London Darkness- Infernal Inventions

by Christopher Stocking

  He looked at her, irritated at first, and then smiled. “So you like to play, eh?” he asked slyly.

  Adelina, trying to get into some sort of character, smiled and slowly backed up. She noticed a closet next to her. She sidestepped closer to the closet and allowed the man to come closer. She pressed her chest against his and smiled.

  The man wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. She tilted her head to the side and slid her hand down his chest. Then, in one swift movement, she pulled the blade from the strap and jabbed it under the man’s ribs and into his heart. She then swung the closet door open and shoved the man inside.

  Her heart was racing. She stared at the bloody blade and wiped it on the dead man’s trousers. She tossed the trousers into the closet and closed it. She stepped backward and sat on the bed, exhaling powerfully as she continued to stare at the blade. Never before had she done anything like that. The feel of the blade sliding into the man’s flesh. He had no idea what was coming. In a way, she felt bad for him. She had no idea what role he played in Partum Chaos. He may have just been a guard or some lackey for Caiden. She tried to think of the greater good to remove the guilt from her mind.

  She looked at the rope. Was it too soon to pull it? How long did this sort of affair usually take? Being a life-long inventor meant she never had much experience with the opposite sex.

  She slid the blade under the strap on her leg and walked over the rope. It was a thick, heavy, braided rope that went up into the ceiling. Next to the hole where the rope protruded from was a small, metal grate. She clutched the thick rope and pulled on it. It slid down about an inch and then returned to its original position.

  A fuzzy static sound came from the speaker, followed by a voice. “That was pretty quick,” the voice said. “You must be pretty good. Your next client will be in shortly.”

  Adelina laid on the bed. Trying to look seductive, she put a hand on her curvy hip and rested her head on her hand. The door opened and an older man, likely in his late thirties, entered the room.

  He smiled and said, “That’s how I like to see my women. Ready and waiting.”

  Adelina fought to hide the rage from her face. No one was going to talk to an inventor of her status like that. She almost wanted to pull the blade from her thigh right now and slash his throat. However, she thought that to be too messy, and certainly not her style. She rolled onto her back and leaned on her elbows. “Well don’t keep me waiting,” she said seductively. She felt so awkward.

  The man removed his black tailed jacket and took off his white shirt. He stood at the foot of the bed. He smiled and leaned forward, falling rapidly toward her.

  She gasped as he landed hard and immediately kissed her neck. He slid his hands up the outside of her thighs and onto her lower stomach. She dug her nails into his back, hoping that was something he would enjoy.

  The man grunted and raised himself. He smiled at her and continued kissing her. She really wasn’t enjoying this. The man pawed at her and left far too much spit on her flesh. She wanted to end this. She had to end this.

  She ran a hand down his side and onto the outside of her leg. His body was blocking her inner thigh. She pushed his head away and looked at him. “I think it’s my turn,” she said softly.

  The man smiled and flung himself from her, landing on his back and almost knocking Adelina off the bed. She straddled him and looked into his eyes. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked, growing irritated.

  She lowered herself and almost kissed him, but stopped a moment before their lips touched. “What, you don’t like to be teased?” she asked.

  The man’s eyes shot open as the blade slid into his body. His mouth opened in a silent scream as his last breath escaped.

  She sat up and wiped the blade on his trousers. “That’s how I like my sexist pigs,” she said. “Dead.” She strapped the blade to her leg and grabbed the man’s ankle. She heaved the body off the bed and grunted as she dragged it to the closet. She swung the door open and forced the heavy body inside. “One to go,” she said quietly.

  She figured it would probably be best to wait a few minutes before pulling the rope again, and sat on the bed. I wonder how Celia is doing, she thought.

  ***

  Celia, her back pressed against the wall, forcefully kissed her first client. This particular client hadn’t stopped kissing her since he entered the room and it didn’t appear as if he was going to stop soon. He hadn’t even removed any of his or her clothing yet. She shoved him backward so he fell onto the bed and seductively walked toward him. A closet in the corner caught her eye. The perfect hiding spot for a body.

  Celia climbed onto the bed and straddled the young man. He wrapped his arms around her back and forcefully pulled her forward. He kissed her, hard, and sloppily slid his hands all over her body. “Ow,” he grunted as his hand slid up her inner thigh. He looked at the speck of blood on his finger and lifted her skirt slightly. “Do you always work armed?” he asked.

  Celia smiled. “No, this is just a special occasion.” She grabbed the blade and jabbed it into the man’s sternum. He gasped, groaned, and clutched her hands. She pulled the blade out slightly and then shoved it back down, further into his body.

  The man grunted again, and then went limp.

  Celia exhaled and pulled the blade from the lifeless body. She wiped the blood on the man’s shirt and dragged him into the closet. Too bad he never got to actually be with a woman, she thought as she closed the door. She secured the blade to her leg and pulled on the heavy rope.

  “Someone will be right in,” a voice said through the grate.

  Celia sat on the bed and waited patiently.

  A few moments later the door opened and a small, skinny man entered the room. He slowly closed the door and sat on the bed next to her.

  Celia looked at him for a moment, curious as to why he hadn’t charged into the room and mauled her.

  “So,” she said quietly. “What’s your favorite thing to do?” she asked.

  The man sighed. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I’ve never really done this before. Why did you request me?” He looked up at her with scared, timid eyes.

  “I’ve heard good things,” she answered quickly.

  The man smirked. “Well I know that’s not true. I never had good luck with the ladies.”

  Celia looked at the small man for a moment. He was so small, and he looked terrified. She felt bad for him, actually. She put a hand on his small, bony hand. “Have you ever been with a woman?” she asked.

  The man nodded. “Once,” he answered. “But I think it was an accident. I just kind of, woke up that way.”

  Celia laughed. “Sounds like an interesting story.” How can I kill this man? She thought. He seems so innocent.

  “Not really,” the man answered. “I don’t even really remember what happened. Well, I do remember the end of it. That was fantastic.”

  Celia laughed again. “That does seem to be the general consensus,” she said.

  The man smiled and looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “For what?” Celia asked.

  “I… I can’t do this. Not now, anyway. I’ll have them send in the next guy. I’ll tell them you were great.”

  Celia sighed. “No, I’m sorry,” she said.

  “No, it’s not your fault,” the man answered.

  “No, it is,” Celia said. “I can’t let you leave.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Celia put a hand on her thigh. She grabbed the blade and jabbed it into the man’s heart. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she slowly lowered him onto his back. She wiped the blood on his shirt and carried the small man over into the closet. She looked at the two dead bodies for just a second, and then closed the door.

  She pulled the rope and sat on the bed. “I wonder how Adelina is doing,” she said quietly.

  “I knew he wouldn’t last long,” the voice laughed through the grate. “Your next client will be righ
t in.”

  ***

  The door swung open into Adelina’s room and a tall, blonde-haired man entered. He wore a black top hat and had a long black cane. He stood in front of Adelina and smiled at her. “Hello,” he said politely.

  “Hello,” Adelina answered. She stood and approached the man, but he held up a hand and stopped her. He pressed the tip of the cane against her stomach and pushed her back onto the bed.

  “This is all about me,” the man said with an evil grin. He dropped the cane and leapt at her.

  Adelina shrieked and rolled out of the way. The man growled and chased her to the other side of the room. He slammed her against the wall and stared into her eyes. Adelina’s heart pounded and she breathed heavily as the man wrapped a hand around her throat. He slowly tightened his grip, cutting off Adelina’s air flow. “Do you know what I love most about this?” he asked. He opened his mouth to speak but only a high pitched noise protruded from his throat. His grip on Adelina’s throat lessened and he looked down. She had the blade shoved directly into his stomach. He looked back up at her, the life draining from his eyes.

  “No,” Adelina answered finally. “I’m really not that interested in it. She pulled the blade out and jabbed it into his heart. The man stumbled backward and fell onto the bed.

  Adelina, her heart still pounding, and a bead of sweat running down her cheek, dragged the man into the closet and closed the door. She exhaled. I’m so glad this is over, she thought.

  She left the room and returned to the common room where the two men greeted her. “I trust your clients were satisfied?”

  Adelina smiled. “Absolutely,” she answered. She looked around, but didn’t see Celia anywhere. “Has my friend come out yet?” she asked.

  The two men shook their heads. “No, but you’re welcome to stay here and entertain us.”

  Adelina smiled again. “Actually, I think I’d like to go help my friend. That’s kind of my thing,” she said. Awkward, she thought.

  “Lucky bastard,” one of the men said as she walked by. Adelina walked through the door and down the hall. It was silent. A strange sort of silence. Adelina felt her stomach knot up.

  She swung open the door into Celia’s room and saw her sitting on the bed. She stared straight ahead, her face white. “Celia?” Adelina said. “I’ve come to help you out.”

  Celia slowly turned her head and looked at Adelina; a look of urgency on her face.

  “Please, come in,” a deep voice said.

  “No don’t!” Celia cried but Adelina had already walked into the room. A large man grabbed Adelina and flung her onto the bed. He slammed the door shut and stood in front of them.

  Adelina looked up. A fat man wearing a black mask stood in front of them. He held a flintlock pistol aimed at them, and had an evil sneer strewn across his face. “I’ll bet you think you’re pretty clever,” he said. His voice was so low it seemed to rumble in Adelina’s ears. “You thought you could just come down here and kill off all of the members? The men at the door thought it was a little suspicious that you had a list of specific people—”

  “You’re too late,” Celia interrupted. “They’re already dead.”

  The fat man snickered. “So you killed off a few men low on the ladder. You have no idea what you’re getting yourselves mixed up in. You have no idea how big this really is. Caiden won’t show any mercy on you.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Adelina asked. Her voice trembled a little.

  “How can we not? Everything we knew and loved was in Terial. Our family and friends. Now they’re all dead. All but us few survivors. But our numbers are growing. You may have killed off a few of us, but we’ll recruit more. There are always people who will support our cause. The League of Inventors is nothing but a joke.”

  “They can’t be that much of a joke if they wiped out your whole town,” Celia said snidely.

  The man grunted and smacked Celia across the face.

  Celia tasted blood. She spit and noted its crimson color. “Who are you?” she asked.

  “I’m the second most powerful man in this city,” he answered. “But I suppose, for what short existence you have left, you can call me Denton.”

  “So what’s the plan now, Denton?” Celia asked. “You torture us until we tell you where our hideout is, and then you kill us?”

  Denton laughed an evil cackle. “Hardly,” he replied. “Why don’t we just see what Caiden has in store for you.”

  Chapter 23

  Ryker nervously paced back and forth in the lab. He flung his arms in the air. “They should have contacted me by now.”

  “Relax, Ryker,” Wendell said. He took a large bite out of a piece of buttered bread. “I’m sure they’re fine. It’s delicate work.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Ryker answered. He sat down beside Wendell and poured himself a cup of tea. Before he could swallow, his communicator beeped and his spit his mouthful of tea all over the table. “Finally!” he shouted as he took out his communicator. He opened it and a masked man’s face appeared on the circular screen. “Who the hell are you?” Ryker demanded.

  “That’s certainly not a proper way to greet someone,” the masked man answered. “However, I suppose it would be rude for me not to at least tell you the name of the man responsible for your downfall, and for the downfall of the League of Inventors. You probably know me as Overlord, or Caiden. You may refer to me as the latter.”

  Ryker gritted his teeth. “Where is Celia?” he said angrily. Livvy and Shamus came up behind him. “What’s going on?” Shamus asked.

  “That bastard Caiden has Celia and Adelina.”

  “Your little friends are fine,” Caiden said casually. “But they won’t be if you don’t do exactly what I say.”

  “What do you want?” Ryker asked, feeling slightly defeated. He heard the faint sound of Adelina and Celia struggling in the background.

  “You and your little friend, the gnome, are to come here, unarmed. I believe you know how to get here, to the manor.”

  “How do you know that?” Ryker asked.

  Caiden smiled and held up a note. “Allow me to read aloud, if you will.” He cleared his throat. “Ryker is coming to find you. The whore’s crazy sister told her where the manor is. Be careful. Ryker is either very skilled, or very lucky. Signed, Livvy.”

  Everyone looked at Livvy. She stepped back, eyes wide. “I… I… Uh…” She pulled Ryker’s revolver from its holster, grabbed Shamus, and held the gun to his head.

  “What the bloody-hell are you doing?” Wendell shouted.

  “Oops,” Caiden said. He smiled. “It looks like I’ve caused a bit of trouble. I look forward to meeting you in person, Ryker.”

  The screen went black and Ryker dropped the communicator. “Livvy, put the gun down, now!” he shouted.

  “Livvy, why?” Shamus asked; his voice trembled.

  “Shut up,” Livvy barked. Her face was dark. “How could you murder all of those people, Shamus?”

  “That’s what this is about? Livvy, I’m sorry. It’s not like I killed your family.”

  Livvy pressed the gun harder against Shamus’s neck. “That’s not really helping,” Wendell interjected.

  “Look, Livvy, I’m sorry. It was a terrible idea. What do you want me to do? It’s not like I can change it now.”

  Livvy’s hand trembled. She looked at each of them, her eyes scared and timid. “I… I don’t know what to do. I can’t forgive you, Shamus. I just… can’t.” Tears formed in her eyes and she slid her finger over the trigger. “I told you so many times. You can’t use humans as targets. But, you did it anyway. You betrayed me, Shamus.”

  “Livvy, please, please just put down the gun and we’ll figure this out.”

  “No,” Livvy snapped. She pressed the barrel harder against Shamus’s neck. “There’s nothing to figure out. You betrayed all of those people.”

  “Livvy, please just put the gun down,” Ryker said. He stepped toward her.

  “S
tay back!” Livvy shouted. “Just stay back.”

  “We can talk this out. Just please, put down the—” Ryker’s voice was cut off by a gunshot and Shamus fell to the floor. “No!” Ryker cried. He lunged at Livvy and tackled her. His revolver flung from her hands and slid across the floor.

  Livvy rolled and kicked Ryker off. She stood up and kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could, knocking the breath from him.

  Wendell charged her and jumped on her back. She stumbled forward and smashed her head on the wall. A spot of blood was left behind and Wendell jumped from her as she fell onto her back.

  Ryker, his breath finally returning, scrambled to his feet and grabbed his revolver. He picked it up and aimed it at Livvy, but she wasn’t moving. Blood dribbled from the wound on her head and formed a pool around her body. He knelt down and felt her pulse. “She’s dead,” he said grimly.

  “So is Shamus,” Wendell replied sternly.

  Shamus lay unmoving. Blood poured from a bullet wound in his neck. His eyes stared at the ceiling, cold and empty. “This can’t be happening,” Ryker said quietly. He couldn’t help but stare at Shamus’s lifeless corpse. “Now that Shamus is dead that only leaves Adelina,” he said softly. “And Adelina is being held captive by the man looking to kill her.” At least, he hoped she was still held captive and not a bloody corpse.

  “So, what do we do now?” Wendell asked.

  Ryker flicked his eyes between Shamus and Livvy. “We have to rescue Celia and Adelina.”

  “So, we’re really going there unarmed?”

  “Not exactly,” Ryker answered. “I have a plan. But I need your help.”

  Chapter 24

  Adelina struggled with the iron shackles that restrained her hands behind her back. Caiden had shackled both Celia and Adelina to steel poles on the fourth floor of the manor.

  The room was very dark. Only one lantern hung from the center of the ceiling and it was close to being out. It was also very hot. A thin layer of sweat had formed on Adelina and Celia, giving Adelina hope that she might be able to slip out of her restraints.