Hunted

by Heather Atkinson

  “No worries big brother, I’m an excellent shot,” smiled Jules.

  “But…”

  “Ryan, we’ve no choice. We have to get you out of here before he comes back,” said Rachel.

  “Oh…hell.”

  “Now stay really still,” said Jules, aiming the gun at the chains, which he’d pulled as tight as he could in order to get as far from the line of fire as possible.

  “Rachel, get to the back of the room, well out of the way,” said Ryan.

  She obeyed, keeping one eye on the door. She’d never seen Ryan so jumpy before, cringing as Jules took aim. The first shot severed the left chain neatly and both he and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. The second just nicked the side of the right chain before ploughing into the concrete beside his knee.

  “Christ, be careful,” he exclaimed.

  “Sorry and don’t shout, you’re ruining my concentration.” She fired again and Ryan’s right hand was released. The sense of freedom was immeasurable and he leapt to his feet, elated.

  “Thanks,” he said to Jules.

  “No problem. Let’s get out of here before the other one comes back.”

  “Wait,” he said, delving into the metal cabinet. He took out Orion’s rifle and smiled down at it. Payback was so fucking good.

  Jules rushed up the stairs first, still holding the pistol, Ryan and Rachel bringing up the rear. Ryan saw a metal door at the top, which Jules peeked out of, gun at the ready.

  “All clear,” she said quietly.

  Ryan slipped outside, breathing in the fresh air, revelling in the night, nature all around him. He gave Rachel’s hand a gentle squeeze, which was torn from his grasp. He whipped round just in time to see her startled face falling back down the stairs. A large shadow blocked her out. It seemed to smile at him before the door slammed shut in his face.

  “Rachel,” he bellowed, pulling on the door, but it refused to open. “No.” Raising the rifle he shot at the lock. There was a ping and he kicked the door open then pelted back down the stairs.

  Rachel lay on her back staring up the wooden stairs she’d just fallen down, the wind knocked out of her, wondering what the hell had happened. A chubby pink face loomed over her. It looked so childlike she thought it was benign, until it pointed a pistol at her.

  “Hello Mrs Law.”

  A loud bang from upstairs galvanised Orion into action. He dragged her up by her hair and pulled her back into the hide. Ryan and Jules rushed in, guns at the ready.

  “Let her go,” Ryan growled, finger on the trigger.

  “I don’t think so,” said Orion. “Shoe’s on the other fucking foot now, isn’t it?” He held her before him like a human shield, just as Ryan had with Actaeon, gun jammed under her chin.

  “It’s me you want to hurt,” said Ryan.

  “You’re right, it is, and I’m going to use someone you love to do it, just like you did to me with Actaeon.”

  “Don’t you mean Brian?” said Rachel. “The police know who you are, both of you. They’re searching your homes as we speak.”

  Orion began shuffling again, which terrified Ryan. The slightest movement could send a bullet ploughing upwards through Rachel’s skull. He swung his rifle to Actaeon. “Let her go or I’ll put a bullet through his head.” Ryan hoped his threat wasn’t an empty one, Actaeon was so still he could already be dead, whether that was because of being stabbed, his obstructed breathing or choking on his own eyeball, he couldn’t be sure.

  “You’re not getting out of this one Gerard,” said Rachel. “But if you give yourself up they might go easier on you.”

  Orion too realised that Actaeon was probably dead and released a groan of pain. “I don’t give a shit. What does it matter now? He’s gone.”

  The crackle of the radio strapped to Rachel’s waist agitated the air.

  “Rach, it’s okay. We’ve caught the bastard,” said Riley’s jubilant voice.

  Rachel and Ryan’s gazes caught. “There’s three of them,” she said.

  “Don’t touch it, not unless you want her pretty head splattered around the room,” said Orion when Jules’s hand moved to her own radio.

  Slowly Jules retracted her hand.

  Ryan could see Rachel’s own hand slowly creeping to the taser tucked into the back of her jeans. Her gaze was flat, almost emotionless, but Ryan knew this was just a control mechanism to keep herself calm.

  “Who’s the third one Orion?” said Ryan loudly to distract him from what Rachel was doing. His fear was that if she did hit him with the taser it would send all his muscles into spasm, causing his finger to tighten on the trigger of the gun that was pressed to her head. He had to draw that gun off Rachel and onto something else. “Who else is working with you?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he said maliciously.

  “We are going to know, he’s been caught you idiot,” he retorted. “Knowing our friends there’s a good chance he’s already dead.” He gave a death’s head smile. “We’re not as nice as the police.”

  Orion turned puce again as his temper soared. “No, you’re not taking him too. You’ve already taken Actaeon,” he spat, turning the gun from Rachel to Ryan.

  “Now Rachel,” said Ryan calmly.

  She knocked Orion’s arm away, simultaneously jamming the taser against her own side and pressing the button. The current passed through her and into Orion, who was holding onto her. A cramp-like pain engulfed her entire body, there was a loud bang as the gun went off and the next thing she knew she was falling again. When the taser fell from her hand the pain stopped but all she was capable of was lying there. From the corner of her eye she could see the mass of Orion’s body jiggling on the floor, eyes wide with shock.

  “On your front fat boy,” said Jules, rolling him roughly onto his stomach and tying his hands behind his back with the chains that had tethered Ryan.

  Ryan helped her sit up, his warm arms around her, his lips on her hair. “You okay Babe?”

  She nodded, feeling her body slowly coming back to life. Orion was too because he was muttering and shifting about on the floor.

  “Shut it,” said Jules, giving him a kick in the ribs.

  “Bitch,” spat Orion.

  “Prick.”

  “Did anybody get shot?” said Rachel.

  “No, the bullet went into the floor. Nice work sweetheart,” he said, kissing her forehead.

  “Can we please get out of this hellhole now?”

  “I would love nothing more,” smiled Ryan, helping her to her feet.

  They all paused when they heard a voice calling them and they looked blankly at each other.

  Jules realised where the voice was coming from and pulled the radio from her belt. “Riley, we’ve got Ryan. He’s fine. We’ve also found the killer’s lair.”

  “I’ll meet them up top,” said Ryan.

  “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on chuckles,” said Jules, lighting up a cigarette.

  Ryan was about to tell her not to, it was a crime scene, but he lacked the energy. Instead he put an arm around her shoulders. “Thanks…sister.”

  She stared at him with surprise before smiling. “You’re welcome.”

  Together Ryan and Rachel limped up the stairs, holding onto each other, utterly exhausted. They emerged into the cool night air, both delighted to see the outside world again. Rachel gazed up at him and he ran his fingertips down her face.

  “I knew you’d come,” he said, “even though you should have kept away. What you did was so dangerous.”

  “There was no way I wasn’t coming. I’m just glad we got here in time,” she said, voice cracking with emotion.

  He held onto her for all he was worth. “I wouldn’t have let a couple of puddings like them kill me when so many others have failed.” He felt her shudder against him, trying to smother her tears by burying her face in his chest. “How are the kids?” he said softly, pressing his face into her hair.

  “Worried, especially Leah. They’re going to be
so happy to see you.”

  When she tried to kiss him he jerked his head away, still unable to bear the thought of her lips touching his after what he’d swallowed. Her eyes, which were blacker than the night, narrowed, filling with hurt and confusion. The sound of sirens approaching in the distance came to them on the air, cutting her off before she could question him.

  “This is going to take some explaining,” he said.

  “They’re going to be pissed off we came out here,” she replied, drying her eyes on the sleeves of her black jumper. “Ashley told us to leave it alone.”

  “They’re only coppers, we’ll deal with them like we always do. After the people we’ve faced in the past they’ll be pushovers.”

  “I suppose.”

  Crashing in the bracken had Ryan pushing Rachel behind him and raising the rifle, but Riley emerged from the shadows leading someone with their hands bound behind their back, Battler, Bruiser, Mikey and Jez following.

  “Thank Christ,” said Riley, shoving their captive into Bruiser’s arms and racing towards his brother. He gave him a big hug before stepping back to study him. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” he replied as though he hadn’t just been held prisoner by a couple of cannibals. “Hello Jez,” he said when Jez threw himself at him too.

  “Where’s Jules?” said Mikey.

  “Down there keeping an eye on the lunatics who took me.”

  “On her own?” said Mikey, eyes widening.

  “Don’t worry, they’re not a threat,” said Ryan as he went rushing down the steps of the hide. “Who’s this?” he said, pointing to the bound man.

  Bruiser shoved their prisoner forward and he fell onto his knees before Ryan.

  “Well, it’s our esteemed mayor,” said Ryan flatly. Nothing would surprise him anymore. “He’s Gerard’s foreman. He hired the Marsh’s eldest son to work on the annex. Let me guess, he was going to be a victim too?”

  “I’m saying fuck all,” he snapped. He was dressed in the same camouflage gear as Actaeon and Orion, his grey hair hidden by a cap.

  Ryan looked down at him coldly before raising the rifle and aiming it at his head. “Would you care to revise your answer?”

  “Yes he was,” shrieked Eddie. “Gerard wanted him, he thought he was pretty.”

  Ryan grimaced. “But he moved away?”

  “Yeah, lucky for him,” he grumbled. “All fit and feisty. We would have chased him good.” Eddie whimpered when the barrel of the gun was pressed to his forehead.

  “Just one more word, please,” said Ryan.

  Eddie wisely went quiet.

  CHAPTER 27

  Mikey found himself staring down the barrel of a gun as he entered the hide and he jumped back. “Jesus Jules, what are you doing?”

  “Sorry,” she said, lowering the weapon. “I thought there might have been more of them.”

  Mikey took in the two men on the floor, one bound and wriggling, face purple, screaming abuse and flinging his big body from side to side, the other inert on the floor, blood trickling from a stomach wound. He stood over Actaeon, peering down at him, trying to assess whether he was alive or not. The slight rise and fall of his chest assured him he was.

  “I see you’ve been using your knives again,” he said, indicating the stomach wound. “What have you done with his eye?”

  “Nothing. That was Ryan.”

  “They don’t look like much, do they?”

  “Don’t judge by appearances. I saw fat boy in action here. Shut the fuck up,” she yelled, kicking him in the ribs, causing his folds of flesh to wobble. This gave her a stark reminder of her treatment of Leighton and she glanced at Mikey, but he was too busy taking in Ryan’s prison.

  “I’ll kill you bitch, cut your throat then pull out your insides and make you eat them,” snarled Orion, drool falling from his lips and pooling on the wooden floor.

  “How can I eat if my throat’s been cut, dickhead?” she called back.

  Orion went quiet as he pondered this.

  “What is that smell?” said Mikey, clamping a hand over his nose and mouth.

  Jules shrugged. The smell didn’t bother her, she’d grown used to it after keeping Leighton captive. “Despair, pain, sweat and food. They’ve been cooking down here,” she said, indicating the small hob.

  “I hate to think what they’ve been cooking.”

  “God only knows what these rednecks like to eat. Someone’s thrown up too,” she said, indicating the puddle of sick in the corner. She looked from it to the gruesome trophies on the wall then to the frying pan with a frown, her brain ticking over. She decided she was better off keeping her theory to herself.

  Mikey nodded for her to join him in the corner of the room, away from the hissing Orion. “Are you okay? This isn’t bringing back any bad memories, is it?”

  She folded her arms across her chest and wiped all emotion from her face, shutting herself down. “No.”

  Orion started shouting again, squealing like a stuck pig, but they ignored him.

  “Have you forgiven me yet?” said Mikey.

  “Leave it,” she said, grey eyes turning stormy.

  “It had to be done, it was the only option.”

  “I said leave it.”

  “Not until you start talking about it.”

  “You sound like Cassandra.”

  “She’s a good influence and I want you to say you forgive me.”

  “Why do you need or even care if you have forgiveness? You’re the fucking big man.”

  “I care what you think about me.”

  “Why?”

  “Buggered if I know but I do. Forgive me.”

  “Give it a fucking rest,” she yelled.

  She looked almost feral, fingers twitching, wanting to hurt him. Mikey just found her exciting. The two serial killers lying on the floor were forgotten as he watched her getting madder and madder. At him.

  “Forgive me.”

  He saw the blow coming from a mile off. She was good but he was better and he caught her wrist in a death grip. Rage filled her eyes and he saw her look him up and down, assessing where to attack next. Instead he pulled her closer, not giving her room to lash out. “Forgive me.”

  “Why do you care?” she said in a quieter tone.

  “Like I said, buggered if I know.”

  She relaxed in his arms, those grey eyes staring into his. He could sense her puzzlement and he was just as confused as she was. Why did he care?

  Neither he nor Jules understood how it happened or who initiated it but the next thing they knew they were tilting their heads, lips about to touch…

  A disgusting torrent of filth and abuse streamed from Orion’s lips. The moment broken, Jules and Mikey leaned away from each other. She took a step back, well out of his reach.

  “I forgive you,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he replied.

  The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile and she treated him to a rare smile back. Mikey, annoyed by the interruption, grabbed the back of Orion’s t-shirt with both gloved hands and pulled him up until his back was bowed, making it difficult for him to breathe, cutting off his cries.

  “If you don’t shut it I’ll keep pulling until your spine snaps.”

  Orion went abruptly silent. Mikey let him drop and he hit the floor with a thud. He turned back to Jules and when he started to make his way back to her she held up her hands. “Stay where you are.”

  “But…”

  “Just keep your distance. I think it’s best for us both.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes,” she said, swelling with resolution.

  Mikey sighed and retreated back up the stairs, sulking. She didn’t need his help, she had that pair well under control. He emerged outside just in time too, the lights and sirens approaching told him the cavalry was coming.

  “We’d better make ourselves scarce,” said Jez, jogging up to him. “The last thing we need is to get caught up in this.”

  “Agree
d,” said Mikey. “We’ll see you all back at the hotel.”

  The others watched them both disappear into the night a minute before the police finally arrived.

  “I think we’re in trouble,” said Rachel as they watched Ashley striding his way towards them through the woods, slipping and sliding on the damp, mossy ground in his unsuitable shoes.

  “What did I tell you all? What did I tell you? I said leave it to the professionals,” yelled Ashley, coming to a halt before them and planting his hands on his hips.

  “While you professionals were in the wrong place we were here rescuing Ryan,” said Battler.

  “Just in time too Ashley. Orion and Actaeon were just about to take me out into the woods to hunt me,” added Ryan.

  “Who?” frowned Ashley.

  “Brian Crossly and Gerard Kerrell,” explained Rachel. “And the mayor here,” she said, pointing at Eddie, who was still on the ground with his head bowed, probably frantically trying to figure out a plausible cover story.

  “Bloody hell, Eddie Cope,” said Ashley. “So your friend was right, there was more than one.”

  “Which friend?” said Ryan.

  “Jules,” replied Rachel. “She figured out what was going on. It’s thanks to her we got here in time.”

  Ryan nodded, secretly glad he hadn’t killed her when she’d first come into their lives.

  “They’re both downstairs,” added Ryan, nodding at the door to the killers’ lair. “Actaeon’s in a bad way, I don’t know if he’s still alive. I had to hurt him a lot.”

  “Which one’s Actaeon?” said Ashley.

  “Brian Crossly,” replied Rachel.

  “We’ll check it out. All of you stay here, I don’t want anyone sloping off. I need statements from you all.” He clapped a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “You okay?”

  “I’ll live.” He leaned in to whisper in Ashley’s ear. “Look in the fridge. Apparently John Owen is in there in tiny pieces.”

  Ashley sighed heavily. “This is going to be a long night. Get yourself to hospital Ryan. I want you checked out then go home, I’ll take your statement from there. Rachel, do me a favour and go with him, make sure he does as he’s told. I know what he’s like. Left to his own devices he’ll just go straight home and take a couple of Paracetamol.”