Page 54 of Survival Game

Eric opened his mouth to deny it then closed it. Aaron was right; he had been a moody git at the time. But that had been nearly two months ago. They had now reached a level of what Kyle laughingly called “boyfriendship” they both were comfortable with.

Toothbrushes at each other’s homes, spare clothes in the closet, microwave popcorn for Kyle in Eric’s cupboards and bags of crisps for Eric in Kyle’s—these were all signs of their rapidly evolving relationship.

Friends, lovers, partners—whatever you wanted to call it, Eric was glad it had happened. He couldn’t imagine a life without his purple-haired, vivacious and sexy boyfriend. He had a feeling Kyle felt the same but neither of them had really committed to the L-word yet. Like Kyle—who was quick, quirky and full of depth—Eric’s emotions had grown the same way.

“Get that soppy look off your face, you lovesick sap. We’re here.” Aaron stopped outside the house they’d been to before.

Eric blinked himself back to reality and looked around. He sighed. They were once again in a tough part of the city and they needed to be wary. And last time they’d been threatened. This call was not going to be a walk in the park.

They picked up their bags and approached the house. All the radio operator had said was another potential heart attack victim needing assistance.

Eric knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again.

This time the door opened and the same woman who’d held a knife on them last time stood there. Eric was pleased to note this time she had nothing in her hand except a ragged dishcloth. Sunglasses covered her eyes.

“Thank God you’re here,” the woman said. “It’s my mum again. She’s not well.”

Jessie, Eric thought suddenly. Her name was Jessie. He smiled at her as he and his partner brushed past the narrow doorway into the dingy living room.

“Can you tell us what happened, Jessie? Did she have another heart—?”

He stopped short, Aaron swearing as he bumped into him. “Damn, Eric, warn me next time, will you?”

Eric’s sarcastic reply was choked off, his throat going dry as he observed the scene before him. The older woman—Jessie’s mother, he guessed—lay in a pool of blood on the carpet, eyes unstaring, her head a mess of blood, tissue and bone. Next to her was a large brick covered in gore.

“Aaron, this isn’t a fucking heart attack. Call in backup. We need the police for this one.” He moved swiftly to the woman’s side, but from the mess her skull was in, he knew she was dead.

Obviously not hearing him, Aaron barrelled into the room, crouching beside him and feeling for a pulse. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting Eric’s. The two of them swivelled their heads around to see a smirking Jessie standing above them. Her sunglasses had gone, but in her left hand was a large kitchen knife.

Fear tingled its way down Eric’s spine.

Shit, not again. This woman is insane. She’s also as high as a kite.

As if pulled by an invisible puppeteer’s string, both men stood together and faced the unstable woman before them.

“I told you,” Jessie hissed as she blocked the doorway. “I told her”—she motioned with the knife to the dead woman on the floor—“what would happen if I didn’t get my kids back. Now those fuckers at DSS have decided to keep them. I warned you all I wouldn’t be happy.”

“Jessie, we’ve been in this place before,” Eric said softly. “Put the knife down and let’s talk.”

Jessie cackled loudly, eyes dilated and spittle in the corners of her mouth. “Talk? It was you talking that got me into this mess, you wanker. You told them Social Services bitches about me and they took my kids away. I never got no money no more. Then she—” She gave one savage gesture at the woman on the floor. “She had the fuckin’ cheek to tell them she didn’t think it was a good idea to give ’em back to me.” Her eyes narrowed and a smirk crossed her face. “But I showed her. I bricked her one and she fucking stopped talking, didn’t she?” She nodded. “Yeah, I showed the mummy bitch who was boss.”

Eric’s gorge rose at the sheer malevolence in her voice. Beside him Aaron moved, and the knife moved his way threateningly.

“You need help, Jessie,” Aaron said, his voice soothing. “We can do that. Give you something to calm you down, get you to a hospital so they can look after you. Wouldn’t you like that—someone looking after you, not worrying about bills or cleaning up this mess?”

Jessie tilted her head to one side, considering his suggestions. “What, three shitty meals a day, wipe my bum, put me in fucking prison care? I’m better off here, turning tricks. At least those blokes give me a good dinner now and then. That’s what you made me do, you know? Fuck people for money. Because you took away my income.”

Eric was pretty sure that had been what Jessie had been doing as a living even before their first call out.

Not going to argue with the crazy bitch with a knife. We need her to surrender it.

He moved forward, Aaron’s hissed “Eric, no.” ringing in his ears. Outside, he heard sirens.

“Jessie, come on. Let go of the knife, and we’ll sit and have a talk, ’kay? I’ve got something in my bag I can give you to help you come down from wherever you are. Then we can get someone in to take your mum away, so she has some dignity. Come on. Let us help you. Please.”

Jessie’s lips thinned and she looked from him to Aaron. Finally, she looked down at the body on the floor and a faint expression of fear crossed her face.

Eric held his breath as he waited for her answer. Finally, she nodded and the knifepoint slowly descended down.