They stood on the road as Ben shone the torch to where they’d heard the scream. He saw tarmac, the uneven, rough path, with wild grass growing in patches. He moved the light along the ground and into the distance. They couldn’t see anyone. Ben shone the light into the fields either side then quickly moved the light away realising it could draw attention to where they were hiding. Everyone kept silent as the torch explored their surroundings.
Ben wanted to shout, but what? Run? Get away? Come back to us? He risked the lives of the others if he called out. Edward was too stubborn to listen. He thought he knew better.
The rain had started, and the wind blew water into their faces making it difficult to focus. Ben looked into the bleak distance. It was like they were completely alone, only a blanket of darkness as they stood together.
‘What do we do?’ Laura asked.
‘Maybe he’ll go away. Perhaps he never got to them. Mary may have fallen. There could be a multiple of explanations for her crying out. All the same, I should go back,’ Ben insisted.
‘And do what? He’s a madman, Ben. He’ll kill you. You know he will.’ Laura was determined to keep him there. This was stupidity, and she was determined not to let her husband go.
‘Mary needs our help. If I walk along the road, maybe I can see what’s happened. I can–’
Another scream exploded beside where they stood.
‘No. Please. No.’ The voice was a woman’s, maybe fifty yards away.
Milly pulled at her father’s arm, her body tense, agitated.
Three shots were fired.
The screams ceased.
‘Run! He’s shot them. We have to run,’ Ben hissed.
A light appeared not far from where they stood.
Ben let Stephen, Milly and Laura sprint past him along the road. He helped Lydia with Jack, each taking one arm, and followed close behind, shining the torch on the ground. They kept running, trying to get as far away from the shots as possible.
There was, Ben decided, little point going back. The three shots were a testament to what the caller had done. He knew if he went back now, he wouldn’t walk away alive. He had to protect his family and the other passengers. He thought about their car, left in the field near the cottage. Maybe he could go there, get the car and drive. It might be the only way to escape.
Lydia stopped suddenly. Her feet were cut from walking barefoot after discarding her shoes because the broken heel made it too difficult to walk. She reached forward, panting heavily. The others stopped beside her, trying to recover.
‘Can you go on?’ Ben asked.
‘Give me a minute,’ Lydia confirmed. ‘I’ll be okay. I need to get my breath back.’
Jack placed his hand on her back, rubbing it as if he was trying to push oxygen through her body.
‘Look,’ said Laura suddenly. ‘He’s getting closer.’
‘Is everyone all right?’ Ben asked. He shone the torch among the group.
‘Okay. Let’s go.’ Again, Ben let everyone move past. He kept behind the pack, making sure they didn’t lose anyone. Stephen was now helping Jack. After a few minutes, people stopped, too exhausted to go on. They’d been moving for over an hour. There was no sign of life. The fields seemed to go on for miles. They were cold, stressed, and their bodies were giving up.
Laura moved to her husband. ‘They have to rest. Look at them. They can’t do this for much longer.’
Ben pushed out a sigh from deep within his body. ‘I understand. But he’s gaining on us. Any minute now there’ll be another six dead bodies.’ He looked around the group, watching the sullen faces, rosy cheeks, the purple lips. They were shivering, pushed close to one another. ‘I have an idea. The car is back near the cottage. Lydia told me where she got out of the boot. I say you all hide in the field here. If you keep as quiet as possible, I think he’ll pass by. He has no reason to stop and look in this particular spot. I’m thinking he’ll keep going. I can get the car and drive along the road.’
Laura was taking in what Ben suggested.
Ben insisted, ‘It’s the only way, Laura. We’ll be out here for hours otherwise. Either that, or he’ll catch us. He’s not far behind. He’ll be on us in a matter of minutes.’
She looked into the dark space, and then at the people around her. ‘Okay. Let’s do it.’
Ben turned to the others. ‘Right. We have an idea. We can’t keep going. It’s too cold. People are tired, I understand. I want you all to move into the field. As quickly as you can. Keep hidden. I’m going to go back and try and get the car. It’s our only option.’ He turned the torch on their faces, seeing their eyes. The fearful expressions. He looked at Lydia, Jack, Stephen, Laura. ‘Where’s Milly?’ Ben spun around, shouting her name.
‘She was here a second ago,’ Laura confirmed.
‘Milly. Milly. Where are you? Milly.’
Their daughter was gone.
31
Ben and Laura
‘Everyone, into the field now.’ Ben ordered the passengers to hide. His wife completely lost it. She was running along the road, screaming for their daughter. ‘Milly, where are you? Ben, she’s gone. He’s taken her. He’s going to kill her. He’s going to fucking kill her.’
‘We’ll help look,’ Stephen said, his voice urgent. ‘You stayed with us when you could have left. We owe you our lives. It’s the least we can do.’
‘Hide,’ insisted Ben. ‘Please. We’ll find her. Take Lydia and Jack and go into the field. It will only slow us down. I’m going to find my daughter; then I’ll get the car. Stay here.’
Laura and Ben sprinted along the road, bawling Milly’s name. They didn’t care if the caller jumped out on them. They had to get to Milly. Ben feared hearing another gunshot, knowing his daughter could die at any moment.
‘Ben, has he got her? Has he got our daughter?’ Laura was struggling to breathe.
‘We’ll get her back,’ he answered. ‘I promise.’
Their first stop was the coach. As they ran, they looked for Edward, Mary and Abigail. There was no sign of their bodies, though; the caller had probably hidden them.
At the coach, Ben stopped Laura boarding. ‘Wait here. I’ll have a look.’
‘Ben, be careful.’
He came back a minute later. ‘It’s empty. He must have taken her to the barn. If she’s not there, we’ll try the cottage. It’s along the path, about a mile from here.’
‘Well then, let’s go and get her back,’ Laura said.
‘It’s not safe. He’s armed, extremely dangerous and he doesn’t give a shit who he kills.’
Laura glared at Ben. ‘There’s nothing more deadly than a woman who’s had her daughter taken.’
He smiled. ‘That’s the spirit.’
They jogged together, side by side, adrenalin keeping them going. The rain had eased up, and their bodies had warmed slightly. His wife was wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘I’ll kill him if he lays a finger on Milly.’
‘You’ll have to get in line,’ Ben answered.
They saw the light in the barn as they ran along the road.