Chapter 12
Cometh Light
When she first came to, Helen was disorientated to the point of not knowing who she was, let alone where she was or what she was doing there. She was being rocked gently backwards and forwards but, as she was almost entirely sure that she was more than five years old and hence was not being nursed by her mother, her brain demanded that she determine the cause of this. Eventually, she persuaded her heavy lids to open and her eyes to focus upon a stranger’s face which appeared to hang in the surrounding dimness. It was a pleasant face; a woman’s face; a visage which seemed to exude warmth and a caring, trusting nature, framed by long golden locks which appeared to shine, irregardless of the lack of light.
“Hello,” said the face, in a sweet sounding voice, “are you okay?”
Helen did not at first digest the words which the face had spoken, nor the question it had posed. Instead she dwelt only upon the sound of the voice itself. How calming it was, how reassuring. Almost as if it was trying to persuade her to drift back off to wherever it was she had been.
Am....I....okay...? The intent of the words slowly sunk in, consciousness flickering back to life as she began to resurface into reality. With it, for the merest instant, appeared the image of a head - the head of a monstrously demonic beast whose eyes glowed deeply crimson with a glare that seemed to penetrate her very soul. She barely realised that her gasp of horror had escaped her lips, before the friendly female face returned and she felt one side of her own face being stroked comfortingly.
“It’s alright,” the face said, reassuringly, “we’re safe. Can you sit up?”
Helen mulled over the request. I suppose I could sit up, if i wanted to, she thought.
“What’s your name?”
A name. I had one of those, once, I’m sure. Now, where did I put it? What was it, now? Ah...
“H..Helen,” she managed, through cracked, dry lips.
The lovely face rewarded her with a warm smile, although, for the first time, Helen thought she spied upon it a glimmer of concern, of worry. Was she safe? Perhaps she should sit up, after all.
Taking control of her muscles rewarded her with as many aches and pains as she could ever recall having had at the same time, and that extended to an intense headache which shot suddenly across her temple like an angry thundercloud.
“Ow!” she complained, “everything hurts!”
“I know - I feel exactly the same.”
Now that her senses had been brought to a painfully abrupt wakefulness, Helen was able to properly regard her companion for the first time. Slim, blond and good looking would, under normal circumstances, be the limit of Helen’s inspection but, once again, she could not help but be drawn by the friendly features of the woman’s face, which radiated both intelligence and warmth in an undeniable fashion.
“Where am I?” Helen asked.
“I don’t know,” the woman said, “it looks like some kind of warehouse. I think it’s deserted, it’s certainly quiet.”
Helen looked puzzled - tried to focus through the pains that continued to shoot across her forehead. “You didn’t bring me here, then?” she asked.
“No,” she sounded surprised, “of course not. I woke up on the floor, right there,” she said, indicating the space behind her vaguely, “just a few minutes ago. I didn’t even realise you were here until I got used to the darkness, then I tried to wake you up,” she looked concerned, “I thought you were dead, at first.”
Helen attempted to take in this information, but it was coming quicker than she could sensibly assimilate it. Instead, she decided to evaluate her immediate options and, looking into her eyes, saw that she had instinctively come to the same conclusion as the other woman.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, recognising that those identical words were about to issue from the lips of her companion.
With some little assistance, Helen got to her knees before rising unsteadily to her feet. She held onto the warm hand of the woman, anxious that they not become separated in the darkness of their presently unfathomable surroundings.
Turning about, she soon became convinced that it was lighter in one particular direction. “This way,” she whispered, drawing the other woman with her.
They headed towards the greyness that held the promise of escape from the all pervading dark but, before they had taken many faltering steps, Helen let out a little yelp of surprise.
“What is it?” her companion whispered as they came to an abrupt standstill.
“Something hard and cold,” Helen replied, “metal. Let’s try and go around.”
Together, they felt their way around the large metallic structure, relief flooding through her as they reached its corner and the bright light of day was revealed to them, flooding in through a tall gap which could only be a massive and partly open door. It’s just a big warehouse or factory, Helen realised.
The daylight spilled across the dusty concrete floor and, although she could make out a number of vague shapes through the gloom to either side of them, crates? packing cases?, Helen could see that the route to the doorway appeared to be clear. She picked up the pace accordingly, anxious to escape the darkness that had encompassed them and which felt like a physical burden, bearing down upon her. “Come on,” she encouraged the woman that was both a complete stranger and, at this very moment in time, one of the most important people in her life.
As they scurried across the intervening space, it occurred to Helen that her disorientation was not solely due to her unknown whereabouts. It had just as much to do with the fact that she had no idea how long she had been here. The brightness of the light before her suggested that it was no longer evening, but that meant.....she had spent the entire night lying on that cold hard floor in the darkness, with a complete stranger alongside her and who knew who else in the vicinity. She became overcome by desperation as tears began to well in her eyes, blurring the brightness which now loomed before her in the doorway. She released the hand of the other woman and ran for the opening, tripping once but recovering her balance as she strove to achieve the open air.
“Wait!” came the shout from behind, but she bore it no heed as she finally reached the edge of the door and tentatively slipped through the opening into daylight. As she did so, she was rocked by the memory of being pulled back into her seat as she climbed into a taxi, something soft and wet pressed across her nose and mouth. She had been on her way to the hospital, to visit her aunt, and then....She clutched at the door frame for support as her knees went weak, forced herself to focus and take in her surroundings in an effort stave off the black spots which had begun to swim in her vision. And then, suddenly, that dizzying blankness was replaced with an image all the more threatening - that monstrous head of a creature from hell, once more - its eyes glowing red like the bottomless pits of hell.
“Are you okay?” came a concerned voice beside her. An arm draped itself comfortingly around her shoulders. “Do you need to sit down?”
Helen blinked the image away, shook her head and turned to look instead into the amazingly contrasting bright blue eyes of the woman who appeared to have shared her recent fate. A beautiful face surrounded with that tangle of golden locks. She dragged her gaze away from the becoming features of the stranger in order to fully take in their surroundings, her primary concern being to ascertain that they were in no immediate danger. An airfield, she realised, deserted though; abandoned - like me.
“Who are you?” she asked abruptly, turning back to her pretty faced companion.
“My name’s Moira.” the woman answered.
“Moira?” Helen’s head began to swim once more. “Sleet’s Moira?”
Now it was the other woman’s turn to be stupefied. She spluttered in amazement. “Sleet? You know Sleet James?”
“I do that,” Helen replied.
“And you obviously know of me?”
“We’re close, if you know what I mean? He’s told me a lot about his past. Not everything, I’m sure, but a lot. He spoke very highly of you, Moira,” she added, hurriedly, “he thought an awful lot of you, I know that much. It must have been difficult for you, when his brother....” she trailed off.
“Yes,” Moira mused as she stared absently across the overgrown grassland of the airfield, “it still is. Is he okay, Sleet?” she said, asserting herself, “He just disappeared. We knew it’d been rough on him, but we didn’t expect him to vanish like he did.”
Helen took a deep breath. “He’s okay, or at least he was yesterday, the last time I saw him. But, Moira, I need to know how you got here, what you remember.”
The other woman shook her head, as if she was trying to shake a recollection out of it. “It’s vague. The last thing I remember was being at home. I was alone, I’d just finished dinner. There was...” her forehead wrinkled with the effort of concentration, “...a package! Someone came to the door and there was a package to sign for. I think....I mean....I don’t remember anything else, apart from....”
“What?” Helen pressed, “what else?”
“Everything after that is just nightmares,” Moira whispered, “horrible nightmares.”
“Of demons?”
Moira gasped. “Monsters, yes. The most evil things I could imagine. Was it the same for you?”
Helen nodded slowly, “yes. But it was more than a nightmare, Moira.”
“What do you mean?”
Helen glanced around, nervously, not sure for how long they would be safe here, exposed as they were. “There will be time to explain later, hopefully. For now, I think we ought to get out of here. I don’t like it one bit.”
“Okay,” Moira agreed, “but how? It feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“How about we take the car,” Helen replied, pointing over Moira’s shoulder to a squat little Toyota which sat there, empty and waiting.
Perry had done well, the Rector thought, to keep the look of surprise off his face as his latest assignment had been delivered to him.
“I am not certain,” he had informed the young man, “that I am ready to entirely close the book on that character, Mr. James, as yet.”
Perry had merely nodded.
“I want you to investigate him further. Follow him,” just as you have been doing, “watch him. Do anything you deem necessary so that we can close our little case file on the man. Whilst he is an enigma, I do not believe that he’s dangerous or that he could impede our plans in any way, but I want to be quite certain of that fact, you understand?”
“Of course,” Perry nodded once more, far too vigorously in the Rector’s opinion, “whatever you say.”
“If you need assistance, use Carter and Kwon. I believe you are acquainted with them both? They have been informed to take instruction from you should you require their services...for anything.” Go on, little man, take the bait. I want to find out precisely what tune you and Sleet James are dancing to. James is connected to the creatures and you are connected to James. If I was a gambling man, I’d bet that I could close that little triangle. But why trouble myself when you can lead me straight to the truth of it.
Now, however, it was the Rector’s turn to be surprised.
The old airfield! Where that testosterone fuelled lunatic, Angus, had lost the plot, blowing that poor bugger, Joel whats-his-name, up, inside a freight container.
As the hangars came into view, together with Perry’s parked up hire car, to which the tracking device had been installed, he instructed Serge to pull up.
“I’ll take it from here, Serge. I want you to return to base. No, no,” he held his hand up to silence the driver’s rare protest, “I’ll be quite okay. Our Mr. Perry’s down there. He can bring me back later. Oh, and not a word to Steiner, or anyone else for that matter, not that you would, of course.”
He stepped from the rear of the Mercedes and headed down the gentle slope towards the hangar in front of which Perry had left his car.
Let’s see, shall we? Just what little secrets are you and James keeping, I wonder?
As he approached the structure, his pace quickened, in part due to the lie of the land, but more to do with his eagerness to find out exactly what was going on within. He soon reached the little hire car and the slightly ajar huge hangar door, stepping through into the darkness beyond without a trace of trepidation.
There was a glowing light ahead of him, bright in and of itself, yet seeming somehow not to illuminate the vast interior of the hangar in the way that it should have. As he moved further into the structure, he skirted what he assumed to be a freight container, his fingers scraping across the ragged edge of a mangled door as he made his way around it. Where my previous Head of Intelligence came to his unfortunately messy end, no doubt! Let’s not go in there!
The scene that he was then confronted with was quite astonishing. A great shimmering blue disc appeared to hang in the air, maybe some twelve feet across. This was, of course, the source of the shimmering light, yet its greater purpose was a mystery to him. Two of the fascinating creatures were stood before it, just to either side, with their backs to him. Their rapt attention was obviously fully focused upon the mesmerising wonder before them. What are you doing? he pondered, knowing full well that he had happened upon something of massive significance and, he hoped, of benefit to himself in some way.
He silently crept closer, little by little, his need to understand what was happening here overriding all other concerns. Suddenly, however, he caught movement off to one side, at the edge of his vision. He turned to meet the glowing red glare of another monster that was hunched over something on the floor before it. Just beyond its position, there was yet another creature. Its attention, however, remained focused upon its own prone object. Was the place crawling with them? It was too late to worry about that now.
The creature whose fiery gaze had fallen upon him rose slowly, its tongue lolling from its powerful jaws, a gruff rasping emanating from its throat as it sounded out the newcomer that had interrupted its business. The Rector held his ground as the beast stepped towards him, its claws scraping alarmingly upon the concrete floor as it approached him, head held high, as if it was sniffing him out.
Come on, then, my friend. You want me don’t you? But I want you more! I know your power, have drunk my fill of it. But your purpose, ahh, that is the mystery I need to solve. Where are you from, and exactly what do you want? Come, show me. And, with that, he took a bold step forwards to meet the advancing creature. As it neared, he marvelled at the immense physical prowess of the animal as it towered above him. Its foul breath now reached his nostrils, yet he remained unwavering as he faced the gigantic beast, stared into the burning coals which its eyes had become.
“Show me!” he cried, opening his arms wide, as if to welcome the creature into his embrace.
He was transfixed now - too late to back out of it, even if he wanted to. Those glowing eyes burnt into his brain with an intensity The Rector knew could steal his soul, the very core of him. And, at that moment, his own essence was revealed as a very palpable and extremely precious part of his being. His mind began to swim as unbidden memories, some of them long forgotten, were elevated to the forefront of his conscience.
This is what you want isn’t it? He managed to think. But more than that, it’s what you need. Yes! You don’t feed on flesh, do you? You sustain yourself by consuming our very being!
“St..stop!” he managed to mouth, dribble seeping from his lips and mixing with the sweat that was pouring from his forehead. “Stop!”, more insistent this time.
His vision had gone now, replacing the creature’s awful, yet captivating visage with a glowing blue globe that spun quickly in his mind. Spinning rapidly as it swelled in size, threatening to overwhelm him, consume him. This, he always knew, would be the crux of it - the point at which his audacious plotting could result in his own immolation. It had taken bravery to come this far - at least, he told himself it was bravery, rather than greed - but had he been merely foolish? It was time to find out.
He focused intently upon the azure ball that rotated frantically in his mind’s eye. He imagined taking it in his palms, enclosing it and slowing its pace. He would control it, he could control it! And he did. He dismissed it from his consciousness, sent it back from whence it had come and, when he opened his eyes to reality once more, the creature that had dominated him mere seconds before was reeling backwards.
The Rector took two steps towards it, ensuring that their eye to eye contact was not broken.
“Now, then! Let’s turn the tables, shall we?” he whispered, pushing himself almost nose to nose with the beast which had stumbled to its knees. He followed the route of that glowing globe along a very real but invisible link which had now been forged between them. A link, he suspected, that would not be broken until one of them was destroyed, or until the dominant party agreed to let go. This must come as quite a shock to you. I’m sure that this is the last thing you expected from one of us, isn’t it? Now, let’s see inside you head, shall we? It’s time to reveal your intentions, my friend. And time that you realised whose in charge, around here, yes?
The creatures mind was alien. Full of unfathomable thoughts and images which, at first, meant nothing to him. Yet he had prepared himself for this moment, had already come some way to an understanding of these beasts and the power which they represented. The injections of the fluid that had been removed from the captured creatures’ brain stems had altered him tangibly and gifted him with a foretaste of the thirst with which they had been stalking the night-time streets of London. Methodically, he sifted through the creature’s mind, sorting and turning its memories as if he was searching through books on a library’s shelves. And, slowly, he began to happen upon fragments which made sense, notions which he could understand, even appreciate. And then a realisation came upon him - the certitude that he did not need to rummage around like this. He could merely take. Take it all! That was the nature of these fantastical creatures - and it was now his too.
His eyes glowed fiercely red as he bore into the being of the beast, dominating it totally. He had a vague awareness of (almost a telepathy with) the other creatures. Three of them, there were just those, then. Two remained focused upon the portal - for that, The Rector now knew, was precisely what it was, whilst the third, he felt, was watching with keen interest. It had no intention of interfering with this battle of wills - it would merely await the outcome of the contest.
He felt the energy coursing into him, concerned momentarily that he would not have the capacity for it, that the sheer volume would overwhelm him, that his brain would surrender to a stroke or aneurysm under the increasing inrush of mostly incomprehensible information. He reached the pinnacle then and felt himself wrapped in an inexplicable ecstasy which did not end. I need to end it. I need to sever the link, before....
But then, suddenly, it was over. He staggered backwards, his head swimming, bile rising from his gut. He retched violently, but with very little end result. He knew, instinctively, that he had to assert himself in this moment. The other beast would expect it - would challenge him if he did not. And that was a contest which he could not even hope to survive - not after what he had just gone through.
He straightened himself up and glanced down with amazement at the large pile of ashes which his opponent had seemingly been reduced to. He forced himself to turn away and focus upon the next animal, which appeared to be eyeing him warily.
“Come on, then, if you’re coming!” he bellowed at it, a glint of fire still flashing in his eyes. The creature seemed to weigh up its options and quickly come to the conclusion that a subservient role was currently in order. The Rector seemed to feel this decision, somehow - there was, most definitely some kind of telepathic link between the beasts and, now, between them and him.
Another unbidden thought surfaced. The girls! Sleet’s women. They were here, at his feet. Very much alive but, with the administrations of their captors, they would remain unconscious for quite some time to come. Just as well. I cannot help but feel that I may have need of them in the future. Perry has proved their worth in that regard, most certainly!
Next, he sensed that the two beasts guarding … no! - holding the portal open - were preparing to disappear through it, following those that had gone before. The creatures memories were flooding into the forefront of his brain now. Sleet and Perry! - they have gone through, they’ve gone home. Home! How difficult it is to keep these memories separate from my own. I must be careful! He quickly assessed the situation, desperate that his hard work not now be undone. Those two can go. My new found friend here can keep this gateway open for us a little while longer.
And so, the two who had held the gate, flew through it, whilst the last remaining creature kept it in existence for him. How elementary a matter it was to instruct them to do his bidding. So much simpler and much more straightforward than issuing commands at The Rectory. They waited, he drawing deep and ragged breaths after his ordeal; the creature in intense concentration - bearing alone the burden of maintaining the portal which temporarily linked this world with its own. Then, when The Rector felt that sufficient time had passed, he stepped up to the shimmering light.
Now, he thought, now what I have dreamed of may finally come to pass!
And, with scant regard for the two prone female forms which lay side by side in the darkness, he stepped into the light, quite certain in the knowledge that his destiny was, imminently, to be fulfilled.
“Hello,” said the face, in a sweet sounding voice, “are you okay?”
Helen did not at first digest the words which the face had spoken, nor the question it had posed. Instead she dwelt only upon the sound of the voice itself. How calming it was, how reassuring. Almost as if it was trying to persuade her to drift back off to wherever it was she had been.
Am....I....okay...? The intent of the words slowly sunk in, consciousness flickering back to life as she began to resurface into reality. With it, for the merest instant, appeared the image of a head - the head of a monstrously demonic beast whose eyes glowed deeply crimson with a glare that seemed to penetrate her very soul. She barely realised that her gasp of horror had escaped her lips, before the friendly female face returned and she felt one side of her own face being stroked comfortingly.
“It’s alright,” the face said, reassuringly, “we’re safe. Can you sit up?”
Helen mulled over the request. I suppose I could sit up, if i wanted to, she thought.
“What’s your name?”
A name. I had one of those, once, I’m sure. Now, where did I put it? What was it, now? Ah...
“H..Helen,” she managed, through cracked, dry lips.
The lovely face rewarded her with a warm smile, although, for the first time, Helen thought she spied upon it a glimmer of concern, of worry. Was she safe? Perhaps she should sit up, after all.
Taking control of her muscles rewarded her with as many aches and pains as she could ever recall having had at the same time, and that extended to an intense headache which shot suddenly across her temple like an angry thundercloud.
“Ow!” she complained, “everything hurts!”
“I know - I feel exactly the same.”
Now that her senses had been brought to a painfully abrupt wakefulness, Helen was able to properly regard her companion for the first time. Slim, blond and good looking would, under normal circumstances, be the limit of Helen’s inspection but, once again, she could not help but be drawn by the friendly features of the woman’s face, which radiated both intelligence and warmth in an undeniable fashion.
“Where am I?” Helen asked.
“I don’t know,” the woman said, “it looks like some kind of warehouse. I think it’s deserted, it’s certainly quiet.”
Helen looked puzzled - tried to focus through the pains that continued to shoot across her forehead. “You didn’t bring me here, then?” she asked.
“No,” she sounded surprised, “of course not. I woke up on the floor, right there,” she said, indicating the space behind her vaguely, “just a few minutes ago. I didn’t even realise you were here until I got used to the darkness, then I tried to wake you up,” she looked concerned, “I thought you were dead, at first.”
Helen attempted to take in this information, but it was coming quicker than she could sensibly assimilate it. Instead, she decided to evaluate her immediate options and, looking into her eyes, saw that she had instinctively come to the same conclusion as the other woman.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, recognising that those identical words were about to issue from the lips of her companion.
With some little assistance, Helen got to her knees before rising unsteadily to her feet. She held onto the warm hand of the woman, anxious that they not become separated in the darkness of their presently unfathomable surroundings.
Turning about, she soon became convinced that it was lighter in one particular direction. “This way,” she whispered, drawing the other woman with her.
They headed towards the greyness that held the promise of escape from the all pervading dark but, before they had taken many faltering steps, Helen let out a little yelp of surprise.
“What is it?” her companion whispered as they came to an abrupt standstill.
“Something hard and cold,” Helen replied, “metal. Let’s try and go around.”
Together, they felt their way around the large metallic structure, relief flooding through her as they reached its corner and the bright light of day was revealed to them, flooding in through a tall gap which could only be a massive and partly open door. It’s just a big warehouse or factory, Helen realised.
The daylight spilled across the dusty concrete floor and, although she could make out a number of vague shapes through the gloom to either side of them, crates? packing cases?, Helen could see that the route to the doorway appeared to be clear. She picked up the pace accordingly, anxious to escape the darkness that had encompassed them and which felt like a physical burden, bearing down upon her. “Come on,” she encouraged the woman that was both a complete stranger and, at this very moment in time, one of the most important people in her life.
As they scurried across the intervening space, it occurred to Helen that her disorientation was not solely due to her unknown whereabouts. It had just as much to do with the fact that she had no idea how long she had been here. The brightness of the light before her suggested that it was no longer evening, but that meant.....she had spent the entire night lying on that cold hard floor in the darkness, with a complete stranger alongside her and who knew who else in the vicinity. She became overcome by desperation as tears began to well in her eyes, blurring the brightness which now loomed before her in the doorway. She released the hand of the other woman and ran for the opening, tripping once but recovering her balance as she strove to achieve the open air.
“Wait!” came the shout from behind, but she bore it no heed as she finally reached the edge of the door and tentatively slipped through the opening into daylight. As she did so, she was rocked by the memory of being pulled back into her seat as she climbed into a taxi, something soft and wet pressed across her nose and mouth. She had been on her way to the hospital, to visit her aunt, and then....She clutched at the door frame for support as her knees went weak, forced herself to focus and take in her surroundings in an effort stave off the black spots which had begun to swim in her vision. And then, suddenly, that dizzying blankness was replaced with an image all the more threatening - that monstrous head of a creature from hell, once more - its eyes glowing red like the bottomless pits of hell.
“Are you okay?” came a concerned voice beside her. An arm draped itself comfortingly around her shoulders. “Do you need to sit down?”
Helen blinked the image away, shook her head and turned to look instead into the amazingly contrasting bright blue eyes of the woman who appeared to have shared her recent fate. A beautiful face surrounded with that tangle of golden locks. She dragged her gaze away from the becoming features of the stranger in order to fully take in their surroundings, her primary concern being to ascertain that they were in no immediate danger. An airfield, she realised, deserted though; abandoned - like me.
“Who are you?” she asked abruptly, turning back to her pretty faced companion.
“My name’s Moira.” the woman answered.
“Moira?” Helen’s head began to swim once more. “Sleet’s Moira?”
Now it was the other woman’s turn to be stupefied. She spluttered in amazement. “Sleet? You know Sleet James?”
“I do that,” Helen replied.
“And you obviously know of me?”
“We’re close, if you know what I mean? He’s told me a lot about his past. Not everything, I’m sure, but a lot. He spoke very highly of you, Moira,” she added, hurriedly, “he thought an awful lot of you, I know that much. It must have been difficult for you, when his brother....” she trailed off.
“Yes,” Moira mused as she stared absently across the overgrown grassland of the airfield, “it still is. Is he okay, Sleet?” she said, asserting herself, “He just disappeared. We knew it’d been rough on him, but we didn’t expect him to vanish like he did.”
Helen took a deep breath. “He’s okay, or at least he was yesterday, the last time I saw him. But, Moira, I need to know how you got here, what you remember.”
The other woman shook her head, as if she was trying to shake a recollection out of it. “It’s vague. The last thing I remember was being at home. I was alone, I’d just finished dinner. There was...” her forehead wrinkled with the effort of concentration, “...a package! Someone came to the door and there was a package to sign for. I think....I mean....I don’t remember anything else, apart from....”
“What?” Helen pressed, “what else?”
“Everything after that is just nightmares,” Moira whispered, “horrible nightmares.”
“Of demons?”
Moira gasped. “Monsters, yes. The most evil things I could imagine. Was it the same for you?”
Helen nodded slowly, “yes. But it was more than a nightmare, Moira.”
“What do you mean?”
Helen glanced around, nervously, not sure for how long they would be safe here, exposed as they were. “There will be time to explain later, hopefully. For now, I think we ought to get out of here. I don’t like it one bit.”
“Okay,” Moira agreed, “but how? It feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“How about we take the car,” Helen replied, pointing over Moira’s shoulder to a squat little Toyota which sat there, empty and waiting.
Perry had done well, the Rector thought, to keep the look of surprise off his face as his latest assignment had been delivered to him.
“I am not certain,” he had informed the young man, “that I am ready to entirely close the book on that character, Mr. James, as yet.”
Perry had merely nodded.
“I want you to investigate him further. Follow him,” just as you have been doing, “watch him. Do anything you deem necessary so that we can close our little case file on the man. Whilst he is an enigma, I do not believe that he’s dangerous or that he could impede our plans in any way, but I want to be quite certain of that fact, you understand?”
“Of course,” Perry nodded once more, far too vigorously in the Rector’s opinion, “whatever you say.”
“If you need assistance, use Carter and Kwon. I believe you are acquainted with them both? They have been informed to take instruction from you should you require their services...for anything.” Go on, little man, take the bait. I want to find out precisely what tune you and Sleet James are dancing to. James is connected to the creatures and you are connected to James. If I was a gambling man, I’d bet that I could close that little triangle. But why trouble myself when you can lead me straight to the truth of it.
Now, however, it was the Rector’s turn to be surprised.
The old airfield! Where that testosterone fuelled lunatic, Angus, had lost the plot, blowing that poor bugger, Joel whats-his-name, up, inside a freight container.
As the hangars came into view, together with Perry’s parked up hire car, to which the tracking device had been installed, he instructed Serge to pull up.
“I’ll take it from here, Serge. I want you to return to base. No, no,” he held his hand up to silence the driver’s rare protest, “I’ll be quite okay. Our Mr. Perry’s down there. He can bring me back later. Oh, and not a word to Steiner, or anyone else for that matter, not that you would, of course.”
He stepped from the rear of the Mercedes and headed down the gentle slope towards the hangar in front of which Perry had left his car.
Let’s see, shall we? Just what little secrets are you and James keeping, I wonder?
As he approached the structure, his pace quickened, in part due to the lie of the land, but more to do with his eagerness to find out exactly what was going on within. He soon reached the little hire car and the slightly ajar huge hangar door, stepping through into the darkness beyond without a trace of trepidation.
There was a glowing light ahead of him, bright in and of itself, yet seeming somehow not to illuminate the vast interior of the hangar in the way that it should have. As he moved further into the structure, he skirted what he assumed to be a freight container, his fingers scraping across the ragged edge of a mangled door as he made his way around it. Where my previous Head of Intelligence came to his unfortunately messy end, no doubt! Let’s not go in there!
The scene that he was then confronted with was quite astonishing. A great shimmering blue disc appeared to hang in the air, maybe some twelve feet across. This was, of course, the source of the shimmering light, yet its greater purpose was a mystery to him. Two of the fascinating creatures were stood before it, just to either side, with their backs to him. Their rapt attention was obviously fully focused upon the mesmerising wonder before them. What are you doing? he pondered, knowing full well that he had happened upon something of massive significance and, he hoped, of benefit to himself in some way.
He silently crept closer, little by little, his need to understand what was happening here overriding all other concerns. Suddenly, however, he caught movement off to one side, at the edge of his vision. He turned to meet the glowing red glare of another monster that was hunched over something on the floor before it. Just beyond its position, there was yet another creature. Its attention, however, remained focused upon its own prone object. Was the place crawling with them? It was too late to worry about that now.
The creature whose fiery gaze had fallen upon him rose slowly, its tongue lolling from its powerful jaws, a gruff rasping emanating from its throat as it sounded out the newcomer that had interrupted its business. The Rector held his ground as the beast stepped towards him, its claws scraping alarmingly upon the concrete floor as it approached him, head held high, as if it was sniffing him out.
Come on, then, my friend. You want me don’t you? But I want you more! I know your power, have drunk my fill of it. But your purpose, ahh, that is the mystery I need to solve. Where are you from, and exactly what do you want? Come, show me. And, with that, he took a bold step forwards to meet the advancing creature. As it neared, he marvelled at the immense physical prowess of the animal as it towered above him. Its foul breath now reached his nostrils, yet he remained unwavering as he faced the gigantic beast, stared into the burning coals which its eyes had become.
“Show me!” he cried, opening his arms wide, as if to welcome the creature into his embrace.
He was transfixed now - too late to back out of it, even if he wanted to. Those glowing eyes burnt into his brain with an intensity The Rector knew could steal his soul, the very core of him. And, at that moment, his own essence was revealed as a very palpable and extremely precious part of his being. His mind began to swim as unbidden memories, some of them long forgotten, were elevated to the forefront of his conscience.
This is what you want isn’t it? He managed to think. But more than that, it’s what you need. Yes! You don’t feed on flesh, do you? You sustain yourself by consuming our very being!
“St..stop!” he managed to mouth, dribble seeping from his lips and mixing with the sweat that was pouring from his forehead. “Stop!”, more insistent this time.
His vision had gone now, replacing the creature’s awful, yet captivating visage with a glowing blue globe that spun quickly in his mind. Spinning rapidly as it swelled in size, threatening to overwhelm him, consume him. This, he always knew, would be the crux of it - the point at which his audacious plotting could result in his own immolation. It had taken bravery to come this far - at least, he told himself it was bravery, rather than greed - but had he been merely foolish? It was time to find out.
He focused intently upon the azure ball that rotated frantically in his mind’s eye. He imagined taking it in his palms, enclosing it and slowing its pace. He would control it, he could control it! And he did. He dismissed it from his consciousness, sent it back from whence it had come and, when he opened his eyes to reality once more, the creature that had dominated him mere seconds before was reeling backwards.
The Rector took two steps towards it, ensuring that their eye to eye contact was not broken.
“Now, then! Let’s turn the tables, shall we?” he whispered, pushing himself almost nose to nose with the beast which had stumbled to its knees. He followed the route of that glowing globe along a very real but invisible link which had now been forged between them. A link, he suspected, that would not be broken until one of them was destroyed, or until the dominant party agreed to let go. This must come as quite a shock to you. I’m sure that this is the last thing you expected from one of us, isn’t it? Now, let’s see inside you head, shall we? It’s time to reveal your intentions, my friend. And time that you realised whose in charge, around here, yes?
The creatures mind was alien. Full of unfathomable thoughts and images which, at first, meant nothing to him. Yet he had prepared himself for this moment, had already come some way to an understanding of these beasts and the power which they represented. The injections of the fluid that had been removed from the captured creatures’ brain stems had altered him tangibly and gifted him with a foretaste of the thirst with which they had been stalking the night-time streets of London. Methodically, he sifted through the creature’s mind, sorting and turning its memories as if he was searching through books on a library’s shelves. And, slowly, he began to happen upon fragments which made sense, notions which he could understand, even appreciate. And then a realisation came upon him - the certitude that he did not need to rummage around like this. He could merely take. Take it all! That was the nature of these fantastical creatures - and it was now his too.
His eyes glowed fiercely red as he bore into the being of the beast, dominating it totally. He had a vague awareness of (almost a telepathy with) the other creatures. Three of them, there were just those, then. Two remained focused upon the portal - for that, The Rector now knew, was precisely what it was, whilst the third, he felt, was watching with keen interest. It had no intention of interfering with this battle of wills - it would merely await the outcome of the contest.
He felt the energy coursing into him, concerned momentarily that he would not have the capacity for it, that the sheer volume would overwhelm him, that his brain would surrender to a stroke or aneurysm under the increasing inrush of mostly incomprehensible information. He reached the pinnacle then and felt himself wrapped in an inexplicable ecstasy which did not end. I need to end it. I need to sever the link, before....
But then, suddenly, it was over. He staggered backwards, his head swimming, bile rising from his gut. He retched violently, but with very little end result. He knew, instinctively, that he had to assert himself in this moment. The other beast would expect it - would challenge him if he did not. And that was a contest which he could not even hope to survive - not after what he had just gone through.
He straightened himself up and glanced down with amazement at the large pile of ashes which his opponent had seemingly been reduced to. He forced himself to turn away and focus upon the next animal, which appeared to be eyeing him warily.
“Come on, then, if you’re coming!” he bellowed at it, a glint of fire still flashing in his eyes. The creature seemed to weigh up its options and quickly come to the conclusion that a subservient role was currently in order. The Rector seemed to feel this decision, somehow - there was, most definitely some kind of telepathic link between the beasts and, now, between them and him.
Another unbidden thought surfaced. The girls! Sleet’s women. They were here, at his feet. Very much alive but, with the administrations of their captors, they would remain unconscious for quite some time to come. Just as well. I cannot help but feel that I may have need of them in the future. Perry has proved their worth in that regard, most certainly!
Next, he sensed that the two beasts guarding … no! - holding the portal open - were preparing to disappear through it, following those that had gone before. The creatures memories were flooding into the forefront of his brain now. Sleet and Perry! - they have gone through, they’ve gone home. Home! How difficult it is to keep these memories separate from my own. I must be careful! He quickly assessed the situation, desperate that his hard work not now be undone. Those two can go. My new found friend here can keep this gateway open for us a little while longer.
And so, the two who had held the gate, flew through it, whilst the last remaining creature kept it in existence for him. How elementary a matter it was to instruct them to do his bidding. So much simpler and much more straightforward than issuing commands at The Rectory. They waited, he drawing deep and ragged breaths after his ordeal; the creature in intense concentration - bearing alone the burden of maintaining the portal which temporarily linked this world with its own. Then, when The Rector felt that sufficient time had passed, he stepped up to the shimmering light.
Now, he thought, now what I have dreamed of may finally come to pass!
And, with scant regard for the two prone female forms which lay side by side in the darkness, he stepped into the light, quite certain in the knowledge that his destiny was, imminently, to be fulfilled.