"What do you think we should do, Sir?" Of the Network officers asked Langford having seen Robyn's reaction to the question.
Langford joined his men at the pavement and passing through the group came to stand in front of them, "We go in. If Lily is in there she'll have seen us already, there's no use calling for backup. Grant, have you got your A/V gear with you?"
The aforementioned Grant nodded and returned to his vehicle where he opened the rear door and pulled out a bag. Robyn watched him as he opened the bag and pulled out a headset with a microphone that he then put on before attaching a small monitor to his belt and plugged a thin wire into it which he connected a pair of plastic glasses to.
"Eyes and ears, seeing and hearing." Grant said as he put the glasses on and switched on the monitor that showed an image of the group of people stood in front of him.
Langford smiled, "Good, headquarters will want evidence that we've been in here and whatever happens. Record everything regardless of how minor it seems. We can't afford to miss anything." Langford turned back to face Robyn, "How many floors does this place have?"
"Four," She replied after thinking a moment, "Ground floor, first floor, attic and basement."
Langford absorbed the information and turned to his men, "Right. Toksvig, Leka take the first floor. Nielsen, Salonen you go with them and search the attic. Orucov, Peters you take basement. Balodis, you're with me and Robyn; we'll take the ground floor. Everyone keeps radio contact and shout when you know your area is clear. Search every room and gather whatever evidence you can find, Grant will be going between you and recording. If everywhere is clear, we'll regroup back here and go back to Lazytown. If not... Just be careful."
Having received their orders, Langford's men paired themselves with their designated partners and followed Langford up the path leading towards the house. They all stopped as he tore the yellow tape from the door and pushed it open.
"Weapons out." He said as he stepped over the threshold and unclipped his baton from its holster, flipping it down sharply so it extended to its full length.
As each of the men entered the house they did as ordered, taking in the grimness of the house as they did so. It seemed every conceivable surface was covered with dust and a musty smell filled their nostrils. It was slightly dark inside but not enough to completely compromise visibility. Having reached the stairs midway down the entrance corridor on the left Toksvig, Salonen, Nielsen and Leka climbed them up to the first floor. Grant opened a door to his right and entered, it was empty and he turned full circle as he recorded the fact with his camera.
Indicating to Robyn to show them which door led to the basement, Orucov and Peters followed her pointing finger and opened the second door on the right and disappeared through it as they entered the basement. At a nod from Langford, Grant followed them.
Balodis positioned himself in front of Robyn as Langford stood behind her and they began to search the ground floor. Balodis proceeded down the corridor, past the basement door and pushed open a door nestled behind an alcove. Indicating that it was clear he moved on and opened the door that Robyn knew to belong to the kitchen. He passed through the door and entered the kitchen.
He saw the outline of someone, or what was left of them, lying on the floor at the same time as he heard a sharp intake of breath come from Robyn.
Intense agony had torn through Robyn as soon as she'd set foot in the kitchen. Her whole body bent double as natural reaction to the pain and her lungs seemed to spasm as she tried to breathe. She could hear screaming as her body began to go into violent convulsions, forcing her to the ground. A knife was being thrust into her, into every part of her body. She could feel the blood escaping the ragged wounds the knife left behind.
Grant couldn't help but film what was happening, his camera was fixed on Robyn as his eyes watched Balodis and Langford trying to work out what was going on with her. He'd been coming up the stairs as Robyn had gasped and thinking that the trio had found something knew his responsibility to be there to film it. He'd never expected to see anything like he was now witnessing.
Too many thoughts and questions were running around in Langford's head for him to be able to find any scrap of logic left that would lead him to action. He'd seen Robyn freeze at the point she'd gasped and tried to catch her before she fell. He'd knelt down beside her convulsing body and was now dumbstruck at the pain he could see written almost into every cell that made up her face.
"He was..." They heard Robyn gasp in a voice full of torture, "he was a neighbour...he came to see...he heard Lily yell when she found...when she found Morgan had gone with me...he came in...Lily killed him...Lily killed him."
Finally something broke through to Langford's senses and he looked up at a shell shocked Balodis, "We have to get her out of here, now!"
Having been brought back to reason, Balodis nodded and helped Langford pick up the writhing Robyn. Pushing past the still filming Grant they took her outside and felt her body begin to relax as they laid her on the pavement.
Robyn fell unconscious as she saw two pairs of black boots come running into her field of vision.