Sudden Death

  *

  The leader of the hunting group stepped forward. “You stupid bastard,” he cursed sourly as he checked his dead colleague’s pulse. There was none. “What did I teach you? Never leave yourself wide open and what did you do?”

  He kicked the dead man viciously in the side of the head.

  “Hey, bit cruel aren’t you, Brian?” said the woman as she slung her rifle over her shoulder. “He didn’t expect that – none of us did. We didn’t know that he had a knife. It took us all by surprise.”

  “Too late now, isn’t it?” said the smaller of the men. “Those two kids are well away now. They could be talking to the police before we get out of here.”

  The leader pulled out a walkie-talkie and walked away. He began to speak into it. “Badger, we’ve got a problem. Some kids saw us kill young Gracie. We’ve killed two but two others got away and they could be heading towards you. Can you intercept them?”

  The walkie-talkie crackled with mild static. “Have you got a description?”

  “They’re both in their early twenties. A man and a woman. She’s blond and slim and he’s got a stocky-build, dark hair. Both are wearing jeans and tee shirts. They look like student types.”

  “Okay – I’ll keep a look-out.”

  “Over and out, Badger.”

  The man called Brian reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small automatic pistol, and from his other pocket, produced a silencer. He screwed the short bulbous attachment over the muzzle. He snapped the slide, and then placed the gun in his belt.

  “Right, fuckers,” Brian sneered. “Let’s get out of here - and Frank?” he said to the well-muscled man next to him. “Bring the trash on the floor with us. We can dump him later.”