Page 13 of Her Last Breath

Feeling the need to put distance between herself and DS Johnson, Jane stalked away from her shocked deputy. The reek of death and the damage done to Alice filled her senses. Her children would never be able to see her in this state. They wouldn’t get that final chance to see their mother and say goodbye. A deep pang of hurt on their behalf filled Jane, which she grasped on to. It would keep her focused, ensure she found the sick bastard that did this.

Chapter 7

The stench of flesh and blood filled the air, soundtracked by the static buzz of the electric stunning machine. Liam Harrison was knee-deep in pigs. He felt their hard, fatty bodies trembling under his touch as he manoeuvred them into position. Grabbing one, smaller than the others, he felt it shudder anxiously in his hands. Spurred on by its distress, Liam gripped the pig hard, feeling the muscles under its skin try to contract and shake themselves free.

‘This little piggy was trying to go free,’ he mocked. ‘But instead it squealed all the way into the slaughter machine.’

The animal whined, as though it could understand him, as he moved it into the holding trough of the slaughter machine. Trapped in the small metal enclosure, unable to get away from him, Liam didn’t wait for the pig to calm down, instead kicking it several times from above, following up with a series of meaty punches when it squealed in protest. Bringing the stunning tool to bear, he touched it briefly to the animal’s skin, ensuring it couldn’t do its job properly, leaving the animal fully sentient, as he pulled the blade across its throat. He chuckled to himself, as the animal squealed in pain.

‘Liam, I need to see you!’ an angry voice rang out behind him.

Liam jumped at the sound of his name, looking up to see his boss standing in the doorway that led to the admin offices. Warm light flooded from behind Ray Peel, resentment filtering through Liam as he compared the centrally heated office his boss worked in to the cavernous, chilled rooms he was forced to inhabit.

‘Now!’

A bolt of irritation ran up Liam’s spine as he took off his plastic overalls and goggles, walking slowly to his manager’s office. Ray Peel was seated behind his messy desk, pointedly refusing to offer Liam a seat.

‘I took a chance in hiring you, Liam,’ Peel said. His voice was hard, but he couldn’t quite look Liam in the eyes. ‘Your references weren’t great. You know that, right?’

Liam shrugged. He didn’t give a fuck. He wasn’t about to grovel to some arsehole just to get a good reference.

‘I was watching you. You don’t treat the animals right, don’t use the stunner correctly.’

Liam doubted the boss could see anything from behind his own ego.

‘You’re torturing the pigs, causing them pain for no reason. That’s not acceptable, Liam. It’s not how we do things here. I don’t think this is working, it’s probably best if you find another job.’

Liam felt anger consume him, red mist clouding his vision. Peel was a massive hypocrite. The other guys working here were all illegal immigrants, barely able to say two words of English between them. The business was operating cash-in-hand to pay them. He could bring the Peel family down if he wanted to. For now, it suited him not to.

‘That’s bullshit,’ Liam shouted, taking a step towards the desk.

Peel flinched. Pussy. Liam steadied himself. He needed this job. That bitch Alice had kicked him out two months ago, meaning he now had rent to pay. He was willing to do anything, including this shitty job no Englishman should be doing.

‘I didn’t do anything, so how could you have seen anything? I followed the instructions like I was told. I think those other guys told me wrong on purpose – it’s just a plot to get rid of me. They probably want to bring over one of their cousins from Romania or something. On the back of a lorry.’

Liam hoped the threat was clear. He had the urge to kick the shit out of Ray Peel, stick him in the stunning machine before slaughtering him.

‘It’s not your first job in an abattoir,’ Peel countered firmly.

‘Everywhere is different. I was taught to use your machines like this.’

Peel sighed, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt.

‘I knew your dad,’ he said, putting his glasses back on. ‘He was a good man.’

Like hell, thought Liam. Good man Monday to Friday, then pissed out of his head beating the shit out of Liam and his mother Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

‘He’s the reason I took you on. But I just think …’

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Liam protested.

Peel started to clean his glasses again, eyeing Liam up. Liam started to feel the sweat on his back now.

‘It won’t happen again,’ he said quietly. Not admitting his guilt, but close enough.

‘Sure, OK,’ Peel said eventually. ‘For your dad’s sake. But I’m retraining you myself.’

‘Thanks, boss, appreciate it.’