Page 32 of Property of Anchor

“You have to let the police know,” I said.“People arelookingfor them.”

“Yeah, they are,” Skull said.“But we’re not going to let them find them with our name carved into their skin.”

“But you said—”

“We don’t know why they’re dead, why they washed up here, or why the hell they’ve got KOAMC carved into them,” Anchor cut in.“We’re trying to figure it out.Now you’ve joined the party.”

I couldn’t breathe.

Anchor looked at me.“Let us handle this, Pearl.”

“You want me to justnotworry about the two dead bodies ten feet away?”

Anchor nodded.“Yeah.”

“You do realize how insane that sounds?”

“I do.”

Movement echoed in the tunnel.

A man I assumed was Doc stumbled in, followed by Lost.

Doc blinked at me.“You’re new.”

Anchor stepped forward.“Don’t worry about her, Doc.Focus onher,” he nodded to the body.

Doc grunted, moved to the body, and dropped a bag to the floor.He rummaged around in it and then snapped on gloves.

I should have looked away.

But I didn’t.

Doc poked, prodded, and muttered to himself.“Ligature marks on the wrists… signs of struggle.Shirt was ripped, but no sign of sexual assault.No blood loss from the stomach wound, likely post-mortem.Time of death maybe six hours ago.”

He pushed her head gently to the side.

“Same stitching as the other guy.Same carving.This wasn’t random.”

Another set of footsteps.Bob appeared with a crate in his arms.

“Whiskey?”Doc asked hopefully.

Bob nodded.

Doc grinned and wiped his hands on his pants.“Whoever killed the guy, killed her too.No question.”

Bob looked at me.“She’s part of this now?”

Anchor nodded.“As much as I wish she wasn’t.”

I wanted to scream.Cry.Run.

I wanted to rewind thirty minutes and stay on my porch.

“The police,” I started again.

Anchor turned and gave me a look that could freeze blood.“The police are not getting involved.Not until we can prove this isn’t on us.”

---