Desolate Hearts

by Robin Roughley

  Recriminations would fly, Beth was good at that, an expert at turning the tables until you began to think that what she was saying was the truth. He knew from bitter experience how she would continue to argue until you found yourself agreeing with her just to get her to stop the nagging.

  'Nagging　slut,'　the voice trembled through his fevered mind.

  Then he remembered a conversation he'd had with his father. He'd been around fourteen, it had been during the summer holidays and his father had taken him out to one of the farms to work on an old Massey Ferguson 135 tractor. George Rowntree had watched as his son fixed the gear linkage, smiling in pride as he got the job done with minimal fuss.

  They had almost completed the job when the door to the farmhouse had shot open and the farmer had stormed out, closely followed by his wife.

  'I'm telling you right now, Tony Jones, you will be buying a new suit for my mother's funeral,' the woman had bellowed.

  Jones had stopped and turned, his face ruddy and running with sweat. 'But I've got a bloody suit, woman!'

  'You call that old thing – that's been hanging in your wardrobe since nineteen seventy-nine – a suit!?'

  'But…'

  'The last time you wore that you thought you were John Travolta!'

  'But…'

  'No arguments, we'll go into town and I will pick the suit, you just bring your wallet,' she demanded before storming back into the house.

  The door had banged shut and Jones had wiped the sweat from his brow before slinking away to feed the chickens, shaking his head as he vanished around the side of the house.

  'Take note, Davy, what you just saw there was the end of a battle.'

  Davy had looked up at his father in confusion. 'A battle?'

  'Don't be fooled, lad, a woman, any woman, will lay siege if she wants something bad enough, so you might as well just give in from the word go and save yourself the heartache.'

  Taking a pull on the cigarette, Rowntree's face turned sour, as he thought back to all the battles he had fought with Beth, fought and lost. Sometimes, she would argue day and night and if he held firm then she would simply let the tears slide from her eyes, and his walls would come tumbling down.

  The fury started to rise again as he realised he had always folded, always given her what she wanted, and yet when she thought a better prospect had come along she had willingly opened her legs and invited Dean into the honey trap.

  He thought of them coupled, their bodies locked together, Ashley Dean grunting and groaning as she cast her spell around him.

  With a snarl, Rowntree turned and stormed back through the trees, the dog ambling along in his wake, sniffing the cold air and picking up the scent of fury that radiated from its master.

  101

  The rear of the pool car slipped to the left, ploughing through a gorse bush, sending the snow flying as Lasser flicked the wheel to the right.

  When the property came into view, he brought the car to a halt, the headlights illuminating the squat house hunkered down in the snow-white Hansel and Gretel world. He could see the snowman in front of the house, warm light at the downstairs windows, smoke trailing up from the chimney.

  Pulling on the handbrake, he turned in his seat. 'Look, I know this might sound strange, but I want you to wait here while I go and have a look around.'

  Kath looked at him questioningly. 'I don't understand, Davy must have picked Beth up, they could be in there sorting things out right now, but I still want to see her and give her a piece of my mind for all this trouble she's caused.'

  Lasser looked back towards the house, the feeling of unease still prickling his senses. 'If she's there, then I'll come back and get you.'

  'But she must be there, the tyre tracks have led us right here and…'

  'Remember the blood in the snow?' he reminded her.

  Kath's hands went fluttering to her mouth as she pictured the splattering of red in the crisp white snow.

  'Give me five minutes, that's all I'm asking.'

  Kath nodded, her eyes wide and full of a new-found fear. 'OK, but please be quick.'

  'I will,' Lasser promised as he pushed the door open and climbed out, before pulling the bob cap from his pocket and thrusting it onto his head.

  Closing the door, he set off walking towards the house, his boots sinking in the snow, his eyes searching back and forth looking for any sign of movement.

  He glanced at the twin tyre tracks as they swept around the side of the house before vanishing from view. Gradually, the sound of the pool car's engine faded, replaced by his breathing and the crunch of the snow underfoot, the lights from the car throwing his shadow across the blanket of snow.

  When he saw movement to his right he stopped, his eyes narrowing, then he felt the thrum of fear crawl over his skin as the huge dog came forwards through the trees, snow stuck in its black fur, amber eyes locked on Lasser as he came to a halt.

  'Sit, Max.'

  Immediately, the dog did as it was told, its rump sinking in the snow.

  Lasser saw the figure emerge from the side of the house, dressed in a black-checked shirt, jeans tucked into brown rigger boats and an old battered Belstaff jacket covering his wide-shouldered frame, his black hair peppered with snow.

  'We don't often get visitors out here, especially in weather like this,' the man said as he carried on walking.

  'Davy Rowntree?' Lasser asked.

  Rowntree stopped and nodded, before glancing along the lane towards the twin headlights. 'That's me, what can I help you with?'

  'We're looking for your wife, she…'

  'She's in the bath,' Rowntree interrupted before clicking his fingers.

  The dog rose and padded through the thick snow, sitting down by his side.

  'I've got her sister in the car, she spoke to Beth earlier and arranged to meet her on Feather Lane.'

  Rowntree sighed and shook his head. 'I'm sorry, I was on my way to Kath's house when I saw Beth on the lane. We came straight back here, she was freezing so I told her to go and get a bath and give Kath a ring to tell her she was OK. I guess she didn't get around to making the call.'

  Lasser thought about the blood-speckled snow on the road outside the wooden bus shelter, Beth Rowntree's phone dropped in the snow. 'A wasted journey then,' he said, his voice low and flat.

  'I'm sorry, perhaps I should have rung Kath myself, I mean, Beth was pretty shook up when I found her.'

  'Shook up, how?'

  Rowntree stepped forwards, the dog didn't move a muscle. 'I think she just got spooked, especially with no one around and…'

  'A killer on the loose,' Lasser butted in.

  Rowntree stopped. 'I guess so, but that can be a creepy place at the best of times, and I think she let her imagination get the better of her.'

  Lasser looked around at the dense trees before turning his attention back to Rowntree. 'She lives in the middle of these woods, I would have thought she was used to it?'

  'Like I said, she was in a state, but she seemed calmer when she went for her bath.'

  Lasser heard the clunk of a car door behind him, and inwardly he sighed as he saw the headlight's beam broken and shimmer around him.

  'Davy, is everything OK?' Kath shouted as she hurried towards them.

  'Hi, Kath, I'm sorry for messing you about. I was just explaining, Beth's in the bath and…'

  'In the bath!?' Kath's voice sounded strident with frustration.

  Lasser heard the sound of her feet approaching but he kept his eyes on Rowntree's face, when he saw his tongue dart out and lick his lips, Lasser twisted his boots in the snow.

  'Yeah, I know, it's a complete mess, and I'm really sorry for all this but…'

  'She can't be in the bath, Davy, the light's not on.'

  Lasser saw the brief look of anger flash over the man's face before he glanced over his shoulder.

  'She must have finished in the bathroom,' he said as he turned back to them both.

  'Right, well, I want a word wi
th her,' Kath said, drawing level with Lasser.

  Rowntree took a step back as he looked at Kath, her face stern, her eyes flickering with anger.

  'I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Kath, she…'

  'I called the police, we've trawled all the way out here and we found Beth's phone in the road and blood in the snow, now I want to see her and…'

  'OK, OK, calm down,' Rowntree held his hands up, his face turning red as he spun away and strode towards the house.

  Kath stepped forwards, Lasser grabbed her sleeve to stop her. 'Stay behind me,' he hissed.

  She looked down at his hand in confusion. 'I…'

  'Just do it,' he set off after Rowntree, Kath following in his wake.

  As they passed the huge dog, Lasser glanced at it, feeling the unease grow as the animal watched their every move.

  Rowntree made it to the door and pushed it open before stepping inside, he glanced towards them then vanished to the left.

  Suddenly, Lasser remembered the Jaguar with the shattered side window, Carmen Dean in the passenger seat, fighting for her life as the blood ran down the side of her face. The image galvanised him into action and he sprang forwards, imagining Rowntree grabbing the gun from the wall and cracking it open to feed two shells into the barrel.

  He made it to the entrance just as Rowntree blasted towards him from the left, but there was no shotgun in his hands. Instead, he lunged forwards, carving knife flashing, his face no longer recognisable as the man who had been standing in the snow a few seconds earlier, his features twitching with uncertainty.

  Lasser gasped, before he could even move, the blade slashed across the front of his jacket.

  He heard Kath scream and then Rowntree came at him again, his eyes rabid with a deep, dark hatred.

  'Gut you!' he screamed as he tried to plunge the blade into Lasser's chest.

  Lasser lunged backwards as the blade flashed through the air, then he blasted forwards and slammed his head forwards into the attackers face.

  Rowntree's eyes sprang wide as his nose went with a crack, bright blood flooded down, coating his teeth before streaming down to his chin.

  Kath screamed again, standing ankle deep in the snow, her hands rising into the air in terror.

  Lasser drew his head back again, and then Davy Rowntree screamed a single nonsensical word.

  'Laurel!'

  Lasser heard the dog bark, the sound loud and full of fury in the freezing air, he saw the triumph in Rowntree's eyes and he knew that the animal was dashing forwards over the snow, teeth bared ready to…

  Lasser drove his right elbow into the side of Rowntree's face before thrusting him back into the kitchen.

  He whipped around just as the dog leapt into the air, slamming into the woman and knocking her back into the snow.

  Hurling himself forwards, Lasser sprinted through the snow as the dog plunged its snout towards her throat. Kath screamed again, a sound full of primitive terror. She managed to get her right forearm across the furious dog's neck, the animals back legs scrabbling into the snow, trying to extend its slavering snout to get at her face.

  Lasser took to the air, diving forwards as saliva from the snapping jaws showered Kath's horrified face.

  He hit the animal side on, his hands buried in the fur at its throat, his momentum carrying him over Kath's body, taking the dog with him. The animal snarled, deep and guttural trying to twist its head to sink its teeth into him. Lasser felt its back legs scrabbling at the air, its body thrashing left to right as he screwed his hands into the fur, his own teeth bared as the beast inside roared up and took control. Rolling to his left he pinned the animal down as he scrambled to his knees, using his weight to keep the dog on the ground, the German shepherd's head was thrust deep into the snow, its right eye swivelled towards him, the fury alive in the amber orb.

  Lasser roared as he lifted his right arm free, his hand making a fist, readying himself to slam it down onto the dog's head.

  'Hardy!' Kath screamed, and the animal suddenly went limp in the snow.

  Lasser hesitated, his fury pouring in a cloud, mixing with the dog's suddenly-panting breath, his arm still locked back, eyes glaring down at the animal.

  When it whimpered, he blinked, and then Kath was pulling back on his arm.

  'Beth told me the safe word,' she cried. 'She said Davy had trained it to attack, I'd forgotten all about it, I mean part of me didn't even believe her and I couldn't remember the word and…' her voice drifted to a horrified halt.

  Lasser scrabbled away from the dog, his body still shaking with rage.

  'Max, come here,' Kath said, and the animal lurched to its feet and shook itself.

  The fire in its eyes had died, and when he saw its tail swish in the snow, Lasser heaved a sigh of relief before snapping his head towards the house. The front door was still open, and he glanced to the right, seeing the twin tracks of footprints leading around the side of the house.

  'Take the dog and wait in the house,' he said rising to his feet.

  Kath wiped the tears from her face and nodded. 'Come on, Max,' she whispered.

  Lasser followed her for a few steps before angling to the right. 'Make sure you lock the dog in another room and arm yourself with something,' he warned.

  On the threshold, Kath glanced at him, her face bewildered as she stepped inside, the dog slinking past as she closed the door.

  Lasser nodded in satisfaction as he strode to the side of the house, pulling out his phone he tried to ring Bannister, but the signal bar was non-existent.

  'Bloody great,' he spat, dropping the phone into his pocket just as he reached the corner of the house.

  Rowntree was in the process of opening the back doors of the transit, the shotgun held in his right hand, the barrel clattering against metal as he flung the right-hand door open.

  Lasser started to run, legs ploughing through the snow as he tried to close the gap, when the left door opened, he saw the two figures hunched in the back of the van, the woman was on her knees to the left, her hands tied, her face twisted in terror. Ashley Dean was pressed back against the bulkhead, his knees drawn up to his chin.

  'NO!' Lasser bellowed as Rowntree raised the gun.

  He was ten feet away when the trigger was pulled, the shot hit Dean, shattering his raised knees and decimating his head in a gout of red that hit the wooden bulkhead.

  Rowntree swivelled the barrel towards his wife, his finger curling on the second trigger and then Lasser crashed into him from behind, slamming him into the van.

  Rowntree bellowed, lashing out with the butt of the gun, the stock crashed into Lasser's left cheek sending him to his knees, pain exploding in his face.

  'Kill you, Beth!' Rowntree screamed as he tried to raise the gun.

  Reaching up, Lasser grabbed the shoulders of Rowntree's jacket and hauled himself upright as he yanked him back, swivelling his hips he sent the killer hurtling to the left, the gun flying from his grasp and falling six feet away with a soft thump.

  Rowntree glared up at him, his black hair clotted with snow, his eyes swarming with madness. 'Kill the fucker!' he screamed in an almost alien voice.

  Lasser blinked in confusion at the words and then he was striding forwards as Rowntree rose to his feet.

  'I'm going to kill you and then my wife and her nosy bitch of a sister.'

  Lasser didn't bother trying to rationalise with the man, he simply lashed out his right hand, Rowntree threw up his arm and Lasser's fist cracked into his forearm. Then Rowntree threw a punch of his own, the blow sending a bolt of pain through Lasser's chest. As always, any form of pain only strengthened his resolve, the core of his being turning to ice as the fury took over. Lasser bulleted forwards, his fist slamming through Rowntree's defences and landing on his chin. He staggered back, shaking his head in shock as Lasser continued to stalk forwards, then Rowntree reached behind and snatched the blade from his belt, his eyes blazing, his twisted mouth opening and closing.

  'Fun and games!'
he roared as he lunged forwards, his right arm rising in the air, the blade glittering in the moonlight.

  Lasser never even thought of retreating, instead he ran forwards, his right hand again powered out, his fist pulverising Rowntree's already-damaged nose.

  The force of the blow sent him reeling backwards, his boots slithering in the snow, his arms thrashing at the freezing air, then his feet shot from beneath him as he hurtled backwards.

  When the long metal spines of the rusting hay turner slammed into his back, Rowntree screamed, and Lasser gasped as two spears of freezing pitted metal exploded through his chest.

  Seconds later, a fountain of blood gorged from his mouth, spraying onto the trampled snow. His body jittered, his hands grabbed the thin spikes of metal, his eyes bulging with hatred as he glared up at Lasser. Then his legs jerked back and forth, his pinned body juddered, and his head fell forwards, his eyes closing as he died. Lasser swallowed the sense of revulsion as he watched the blood continue to pour from Rowntree's gaping mouth.

  The eerie silence was suddenly split by a scream, he turned to find Kath running from the side of the house heading for the van, the dog trotting by her side.

  He saw Beth Rowntree squirm from the back of the vehicle, her tied legs buckled, and she fell into the snow before her sister reached her. Grabbing hold of her, Kath snatched the tape from her mouth before pulling her away from the rear of the van. Beth continued to scream as her sister cradled her in her arms, her gaze locked on the horror inside the van.

  Lasser frowned slightly as the dog wandered towards him, reaching his side Max sat down and looked at the torn body of its master. Leaning down, he patted its head before trudging back to the van, glancing inside he felt the bile rise, the top half of Dean's head had been reduced to a crater of red gore.

  With a sigh, he closed both doors on the horrific scene.

  The sisters remained locked together in terror and anguish, fat flakes of snow started to fall again, and the German shepherd began to howl.