From The Dark

by Tobey Alexander

  ‘Any reason?’

  ‘I worked on the security there many years ago. There are places we can take shelter that few people know about.’

  ‘Haven’t they demolished it?’

  A car flashed its headlights behind them as they remained held at the junction, frustrated by their lack of movement in the empty junction.

  ‘There are buildings left, and it’s secluded, it’ll serve us well if half the places I am thinking of are still in one piece.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Gabe sighed. ‘At least it’s close to home.’

  Pulling out of the junction, to a barrage of abuse from the car behind, Gabe meandered his way through the city and out towards their destination. Avoiding what number-plate scanning cameras he knew about, Gabe made reasonable progress out towards the abandoned theme park on the border between Nottingham and Derby.

  It felt odd to be home, and as he travelled along the A610 main route, Gabe could finally think about what had happened in the last few days.

  His brain was fogged and tired while his heart was heavy with sadness. Having seen Logan, he realised how much of his son he had lost.

  As Claudia once again fell asleep in the Jaguar's back and Reg was staring out of the window, Gabe felt very much alone. A familiar sense of dread had washed over him as he realised he was powerless to resist being once again pulled into the murky world of his ancestor.

  Since Sara’s death, he had done everything to avoid contact with Archy’s Legacy. Once again the journal was out and had guided them onto a new uncharted path. Led from a twisted past of secrets, lies and mysteries, Gabe was once again at the behest of that cursed book.

  ‘Don’t think on it too much,’ Reg whispered as Gabe mulled over his thoughts. ‘Once we have the swords back, I’m sure it will all make sense.’

  ‘Why do I feel there’s something you’re not telling me Reg?’ Gabe asked as he negotiated the flow of evening traffic.

  ‘I will ask Nahem to join us and then perhaps we can understand what we need to do.’

  ‘I suppose forgetting all of this is out of the question?’

  Reg placed his hand on Gabe’s shoulder, catching him by surprise.

  ‘We both know we are all too far along the path now to turn away.’

  The words rang true, and Gabe fell silent for the rest of the journey.

  12

  Breaking And Entering

  Under cover of darkness Gabe had parked around the corner and walked to the top of his street. Bathed in the white LED streetlight he positioned himself within the car park of the converted church at the top of the road and watched.

  A battered Ford sat outside the house, blocking the end of the driveway, and inside sat a very bored looking Community Support Officer.

  A call had come from Poland and whatever enquiries they had requested had resulted in the house being sealed off as a crime scene. Blue and white scene tape fluttered in the breeze as someone had tied it between the two lampposts either side of the house. The officer guarding the scene looked bored and uninterested as Gabe watched from the shadows.

  Checking his watch Gabe knew they would be restless in the car. Shift change was coming, and there would be a rush to get themselves back to the station to go home.

  ‘Perfect.’ Gabe hushed as, almost on cue, another battered car trundled up the street.

  As the two officers got out of the cars and exchanged paperwork and information, Gabe took advantage of the distraction.

  Moving in silence he crossed the top of the street unseen and slipped along the side of the neighbouring house. Aware that his neighbours would most likely still be awake he moved with caution as he clambered as careful as he could over the gate.

  Perched atop the wooden gate, he looked around and felt his heart skip a beat as he found another officer sat on a seat at the back door of his house. Dropping into the adjacent garden Gabe changed his route and scurried along the fence line to the far end of the long garden.

  Large bushes and trees edged the ends of the gardens. Having landscaped the garden years back with Sara, Gabe knew the fence panels here were missing, allowing the shrubbery and foliage to be the natural division between the gardens.

  Squeezing between the bushes, feeling the spiked branches tugging at his clothes, Gabe pressed himself through into his own back garden and waited. Moving Gabe positioned himself with a view towards the back of his house and waited.

  The young officer was too distracted in whatever he was playing on their phone. The bright line from the screen painted them in pale light, and even from a distance, Gabe could see the officer had no interest in his guard duty.

  ‘Andy,’ a voice shouted from around the front of the house and the officer’s attention snapped up from the screen.

  Slipping the device into their pocket, the officer scooped up their jacket and hat and walked around the side of the house.

  Taking his chance Gabe emerged from the bush. Pausing for a second, he waited before moving up towards the back of the house.

  ‘Night shift is here, but they’ve only sent one.’ One voice announced from around the side of the house.

  ‘They expect me to stay?’ A disgruntled voice replied.

  ‘Nah, Al’s happy to sit here until the second one arrives.’

  ‘Cheers mate.’

  The conversation continued, but Gabe had heard all he needed. Peering through the kitchen window the house was as he had left it. Plates and cutlery sat on the draining board, and the half-read newspaper lay on the table.

  Gabe knew they would have locked all the windows and he couldn’t risk moving around the side to the main door. His only way of getting in would be through the window leading into Claudia’s room which he could get to off a sloped roof above the kitchen window.

  Doing his best to find footing Gabe hoisted himself up onto the pitched extension roof and stretched up to reach the windowsill. Taking his weight on his shaking fingers, he pulled himself up and balanced on the roof tiles.

  ‘I should paint these,’ Gabe laughed to himself as the paint flaked off in his hand.

  Gripping the wooden frame of Claudia’s window Gabe tried to find purchase enough to prise it open. Although weathered the frame held fast and refused to move.

  ‘Oh, come on,’ Gabe hissed through gritted teeth as he tried his best to find leverage and balance on the roof.

  The window refused to budge and while Gabe could still hear the conversation, he knew he was very much exposed in his position. There was only one other option to go with, and it pained him to do it.

  Adjusting his position enough Gabe pressed his elbow against the single pane of glass and jabbed it hard into the corner of the glass. The first strike did nothing, but the second cracked the glass. A third and final strike saw the bottom third of the glass pane crack and splinter free. The glass fell inwards and landed on the carpeted floor.

  ‘Sorry!’ Gabe apologised as he reached through and unlocked the window.

  Pulling the window open Gabe climbed through and felt a wave of familiarity as the smell of the house enveloped him.

  Gabe stalked through the house and down towards the cellar door. Passing by the side window Gabe caught sight of the three uniformed officers deep in conversation. Their muffled voices continued as he moved through the house, unaware he was even there.

  Opening the cellar door, Gabe was faced with darkness. The windows in the basement had been boarded up, and in reality, it had been a last minute decision for him to put the swords and rest of Archy’s legacy in the safe before they had left for Poland.

  Careful not to lose his footing on the narrow steps leading into the cellar Gabe closed the door and dared to illuminate the torch he had brought with him.

  The beam of light caught dust particles as he descended into the basement. Turning into the central space, Gabe panned the beam onto the old firearms safe in the far corner of the room. Although he had kept the swords underneath the bed in the original box, he preferr
ed to leave them secured if he left the house for any length of time.

  The battered box from the Welsh cave sat on the floor beside the safe, right where Gabe had hurriedly left it when he had remembered to stow the weapons before leaving. Moving to the safe Gabe kicked open the box and removed the keys to the cabinet safe from his pocket.

  Unlocking both the mechanisms Gabe opened the door and found the swords still secured in their housing. Unlatching the clips, he removed the weapons and placed them back inside the wooden crate and sealed the lid.

  ‘I’d better check inside and use the facilities.’ A voice declared from high above, and Gabe found himself rooted to the spot.

  Above him, he heard the back door open, the familiar sound as the wooden door grated across the top of the concrete step. Footsteps followed as the officer walked into the house and passed into the utility room opposite the cellar door.

  Heart racing and mouth dry with fear Gabe dared not move.

  Waiting and listening Gabe was glad to hear the toilet flush and decided it was best to get out while it was still safe. Moving he grabbed the box and walked towards the far side of the room.

  It was too late when Gabe felt his top snag on the door. Spinning he could not control the door of the cabinet as it moved with his momentum and slammed shut with a tinny echo. Like a rabbit in headlights, Gabe stood still in the room's middle and listened.

  ‘Hello?’ A voice shouted from somewhere above. ‘Somebody there?’

  Gabe looked around and darted across the room to the wall next to the stairs. Gabe unscrewed the light bulb from its fitting in the ceiling above his head and laid it on a cabinet beside him.

  The cellar door opened and Gabe could hear the deep breaths of the nervous officer as they stood at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Show yourself, and nobody will get hurt.’ Something filled the voice with nerves. ‘Whiskey Six-Nine to Control. Sounds like we have an intruder at the scene I’m on, can we have more units please?’

  ‘Shit!’ Gabe spat under his breath.

  Gabe knew they trapped him, there was only one way out of the cellar, and that was up the stairs and through the house. With more units travelling and the officer poised at the top of the stairs, Gabe had nowhere to go.

  Gabe picked up the bulb he had removed and held it in his hand. His night vision had adjusted enough to make out the basic silhouettes around the room.

  ‘Here goes nothing.’ He said to himself and threw the bulb across the room.

  The filament sparked in the darkness, but the bulb exploded as it smashed into the wall.

  ‘What the f-?‘ The officer stammered. ‘Show... show yourself.’

  Gabe heard the light switch click but with the bulb smashed nothing happened. A pale beam of light illuminated as the officer used their torch and descended the stairs.

  ‘You will only get yourself in more bother.’ The officer warned. ‘Give yourself up now, save yourself the trouble.’

  Gabe moved to the edge of the wall and pressed himself against it. Staying out of the beam of light Gabe waited for the officer to reach the bottom of the stairs and turn into the main room.

  Gabe swung the battered box through the air as the officer stepped into the room. The solid crate smashed down hard on the officer’s arm sending the torch tumbling to the floor.

  Giving no time to recover Gabe pounced and threw a flurry of punches out towards the officer. Knocked off-balance the officer stumbled backwards, and Gabe wrapped himself around the other’s torso in a tight bear hug.

  ‘Get off me,’ a shrill scream filled the room.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Gabe apologised and threw a solid punch into the man’s temple.

  His body went limp in Gabe’s arms as unconsciousness swallowed him.

  Lowering the uniformed man to the floor as silent as he could Gabe scrambled for the torch and turned it on. Panning the light onto the unconscious officer Gabe checked the man was still alive and wiped away a trail of blood from the corner of his left eye.

  ‘Backup will be here in a few minutes, and you’ll be fine.’ Gabe offered although he knew the man could not hear him.

  Scooping up the box Gabe sprinted up the stairs and bolted out of the side door. A cascade of blue strobe lights appeared at the end of the road as Gabe emerged from the gate. Sprinting up the hill Gabe dared not look back, but as two police cars arriving on scene skidded to a halt, he knew he had escaped unnoticed.

  Slowing his pace, Gabe disappeared around the corner and returned to his waiting car. Struggling to carry the battered box, he was glad to drop it into the boot and slide into the comfortable driver’s seat.

  ‘That was far too bloody close,’ Gabe said to himself as he started the engine and pulled the car out of the car park.

  As he rolled past the mouth of the junction, he saw the battered and bruised officer being helped out towards one of the idling police cars. Awash with guilt Gabe felt he had done the only possible thing to aid his escape.

  It did not ease the fact he felt guilty for having injured one of his own.

  Disappearing into the night, Gabe was glad to leave the house and the commotion behind him.

  13

  Revelations

  Gabe emerged from the overgrown foliage and found the rusted bridge with ease. In the pale moonlight, the metal appeared ominous. Pushing through the thorns and bushes that had entwined themselves around the metal railings Gabe pushed on up the steps.

  The bridge has once fed into the old theme park, allowing access to people using the car parks to the rear end of the site. Being an original Victorian steel bridge, it has taken a beating from exposure to the weather and the decay caused by the train lines below. Careful not to catch himself on the rusted metal Gabe scaled the bridge and walked to the far side.

  A contrasting aluminium gate blocked his path, erected when the theme park had been abandoned a dozen years before. The weeds and brambles had entangled around the fence which offered a cover for those that would see to break onto the site.

  Gripping the furthest bar on the gate, Gabe lifted it from position and pushed it to one side. A gap, just wide enough for his frame, appeared in the gate allowing Gabe to squeeze through to the other side. Replacing the loose piece of metal nature hid the concealed entrance and Gabe walked deeper into the abandoned theme park.

  They had centred the site around a massive lake in the middle. The water was jet-black in the moonlight and from his vantage point Gabe could see the moon reflected in the rippling surface of the lake.

  ‘I thought I heard an engine,’ Claudia interrupted catching Gabe by surprise.

  Jumping with surprise, Gabe turned to face his daughter.

  ‘I tried to be as quiet as I could.’

  ‘Where have you parked?’

  ‘Far side of the train tracks,’ Gabe began as they followed the overgrown path down towards the lake. ‘Have I missed anything?’

  ‘Nahem arrived.’

  Gabe stopped in his tracks.

  ‘How?’

  ‘Reg.’ Claudia sighed. ‘He contacted her and soon after you left she arrived.’

  Gabe could tell by her voice that something was troubling his daughter.