‘Where is he?’ Beth asked again.
Pete stepped aside and motioned towards the front door. ‘I’ll take you.’
‘Not a chance,’ Jim said, answering for her.
But Beth wasn’t as quick to dismiss the offer. She wasn’t an idiot, of course, and knew that the whole thing smelled fishy as hell. But it was something.
‘Tell me where we are going first,’ Beth insisted. ‘Then I’ll come.’
‘Can’t do that, I’m afraid.’
‘Then she ain’t going,’ Jim said. He tugged at Beth’s arm, which finally got her attention. ‘Don’t be a fool. You know nothing good can come from this. That man and his friends can’t be trusted. They’re just errand boys for the Kents.’
‘Fuck you!’ Pete shouted. ‘I’m more than a fucking errand boy!’
Jim ignored him. ‘Don’t let the need to find your brother land you in danger.’
He was right, of course, Beth didn’t doubt that. But she was hoping to keep Pete talking and get him to let something slip.
‘Come on,’ Jim said, pulling her away. Beth allowed herself to follow, but felt her stomach drop. She was so close.
‘He’s gonna be sad to learn you didn’t want to see him,’ Pete said mockingly. ‘So, I guess you might as well just fuck off home, then, leave Josh to his life here, where he’s happy.’
‘It’s a trick,’ Jim whispered as they walked through the hatch in the counter. ‘He’s goading you.’
‘I know,’ Beth said. Pete wasn’t a smart man, and Beth was sure he was quite incapable of fooling her. Still, Josh was close, and Pete knew where he was.
Patricia pushed open a door behind the counter, revealing a kitchen behind. It wasn’t a commercially sized one, more like something that would be seen in a modest house, with wooden panelling on the units, as opposed to the metallic finish Beth normally associated with restaurant kitchens. This only gave further onus to the small, homely operation Patricia was running. At the back of the kitchen was another door, this one an external one. It was metal, with a push-bar across its middle.
‘Through there,’ Patricia said, pointing. Beth, Jim, and Jess quickly made their way through the kitchen to the door beyond. Beth didn’t like it. She hated that Pete had managed to make her turn tail and flee. She needed to know what he knew, and this felt like an opportunity slipping away. Jim was right, of course. It was a fucking trap, and Josh was the bait.
Jim pushed the door open, quickly, and they all emerged into a narrow backstreet. Before them was a bare brick boundary wall—complete with curled barbed wire at the top. Patricia closed the door behind them, and Beth heard it click shut.
‘Which way?’ Beth asked, looking left and right. A few bins and piles of rubbish lined the backstreet separating two rows of buildings, each backing on to it. Then Beth saw a group of three figures step into view from her left from around the corner at the very end of the street.
To her right, Beth saw more people emerge, and recognised some from the bar yesterday. They had been among Pete’s group. She felt her stomach drop.
‘Oh for fuck’s sake,’ Jim said. A low grumble emitted from Jess. ‘What do you want?’ Jim called out to them. The street was isolated and unoccupied, save for Beth, Jim, Jess, and the thugs pinning them in. No one answered Jim’s question. Eventually, from the right, Pete came jogging into view, joining his friends. He was panting and red in the face.
‘You fuckers made me run,’ he said, struggling for breath. ‘Not the way I like to get my exercise.’ He then made a show of cracking his knuckles, and he began to advance, followed by his gang. The three to Beth’s left started to walk towards them as well.
Pete laughed. ‘No one can help you out here,’ he said. Jim turned and knocked on the door they had just escaped through, banging as hard as he could. Then, Pete broke into a sprint, and the rest of his pack followed suit. ‘That bitch won’t help you,’ he shouted. ‘I gave her a good warning before leaving. She’s fucking sitting on the floor crying her eyes out right now. Her attitude was nothing a good slap couldn’t sort out.’
As much as Beth was afraid of the gang, that comment caused pang of anger to flare up within her. Pete really was the worst kind of scum.
The slapping feet of the advancing attackers echoed around the small alleyway as the men quickly closed the distance.
Beth wasn’t going to make this easy for them.
She put a hand into her pocket and grabbed her keys in a fist—the jagged, metal edge protruded through two fingers. Jim dropped his stick to the ground.
‘Won’t you need that?’ Beth asked, nodding to the walking stick on the ground.
‘Better with these,’ he said, bringing up his fists. ‘Learned a little boxing in the army.’
Jess’ growls turned into angry barks. Beth took a breath and readied herself to fight.
Chapter 24
At the head of the pack, one man in particular seemed to be making a beeline for Beth. She cowered a little, hoping to lull the attacker into a false sense of security.
Come on, then, you fucker.
As soon as the man got close to her, Beth brought out the hand that held her keys and forced the metal edge forward, cutting through the cheek of the shocked thug. There was a little resistance from the flesh at first, then it gave way and split apart. Beth felt a spurt of warm liquid streak across her hand from the wound, and the man went down screaming. Another, who pushed his way past the first, grabbed her by the throat, and Beth quickly brought a knee up as hard as she could into his groin. He let out a sharp squeal, his eyes went wide, and his grip on her neck slackened.
Beth then brought the palm of her hand up into his nose, forcing his head back. Bone and cartilage crunched beneath her driving hand.
But two others were quickly on her, and in the moment before Beth was tackled to the ground, she caught a glimpse of how Jim and Jess were handling themselves.
Jim had one fella down, and the old man’s knuckles were streaked with blood. He held a boxer’s stance, fists up to his face, eyes focused and determined. The man he faced looked weary, evidently surprised that Jim was no pushover. Jess had a man down on the ground and her mouth was clamped over his arm. She violently tugged it this way and that.
‘Get fucking off me!’ he cried out.
Then Jess took a savage kick to the gut from Pete, who had now entered the fray proper. The poor dog yelped and was forced backwards. The two men pressed down on Beth, pinning her to the floor. She then saw Pete joining in the fight against Jim, and with two-on-one, the odds were too much. Though Jim connected with a stiff left jab to the face of the first man, who Pete had thrown forward, he was then left exposed as Pete leapt in and thrust a thick arm around the older man’s neck. Pete then pushed his weight forward, down on to Jim, pulling the chokehold tight. Jim spluttered, coughed, and wheezed, but continued to fight back. The first man, who had taken the punch, swung a kick that connected with Jim’s ribs. The power of the blow, and the weight pushing down from behind, forced Jim to the floor. The two attackers then started to kick at Jim, who could only hold his arms over his head to try and protect himself from the blows.
Jess was soon involved again, however, barking and snarling. She grabbed onto the first man’s leg, and he cried out in pain. Beth saw Pete pull free a blade.
No!
The knife was just a Swiss-Army one, but the edge appeared sharp. Jim looked up to see Pete advance on the dog. Beth held her breath, not wanting to watch what was coming. Pete raised the knife.
‘No!’ yelled Jim, and quickly pushed himself up and stumbled forward into Pete. Jim grabbed the man round the waist and tried to force him back. Pete dropped the knife.
‘Jess, run!’ the old man yelled, but the dog remained focused in its attack. Another man was up now, however—the one Beth had kneed in the groin. He swung a kick and the poor dog took another nasty blow, sending it rolling to the ground.
‘We need to go,’ the man said to Pete as he
stepped in to help deliver punches to Jim’s head. The old man fell again.
‘Get them all in the van now!’ Pete snarled. ‘Make it quick.’
Jim was hauled to his feet and dragged away by two of them. Beth felt her arms pinned painfully behind her back, and she was pulled up from the ground as well. The two were dragged forward, and Beth saw a nondescript white van skid to a stop at the end of the street. The side door slid open.
I’m actually being fucking kidnapped! Beth thought.
She saw Pete run up to Jess and plant more kicks into the poor dog, who yelped at each blow. When satisfied, the thug quickly caught up with the others. Jess, however, again got to her feet and started to growl. She was obviously not done yet. But, as much as Beth and Jim struggled against their captors, there were just too many of them. Beth and Jim were soon thrown into the van, and the group of attackers jumped in as well. They wrestled Beth and Jim to the floor and tied their hands behind their backs. Pete was last inside, and he turned to see Jim’s brave companion come sprinting down the street, ready for more.
But it was too late. Pete slid the door shut.
‘Move!’ he yelled to the driver. The van lurched forward and they were off.
Chapter 25
The drive was a short one.
With Beth and Jim beaten and tied up, they could only lie on the floor of the van, rolling around slightly as the vehicle moved quickly, arcing around corners and wobbling while it rolled over uneven ground. Some of the thugs had taken the opportunity to spit at their two prisoners, cursing them as well. The one with the gash on his face—from Beth’s keys—constantly antagonised her, calling Beth a bitch and a cunt.
As battered and pained as Beth was, she at least took heart in the knowledge she and Jim had given the thugs a run for their money.
Ultimately, however, they had still been taken, and Beth had no idea where they were headed. She tried to keep track in her head of the amount of time that was passing, counting slowly to get a rough idea of the trip’s duration. The van came to a stop and shut off its engine after about five minutes of driving, according to Beth’s estimate. She suspected that meant they were still in the town centre somewhere. Or at least close to it.
Pete leaned in close. ‘Not that anyone would hear you, but if you start screaming when we pull you out of here, I’m gonna have my boys cut the old man’s throat. Understand?’
Beth didn’t blink or look away; she simply held Pete’s gaze. She could tell in his voice that the pitiful excuse for a man didn’t have it in him to carry through with the threat. But she wasn’t going to push him on it, as she doubted her screaming for help would do any good anyway. Plus, Beth didn’t want to give Pete the satisfaction of seeing her scared and begging.
‘I’ll take your silence as a yes,’ he said, then turned to his men. ‘Get them inside, quickly.’
Beth and Jim were then pulled from the van. They found themselves in a small, enclosed area. A high stone wall encompassed them, running well above head height. Automated iron gates were closing behind them with a screech. Beth looked up at the building before them, which was clearly the rear of the structure. With its grey and smooth stone blockwork, arched window heads, and stone detailing to the corners, Beth knew it to be the Heritage Centre. A place she had left only a few hours before. The back elevation of the building was similar to the front, only the windows were more numerous. There was also a metal external escape stair that hugged the wall and ran down from a flat section of roof up above.
‘Josh is in there?’ Beth asked.
‘No questions. You had your chance to come quietly.’
Beth shrugged. ‘To be honest, I thought that cutting up your friend’s face there,’ she pointed to the one with the gash in his cheek, ‘and putting that one down,’ now she motioned to the one she had dropped with a knee to the groin, ‘would be more fun.’
‘That a fact?’ Pete asked with an amused smile. The two men she’d pointed at bristled with anger and embarrassment. ‘Gotta say, lady, I kind of like you. Liked the look of you when I first saw you, too. But let’s be clear: you try anything now, and I’ll be the one to knock you down.’
Beth didn’t respond, simply glared at Pete again.
She and Jim were then led towards a sizeable double-leaf access door. It was tall and wide, made of solid black metal, and was likely used for large deliveries, Beth assumed. One leaf of the door was pushed slowly open a little from within, and Aiden walked out. He looked down at the ground, clearly uncomfortable, and fidgeted with his hands. Initially, Beth hadn’t been sure what to make of the young lad. She’d wanted to like him, and had hoped he wasn’t tied too strongly to the Kents. That hope was now quashed.
‘You are to take them inside,’ Aiden said softly to Pete.
‘You kicked my dog,’ Jim suddenly said. He was glaring at Pete now, with fury in his eyes.
‘I would have killed it, too, if I’d gotten the chance,’ Pete replied with a scowl. ‘Still might, you know. I could go back and find it. Gut it. Put the thing down.’
‘You’ll pay for hurting her,’ Jim said. ‘I always had you down as a thug, but nothing like this. You’re going to be sorry. Mark my words, boy. I’m gonna make sure of it.’
There was an eerie certainty in Jim’s voice. A gritty determination that surprised Beth. And, judging by how Pete’s eyes widened in shock, it seemed to have caught him off guard as well.
‘Enough chit-chat. Take them in,’ Pete commanded to his group.
Beth and Jim were led forward, and Beth glared at Aiden as she passed him. The young man would not look back.
They entered the building and Beth saw that they were in a large storage area with a high concrete ceiling and bare concrete walls and floor. It felt cold, and the space was filled with metal shelving units. Boxes and crates of God-knows-what sat on the shelves. Another set of double doors was at the end of the large space, and it appeared to be their destination. The group walked through the doors and into an open stairwell area, which was quite the contrast to the storage room they had just been in.
The floor underfoot was stone marble tiles, light in colour with swirls of dark grey embedded within. The walls had dark oak panelling up to the midpoint, and rich red wallpaper above. The ceilings were high, and multiple dark oak doors were set into the walls. Beth guessed that one of them probably led to the Heritage display area she had been in earlier. The stairs were carpeted a deep red, similar to the walls, and had dark wooden balustrades and handrails. At the top of these stairs, a group of people stood, gazing down.
William Kent was at the head of this gathering.
Beth had no idea who the other people were. They all looked of an older generation, and were dressed well in elegant clothing: dark suits, ball gowns, and evening dresses, which was odd, given the time of day. Even William had changed clothes into something a little more formal. Among their number, however, Beth noticed one girl who was notably younger than the rest. She was dressed in a black, shoulder-less dress, and her blonde hair was pinned back into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck. She wore sparkling earrings that dangled down to her shoulders, and her face had high cheekbones lightly layered with flawless makeup. On top of that, her eyes were a striking blue.
The girl was stunning.
‘Hello again,’ William said from his position at the top of the stairs. 'Beth, was it?’
‘You do realise you’ve kidnapped me, don’t you?’ Beth asked. ‘That is a criminal offence.’
William just chuckled. ‘I saw the resemblance straight away,’ he said. ‘You talk just like him, too. In fact, talk a little much. Must be a family trait.’
‘Where is my brother?’ Beth snapped.
William ignored the question and went on, ‘I had to be sure, of course. Couldn’t just take you there and then. Have to be careful, you know? So, I showed Josh some camera footage of you when you waltzed in here earlier, bold as brass. He didn’t say anything, but the worry on his face told me ev
erything I needed to know. He had originally told me he didn’t have any family left. Quite the liar, your brother, isn’t he?’
‘What have you done with him?’ Beth asked, raising her voice. ‘Tell me where his is!’
William just turned to Jim instead. ‘Shame you’ve gotten caught up in all of this, isn’t it?’
‘You behind those killings on the beach?’ Jim asked, raising his head defiantly. ‘You murdered those poor people?’
William chuckled. ‘You have no idea what is going on, Jim.’
‘I know enough to realise things are going to go to hell, just like they did fifty years ago.’
‘Well, I suppose you could say things are going to go to hell, Jim. That’s certainly one way to look at it. We have a different view, of course, but you are welcome to yours. But no, this isn’t like last time. This is something much more… divine. Bring them up,’ he called out. Beth wasn’t sure who he had shouted to. Even Pete and his goons looked around confused, unsure if they were to follow that instruction.
However, the group at the head of the stairs then parted and four men came stomping down. They looked to be in their twenties or early thirties, and the men all had shaved heads and almost blank expressions. All were dressed in dark combat trousers and tight black jumpers. They didn’t seem to be mere street thugs, like Pete and his friends, and had a terrible intensity about them.
Both Beth and Jim were quickly grabbed. Beth’s arms were forced behind her back with much more force than anything Pete’s gang had managed to exert. The way they snapped her into position was quick and efficient, and she cried out in pain.
‘Pete,’ William said, ‘you and your friends are finished for the day. Run along.’
Pete looked a little confused, almost hurt at being cast aside. But he didn’t argue. ‘Yes, Mr. Kent,’ he replied obediently.
‘Errand boy,’ Beth said to him with a sneer. ‘Run along, little puppy, your master is finished with you now.’
The Extreme Horror Collection Page 55
