The Solace Farm Killings: A Snowdonia Murder Mystery (A DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller Book 7)

by Simon McCleave

  There must be a way of getting to Rachel Ryan before this all kicks off, she thought.

  Nick came walking over. Ruth had told him to go to the hospital while they were waiting for the operation on Solace Farm to be organised. He looked pale, and clearly needed to sleep.

  He looked over at the SAS officers and said dryly, ‘Who Dares Wins’. It was the well-known motto of the Special Air Service.

  ‘I do not want Sian caught up in the middle of all that,’ Ruth admitted, still feeling scared.

  ‘Neither do I.’

  ‘News on Amanda?’ Ruth asked. She knew he didn’t want to keep giving updates when there was nothing to say, but she couldn’t help but worry.

  ‘Nope. More tests today – that’s all I know,’ Nick replied.

  ‘She’s going to be fine, you realise that?’ Ruth said.

  Nick gestured to the file in his hand. ‘I might have something but I’m not sure it’s any use.’

  ‘Christ, I’ll take anything at the moment.’

  He opened the file and looked at Ruth. ‘Rachel Ryan was one of the first victims to speak out about abuse at the hands of nuns in southern Ireland. She was only thirteen when she alerted a social worker to what was happening. She was then a key witness in the prosecution of seven local men for her rape and sexual abuse. When the trial collapsed, the local orphanage was burnt down in an arson attack. Although Rachel was suspected of being involved, the local police had no evidence.’

  Ruth shook her head and said sadly, ‘Sounds like she was damaged from an early age. How does anyone survive something like that?’

  HAVING ESTABLISHED that Rachel wasn’t in the chapel, Sian had made her way to the main dining room. Keeping her head down, and staying within the shadowy corridors, she had managed to avoid detection so far. What she needed to do now was find Rachel before the might of the police, and even the army, bore down on Solace Farm.

  She crept slowly through the room. A clattering noise came from behind double doors that she assumed led into the kitchen. The dining room tables and benches were set out in rows and Sian thought it was like being back in her school cafeteria. In the far corner was a large door that looked like it led to some kind of huge freezer or fridge.

  The walls were adorned with religious images and slogans. One of them proclaimed in block letters KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE.

  Bloody hell! The irony of that! she thought.

  Suddenly the doors to the kitchen opened. Sian dropped down to the floor and quickly crawled under a table. She put the shotgun down for a moment – it had started to feel heavy, and the length of its barrel made it cumbersome.

  All she could see now were the legs of two people who then turned and went back through the double doors. She had no idea what they were doing.

  Time to move!

  Springing up with the gun back in hand, and keeping a watchful eye on the kitchen doors, she slowly edged her way backwards and headed for the glass doors that led outside. Reaching behind her as she went, she eventually felt the glass on her hand. She turned quickly, opened the doors, and went outside.

  There was a blast of cold on her face.

  The farmyard was deserted.

  Moving right, she stopped with her back to the wall and took a few moments to decide what her next move was going to be.

  There was part of her that knew she could just turn and escape.

  A figure appeared near an outbuilding at the far end of the farm – and then disappeared again.

  It was Rachel. She was carrying something heavy.

  What the hell is she doing?

  Sian began to edge along the wall, closer towards where she had seen Rachel, who then appeared again from behind the building. She was only about fifty yards away. Sian flattened herself against the wall as much as she could to avoid being seen.

  She watched as Rachel tossed a container to one side and marched over to a long line of dark green metal jerry cans, commonly used for storing liquids.

  Sian picked up the unmistakable smell of petrol in the air ... and realisation dawned.

  Oh God! She’s spreading petrol around the farm!

  Using both hands, Rachel heaved up another can and went back to where she had been pouring the petrol.

  Why the hell is she going to torch the place? Sian wondered. The sickening memory of the Waco siege came into her mind. Was this about to turn into another terrible religious sacrifice or mass suicide?

  She had to stop Rachel right now. From the look of it, she was unarmed. She would confront Rachel and take her from the farm before any more harm could be done. If she resisted, then Sian would have to shoot to injure her – there was no choice.

  Her stomach clenched with nerves.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled the shotgun up to chest level and took a few steps towards the building.

  Come on, Sian. You can do this. You have to save all the children that are in there.

  Suddenly, Sian saw a small figure running towards Rachel. It was Abel.

  Shit! Please go back inside, Abel.

  ‘Mummy, Mummy! What are you doing?’ he shouted innocently.

  Rachel crouched down and looked at him. ‘I’m just doing some work out here, darling. I need you to go back inside for me please.’

  ‘Are those bad men coming back again?’ he asked her.

  Sian started to back away. Her heart was pounding.

  This is not good.

  ‘No, no. They’ve gone now. Just go back inside and I’ll see you in a bit, okay?’ Rachel said gently.

  Abel nodded, but as he looked around he did a double take.

  He had spotted Sian – it was too late to move.

  Shit! Now what do I do?

  Sian gave him a friendly smile, hoping that he would smile and trot back inside.

  Instead, Abel looked at his mother. ‘Mummy, look! It’s our friend Sian who lives down there.’

  Sian had already begun to make her move, striding towards Rachel with the shotgun pointing at her.

  ‘Rachel, I need you to come with me,’ she said.

  Rachel smiled as she walked over to the jerry cans. ‘Sorry, but I’m not going anywhere, Sian. I think you know that.’

  Sian put her finger on the cold metal of the shotgun’s trigger. ‘I’m taking you from this farm right now!’ she growled.

  Rachel turned, faced her, and shook her head. ‘I have God’s work to do. I’m not going to leave here.’

  ‘Why are you pointing a gun at my mummy?’ Abel asked, looking terrified.

  ‘I think you should go inside like a good boy, Abel,’ Sian said, wondering how this was going to play out.

  ‘Rachel, I’m taking you from this farm, even if I have to use force.’ Sian jerked the shotgun slightly to indicate what she meant.

  ‘You’re going to shoot me in front of my son, are you?’ Rachel snorted. ‘I don’t think so.’

  What am I going to do now? Shoot her in the leg in front of Abel, drag her from the farm, and wait for help? She could bleed to death. And the gunshot will alert the others and they’ll come after me.

  Suddenly, Rachel reached behind a jerry can, pulled out an old-fashioned revolver and aimed it directly at Sian’s head.

  With her heart thumping fast, Sian didn’t know what to do now.

  ‘What, and you’re going to shoot me in cold blood in front of your son?’ Sian said.

  Rachel turned to Abel. ‘You remember the very bad men who came to hurt us earlier?’

  Abel nodded. ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’m afraid that Sian is like those men. She’s come to hurt all of us.’ Rachel looked mistrustfully at Sian, shrugged, and fired the revolver.

  CRACK!

  Sian flinched as she felt the bullet zip past her left ear. It must have only missed her by an inch.

  Turning fast, she began to sprint for cover. She wasn’t going to return fire with Abel standing next to his mother.

  CRACK!

  Another bullet missed and went hammerin
g into the wall beside her.

  Darting around the side of the building, Sian raced for the nearest door, opened it, and ran inside.

  CHAPTER 29

  Having lost Sian ten minutes earlier, Rachel was now inside the farmhouse alerting everyone to the fact that they now had a CID officer loose somewhere on Solace Farm.

  However, nothing was going to dampen Rachel’s spirits. Not even an escaped police officer. Sian was nothing in the grand scheme of this day.

  Today is the day. I can feel it in my gut.

  Everything was in place. The final battle between good and evil, here in this beautiful Snowdonia valley. There was a reason why everyone referred to this part of the world as “God’s Own Country”. And there was a reason why Rachel had felt drawn to this place. It was going to be the site of both Armageddon and Christ’s triumphant return. The Bible had foretold it. She knew the passages by heart.

  A passage from Thessalonians told how the Second Coming would only happen when ‘... the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in a blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Our Lord Jesus.’

  The final battle, the engulfing fire - and then she would meet her saviour at last. It gave her such joy just to think about that moment.

  Rachel spotted Simon walking up the corridor. ‘Have you found her yet?’ she snapped at him, but she wasn’t going to let him spoil her mood.

  ‘Not yet, Rachel,’ he said breathlessly.

  ‘I want her found. Until then, I still have my work to do,’ Rachel said, aware that she needed to get back to preparing the farm for His coming.

  As they neared her office, the phone began to ring.

  ‘Don’t answer it,’ Simon said as he and Rachel went into the office.

  ‘Don’t be absurd,’ Rachel said dismissively as she snatched up the phone. She had plenty to say to whoever was ringing. It was probably that bitch DI Hunter.

  ‘Hello, is that Rachel?’ asked a voice.

  ‘DI Hunter, I knew it would be you,’ Rachel sneered.

  ‘I thought we had an understanding about the children? What happened?’ Ruth asked.

  ‘Don’t worry. Today you’re going to see things that you have never seen before. Witness things that you have only read about in books. Rachel paused for a second, feeling the excitement mount within her. ‘He’s coming back.’

  ‘Who’s coming back?’ Ruth asked.

  How can she ask that question? What’s wrong with these people?

  ‘Our Lord, Jesus Christ!’ Rachel replied, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘He’s coming to save us. And that’s why the children must stay here.’

  ‘I understand that you’ve had a very difficult life, Rachel,’ Ruth said.

  ‘What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘Your childhood in Ireland ...’

  ‘It’s none of your business!’ Rachel snapped. How dare she talk to me about that!

  ‘I know what happened in County Galway, Rachel,’ Ruth said in a soft voice.

  Rachel felt herself physically react the instant she heard it. Her stomach clenched tight as she tried to get her breath.

  ‘What? Nothing ... happened in County Galway,’ Rachel said, as her voice started to falter.

  Her head was swirling with confusion as she tried to suck in air. Her breathing was shallow and fast, her pulse speeding.

  ‘I have details of the trial against those men from Glenmore. I can’t imagine how terrible that must have been at your age. What they did to you. I’m so sorry ...’ Ruth said.

  No, no, no. That wasn’t me. Not me.

  The phone shook in Rachel’s hand as she was overcome by fury and panic.

  Suddenly she saw images of the men on top of her. Sweaty and fat, stinking of booze and cigarettes. She needed to be a good girl or there would be trouble.

  For a second, she thought she was going to be sick.

  I can’t think about that. No. I need to focus on today.

  She slammed down the phone, and shook uncontrollably as she took a long deep breath. She then ripped the phone from the wall and threw it across the room.

  ‘Rachel, are you all right?’ Simon asked, sounding concerned.

  ‘I can’t ... I just need you to leave me alone,’ she shouted, still feeling her whole body shaking.

  The images from her memory were still in her mind. She felt guilty and dirty. It was her fault wasn’t it? She had let them do that to her.

  I haven’t felt like this for so long. I don’t want to feel like this. I refuse to feel like this. Please God, take it away.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to regain control of her breathing. She had buried these terrible memories and emotions for so long. The strength of the Lord had helped to keep her mind on the glories of his coming - not the sins of the past. She knew that the Lord would punish those ... those... sinners. After a few seconds, she started to feel herself getting so terribly angry at what had happened to her. At what had been allowed to happen to her. That poor little girl robbed so cruelly of her innocence, her childhood, and any chance at living a normal life.

  ‘Rachel, I wanted to talk to you,’ Simon said, breaking her train of thought.

  I’m not interested in hearing his bullshit.

  ‘I really think we should consider letting some of the children go,’ he continued uncertainly.

  Rachel looked at him with utter disbelief and sudden hate.

  He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t believe in any of this.

  ‘What are you talking about? The children need to be here. You know what’s going to happen to them if we let them go. They will burn in hell,’ Rachel seethed.

  ‘No, I ... I know that. I understand that,’ Simon stammered.

  Rachel looked at him for a few seconds.

  ‘If you want to leave us, Simon, then you can,’ Rachel said quietly.

  He looked at her, his eyes widening. He wasn’t protesting - he simply wasn’t saying the right things to her.

  ‘I just worry about what is going to happen to us all,’ he said anxiously. She could see that he could barely look at her.

  It was fine. She knew what he was. In fact, if she was honest, she had always suspected as much.

  Rachel raised an eyebrow, gestured and said calmly, ‘Then you must leave us, Simon.’

  He furrowed his brow. ‘Really? Just leave?’

  Rachel nodded and gestured. ‘You should go.’

  ‘Thank you ... I’m so sorry, Rachel.’

  Reaching for the knife in her pocket, Rachel smiled at him. ‘In fact, you can leave us right now.’

  She plunged the knife deep into his stomach and soon felt the warmth of his blood trickling over her hands.

  HAVING TRIED TO RING the landline several more times, Ruth wondered if her conversation with Rachel had escalated the situation. Her utter denial was understandable. Ruth had met many victims who were unable to recall or acknowledge the sexual crimes against them. That was especially true if the victims had been young. There was a high degree of disassociation. It was the brain’s way of protecting the victim from the trauma. However, it also meant that memories were fragmented, unclear, or even non-existent.

  Walking into the front garden, Ruth saw Drake and Nick in conversation with the Chief Constable, an inspector from the Tactical Firearms Unit, and one of the members of the SAS, who had removed his mask.

  Seeing Ruth, Drake came her way and said gravely, ‘We have the go-ahead from Whitehall and Cardiff to go in and use force. I can’t see any other way of resolving this ... and we will get Sian back safely.’

  Ruth felt her pulse quicken as she took a breath. She knew he was right. Communication with the farm through Rachel wasn’t an option anymore. It wasn’t as if they were negotiating for the release of hostages. They were negotiating with someone who was waiting for Jesus Christ to put in an appearance, for everyone on the farm to be given eternal life, and the arrival of Armageddon. There j
ust wasn’t a precedent for this.

  ‘How are you in helicopters?’ Drake asked as he pointed over to the black SAS Eurocopter whose enormous rotary blade had started to turn.

  ‘Erm, not a fan really. Why?’ Ruth asked uncertainly.

  Why is he asking me that?

  ‘Before we move any officers into Solace Farm, we need a very clear look at the layout and potential points of entry. The SAS and Tactical Firearms Unit are going up to have a look. I want someone from Llancastell CID to go with them,’ Drake said.

  ‘And that person is me, boss?’ Ruth wasn’t comfortable with heights or flying, but it wasn’t really the time to point this out.

  ‘Thank you for volunteering,’ Drake said with a wry smile. ‘I hate those bloody things.’

  Ruth gave him an ironic smile before following the SAS officer and TFU inspector towards the helicopter. The twin Safran engines were whining with a deafening hum as the forty-foot propeller started to turn faster.

  As Ruth crouched, the force of the turning blade forced her down in a mighty torrent of wind as grass and leaves swirled madly around her.

  Why the hell am I doing this? Ruth knew the answer. For Sian.

  Within two minutes, she had strapped herself in and the helicopter was climbing above the countryside of Snowdonia. However, this definitely wasn’t a pleasure trip.

  As the helicopter banked around, the buildings of Solace Farm lay about three hundred feet below them.

  Ruth picked out the yard where she had come under fire. From there she could see how a series of corridors had been constructed to link all of the farm buildings and sheds together. The officers from the SAS and TFU gazed down intently and took photographs.

  After a few minutes of hovering and then circling, the helicopter headed out north and then pitched left over some fields. Ruth stared down at the rectangles of earth and grass that were divided up by fences and hedgerows.