The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Watch,’ she smiled.

  She took a small dollop from the pot. It was a transparent pink color the consistency of petroleum jelly. She rubbed it over her injured hands, releasing an even stronger scent of poppies and comfrey. The warmth spread through her hands with a curious tingling sensation.

  Theo watched in amazement as the skin sealed itself back together, leaving no more than raised red marks.

  ‘Incredible,’ Theo breathed as he turned her hands over in his.

  Scooping up a little more she tugged him closer by the waistband of his boxers, and spread the mixture across the deep claw marks in his side.

  He hissed when she touched the wounds, but soon the burning was replaced by a pleasant warmth and he could almost feel the layers of flesh knitting themselves back together.

  ‘Lie back,’ he told her. Hooking his arm under her knees he pulled the bedclothes down and lifted her injured ankle onto the bed.

  Her eyelids grew heavy and fluttered closed. She relaxed into the soft mattress as Theo covered his hands with the salve and gently massaged it into her wounded feet and her swollen ankle. She felt like she was floating, and lost in the heavy scent of the flowers she succumbed to exhaustion. She felt Theo pull the quilt over her and tuck her hair behind her ear, as he brushed a feather light kiss to her lips.

  He turned to leave but her hand reached out and grasped his wrist.

  ‘Don’t,’ she said sleepily.

  After a moment he nodded, then turned off the lamp and climbed into bed next to her. Pulling her back into his chest, his arm curved around her sweetly.

  ‘Stay with me,’ she murmured.

  ‘Always,’ he whispered.

  But she never heard his reply, she had already slipped into a deep dreamless sleep.

  14.

  Dawn was breaking over the clearing, casting a pale gray light. The dark robed figure walked slowly toward the hollowed out tree, carrying a large canning jar in it’s hands. Light filtered through the glass, highlighting its grisly contents, folds of human flesh looped in a hideous pile and floating in a pool of fluid.

  Thin tendrils of mist crawled and rippled across the floor of the clearing. The figure moved purposefully, circling the tree, and a faint, sooty orange glow appeared beneath the fog. The light began to grow brighter until it burned like a white hot brand, pulsing as it coalesced into the shape of a circular seal, within its circumference two interlocking serpents.

  The dark figure ignored it and continued on past the second seal which burned upon the frozen ground a few steps from the first. It finally stopped a couple of paces on from the second one and dropped to its knees on the hard packed dirt.

  The dirt rumbled and began to churn. Soil coiled upwards, spilling over itself, revealing a deep hole. The figure placed the jar into the hole and watched as it sank into the ground. The dark earth began to fold inwards following the path of the jar until the ground was flat once again. No sign remained that it had ever been disturbed, except for a bright orange symbol which now burned alongside its two companions.

  The figure watched as the three symbols pulsed and then began to dim. The figure turned as its hand was suddenly nudged by a ball of matted fur. The dead looking creature peered up through white eyes. Mangy fur hung from its skull in clumps, its ears were ragged and looked as if something had been chewing on them, but still they remained upright and pointed, giving a vague Egyptian feel to the creature. It sat on its skeletal haunches and looked up at its master. The creature whined, a disturbing sound of pain and anger and loss.

  ‘You will avenge your mate when the time is right,’ the voice was an unearthly whisper on the air. ‘Until then protect the circle.’

  The creature growled and stood, its mangy form undulated and began to fade, disappearing from view. Although it could no longer be seen by the naked eye, the ground sunk as if pressed down by huge paws.

  Seemingly satisfied the figure turned and disappeared into the woods.

  Olivia turned the crackling page carefully as she lay back against the sofa, her ankle propped on a pile of cushions. Although the swelling had gone down over the past few days it still ached. Thanks to her aunt Evie’s salve the cuts and scrapes on her hands and feet had all but disappeared. There remained only faint silvery lines which could barely be seen.

  Theo wandered into the room, sipping his coffee slowly. He watched Olivia’s brow furrow in concentration as she pored over an ancient looking, leather bound volume. Several other similar books were stacked on the floor next to the couch, some closed and some open at random pages.

  She lifted her legs absently as he approached and dropped down next to her, lifting her feet and settling them in his lap. His mouth curved in amusement as his fingertips lightly traced her sparkly pink colored toenails in fascination.

  ‘What are you reading?’

  ‘A book on folklore,’ she murmured.

  He leaned over the page and frowned when he didn’t recognize any of the words.

  ‘What language is that?’

  ‘Scandinavian,’ she replied absentmindedly.

  ‘You can read Scandinavian?’ he asked in surprise.

  ‘Enough to get by, I’m better with Latin though.’

  ‘Why are you reading a book on Scandinavian folklore?’

  ‘This is why,’ she smiled in triumph as she passed him the book. ‘Do you recognize it?’

  He looked down at an illustration of a great black dog, with a skeletal frame, matted mangy fur and white eyes.

  ‘That’s the creature that attacked us the other night!’ His eyes widened, ‘what is it?’

  ‘It has many names. There are literally hundreds of references to it in English, Scandinavian, Norse, European and American folklore. Its known as a Grim, a black dog, a dip, a black shuck, even a bearer of death but the most common translation is Hell Hound.’

  ‘A Hell Hound?’ Theo repeated slowly.

  ‘Yeah,’ she replied tightly.

  ‘What would a Hell Hound be doing in the woods?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ she shook her head. ‘There could be a dozen different reasons it was in the woods. Most of the mythologies say they are assigned to guard the entrances to the world of the dead, such as graveyards and burial grounds.’

  ‘Well there were two bodies found in the woods, could that have been enough to attract one?’

  ‘I don’t see how,’ Olivia frowned. ‘I mean it was only two bodies. If that was enough to attract a Hell Hound most graveyards and burial grounds would be crawling with them.’

  ‘Yes,’ Theo argued, ‘but didn’t Jake say both the bodies had been branded with some sort of seal?’

  ‘You think it might be some sort of supernatural seal?’ she mused.

  ‘It’s a possibility. What else does the lore say?’

  ‘It says they often undertake other duties related to the afterlife or the supernatural, such as hunting lost souls or guarding supernatural treasure. In European legends seeing a Hell Hound or even hearing it, is supposed to be an omen or even a cause of death. But seeing as neither of us are dead yet I’m going to discard that theory. It’s more likely it’s some sort of protector of the supernatural.’

  The doorbell suddenly rang.

  ‘I’ll get it,’ Theo patted her legs.

  Tucking them up under her so he could get to his feet, she turned back to the book. He left the room and she found herself pondering what had enough power to summon a Hell Hound. The trouble was she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

  ‘You have a package,’ he wandered back into the room and dropped a thick rectangular parcel in her lap.

  Placing the book carefully down on the floor she sat up and tore the parcel open.

  ‘What is it?’ Theo asked at her puzzled expression.

  ‘It’s some sort of file.’

  She checked inside but there was no note, just a shabby
manila folder, browned with age and bursting at the seams with paperwork. Her mouth fell open as she scanned through the first several sheets of notes.

  ‘Oh my God.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s the case notes from the original murders back in 1994,’ she breathed picking up the packaging and studying the markings on it. ‘Who the hell would send me this?’

  ‘You should call Jake,’ Theo frowned.

  ‘Yeah,’ she murmured absently as she continued to flick through the untidy notes and gruesome photos.

  Ignoring the photos for the moment she scanned through the victims. There appeared to be four in total. The first two matched Adam’s and Brody’s injuries, but it was the third one that turned her stomach, so much that she had to avert her eyes from the photos attached to the top right hand corner of the notes. The third victim appeared to have had his flesh peeled from his body, flayed alive like some sort of grim medieval torture. But it was the last victim that caught her attention because there was a post-it note stuck to the top of the page, with an arrow pointing down to his details.

  His name was James Talbot. He had only been in his twenties when he was killed, and it appeared from the notes that his head had been cut open and his brain removed. Fighting down the bile forcing itself up her throat, she grimly read on. James seemed to be the only one of the four victims who hadn’t lived in Mercy; he’d come from Salem. Further down the page Olivia noticed his mother’s name and address had been circled in thick red pen with another arrow pointing towards it.

  ‘What is it?’ Theo asked.

  ‘The fourth victim from the original murders, he’s the only one who didn’t live in Mercy.’

  ‘Is that important?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Olivia frowned, ‘maybe. I mean, I’m no cop, but I guess it could mean that the victims weren’t pre-selected by the killer. It could have just been a crime of opportunity.’

  ‘What are you thinking?’

  ‘I was just wondering,’ she trailed off thoughtfully.

  ‘Wondering what?’

  ‘He lived with his mother, it gives their address. I was just wondering if she still lives there?’

  ‘You want to go and speak with her?’

  ‘Yeah I do,’ Olivia turned her attention to Theo. ‘Whoever sent me this file went out of their way to make sure I had this information without the cops knowing and they seem to be very insistent that I look at this victim in particular. He’s the odd one out; he’s important somehow I just know it.’

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo frowned, ‘it could just as easily be some kind of trap. Have you thought that maybe this was the file that was stolen from Wallace Grady’s house?’

  ‘Yes I have,’ she admitted. ‘It seems the most likely explanation at this point.’

  ‘Then have you also considered that the pale haired man, who is working with your father, was the one who probably sent you the file, as it looks as if he’s the one who stole it. I’m sorry, but I just don’t trust his motives.’

  ‘I know,’ she nodded, ‘I know you’re right but I have to know the truth. I can’t ignore it any longer.’

  He studied her face for a moment before nodding grudgingly.

  ‘Alright, but you’re not going alone.’

  ‘I didn’t intend to,’ she stood and wandered back in the direction of the kitchen towards the laundry room.

  ‘You should call Jake,’ Theo followed her frowning slightly.

  ‘I will,’ she re-emerged from the laundry room with a clean pair of socks and grabbed her sneakers.

  ‘You will?’ he repeated suspiciously.

  ‘Yes, of course I will,’ she shrugged as she sat down and slipped her socks and sneakers on, ‘just not yet.’

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo’s voice held a note of warning.

  ‘Theo, I’ve caused him enough trouble right now and work has become a nightmare for him because of Chief Walcott’s fixation with me. It will be too difficult for him to slip out unnoticed to speak with Mrs Talbot. The second the Chief figures out we want to speak with James Talbot’s mother, he’ll know we have access to the original case files. It will raise too many questions and make me look guiltier than I already do. I also wouldn’t put it past the Chief to suspend Jake and right now we need him on the inside.’

  ‘Alright,’ he conceded, ‘but how are we going to slip out unnoticed? In case you hadn’t noticed you have a more or less permanent police shadow sitting at the end of your drive.’

  ‘That’s true,’ she sat staring thoughtfully. ‘Theo go look in the top drawer of the left hand cabinet in the kitchen and get me two bandages.’

  Curiously he did as she asked, while she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled.

  ‘Good morning, Mercy Cab Company. How may I help?’

  ‘I’d like a cab from The Stick House, Lakeside Drive going to the medical center.’

  ‘And when would you like it booked?’

  ‘As soon as possible’ Olivia asked as she took the bandages from Theo.

  ‘Very well, your cab will be with you in fifteen minutes.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Olivia hung up the phone.

  ‘You have a very devious look on your face.’

  ‘Like you said, we need to lose that tail. The second I drive out of here they’ll be all over us, and the roads just aren’t busy enough to shake them off.’

  She pulled off one of her sneakers and began to wrap her ankle, making it look twice as big as it actually was. ‘When the cab turns up I need you to carry me out to the car, and with any luck the cops will see you do it, and follow us to the medical center. We can lose them there.’

  ‘Like I said, devious,’ he shook his head in amusement.

  She grinned up at him, holding out her hand so he could help her to her feet. Hobbling back into the library she scooped up the file, and her spare sneaker, and shoved them down into her purse, while Theo retrieved their jackets.

  Theo waited out on the front porch for the cab while Olivia took a moment for herself. She had a heaviness in her chest like she was about to find out something she really didn’t want to know, and not for the first time she cursed herself for ever having come back to Mercy. Unfortunately there was no way out now, she didn’t have the luxury of running away this time. She had to see it through, even if it did mean finding out her father was not just a murderer but a serial killer.

  She wasn’t safe, she knew that much, and if the police weren’t going to do their job, and find out what really happened, she would have to do it herself. Thank God she had Jake and Theo.

  She was startled out of her reverie by her phone ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket she glanced down at the screen and frowned. It was Mags calling again. She’d have to talk to her sooner or later but the fact was, she didn’t want her getting caught up in this mess. Mags wasn’t just her agent, she was her family, and there was no way she was going to put her in danger.

  ‘Cab’s here.’

  She looked up at Theo standing in the doorway.

  ‘Are you going to get that?’

  Olivia took one last look at the screen and sighed as she hit the reject call button.

  ‘No, let’s get going.’

  She limped out into the hall, and slipped her jacket on. She grabbed her purse in one hand, and her keys in the other before Theo swept her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. She couldn’t help the flutter in her stomach as she looked up into those dark chocolate colored eyes.

  What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t one of those women who got all fluttery over a guy, and it made her feel like an idiot.

  ‘You sure about this?’

  She nodded slowly.

  ‘Alright then,’ Theo turned, and stepped out of the door as she leaned down, and pulled it closed behind them.

  They were so blatant it was almost laughable. Gazing out of the back window of the cab Olivia could clearly see the squad car b
razenly tailing them down the empty roads into town. Fortunately the cab driver chose not to comment, in fact, he seemed to be uncharacteristically quiet for a cabbie, and wore an expression of extreme discomfort. When they finally pulled up outside the medical center Theo once again lifted her into his arms, and carried her through the main entrance.

  Olivia watched quietly as the cab pulled away, and the police car parked across the street. After a moment Deputy Helga emerged from the car, and crossed the street to the medical center.

  ‘What the hell, Olivia?’ Louisa slipped the chart she’d been signing back into the holder at the front desk and walked over.

  ‘My ankles still playing up,’ Olivia told her slowly, her eyes widening a fraction in warning.

  Louisa’s gaze swept suspiciously over her friend’s shoulder and noted the tall blonde deputy walking in. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth tightened in disapproval.

  ‘Come with me,’ Louisa answered abruptly turning toward a small cubicle.

  Theo followed obediently, dropping Olivia gently onto the bed as Louisa closed the curtain.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Louisa whispered.

  ‘I need your help,’ Olivia whispered back. ‘We need to lose Deputy Barbie out there.’

  ‘Why? Where are you going?’ she frowned.

  ‘I don’t have time to explain right now,’ Olivia shook her head as she started unwinding the bandages. ‘I promise I’ll tell you everything later, but for now I need a way out of here, without the cops knowing, and I need to borrow your car.’

  Louisa sighed. ‘Why do I feel like I’m caught up in an episode of Twenty Four?’

  ‘I love that show,’ Theo’s face brightened.

  ‘Twenty four? Really?’ Olivia turned to face Theo.

  ‘Jack Bauer is incredible.’

  ‘No, he’s the most unlucky guy in the history of the universe,’ Olivia shook her head incredulously.

  ‘Guys, save it for later,’ Louisa pulled her car keys out of the pocket of her white doctor’s coat and handed them to Olivia. ‘Leave the deputy to me, once I distract her slip into the next cubicle. There’s a door next to the bed which leads into a trauma room that’s not being used right now. Head straight through to the double doors at the other side of the room. You’ll find yourself in one of the main corridors, take a left and head to the end of the corridor. Through the next set of double doors on your right is the stairwell, which will take you down to the parking levels. My code is 324769; that’ll get you out of the parking garage.’