Wild Keepers Read online

  WILD KEEPERS

  D E E B RI D G N O R TH

  Copyright © 2019

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Book One

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Book Two

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Book Three

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Book Four

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Book Five

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Book One

  Chapter One

  Allie took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in to the large room with a confidence that was all bluster.

  She looked down at herself, shaking her head. She barely recognised herself in the black tailored pants and a prim blue shirt. The new shoes had a small heel, higher than what she was used to, and already they were starting to rub on the backs of her ankles. Over her arm hung the long black coat that had cost her almost as much as the deposit on her small flat in the city.

  She was a long, long way from home. Oh, it wasn’t just that her small town of Worwood was hundreds of miles from this city. Everything was different, now. Her whole life was in upheaval, and she had barely had time to sit down and really think it all through.

  People raised their heads from their computers, looking at her, as she walked down the long corridor past the open plan cubicles. She smiled at them, trying to strike a balance between appearing friendly and being pathetically grateful for their attention. This was the first time that she had been the new person at a job in a very long time. And it wasn’t just any old job.

  This was her dream job. The start of her career.

  Where was the office that she had been told to report to? That’s right, she remembered now. Down the stairs and to the left. The same place that she had been taken to have her job interview. The office of the big boss. Dr. Timothy Morgan. When she had first met him, she had been so nervous she’d barely been able to say hello. Well, he was well known in the biological science world with an impressive amount of discoveries to his name. She even remembered citing some articles he had written in her papers during her undergraduate years.

  She could see him through the glass-paned doors now. He was sitting at his desk, seemingly deeply absorbed in some papers spread out in front of him. She studied him, briefly, before knocking on the door. He was a benign, befuddled-looking older man, probably around sixty if she was going to hazard a guess. When she had first met him, she had been expecting someone in a power suit, something befitting the director of the Covenester Department of Health. Instead, he had been dressed in rumpled cords and an old patched jacket, his wave of silvery hair unkempt. More like a poor research scientist in an underfunded lab in the boondocks than the leader of two hundred people in sleek offices in the city.

  Just goes to show, thought Allie. You can’t judge a book by its cover.

  She knocked softly on the door. He looked up, still frowning, staring at her intently. For a moment, her patched together confidence wavered. She hadn’t made a mistake, had she? She was supposed to start work today?

  But then his face cleared, and he stood up.

  “Miss Holloway,” he said with a broad smile. “You must excuse me! I was so absorbed in these latest research papers from the east, I plumb forgot that you were starting work with us today.” He took a deep breath. “Come in! Sit, sit.” He waved to a chair opposite his.

  “Please,” she said, smiling back at him. “Call me Allie. Miss Holloway sounds so formal. I hardly recognise myself when you say it.”

  His smile broadened. “Allie. Of course. You must excuse me, my dear. I am older than you, and in my day, we were always told to call someone by their title…but those days are long gone, I fear. You must call me Timothy, too. None of this Dr. Morgan twaddle.”

  Allie smiled, nodding her head, but inside, she wasn’t sure. He was an impressive man, and so much older than her. It seemed somehow disrespectful not to give him his title. She kind of regretted that she had insisted that he call her by her given name.

  “So,” he said, spreading his hands wide. “Welcome! The Covenester Department of Health is very excited to have you on board. You stood head and shoulders above all the other candidates for the position of junior research assistant, Allie. Your lecturers at your college couldn’t sing your praises highly enough.”

  Allie felt herself blushing, just a little. “Thank you, Dr…. I mean, Timothy.” She took a deep breath, trying to quell her nerves. “I am honoured that you and the board are giving me this chance to prove myself. I won’t disappoint you.”

  “Of course you won’t,” he said. He sto
od up, walking to a coffee pot in the corner. “Would you like one?”

  She shook her head, quickly. The thought of coffee coursing through her veins today made her feel a bit ill.

  He poured himself a cup then sat back down. “I am afraid that you will be a bit of loner here, if you don’t drink coffee,” he said, smiling. “All of us seem to live on it, especially if we’re working overtime or are working intently towards a breakthrough. It can be long hours, Allie, in our section. Infectious diseases don’t run to a nine-to-five timetable, unfortunately.”

  She leaned forward. “I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m willing to put in the extra hours. I’m just so excited to be working with such a fine team and have the chance to learn. Put all those lectures and assignments to practical use, at long last.”

  He nodded. “That’s the attitude,” he said. “I could tell in your interview how passionate you were about biological science, and especially diseases. Tell me, what made you decide to focus on this area after you graduated?”

  Allie considered this. Should she give him the generic answer, or the real one?

  “It was my older brother,” she said, slowly. “He died of meningococcal meningitis when he was ten. It took hold of him so quickly, and it was back in the days before it was easily recognised. I suppose…it made me curious as to how diseases work. The bacteria and the viruses. And it made me want to help other people, so that they didn’t have to go through what my family did.”

  He nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. “But why research into diseases rather than study medicine? Your grades indicate you could have done that, if you wanted to.”

  She sighed. “My parents wanted me to,” she replied. “But I was always more fascinated with the diseases, rather than the patients. And to me, it’s working on the frontline. Without our research, looking for causes and cures, the doctors can’t implement any of it.”

  He nodded again. “Just so. I have always had the same attitude. I remember working to identify the Ebola virus, when it first appeared. I travelled to Africa searching for the origin of it. If you work hard, Allie, you will have the opportunity to travel for your research, one day.”

  “I would love the opportunity,” she said, her eyes gleaming.

  He stood up. “Well, welcome again! We are a close-knit team, and I am sure you will settle in just fine. Everyone is friendly and will be willing to help you. Just ask.” He looked out the door. “Ah, here is Janelle. She will take you to Personnel and get all the administrative side of it sorted out for you before you start.”

  Allie turned to see a middle-aged woman walking through the door. She had black hair threaded with silver, done up in a high top knot, and her long, gold earrings jangled slightly as she leaned forward, stretching out her hand.

  “You must be Allie Holloway,” she said, smiling. “I’m Janelle, office wizard. All set for your first day?”

  Allie smiled, standing up. “I hope so,” she laughed. “Nice to meet you, Janelle.”

  “If you need anything done, I’m here,” Janelle said. “I’m used to typing up incomprehensible research notes quickly, just in case you need it. Everyone else gets me to. You’ve just moved to Covenester? Where are you from?”

  “A small town called Worwood,” Allie answered. “I grew up there and attended college close by.”

  “How are you finding the big city?” asked Janelle. “It must be a big change, after a small town.”

  “It’s…different.” How could she answer properly? She didn’t want to appear rude and make any disparaging comments about the city. But the truth was, it was more overwhelming than she had expected.

  “You’ve chosen a big city,” said Janelle. “I remember when Covenester still had a bit of a village vibe to it, but that’s long gone, now. There seems to be new skyscrapers going up daily, and a lot of areas you don’t want to walk in anymore.”

  “Crime has overtaken the city,” said Dr. Morgan, frowning. “It’s in the papers every day, how much it has deteriorated. Gangs roam the inner city neighbourhoods. I live in the suburbs, myself. So much more peaceful.” He turned to Allie. “I hope you have found accommodations in a good area?”

  Allie nodded. “Good enough,” she said. The truth was, the area that her new flat was in was just on the cusp of one of the worst neighbourhoods in Covenester, but she hadn’t been able to afford anywhere else. Not on a graduate’s salary.

  “Shall we?” said Janelle, indicating the door.

  “Thank you, Timothy,” said Allie, turning to him. “Thank you for the chance.”

  “Good luck for your first day, Allie,” said the doctor, walking back to his desk.

  She followed Janelle down the corridor, walking towards Personnel. The only sound around them was the woman’s earrings jingling as she walked. Everyone was busy on their computers. They passed labs, where she could see people in white coats bending over microscopes and Bunsen burners. That’s going to be me, she thought excitedly.

  Her first day. Her first job, in her new career. Everything was coming up roses. She just had to shake off her small-town blues and get used to living in the big smoke. It was where all the good jobs were, after all.

  And there was nothing left for her in Worwood, anymore. Her parents, yes, but they had their own lives, and she couldn’t hang on the coat tails of it.

  This was the new start she needed. And she was determined to make everyone proud.

  ***

  Allie opened the door to the small flat, pushing against the door to get it to move. It had been like this since she had moved in, the previous week. She would have to get the janitor that serviced this block of apartments to have a look at it.

  She tossed her car keys and briefcase on the small kitchen table. With a heavy sigh, she took off her new shoes, tossing them on the floor. She flopped on the small settee, rubbing the back of her heels ruefully. Blisters. She should have known she would get them. She should have broken in the shoes, walking in them around her new neighbourhood. But the truth was, she had barely stepped out of the flat since the day she had moved in, let alone explored her environment.

  Her cell phone beeped. She picked it up, staring at the screen. It was from her mother.

  Happy first day, sweetie! the message said. We are so proud of you! Hope that everything went well. Call us later if you feel up to it, and we can have a chat. Daddy says hello. Love you. Mom.

  Allie smiled, then tossed the phone back on the coffee table. She might call later, if she had the energy. At the moment all she desired to do was crawl into bed with a good book. She had little doubt that she would be asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, though.

  What kind of a first day had it been? She thought back on it. It had seemed to go by in a blur, really. So many people to meet. She would have to work hard on remembering all their names.

  But it had been true what Dr. Morgan had said. They were all friendly and expressed their willingness to help her settle in. She hadn’t picked up on any bad vibes from them. Still, it had been overwhelming.

  She knew that she was capable of the job. She knew it. She had earned top grades; she was passionate about research in the field of infectious diseases. But it was as if she didn’t feel it, yet. Inside, she was still the small-town girl whose voice quivered and quaked when someone asked her a question.

  Don’t be so hard on yourself, Allie, she told herself, fiercely. The voice of reason that she had to use, sometimes. She knew what she was like. She had always been such a perfectionist, and starting anything new was difficult when you wanted to excel straight off the bat. She just had to calm herself and chill out. Period.

  Her cell phone beeped, again. With a sigh, she picked it up. It would be Mom, again, of course. Starting to panic because she hadn’t responded to her last message yet.

  But it wasn’t from her mother. Instead, it was from a number that she barely recognised, anymore. A number that she had been toying with deleting from her ph
one, for a long time now. Why hadn’t she done it?

  Hi Allie, the message read. I know it’s been a long time. But I saw your dad downtown today, and he told me that you’ve just moved to the city and got your dream job. I wanted to say…congratulations. I always knew you could do it. You were never destined to have a life in boring old Worwood. I know things didn’t go well between us, towards the end, but I hope someday we can be friends, again. Anyway, good luck. I’m thinking of you.

  And there was his name at the end, in bold black type. Pete.

  She dropped the phone as if it had scalded her. Why had he messaged today, of all days? It had been over a year! A year in which she had slowly licked her wounds and gotten over him. And now he decided to just suddenly pop up on her phone screen as if they had talked yesterday.

  She looked down at her hand, appalled to find that it was shaking. This shouldn’t be happening, not after all this time. It really shouldn’t. It wasn’t fair. She had worked so hard to stop thinking about him. She had thrown herself into her studies and worked her butt off. No social life. She had buried herself in work, trying to find a way through it.

  And, if she was honest with herself, this move to the city had been a part of it. It hadn’t been just the chance to work at her dream job and start her career. She had wanted to leave Worwood because of the memories. The memories of the two of them, together, which haunted every street corner and diner.

  She stood up. She needed to distract herself. Something to eat, perhaps? She walked to the tiny kitchenette, opening the second-hand fridge, and staring intently inside. A litre of milk and a couple of leathery-looking apples greeted her. She slammed the fridge door shut, cursing.

  She could go for a walk. There was a Chinese restaurant just up the road. She had seen it a few times, driving past. But she hadn’t walked there before.

  She peered out the window. It was dark, and she could see the street lamps glowing brightly. She should do it. It would distract her from the ill-timed text message. Clear her head. And she really did need to eat. She had been pulsing with so much adrenaline she had barely taken a bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had made herself for lunch.

  But she had never walked these city streets before. And certainly not in the dark. She had been holing herself up in this flat, as if she were some kind of a rodent. Scared. Fearful of the big, bad city.