The Creator

by Neil Carstairs

‘It can feel we are here. We need to go.’ Alex took hold of Connor’s hand.

  ‘Do you know where this place is?’ Connor asked. ‘Our friends are flying over and need to know where to go to find you.’

  Emily shook her head. Pete and her mom had kept that a secret, as if they didn’t want her to know. She tried to think about the journey. Most of the time she had been asleep. When she was awake she hadn’t paid that much attention to the passing scenery. ‘We drove north from Chicago. We went past Eau Claire and I think we were on U.S. Fifty-Three after that.’

  ‘We’ll find you.’ Alex gave Connor a little tug. The boy didn’t seem to want to leave.

  ‘I’ll keep watch on you,’ he said.

  ‘Thank you.’ Emily liked his smile.

  Alex and Connor retreated a step and faded from view. Emily moved back to the window. A cloud now covered the moon and she could see little outside. She returned to her bed. The idea that a demon wanted to kill her made Emily want to burrow into the blankets. But the thought that there were people in another country who wanted to protect her made Emily feel warm. Just to be safe she pulled the covers over her head. She left just a narrow gap to let in air and settled down, hoping she could get to sleep.

  ***

  Natalie and Reuben saw the RV approach as they sat in their car at the side of a rural road. Natalie had emailed their GPS location thirty minutes before. Now the appearance of a huge motorhome could only mean one thing.

  ‘Nothing like being discrete,’ Reuben said, with a shake of his head.

  Natalie smiled. ‘It’s called hiding in plain sight. Who would expect a team of British soldiers to be driving around in that?’

  ‘Well, let’s hope we don’t have to make a quick getaway.’ Reuben opened his door as the RV pulled up in front of them. The driver and front seat passenger sat unmoving as he and Natalie stepped out of their car.

  ‘Everything will be fine. The location Alex gave us overnight will take us straight to Emily. I don’t think we’ll even need these guys.’

  The passenger door opened and a dark-haired man jumped down from the cab. ‘Are you Cassandra’s friend?’ he asked.

  ‘And her sister Dolly,’ Natalie replied. She held out her hand. ‘Sierra One.’

  ‘Delta One.’ The man shook her hand, and then Reuben’s. ‘Want to come aboard?’

  The rear section of the RV became cramped once all Delta team plus Natalie and Reuben were in there together. The place smelled of unwashed men and made Natalie’s nose wrinkle in disgust. Delta One made the briefest of introductions then looked at Natalie. ‘Our orders were to get here as soon as possible. Other than that we are in the dark.’

  Natalie nodded. She enjoyed the moment of being the centre of attention before she said, ‘Welcome to Operation Ghost.’

  The men stirred as a buzz of excitement ran through them. Natalie saw Delta One and Two exchange a look. ‘Is this training or live?’ Delta One asked.

  ‘This is a live operation,’ Natalie told him. ‘We are here to locate and return to the U.K. a ten-year-old female and her mother who have information critical to the security of our country. You guys are here because there have already been some attempts made on the life of the little girl. Truth is, I think we’ll drive up to their cabin today and they’ll come with us. So your skill set will not be required.’

  ‘Why don’t you just ask the Yanks to help out?’ Delta Four asked.

  ‘Because the girl and her mother are on the run from U.S. intelligence. As well as other groups who have tried to eliminate her. Bringing you in allows us to make use of forces who have not been compromised.’

  ‘And this girl is near here?’

  ‘About five miles away. We understand from our latest update that some locals are providing an ad-hoc bodyguard. If we approach them correctly there should be no need for violence.’

  ‘Do you have plans of their location?’ Delta One asked.

  ‘Only from Google Earth,’ Natalie said. ‘Sierra Two can show you the latest feed.’

  ‘And after the pickup, how do we get them over the border?’

  ‘We have brought passports identifying them as U.K. citizens and paperwork to get them into Canada. They can just drive across the border. If there are problems, we have a backup position. There are three Little Birds staging out of Canada that can fly down for emergency evacuation.’

  Delta One said nothing, his eyes fixed on Natalie’s. She met his searching gaze without looking away. After what seemed like minutes he nodded and said, ‘You lead, we’ll follow. When we get closer to the target location then I’ll come with you in your car and the team can dismount and move in on foot. We’re working on the fly but does anyone have any questions?’

  ‘Rules of engagement?’ Delta Two asked.

  Natalie considered the question. ‘We’ll try not to get involved with local civilians or police. If there are other groups posing a threat to you or the child, then deadly force is authorised.’

  ‘What’s the name of the girl and her mother, just so it sounds like we know them?’ Delta Five asked.

  ‘The girl is Emily. The mother is Jane.’

  Delta One waited for a few seconds and when there were no more questions he said, ‘Let’s roll. Sooner we make the pick up the sooner we get back to Canada.’

  ‘What about the fishing?’ Delta Four looked shocked. ‘I thought we were getting a few days down here?’

  ‘I’ll buy you fish and chips when we get back home,’ Delta One said. ‘That’s the closest you’ll get. Now, let’s move out.’

  ***

  The cabin could have come straight out of the nineteenth century. If Ben hadn’t caught a glimpse of a satellite dish at the rear of the property, he may well have expected Laura Ingalls to come running out or maybe even Davy Crockett to be sitting on the veranda smoking a pipe.

  ‘Nice place,’ he said as Kramer steered the SUV up the long stone driveway.

  ‘Looks like a little piece of heaven,’ she agreed.

  And it did. The woodland around the cabin had been cut back, allowing a wide view of a nearby lake and beyond that the rising line of pine forests split by rocky crags. The sun was up, filling the day with warmth for a change and Ben could see wading birds down on the lake hunting for fish and shrimps.

  ‘My dad would’ve loved a place like this,’ he said.

  Kramer looked at him in surprise. It was the first time he had mentioned either of his parents. She slowed the SUV and swung it parallel to the cabin to park. They faced a small, stone built outhouse and the open doors revealed two quad bikes ready for use.

  ‘Were these the kind of vacations you used to take?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah.’ Ben took a breath as if he realised what they were talking about.

  ‘If they were good times you should remember them,’ Kramer said.

  Ben didn’t get a chance to reply as the front door of the cabin opened. A sixty-something man in jeans and a flannel shirt came out to meet them. Ben pushed open his door and said, ‘Morning.’

  ‘Morning to you.’ The man stopped a few yards short, squinting at them in the sunlight. ‘You folks lost?’

  ‘No,’ Kramer said as she came round the front of the SUV. She held out her I.D. ‘We’re from Homeland Security Mr...?’

  ‘Gardener,’ he said. ‘Jim Gardener.’

  ‘Mr Gardener, I’m Agent Kramer and this is Agent Scarrett. We’re looking for a man named Peter Walsh who we understand is staying here.’

  ‘Here?’ Gardener turned to look at the cabin. ‘No, not here. You must be mistaken.’

  ‘This is Eight-Sixty, Shaver Lane?’ Ben consulted his phone.

  ‘Yes.’ Gardener said.

  ‘Mr Walsh’s wife said he would be here.’ Kramer moved a little away from Ben. He saw her right hand slip around to the small of her back where she kept her gun.

  ‘No, she must be wrong. There’s just four of us here. Me, my wife Greta, my sister-in-law Elsa and her husband Har
vey.’

  ‘Do you mind if we check inside?’ Kramer asked.

  Gardener had already sensed the subtle change in attitude. Kramer had her gun out but hidden behind her back and Ben had sidestepped to get a better view of the cabin. Ben saw movement at one window. He said, ‘Can you ask the others to come out?’

  ‘Slowly,’ Kramer added, revealing her gun.

  ‘Oh, hey, now, slow down,’ Gardener put his hands up. ‘No need to get hasty.’

  ‘Just ask the others to come out,’ Ben said, his gun came out and he held it down by his side.

  Gardener turned and shouted. ‘Greta? Greta can you all come outside.’

  The cabin door opened. A face appeared. ‘What is it, Jim?’

  ‘These folks are with Homeland Security. They think there’s a guy called Walsh staying here but I’m saying there isn’t. If you three can come out, we’ll get this sorted.’

  The door opened. The two women and one man who came out were all around Gardener’s age. As they stepped down from the veranda Kramer nodded and Ben went past them. One of the women started to protest but Jim cut her off with a sharp word. The cabin had a simple layout. A large open plan living room / kitchen, a couple of storage rooms and two bedrooms. Ben stepped out back where the satellite dish jarred against the backdrop of the forest. He circled the house and found a single car parked at the side, its engine cold. He made his way back to the front and found Kramer in conversation with Gardener and the others. Her gun was out of sight. Ben slipped his gun away as well when he joined them.

  ‘They’re renting the place,’ Kramer told him.

  ‘Three weeks,’ Greta added. ‘This is the middle of week two.’

  ‘And it’s beautiful,’ Elsa put in. ‘Lovely and quiet.’

  ‘Until you two showed up,’ Harvey added.

  Elsa slapped him on the arm. ‘Be quiet.’

  ‘Who do you rent off?’ Ben asked.

  ‘An agency down in Duluth,’ Jim said. ‘Been using them for years.’

  ‘Can we have their contact details?’

  ‘Sure, they’re inside. There’s an emergency contact number you can call.’

  As Jim went to get the paperwork Greta and Elsa began to relax. ‘Would you like a coffee?’ Elsa asked.

  ‘No, we need to find out why our information was incorrect,’ Kramer said.

  ‘Is he dangerous?’

  ‘No, but we need to find him as he is a material witness to a case we’re involved in.’

  ‘But you drew your guns,’ Greta said. ‘As if you were expecting trouble.’

  Elsa gasped. ‘It’s her.’

  ‘Who?’ Greta looked confused.

  ‘You.’ Elsa pointed at Kramer. ‘You’re the one from the Battle in Seattle. You are, aren’t you?’

  Kramer looked to Ben for help. He said, ‘We were both there and we’d be grateful if we could just concentrate on the matter in hand.’

  Greta and Elsa hung onto each other in excitement as Jim came back oblivious to what had just been said. ‘Here you go.’ He handed Ben a memo slip, the rental agency’s address and contact numbers appeared beneath a logo of an elk.

  ‘I think you’re wonderful,’ Elsa said. ‘You are a fine example of a young American woman making her way in a man’s world.’

  Kramer looked embarrassed. ‘Thank you, but we need to be moving on now. I’m sorry we disturbed you.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be,’ Greta said. ‘It’s an honour to meet you. Isn’t it Jim?’

  ‘Is it?’ Jim looked confused.

  Kramer retreated to the SUV. Ben joined her before Elsa or Greta could say any more. Kramer drove away from the cabin as quickly as she could given the uneven driveway. Once on the lane she made sure they were out of sight of the cabin before parking up. She turned to Ben and pointed at him as she said, ‘Don’t say a word.’

  Ben kept a straight face. He waited out her threat until she faced forward when he said, ‘Can I have your autograph?’

  Kramer elbowed him hard in the ribs as Ben laughed out loud. For a moment Kramer tried to look furious until she slumped on the steering wheel. ‘Oh, my God,’ she said. ‘I’m a fine example of a young American woman.’

  ‘I knew that all along,’ Ben said.

  ‘Yeah,’ Kramer said. ‘I know what kind of example you think of me.’

  Ben rubbed his ribs where she had hit him. ‘You know you’ve got a fine example of a sharp elbow?’

  ‘Want to feel it again?’

  ‘No, once is enough.’ Ben probed the bruised area. He actually thought she might have done some damage.

  ‘Back to business,’ Kramer said. ‘The disappearing Peter Walsh.’

  ‘Want to bet the rental agency will confirm him as the cabin owner?’ Ben asked.

  ‘And he tells his wife this is where he is coming but he never does. Which means he could be anywhere,’ Kramer said as she slapped the steering wheel in frustration. ‘I can’t believe they’ve given us the slip again.’

  ‘He’s probably close by.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘He’s an ex-cop. He’ll have put mileage on his car to get a reasonable match to the distance to this place.’

  ‘Could be in the opposite direction?’

  ‘Could be. But let’s say he got a speeding ticket. It’d better to get one in this county than in one hundreds of miles from where he said he was.’

  ‘So you’re thinking he’s in the next valley?’

  ‘That’s what I’d do,’ Ben said.

  ‘If you were setting up a love nest to deceive your wife, you mean?’

  ‘If I had a wife with elbows as sharp as yours I’d stay on the straight and narrow. You know I think you might have broken something.’

  ‘Hopefully,’ Kramer said as she put the car in drive. ‘Call this into General Dawson. He can try tracing Walsh’s credit card records and see if he was in this area when Lyndsey said he was.’

  Ben rubbed his ribs. He risked a glance at Kramer as she drove along the narrow lane and said, ‘I still want your autograph.’

  ***

  Jane held Emily’s hand as they walked along the woodland trail that led back from Hurley’s place. They’d already seen more wildlife in the last fifteen minutes than Jane had seen in the last twenty years. Fox, squirrel, chipmunks and a weasel along with spruced grouse and woodcock. If she had ever dreamt of a home it would be like this. Quiet, untroubled and with a man to share it with.

  And a daughter. And now two goats as well which made Jane smile. She and Emily had walked up to Hurley’s place after breakfast to feed his chickens and goats. The old man allowed Emily to choose the two she wanted to adopt. That had taken the best part of an hour. Emily picked one, changed her mind and then changed it back again by returning to choice number one. Now they had the problem of naming them. Emily thought Molly for the girl and Mac for the boy. The names sounded good together. Molly and Mac. Knowing Emily she’d have another ten suggestions ready by mid-afternoon.

  They stepped out of the woodland onto the grassed area around Pete’s cabin. Jane paused to take it all in again. The two-storey cabin would do for a family of six, which made Jane wonder if Pete might want to think about adding to their family. She blinked at that idea. Adding to their family? Emily ran on ahead, eager to tell Pete that he would soon be guardian to a pair of goats. Leaving Jane to consider whether Pete and she might have their own son or daughter. ‘Stop,’ she spoke out loud. ‘Don’t think like that when Emily is in danger.’

  But once the danger was gone, maybe?

  Emily stopped running halfway to the cabin. She turned and Jane saw the look on Emily’s face. Jane ran to her daughter. Emily spun in a tight circle. She pulled at her hair and a muted scream came from her throat. ‘Emily,’ Jane said as she dropped to her knees. ‘What’s wrong.’

  ‘Men are coming.’ Emily twisted as she tried to pull out of her mother’s arms. ‘Men with guns.’

  ‘Okay, take a breath. Calm no
w.’

  ‘No! No!’ Emily struggled free. Her voice rose. ‘They’re coming to kill us.’

  Jane grabbed Emily’s arm. Down by the cabin she saw Edwin appear. He looked up at them, one hand raised to shield his eyes from the sun. Jane put an arm tight around Emily’s shoulder and headed towards the cabin. They moved in a kind of shuffling run, like kids in a three-legged race. Edwin came to meet them. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘Emily’s scared. She thinks some men are coming.’

  He half nodded, taking a step back to let them through. ‘Is this one of her visions?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jane shouted over her shoulder before she stumbled to a panicked stop. A vehicle turned onto the approach to the cabin. For a moment, the world went dark. Emily pulled in her arms. The truck approached and Jane recognised Hurley driving. Coming back from his place like he’d promised when Jane and Emily decided to walk.

  Emily broke out of her arms. She ran to the house, shouting Pete’s name. Ma Jacobs came out onto the veranda. She looked at Emily as the girl ran into the house. Jane followed, calling Emily’s name. Ma Jacobs caught hold of Jane’s arm and said, ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Emily has had another vision. She thinks there are some men coming to kill her.’

  ‘Edwin!’ Ma called out.

  ‘I’m on it,’ Edwin said. He pulled a revolver from his belt as his father pulled up.

  Jane stood on the veranda. She could hear Emily calling for Pete. Hurley walked up and asked what was going on. Ma Jacobs explained. Jane turned to go into the cabin when Edwin called out. ‘There!’

  Jane and Hurley and Ma all looked to where Edwin pointed. An orb of light had formed. It expanded like a balloon and seemed to float above the ground before it settled to the turf. It grew in a heartbeat. Jane heard Ma asking what it was before it popped in a brief flare of brightness.

  Men staggered out of the empty space. Men dressed in dark combat fatigues and carrying assault rifles with curved magazines. Jane took a step back and fell over the top step of the veranda. The sound of her body hitting the wooden boards seemed to trigger life into the scene.

  Hurley shouted, ‘Get in the house!’