He is Watching You

by Charlie Gallagher

  ‘Maddie!’ he growled.

  She looked ahead of her to see what had caught his attention. The road continued past the reservoirs, which were surrounded on three sides by layers of thick trees that rose up in a sort of bowl. The service road led away to the left and the old riding school was directly ahead. The road didn’t make it as far. Access to the old school was via a flat, stony surface that looked a lot rougher, with grass and weeds sprouting through it. Halfway between their Land Rover and the school, her eyes rested on a prone and still figure in a black police uniform.

  ‘Is he alright?’ Maddie gasped. ‘Get over to him!’

  Harry was still staring intently forward as the engine idled.

  ‘Harry!’ Maddie said.

  ‘Get on the radio! Divert what you can here. We’ll get him in the car and then we wait.’

  Maddie’s attention snapped to the floor where she had dumped her kit belt. She leaned forward to scoop it up but her radio had come loose and rolled into the furthest corner of the foot well. With the car accelerating forward and pressing her back into her seat, she struggled to reach it.

  The first shot she was aware of took out the back window. It popped inwards followed by a thwack as another round smashed into the side of the car.

  ‘Maddie! Shots fired!’ Harry bellowed. ‘My side! Stay down!’ She felt the car lurch and then pick up speed. Suddenly the thwacks were all around her — it felt like they were filling the cabin. She was still crouched forward, she couldn’t have sat up even if she’d wanted to.

  ‘You need to get out your side and get to cover! NOW!’ Harry shouted. She turned to him just as his window popped, the glass shattering like dropped ice. His head twitched and she was sprayed immediately with a warm fluid on her face and arms. Harry tilted slowly as if he was gently lying down. His shoulders met with the handbrake and his head lolled out of control. His eyes were wide and bright and they stared right at her. Beneath them was a mess of red and black: on one side, his cheek flapped; on the other was a jumble of exposed teeth and muscle. The muscle was trying to work, flexing and pulsing as he was tried to catch his breath. The whole mess dripped clumps of thick blood. Maddie gasped. She couldn’t scream. She wanted to.

  The steering wheel snapped left as the car hit something hard enough to throw her head forward into the glove box. She felt the car lift at her corner and could see treetops through Harry’s broken window. Then it dropped back down hard. It was still moving forward but was slowing. ‘Hey! Where you going?’ The shout drifted through the window. It sounded like the source was some distance away. ‘You trying to get away from me?’ The voice was cheery, like a friendly neighbour. She could hear the crunch of footfalls; someone was running over. Harry was still staring at her. There were no words, just a low moan, but his eyes flashed wider and his left hand reached out to push her away. He was telling her to go. She hadn’t seen the gunman; it was possible he hadn’t seen her either. She took one last look at Harry. His right hand had moved to take hold of the steering wheel to steady it. He was still lying across the front of the car and was struggling to sit back up.

  She stayed low and pushed her door open. She could hear the big tyres crunching over the loose surface. She hooked her kit belt over her arm, hung her legs out and pushed herself onto the ground. She landed heavily on her knees and hands, rolled quickly to her feet and stayed low, ignoring the pain shooting through her kneecaps and trying to stay alongside the car. She could see different sized punctures in the bodywork where rounds had ripped right through. She pushed the passenger door shut and looked around her. The Land Rover still moved forward at a brisk walking pace, still rolling towards the old school across open ground. She was desperate for some sort of reliable cover — a big tree . . . a building — but there was nothing close enough to make for without being seen or being hit. She knew there was somebody pacing her on the other side and she had to assume it was the gunman. He would surely stop the car and then there would be silence. She wouldn’t be able to move away, not on loose stones, and the car was no cover against gunfire — she could see that for herself. Desperately, she looked around again. There was only one option she could see . . . underneath.

  She half jogged, half crawled to get level with the front wheel. She didn’t know if it was rolling slowly enough for her to get under the car before the back wheel caught up and crushed her. There was no time to think. She threw herself on her back. The back wheel was almost on her straight away; she had misjudged how fast it was going. She shuffled her hips desperately and reached up for the underside of the moving car. She bent her legs away from the wheel, pulled them in and reached upwards. Her left hand found something. It was flatter than she imagined and there wasn’t much to hold onto. It felt like a mass of flat, dark plastic. Her right hand touched something hot and she had to pull it away immediately. Desperately she plunged her hands back up. She couldn’t make out what she was grabbing. The car had nearly passed over her. In a second she would be left lying on the ground, completely exposed, her cover gone. Both her hands gripped something. It wasn’t comfortable, sharp metal dug in to her fingers and palms, but it was good enough for now. She lifted her body off the ground as much as she could, her heels dragging along the concrete as the car pulled her along. She could feel one of her shoes being dragged off. She curled her toes to hold onto it but it was no good — she was going to lose it. She flicked her foot at the last minute and managed to send it out from under the car on the blind passenger side, where it bounced and rolled into the long grass. She could only hope it would be hidden. Suddenly she felt a flashing pain in her head. Instinctively she jerked away from the source: a rock that moved underneath her, picked and tore at her clothes and skin, sliced her leg and banged her heel.

  Her kit belt dragged, too. It was over her shoulder and her baton handle was digging into the ground, pulling her down. She slammed her eyes shut and concentrated all her strength on her fingers. She couldn’t let go.

  The car seemed to roll forever. She heard a door pull open then there was another few seconds before the car jolted to a complete stop. She felt the jolt through her fingers, it shook her loose and she fell back onto the ground. Her fingers were stiff with pain and the back of her head throbbed. She froze. She could see boots on the ground to her left that had to belong to the gunman. He was just half a metre from where she was lying on her back. She held her breath.

  ‘Nice try, old man!’ That voice again. ‘Well, look at you! You got hurt in all that, didn’t you? I was only trying to scare you, too! Well now, what are you?’

  One of the boots lifted out of sight. The car creaked and shuffled on its suspension. A few more seconds passed and both boots were back on the ground again. She could hear Harry moaning loudly — whether from pain, fear or anger, she couldn’t know. She bit down on her lip to stop herself crying out.

  ‘A detective inspector! This is your badge, right? Now, why would a detective inspector be out here all alone? I thought if your lot came it would be fucking SWAT! The whole shebang! Not some old man with a hole in his face. Granted, that bit’s my fault . . . Your lot don’t know I’m here, do they? Well, isn’t that good news!’

  Both boots lifted out of sight this time. The suspension creaked again. He was back in the car. Maddie’s eyes flicked to the underside. He was inches from her. She could feel him. A few seconds later the boots came back down with a crunch.

  ‘Unless you weren’t on your own. Is that it, old man? Was there someone with you?’

  Maddie was just taking rushed breaths as the boots moved. She heard them walk round the front of the Land Rover. They stopped when they were level with her again but on the other side. She turned her head. She heard a door pulled open, the one she had just closed. The suspension dipped again. One boot stayed on the floor. She saw it fidget. He had to be searching where she had been sitting. She tried to think, to remember if she had left anything telling in the cabin.

  ‘Two phones, old man? And the pink cas
e? Now, that don’t seem like your style?’

  Maddie cursed silently. That damned case! Now being polite was going to get her killed.

  ‘Is this your radio? I think we’ll keep hold of that. That will give us a bit of a heads-up now, won’t it? Good thinking, Detective Inspector Blaker! So, was someone with you or not? They wouldn’t have got far if they were.’

  Maddie peered desperately out from under the car. She still couldn’t see any cover. Nothing that was close enough. She had no chance if she ran. She turned her attention to the underside of the car again. She pushed her hands back up into the plastic. Her fingers still weren’t working well but she did her best to search with them. They curled around a strut that seemed to run across the whole width of the vehicle. She got both hands on it. She risked a glance left. She could see his boots. They had shifted so they were side-on. A hand appeared, palm to the ground. He was leaning down. He was going to look underneath! She heaved herself back off the ground but she had to drop back down instantly. Her hair was hanging down in a ponytail and it reached the floor. It would give her away. She wrapped it round her head and gripped a clump of it in her teeth. It took a valuable second. She reached back up for the strut and got the best grip she could with both hands. She felt with her feet, trying to be gentle and silent. She found a gap with her right foot but couldn’t find anything for her left. She heaved herself off the ground and held herself as close to the underside as she could. She had to suspend her left leg in the air, battling to keep it straight. The angle might just give her a chance. If he put his face right down to the ground she was dead. If he just knelt down, maybe he wouldn’t see her. Her chest and arm muscles burned instantly. She wouldn’t be able to do this for long.

  She held her breath.

  She couldn’t see well past the hair that was bunched up in her mouth. Her cheek rested against the plastic. The floor crunched. She could make out part of a knee. She couldn’t see a face but was certain he was looking under. Her arms developed a shake from holding up her own body weight. The ache in her fingers was excruciating. She could still see his knee. He was still searching. She clamped her eyes shut. She took a silent breath through her hair, glad that it was gagging her. Her right hand was coming loose; she couldn’t hold it anymore. Her foot fell onto the ground and the sound was a million decibels to her. She held her eyes shut as she waited to be dragged out or for the sound of the shot. A second passed until she heard his voice.

  ‘Well then, let’s get you out. You can’t be dying yet. I need to get you in front of the camera. I don’t want to miss this!’

  His voice was distant. She opened her eyes. His knee was gone. She turned to look the other way. She could see his boots back on the other side. She fell roughly onto her back. Her fingers were agony and her left leg was threatening to cramp up. The car shook and creaked above her and she heard grunts of exertion. Harry was dragged out and thrown to the ground. He rolled onto his front but his head was turned and he saw Maddie immediately. His eyes fixed on her. The whole of his jaw was a bloody mess and dust stuck to it. The car creaked and rocked; the gunman was clearly back inside. Harry’s right hand reached under the car towards her. She didn’t take hold of it straight away. Instead, she fumbled with her kit belt. She was trying to unhook her pepper spray but she couldn’t get her fingers to work. She was starting to panic. She steadied herself and sucked in a quiet breath. The popper holding the spray finally gave and she snatched it out and moved it closer to Harry. As he took it, he rested his whole hand on hers and she felt its warmth. Amid the terror and the desperation she managed a smile. He gripped down tighter on her hand and his right eye winked. He couldn’t speak but he was still conveying a message: It’ll be alright, kid.

  Hands appeared and formed a tight grip round Harry’s shoulders. He snatched his hand away from Maddie’s and made a fist around the spray to conceal it. Harry was turned so he was face up. Then his head was lifted out of sight and he was dragged away on his heels.

  Maddie took a deep breath and wriggled around to get a view. Harry was being dragged slowly towards the building. The man dragging him was stepping backwards, his head was turned that way too. She now had a proper view of the downed police officer. It didn’t look like he had moved. She turned her attention back to Harry. She didn’t have much time. She had to do something now.

  She scrambled over to the passenger side of the car and rolled out. The car had come to a stop resting against a wire fence. On the other side, she could see just long grass and weeds in what might once have been a paddock. She struggled to push the passenger door open wide enough to get back into the car, squeezed herself in and shuffled over into the driver’s seat. The dash was still showing lights, the keys still hung from the ignition. She looked towards the building: Harry was just about to be dragged through the door.

  She turned the key. The engine fired and she revved it hard, her eyes fixed on the two men. It had the desired effect: the dragging stopped and the gunman’s head snapped up to face the noise. Harry was thrown to the floor and the man stepped over him and started pacing back towards her. He must have had his weapon hanging behind his back because now he spun a rifle into sight and levelled it. His pace quickened. Harry was scrambling to sit up behind him.

  She pushed the gear lever to drive. The car shuddered as the engine engaged and she twisted the steering wheel to the right. The car was more ensnared in the fence than she realised. The steering wheel tried to whip back as the car jerked forward. She fought it. The car shuddered violently and some of the fence started to come away. It chewed up under the wheel and for a horrible second the car stopped and the engine sounded as if it might stall.

  ‘Come on . . . please!’ Maddie screamed. She pressed hard on the gas and the car gave its biggest shudder yet, but it came free. She straightened up, the car jerked forwards and she eased off. She looked up. The gunman had stopped still, he was twenty metres away, his weapon raised and set into his shoulder. Harry was now on his feet and stumbling towards him, making up ground. But he was too late. There were two loud cracks in quick succession. The windscreen took a hit off to her left; it didn’t shatter but there was a neat hole and a terrific noise. A second round struck just as loudly and the rear-view mirror sprang loose. She ducked down and accelerated harder. There were more cracks of gunfire but nothing struck the car. She risked a glance out to check she remained on course. She saw that Harry was staggering away now. The gunman hadn’t moved any closer and his weapon dropped to the ground. The firing had stopped and his head was bent. His free hand clawed at his face and eyes. Harry must have given him a shot of pepper spray. Maddie stamped on the accelerator, the nose of the Land Rover pointed right at him. The gunman stopped his clawing and lifted his head to the noise of the surging engine — his gun, too. The weapon fired a burst of rounds and the front of the vehicle took a spray of bullets. Maddie was crouched behind the dash with her foot still on the gas. She heard and felt a massive thump at the same time. Something thudded close to where she was ducked against the door. Her foot reached for the brake and she pushed it hard. Not hard enough. She sat back up just in time to see the wall of the school building approaching at speed. There was no time to scream.

  Maddie took the hit through her right side. She felt the front lift and heard the engine surge. Then the car finally cut out and the roaring of the engine was replaced by the buzzing in her ears. An airbag hung in front of her and the car was thick with a floating powder that she sucked into her nose and mouth. She had to get out. She pushed the door. Her shoulder shot with pain. Her right arm hung forward at an odd angle. As she stepped out onto her right foot, her knee gave out immediately and she dropped clumsily onto her left side.

  The car was silent. The front was pushed into the wall of the building she had last seen from a distance. She felt the warm breeze. Her eyes were a blur and darkness seemed to be encroaching from the sides, funnelling her vision. She heard a loud moan and it snapped her back to alertness.

/>   ‘Harry?’ she shouted. ‘HARRY!’ The moaning was the only response. She rolled enough to plant her left hand on the ground and struggled to her feet. She used the car, pushing herself against its side using just her left leg. Her knee was painful but she could stumble a few paces — enough to see Andy McCall lying out on the ground. She was close enough to recognise him as the man she had seen in the photos. He was on his front, his legs at obtuse angles behind him. He was dragging them through the dirt, his arms reaching out and clawing at the stony ground — inching towards his dropped rifle.

  Maddie was quicker. She made up the ground to where Andy lay. She loomed over him but the darkness was getting thicker again and she could feel a pulse behind her eyes. For a terrifying second she thought she was going to pass out. She took a deep breath. Her vision cleared a little. She fought the urge to vomit. Andy twisted to look up at her. She could see the Eurotunnel logo on the overalls he was wearing.

  ‘I got told off . . .’ she rasped, her throat sore from the airbag powder. ‘For standing on criminals . . . in a past life.’ She moved her weight gently. Her right knee was sore but it took her weight. She rested her left foot on McCall’s leg where it was clearly broken. She shifted all her weight onto it. He bellowed in pain. She pushed off him and walked to the rifle. It was heavier than she thought. The radio was nearby. She scooped that up next. She could just about hold it in her right hand. Harry was lying on his side another ten metres or so away. He was looking over. She picked up the weapon and walked to him. His eyes followed her. She collapsed clumsily next to him and laid the rifle across her lap.

  ‘Customer facing, Harry,’ she said. ‘I love it.’

  She pressed the red button on her radio. She felt it shake in her hands and then beep to confirm the emergency signal had been sent.