“There’s bound to be one soon,” answered Jude. “These old roads used to be the main way of getting about the country until they built the motorways – they would have had to have petrol stations. And as for us getting recognised, Max, I don’t think the police have issued any public warning about us. If they had, the roads would be teeming with police cars by now. I don’t think Inspector Cropper wants any other police force to know about us and neither does Doctor Middleton. If they can get us back quietly then that’s what they’ll do. They ain’t gonna risk drawing attention to what they’ve been up to, no way.”
“I guess Hannah’s death will be blamed on us,” I whispered, staring out at an empty field.
“I think what will happen if we get caught by another police force – one that doesn’t come under Inspector Cropper’s area, we’ll be framed for all those deaths – which means, we’ll be handed back to Inspector Cropper as the deaths have happened on his patch,” said Jude. “Which then leaves him free to hand us back to Middleton. Of course that’s not how they want to get us back. We could say all sorts of things about Cruor Pharma and Cropper – enough to get people talking and digging around and Middleton – and the police have too much to hide, too much to lose. So if they can get us back without letting the public or other police forces knowing about us, the better for them. That’s why we haven’t seen a single police car since we left The Mumbles.”
“Keep us hidden away like some dirty little secret you mean?” spat Raven, looking at her long twisted nails. “I hate them, I hate them all.”
“We all hate them, Raven,” said Max, turning in his seat to look at her. “But hate isn’t gonna help you, me, Jude, or Kassidy.”
“What is then?” hissed Raven. “How do we beat them? We can’t stay at this Bishop’s place forever.”
Ignoring Raven, I looked at Max and said, “Even if we did talk – you know – to other police forces about what had happened at Cruor Pharma, then we risk getting locked away and classed as insane like Sylvia Green. I don’t see any good coming out of us harping on about Cruor Pharma. Just one mention of demons and volunteers climbing along walls and eating each other is enough for us to get sent down for life – they’ll throw away the key.”
“That’s why we can’t get caught,” said Jude, his blue eyes staring at me through the mirror.
“But what is the answer?” I said, feeling frustrated. “I don’t see an end to all this – do you?”
“We stay on the run, or we go to this Doctor Langstone in the hope that he can remove this black-matter-shit and then we stay low and hope that Middleton and the cleaners give up,” shrugged Max. “If what Doctor Fletcher says is true about our bodies being used for the cleaners to dwell in then they won’t want us anymore if we can get rid of the VA20.”
“They will,” said Jude. “They’ll just catch us and inject us again with the same stuff – now they know that you three can take VA20 – they ain’t ever gonna let you go, they’ll probably try it on me again or just kill me.”
“Well I guess we’ve had it then,” I snapped, “we may as well just turn around and invite the cleaners in. Why fight it?”
The car fell silent again. I turned and looked out of the back window. There must be a way. There has to be something we can do. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of being re-injected. That put a spanner in the works of my plan to visit Doctor Langstone. But still, it seemed the only option available to us. Maybe if the black matter was removed then the cleaners would no longer be able to trace us? Was that how they worked? Did they sense us because of the VA20 inside our veins? Is that how they tracked us? If so, then maybe Max was right. We get it removed then stay low for as long as it takes. It was a chance – our only chance, unless we could come up with another idea – another plan.
The silence was broken with the sound of the indicator ticking on-off-on-off. I turned back in my seat as the car pulled into a small petrol station. There was only one other car at the pump. A middle-aged man stood filling up his red Jeep. His brown spiky hair looked like he had a hedgehog stuck on his head.
“Are you sure we should stop here?” mumbled Raven, sliding down in her seat. “We don’t know for definite if our faces haven’t been splashed all over the media.”
“We need the petrol,” said Jude, turning the engine off. “There might not be another chance to fill up the car.”
“Well I’m not getting out,” Raven said, folding her arms across her chest.
“I’ll fill up, you go and pay, Kassidy,” said Jude, getting out of the car. “I’ll just put enough in to fill the tank a little. We need to be careful with the money – make it last.”
“Why don’t you come with me, Raven?” I said. I was feeling a little guilty about attacking her earlier in the car. I was still annoyed with what she had said but I hadn’t been thinking straight and maybe Raven had been the same – we had just both witnessed another death – a death that should never have happened. Hannah hadn’t deserved to die. She had helped us and it was because of her help that she was now dead. “Well? You could check the papers – see if there’s anything in there about us? Maybe there’s an article about our escape from Cruor Pharma?”
I could see Raven thinking about my suggestion. She took hold of the door handle then let go and slumped back into her seat. “I’m not getting out looking like this,” she grumbled, staring down at her flowery-blouse. “I look stupid. It’s all right for you with your nice black leather jacket.”
“Here, take it,” I said, pulling the jacket off and handing it to her. “But look after it – it was one of Hannah’s favourites. I’ll wait outside for you while you put it on.”
I stood beside the car and waited while Jude filled it up. There was a cool breeze now and the clouds had got darker. I looked out across the forecourt at the empty fields. Apart from the low rumble of the petrol pump and the squawking of crows flapping about over the fields, the place was silent.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Hannah,” I heard Jude say. “I know I can’t do anything to bring her back but I’m here if you need a shoulder – a hug – or just someone to talk to.”
I stared into Jude’s eyes. He seemed genuine. Not his usual playful manner. I nodded my head at him. I wasn’t ready to talk about Hannah – not yet. Not just because I found it too upsetting, but because I knew I needed to keep a straight head on my shoulders – needed to keep several steps ahead of everything and everyone that was after me. If I became an emotional wreck then I’d be no good to anyone, let alone myself. My eyes wandered from Jude’s stare to the man with the red Jeep. He was leaning up against the petrol pump still filling his car, but his dark grey eyes were fixed on my face. I looked away, uncomfortable by his stare. That’s all I needed right now – some weird perv. I flicked my hair so it hung over my face allowing me to peer at the man without him realising I was looking at him. I felt myself shudder as the man hadn’t looked away. His eyes gazed right at me – unblinking, like there was nothing else in the world to look at – like he was hypnotized.
“Are you done?” I asked Jude, just wanting to pay and get away from the dissecting eyes of the weird man.
“Twenty quid,” answered Jude, replacing the petrol cap. “That should be enough to get us to Rane.”
“Come on, Raven,” I said as she got out of the car. She seemed happier now she was wearing the leather jacket. We turned away and headed for the small run-down shop on the forecourt. Taking the money from my pocket, I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The shop was cold and had two aisles that ran down the centre, filled with nothing much but the usual essentials. Bread, butter, tins of beans and tomatoes and cardboard boxes of eggs which looked like they had come from a local farm. It smelt musty and looked as though it needed a serious make-over. Raven headed for the newspaper stand. An old man sat behind a wooden counter wrapped in a blanket and wearing gloves. I walked toward him but kept my eyes on the forecourt through the grimy window. The weird man had finished filling up his red Je
ep and was now heading for the shop. I didn’t like him. The way he stared at me gave me the creeps. I reached the counter and looked over my shoulder as I heard the door to the shop open. Turning back to the old man I could feel myself tense. I didn’t like having my back to some weirdo but then I didn’t want to face him either – didn’t want to engage his exploring eyes.
“Just petrol,” I whispered to the old man, handing him a twenty pound note. I looked over at Raven. She was crouched down, flicking through the pages of a tatty-looking paper. I shivered. I felt the presence of the man bearing down on me. He was so close I could feel his breath on my neck – smell his sweetly-sick aroma. Who was he? One of Cropper’s team? No, he couldn’t be. We had arrived after him.
“Come on, Raven, let’s go.” I turned to leave, my head down avoiding his probing stare. He stepped to the right and blocked my exit. I moved but he barred my path again.
“I just want to talk,” hushed the weirdo, his grey eyes bulged from their sockets and lingered on my chest. “Such a pretty thing you are. Why don’t we find somewhere quiet where we can get to know each other?”
I looked at Raven. She stood, frozen to the spot. Her eyes wide with fear. I looked out at the forecourt. Jude and Max were sitting in the car – unaware of this freak bothering me in here. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, “No thanks, I’m not interested.” I tried to push past him. He stretched out his arm and brushed his fingers over my lips. He sighed like he was getting turned on and leant forward and sniffed me.
“You’re divine,” he hushed. “I bet you taste good, too.” He pushed me against the counter and leant his body against mine. His face was covered in pock-marks and his breath smelt like soured milk. “Your body’s empty, let me fill you.” He smiled – his breathing heavy – faster.
I heard the old man behind the counter stand up. “Not in here,” he croaked. “I don’t want no trouble.”
“Get the fuck away from me!” I screamed, reaching for one of the tins that were stacked on the shelf. I curled my hand around the cold tin and brought it down hard on his skull. Raven flinched and took a step back. I shoved him hard in the chest and the man lost his balance, tumbling to the floor. I clambered over him. His fingers curled tight around my ankle. He wouldn’t let go. I could feel myself wobble. If I didn’t get him off of me then I would end up on the floor with him. “Let go.” I tried to shake him off. The man looked up at me and grinned. Suddenly, a shower of tins fell – hitting him right in his pock-marked face. I looked up. Raven’s arms were full of tins. She hurled them at the man like she was playing Dodgeball.
“Stop – stop.” The man let go of my ankle and shielded his face against the onslaught of tins.
“Let’s get out of here!” shouted Raven. She ran to the door and pulled it open.
Snatching a box of eggs, I flung them at the old man behind the counter, “That’s for doing nothing,” I spat, and headed for the door.
“Start the car!” I shouted at Jude, as I ran across the forecourt with Raven. Max could see the panic in our eyes and got out.
“What’s happened? What’s going on?” he asked, coming toward me.
“That man in there….” I breathed. “He touched me… he…”
Max looked over my shoulder, “The guy with spiky hair?”
“Yes, he grabbed me… wouldn’t let me go.” I tried to calm my breathing.
“I just want to talk to her.”
I froze at the sound of his voice. He had left the shop and was now standing behind me. How did he have the nerve – the guts to continue his sick, fucked up assault in front of a group of people – my friends? I slowly turned to face him. His eyes ate me up as they roamed from my head down to my toes. His nose was bleeding – the blood gushed down over his top lip and dripped off his chin. He shifted his gaze to Max in one quick movement – drawn to him like a magnet. “You could come with me – if she’s not interested.” He sniffed the air like an animal hunting its prey.
“What the fuck…?” Max looked revolted. “Back off you sick fuck!”
“Get in your Jeep and piss off now!” shouted Jude. He had got out of the car and was now walking toward the man, his face full of anger. “Go - get the hell outta here.” Jude jabbed his finger at the man.
“There’s no need to be so greedy, you know,” said the man, his eyes roamed from Raven, to me, and then back to Max. “There’s enough to go around. I don’t mind sharing.” He licked his lips like he was about to tuck into his dinner and rubbed his groin.
“Get in the car, everyone,” ordered Jude, his eyes still firmly on the man. Raven didn’t need any prompting. She climbed in and yanked the door shut – the sound of the lock thudded.
“We’re leaving now,” said Jude, still staring at the freak. “And if I see you following us – I’ll fuck you up real bad.”
The man stepped away – his hands held up like he was surrendering. “Can’t blame me for trying,” he grinned, blood still dripping from his chin. He looked around Jude, his eyes lingered over Max and then back on me like he was having one last taste to savour.
I climbed into the back of the car and locked it. Looking at Raven, I said, “Thanks for helping me in there, I couldn’t get him off of me – he was too strong.” I looked down at my gloved hands. They were shaking.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” said Max, slamming the car door shut. “What the fuck was going on with that guy?” He stared at the man as Jude slowly pulled the car off the forecourt.
“Some messed up rapist – that’s what,” said Jude, shaking his head. “Any hole will do him – no one’s safe around that freak.”
Max shuddered. “Are you two okay?” he turned in his seat. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, just shook me up.” I forced a smile. If anything like that had happened to me before my night at Cruor Pharma then I would have been mortified, but now, I just felt numb and shaky. I flinched as Raven threw a chocolate bar onto my lap.
“Where did you get…?” I started.
“From the shop,” she mumbled. “It’s the least that old guy could do for just standing there watching. I’m sure he won’t miss a few chocolate bars.” She handed two more out to Max and peeled back a wrapper and tucked in.
“Mmmm, this is good,” said Jude over a mouthful of chocolate. “I don’t know about you lot, but I’ve got the right munchies.”
As if the sight of chocolate suddenly reminded me that I hadn’t eaten since having the stew on Ward 2, my stomach immediately started to rumble. I took a bite and sat quietly.
“I’m not getting out of this car now, until we reach the Bishop’s,” mumbled Raven. “You can’t even go out in broad daylight without some perv trying to rape you in a freaking shop. He was evil – vile.”
For once no one argued with Raven. That uneasy feeling was snaking its way up through my body. The man was more than just a rapist. I knew it, deep down inside. I had just come across one of those demons that Ben had told me about – lone demons that wander around, looking for a better body to dwell in, and just like Ben had said, with VA20 now in me, I would be more attractive to them – I had a body that they could live in forever. But how many of these lone demons were there? How could you tell which person was just human and which was demon? Did you have to wait until they tried to attack you? Did some of these demons come across as being nice – fool you into trusting them - then when you let your guard down – they got you – took you by surprise? I looked out through the back window. The man still hadn’t left the petrol station. The road lay empty.
“Let’s put some distance between us and that molesting piece of shit,” said Jude, pressing down on the accelerator and switching the radio on. He fiddled with the dial until he got a signal – Changing by Sigma was playing.
I watched as the petrol station disappeared from view. I wanted to get to the Bishop’s house as soon as possible. I needed a break. A break from all those who wanted to dwell inside of me – only there would I trul
y be able to rest without fear of losing myself. But what would happen when we moved on? How was I ever going to be able to trust anyone ever again? I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to stay alive – stay as me.
“Turn the sound up,” I said, resting my head against the window. I shut my eyes. The sound of the music filled the car – made my worries sink to the bottom of my brain - drowning out my thoughts.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
We arrived at Squire Village. It was midday and the journey had taken longer than we had first thought. It had been difficult to find, tucked away down a narrow lane, hidden from the main road. We had spent nearly an hour driving back and forth. The rain hadn’t helped. It fell in heavy sheets, blinding our way. The window wipers worked frantically to clear the downpour and the heaters rumbled full blast against the condensation. The narrow lane led down onto an uneven track, just wide enough for a car to pass. It was lined on both sides with thick overgrown brambles. I opened the window a little and peered out. The rain splashed my face and made me shiver. There was no one about, but then who could blame them in this weather? It was like one of those old villages that time had forgotten. Through the sheets of rain I could just make out some buildings set back off the track. Small country cottages lit up with a warm orange glow that settled my nerves – made this run-down village seem not so bad. We passed by the tiny village post office-shop. A light was on so I guessed it was open for business.
“This place is dead,” sighed Jude. “I was hoping that it might have had a pub or somewhere you could get a drink. Looks like I’ll be making do with ice-lollies and fizzy pop from the post office.”
“We’re not here to find a pub,” I said. “You’re meant to be looking for Dusk Fall Retreat.”
“I can’t see a freaking thing through this rain,” moaned Jude, following the track round to the right. The car lurched over the lumps and down into muddy potholes.
“It can’t be too hard to find,” said Max, opening his window and looking out. “Just look for the church. The Bishop’s house should be right next to it or even connected to it.”
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