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Jess started getting up, ignoring Nigel’s outstretched hand and rising tentatively, as though she expected a strong wind to blow her over at any moment. Nigel moved back and waited patiently by the stairs for her. To his irritation, Jess instead turned to Steph and held out a hand. “Will you come with me?”
Don’t even try it! Just take what’s coming to you and stop making things hard.
Nigel was relieved when Steph shook her head. Jess seemed to deflate like a leaking balloon.
“I can’t,” Steph told her. “I need to stay here and look after Old Graham.”
“But he’s asleep,” said Jess, the pleading and desperation in her voice was clear to Nigel. But is it clear to Steph? Much to his dismay, Steph did indeed seem to pick up on the girl’s veiled pleas and was now staring at Jess as if trying to work her out. Nigel held his breath, waiting for the outcome.
“Okay,” said Steph. “I’ll come with you, but we’ll have to be quick.”
Damn it!
Nigel stood, irritated, as the two women huddled up and waited for him to lead on. It was obvious Steph had picked up on something in Jess’s tone, but he doubted she suspected anything specific, anything close to the truth. She knew something was up, but, as long as he didn’t leave the two of them alone, she wouldn’t figure out what until it was far far too late.
Nigel started to creep up the stairs, making sure the women followed. He kept his steps slow so that Jess couldn’t fall behind and whisper something to Steph without him hearing. When they reached the top, he stepped aside and ushered the women past him. From behind, he moved them into the candlelight of the bar and was immediately hit by the sub-zero temperature. It wasn’t even biting cold any longer, but a far deeper sensation that his very blood was turning to ice in his veins. “Come on,” he said, “let’s get over to the fire.”
The women walked ahead and he kept close behind, rubbing his palms against his arms to try and generate some friction and heat – but the only thing getting him hot right now was watching Steph move. He thought about all the things that he could do to that sexy, slender body that would warm him up for the rest of the night. The only thing left to figure out was the best way to take Jess out of the picture. For now he’d let things play out and wait for an opportunity to present itself. The flick knife in his pocket made Nigel consider just stabbing the girl and being done with it, but that would be a waste. He had to have his fun with her first. If Steph was going to be the main course, then Jess would be dessert. I’ll eat her nipples as cherries, Nigel thought as he let slip an excited laugh. He quickly stifled it when the women looked at him.
“Something fu
He quickly shook his head. “Just the craziness of tonight making me a little loopy. I get the giggles when I’m nervous.”
“And why would you be nervous?” Jess asked in a tone that he didn’t like at all. It was almost goading.
“Well,” he said, “there’s a lot to worry about tonight, isn’t there, sweetheart?”
Jess took a step backwards and was nodding as though she knew a punch-line to a joke that no one had told. Nigel felt his blood pressure rising as he fought the urge to rip into the girl and punish her insolence. She kept her eyes fixed on him as she continued stepping backwards. Steph was watching from a few feet away, visibly unsure of what was about to unfold. Nigel took steps of his own, keeping pace with Jess.
Like a predator stalking its prey.
“Or are you nervous,” Jess said, “because you lied about Peter being awake? Look at him, he’s still unconscious.”
Nigel gri
Jess took another step backwards, placing herself up against the wall beside the fire. No more space to retreat. Nigel continued approaching.
You’re trapped now, bitch.
“Or,” Jess continued, “are you nervous because I know that you’re the one that tried to rape Steph?”
Nigel looked at Steph and watched the sudden shock wash over her. She took a sharp intake of breath. Jess’s revelation had sucked the wind out of him as well. He’d expected her to try and blow his cover, but the fact that she’d done right in front of Steph hurt him. Nigel hadn’t wanted Steph to know the truth about him until the very last moment.
Nothing to be done now though. Time to start ripping flesh.
Nigel lunged at Jess like a snake uncoiling. Such momentum did he have that he was powerless to change direction as the teenaged girl swung at him with the fire poker she’d somehow grabbed from its rack without him seeing.
The last thing Nigel thought as the steel rod arced towards his skull was…
Chapter Twenty-NINE
“You want another piece of me, huh? Well, if it’s Mortal Kombat you want then that’s exactly what you’re going to get, you cross-dressing freak.”
Harry managed to reach out and grab Jerry just before the lad ran off to his peril. “Hold it,” he said, clutching the boy by the collar.
Jerry struggled to get free. “Dude, not cool. Let go of me. Him and me have got a date with destiny.”
Harry shook the lad. “This isn’t Star Wars and that’s not Obi Wan Kenobi.”
Jerry looked outraged. “Obi Wan is one of the good guys, you dork!”
“Yeah,” said Harry, “I’m the dork.”
“Fellas, while I’d love to have a discussion on the many wee sides of the force, I think we should get going, pronto.”
Harry nodded to Lucas and then looked into the distance at the approaching figure. “Okay, let’s get back to the pub.”
Everyone agreed. They turned, ran…
…and stopped in their tracks.
“Holy shit!” Jerry cried out as ten foot flames exploded from the snow before them, cutting off any chance of escape. Harry felt the heat spread out in a wide semi-circle around them, leaving no place to go but towards the tall, hooded figure.
Jerry put his fists up. “Time we entered the Thunderdome.”
“You reckon we should fight?” Harry asked.
“You got a better idea?” Kath queried.
“Don’t suppose anybody has a fire extinguisher?” Lucas asked, fa
Harry took several steps forwards. It was probably a stupid idea. “What do you want from us?” he demanded. The hooded figure stopped moving, still too far buried by the blizzard for Harry to make them out clearly. Despite that, he could feel the stranger’s stare boring into him, digging out the corners of his soul. “I said, what do you want?”
Silence.
Then: “WE HAVE COME FOR…THE SINNER.”
Harry shook his head. What the hell is with this guy? Did he overdose on bible studies as a kid?
“Who exactly is the si
More silence.
Then: “YOU ARE, HARRY JOBSON.”
Harry fell down, for no other reason than his knees had ceased function. He flopped, face-first into the snow like an awkward clown, dreading he would never get up again. He was the si
He knows my secret; knows what I’ve done. He’s right…I am a si
“Come on, Harry Boy, time to go.” Lucas lifted him up, and at first Harry thought it was to turn him in to the hooded stranger, but it wasn’t. Lucas gained assistance from Jerry and the two of them dragged Harry through the snow, aiming for a small gap between the semi-circle of fire and the hooded figure. Harry had every confidence that Kath was not part of his attempted rescue, yet he could hear her crunching footfalls following beyond.