The Life After: Volume One

Episode Seven, Chapter Six. "Crossed"

"Ah ha!  You guys, are so going to regret coming down this road in a minute!"  Garrett laughs.

The small group stares at him, terrified.  His men surround them so they have no where to run.

"We stopped you on the road, we were just gonna give you a little Christmas present.  And you fucked that shit up by killing my right hand man!  Jerry would love to see this right now!"

"Why are you doing this?"  One of the men asks.

"Why?  Are you seriously asking why!  Because you killed my mother fucking people!"  Garrett shouts.  "What is your name?"

"L--  Liam..."

"Ah, Liam.  That's a cool name.  You don't see too many Liam's anymore.  Then again, you don't see too much of anybody anymore."

He steps up to a women wearing a dark purple winter jacket.

"And how about this pretty young lady?"  He smiles.

"Gwen."  She answers.

"Oh!  Now that.  That is an interesting name!"

"Don't you fucking touch her!"  A man shouts.

"Nick just stop, it isn't going to help you any."  Liam says.

"You may wanna listen to your friend Nick.  Because I got a mighty big pill for you to swallow, and swallow it you must!"

"Fuck. You."

"You will not fuck me! If anything I will fuck you! You guys will either give up the location of your town, or you die. It's simple. Is that town really worth all your lives?"

The man with three slashes across his left eye stares at him.

"Man...  What happened to you buddy?  Cat get your eye?"

"Biter."

"I biter scratched you, and you survived?  Huh...  I find that a little hard to believe."  He swings the pool cue at the man and he ducks.

"Oh you did not just dodge little ol' Ashley here!  She.  Is.  Hungry.  And you are her dinner."  He smiles.

"Paul, stop you're just gonna make things worse."  Gwen says.

"Am I, Gwen?  I've been the one going out and getting stuff for our group!"  Paul replies.

"And where's that stuff now!?"  Nick shouts.

"Hey hey hey there people...  Can't we just have a calm discussion?"

"Better do as the man says."  Says Derek.

Nick and Paul both look up at the man.  A recognizable face.

"I--  I've seen you."  Paul says.  "Two months ago.  Stalking that Waterford group."

"I was planning to kill all of them.  Garrett recalled and I had to come back."

"Well I promise you this."  Nick says.  "They'll find you.  And when they do, they'll kill you all.  Every.  Last.  One of you.  One by one."

"Yeah, we'll just see about that."  Garrett says.  He raises the pool cue in the air and swings it down at Paul.

He tries to dodge the pool cue, instead getting it stuck in his leg.

"Ouch."  Garrett laughs.  He rips the pool cue out and looks between everyone.  "We got ourselves a badass here!  I sure did have high hopes for ya kid.  But that shit just will not slide around here!"

He slams the pool cue into Paul's head, causing him to fall from his knees face first into the snow.

"Wow.  That snow looks like a pretty yummy slushee!  So, why don't you eat it?"  He grins.

Gwen and Nick give him a look of terror.  They remain still and cautious as he paces in front of them.

"Relax!  I'm only kidding!  I may be an asshole but I'm not a sick ass serial killer!"

Paul twitches in the blood covered snow. His head is caved in and the blood continues to pour out into the snow.

He tries to sit up but falls down immediately.

"You still in there champ? That sure was a hard ass hit! I'm impressed that you're still here!"

Paul clenches his fist and shows Garrett his middle finger. Garrett frowns.

"Ah ha ha! Now that-- That's a no no!" He raises the pool cue and brings it down into Paul's head five more times.

Nick stands up and attacks Garrett, he wrestles him for the pool cue. When he gets a hold of it, he brings it down on his leg and snaps it.

"No!" Garrett yells. His men surround Nick and tackle him to the ground. They then sit him back on his knees and face him towards Garrett.

Garrett picks up the two broken halves of the pool cue and stares viciously towards Nick.

"You broke Ashley!" He yells. Nick tries to shake off Derek's hands but fails.

"Cry me a river." Says Nick.

"Well. I think that's just what you're gonna do for me, Nicky!" He pulls his pistol out of it's holster and aims it towards Gwen.

"No-" Nick begins to say. Gwen cuts him off and shakes her head.

"Stop it, Nick. Don't make it any worse than it already is... If it happens, move on."

"How touching. So, are you two together? Performing the nasties are we?" Garrett smiles widely.

Gwen and Nick remain silent and stare at him. Nick sits on his knees, his back straight and his shoulders held high.

Garrett stares at him for a few moments before thinking of a punishment.

"Well. Ashley is never gonna be the same ever again. You can't just throw tape on her or go out and get me a new one! She was one of a kind! So if she will never be the same, why should you?"

He drops the pistol and rips a razor off of the pool cue. He then kneels in front of Nick and puts it up to his face.

"Give me a good reason why you should stay normal." He says. Nick leans his head in, causing the razor blade to tear through his skin and slice it open.

The blood trickles down his face and Garrett backs up.

"Well, aren't you a little badass?" He stands up and picks up the pistol, aiming it at Nick. "I really, do not want to do this Nicky, but it's punishment. Punishment that must be done!"

He smiles and steadies his aim at Nick. Nick takes a deep breath in and lets it out softly. Gwen begins to tear up.

"Yeah... Punishment that must be done." The gunshot fires and echoes through the air. A body hits the ground and Garrett becomes worried.