by Craig McNish
“Understood. Ten four, out.” Crawford could see Parkes making slight head movements. She made to scratch her head, but had a clenched fist and extended thumb. She'd seen him and was signalling to let him know. Now he felt a little more comfortable, but still hoped the other units would arrive soon.
Parkes could feel her whole body trembling and tried desperately to bring it under control before Mills noticed. He, on the other hand, was slightly shocked when he began to feel a warmth inside his stomach gradually move out into his arms, his legs and eventually throughout his whole body. And then, a voice inside his head. It spoke quietly – barely above a hoarse whisper – but in a way that compelled Mills to remain silent and listen carefully.
'Andrew Mills, there is danger at hand!
'One who would take off with Jane is close by!
'For thee to be certain you foil attack planned
'He who would challenge you must die!'
'Kill all, Andrew Mills!
'Kill all!
'KILL ALL!'
“Something worries you, Jane? You seem – afraid...”
“No! I mean, I'm just nervous, that's all – about the wedding and stuff, you know?” Parkes was loath to mention marriage but at this point staying alive seemed more of a priority and so she used what she had learned from her University course to try and create a role for herself that Mills would be comfortable with.
“Well, I guess such a grand occasion would be a little frightening for someone so used to living at home, surrounded by wealth and luxury her whole life and knowing little of hard work. But I'm sure you will adapt quickly. After all, if I am to be working in the fields all day, who is to cook the meals and scrub the floors? We will not have sufficient funds to hire maids and the like, at least not in the beginning. But maybe after a year or two if the harvests have been kind then we might look to find someone who can assist you around our home, for Robert Arthur Mills will surely need his mother's attention a little more!” Oh God, now he's naming our children... Parkes just smiled nervously and nodded her head. As she shifted position, Parkes' coat sleeve rode up past her wrist. Mills had merely glanced out of the corner of his eye, but something had caught his notice and he looked at her fully, namely at her exposed right wrist. She screamed out as he grabbed hold of it to inspect it more closely.
“Bloody hell, he's going to do her in!” Crawford exclaimed, seeing what had happened. He radioed this new information to dispatch, who assured him help was on its way and would be there in five minutes or so.
“They've got two minutes or I'm stopping them before he kills her” Crawford said sharply into his radio before focussing his attention on the car in front once more.
Parkes managed to get the car back under control quickly. She guessed that the following patrol car must be waiting for back up or he would have stopped her by now, so she had to play it cool. Surely help wouldn't be far away and in a few minutes she would be free. Hopefully.
“This inscription, on your wrist” said Mills, studying it closely. “Why do you have it?”
“I just thought it sounded good, that's all – a motto to live by, you know? It's Latin; it says 'carpe diem', which means...”
“Seize the day” Mills finished before Parkes had the chance. “Fine words indeed. Very inspiring.”
“You speak Latin?”
“Only a few words” Mills said, laughing briefly. “When my mother became ill, she would often say the words 'auribus teneo lupum' to my father, who would beg her not to speak in such a way.”
“And what does that mean?”
“I believe its English meaning is 'I hold a wolf by the ears'. When my father asked what she meant by this the first time he heard it spoken, she said it indicated a time where both holding on and letting go could be deadly in equal parts. He came to realise that she was indeed talking about her own existence, and that to try and hold on to life could mean a greater chance of passing on the illness to me and my father while if she chose to let go and cease fighting then she would surely die but we would be spared. It was impossible to make any kind of a decision that would have been good to all of us.”
“Damned if you do, damned if you don't” Parkes said quietly. Ever since Mills had first appeared, she'd been trying to get a basic grasp of how life must have been in the time of his true existence, and all she'd been able to come up with is how on earth had they managed without hot running water in their homes. Now she felt embarrassed her thoughts had been so shallow, and also very sad. None of this was his fault; he was simply doing what he felt necessary to survive. What kind of a life had she condemned him to?
Over three minutes now, and still no sign of any assistance. What did they expect him to do, follow her forever?
“Fuck this, I'll take him on my own” Crawford said before picking up his radio mic. “Officer eighteen sixty-one to dispatch. Still no sign of any assistance. He's already attacked her once so I'm not holding off any longer. Still on the A one, approaching junction thirty-four. I'm lighting her up now. Will transmit when Mills is in custody and remain at the scene until someone arrives to take him away. Ten four, out.”
“Officer eighteen sixty-one, do not stop the vehicle until you have back up. I repeat, DO NOT stop the vehicle until you have back up. Three units are currently en route to assist – ETA is less than five minutes.”
“You told me that five minutes ago, dispatch. I'm not holding out any longer. I'll use my taser if I have to but I'm taking Mills down before he attacks Parkes again, so I hope one of those cars is carrying four-point restraints if he's so bloody violent. Ten four, over and out.” A more urgent command was coming through on Crawford's radio now but he simply gave it the finger before hitting his lights and sirens and closing the gap on the Volkswagen.
Oh thank God, Parkes mouthed silently when she heard the two-tone siren of the vehicle behind her and saw its row of flashing lights across the roof. She began to slow down a little.
“What is that dreadful racket?” Mills asked when the sirens had sounded on and off for maybe thirty seconds.
“I'm being stopped by a police car. I have to pull over.”
“Who are these 'police' you speak of? Are they robbers?”
“Exactly the opposite. They make sure we don't break the law.”
“And have we broken the law, Jane?” Well not if you don't count murder, you idiot...
“Maybe they think I'm driving too fast” she improvised quickly. “But they won't go away until I stop and talk to them.”
“Then I suppose you better stop so we can put this to rights and be on our way once more.” Parkes was only too glad to comply. She indicated left and pulled over at the bottom of the slip road at junction thirty-four before putting on her handbrake and hazard warning lights.
Crawford switched off his siren but left his lights flashing. He thought about radioing in the stop to dispatch but they knew his intent and almost exact location; they'd find him easily enough. He took a minute to think things through before stepping out of the vehicle. First job would be to get Parkes to safety, then he could arrest Mills. At six feet four inches and almost fifteen stone of muscle, Crawford reckoned he wouldn't have too much trouble.
Parkes wound down her window when she saw Crawford walking towards her door.
“Is there a problem, officer?” she asked, feigning ignorance and surprise, all the while hoping he had gotten enough information to know what the real threat was.
“Well I would like to know where you're off to in such a hurry at nearly three in the morning – I clocked you doing seventy-four miles per hour back there. Seems your rear offside light is faulty, too; it flickers off every now and then. So, where are you headed?”
“We're going to London” Mills said, sounding none too friendly. Crawford was glad he'd spoke; it would give him a better chance to assess the situation. “So it would be much welcomed if you would carry out your business quickly so we might be on our way.”
“Of course
, sir. Won't take too much of your time. I just need to speak to the driver of the vehicle, take a few details. Can you step out of the car please, Miss? I need you to come back to my patrol car while I write a report.”
“She will not leave this carriage!” said Mills, who Crawford now perceived as a very real threat. But he didn't want to resort to using his taser unless he felt he had no other choice. Parkes looked terrified; Crawford was absolutely sure she feared for her life, and as such must act accordingly. It wouldn't be a good idea to provoke Mills any further, but he had to get Parkes away from her vehicle right now.
“Look, it's nothing to worry about. All that's likely to happen is she'll have to pay a small fine and get three points on her licence for speeding. The quicker we get this sorted, the sooner you'll be on your way, okay? I might even forget about the speeding charge and just write you a ticket for the dodgy light – twenty quid fine and that's it. But we have procedures in place to make sure it's all done right and you have to follow them, no exceptions. So, if you can switch off the engine and come with me please, Miss...” Parkes looked across at Mills but said nothing. He nodded once, let go of her arm. Crawford opened the car door, and the second Parkes set foot onto the carriageway she thought she might collapse, but knew she had to stay strong just a few moments longer.
“If you can just remain seated here, sir, you'll be on your way in a few minutes.” As Mills nodded curtly to Crawford, he grimaced as he felt a burning sensation behind his eyes. It subsided quickly, and left in its place were memories; names, faces, voices, events – they were all there in startling detail.
A number of images filled Mills' mind. First of all, the gaol; and Laxe, he was present, too. The procession through the streets, and so many faces contorted in rage, anger and hatred. Their jeers, and cries. Sellby, who felt it necessary to torment Mills in his final moments of life. The shame of being caged like an animal, and the joy of breaking Sellby's arm. It was all there. But what was it about this man that had removed Jane from their carriage? Why did the merest glimpse of his face trigger all of these thoughts and emotions? There was a familiarity about the man, but Mills struggled to recall what it might be. He'd never visited this part of the country and never knew of any friends or relatives who had lived here. Mills felt the warmth circulate around his body again, and then the voice.
'It is he, Andrew Mills! It is he who would take from you that which you desire most! He is a trickster, just as Crawfoote was when he claimed he would save you from the gallows! Trust not what they say, for both speak only lies! You know what must be done! Kill all, Andrew Mills! KILL ALL!'
“Jane Parkes, right?” asked Crawford when they were close to his car. She nodded rapidly, too choked up to speak. “I don't know the full extent of what's going on but I'm aware that Mills is wanted in connection for two murders in County Durham. I need to know, is he armed?”
“No gun or anything, but he did kill my friend with an axe and possibly a second one with a similar weapon. I haven't seen anything but he could have a knife or something...”
“Okay, that's good. Now, here's what's going to happen. There's three cars on their way to assist; I'm going to lock you in my patrol car now so that you're out of harms way and can't do a runner. Mills will be taken into custody and most likely transported back up to Durham later today so your guys can file charges if they need to. Main thing is that you're safe now and he can't touch you. Is there anything else I should know about Mills before I go and place him under arrest?” If ever there was a time she needed to tell the truth, this was it. Parkes hesitated for a second, wondering how all of this would sound.
“He's over three hundred years old. Mills was convicted of murder and hanged in sixteen eighty-three – me and my friends brought him back to life in some stupid ritual we did a couple of days ago. He doesn't know much about how the twenty-first century works so keeps reverting back to his own time when he speaks. He's a lot stronger than he looks, believe me. And there's one other thing...” She paused again. “When he was charged with the murders in sixteen eighty-three, he claimed the Devil told him to do it. His eyes sometimes glow red when he gets angry. I think he really is possessed by the Devil...” Crawford's eyes were open wide, his mind thinking it might well have been better it he'd waited for back up to arrive. But it was too late and he would have to deal with this on his own, at least for a short while.
“Er, okay. Right, in you get, then. I'll lock the back door – nobody gets in or out. The quicker I get Mills in handcuffs, the better for all of us.” He locked the door, started back towards Parkes' car but along the driver's side. He didn't want to get too close to Mills. Now it was Crawford's turn to think on his feet, but he never had time to form much of a plan before Mills was shouting at him through Parkes' still open window.
“You, police! Show your face this instant!”
“Sorry for the delay, just a couple of problems we're trying to sort out now. It won't be long...”
“Liar! Now show me your face, for I believe I know who you are!” Mills was still seated and his seatbelt fastened; Crawford figured his bark was probably worse than his bite and saw no harm in complying with the request. If Parkes had told him the truth, there was no possible way Mills could know him. It had to be some sort of bluff. That meant Mills had some sort of plan and so Crawford unfastened the catch that held his taser to his belt in readiness before showing his face to Mills.
“And who do you think I am, then?”
“Crawfoote – I knew it! A man of law who broke his word and sent me to the gallows, even after promising he would not if I confessed to my crimes! Well, I find it most unlikely we would meet one another again by chance, sir! You shall not get the better of me this time, I assure you! How much of a fool must I be to think your words were truth! I would imagine there be only a single reason why we should come face to face once more, and that is so I might have my vengeance upon thee for your wrongful actions! And so you will die by my hand, here and now!” Mills began struggling with the seatbelt; if he didn't know how to unfasten it then there must at least be an element of truth in what Parkes had said, he reckoned.
'Why do you delay, Andrew Mills? Kill the miserable wretch before he can attack thee!'
“But I cannot free myself from...this...restraint!”
'Fool! I have given thee dexterity and speed – you believe I have offered nothing more? Use the strength the flows through you and see to it you kill this man before he can kill thee!' Another surge of warmth passed through Mills' body. A simple tug at the base of the seatbelt and the housing came free as easily as torn paper. Now he fiddled with the door, started shoulder-charging it repeatedly. Crawford swallowed as the frame began to give and looked nervously along the empty carriageway for signs that help might be arriving. Still not a car in sight. And then the door gave way. Mills tumbled out onto the tarmac and rolled onto the grass alongside, rubbing his shoulder and breathing heavily from the exertion.
“Okay, Mills – stay down, lie on your stomach and stretch your arms and legs out flat!” No response. Crawford called out the order a second time with the same result. Parkes lifted her head just enough to look out of the windscreen, a feeling in her gut something was about to go horribly wrong.
“Last chance, Mills; either give yourself up or I'll be forced to taser you – your choice. But I'm not about to let you get away.” Now Mills turned onto his back and gazed up at Crawford, who took a step back when Mills' eyes glowed bright red for a good ten seconds.
“You would threaten me, Crawfoote? You believe me to be weak and submit to your will? Not a chance! Now, you will bring me Jane and we will be on our way, and I might be able to forget this happening ever took place.”
“I'm not about to turn an innocent young woman over to a murderer, so you can forget that idea straight away.” Crawford raised his Taser. “Three seconds, Mills. One...two...thr...” Parkes screamed as Mills got to his feet with lightning speed and made for Crawford. The police off
icer was shocked but managed to discharge his taser, its prongs burying themselves into Mills' stomach. Mills hit the deck, but only for a moment; the electrical current seemed to serve only to make him stronger. He grabbed both wires with his left hand and yanked them out of his body.
“A man has a right to defend himself” Mills said as Crawford backed off, using the Volkswagen as a shield. “You chose to attack me when I had no intention of doing the same with you, and so now you must pay the consequence. It was your lies that started this, Crawfoote, and it is my knife that shall end it!” What happened next was a blur. Parkes screamed as Mills took the officer down with ease and produced a knife from his pocket, plunging it time and again into Crawford's upper body without remission. It was mere seconds before Crawford stopped moving, drenched in his own blood. Mills stood over the body for a moment, admiring the kill. Parkes grabbed hold of the radio and, without any real clue as to what she was doing, sent out a whispered message.
“Oh God, you've got to help me! Mills has killed him, stabbed him to death! You have to...” And then a series of screams as Mills began banging on the car windows, trying to find a way in. The brief transmission must have worked, because now she could hear sirens. Lots of sirens. Mills heard them too, and looked in the direction from which the noise was coming. A massive collection of flashing lights like those on top of the car he was trying to gain access to was spread out across the width of the carriageway. Now he knew his choice was either to fight maybe fifty other men or flee.