Little Red (26 page)

‘In private!’ stated Jack, nodding to his office.

‘Mr Crawford, can I have a quick statement before….’ The woman asked

‘No you can’t, Lime….my office….now!’ his order was obeyed and they walked briskly to the room. The door was closed as William entered.

‘What the fuck are you playing at?’

‘I’m not sure I follow Jack’

‘The document you forged, saying that I hand the rights of press and interviews over to you, what the fuck is all that about?’

‘Ah, yes, well to be honest Jack, it’s better for you in the long run….more beneficial for both of us’ he assured

‘Bollocks, you went over my head Lime’

‘Jack, this entire investigation is over your head. You’re getting old, close to retirement now, you do want to leave with a full pension…..don’t you?’

‘Of course, but what has that got to do with you?’

‘Well, as you are aware, Nathan is already out of the picture….sad I know. If you want to retire with the full package I suggest you do as your friend did and listen to me. You’re out Jack, you’re a fucking has been. This investigation will be closed by me, I take the lime light, excuse the pun, and I benefit from the success!’

‘So this is all about you’re appearance Lime?’

‘In a way, yes, but my professional status and bank balance also come into play’

Jack stood, his hands turned into fists. He wanted to throw a left and right into the Doctors face, knowing that he would send him to the ground, but also lose his position within the force. He spied the reporter as she watched their conversation.

‘What if I fuck this up for you Lime, what if I leak your plans…..then what?’

‘Let’s see, well, I’d burn you Jack. I have the case
files, that you hid, on Nathan. I would report your actions to higher and also publicly, you’d be out on your lonesome with no pension or respect, how does that sound?’ his face displayed the slimy grin.

‘I’m warning you, don’t fucking push me Lime!’ he stepped closer.

‘That’s right, you smash my face in so everyone can see….good idea Jack! Stop messing around and do as I say, actually…..I have an idea. I’m going to show you that I mean business Jack, you want to know how?’

‘
How?’

‘I’m going to reveal Nathan to the public, I’m going to burn your friends reputation and mark him as an unstable figure with severe mental trauma, I might even throw a few long words in there that you don’t understand, just to make it sound better……you pushed me Jack, now I am retaliating!’

‘You’re a cunt Lime…….a slimy piece of shit who uses cases like this to get a name for yourself…..I fucking despise you!’

‘Well done Jack, keep your eyes on the television, watch me smile as I disgrace your friend. Goodbye’ he exited the room whistling. Jack wanted to grab his collar and drag him back inside, he wanted to slap the man viciously to waken him up from his dream world that he lived in. The wink was fired towards him as he spoke with the reporter, his words recorded for tomorrow’s newspaper.

***

Nathan rested upon the bed. His eyes scanned the wall to his front. He studied
the pictures sent by the killer. The girls showed fear as the beast tormented them. The proposition lingered at the back of his mind, he thought of the pros and cons to his position. He had been racking his brains since Richard had departed his room. The man was right,
but surely insane.
He understood that the father was unstable as his daughter had been taken and would most likely end up as a picture on his wall,
what did he mean by having his own sources?

The mobile phone vibrated in his trouser pocket, he dug deep to retrieve it.

‘Jack, I wanted to speak with you’ he greeted

‘No time, sorry, we have a problem Nathan, a problem with Lime!’

‘What now?’ he sat up

‘It’s big, he has all the rights to press coverage, he forged my name on the document and now he has full rights, he’s going to humiliate you….publicly!’

‘He’s what?’

‘Nathan, he’s telling the fucking world all there is to know about Nathan Crawley, he’s burning you!’

‘Shit Jack, when?’

‘Not sure, but he has a conference today with the Clough family. He’s stealing the case, making himself appear to be the main man….he’s going to fuck it up for us….big time!’

‘Jesus, that prick……where do we stand, you and I?’

‘Not sure, but if I stop him, well, it’s my career on the line and my retirement, I’m in a corner that I can’t fight from….we’re fucked mate!’

‘Sorry Jack…..I never thought this would happen, I never thought he would go so far!’

‘
Me neither, proved us both wrong hasn’t he’

‘I’d say, I think it’s best to end it. The longer I stay here the more likely it is that he’ll bring you down
!’

‘I know……sleep on it
Nathan, let me know your plans in the morning okay’

‘I will, good luck Jack, it’s been a pleasure’ the call was ended and Nathan began to feel slightly emotional. Lime had screwed them both and the corners that they had been forced into were dark and lonely.

The thought appeared and he dismissed it instantly. He stood and headed for the shower, he decided to think things over whilst washing. Once the shower was finished he would do what was agreed on. He had few options left.

***

The Wolf had been awake for several hours, he had woken up with an appetite and decided to indulge in his new method of feeding. The two victims lay upon the kitchen unit, their furry bodies caked in their own blood. He dragged his fingertips through the red stuff and placed them in his mouth, his sharp teeth pinched his fingers as he sucked them clean. He was still hungry, the knife was removed from the rack and he began skinning the animals. The chunks of meat were dropped into a frying pan, the sizzling noise filled is ears as the hob gained heat. He turned and walked to the far wall, the large freezer lay against it. The mist escaped as he raised the lid. The temperature nipped his wet fingers as he moved the clear plastic bags from one side to the other, searching for the meat he required. He located the small slab and removed it, the lid was slammed down sealing his food into the cold environment. He dropped the bag onto the unit and pierced a hole with the knife. He pushed his fingers in and widened the entrance he had made, the meat was removed and placed on a plate to de-frost, he would eat it later.

The pieces of rabbit had begun to brown, the fat spat from the pan. He gripped a bit with his thumb and forefinger, placing the cooked meat upon his tongue. It stung his flesh, the pain he welcomed. His teeth ripped it to pieces, sawing as he chewed.

‘Delicious’ he stated, satisfied with his choice of food.

The scream startled him and he left the kitchen. His boots gave a loud thud as he ran down the steps to the cellar. He pushed the door open as the girl gave another ear piercing yelp. He stormed over and squeezed her
mouth, his fingers entered the bite he had given. She cried with pain.

‘
Sssshhhhhhhhhhhhh’ his hand closed her mouth. He stepped back as she remained silent.

‘Water, please’ she mumbled.

He considered giving her what she wanted, his nostrils flaring. He moved back upstairs and filled the small plastic cup with cold water. He stopped as it reached the top.

What are you doing?

‘Be quiet!’

Stop it, your weakness is showing…stop now!

‘You’re my weakness, I’m the beast…me, you’re the weakness’

He descended the stairs, the clear liquid dripped as he moved. He placed the cup to her mouth and she gulped the contents, the cool water nipped the torn flesh inside her mouth, she winced slightly. He removed the cup from her lips and placed it on the cabinet, the door wobbled as he slammed it shut.

The meat was eaten in no time. His grumbling stomach was satisfied. He began to doubt his actions,
was the guest right, was I being soft?
Several minutes passed and he gradually wound himself tight over the water he gave her.

She thinks you’re soft you know!

‘No, she doesn’t’ speaking aloud

She has you doing what she wants

‘No she doesn’t!’ he bellowed

Weak……so very weak

He slammed his fists upon the kitchen unit and moved with anger towards the den. The door flew open and he reached for the Polaroid Camera. His recording aid was perched ready to go.

‘Look what you have done!’ he growled to the girl.

***

The shower hadn’t helped, he still pondered upon his options. He sat in the chair, his body partially dried. The cigarette was balanced in his mouth and he lit the end, the flame singed his nasal hair. He leaned back, his naked body exposed to the room.

‘My, what big ears you have’ the words whispered as he read them from the photograph. His eyes followed the pieces of evidence, his stomach filled with anger upon seeing each picture that the Wolf had taken. He rubbed his face, making sure to avoid the stick dangling from his mouth.

The number was ringing; he held the phone to his ear.

‘Hello?’ said the voice

Nathan, what are you doing?

‘Hello?’ again

‘Richard, its Nathan…….I’m in!’

‘Thank you, really thank you’

‘There’s one condition’

‘Send it’

‘I’ll discuss it with you face to face, can you come over?’

‘I’m on my way’ the call was finished. Nathan looked at the wall again.

You’d better know what you’re doing Nathan.

The door was opened after the second knock. Nathan had waited eagerly for his new friend to arrive. They nodded towards each other and Richard entered the room. He spotted the metal trolley with a half-eaten cooked breakfast upon it.

‘Do you mind?’ he asked

‘What, oh, no….no help yourself, might be cold though’ the door closed behind him. Nathan passed Richard as he placed an array of food upon a plate. He sat in the chair by the bed and watched as his guest tucked into the meal.

‘I need to ask you something, actually, there are a few things on my mind!’

‘Shoot’ the words pushed past a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

‘You said something about having a source, what exactly did you mean by that?’

‘Look, you want to know the details, great, I’ll give you the details….but, I can’t tell you who my source is, I apologise but it’s not possible!’ the napkin smothered his face as he cleaned away the spilled food.

‘What are you going to do with the Wolf if we catch him?’

‘I’m going to do what I know best……I’m going to torture him, slowly, then kill him!’

‘What do you mean by
know best
?’

‘Nathan, I’m sure you’re eager to do a background check on me, so I’ll save you the time. I was a member of the British Army for twelve years. Based in the Intelligence Corps, my role was lead Interrogator, I worked my way up from the bottom and gained that label because I’m good at what I do’

‘Shit, how many people have you tortured?’

‘Interrogated Nathan not tortured. Hard to say really, quite a lot I suppose. I’ve worked a lot in the Middle East, if any suspected
terrorists were caught and brought in, I was the man who met them. I was asked to get anything out of them, information to could deter an attack. Most of the time they withheld.’

‘Then what?’

‘I killed them!’

‘Jesus Richard’

‘It was my job, and I was good at it, still am’

‘But what you are on about doing now is murder, they’ll catch you’

‘Probably, but my motive is different Nathan. I don’t want to catch him because I’ve been told too. I’m after him because he has taken my daughter, it’s personal!’

Nathan understood the reason he wanted to find the killer, he just didn’t like the idea of helping the man behind Jack’s back. Once located, the Wolf should be arrested, this man wanted to butcher him, it seemed too risky.

‘Nathan, are you telling me you would rather see this sick bastard undergo a lengthy trial and receive twenty years or so, than be found with his balls castrated and his head on a spike?’

‘It’s Justice Richard!’

‘It’s bollocks, that’s what it is Nathan. Our system is pathetic; these wankers are protected and placed in a cell with a television and fucking x-box whilst the families of the victims have to live with their loss, every day, for the rest of their lives. That’s not justice, that’s torture!’

Nathan found himself agreeing with the man’s preach.
It wasn’t the first time, that words like the one’s Richard was saying, had entered his mind. He hated the rules of the system, he deemed them unfair. But the position he was asked to fill had worried him.