The Wilds (3 page)

Jason Flynn sat at his desk staring at a mass of papers strewn across his desk in no particular order. He was the senior of the two reporters. He stretched in his chair, arching his back and yawning. He was tired; he was overworked. Bob Weston, the editor, had been off sick for the past three weeks, and in his absence Jason had been doing all of the editorial duties as well as his own job. That week, though, had been Hell on Earth; his fellow reporter, Laura Mayburn, had also gone off sick. Now Jason was stuck writing and editing the whole paper pretty much on his own.

Linda walked in from the front. She was a short, plump woman in her early forties. She gave off an air of friendliness that meant people would often open up to her.

‘I’m going to head off home now,’ she said from the doorway.

Jason jumped at the sound of her voice, he had not noticed her standing there. He smiled at her wearily.

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Thanks, Linda. I’ll lock up when I’m done.’

She looked at him with concern.

‘You look so tired lately,’ she said.

‘Well, doing my job, the editor’s and now Laura’s is like having three full time jobs. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.’

‘You expect too much of yourself,’ she said. ‘No one would blame you for taking a day off. We only publish once a week.’

Jason shook his head, he knew if he stopped he would probably never start again. He took a sip from the mug on his desk and grimaced as the coffee entered his mouth.

‘Cold?’ Linda asked, smiling.

Jason nodded, spitting it back into the mug.

‘I’m not surprised. I did make it for you two hours ago,’ she said shaking her head.

Jason laughed a little

‘Sorry, I forgot about it,’ he said. ‘I’m still working on this story of Altman’s.’

Linda frowned at him. She loved him like a little brother, but hated the way that he got these ideas stuck in his head. It had been the same when he had gone after Pearce. He had been warned off by so many people, but he just kept chasing until he found what he was looking for. Yes, he’d been right that time, but it had nearly caused him a nervous breakdown trying to prove it. She didn’t want to see him in that state again, especially not with how stressed he was from all the extra work. How could someone as intelligent and down to Earth as Jason believe a nut job like Altman anyway?

‘You know that man is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, don’t you?’ she said. ‘His theory is nothing more than a fairytale.’

‘Maybe,’ Jason said shrugging. ‘That’s certainly what I thought at first, but just lately...’ He trailed off, either not knowing how to or not wanting to finish his sentence.

‘You’re not actually starting to believe him are you?’ Linda asked, the concern evident in her voice.

‘Perhaps,’ Jason replied. ‘I mean there are so many cases all over the country, and there is definitely something going on around here. Pearce is hiding something, I’m sure of that.’

Linda rolled her eyes. There it was, the reason this whole thing had become his new obsession, it was another way to go after Pearce. She didn’t understand what Jason’s vendetta against the policeman was all about, especially with their personal connection, but she suspected it went way back.

‘Be careful with Inspector Pearce,’ she said. ‘You’ve crossed him before, and he hasn’t forgiven you for that.’

‘Don’t worry about me, Linda,’ he said. ‘I can handle Jon Pearce.’

They exchanged a knowing smile. They both laughed. It felt good to Jason to laugh. That was why he adored Linda so much, no matter how stressed he was, or how down, she could always manage to raise a smile out of him.

‘Do you want me to make you a fresh coffee before I go?’ she asked.

Jason shook his head.

‘No, it’s fine,’ he said. ‘Get home to your husband before he thinks we’re having an affair.’

This made Linda laugh out loud.

‘I think Joe would be pleased to palm me off on someone else after all these years,’ she said with a smile; then she looked concerned once more. ‘Try not to stay too late.’

Jason looked up at her, flashing those big brown eyes of his that she was sure would melt the heart of any girl he ever tried to charm.

‘I won’t,’ he said. ‘I just want to finish this up and then I’ll go home. I promise.’

She looked at him, she didn’t believe him for a second. Twice that week she had found him asleep at his desk when she had opened up in the morning. However, she knew that there was no arguing with him when he was working on one of his quests. She bid him goodnight and left. Jason looked at his watch. Pearce was bound to be leaving the station soon. This was his chance to ask a few question.

Pearce left the police station, looking as sour as he always did. He headed towards his car, but Jason was waiting for him and approached before he reached it.

‘Any chance of an interview D.C.I. Pearce?’ he said, making the policeman look around. His face fell even further south when he saw Jason stood behind him. The loathing in his eyes was barely concealed.

‘We’re not making a statement to the press today Flynn,’ Pearce said and then turned back towards his car. Jason stepped around him, pulling the dictaphone from his pocket and sticking it in Pearce’s face. He knew that the dictaphone was unnecessary, but he did enjoy aggravating Pearce.

‘So you have nothing to say about this missing person case? You’re not considering this to be foul play?’ Jason asked.

‘No, Flynn,’ Pearce said trying to carry on walking. ‘We’re not. In fact, Mr Morgan hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours, so we can’t even treat it as a missing persons case yet. The only reason we’re investigating it at all is because two officers found his car at the side of the road.’

‘Let’s talk about the car. I heard it was damaged, is that true?’ Jason said, walking backwards to keep the dictaphone right in Pearce’s face.

‘Yes, there’s the possibility that it was involved in a collision, but we have no proof of that as yet.’ Pearce said, his mouth tense as he became more annoyed with Jason.

Jason laughed.

‘My source said it looked more like the car had been caved in with a sledgehammer,’ Jason said; then he smiled knowingly at the detective. ‘Come on, Jon, you can tell me.’

Jason stopped as his back hit Pearce’s car. The detective pushed the reporter to one side.

‘I’m not at liberty to discuss it,’ he said as he placed his briefcase on his backseat. Jason pushed the dictaphone under his nose again as Pearce made for the driver’s door.

‘Fifth mysterious disappearance this year,’ Jason said. ‘Doesn’t that strike you as strange, Inspector?’

Pearce swept the dictaphone away from his face, his eyes full of anger. He opened the car door, but then turned back to face Jason.

‘Look, Flynn,’ he said, his anger now evident in his voice. ‘I don’t have time for this. I’m not at liberty to discuss this case, or any other with you. Do you understand?’

Jason switched off the dictaphone and returned it to the pocket of his overcoat.

‘Perfectly,’ he said.

‘Good,’ Pearce replied. ‘I keep wondering to myself why you still use the name Flynn? I mean your mother went back to her maiden name years ago.’ Pearce smiled when he saw that the comment had been barbed enough to cut Flynn.

‘Flynn was my father’s name,’ Jason said coolly. ‘Surely you, of all people, remember him.’

Pearce nodded.

‘It was a shame what happened, but he was a bad apple. I’m still convinced of that.’

The detective got in his car and Jason started to walk away, kicking himself for not challenging Pearce more. He knew firsthand what a violent temper the detective had, and that it was his weakness. In the middle of his rages, he would often reveal more than he should. Jason turned back to Pearce, who was just about to shut his car door.

‘You won’t get away with it, you know?’ Jason shouted back at him.

Pearce stared at him with his cold dark eyes, and Jason could see the anger boiling inside him.

‘What did you say?’ Pearce asked through gritted teeth.

‘I said you won’t get away with it. Whatever it is you’re covering up, the truth will out, as they say.’

Pearce slowly got out of his car and walked towards Jason. His body looked stiff, like all of his muscles were contracting ready for attack.

‘Back off, Flynn,’ he said coolly as he reached Jason.

‘Freedom of the press, Inspector. The people have a right to know about the behaviour of the police force their taxes are funding. Or had you forgotten that?’ Jason said.

‘I’m warning you to stay away from this for your own good,’ Pearce said, and then he grabbed Jason’s arm and squeezed hard enough to make the reporter squirm in pain. ‘Are we clear?’

Jason looked up and began to smile. He could see that his smile ignited even more anger in Pearce; for a few seconds he wondered if the detective would punch him, actually he hoped he would. They were in full view of the stations CCTV cameras. Jason nodded towards them.

‘Smile, Inspector,’ Jason said with a grin. ‘You’re on candid camera.’

Pearce turned and saw the camera that Jason was referring to. Its unblinking lens was looking directly at them. He let go of Jason’s arm and, without another word, stormed off in the other direction. Jason waved at the camera and then turned and walked away, happy with the way the encounter had gone.

The campfire burned brightly, creating a sphere of light in the pitch black of the marsh at night. Its heat tamed the cool wind that blew across from the north sea. Laying on a blanket, cocooned in its light and warmth, two young lovers kissed passionately.

Julie Mears leant on her elbows kissing her boyfriend, Tim Lovecott. He groaned under her, his hands edging further up her side. They had started on her hips, but now were tentatively heading up her body. Just before they reached her armpits, Tim began to bring them inwards, toward the inviting swell of her breasts. She laughed and rolled away onto her back.

She didn’t want to tease him intentionally, but she wanted to make him work for it. It would be her first time, rarity that she was around here, a seventeen-year-old virgin, and she wanted it to be special. Tim had been trying really hard. He had taken her out for a nice meal and then brought her out here where he had the fire and wine waiting. It was romantic, but was it enough? She needed time to think.

She looked up at the sky above them. Out there on the marsh, there were no lights for miles except for their fire. The stars shone brilliantly in the sky. Looking at them often had the same effect on her; it made her feel awestruck and vulnerable at the same time. Their beauty was undeniable, but the sheer numbers involved, time, distance and so on, always made her feel small and insignificant. Her own insignificance was something she often pondered, but dealing with the infinity of space and the unending possibility of worlds out there made the whole human race seem insignificant.

‘Do you think we’re alone?’ she asked.

Tim looked around.

‘I didn’t see any other cars in the car park,’ he said.

She laughed at him in an affectionate way. Tim was pretty, and he was kind and romantic, but he was not what anyone would call an intellectual. He wasn’t stupid; it was just that he never questioned things. He never pondered on things that were metaphysical; he was only interested in what he could see and touch. She admired that in a way. She thought that she would probably have an easier time in life if she didn’t question everything all the time or worry about things that were beyond her control.

‘No, I meant alone in space,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe that this is the only planet with life on it.’

‘I guess the chances of us being alone are pretty slim,’ he said, ‘but the distance involved mean we’ll never find out for sure.’

It was a typically pragmatic answer from Tim. They had been together for three months now, and she knew that she loved him and was fairly certain that he loved her. He had been so patient, so considerate. He had never tried to push her into doing anything she didn’t want to, despite the fact that he himself was not a virgin. He was a year older than her, but they mixed in the same social circle at college. When she had first set eyes on him, she had felt an attraction. He was tall and broad-shouldered, but with delicate features that made him more pretty than classically handsome.

He had still been seeing that bitch Marie Walters when they had first met, but Julie had seen the way that Tim looked at her when he thought no one was watching. When Marie had proved her true colours by cheating on him, he had broken things off with her, and that very day he had asked Julie out for a drink.

She looked at him now, the fire light flickering on his smooth, flawless skin, his blonde, wavy hair blowing a little in the wind. She decided it was the right time, there would never be a night more special than this, and never a boy more special than Tim. She leaned towards him and he looked at her with those sky blue eyes.

‘I need to take a leak,’ he said, ruining the moment.

‘So romantic,’ she laughed. He leant over and kissed her, then got up and wandered off. Within a few meters he was no longer illuminated by the light from the campfire, and he disappeared from view; it was as if the night had swallowed him.

She sighed and rolled back onto her back and continued her star gazing.

Tim wished he had put his jacket on before leaving the campfire; the warmth of it had disguised the chill in the air. His bare arms prickled with goosebumps as he wandered along the bank that ran for miles on the edge of the marsh.

He turned back and saw that the campfire was just a glow in the distance. He had no reason for walking so far away, other than he thought that hearing him urinate might kill the mood a little. He undid his fly and relieved his full bladder, sighing with the relief.

Tonight was the night, he thought to himself. It was in her eyes, tonight they were finally going to have sex. He’d done it before with Marie, but it had been awkward. He felt so relaxed around Julie, and loved her so much that he knew it was going to be amazing.

In a sudden panic he patted his pockets. His hand found the comforting shape of the condom in his pocket. He had worried for a moment there that he had forgotten to bring one. That would have been typical of him, all of the effort he had put in, all of the preparation, would have been wasted. He had one, though, and all was well.

Zipping himself up, he became aware of a heavy breathing behind him. Hot, foul-smelling breath hit the back of his neck. The breathing was not human, but whatever it was, it was big and powerful. Slowly he turned around, afraid of what he would see. He came face to face with a large cow.

Many of them roamed free on the marsh, stopped only by the turnstiles.

‘Hello, Daisy,’ he said.

The cow stepped forward quickly, and opened its enormous mouth and mooed loudly in his face. In shock, Tim took a step back. Unfortunately his footing was awkward, and his ankle went over. He rolled backwards down the bank. There was a thud as he hit his head on a rock, and for Tim the lights went out instantly.

“Where is he?” Julie thought to herself as she sat up on the blanket and looked around. She shivered despite the warmth of the fire. The light it cast made the darkness beyond even blacker.

She heard movement off to her left, just beyond the reach of the fire light. She rose to her feet and peered in that direction, trying to see by the flickering light. Tim, she thought, he had circled around her and was now messing with her, trying to scare her. She wondered why boys thought that scaring a girl would get her in the mood for sex. They always wanted to make you jump and always tried to get you to go and see horror films at the cinema. Well she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had freaked her out in any way.

‘Tim?’ she called out into the darkness, trying to make her voice sound bright and easy.

There was no reply from the blackness. She smiled to herself; he was determined she would give him that. She had a plan, though.

‘Don’t you want to join me?’ she said in as seductive a voice as she could manage.

She slowly pulled off her top, revealing her ample breasts. Despite the warmth of the fire, the breeze and excitement made her nipples hard in seconds.

There was a sound of heavy breathing from the darkness. Julie giggled to herself; she had his attention now. She laid down on the blanket.

‘ If you want more, you’d better come and get it!’ she called out to the darkness.

She looked over and was surprised and a little offended to see that Tim had not come running from the shadows already.

‘Tim, I’m not going to lay here with my tits out all night,’ she said sternly.

Still he didn’t respond. Fine, she thought, if he wants to play his stupid joke let him, but there was no way she was having sex with him tonight now. He would have to do a lot of groveling to make this up to her. She stood up and picked up her discarded top and pulled it back on.

‘It’s not funny, Tim,’ she said, annoyed.

From the darkness there came a deep growl. She didn’t think that Tim was capable of making such a noise. Was someone else out there? She stared into the darkness. The growl had not come from far away; whoever it was must have been quite close. Terror came over her as she saw the two amber eyes flickering in the firelight. They were about four foot off the ground and advancing towards her.

Although she could only see the eyes, she knew it must me some kind of animal. It growled again loudly.

Julie screamed and set off running in the opposite direction, running into the blackness.

Tim wasn’t quite sure where he was when he came around. He knew he was cold and damp, but it took a few moments for the events prior to his fall to reconnect in his mind. He sat up, reaching a hand to the back of his head. His wavy hair was damp, and he could feel the cut on his head. It stung when his fingers prodded it, but it seemed that the flow of blood had ceased.

‘Fucking cows,’ he said to himself as he tried to stand up. Half way up, he felt dizzy and fell back down on his backside before he was even halfway up. He rolled over and used his arms and knees to push himself into a standing position, much like a toddler would.

He stayed on his feet that time, even though his head was swimming. He was pretty certain he would need stitches, and that he had a concussion. There was no way he was going to be able to drive to the hospital; he would have to let Julie drive even though she hadn’t passed her test yet.

Julie!

She was all alone by the campfire and would be cursing him by now, no doubt. A scream ripped through the dark night. Tim raced up the bank, despite the spinning sensation in his head.

Julie ran blindly, she just kept going straight ahead. The growling behind her told her the animal had given chase. It thudded along the damp ground at a pace far greater than she could manage. The pounding thumps of its footfalls creating a rhythm. If she kept running the beast would soon catch up with her; she had to hide. It was her only hope. She ran down the far side of the bank, the one that edged the fields rather than the marsh itself. There in the darkness she found a thick hedgerow; she got down on her hands and knees and crawled into the bush.

She crouched in there, covering her mouth for fear that her own panting breaths would give away her position. She heard the growls and thuds as the beast hurtled past on the bank above. Where the hell was Tim? Had he already encountered this thing?

‘Julie?’ The sound of Tim’s voice sounded quite distant.

She almost shouted out in response and then stopped herself.

‘Julie? Where are you?’ He sounded scared. She longed to be with him, but she couldn’t force herself to move, and she feared that if she shouted out the beast would locate her before Tim.

Tim was standing by the campfire, frantically looking for some clue as to where Julie had gone. There was none to be found. Everything looked the same as when he had left, with one exception; Julie was nowhere to be seen. He started to move off towards the car park, thinking that if she had gotten frightened, Julie may have sought refuge in the car. He stopped. He had the car key in his pocket. Turning around he decided that she was more likely to have gone off in the direction he had. Perhaps she had gone looking for him and had her own encounter with the same bovine terror that had caused him to fall down the bank. He set off at a steady pace, still feeling woozy from the knock to the head.

‘Julie!’ he called out again, cupping his hands to his mouth to amplify the sound. ‘Julie, where are you?’

She heard Tim calling out to her once more. She covered her own mouth when she nearly cried out for him. This would only bring the beast back to her. What the hell was that thing that had chased her? It seemed too large and heavy to have been a fox. She wondered whether it was a feral dog. Whatever it was it had given chase like it planned to attack.

Where was it? She had not heard anything apart from Tim in some time. Had it carried on running along the bank when she had slipped down the side? Or was it lying in wait for her outside the confines of the hedgerow? She feared the second option too much to call out in response to Tim, but his shouts were getting nearer. There was no way that he would find her hidden here. She decided that she would cautiously sneak out of the hedgerow and run towards the sound of Tim’s voice, hoping that if she was careful the beast would not hear her, or find her.

‘Julie! Answer me!’ Tim called out again, his voice sounding more frantic the nearer he got.

He wasn’t that far away now. She steadied herself, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm her nerves, although the way her heart was thumping in her chest she knew it would not do much good.

Slowly she began to inch forwards, her hands and knees in the cold mud. Thorns scratched her body. She had been too scared to notice them on the way in. She had crawled far deeper into the hedgerow than she had noticed, and moving this tentatively it was taking forever to reach the edge. Finally it came into view.

She peered from her crouched position, only her head exposed to the night air. The darkness around the hedgerow was all consuming. There was only the slightest amount of moonlight that enabled her to distinguish the top of the bank from the night sky. It would be impossible for her to see Tim until he was passing her by. The only real light she could see was the distant glow of their campfire. Had she really run that far? It had all happened so fast, and she had been so frightened that she had not noticed the distance she had run.

Though it was dark, she could see no sign of the beast. She had to make a run for it. She would run from here, straight up to the top of the bank, and then she would run towards the fire, towards Tim, towards safety.

The first sound she barely registered; the laboured breathing could easily have been her own. The second sound, though, that deep growl, there was only one explanation for that. The beast was right behind her in the hedgerow.

Sharp claws tore into her flesh, dragging her backwards. The pain was intense and she had time for one scream before it was on top of her, its jagged teeth closing around her throat, ripping flesh away. Then she could no longer scream, no longer breathe, she could only watch through tear-clogged eyes as this unimaginable horror chewed on her flesh, as she drowned in her own blood.