enter. He did, sneaking into the darkness of the kitchen. He stopped by the door as it lay ajar, the light from the next room peeking through the gap. He could see her, her back towards him.
The door moved silently, the floor offered no creaks. The potent rag was removed and sat in his right hand. The left extended with his fingers wide. He approached her back, she played unaware to the unwanted guest. The rag smothered her small face, the spare hand clasping her torso. She gave a fight, wriggling with a burst of energy. The front door slammed shut, he moved back into the kitchen and into the garden, the rag still placed tightly against her mouth and nose. Her father stopped, looking for his child.
‘Megan……Megan where are you?’ he quizzed
The kitchen door sat fully open, the breeze from outside chilling his skin.
‘Megan!’ he shouted, moving into the garden. The back street held shadows, the path hidden within the darkness. The engine growled and he ran towards the sound, the wheels screeched as the accelerator was forced fully down. He neared the vehicle as it bounced from the curb, the smoke from its exhaust engulfed his face. She was gone.
Chapter Eighteen
The vibration caused him to stir. The sleep had been a restless one as usual; he was neither asleep nor awake when the text message came through. The screen lit up and the name ‘Jack’ was displayed. He grabbed the small device and rolled onto his back, the mattress gave a comfort he hadn’t felt for a long time.
Nathan rubbed his eyes as he sat upright. He felt useless, as if he should be doing something other than sitting on his rear. He couldn’t do anything from the room apart from wait on the details of the new girl. He decided to kill some time and showered himself, his phone remained at an arm’s reach.
Jack stood in front of the usual crowd, their faces displaying concern for the new victim. The briefing room held complete silence as the last person entered, William Lime closed the door behind him and gave Jack a smile.
‘Wanker’ Jack cursed under his breath.
He took a sip of the warm coffee and placed it back upon the table. His shirt was slightly un-tucked and held multiple creases. He hadn’t changed his clothes for several days now, his appearance displayed his exhausted mind. The tie that once sat straight and over the top button, now lay at an angle, pulled open to allow his neck to breathe. He felt withered, the sudden change of circumstances taking its toll.
‘You probably are aware of the recent update, I’m just going to clarify what we have’ he took another sip of coffee.
‘Last night, around twenty forty-five hours, the Wolf struck taking another girl. The girl, Megan Crowe, was taken from her home as her father smoked outside. He didn’t see or hear anything, he ran outside see if she had just left the house on her own accord, nothing was found’.
‘How do you know it’s the Wolf then?’ asked Lime
‘Because, Doctor, it fits his MO’.
‘I see, so now, every time a child is abducted we are to assume it’s the Wolf?’
‘No, we don’t assume….it makes an arse out of you and me, doesn’t it. We had a beat patrol question the father last night upon receiving the call. His statement is being printed as we speak. I want task team one to head over to the house and speak with the father, also see if you can have a look around the house and its extremities’.
The team members acknowledged.
‘For now, that’s all we can do. We are still waiting on the coroner’s reports from the second victim and the remains found at Mr Breen’s home. Once the information is in, I will update you again’.
The room erupted with movement as the teams dispersed. Lime moved toward Jack.
‘No Nathan Crawley today?’
‘Excuse me!’
‘I said….’
‘I know what you fucking said, listen to me and listen good. You’re a fucking reptile…a lizard, and I don’t give two fucks about your involvement with this case. For all I care, you’re just another cog for a spanner to fuck up, you are of no relevance to me. So Doc, I highly advise you turn around…..and piss off!’ Jack’s nose neared the tip of William’s. He noticed the doctor’s hands shaking slightly. No reply was fired back as Lime exited the room, Jack’s frustration boiled his core.
‘Sir?’ the tapping on the door was drowned by the chatter in the corridor.
‘Excuse me Sir’ a little louder.
‘Sorry, I was miles away, what is it?’
The woman approached him and handed him a file. He received it and began flipping through the array of information.
‘What am I looking at?’
‘It’s for Mr Crawley, just things he had requested Sir’
‘Okay, I’ll see that he gets it, thanks’ he placed the file down upon a spare table and collected his cup of coffee. The liquid had begun to lose its heat and Jack swallowed it in one gulp. He needed something to do, a pro- active task to keep his mind ticking over. He decided to call Doctor Brough for an update from the Forensic Team. The file was picked up as he spoke with Sal, he tucked it under one arm and carried it to the receptionist.
‘Can you get this over to Nathan Cawley please, just ask my driver to deliver it for me….thanks’ he had whispered over the conversation with his phone.
***
The room harboured a distinct odour. Megan was unsure of the smell, but she recognised it from somewhere. She attempted to shout for attention, the gag obstructed her words. His new girl sat strapped into the chair. Her hands and feet were bound to the wooden structure, she rocked in an attempt to wriggle free. The room was in darkness, her eyes burned as she tried to focus in on her new surroundings. The Wolf stood at the closed door, his ear placed against the wooden divide as he listened to her whimpers.
He began to excite himself at the thought of having spare time to kill. They risk he ran last night had paid off, it could have gone the other way and ended up with him being caught. But he chose not to dwell on his actions, after all, his new girl was a closed door away. His belly grumbled to remind that it needed fed. He now looked forward to another activity, the eating of a small animal.
The squeal had lasted only seconds as the rabbit’s throat was torn open. It had kicked and scratched all the way from its cage in the large shed, to the kitchen where the killer stood. The blood gushed from the wound, running down his chin and dripping upon his bare chest, matting the hair that lay upon his skin. He drank violently, sucking as much as he could from the hole he had created. The creature hung limp from his hand, he raised it to the sky and caught the droplets with his mouth. His heart raced with excitement, the rush overwhelming him. He needed another, he wanted more crimson life within his body. The dead animal was placed in the fridge upon an empty shelf and he made his way back outside. The cage was heavy and awkward to move, he fumbled with the frame and managed to squeeze it through one open door. He had decided to move the hutch as a complete rather than dragging his food in individually. The occupants ran back and forth as their home was dropped to the kitchen floor. The top was lifted ajar and his large hand pushed inside, he felt their smooth bodies under his fingertips.
