by Lauren Algeo
‘Yeah,’ Mitch cut in. ‘We can go for him first!’
‘Thanks for the enthusiasm but I can’t ask you to do that. You don’t know how dangerous the Grand is.’
‘That’s precisely why you shouldn’t do this alone!’ Ellen exclaimed. ‘You need us to help. I want to help. If this is the man… thing, that’s ordering all the other hikers to kill then we have to put a stop to it. I owe it to Lucy not to let anyone else suffer in the same way she did.’
Mitch leant forward in the backseat and propped his elbows on his knees. ‘Yeah, it’s not like I have much else going on at the moment,’ he said. ‘Killing hikers would sure beat stacking shelves for a while.’
Brewer looked from one to the other. Who were these people who were willing to risk their lives to help a relative stranger?
‘We’ll go on with our original plan for now,’ he said. ‘We’ll do this for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, you can go home whenever you want.’
‘Yes boss.’ Mitch mock-saluted. ‘So, what now?’
Brewer started the car engine. ‘We keep driving inland, across the state, looking for any hiker activity. Ellen, I will start training you properly so you can block them out. We can also try and hone your skill at being able to detect them.’
Ellen nodded vigorously; shutting them out would be very handy.
‘Then I guess we just need to find some other disease to kill them with slowly, interrogate a few hikers, find the Grand, and kill him once and for all.’ Brewer said.
‘Piece of cake,’ Mitch grinned.
Chapter 13
They found a basic motel an hour’s drive away in Windsor to stop for the night. Brewer offered to book two rooms so that Ellen could have some privacy.
‘If it’s ok,’ she said shyly. ‘I’d rather stay all together. I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep after today and I’d feel a lot safer having you close by.’
Brewer knew she was referring to both him and Mitch but he allowed himself to imagine that she meant just him.
‘I don’t think they have triples but we can get a room with two beds and I can sleep on the sofa,’ he offered.
Ellen nodded. ‘That would be great.’
He left them in the car and went inside a small reception area to book. It turned out the place did have a family room so he got the keys and collected Mitch, Ellen, and the bags from the car. He opened the door to room number seven and quickly realised the receptionist’s definition of a ‘triple’ family room consisted of one double bed and one single.
‘Oh,’ he said, hovering by the door. ‘I hadn’t realised there would only be two beds.’
‘Well I’m not sharing with you!’ Mitch laughed.
‘It’s fine, I don’t mind sharing with someone,’ Ellen said.
Brewer felt an unexpected hot flush creeping up his neck. ‘No, it’s only right that you have your own bed Ellen,’ he said quickly. ‘I’ll still sleep on the sofa.’
He marched across to the small, brown two-seater in the corner and put his rucksack down. Mitch decided he wanted the single bed, presumably as it was closer to the TV. He threw himself onto the mattress and picked up the remote from the bedside table.
‘I haven’t watched anything for days!’ he moaned. ‘I miss the real world.’
He found an MTV channel again, which was clearly his idea of real life. Ellen put her bag hesitantly on the double bed.
‘It seems silly to have this all to myself. I really don’t mind sharing.’
Brewer shook his head fast. ‘I’m fine over here.’
There was no way he could share a bed with Ellen. Even though it would be nothing more than a practicality, it made him feel nervous. He was afraid to lie that close to her, it would release all those feelings he’d tightly squashed inside.
‘I’m going to have a shower,’ Ellen announced. ‘Try and wash away some of the nightmares of today.’
Brewer didn’t want to be sitting there, listening to the sound of running water and imagining… ‘I’ll get us some food while you’re in there,’ he said.
She carried her pack to the bathroom and shut the door. Brewer took the bag with the guns and stored it on top of the wardrobe.
‘Is there anything in particular you fancy eating?’ he asked Mitch.
He was engrossed in a reality programme and gave a flippant wave of his hand. ‘Whatever, man.’
The sound of the taps being turned on drifted over from the bathroom and Brewer made himself scarce. He stepped out of the room and stood in the cool night air. The car park was nearly empty and the motel was quiet. He could see lights on in a few of the rooms and hear the faint murmur of voices and several different TV shows. He took a couple of deep breaths. Ellen was going to be around for the foreseeable future so he had to get a grip.
He headed in the direction of the nearest shop. There were no cooking facilities in the motel room so he picked up a selection of sandwiches and some savoury snacks. He added a six-pack of beer to the shopping, anticipating that they might need a drink after the earlier events.
He wondered how Ellen was really handling things underneath the front she put on. Encountering the same hiker who’d murdered her daughter couldn’t have been easy for her. The fact that she’d managed to harness her feelings long enough to shoot it with the dart told Brewer just how strong she was. He didn’t know if he could have coped with that pressure so soon after the tragedy.
At the till he bought an array of newspapers with the food. They’d need to start researching tomorrow morning to find another hiker. Tonight, they all deserved a break from it.
Brewer carried the shopping bags over to the motel. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for Mitch to drag himself away from the TV.
‘What’d you get?’ Mitch asked, grabbing at the bags the second Brewer walked in. He looked disappointed as he pulled out some of the sandwiches.
‘They didn’t have much else,’ Brewer apologised.
‘Food’s food, I guess.’ Mitch retreated back to his bed with a BLT and a packet of crisps.
He’d ignored the beer, however Brewer went straight for it. He picked up a can, cracked it open and took several long gulps of the chilled liquid. It was bitter and tasted cheap but it would do. He put the bags on the table and settled on the sofa with some of the daily newspapers. He took another sip from his can.
Ellen emerged from the bathroom a couple of minutes later. Her hair was wet and her face was red, especially around her eyes. He couldn’t tell if that was from crying or scrubbing her make up off. She’d changed out of her jeans and jumper and was now wearing light blue pyjama bottoms with a short-sleeved white t-shirt. He tried not to study the silhouette of her body in the tight fitting top. She was holding a small, beige hand towel and rubbed at her hair with it.
‘I didn’t think to bring a hairdryer,’ she said as she caught Brewer watching her.
‘Sorry, the next place might have one.’ He found his voice again. ‘I got some food while you were in there.’
He gestured to the bags on the table. She wandered over and rummaged through one of the bags. She chose a chicken salad sandwich and took one of the beers. She sat down on the sofa next to Brewer to eat.
‘Why so many papers?’ she asked, nodding to the folded stack.
‘I use them to hunt for hikers,’ he said. ‘There are often strange parts of stories that hint at hiker activity in the area.’
‘Like how you found me?’
He nodded. ‘Sometimes the stories turn out to be nothing but other times it’s worth investigating them.’
‘Can I help?’ she asked.
‘You don’t have to start right now. I thought we could all research tomorrow morning before setting off again. We could use some time off tonight.’ He put the newspapers on the floor to emphasise his point.
‘Ok then.’ Ellen tilted her can towards him. ‘Cheers.’
He tapped his can against hers and drained
the remaining half. The cheap lager wasn’t so bad once you got used to it.
‘Mitch, can you find something we all want to watch?’ he called.
‘Mnm nm.’ Mitch’s reply was lost through a mouthful of food and Ellen laughed. The sombre mood in the room seemed to lift with that one simple sound.
‘What was that?’ she asked.
‘I said,’ Mitch swallowed hard. ‘That might take all night. I bet you guys like old documentaries or some crap!’
Ellen laughed again. ‘How old do you think we are?’
‘You’re not exactly young yourself,’ Brewer cut in.
Mitch tried to scowl at their attempt to gang up on him but it turned into a grin. ‘Fine. I’ll flick through and we can take a vote.’ He nodded towards the TV. ‘Cribs?’
‘No,’ Brewer said.
‘No,’ Ellen shook her head.
He sighed and scrolled through the channels. ‘Definitely not more news,’ he mumbled more to himself. ‘24?’
‘Yes,’ Ellen nodded.
‘Umm, I’ve never seen it,’ Brewer admitted.
‘We’ll keep going,’ Mitch said. ‘Ah, I’ve got it! Die Hard is coming on in a minute.’
Brewer and Ellen glanced at each other. ‘Yes,’ they said in unison. That film was the kind of easy viewing they needed right now.
‘Bruce Willis is amazing in this,’ Mitch said, enthusiastically taking another bite of his sandwich.
‘More like Alan Rickman is.’ Brewer took a ham sandwich from the bag for himself and another beer. ‘Why are the best baddies always British?’
They ate their food as the film started. Brewer sipped more lager and felt himself relaxing for the first time since he’d arrived.
Mitch was a vocal film watcher and commented throughout yet Brewer found even that didn’t annoy him tonight. He shut down his mind to all thoughts of hikers and just concentrated on the film. He didn’t even over-react when Ellen tucked her feet up on the sofa to get more comfortable and he felt the warmth of her body close to him.
After the sandwiches and snacks were gone, and the film was over, they decided to have an early night.
‘Are you sure you’re ok sleeping on the sofa?’ Ellen asked again.
Did she really want him to share the bed or was she just being polite? The beer had made him a little lightheaded; he’d ended up drinking four of the six cans.
‘Positive,’ he said.
He got a spare blanket and pillow from the wardrobe and made a bed on the sofa. Mitch was asleep before they’d even turned off the light.
‘Goodnight, Scott,’ Ellen called softly.
‘Night.’ He flipped the switch by the door and the room was plunged into darkness.
He blindly felt his way to the sofa and laid down with the blanket over his legs. He eased off his jeans but kept his t-shirt on. It didn’t seem right to just wear boxer shorts with Ellen in the room. If he had to get up to use the bathroom, he didn’t want to be parading around in his underwear.
He lay there and let his eyes adjust to the gloom. There was a streetlight in the car park that shone through the flimsy curtain over the one window and illuminated the far wall. He heard Ellen fidgeting in bed for a moment then the room was still.
He could hear soft breathing however he wasn’t sure if that was coming from Mitch or Ellen. Either way, sleep didn’t come easily for him. He could think of nothing but her lying in bed on the other side of the room. It would be so easy to walk over there, only ten or so steps, and climb into bed beside her. Maybe slip a comforting arm around her body and cuddle up to her warmth.
He lay rigidly while his mind tortured him with thoughts he would never act on. Eventually a merciful, blank sleep took hold.
Chapter 14
Brewer was the first awake. He struggled into a sitting position and stretched his stiff back. The sofa had not made the most comfortable bed. He rubbed at his aching neck and let his eyes get used to the light.
The room was bright now, with sunshine streaming in through the curtain. He checked his watch and saw it was after 7am. They’d been asleep for over eight hours, albeit his was somewhat disturbed. He glanced across at the two beds.
Mitch was facing away from him with the bedcovers pulled all the way up to his neck. He could just about see the shape of Ellen’s body beyond. She was on the far side of the double bed, curled up into a small ball with the covers bunched around her waist. Her white t-shirt had ridden up a little, revealing a strip of bare skin at the base of her spine. Brewer looked away quickly.
He picked up his rucksack and jeans and padded quietly to the bathroom. The others deserved to have a bit of a lay in after yesterday. He undressed and had a scalding hot shower in the small cubicle. He had a quick shave and brushed his teeth then he dug out some clothes. He put on the same jeans as the day before but with a fresh, grey t-shirt. It was creased and he tried to stretch the material out.
He crept out of the bathroom and saw Ellen sitting up on the bed. She was rummaging through her own pack and glanced up when she saw him emerge from the door.
‘Morning,’ she smiled.
He gave a taut smile back. Her hair was tousled and her eyes were still soft with sleep yet she looked better than ever. He’d always enjoyed the intimacy of waking up with someone, of seeing them stripped back and natural. He crossed rapidly to the sofa and began to fold away the blanket.
Ellen disappeared into the bathroom and Brewer let out a slow breath. To distract himself, he picked up one of the newspapers from the table. He was a quarter of the way through reading it when Ellen came back into the room. She’d changed into dark blue jeans and a light pink jumper with three-quarter length sleeves. She came over to join him on the sofa.
‘What shall we do about sleeping beauty over there?’ She angled her head towards Mitch, who hadn’t so much as stirred since Brewer had got up.
‘We’ll give him ten more minutes then wake him up.’
Ellen leaned in close to look at the newspaper in his hands. ‘What are you reading?’
Brewer could smell the sweet shower gel she’d used, mixed with a light scent of perfume. He swallowed and turned the paper towards her. ‘I’m just looking through the latest stories and seeing if anything strange jumps out at me.’
‘Like what exactly?’ she asked. ‘Snippets about odd voices like mine?’
‘Sometimes,’ he replied. ‘Other times, it’s something tiny that just doesn’t add up. A killing with no visible motive, or ones where a friend or relative swears the person involved would never have done the things they were alleged to have. Occasionally it’s a spooked animal or mention of something controversial in their life that sparks interest.’ He shrugged. ‘It can be anything really. Just something in your gut that doesn’t feel right.’
Ellen nodded and picked up another paper from the table. ‘I’ll help.’
She began to skim over articles but Brewer could no longer concentrate. He felt drained from a lack of decent, restful sleep and he was hungry. He was about to get up and go over to wake Mitch when the kid sat up himself. He yawned loudly then turned round to look at Brewer and Ellen.
‘I was having the nicest dream until you guys woke me up.’
Brewer raised an eyebrow. ‘We were being pretty quiet.’
‘Not quiet enough,’ Mitch grumbled. He clearly wasn’t a morning person. He seemed to realise they were both washed and dressed and already researching. ‘Guess I better shower.’ He walked to the bathroom in just a pair of black boxers.
No shyness from him, Brewer thought.
They carried on reading the papers and waiting for Mitch. It took nearly twenty minutes for him to announce that he was ready. He was wearing the same baggy jeans and trainers but had changed into a navy t-shirt, with a basketball photo on, and had a grey, zip-up hoodie over the top.
‘What’s the plan for today?’ he asked.
Ellen looked towards Brewer expectantly.
‘First stop is breakfast,
’ he said. His stomach had started growling from the lack of food. Sandwiches for dinner just wasn’t enough.
‘Great, I’m starving,’ Mitch grinned.
‘We can check out of the motel and take the car to find a diner.’ Brewer said.
‘I think I saw one down the street when we drove in last night,’ Ellen said.
They packed up their stuff and put last night’s rubbish in the bin. Brewer folded up the newspapers and put them in a bag – they could read more after breakfast. He took care of the motel bill while the others loaded the car. Ellen was sitting in the driver’s seat when he came out.
‘Are you sure you’re ok to drive?’ he asked as he climbed into the passenger seat.
‘Yes,’ she said.
Mitch was slouched in his usual position in the back and spoke up. ‘I said the same thing! What if you guys hear another hiker?’
‘Then I’ll deal with it,’ Ellen said firmly. ‘If I’m going to be experiencing this for some time then I better get used to it. I can’t let it ruin my life and stop me doing basic tasks. Besides, we’re only going down the road!’
‘Fair enough.’ Brewer fastened his seat belt. ‘We’ll start small.’
She would insist that she could cope, but who knew how she’d react when she next sensed a hiker? They couldn’t risk having a car crash, although he didn’t want to offend her by insisting he do all the driving. He’d have to subtly persuade her to swap when he could, and hope she took it easy before then.
The diner was a couple of minutes down the road, on the right. Ellen drove carefully and pulled into the half-empty car park. They walked inside and found a booth at the back of the room. Mitch slid in beside Ellen, and Brewer sat opposite. The diner was fairly small, but busy, with several of the tables occupied and three waitresses working.
One came to their table immediately with a pot of coffee. Brewer and Ellen both had a cup but Mitch declined with a wrinkle of his nose. Ellen added milk and sugar to hers but Brewer sipped his coffee as it was, hot and bitter. When the waitress came back with a notepad, Mitch was ready with his order. He and Brewer both asked for eggs and bacon with toast and orange juice. Ellen paused over the menu before finally choosing pancakes and maple syrup.