Read Online No Sanctuary by Richard Laymon - Free Book Online

were two of them.
    Rick was in his swimming trunks and wearing no shirt. He had just finished soaking his leg in the frigid lake. Julie, crouched in front of him, was using belts to strap the splints to his shin. She had made the splints yesterday, soon after Dad’s departure, by chopping a length of dead branch into a pair of thin slats and padding each of them with one of Rick’s undershirts.
    Rick didn’t hear the men coming. Suddenly, they just appeared among the trees behind the tent. He flinched. Julie looked up at him. “Someone’s here,” he said.
    Julie made a final adjustment to the bindings, then stood and turned around.
    “Morning,” one of the men said in a cheerful voice. He and his friend came forward. He had a thick, shoulder-high walking stick. He wore a faded Dodger cap with sweaty blond hair sticking out like spikes around its edges. He wore sunglasses with silver lenses that hid his eyes. He looked as if he hadn’t shaved for a couple of days. The sleeves of his filthy, plaid shirt had been cut off at the shoulders. A big sheath knife hung from the belt of his jeans.
    His friend looked a couple of years younger, maybe eighteen. He was shorter and heavier, but not fat. His T-shirt bulged with muscles and was cut off just below his ribcage. For a hat, he wore an army helmet liner. Around his waist was a wide web belt with a canteen hanging at one side and a knife at the other. He wore plaid Bermuda shorts. He looked slightly ridiculous, but Rick didn’t feel like smiling.
    “You got some trouble there?” asked the thin one.
    “My son broke his leg yesterday.”
    “Bad place for a thing like that.”
    With the help of a crutch Julie had made for him after preparing the splints, Rick pushed himself up. He stood beside Julie, most of his weight on his right leg, using the crutch for balance.
    “We’re getting along okay,” Julie said. “Did you come down from Windover Pass?” she asked.
    “Nope. Heading that way. Mind if we rest up for a minute?”
    “Help yourselves.”
    They lowered their backpacks to the ground, but didn’t sit down. “Nice camp,” the lean one said. “Just the two of you?”
    “My husband’s around here someplace,” Julie said. She looked off toward the outcroppings beyond Rick’s tent. “Dave?” she called.
    Rick, already concerned by the presence of the two men, was frightened by Julie’s lie.
    “I’m sure he’ll be along in a minute. He just went after some firewood.”
    “Right.” The lean man turned to his friend. “Dave went after firewood. How many packs you see?”
    The stocky one smiled. “Just two. I’ll just bet Dave hiked out to get help for the kid.”
    Rick felt as if his lungs were caving in. He swayed on his one leg and crutch.
    It’s okay, he told himself. They’re jerks, but nothing’s going to happen.
    Julie shook her head. In a voice that sounded calm, she said, “My brother-in-law hiked out. Dave’s just over—”
    “Hey Dave!” the heavy one yelled. “Yoo-hoo, Daaavy! Where arrre you?” He shrugged. “Gosh, Jiff, I don’t know where he could be.”
    Jiff, grinning, took a step toward Julie.
    Julie’s back stiffened. “Now don’t ...”
    He barely moved, just reached his left hand across to the walking stick by his right leg and rammed it upward with both hands. The point caught Julie under the chin. Her head snapped back. Her arms flew up. She was still falling when Jiff pivoted and swung the staff at Rick. It smashed him above the ear.
    There was a terrible, roaring pain in his head. He thought, I shouldn’t have drunk so much booze last night. If this is what it means to have a hangover ... Groaning, he opened his eyes.
    He wasn’t in the tent. Above him, the leaves of trees were shivering in the wind. He lifted his head off the ground, felt himself spinning, and twisted onto his side. The sudden motion shot pain through his head and leg. Vomit erupted out of him.
    Good thing I’m not in the tent, he thought