Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

Tess could feel her mouth suddenly go dry. “But, sir…”

  “No buts.” Mr Walker raised his left hand to stop her speaking. “We don’t know what we are dealing with here; how sociopathic, or psychopathic, he is. And he is targeting you. I am not going to put you at any further risk.”

  Tess felt panic seize her. “But what about the painting?” She stared around at them all, appealing. “It isn’t finished yet. Do I just suddenly not show up for work Monday? That will rouse their suspicions immediately and might even make them go underground.”

  Mr. Walker stood up, gathering his papers and putting them into his briefcase. “It may. But frankly I don’t care. We have enough on this organisation to start putting together a real case against them now. One unfinished painting is not going to concern them much, either.” He paused, his eyes softening. “Tess, you can be very proud of your efforts on this case. But we will take over now.”

  Tess stared at him. She couldn’t believe it. She tried hard to suppress the tears that had suddenly sprung into her eyes.

  “Go home, Tess,” he said gently. “Have a week’s break, and then report back for your next case. You’ve earned it. What town did you say you live in again?”

  Tess took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This meeting had not gone the way she had been expecting. Not at all. The bitter disappointment at being told that she was off this case rose like bile in her throat, threatening to choke her.

  “Mallion Cove, sir,” she replied slowly. “A little village on the coast, just off the interstate.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tess attempted to stifle a yawn as she drove down the interstate, fighting suddenly to keep awake. The fatigue had risen suddenly and forcefully. It was just as well that she was only ten minutes away, she thought. Otherwise she might have been forced to find a rest stop and coffee to keep going.

  It was a dark night. Clouds scudded across the sky, although sometimes they cleared, and she was able to see a bright moon in the distance. Not a full moon yet. But well on its way. Suddenly, she remembered watching the moon from the pier on clear nights, the white rays dancing on the water. She was almost home.

  And there it was. The sign for the exit: Mallion Cove.

  Tess flicked on her indicator, slowing down. The tiredness seemed to have melted away just as suddenly as it had appeared, replaced by a feeling that she couldn’t quite label. Anticipation? Excitement? Almost a bone-deep relief at almost being home again. It had only been six weeks since she had last been here, but it seemed like a hundred years.

  She slowed down further, feeling like she was almost crawling after the high speed she had been going on the interstate. The streets of this small town were practically deserted at this time on a fall evening. Everyone was inside their homes, snug and warm. But Tess knew that on balmy summer nights it was different. Then, people were out in force, walking down the esplanade and around town. Eating ice cream and dipping their toes in the water. But there were downsides to summer here, too. The population of the small town swelled exponentially. There were traffic jams down the main street, and it was hard to get a table at any restaurant. Tess usually tried to avoid the main part of town in summer.

  Her eyes flickered as she passed stately weatherboard homes, with swings on the wide porches and turrets pointing to the sky. The original houses of the town, all renovated now.

  Mallion Cove had started life as a fishing village over one hundred and fifty years ago. At that time, the population were all poor working people, whose lives revolved around the boats and their catch. Then suddenly it had caught the eye of wealthier people who fancied it as a retreat from the city of Covenester. Those stately homes had been erected, and the face of the village had changed. Well-to-do families started walking the esplanade.

  Tess knew that it hadn’t lasted, however. It had gone through a slump in the sixties. The wealthy crowd all sold up and went somewhere closer to the city. The fishing industry had started to dry up, as well, meaning unemployment for those families whose livelihood depended on it; families who could trace the industry back generations. It had been a hard time for the village, and it had looked like it mightn’t survive.

  A fresh approach to tourism had turned it around. The city council marketed Mallion Cove far and wide, attracting visitors. And now, the economy depended on it. Almost half the town’s houses had been given over to holiday lets or torn down and replaced with motels. The old businesses in town were replaced with ones marketed towards the tourists; restaurants, souvenir shops, ice creameries. Boats for hire clogged the pier. And the village had been saved. Although it was still proud of its fishing heritage, with nautical displays and anchors peppered throughout the town.

  Tess thought of the history as she drove through the familiar streets. Mallion Cove had been her home for over a year now. It was off the beaten track and the commute to work was a pain, but she had fallen in love with it the moment she had first come here. She had gotten used to long driving. And when she could she took her motorbike onto the coastal roads, relishing the freedom of twisting bends while staring out over the sea.

  Tess’s mind cast back over the day as she drove. She had argued with Mr. Walker for over an hour today, begging to stay on the case. But he was adamant, and in the end, she had to follow his orders. She had returned to the city, and her flat. No, not her flat; the Bureau’s flat. She would have to vacate it soon anyway, now that she had been taken off the case. So, she had packed her suitcase, deciding to head home immediately.

  And there was another reason she suddenly had to leave so urgently. The missed calls on her phone, stacking up like a deck of cards on the screen. Shay. The man who was the mastermind behind the whole thing, still thinking that he could sweet talk her. She needed to get physical miles between them.

  She pulled into the driveway of her tiny beachside shack, tears prickling behind her eyes. She hadn’t let herself feel how much she had missed this place. Living in that impersonal flat in Covenester, surrounded by unfamiliar furniture, had been hard. Working and living in the city had been hard. And although she had resisted coming back here, now, she couldn’t stop the relief that she felt at being here.

  It was like a balm on her soul. Especially after everything that had happened.

  She stared at the house, breathing deeply. Suddenly, she didn’t want to go inside. Not just yet. She wanted to walk the main beach, on the edge of town. Take off her shoes and feel the sand between her toes. Breathe the salty air. It was always the place that she went to when she wanted to think things through. And she had a lot to think through, now.

  She nodded, decisively, and turned on the engine again, heading towards the beach.

  ***

  Shay took off his helmet, shaking his hair out. It had been a good ride on the interstate, and he had gotten here earlier than he had expected.

  He flicked down his motorcycle stand, securing it in place. He couldn’t stop his eyes trailing over it proudly. It was a 1968 Triumph Trident, one of the best bikes that had ever been made. Shay had painstakingly restored it, down to a new carburettor and shiny new pedals. It had been a labour of love which had taken him a long time, but it had been worth it.

  He tore his eyes away from the bike, looking around the town. Mallion Cove. It looked vaguely familiar; he remembered a family vacation here when he was very young. Walking down the esplanade with his new bucket and pail, ready to build sand castles on the beach. He squinted his eyes, trying to recall the holiday. Had Eric been with them, as well?

  Yes. He had been. It had been the two of them walking that esplanade, and they had made a competition out of who could build the best sand castle. Shay smiled at the memory. It had always been like that between them. As much as they had loved each other, they had competed with each other. Eric had always wanted to be the winner and would sulk, sometimes for hours, if he lost.

  Shay’s heart twisted. He missed him. Why had he died so young and so needlessly? They could have ridden down to
this town together. They could have worked together on restoring his bike. Eric had loved motorcycles so much. It was such a waste.

  He took a deep breath. Such was life. He had to put it behind him, once and for all. It didn’t mean that he could never remember Eric or smile about the times that they had shared. But it did mean that he had to stop ruminating about the night he had been killed, and why. There were no answers. He just had to accept it.

  He checked his wristwatch. A quarter to nine. Still fifteen minutes until he had to meet Mr. Gee on the pier. He frowned, staring down the main street. It was deserted; there wasn’t even a café open where he could sit and have a coffee while he waited. Perhaps he should walk along the beach until the appointed time. There didn’t seem to be anything else to do.

  He headed off, feeling the wind pick up as soon as he got closer to the shoreline. Boats tethered to the pier were bobbing in the water, swaying slightly in the wind.

  He walked as close to the sea’s edge as he could without wading into it. The foam from the surf hissed slightly as it lapped the shore, receding again just as quickly. He stared out over the water, watching the clouds moving along the sky. The moon peeked out from behind them now and then, almost as if it were playing hide and seek. It was three quarters full. He would have to leave this case soon, just for a few days, when it was complete. And that would be soon.

  He drew in a sharp breath, feeling the saltiness of the air hit his lungs. How could he leave Tess? She was at risk. Anything could happen to her while he was away. But he knew he had no choice. The call of the wolf was too strong. And he couldn’t be any help to her when the wolf had taken over, anyway.

  Tess. His heart yearned for her so strongly it almost consumed him. How was it possible that he still loved her, exactly the same, after all these long years? He had still loved her when he had thought that she was a criminal. It didn’t seem to matter a jot what she was, or what she had done. The feeling was as strong as when he had first realised it in that high school English class.

  But he knew it was useless. As useless as it had been back then. She might be attracted to him now, but that didn’t mean that she would ever love him back. She thought he was a criminal, and that was on top of the anger she still held about that night. He could never convince her that the man he truly was existed.

  He bent down, picking up a shell. He studied it for a moment before pitching it across the water. Frustration consumed him. Why had she returned into his life like this, if it was still the same? It was like he was being taunted by what he still couldn’t have.

  Enough. He took a deep breath and checked his watch. Five to nine. He needed to head to the pier for this mysterious meeting. As he walked slowly towards it, he glanced back over his shoulder. He could see a woman walking along the beach in the far distance, staring over the water.

  He hesitated, squinting slightly. Why did he have a sudden urge to wave to her, entreating her to leave? He hesitated for a minute more, then shrugged it off.

  Mr. Gee would be waiting, and he didn’t want to be late.

  ***

  Shay walked quickly along the pier. Yes, he could see two figures in the distance, standing close to the end of it. He discerned the upright posture of Mr. Gee, wearing his usual dark suit, which looked strange and out of place in this seaside environment. The man with him was more suitably dressed for the occasion, huddled in a padded parka, a beanie pulled low over his head.

  He quickened his pace. The two men suddenly saw him and turned. They didn’t wave or call to him. Their faces were in shadow as they watched him walk towards them.

  He was just about to raise his hand in greeting when the hairs on the back of his neck started to prickle. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

  His whipped his head around just as a bat swung towards him, and he was suddenly on the deck of the pier, gazing up at the stars.

  ***

  Tess frowned, watching the men on the pier. There were two at the edge of it, and another walking towards them.

  Her cell phone beeped. She stared at it, her frown deepening. An unknown number, and a message of only three words: You’d better run.

  She froze, staring down at it. At that moment, she looked up and saw another man creeping behind the man walking towards the end of the pier. He carried a large bat.

  The blood drained from her face, and she started running, tossing her phone into her pocket. Was he about to hit the man? She had to stop him.

  She jumped onto the pier from the sand, landing like a cat on all fours. The man with the bat was almost to the one in front. She watched him raise it high, then clobber him hard, sending the man sprawling on the pier.

  A fury spread through her blood. It pounded so hard in her head all thought ebbed away.

  She sprinted, hauling herself at the assailant. She could see the flicker of surprise in his eyes; he hadn’t been aware of her. She struggled against him. He was strong; he fought well. But eventually she managed to pin him to the deck, punching him in the back of the head.

  She glanced up, at the two other men at the end of the pier. They hadn’t moved an inch.

  “Can you help?” she yelled, staring at them. In the back of her mind she heard a speedboat’s engine start up. The two men climbed into it. A slow awareness started to dawn on her. One of the men was Mr. Gee. She didn’t know the other man, and she couldn’t see his face; he wore a black beanie pulled down low. They were both running away from whatever was happening here. A flash of gold from a bracelet on the other man’s wrist sparked suddenly in the swinging overhead light.

  She stared down at the man she had pinned to the deck, roughly turning him over so that she could see his face. He stared up at her. She reeled back in horror, stumbling in her haste.

  His face…it wasn’t human. It was as if he had suddenly whipped on a child’s Halloween mask. Grey, leathery skin. Beady black eyes as cold as the pits of hell. What the hell was he?

  She froze, staring at him, feeling all the blood drain from her head. He stumbled back and ran towards the boat, jumping in. She watched as it roared off into the darkness.

  She collapsed onto the deck, panting hard. This wasn’t happening. Everything started spinning in her head, around and around, like mice on a wheel.

  A low groan brought her to her senses. The man who had been hit. He was regaining consciousness.

  She stumbled to her feet, approaching him. She could see blood on his head, glistening in the darkness. He groaned again, long and low. And then another sound emanated from him. Almost a grumbling growl, like the sound a dog would make.

  She froze. That sound was uncanny. She swallowed her fear and stared down at his face.

  It was Shay.

  “Tess,” he mumbled, writhing on the deck. “Help me.”

  Her heart started thudding violently. What was happening here? Was this some kind of trick?

  “Please,” he implored, staring up at her.

  She hesitated, staring down at him. She should call the Bureau this instant. She should secure him until they arrived. Shouldn’t she?

  She watched him, writhing in pain. Why had he been hit over the head like this, left to die? Who were those men? And why had Mr. Gee, of all people, been among them? Mr. Gee, who supposedly worked for Shay. And then there was the horror movie visage of the assailant. None of it made sense. None of it.

  “I’ll tell you the truth,” Shay croaked. “I’ll tell you everything.”

  Tess took a deep breath. Then she leaned over him, reefing him to his feet. He hung over her like a dead weight.

  “Yes,” she whispered to him, as she hauled him along the pier. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  ***

  Shay opened his eyes, staring around him. Where on earth was he?

  He blinked, trying to clear his vision. It was a house. He was lying on a sofa, covered in geometric patterned throw rugs. He could see a large potted plant at the other end, its leaves drooping slightly, as if it hadn’t bee
n watered in a while.

  He slowly turned his head, wincing at the sudden sharp pain that accompanied the movement. He remembered now. He had been walking towards Mr. Gee and another man on the pier, when he had suddenly known he was in danger. He had turned to look behind him just as a bat had swung against his head, knocking him out. All that he could recall after that was staring up at the stars in the sky.

  “You’re awake.”

  He twisted his head quickly. Tess was standing over him, her hands on her hips. She didn’t look happy.

  He sat up slowly. “Where are we?”

  Tess smiled slightly. “Welcome to Hotel Tess, Shay. Hot water and towels provided, but I am afraid the lodging doesn’t come cheap.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “You promised me answers, and that is the price you pay for me taking you here, instead of hauling your sorry ass to the local precinct.”

  He blinked. “I don’t understand.”

  She sighed then sat down on an armchair opposite him. Her face looked grim, and she shook her head.

  “I shouldn’t have done this,” she said. “I don’t know why I did, frankly. But then the whole thing has utterly confused me.” She paused. “You confuse me.”

  He nodded, grinning suddenly. “I tend to do that to people.”

  She gazed at him, not smiling back. “You seem to have your wits about you now. Maybe you could tell me what you were doing at that pier and why someone tried to kill you.” Her eyes narrowed. “And no more crap, Shay. I want the truth.”

  He was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to formulate something in his head.

  “I was asked to meet Mr. Gee on that pier,” he said slowly. “I got a call this morning. And that’s what I was doing. Except I didn’t quite get there.”

  She sighed. “You were asked to meet Mr. Gee?” she scoffed. “Can you just cut the act, Shay! I know who you are. You don’t work for Mr. Gee. Mr. Gee works for you. Although why the hell he just left you there after someone attacked you is beyond me, and part of the reason I brought you here.”