by Lee Cockburn
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They both sat silently, listening for sounds of Susan and Andrew. The wind was still preventing the night silence that would help everyone as they all tried to find or avoid one another.
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Kay sat on her sofa, phone in hand. She pressed her teeth into her lips, and a little sadness inched into her heart. Her thoughts wandered to some of the passionate nights she had spent with Taylor but she was very aware of her lover’s past and her self-confessed weakness for the finer sex. There was no answer from her text, no confirmation that she was safe, no comfort that everything was alright with them. Kay sipped from her glass of Merlot and wished that Taylor was there to share more than her glass of wine. She looked towards the ceiling and blew a kiss for Taylor and said, “Goodnight my love, be safe tonight.”
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The teams moved off into the night, their torches lighting the way; they had no need to hide their arrival. They hoped that their presence would curtail the hunt and give Susan and Andrew a fighting chance to evade capture and heighten their chance of staying alive. It was quite clear John Brennan had no fear of anyone, even armed police, his mind so focused on avenging his failure that nothing else registered with him.
It took at least half an hour for him to catch a glimpse of the torch light. They were at least two miles back from him and not all were going the right way. I wonder if she has seen them yet and is making her way back to meet them. If she does, I’ll be waiting!
Chapter 30: The Hunter and the Hunted
Taylor and Marcus pushed forward, trying to keep within the tree cover, no idea whether anyone was even in the trees or not. Who knew what had happened since the little girl had seen Brennan that morning. When were Susan and Andrew attacked by him? How long had they had to escape, or be captured?
“Taylor!”
“Yeh!”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t turn to answer because she knew Marcus was astute and could read her like a book, and she certainly didn’t want to tell him the truth about what she’d done with Fran and how she now felt about it. Work was bothering her as well. They couldn’t fail today or someone would die unless they were dead already.
“It’s just you seem a little preoccupied. Do you want to talk? You know I won’t judge you, I’ll just listen!”
“I know you won’t. Thanks Marcus, I’m glad you’ve got my back. I think I’ll need it tonight! Hey, did you phone your wife tonight Marcus?”
“Of course. Did you phone Kay?”
“No, I didn’t have time!”
“What? Of course you had time. Why wouldn’t you let her know you’re alright, especially on a night like tonight? Who knows what’ll happen here?”
They were both silent as they pushed through the undergrowth noisily.
Andrew stopped to take a breath, to listen, adrenaline still pumping hard through his injured body, which thankfully was still staving off most of the pain. He crouched down and listened hard. The tall trees whispered above him, leaves creating an eerie noise above, a sinister cover for the predator hunting Susan. As he thought this, he realised that Brennan would assume that he was dead; he had certainly suffered more than he thought he’d have to, to look like he did. He pushed his tongue through the gap where his front teeth used to be, but his thoughts were not about his looks. He was glad to be alive and his only mission now was to keep his partner alive. He looked around him. The grounds seemed to go on for miles but a distance away to the north he caught sight of a faint light cutting through the trees, faint but definite. A torch! Whose torch is that? Would he be that bold and not even hide his position, or is it him tricking us into thinking someone is here to help us and we’ll just run straight to him, and game over? I need to find Susan. Together we might have a chance to last a little longer. What do I do? Shout out and let her know I’m alive, give her hope? She must be terrified out there on her own, cold too. No, no, then he’ll know I’m alive. I have the upper hand at the moment.
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Fran and Stevie headed westward. They were young and able to move quite quickly, their locations being checked and plotted by the control room. They also gave the location and coordinates of the others out in the field, allowing them all to try and cover a wider area in a semi-organised manner. The dog handler would be arriving in approximately ten minutes and would cover more ground faster.
“Shit! The land sharks will be here soon and we’ll be on the menu as well as him. Police dogs don’t discriminate do they?”
“I certainly don’t want to be on the wrong end of one of them in the dark woods.”
“Don’t be such a shiter, I’d be a bit more afraid of that guy out there than anything else. Did you read the intelligence they have on him. He’s a fucking monster and strong as an ox.”
“Let’s face it, I’m glad we’ve got guns. I wouldn’t stand a chance one on one with him.”
“Neither would I.”
They both laughed nervously because they knew it was true; everyone out there tonight was in mortal danger.
John’s eyes narrowed like that of a snake as he stood still as stone beside a large tree, listening to every word Fran and Steve flippantly made as they joked about the situation; he was only yards away from them. He studied their physiques, height and build and instantly had their ability measured. He was more confident in his own ability. He wanted Susan but he knew he could do more if he had a little time to spare. This could be his last day alive and he wanted to live it to the full, and he had someone else on his mind for now. His eyes pierced into Fran’s back. He looked up her frame and then back down and licked his lips. He was already hard, wanting her and prepared to take a risk to have her. Fran stopped dead and turned on a dime, her eyes staring straight at the tree where he had been. Her blood ran cold, and she rubbed the back of her neck. The night air crept into her spine and fear buried itself deep inside her as she tried to shake it off, a chill that clung to her like death.
“What’s up? Did you hear something, Fran?”
“No, not really. Have you ever had the feeling that you’re being watched. You know, when you turn round and there is someone staring at you and it felt like you could feel it, if you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. What are you saying? Do you think he’s hunting us?”
“It’s not impossible. He’s a crazy fucker you know and he gives me the heebie jeebies.”
Steve laughed but there was hint of apprehension in his tone too because they were out of their comfort zone by a mile and Brennan most definitely had the upper hand.
He watched the torchlight move off in front of him as he planned how he could get the better of two armed cops without dying himself, although he just needed to take out one as he wanted the other one very much alive for a while, or at least until she had given into him and he had her at his mercy, begging for her life. It was hard not to be heard so close to someone else but their steps masked his and the wind was his friend, not theirs. The moon came out from behind the clouds, not full but enough to light up the clearings a little. He hoped it wouldn’t give away his cover but it also allowed him to keep an eye on them.
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Andrew moved out into the clearing, still heading towards the torchlight, remaining cautious in case it wasn’t the police and something far more sinister but it was a clearing he had to cross and he had to move as fast as he could.
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Susan was shivering, the sweat from her exertion cooling her down and she couldn’t warm herself up again. Her adrenaline had subsided and the pain in her foot was now throbbing, aching and making her limp heavily. The pain was excruciating and her cold clammy skin was making her shiver to the point that she couldn’t stop. Her heart still pounded with terror at every turn. He could be watching her now, teasing her as he waited for her to weaken even more, just to take her life when he thought the time was right; he enjoyed the terror he commanded in others. She
sat down on a grassy verge and put her head between her knees, cuddling her arms round them in a desperate attempt to warm herself a little. She felt sick, terrified and totally alone. Tears ran down her face, audible sobs emanating from her, uncontrollable shoulder movements started to rock her body, her bodily functions working overtime. She retched and then vomited, wetting herself at the same time. She was losing it. Her mind was flashing back to the night he attacked her, every injury and every scar started to ache as she remembered every punch, kick and stab, every act of oppression he had inflicted on her. He was winning; he had beaten her. She was in so much pain now, new and old injuries violating her over and over again. She rolled to the side, weeping and shaking in terror of what was hunting her, her thoughts now turning to death as a form of escape, one that she could control, unless she met him beforehand.
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Stevie had dropped back a little from Fran, nothing significant, fifteen feet or so. He was looking up at an owl that they had scared with their torchlight, its big brown eyes peering down at him, making him stand and stare and lose concentration for just that moment. It was really big and Steve had never seen anything like it in the city. He was smiling at it as he kept talking to Fran who had kept on walking unaware that he had actually stopped at all. She was still talking to him quietly thinking he was just behind her, there on her shoulder. The owl suddenly took flight, startled by a sudden movement behind him. Steve’s smile left him as a massive hand grabbed his mouth with great force and a sharp deep cut from a knife sliced his voice box wide open, rendering him unable to make a sound, the hand over his mouth holding him in a vice like grip powerful enough to crush the bones in his face. Steve was a strong lad, 25 years old, young and witty and a very popular man in the team. He was a naive man, interested in the world around him, like the owl that had made him take his eye off the ball. A fatal mistake, to underestimate the man they were hunting. Police officers sometimes had a wrongly placed sense of invincibility and it was very rarely that there was ever a creature they had to face that was as cruel and able as this man. Brennan held onto Steve’s body with all his might to avoid letting him fall noisily to the ground. Steve’s eyes bulged in terror, aware that it was his own blood spraying up and over him, blinding him in the process. Brennan held him almost in a state of levitation to prevent Fran hearing what had just happened. Steve’s body was convulsing now, death taking hold as the last throes of conscious life left his young frame. Fran turned round but her eyes went first to the branches above and the owl, which had let out a horrendous screech. She said, “What have you done, Steve, farted or something? because Hooty there has certainly left in a hurry.”
She laughed and her eyes dropped only long enough to see a demon slowly laying down her colleague’s body in the long grass. She saw blood still spurting from the deep wound in his neck. Steve was quite clearly dying. She heard the gurgling as the blood flowed down his wind pipe. Her torchlight shone on Brennan’s face, his wolf-like eyes lifted and stared right at her, his face haunting; an image she would never forget, if she was to live. His face was spattered with blood spray, which made him look even more terrifying. Her whole body bristled with terror and anticipation. She reached for her gun as he vanished into the darkness, his footsteps heavy but quick as he rushed away through the undergrowth. Fran shouted for him to stop as loudly as she could muster. No matter how much training she had received her mind raced with terror and revulsion at what she had just seen and at her clear vulnerability. This man was obviously an evil monster and a very capable one. She was now on her own and he wasn’t that far away. She moved closer to Steve’s body and tried to put pressure on the wound that had nearly taken his head off. The cut was deep and had been brutally inflicted and Steve’s lifeless eyes confirmed that it had been fatal.
Fran checked Steve’s body and felt for his holster, her guts twisting as she discovered it was empty. She gave a hysterical involuntary little laugh, thinking to herself why take the gun? You’re so mad and strong, you don’t need a fucking gun. She crouched motionless, listening to the sounds moving away from her, only to hear them stop dead. Her heart skipped as his escape had actually been a comfort. Why has that fucking bastard stopped? What the fuck is he doing now? Silence, nothing other than her heart pounding, terror bristling through her.
Taylor’s heart lurched when she heard Fran’s terrified voice on the radio,
“Officer down, I need assistance immediately. Steve’s dead and John now has a gun.”
“Confirm, you have seen the suspect John Brennan and he now has a gun?”
“Yes, yes, he now has Steve’s gun and I think I’m next on the list.”
“Say again. Repeat your last”, Taylor quizzed, with genuine fear for Fran’s safety.
“I drew my gun and pointed it straight at him but he was too quick and made off into the undergrowth. I didn’t give chase and went to see if I could save Steve but obviously I couldn’t.”
Fran broke down and cut off her transmission, overtly aware of being alone and with an overwhelming feeling of being watched. Why doesn’t he just shoot me? You can quite obviously see me and I haven’t a clue where the fuck you are, you monster.
“You fucking heartless monster,” echoed through the night as she yelled out in a manic display of lost control, fear taking hold. Taylor’s voice broke her spiral into a gibbering wreck to an instant halt with her calm and supportive tone.
“Calm down Fran. We have your GPS positioning, and Steve’s. How far is the body away from you?” she asked.
“Why?” Fran asked, her fear increasing.
Fran’s blood ran cold as it dawned on her; they knew where she was and where Brennan was.
“He’s right beside me,” she calmly replied, realising as she patted down his pockets, all of which were empty, that as well as the gun, Brennan had Steve’s radio. Brennan realised too what a fool he’d been and angrily threw the radio as far as he could into the woods away from his current position. He wanted to hear what was going on but not at the risk of them being able to pinpoint his position. Fran heard something in the trees quite far away.
Taylor’s message was quick and frank, “Twenty five metres north east. Run!”
Fran didn’t need to be told twice. She was fit and very fast, and she turned in the opposite direction from the lair where he lay and bolted through the ferns and tall grass. She ran with intent and direction, an animal in full flight from the predator behind. She must have ran 100 metres in less than 12 seconds, fully clothed with obstacles in her way, her terror giving her super human ability. A gun at her side and she was still running with everything she had to put some distance between her and him, not feeling protected by the side arm at all; it hadn’t helped Stevie one little bit, god rest his soul.
He smiled as he heard her futile attempt to escape as she crashed through the undergrowth. “My, my, she is quick,” he muttered to himself. He was in two minds over what to do: take the time to hunt her down or give his full attention to Susan? He listened longer and harder and heard her stop, not far enough to be out of earshot or safe. The trees had stopped rustling and an eerie quietness smothered the woods. He heard her speak on the radio.
“Taylor, we need to get more officers here. This guy is fucking mad. He’s hunting me, I think, fucking frightening the life out of me. Shit! I’m shaking here! Come and find me, help me, please come and help me.”
She was a little embarrassed by her radio message but she couldn’t help it; she was scared stiff and was losing a little self control. She’d watched her stronger and more physical colleague get snuffed out with relative ease; he hadn’t stood a chance.
Susan had spotted two sets of torch lights up ahead. They were still far away but she decided to try and make her way towards them; she had decided that they were allies and not foes and was going to take a chance. Her foot ached more than ever and her skin was weeping with blood from hundreds of cuts and scrapes, none of which she could feel, as there were so many
other, more damaged things taking up her pain receptors.
John flicked on his torch and sniggered to himself. “Come and find me, if you dare.” He wanted Fran to try and get him.
Taylor kept checking Fran’s GPS; she was a mile away. Marcus moved in Fran’s direction, slightly quicker than Taylor and she told him to wait up, fearing that any distance apart could be a fatal mistake after what had happened.
The police dog moved through the undergrowth, barking loudly through the night. It was tethered to the handler by a long lead and was practically dragging him forward with it. The dog had been round the lodge and could smell three of the occupants so it was tracking Susan, Andrew and John. The chopper was on its way up from Glasgow, thirty minutes ETA.
John moved forward. He was brimming with confidence due to the ease of his last kill and the terror he had placed within the female cop in doing so. He had heard her on the radio and was feeding off her fear, having so much more fun than he thought he would and not even remotely concerned about his welfare.
