Unknown Enemy Page 3

  "No? And what about when some kid at school loses his shit, and comes in with a gun and starts shooting?"

  "What am I gonna do? Carry a gun, too?"

  "I didn't say that. But there’s no need to be scared of them. Look, watch me, and then you try, okay?"

  She groaned in agreement, but didn't look very happy about it.

  "You see that tree over there?" He pointed to some woods that reached out almost to the edge of the drop before them.

  “That nearest tree, that's about the width of a man.”

  It was just over ten metres from them. He took aim and fired three shots. Slowly and carefully, as to maintain his aim, each time striking the tree.

  "You see you have to stay calm. Watch what happens if I just go crazy."

  He fired five more shots. Only two of them struck the tree when he fired as quickly as he could.

  "You see; it's not so bad. So many people are scared of guns, but they can be fun."

  There was a cracking sound, as though a branch by the tree he’d fired at had been stepped on, and a moment later a rustling of leaves. They both jumped, and he lifted the pistol to take aim at the origin of the noise.

  "Someone out there? Is anybody out there?"

  "Let's go home. I don't like it out here. It’s creeping me out," said Emma.

  But he started walking towards the tree line.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I want to see if anyone is there. They're dumb as shit if they are."

  He carried on, but she stayed put. He went forward at a walking pace and a little cautiously, but he didn't seem scared.

  "Hey, if there's anyone there, quit jerking around!"

  He reached the tree and looked around the other side.

  "What is it, Sam?"

  "Nothing, nobody here."

  There was a flutter of the branches, and he leapt back, firing two shots in a panic. Emma was frozen in fear.

  "It's okay. It's okay. It's just a bird."

  He began to laugh, but she wasn't impressed, and took out her phone to message her friends.

  "Great, no signal."

  She heard a crack and looked up, but Sam was gone. Her heart almost stopped beating.

  "Sam? Sam, Sam where are you? Stop messing about. It’s not funny."

  There was no response.

  "Sam?"

  She stepped cautiously forward, looking back at the car. The door was still open, and the keys in the ignition. She wanted to get in and leave. The place was creeping her out, but she couldn't take his car and leave him out there, even if he was being a fool. She kept going forward, looking cautiously all around.

  "Sam? Stop it, please. Where are you?"

  She reached the spot where he had been standing. His gun was on the ground, but there was no sign of him.

  "Sam, stop it, you’re scaring me."

  She drew out her phone again and turned on the flashlight to try and spot him. There was a trail of blood beside the gun and on the tree he had been shooting at. She went pale with fright, and yet managed to find the courage to look behind the tree. There was a pool of blood. She jumped and screamed a little, but managed to calm her nerves.

  "Sam, are you here?"

  There was a flutter from the branches further ahead. She looked up in time to see a silhouette of something moving, but it was gone again before she could get a good look. Whatever it was, it wasn't Sam. The smell of chlorine suddenly filled the air and burnt into her nostrils. She looked back and forth for some sign of Sam, but she was terrified. When she spotted two small lights off in the woods, she realised it was eyes watching her, like a predator watches its prey.

  She screamed and fell back, tripping on a branch. Her left hand landed in a pool of moisture, and she looked down. It was blood. She screamed again, scrambled up, and ran as fast as she could.

  She'd dropped her phone in the fall, and not even thought about the gun as she sprinted for the Mustang. She climbed in and slammed the door shut, locking the doors. She looked back towards the tree to see the two glowing eyes in the treeline.

  "Oh, my god. Oh, my god!"

  She fumbled with the keys and finally fired the engine up. She slipped it into gear, spun the tyres as she turned the car around, and raced out of there. She kept looking in the rear view and over her shoulder, as if expecting something to be following her. She went on for a mile until finally she pulled over, opened the door, and vomited on the side of the road.

  "What am I doing? What? What?"

  She gasped, trying to breathe. There was a flash of lightning in the sky, but not in any colour she had ever seen. The rolling sound of thunder followed it. As if she wasn't scared enough, this just made her jump again. She slammed the door shut and locked the doors as the engine continued to tick over. She looked down at her left arm. It was still covered in blood, as was the wheel and the shifter. It made her want to throw up again, but she also didn't want to be alone out there any longer. She was terrified, and all she could think to do was get back to town. She put it into gear and went forward once again.

  "Not far now. You can make it. Everything's gonna be fine," she told herself.

  Chapter 3

  Emma was tearing through a residential neighbourhood when she spotted a familiar face. Martin Burns, one of her teachers, a man who was strict, but always trustworthy. She slammed the brakes on and slid to a halt outside his home. His garage door was open where he had been ferrying things from his car.

  "What the hell? You know what the speed limit is?" he demanded. But he knew whose car it was, and was surprised to see her get out.

  "Emma? What are you doing driving like that?"

  She rushed towards him, and he saw the panicked expression on her face, and then the blood.

  "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

  "Please, you have to help. It's Sam."

  But he looked to what appeared to be her wounds first.

  "Are you hurt?"

  "This isn't my blood," she replied, snatching her arm back.

  Lightning flashed in the sky and rolling thunder followed it once more as rain began to fall.

  "Come on inside, Emma, and tell me what’s going on."

  She gladly obliged, knowing she was safe with him. He stepped into his home to immediately be met with by photos of him from his days in the Marines. He was a hard ass teacher, but honest and decent.

  "What happened to you?" He gently helped her sit down.

  "You have to help Sam. You have to go and find him!"

  She was still in a panic. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

  "Everything's okay. Nobody is going to hurt you here. Emma, do you hear me?"

  She nodded in agreement, but she was still trembling.

  "Now, take a breath, and tell me what we are dealing with here."

  She nodded again, and took a few more breaths, trying to find a way to explain it.

  "It's okay, Emma. Whatever it is you have to tell me, just get it out there."

  "We were up at the viewing spot up North over the mountain, you know it?"

  "Sure. You and Sam Marshall, you mean?"

  "Yeah."

  "What were you doing up there at night? And with this weather front we are in? We caught a dry break today, but that was a brief pause."

  "I, I know, but..."

  "It's okay, but tell me what happened out there."

  "Sam, he and his friends go up there to shoot guns. Just for fun, at trees and stuff."

  From the look on the teacher's face he was clearly aware of the fact.

  "Okay, but go on."

  "Sam, he wanted to show me how to shoot. I didn't want to, but then...then..."

  "What happened, Emma?"

  She couldn't find her words, couldn’t speak.

  "Look, I want to help you, but I need to know everything you saw."

  She still looked cagey.

  "Whatever it is, no matter how bad you think it is, that doesn't matter. Tell me what you saw, and we'll figure this out. I promise you."

  "I looked down at my phone, and then he was gone."

  "Sam?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you look for him?"

  "Yes, but he was right in front of me, and then nothing. I looked around. There was his gun, and blood, lots of blood, and then..."

  Her eyes widened in horror once again as she paused and stopped breathing.

  "Then what? Emma, talk to me!"

  "There was something out there, something in the woods."

  "What do you mean something?"

  "It was watching me, with bright eyes. I, I..."

  "Where is Sam now?"

  "I don't know. I couldn't find him. I called and I called, but there was just blood. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. We have to find him!"

  He shot up and grabbed his landline from the cradle.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I'm calling the Sheriff."

  She nodded in agreement without any protest, and that surprised him. She clearly wasn't trying to hide anything from anyone.

  "Mr Burns? All that blood, and...Sam, he's dead, isn't he?"

  "That blood could be from anything. Plenty of hunting goes on up there, and plenty of predators as well."

  "But, he just disappeared. It doesn't make any sense. Why would he vanish?"

  "Maybe a prank gone wrong? Maybe he didn't think you'd take his car?"

  She began to doubt everything she had seen for a moment. She knew the football team were always pulling pranks on each other. He'd been acting weird all the time they had been out there.

  "Do you think that's the kind of thing Sam would do? I've seen his friends pull stunts like this before."

  "I...I don't know. It would be kinda stupid, wouldn't it?"

  "Emma, these are teenage boys. They define the word stupid."

  She smiled, wanting to believe that was the case. Prayed it was. Even though she'd hate him for pulling such a terrifying prank, she knew Sam and his friends were quite capable of such a thing.

  "Did anyone else know where you were going up there?"

  "I...I mean, I didn't tell anyone, but he's a boy. I bet he talks to his friends. It's a bit of a hook up spot you know."

  "Sam could just have easily had someone out there to pick him up once you took off."

  "Maybe, Mr Burns, but what did I see out there?"

  "Could have been anything, maybe one of his punk friends messing about. Trust me, you haven't got anything to worry about. We don't get much trouble round these parts. It's a good town with good people. Worst thing we ever see are farm accidents and a few domestics."

  Someone picked up on the other line, and Burns put it on hands free so she was not left out of the loop.

  "Hi, Sheriff Willis?"

  "Yes," he replied.

  He sounded either a little drunk or having just been woken up.

  "Sheriff, this is Martin Burns. I have a student here with me, and she’s very concerned. She says Sam Marshall is missing."

  "Missing?" he groaned.

  "She said she last saw him up North beyond the mountain."

  "Well, how did she lose him?"

  "I am with the student right now. I think you need to hear what she has to say. This weather front is coming in hard."

  "All right, give me the details. I'll have a deputy check it out, and I'll follow it up first thing in the morning."

  "Sam is out there. He might be hurt, really bad, or worse," she said desperately.

  But Burns took the phone off hands free and paced out of the room, holding up a finger to call for silence. He was gone a few minutes before coming back into the room.

  "Is he going to look for Sam?"

  "His department is on it. But quite honestly, Emma, in this weather, there isn't much anyone can do till morning, with a little light and hope the worst of this has passed over."

  "We can’t leave Sam out there, Mr Burns. He could really be hurt bad. "

  "Maybe, but it won't do any good risking more lives right now. A deputy is heading out there for an initial look. There's nothing more we can do."

  "That's it?" She held out her hands, "This could be his blood. Did you hear me?"

  She was distraught as she shot up and paced up and down the room. She was furious and yet felt completely helpless.

  "I understand you are concerned, but you need to try and stay calm, for Sam if no one else. If you were the last person to see him, then we need you level headed. You need to go home, and get some rest."

  "And then what?"

  "Take it easy, be near a phone if we need to reach you. Keep an eye on the local news. I think we're in for a long weekend, but I'll do everything I can to help. Now let me give you a ride home. You are in no state to drive."

  "And Sam's Mustang?"

  "It'll be here when he's home and ready to pick it up. You can leave the keys with me."

  She didn't look happy about it, but she didn't know what else to say or do.

  "Is your Mom home?"

  "No, she's in New York on a business trip."

  He knew that would mean she was alone. He felt bad for her, but he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't exactly stay with her overnight.

  "Look, I'll get you back home. Get some rest. You'll be safe here. No town is as safe as Wood Point. Tomorrow I'll chase the Sheriff's ass and make sure things are getting done. I promise you."

  He led her out to his truck, but she stopped in the rain, staring at the Mustang as if reliving some horrifying moment. Burns had no idea what he was dealing with, but he had no doubt she was telling the truth, and saying what she really saw. Or what she thought she saw, at least. He'd seen plenty enough crazy stuff in his life to wonder if it might not be half as bad as she was describing.

  "Hey, Emma, come on. Jump in."

  She still did not move, until he leaned across and threw the passenger door open.

  "Come on. You're getting soaked out there. Making yourself ill won’t help Sam."

  It was clear she didn't care about herself, as she had much larger concerns. That was starting to worry him. He knew she was a good kid. She wasn't messing around, and wasn't one to exaggerate or make something of nothing. She finally climbed in, and they set off in the torrential rain.

  "Look, I know this situation seems bad, but there could be a hundred explanations for it. Don't give up on Sam just yet. He could have slipped and fallen. He could have got lost. It could be a prank. It's not like we have homicidal lunatics hiding out in the wilderness. There will be a sensible answer to all this, and there is every chance Sam will be fine. Did he have a jacket on him when you last saw him?"

  "Yes, he did."

  "Well, it might be rough out there, but temperatures aren't too bad. He can survive a night out there no problem. He's a tough kid. Hey, look." He pointed to a Sheriff's truck cruising on past, heading in the opposite direction.

  "You see, help is already on its way," he said with a smile.

  It wasn't long before they pulled up outside her home. The weather kept them to a slow crawl, but it was a small town. The lights were all off in the house, and it looked lonely. She clearly didn't want to leave him.

  "Look, get some sleep. I'll be out here in my truck if you need anything."

  "All night? You could come in and have the sofa."

  "I can't do that. I'm sorry, but I'll be here. You know how many times I've slept in here? I'll be fine. You need anything, you call me."

  "I don't have your number, and I lost my phone out there."

  He drew out a notebook from his glove box and wrote it own. He tore out the page and handed it to her.

  "You see, all this modern tech doesn't help at all when things get tough, does it?" he joked with a smile.

  She tried to smile back, but wasn't up to it.

  "Mr Burns," she said softly.

  "What is it?"

  "I really did see something out there. Something that wasn't normal. I'm not crazy, you know that right?"

  "What is it you think you saw?"

  "I don't know. I didn't get a good look. But it was scary, and...there was a smell like chlorine."

  "Chlorine? Out there?"

  He was astonished. That was the biggest red flag for him yet. He was an avid hunter, and that made no sense to him at all. He was starting to wonder if she was right about what she saw.

  "I don't get it either. It all, it all happened so fast, Mr Burns."

  She started to cry. He handed her his handkerchief, and she gladly took it.

  "Look, there's nothing more you can do now. The police know about Sam, and I'll be here till morning. I won't go without telling you, you got that?"

  She nodded appreciatively, got out the truck, and headed for the door. But she wasn't right at all. The rain was hammering down on her, and she didn't even seem to care as she ambled towards the house. Her mind was somewhere else. He'd seen people like this before, but not in this town. There was fear in her eyes and her body language that made him nervous. It made him think back to his days on the battlefield. He watched her unlock the door and go inside. The lights went on a moment later. As soon as she was gone from view, he drew out a pistol from under his seat. He checked the magazine, primed a round, and decocked it, placing it on the seat beside him. He then reached for the Remington rifle hanging in his back window and checked that over, too. He couldn't imagine what kind of trouble was out there, and yet Emma's words had filled his mind with doubt.

  He knew the wilderness around them was safe for anyone sensible, but everything about this situation seemed off. He got out his phone and opened a news app to see what was happening across the country, but it would not load. There was no signal, only phone service.

  "Fucking great," he muttered to himself.

  He didn't much trust technology. He was in his forties, but he acted like his father always had to such things. He reached behind the seats and pulled out a blanket, knowing he was in for a long night.

  Chapter 4

  Burns writhed back and forth, groaning in his sleep. He never slept well. It wasn't the discomfort of the truck he was sleeping in, or the cold. Not even the hammering of rain on the roof throughout the night. He'd gotten used to sleeping through anything, but it was never good sleep. He'd been out of the Corps for over ten years, but after three tours in the Middle East, he was left with memories that would haunt him every night.