《Scalding Coils》


 Chapter One

    Cafe Noir - Worcestershire, England. 2023


    The smell of rich coffee floated around the busy cafe, and even though it was stuffed with men in three-piece suits, it was uncomfortably quiet. No one spoke asides the irritated customer and the pale overworked waitress. Even the coffee machine tried desperately to be quiet but groaned as it made yet another cappuccino.


    Alix Withers sat uncomfortably in the window seat; he had always disliked the hard chairs and the poorly insulated windows. It seemed so low end for such high-end prices, yet once a month he sat there, awaiting his long-term friend for their regular catch-ups.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Alix spotted Barry lumbering through the sea of people. He was a large man with a barrel-like belly that had apparently never been neglected. His face framed with a bushy bronze beard and messy hair that had been slicked back under a baseball cap. That day''s newspaper being held loosely in one of his bear-like hands.


    Barry looked very out of place among these businessmen, Along with Alix. Alix was shorter, firmly built and stylishly wore his silvery blonde hair, and his aviator sunglasses covered at least half of his face. The two of them certainly did turn heads, not that they cared. Two things on the newspaper''s front page stood out, but Alix only cared about the one. He snatched the paper and flicked it open and scanned intently over the words, his unusual mahogany eyes flicking from left to right as he read.


    "They still haven''t found her. Barry, I¡¯m getting tired of waiting,¡± Alix muttered to himself and let out an irritated sigh. He laid the paper on the table and leaned himself back into the chair with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°10 months and counting, they¡¯re still searching. But look at this, illness is floating around by London. 16 dead already. Symptoms are welting rashes, vomiting¡­¡± Barry read the article out loud, ignoring the disgusted looks he was getting from people.


    ¡°Baz, that¡¯s enough¡­ People are trying to eat.¡± Alix leaned forward and propped himself up on his elbows, he slipped off his sunglasses and folded them, before letting them rest in his pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her myself.¡± Alix looked directly into Barry''s curious green eyes that hooded with a heavy frown at his comment. Alix was deadly serious, and that¡¯s what bothered Barry the most.


    ¡°You¡¯re no detective, Alix. You can¡¯t.¡± Barry raised his voice a little, but his body was still relaxed, asides that heavy frown. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°No, But you are.¡¯ Alix stared so intently into Barry¡¯s eyes. It felt like he was searching his very soul, plucking out the most tender information.


    ¡°No, I have police training.¡± Barry looked away uncomfortably, noticing how the cafe had been much emptier than before. Possibly the end of the business men''s lunch.


    ¡°21 years special forces training, 12 years of that was in criminology, come on Baz. I miss her, you know I do,¡± Alix asked desperately.


    Barry let out a bear-like growl and began to rummage through his trouser pockets to pull out a packet of cigarettes, much to the disgust of Alix.


    "Thought you were giving up the fags.¡¯ Alix rolls his eyes with irritation. He had known Barry long enough to realize he had crap self-control, especially with smoking. Barry ignored his comment and lifted himself up, almost tipping the table over in the process. Alix groaned and followed suit, putting down a fiver onto the waiters counter as he hurried past to keep up with the angry oaf. Barry was already sucking on the end of his fag. His enormous lungs drained the entire thing in under a minute. Alix had only just pulled out his vape by the time Barry was done, which earned a bothered look from Alix.


    ¡°So, are you in?¡± Help me out here dude.¡¯ Alix fired up his custom-made box mod and took back a lungful of sweet tasting lemon tart vapour. The nicotine thankfully took an immediate effect on his brain.


    ¡°No,¡± Barry retorted firmly and watched Alix blow a fluffy white cloud into the faces of a poor elderly couple, briefly engulfing them before the wind whipped up the vapour for itself.


    ¡°What? Why? You always wanted to do this. To¡­.to be a hero and help people. It was all you wanted to do at one stage.¡± Alix pleaded and stuffed his vape back into the back pocket of his dark jeans, and slipped his large aviators back on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a hero. Look, Al, I just don¡¯t want to be the one to find the beaten remains of her body. I don¡¯t want to be the one to tell you she¡¯s dead, or tell you she¡¯s disappeared off the face of the earth.¡± Barry hooked off his cap to rake his fingers through his wild brown hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared myself for the worst. Ten months is a long time to be missing, Baz. I don¡¯t care if we find her body, at least then we can give her a proper funeral and bury her next to her dad. I¡¯d feel worse if we didn¡¯t find her. This is your chance, Barry! A chance to finally prove yourself!¡± Alix was starting to get desperate now.


    ¡°And what with this illness going around? What if-¡± Barry mutters to himself, deep in thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about this bloody illness. We will wear respirators, and take hand sanitizer if we have to.¡± Alix¡¯s frustration was starting to show by now.


    ¡°If anything goes wrong...Anything...You¡¯re in deep shit, Al.¡± Barry thrusts a hand out in front of himself, which was soon thankfully shook by Alix¡¯s much smaller hand.


    "Thank you, Bro, This means the world to me.¡± Alix smiled and tugged his friend close for a quick brotherly hug, patting one another on the back firmly.

 Chapter Two - F.S.F Forensics Labs - Kent

    F.S.F. Forensics Labs - Kent


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before, Mrs Rogers.¡± Dr Lovegood, the forensic pathologist scientist put the file on the table and turned away. It was indeed an awkward situation for someone that was always expected to have the answers. He couldn¡¯t find the strength to look at the female as she reached for the file. The pale woman shook her head in denial. She had been crying, possibly for hours. Her hot cheeks burnt as salty tears stained her face, like a transparent glaze of emotion.


    ¡°He had shown all the symptoms of radiation-induced malfunctions. But his cells were unaffected by any known radiation. The rash was unusual, possibly from a chemical in the air, and there were bizarre burns on the neck, there was a high chance he was experiencing early stages of hypothermia,¡± The male in the lab coat explained. The woman stared down with a blank, pained expression as her puffy red eyes scanned over the photographic evidence. It was the first time she had seen her son since she found him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Do you think he was in pain¡­ when he¡­¡± she asked as she looked into her son''s soulless eyes. They seemed to stare into oblivion, hiding secrets and tales of pain and torment. Dr Lovegood swallowed and felt the hairs on his neck prickle with guilt.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, Mrs,¡± he lied through his teeth. Chances are it was pretty painful for a very long time. And his raw throat suggested he had been screaming for a very long time. But that was information she didn¡¯t need on her shoulders.


    ¡°As long as he went peacefully, doctor.¡± She seemed to feel comfort by his lies and offered a small, uncertain smile. She closed the file slowly. Her fingertips lingered on the paper for a while before she stood to leave. "Thank you, Doctor." She nods calmly and left without another word.

 Chapter 3 - The Woods

    16 Dicks Drive, Worcestershire


    ¡°Do we have to do this, dude?¡± Alix groans and rubs his temples to nurse his growing headache. Barry set a glass of water down, followed by two painkillers, which Alix reluctantly took.


    ¡°Yes. To me it makes sense. No one has any explanation of this illness yet,¡± Barry started to explain, only to get cut off by an irritated Alix.


    ¡°You are fascinated with this blood illness, Baz. Can¡¯t we just focus on the task at hand?¡± Alix set the empty glass down a little more firmly than he intended, almost causing it to shatter on the table. Alix was focused, but impatient. Barry was the opposite, which led the two to form an inseparable bond.


    ¡°Just listen, dude! We don¡¯t know how, or why they¡¯re dropping like flies. It could be linked to Anna¡¯s death.¡± Alix sighed, but Barry had a point.


    ¡°Ok, ok. Whatever. But we know absolutely nothing about illnesses. What are we supposed to do when we finally find what we are looking for - if we do?¡± Asked Alix with a doubtful curiosity.


    ¡°Good job I still speak to someone who specializes in diseases and death,¡± Barry said cooly, noticing how Alix¡¯s expression lit up dramatically.


    ¡°You do? Brilliant! Well done, chap!¡± he grinned and patted his friend''s arm lightly with excitement


    ¡°We track and report, he will do the science stuff, sounds good right?¡± Barry grinned, feeling proud of himself.


    ¡°Sweet, so we go to the heart of all this, find what we can and pray to god we don¡¯t get infected too¡­ Do you think you can stomach it?¡± Alix teased, nudging Barry lightly.


    ¡°Yeah, London. You ready for this?¡± Barry asked as he grabbed a thick black duffle bag that was sat at one of the bar stools, and swung it over his broad shoulder.


    ¡°Pretty much born ready, Baz.¡± Alix chuckled and scooped up his car keys and swung them around his finger a few times. He never liked driving around London. It was always so compact with taxies and standstill traffic. But this needed to be done there were questions to be answered, and people to be saved.


    The both of them slipped into the black, well looked after VW R32.  Alix had worked hard for years in his chef work to be able to afford it, and now, it was his pride and joy. He called it Dolly, and they had won a few competitions in their time together. Once they were both strapped in, Barry flung the duffle bag into the back seat. The engine rattled into life. The straight pipes made it sound like an excited rally car as it pulled off down the road. It sure turned heads, especially when it looked like it was being driven by an over-glamourous Draco Malfoy.


    ¡°So, how do you think this sickness is linked to Anna¡¯s disappearance?¡± Alix asked as he powered down the motorway. The loud roars of Dolly, easily part the road ahead like the red sea.


    ¡°Well, think about it. She disappeared in December, right? And people first reported feeling unwell around that time, and by January 3 had died already. Things so close like that, we need to rule out all possibilities, and help people on the way,¡± Barry explained, and even though it made no sense to Alix, he agreed nonetheless. He needed to trust him, he was the one with all the training in this field.


    ¡°Right, and if they are linked? Then what do we do?¡± Alix asked, completely focused on the road ahead.


    ¡°Then hopefully, Dr Lovegood can find a cure to stop more people dying, however, it does get more complicated if we can¡¯t find that link. But, if we collect enough evidence, it should still count for something and help people,¡± Barry said whilst he dug out his mobile phone and started to text someone.


    ¡°Where is your forensic friend located? What stuff do we need to collect for him?¡± Alix asked as he began to overtake a snailing Vauxhall Vectra.


    ¡°Kent, the forensic labs. He''s given me some equipment to take air samples, water samples. And blood samples of the sick, and the dead if we are unfortunate enough to come across any. Alix braked the car briefly, struck back by the information Barry had just told him.


    ¡°And how the fuck do we go about taking blood from strangers? Can¡¯t just go along the streets poking people with needles.¡± Alix looked over to Barry for just a second to make sure he wasn¡¯t being a prick.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Barry rolls his eyes and flicks his fingers on a laminated badge, confirming he could legally perform medical procedures under the eyes of the Forensic Science Federation.  Hardly anyone would have heard of them, but no one questioned them.


    ¡°Got explicit permission from the F.S.F,¡± Barry said smugly.


    ¡°The who?¡± Alix questioned with a small frown, but kept his eyes ahead, driving safely.


    ¡°Forensic Science Federation. Luckily I''m trained to take out medical procedures.¡±


    ¡°Anything you¡¯re not trained in, Baz?¡± Alix asked with slight irritation. For as long as he could remember, Baz always thrived to be the best at everything. And even now, he wanted to be the best of the best.


    ¡°Cooking, you beat me there ol¡¯ boy.¡± Barry chuckles, looking to the side to the unimpressed Alix.


    Alix¡¯s expression went from unimpressed, to confused in just one second. The smile on Barry¡¯s lips soon vanished as the both of them looked ahead. They watched a thick fog rolling over the road. It seemed to come from the woodlands at the side of the road.


    ¡°Stop the car, Al,¡± Barry said, fixated on the billowing fog. It was October, fogs weren''t particularly unusual, but this felt uneasy as it oozed from the trees curiously. Alix slowed the car, the straight pipes popping and groaning with disappointment as it came to a stop a few yards from the fog, sitting safely at the side of the road. The energy in the car spiked, all of the hairs on their bodies stood on end with a strange static electric, and the air grew spitefully cold. Barry unbuckled the seatbelt and reached over to grab the duffel bag, pulling it onto his large lap to unzip it. He pulled out a device and shoved the bag into the footwell as he squeezed his large body out of the door, and stepped into the thick fog that resembled cotton wool. The piece of equipment that became enveloped by Barry''s large hands looked somewhat like a card reader attached to some hair tongs. Alix knew better than to question it, and watched as his friends thrust the hair straighteners into the fog. Barry studied the numbers that flicked upon the screen, nothing too unusual for fog. He lumbered back with a confused expression on his face.


    ¡°Thought it was worth a shot.¡± Barry smirked a little and set the environmental air tester equipment back safely. He had only just zipped the bag back up, and half got into the car again when a distant scream came from within the woodlands.


    Both men looked at each other, but their reactions were very different. Alix looked in fear, and Barry looked excited. Alix revs the engine, the tires screeching on the tarmac as he tried desperately to pull away as quickly as he could, only to have the handbrake yanked up by Barry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a pussy, Al!¡± he grunts and hoists himself back out the car, only to get his arm grabbed by an icy cold hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Haven¡¯t you watched a single horror film in your life? You don¡¯t follow screams in creepy woods unless you want your throat slit by a psycho killer.¡± Alix was pale, and his hands were like ice as pure panic set in.


    ¡°And if it¡¯s someone in trouble?¡± Barry pulled himself away and brushed himself down with a frown.


    ¡°And if it¡¯s a decoy? If it¡¯s a killer in there waiting to fuck us up?¡± Alix urged his friend desperately. Barry glared down to the scared eyes of his friend. The silence between them made things even tenser.


    ¡°What if that was Anna or someone in her position that needs help? How would you feel knowing Anna called for help and no one came,¡± Barry said firmly. Alix looked away from his unblinking eyes and felt a cold stab through his heart. That comment hit home, and he was right.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he whispered under his breath and hooked himself out the car, locking it behind him and joining at his friend''s side. Alix felt vulnerable as they both disappeared into the endless maze of trees. Sure, Barry was immense and had all the necessary skills to fend off a psycho or two if they dared to get too close, but Alix couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling as they ventured even deeper. They didn¡¯t have to walk for long till Alix¡¯s hawk-like eyes found something unusual peeking through fallen brown leaves on the ground. Alix stopped in his path and bent down to pick it up. It was quickly obvious it was a piece of paper, covered in dirt and partly decomposed, even an earthworm clung to it.


    Barry slowed when he felt his right-hand side become unoccupied, and turned with curiosity.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Barry asked, and stood aside him, looking down to it as Alix brushed as much dirt off as he could without ripping the paper.


    ¡°Looks like a missing person poster¡­¡± Alix whispers, looking up at his friend to study his expression. It was very curious, why would a missing person poster be all the way out here?


    ¡°Yeah, but why out here?¡± Baz asked curiously, and took out a clear plastic wallet, and took it from him gently to put it away safely. This was good evidence of something, even if it wasn¡¯t quite what they were looking for.


    ¡°Good eyes, Al, keep it up.¡± Barry praised him and put the evidence in his inner pocket just as they moved forward yet again.


    Only a few short steps later, Barry felt his boot hit something firm under the leaves, which made him stop in his track and give a test kick to the object beneath the leaves and mud. The object rolled forward slightly, becoming uncovered as it emerged from the leaves.


    The solid round shape turned, finally coming to a halt a few inches away. Both men stare down in disbelief, as a face stares back.

 Chapter Four - Mites

    F.S.F - Forensics Labs - Kent


    "When you said you were going to London to take out tests I really didn¡¯t expect you to find...this. And so quickly, too." Dr Lovegood looked to the men that seemed somewhat stiff in the brightly lit room. Alix, in particular, resembled a frightened child as he stared at the assortment of equipment around the room. Barry cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over the back of his broad neck which was sweating a fair bit, making his shirt damp.


    "No, We didn¡¯t expect it either. We heard a scream coming from the woods, and a strange fog¡­" Barry tried to explain the best he could, but the past few hours had been very traumatic for them both. Even for a trained officer like Barry. Alix shuddered as he recalls the blood-curdling scream that ebbed through the ominous clouds of fog earlier that day. That very sound had etched into its memory. He would never forget it.


    "Well, after conducting a few simple tests I can confirm the male you found does not match the male on the missings person poster," Dr.Lovegood confirmed and looked down at the small file.


    "His eyes. What was wrong with his eyes?" Alix stammers, moving forward unsteadily, he felt his head swirl with confusion and unidentified emotion. There was a silence so bitter, it made Alix question reality, the air thick with tension which only made the men twice as uncomfortable.


    "Tell me!" Alix raised his voice. Not out of character for him. He was always quick to lose his temper, but it left just as quick as it arrived.


    "His eyes. It appeared they were burnt with some kind of heated metal." Dr Lovegood dipped his head. It was bad enough they found a random headless male with no name in a woodland area just off the motorway, let alone to find it mutilated in painful ways. Alix winced and closed his eyes tightly. He couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt. Burning metal searing the tender nerves, melting your eyes till they popped and oozed with a foul smelling puss; a pain so extreme you beg for death.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Mr Withers. That¡¯s all I can determine." Dr Lovegood had done his part, no matter how hard it was for him. It was always difficult to explain traumatic deaths to people. It was the one disadvantage of the job he loved. Barry and Alix were both excused from the labs, and as soon as the stepped outside they both dived for their cravings. Barry yanked out a cigarette and Alix pulled out his vape. If they didn¡¯t ease their stress soon, things could end nasty, and within no more than ten minutes they had both calmed enough to talk properly.


    "What now?" Asked Alix as he blew a fluffy white cloud that quickly enveloped them - Even Barry''s large body.


    "We carry on. We go to London and get this shit over and done with." Barry stubs out the cancer stick on the path and thrust his big hands into his pockets with a hefty sigh. He looked up to the building and studied its simple modern design and high-security borders. At Least now Barry had stopped sweating so much.


    "We never found out who screamed back in the forest," Alix muttered as he hit a tender nerve once again. He felt guilty, especially after what Barry had said about it. What if it was someone that needed help, and they failed at providing such a simple task. Barry looked away, his attention diverting quickly. They got no further than the exit, before Dr Lovegood came through the automatic doors, holding a piece of paper with scruffy handwriting scribbled over its surface. He panted just a little and held out the article to Alix who stood closest.


    "Just had a report come through from a private officer that needs our help. Can you help me?" He asked, his eyes looked desperate as he offered the address he scribbled down in an obvious hurry. Alix took the paper and nodded without ever looking to Barry, who was silently disapproving of the extra passenger. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Sure, I¡¯ll take you, Dude." Alix knew vaguely where the address was since it was the area he had grown up in, back when. And staring at the address filling him with memories, both good and the bad.


    "Thank you Mr. Withers. Much appreciated." The Doctor was thankful, but he still looked bothered by something. What it was was unknown for now. Alix led the others to his vehicle, and in no time they were on the road to Bristol. Luckily it was just a three-hour drive if it went smoothly - good news for the doctor, who clutched the sides of the seat as the car sped down the road, taking a sharp bend at 40-something miles per hour.


    "Relax, He¡¯s a good driver, Lovegood," Barry chuckled as he noticed how uncomfortable the male was in the speeding car.


    "I¡¯d have been safer walking." He mutters under his breath and looks down to his knees to focus on something other than the scenery that was just one big blur.


    "We will be there in no time." Alix smirks, slowing down as to not get caught on the speed camera a few hundred yards ahead.


    "Yeah, on the roof, or dead, maybe on the way back we can take it more...slowly?" The doctor looked ahead at the two men sat up front. Though asking such thing was a lost cause. Alix thrived for speed, but Dolly was far too precious to push things over the limit. He trusted his driving, as did Barry.


    ***


    They arrived in no longer than three hours and were quickly able to track the house down, thanks to the border of yellow tape around the building.


    "A quarantine?" Barry mutters curiously and peered over through the garden bushes as Alix parked up the car.


    "Quarantine? What exactly are we dealing with here, Lovegood?" Alix looked over his aviators to glance in the rear mirror to study the doctor sat at the back, looking relieved the car had finally stopped.


    "I don¡¯t quite know myself yet I''m afraid," he replied in a solemn tone and tugged the handle to step out into the cold air. Before, it didn¡¯t seem so cold.


    Barry handed out masks, and slipped on his own, just in case anything was carried on the air. He grabbed a small bag, something that resembled a pencil case and handed it to Dr Lovegood before they all made their way toward the fairly normal looking cul-de-sac house. The closer they got, the more they were aware of the growing amount of flies that buzzed around. Barry reached for the black handle, only to watch a thick swarm of flies reveal a silver handle. He stepped back in disgust. He didn¡¯t expect that of all things, yet still, he urged forward. As soon as they enter, they were hit with a foul smell. The smell of twenty rotting bodies, so potent it seeped through their masks.


    Alix gagged behind the men. He was not used to this, not even one element of it. His happy place was in the kitchen cooking chefs gourmet meals, not searching for god knows what in an awful smelling house that¡¯s overrun with flies. However, Barry and Lovegood thrived for situations like these and kept their eyes open as they ventured deeper into the residential house.


    They hit the jackpot in the kitchen, and even though Alix was still heaving, he followed suit, something in his mind was eager to find out what was so interesting they had to quarantine the area. Alix frowned as he looked down at the body on the floor, the hairs on his arms stood and his stomach churned more. He wasn¡¯t sure what was worse at this stage. Finding the head, or this. He looked closer, curiosity spiking in him. It looked like the female was covered with a fine flour or something. Yet, there were no flies around her. Unusual for a decomposing body.


    "Why is she covered in flour?" he asked curiously to Barry and Lovegood who was inspecting more closely


    "Mites, Not flour," Lovegood says under his breath.


    "Mites?" Alix repeats in confusion. Sure, he had heard of mites. He had a boa constrictor, and he had to treat her for mites a few years back But it was nothing like this.


    "Look closer, Buddy," Barry said as he pulled out the environmental air tester to test the air around them. Alix edged even closer. By now the scent of rotting flesh was so overpowering that it stung his nostrils. The closer he looked, the more he began to see the millions of white specs crawl over the still warm skin. Alix almost fell back in fear. He somehow managed to compose himself and keep his cool.


    "How¡­.Interesting," He muttered and felt the colour drain from his cheeks. This scene was new to Alix. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to deal with things like these.


    "We need to get the body back to the lab, Someone is coming now. We will need to take pictures of everything and look for clues. Then we will complete the tests." Lovegood stood and looked to Alix.