The Creator

by Neil Carstairs

  Ben frowned. ‘But that’s unheard of.’

  ‘I know. The consciousness made observations about other members of the parapsychology team monitoring from another room. He also said Sieting had a weak heart and when the team refused to reveal their location the consciousness deserted Sieting in a way that triggered a cardiac arrest. The base medical staff tried their best but Sieting died.’

  ‘Did the consciousness threaten them?’

  ‘Dawson believes so because right after this Emily DeForrest had a dream about monsters attacking Kenyon. The General’s opinion is that we have a hostile entity to deal with.’

  ‘But we’re not turning round?’

  ‘No, security is good at the base; there’s no need for us to return.’ Kramer stretched in her seat and Ben had to glance away before she caught him staring. ‘So, are you going to tell me about the nightmare?’

  ‘No.’ Ben shook his head. ‘It was just one of those things. I was tired after a long day and hearing about some strange events.’

  ‘Well you’re part of my team now, and I need you fully functional if we’re going to be a success.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ Ben said. He changed the subject. ‘So how did you end up as part of this unit?’

  ‘Orders,’ Kramer replied and Ben saw her eyes tighten as she clamped down on her emotions. Ben sensed she was hiding something, but then so was he. The nightmare wasn’t so unusual for him; he’d been having it or a variation of it for a little over ten years. Perhaps honesty on his part might make her open up to him and then they’d have some common ground. An area of trust that would give them a basis to start a friendship.

  Ben didn’t open up. He sat back in his seat, closed his eyes and fought off the feeling of dread that had begun to steal over him.

  Chapter 5

  A chill wind blew across Kenyon Air Force Base. It came from the north with nothing to stop it between there and the Arctic Circle. Jane DeForrest sat on a folding chair and watched her daughter steer her bicycle between obstacles set up by two airmen. Emily had a big smile on her face as the bike cleared the last narrow gap. Now she could pick up speed towards a ramp made from a steel sheet propped up on jerry cans. ‘Not too fast!’ Jane called out.

  Emily shouted for joy as the bike became airborne. It reached barely six inches from the ground and only for a couple of feet but the girl loved the feeling of freedom. The bike landed and the front wheel wobbled before Emily got control and zoomed off out of sight behind a fuel tanker. Jane felt herself relax just a touch. She knew she worried too much, and was probably over protected her daughter, but it was a natural instinct after what had happened in the early years.

  Emily came back into view. She braked hard so the bike skidded to a halt next to her mother. ‘Did you see me fly?’

  ‘I did. You looked amazing.’ Jane reached out and patted her daughter on the back.

  ‘I’m going to try again.’

  And she was gone, pedalling hard towards the start of the obstacle course.

  Off in the distance, the transport aircraft that had landed just after dawn taxied towards the end of the runway. The troops it ferried in had all gone below ground. They disappeared into the lower levels where there were more accommodation rooms, before a briefing with General Dawson. The troops were here because of what had happened to Alan Sieting. And also because of Emily’s dream.

  Dawson took everything Emily told them seriously. She proved the one constant source of accurate information. And that frightened Jane. How had her little girl ended up with this ability? There’d been nothing like it on Jane’s side of the family. She couldn’t say for certain if the same applied to the father’s side. He hadn’t hung around long enough to see his daughter smile for the first time but Jane had known him for a year or so before the birth and was sure he would have mentioned something like that. She hoped.

  Jane could do nothing about it now. Emily had this talent, as Dawson called it, and like anything in life, what the government wanted, the government got. In this case a nine-year-old girl ‘employed’ as an advisor.

  Emily zoomed past again, became airborne and landed safely, as Julie Zabel came out of the nearest hangar. The clairvoyant shaded her eyes and spotted Jane. She waved to Emily as she walked over and found another chair folded against a stack of pallets. She opened it up before she sat next to Jane.

  ‘Emily doesn’t seem too worried about her dream,’ Julie said.

  ‘She’s resilient, like most kids I think.’ Jane shrugged. She liked Julie, even though twenty years separated their ages. Jane thought sometimes that Julie was a mother figure to her, and clung to that because her own mother had died of breast cancer when Jane turned thirteen.

  ‘More resilient than me, then,’ Julie said. ‘I can’t believe Alan is dead.’

  ‘None of us can.’ Jane felt the tears come on again like they had in the dark hours of early morning when she heard the news.

  ‘We’re a team.’ Julie waved to Emily again. ‘And we’ve lost a teammate.’

  ‘Emily’s dream must have scared Dawson because ninety soldiers arrived this morning.’

  Julie nodded, glanced around to make sure they were alone and lowered her voice to say, ‘I’m starting to feel like a prisoner.’

  Jane didn’t reply, waiting for Julie to explain what she meant. ‘When we first arrived,’ Julie said, ‘it was like we were doing good. Everything and everyone was positive. But ever since Major Connor died in Africa it’s like a wall has gone up. General Dawson makes out he is our friend but he’s using us.’

  ‘At least he’s using us for good,’ Jane said. ‘I spent five days in a county jail for trying to warn the police about a terrorist attack. And we’re getting paid.’

  Julie sighed, as if those arguments were not worth considering. ‘When was the last time they let you leave the base? All you need is here. They stream the latest movies, provide video games to Seth, books to Agnes. I’m telling you, this is now a prison.’

  ‘So what do you want to do about it?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Escape,’ Julie whispered. ‘Me, you and Emily.’

  ‘I can’t,’ Jane said, but without much conviction.

  ‘I’ve got money saved, it’s from all my speaking engagements and book royalties.’

  Jane wavered for a moment before she said, ‘If it was just me I would agree with you, but I have to think of Emily. If we leave and the government get us back, they might take her away from me. I know this is no life for my daughter but she is getting educated, getting paid and is relatively safe.’

  ‘Well, I’m still going to get away, I might just need to ask a favour.’

  ‘What kind of favour?’

  ‘We request a day trip to Norfolk. Tell them that we want to go to Culver’s or something. When we’re there I’ll hire a car and drive off into the sunset. You can tell them you knew nothing about this.’

  ‘Oh, yeah? My daughter’s a precog and she and I knew nothing about you running?’

  Julie grinned. ‘That makes it even more fun.’

  Jane laughed, for what felt the first time in weeks. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘When did you want to do this?’

  ‘Today.’

  ‘Today?’ Jane’s voice rose and Julie made a shushing sound.

  ‘No time like the present, and with all the new arrivals settling in Dawson will agree to this just to keep us out of his hair.’

  Jane wasn’t so sure, but Julie seemed determined and it was the least she could do to help.

  ***

  A guy from the local Homeland Security office met the DSI team when the C21 landed at Seattle-Tacoma International. He provided them with three Dodge Journeys for the length of their stay. He also told them he had booked accommodation at a motel that government employees got good rates for.

  ‘Is it clean?’ Kramer asked as she tossed her bag into the back of one Journey.

  ‘If you don’t look too hard,’ the agent said, chewing gum and looking at his wa
tch like he had somewhere else to be.

  Kramer sighed, said thank you in a way that showed she didn’t mean it and waited for the agent to get the idea she no longer needed him. Once the guy disappeared across the parking lot, Kramer pointed three of her team to one Journey and three to the other.

  ‘Scarrett, you’re with me,’ she said, before adding. ‘The vehicles have GPS. We have the location of Fenton’s home so can make our way there if we get separated.’

  Ben hopped into the passenger seat. He guessed a control freak like Kramer would want to drive. She let the other Journeys lead off before she said, ‘Nice of you to let me drive.’

  ‘Nice of you to let me keep you company.’ Ben watched a 747 take off, still wondering after all these years how a lump of metal like that could fly.

  ‘I didn’t want you getting lost.’ She started the engine. ‘Not in a big city like this.’

  ‘Seattle’s supposed to be a nice place.’ Ben half turned to face her. ‘Maybe we could get out one night and check out a restaurant or a bar.’

  ‘We’re on duty.’ She gave him a quick, ice-cold glance.

  ‘Twenty-four seven?’

  ‘I do have down time, but I get picky who I spend it with.’

  ‘Well I can understand that,’ Ben said. ‘What with you spending all your waking hours with military types, but here I am, something different…’

  ‘You’re definitely something different.’ Kramer half laughed.

  ‘An outsider,’ Ben said. ‘Who will bring a breath of fresh air into your life.’

  ‘Jesus, is that a chat up line?’ Kramer smiled.

  ‘You know when you smile it transforms your face,’ Ben said.

  ‘Okay.’ She held a hand up from the steering wheel. ‘I’ve heard enough. If your lines get any worse I might just vomit.’

  ‘Well, think about it,’ Ben said.

  ‘No.’ Kramer slowed as a white van pulled in front of them.

  ‘No, you won’t think about it?’

  ‘No, I have thought about it, and the answer is no. I don’t mix work with off-duty life.’

  ‘I was thinking about the Fenton killing.’ Ben changed the subject. ‘If we have security video from the attack it might explain how they appear and disappear.’

  ‘How do you think they do it?’

  ‘My favourite theory is a wormhole. It would be a big leap in technology but one physicists have been working on for years. The major issue would be how to power them. If someone has developed an untraceable means of creating wormholes it could change the face of the planet.’

  ‘It frightens the hell out of me,’ Kramer said. ‘Imagine one popping up in the White House as the President is entertaining a foreign head of state.’

  ‘So we need to find these people,’ Ben said.

  ‘And stop them.’

  ‘Or maybe that should be, find them and stop them.’

  Kramer sighed. ‘Track them, find them and then stop them.’

  ‘In that case,’ Ben said. ‘We need to be in place before they arrive.’

  ‘Doesn’t get any easier.’

  ‘No, we just need our psychic friends to help us out.’

  ‘I’m sure they will,’ Kramer said.

  Ben sent up a silent prayer that she was right.

  ***

  Jane held Emily’s hand as they walked out of Culver’s restaurant into bright, late afternoon sunshine. Dawson had granted permission for them to make the two-hour journey into town. One of the base personnel needed an emergency dental appointment and the guy was due to pick them up in another thirty minutes. Jane’s nerves were on edge because Julie Zabel had made no move so far to go through with her plan to ‘escape’. They hadn’t talked about it over their burgers. Preferring to chat about their backgrounds. Family, schooling, Emily, anything.

  So here they were with Jane on tenterhooks and Emily feeling her mother’s nervousness. Emily looked up at Jane with a frown. Julie stopped, took a breath and sighed. A small red car came into the parking lot and drove up to them. It stopped and a thin, grey-haired woman of about sixty climbed out. She gave Julie a big hug.

  ‘I didn’t think you would be here,’ the driver said.

  ‘You should trust me more often.’ Julie laughed and turned to Jane. ‘Jane, I’d like you to meet Karen O’Riordan. She’s here to take me away from this madhouse.’

  Jane blinked. ‘You mean this was all arranged? How?’

  Julie smiled. ‘How do you think? I’m a clairvoyant and so is Karen. Now, there’s room in the back for two more. What do you say?’

  The idea tempted Jane. The claustrophobic atmosphere at Kenyon smothered her. She knew all the psychics were doing good, or at least she hoped they were, but she had doubts it was the correct place to bring up her daughter.

  ‘If I had more time to think about it I probably would,’ she said.

  ‘I sprung it on you too quick, didn’t I.’ Julie almost looked sad.

  ‘Just a little bit.’

  ‘I know, but I couldn’t talk about it back at the base. Who knows what kind of monitoring equipment they have in place. Every conversation could be recorded.’

  Jane didn’t reply as Emily’s grip tightened and squeezed her fingers together. ‘Emily? What’s the matter?’

  Her daughter turned, staring off to the south-west, to somewhere beyond the horizon. ‘Monsters,’ she said. ‘They’re here.’

  ***

  Soldiers talk. It’s the way of the world when they spend almost all their time together. In barracks, in transports, in training or just waiting for something to happen. And today was no different. Especially after the briefing they had just received from the General. No way was anyone not going to talk after that.

  ‘This has got to be some weird ass training mission,’ Private Alberto Ruiz said to the five members of his patrol as he leant back against a steel blast door inside Hangar Seven. The sun dipped towards the horizon and splashed lines of light and shade on the four men and one woman who faced him.

  Ruiz looked at the faces of his patrol. He could tell a couple didn’t agree with him but weren’t likely to speak up. Few did when Ruiz talked. He always spoke his mind, and in the seven years he’d been in uniform he always told anyone who disagreed with him what he thought of their opinion. To Alberto Ruiz, only one opinion mattered and that was his. Alberto was right every time and if the army had had any sense he’d be a four-star general by now, not a Private First Class.

  Delaney looked to be the only one who might say something. But as the only female in the patrol she had that look on her face that said ‘don’t agree but not gonna speak up’. That didn’t surprise Ruiz. He’d had to have a quiet word with Delaney about two weeks after she joined the company from basic training. She’d thought the army was all about equality and diversity until Ruiz put her right.

  ‘So what we gonna do?’ Chewing gum and sitting on his fat ass, Private Rinlaker looked like what he was. Stupid.

  Ruiz straightened, rolled his head to stretch his neck muscles, and said in his lecturing voice. ‘We’re doing what we always do. One, obey orders. Two, carry out patrols. Three, man checkpoints and four, wait until we get re-posted somewhere where this kind of shit means something.’

  ‘Major Freeman seemed pretty convinced,’ Delaney said.

  Ruiz shot her a filthy look. ‘Of course he did. He’s paid to be convincing. He’d convince you to put a bullet through your brain if he thought you had one.’

  Delaney looked away, across the expanse of the hangar to where stacks of pallets gathered dust. They looked like they’d been there since the fifties. All grime and oil stains. Ruiz talked on, spouting shit as usual. She let the words wash over her. It had taken a good few weeks to realise that Ruiz was the kind of soldier who gave the army a bad name. Delaney had expected the army to have thrown him out by now for whatever sexist, racist, homophobic bigotry topped the military’s can’t do list that day. Somehow, he survived. More through luck than b
eing a good soldier. He could talk his way out of any disciplinary action. That’s why Delaney had a diary in her pack listing Ruiz’s behaviour in the way that would get him a dishonourable discharge at some point in the future.

  She hid her smile with a hand that wiped dust and sweat from her face. The sun warmed the hangar and the full kit they wore added to the discomfort. She heard Rinlaker whining again about having to stand up on his two legs and walk. Someone asked him why the hell he had joined the infantry but Delaney lost track of his reply as the pallets across the hangar seemed to light up from within.

  Delaney cocked her head like a dog would as she tried to understand what she saw. The sun lay behind her and spread its light across the smooth concrete floor like patches of glistening water. So the pallets couldn’t be lit from the sun but somehow they glowed from within. She took a couple of steps forwards. Heard Ruiz’s voice off in the distance drone on. The light grew as if someone turned a power source up to full. ‘Hey! Hey, Delaney! Where the hell do you think you’re going?’

  That was Ruiz, throwing his weight around again. She held a hand up to stop him as she slid her M16A2 off her shoulder. The first pallet moved.

  Delaney had never seen anything like the creature that came into view. It crouched for a moment, confused by the sounds and scents and shadows of the hangar. Not much bigger than a Labrador dog, with four legs, a swathe of spines on its back and even more teeth in its bulbous jaw. Delaney saw eyes the colour of sand turn and focus on her. As it moved forward the bulk of its muscles tensed. Another of the creatures came from the sunburst of light in the pallets and then another and another until a whole pack crowded towards her.

  ‘Contact!’ Delaney heard her voice break into a scream as she swung her rifle up and opened fire.

  ‘What the f…’ Ruiz and the others couldn’t see what Delaney could see. They stood in direct sunlight that turned the rest of the hangar into a cluster of shadows. They all heard Delaney’s voice before she opened fire.