Melissa smiled warmly, “I patched you up the best I could, but a man in your years needs to take his age seriously and know when to stop.”
Julia squinted at Canopus, “Hang on. I know you. You’re Cannon Canopus.” She pulled Melissa’s arm, “It’s the Cannon, look at him!”
“OMG. It is! We used to watch you as kids, with Dad. What was the big fight? Cannon Canopus Vs James Thunder Woodburn, you were amazing!”
Canopus rubbed his chin, “Yeah that was a tough one. But I got him in the end.”
“In the fifth! Right on the chin!” replied Julia. For the first time, she felt like everything was going to be fine.
“Your Dad watched old reruns of fights with you?”
“He watched all your fights, ringside. He even snuck us into one of them, when you fought… Ray Boom Boom Mancini.” replied Melissa.
Keel tapped Canopus on the shoulder, “You look confused, so I will explain. These are sisters Julia and Melissa. They are 35 years old but Lillian Fox turned them into children by using a child blood spell. As they are twins, a shroud can jump between them. I’m guessing it’s because they share the exact same DNA. Making them young was a good idea as it would make them last longer as an energy source for Lillian Fox.” She quickly withdrew her grimoire and started scribbling on the pages, “Of course, with the shroud jumping between them, they would be a constant energy source. Recovering and feeding. Remarkable.”
“Huh. Well, nice to meet you.”
The girls leapt to their feet and hugged Canopus, “Cannon, it’s an honor,” they said in unison.
Drexel shook his head and handed Keel the syringes, “Here, they are primed.”
Keel held up the syringes in front of the sisters. “I’m warning you now, I have no idea how this is going to work on a child’s body. But let me explain. The shrouds, I believe, are taking glucose from your body and - ”
“I get it,” interrupted Melissa. “The insulin in those pens is going to lower our blood sugar. Then this creature won’t be able to consume any energy.”
“Exactly! And as they constantly need to feed, it will slip away from you.” Keel beamed, it was nice to talk to another person who understood science. She looked over at Canopus, who looked suddenly ten years younger after being reminded of his boxing days and at Drexel who was combing goo from his hair.
“But we are not diabetic. What will insulin do to us?” asked Julia to Melissa.
“If it drops too much, our brains could starve and it could trigger a convulsion. Worse, we could fall into a coma. We are going to need sugar after, quite a bit. Do we have anything to eat?”
Drexel reached into his bag and pulled out three candy bars. “I always keep some on me, in case of diabetic emergency.”
Melissa frowned, “As a Doctor I don’t approve of your methods of maintaining your blood sugar. But right now, I’m glad you have them.” She held her sister’s hands, “It’s risky but I think we should do it.”
Julia agreed.
Keel clapped her hands together, “OK, first let’s move you apart. I’m not sure, if that will affect the shroud’s teleportation but it may go in our favor. Canopus, take a syringe and move Melissa 10 paces away. We should inject them both at the same time. Drexel, when the shroud appears, you’re going to shoot it, just in case it doesn't explode. Stand exactly 5 paces away. The shroud should appear between them both.
Drexel drew his magnum, “Got it.”
Keel took out her marker and placed an X on both the twin’s thighs. She then held up her crystal and looked first at Julia and then at Melissa, “The shroud is unaware of what is happening. It’s currently feeding on Melissa,” she paused. “It’s different to the others, incredibly big. Canopus, better make that twenty paces.”
Canopus lead Melissa away and counted twenty paces. Drexel counted ten and took five steps back. He didn't want the shroud appearing on him. He thought about asking how big was incredibly big but thought better of it. His right hand hurt, the curse was starting to spread past his wrist, his veins tingling under the skin.
Keel put away the crystal and placed her hand on Julia’s shoulder, “Ready?”
“Ready,” Julia replied. Julia bunched her tiny hands into fists and closed her eyes.
“Canopus, ready?”
“Ready.”
“Now!” Keel and Canopus jabbed the twins at the center of the X on the girl’s thighs.
Julia felt her body instantly tense as if all her muscles were being pulled by a hot wire.
“How are we doing?” Keel shouted to Canopus.
“Good, I think. Her body looks stiff though, she’s sweating too.”
Keel stepped back from Julia and held up her crystal, she couldn’t see the shroud. She looked over at Melissa but the shroud wasn’t there either. “It’s gone.”
“What?” replied Drexel, “Where is it?”
Keel scanned the room, “I can’t see it. But it has to be here. Canopus bring Melissa back.
Canopus lifted Melissa and carried her back to her sister, gently lowering her to the floor. Beads of blood appeared on his neck bandage.
The twins’ bodies started to violently shake.
“Keel?”
“They are convulsing.” Keel lifted back Julia’s left eyelid, her eye was rolled back. “Quick find something to put in their mouths so they don’t bite their tongue. They could choke on the blood.”
Canopus picked up two pieces of the splinted desk and forced the wood into the girl’s mouths.
Drexel shot his gun, the sound echoing in the tunnel. Canopus and Keel quickly turned, guns drawn. Towering over Drexel, was the shroud. It resembled a giant salamander, four thick legs on a white bulbous body and a smooth flat head. A large gunshot hole was in its neck. The shroud stepped forward and lowered its head, which split into two, white liquid dripping from the raw skin.
“I could do with a little help here!” called out Drexel.
Canopus and Keel both fired their weapons, hitting the shroud multiple times and creating large soggy holes in its body. The shroud jumped at Drexel and then with a loud POP, exploded into thick white liquid, drenching the room and Drexel.
Keel turned back to the girls, the convulsing had stopped. She grabbed a candy bar, ripped off the wrapper, removed the wood from the sister’s mouths and forced small pieces of chocolate onto their tongues.
Julia and Melissa opened their eyes and gasped for air.
“It worked, the shroud is gone,” said Canopus.
Julia felt a flood of relief for the first time in weeks. Her lips trembled and tears fell from her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, “thank you.” Melissa sat up and patted Canopus on the shoulder. She looked over at Drexel, covered in milky liquid. He waved. Melissa couldn’t help but laugh.
Canopus started laughing too, even though his body hurt every time his chest moved.
“Where’s Keel?” asked Julia drying her eyes.
Canopus looked around the room, Keel was gone. “Keel!” he yelled.
“Where the Hell did she go?” asked Drexel. “I never saw her leave.”
Canopus kicked a piece of furniture across the floor. “She’s gone on ahead. She’s gone to find Lillian Fox alone.”
“Bullshit. We’ll go after her,” said Drexel.
Canopus shook his head, “We stick to her plan. If she said it had a good chance of success then I believe her. I have to believe her. I’ll lead the ladies out, you set up the mines. When she leads Lillian Fox back through here, you blow the doors and trap her inside. Just make sure that you and Keel are out first.”
“What about the other town people, there are hundreds down here?” asked Julia.
“Once we trap the angel, we can get the others out through another tunnel entrance.”
Melissa looked at Julia, “Tell him,” she said.
“What?” asked Canopus.
“Lillian Fox isn’t the only angel. There’s another down there.”
“And K
eel knew?”
The twins nodded.
Canopus stood still, lost in thought.
“What now?” asked Drexel, tipping white goo from his magnum.
“We want to help,” said Julia. “Since that creature has gone, I feel better, stronger. Don’t you Melissa?”
Melissa nodded. “We’ll help set up the mines with Drexel.”
She held Canopus’ hand, “Go help her Cannon. But be careful and don’t push yourself.”
Canopus placed a small kiss on each of the girl’s foreheads. He turned to face Drexel.
“Now don’t go kissing me like that!” said Drexel.
Canopus grabbed Drexel’s wrist and pulled him close, kissing him full on the lips, “How’s that?”
Angry, Drexel pushed Canopus back but then the anger faded quickly and he smiled, “Y’know, I’ve had worse. We’ll be ready. Hurry back.”
Weapon drawn, Canopus limped off in search of Keel.
Drexel watched Canopus go and then turned to face the sisters,” Alright girls, let me tell you everything you need to know about Mohawk M18 A1 Claymore mines.”
SIXTEEN.
The tunnel was enveloped in darkness but Skyclade could see. Its red eyes glowed bright as it pulled a blade from the chest of a hybrid and smashed it into the neck of another. Black blood squirted across Skyclade’s emotionless face. The hybrid stumbled backwards, black goo congealing around the blade. Skyclade charged and rammed a second blade into the hybrids chest. It fell to the floor twitching.
Close, whispered the voice in its head.
Skyclade slowly nodded. Stepping over the hybrid’s large body, it pulled the blade clear and walked further down the corridor.
It stopped and sniffed the air. It could smell humans but they smelt wrong, like tainted meat. The corridor curved to the right and Skyclade followed.
Standing alongside the corridor, motionless, were many of the wrong smelling humans. Old humans, young humans, women, men, children. Each were standing in feces and puddles of piss. Skyclade walked passed the humans and stared at the slimy creatures attached to them, the shrouds looked back and squirmed with fear.
Impure filth, whispered the voice.
Skyclade said nothing, instead it counted the humans as it moved down the corridor.
75, 76, 77…
It stopped as it heard voices talking in the distance. A faint candle glow flickered at the end of the tunnel.
Skyclade crept along the corridor until the voices were loud enough to hear. They were coming from a large red train carriage. Three hybrids stood outside, long black tentacles snaking from their muscular backs, tasting the air. Their shiny black featureless heads turned towards Skyclade, who shrank back down the corridor out of their line of sight.
“- this sad addiction to humans,” a male voice said.
“It’s never enough. It never will be. You know that. Only the twins could have satisfied our thirst forever.”
Skyclade licked its lips. It was the woman of power.
“They will return. We have your hybrids searching for them.” The man continued, “Send me more shrouds, I need to feed. When I’m strong enough I will find them for you, sister.”
“And your Nemesis spheres?”
“They will destroy anything that threatens us.”
Skyclade thought of Hall. His hands tingled.
The door of the carriage opened and the woman of power stepped out. She glowed with energy, more than Skyclade had ever seen.
Not yet, whispered the voice.
Skyclade’s gaze followed the woman as she left but something tugged his thoughts back to the carriage. There was more power inside, weaker power but still power.
Skyclade turned as two humans walked past him towards the carriage. Their movements were unnatural, as if being pulled by strings.
The hybrids moved to the side and let the humans enter the carriage. The door shut behind them.
Skyclade knew it had to get inside. It looked at the three hybrids. It needed to move crafty, sneaky.
It stopped.
Something was behind it.
Skyclade spun in the darkness, its twin blades catching the candlelight and stopping at the neck of a young woman.
“Skyclade,” whispered Carina Keel, small droplets of blood dripped from where the blades pressed against her skin. “I want to make a deal.”
Skyclade’s head was full of voices
We don’t need her. Carina Keel! Hear the deal. We should use her. We should kill her. She can’t match our power. Too dangerous to live. She saved my life. I saved your life. She is here to destroy it. We can use her to help us get it. Debbie. She can be a distraction.
“Stop,” said Skyclade withdrawing the blades.
Keel touched her neck.
“Talk,” said Skyclade, eyes glowing red in the darkness.
Keel’s mind raced. She hadn’t thought of a plan when she saw Skyclade at the end of the corridor but knew that it may be her best chance of defeating the angels. She had to choose her words carefully,
“What does Skyclade want?” asked Keel. She looked Skyclade straight in the eyes, they made her feel dizzy, she shifted her gaze to the bridge of what used to be Vince’s nose.
“Woman of power.”
“Why?”
The voices exploded in Skyclade’s mind.
“Kill, then become. Transformation.”
Keel nodded. “And then what?”
“Use power. People will worship Skyclade.” It flicked Keel’s forehead, hard. “Will know its name. Will worship it. Skyclade grow strong, survive.”
The true goal of a Zeph, thought Keel. She knew the Red-girl was inside Skyclade but was also Vince? Is Skyclade what they become when mixed together?
Keel remember the dollar bill in Vince’s wallet and the word RACHE. It was the word written in blood on the wall in ‘A Study in Scarlet’, the first Sherlock Holmes story written in 1887. Could this be why Skyclade also wrote his name in blood on the wall? If so, it could prove that Vince was still there, part of Skyclade. She had to see, try and reach Vince.
“What about Debbie?”
Skyclade grabbed Keel around the throat and started to squeeze, lifting her off the ground. Keel started to choke, “Rache,” she whimpered.
Skyclade released Keel, she fell to the floor gasping for air.
“Debbie. Part of Skyclade. Weak part, placed hands around throat of Debbie, squeezed hard, felt little bones crunch under fingers.”
“But you want to find her? To apologize to her?” asked Keel, rubbing her bruised throat as she stood up.
Skyclade twitched and nodded. With great pain, a different weaker voice stuttered out of Skyclade’s mouth, “Putttt… things right.”
“I can help you find Debbie. Like Sherlock Holmes and Watson.”
Skyclade felt odd. It remembered Debbie reading a story made in paper; Beaton’s Christmas annual. It squeezed the metal blades in its hands. “Debbie’s favorite. Rache. Revenge.”
“Yes,” said Keel. “I can help you but you need to help me. Understand?”
Skyclade nodded. The strong voice in his head disappeared. It would help Keel. “Like Sherlock and Watson. Rache. Revenge.”
Two more humans walked past Keel and Skyclade, their eyes were dull, their movements stiff. Without talking, Skyclade turned and walked after them.
“Wait,” whispered Keel. “We haven’t discussed the plan.”
Kill them all, thought Skyclade. That was always the plan.
SEVENTEEN.
Canopus hit himself in the chest. His heart was beating strangely and even though his forehead was baked in sweat, he felt incredibly cold. Leaning against the tunnel wall, he breathed deeply, watching as specks of dust entered his mouth and blew out of his nose. He really wanted a cigarette. Keel was crazy to feel she could take on two angels alone, it was suicide. The weight of his gun felt heavier than usual in his hand, so he just left it hang against his side as he continued to limp alo
ng the tunnel. He knew he was being noisy but he didn't care. He just had to get to Keel.
He stumbled and fell to the floor, dropping his weapon.
Cursing, he reached out. His vision blurred and then became sharp, revealing the large foot of a hybrid standing on his gun.
A long black tentacle, curled around Canopus’ arm and lifted him off the ground as another tentacle wrapped around his waist.
Canopus looked into the smooth shaped head of the hybrid, the skin split and a large blue milky eye appeared.
The hybrid threw Canopus against the wall.
A bright light flashed in Canopus’ vision and then everything went black.
EIGHTEEN.
Keel watched as Skyclade casually entered the carriage, walking past the hybrids with the other residents. She didn't know what was going to happen but she knew somehow that she didn't have a lot of time. She re-opened her grimoire, cut her palm with her machete and continued to add complex sigils to the walls behind the residents. Every time a sigil was completed, it blared with orange light creating a ‘captis hex’ and freezing the resident in place.
Keel stared at the blank look of a female resident. Holding up her crystal she watched the shroud feed off the woman’s lifeforce. She thought of Lillian Fox; to be able to control the hybrids, shrouds and keep this number of residents in her control was incredible power and a power that she couldn’t allow the Zeph to have. Freezing the residents was the best way to keep them safe. The sigil would last for two hours, whereupon Keel would have the entrance to the sewer open.
She hoped.
Hearing loud footsteps, Keel pressed herself against the wall between two residents and held her breath.
A large hybrid thundered by, dragging a body with its tentacles.
It was Canopus. He looked alive but badly hurt.
She cursed inside her mind. What the Sam Hell happened? She waited, to see if the girls and Drexel were also captured but no-one else showed. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stepped from between the residents, drew her handgun and followed the hybrid.
Canopus and Keel - The Hive. (The cases of Canopus and Keel Book 1) Page 21