Steve laughed again. “Well, son, I don’t come across too many people who are good drunks. Have a whiskey.” He fished around in his tent and came out with a bottle of cheap whiskey. He uncapped it and took a long swig then offered it to Jack.
Jack hesitated, then took the bottle. Anything to get rid of the taste. The whiskey burned his throat going down, but he welcomed the feeling. He could feel the hot liquid cleaning is throat and stomach: no trace of Baxter would now remain.
“When you getting married?”
“I am.”
It was out before Jack had a chance to think.
“So, your mates strip you when it’s not your stag? You got mates like what I had son.”
“Please don’t call me son.”
“Why not? You young enough to be my son.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Well whoopee fucking do, Jack. I don’t like living in a tent, but there’s fuck all I can do about it.”
“Please don’t upset me – you wouldn’t like me upset.”
“What are you? The Hulk?” Steve started laughing again. “Relax, son – Jack – I’m only joshing you.”
Jack breathed deeply again, and felt his heart rate slow down. “Sorry. I’ve had a shit day.”
“I’ve had a shit life,” Steve laughed. “So what happened? Your woman kick you out?”
“Not yet,” Jack said.
“She will, son, fucking bitches never stand by their men when the going gets tough.”
Jack waited, knowing there was going to be more. With men like Steve, there was always more.
“Take me, right, I put a little too much on a horse and she goes nuts, kicks me out. Work sacked me ‘cos I was on a website what I shouldn’t have been on and that was that. Me in a tent on a beach in fucking Devon. Ain’t fair. The bitch could’ve helped me, got me into one of them programmes, but no, off you go Stevie, twenty years down the pan cos the wrong horse won the 2:30 at Epsom.”
For God’s sake. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, she never complained when I won did she? Maybe you should leave your bitch before she chucks you out.”
“Maybe.”
Jack was a little surprised to see tears in Steve’s eyes and his cynicism disappeared. He swigged more whiskey and passed the bottle back.
“So what is your story Jack?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Well now I wouldn’t have asked, would I?”
“My wife and I were on holiday. She found out I’d been having an affair and she’s kicked me out. I didn’t have time to grab clothes – she had a knife.” Getting pretty good at this lying thing Jack.
“Was this other piece of tail worth it?”
“No.”
“So what’s your plan?”
Jack paused for only a second. “I’m going to go and beg.”
Steve laughed again. “I do like you Jack, you’re my kind of man. I got some clothes you can have. They might smell a bit, but you can have them.”
4
Steve had not lied about the smell. Jack trudged through the woods, feeling his skin itch. He was heading for the road, and he knew the way but he didn’t really want to know how he knew. Following the scent of cars.
He had promised Steve money, but they both knew that they would probably never see each other again. Jack kept walking, thinking about the kindness of strangers and those who have nothing left to give. Is that how people get redemption? Generosity to strangers?
In which case, he had a lot of giving to do.
He stepped out of the woods and onto the coastal road. He had driven this road many times with Katie and knew it well. Last time they had travelled it, it had been a blisteringly hot day. Katie had worn very little and it had possibly been the day Josh had been conceived. Happier times – much happier. He had to see her. It probably wasn’t a smart idea, but he had to know his wife and child were safe.
He turned right and started heading towards Barnstaple, ready to stick his thumb out if a car passed.
5
Steve ate his last sausage and waited for his phone to ring. He lay back in his tent, shuffling around so his head was at the opening. He stared at the stars – so clear here. He picked out Orion’s belt easily and then used the Plough to find the North Star. He was just closing his eyes when the phone rang.
“Yep.”
He listened for a while.
“Yeah, I made contact. I don’t think he knew I’d led him here.”
He inspected his fingers whilst the other person spoke.
“I think he’s still in denial. He’s going to try and meet up with his wife. He’s heading for Barnstaple now.”
Licked the last of the sausage grease off them.
“Yes we could meet him there, and yes I think he’ll make a great addition to the Pack.” He smiled in the dark. “I could smell the blood on him – he’s already killed.”
He hung up shortly after that. Following Jack would be easy – he had made no attempt to hide his trail and the smelly clothes showed the way better than a flashlight. He collapsed the tent and gathered everything into a kitbag. A wry chuckle escaped his mouth. What a tale he had told Jack! All the little details that had made it. The 2:30 at Epsom! How he would laugh when he told Jack the truth. How they hadn’t found enough of the silly bitch to identify, let alone bury.
He whistled throughout. He always was at his happiest when recruiting.
Chapter 16
1
Meyers parked the Beamer outside the gate into the woods. He killed the lights and they were plunged into darkness. Stars were bright in the sky and the moon was brighter. It was just after eight in the evening.
“Fuck, it’s dark,” Meyers complained.
“No street lights,” Carruthers said.
“No shit,” Scarlet said.
They got out and he opened the boot. They took out a rope and a flashlight each, then Carruthers lifted a portable winch. Meyers took an empty kit bag and they set off into the woods.
As soon as they were through the gate, the path split – one route went off to their left and the other went straight on. Without pause they went straight, torchlight bobbing ahead of them. Eventually they came to a small clearing.
“It’s this way,” Meyers said, gesturing over the clearing towards the tree line.
“What are you whispering for?” Carruthers said loudly. “There’s no-one for miles.”
Birds erupted from the trees above them. Carruthers chuckled as Scarlet jumped. Meyers shrugged and they trudged across the clearing. He stumbled once on some overgrown gorse and the others laughed at him. Eventually, they found the hole that Jack had fallen down several days before. A rough circle of police tape surrounded it. They climbed over and then Meyers played his flashlight into it.
“Fuck, its dark.”
Carruthers gave him a pained expression as Scarlet said, “No street lights.”
“Let’s get it done,” Meyers said.
Scarlet put the winch down and tied a brace around a nearby tree. Meyers and Carruthers attached their ropes to it and attached the ropes to the abseiling belts they were wearing.
“I’m set,” Scarlet said. Without another word, Meyers jumped backwards into the hole. He fell for a few feet and then the clips on the belt prevented him falling any further. He fed the rope through and abseiled to the floor. At the bottom he shone his light around the cave and shouted, “Clear!”
Carruthers landed softly next to him a few seconds later.
“What are we looking for?” Meyers whispered.
“The bones and anything else we find.” Meyers noticed that Carruthers was also whispering down here. The cave felt that way. His torch picked out the stone slab that Jack had landed on and they went over for a closer look. Meyers got down on his haunches and inspected the slab carefully. He gasped when he saw the carvings on the side.
“Fuck me, it’s the devil.”
2
&nbs
p; Carruthers knelt next to him, shining his torch even closer.
“No, it’s not.”
“Look at it, man, it’s the devil. What the fuck is this place?”
“It’s not the devil. It’s more likely to be Cernunnos.”
“Who?”
“The Green Man. He’s the Celtic god of nature and living things.”
“How the fuck do you know these things?”
“It’s called an education. You should try it.”
“Whatever.”
“Cernunnos was perceived as a threat by the Christian church. He stood for all things like fornication-” he saw the look on Meyers’ face. “-shagging – and so they demonised him.”
“We should call you fucking Google.”
“He’s not a sign of evil, Harry, it’s the opposite. The fact that this carving is here means this place is really old.”
Meyers stood up and swept the room with is flashlight again. “It’s cold.”
“Yeah.” Carruthers stood up. “What’s that?”
Meyers moved his light back. “A tunnel.”
They looked at each other. “Shall we?” Carruthers said.
“S’pose.” They edged towards the opening, torches focussed on the opening.
“You okay down there?”
They both jumped. Scarlet’s voice had come from the walkie-talkie hanging on Meyers’ belt. Meyers looked up at him and keyed the radio. “Shut the fuck up man, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Just hurry up, it’s cold up here.”
Carruthers was now at the opening, but something made him pause. Later he would not be able to say what, but he was glad. In light of what happened to Meyers, he was very glad.
Meyers stood next to him and looked into the tunnel. It was as if the light went no further, swallowed in a pit of darkness. He felt a shiver down his back and suddenly wanted to be anywhere rather than in that cave. Even Afghanistan. One look at Carruthers confirmed that he was thinking the exact same thing.
“Well?”
“Shh.” Carruthers held his arm out, preventing Meyers from going any further. He angled his torchlight down one wall and that seemed to allow the beam to penetrate the gloom.
As they watched, a thick black strand as long as Meyers’ arm came out of the wall followed closely by another. Leg by leg the biggest spider they had ever seen squeezed itself out of a cavity in the wall. It sat in the light, as if it were watching them.
“Fuck,” Meyers said.
Behind the spider, another set of legs appeared, then another and another until the wall was covered with spiders. None of the spiders moved after coming out of the wall. They all appeared to be watching the soldiers with mild curiosity.
“Have you ever-”
“No,” Carruthers said. “Never.”
“Come on Google, you must know of spiders that big.”
“There’s a tarantula that grows up to a foot across, but these must be twice that.”
“Look at them sitting there. What are they doing?”
“Sizing us up.”
Meyers looked at his colleague. “Tell me that was a joke.”
“They’re not coming in the cave. Why not?”
“I don’t give a fuck. I’m glad they’re not. I might have to use this bad boy otherwise.” He took his Browning out of his coat pocket and mock aimed it into the tunnel.
“What did you bring that for?”
“Well, after last night, I thought better safe than dead.”
“What are you planning on doing? There’s hundreds of spiders in there, maybe thousands.”
“Yeah, but I’ll take a few with me.” Meyers lowered his torch. “This is giving me the shits, man, let’s get the stuff and get out.”
He had no argument from Carruthers on that.
3
“That’s strange,” Carruthers said.
“What?”
“There’s no skull.”
They were standing back at the slab, which Carruthers was beginning to think was an altar. He was looking at the bones on the slab.
“Look, this is a rib cage and these could be tibias and fibulas.”
“What?”
“Legs.”
“Arms?”
Carruthers shrugged. No point in telling Meyers he had reached the end of his anatomical knowledge. He moved his flashlight up and down the remains several times and then examined the floor around the altar. He couldn’t see a skull anywhere.
“Maybe it’s rotted away.”
“Quicker than the rest of the body?”
Meyers conceded the point. He threw the bag at Carruthers. “Come on, man, let’s hurry it up before those spiders get a little braver.”
Carruthers had to agree. This cave wasn’t the most pleasant he had ever been in. He lifted the bones carefully into the bag, slipping each one into a clear plastic bag as he did so. He saved the largest one for last. It had blood crusted across the tip of it.
“This must be the one Stadler landed on. Maybe he was telling the truth.”
“Hurry up!”
Soon he was done and he zipped the bag closed. He slung it over his shoulder and nodded. The bones were heavy, not as heavy as Meyers but they agreed not to overload the winch.
Meyers lifted the walkie-talkie. “Bring him up.”
The motor kicked into life and Carruthers started to rise into the air.
4
They both heard the noise, even above the sound of the motor. It was like rustling leaves in an autumnal field or like paper being crunched up but much, much louder. Meyers turned quickly, flashlight aimed at the tunnel opening. The spiders were pouring out of the opening. They spread out in all directions, running across the cave floor, ceiling and walls.
“Fuck!” Meyers screamed. “Hurry up!”
He looked up and saw Carruthers clear the top of the hole. He imagined them rushing to get him unclipped, but he knew that it was too slow. The spiders were beginning to converge on him from all directions. They seemed even bigger in the open than they had in the tunnel.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
He aimed his gun, but it was pointless. There were just too many. He shot one anyway and laughed as it exploded, showering its companions with blood and ichor. The rest of the spiders paused at the sound of the gun, then continued their inexorable progress towards him.
“Harry! Quick, tie it on!” Scarlet could see the spiders and panic was clear in his voice. He dropped the end of the rope. Meyers clipped in and yelled, “Go, go, go!”
He felt his feet leave the ground and he broke into a huge grin. “Ha! Fuck you!” He fired again, the report echoing around the cave.
The spiders jumped on him.
5
“Pull him up! Pull him up now!” Scarlet cried. They both started to pull on the rope, helping the small winch. They could feel the weight on the end of the rope increase as more spiders jumped on Meyers and pulled harder. Meyers’ screams echoed round the cave below.
“Keep pulling!” Scarlet said and let go. He stood to one side and pulled out his Browning. “Come on you fuckers!” he roared.
Carruthers hauled the rope hard and Meyers’s body came into view. At first Carruthers couldn’t process what he was seeing. Meyers was covered in spiders. There wasn’t a spot on him where clothes or skin could be seen. The spiders moved like waves on the ocean: a black tide that swept over Meyers’ body. Outside the confines of the cave, the spiders didn’t seem quite so big: most were maybe half a foot across, but one was at least twice that.
Mother and young.
Carruthers and Scarlet watched in horror as Meyers spun on the rope. Then he reached out with his hand and screamed. The sudden movement made some of the spiders fall, and they could see part of his face. He had a large bite mark on one cheek, it was large and swollen already. It had puffed up close to his eye, making him squint out.
“Help me,” he croaked as a spider crawled onto the empty space. For one horrible moment, C
arruthers thought that one of the spiders was going to crawl into his mouth.
Scarlet reached out and grabbed hold of Meyers’s outstretched hand. A spider immediately ran onto his arm, but he didn’t flinch. He raised his free hand and fired once. The spider exploded as the sound of the shot echoed around them. Birds flew out of the trees and something large ran through the undergrowth away from them.
Most of the spiders scattered at the sudden loud noise. Scarlet stamped on two that came near him. Carruthers let go of the rope and started stamping at the ground around him. Meyers fell to the ground with a thump and would have slipped back into the cave had Scarlet not remembered to grab hold of him again. The spiders fled back into the cave, but some still had hold of Meyers.
Carruthers went to his fallen colleague and kicked at the remaining spiders. He caught hold of one just right and it flew through the air, falling into the cave again.
Scarlet joined in kicking at the spiders on Meyers’s body. Several times his foot connected with something more solid than a spider, but he didn’t care. He didn’t think Meyers would either.
“We need one of them!” Carruthers yelled.
“What?”
“We need an intact body, for the venom.” He slapped a spider away from Meyers and it lay still on the ground next to the soldier. “This one will do.” Carruthers retrieved a plastic bag from the kit bag and fighting revulsion he lifted the spider into it.
“Knowles, we have an emergency situation here. Meyers is down, repeat Meyers is down,” Scarlet shouted into the walkie-talkie.
“Sit rep,” Knowles calm voice came back.
“It’s crazy, really fubar.”
“Talk to me Scarlet.”
“He’s been attacked by spiders. We need casevac.”
“Spiders?”
“We need casevac now Knowles. NOW!”
Scarlet clicked the walkie-talkie off without waiting for a response. Carruthers was kneeling next to Meyers, checking for a pulse. Meyers was unconscious now, which Carruthers felt had to be a blessing.
“He’s alive, but the pulse is faint.”
Meyers was drooling, thick strands of spittle coming out of both sides of his mouth. Thick red welts covered every bare piece of skin they could see. They all had holes in the top where spider fangs had punctured the skin.
The Original's Return (Book 1) Page 12