by Lauren Algeo
Brewer stood, relieved, on the pavement outside. It had been close, five more minutes and he wouldn’t have made it in time.
That was one part of the plan taken care of, now to find out exactly where that bastard was hiding. He figured they had a safe window at the flat until tomorrow morning so there was time to do some digging on the locations he’d seen.
Brewer started to walk back along the high street in the direction of the flat. Georgie would be going mad by now, wondering where he’d gone. He felt a twinge of guilt that he’d left without explaining anything to her but it had been for her benefit.
He walked past all the familiar shops and restaurants and was suddenly hit by a stab of overwhelming sadness that this could be the last time he saw any of it. Not that he even liked the town much, it was more the idea of not seeing anything ever again.
He found himself thinking back over his life. There weren’t many people left to mourn him when he was gone, only Marcus and Trudy. After all the experiences they’d shared together over the years, he owed it to his old friend to say goodbye.
Brewer took out his phone and called Marcus before he could change his mind.
‘Scott, mate.’ Marcus answered after the third ring. ‘I thought you’d disappeared on me?’
‘No, I’m still around but I’ll be going away again tomorrow.’ He could hear the bustle of the station in the background. ‘Do you fancy meeting for a drink after work?’
‘I’d love to mate, but we’re supposed to be going for dinner with Trudy’s brother and his missus at 8.30pm.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Ah sod it, I can meet you for quick pint before. I’ll be leaving here in about an hour so let’s make it The Albert around 7pm?’
‘Perfect,’ Brewer replied. ‘I’ll see you there.’
Now all he had to do was locate the Grand before then.
Georgie paced around the flat in frustration. Brewer had been gone for half an hour now and she had no idea where he was. He hadn’t even told her what he was thinking.
She turned on the TV as a distraction although she couldn’t really focus on it. She knew in her heart what Brewer was planning. Her mind kept coming back to that question in the woods, when he’d thought she wasn’t there. The conviction with which he’d asked it – where is the Grand?
With the images the hiker had projected, he’d be able to locate him. He was going after the Grand and it didn’t seem as if she was going to be included.
Georgie perched on the sofa and tapped her foot impatiently. She glared at the map, and all those pins representing hikers. They’d nearly killed her. She had as much right as him to take them on, to stop them murdering anyone else once and for all.
Her foot stopped tapping suddenly. She saw something on the map that she’d never noticed before. She’d always been looking at the amount of pins, never where they were.
She stood up to have a closer look. There were clusters of pins all over the country, mainly over large towns or cities, with the occasional one dotted over a village. There was an area where there were none though, by far the largest space on the map without hiker activity. Admittedly, it did partly comprise of the Yorkshire Dales, but the area south of the dales didn’t have any pins either and there were a few good size towns there. She’d heard the phrase about not shitting on your own doorstep, maybe that was true here? If the Grand lived near that area then he wouldn’t want to draw any suspicion to it.
That scenic image from the hiker’s mind could have been near the Dales and the village from the sign could be there. She felt a crackle of excitement and instinctively knew she was on the right track. The map wasn’t detailed enough to confirm it so she went looking for the laptop.
Brewer walked in the front door a minute later. The laptop would be in the rucksack across his back. Georgie glared at him coldly.
‘Where have you been?’
‘I’m sorry,’ he apologised, holding his palms up. ‘I had to take care of something quickly.’
‘Well, are you going to tell me what you’re planning or what?’ she asked, even though she knew what his reply would be.
Brewer shuffled his feet and thought of how best to reply.
‘I’m going to kill the Grand.’ With Georgie, blunt was always better.
Her lack of expression made him realise that she already suspected his motive.
‘I’m coming.’ Was all she replied.
‘No, you’re not.’ He didn’t have time for this. He shrugged off his coat, took out the laptop and powered it up.
‘I heard you ask where he was, and I saw the images from her too.’ Georgie’s voice had a hard edge but she kept calm. ‘I know where he is.’
Brewer glanced up in surprise. ‘Really? Where?’
She pointed at the map. ‘I don’t know exactly. It’s around the Yorkshire Dales though. I figured it out.’
He stared at the map. He’d looked at it hundreds of times but never seen before. The rough circle of empty space around that area – no hiker activity, which meant there were probably hikers there.
‘You’re still not coming.’
‘I’m just as strong as you,’ Georgie said through clenched teeth. ‘You need me. If it weren’t for me that hiker would’ve had you earlier and then it was you who fucked up. If you think you can kill him on your own, you’re very much mistaken. I’m the better shot here.’
Brewer tapped at the laptop keys and didn’t say anything.
‘So am I right?’ she demanded. ‘The village is there, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ He replied a minute later. ‘It sits on the southern edge of the Dales. That’s where he is.’
‘Then we’ll go there first thing tomorrow,’ she insisted.
‘No.’ Brewer stood up abruptly. ‘I will go there. You’ll stay somewhere safe until it’s over.’
‘Why the fuck won’t you listen! You can’t stop me coming with you. I want this just as badly as you and we work better as a team! You can thank me after.’
Brewer averted his eyes and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Suddenly it hit Georgie. She felt as though the breath had been punched out of her.
‘Oh my god. You’re not planning on coming back are you? This is a suicide mission!’
Brewer met her eyes again. ‘It’s the only way.’
‘No it’s not!’ she cried. ‘We have the rabies samples from the hiker today, and one from the dog still, more than enough for the Grand. We know it works!’
‘It works slowly. We don’t have enough to get us to the Grand. There could be dozens of hikers guarding that big mansion of his.’
‘How do you propose to get past them on your own then?’ she snapped.
‘I don’t need to,’ he said quietly. ‘The Grand will want me alive so I’ll let them take me directly to him. That’s why the tranquiliser gun won’t work, they’ll never let me stand in front of their father armed.’
‘I don’t fucking believe this.’ Georgie laughed bitterly. ‘You’re just going to walk up to the front door and let them capture you!’
‘Then I’ll make them all pay with their lives.’ There was a steely determination in his eyes.
‘And you expect me to just stay here and let you die?’
‘Yes. I want you somewhere safe until it’s over. You deserve a better life than this and I’m leaving you one. It’s all taken care of.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘That’s where I went,’ he explained. ‘My solicitor updated my will for me. When I die, I’m leaving everything to you. The flat, the money in my bank and savings accounts. It’s all yours.’
His statement shocked Georgie and her mouth dropped open in surprise.
‘You’d leave everything... to me?’ she asked in disbelief.
‘Everything I have.’ He put his coat back on. ‘Now I have to go out again.’
Georgie shook her head to clear away the weight of what he’d just told her.
‘No!’ she said forcefully. ‘I don’t want your m
oney. I’d rather have you here, alive.’
Brewer tried to walk to the living room door but Georgie grabbed his arm.
‘Wait, where are you going?’
‘To meet Marcus for a pint.’
‘You’re going to say goodbye, aren’t you?’ Her face fell. ‘You’re serious about this?’
‘Deadly.’ He shrugged off her hand and made for the door again.
‘No, wait! Scott!’
‘Remember to listen out and call me if you hear them.’ He spoke mechanically, trying not to hear the pain in her voice.
‘Scott!’
He closed the door behind him and heard a glass smash against it a split second later.
Chapter 42
Brewer strode into The Albert and saw a couple of familiar faces. This was the pub he and Marcus used to visit to wind down after a long shift at work, or talk over a tough case. He recognised a few people as off-duty police officers and they all looked very young to him. He kept his head down so no one he used to work with at the station would see him and ask awkward questions.
Marcus wasn’t there yet so Brewer got two pints of lager and found a small, unoccupied table in the corner. He took a sip of his pint and tried not to think about the row he’d just had with Georgie.
Marcus arrived five minutes later. It had started raining outside and Brewer saw his friend hurry through the door and shake his coat off. He raised his arm in a greeting.
‘Hi, mate. It’s just started pissing down out there!’ Marcus sat down opposite him. ‘Thanks for the beer.’
‘No worries,’ Brewer replied. ‘How was the shift?’
‘Shit.’ Marcus took a long swig of his pint and gave a sigh of satisfaction. ‘That’s better. I’ve had a crap week!’
For the next hour they talked about current cases and past ones. They had another pint each and reminisced about the good old days, and they even talked about Karen for a while. For that one hour, Brewer forgot what he had to face the next day and just felt normal again.
An insistent buzzing from Marcus’s phone on the table signalled the end of their catch up.
‘It’s Trudy,’ Marcus apologised. ‘I’ve got to shoot mate, we’ve got dinner in half an hour and she’ll no doubt make me change before.’
Brewer didn’t think there was anything wrong with the light blue shirt and black jeans his friend was wearing. He was a hell of a lot smarter than him anyway.
They put on their coats and left the pub. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle for now.
‘It was good to see you mate, sorry it couldn’t be for longer,’ Marcus said. ‘We’ll catch up again when you’re back in town.’
Brewer nodded, fighting down the sudden lump in his throat. ‘Take care of yourself.’
Marcus stuck his hand out but Brewer embraced him in a rough hug that knocked him off balance.
‘I love you mate,’ he found himself saying.
Marcus laughed and pulled back. ‘Steady on! How many have you had?’
Brewer gave a wry smile and zipped up his coat. He controlled the sadness in his voice as best he could.
‘Goodbye Marcus.’
‘See you later, Scott.’
Marcus was still smiling but his eyes searched Brewer’s with confusion. Something about his friend’s face was off. There was some emotion there that he couldn’t read.
As Brewer walked away into the night, Marcus had an awful feeling that he’d never see his friend again.
Chapter 43
Brewer walked most of the way back to the flat, not caring when the rain began pelting down on him. He thought back over his life and made peace with everything he’d done. He was ready to face the Grand. Alone.
The idea of having Georgie there – the thought of her being tortured if anything went wrong – made him feel sick with dread. She’d already been through too much and he wouldn’t deliberately put her in harm’s way again.
Once Brewer was back on his road, he took shelter in a shop doorway and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He unfolded the photo of Karen and shielded it carefully from the rain. He stared at her smiling face and stroked his thumb lovingly over the image. He would be back with her soon. After all that had happened with hikers and their abilities, who was to say he wouldn’t be reunited with his beloved wife somewhere. Brewer felt an inner peace at the thought. He put the photo away and headed up to the flat to face the wrath of Georgie.
He opened the front door and took off his wet coat and boots. The flat was silent. The door to the bedroom was wide open so she wasn’t in there. He braced himself and opened the door to the living room.
The first thing he saw was the empty bottle of Jack Daniels on the table. The lights were off however the flickering images on the muted TV illuminated the room enough for him to see the shards of glass on the floor, next to the door – the glass she’d thrown in anger earlier. He picked his way around it carefully, wishing he’d kept his boots on.
Georgie was slumped in his armchair, staring at the silent TV.
‘Georgie…’ he started.
She glanced at him with bleary eyes and struggled to her feet, staggering, and holding tightly onto the arm of the chair to keep her balance. She was wearing his black dressing gown and her hair was sticking up all over the place.
‘You’re back,’ she slurred.
‘You’re drunk,’ he said accusingly.
‘I thought you’d gone.’ Her voice was heavy with alcohol. She swayed on the spot and tried to focus on him. ‘Have you changed your mind?
‘No. I’m still going.’
She gave a low whimper and he saw the pain on her face. She stood up straighter and fumbled at her waist.
‘Well, if you won’t stay for me.’ She clumsily undid the dressing gown belt and let it fall open. ‘Stay for this.’
She was completely naked underneath. Brewer hadn’t seen a naked woman in the flesh since Karen yet he felt no longing at the sight. Georgie’s skinny body was swamped by his large dressing gown and looked ridiculous. Her small breasts and jutting hipbones emphasised just how young she was.
He looked immediately back to her face. She had tilted her chin up in defiance but her bottom lip was trembling, and she had averted her eyes in shame. He walked towards her, and heard her breathing accelerate with every step he took.
He reached out and closed the dressing gown tightly around her body and secured the belt.
‘I don’t want that,’ he told her firmly. ‘You’re like my daughter, Georgie.’
Her body sagged in relief and she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She fell into his arms, sobbing loudly.
‘You can’t leave me,’ she begged. ‘Please. I have no one else.’
‘Shh.’ He stroked her bedraggled hair and tried to calm her down.
He could endure her anger but he couldn’t take her anguished crying. It made his heart ache.
‘Promise me!’ She pummelled her small fists into his shoulder as she clung on to him.
He felt all of his earlier resolve melt away. He realised that he was being selfish by taking the suicide route. Even though he was leaving her with a home and money, she didn’t have a single other person in the world. Would she end up going back to Spence without him or, even worse, her mum and Nick? He knew how hollow life alone was.
They could always try the rabies first and if anything went wrong, he could continue with the suicide.
Georgie stood back, sniffing, and gazed up at him. Her face was blotchy from crying and she suddenly looked about thirteen years old.
‘Promise me you’ll try the other way?’ Her chest hitched with suppressed sobs.
‘Ok.’ He was surprised to hear his own voice break with emotion. ‘We’ll try the rabies first.’
‘We.’ She repeated with a definitive nod of her head.
Brewer went over to the kitchen to make them both a coffee but by the time he came back, Georgie was passed out on the sofa. He fetched a blanket from the bedroom a
nd laid it gently over her.
He sat and drank his coffee and stared at the silent TV then he began to pack both the rucksacks. He put a few layers of clothes in each and both their knives. He added the torch, binoculars, and laptop to his own. Lastly, he zipped the vials of rabid saliva into the side pocket. Georgie could carry the gun case – she was less likely to draw any suspicion.
Brewer tidied up the rest of the flat and made sure everything was in order, just in case he didn’t come back. He ate a light dinner of pasta and watched the evening news. Georgie hadn’t even stirred when he’d switched on the lights and turned on the sound on the TV; she’d need to sleep off all the JD.
He set his alarm for 5am and listened carefully, although there was no sound of any hikers yet. He didn’t think they would begin their search until he and Georgie were long gone tomorrow.
Georgie was asleep on his sofa so the bed was free but he chose to doze in the armchair instead. He briefly contemplated leaving in the night, just walking out the door and going to face the Grand alone, only he’d given his word. The thought didn’t cross his mind again.
Chapter 44
Georgie awoke the next morning with one of the worst hangovers of her life. Her mouth felt fuzzy and her head was pounding but she forced herself to shower, get dressed, and leave with Brewer.
She felt deeply ashamed about her behaviour the night before, even though Brewer had politely dismissed any mention of it. She’d half-expected him to be gone that morning, but when she’d opened her eyes, he had been sleeping in the armchair opposite her.
She felt a wave of nausea every time her mind tortured her with the moment she’d offered him her body. She’d never been more grateful when he’d refused her instantly. He was like a father to her.
By the time they were sat on the first train to Leeds, it started to hit her where they were going. She’d been so intent on getting Brewer not to kill himself that she’d neglected the part about her facing off against the Grand with him. She was terrified yet still determined to carry it out.