Chapter Eight- Blood, guts and numbers
Reunited the team discussed the recent happenings and the three attached recruits chatted in shock about what they had experienced. Jack called order and decided to arrange a meeting, he strolled over to the car and the rest followed him except Clara, Katya and Alice who remained in an awkward state watching them but as Jack pulled out a long table from the side of the car and Isabel turned on one of the computers, the girls were intrigued and scurried over to have a look for themselves. "But...how ?" asked a perplexed Clara "Basically it is dimensionally transcendental" Jack explained and Issy added in a hushed voice " Bigger on the inside." But this explanation resulted in no change to the confused look smeared across Clara's face.
The wooden table did not have any chairs around it but was comfortably at waist height and the team stood around it and spread papers across its surface. Blue lights flashed and central controls popped up projections with numbers and maps. In amongst the clatter and activity Katya guessed that the Captain liked the colour blue because he also wore blue himself, however this had little relevance in the matters whirling around her. Together they grouped information and came to a conclusion that this creature which they referred to as a badger was somehow involved in the disappearance of many bodies in the area. Issy shuffled over to the boot of the SUV where the two badgers one of which was dead, were stored. She extracted the dead badger from the small morgue compartment and placed it delicately on the pulled out autopsy table.
Her hands stained with blood under the fingernails touched the metal tray and it felt as cold as the badger, a chilling thought for her miserable day. Jones unrolled a leather pouch stained with blood but on the inside her instruments were neatly laid out, however they were not stained but shining sterilised clean. She used a large pair of stainless steel scissors to cut the skin down the middle of its stomach. Its inner guts fell out and slopped all over the side like an exploding pudding, another cheerful thought. The sight made Alice retch however Clara was still transfixed. As more blood spilled Dr Harper made her way over to assess the situation. Meanwhile Jack, Isabel and Gwen remained posed around the table, they discussed statistics and sitting with seriousness but hey took control efficiently like this was an everyday occurrence, this was what shocked Katya the most.
Among the blood, guts and numbers they came to a conclusion. "It has been concluded-"began Dr. Maria, Jack searched her eyes for the end of the sentence and then she continued "-that this badger yet to be classified, eats human flesh." Her sentence was interposed as Gwen interrupted "Classifying ..." as she entered some information in her P.D.A and an image of a badger looking creature materialised on the projection, except it was subtly different form a normal badger. "It's called a Gerbab and originates from the Solus" to everyone else this sounded like a made up place but not to Jack. "Oh yeah, they are dangerous from there." And it was not until now that Maria could complete her conclusion and she did so with a huff "However this means that there is another creature of alien origin that eats the skin which therefore leaves the corpses stripped to the bone."Jack and Isabel shared a smile secretly, Isabel nodded and Jack began "The Livevile larvae are responsible for that, I have encountered them before and they should from my experience be fairly easy to get rid of." Jack now took full leadership. "Right Issy, Gwen and myself will go into Smutts Wood, not far from here to investigate the situation "And you..." he commanded indicating Isabel, Maria, Katya and Clara "...shall remain here and develop a pesticide to kill the Livevile."
Commands preached and intentions stated the group divided. Jack freed Fifi from her lead and she galloped ahead down an adjacent path that they had gone down before. Gwen followed at Jacks side eager to keep up, but she had a powerful stroll and it was not too hard to match his pace. However Issy trudged more slowly behind her Mr. Harkness, but he could feel her lurking presence and knew she was there. But Issy failed to watch his receding figure as the distance between them increased. She did not know what it was that made her like this. She found just being her almost uncomfortable in herself, she wasn't sure who she was or even what she wanted to be, she almost felt her body moved with the waves, she had no control. But as the forest gradually become darker and more mystical she quickened her pace and caught up with the Captain as she knew her assistance would be needed and for him she would give it.
The trees looked much older here, their branches were low but their trunks were wide, they were not smooth bark coatings but knobbly characterised bumps in their surface. There were knots and crevasses in the wood and their stunted growth made them look even more like mythical creatures. Gwen pointed out that they were apple trees and a notice from the owner of the woodland, known to be one of the missing, confirmed that they were apple trees. But now it had grown into a wild orchard. Moss covered every inch of the forest; the vibrant green coated the trees the ground was also covered by a furry green blanket. The moss produced a feeling that the forest was enchanted and had been frozen in time. But as fog encircled the tree trunks the team no longer felt excitement but a chill and even Fifi retreated to her Captain's heel.
As the fog thickened Jack and Gwen both whipped out a flashlight from an ankle brace and even Issy took up the courage to put a hand on the Captain's tense shoulder. Jack could feel her hand on his shoulder and felt its light touch which suggested Issy's sensitivity. However she squeezed her grasp affectionately and kept her hand on Jack as a guide through the wilderness. Soon an overwhelming odour of pungent apples engulfed Gwen's nostrils and in reaction she brought her free hand to cover her face and then Issy did the same but Jack carried on unaffected. A light bulb popping idea came to Gwen, the"maggots" she had discovered earlier in the tray of rotting apple are the Livevile. So all she needed to do was find some rotting apples and that would not be difficult in a deteriorating apple orchard. Issy watched Gwen whisper something to Jack and wished she had a closer connection to him a as Gwen did. But before she could dream any longer she was whisked away, once again without control over body, they moved over to the side of the narrow path and began to charge into a maze of old apple trees.
They waded through a tangle of brambles and over grown vegetation claiming more of the forest and exploring the darkness beyond. Jack's torch illuminated a tree bursting with Livevile meanwhile Gwen noticed the apples littering the floor and forming a mush on the ground where the flesh full of juice had developed into a pulp. Small creatures writhed in and out of the matter their round white bodies pulsing as they ate through the apple. To Gwen they did not look too special but jack found an interest in their extra-terrestrial behaviour. He bent down to examine the Livevile like an excited little boy but Gwen pulled a face in disgust and did not crouch down to join him. However Issy joined him squatting near the floor, her hand had slipped form his shoulder but she rested it on his knee instead and smiled up into his lined but happy face. His face was enlightened to meet her own blue starring eyes, she had this kind of stare that was both cold and intimidating but also searching, Jack thought.
They said nothing to each other but shared a though telepathically all the time Gwen lurked behind them awkwardly, she didn't often find herself in this situation and she didn't like it very much so she broke the tension, like a knife through ice. "Look Jack aren't these Livevile?" she said inspecting one wriggling as she held it up in a pair of tweezers. She placed it in attest tube and it swirmed as it fell to the bottom of the tube. Gwen sealed it with cotton wool in the top and held it in front of Jack's face to gain his attention. Suddenly he detached himself form Issy's gaze and gave his devotion to Gwen. She smiled as his old, wise eyes met her lively, fiery ones and then she knew he was all hers. "That's wonderful now we can take that back and work on a pesticide!" Jack exclaimed. Suddenly Fifi barked and began to growl. Jack and Gwen began to rush to the pathway. Coming from the other end was a tatty old man with ragged clothing staggering unsteadily. As he neared Gwen she raised her gun with a double hand hold as she could now see that the man's skin was crawling with maggots, Fifi barked again and the man fell to the ground with a bullet in his chest.
The wound was oozing with blood and it ran across the man's body spreading among his rags. Fifi ran to the body as soon as its last breathe escaped but Gwen was left shaking her gun still held timidly in her trembling arms. Jack came to comfort her immediately, a firm arm around her shoulders and she sobbed into his chest. She always reacted in this way, to killing. Meanwhile Issy rolled her eyes as she thought Gwen always over reacted to things and was too soft for this job. But jack knew differently, Gwen was the kindest, sweetest and most caring person he knew, she only cried because she had a big hearts and she cared about people. Jack loved her for that and wanted to capture all her love and emotion in his heart. As the two embraced each other Issy went over to attend to the body. Its mangy form lay sprawled out on the floor but she dealt with it either way. Once the body was packed and Gwen had recovered, sample collected and Fifi at heel they set off in return for the SUV.
Back at base the three girls made themselves busy. They prepared canisters to release the pesticide, 23 in total and they had located areas within the forest to place each canister, all they needed now was the Livevile to produce a pesticide. This operation needed careful planning and thorough thought, Maria and Isabel both had that kind of attitude in abundance and therefore Alice, Katya and Clara felt themselves in the way and a nuisance really, however they helped as best they could. Between themselves they found a connection and could work effectively together but soon they found themselves with little to do and they could only wait for the others to return. However they did not have to wait too long as Jack's arrival was announced by the rustle in the bushes. There was also a different sound as if something heavy was being dragged through the gravel.
First Jack stepped forward out of the woods into view, his crisp blue shirt a little blood stained and his hands too. Fifi was at his heel and Gwen following close behind, she was pale and shaking. Issy turned up even more blood stained and then scurried over to the SUV and Fifi ran excitedly beside her. Once the boot was open she pulled out a draw from the morgue and gas pillowed out like carbon dioxide used for staging effects. The draw was empty. As Issy had moved the others could now see a black body bag. Jack first pushed forward Gwen to go and make herself a cuppa from the mini kitchenette and then he heaved the body over his shoulder and a crack of bones echoed as he did so effortlessly.