'I don't know what you're talking about,' Brewster replied, though they both heard the deceit in every word he uttered.
'Do you know what she is doing here in the first place?'
'No, I do not.'
This time there was no denying the bitterness in the barked reply.
'You reek of jealousy because you believe you have some sort of relationship with Jepson, don't you?' Lasser asked in disgust.
'I was the one who did the documentary on his lordship, I was the one who spent time with him and…'
'Yes, ten years ago and yet you're still sitting behind the same desk, sporting the same shitty hair,' Bannister reminded him, 'I told you the other night that your ship sailed long ago, it's too far for you to swim out to it and that ship will never be coming back.'
'We'll see about that,' Brewster snarled like some rabid dog.
'What about the cars?' Lasser suddenly asked. ' Did you see the occupants?'
'Of course not, it was dark, all I saw was the headlights.'
'But you knew where they were heading, didn't you?'
The reporter shuffled back a couple of steps. 'I spent a considerable amount of time with his lordship in the grounds, so I knew about the back lane.'
'And where does this path lead?' Bannister asked.
'It leads to the estate farm and then onto the house.'
'This place has its own farm?'
Brewster sniffed sounding almost snobbish. 'You think an estate this size wouldn't have its own farm? This place dates back…'
'Yakety, yak,' Bannister broke in.
The reporter huffed. 'Heathen.'
'Get moving,' Lasser warned.
Brewster did as he was told.
111
The crowd cheered as Max drove his fist into the man's face, breaking the nose in the process, though he knew that it wouldn't stop the attacker.
His eyes were still crazed, his body fuelled by some drug that made pain inconsequential. The man came at him again and Max ducked low before bulleting beneath the outstretched arms, his uppercut landing beneath his opponent's chin, his head snapped back, and he fell slowly, by the time he hit the dirt his eyes were fluttering closed.
Max stood over the figure and gradually the sound of cheering filtered into his mind, and he spat onto the ground before wiping a bloody fist across his brow. The fight had been easier than he had imagined, at first, he had been concerned that age was at last catching up with him, after all the man he had been fighting was at least ten years younger and, in this game, age counted for a lot. His opponent had got a few good shots in, but Max had absorbed them, though he knew the pain would make itself felt once the adrenalin rush died away.
Gradually the cheering changed, and one repeated word took over.
'KILL! KILL! KILL!'
The chant grew in volume and slowly he lifted his head and scanned the faces, faces eager with the need to see the opponent's life ended, permanently.
It had happened in the past, old men not content with seeing blood spilled, wanted more, wanted to see a life ended.
The crowd continued to chant, the younger ones clapping now as he continued to look around the barn, the frown slowly forming on his bruised forehead.
Every other time he had fought, Jepson would be there and by now he would be at his side raising his right arm into the air to declare him once more the winner, doing it with his usual flourish, his voice loud and plummy.
Now however, there was no sign of the lord, and Max hurriedly finished scanning the faces and then he turned full circle, the shout to ''kill'' becoming hesitant and then disjointed.
Jepson wasn't here, and suddenly Max knew he had been fooled, whilst he had been fighting, Jepson had slipped away and there was only one place he would have gone to.
The last of the cries to kill died away and then Max was striding for the huge wooden sliding door, confused mumbling at his back as he pulled it open and ran out into the darkness. Cutting left he took the path that would lead him to the stable block, arms and legs pumping, the adrenalin keeping the pain at bay as he vanished into the darkness.
112
Bannister was on the phone to Odette as they strode through the trees.
'Yeah, we found Brewster sneaking about in the trees like the weasel he is. Now listen, Odette, I want the main entrance blocking off but there's also a back lane that leads onto the estate, that's where the cars are parked, and I want it closed off as well.'
'We'll sort it.'
'No one leaves this estate until we find out who these cars belong to, I want every one of them checking.'
'Understood.'
'Good, now apparently the estate has its own farm and that's where we're heading, so you sort that while we try and find Little Lord Fauntleroy.
'We're ten minutes away.'
'Thanks, Odette,' he said before ending the call and hurrying forward to catch up with Lasser and the wanker that was Michael Brewster.
'I need to slow down,' the reporter complained.
'But I thought nothing stopped a front-line reporter, according to you, you would crawl over hot coals to get at a story and yet here you are the seeker of truth, wanting five minutes because you are out of breath,' the DCI barked into Brewster's ear.
For once Brewster made no reply though he continued to seethe with hatred.
'What did Odette say?' Lasser asked as they continued to move forward, occasionally leaving the path to move around the trees.
'She's ten minutes away and coming mob-handed,' Bannister replied.
Before Lasser could reply, a scream rang out, high-pitched and female, the sound of terror brought them to an immediate halt though half a second later both Lasser and Bannister bolted forward into the darkness.
Brewster remained rooted to the spot, the scream echoing through his head, the base fear transmitted directly to his brain, and he stood there shivering at the sound.
Gradually silence took over and it was almost as if he had imagined the men he hated had been here tormenting him. The torch in his hand seemed to grow dim and he held his breath before giving it a shake, when it went out completely the naked terror closed in around him.
Brewster flicked the switch on and off, but the torch wouldn't come on, wouldn't work and he was here in this ancient forest and suddenly he was convinced that the shadows were hiding someone or something, and it was drawing closer and…
When another scream of anguish blasted into the night, he lurched backwards, his eyes saucer-like in the darkness, and then he spun around with the intention of running as fast as he could back to civilisation a place of streetlights and tarmac rather than trees and broken branches that snapped under foot.
After a few feet another scream pierced his brain and he tried to increase his speed, but the ground was uneven, his limbs felt uncoordinated, and the darkness made it virtually impossible to see where he was going.
Then suddenly he ran into something solid, something immovable and this time he was the one who screamed as the face ballooned towards him.
'Oh my God no!' the intrepid reporter cried, convinced that he had come face to face with some ancient forest being, a demon, a…
Then he felt the blow crack across the side of his head, he was pitched to the ground, head ringing, eyes blinking rapidly as the darkness claimed him.
Max Abbot glanced down at the man and then he was running again following the echoes of the screams.
113
Lasser was in front as another scream rang out and then the bulk of the stable block came into view, the torchlight jittering as Bannister followed hot on his heels.
They ran alongside the building and then the light illuminated the open cobbled yard, the figure lay sprawled on the ground, and Bannister flicked the beam up in time to see the darkened shadow sprinting off into the trees.
They skidded to a halt, Lasser recognising Gemma Fox, her eyes closed, arms outstretched, hair fanned out on the cobbles.
Kneeling by her
side, Bannister reached out, checking her throat for a pulse, and then he looked up at Lasser.
'She's alive,' his voice was packed with relief as he snatched the phone from his pocket.
Suddenly Gemma Fox gasped, her eyes shot open wide, arms raised, hands lashing at the air, her expression one of full-blown terror.
'It's OK, you're safe,' Bannister said soothingly, his hands hovering over the woman as she blinked rapidly.
'Where is he?' her voice broke in terror as she started to cough.
Lasser looked towards the trees, the beast inside clawing at the bars of its cage as Bannister placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.
'Who was it who attacked you?' he asked.
'Jepson,' she cried before closing her eyes again.
'Is Rea Lomax here?' Lasser asked urgently as he peered down at her.
Gemma recognised him as the officer who had tried to warn her about getting in too deep.
'He's after her, he wants to kill us both,' she gasped.
Bannister looked up and nodded, Lasser said nothing as he broke into a run heading for the trees, within seconds he had vanished, and Bannister felt the concern inside grow as he put the call in for an ambulance. Gemma Fox slumped back down, her eyes once more closing, the tears slipping free onto her ashen cheeks.
114
Lasser ran, torch in hand, though he knew that Jepson would probably be familiar with every track in the dense woodland, he'd probably spent his youth here dashing about in his private forest, perhaps hunting small animals, until he was old enough to go for the deer and foxes.
Gradually, he slowed down, his ears straining to pick up any sound as he swept the light back and forth in the hope of seeing something he could follow.
Fox had said that Rea Lomax was here, and no doubt she was running for her life, the thought ploughed through his brain, and he almost broke into another run but then he stopped himself knowing that to run blindly through the trees could turn out to be a disaster.
'Come on, Rea, give me a hand here,' he hissed under his breath.
'BASTARD!' the night air was suddenly shredded by the single word.
Unlike Gemma Fox there was no scream, no sound of anguish, this voice was full of anger and fury and although he had never heard Rea utter a word, he knew it was her and this time he did set off running, dashing around the trees, hoping to hear her again as he followed the direction of the bellowed word.
Then he reached inside and slipped the leash off the beast that lived forever in his soul.
Seconds later, the trees ended, and the house appeared in the clearing, he heard the scream of anger come from the second floor and flicked the torch up to see Rea Lomax entangled with Charles Jepson, the beam of light hitting him full in the face as he forced her further back out of the open window, his hands locked around her throat.
Lasser sprinted forward as she was thrust backwards into the night, this time her scream was one of terror as she fell, he threw himself forward, the torch falling from his outstretched arms.
He didn't so much catch her as broke her fall, she hit hard and he went down, her legs slamming to the hard-baked ground, her head whipping back as they fell in a jumble of arms and legs.
Lasser grunted, trying to catch his breath as he lay there for a moment, and then he groaned as he slowly untangled himself and pushed to his knees before looking down into Rea's shocked eyes.
'You OK?' he asked.
'Who are you?' she gasped, her face frantic with a mixture of emotions, fear and then anger, all passing in an instant.
'Police,' he croaked out the word and then snapped his head around as Charles Jepson exploded through the front door of the dilapidated house.
Lasser managed to push to his feet as Jepson lashed out, his fist slamming into the side of his head.
The power of the blow whipped Lasser's head to the right and before he could react, Jepson was raining blows down on him, each one packed with power as Lasser threw up an arm in a pointless effort to protect himself from the onslaught.
'This is private property, you peasant, how dare you come here without an appointment!'
Lasser could hear the madness as Jepson continued to hammer the blows upon him.
'I'll show you your place, I'll teach you to respect your betters!'
Lasser felt the beast explode in a whirlwind of fury and he lashed out, swinging his right arm to the side, the blow slamming into Jepson's ribs, he heard the man grunt and the attack momentarily ceased. Lasser glanced right, just as Rea leapt onto Jepson's back, her hands clawing at his face, her legs wrapped around his waist. Jepson roared against the pain and then reached back and grabbed a handful of Rea's hair before twisting and bucking her off his back. She fell hard to the ground and groaned in pain.
'The whore!' Jepson screamed down at her and then spun around to find Lasser on his feet. 'And the Peasant!' his lordship howled, and dashed forward, his face twisted with loathing.
This time Lasser was ready, as Jepson jabbed out his fist, Lasser swiped it away and drove his right arm forward, fist slamming into the tall man's stomach, the air escaping in a whoosh as he bent double at the power behind the blow, then Lasser drove his knee up, slamming it into Jepson's face, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward, arms outstretched as he slammed to the ground.
'I'll show you peasant, you prick,' Lasser snarled in satisfaction.
'Look out!'
He flicked a glance towards Rea, her eyes were wide her expression one of terror and he was in the process of turning when blow crashed into the back of his head, and he pitched forward into the darkness.
115
The convoy of cars came to a halt, the exit to the lane blocked by the police van, a line of officers standing shoulder to shoulder, apart from Steve Black who stood separate from his colleagues.
Odette moved forward into the darkness, Spenner by her side. They clicked on their Maglite's just as the leading car's door opened and an elderly man stepped out.
'Move that van this instant!' he demanded.
'No one is going anywhere,' Odette replied.
'But that's preposterous!'
'I…'
'Don't you know who I am?' the old man demanded, his chicken-skin neck wobbling as he thrust out his chin, his rheumy eyes glaring at the pair of them.
Odette shone the powerful beam of light into his face, and he gasped before lifting his stick-thin arms against the glare.
'Never seen you before, so please get back in your car until we can get to you.'
'Get to me?' the man barked.
Ignoring him, Odette moved forward, glancing into the cars as she went, one or two of the occupants glanced at her but most remained facing the front, some of the elderly sat in the back seat of the expensive cars.
Lifting the phone from her pocket Odette tapped at the screen, seconds later, it was ringing, and Bannister answered.
'Where are you?' he asked.
'We're on the back lane, the exit has been blocked and there's a line of cars that are now stationary, the occupants aren't happy, but they are going nowhere,' she answered.
'I've called an ambulance for Gemma Fox.'
'The reporter?' Odette asked in surprise.
'I'll tell you when you get here, follow the path and it'll lead you to the stable block.'
'Is Lasser with you?'
'No, he's looking for Jepson, last seen trying to strangle Fox and now chasing Rea Lomax.'
Odette felt her concern grow at the news. 'We're on our way,' she said before ending the call, then she broke into a run, Spenner by her side as they dashed forward into the darkness.
116
Lasser opened his eyes as he felt the hands tugging at his shoulder.
'Wake up, you've got to wake up!' the voice hissed, the tone urgent.
With a groan, he raised his head, and Rea's face swam into view, he could feel her breath in his face as he pushed to his knees.
'What happened?' he lifted a hand to
the back of his head and winced when he felt the wetness in his hair.
'His name is Max, I tried to warn you, but he hit you and then he picked Jepson up and carried him away,' she explained as he lumbered to his feet.
Lasser looked at her, he could see the bruise on her cheek from where Jepson had hit her, but her eyes seemed to shine with determination.
'Does this Max resemble a gorilla?' he asked.
For a moment she looked confused by his question and then she nodded. 'He killed Mark; he basically does anything that Jepson asks of him.'
'We need help,' he said as his vision began to blur, his head banging with pain.
'Where are we going?' she asked.
'Help is on the way, but it's no use hanging around here, so we go this way,' he said before easing down to pick up the Maglite then he trained it into the darkness towards the trampled path.
They started to walk, Lasser trying to ignore the slamming in his skull, every step causing a fresh wave of pain to rip through his head.
'Have you seen my father?' Rea suddenly asked.
'Yeah, and he's going to love having you back,' Lasser replied.
Rea sighed in relief.
'It was Jepson who took you, wasn't it?'
She nodded as they continued to walk along the path. 'I found Julie Emmeret on Hamley Road and called an ambulance and then the next thing I remember I was here, and Jepson wouldn't let me go.'
'Well, you're safe now,' he said and then winced at his puerile words.
Truth was Rea Lomax had survived her ordeal without any real help, she had stayed alive and no doubt the ordeal had been filled with fear and pain and yet somehow, she had managed it and now here he was trying to play the hero, the knight in shining armour.
'What a tosser,' he mumbled.
They walked in silence and a couple of minutes later Bannister's voice came out of the darkness.
'Lasser is that you?'
'Who's that?' Rea asked, her voice suddenly full of tension.
'My boss. Don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite,' Lasser explained and then the thrumming in his ears suddenly turned into a roar as he fell to his knees before pitching forward into the long grass.
Driven by Fear (The DS Lasser Book 27) Page 35