The Creator

by Neil Carstairs

  ‘I assume you will want to freshen up and rest after your journey,’ Congrave said. ‘I’ll have your bags taken to your room while we get you booked in and issued with identity cards.’

  Processing through security took about half an hour. By that time, Ben couldn’t keep his eyes open. He followed a guy in a suit up to his room and didn’t even undress before crashing out on the double bed.

  ***

  Where Ben fell asleep immediately Kramer couldn’t. She tried lying fully dressed on top of the bed. She tried naked under the covers. She tried with the curtains closed and the curtains open. When she figured she was too wired from the flight to do anything but stay awake she dug through her bag, found her running gear, and headed downstairs. The reception hall had been semi-converted to hold a desk and switchboard currently operated by a slim girl of Chinese origin. Kramer asked about routes around the grounds for a run. The girl dug out a site plan and showed Kramer a series of paths that led from the front of the house through woodland to the boating lake where she could go around and then back up towards the house through the main gardens. Kramer memorised the route, a skill she’d had since childhood, and walked out onto the driveway. White clouds scudded overhead on a breeze that blew in from the west. The leaves on the avenue of trees were turning from green to yellow and gold in a fine and cool English afternoon.

  Kramer walked to the start of her route, doing her usual routine of stretches and warm-ups. As she did these she heard voices and looked back. A group of men followed her out of the Hall. Like her they were dressed for running. Kramer turned from them and started out. She kept her pace slow at first, getting used to the feel of exercise. The last few weeks had seen her travelling more than training and she didn’t want to push too hard until she knew her body would cope after the break. The first half mile of the route was level ground, a wide well-maintained gravel pathway that gave her time to think.

  Congrave met them upon their arrival at Heathrow, and as soon as she had seen him Kramer knew this man held the same kind of position as General Dawson back home. Dawson had briefed her in on the Department of Environmental Security. From what Dawson told her, it would have been Congrave who put the plan in place to grab Emily. That kind of made him the enemy in Kramer’s eyes. Problem was the journey from London to this place in Oxfordshire had taken so long as they dragged their way round the M25 and M40 in a queue of traffic stuck behind a six-car shunt that she had found herself warming to the urbane Englishman. Ben Scarrett hadn’t helped. If Scarrett hadn’t been so friendly with Congrave then maybe Kramer wouldn’t have got dragged into their conversation so much.

  The path ahead forked and Kramer turned left. She moved into a copse of trees through which she could see the sparkling waters of the boating lake. She heard voices behind and glanced back. The men she had seen before were running along the same route. Half a dozen of them, and her quick look pegged them as military. Kramer picked up the pace. The pathway graded down now. Her thoughts flicked back to Ben Scarrett. He’d made a few mistakes along the way but she’d grown used to him now. Maybe even too used to him. Kramer had never liked mixing personal and professional. Anyone she ever dated had been outside the army, but that was tough on them and on her. Long postings overseas caused havoc with relationships and hers were no exception. Finding herself paired with a guy who wasn’t army and at some point would disappear back into the black hole that was the CIA meant she could get to know him and try not to compare him with guys she had dated in the past.

  The path broke out of the tree cover and she ran along the shore of the lake. There were swans, geese and ducks on the water. On the far side stood a boat house. On the near shore decaying pontoons stuck out into the lake like broken fingers. Kramer ran on. She listened out for the footfalls of the men behind her. Their voices had faded but she knew this was because they concentrated on running now and not on talking. The level ground meant she could pick the pace up again. See what the guys behind her thought of that.

  So what about Scarrett? She smiled, which scared her a little. In a way Kramer wished she had gone to his room and got him out on this run. It would have been nice to see him at the side of the path, puking his guts up. Thing is, he would have laughed about it afterwards. That’s why she liked him, because he could laugh at himself.

  Thinking about Scarrett had made Kramer slow down. The curve of the lake shore meant she could look back and see that the following group had gained on her. That pissed Kramer off. Something else to blame on Scarrett next time she saw him. Daydreaming about him might lose her this race. She pushed him out of her mind and concentrated on running. The path curved around the lake and past the boating house that didn’t look so impressive up close. She focussed ahead and tuned into the rhythm of her feet on the ground. A swan turned its head to watch her pass. The shoreline curved again. Kramer saw the path she needed and made the turn. A glance back showed the gap had grown but now she was on an uphill stretch. The path became a switchback route with steps cut into it. The steps weren’t an even spacing, with some long and some short and this broke up her stride pattern and her breathing. As the path turned on itself she looked down the slope and saw they were gaining once more.

  Kramer dug deep. She could see the Hall now as the windows of the upper floors appeared through the trees. All she had to do was make it to the front of the house and she would have won. But now she heard them as their feet pounded. They knew it was a race as well and they didn’t want a woman to beat them.

  Kramer broke out from the tree line onto the gravel driveway. Three hundred yards. She ran hard but felt them on her shoulder. Four passed her and she smiled at how red their faces were and how much sweat had stained their t-shirts. Then she sprinted. She bit back the scream she wanted to let loose. Kramer passed one man and then a second. A hundred yards to go. She reached the shoulder of the next, a guy with ginger hair, and edged by as he looked at her and lost his rhythm.

  One more. She realised he was too far in front and then saw the gap close as he eased up. He thought he had won. Kramer blew past him and sprinted up the fifteen steps to the entrance of Sheddleston Hall. She wanted to punch the air but instead she stopped beside and ornate column and looked back down. The men gathered together, breathing hard as they looked up at her. She bit back the grin of triumph. They looked pretty sick at losing out. She trotted back down and managed to control her breathing enough to make it look like she’d been out for an afternoon stroll.

  ‘Nice run,’ she said.

  None of them wanted to meet her eyes except the six-foot, dark-haired guy who looked all over an officer. He didn’t speak because just then Congrave came out of the Hall and walked down the steps. ‘Ah, Captain Kramer, I see you’ve met Delta Team.’

  ‘Delta Team?’

  ‘Yes.’ Congrave gave her one of his urbane smiles. ‘These are the men who saved Emily’s life and brought her back to the U.K.’ He turned to the Delta Team officer and said, ‘This is Captain Joanne Kramer, United States Army.’

  Kramer looked at the men again. She guessed she should congratulate them, from a professional perspective for carrying out an operation like that. But it still rankled that they’d done it in the USA and not another country.

  ‘Anyway,’ Congrave continued smoothly. ‘There’s someone who wants to meet you.’

  Kramer heard voices and turned to see Jane and Emily appear at the top of the steps. Emily saw Kramer and gave a big shout before running down the steps. Kramer caught the girl as she jumped and swung her round.

  ‘Well finally we get to catch up with you,’ Kramer said. ‘And who knew we’d have to come to England to find you.’

  ‘I know,’ Emily said as Kramer put her down. ‘It’s brilliant. This house is the biggest house I’ve ever seen. There’s an indoor swimming pool and a training room and sixty bedrooms but I haven’t seen them all yet.’

  ‘Wow.’ Kramer couldn’t help but grin.

  Jane approached a little tentatively. S
he held out her hand. ‘Jo, I’m sorry about everything back home.’

  ‘I guess it all worked itself out. But too many people died.’

  ‘I know,’ Jane said.

  Congrave coughed. ‘A buffet lunch is available now in the main dining room. After that we will get together for a briefing. We need to move this investigation forward and now that you and Ben are here we have a good idea how to.’

  ‘I’ll go freshen up,’ Kramer said. ‘And bring Scarrett down with me.’

  ***

  Ben opened his bedroom door to a bright-eyed Kramer. He sighed, stepped back to let her in and said, ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Just after one. There’s food out downstairs if you’re interested.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Ben rubbed sleep from his eyes. Kramer smiled at him. ‘What?’

  ‘Have you looked at yourself in a mirror? You look a mess.’

  ‘I feel like one.’ Ben searched out some clothes and wandered into the bathroom. The shower revived him a little. When he came out he found Kramer had dragged a wicker chair across to one of the big windows and sat bathed in sunlight. He tried not to stare. She brushed up well, and he didn’t know why but right then she seemed to be glowing. He sat on the edge of his bed, yawned and asked, ‘So how come you look so good?’

  ‘I thought I always looked good?’ she gave him a smile.

  ‘Well, yeah, but right now you look extra good.’

  ‘Is that a compliment?’

  ‘It’s not an insult,’ Ben said.

  ‘I think it must be the English air. I’ve just been for a run and got rid of some of the toxins in my system after the flight.’

  Ben had no answer to that. The sunlight caught the blue of her eyes just right. It made them sparkle like diamonds. She had changed into a dark blouse and matching chinos and looked good enough to eat. Ben looked away and tried to find something interesting out of the window to look at.

  ‘Problem?’ Kramer asked.

  ‘No.’ Ben stood. ‘Just figuring I need to get back into training. You show me up.’

  ‘I met the guys who pulled Emily out of the States.’ Kramer changed the subject. ‘I think they are sticking around to keep an eye on her.’

  ‘Did you find out any more about how the British have been looking into these Appearances?’

  ‘No, but there’s a briefing after lunch. We’ve got a special invite.’

  ‘Best go and get some food in then.’

  ***

  Ben saw Natalie on the far side of the dining room as he and Kramer walked in. She was in conversation with Jane DeForrest and a man Ben recognised as Peter Walsh. Ben saw from Kramer’s expression that she had already spotted Natalie.

  ‘Is it going to be a fistfight or a food fight?’ he asked Kramer.

  ‘Neither,’ Kramer said. ‘Like you said upstairs, not only do I look good but I feel good and nothing is going to spoil that.’

  ‘Can I remind you of that next time you take your frustration out on me?’ Ben asked.

  ‘Do I do that?’ Kramer asked with a smile.

  ‘I’ve still got bruised ribs from your elbow and a bruise on my leg from where you kicked me on the flight over.’

  ‘No doubt you deserved it.’

  Ben watched her as she made her way to Natalie. He waited for the sparks to fly but ended up disappointed as Natalie smiled and shook Kramer’s hand. Kramer came back to him.

  ‘See?’ she said. ‘I can be a peacemaker.’

  ‘I can’t believe I just saw that,’ Ben said.

  ‘You must have a flawed view of me.’

  ‘And your elbows,’ Ben said as he ducked away, heading for the buffet. He grabbed a plate and loaded it with cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls, tomatoes plus a slice of something that looked nice but ended up tasting like insipid water.

  He saw Kramer in conversation with a dark-haired guy. She seemed to be enjoying his company as she smiled at whatever he said. Ben noticed Reuben nearby and wandered over. ‘We meet again,’ he said.

  ‘Hopefully it will be a little friendlier this time,’ Reuben said.

  ‘Well, Kramer seems to have made her peace with your Natalie.’

  ‘I saw that. I was hoping for a fight.’

  Ben grinned. ‘Me too.’

  ‘And you think your Kramer would win?’

  ‘She scares me sometimes.’ Ben glanced at her again. She still smiled and laughed as she flirted with the dark-haired guy. ‘Who’s that she’s talking to?’

  ‘Delta One,’ Reuben said. Ben looked his question. ‘I don’t know his name. He led the team into the States and that was his call sign so that’s what everyone calls him. Even here, miles from any kind of combat.’

  ‘Army pukes are like that,’ Ben said. ‘All Alpha this and Bravo that.’

  ‘They did the job, though. It was a pretty fierce firefight at that cabin.’

  ‘I guess,’ Ben said. ‘I’ve still not heard much about it. Like whether there’s any kind of high-level fallout for your guys coming onto our land without permission.’

  ‘We’re too low level for that,’ Reuben said. ‘Your Kramer seems to be taking a shine to Delta One.’

  Ben looked again. Kramer and the Delta guy had sat at a table and had their heads close together as they looked at something. Ben started on over and then wondered if he should. By the time he decided he needed to be in another part of the room Kramer had noticed him.

  ‘Hey, Scarrett, meet my new best friend, Delta One.’

  ‘Your parents need to get out more if they called you that,’ Ben said.

  The army puke smiled dangerously. ‘Did Jo just call you Carrot?’

  ‘No, she called me Scarrett, which is a name. Not like One, or Delta, or whatever.’

  Delta One stood. He looked Ben up and down and said to Kramer, ‘You’re right, he’s very touchy.’

  ‘I have to work hard to keep him in line,’ Kramer said. ‘Feel free to give him a whack.’

  ‘Jesus, Kramer, I thought you were in a good mood,’ Ben said to her.

  ‘I was ‘til you came over,’ Kramer said.

  ‘So you want me some place else?’

  ‘You interrupted Brendan, and by the way that’s his name, showing me photos of his two-year-old daughter.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ben said. ‘I’ll just...’

  ***

  ‘So what was all that about?’ Kramer sat next to Ben in the briefing room. She had her arms crossed again and the frosty look back on her face.

  ‘You seemed to be cosying up to a guy who twenty-four hours ago you wanted to have lynched for invading our country.’

  ‘So we talked it through. Our countries have talked it through. We’re moving forward now.’

  ‘So you don’t see it a fraternising with the enemy?’

  Kramer’s eyes narrowed. ‘Fraternising? You know, Scarrett, I think you might be jealous.’

  ‘Jealous?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Kramer smiled. ‘Jealous.’

  Ben used the arrival of Congrave and a boy to cover his confusion. ‘Who’s the kid?’

  ‘Scarrett,’ Kramer said. ‘Look at me.’

  He looked at her. She winked. Ben said, ‘I think the briefing’s about to begin.’

  Kramer leant over and whispered, ‘Some girls might like it when a guy gets jealous.’

  Douglas Congrave said, ‘Thank you, everybody, for attending this afternoon. We have two new arrivals who have travelled over from the USA to join us.’ He gestured for Ben and Kramer to stand. ‘Joanne and Ben will be joining us as part of a new task force to tackle the threat we face. They are not aware of our most recent discoveries so I’ll do a quick review for them.’

  Congrave used a remote control to dim the ceiling lights and activate a white board with a link to his laptop. A satellite view of the United Kingdom appeared. Congrave glanced over his shoulder to make sure everything worked and said, ‘Our American cousins have a similar organisation to ours. The threat highlighted by a number of skille
d psychics was identified during top secret missions carried out independently by US and British forces. Where we differed was in the use of those psychics. The Americans brought them all together under one roof. They hoped that with the psychics working together the results would be more accurate. Unfortunately, it transpired that having the psychics in one location also drew the attention of whatever force it is that we face. This force launched an attack on the American base that resulted in the deaths of many personnel, including almost all the psychics.’

  Congrave paused, looking over towards Ben and Kramer as if admonishing them for this policy. He touched a key on his laptop and the screen image changed. It now showed the UK but with ten or so red dots scattered the length and breadth of the country.

  ‘We left our psychics in their home environments. We felt they would operate better in familiar surroundings. The map shows their general locations. As you can see they are in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as Wales and different parts of England. This also had a second benefit that we only became aware of when the unknown force made its attack on the American base. There were what we came to call psychic emanations. Much like radio direction finding our psychics were able to get a rough bearing on the source of these emanations.’

  The screen changed again. Now showing lines coming from the psychic’s homes.

  ‘It’s in England,’ Kramer whispered.

  Ben didn’t need telling. He could see well enough for himself. The lines from the north projected south. Those from the east went west and those from the south coast angled in a northerly direction. The screen zoomed in, enlarging the satellite image. It focussed on an area in the west of England close to the border with Wales.