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

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Do you want to take him in and I’ll clean up the car?’ Theo asked, as she looked up at him.

  ‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘it’s alright, I’ll do it. I know you haven’t had much of a chance to paint. Let him curl up in front of the fire and go amuse yourself.’

  He leaned down and took her lips as Beau squirmed between them.

  ‘I’d rather be amusing you,’ he murmured.

  She laughed and pushed him lightly.

  ‘Later.’

  Smiling she followed him up the steps to the porch and opened the door. Leaving Theo to settle Beau, she headed into the kitchen to fill a bowl with soapy water and retrieve a cleaning cloth, before returning to the scene of the crime. Shaking her head she pushed her sleeves and set to work.

  She had almost finished, when she felt a cold tingle dance down her spine. Straightening up, she glanced around the immediate area, but she couldn’t see anything. Shaking her head, she dried off the seat and emptied the bowl out before throwing the used cloth in. The feeling came again and this time she stopped and looked into the woods, but from this distance she couldn’t see anything.

  Dusk was falling, the temperature was plummeting and the sky was now ablaze with hazy purple and pink which reflected on the rippling water of the lake. It looked almost picture perfect, if it weren’t for the churning she felt in her gut. Something wasn’t right, she was being watched. Turning away from the jetty which sat on the shore of the lake to the left of her house, she looked back toward the woods.

  She could feel the demon’s presence now, deep in the heart of the place, festering like an open wound. But this was something different. It felt similar to the first day she’d arrived back in Mercy, when she’d had the feeling of being watched. It was unsettling, but in a strange way familiar. Deciding it would be unwise to linger, she locked the car and picking up the bowl she headed back inside the house.

  An intense pair of eyes watched as Olivia climbed the steps and disappeared into the house. Stepping back under the ragged canopy of trees, the hooded figure glanced down in amusement at the figure at its feet.

  The dirty and bruised man was lying in the dirt on the cold hard ground. His arms and legs were bound with cable ties, although it hardly seemed necessary as both of his legs were bent at awkward angles, the bone protruding from one of his shins poking through layers of cloth and torn flesh. His eyes, when he glanced up at the killer, were filled with pain and terror. He tried to speak, but under the bruising and swelling his jaw seemed to be broken making speech impossible. All he could manage was a few muffled cries.

  ‘Shhh,’ the killer leaned down, a lock of pure white hair falling free of its deep hood, ‘don’t waste your breath. No one will hear you.’

  He cried out again, louder this time, in panic, in pain, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.

  The killer grasped his hands by the cable tie and yanked him hard, causing yet another pain-filled cry to escape his lips, dragging him deeper into the woods.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ the cool voice carried on the cold air, ‘this won’t hurt…much.’

  23.

  Olivia was jolted out of sleep by a loud pounding at her door. Untangling herself from Theo’s arms she swung her feet over the side of the bed, wincing as her bare feet made contact with the cold floor. Cursing silently, she made a note to find where her Aunt had stored the rugs and put them down on the hardwood floors now that the cold weather had obviously set in. The impatient thumping sounded again, and this time Theo poked his sleepy head out from under the bedding.

  ‘What’s going on?’ he murmured, glancing at the clock and rolling out of bed reluctantly.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she frowned looking around.

  Leaving Theo as he pulled on his clothes and unable to find her robe or her slippers she left the room and headed downstairs. No doubt she’d find them slobbered on in Beau’s bed. He seemed to like to sleep on anything that smelled like her.

  Yawning as Beau danced playfully around her bare legs, she raised herself up on tiptoes and looked through the peephole.

  ‘This should be interesting,’ she grimaced, and opened the door.

  ‘Chief,’ she shot him an intolerant glare, ‘what is it this time?’

  ‘Olivia West,’ he reached out and grabbed her roughly, ‘I’m placing you under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Lucas Campbell.’

  ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ she replied in complete disbelief.

  The Chief spun her around and pinned her roughly against the door as he yanked her arms behind her and handcuffed her so tightly she felt the blood drain out of her fingertips.

  ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing,’ Theo growled as he stormed down the stairs angrily.

  ‘This is none of your concern Mr Beckett unless you want to be charged as an accomplice.’

  ‘The hell it isn’t,’ he glared at the Chief, ‘take your hands off her now.’

  ‘Deputy,’ Walcott called as he marched Olivia off the porch into the freezing cold air, wearing nothing but her nightshirt. ‘Deal with him please.’

  Cameron and Helga both stepped forward to block Theo’s way.

  ‘You have no right.’ Olivia tried to pull away, but he simply tightened his grip on her upper arm.

  ‘I have every right Miss West,’ he sneered. ‘I have a search warrant for your car and your house.’

  ‘What?’ her eyes widened as she saw a forensic tech with his head in the trunk of her car, ‘but you won’t find anything.’

  ‘We already have,’ he smiled smugly. ‘Blood was discovered in the trunk, which tested positive as human. It will need to be analysed, but I’m confident it will be Lucas Campbell’s blood.’

  Confident. A feeling of dread curled in her gut and her voice was little more than a horrified whisper. ‘What did you do?’

  He slammed her up against the side of the squad car, to ensure no one else could hear their conversation.

  ‘What I had to do, to catch a cold blooded killer. You’re going to prison Olivia for a very long time and when I find your father he will join you there, which is where he should have been the last twenty years. No more cushy hospitals, no more insanity pleas, it’s time to pay the piper.’

  ‘You bastard,’ she breathed.

  ‘When we search your property I’m sure we’ll find enough evidence to convict you of Adam and Brody’s murders as well.’

  Knowing there was no way out of this, she knew she had to warn Theo. She couldn’t risk letting them get their hands on Hester's Grimoire, not that they’d know what to do with it anyway, but it was still their best shot at preventing the demon from rising.

  She shoved the Chief as hard as she could and rushed past him toward Theo, but he simply spun and grabbed her, painfully wrenching her shoulders.

  Theo roared in fury as Helga and Cameron tried to restrain him. He threw Helga to the ground before turning. He punched Cameron in the face so hard it took his feet out from under him and he landed on his back on the hard ground, knocking the wind from him.

  Olivia struggled with the Chief as he fought to restrain her.

  ‘Theo,’ she called to him.

  Helga reached out and grabbed his ankles tightly, forcing him to the ground. Before he could get back to his feet she climbed on his back and pinned him down. Cameron crawled over and helped her yank his arms behind his back.

  ‘Should we arrest him Chief?’ he panted.

  ‘Not yet,’ he shook his head, ‘let him stew on it for a while.’

  Theo growled as the cold gravel of the driveway bit into his cheek and neck.

  ‘Theo,’ Olivia struggled against the Chief again, ‘don’t let them search the house.’

  ‘Why?’ the Chief slammed her back against the car once again, causing her to cry out in pain.

  ‘What’s in the house?’

  ‘Go to hell,’ she spat at him.

  He grabbed he
r by the throat and raised his hand to hit her. Knowing there was no way to protect herself with her hands behind her back, she closed her eyes and waited for the blow.

  ‘Chief!’ Helga’s voice cracked like a whip.

  Even Cameron looked up, slightly surprised.

  ‘I’m sure you wouldn’t want people to think we mistreat our prisoners,’ she told him pointedly. ‘Perhaps you should allow Miss West to put some shoes and a Jacket on.’

  Grating his teeth, his eyes flashed dangerously.

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ he opened the door and shoved her into the car.

  Waiting for the Tech to pack up the evidence bags and climb into the passenger seat, the chief slid into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the drive. Helga and Cameron released Theo and headed toward their own car. Theo climbed to his feet and brushed the gravel from his clothes watching the retreating cars with dark eyes. Pulling his phone from his pocket he called Jake.

  Olivia sat quietly shivering in the back of the car. The sadistic son of a bitch didn’t even put the heater on as he read her rights. She watched him carefully as she listened to the inflections in his voice.

  He was different. There was something in his eyes, a kind of madness. To him everything he’d done was by the book and completely rational. Olivia didn’t believe for one second he could make the charges stick, in fact as soon as Erica found out she’d have his balls for breakfast. He’d crossed so many lines there was no way he could get away with it.

  They pulled into the station parking lot and moved around the back, to the bays in front of the rear entrance. She found herself roughly pulled from the vehicle and winced as the cold hard ground scraped up the soles of her bare feet. Dammit, they’d only just healed from the last time. She could feel the temper simmering under her skin and resisted the overwhelming urge to use her powers to throw the Chief through the wall.

  Do no harm…do no harm…she continually repeated to herself as she was marched into booking and subjected to the additional humiliation of being fingerprinted and photographed. Okay, so maybe she’d cheated slightly and allowed the heat to pool in her fingertips leaving not only little black burns on the card, but also a very baffled deputy Carl.

  They finally threw her into a cell and left her there in the freezing cold. She curled up against the wall on the small cot and wrapped her arms around her legs, trying to find some warmth. She was lucky that her body ran at a higher temperature than the average person or she’d probably already have pneumonia.

  She lost track of how much time passed, looking up only when she heard someone else enter the room and approach her cell. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as Deputy Helga appeared in front of the bars and pressed a folded blanket through the metal.

  ‘Here,’ she spoke quietly, ‘take this. It’s freezing in here.’

  Olivia uncurled herself from the narrow cot and walked cautiously over to the door. She watched the tall blonde woman suspiciously, wondering if it was some kind of trap.

  ‘Take it,’ she repeated holding the blanket out further.

  ‘Thank you,’ Olivia murmured, her icy fingers wrapping around the coarse material.

  Helga watched Olivia with troubled eyes, before leaning in close to the bars.

  ‘I’ve called the Mayor’s office,’ she whispered.

  ‘What?’ Olivia’s brow folded in confusion, ‘why? Why are you helping me?’

  ‘I wasn’t watching you just because the Chief ordered me to,’ she replied cryptically.

  Before she could ask any more questions a sudden commotion startled them both and drew their attention. The door crashed open and Mayor Burnett swept imperiously in, followed by a tall, well built man with a couple of days old stubble and slightly graying hair.

  ‘What the hell is going on here?’ Mayor Burnett demanded. ‘Release her immediately.’

  Helga moved to unlock the door.

  ‘As you were deputy,’ Chief Walcott stalked belligerently into the room.

  ‘I said release her,’ Mayor Burnett repeated.

  ‘You have no right,’ he growled.

  ‘I’ll deal with you in a minute,’ her eyes flashed dangerously as she took in Olivia’s appearance. ‘You,’ she beckoned Helga forward, ‘for God’s sake go and get the poor girl some warm clothes before she freezes to death.’

  ‘She is my prisoner and I will deal with her as I see fit,’ Chief Walcott stepped toward her, but found his path blocked.

  ‘Who the hell are you?’

  ‘Captain Macallister, Philadelphia PD,’ he introduced himself, ‘and you are under arrest, Chief.’

  ‘What?’ Walcott roared in disbelief, ‘on what charges?’

  ‘The physical assault of Judge Andrew Lloyd, falsifying evidence, wrongful arrest, harassment, basically anything I can make stick,’ Mac told him pleasantly.

  ‘You have no jurisdiction here,’ he spat.

  ‘I think you’ll find you’re wrong, Chief Walcott,’ Mayor Burnett answered coldly. ‘I told you to do your job or I would find someone else to do it. I spoke with the commissioner this morning and he has agreed that Captain Macallister here will fill in for you temporarily, until we can straighten out the diabolical mess you have created.’

  ‘I did my job,’ he replied in contempt. ‘I caught a murderer.’

  ‘No, you didn’t,’ she shook her head angrily. ‘You framed and arrested an innocent woman because you have a grudge against her father. You are suspended, pending a full inquiry into your conduct, as is Deputy Cameron Walker. You will also face charges regarding the assault of Judge Lloyd and the theft of a blood sample from the medical center with the intention of incriminating Miss West here. You see Mr Walcott, I know how to do my homework. I have spoken to both Judge Lloyd and Doctor Hughes and I am appalled that a man I appointed as Chief of Police could behave in such a manner. By the time I’ve finished with you, you’ll be lucky not to end up in prison yourself.’

  ‘You can’t do this.’

  ‘I think you’ll find I can,’ she replied coolly. ‘If you would be so kind Captain Macallister.’

  ‘My pleasure,’ Mac smiled.

  ‘You son of a bitch,’ Erica came sailing angrily into the room.

  ‘It’s alright Erica, we have this,’ Mayor Burnett told her gently. ‘Go and take care of your friend.’

  Erica swept past Walcott and in through the wide open door of Olivia’s cell, glaring murderously at him as she went. Olivia looked up through chattering teeth and blue tinged lips as Erica sat down on the uncomfortable cot next to her and rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to restore some of her body heat.

  ‘Theo called as soon as they left,’ she murmured. ‘Jake went to pick him up, they’ll be here soon.’

  ‘I want to go home,’ Olivia shivered.

  ‘Soon,’ she replied soothingly, ‘we’ll get all this straightened out. They’ll probably want to take your statement.’

  Deputy Helga re-entered the cell with a pair of police issue trousers and jacket, some socks and a pair of boots.

  ‘These might be a little big but it was all I could find.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Erica snapped, taking the pile of clothes from the tall woman roughly, ‘we can handle it from here.’

  Helga’s eyes met Olivia’s for a moment. Olivia wanted to ask her what she had meant earlier when she said she wasn’t watching her because of the Chief, but she couldn’t get the words out as her body was wracked by deep shudders.

  Helga nodded then disappeared and Erica helped her to dress quickly. She had to fold the waistband on the trousers over several times and they still hung low on her hips, but the thick socks felt heavenly, wrapped around her frozen feet, despite the fact the boots were two sizes too big. Pulling on the thickly padded jacket she wrapped the blanket back around her shoulders and slowly the violent shivers began to ease.

  ‘Here, this might help.’ Mac walked into the cold cell carrying a cup of coffe
e.

  Olivia stared at the offered cup and then up at the face of the man offering it to her.

  ‘Please.’

  She took the cup from him warily and took a small sip, her eyes never leaving his.

  ‘It tastes like crap.’

  He laughed out loud and it was a warm genuine sound.

  ‘I didn’t make it,’ he took a seat the other side of Olivia. ‘I am really sorry for the way you have been treated by the Mercy police department.’

  ‘Are you trying to talk us out of suing you?’ Erica asked pointedly.

  ‘No,’ Mac chuckled, ‘you want to sue the pants off Walcott be my guest. As far as I’m concerned the bastard deserves what he gets.’

  Olivia continued to stare at him.

  ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ Mac asked her.

  ‘We’ve met?’ she frowned.

  ‘A long time ago,’ he nodded, ‘the night your father fled with you to Philadelphia.’

  She cast her mind back to that night, studying his face.

  ‘I do remember,’ her eyes narrowed in thought. ‘You were the officer who sat with me after they took my dad away. You gave me a soda and waited with me until child services arrived.’

  ‘That’s right,’ he smiled, ‘I kept an eye on you, but once you left Philly I lost track of you.’

  ‘You did?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Look Olivia, I’ve looked over the files both the current ones and the ones from ‘94 and I don’t believe you had anything to do with the murders. But your father is another matter entirely. There are just too many red flags going up. When we finally manage to catch him, we will want to question him in relation to these murders.’

  ‘I know,’ she sighed.

  ‘Do you know where he is?’

  She shook her head.

  ‘No,’ she replied reluctantly, ‘but I know he’s been watching me. He’ll be somewhere close by.’

  ‘Thank you. I know this isn’t easy for you, but we do need to take your statement with regards to Chief Walcott.’

  ‘Captain Macallister,’ she answered tiredly, ‘I just want to go home. I’ve had about as much as I can take for one day.’