Silent Scream

She had to panic him into doing something stupid.

The siren grew louder and Kim had an idea.

‘But there is one major thing you forgot, Victor.’ She smiled widely. ‘And it will be your undoing.’

As Victor leaned in towards her to hear over the siren, William groaned and rolled onto his back.

She saw Lucy’s emergency pendant hanging around his neck. It hadn’t been his chest he’d been clutching after all.

The siren grew ever louder. Her hands and feet were bound to each other.

‘What exactly did I forget, Detective?’

His face was beside her own. He was sure that the siren was not for them and wanted to know what tracks he had left to cover.

Even trussed up, Kim now knew she had the upper hand.

‘You already said that I know how to use my head.’

Kim craned her head backwards, then launched it forward, hard. Her forehead met with the bridge of his nose. The fireworks shot through her head and for a second she wasn’t sure if the sound of cracked bone was from her or from him.

The wail of pain that came from Wilks’ mouth told her it was most definitely him.

His hands reached instinctively for his face, while the knife dropped half a foot from her bound hands. He staggered to his feet and she wriggled her body towards the knife.

‘You fucking bitch,’ he cried, staggering around the room.

As her bound hands clutched the knife handle, Victor seemed to realise he no longer had possession of it.

Still holding his face, he headed for the shovel in the doorway.

Breaking his nose had bought her a minute but in her bound state one swing of that shovel around her head and she was gone.

The sound of the siren was now deafening.

She turned the knife towards her and hacked at the piece of rope that William had managed to loosen. It cut through but didn’t free any of her limbs, although it did offer her another inch or two of movement.

Kim’s hand worked quickly. Two more steps and he’d be upon her.

William’s right hand shot out and grabbed Victor’s ankle. He stumbled and fell but quickly regained his footing.

Kim used her middle finger to pull one of the twines tighter. It tightened around all of her limbs. It was the co

She worked harder. Her breath now came in short, sharp bursts as she put every ounce of energy she had into cutting that one co

Victor stood above her. Rage burned in his eyes as blood dripped from his nose. In the light of the street lamp the blood had formed a moustache and beard on his face.

He lifted the shovel high into the air, then swung it down. She rolled to the left. The shovel landed on the ground an inch from her head. The sound exploded in her ear.

She could feel the tightness of the rope loosening against the blade. In her mind’s eye she could picture the rope fraying under the pressure of the blade.

But it was not fraying quickly enough.

Again, the shovel was raised high above his head. The rage in Wilks’ eyes was murderous.

She knew that the next strike would not miss.

The siren had stopped and the sudden silence was ominous.

Victor readjusted the grip of the shovel in his hand, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Kim saw the head of the shovel coming down towards her head.

She was out of time. She dropped the knife and put every ounce of strength into pulling her hands apart, praying she’d weakened the correct strand.

Her hands and legs exploded apart and she lunged for his knees, but the downward motion of the shovel could not be stopped. The tool hit the lower part of her back, hard.

She cried out in pain as she swept his legs from beneath him. He toppled backwards to the ground. His right elbow crashed against the wall as he fell.

Kim ignored the pain in her back. She knew she had to make the most of this opportunity. The injuries she'd inflicted would not keep him subdued for long.

She pounced on his legs and climbed up his body. He tried to lift himself up from the waist but Kim was too quick. She pulled herself up and sat astride him. He rolled and writhed beneath her but her knees were locked into his ribs.

Kim heard activity in the kitchen as feet crunched on top of broken glass.

‘In here,’ she shouted.

Kim looked into eyes that showed only fear for himself. She smiled down at him. ‘Looks like He has had enough of your crimes as well.’

Again, Wilks tried to turn his body weight to throw her off.

She balled her fist and punched him square on the nose in the exact spot she’d headbutted him.

He squealed out in pain.

‘They were just kids, you bastard.’

She hit him again. ‘And that one's from Cerys.’

The glare of a torch landed right on her. A male paramedic shone the light around the room.

‘Umm ... Police are en route,’ he said, not moving forward, obviously unsure of what had taken place.

‘Thank God for that,’ she said, reaching for her warrant card.

He glanced at it. ‘Okay, what the hell ...’

She pointed to William, who lay groaning beside her. ‘See to him first. Head injuries, both sides.’

‘Do you need ...’

‘I’m fine. See to him.’

Victor wriggled beneath her. ‘Oh, keep still,’ she said, digging her right knee into his ribs. The second paramedic came storming into the room.

‘Police are coming,’ he said, looking at her quizzically.

Why were they both so quick to label her the bad guy?

‘She is the police, Mick,’ said the first paramedic, with just a hint of disbelief.

Mick shrugged, then kneeled on the floor on the opposite side of William’s head. She recognised the second medic from Lucy's recent episode. She couldn't help but wonder just how many times they'd been called out to the poor child.

‘Lucy,’ William managed to utter.

‘She’s fine. She managed to communicate where you were,’ Mick said.

What a girl, Kim thought.

‘You’ll ... never ... prove ...’ Victor started to mutter.

‘Shut up,’ Kim said, using her knee again.

Kim heard more sirens in the distance. They were travelling quickly.

The sirens stopped and within seconds footsteps thundered along the corridor.

Bryant and Dawson burst into the room. And stopped dead.

She smiled. ‘Evening, boys. Thanks for coming, but ten minutes sooner would have been good.’

Bryant held out his hand to help her up while Dawson placed Victor’s arms above his head.

She ignored the outstretched hand and pushed herself to her feet. She couldn’t identify a part of her body that wasn’t sending pain messages to her brain but the agony in her back possibly trumped it all. She grimaced as she straightened.

‘How did you know?’ she asked.

‘Stacey got an email from a Minister in Bristol. I'll give you the details later but Guv, there's go

Kim was not surprised. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer for the ones that would never be found.

She took a deep breath. ‘Get him up, Kev.’

Dawson and Bryant each grabbed an arm and lifted.

The animosity in Victor’s stare burned into her skin. If he thought that would frighten her he needed to think again. He’d clearly never seen Woody in a really bad mood. Now that was something else.

‘Victor Wilks, I’m arresting you for the murder of Tracy Morgan and her unborn child, Melanie Harris and Louise Dunston. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say may be given in evidence, you evil murdering bastard.’

She enjoyed how he looked at her, utter hatred in his eyes. ‘Get him out of my sight, guys.’

Bryant hesitated. 'Guv ...'

She held up her hand. 'I'm fine. Just get him safely to the station. I won't be far behind.'