The Hunting (38 page)

She had waited long enough. No one was around and it was very dark on a night without a moon. No streetlights out in this part of the world either. Starlight would be her guide.

She got out, closed the door quietly and went round the back to the forest side. She felt safer here than out on the road. She approached the cabin cautiously in case Reverend Schneider was there watching, waiting. She had the element of surprise, of course; he’d think she was dead in Mrs Finney’s car. He hadn’t waited to verify it; he was so sure she’d got in with her.

She entered by the back gate. Stealthy, cautious, holding her breath, watching, being as soundless as possible. Rian was slumped over the table inside. At first she feared the worst, but quickly realized he was asleep, the remnants of a fire burning in the grate. Renée she guessed was asleep in her bed.

There was no one around.

She tapped lightly on the window. Rian didn’t stir. She tapped louder. Rian still didn’t stir. It was Renée she woke. She came stumbling out of her room in her underwear, rubbing her eyes. She could see Genie waving to her from outside and stopped, surprised.

Genie tapped again and Renée came over and unlocked the door.

‘What? Why? What’s wrong with the front door?’

Genie entered. ‘Didn’t you check the phone?’

Renée looked at her blankly. ‘Shit. No. I put it on charge yesterday and—’

‘Pack. Wake Ri. We have to go.’

‘What?’

Rian began to stir. ‘Genie? What’s up? Where you been?’

‘We’re busted. You have to pack. We have to leave. Now!’

Rian looked at her uncomprehending. Renée sat on the floor like she was going back to sleep.

‘Guys, wake the hell up! Cary is dead. Reverend Schneider killed him. He’s tried to kill me tonight. He’s coming here. We’re busted.
We have to go
.’

That sort of got their attention.

‘Dead?’ Renée began to cry.

‘Schneider?’ Rian queried, disbelieving.

‘Yes. Now, get your stuff and we have to go. He knows who we are, where we live and he’s coming for us. Tonight. I’m not kidding.’

Rian looked at her and noticed the bruise on her head for the first time.

‘What happened to your head?’

‘Fell in the hospital. Look, take this seriously. Schneider’s coming. Something else too – Strindberg’s the school governor. If we ever meet up with Denis I’d like to punch him hard. How could he have not known about that?’

Rian blinked. ‘Strindberg? No way.’

‘This is his little genius laboratory. You think Cary would have been able to hold on to anti-gravity if Strindberg knew about it? Or any other crazy idea these kids get? I know you like it here but it’s over. We can’t pretend to be anyone else any more. They know. You can stay or go, Ri, but I’m going.’

Rian at last took it seriously. He didn’t have to think about it, he knew Genie was speaking the truth. ‘I’ll get my stuff. Renée, get dressed. Pack light.’

‘I don’t want to …’ Renée began. ‘
Cary is dead?
’

‘Schneider pulled all the tubes out of Cary. He died quickly. He bombed Mrs Finney’s car,’ Genie told her. ‘This is deadly serious now. We have minutes before he gets here, Renée. You’ll have to cry later.’

‘Mrs Finney – the English teacher? She’s dead?’ Renée protested.

‘He thought I was in her car. It went boom. She’s toast.’

Rian came out of the room looking at Genie. ‘You pack too. What do you need?’

‘Got nothing I want – sweater maybe. My sketchbook and pens. Toothbrush.’

‘I’ll get them. Map. We need a map.’ He dived back into the room again.

She remembered something though.

‘Shoebox. Where’s the shoebox?’

‘Cary’s?’ Renée asked, tears running down her cheeks.

‘Yes.’

‘In the cupboard, by the boiler.’

Genie made her way across the room. She slid the door across and there it was. Just as Cary had said. A shoebox. The memory stick was hidden inside a dirty sock. She slipped it into her jeans. He
had
talked to her then. She hadn’t hallucinated that, at least. She probably wouldn’t be able to do anything with it, but at least no one else would either. The hover board would have to stay in the future.

She quickly changed T-shirt, grabbed her favourite sweater and scarf. She wasn’t going to carry anything else. She went into Cary’s room and pocketed his phone. No need to leave evidence around.

‘I’m not kidding. We have to go now,’ she told Renée, who was staring at her overnight case and not able to make a decision. ‘Schneider would have got here before me. He just has to access the school records and he’ll know where we live by now.’

‘I hate running.’

‘Not as much as you hate dying. We’re going, Renée. With or without you.’

She looked at Genie with hate. ‘You never liked it here. I like it here.’

‘Then stay. Make the best of the next hour of your life. It’s the last hour you’ve got.’

Genie headed for the back door again. She’d come with nothing, she’d leave with nothing.

Rian was behind her, had a bag with all kinds of stuff in it.

‘Blankets,’ he said, putting one round her shoulders. ‘No need to freeze to death.’ He handed over her sketchbook and she quickly pocketed it into her coat.

‘I got us a truck,’ Genie told him. ‘It’s good until someone misses it. You ready? Or you want to say goodbye to Louise?’

Rian looked at her with astonishment, then flushed red.

‘It doesn’t matter, Ri. I’m over it. Let’s go.’

Renée arrived. Peeved, silent, had a bag stuffed with anything, but she was ready.

‘Don’t look back,’ Genie said as she slid open the door. ‘It’s going to get tough from here on.’

Genie started the truck and her heart sank as she stared at the fuel gauge. They were practically on empty.

‘I don’t believe it,’

Rian saw it too. ‘There’s a twenty-four/seven gas station on the highway.’

‘We’re broke. You got any cash?’

Renée suddenly remembered something. ‘Wait, guys. I know where Cary kept his stash.’

She leaped out of the truck before they could stop her and ran back to the cabin, went straight to the front, just what Genie didn’t want her to do.

‘Damn. She isn’t thinking.’

‘She’s upset about Cary.’

‘We’re all upset about Cary.’ Genie stared straight ahead; she didn’t want to look at him. ‘You don’t have to come. You didn’t teleport. You aren’t on the database. He won’t be looking for you. Besides you wouldn’t want to disappoint Louise.’

Rian sighed. ‘I’m not doing anything with Louise.’

Genie snatched a glance at Rian. ‘Don’t lie to me, Ri. You should stay. You don’t need to come. It’s just me and Renée he’s after.’

‘I go where you go, you know that.’

‘I don’t know that.’

‘I made a promise.’

‘I’m releasing you from that promise. I’m not what you want. I don’t even like basketball. I’m not cute, I’m not hot like her.’

‘Will you shut up, Genie! I haven’t done anything with Louise. She kissed me, that’s all. She likes me; I never said I liked her.’

Genie shook her head. ‘Doesn’t matter. I know when something has died. I’m not stupid – well, not as stupid as you think I am.’

‘I never said you were stupid.’

‘I believe you did. “You can’t just waste your time in the woods being a hippy. Life is tough, Genie”.’ She looked out towards the cabin. ‘Where the hell is Renée?’

‘Look I—’ Rian began.

They both saw the silver Mercedes creep into view and park at the opposite end of the road, its lights off. No one got out. It was just waiting.

‘It’s him,’ Genie whispered.

‘Keep the engine running, but no lights, OK,’ Rian told her calmly.

‘I hope Renée has the sense to come out the back way,’ Genie said, but knew she was wasting her breath. ‘She’ll lead him right to this truck. What do we do, Ri?’

‘Run or fight. But we can’t outrun him in this, especially without gas.’

‘Fight him with what?’

‘We’re smarter than him, remember?’

‘You’re smarter than him. Not me.’

‘You’re alive. He won’t be expecting that, right? Get out. Get into the trees. Stay close but out of sight.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know but I want you out of here – now. Go!’

Genie leaped out and ran to the trees. She turned when she heard a door slam. Renée, bird-brained Renée, had left by the front door. She was walking down the centre of the road towards the truck. She held up something in her hands and waved to Rian. So much for being discreet.

Behind her the Mercedes began to creep along the road. Renée didn’t even notice. She was smiling, happy she had found the stash.

The Mercedes suddenly began to speed up, lights off. He was going to mow her down.

Rian rammed the truck into gear, flipped the full beams on and drove straight at Renée. For a second there she had no idea what was happening – turned, saw the car coming straight for her and only just leaped out of the way. Rian swung the truck headfirst into the Mercedes. There was an almighty crunch and a spray of hot liquids.

It was old solid Chevy versus German crumple technology. No contest. The Mercedes folded, just like it was supposed to, and inside the vehicle the air-bags popped, trapping Reverend Schneider from all directions.

Renée was shouting, confused at what just happened.

‘Get off the damn road, Renée!’ Genie shouted from the woods. She couldn’t believe how dumb she was being.

As Renée ran into the trees, Genie could see Schneider begin to move. She had to get Rian out of the truck fast.

She ran for the truck, tore open the door, which crashed to the ground, and saw that Rian was dazed and bleeding. The windshield was cracked and there was a terrible smell of gasoline.

She grabbed him, pulled him out of there and dragged him to the bushes.

He didn’t say a word so she knew he was hurt.

Renée had gathered her wits at last and was there beside her, and together they dragged him further away from the truck.

‘Take care of him,’ Genie told her. ‘I need my sketchbook.’

‘No, Genie, smell the gasoline …’

But Genie was gone and she’d jumped back up into the truck. She tossed all their hurriedly packed possessions out towards the bushes.

‘Don’t you ever die?’

Schneider was standing just outside the truck, holding a handkerchief to his bleeding forehead. ‘Your luck just ran out, Genie – or is it Rhiannon?’ He smirked.

Genie noticed he had a tyre iron in his hands. She furtively looked round the cabin for something to fight with, but what exactly? He was heavy. It would be like a flea fighting an elephant.

‘What makes you sure I want to live, Schneider?’

Reverend Schneider raised the tyre iron and approached the cabin. ‘No time for philosophy, I’m afraid. You first, then Renée and the boy.’

He raised his hand, reached in with his other hand to pull Genie out. She tried to back up but the gearstick was caught in her coat.

Suddenly there was a blur of snarling grey. The wolf came out of nowhere and big sharp teeth clamped down on Schneider’s arm. He was spun around and caught off balance and fell between the two vehicles, the wolf holding on, his jaw getting ever tighter as Schneider screamed in pain.

Genie heard her coat rip as she tried to break free and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The stench of gasoline was suddenly overwhelming; she saw the spark from broken wiring ignite a rush of blue flames, which ran under both vehicles. Seconds later the fuel tanks suddenly erupted.

Renée was blown over by the blast. The Mercedes seemed to lift off the ground a moment as the glass blew out and a moment later the truck exploded likewise.

Genie for one complete second recalled Cary’s video of him flying through the window as she too was propelled out of the truck across the road.

She landed hard, her coat on fire. As she rolled to put it out, someone was screaming – it might have been her.

Strong hands pulled her up. She saw Reverend Schneider rolling on the ground roaring with pain, his clothes on fire. Someone threw a blanket over her, but not before she saw the wolf running down the road with a severed hand in its mouth. She realized that it was the safety of the wolf she was most worried about.

‘Can you hear me?’ The blanket was pulled off her. She was staring at a man with poppy eyes wearing pyjamas, standing on the cold road in his bare feet. He looked as scared as she felt. The neighbour. They had never met.

Suddenly Rian was there, picking her up, carrying her away. Renée at their side, crying. And then she realized she was going to pass out. Someone had filled her head with gasoline and she most certainly, absolutely had to …

Rian was watching the video of Cary on the hover board. Seemed to be playing it over and over. Renée was fixing her hair and somewhere in the background there was a deep drumming noise that Genie couldn’t quite place.

She opened her eyes.

‘Thirsty,’ she croaked. ‘Where are we?’

Renée immediately gave her some water to drink. She looked very relieved to hear Genie’s voice.

‘Where are we?’ Genie croaked.

‘Ferry,’ Rian told her, turning to look at her. ‘How do you feel?’

Genie thought about it for a moment.

‘Hungry.’

Rian nodded. ‘Us too. We had only just enough money for the ferry.’

‘Where … ?’

‘We’ll be there soon.’

Genie sat up, suddenly aware she was in pain and her midriff was bandaged.

‘Oh yeah, we had to pay for the bandages too. You might be a bit sore but the burns aren’t too bad. You’ll live,’ Rian added, patting her legs.

‘I had to take masses of glass out of your back and shoulder,’ Renée told her. ‘Bet it’s real sore now.’

‘Uh huh,’ Genie said, beginning to sense she was pretty sore all over. She checked her hair. Amazingly, she still had some. She had pictures of exploding cars in her head and Reverend Schneider burning. That was going to stick in her mind for a very long time.

‘What I don’t get is where that wolf came from and how it knew who to attack. It was like it knew what to do,’ Renée was saying. ‘I mean, it bit his whole hand off and ran off with it. How weird was that?’