The Devil's Rise

Chapter 10 - Using A LayLine Without A Permit

Max hurried back up the hill with two overweight middle-aged men in tow. From how they were panting for breath and wheezing their way up the hill, it didn't inspire much confidence.

By the time they arrived at the ring of trees, both were beat red and doubled over. One of them had even thrown up shortly after arriving at the top of the hill.

"Are you okay?" Max asked, breathing heavily. He was tired as well, just not to such a ridiculous extent.

The older policeman held up his hand, waving it in an abstract gesture that meant something along the lines of 'Give me a second, you young bastard!' But Max was just guessing.

He waited nervously with the two policemen, constantly glancing over at the ring of trees, praying Matthew would be okay.

His prayers seemed answered when his four friends emerged over the top of the rise. Matthew had his arms over Kashyap and Vincent's shoulders while his face looked deathly pale. His steps were shaky and unsteady, as though each might be his last.

"Matthew!" Max shouted, a wave of relief washing over him.

Matthew glanced at him weakly and smiled, giving Max a brief wave.

Max ran up to them and hugged Matthew, grinning madly. He took a step back and placed his hands on Matthew's shoulders, "You're alright, right?" he asked sincerely.

Matthew nodded weakly.

"Damnit!" Max cursed melodramatically, shaking his fist at the sky.

"What the fuck?" Matthew spat, his voice shaky and quiet, "Did you want me dead?"

Max didn't meet his eyes, doing his best to look serious. "No, well... It's just," But despite his best efforts, he couldn't hide his mischievous grin, "I heard that if someone dies, we all get A's... and Maths is really hard, so...."

"Fuck off," Matthew kicked Max in the shins, laughing weakly, while the rest of them released their built-up nerves and tension in a bout of uncontrollable laughter. It wasn't that the joke was particularly funny, but rather the fact that they shouldn't be laughing made it impossible not to.

While this was happening, the policemen had collected themselves and walked over to the group of boys.

"Is this him?" The older man asked, pointing at Matthew.

His uniform was navy, with a bulletproof vest that didn't completely cover his bulging midriff. Around his waist was an overladen utility belt with a pistol, pepper spray and torch about the same size as his forearm. He was almost six feet tall, with a wispy combover and square glasses that had fogged up during the run.

"Yeah, didn't you say he was kidnapped?" His partner pointed out, glaring at Max. This man was equally out of shape but lacked his superior's hair. He was bald with a beard that outlined where his chin and jawline might have been thirty kilograms ago.

Matthew looked at the two policemen, finding that his energy was quickly returning, "No, I wasn't kidnapped. I came here with a girl... Em- I mean Clare. She... I don't know where she went, but she's been missing for a few days now,"

"Clare!" Jason exclaimed, "You were with her?"

"Yeah, but she was acting strange... Not like herself," Matthew considered explaining what had happened to him and Clare's erratic behaviour but decided to tell his friends the truth in private. He didn't want the police to take him in as some crazy person.

"And where is this, Clare, now?" The older man asked, pulling a miniature notebook from his utility belt.

"Um..." Matthew glanced at his friends, noticing that Jason seemed particularly eager to find out more about Clare, "She-"