The Hunting (39 page)

Genie smiled. She
loved
that wolf. He really was her guardian angel. Who would it protect now? she wondered. Would it know she had gone?

‘It was young,’ Rian said.

Genie turned her head. ‘What was?’ She realized that Rian was looking at her sketchbook. ‘Hey, that’s my stuff.’

‘The wolf. You actually sketched it. It was in the woods with you?’

Genie nodded.

‘Pretty amazing stuff in here, Genie Magee. How come you never showed me any of this?’

‘Like you never noticed me sketching?’

Rian looked at her blankly. ‘When? I swear I never saw you sketch.’

Genie looked at him, anger rising again, but she didn’t feel like fighting.

‘I like the one of Cary and Renée sleeping. Oh yeah and the basketball sketch of me dunking – you got the movement and everything.’

‘I liked the ones of Zara and Sophia. It’s like totally their zombie expressions,’ Renée said with a sigh. ‘God, I wish I had talent.’

‘You have chairs,’ Genie reminded her.

Renée pulled a face, then laughed. ‘Yeah, chairs. I have chairs.’

‘What now?’ Genie asked, feeling sad suddenly. She should have thanked that wolf. It saved her life. ‘What happened to Schneider?’

‘Someone wrapped him in a blanket, staunched the blood, but when the ambulance arrived he’d disappeared. We got out of there just before the cops arrived. Got a ride with a neighbour.’

‘He should have died. It’s not right he lived,’ Renée stated.

Genie sipped some more water. She sensed the ferry was slowing or turning. ‘What about Strindberg?’

Rian looked at her and took her free hand. ‘We have to come up with a plan. Clearly he’s not going to forget us.’

Renée stretched and yawned. ‘We need to negotiate a truce.’

‘How do you make a truce with the devil?’ Genie asked.

Rian shrugged. ‘Make him an offer, I guess. Promise him something he wants.’

‘You may not have noticed, Rian, that we have absolutely nothing – except our lives.’

‘Which might be a negotiating point.’

‘Huh? You think I’m ever going back to the Fortress?’

‘None of us are.’

‘Then what?’

‘I don’t know, but we have to find something he wants enough to leave us alone.’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know, but enough.’

‘You seriously think that could happen?’

‘It has to happen. We can’t run for ever.’

Genie thought about it for a moment. ‘Show him Cary’s video. The one you keep looking at on the phone.’

Rian looked at her a moment and frowned. ‘Why?’

‘’Cause we can make him feel bad about having him killed, for starters. Make him realize he killed a one hundred per cent genius.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Renée queried. ‘What does that achieve? Showing him a video of Cary crashing through a window.’

‘Hover board.’

Renée and Rian exchanged glances.

‘Cary’s dead, remember. The secret died with him. The kids in his team were just his assistants. I know this,’ Renée stated with a certain amount of passion. ‘Cary really was clever and I know I didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but I know only he knew what he was doing, if that makes sense.’

Genie felt in her jeans pocket. The twenty-four-gig memory stick was still there.

‘Not exactly true, Renée. He wrote it all down.’

Renée eyes began to mist. ‘You spoke to him in the hospital?’

‘He knew he was going to die. I’m just glad I got there before Schneider.’

‘So – we do have something to trade,’ Rian said. He pulled Genie towards him and gave her hug. For a moment she felt goosepimples, then suddenly remembered Louise and it didn’t feel so good any more. And as for trading Cary’s work? No way. Had Ri learned nothing?

‘I think we’re docking,’ Renée was saying.

They finally got off the ferry. Renée was holding her hand as she walked beside her.

‘You look happy,’ Genie remarked.

Renée laughed. ‘I guess you don’t see what I see.’ She was turning her head to look towards the drop-off point.

Genie followed her gaze. There was an old Chevy truck and a very patient dog sitting beside it.

‘Moucher!’ Genie screamed.

She ran. Mouch must have seen her at the same time and they collided somewhere in the middle in a tumble of yelps and screams and both rolled over and over as Mouch practically had a heart attack, he was so happy to see her. Huge trucks rolled off the ferry just centimetres away but neither noticed.

Genie climbed to her knees, aware that her back hurt more than ever, but she didn’t care, it was so good to see this dog.

Marshall pulled her up as Moucher began greeting Renée and Rian all over again, wetting the tarmac, he was so excited.

‘Never gets that excited when I get home, little traitor,’ Marshall said with a grin.

Genie sneaked a look at Rian. ‘You called him.’

He smiled. The one he used to give her before he broke her heart.

Marshall wrapped his arms round her and hugged her tight. She inhaled his scent. Apples he always seemed to smell of apples.

‘Missed you, girl. And you have hair!’

Genie couldn’t speak, her vision clouded by tears.

‘Hungry? I know a good place for breakfast,’ Marshall asked, stroking her head.

Genie laughed and took his hand. ‘Starving. I can’t believe you’re here, Marshall. Best surprise of my life, for sure.’

Marshall squeezed her hand. ‘Seems you guys have a lot to tell me. Get in. One has to sit in the back with Mouch. There’s a rug.’

‘That’ll be me. I have a lot to say to that dog.’

Marshall nodded, a little surprised, but he knew how fond of Mouch she was.

He looked back towards the water. ‘No one coming after you? No men with guns, I hope?’

Rian shook his head. ‘We’re good – for now.’

Marshall nodded his head and walked towards the truck. ‘Glad to hear it. There was something on the news about Reverend Schneider. Police found his burned-out car. He’s wanted in connection with two murders in Nanaimo. All they have of him so far is his hand. Can you believe that? It was bitten clean off. Cops are still looking for him.’

‘He should be in hell, Marshall,’ Genie told him as she jumped up into the back of his truck. ‘Where he belongs.’ She still felt cheated that he’d survived.

Rian handed Mouch over to her. ‘Don’t worry. Schneider’s got too many problems now to worry about us.’

Marshall paused by the driver’s door. ‘By the by, there’s an expectant mother out by my place who might be happy to see you.’

Genie frowned for a moment before she twigged.

‘The pig. I don’t believe it.’

Marshall laughed. ‘I reckon she found herself a friend in the woods, so God knows what will come out, but I reckon they’ll be pretty special.’

Genie grinned, feeling happy the pig had survived. She settled down with Moucher and spread the rug over them both.

‘You sure you’re OK back here?’ Renée asked, hovering by the door.

‘Get in. Let’s get going. I’m hungry.’

Renée smiled and swung into the cabin.

Genie looked up at the big grey sky as they drove off. A huge weight had been lifted from her soul. No more school. No more hiding. No more Louise.

‘We’re going home, Mouch.’

He licked her face, resting a paw on her shoulder.

Genie felt the memory stick in her back pocket. Thought of Cary in the hospital dying with all his life-support ripped out. No way Strindberg was getting anything. You don’t trade with the devil and keep your soul. This much she had learned.

Who would be your dream cast if
The Repossession
and
The
Hunting
were made into a film?

It would have to be unknowns. Kids grow up so fast I’d hate to have to choose. Getting Genie right would be tough and Renée would have to be a mouthy redhead. Even finding the right dog would be hard, never mind a moody handsome Rian.

The casting of evil Rev Schneider would be interesting. It would have to be someone you completely trust playing against type.

Which songs would be on the soundtrack?

Listening to lots of Spanish guitars at the moment. My guess is some retro stuff like ‘Cool for Cats’ by the Cure or ‘Bright as Yellow’ by The Innocence and some C&W which is big up in the back country of the Okanagan.

Are your characters based on anyone in particular?

Genie is Roxanne – a tough but really beautiful TA girl (Territorial Army). Renée is based on a very sassy funny/actress waitress in Vancouver. Rian on a boy who stopped to help dig me out of snowdrift in winter and he’d been caring for his sick Ma since he was about six. There are always remarkable people out there – all you have to do is see them.

What is your favourite scene in these books?

When Genie is left alone in Radspan for the first time and getting colder and colder …

What was the hardest scene to write?

When Genie has begun to realize that something is going wrong with her and Ri. She’s out there in the woods gathering firewood, it’s starting to snow and everything has changed and she has no idea why …

What books do you like to read yourself?

YA fiction of course. I am a big fan of Paulo Bacigalupi and Carrie Mac who should be world famous.

When did you realize you were destined to be a writer?

Well, initially I wanted to act when I was quite young (my father dead against it) and then began to write plays at school. Took just one rehearsal to realize I was never ever going to remember any lines. So I stuck to writing. I think my father wanted me to be an architect. If you have ever seen me try to assemble an IKEA bookshelf or sofa you’d know I made the right choice.

Were you surprised by anything in particular while doing research?

I like to remind myself about the laws of unintended consequences in science and there is this conflict in both books between what Reverend Schneider wants (saving souls) and Strindberg (instant DNA cosmetic restructuring) that has come out of the Teleportation experiments. We start with one goal but arrive at something unexpected.

Where do you write and any particular rituals?

Coffee shops, preferably sitting in a sunbeam. Much of this book was written in three different coffee shops: one in Vancouver (Epicurian) out on the narrow terrace with Koko (the dog) at my side, one in Biarritz (Miremont – like writing in the First Class lounge on the Titanic with a view of the ocean), one in Portsmouth (Café P) where I was teaching and doing tutorials at the time. Rituals? Yes. Always read back what you wrote before. Keeps you in line and in voice.

What advice do you have for aspiring young writers?

Get a day job. Writing is a hard choice. There are no guarantees about anything, especially money. I’ve sent a lot of my ex-students towards copywriting. It’s well paid and sometimes creative and often advertising companies are fun places to work.

I guess writing a blog can help too, but then again – the best advice is get that book written and share it as you go along with people who will tell you the truth. If people like it they will want to see more. That’s the best test. I was very lucky. I had people reading (like Freya and Roxanne) as I went along and it spurred me on as they were all keen to know what would happen to Genie and Rian.

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