The Reach Chapter 3

This is the third chapter of The Reach. Enjoy. I would love to hear any comments you have. 

THREE

Garza and Jake stood above the deformed, bloody mass of sickening skin and bones and meat. Garza blinked twice, looking as if he were about to throw up. 

"Good God," he said, turning away. 

"My words exactly. What kind of sick fuck would do something like this? The girl can't be more than ten."

"She's nine," said Garza. "She's Mike Parson's girl. Natalie."

"Jesus Christ."

Jake looked at the girl, face frozen in horrific agony, arms torn apart. It was appalling. What on earth would make anyone feel like this was OK? Like this was right? God, she was nine! 

Garza put his hand on Jake's shoulder and Jake turned to look at him. "Let's go," he said. "We should warn the others." 

*****

Rob walked through the Festival, dodging little children playing with balloons, old women walking like sloths, and teenagers strung out on whatever drug was the newest. A young couple was making out to his left. No, they weren't making out. They were... They were eating each other. It kind of reminded Rob of the movie World War Z. 

He reached the farthest end of the Festival. Stopped. He had not found Chief Garza anywhere.

"Rob." Someone called his name. He turned around. A man was lurking in the darkness behind a string of outhouses. Rob approached cautiously. Garza stood with Jake, looking sullen and drained of color.

"Jesus, Chief, I thought I fuckin' lost you," said Rob, relieved. 

"What the hell are you talking about? Lost me?"

"Yeah. Alright, look. I know this'll sound crazy, but I got a call. Maybe... Fifteen minutes ago. The guy told me you were gonna die. He said more people were gonna die."

"Wait-wait-wait. He said that? People would die?" Garza was obviously scared. 

"Yeah..." Rob looked back and forth between Jake and Garza, unsure of what was going on. 

"Jesus. We just found Mike's girl. Natalie," said Garza, almost a whisper. 

"She okay?" asked Rob.

"She's dead." Garza had a stern look on his face. He looked away and sighed heavily. 

"She's dead?"

"Yes, she's fuckin' dead!" shouted Garza. Rob stepped back, not prepared for Garza's sudden outburst. "And this guy- the one who called you- he said I was gonna die?" 

"Yeah, that's what he said."

The three men stood in silence, waiting, anticipating, thinking about the tragedy that had just occurred. Garza finally spoke, "Get everyone inside. I don't want this fucker killing anyone else."