Love Lies Dying (55 page)

Fifty-seven

He didn’t know how long they ran or how much distance they covered. But it was slow going just the same.

They had to be careful where they ran and they stopped constantly to try and listen to the night, trying to convince themselves that Zoe wasn’t following them.

The rain cut down their vision and that slowed them down more. They couldn’t risk running into a tree trunk or heading blindly into danger.

They had run deep into the forest for quite a while, heading further down the descending slope, and would have continued in that direction except for the wide river that cut off their escape.

The river was at least twenty feet across and was flowing rapidly in the rain. In the heavy downpour it was hard to see the bank on the other side.

John could make out some rocks in the middle of the river, and there were pines at the water’s edge, some of their branches stretching out into the water. A few dead pines poked out of the river, their ghostly white trunks looking like skeletal hands in the darkness.

“What do you think?” he asked Sherrie as they stopped by the river bank.

“I don’t…know,” she said, as she caught her breath. “Do we really…want to risk it?”

John shook his head as lightning flashed.

“I don’t think so. No telling how deep it is.”

“We can’t go back,” Sherrie said, looking over her shoulder.

“I know.”

“And we can’t stay here. We’ll
freeze
to death!”

John placed his arm around Sherrie and rubbed her shoulder. She was shivering.

He realised he was cold too. The wind was colder than before, or at least it felt that way. Their rain-soaked clothes and bodies didn’t help matters either.

We’ve got to get out of this rain!

“Come on,” he said, smiling and taking her hand.

“Where to?”

John pointed up the river. “We’ll follow it. See if we can cross somewhere. If not, we’ll work our way back to the main road and head for Redlingford.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then why do it?”

“Because I have to find out for sure. Plus, I think Zoe said there’s a couple of farmhouses up there. Maybe we can get help. At the very least we can find shelter for the night and get away from this storm.”

Thunder rumbled and the rain came down harder, hitting them with force and stinging them like a thousand bees.

“Can we walk for a while?” Sherrie asked.

John nodded, “I think we should anyway. It’ll be safer. I haven’t heard Zoe for some time now.”

He was right. Zoe’s voice had disappeared with the storm. She wasn’t haunting them now.

And since she’d stopped calling, John had been able to think clearly once more. And he knew what he had to do.

He looked towards the river and watched the water rush by. Usually it would be a tranquil image for John, but right at this moment, all he saw was the turmoil and violence of the current, and all he could think about was making Fox pay.

I have to see this thing through to the end. Now!

They followed the river as it snaked through the darkness. Occasional flashes of lightning lit their path, giving them a chance to see further ahead. The pines along the bank gave them some shelter from the wind, but the rain still made it through, falling hard and heavy about them.

They walked in silence for quite a long time.

John hoped they were heading in the right direction.

We have to be.

You gonna kill him?

If I can find him, yeah.

How?

I don’t know.

He’s a strong guy. He’d have to be. Can you do it?

I don’t know. But I’ll try.

For what he did to Zoe?

For what he did to Helen and Zoe, yeah. And for anyone else he ever hurt.

Are you sure you want to do this?

No. But I have to.

And you’ll survive it?

I hope so.

What about Sherrie?

I know, I know. She’s the last person I want hurt.

Can you risk her safety?

I have to DO this!

What if Fox gets Sherrie?

He won’t. I’ll hide her somewhere. She’ll be safe.

And Zoe?

I don’t know. She’s not my concern.

Will she be safe too?

I don’t know! She’s not my concern now!

So, if you win…

Ahuh…

And beat Fox…

Yeah?

What about Zoe?

“John?” Sherrie’s voice startled him out of his thoughts.

He turned to face her as they walked.

“What happened?”

Shit. Not now!

He turned from her and stared across at the river.

“Can you tell me, honey?” she asked. “
Please?
”

“I don’t know,” he replied.

“It might make things easier.”

John shook his head. “I don’t know whether you should hear this.”

He felt her hand on his shoulder.

“I
want
to know what happened.”

There was silence between them.

“And how.”

They walked further along the river. The rain continued to pelt down.

“You may not like what you hear,” he said eventually.

“I think I can handle it. I’d rather know and not make up my own wild stories.”

John nodded.

Like anything could be as wild as the truth?

She has a right to know. She’ll find out eventually anyway.

He ran his hand through his soaking hair.

“Where to start…” he said to himself.

“What about at the beginning?”

He turned to face her as lightning flashed.

She was smiling at him.

He smiled back, full of confidence and hope.

“I love you, Sherrie,” he said.

She nodded. “I know.”

“And I never want to hurt you.”

“I know that already, John,” she replied. “Now, tell me what happened. From the beginning.”

Thunder rolled in as he took a deep breath.

“Okay,” he nodded. “From the beginning…”

Fifty-eight

The rain was hard and heavy, worse than before, almost deafening now.

They had stopped by the river under two large pines whose branches intertwined and provided some cover from the heavy downpour.

The storm showed no sign of abating and the river flowed faster, the murky water bubbling and frothing as it crashed into the rocks and over the dead pines strewn through it.

John hugged Sherrie, trying to keep her warm and to stop her shivers.

The thunder rolled off the earth towards them.

Now they had stopped walking, John felt weak once more. He realised he still hadn’t eaten since Saturday.

You should’ve grabbed some food from the kitchen bench before you left the church…

Thankfully he was no longer thirsty. The rain saw to that.

It was hard at first to tell Sherrie everything that had happened. But as he talked, he started to feel better, almost relieved to be able to share what he had gone through with someone so she could understand. And she did.

“I’m so sorry, John,” Sherrie whispered.

He leaned back, looked into her eyes and smiled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he replied.

She nodded, “Yes I do.”

Lightning split the darkness.

He could see her gorgeous green eyes. He ran his hand through her long wet hair, which was plastered on her head now.

“You couldn’t’ve done anything to change the situation. Hell, you didn’t even know what was happening until I called you on the phone.”

She nodded, “I’m just so glad I was there to pick it up.”

“So am I.”

“I got here as fast as I could.”

“I know that,” he smiled again.

“I just wish I hadn’t waited at the hotel for so long. I could’ve saved you from what she did to you.”

John hugged her again. “Don’t worry, you weren’t to know.”

“How could she
do
all those things to you?”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re together now, sweetheart.
That’s
what’s important.”

“She’s
crazy!
”

“I know.”

Silence fell between them. He didn’t want to push the subject, but he needed to know.

“You and Zoe know each other,” he said.

Sherrie nodded and sighed deeply, “Yes, John. But it’s a long story.”

“Care to fill me in?”

Sherrie’s eyes stared off into the distance. “I don’t know where to start.”

John smiled, “I usually start from the beginning.”

She turned to him, a half-smile breaking across her face before soon disappearing, “I know. But I don’t feel safe here. She could still be close.” Sherrie rubbed her arms for warmth. “I can’t tell you here. Can we find somewhere safer to talk? Somewhere I can tell you everything?”

John nodded. She looked cold and scared.

I need to know.

Don’t push her.

“That’s okay,” he said. “Tell me when you feel it’s right.”

“I will,” she replied. “I promise.”

The rain eased slightly as thunder shook the night.

John looked up into the dark sky, hoping to see if the clouds were lifting, but he couldn’t tell.

“We better get moving,” he said.

Sherrie nodded.

“We’ve walked far enough to be a long way from the church,” he continued as he took her hand in his.

“It feels like we’ve been out here for hours,” Sherrie muttered.

“I don’t think it’s that long.”

“I know.”

“Let’s start heading back up towards the road.”

“Do you think that’s safe?”

“Yeah, I think so. We have to find the road. It’ll take us to Redlingford.”

“I’m scared, John,” she whispered.

He nodded.

So am I.

“We’ll be okay,” he replied. “We have the advantage, this bastard doesn’t know we’re coming.”

“But what about Zoe?”

“I think we’ve lost her. She can’t possibly find us out here.”

They walked out from the protection of the pines.

The rain continued to fall.

Lightning jagged above them and the thunder followed almost immediately, echoing around the whole area, vibrating the ground they walked on.

They headed back into the forest, leaving the fast flowing river behind them.

“I hope this storm lets up,” Sherrie said. “I’m freezing.”

“That’s the least of our problems.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s just hope we can find the road and get to Redlingford. We’ll find some shelter there, I’m sure. And then we’ll sit out this storm.”

“Good idea,” Sherrie said.

They walked in silence for a long time, through the forest and around countless pines. John looked towards Sherrie every now and again, trying to read the emotions on her face. But he couldn’t. She looked deep in thought.

Or shock.

He wanted to say things to her, but with the thunder and the rain, it made it almost impossible.

He didn’t really know what to say, anyway.

They walked on.

Two claps of thunder broke through the night.

John jumped at the deafening sound as the trees and ground shook around them.

“This is one
hell
of a storm,” Sherrie said as she looked at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “That thunder caught me off guard.”

“It was loud alright.”

“And we just
have
to be right in the middle of it.”

She rubbed his back, “Don’t worry, honey. A little rain isn’t going to kill us.”

“The lightning might.”

She smiled. “Life’s a game of chance, John. You play the game to see who wins.”

“Yeah, just what I need…” he muttered.

“Huh?”

“We’re out in the middle of nowhere running from a psycho and heading towards a killer, and you get all philosophical on me.”

Sherrie’s smile disappeared and she turned from him.

“When you live your life waiting, John, all you
can
do is be philosophical. You have a long time to think about things on the cold nights when you’re alone.”

John ran a hand through his hair and stopped walking.

Damn! Me and my big stupid mouth!

He sighed deeply.

“Sweets, I’m sorry,” he replied as she turned to face him. “I shouldn’t’ve said that.”

Her eyes left his and fell to the ground. She didn’t say anything.

He sighed again and looked up into the night.

“You know it was a difficult situation.”

She didn’t move.

He bent towards her and lifted her chin so she would look into his eyes.

“And you know how much I love you.”

Her mouth quivered between a smile and a frown.

“You knew that when we first got into this thing.”

She nodded.

“I told you it would take time,” he continued. “I couldn’t just walk out on Helen.”

“I know,” she replied.

“We’d been through some tough times. I couldn’t just leave. But I was working on it. And things were coming together. It was just going to take a little while longer.”

Sherrie nodded.

“I meant everything I said to you, honey. Know that and believe it.”

He tried to smile, but the sad look on her face broke his heart.

“I know,” she replied. “But now all this has happened.”

John nodded.

Sherrie took a step forward and hugged him.

“I’m so sorry, John,” she whispered into his ear.

He ran his hands up and down her back.

“That’s okay, sweets. We just have to finish this off. Make those who are responsible pay.”

“And then you’ll be mine?” she asked in a small voice.

He pulled back from her and found her lips. He kissed her hard and long, letting his tongue play with hers.

The thunder and lightning crashed around them.

The rain pelted down on them but they remained embraced.

The world disappeared for a few seconds and nothing else mattered.

“I’m already yours,” he whispered once they unlocked themselves.

Sherrie smiled and nodded. “I already know that.”

“Come on,” he said as he looked up to the sky. “Let’s get moving. This storm isn’t about to let up.”

He took her hand and they continued through the trees. The ground was drenched now, the pine needles squelched underfoot as they walked on them.

And they walked for a long while in the night.

John moved faster now, hoping that soon the road would come into view. He had no idea how far down the decline they had walked, but walking back up the slope was tiring.

The road can’t be much further.

He hoped that the road continued straight and didn’t turn off or curve at any stage before they met it.

We could be walking right past it!

Don’t think like that.

But what if it’s true? We could be out here walking for days.

It won’t happen.

We could be lost!

It WON’T happen!

We could die out here. They won’t find us for weeks!

The storm will pass, the sun will rise, we’ll be FINE!

They continued walking through the rain.

Lightning flashed.

The thunder rolled in once more, seconds later.

The hard pitter-patter of the rain was all around them in a deafening cacophony.

But now they hardly noticed it. It was the usual, it was the norm.

They walked further through the forest.

John stared straight ahead.

This is all your fault, Fox. The whole fucking mess. And I’m going to make you pay for it. Somehow. Somewhere. I’ll make you pay. Bastards like you who get pleasure out of hurting women don’t deserve to live. I
will
make you pay!

Even if it’s the last thing I ever do!