Battle Axe Read online

  Battle Axe

  Alan Spencer

  CONTENTS:

  Battle Axe: (Novella)

  Inside the Perimeter: Uncut (Novel)

  Battle Axe

  Shady Glenn Golf Resort

  "I'm glad it worked out you're a lesbian, Mandy. I can talk about women any way I want to, and you don't get pissed at me. You look at women just like I do. Now that I think about it, your sexual preference has brought us closer together, sister."

  Teddy "Turf" Mullins relaxed in the pool area of Shady Glenn Golf Resort and chatted with his sister. They both enjoyed soaking up the morning sunshine, while drinking mimosas and eating a lavish breakfast at a poolside table. Turf was the six foot tall lean guy with a buzz cut, and Mandy had dark brown dreadlocks and a bathing suit with cartoon grapes on it. Turf had worked as a greens keeper for five years at the resort. The resort rewarded his hard work with a pay raise and a free deluxe resort package for the weekend. Brother and sister had no problem enjoying it.

  "Deluxe" truly meant the five-star treatment. This included massages, facials, cable TV, unlimited golf course access, video arcade and bowling play, and unlimited room service.

  "I wish our folks felt the way you did about me," Mandy said, eating a section of her blueberry pancakes with her fork. "It's been three years since I came out, and they're still not over my lesbianism."

  "Lesbianism," Turf laughed. "It makes it sound so serious. Like necrosis. The way I see it, every person you date, you're either in for good times, and you're in for bullshit times. The only difference is the shape and color of your genitals."

  "Teddy! Jesus. Think before you talk."

  "Call me Turf. Everybody calls me Turf now."

  "You take this greens keeper job way too seriously."

  "I've worked up my reputation to earn this nickname. This area has the best kept greens in Missouri."

  "That's like saying the best seafood in Compton."

  "Whatever. Same difference. I'm letting you enjoy the best weekend you've had in forever, all because of my job."

  "If you're so powerful with your status and position here, you need to pay one of those massage girls to go down on me. They can tend to my patch, and you deal with your own turf problems. It's been three months since I've been laid. I imagine it's been even longer for you."

  "Yeah, I've got you beat," Turf said, reaching for his plate. He discovered he'd already eaten everything. "Six months and counting. Top that."

  "I don't want to top that. That's a sexual drought. No life can be sustained in this region. You got your eye on anybody? Please tell me you do."

  "Yeah, but she's out of my reach. She's the resort owner's niece. She works here as a customer liaison. She makes sure everybody's stay is, well, everything they ever wanted it to be."

  "So she's a rich bitch, eh? Is her name Muffy? or Buffy? or is it Tiffany?"

  "Very funny. It's Jenny. And she's very down to earth. The problem is, she has this boyfriend who is way older than her. He's in his fifties. As far as I know, Jenny's my age. We're both thirty-five."

  "Does this older gentlemen have a fat wallet?"

  Turf peered beyond the pool area to the clubhouse where all the golf regulars hung out before and after their games. He noticed Jenny exit the clubhouse with her boyfriend. Turf pointed her out to Mandy.

  "That's Jenny?"

  Turf said that was her.

  Jenny was the woman with the long curly hair, a chest that could really press against the fabric of a shirt and test its elasticity, a killer sexy smile, and curves, curves, curves. Turf had wanted to park in her rest stop for longer than he could remember. What sullied the picture was the man who had his arm locked with hers.

  "She's dating the one and only Dalton Parker."

  Mandy did a double take.

  "That's the guy she's balling? He's super old. Older than in his fifties. More like, oh God, his sixties! And he's cheesy. That pony tail looks fake, and he's got that shitty burgundy golf club jacket. I really like how his black dye job on his hair looks nothing like his blonde eyebrows. This guy reeks of cheese. I bet he's got a greasy car salesman handshake too. I'm talking dripping with lotion."

  "The only thing his greasy palms are full of is money. Dalton's co-owner of the resort. I guess he can be cheesy all he wants. Rich people can do that."

  "Come on, forget about them. Let's get changed and go for a walk. Enough wallowing in our problems. This is a resort, not a pity convention. There's other fish in the sea."

  He almost didn't hear his sister.

  The expression on Dalton's face was so uncouth. Like Dalton was constantly trying to suppress a grin. That grin was dagger-edged. Something evil was on the guy's mind.

  "Let's go, Teddy."

  That knocked him from his observation.

  "Call me Turf."

  "Whatever, Teddy. I ate too much food. We need to walk around and burn this off."

  Turf agreed. They returned to their room and changed. It was awhile before Turf could shake that strange feeling. Whatever Dalton had on his mind, maybe Turf didn't want to know.

  Taking A Walk, and Dodging an Axe!

  Turf reviewed the options for the day.

  "We could enjoy the morning on a yacht drinking fancy drinks and watching sports on big screen TVs. Or how about a round of golf? There's the video arcade. The bowling alley. The gym. Um, I'm trying to think of what else there is."

  "I want to be where the babes are at," Mandy suggested, "but first, you promised me a walk around the resort. I feel fat after eating bacon and eggs. I need to burn off some calories."

  "The babes will be at the lake soaking up some sun. So we'll hit the beach after our walk. I'll warn you, these babes are mostly daddy's girls and self-entitled millennials."

  "I don't give a crap. I just want to look at some skin. I don't have to listen to what comes out of their mouths, do I?"

  They were both standing on the third story veranda of their room dressed in summer clothes. Mandy had changed into a skirt and black tube top. Turf wore a Harley Davidson shirt and khakis shorts. They left their room and headed to the nature trail. They didn't step one foot out of the hotel without fresh mimosas to drink.

  It was about nine o'clock in the morning. They had slept in the previous day after drinking too hard, and for too long. Mandy insisted they embrace today and get up at a decent hour. Turf had a feeling by noon, they'd be tanked again. He didn't care. He was loving his time with his sister.

  They hit the nature trail, and were soon surrounded by dense trees and fresh air.

  After walking awhile, Turf said, "I never thanked you, Mandy."

  Mandy smiled. Every time she did, her lip ring would shift. "For what?"

  "You never turned your back on me."

  Tears sprang into her eyes. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

  "You were in a bad way. And you're my brother. You always will be. I'm not just saying that. I'm very lucky. I don't love you just because you're family. I love you because you're a good person. You're my friend."

  "I didn't used to be a good person. I hurt a lot of people."

  Turf remembered the five years he served in prison for grand theft auto. He'd been unemployed for too long, and his girlfriend at the time, a real piece of work named Leeza (who Mandy nicknamed "Sleeza"), got him hooked on cocaine. That's when he began to steal. He stopped working. He didn't give a shit about anything. That's when everything spiraled out-of-control. Turf blocked the rest of the story from his mind. Once he was in prison, his parents refused to talk to him. They didn't visit him behind bars. He still hadn't seen them, even when he got an early release for good behavior. Mandy was the only one there for him.

  "Look at you now," Mandy said. "You're doing so well for
yourself. I've got my tattoo parlor, and you've got your turf, Turf."

  That made him laugh.

  "I'm sorry Mom and Dad were so hard on you when you came out," Turf said. "I guess they haven't said a peep to either of us in years. They got their lives, and we got ours. They'll never understand their kids. They probably think we're a lost cause. Lesbian and ex-con."

  "They're very wrong about us. Most parents would be proud if we were their kids. I own my own business, and you practically run this place. I'd say we're a big fucking success. There's nothing wrong with us."

  He gave her a hug. "You're right. There isn't."

  After they broke off the hug, Mandy smiled at him. "Why are you getting all mushy on me?"

  "I feel like I'm getting my life in order. Without you, God knows what I would've done. I might've been released from jail just to do something worse and get thrown right back in that damn place. All it took was a pretty woman to wave cocaine in my face, and I'd do anything stupid to impress her."

  "Now you're a greens keeper. You don't have to steal cars and snort cocaine to impress anybody. You've got your grass."

  "I've got the best turf in town."

  "That's why they call you Turf."

  "Yep. That's why they call me Turf."

  Turf was about to keep walking with his sister when he heard something very out of place. He imagined someone screaming and a hand abruptly cupping their mouth to silence them.

  Mandy had heard it too. "Someone have too many mimosas this morning?"

  "I don't know. It didn't sound very far away."

  Turf skirted off the trail. Mandy struggled to follow behind him, because he was moving so fast.

  "Slow down! Wait up! I'm sure it's nothing."

  The golf course was deathly silent at his hour. That's why Turf was able to hear somebody talk to themselves, nearby.

  "I, I...couldn't wait. I mean, the axe couldn't wait. I promised everybody I'd wait, but I refuse. Not a second longer. I've waited soooooo long for this moment. So very long, and now, it's finally happening."

  After that, a panicked woman spoke in a shrill. "Why did you cut me? Why are you looking at me like that? What is wrong with you, Dalton? What is going on? For God's sake, I'm bleeding. You've lost your mind. I'm scared of you! Stay away from me!"

  Turf had to push through a series of bushes to see the aggressor, Dalton, clutch onto the biggest axe. This axe wasn't like any other Turf had ever seen. The axe was double-sided, and the steel was a dark bronze color. Medieval in origin. The handle was five feet long. If propped upwards, the axe would easily reach up to Turf's chest. The blades were so large and thick, the axe had to be extra heavy. Dalton's hands were visibly shaking as he clutched the weapon.

  Dalton's hands were dripping with blood.

  "Jenny!" Turf shouted. "Are you okay?"

  Jenny had a long gash on her left arm. Turf saw a smaller knife on the ground lying near her feet. Dalton had used that knife to cut her arm. But why use that knife, when he had such a huge axe? In fact, why cut her at all?

  Mandy caught up with Turf. "Hey, slow down, what's got you all..."

  Mandy trailed off when she found Jenny. Mandy's face shaped terror seeing Dalton clutch the battle axe with bloody hands. The face Dalton was making. He was a super psychotic with a new toy.

  "He's crazy," Jenny warned them. "Dalton walked me out here, then he cut my arm, and he pulls that axe out from behind the tree. Jesus, he wants to kill me. He planned this. Don't let him hurt me. Please."

  "He won't," Turf said, though his words lacked real confidence. "I'm here now. This asshole won't touch you."

  There was something about the battle axe, and the way Dalton's worshipping eyes beheld the steel that forced chills from Turf's body. Dalton upgraded from rich man with bad taste to rich man with deviant aspirations.

  "Correction," Dalton said, slowly turning the handle so he could see every edge and gleam of the axe. "I won't kill you. My battle axe will. You'll see. The world will see. They will bow down before me in terror. The streets will fill with blood. Everything you've ever known and loved will be covered in red. And I'll be there to watch it all unfold."

  "What the fuck is wrong with this guy?" Mandy said. "Let's get out of here before this psycho does something else. Seriously."

  Turf moved to help Jenny up off the ground when Dalton unleashed a diabolical laugh. He was still admiring the axe.

  Those eyes, Turf thought, my God, what does he think he's going to do with that axe?

  "You stay back, Dalton, or I'll kick your fucking ass. I don't care if you have an axe, or a tank. I always thought you had something going in your head that wasn't quite right. Fucking rich people. You stay where you're at, man. Nobody else gets hurt. We walk away with nothing else happening. That's the way it's going down."

  Dalton was unaffected by Turf's speech.

  "Oh, you can run, and you can hide, and you can hurry away in terror. Please scream. I beg you to scream. Scream until your throat gives out. You can do whatever it is you think you should do to stay safe. You won't be safe. Never. As soon as your blood touches this axe, Jenny, it will stalk you and kill you. Once the axe tastes your blood, it will stop at nothing to taste every drop inside you. The steel is alive. The steel wants to kill. The steels craves death."

  "What the hell are you going on about?" Turf growled. "I'm done talking to you. I'm calling the police, and they're going to lock up your crazy ass, Dalton. Give me a reason to beat you down."

  Dalton's eyes were so side in the sockets. His mouth trembled. Spittle bubbled at the edge of his lips. Dalton was on the verge of many words before what he actually intended to say exploded from his lips.

  "Everything has been done in preparation of this moment. They're coming. They know I've begun. Look, here they come! It has begun!"

  Turf kept Mandy and Jenny close to him. He wasn't sure what direction to move in, because people were appearing between the trees. They were stalking them, it seemed. They wore their burgundy club jackets. Turf recognized them as senior club members. A dozen people, Turf counted, including owner Brett Salizar and his wife Rita, each wore twitching, maniacal expressions. Many of the members had video cameras filming them.

  "What the hell is this, Dalton?" Turf demanded. "Why are you recording this?"

  "They're a cult; they're crazy," Mandy whispered under her breath. "They're going to kill us all."

  "They're going to kill us," Jenny agreed. "I don't want to die. Do something, Turf."

  "Nobody's dying," Turf barked, feeling his anger cool back into fear. "Stay back, everybody. You're letting us go. That's it."

  "Then go!" Dalton shrieked. "Run! Nobody's here to stop you. Beat it! Run to the hills! Retreat! Tell the world what's coming. Go ahead. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop the axe. Your words are meaningless. Run all you want, you fools."

  Dalton jammed the battle axe's handle into the ground so the weapon stood upright by itself. Dalton rubbed the blood on his hands, Jenny's blood, along both blades. Instantly, the blood began to smoke. The red evaporated in seconds. Then the blades gleamed clean.

  Turf, seeing this, shoved the two girls ahead of him. "Go! Now!"

  They weaved between the trees, surging downhill. Turf realized they weren't heading in the direction of the clubhouse, or the resort. He wasn't sure where they were going. Everything was happening so fast that he couldn't think straight. The evil laughter and shared jubilation between the club members didn't help. Their evil din echoed through the trees. The wind amplified their calls.

  The cameras were rolling.

  The members were tracking them.

  They were cheering now.

  "There it goes!"

  "Watch out!"

  "This is really happening!"

  "It's working!"

  "Get closer to them. I don't want anybody missing a single angle."

  Swooshswooshswooshswooshswooshswooshswoosh.

  The giant battle axe was swinging handl
e to head mesmerizingly fast. It seemed to pick up speed the longer it was in the air. The weapon was propelled by itself. Nobody could throw it that far, Turf thought. So what allowed it to spin like that?

  Running faster, Jenny was between Turf and Mandy, and then she wasn't. The axe struck her chest. Jenny went flying backwards. Nine feet later, Jenny's body collided into a tree. The axe ripped itself out of her chest, compelled by an invisible force, and hack, hack, hacked up her body until Jenny's severed head splattered on top of her gutted belly. From head to toe, Jenny had been shredded into a nasty pink pulp. Once Jenny's legs stopped twitching, the axe went lifeless and fell to the ground.

  Dalton and the club members caught up to them. The cameras were still recording. Dalton was clapping his hands and practically salivating over Jenny's corpse. He played with her dismembered hands, clapping them together.

  "I've waited so long to see this axe in action. Finding the weapon was quite the chore. People hide it so well. Because they know. Oh, they know what it can do. The protectors out there couldn't save the world forever. They couldn't hide it from me."

  Dalton's brother and sister, Turf couldn't remember their names in the moment, joined Dalton beside Jenny's chopped up corpse. The followers, the camera carriers, the cultish people, were also circling around Jenny's body. Whatever they expected, Dalton's followers weren't as excited about the outcome.

  "It happened too fast."

  "Didn't we talk about the thrill of the chase? That only lasted thirty seconds."

  "That was much too fast."

  "Only one person died."

  "You promised thousands would be dead, Dalton. Thousands."

  "We demand bodies!"

  "The axe is so good at what it does. Why only one body?"

  "Let's try it again, Dalton."

  "Please, Dalton."

  "You promised bodies."

  Dalton didn't get upset. This was all a part of his plan.

  "Grab that woman over there," Dalton demanded. "I have an idea. This will make things much more interesting. Jenny's death was a test run. This will be the real thing."