Darkness at Dillingham: An Austerley & Kirkgordon Adventure #2

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Darkness at Dillingham: An Austerley & Kirkgordon Adventure #2 Page 16

by Jordan, G R


  Austerley began mixing items. At a further request, Nefol brought in a small gas burner, and the assembled gathering watched Austerley boil and mix his way through many colourful liquids. The smells emitted by the vessels were mostly repulsive, but there was one that smelt like strawberries. Soon, Austerley glanced up at his watchers to indicate that he was ready.

  Pouring one mixture into the bowl, he chanted words that made no sense to Kirkgordon and that drew a shaking head from Father Jonah. Undeterred, Austerley drew his hands back and forward across the bowl.

  “There’s nothing evil in these chants, Miss Goodritch. I am merely drawing the energy from around us to channel it,” Austerley explained.

  “And you know not what you draw it from. Do not fool yourself, Mr Austerley,” warned the priest. Austerley rolled his eyes and continued chanting. In the bowl, a view of the sea was materializing. Kirkgordon could see a post with a cage swinging from it.

  “That’s Gibbet Point,” exclaimed Miss Goodritch.

  “Yes,” said Austerley, “and that’s his device. It’s a mystical generator. I can’t attack it from here but it looks unprotected, merely hidden by its very normality. I venture that’s not the post that was there last year.”

  “There was no post last year,” said Miss Goodritch. “The council put that up a few months ago.”

  “Then it needs to be taken down,” stated Kirkgordon. “Good. Right, Austerley, find Havers.”

  Austerley returned to mixing his ingredients. Wilson, still weak from his beating from the bear, took a seat. Austerley created several more mixtures, poured them into the bowl and stirred the water. The bowl produced a view of the care home. Austerley mumbled some more words and the picture zoomed down several corridors before arriving in front of a bed. The picture was a close up of Havers’ face. It was pale and going grey. He seemed to be resting in peace.

  “Is he dead?” asked Kirkgordon.

  “No. If he was I wouldn’t be able to find him.”

  “Stop,” shouted the priest, “There’s something else!”

  Before anyone could move, a dragon’s head appeared in the water. It burst out of the bowl on an elongated neck and searched wildly around the room. Finding Austerley, it fixed its gaze on him.

  “Austerley, time to die!” The dragon’s head drew back as it took in a breath and emitted a stream of fire at Austerley. A stunned Austerley was transfixed as the fire raged towards him. Suddenly it stopped, right in front of his face, and disappeared in an instant. Looking to the bowl, Austerley saw it had been upturned. It rested on the table with the priest’s hand over it.

  “I wish you wouldn’t mess with these forces,” said Father Jonah sternly.

  After a moment’s silence, Kirkgordon spoke up. “So he’s in the care home. Time to undo Tania’s mischief.”

  “Don’t destroy her,” urged the priest. “Make sure there is time for redemption, Mr Austerley. We all need redemption.”

  Austerley glowered at the priest and looked at Kirkgordon, who nodded and turned to Nefol, asking her to accompany him. Together they walked down the hall of the house to a bedroom. Nefol spoke a few words and opened the door. Lying on the bed inside, with her hands tied behind her back and her ankles tied together, was Tania. Her mouth was gagged with tape. She looked directly at Kirkgordon as he entered.

  “I’m going to take the tape off,” said Kirkgordon. “Listen, if I hear you say anything, any chants or words other than to speak in reply to my answers, I will knock you out again and you will be gagged. Then Austerley will have to reach inside your brain for the answers. It’s not pleasant because he’s not that good at it. Understand me?”

  Tania nodded. She was wrapped in a sheet but her curves were still evident. Kirkgordon tried to focus on the task in hand, but her body was so distracting. At times, he wished he was blind to these womanly charms that drew him in so easily. Nefol was a good foil to his reactions, though. He thought having a youngster in the room was a stronger deterrent than his own mother. He ripped the tape off Tania’s mouth.

  “I see you still like to look,” mocked Tania. “Ditch the kid and you can still have me!”

  Kirkgordon struck her with the back of his hand. “Enough. You are a witch. A highly sexual one, but still a witch. You only want to take from me, not to give. I have a woman and you are not her.” It was like a mantra, Kirkgordon thought, and despite having made it up on the spot, he thought it was pretty good. But there was safety in numbers.

  He swept an arm under her, picking her up. Halfway through the manoeuvre, she parted her legs, trying to trap him, but he was wise to it. Without showing any emotion, he nodded towards the door. Nefol opened it and Kirkgordon carried Tania to the front room.

  Placing her in the centre of the room, Kirkgordon withdrew to the edge. He was somewhat compromised in the matter of Tania and he didn’t trust himself. Austerley, now returned to the couch, went down on his knees and crept up on Tania.

  “You look old. Very old.” Tania laughed, drawing a scowl from Austerley.

  “Steeped in it, aren’t you?” Austerley said. “Steeped. Well, I know how you do it. I know it came from your grandmother who taught you how to gain your powers. It’s all written down. Joined the coven, did you? Was your father’s life worth the prize?”

  “Dear God!” exclaimed Miss Goodritch.

  Father Jonah closed his eyes, his lips giving up a silent prayer.

  “Well, now we’ll end it.” Austerley laid his hands upon Tania. The witch shook violently as Austerley spoke words no one understood. The room began to shake, and green gas rushed into the room and into Tania’s eyes, ears, nostrils. She screamed as the gas poured into her mouth, making her choke and spit.

  As the gas continued to return, Austerley began to change. His skin became less wrinkled, and he felt his body regaining its mid-life vigour, his joints freeing.

  “It is done,” cried Father Jonah. “It is done.”

  Tania was coughing uncontrollably now and Father Jonah took her in his arms, cradling her. “Peace, child, peace. It has been put right. He has put back all you have done wrong. Relax now, be at peace. Ask and you shall receive forgiveness. You can start again, throw off your past. You have a second chance, Tania. He whom you called an enemy is now your friend. He will make you whole.”

  Tania began to cry, pouring out her tiredness and hurt. She looked into the priest’s eyes, asking if it was true. Father Jonah nodded and began to smile. But then Tania’s mouth let go an ear-piercing scream.

  “No!” yelled the priest. “No!”

  “An eye for an eye, is it not, Father?” shouted Austerley.

  Kirkgordon was confused until he saw Tania’s foot. Her toes were shrinking. One by one they were disappearing into thin air. Meanwhile, Austerley’s stump was growing. The joint was renewing and a foot was beginning to grow.

  Kirkgordon raced to Austerley and tried to pull him away from Tania. Austerley’s face was wild and his skin red with pumping blood. A strength not born from human flesh held Austerley to Tania’s body and she continued to scream.

  “Yes, yes. Feel my pain!” yelled Austerley.

  Miss Goodritch had joined Kirkgordon in pulling at Austerley’s arm but nothing could move him. Father Jonah laid a hand on Kirkgordon and cried out for intervention, for one who was good to interrupt this madness. Kirkgordon felt a power surge in his arms and he ripped away Austerley’s grip, throwing him onto the sofa.

  The room fell silent except for Tania’s tears. Father Jonah stood up and walked calmly over to Austerley. Austerley’s face was streaked with tears and he looked like a broken man.

  “I told you,” Father Jonah said, pointing at Austerley. “Don’t mess with these things. But you don’t listen, you indulge. And now that foot shall be a curse to you, worse than when it was missing. You have passed on your pain instead of sharing it to be healed. This is anger, this is rage, this is domination and wrath. And you may have destroyed her, but you will also destroy yours
elf!”

  Consequences

  Kirkgordon breathed deeply. This was all getting too fraught for him. For someone who had limited understanding of the occult, of all this weirdness, he felt ill-equipped to be leading the charge to rescue Havers. Knowing that Havers would not permit a rescue if the circumstances were reversed, would choose instead just to let Kirkgordon go, wasn’t great encouragement either. But then again, wasn’t that the point? Havers was wrong in his professional view. The individual did matter, they mattered a lot.

  And then there was Austerley. Just when you thought he had turned a corner, grumbling but on message, he goes and does all this. Bloody hell. The priest had been doing well with Tania, in fact she might even have been ready to accept redemption. But now?

  In his time working protection, Kirkgordon had seen many a bloody sight. Bits blown off people, limbs lost, shots taken, but nothing was like watching someone’s foot disappearing. Left with nothing but a bloody stump, Tania had gone wild, calling out all sorts of blasphemies. Kirkgordon had been forced to use his nerve pinch to silence her. And as for Austerley… You would have thought he would be happy, with a spring to his step, but no. He hadn’t banked on Tania’s foot being smaller. With a size twelve on one foot and a size three on the other, he was limping badly, constantly tilted to one side. Another three weeks and he would have had a prosthetic. Stupid arse.

  Father Jonah appeared at his side. In his hands were two cups of coffee, one black and steaming, the other extremely milky.

  “I thought you weren’t into coffee,” said Kirkgordon.

  “I’m not. But you looked like you needed one and a bit of company.”

  “Cheers. Did I do the right thing in there?”

  “Don’t dwell on it. You can’t second guess with people. Austerley made his own decision, which he was going to do whatever you decided. He ruined himself, Mr Kirkgordon. We can’t save everyone. In fact, we can save no one.”

  “Tania’s a gorgeous girl. Truly stunning.”

  “On the outside, yes. But she’s black inside. You don’t play with the darkness and remain untouched. Ask Mr Austerley. Or Major Havers.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Clinical, cold, exacting. No trust in people, just a desire for outcomes. I still hold out hope there, though.”

  “Your daughter was a great help, she’s very resourceful. She acts older than her years.”

  “Yes, indeed, but then again that’s Major Havers’ doing.” Kirkgordon threw a questioning glance but the priest refused to bite. “Be careful when you engage Farthington. Austerley will look to kill, for there’s as much anger in him as there is in the dragon. Take care of your people. Remember, have a little faith. You are where you are needed. And read the arrows’ instructions! Some of them are pretty deadly.”

  Kirkgordon laughed. “I prefer the normal sort, but they have been pretty handy. Tell me, though. You’re a priest, you’ve seen this stuff we’re pitched into. How do you find the white and not the black? How do you know what’s right?”

  Father Jonah thought for a moment. “Do what builds up. Do what redeems, what keeps others from hurting and destroying. Even when it’s messy, even when it costs. It’s what Alana will understand. It’s why she’s still committed.”

  Kirkgordon was stunned. “When did you meet my wife?”

  “I haven’t. Enjoy your coffee.”

  Kirkgordon took five minutes to drink his coffee then turned his attentions to his team members. Wilson, although mobile, was seriously hurt. He could walk, possibly jog, but he wouldn’t last long in a fight. Despite much protestation, Kirkgordon decided Wilson should accompany Miss Goodritch rather than face Farthington at the care home.

  “Remember,” Kirkgordon told Wilson and Miss Goodritch, “we need that device causing the shield down as soon as possible. They don’t know we know about it, so stay covert, Wilson, and then bring it down. There should be help ready just outside the shield.” They had decided on the sewers as the preferred route, and Miss Goodritch seemed keen to help.

  “Mr Wilson saved my life. Major Havers may have done too. It’s my duty, Mr Kirkgordon. My duty.”

  “It’ll be fine, Miss Goodritch. Listen to Wilson and stay safe.” Kirkgordon smiled at her as she descended into the sewers, but his heart was heavy. With the ghosts gone, there were only the hybrid creatures left between Farthington and justice. But Farthington never fully trusted anything. There had to be a back-up.

  Kirkgordon turned back to the manse, leaving the priest to let his smaller party out of the sanctuary. As he brooded on Farthington’s possible reinforcements, Nefol came running up.

  “She’s gone.”

  “Who?” asked Kirkgordon.

  “The witch! Tania. Just gone.”

  “But you were watching her.”

  “I was, and she just vanished, right into the bed. I searched the room but there’s nothing.”

  “Okay, get Austerley and then your father. Let’s work out what’s happening.”

  Kirkgordon ran to the bedroom that had been holding Tania. On the bedclothes lay the gown that had been covering Tania’s nakedness. There were a few specks of blood at the indentation where her foot should have been. This didn’t surprise Kirkgordon, but there was also a mix of blood and spit beside where her head would have been lying.

  Austerley hobbled into the room. “How did the girl let her get away? That witch will have it in for me.”

  “Dammit, Austerley, give my head some peace. You angered her, so just shut it. I need to think.”

  “Peace? Peace? It’s okay for you! She just wants to get her kit off for you and romp the night away. She’ll be after my blood.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  Father Jonah entered the room. “So she chose the darkness. See the hornet’s nest you have created for yourself now, Mr Austerley?”

  “Where is she?” asked Kirkgordon.

  “With Farthington, Mr Kirkgordon. She requires vengeance. And now he knows you’re coming and he has his powerful ally back. Good work, Mr Austerley, you played the devil’s hand.” The priest turned away, head down.

  “Great Austerley, just great. And no, don’t say anything else. Just get ready. Havers needs us.” Kirkgordon turned to Father Jonah.

  “Father, I think you should stay and maintain the sanctuary you’ve set up. Just in case it all goes wrong.”

  “It’s good of you to think of all those trapped people of Dillingham,” answered the priest, “but if you fail, I’m not strong enough to deal with it all on my own. No, I shall go. Besides, this is Arthur we are talking about.”

  “Arthur? How well do you know him?”

  “Too well. So many times we stood side by side. Those days may be gone and we may see things from very different angles these days but he was and still is my friend. I won’t leave him to suffer.”

  Before Kirkgordon could ask anything further, Father Jonah hurried away, citing preparations to be made. Well, thought Kirkgordon, with Havers gone and Calandra elsewhere, Father Jonah’s counsel may be just what’s needed.

  From his upstairs window, Mr Allison, erstwhile neighbourhood watcher and general guardian of his street, looked down at the church car park. Over the last few days he had seen all sorts of strange goings on and numerous ghosts and creatures congregating around the grounds of the buildings. He had also been trapped within his own house, which was something, as soon as he was free, he would be taking up with the relevant authorities.

  Now he was outraged at the complete disregard for driving safety that was occurring in the car park. First, a middle-aged man hobbled over to the electric car and got into the back seat. He was followed by that strange priest, whose smile Mr Allison had never trusted, holding a large staff, which clearly should have been stowed in the boot of the vehicle. Then some Robin Hood clown, complete with large bow and quiver, climbed into the passenger seat and failed to put on his seat belt. But what finally drove Mr Allison to reach for paper and p
en was the priest’s young daughter getting into the driver’s seat and driving the car away.

  The car glided without sound along the streets of Dillingham, which looked deserted. There were still people looking out of their windows, but no ghosts and no creatures could be seen.

  “Did you destroy the creatures, Austerley, when you had your hands on Tania?” asked Kirkgordon.

  “No. I couldn’t. They are real creatures and although she has links to them they are not formed from her. They were real creatures to begin with. It’s strange they aren’t about.”

  Not good, Kirkgordon told himself. “Nefol, park up a good distance away. I have a nasty feeling we’ll have some company before we reach Farthington.”

  Nefol nodded and was almost casual, looking out of the window at the fiery sky as she drove. Selecting a cul-de-sac off the main road to the care home, Nefol parked the car and jumped out. Kirkgordon stepped out and checked his quiver and bow, reciting some of the colours on the flashings and the arrows’ uses. He watched Nefol grab the large staff and begin to twirl it. The ends turned white and all Kirkgordon could see was a blur.

  “I’ve got a friend with a weapon just like that,” said Kirkgordon to the priest. Father Jonah laughed and shook his head.

  “Mr Kirkgordon, you are a simple one. You don’t seriously believe that Havers gives Calandra two weeks off every month? It’s been less than a month’s total training time but Nefol’s learnt so much from her. I should thank you. Havers said you gave Calandra back her self-worth. Most men would have stolen her beauty.”

  I must be the only one in the dark, Kirkgordon thought to himself. He told Austerley to stay with the priest while he scouted the territory ahead with Nefol. Jumping through the hedgerows and back gardens, Kirkgordon noticed how Nefol responded to his actions in a similar fashion to Calandra. He could see her influence. And he sorely wished she was here.

  As they drew closer to the care home, Kirkgordon could see a variety of creatures patrolling the grounds. There was an elephant with the head of a crocodile and a viper for a tail. Hovering before the door was a giant wasp with a monkey’s head. An enormous slug had a scorpion’s tail and the legs of a cricket.

 

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