Night Realm 2: Scarlett Dawn

Chapter One

Black Forest, Germany ~ December

Ralf sighed heavily and hooked his arm around his girlfriend, drawing her in close.

We’re lost, he said and looked up at the leaden sky.

A weather front was coming. The wind was already picking up and it was going to snow for sure. Ralf now wrapped both his arms around Lena and held her tight, nuzzling his face into the fluffy collar of her jacket.

What are we going to do? she said softly. It’ll be dark soon. There’re wolves out here.

I know, Ralf said, then immediately wished he hadn’t confirmed her fears. We’ll be okay, he tried to reassure her, though his words sounded very hollow.

It had already snowed over the past few days. The ground was covered in a blanket of powder about six inches deep, and the branches of the pine trees and fir trees were covered in clumps of white. Ralf watched as a gust of wind blew snow from the trees. As yet there were no flurries falling from the clouds, but he could tell from experience that it wouldn’t be long before they did.

They should never have wandered off the main trail, he silently chastised himself. It had been his stupid idea, wanting to do something different to the norm and explore the deeper, seldom-seen parts of the Black Forest south-west of Stuttgart. He’d been looking for a secluded lake that he’d been told was about twenty minutes walk off the main track. They’d never found it, and it probably would have been frozen over anyway.

Somewhere in the distance they heard a wolf howl. Lena clutched him tighter and dug her fingers into his back. Any closer and she’d be crawling inside his skin. She was frightened and he didn’t blame her. The wilderness in winter at night could be a scary place. If he was honest he felt a little scared as well, but for her sake he was trying hard not to show it.

They were down the bottom of a valley. Above the hill to the left ominous clouds were building. The wind was coming from that direction and would blow the weather in with it. Ralf put the hood of his jacket over his head to ward off the wind’s bitter chill. Ordinarily he loved winter, but not like this; not lost in the middle of nowhere.

We need to find a place to take shelter, he decided. Before this storm hits.

Lena let go of her boyfriend and looked all around. But where? All I see is pine forest.

Ralf shrugged, glancing about. Maybe we can find some rocks with a bit of an overhang or something. I have a lighter. We might even be able to make a fire. If they were going to survive through the night then they really needed some sort of shelter and definitely a fire for warmth. A fire would help keep the wolves at bay, too. Come on, he said, taking her hand and leading her deeper into the valley.

The sloping ground made for a slightly slippery descent with the layer of snow covering the frozen earth. As they weaved their way through the trees, a wind gust soared down into the valley from the hills. Powder snow caught in tree branches billowed down and covered the pair in a thin veil of white. Ralf’s left foot trod on an obscured stone and he stumbled, very nearly twisting an ankle. He got his balance back and they kept going.

No matter how far they travelled the topography all looked the same: Pine trees, fir trees, snow and hills.

I can’t see anywhere we can hide, Lena noted, a tinge of panic in her voice.

The first snow flakes started falling from the dark clouds. For the moment the wind had died off and the flurries gently made their way down to earth with silent repetition. In any other situation the scene would have been quite resplendent, but for Ralf and Lena that snowfall was a sign of darker times ahead. With the deep grey cloud right above them now, the remaining daylight was greatly diminished. The snow gradually got heavier, cutting visibility back even further. Lena gripped Ralf’s hand so tightly he could feel his bones starting to ache inside his glove.

They paused to rest beneath the branches of a small pine tree and surveyed the scene. Ralf figured he could now only see clearly for perhaps fifty metres. Things were rather grim. He sucked in a deep breath, kissed Lena on her cold lips, took her by the hand again and kept walking.

Along the way they picked up any sticks, twigs, bits of wood and pine cones that they could find and stuffed them into Ralf’s small backpack. When that was full they started jamming the firewood inside their jackets. Which wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Their body warmth would thaw out the frozen wood.

The wind returned with a vengeance and nearly blew the pair off their feet before it died down to a stiff breeze. Snow continued to fall and the clouds overhead were even more leaden than they had been fifteen minutes ago. Lena took a chap stick from her pocket and applied it to her freezing lips. She then handed it to Ralf and he did the same.

Wish I’d brought a scarf, she said, pulling her jacket as high up around her neck as it would reach.

The terrain still didn’t change, just trees and snow, hills and valleys. No outcrops of rock, or a dense grove of trees that may offer some protection beneath. Ralf and Lena were entirely exposed to the elements and at the mercy of the winter weather. They kept moving, watching every step they took, neither of them wishing to sustain an injury out here and make things that much worse.

During the brief lulls in the wind Ralf thought he heard something. His ears detected a change in the forest symphony and he paused to listen.

Just then the wind picked up again and screamed across the forest with a frightening howl. Snow blew into their faces and they covered them with their hands. Gradually the wind died off, giving Ralf a chance to pick up on the sound he thought he’d heard.

Do you hear that? he asked Lena while looking off into the distance.

She listened for a bit, then nodded. Yes! she said excitedly. It sounds like running water.

Ralf felt jubilation grip him as well as the pair headed in the general direction of the sound. He wasn’t too sure what they were getting excited about. A stream wouldn’t necessarily solve their problem. Possibly it was just the change in landscape that was giving them hope. But maybe they could follow the water source down stream? It might lead to a village and a way out of the forest.

A few minutes later and they arrived at the edge of a little creek. It was only three or four metres wide and stepping stones were scattered across it all over the place. Some were covered in snow, and thin sheets of broken ice sailed along the water's surface. They both looked upstream, where tree branches dangled over the water. It was quite a pretty scene. Ralf had a compact camera in his pocket and it would have made for a great photo, but his mind wasn’t on photography right now. Survival instincts had long ago kicked in and that was all he was thinking about.

We’re running out of daylight, he said and looked up at the darkening sky. He copped a face full of snow for his efforts. We have to find shelter for the night and get this fire going. In the morning we can follow this stream south and see where it leads us.

I so don’t fancy spending the night out here, Lena said with dread.

We don’t really have any choice, her boyfriend replied. He looked into her eyes and she shrugged resignedly. Come this way, he told her and started treading the edge of the stream, going south.

As they travelled the wind and snow abated somewhat, making the going a touch easier. Visibility was a little better despite the fading daylight, and Ralf figured he could now see for perhaps a hundred metres or more. They kept moving, hoping to find somewhere by the side of the stream to set up camp and shelter from the weather. As chance would have it, about half an hour before nightfall they found exactly that.

Just off the edge of the stream there was a little hill made of stone. It had a natural overhanging ledge about two metres above the ground. Under the overhang the ground was relatively flat and made of rock. Some pine needles were scattered over the stone and it was free from snow. Adding to the protection was a dense clump of fir trees growing on top of the little hill. Their thick branches spread out above the ground below, catching the snow and preventing most of it from reaching the earth beneath.

Ralf and Lena eyed each other. Lena managed a rather grim smile, but at least the knowledge of protection from the storm overnight gave her some hope. And Ralf, too.

Without wasting any time, and while there was a lull in the weather, they immediately set to work building the fire. They emptied their jackets and Ralf’s backpack. Ralf left Lena to put the wood pile together while he went in search of some more wood to keep it burning through the night. At the moment he figured they had enough for a few hours at most. He scoured the top of the hill and found several dead tree branches lying on the ground. He took these back down to the creek and commenced snapping the dead wood into pieces with the aid of his foot. These were placed onto a spare pile, then he went back out to look for more.

The weather was closing in again. That’s what often happened with snow; it came in quickly.

Ralf located more wood and all up made six trips from the hilltop down to their makeshift campsite. He figured they now had enough fuel to keep the fire burning until daylight.

He removed a near-empty plastic water bottle from his pack and handed it to Lena. Why don’t you fill this up in the stream while I get the fire lit.

Lena went and knelt at the water’s edge to fill the bottle while Ralf used a cheap cigarette lighter to light some dead leaves and pine needles. The tinder smouldered, but refused to take a flame. He gently blew on the sparks and, with the aid of the wind, managed to get a healthy flame burning. The twigs and sticks caught alight and he carefully placed a few of the heavier pieces of wood on top.

Neatly arranged in a ring around the fire were some decent-sized rocks that Lena had collected from the creek. The fire was right in the centre under the overhang, the smoke being extracted by the constant wind. Some shrubs to the left of the little hill helped block the worst of the wind.

I wish we had a blanket or some sleeping bags, Lena groaned.

She took a sip of water, handed the bottle to her boyfriend, took off her gloves and warmed her hands over the fire.

Ralf drank some water and it froze his throat. Man, that is cold, he said.

Outside the light had dimmed to a very dull grey. The snow was falling heavily again and the wind whistled constantly through the treetops. As full dark descended over the valley, Ralf piled more wood onto the fire and he and Lena huddled in close for warmth. He had his arms around her and held her close, the firelight playing on their faces.

As soon as it’s light, Ralf said, we’ll follow this stream south and see where it takes us. It’ll lead us out of here, I’m sure of it.

I believe you, she said quietly.

I’m sorry I got us lost today. It was stupid of me.

Don’t worry about it. It’s just a shame it snowed right after we left the main trail. Otherwise we could have followed our tracks back the way we’d come.

Let’s just treat tonight as a bit of an adventure, Ralf said. And tomorrow we’ll get out of here.

He kissed her gently on the lips then and she finally managed a genuine smile.

An hour later and they both tried to doze. The fire had been stacked up with more wood and was blazing nicely. Ralf found it very difficult to get comfortable on the hard, cold stone. The wind continued to whistle through the valley and the snowfall didn’t abate. He had nothing to rest his head on. Lena was using his backpack for a pillow, but it was only big enough for one head to lie on, not two. The only comfort he had between the back of his head and the rock floor was the thin padding in his jacket hood. It was marginally better than nothing at all, but not by much.

Beside him Lena was breathing steadily. She was asleep. Ralf lay there for quite a while just staring into the fire and listening to the sound of the snow storm. Eventually his eyelids started to droop until they fully closed and he drifted off into slumber land.

Some time later his eyes snapped open. Staring bleary-eyed into the fire, Ralf forced his eyes to focus. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep or what had awoken him, but something had, some noise.

Lena was still unconscious on his left, her breathing deep and rhythmic. He didn’t want to wake her if it wasn’t necessary, so he kept his movement to a minimum and listened intently. All he could hear was the wind. Snow flurries still fell, but nowhere near as heavy as earlier. The fire was burning bright and didn’t need any more wood placed on it.

Ralf was about to lay down and try and go back to sleep when he spied movement outside, just on the fringes of the firelight. Something materialised out of the darkness and Ralf’s heart leapt into his mouth.

It was a wolf. The animal was tan-coloured with flecks of grey on its shoulders and face. Two amber eyes stared at Ralf, its gaze menacing. Hackles rose on its back and Ralf knew the creature was in an aggressive mood. It looked skinny, as if it hadn’t had a decent feed in quite a while.

A hungry wolf was not a friendly wolf, Ralf thought.

What to do?

Ever so slowly he sat up, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would make the wolf jumpy. He reached forward and grabbed a burning stick from the fire. As he did so the wolf opened its mouth and bared its teeth. A low, rumbling growl came from its throat. Lena stirred and sat up suddenly. She let out a stifled squeal when she saw the wolf and the animal retreated a few paces. Its eyes flicked back and forth between Lena and Ralf. When it saw the burning stick in Ralf’s hand it looked uncertain. For a while it just stood there staring at them, reluctant to come closer.

They travel in packs, don’t they? Lena whispered.

I’m not sure, Ralf answered honestly. I think so.

So there might be more of them out there.

Let’s hope not.

Lena said, I wish it was daylight.

The wolf suddenly looked to its left and started to snarl, then growl.

I think he’s calling his mates, Ralf said, his heart hammering hard. He got to his feet, brandishing the burning stick.

Lena clutched his arm. Where are you going?

To scare them off.

The wolf growled some more, then tilted its head back and let out a howl so loud and long it could have been heard in the next valley. Then it was off, sprinted into the darkness and vanished.

You did it, Lena said happily. You scared it away.

Ralf wasn’t so sure. I wonder what it was growling at?

When he stepped out from under the overhang, he found out.

It hissed at him and Ralf staggered backwards, almost stepping into the fire. When Lena saw what was out there, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

It was a man, but not an ordinary man. His eyes were blood red and emanating pure evil. When he opened his mouth to hiss again, two long and very sharp fangs protruded from where the eye teeth normally would have been. Those fangs glinted in the firelight.

Ralf waved the burning stick as a warning, but the creature of the night was totally unperturbed by his feeble action. Instead, he glanced to his left. Both Ralf and Lena heard movement. Two more men appeared, one with eyes as black as coal and the other with bright blue eyes that penetrated the very soul of anyone he looked at. Ralf felt a shudder go through him. Lena moved in behind him for protection and wrapped her arms around his waist. Ralf blinked. There was a whooshing sound and the three men had suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a flurry of snow dancing in the air where they’d been standing.

What the fuck? Ralf said.

Lena clutched him tighter, almost squeezing the air from his lungs.

Are they gone? she asked, hoping for reassurance.

Ralf didn’t answer. With his free hand he pried her arms from his waist and stepped outside again. He looked left at the creek, then right towards the top of the hill. Straight ahead there was nothing but blackness beyond the fire’s light. Finally he looked up into the canopy of tree branches above the overhang.

Two red eyes peered down at him.

Ralf felt like he was rooted to the spot, frozen and unable to move his feet. The wood burned in his hand. His eyes never left the two staring down at him. He couldn’t turn away. For the moment he was paralysed.

He could still hear, though, and it was then that he became aware of movement. He heard the other two return and spied them out of his peripheral vision. Ralf stood there helpless as they went under the overhang and cornered Lena.

She screamed so loud he felt his eardrums pop. Her screams were quickly subdued and replaced by a disgusting sucking, slurping noise.

What the hell were they doing to her?

He tried with everything he had to peel his eyes away from the two that bore into his. Again he attempted to uproot his feet, but to no avail. Whatever hold this creature above had on him, it was seriously strong.

Lena made no sound now and Ralf felt his heart sink. Anxiety gnawed at his stomach and he knew she was already dead. Soon it would be his turn and he was utterly powerless to stop it from happening.

Slowly the figure above glided down from the trees and landed on its feet before him. Ralf suddenly had control of his body again and he spun round in time to see the other two just finishing with Lena. She lay sprawled out on the stone on the other side of the fire. She was motionless. The two creatures got to their feet, blood dripping from their chins. One of them extended a long tongue and licked up the blood. The other didn’t bother.

Ralf felt a shudder ripple through him. A part of him longed to grieve for Lena, but an even bigger part of him was terrified of what was about to happen to him.

His anticipation was short-lived.

In a lightning-fast move the creature with the red eyes was on him. Two tremendously strong arms gripped him in a bear hug and Ralf felt the fangs savagely plunge into the left side of his throat. It was followed by that same slurping sound and he immediately felt giddy as the life quickly drained from his body.

Not in a million years did Ralf ever think he would die this way.

Chapter Two

Brisbane, Australia ~ December

A near-full moon had risen to the right, casting an eerie silver glow over the Port of Brisbane. The water was calm, with just faint ripples smearing the surface due to the lightest of breezes.

Ryan Fox wiped a sheen of sweat from his brow and wished the breeze was a little stronger. The night was hot and humid, as was usually the case during Queensland summers. His shirt clung to his back and he could feel sweat dripping down from the nape of his neck. Wearing a sports coat wasn’t helping, but he needed it to hide his gun and shoulder holster.

He took a deep breath of the sultry air, the scent of salt in it, and wished he had a cigarette or two to smoke to pass the time. He’d quit smoking just over a year ago, but the cravings were still there at times. Not so much physical cravings, more psychological than anything. Every so often he indulged in a nicotine fix, but usually only when he was drinking.

Ryan peered out through a gap between empty shipping containers set back from the edge of the huge dock. It was a hive of activity out there. Bright lights illuminated the scene while a massive crane loaded container after container of grain onto a ship bound for South-East Asia. Ryan had only recently discovered that they now shipped grain in the protection of lined containers. He thought it was still poured from a conveyor belt directly into a big pile in the hold of the ship. Apparently not so much these days. Times had changed.

The private detective business had been going well this past twelve months; so well that he often had to subcontract some of the work out. Tonight he was doing just that and had another man on the job with him. His name was Troy Brown, a local PI based in Brisbane. Ryan had him situated about fifty metres away behind some old drums by the edge of the water, and just beyond the bow of the huge container ship.

Global Corp Marine was a new client of Ryan’s and they owned the ship that was now being loaded. Gus McKay, the man in charge of security and public relations, had enlisted Ryan’s services. The guy was suspicious that dock workers might be exporting illegal products to Asia via his shipping lines. He had no proof of it. Was just a hunch, he’d said. That’s why Ryan was here: To find that proof. Ryan had received a tip off yesterday, through some contacts he’d paid off, that something was going down tonight. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see what happened.

Stakeouts were a boring, but necessary part of the job. He despised this part of detective work - waiting around for endless hours - but on some cases it was simply unavoidable and a tedious part of the process that had to be endured.

He stuck a piece of chewing gum into his mouth and chewed tenaciously, enjoying the fresh explosion of sugary mint flavour. Still, he preferred cigarettes. Possibly his lungs didn’t, but his taste buds did. If he really thought about it, though, he did feel a tad healthier for having quit the habit fulltime. He was twenty six with plenty of life ahead of him. Might as well make it a reasonably healthy one.

Heavy metal containers full of grain slammed onto the deck of the ship. The overhead crane creaked and groaned. Workers yelled instructions to one another as the container was positioned on the deck. The smell of diesel filled the air.

Ryan checked his watch and saw that it was approaching one thirty in the morning. He yawned and shook his head, trying to keep his focus and stay alert. Right now, as he wiped more sweat from his face with the sleeve of his jacket, he just felt like curling up in his bed with the air conditioner cranked to full power.

He took a walkie talkie from his pocket and contacted Troy over by the water.

Anything interesting? he asked.

There was a crackle of static, then Troy replied. Nada. Hope something happens soon, or I’ll start nodding off.

Tell me about it, Ryan replied and yawned again. Let me know if you see anything.

Likewise.

They signed off for now. Ryan replaced the walkie talkie in his back pocket