They ducked around a buttress, falling into shadow. The sound of their deep breathing filled the void, guns quiet.
“Did you see that?” Holly hissed. “It was a – he was small – you’d think the detail to mention was the fact that they’re the size of doorknobs, wouldn’t you?”
“Not that they’ve got fucking guns?” Pax snapped back at her.
The men’s voices filtered down. “Get in there.”
“It’s no sewer,” a second voice said, a higher-pitched one.
“You think I’m stupid?”
There was a pause, and Holly looked questioningly at Pax as they held their breath. Pax crouched slightly, touching a hand to the wound on her leg and flinching at the pain.
“My dad is going to kill you!” Grace suddenly shouted as she leaned around the buttress. “As soon as he gets back, you’ll be sorry!”
A gun went off and Grace slipped back into the shadows with another scream, a fraction of her t-shirt tearing as the bullet struck her. Holly screamed too, seeing a dark stain of blood rising to the surface of the material. She slammed a hand onto it, the pair of them ducking back into cover. Pax stared, at a loss for what to do.
“Clipped her,” the second man said.
“All right,” the first snarled. “Let’s cave the place in.”
Grace whimpered as Holly dabbed the wound with her torn t-shirt. The hole was clean, like a needle mark to the top of the teenager’s shoulder. Bleeding but not severe. Watching them, this innocent mother and daughter, nothing to do with any of this, Pax shook her head. Not right. They shouldn’t be here. She shouted down the tunnel, “They don’t know anything! All Barton ever wanted was to protect them from it!”
While the fairies paused, Pax took out her phone and rushed through the numbers. She rapidly wrote a text: In the Sunken City. Fae on us. Clicked Send.
“Send them out,” one of the men replied. “Promise they can go, unharmed.”
“They’ll kill us,” Holly stated, simply. Pax nodded. She looked at the phone again. The message blinked with a cross. Failed to send.
“No signal,” Pax said.
One hand on her wound, Grace stood uneasily, Holly helping her. She looked at the phone and suggested, with a pained voice, “You’ve got one bar. Use the GPS.” Pax gave her a confused look and Grace insisted, “Share your location!”
Pax nodded and did as she was told, bringing up the contact.
“It’ll show us at home, what use is that?” Holly said.
“They’ll be ready for your husband no matter what,” Pax warned, “but there’s someone else who can help.” She clicked Send, sharing her location, and the phone pinged. Success.
“I’m coming in,” the rougher fairy shouted. “You know what that means?”
“He’s going to shoot us!” Grace cried. Holly held her close, looking desperately at Pax, but Pax was shaking her head.
“No. They can’t follow us down here. It’d just...” She stopped. She knew exactly what it meant. As one of them descended into the tunnel, the sound of fluttering wings getting closer, something groaned loudly, far away in the tunnels. The weary squeak of an ancient pipe brought to life.
Grace whimpered. “What is that?”
“You got a choice,” the fairy said, closer still. “Come to us, or stay here with them. I can at least promise to make it quick.”
“You were with Letty, weren’t you?” Pax shouted.
The fluttering paused, but when his voice came it was even more fierce. “Don’t even say her name. You goddamned animal. She was a thousand times better than you. I oughta cut your hamstrings and make sure you suffer.”
Pax went quiet. They didn’t know. She said, “I didn’t hurt her. She’s alive.”
The fairy hesitated again.
Another groan. Louder, not so far away.
“You’re a liar,” the fairy decided, then fired a shot in their direction to end the conversation. The bullet twanged into the brickwork. Pax wanted to argue, to make them see sense, but the fluttering wings retreated. She leant out and saw the blur of the fairy speeding towards the tunnel opening.
“Letty’s alive!” Pax shouted. The fairy flew through the crack in the manhole, out of view. “We were helping each other! We tried to find you, at the betting shop!”
There was silence above.
If the fairies had any response to make, it was cut off by the rumbling of monsters. The pipe groan was met by an intense, high-pitched clicking, and Grace’s whimpering picked up volume as Holly offered comforting words. Pax looked at the ladder, their only way out, guarded by the fairies, and considered making a break for it.
The higher-pitched one said, “All right, say she’s alive. Come back up here and we can talk it through.”
Not even halfway convincing. Pax cursed, pushing an angry hand against the wall, and turned to the endless dark of the tunnel ahead.
“Pax?” Holly said, voice strained as she struggled to keep strong. “What are those sounds?”
Pax listened. The tunnel started shaking as though a train was passing by. The clicking noise came again, closer than before. Another groan. Maybe all from one direction.
“What is it?” Grace sobbed.
“This isn’t a sewer,” Pax said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. “And those sounds aren’t natural. We have to move, this way.”
“What do you –” Holly started to question, and Pax shoved her, shedding her calm voice. It wasn’t going to work.
“There’s no time! Run!”
16
“I don’t know how she did it,” Casaria said loudly, finding it difficult to keep his voice level in the face of Deputy Director Mathers’ nonchalance. “But this changes everything. This is a Fae weapon. It could be the Fae weapon. You know what it means as well as I.”
Mathers was staring at the device on his desk, like he was unsure exactly what it was or where it had come from. He had the same vacant expression as Landon. Another moron who didn’t get it. Casaria was sure, though: his instincts had told him the moment he set eyes on it, and a closer look had all but confirmed it. The metal was too intricately crafted to be of human origin. It made sense of everything: Rufaizu hadn’t been running a con. He had the weapon all along, the same thing Apothel had been killed for. Something that could do serious harm to the Sunken City. No wonder the Fae had attacked him.
“It could be anything,” Mathers mumbled. “Could be a factory part.”
“Could be a water filtration system,” Gumg offered from his corner.
“No one’s killing people to stop them talking about a damned water filtration system!” Casaria said. He took a breath, brushed his hair back into place and shot Gumg an insincere smile. “Sir, I’d like to request that this waste of space be banned from speaking.”
Mathers eyed Casaria, then Gumg, unimpressed. He sat back in his leather chair, netting his fingers behind his head. “We’ll send it to the lab and have it tested. Then turn it over to the IS Relations Initiative.”
“What for?” Casaria exclaimed, voice coming out higher than he’d intended. The mention of Ward’s team was like ice down his neck. He made every effort to sound calm. “With all due respect, sir, Sam Ward’s diplomats are the last people you want dealing with this. They’ll want to talk it over – they’ll give the Fae a chance to cover it up, or replace it – or worse.”
“The FTC have always denied something like this existed, I don’t –”
“Exactly!” Casaria caught himself again. After a pause, he continued, “Either they’ve been lying all this time, or they didn’t know it was still out there. Either way, they want it back now.”
“That’s for the Initiative to decide.”
“You know where we can find the FTC, don’t you? Give me a team of ten men to block off all the exits to their hole and we can gas them once and for all.”
“No one is entertaining that thought,” Mathers replied blandly. “If there was a case to be made fo
r exterminating the Fae, it would still rely on an IS analysis, and would require at least four levels of approval beyond that. And that’s if a case could be made.”
“Oh my God…” Casaria dragged out each word. “Don’t give me ten men – give me a canister of gas and give me permission. I’ll do it myself!”
“Why is it so important to you?” Landon grunted. Casaria shot him a look that warned him to be quiet or face violence, but the heavyset agent continued. “What’ve you got against the Fae? They stay out of our way, we stay out of theirs.”
“You ignorant whale!” Casaria surged towards him. “They take advantage of us – because of apologists like Sam who want to talk to them. They shot at me! They’re murderers and thieves who’d do anything to wipe us out, given the chance.”
“No,” Mathers said.
Casaria paused, a foot from Landon, and let his fists drop. “Excuse me?”
“I said no.”
“No what?”
Mathers tapped the desk near the metallic device, face blank.
“No they wouldn’t,” he said. “If this weapon is what you think it is, they didn’t use it when they made it. They have never claimed to have a weapon that could damage the praelucente, but they have made claims of equally important things. The truth is they choose not to use such technology. If it works.”
“The weapon was stolen!” Casaria protested. “That gypsy took it. They’ve been hunting for it ever since! We thought he was working with them, but he genuinely tried to screw them!”
Mathers’ expression finally shifted, looking uncomfortable. “That really is an ugly word, Casaria. We can’t have representatives of Her Majesty’s Services referring to people as gypsies. It wouldn’t do.”
Casaria froze, mouth open in surprise. It was all he could do not to explode.
Mathers continued. “Now, as for this, it’s a matter for diplomacy, Casaria. Civilised discussion. It’s not a case of everyone wanting to kill each other, is it? The Fae speak English, for heaven’s sake. The IS Relations Initiative has made excellent inroads with their representatives.”
“The Fae speak English,” Casaria repeated with disbelief.
“Of course. And we have enjoyed mutual existence for a long time, now.”
The deputy director said it as though this was obvious, but Landon and Gumg joined Casaria by frowning at the idea that diplomacy between their species had been so successful. Fae crimes had declined since the Initiative had started, but the thought of them actively working with the MEE was unheard of.
“What exactly are you saying?” Casaria said.
Mathers pointed to Landon and Gumg. “You two, give us a moment.”
Gumg wanted to protest but Landon shook his head at him, gesturing to the door. As the pair left, Casaria stood rigid, unblinking, as he glowered at Mathers.
“I’ll telling you this because you need to stop,” the deputy director said. “You’re a night watchman, Casaria. We value your work, you’re an effective agent, but know your boundaries. What goes on in the Sunken City at night, and with rogue Fae agents, is not the same as what goes on in the management of the Ministry during the day. There are trade talks, negotiations, politics. Now, I know what it meant to you when Ms Ward was moved up, but it was because she understood all that. You never have. Perhaps it would be best if you talked to her again, I know she’d –”
“This isn’t about her,” Casaria answered through gritted teeth. “Everything I do down there is to protect our work. For the good of this city – does no one else see that? Seriously?”
“It’s for the good of this city,” Mathers continued, keeping impossibly calm, “that we don’t rock the boat. We don’t want to hurt the Fae and they don’t want to hurt the praelucente.”
“You cannot trust them. Whatever they tell you –”
Mathers waved a hand for silence. “Calm down. You couldn’t understand, not from your position. Let me make this plain for you. Stop this maverick nonsense. We cannot have you assaulting your colleagues and members of the public. Talking about inciting violence, consorting with civilians without proper clearance.”
“This was a special –”
“Casaria,” Mathers said, more firmly. “Not another word. I want you to stop, right now, or you’ll leave me no choice but to suspend you.”
“Are you completely stupid –”
“Casaria,” Mathers snapped. “That’s enough. I’m suspending you for a week. I know you’ve had a tough few days, so be thankful it’s not worse. You’re not to set foot in the Sunken City, or anywhere near its entrances, until further notice. Hand in all your weapons and relinquish your vehicle.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
Mathers stood, fastening the buttons on his jacket. He wasn’t going anywhere; it was just his signal for Casaria to leave. “I think not.”
“Sir.” Casaria held his gaze, his passion subsiding as the deputy director’s sincerity sank in. He fought the urge to beg. He squeezed his lips shut and asked in a muffled tone, “What about the device?”
“IS will look into it. You have done well and there will be results, don’t worry.”
“And the girl?”
“She’ll be brought in. You will have nothing to do with it.”
Casaria left the building flushed with anger, desperate to punch someone. It took all his willpower not to throw Gumg’s satisfied face through a window as he passed him on the way out. He stormed onto the street and paced back and forth. They didn’t deserve him. They were patsies to the fairies, after all. Sycophants, company men, cowards, bastards. And Sam Ward was their chief agent. It was his biggest mistake, bringing her in.
He’d go through St Alphege’s and find someone to take his anger out on. Maybe two or three of them. Maybe he’d track down Mr Monroe and ask for a rematch with his men, they’d be game. Those big bastards could put up a fight. He needed it.
Pumping up, he walked briskly down the road.
He’d use the Tube. For the first time in God-knows-how-many years. It might tire him out slightly, and he was already running on steam from the night before, but a little more tiredness wasn’t going to hurt. Why not flirt with the monsters, what difference did it make now. He’d go to the warehouse district and ask for Mr Monroe, that was as good a place to start as any. Then he’d figure out a plan. Get to those fairies, do it for himself, if they weren’t willing to take action for the country.
As he marched towards the Underground, his phone beeped. The message stopped him cold.
PAX KURANES has shared her location.
17
The three women hurried down the tunnel, tripping over themselves as they reached out in front of them. The sounds were drawing in, becoming more horrific and unnatural the closer they got. Grace couldn’t help but cry more loudly, panic overcoming her. Pax drew alongside her, felt her way to putting an arm around her and whispered, “Keep quiet, it’s safer.”
Grace choked back her next sob, and Pax felt her tensing in her grip, her head moving, nodding. Her next few breaths were strained, holding back whatever sound was ready to burst out. As they sped along, their footfalls splashing through puddles, a birdlike trill rolled past them.
“Use this wall!” Holly whispered, somewhere to the side.
Pax followed her voice, taking Grace with her, free hand reaching out until it touched brick. The wall curved upwards; it was a small tunnel, after all.
“Light,” Grace said. She broke away and raised her voice. “There’s a light! Look!”
Pax squinted. Was there something there, or just a trick of the darkness? It looked like a pale line. Grace’s feet pattered ahead. Holly started running, too. As Pax got closer the line got bigger. It was definitely a light, a fluorescent one. She slowed down, recalling when that electric force had chased her before.
“Wait, wait!” she shouted, but Grace and Holly were moving away.
“It’s another tunnel!” Grace shouted. “Lit up!”
&
nbsp; Pax stopped, the light silhouetting the other two as they rushed towards it. It wasn’t flickering. It was a clear, solid beam. She took a deep breath and committed, sprinted.
The trio turned into the next tunnel together, finding a long, empty corridor stretching into the distance, lit by occasional luminescent bulbs. They took a moment to stop and stare. Far down the corridor, new bulbs were coming on, one by one, extending the view, as though the system was just booting up.
“There’s a door,” said Holly, pointing.
“Go for it,” Pax said, and Holly and Grace ran ahead. She hesitated, though, looking back the way they had come, towards the approaching sounds. A light came on just above her, making her flinch. Another one came on further back, lighting part of the path they had followed, a wide floor with a film of shimmering water across its surface. Another light, further back, then another. Pax was transfixed, for a moment, by the gradual progression of the lights towards the sounds. Another light, and she gasped. A beast reeled back with a hiss as the light hit it, eyes flashing at her. The light barely stopped it, though. Slowly, inexorably, it dragged itself towards her, filling the tunnel.
Pax ran.
She followed Holly and Grace, who were quickly approaching the doorway. Her heart was swelling as her mind tried to conceive what it was she had seen.
There was another hiss from the tunnel behind, almost upon them.
Holly rattled the door, but it wouldn’t move. “It’s locked!”
“I can do it, I can do it!” Pax panted, pounding towards them and fumbling a hand into her jacket pocket. Pins, metal pins somewhere in there. Grace and Holly watched with terror, checking in the other direction. Pax made it to the human-sized entrance and its heavy metal door. It had an archaic lock that made her heart sink; there’d be no technique involved here, just trial and error. She started rifling through her picks, thrusting one then another into place, as Holly said, “We can keep moving, this goes on –”
The Sunken City Trilogy Page 26