Tania Carver: The Creeper

‘We’ll wait until they’ve gone in,’ said Anni, fastening the straps of her vest, ‘then we follow, yeah?’

‘Yep,’ said Mickey, doing the same. ‘We just-’ His phone rang. He shook his head in irritation. ‘Probably my mother.’

‘Answer it,’ said Anni. ‘Might be important. Might be the boss.’

He checked the display. The station. He answered it.

‘Mickey? Marina. Is that you?’

‘Yeah, Marina.’ He looked at Anni, rolled his eyes. ‘Look, we’re a bit busy at the moment. We’re on the quay, just about to-’

‘Yes, yes, I know.’ She cut him off. ‘Listen. This is important. Has anyone gone in yet?’

‘They’re just about to.’

‘Then tell them to stand down. Now. Do it…’

‘I can’t just-’

‘Turner says the whole building is wired. Just like the boat. If they go in they’ll be killed…’

Mickey took the phone away from his ear. Anni saw the look of urgency on his face.

‘Sergeant Wade,’ he shouted. ‘Get your team to-’

Too late. The front of the building exploded into a wall of flame.

Phil heard the screams, saw the lights. Went running over to the boxes.

He never made it.

At that moment the far wall of the building burst into flames.

He was blown on to his back, overwhelmed by the blast, the heat. Once he got his breath back he pulled himself up to his elbows, squinted ahead.

It was as if daylight, violent and flaming, had been brought into the night-time. The front of the building was ablaze, the flames spreading.

No way out.

Phil looked round, saw Suzanne Perry staggering over by the right side of the building, pulling herself slowly along the wall.

‘Suzanne…’

She heard him, saw him, crossed over to him. Slowly, as if in a daze.

Has she been hit? he wondered. He ran towards her.

‘You OK?’

She nodded, her face devoid of expression, mouth open.

‘You sure?’

Another nod.

‘Where’s…’ He pointed towards the boxes.

‘He’s… gone…’

Shock, thought Phil. That’s what it was. He needed to get her out of there. Both of them needed to get out of there.

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘We can’t go out that way, let’s look for somewhere at the back.’

He put his arm round her, turning her away from the flames, the boxes. Numbly, she let him guide her.

They made it back to the metal stairway leading up to the gantry. Phil looked up. Fiona Welch had come round, was staring down at him, her face a mask of pure hatred.

‘Get out of here,’ Phil shouted. ‘It’s not safe.’

‘Fuck you, copper…’

She turned and ran along the gantry, away from him.

There was another explosion behind them. Phil turned.

‘Christ, the whole building must be wired…’ He looked round. If the front was wired, would the back be? He couldn’t take the chance. Seeing no other alternative, he started up the stairs.

‘Come on, Suzanne, up here…’

With his arm around her, they made their way back up the gantry. By the time they had reached the top, Suzanne seemed to be more aware of what was going on. Phil didn’t feel like he had to hold on to her all the time.

‘You OK?’ he said. ‘Can you make it along here?’

She nodded. ‘Yes…’

‘Come on, then…’

Fiona Welch had run away in the opposite direction to them. They had no alternative but to follow. Phil and Suzanne ran along the gantry, dodging the swinging metal chains. At the far end of the walkway he could see the night sky. He tried to get his bearings.

They were facing the side of the building with the crane on it. It was a huge metal frame with a crane mechanism that moved along the heavy metal horizontal bar at the top, controlled by an operative in a cabin on the ground. There was a maintenance opening from the gantry on to the top of the horizontal bar. He doubted that had been rigged to explode. If they could get out there, edge their way along, they could climb down the other side, away from the flames.

He was sure Fiona Welch had had the same idea.

‘This way…’

He pulled Suzanne along towards the opening.

They reached it. He looked round. No sign of Fiona Welch.

She must have already gone ahead, he thought. Got away. She wouldn’t get far.

‘Come on…’

He opened the door, stepped out. The metal was rusted, not too wide. And a long way down. Might be better to sit on it, edge their way along that rather than run. That was a sure way to fall.

Phil swallowed hard. Felt his legs begin to shake, vibrate. He had a huge fear of heights. Always had a panic attack whenever he was up high. Someone had once told him that it wasn’t the heights he feared but what he would do when he was up there. What he wanted to do. He had laughed at that, said his friend was talking rubbish, but it had played on his mind ever since. And now that he was up high and unsafe once more, it came back to him.

But this time he had an answer.

He wanted to get down safely. Because he had a wife and daughter waiting for him.

He corrected himself. Partner and daughter. Had he really just said wife to himself?

Really?

He didn’t have time to think about that now. And he certainly didn’t have time for a panic attack. He looked back at the doorway, ready to tell Suzanne to sit down, pull herself along, but the words never left his mouth.

Fiona Welch was standing there. He could see the body of Suzanne lying behind her, on the gantry inside.

‘Have you killed her?’ he shouted.

She shrugged. ‘What do you care?’

She stepped outside, on to the beam. Phil tried to move backwards, away from her. He felt himself slip, his foot go over the edge. His body lose its balance.

Oh my God, he thought. I’m going to fall.

I’m going to die.

‘Look up there,’ shouted Anni. ‘It’s the boss…’

Mickey followed her arm. Saw Phil Brennan standing on the top beam of the crane mechanism. ‘What’s he…’

‘No… he’s going to fall…’

Phil brought his foot round. Placed it securely on the beam. Steadied himself. He didn’t fall. His breathing was heavy, chest heaving.

And then he felt it. The tightening bands round his ribcage, squeezing, tightening…

No. Not now. Ignore it. Not now…

Fiona Welch smiled at him. ‘One push. That’s all it takes…’

‘Give it up, Fiona,’ he shouted. ‘You’re going nowhere.’

‘Oh really?’

‘Look down there. That’s my team. They’ve got this place surrounded. You can’t get away.’

She laughed. ‘One push. And you’ll be seeing your team sooner than you think…’

‘Don’t be a fool, Fiona. You’ve got nowhere to go.’

‘Apart from the history books. I’m going to be famous, Phil Brennan. You’re not. You’re just going to be the latest in my list of victims.’ She laughed. ‘So I suppose you’ll be famous, too, in a way. Isn’t that exciting?’

The wind was getting up. If it got too strong the argument would be meaningless. They would both go. And there was the pain in his chest…

‘Fiona… don’t. Give up. Please.’

Another laugh.

Phil didn’t think he could hang on much longer.

Suzanne opened her eyes. Sat up. She saw two sets of everything, had a sharp, shooting pain in the back of her skull. She could guess what had caused that.

She looked round. Saw that woman, Fiona something, outside on the gantry. The way Phil had gone. She looked beyond the Fiona woman. Saw Phil standing there.

And from the looks of him, he wouldn’t be there long.

She had to do something. Stop her.