Taken Chapter 8

Back in Bravo Two Adrian was doing his usual patrol. When he heard the call. He had been working closely with Inspector Bowlenn on the Anna Criter case, he was awe inspired by the Inspector and how he worked a case he was really learning a lot from him. So they were now looking for two victims. “HELP!” Adrian slammed the breaks on the patrol car hard as a pedestrian launched themselves in front of it. He wound down the window “What’s the matter sir?”
“Theres a girl in the woods, my dog he, uh, he found her.” the man stuttered so badly it was hard to understand what he was saying. He was clearly in shock and very upset. “Sir I need you to take me to her.” Adrian dashed out of the car locked it and ran at a pace following this man to where his dog had discovered this gruesome sight. It was there in a deserted patch of woodland that he discovered the badly beaten body. It was in a large ditch underneath the trees. There were hedges surrounding it and was well out of view of the foot path. With its right hand missing. He checked for a pulse knowing already that there wouldn’t be one. It was procedure.
He radioed it in and pulled out his mobile. His heart was pumping as he quickly kept everyone away from the area to preserve the evidence and the crime scene. “Bowlenn came the reply from the other end of the phone”
“Sir, Its Pc Chester I’ve got some bad news. I’ve found her, the other girl, I’ve found her. In the woods just down the road from the Herald estate, I thought you’d want to know.”
“You’ve done the right thing I’m on my way.”
Adrian Turned to look at the body once again. She was pale. The dark moist ground on which her naked body lay caused her to look almost white with a green tinge. Her body was showing the signs of rigor mortis, a condition that affects a body after death where the blood pools and causes the body to go stiff. She had clear restraint marks on her ankles and wrists. Her eyes bulged out of her sockets and the pupils were glazed over. There was bruises all over her legs and ribs. Dried blood staining her finger nails. The hair was knotted and tangled with leaves and soil dragged through it. The skin itself looked almost sore and blistered. The smell permeated his hair and clothes right down to his skin. It was indescribable and he instantly wanted to be sick. He fought the urge and walked away up the embankment to the footpath and waited for the other units to arrive.
It didn’t take long for the screech of sirens to break the once silent almost deserted woodland. It signaled the arrival of the Calvary. Adrian peered through the fog that had descended and made the place look like a classic horror scene from a Hollywood film and he could just spot the small figures of his colleagues battling to see him. As they approached cordons were set up, and the gathering number of public were dispersed or kept under control. DI Bowlenn strolled straight up to Adrian and shook his hand. Guiding him by his shoulders he steered him towards a patch of land where he couldn’t be over heard. “Who found her?” he uttered keeping his voice low, but almost soothing. “Uh, the gentleman over there talking to PC Brians sir” Adrian almost whispered the shock starting to creep into his system. He felt cold. “Adrian, focus I need you to listen to me, Have you called for SOCO? Was there anyone lurking about? Could any evidence have been destroyed?” Adrian didn’t even hear what he was saying he was too busy trying not to be sick. He had just seen a dead body. Touched the corpse. He could still taste the putrid smell in his mouth. “Adrian son, listen to me, is this your first?” Adrian slowly nodded his head. “Okay listen to me I want you to go home, have a strong drink a few showers and go to bed. With that he guided Adrian to the edge of the park put him in a squad car and told him to see him in the morning.