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from the burning van scorched his skin. His body was battered beyond the threshold of pain. Chest tight. Arms and legs numb. Awareness slowly returning, he opened his eyes and stared in disbelief at the height of the cliff. How the hell did I survive falling from that? Flashes of recollection played out. His attempt to get up failed. Confused, he looked down at himself, expecting to see his legs broken and skewed at crazy angles. His gaze wandered across wide straps. He was strapped into a wheelchair and dressed in a blue gown. Blood dripped from his face.
    Wolfe stepped into his line of sight and grinned. ‘That was some fall you took, big man. You should’ve worn a seatbelt.’ He dusted off his newly acquired uniform. ‘One good thing about you and me, we’re about the same size.’
    The effort of drawing breath contorted Chisolm’s features. ‘You won’t get far,’ he gasped, ‘before they catch you, Wolfe.’
    He stared up at the cliff face. ‘Is that right? Maybe. But I’m going further than you.’ He knelt by the stricken man, grabbed his head and ran his tongue along his chin, savouring the taste. ‘You know something?’ Wolfe licked his lips. ‘You’re sweeter than you look.’
    For the first time, Chisolm seemed to comprehend the nightmare he faced. Wide-eyed fear and apprehension spurring him, he rocked violently against his bonds in a futile effort to break free.
    Wolfe stood and unzipped his fly. His cock sprang out. Hard. Proud. Expectant.
    ‘Oh Christ,’ Chisolm croaked, pain no longer of primary concern. ‘I’m a married man, got kids. You don’t want to do that. I know you don’t.’
    ‘You don’t know anything about me. You see this?’ he said, his hand wrapped around the thick stalk. ‘This is what it does to me, and it won’t go away until it’s satisfied.’
    ‘C’mon, Wolfe, you’d best be going.’ Chisolm stared at the ground, afraid to meet the other man’s gaze.
    ‘You have no idea how this makes me feel,’ Wolfe whispered, moving closer.
    ‘The police will be here any minute,’ Chisolm wheezed. ‘The transponder will bring them.’
    ‘Right now, do you think I care?’ he said, stroking himself.
    ‘I’d sooner you killed me than do that.’
    Wolfe laughed, then growled, ‘You think I want to drill you? What kind of a man do you think I am, huh?’ He shook his head in disapproval, straddled the other man’s lap, twisted his head to one side, and whispered, ‘Shush.’ Relishing Chisolm’s desperate screams, he mumbled, ‘Sing for me, baby,’ and bit into the flesh of his victim’s neck.
     
    At the water’s edge, fully clothed, Wolfe eased himself into the river. It was colder than he’d expected; a shiver of delight ran through him. He rinsed his face and hands, scrubbing the clothes he wore, fully expecting a helicopter to appear overhead, or the sound of dogs and men at any moment. He didn’t care about losing his chance of escape. There were limits to how much a man of his size could disguise himself. Whatever happened, freedom would be short-lived. Might as well make the most of it.
    Clambering out, he crossed the rocky shoreline, unsure which direction to take. In the distance he heard bells tolling. He turned and loped off along the valley, making for the sound.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 9
     
    Copse Hall. 8:48 a.m.
     
    Executive director Fleur Tadier had rushed into the ladies’ washroom and spent the last ten minutes on her knees, dry-retching until finally, she’d purged herself of the breakfast she’d eaten. She hadn’t paid much attention when the lights went out, but ten seconds later when the extract fan whirred to a halt, it registered with her that something was wrong. It could be something to do with the glitch in the computer system.
    In the relative gloom of the cubicle, she pressed the flush button and then unlocked the door. She glanced up at the sun pipe. At least someone had thought to put one of those in. The daylight