Free Hunting Witches by Jeffery X Martin

conceded. “But you watch your ass out there in the Keep. I tried to tell you. Bell Plains is the tracks. Elders Keep is the wrong side of them.”
    “Yeah, I hear you,” Mark said. “Look. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
    “All right, man. Keep it sleazy.” Mark disconnected the call.
    “It still cracks me up that you ended up working for Dude Bro Dot Com,” Nika said. “You’re so not like that.”
    “It’s kind of refreshing,” Mark said. “There’s lots of grunting and farting in the office and they’ve banned herbal tea. It’s like a locker room built in a cave.”
    “Sounds delightful,” Nika said.
    “Excuse me while I scratch my balls.”
     
    ***
     
    Dinner was simple: soup and sandwiches. Nika had turned on the classic rock station, and the soothing sounds of Mötley Crüe drifted through the house. They held hands while they ate. Mark caught Nika glancing at the new front window every once in a while, like she was making sure it was still there. He understood that.
    She would feel better once the alarm system was installed. He would, too, honestly. He was no longer secure in the thought of leaving Nika by herself during the day. Rationally, he knew they were safe. It would be stupid to come right back. They would wait a while. Let normalcy return. Then, they would come back when least expected. That’s how bullies operated.
    And the Pendletons would be ready.
    Mark had already decided to take Bo up on his offer. He had even figured out where to hide the gun so Nika wouldn’t find it.
    Like it or not, they would be ready.
     
    ***
     
    They hadn’t bought any outdoor furniture yet. Winter was coming soon, and that’s when all the good deals came down. So they slipped on some jackets, pulled a couple of the kitchen chairs out into the backyard to watch the sun go down.
    “It really is nice here,” Mark said, “regardless of what happened.”
    “I just want to forget what happened,” Nika said, rubbing her hands together. “Just forget it and move on.”
    “Me too, baby,” he said. “Me too.”
    The sky was a violent purple, with some bright orange streaks bleeding through. The chill in the air was becoming more pronounced. Mark pointed towards the standing stones.
    “We should build a fire pit in the middle of those,” he said. “That would be awesome.’
    Nika slapped his hand. “No! I’m putting flowers there!”
    “Oh, come on! We could build it up with river rocks, put a cooking grate over it, it would be great. It would be like roasting weenies at Stonehenge.”
    Nika shook her head. “You don’t get control of the yard, Paleface. That’s mine. You do whatever you want with windows and shit, but the yard is mine.”
    Mark laughed. “Fine. I concede. Shall we sign a treaty?”
    She put her hand on his thigh. “I think I know a way to seal the deal.”
    “Does it involve nudity?”
    She smiled. “Nudity, adult language and adult situations.”
    “I really like all of those things,” Mark said.
    “We should go inside,” Nika whispered.
    “Twist my arm,” Mark replied.
    “Leave the chairs,” Nika said. “I’ll get them in the morning.”
    Mark took Nika’s hand and helped out of her chair, like a gentleman. She giggled, and they walked into the house together.
    Inside the kitchen, barely concealed by the shadows, were three people, standing stock still, wearing black clothes, ski masks and work gloves. The Pendletons were surprised, and in that moment of hesitation, two of the strangers grabbed them, pulling their arms behind their backs.
    The remaining person stepped forward, spread his arms and gazed down at the terrified couple.
    “Children,” he said. “Let the cleansing begin.”
    It was then that Nika screamed, knowing that it would do no good. The neighborhood was empty. They had no neighbors. There was no protection, no safety. The new window hadn’t mattered. Nothing did. None of their hopes or dreams had made the slightest dent in the