Snatchers (Book 7): The Dead Don't Yield by Shaun Whittington Page A

around and waved. "Okay?"
    "I thought yer were supposed to be on barrier watch, by the railway bridge?" Pickle yelled.
    "I am. Had to go for a crap," snickered Simon. "Anyway, lads, need to get back. There's only me and Kirk Sheen on this evening."
    "Just the two of yer? How come?"
    Simon shrugged his shoulders. "Fucked if I know. They've got four on by the Globe Island. Explain that."
    "Yer better get back then," said Pickle. "In fact, I might come with yer. Kill an hour."
    "Really?" Vince puffed out his lips. "Haven't you had enough for one day?"
    "Another hour won't kill me."
    "If that's what you want."
    Pickle left Vince and walked side-by-side with the young Simon Benson and looked over his shoulder. "Vince. Do me a favour."
    "What?"
    "Check on Karen for me, will yer? She's gone for a sleep. Gonna wake her up for me. If she sleeps any longer, she won't sleep tonight."
    "Sure thing."
    "And no pervy stuff."
    "Oh, I can't promise that," said Vince with a smile.
    Pickle then jokingly pointed at Vince, then drew his thumb across his throat, telling Vince that if anything happened to Karen he'd get his throat cut.
    Vince smiled and gave Pickle the middle finger as he walked away with Simon, then made the short walk to Karen and Pickle's house. He approached the front door. He knocked gently before going inside, went through the living room area and could see that there was nobody about. The kitchen was next to be checked, and the empty room told Vince that the ground floor was vacant and that Karen was probably still upstairs, sleeping.
    He crept upstairs and was reluctant to call out her name. Pickle told him that he should wake her because she wouldn't sleep tonight, but shouldn't pregnant women get as much rest as they could? Plus, he didn't want to give her a fright.
    Vince then heard noises in the bathroom. This told him that she was awake. He was about to call up, but he paused once he heard her sobbing.
    "Shit. What's up?" Vince then shook his head at himself. "Everything."
    He hated this kind of stuff. Didn't every man?
    He didn't want to confront Karen and see what was wrong. Her sobbing and breaking down would be just too awkward for him, especially if she needed a hug and he ended up getting an erection—something that had happened to him many years ago. He once comforted a woman after she had lost her husband to cancer. She was a work colleague and he gave her a hug during tea break, but he became aroused during the hug and both of them, especially her, were mortified and embarrassed. She left a month later.
    He turned to leave, but his conscience wouldn't let him.
    "Fuck it. I'll go in." He shook his head and pointed at his groin and whispered, "You better behave yourself."
    As soon as he reached the landing, he very slowly peered his head through the bathroom door that was left ajar, and saw Karen. She had her back to him; she was naked, sitting on the edge of the bath with her feet inside. He could see her shaking her head. What was wrong with her?
    "I'm losing it," she began to cry. "I'm really losing it."
    Her hands were resting on her thighs and once she placed her hands on the edge of the bath, Vince could see that both of them were covered in blood. She turned to the side and now Vince could see the blood running down her left thigh. He pulled his head away before she clocked him, and stood hopelessly on the landing.
    He had no idea what to do. Yes, he was hopeless in emotional situations, but this was something even bigger than he'd imagined.
    It was time to leave.
    He cursed himself for being a coward, but still crept down the stairs that thankfully lacked creakiness. As he reached the ground floor and placed his hand on the knob, he looked upstairs, filled with guilt and regret, then opened it and crept outside, shutting the door quietly behind him.
    He felt for Karen, he really did. Having a miscarriage was bad news for most women; but Vince couldn't help feel that it may be a blessing.
    Karen seemed