Little Red (37 page)

R
ichard began filling a bag with some clothes, mostly Megan’s. He rushed about the house, knowing that the monster would be ready to take her life when the moon was full. He ran outside through the back of the house and opened his shed. From inside he removed a length of rope and some more accessories, just in case. The envelope given to him by Nathan was placed on the dashboard of the Pajero, he longed to know its contents. The items he had collected were thrown into the boot, the centre seats had been folded down to make room for the vehicles current package, the blankets hid it from view.

He started the engine and sped from the
curb, the headlights flicked to life and guided his way. The snow began to fall and the temperature dropped several degrees, the dark sky above him swallowed the stars, the moon fought to appear, blocked by the soot filled clouds. His foot pushed the pedal down harder and the vehicle growled as the engine forced it down the empty streets.

‘I’m coming Megan…….Daddy’s coming for you!’

The house was hidden by the overgrown foliage, the drooping branches hugged the walls of the building,
the bushes blocked its windows from sight. He brought the car to a steady stop, he hoped they were still inside. He climbed from the driver’s seat and removed the wheel brace from under it. He didn’t need to torture the monster yet, he just needed him alive for the punishing. He stalked the front of the dark building, the windows were obstructed by thick curtains. He tried to peer through any gaps to spy for light inside, it appeared dark. He moved around the rear of the building, he spotted the large garage as it sat deep in the forest of the garden, he headed for it, deciding to check the inner of the structure. The padlock sprung from its home as the wheel brace was forced against it, he didn’t care about being subtle, he just needed to get inside. The shadows surrounded him and the smell of ageing urine struck his nose, the door was pushed open slightly, allowing him to enter. He removed the mobile phone and selected the torch icon, the beam emitted to the floor, he scanned the room. The occupants scurried around their cages, terrified as to who would be next for the beasts feeding. Their small eyes glowed under the light, twinkling in Richard’s direction. He walked the walls, checking from top to bottom. The smell caused his eyes to water, he wiped them free with the sleeve of his coat. He found the large table at the rear, a box of tools underneath it, that was all. He followed the opposite side back to the main entrance, only rabbits and their homes.

The snow fell
stronger, the large flakes obstructed his vision slightly, the cold substance landing upon his bare head. The back door was locked, he stepped back and checked the rooms, no light from inside. His foot crashed through the entrance and he moved into the kitchen, the smell of cooked meat engulfed him.

‘Fuck me’ he spat. The torch revealed several carcasses upon the side
unit, the blood appeared old, dried and clotted. He moved the light from left to right rapidly, covering all areas of the room as quick as he could. He patrolled through the bottom floor, no sign of any occupants yet.

The stairs offered several creaks as he moved up them, the cobwebs clung to the corners of the ceiling, the labyrinth of web created long ago. He searched the rooms
quickly, they were untidy but held no evidence to his daughter being there. He moved with speed back down the stairs, his footsteps echoing below him. He stopped at the last step and stamped his foot, the noise bellowed underneath.

‘Fucking Cellar’

He searched the wall of the stairs for the entry point, he located it in the kitchen. He paused to get his breath and steady himself. He gripped the handle and turned it slowly,
three…two…one…GO!
The door swung outwards and he pushed past it, the torch from his phone illuminated parts of the steps. His eyes strained as the heavy black surrounded him, he couldn’t see anything that the light didn’t aim at…..the steps were taken steadily. The door lay open at the bottom, he approached the wall and leant against it. The torch popped around the door frame quickly, his eyes following it. He caught a glimpse of the den before he moved back into cover, again, he popped his head out to look. He decided it was clear and moved in, keeping his body low. The room was abandoned, he stood as the light landed upon the long cabinet. He scanned the objects upon it. His heart sunk when he came across the glass jars, their contents lay dead in the murky water. He searched the room, the painted walls coming to life under his guide.

‘Jesus’ his eyes met the chair. The blood lay in a solid pool underneath it, the spray from a strike clung to the wall. It hit him harder than he had expected, he gazed upon the red stuff,
it belonged to his daughter. He knelt down and placed his fingers into the puddle, it was cold. He stood, pushing himself onwards. The Polaroid pictures were found upon the shelf, he removed them and looked over them, his stomach tightened and a surge of rage pulsed through him. The torch was projected upon the camera and the map behind it. He moved closer to study the monsters plans. The pins cast small shadows upon the detail as the light hovered over them, the numbers placed upon the heads. He located number three, he knew straight away what the map was, the killers chosen victim locations and the places he would kill them. The yellow pin sat upon his house, Megan’s safe place. He searched for the red pin. The woods were approximately forty to fifty minutes away, he estimated the distance and time from the grid squares upon the map. The pin sat at the top left corner of the feature, this was place he would do it, the place the beast would take his daughter’s life. He made a note of the grid and typed it into his phone. The room fell dark as he left, his feet pounding upon the stairs as he ran for the door.

The engine started and the wheels spun as he turned back on himself and headed for the woods.

***

Nathan sat in the departure lounge awaiting the call for his flight, he was nervous, not about
flying, he was surprisingly calm about that. He was anxious to know what the outcome of the address was, he itched to call Richard, but decided against it, the good byes had been said and stronger than planned. He had fifteen minutes to kill, his eyes moving from his phone to the television screen above him, the flight numbers and gates flashing when called.

The phone vibrated and he nearly dropped it, he held it as steady as possible, the caller’s name displayed on the screen.

‘Hello, tell me its good news?’

‘Fucking right it is, I’ve been in the cunts house, freaky. I got the location of the wood where he’s taken Mega
n!’.

‘My god……this is it Richard, everything we’ve worked for!’

‘Do me a favour, give Jack the address of the house, just wait half an hour or so mate, give me some space!’

‘Okay, cheers Richard, look, I hope she’s
alright, I mean, I’m sure she is, but remember, as soon as it’s done you open that envelope and do as it says…..please!’

‘I will mate, half an hour yeah’

‘Roger pal…..good luck!’

The call was ended. Nathan stood, his placed his palms either side of his head and rubbed his face. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, to yell his excitement for all to hear, he couldn’t stand still………he had done it, with help, but his mind was at ease now, he just hoped that Richard got there in time.

***

The snow hammered down upon the windscreen, the wipers swaying frantically to fight the blizzard. The low thud would occur as the rubber blades caught a small build-up of the white stuff, the wiper bouncing over the lump and landing upon the glass. His face moved closer as to aid his sight, the headlights fought to guide the way. His foot pushed the pedal as far as it would go, the back end of the car slid as he followed the bends of the country roads. His head throbbed in his temple, his pulse surged with adrenalin and anger, he had little time and the weather was on the Wolf’s side.

***

The van pulled into the desired location, the wheels rolled slowly to a stop. The engine was killed but the
keys remained in their home, the ignition still keeping the power alive in the vehicle. Russell climbed from his seat, the cool wind kissed his skin and he sucked a chest full of fresh air through his mouth and nose. He loved the calm stage, the relaxing atmosphere and privacy of his sacred place. The trees surrounded him, the whispers swirled between the audience of wooden giants, his god in the sky glowed behind the slow moving clouds. He retrieved his bag, the mask and glove secured inside. He walked to the rear of the vehicle, the ground crunching below him as his boots caused the snow to crumble. He lowered the bag to his side and pulled the zip open, an animal darted to a safe place beneath the foliage, he turned to spy on its hiding place. The peeking light from above displayed his becoming, the head of the creature he believed himself to be. The grey fur danced as the wind caught it, the teeth smiled to him, the grin offered a smile of appreciation to its friend.

***

Richard attempted to read the GPS system on his phone, the arrow displaying his position jumped every few seconds as the satellite reception was blocked. He neared the wood, knowing that the closer he got the more likely his signal would be lost. He studied the map whilst tackling the awkward route, the weather making it harder to steer. He was close, his heart pumped behind the bone frame that guarded it, his legs twitched as he moved a foot back and forth from the accelerator to the brake pedal, commanding the vehicle through the demanding environment.

***

The mask held a warmth which he welcomed, through the eyes of the beast he could see things more clear. The trees held a darkness only found in nightmares, the sky offered a temporary light, the eerie beams entered his location as if the moon were shining down upon him only. The glove slipped onto his hand, his fingers stretched into their homes, the blades glistened in his light. The back doors of the van were opened, the clunk of the handle echoed around him. His prey lay in the corner, his shadow cast upon her as he approached the girl. She came to, disorientated by the chemical he used to put her to sleep. She panicked, unaware of her location and how she got there. The beast stood before her, its grin was unwelcoming and the fear engulfed her. The free hand gripped her ankle and he dragged her fighting body to the cold ground, he stood over her, the power surging within.

He pulled the shaking girl to her bare feet, the snow nipped at her toes and she moved as if the floor were made of glass. He ushered her to the front of the vehicle, her path illuminated by the headlights, the mouth of the woods awaiting her attempt of freedom. His free and sat upon her shoulder, his eyes gazing toward the sky………
nearly there…..nearly………there!

***

Richard gripped the steering wheel as the vehicle spun to one side, the ground caused his wheels to slip, he lost control for a moment. The panic shot through him and he clenched the wheel in front of him, the phone fell to the floor. He left it, the image of the GPS picture lodged in his mind. He was approaching the woods. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach.

***

Its breath brushed passed her cold skin, the long nose appeared to her right side.

‘You are free, run as fast as you can…..run….run…..RUN!’

Like a sprinter from a starting block she moved, the words forced her to go. She ran to the light, the path she could see. The Wolf turned to the driver’s side and pressed play upon the CD player, the song began, his chase had started.

‘
Hooowwwwwwwwwl….who’s that I see walking in these woods….why it’s little red riding hood….hey there little red riding hood…’,
he was moving, flanking her right side, the mist escaped to the tree tops as he began to breathe heavily.

‘
You sure are looking good…..you’re everything…a big…bad wolf could want….Hooowwwwwwwwwwwl’.

The branches cracked to his left, he knew where she was. Her feet stumbled, licking the foliage to her side, he was next to her. The edge of the wood appeared in front of her eyes, he was there.

***

The car skidded to a stop. He reversed back a couple of feet, the passenger window slid
down, the accumulated snow fell onto the seat. The track was barely visible, faint tyre tracks had turned into the small entrance and disappeared into the blackness. He had to decide, turn off and follow or keep going. He closed his eyes to listen harder. The wheels were locked fully left and the rear end spun wide as he drove up the new track. The twinkle of red eyes could be seen in the near distance, he approached them carefully.