by Richard Amos
“Hi, darling.” He leaned over the side of the bed and scooped her up.
Dean was in a blue and white hospital gown. He looked so vulnerable on that bed, frail even though he wasn’t.
“Come on, Daddy!” Lou called. “Come see Papa!”
One foot did its job, then the other followed, repeating until I was by his side, me being led by their own volition.
“Hi, baby,” Dean said, his voice a little dry.
On closer look, there was more gauze on top of his head.
But he was okay. Hurt, but okay.
He reached out a hand—the one with the intravenous line inserted—and I took it.
“Dean.” Crap. My eyes were filling up.
I sat down on the bed. Lou was lying beside her papa, cuddling up to him.
“I’m alright,” he said. “I promise. Just roughed up a bit.”
I didn’t let the tears fall, managing some deep and shaky breaths to keep them at bay. This was awful seeing him like this. Memories tried to bite me, the pain from years ago when…no. They weren’t getting in. Michael had been murdered. Dean was fine. Everything was fine.
“They said…” I took another breath. “They said something happened with a wand. Did you get hit?”
“It missed me and hit the building next door to our offices.”
“What?”
“There was an attack on another human right outside the office. At least, I think he was human. It was the invisible guy again. I saw him shimmer. I tried…I tried to help the human guy.” He winced. “Shit. But he was dragged into the canal and Thomas took his hea—” He looked at Lou.
“I get the idea.”
“Anyway, Thomas was trying to get out of the canal and struggling. I went to get him. Mila was with me. As we crossed the bridge, some guy in a hoody appeared with a wand and fired. We ducked in time, but the building got hit and sent debris on top of us.”
“Oh my God!”
Lou started to cry.
“I’m okay, though,” he said. “See, Louise? Papa’s fine.”
He squeezed my hand as he kissed the top of her head.
“He’s a bad man,” Lou said, “who you talked about.”
“He is, darling.”
“Is Mila okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine too. Same as me—some facial and head lacerations, bit concussed. They want to keep an eye on me and stitch me up properly as soon as the doctor comes. But, well, there’s a delay. You must have seen it when you came in.”
“Mental.” I told him about the dead patients reanimating.
“That’s strange. Hope someone called the necromancers.”
“I’m sure they did.” I didn’t offer to call them myself. Fuck that for now. I wasn’t leaving his side. I did text Luuk again though, along with Dean’s location.
I gave my finance’s hand a soft kiss. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze in return.
Luuk appeared with Sophie, who was also dressed in a hospital gown.
“Got your text,” Luuk said. “Sorry I missed your call. Signal was weird.”
“No worries,” I replied. “How you doing, Soph?”
“Sore,” she said, leaning on her husband “but okay, thank you. This is insane. Have you heard about the other deceased patients?”
“We have,” I replied.
“The receptionist did call the necromancers,” Luuk added. “And there are police wherever a corpse is, in case of attack.”
“We were just talking about the necros. Glad the coppers are here.”
Sophie winced, sucking in air between clenched teeth.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Back started to hurt,” she answered.
Oh crap! “Not damaged is it?”
“No, just hurts. I’ll have a nasty bruise by nightfall. I can feel it.”
“We should get you back to bed,” Luuk said. “She just needed a walk around.”
“No going home anytime soon?” I asked.
“No,” Soph answered sadly. “Just like you, Dean.”
“It’s not happening in the immediate future,” my fiancé replied. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Same to you. I really need to go back to bed. My head is still a little fuzzy.”
“You rest up, Soph.”
She smiled at me, then blew a kiss to Lou. “Take care, all of you. See you back home.”
“Bye,” Luuk said.
They left the bay slowly.
“Where’s Mila?”
“Bay ten,” Dean said, “in a private room. She doesn’t want visitors. She sent a nurse to tell me she wouldn’t be seen dead in the gown, and to be sure to stay away. You know what she’s like.”
“A diva no matter what.”
“Yes.”
Our eyes locked. My beautiful Dean on a hospital bed, his face…his face. Fuck. I had to hold my shit together or I’d end up a blubbing mess. It could’ve been so much worse.
“I love you, Papa,” Lou said.
“I love you too, darling.”
That was it. I was gone. Tears tumbled down my cheeks in a hot flood.
“Don’t cry, Daddy. I love you too.”
HALF AN HOUR LATER, I’d stopped sobbing. I’d been a total disaster, unable to hold back the tears. Bloody hell! Talk about extreme waterworks!
Lars had turned up, checking on Dean. He’d had coppers out on the hunt for this Thomas guy and the hoody bloke, and was now running a check on the name Kyler, to see if it was linked to Thomas Ark. He also had the area outside our offices blocked off.
“Knew I should’ve taken annual leave,” Lars said. “I always pick the quiet weeks to be off.”
“Ain’t that a fuc—” I cleared my throat. “Annoying?”
“It is, Jake. It is.” He scratched his big red beard. “I should get going soon.”
A scream. Man, was I fed up with hearing screams this week!
A male police officer staggered into view, clutching his neck.
“Holy shit!” I leapt off the bed as Lars ran forward.
Blood was gushing through the officer’s fingers, pouring all down his blue uniform. He’d been struck on his neck.
“Shit!” Lars caught the bloke as he collapsed.
More screaming, people running down the corridor.
“I love you! I love you!” An elderly man with red eyes staggered towards Lars, blood stains all around his mouth, his arms outstretched. He was speaking in tongues, or whatever, between those three little words.
Before he could land on Lars, or the nurse who’d backed up against the wall, I cracked him with an uppercut. His teeth burst out of his mouth, his jaw twisting horribly. He actually lifted off the ground and flew backward, landing with a sickening smack.
“I love you!” he cried, trashing on his back.
“Blood hell!” I yelled. “Someone get me some rope or something!”
Lars was by my side. Though the corpse was frail, the legs actually broken, it was strong as hell, and took the two of us to finally cuff him. Another officer had joined, cuffing his ankles together.
The bitten copper had been whisked away.
Chaos rang all around. If things were mental before, then things had really spiralled now. For fuck’s sake. Other dead bodies were starting to attack all across the building. More and more police were turning up, flooding the corridors. I’d been ordered to stay in bay fifteen with Dean and Lou. Only police officers were permitted in the corridors, and no new patients were being admitted. Doctors and nurses were escorted to every bay and ward.
I could’ve offered my help, and would’ve jumped in if needed, but at the same time, my people were here, not out there. I had to protect them.
I had my spear out, never taking my eyes off the corridor.
Mila, Soph and Luuk were all okay. I’d checked.
We sat together in silence. Lou was asleep, having cried herself to exhaustion. The sun was beginning to s
et, blazing a golden winter light across the sky, the snow clouds having moved on completely.
All we had to do was wait this out. As soon as the go ahead was given, we were out of here.
A tall, thin male doctor came. He looked about twenty-one, black-haired and pale-faced, and pretty shaken up. A female officer waited outside, constantly checking left and right down the corridor.
“Hallo,” he greeted us. “Mr. Tseng? I’m Dr. Caris. Nice to meet you. I’m here to do your stitches.”
I introduced myself and added, “Are you sure you’re okay to do that? No offence, but you’re shaking.”
“I assure you, Mr. Winter, there’s nothing to worry about. I always have a steady hand.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“There’s no need to worry. Your husband is in good hands.”
“Not married yet.”
“Oh. My apologies.”
“Engaged,” Dean said. “Haven’t set a date.”
“It can be tricky, can’t it? I took two years for my husband and I to pick a venue. It was worth it, though.”
He sorted his equipment. I moved Lou further down the bed so Dean could untangle himself, careful not to wake her.
Dean swung his legs off the bed, sitting up as the doctor got to work. As soon as he started threading the stitches into Dean’s forehead wound, the shaking stopped. Man, did that wound look nasty.
I took Dean’s hand. “Where did you get married?” I asked the doctor.
“Hotel Firefly.”
“Very nice.”
“It was. I suggest a spring wedding. Ours was the end of April and it was perfect weather to use their gardens—small but extremely beautiful. If you can get some decent spring weather, then you’re in for a treat.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Dean answered.
“Once I’ve done this,” Dr. Calis said, “I’ll get to work on your other wound. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the police give the all clear before you can finally go home.”
Footsteps, then a stream of necromancers marched down the corridor. Mr. Z appeared, pausing to look at me, then moved on with Marie right behind him. She waved, I waved back.
“Finally,” I said.
“I’m glad to see them,” Dr. Calis said.
I didn’t elaborate on how much of a dick Mr. Z was.
“We must pray for everyone!” a male voice boomed.
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. That American accent belonged to only one man.
Parker Smith/Elijah Hart arrived outside the bay. The officer shouted at him, but two women got in her face, sparking an argument. Then more followers of the Conclave filled the corridor like swarming locusts ready to feast. They actually wrestled the officer away!
What the fuck?
I was on my feet, ready to face the scum.
Parker Smith/Elijah Hart locked straight onto me, striding over. Sun-kissed face, glasses sitting on the edge of his nose, messy brown hair shorter than the last time I saw him, sporting more of a paunch—he was actually here within kicking distance. Who was he? Parker? Elijah? He’d lied to me in that book shop where we’d first met, being all weird and mysterious and friendly as Parker, when all along he was nothing but a Conclave wanker with a different name.
Right?
“Jake Winter,” he announced dramatically with his cronies in tow—two young men with snarling faces.
“Parker Smith.” I couldn’t help myself, and took joy out of the fact he clearly didn’t like me calling him that.
“As rude as you are full of sin,” he responded. “This,” he gestured at me while addressing his two followers, “is the epitome of darkness. You can already see that by the way he sits with the other man as if it were romantic love they shared.”
“Leave here immediately!” Dr. Calis barked before I could unleash. “Or I’ll have you arrested.”
“Did you see how that worked out just then?” He nodded back to where the officer had been, Conclave scum in her place. “We’re here to help.”
“By abusing my patients?”
“There’s only one I can see,” Elijah retorted.
“Get out.”
“No. We are here to provide spiritual defence. That is the best course of action when the Devil is present, when his corruption permeates everything.”
Dean had once suggested Parker and Elijah were two different people, and sometimes I did wonder if that were true. Another set of twins, maybe. This bloke was different to the one who’d shook my hand in the bookshop, therefore stealing my DNA to make that guy infected with wand crystal breach our wards at Jake & Dean Investigations and blow up. But this was the same bloke, only acting differently when he was Elijah. It did my head in not being sure of what was going on with this man. Split personality? Game playing? Something else? Or maybe he wa simply a twin to the real Parker Smith.
Ugh.
“What bollocks,” I countered. “We’ve got the police and necros. We don’t need your claptrap.”
“Is God claptrap, Jake?”
“Sinner!” the two young men yelled together. They weren’t twins—one was tall and olive-skinned with pointy features, the other short with a dark complexion and rounded face.
“Papa?” Lou stirred, sitting up.
“It’s okay,” Dean replied.
“Papa? Daddy?”
“Poor child,” Elijah said, “having to live with sodomites.”
“Get out!” Dr. Calis yelled. “I mean it!”
“I’ll break your fucking head open,” I said, stepping forward.
Elijah smirked. “The Conclave have taken control of the hospital, Jake. So I wouldn’t make threats I’ll only destroy.”
“Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” Dean said coolly. “You put one hand on him and that’s you done. I don’t care how many of your people are here. I’ll kill you.”
He tsked, which really pissed me off. “How pathetic. Not even the police could stop us. We’re too many.”
My fingers twitched with the need to grab my spear, which was resting against the bed only inches away. “You know, we’ve dealt with men with inflated egos like you before. Didn’t end well for them.”
That smirk was still on his face. “Whatever sense of superiority you have, Jake, is lost on me. You’re not special for what you did in Coldharbour. All of the pain in this hospital is because of you.”
Dr. Calis looked a little startled by what he’d heard, but he went back to work on Dean like the pro he was.
“Just like Tessa, you know fuck all about Coldharbour. Completely misinformed.”
“Is that so? I see the evidence around me, heard all of the stories.”
How had they come to this fucked up conclusion? That was the million quid question. I’d managed to hide away from the stories of that city, all the media circus that’d surrounded it. People who knew stuff about me would never talk. But there was misinformation out there about me, some twisted version of the truth I didn’t understand, or have any knowledge of. What were the Conclave doing?
“Give up,” I said, “I’m not your poster boy for bad shit. Why don’t you go talk to the council?”
“Oh, they’re as much to blame as you.”
“Fuck off, Elijah.”
“I would advise you not to swear in front of your child.”
“Get out,” Dean warned, “now.” The doctor was almost done with him. Good on the doc for carrying on with the fixing.
Elijah ignored Dean, looking me up and down. “It’s a shame Tessa isn’t here to see how the world will change again.”
“She died a horrible death,” I said.
That wiped the smirk off his face. “You—"
“Yeah, really messy. Poor cow.”
“What an awful, sinful man you are. That creature was because of you. Her death is because of you. The sorrow and suffering of Elena and Emilio is all on you. Their reckless
actions are all your fault. I know they came to you, and you hurt them with that awful laughing spell.”
Potion, not a spell. “And?”
“You will pay. In pain, in suffering, and then in death. That is what God wants.”
“Whatever. I’d go and get your information ironed out. Whoever is filling your head with crap needs a good slap. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, but we do. You have cursed us by freeing—”
“Wait,” I cut him off. “Are you saying I should’ve left the city of Coldharbour to its fate?” I couldn’t help laughing. “Blimey. You really are a dumb arse.” I launched myself at him, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck, rage kicking in.
His men went to move, but he lifted a hand to stop them.
“You weren’t there, you didn’t see any of it. So take your filthy lies and back the hell off.” I pressed my nose against his. “When I say you have no idea, take it.”
Dean was at my side. “Time to go, Elijah.”
The smirk was back. “Go where? I’ve already told you we’re here for spiritual defence.”
“Daddy?”
I backed off at Lou’s voice, letting go of the prick.
“Wonderful example to set your daughter.” He stepped back, the two men moving in to separate us from him. “Now we pray.”
How were we standing here, not kicking the shit out of him? Back in the day I’d have jumped straight in, tossed caution to the wind and got my hands dirty in a good old-fashioned punch up. This wasn’t back in the day. My recklessness was a dying thing, and I was glad for it, especially with Lou around. Still, you couldn’t deny a little bit of sweet temptation.
More Conclave members came into the room and they all joined hands, forming a circle around their leader.
“Dear Lord,” the prayer began from Elijah’s lips, his eyes closed. “We thank you for your strength, for your love, for all the light when the darkness swallows so many hearts and souls. Thank you for being the lighthouse, the ever kind and giving father, the blessed song for our open ears. Lord, please bestow these blessings upon those who cannot hear, for those whose hearts are closed to you. Forgive them, embrace them.” He took a breath. “Protect this hospital from the evils within, let the souls of the dead come to you. They are being denied, Lord, by the wickedness of necromancy, of magic. Let them come to you, save them. Save them.”