw that it was almost four thirty. Shaking Padgett, she tried to awaken him as dark clouds gathered on the horizon. Finally, he sat up, rubbed his eyes and cursed. We better hurry, he said. The bank closes at five and that storm looks as mean as I feel.

The top was down on the Ford coupe. Before they got their things into the car, put the top up and got in heavy drops of rain was already splattering the windshield. Padgett started the car and as he drove up the dirt road, it was turning into a muddy path. The tires spun and the engine groaned as it tried to stay where Padgett wanted it to go. Within minutes, they entered the outskirts of Pledge and saw that it was almost deserted.

Good luck for a change, Barbara said. Nobody will see us because most of them will be inside. If we can hit the bank and get out without firing a shot then we might just make it.

What about this damn mud?

We’ve traveled dirt roads before, Barbara reminded him. This main road is graveled and with a little luck it will be that way for most of the way out of town. We just have to stay off the side roads.

Yeah, just remember that only the section in town is graveled. The way we came in isn’t graveled. That doesn’t make much sense. Is it only graveled within city limits?

God, I hope not, Barbara said. Maybe they can only afford to gravel the part that is in city limits. Anyway, we’ll make it out of town and I doubt they will follow us, at least not during this downpour.

I just hope we don’t have a tornado,’ Padgett whined. I hate those damn things."

You rob banks and kill people and you’re afraid of a little tornado?

One hit back in West Virginia one year. It scared me to death.

Barbara shook her head and grinned just as they stopped in front of the bank. The street was deserted and she couldn’t even see the gallows anymore.

Let’s do it now, Padgett yelled over the howling wind, the furious booming of the thunder and the crackle of lightning bolts. You stay in the car and keep the engine running. I’ll go inside. If I don’t come back in three minutes or anything happens, you hightail it out of here.

Done, she said knowing she would never leave him no matter what happened. His lovemaking was too much of an influence on her for her to give him up without a fight. Pulling her pearl-handled Colt out of her purse, she checked the cylinder to make sure it was loaded. Good luck, she said as she kissed him on his cheek.

Padgett never did like long partings so he walked briskly into the bank and looked around. The only person in the bank was the teller and two men standing by the window watching the rain. They never saw him until he pulled his guns and pointed them at the two men. Get over by the cashier, he commanded loud enough to be heard over the storm. Hold your hands above your heads, and keep them there if you know what’s good for you.

With the two men covered with one gun in his right hand, he pointed the other one at the clerk. I’m Danny Padgett and I’m robbing this here bank. Give me all the cash from the drawer and then get everything from the safe and you’ll live to tell everyone you met the greatest bank robber of all time.

The clerk moved with shaking hands and his eyes wide. Taking the money from the drawer, only a handful of paper bills, he stuffed it in a bag. Tossing the bag on the counter, he got another bag from under the counter and walked toward the vault. Another man, a big one with a business suit on and wearing dark rimmed glasses stood up in a dark corner of the room. Danny Padgett froze. He hadn’t seen the man when he came into the bank.

Don’t do this, the man pleaded. These are poor people. They need their money. This is a terrible thing you are doing, son. Just think about it. That’s all I ask.

Danny looked at the man with graying hair, a square face and dark eyes. He looked like a banker so the figured he was a banker. Who are you? Where did you come from? I didn’t see you in that corner.

Name’s Devlin Jones, he said. Won’t you please reconsider?

Nope, Danny said. I’m robbin’ this bank and that’s final. Get back there and help that clerk with the money. You better get all of it, you hear? No cheatin’. I don’t like cheaters.

Without hesitation, the tall man with a muscular build like a wrestler disappeared into the next room.

One of the men standing by the counter lowered his arm and started to put it in his pocket. Both men wore button down flannel shirts and bib overalls. Put that arm back up, Padgett commanded.

I got an itch, the man said. It’s killing me.

Okay, Danny said, frustrated, rub your damn itch but you better not bring anything out of that pocket but five fingers.

The big man who stood two inches taller than Padgett and who was seventy pounds heavier than him, put his hand in his pocket and started scratching. The clerk and the other man came out of the vault carrying four bags. Two of them were filled with coins. Danny could see the impression of coins in the bulging sacks. Okay, good boys. Fine. Put them on the counter, he ordered as something caught his eye to his right.

Danny turned just as one of the old farmers pulled a .22 pistol from his pocket. Danny dropped to the floor and fired just as a bullet tore off his ear. He felt hot blood splatter on his face and chest. His bullet caught the old man in the chest. The man fell to the floor and was still kicking when Danny jumped up and shot the other man. Without hesitation, he turned toward the clerk and the banker.

Please don’t shoot, the clerk pleaded. We have families and we did as you asked.

It don’t matter none to me, Danny told them. I don’t leave witnesses.

The big man in the gray suit backed away from the counter looking for a way to escape. Danny shot him right between his eyes. As his head exploded bone, skin and blood plastered the white wall behind him. Danny grinned as he thought it looked just like a big bird with spreading wings. He aimed his gun at the other mans chest just as he attempted to turn and run. The bullet caught him in his arm and he screamed. Danny shot him two times removing his head completely from his body.

With the bank to himself, he suddenly realized he had a big problem. He had six bags to carry and only two hands. Putting one of his weapons in its holster under his left arm, he gathered two of the bags and ran for the door. Opening the door, he opened the car door and threw the bags into the back seat. Four more to go, he yelled. Get ready to haul ass.

Returning to the bank, he put his other gun away and grabbed the other four bags. Because he hadn’t seen anyone in the street, he decided that he could get the loot out to the car before anyone realized that anything had happened. The thunder was so loud that nobody had probably even heard the gunshots. In his haste, he had left the front door to the bank open. The rain was falling so hard he could not see the car parked in front of the door on the street. With his arms full, he headed in the general direction where he thought the car was located. The car was gone. Damn her, he yelled. Barbara had taken off without him. Why had he trusted the little whore, anyway?

Drop the bags, a familiar voice yelled from behind him. Spinning around, he stood facing the big sheriff and four deputies. The sheriff held a double-barreled shotgun and it was pointed right at him.

Dropping the bags so his hands would be free to go for his guns, Danny Padgett stood in the falling rain wondering what his chances of killing five men with guns pointed at him would be. Where’s Barbara? He yelled loudly not believing that his luck had run out. For Danny Padgett, bad luck was not an option. It was death. Where is that little bitch?

I’m over here, Danny, she said. Hearing her voice, he turned and looked at several people standing on the sidewalk. She was handcuffed and two big deputies stood beside her. He froze, his heart beat faster and he thought he might die when he saw four men standing near her that he recognized. The clerk, the two farmers and the banker were as alive as he was. Was he dreaming or was he having some kind of fit? He didn’t know except he did know that he didn’t have a chance against all the firepower. Maybe a judge would think he was crazy and let him off easy, he thought. Sure, that was it. That was his way out of this mess. Things weren’t as bad as he first thought, except that he had called Barbara a bitch. He knew that a good night in bed would cure that problem.

The banker stepped off the sidewalk splashing mud and water in every direction, mostly on Danny as he approached. I’m Devlin Jones, he said. I’m the mayor of this town. Welcome to Pledge, Mr. Padgett. You’re just in time to attend a hanging.

Danny Padgett looked at him with a puzzled look on his face. Who are you, Mister? I just killed you a few minutes ago. How did those men over there come back to life? Please don’t lie to me, I know I didn’t miss.

You’re in Purgatory, Mr. Padgett, the man said. Those men, as well as myself, cannot be killed. We just staged this little event for your benefit. We wanted one last chance to prove that your soul is worthless and should go to hell. That goes for your girlfriend over there, too. In one hour exactly, you and your girlfriend will be hung by the neck until dead. If you have any prayers, I suggest you say them. I doubt if it will do any good, but then on the other hand, you just never know. Somebody up there may see something in one of you, or both of you, that we have not been able to see. I suggest you spend all your remaining time praying.

As the rain poured down on them, soaking them, they were led up the street to the gallows. Barbara cried as they walked up the steep steps toward the waiting ropes that would end their short careers. Before placing black bags over their heads, the executioner asked them if they had anything to say. With trembling lips, Barbara managed to say a few words. I wish you all will come visit us in hell, she shouted.

Yeah and that goes for me too, Padgett said although the thought of spending eternity in Hell didn’t quite appeal to him at all. Give me a gun and I’ll take most of you with me.

The mayor smiled. As the bags were placed over their heads and the ropes tied securely around their necks, he gave the signal that ended their lives. The crowd cheered when the lever was pulled and two struggling bodies dangled at the end of the ropes in the heavy rain. When they struggled no more, the mayor turned and walked away, the rain stopped and the entire town disappeared. Hours later, a lone wolf stopped and sniffed the ground where something had once died. He could sense something evil in his presence. Raising his head, he howled. There was only silence until another hanging was needed.

The End

RETURN TO MAIN MENU

* * * * * *

2

COLD HANDS, HOT BLOOD

Dallas Releford

Maureen Rutherford felt a chill sweep down her spine as she pulled her new silver Malibu into a parking space in front of a local convenience store in Cincinnati. Cold rain, unusual for the middle of September, forced the windshield wipers to work overtime. Turning off the engine, she got out of the car and held her hand in front of her face to shield it from the rain. Brushing her dark auburn hair from her brown eyes, she sloshed through puddles up to her ankles. Having difficulty seeing anything, she rushed toward the front door and right into the arms of a masked man holding a gun in her face.

Startled, she gasped unable to move. Before the scream that was developing deep in her throat was allowed to escape—if she could have accomplished such a thing—the man grabbed her arm and jerked her inside while another hand closed over her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

Inside with the others, a gruff voice commanded. Get in the back room and you might live long enough to see daylight.

Maureen heard another man laugh and sensed that her captor wasn’t the only one in the store. She struggled as hands as cold as ice held her arms preventing her from escaping. While her heart beat so hard she thought it might break her ribs, tiny creatures with cold feet used her spine for a ladder running up and down it and she thought enormous, slick worms were trying to get out of her stomach. Maureen knew that her survival depended on her being strong, except her legs felt so weak she thought she might collapse right there as the two men dragged her through the store and toward the back room. A hundred thoughts scampered through her mind like rabbits invading a lettuce patch. None of them were encouraging. She knew that if they got her into that back room away from the windows and the open front door, her life would probably be snuffed out. How many of the store personnel had they killed? These men didn’t seem as if they left witnesses.

Shoving her into a large storage room that had an office at the back end of it, they watched her as she backed up against a walk-in freezer until she realized she could go no further. Maureen glanced down at the floor near the office only a few feet away where four store employees and two customers had been tied up with strong rope. Obviously, the robbers had come prepared. They were gagged with pieces of white cloth. All of them had been shot. They were lying in pools of their own blood.

To her right were stacks of boxes, stacked almost to the ceiling. On her left were the two men who seemed content to stare at her through dark stocking masks as if they were waiting for something to happen. In front of her was open space that ended at the office on the other side of the room. The bodies were on the floor in front of that office and she couldn’t take her eyes off them. No escape, she thought hopelessly. If she moved the two men would attack like two Dobermans. Knowing she was going to die, she tried to think of a way out, and couldn’t.

Watching the two men who stood motionless like two statues, she wondered why they weren’t doing anything. Were they trying to terrify her even more than she already was? That seemed unlikely, she thought. Fear paralyzed her and she trembled. Then she heard a back door slam just as thunder roared in the distance. Footsteps were coming toward them from the other side of the room. The boxes to her right blocked her view. The footsteps came closer. A man emerged from between two rows of boxes. He wasn’t wearing a mask.

About time you got here, one of the masked men said. We got everything from the registers. Only the safe over there remains. Did you bring the tools, Everett?

Sure I got the tools, the man said. Did you morons lock the damned front door?

One of the men threw up both hands in frustration. David, didn’t you lock that door like I told you?

I thought you locked it, the other man said. I’ll go get it and turn out the lights. No need to have other customers coming in here, is there?

You should have thought about that earlier, Everett told him. Now get to it. Who have you got over there? Why is she still alive?

As the one they called David left the room closing the door behind him, Maureen felt cold fingers touching her neck as their eyes focused on her. Terror swept through her except she refused to succumb to it, to believe that she was really going to die. Studying the man they called Everett, she hoped she could find a weakness in him she could exploit, maybe play on his love of his mother or something. She saw nothing in his rough face to indicate that he was human. His head was large, his brown hair cut short and his brown eyes were set deep under thick, bushy eyebrows. A large nose and high cheeks gave him the appearance of a 1920s gangster. His mouth was as smile-free as a rattlesnake on a hot rock in Death Valley at midday. Everett obviously worked out or did something that gave him wide shoulders, a large chest and muscles that showed even through his dark suit. His face was as expressionless as a bronze statute in a forest fire.

The air conditioning unit above her head blew her dark brown hair into her pale face and she brushed it aside just as she remembered that her purse was hanging from her shoulder. Maureen knew that if she was going to make a move, it had to be now while she only had two of them to deal with. Bighead moved close to the other one with the swelled, purple lower lip. She knew he hadn’t gotten that from his mother. Maybe they’ll kill each other, she thought and knew that was hardly likely.

Why haven’t you killed the bitch? You know we don’t leave witnesses, Bighead said.

Purple Lips grimaced and stepped back apparently afraid that Bighead might just bite his head off. Maureen reached into her purse and searched frantically. It was there. She knew it was.

Bighead put his hand on Purple Lip’s collar and pushed him back against the wall. Well, why the hell don’t you do it? I’ll start work on that safe. Take her out into the alley. I don’t want to hear the bitch scream.

Maureen pulled out a canister of mace her brother had given her and stepped forward while the men were arguing. Her brother was a cop. She wished he were here now. Bighead glanced back at her when he sensed movement behind him. Dropping his hands from Purple Lip’s collar, he turned just as she sprayed him in his face. Screaming, Bighead dropped to the floor and rolled around thrashing about as if someone had shoved a red-hot poker up where the sun doesn’t shine. Maureen didn’t have time to enjoy his pain. The other man was coming at her with hate in his eyes.

As he lunged at her, Maureen kicked him in his shin and sprayed mace in his eyes. Before she had time to see what happened to him, she ran to the corner and opened a large gray panel on the wall, Flicking all the switches, she turned all the lights off. Considering all the noise, she knew it would only be seconds before the other man rushed into the room. In the darkness, she made her way back to the freezer, opened the door and rushed inside pulling the door shut behind her. A forty-degree temperature greeted her and she shivered.

Knowing they would soon discover her hiding place, she searched in her purse until she found a small flashlight that she always carried with her. An idea had occurred to her while she was trying to figure a way out of the jam. So far, everything had worked, except now her success depended on perfect timing. Feeling urgency prodding her on, Maureen shoved as many frozen boxes up against the door as she could using the flashlight to guide her. She would freeze to death in a matter of hours and she knew it. If her plan didn’t work, they would probably block the door on the outside so she couldn’t get out or break into the freezer and kill her. She didn’t have much time to waste. The cold hands of death were all around her. She could feel them reaching out for her.

Her plan included calling the fire department, and the police. Pulling her cell phone from her purse, she dialed 911. With a trembling voice she told them where she was and for them to hurry. With help on the way, Maureen talked to the dispatcher giving her a clear description of the robbers. Cold hands caressed her neck as she thought about all the things that had happened. She had managed to save her own life but had been unable to help the others.

* * * * * *

Rain fell in torrents for several days after the incident at the convenience store. Maureen sat alone in her apartment on Kenwood Road attempting to sort out all the things that happened to her. The aftermath was almost as bad as meeting the three robbers.

Explaining everything to the police in grueling detail had been depressing enough, she thought. Nonetheless, she had to identify the two men who had participated in the robbery. Bighead had managed to get away. Despite the fact he escaped, the police still insisted on placing a guard in front of her apartment for a few days. Bighead was considered a very dangerous killer. He had a record. Bighead had another profession. He had murdered twenty-four women in Wichita, Kansas in the eighties. Before they died, Bighead tortured them for hours. He clearly enjoyed torturing and killing women. Maureen felt lucky that she was still alive.

The police knew him as Jake Everett King. His victims knew him as death.

She was the only one who could identify him and place him at the scene of the murders. Except for his two accomplices.

They weren’t talking. They obviously knew the consequences.

Even though she didn’t think he would come back to Cincinnati with the entire state on alert for him, she still took precautions. Locking her doors, shopping in crowded shopping centers and staying at home at night was now part of her routine. The unmarked police car across the rain-drenched street had become an icon.

Sitting in an easy chair watching the rain slither down the windowpanes in her living room, she tried to read a book by John Saul and found it to be a little too scary for her present situation. Growing drowsy just as the phone on her desk rang she jumped and wondered who could be calling her at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning.

Maureen, this is Aunt Elsie. How are you doing? Is it raining there?

She hadn’t talked to her aunt for several weeks. Her Aunt Elsie sounded a little nervous. Maureen wondered if something were wrong. I’m fine, she answered. It’s coming down in torrents. I’m wondering if it will ever end. Is something wrong? You usually call me on Sunday nights.

Well Maureen, I wish I had better news, but I don’t. I’m sorry to have to tell you this. Your mother had a stroke. She’s in the Circleville hospital.

Maureen felt tiny hands tickling the back of her neck and she was sure her hair was trying to stand up on her head. Her scalp was crawling with miniature ants. A tingling sensation worked its way down her spine. Mom? When did this happen? Why, she was fine when I talked to her the other day.

Happened last night. I just found out about it this morning. Jake, her husband called me. He wants you to come as quick as you can.

Maureen thought about the robbery, the escaped robber and her promise to the police that she would not go out of town until the criminal was caught. Damn them, she thought. They didn’t have any right to keep her locked up in her own city. She hadn’t done anything. I’ll be there as soon as I can, she promised. It will probably be late tonight before I can get there with the rain and all that I have to do before I can leave.

That’s fine,’ her aunt said. We’ll be looking for you. Come to the hospital first, Maureen."

Maureen hung up the phone and walked to the window. The rain had brought her nothing but trouble. Maybe when it left, it would take her troubles with it. Picking up the telephone again, she called the police and told them she would be out of town for a few days. She had never seen it rain as hard as it was now.

* * * * * *

Hoping to avoid heavy traffic on the interstate, Maureen took State Route 22 and headed northeast toward Circleville. Knowing it would take her longer to get there, she decided she still had made the right decision. A breakdown on the busy interstate in heavy rain could be disastrous.

Traffic was light and she made good time despite rain so heavy the wipers couldn’t keep the windshield clear. Somewhere south of Wilmington, she stopped at a roadside store. Pulling into the parking lot, she found a spot close to the door. Remembering her previous experience, she looked around her carefully before getting out of the car and stepping into the drenching rain. Several truckers came out of the store and smiled at her. Feeling at ease, she sauntered into the store and found a few things she needed. With a hot cup of coffee in her hands, she stood at the counter waiting for the line to get shorter.

Finally, she paid for the items and walked back out into the downpour. Dark gray clouds hung close to the ground pouring water on the earth as if they were trying to drown every living thing. The air was cool and she wished she had brought a sweater with her. With her mind focused on her mother, she got into the car and sat there for a long time sipping her hot coffee. As she watched it rain, wishing that it would stop and the sun would appear, she became aware of a curious odor. It smelled like blood. Believing the odor was just another engine smell, something akin to rotten eggs, she started up the car hoping it would disappear when she started driving. She dreaded driving into that rain. It was only six o’clock and already it was beginning to get dark.

Before she reached Wilmington, she saw flashing lights through the heavy rain and slowed down before she reached the roadblock. A makeshift sign, one of the rented ones on wheels, said that a wreck had the road closed ahead. Another flashing sign said: DETOUR. An arrow pointed to the right and Maureen followed two other cars as they turned right onto a narrow paved road. The road was strange and unfamiliar to her. Figuring that as long as she followed the other cars, they would take her back to SR 22, she let her mind relax a little. One of the cars turned left on a graveled road and the other one turned into a driveway at a house. Maureen continued up the road wondering if she was going in the right direction. The smell of blood was stronger now and it irritated her nostrils. Something in the gasoline, she thought. That’s all it is.

Darkness came and she concentrated on the road. Wondering if she had missed the SR 22 intersection, she soon became worried. After traveling for nearly an hour, she knew that something was wrong. She was lost at night out in the country. She hadn’t seen any lights from a house for a long time. As driving became more difficult Maureen thought about pulling to the side of the road and sleeping until daylight. She decided against it. Her aunt and uncle would be worried if she didn’t show up soon.

When she was about ready to give up and pull over, she saw lights in the distance, plenty of them. Approaching the driveway to what looked like a small hospital that was located about half a mile from the road, she slowed down and stopped in front of the driveway. Excellent, she said to nobody in particular. She was sure they could tell her how to get back to 22. Except something was bothering her. She couldn’t quite figure out what it was. She felt that she was not alone for the first time during the trip. The stark realization struck her like a ton of rocks just as a sharp blade was placed on her throat. The edge was so sharp she could feel it piercing her skin. The smell of blood was so real that she wanted to scream, and could not.

You thought you were going to get away from me, didn’t you, Maureen?

The voice, almost a hideous growl that sounded familiar, came from the back seat and she wondered how Bighead had managed to get into the car with her without her realizing it. Had he wriggled into the back seat when she stopped at the convenience store? The perplexing question didn’t seem too important now. Worrying about it was futile since she had a bigger problem. He had a sharp knife on her throat. She was going to die. How do you know my name?

I have friends, he snarled. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and knew that he was close to her. Pressing the knife against her throat, he laughed. With you out of the way nobody is left alive to identify me.

Maureen could barely speak because she was afraid the sharp knife would slash her throat. The slightest movement on her part caused her more pain. A warm, sticky liquid trickled down her throat. Closing her eyes, she gripped the steering wheel and felt her body shudder. She knew that the slightest move on her part would end her life. Please, don’t kill me. I’m not the only witness. The police know who you are. They’re looking for you and they’ll find you. Her voice was nothing more than a frightened whisper. Her mind was an empty shell that afforded her little comfort that she would live.

Nonsense, he said. They still need you to connect me to that robbery. That doesn’t matter anyway, Maureen. You see, I’ve taking a liking to you. I think I’ll take you with me. Don’t you think that would be interesting?

No, she whispered barely able to move her lips. "My mother