The Jack Hansard Series: Season Two

Episode 2.5

My legs is short but I can run fast – you gots to be able to run when a mine tunnel is collapsing on ye – and I can trace them ahead of me by the crackling of their carrier bags. Still, I'm more've a sprinter and me legs begin to fail as they cover more distance. Lucky then, that they stops so suddenly that I barrels into the backs of their legs.

Sable's shaking Buck by the shoulders. 'What do you mean you've left it?' she's screaming. 'How could you be so careless?'

Buck can barely talk for sobbing. 'I didn't m-mean to . . . there wasn't . . . there wasn't . . . time . . .'

'Hush child, hush. What've ye lost?' I says, and I pulls him low and gathers him into a cwtch. He needs it and buries his head against me shoulders like a babe.

'My coat,' he bawls. 'I left it behind.'

'We have to go back for it,' Sable says grimly.

I looks at her with surprise. I thought she would run no matter what. 'It'll be safe,' I assures. 'Hansard'll think of something. He usually does.' As I says it, the sound of the growling dogs comes back to my mind. There's no talking your way around dogs like with people. 'We should prob'ly go back and check on him, though.'

I think about telling Sable that she shouldn't have run – but what would it prove, now? It would've been easier if she hadn't, but there's no accounting for survival instinct.

I addresses her bluntly. 'Can ye tell me first, please, the nature of them that hunts you? What manner o' beasts are they? What magicks or suchlike might we be encounterin'?'

'They are just men,' she spits. 'Evil, evil men, with evil dogs that bite and shake you in their mouth.'

'They put us in cages,' Buck whispers.

'I see.' My suspicions be confirmed, right enough. 'Then here be our plan. Back to the car wi' both of ye, soft and quiet like. We see what state me Partner's in – hopefully still fit to drive. You kiddies get straight into the car – don't argue. I'll see about freeing up Hansard so's he can join ye. He'll take ye far away from here. Trust on it.'

Sable pauses. 'And what about you?'

'I be distractin' men and dogs away, mebbe. I'll look after meself, girl, don't you worry on that. Hurry now. No tellin' what extra mischief that twpsyn's got himself into. Has a knack fer it, he does.'

We creeps back to the aqueduct. The dogs don't be barking no more, but there's pained snorts and snuffles what sound animal-like. Buck's ears be pricking, eyes wide wi' true terror. I motions him next to Sable – though no need, as he sticks to her like gum anyways. Ready? my eyes ask. Sable nods. Clutches her bag tight in one hand and Buck's shoulder in the other.

I peels away and hurry up to the car first. The men are obscured from view on the other side of it. I goes underneath, crawling on my belly. My eyes are good in the dark an' don't need the glare of torchlight to see the right mess me Partner has got himself in.

Hansard is backed up against the wall, holding somethin' out in his hand like a weapon. One of the men is doubled over retching; the other is covering his face with an arm and slowly advancing. The dogs, I sees three of them, all squirming in a heap pawing at their noses as if overcome with madness. A whiff of something vile hits my nose, and I realise what Hansard's got in his hand.

'Ye mad bastard,' I mutters, aghast.

He's only gone and opened the Triple Distilled Odious Miasma, the utter ffwl. We'd agreed never to touch that stuff again after what happened last time. Nearly a month before the stink was out of the car. I was tasting it in my pasties for weeks.