The Wolf pulled her down onto the snow and forced her body to the ground squashing her head. She screamed.
Grabbing her shoulders he lifted her to her feet, the cold ground stinging her bare skin. The red cloak was fastened with a brown button, the collar wrapping around her bruised neck. Abby pulled it as tight as she could, keeping the cold out and hiding her body to the beast. He walked her to the front of the van. The headlights showed her the path into the woods. The mouth of light was surrounded by darkness, waiting to swallow the delicate child. He stood behind her holding her body against his, the heart beat bellowed through her fragile frame, he shuddered as he felt the beat increase.
The wood was harbouring a sinister darkness and the creatures lay in wait observing the show. The nose brushed past her cheek, she felt the warmth of his breathe upon her face.
‘You are free……………run ……run…..run, as fast as you can little red riding hood……………RUN!’ he whispered to her.
The girl bolted to the wood, her shadow danced upon the large trees as she moved quickly. The Wolf smiled behind his mask as he moved to the driver’s door and he pulled it open, he reached toward the CD player fixed to the dashboard. The music stormed the peaceful woodland, the howl causing some animals to stir. Howwwwwwwlllll………., who’s that I see walking in these woods………..why it’s little red riding hood……..hey there little red riding hood…..you sure are looking good……you’re everything a big bad wolf could want……………..
The Wolf pushed his hand into the glove and the slim blades glimmered on his fingers.
The chase was on.
Abby moved as fast as her legs could go. She struggled to keep upright as her body leant forward with the momentum. Her hands were wafting any obstruction from her front as she began to enter complete darkness. The cracking of twigs sent shivers through her cold body, her legs breaking the branches as she made contact with them. The music surrounded her, bouncing from tree to tree. The wildlife dispersed as she awoke them. Though her surroundings were something she had seen in her nightmares, she kept moving……….the fear pushed her.
The Wolf was close on her trail, the sounds of rustling and the cracking of branches told him her position. He stalked quickly, more of a slight leap than a run. He panted wildly and his breath appeared before his face in puffs of smoke. He moved with the music, singing the song in his head as he chased his prey. He could smell her…………..he knew it was the fear that was oozing from her cold damp skin.
She ran blind, unable to see her hands in front of her. She had fallen several times, the snow had numbed her feet and she struggled to place her footing. Her lungs begged for more air, straining within her skinny body. The small light guided her and she spotted it to her front. A car… house maybe?
The adrenalin coursed through his veins. The music had become faint now, he knew he was close…….his heart pumping violently. He could hear her breathing, gasping as she fought the obstacles in her chosen path.
Abby neared the wood line and the crisp white field lay in front. Her eyes were fixated on her path as she avoided any obstructions that could slow her down. The moon appeared from the cover of the tree tops, she squinted as it burned her eyes. The crack of a branch alerted her, she turned as the beast had pounced and her body was sent to the ground with force. He had her………….his kill. The familiar sensation engulfed him and he shuddered as it passed through his limbs, gasping over his prey.
The sky was a sheet of black, the clusters of stars twinkled with the brilliance of the moon. He dragged her bleeding body so that they sat under the large light above them. He had dug his claws into her leg, shredding the soft pale skin. She whimpered as he laid her flat on her back. The snow attacked her bare skin, numbing her completely. The Wolf stood over the girl, the power surging as he calmed his breathing to a relaxed state. He knew he could take his time, she was exhausted, he could tell. He opened the red cloak and revealed her young body to the moon as it reached its fullest. His knees dropped onto her open arms, wedging her upon the ground. The glove was removed and he produced the knife from its sheaf. It shone under the moon, glimmered in his eyes. He raised it to the sky and howled.
Chapter Ten
Jack lowered himself into the car, he sighed as his body crumpled onto the driver’s seat. The engine growled as he started it, the headlights came to life.
The car pulled out from the parking space and rolled down the road, the night pulled in steadily and Nathan looked up towards the sky. He gazed at the brilliance the moon held and the light it offered.
‘It’ll take about fifteen minutes to get to the first victim’s house’ Nathan nodded as Jack provided the information. The girl’s pictures bulged in his coat pocket as he had folded the six in half for evidence. Jack was unaware to his friend’s findings, believing that Nathan had a wasted scavenge in the girl’s room. He wanted to tell him, but he needed to see if the next room held any evidence.
They swung onto the dual carriage way and the accelerator was pushed to the floor. Jack wanted to make haste, the day was coming to an end and his body had felt restless since lunch time. His joints ached as his knees were bent in the driver’s seat, he adjusted his position on several occasions to find a new comfort zone.
‘Makes you sick doesn’t it?’
‘What does?’ asked Nathan, his attention to the black canvas of twinkling lights and a large full moon above been broken by his friend.
‘That right now, some sick bastard has a little girl……in his house….waiting to kill her’.
‘Yeah it does, I feel like I’m not doing enough!’
‘I hear you mate……I hear you’.
‘What gets me is what could drive somebody to act like this?’
‘It’s a fucked up world we live in Nathan, things happen behind closed doors, things that our nightmares show us. It’s worse when reality smacks you bang in the face and you realise that you’re living a nightmare, catching a real killer with real victims’.
Nathan played with the words his friend offered. He understood what was meant by the speech, he agreed with everything Jack had said.
The car took the next turn off and arrived in a small housing estate on the outskirts. The roads were lit well and visibility was clear. Jack motioned toward the left turn just ahead of them. He told Nathan that the house was up the narrow road, at the top.
Nathan looked around the area as they entered, it seemed very open. It was the type of place where people can see other people’s business.
‘Not the type of place you would attempt an abduction is it?’
‘No……….odd really, it’s so open……….no privacy at all’ stated Nathan as they pulled to a stop by the lamppost. They debussed from the vehicle and Jack lead the way to the front door. He depressed the button and the chimes could be heard from inside.
Nathan stood in the girl’s room. The walls were a faded magnolia which held small patches of missing paint. Nathan guessed that pictures had once being stuck to these walls but the parents had removed them, the adhesive had pulled small sections off the surface as the drawings were taken down. He practiced the same ritual as before, studying the room as he entered. This time it was different though, the room was bare, totally empty. He entered the four sided shell and walked steadily around the perimeter. He stopped at the window and looked outside. Blackness surrounded the house, no rear lighting or streets to park on. He felt confused by what he saw. This was nothing like the second victims room. No parking spaces visible for the Wolf to pull in and spy on the girl. Which meant that he would need a different place to view from, another carefully selected location, but where? He sat down below the window, his back against the wall.
‘I don’t get it……….something isn’t right’ he said aloud to his open hands. He could hear the voices down stairs. Jack was speaking with the girl’s parents. The conversation was bleak, nothing of importance. It was just Jack offering some comfort as he sipped on another cu
p of better tasting coffee.
He rose to his feet, his knees offering a dull crack as he stood and walked from the sparse room. The hallway was narrow and offered a claustrophobic feeling, the pictures hung from nails on each side, all different sizes and shapes. Nathan felt as though he had to walk sideways so not to knock any of the frames. He stopped to observe each photograph. The family portrait was mounted in a large wooden frame. The faces displayed happy people, smiling…….their hands on one and other. He moved to the next, the young girl in a play. Her costume depicted an angel……her face offered a wide smile. He shuffled down the line and stopped when his eyes met the school photograph. He studied it carefully as he tried to find the young girl’s smiling face.
‘There you are’ his finger rested at the top right of the picture. The image was recent, the date shown in golden letters at the bottom. He flipped through his memory calendar and decided that the photograph had been taken four months ago. His eyes moved up slightly, he read the names along the bottom of the photo, four rows starting from the rear and working to the front. He noticed the back row held the teachers names, he scanned them slowly.
‘Mrs Lomax…..Mrs Day……Mr Tate……Mrs Cousins……Mrs Payton……….Mr Breen’.
He stopped. His heart began thudding as he recognised the name. His eyes fell upon the girl again, behind her stood the teacher and his hand was placed on her small shoulder, his smile was offered for the picture and it seemed welcoming. Mr Breen appeared young and had an athletic build, he looked well dressed. Nathan pondered the possible coincidence and decided to go with his instinct. He called from the top of the stairs and stepped back opposite the picture as Jack climbed each step.
‘What you got?’
‘Take a look’
Jack moved next to Nathan and both men starred at the photograph.
‘What am I looking for?’ Jack quizzed
‘Jenny…..the first girl that the Wolf took’ his finger on the girl, ‘Now look behind her…..that is one of her teachers, check the teachers name and tell me if a bell rings in your head because the ringing in mine is giving me a headache!’
Jack looked up and down several times.
‘Holy shit……….do you think it’s the same guy from the other school…..from Abby’s school?’
‘Could be, I think we need to take this picture back to the school and do some questioning……….if it is the same person…… then my friend, we could be starring right into the eyes of the Wolf!’ the tingling passed from Nathan to Jack, they both shuddered as it overwhelmed them.
They climbed into the car, the buzz still with them. The clock that was sunken into the dashboard had just gone eleven twenty p.m. Both men knew that the questions they had for the school would need to wait until the morning, but for now Jack had organised a vehicle to sit opposite the address they were given for Mr Breen, just in case anything should show up. The car sped away from the house and back towards the Met offices. No words were spoken and no ideas were fired from one and other. They sat in silence, the image of the teacher imprinted on their minds. Nathan pondered upon the question, can it really be that simple? The killer was precise, delicate with how he went about his hobby. The abductions were planned and carried out with a professional approach. This scenario they faced just seemed too easy, too quick. He had expected more of a fight, more trails leading to dead ends, the Wolf playing with their minds. He thought back to the perimeter of the house, the lack of viewing positions, the lack of lighting, all together meant the lack of an ideal observation. It just didn’t fit, it wasn’t like the killer to pick a location with unsatisfactory results, he liked to watch, to stalk them with his eyes. The pictures within his pocket had shown him that the Wolf sits and waits, the little girl had seen him watching her. The shudder snaked down his spine, the hairs upon his neck stood to attention. He couldn’t understand how another human being could do what this beast was doing. How could they watch an innocent girl, in the comfort of her safe place and then take them away from those who love them. Previous cases had hit him hard, the bodies he had recovered, the families torn apart. But for some reason, which he didn’t know why, this case ripped at his core. He felt more emotionally attached than before, he didn’t understand why. He planned the next day’s interviews and questioning. If they could finally identify the Wolf as Mr Breen then the case would have taken a giant leap forward to accomplishment, it was what they both desired…….a face to a name. Nathan peered up to the large light in the sky. The moon had shone down upon them for most of the night, its figure now slowly waning as more grey clouds pulled in. The white powder began to fall heavily, the wipers swished frantically to reveal the road.
Chapter Eleven
The elderly man shuffled through the recent snow fall. He followed the tiny prints scattered to his front, his Cavalier King Charles had shot off to scavenge the outskirts of the wood. The cold wind nipped at his fingers and he dug them deep into his pockets, searching for some warmth. His breath appeared as a mist, escaping the scarf which was wrapped tight around his neck and mouth. Chuntering a tune in his head he tracked the paw prints through the corner of the wood and brushed the dangling branches from his view. He gave a whistle, calling his small friend, which, in return, chose not to respond.
He decided that the dog had found something slightly more interested than its owner and was playing with whatever the thing was. He pushed on, the prominent cracking sound echoed around him as another branch was broken. Approaching the edge of the wood he spotted the brown and white animal ahead in the field of snow. The dogs tail thrashing wildly as if attempting to elevate and take off.
‘Summer….whistle whistle…..Summer get over here’ he shouted from the wood. The dog refused to listen and burrowed frantically. Shaking his head the old man stormed towards his disobedient pet to point a cold finger in its face and issue a verbal telling off. He neared its location, stopping when he noticed the slight change of colour in the snow. Moving steadily he crept forward, his feet feeling the chilling ground where he stood.
‘What you got girl………what is it?’ he asked nervously
The dog began to tug at its find, pulling harder and digging deeper with its rear legs. He stopped dead as his pet retrieved the stained hand from under the white sheet. The skin was pale under the dried blood and he stood piecing the image together, slight shock entering his core. He shivered at the display before him, the dog still tugging.
‘Hey…….get…..Summer, get!’ snapping at the bitch. She listened, running towards his feet. He turned hastily and shuffled quickly back the way he came, following his footprints. The dog ran closely behind, turning its head every now and then to check on its find.
***
The phone call came in as Jack was briefing the team. Nathan sat in the corner of the room, the teachers face racing through his mind. Jack issued the orders they had decided on, two teams were assigned to both victims schools. He and Nathan would visit Saint Paul’s school, the one that had recommended Mr Breen to the Head Teacher at Abby’s school. They were all equipped with the picture that Nathan found the night before, the image of Mr Breen blown up in size.
‘Mr Dawson…….there’s a call for you’ the PC stated as he entered the briefing room.
‘Tell them to hold, I’m not finished yet’ he answered without looking to the voice.
‘Sir…..I think you need to take it, a body has been found’.
Both Jack and Nathan darted to the door. Jack turned on his heels and issued a final order.
‘Three teams now, original two head to your assigned schools. PC’s Campbell and Gunter head to St. Paul’s Primary take the picture of Mr Breen and request a confirmation. I want a report from each team as soon as possible, by phone if necessary……clear?’
‘Yes Sir’ the room bellowed together.
He fled towards the control room, catching Nathan as he descended the stairs. The blood pumped and both men rushed along with the adrenalin that coursed in th
eir veins.
They burst into the small room. The monitors were illuminated with all types of incoming calls. The small team all sat, black wireless headphones strapped to their heads, the microphone dangling by the mouth. The young woman ushered Jack over as she prepped the play back of the recent call.
‘Ok let’s hear it!’ the operator selected the data from her terminal, the box highlighted in red for an emergency call.
The small speakers under the monitor cackled as the connection was made, the static increasing as she raised the volume.
‘Emergency services what service do you require?’ the operator welcomed.
‘Police….yes police, I need the police’
‘Ok sir what seems to be the problem?’
‘The hand……I saw the hand, my dog found it…..by the woods….I think they’re dead!’
The operator requested the details of the location and Jack had jotted it all into his small black notebook. The call had only lasted several minutes, the caller seemed in shock, his words were repeated or difficult to muster, all Jack wanted was the location.
‘Who’s on route?’ he asked
‘We deployed a three vehicle unit to the location, Forensics are on standby in case it isn’t what we think. It should take twenty minutes to get to the given location…..if it’s correct. The teams departed ten minutes ago, we should have an update soon Sir’
‘Excellent…..good work’ Jack dragged Nathan through the door.
‘The car…now, we’re going’
The entrance to the wood had been secured prior to them arriving. The yellow tape fluttered under the wind, the PC guarding the entrance tied one end tighter around the tree, hoping it would hold. Jack pulled the car onto the verge behind one of the many police vehicles that lay stationary. They climbed out of the car and pulled their collars up around their necks, the wind held a nip which attacked the bare skin. They were met at the entrance by the Detective who had taken the task.
Little Red Page 9