No Surrender | Eddie Munson

Chapter Forty-Seven: Murder House

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: MURDER HOUSE

THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN — THE ANIMALS

Oh, mothers tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Don't spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

——————

A soft buzzing stirs me from my sleep. I frown and curl up under the blanket but it comes again, a steady hum in the palm of my hand.

"Bethy? You there? Come on, Princess, don't flake on me now. Bethy? Mar? Goddess Eternal? Whatever you want me to call you, to be honest. I'm down."

My lips curl into a lazy smile. I nuzzle my head into the pillow and reach around for the arm Eddie has against my back. Leather meets my touch, too rough to be his jacket. All I can form is a groan that turns up at the end to form a sleepy question. I expect him to laugh at that. He doesn't.

The buzz comes again. "Okay, guess not. Dustin, buddy, you there? Shit. Right. Uh, do you— do you... copy? Dustin? Come on, Dustin. Earth to Dustin."

Forcing my eyes open, I pause at the realisation that I'm not in bed and not with Eddie. We're all in the basement again. I occupy the armchair — which I suppose explains the odd leather. Finding the walkie in my hand, I lift it closer. "Hey."

"Hey, there, Sleepyhead."

I wince and try to clear my scratchy throat. "That obvious?"

Now he laughs and I immediately know that this is the best way to wake up. "Figured it'd be nicer than 'Froggy'. Got a real croak on you this morning."

"Well, thank God you decided to be 'nice'. Regular gentleman, you are."

"Only 'regular'? Man, I really need to try harder, don't I?"

Nancy is awake now. At the sight of her raised eyebrows, I cough again. "Uh, so what's up? How come you're calling so early? It's only, like—" my eyes dart up to the clock and embarrassment rises "—nine? Wow."

I can practically see his grin all the way from here. "I know, right? Earlier than I'm used to. Um, I'm gonna need a food delivery, like, really soon, unless you want me going out into the world."

"Don't you dare."

"Stay where you are," the girl calls over, wary not to wake the others, "we'll be there as soon as we can."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, um... can you pick me up a six-pack?"

We glance to each other, exasperated. I roll my eyes.

His voice cuts in again, prompting the both of us to freeze as he says, "Come on, Bethy, don't do that. I know, it's stupid as shit, drinking right now but a cold beer would really calm my jangled nerves."

"You ever heard of tea?" I tease.

"Well, yeah, I was thinking that but all of Rick's got taken when he was arrested and, let's be honest, cops probably couldn't keep their sticky little fingers out of my shit."

The response only frustrates me further but I break into a grin at his warped logic. "Jesus. Not everything requires drugs. I'll bring you lemon and honey, yeah? Just—"

Before I can finish, the walkie is snatched from my hand and I'm being pulled up from the sofa. "We're gonna have to call you back," Nancy says. I frown and she gestures to the space beside me, where I vaguely remember Max sitting in the night before. She rushes over to Dustin and bats at his shoulders until he wakes with a start. "Dustin! Dustin, aren't you supposed to be on Max watch?"