THE LEGACY
CHAPTER 24- ONE WAY OR THE OTHER


Back at the center of the cabins, a huge cloud of smoke had developed and the smell of burnt shrapnel was in the air as a huge crater was carved into the ground. What was once a common area for many camp counselors and children, not to mention horny teenagers, had now become a demilitarized war zone.

It didn’t take long for Jason Voorhees to emerge from the opposite trail, stalking his way toward the center of the cabins. He began to slow down as he finally came upon the crater, puzzled. He tilted his head to one side and examined the scene, not sure what to make of it. He immediately turned and impatiently looked off in all directions, grasping his machete with evil intent. It was then that Jason noticed a red bag lying on the ground near the crater. Confused, he didn’t know what to make of the bag, and as he went to pick it up...

Directly above him sat Kevin Staley, cleverly perched in the tall pine tree watching his every move. “Come on, pick it up, pick it up,” Kevin quietly mumbled as he clutched a wireless detonator in his hand. ‘I got you now, you son of a bitch,’ Kevin thought as Jason was just about to pick up the bag, which contained enough firepower to blow them all to hell and back.

However, just before Jason was able to grab the bag, Kevin heard the sirens approaching. “Nooo!” he whispered as the sirens grew louder and the flashing red and blue lights became visible in the otherwise pitch black night sky.

Kevin looked back down to see where Jason was, but just like that, he was gone. “Fuck!” he stated as quietly as possible, knowing that he had just let a golden opportunity go by the wayside.


***


Meanwhile, at the entrance to the camp, two police cars sped into view, kicking up mud and dirt as they screeched to a halt.

Officers Strickland and Zimmerman emerged from the first squad car and Chief Warren popped out of the second car, carrying his shotgun.

“You smell that?” Strickland said as he closed the driver’s side door.

“What?” Zimmerman replied as he slammed his door with a bang.

“Something’s burning,” Chief Warren added, joining them at the side of the car.

“Yeah,” Strickland answered. “I can see the smoke over there.”

“Split up and secure the area,” Warren ordered. “We can cover more ground that way. Strickland, you go check out where the smoke is coming from. Zimmerman, you go check out the lake. I am going to search that van over there. Take all your weapons with you. You may need them. If I know Goldwater, he’s probably somewhere out here trying to blame the murders on the Voorhees legend. If you see him, don’t hesitate to open fire. Our orders are shoot to kill. You heard the mayor. He wants Rob Goldwater, and I’m going to give him that son of a bitch.”

“10-4 Chief,” Strickland said, cocking his shotgun and heading off toward the source of the smoke.

Zimmerman just saluted the chief and did the same thing, heading off in the opposite direction toward the lake.

Chief Warren himself wasted little time cocking his shotgun, as well as three other pistols that he had, varying caliber. He was going to end this tonight, one way or the other. Rob Goldwater was going down.


***


It didn’t take long for Officer Strickland to find the source of the smoke—or the huge crater that was carved into the earth.

“What the hell?” Strickland said to himself as he hiked toward the hole. He got to the crater and immediately knelt down to try to determine the cause. When he did that, his portable police radio suddenly scared him as it blared loudly from his belt. Strickland hurriedly turned it down as the operator called out a robbery in progress across town. Strickland got back to his feet and began to comb the area, looking for any sign of Rob or anyone else that might have been responsible. Oddly enough, the red bag that was once there was now gone. And so was Kevin Staley.

Then he saw it. Cabin seven. The flames were bursting through the roof, and thick black smoke polluted the skies above it. The odor coming from the cabin was god awful, a mixture of old, rotted wood and charred flesh. Between that stench and the remaining aura of gunpowder and shrapnel, Strickland began to gag like a chain smoker. He got near the porch of the cabin, but the heat was too intense for him to even attempt to enter. He then clutched his shotgun tightly, preparing for the worst.

And the worst was what he got.

Because directly behind him came the evil menace Jason Voorhees, who grabbed him by the throat and dragged him behind the cabin. Strickland struggled to turn his shotgun around as Jason choked the life out of him. He wasted little time subduing Strickland as he ripped out his larynx, sending him to the ground clutching his throat.

As Jason moved in to finish him off, Strickland spun around and aimed the barrels directly at Jason. Startled, Strickland’s eyes widened with horror as he saw Jason standing there instead of Rob Goldwater. Blood poured out of Strickland’s throat as he managed to pull the trigger.

The shot rocked Jason, who took about two steps backward. However, soon after, Jason was right back on him, and grabbed Strickland by the head and lifted him off of the ground. The officer struggled to fight him off, but Jason’s inhuman strength was too much for him.

Strickland writhed in agony as Jason crushed his skull, pushing straight down on his head with all his might until blood— and his brains— splattered out all over the burning cabin next to them.

Jason then dropped Strickland’s body to the ground with a thud and admired his work, staring at the pancake that was once Officer Strickland’s head.


Proceed To Chapter 25
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