‘Hey there…..little red riding hood….whistle whistle…you sure are looking good…whistle whistle…you’re everything a big……bad…..wolf could want’.
The snowball struck his windscreen and his heart raced. He had been fixed on his girl, the moment had been broken. He started the engine and sped away, the wheels spun on the spot and gave a piercing screech as the accelerator was forced to the ground.
Richard looked towards the sound, he noticed the grey cloud appearing at the rear of the black van that sat two houses down on the opposite side of the road. He watched as the vehicle spun out of its parking space and shot down the street. He observed the two young boys throwing snowballs at the parked cars.
‘Come on Meg…..time to go inside’ his eyes fixed on the path of the van.
The van came to a sudden stop as the traffic lights turned red. The Wolf was thrown forward as vehicle came to a halt.
‘FUCK……FUCKING FUCK FUCKKKKKKKK’ he slammed the steering wheel continuously and screamed the profanity. The tapping at the window startled him and he turned his head to see the Police woman signalling for him to wind down the window. He contemplated his actions, I could just go…put my foot down and go. NO…..that would be stupid….I need her……I need to be complete! The window was slowly lowered.
‘Good day Ma’am’ he smiled.
‘Sir, I noticed that you had to brake suddenly to stop for the light….any reason why?’
‘My windscreen had misted and I was trying to clean it…..good, the snow….the snow stopped me braking in time…..and with the snow, well I guess my brakes just took a bit longer to respond’.
‘Okay, just make sure next time you approach the lights with less speed, and if you can’t see it would be wise to leave a window open slightly’.
‘Thank you…..I will’. He smiled as the light turned green, the van rolled steadily as his heart paced in a rapid rhythm.
***
Jack could hear the whispers between the members of the team. He chose to ignore the mumbles and carried on with his speech. The room fell silent as he began talking.
‘Right, where were we………yeah, the recent finds will be added to the updated case file, I suggest you all take a thorough read of it. What I require now is a detailed listing of the finds the three teams made yesterday…..we are getting closer to catching this bastard so I need one hundred and ten per cent from every one of you’. He headed towards Nathans office and tapped on the door.
Nathan opened it and smiled.
‘I’m calm’ he assured.
‘Good, we’re about to go through the results from the school checks. I need you to run them through the full moon idea of yours’
‘No dramas’
They walked to the front of the class together and Nathan began to explain his idea to the room. He delved into the reasons behind his assumption and that if the results showed that both victims were in fact executed on a full moon night, then they prepare in advance for the next kill. He assigned two female officers the task of retrieving the information once the briefing had finished, asking for the results once they were discovered.
‘Okay. Team one, run us through the search from the first victims school’.
The two man team stood and made their way to face their colleagues. The tall constable had been chosen as the talker, the youngest of the two felt awkward giving a speech to the room.
‘We conducted a routine questioning at the Trinity Primary school in which the first victim, Jenny Marsch attended. We took along the identification of Mr Oliver Breen and spoke with every teacher at that school. Each one confirmed that the image was Mr Oliver Breen. To this end we accepted the evidence and gathered other pieces of information about the man in question. His address was also confirmed as number seven Ellen Garth, the location in which the surveillance team have been in position observing’.
Jack nodded as the officers looked at him for his approval. He turned and placed a small tick symbol on the board.
‘Good work, team two please!’
Once again the team positioned themselves in front of the class. The female officer had been delegated to speak.
‘PC Shields and me were assigned the school of the second victim, Abby Clough. We questioned all members of staff at St Michaels Primary School apart from Miss Carrigot, who was the teacher replaced by Mr Oliver Breen. Her where a bouts are yet to be confirmed. The teachers all confirmed that the photograph was Mr Oliver Breen. We then decided to visit Miss Carrigot’s home to see if we could speak with her. There was nobody at the location and after speaking with several neighbours, whose names are in the case file, we were informed that she had not been seen for several days’.
‘Excellent work’ another tick was placed on the board. The third team had already climbed to their feet and moved to the front. They nodded once ready.
‘I PC Gunter and my colleague PC Campbell were assigned to St Paul’s Primary School. This school had recommended Mr Oliver Breen to the Trinity Primary School when questioned about his performance and suitability for hiring. We spoke to all the teachers individually and every one of them denied that the picture was Mr Oliver Breen’
Nathan stood confused. The statement took him by surprise; he looked to Jack who was now smiling.
‘Denied?’ he asked
‘Yes Sir…..they denied that the picture was of the man in question. They gave us a school photo which shows Mr Oliver Breen. The section had been blown up as before so all could see. The face they starred at was a large round shape, the nose was slightly squashed and his cheeks resembled a hamster when stuffed with treats.
‘This is Mr Breen’ the officers confirmed.
‘Well who’s this?’ he was becoming more confused.
‘This, my friend……is the Wolf!’ Jack spoke softly, the words sounded powerful and had stunned Nathan. He starred into the eyes of the killer. They knew his face, they just needed a name.
***
The van was parked in its usual position, hidden by the brick wall of the house. The recent scenario that he had encountered caused a surge of mixed emotions to coarse through him, fear…..doubt and anxiety were the ones that hit him hard. Fear of being caught, doubts of completing his tasks and claiming the new girl…..anxiety that he would no longer become the creature he longed to be. He climbed down from the van and headed quickly to the kitchen door. His heart still raced as he pondered over the police woman and how close she came to catching him. He decided to leave the watching sessions until night time, when the streets would be less busy. The house remained dark and he allowed his sight to adjust. Moving cautiously he headed for the bathroom to freshen up, the stairs absorbed his large boots as he ascended. The water was cooling, revitalising; he starred into the eyes of the mirror, the mask he wore looked tired. He prodded the skin around his mouth, creating small indentations as he forced his cheeks between his teeth. He contemplated when the mask he wore would finally crumble away, revealing his true self…….the Wolf he longed to be.
Like before, he opened his mouth to reveal his normal teeth. They disappointed him, he noticed no change to their shape. That can be fixed. He moved with speed down the stairs and left through the door he had entered. The large garage was set back into the trees and bush, partially hidden from the overgrowing foliage. He approached the double doors and removed the small key from his trouser pocket; it glimmered as he turned it under the sun’s rays. The lock clunked as the teeth were aligned and it sprung open. He slid it from the hole and pulled one door ajar, slipping into the building. The small of damp saw-dust filled his nose as he entered, he could hear the tapping of the little feet scurrying to hide. He searched for the cord that dangled from the roof, finding the knot in the end he pulled down and activated the lighting.
The hutches were stacked upon each other, the walls that ran to his left and right were hidden by the wooden cells. With three stacked on top of each other and nine running along the walls; he had enough to hold his occup
ants, their eyes glowing as they peered from the straw beds. He walked ahead, listening to the small animals as they darted in and out of their safe place. The tool box lay under the table at the rear, upon the self-made structure sat several pieces of plastic scattered in all directions, curled strands of black lay upon the floor. They crunched as he stepped on them. He had made his claw here…..he remembered it fondly. The large box was dragged forward and he flipped the catches open, revealing his collection of tools.
‘Where oh where are youuuuuuuu?’
His fingers searched through the vast collection as he attempted to locate his desired item.
‘Helloooooooo……I seeeeeeeee youuuuuuuu’ he whispered as the file was seen.
He removed the large metal file from the box, the tolls clanged together as he pulled it free. He gripped the wooden handle, squeezing it tight. Satisfied he turned towards the door, the tool box secure under the table. He walked past the fluffy creatures in their mixture of colours. The light was extinguished and the door pulled to, the lock snapped shut.
The mask looked back at him through the mirror. He grinned, showing his teeth; tilting his head from one side to another.
‘Are you ready to change?.........are you ready to becommmmmme?’ the reflection asked him the same question, they both nodded at the same time and he readied himself; his heart beating with hope of the results.
***
Nathan couldn’t believe what he had heard in the briefing, the news hit him hard as he starred into the face of the man he hunted. He sat upon the chair, its hard metal frame forced his back to sit straight, he leaned forward to rest upon his knees. His office had begun to appear like a serial killers wet dream, images of the victims sprawled across the walls; details of the method he uses and maps displaying the locations of the finds. He waited patiently for the results of the task he had set…..hoping his theory of the full moon was correct. He turned as the knuckles tapped his door.
‘Yeah, come in’
Jack snuck into the small room, he gazed upon the collage of evidence pinned to the walls.
‘What are they?’ his finger pointed towards the drawings that Nathan recovered from the second victims colouring table. Nathan stood as he followed Jacks finger, his eyes fell upon the desired destination.
‘I found them at the victims house, Abby’s to be precise…..they were hidden in her drawer’.
Jack moved towards them, unsure of why Nathan had taken them and why he hadn’t told him about it. He moved from one to the other, studying the story they depicted.
‘What am I supposed to be seeing here?’…….he paused as he noticed the one thing that lay upon every piece of paper. ‘Is that……his van in the pictures?’
‘I believe so’
‘Why the hell didn’t you show me these before?’ his tone became slightly irate.
‘Because I wanted to be certain Jack…..they just prove several points that we know already!’
‘Yeah, well why don’t you fill me in with these points’
‘He drives a van…..and he watches the victim!’
‘What we didn’t know was the colour of the van, also the fact that he changes position to view them……shit Nathan, you could have told me about this!’
‘Sorry Jack, but you can’t rip me a new one over this….you withheld information from me also!’
‘Yes but……’ he chose not to finish the argument, his mind was tired enough already and battling with his friend would have created more damage than good.
‘Smoke?’ offered Jack, attempting to calm the situation. They moved side by side towards the exit.
‘You knew didn’t you?’ asked Nathan as he pulled a long drag from the small white stick.
‘I did, I apologise for not keeping you informed, but……well, I wanted to see your expression’.
‘Look, I also apologise for keeping the pictures from you, I just thought it was better than dumping a bunch of drawings on your lap that may have been worthless……so where do we go from here?’
‘It’s fine……we’re as bad as each other. Well, I applied for a warrant to search Mr Breen’s home…that should be in soon, I hope. We may find more information there, but I’m sending the team back to St Paul’s school. I want the teachers questioned about our fake Oliver Breen….see if they know him’. He exhaled into the wind. ‘Now we just wait, there are several pieces of information we need to receive before we can jump to the next step……let’s hope that the step is one ahead of him!’
***
William Lime sat behind his desk, his fingers drummed against the surface. He was still frustrated over the argument between him and Nathan. He felt disgusted at the man’s actions and self-discipline. Deep in his mind he felt the urge to dive into the archives, to do a little background check on Mr Crawley. He thought through the consequences and came to realise that he would suffer no damage, no professional damage anyway. Witnessing the temper that Nathan held inside he warned himself that a beating may follow his choice of action, but a beating he could take; he even considered the trial and court hearing that he could then bring down on Nathan, the charges of Grievous Bodily Harm or even, at a push, Attempted Murder. He closed his eyes picturing the money that would flow and popularity he would receive.
He opened his eyes and fixed them to his monitor, his fingers typed uncontrollably as he searched through the history of case files and personal details. He had access, after all, he was the Psychologist assigned to the department. He watched as the rows of names were dragged up and away by the scroll bar on the left. The names were alphabetically listed, it hadn’t taken him long to find Crawley. He waited, the arrow hovered over Nathans name.
Click click…..the folder opened as he tapped the mouse. He was provided with an individual report on his target. The cases he had worked on were listed below, he scanned for the Golden Boy file…..it was missing. Annoyed, he scanned back to the top and accessed the portfolio of personal details…..again, it was empty.
‘Jesus Christ man’ he hissed. Realising that someone had removed the information he had wanted, William stood and paced the room; his hands clenching into fists as he watched the money and publicity vanish from his mind. He knew someone had moved it, where, he was unsure…..but who, he had an idea of the who.
‘Oh Jack….you have been a bad boy haven’t you’.
***
His eyes began to blur as the tears accumulated from the ducts. The metal tool grinded his teeth, the milk white powder fell upon the handle. The pain seared his brain as he attempted to transform himself. He had just begun the process and the ache was becoming unbearable. Knowing that once he was complete he would have the teeth that truly identified him as the beast he longed to be. The salty water snaked down his cheeks and landed between his fingers, making his grip loose. He stopped to dry his hands. The voice within his head told him to stop, that he could not take the pain any longer. But the voice he listened too, the guest within his mind; forced him to accomplish the transformation, he would not be a wolf if his teeth remained human.
The file bounced against the inside of his mouth, his flesh was torn in several places as the dragging sound erupted. He pushed the tool deeper, the gag reflex starting within his throat. His eyes pierced into the ones looking back at him, he would not fail. He pushed and pulled the tool against his K-9 tooth, the tip became pointed as the file slowly chewed away at the surface, he wiped it clean with his tongue. He braced his frame with his spare hand as it clenched the porcelain sink.
He stood and admired the result, one tooth completed. He took a mouth full of water from the tap and prepared himself for the next. He knew it would hurt, but it was a feeling he was willing to receive. The pain brings a result……a result I am proud of……..I am becoming!
***
Jack had been informed of the next press-conference, he was told to prepare his speech. He collapsed into the chair and rubbed his leathered skin with both hands. His body felt weak, his mind was tir
ing and it told him to rest. He couldn’t…….not until the killer was caught and dragged into prison. The hustle and bustle within the briefing room brought him back to life. The team were in motion, doing everything they could to help him achieve his goal. He watched Nathan through the open blinds, he paced back and forth from one wall to the next. His mouth and hands were moving as if he were talking to somebody, an imaginary colleague that had been conjured up within his unique mind. It was a mind that Jack was envious of, jealous to a certain extent. His friend had everything, a loving wife and devoted partner; a place to hide away from the chaos and everyday cluster. Retirement, once again, crept into his head. The images of the boat he longed for, a reminder that constantly prodded at him to make him aware that it was an option; one that he began to consider taking.
‘Sir’ the words broke his day dream.
‘Yes’ wiping his eyes free of the image. It was the two female PC’s that Nathan had assigned the task to.
‘We have the results that Mr Crawley requested’ the sheet of paper clamped in one hand. Jack stood and ushered them towards the small box office, his knuckles tapped the wooden door.
‘Enter’ from inside
‘Nathan, the results are in’. He moved towards Jack and the paper was handed to him as if it were a top secret document for his eyes only. Nathan studied the words, double checking what was in front of him.
‘I was right’, he started. ‘Both victims time of death was on a full moon Jack!’
‘Jackpot’ his grin displayed the satisfying news.
‘The next night is in six days from today……..I’ll bet my life that is when he aims to kill number three’.
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