Curious Campers

by Anne Lown

  Adam shuffled back. His shadow was deeper against the darkness, and she presumed it to be him because Harvey didn’t move.

  “They’re nearly there. We’d better get going,” Adam whispered.

  Caught in the middle of the two men, Jenny went with the flow. Her heartbeat pounded from not knowing what to expect. The thought of coming face to face with Les and Nadine filled her with dread. The sooner it was over the better.

  Up ahead an argument could be heard, ensuing from something someone wasn’t willing to do. The closer they got, the more she could understand.

  “But it’s mine.” It was Shane, the smaller of the two friends. It seemed Dan wanted him to part with the knife and he was resisting.

  “We need to put it back so the police can find it. Give it to me.”

  Dan’s clear frustration carried across the short distance to where she was hiding. A torch set on red light flashed across her line of sight, but it didn’t interfere with her vision.

  He must be trying to take it from him.

  A scuffle broke the conversation, and a cry rang out.

  “You hurt me,” Shane said, distress heightening his tone.

  “I’ll do more than that if you don’t let go,” Dan replied.

  “Maybe I can be of assistance?”

  Jenny caught her breath. Her hand leapt to her mouth involuntarily to cover any noise she thought she’d made. She recognised that velvety tone—Les was here, too. He must have followed the three of them along the path they’d taken because she’d not been aware of his presence behind her or Adam. Maybe that was what she’d mistook for the progress of the others—maybe it was Les she’d heard instead.

  “Who’s that?” Shane sounded afraid.

  Jenny wished she could see better. The darkness shrouded all activity. She hadn’t a clue how they knew where anybody was or who they were.

  “Stay here,” Adam muttered. He left the two of them alone and crawled behind the undergrowth farther along.

  “Hand me the knife,” Les said, “and I’ll let you go.”

  “No.” Shane’s voice cracked.

  She could imagine him with his bag clutched to his chest and turning away, recoiling from the demand.

  Jenny reached behind her and placed her hand on Harvey’s leg. She dug her fingers in, afraid of what would happen next.

  “If you don’t,” Les carried on, “you’ll get the same fate as Tom.”

  Her eyes widened.

  No!

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Jenny was plunged into a state of shock. Surely Les wasn’t the killer? She bit her lip, trembling from the effort of crouching for so long. She sank to her right side and landed on her hip on the frigid ground. Then a thought struck her.

  The second knife. Does Les have it?

  She waited while the stand-off continued. Shane whimpered. He clearly didn’t want to give up his possession. She took her hand from her mouth and tried to push herself back into a crouching position with the aid of her grip on Harvey’s leg. If any action were to start, she’d need to react quickly, and it’d be easier if she were on her feet.

  A noise broke the deadlock. A person lunged from nowhere and thrust themselves into someone else. Jenny strained her hearing to work out who it was. Images of Jason broke into her thoughts, that was something he’d do, and she’d only just realised she didn’t know where he was. She twisted her body to look to her rear. There were more stirrings in the trees.

  “Did he get it?” Nadine crouched behind her, clinging to Jenny’s jacket to keep herself stable.

  What’s she doing here?

  “Not yet.” Harvey sounded frustrated. He knew as much as Jenny did of what was happening only a couple of metres away.

  Someone thudded onto the ground, dried-out twigs and branches cracking under their weight. Jenny flinched, expecting to be landed on at any second the longer she stayed put. She let go of Harvey’s leg and propelled herself away from him, shaking off Nadine’s grip at the same time. The woman wouldn’t have expected Jenny to move so didn’t manage to hinder her escape.

  Were they all working together?

  Questions plagued her just when she needed clarity to stay safe. The crashing about to her left continued. Les called out for help, then screamed, a high-pitched, shrill cry. Something had happened.

  “Les?”

  Nadine must’ve stood and was now forcing herself through the undergrowth in his direction. Jenny followed the sounds of Nadine’s progress, aware of where she was going.

  “You’ve killed him!” Nadine shrieked, then screamed, over and over.

  The torchlight turned from red to white and shone haphazardly in every direction. Dan must’ve seen something because he rushed forward and leant down. Jenny watched the scene in slow motion, her senses overwhelmed with what was playing out before her.

  “Someone else has got a knife,” he shouted.

  “It wasn’t me.”

  Now Jenny could pinpoint Jason. It was him throwing himself through the trees. He stood over the two on the ground, the light flicking to his face and showing him running his hands through his hair. The spikes he cared about so much were in disarray. Rolling about with Les had ruined his hairstyle.

  She shifted from one foot to another, trying to get a better view from behind the bush. Her gaze danced from shadow to person, trying to work out who was in the group. So far, she’d identified Les and Nadine on the ground, with Dan and Jason standing over them. Shane was nowhere to be seen, nor was Adam or Harvey. She swivelled her head from left to right and back again. She turned where she stood, sure someone was behind her, but that could just have been her nerves. At that moment they were primed to react.

  “Where’s the others, who’s here?” Dan asked.

  He spun where he was, flashing the torch into the trees and darting it back and forth. It seemed he was eager to catch anyone missing so they couldn’t evade the light. She followed the illumination, images flashing on its journey before it swept across her eyes and blinded her vision. Jenny blinked, rubbing at her closed eyelids with her thumb and forefinger, trying to erase the white spots that were now all she could see. She blinked again. Everything around her was a white wall, and nothing stood out.

  “Don’t just stand there, press on it,” Dan ordered. “Stem the flow.”

  “Give it to me,” Jason said.

  Now Jenny could see again, her vision had cleared. The light was pointed downwards and allowing Jason to watch what he was doing. He’d snatched Nadine’s hoodie from her grasp and used it to press the wound on Les. Jenny couldn’t see exactly where it was, his torso, maybe. She’d have to get nearer but was afraid.

  If no one knows where I am, does that make me safe?

  She glanced behind her over both shoulders in turn. No one appeared to be there. Pain was escalating in her legs again. She couldn’t stay crouching in that position, she’d have to relocate to somewhere that would allow her to stand. She kept her fingers in contact with the mud and loose foliage to aid in her creeping along the ground. Each foot shifted barely above the dirt and scuffed as it moved. The progress was slow, but she was getting somewhere. A large tree knocked against her knuckle, and she rounded it and used it to help her get upright.

  Leaning with her back to the tree, she inhaled and held her breath. Exhaling would have to wait—something stirred on her right side. She turned her head, strands of her hair snagging on the bark behind her and tugging at the roots.

  “It’s me,” Harvey whispered. He’d done the same and used the commotion for an opportunity to get somewhere safer.

  “Where’s Adam?”

  “No idea. Who hurt Les?”

  She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her do it. “I don’t know. Shane maybe, he’s the one with your knife.”

  “What about your friend?”

  Yes, Dan has one, too.

  The memory of their conversation came flooding back to her. He’d found his knife which had be
en missing from the camp when he’d come across Tom’s dead body. Had he used it on Les, was that what had happened? Why would he do that, and how, considering he was holding the torch?

  “I don’t think so,” she said. Something about Harvey’s insistence made her uncomfortable. “What did Les mean, he’ll give Shane the same fate as Tom? Did he kill Tom?”

  Harvey didn’t answer. He snuck away from her, going farther along the trail. She was on her own again; not that she felt any different, he didn’t instil a sense of trust between them. The shouting continued. Dan was calling to his friend, panic tinging his voice.

  He doesn’t know where he is.

  Jenny swept her gaze over the shadows. Whoever hurt Les was still out there. If it was none of the people still standing over his body and she’d been with Harvey and Nadine at the time, the only one missing was Adam. With people turning up unexpectedly, she could fully believe Scott would saunter out of the trees giving his take on the situation and hoping to get some of the action. But he was home with Chantal. The man had barely left her side since Halloween, hadn’t he? Jenny shook her head. Don’t be daft, now you are seeing danger in everyone. She exhaled.

  Martin! Please tell me Martin isn’t here.

  She leant back closer to the tree and clung to it with her hands. She needed to get the same sort of grip on her racing thoughts; she was being ridiculous. Or was she? Martin had kept appearing out of nowhere before and had chased her down twice. She shuddered, the memory too real for her to entertain it. She pushed it from her mind and tried to focus on the danger that was clearly present. She didn’t need to be making up more when it would distract her from staying alive.

  Jenny whimpered. The sound escaped her mouth. She pressed her lips together to stop it, but the noise was already out there. If someone other than Harvey was nearby she would’ve just told them where she was. A stone rolled along the ground a few feet from where she stood. Her gaze darted in that direction. Her muscles contracted, her fight or flight reflex primed to help her escape. She shuffled to her left side and away from the tree, easing her left boot over the dirt, her attention razor sharp on the spot she thought it had landed. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, ready to run.

  A hand clamped onto her face, jerking her head backwards and wrenching her neck. The nerve endings in her skin reacted to a cold graze on the right side that sent a trickle of warm blood seeping beneath her collar. Jenny’s eyes widened, her body turning to rock.

  It’s a knife.

  Tears stung the backs of her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, her mind blank with panic.

  “Don’t move.” Adam’s warm breath caressed her left cheek. He was so close his stubble prickled her jaw.

  They stood rooted to the spot. She waited for him to speak again, her heart banging in response to her escalating fear.

  Will he kill me?

  Her gaze flitted around the immediate area. Where would her rescue come from? Another shout erupted in the group attending to Les on the floor. Nadine was descending into hysteria. Jenny imagined the woman crumpled onto her knees, her hands raised above her head, distress etched into her face. She wasn’t hiding how she felt; she didn’t care there was a killer on the loose.

  Jenny closed her eyes and willed her mind to work.

  Think, woman.

  She bent her right arm, lifting it up and away from her body. With all her might, she rammed her elbow backwards and into his abdomen. Adam crumpled, releasing his grip on her mouth and letting his hands fall. She took the chance to drop to the ground and pushed away like a sprinter on the blocks, blindly launching herself into the dark.

  “Shit,” he shouted.

  Jenny didn’t stop until she’d gained some distance from him and tried to escape in a circle to be on the other side of the group. Her chest pounded, sharp pain searing through her lungs and her side. The knee that had hurt her earlier was now forgotten. Clearly, she hadn’t done the damage she’d feared. Catching her breath, she pushed through the undergrowth and headed towards the group. Maybe she would be safer there.

  Dan shone the torch onto her upon her approach. Now she was nearer she could see Les had been injured, but it was only a flesh wound. Jenny returned her attention to Dan and encouraged him to get some distance for what she needed to say.

  “Adam’s here, and he’s got a knife.”

  “Your work colleague?”

  Jenny nodded. “He grabbed me, look.” She leant her head to one side and repositioned the collar of her jacket so he could see where the knife had touched her.

  Dan placed his fingers on her neck and ran the tips over her skin. “It’s only a scratch. Where did he go?”

  She pivoted and pointed on the other side of the group. “We were over there. I don’t know where he is now. I think he killed Ed and Tom.”

  Dan didn’t have a chance to respond because a cry erupted from the direction Jenny had just come from. He rushed past her, his arm smacking into her shoulder and spinning her round. Jenny caught herself against a tree and managed to stay upright. Once she’d gained her balance, she took off after him, stumbling along with her hands outstretched to guide her path.

  “Shane,” Dan called, searching for his friend.

  Jenny caught up, her eyes wide, flitting her gaze around her. All she could see in the dark was what Dan was illuminating with the torch. His friend sat on the ground staring up at them.

  “He’s got it,” Shane said.

  “Then he’s probably heading back to the village.” Dan marched back to the others attending to Les with Jenny and Shane in tow. “We’d better get out of here.” He nodded towards Les. “He can walk.”

  On the same trail that they’d arrived on, Dan led them out in single file. Jenny and Shane took up the rear. Harvey was as elusive as Adam. He might have left the woods already. With both knives missing, there was nothing to stay for.

  Jenny pulled her mobile from her pocket and touched the screen, bringing it to life. She opened her contacts page and pressed on one of the names. The phone rang on the other end of the line and was answered quickly.

  Jenny spoke. “George, it’s Jenny. I’m coming out of the woods with some others. My work colleague has the weapon that was used to kill the dealer. Can you meet us at the entrance?”

  All manner of activity erupted on the other end of the call, not that it mattered to her. She knew he’d be upset she’d interfered again, but besides that, he’d be there when they got out of the woods.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  DS George stared at Jenny, but not in a good way. His pinched mouth belied his anger at her getting to the answers before him. An ambulance had been called to deal with Les and his injury. Dan had been right about it being just a flesh wound, and much to Nadine’s relief, her man would live.

  Les had been arrested on the spot, but as to the whereabouts of Harvey and Adam, nobody knew. Jenny sighed. She rubbed at her sore muscles. The last hour had been so tense she felt she’d pulled every one of them. The scratch on her neck from the knife came to nothing; Adam clearly hadn’t wanted to hurt her.

  “Are we free to go?” she asked.

  George grumbled. He’d lost some of his authoritative tone since he’d stood in her living room with the uniformed officer and carted Scott away. She snorted. The person she’d got caught up in the mess for had been safely tucked away caring after the widow of his mate. It seemed he’d now been proved innocent, but he’d done nothing to make it happen.

  Would he have put his freedom on the line for me?

  The question was answered in an instant. Of course not. She’d not instilled the same loyalty that Chantal had managed to do. Maybe she’d been the wrong woman for him all along, but it didn’t take away the pang of jealousy creeping up inside her.

  “Make yourselves available for a statement in the next couple of days.” George turned away; the man had more important things to attend to.

  Jenny nudged Jason with her elbow. “You’re covered in blood
. Do you want to go to your place and get changed?”

  Jason looked down at his clothes. Les had bled enough that Jason had had a job to stem the flow. His jeans were stained by the knees where he’d smeared blood due to manoeuvring the hoodie. “Yeah, probably best.”

  They wandered off in the direction of his house, leaving the others to do what the police allowed. Jenny slipped her arm through his, snuggling against it and relaxing for the first time that day. She peered up at his face, noticing she didn’t feel angry anymore. It seemed their chat in his kitchen before he’d taken Nadine home had knocked something into place. An understanding of how he’d felt after the death of Annalise had given her a point of reference within his world.

  “What if we check on Harvey first.”

  “You really think he’d go home?” Jason had stopped them in the street. He was staring at her face, his gaze searching for an answer.

  She nodded. “I do. It’s not like he did anything when he was in the woods.”

  “How did he know where to go?”

  “That’s something I’d like to find out.” The thought of him working with Adam made her wonder what had really been going on. She’d thought Tom had killed Ed, but now she wasn’t so sure. Adam had Harvey’s second knife. The question was, how did he get hold of it?

  They carried on through the village. Even though it was evening, there were still people milling around. She scanned each face in turn, just in case it was one of the two people she was searching for. Harvey’s home came into view, but no lights were on inside. That didn’t deter Jenny, she was still determined to knock.

  Jason landed his fist on the front door, the wood rattling on its hinges. Jenny kept her fingers crossed and held them behind her back. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure there would be no surprises from the wrong direction. She’d had enough of people creeping up on her and felt the graze on her neck in response. Harvey didn’t answer, not even with Jason banging his knuckles raw, so she leant down to the letterbox, lifted the flap, and shouted through the gap.