Maddie pointed. ‘Rosedale! It came from over there.’
Cooper ran. Leading the trio. His hand wavering over where his gun sat in its holster.
They bolted forward to a tiny brick hut to see a woman staggering out covered in blood. Her arms open. Her face twisted in pain. She fell on the ground, her fingers scraping into the dirt as she cried out. ‘Il est mort! Il est mort!’
Maddie, alarmed, stared. ‘Who’s dead? Madame, qui est mort?’
Cooper drew his gun. Pulled it close to his body as he nodded at Rosedale and Maddie to follow.
Cooper edged along the wall. Kicked open the door. Sidestepping into the candlelit hut. He nodded again to Rosedale, signalling he was going into the next room. Signalled to Maddie to go round the back.
With his weapon poised in the air, he swept forward. Rushed across. Pressed his body against the small bookshelf. Checking for signs of anybody there, Cooper crept forward. Slowly. Cautiously. Then he halted. Stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Jesus Christ!’
Putting his Glock away, he took in the scene whilst quickly pulling up his t-shirt over his nose. Even though he was accustomed to seeing and being around dead bodies, the fetid stench of the body lying on the bed in front of him had him fighting the urge to gag. And the sorrow he felt overwhelmed.
In the oppressive heat the large black flies gorged on the bloated, putrefying corpse of the young boy. Mottled in color from the large gray seeping blisters and wounds. Blood drained out from the boy’s mouth and nose. A multitude of large cuts wept with pus.
Rosedale came up by the side of Cooper. ‘Oh Jesus, the poor kid. Christ, what the hell do you think happened?’
‘Maybe bloodletting,’ said Cooper, aware that his voice sounded shaken. ‘But that’s a guess.’
‘Well that would account for the cuts but what about the rest?’
‘Oh my God…!’ Maddie stood behind the two men. ‘He’s just a kid.’
‘Come on,’ said Rosedale. ‘Let’s all get out of here.’
The trio walked out of the tiny brick hut. At which point Cooper promptly vomited. Inspired Maddie to do the same. With Rosedale only seconds behind.