Demon Lights

by Michael M. Hughes

  He didn’t answer. Ray slammed his head harder against the metal door. The man squirmed. A cut had opened on his forehead and blood ran in a small rivulet down his face. “What’s your name?”

  “Matt,” he said.

  Ray pulled Matt back farther by his hair and put his face directly into the young man’s. The kid had rotten breath and smelled of cigarettes. “Matt, if you so much as laugh—if you snicker, if I see a smile on your ugly fucking face—so help me God I will tie you to a tree out there and leave you to freeze to death. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.”

  Ray locked his eyes onto the young man’s. “You are going to do whatever I say. You will keep your mouth shut unless one of us asks you a question. You will answer every question honestly. Do you understand, Matt, or do I need to slam your head against that door again?”

  “I understand.”

  Ray let go. “Good. Because I’m going to have a lot of questions for you.”

  —

  “Is he going to make it?” Ray asked quietly. He and Burnham were inside the snowcat with the engine running.

  Burnham shook his head. “You saw the impact. That Jeep hit him square in the solar plexus. I’m sure he has internal injuries, a broken rib or two, maybe a punctured lung, all sorts of bleeding….” He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I’m surprised he’s still with us.”

  Ray stared out the snowcat’s window. The sun was almost down and the snow and winds had picked up again. “What do we do now?”

  Burnham sighed. “We keep going. It will just be the four of us, soon. Well, five, with that prick tied up back there. Mantu’s going to be okay, but I’m not sure if he’ll ever see out of his right eye again. He lost a good bit of blood, but he’ll be on his feet soon, as long as all the abrasions don’t get infected.” Burnham put his head in his hands. “This is really a mess, isn’t it? I wish we hadn’t done this. I wish we had just kept going.”

  “Hey,” Ray said. He put his arm on Burnham’s shoulder. “We did the right thing. You were right. We needed to do this.”

  Burnham lifted his head. “What? Are you crazy?”

  “I mean it,” Ray said. “Think about it. We were just going to ride up to Lily’s compound on our snowmobiles. We would have been mowed down the minute we were in range of the guys in the guard tower.”

  Burnham wouldn’t meet his gaze.

  “But now look at what we have.” He held out his hands. “This snowcat and the truck. They were heading back, right? So they won’t even blink when we roll right up to the front door.”

  Burnham nodded. “A Trojan horse.”

  “Exactly. I can drive this sucker. I’ll sit our little prisoner next to me so I can find out everything he knows. You take turns driving the truck with Claire and keeping an eye on Vinod. And we’ll be warm. We have heat.”

  “Okay. Yeah, that’s not a bad plan.” He drummed his fingers on the dashboard. “Let’s drag those bodies off the road in case someone else comes along. We can load all our supplies in the truck and hide the snowmobiles in case we need them again.” He rubbed his eyes. “But none of us has had any sleep. You think you can keep going?”

  Ray held out his hand. It was shaking. “This is adrenaline, right? I can’t even think of sleeping. You?”

  “Same.”

  “Then let’s go. How long until we get there?”

  Burnham did some mental calculations. “If we go all night, maybe tomorrow afternoon. There’s a boatload of diesel cans in the truck so we should have plenty of fuel. Just hope the weather doesn’t get worse.”

  “Bring Matt up here. We can bungee cord him to the seat so he doesn’t try anything. And I’ve got this.” Ray pulled his serrated survival knife out of its sheath. “The little prick and I are going to have a lot of time to chat.”

  —

  The snow was coming down so heavily it was impossible to go faster than ten miles per hour. The flakes were enormous and landed on the windshield in clumps so quickly that the wipers were practically useless. But having to go slow was a good thing because Ray quickly discovered the vehicle didn’t have a brake pedal. The only way to stop was to let off the gas.

  Matt had turned out to be a good talker.

  “So how long have you been there?” Ray asked.

  “Almost two years.”

  “You see her a lot? Lily?”

  Matt was quiet. “Not really. She’s not there much.” He had a vaguely southern accent.

  “But she’s there now.”

  “Yeah.” He stared out the side window into the darkness, his face shadowed.

  “So the kids. The ones you murdered and burned back there. She told you to do that?”

  Matt didn’t answer.

  “Remember, if you don’t answer me, I’ll make this ride really uncomfortable.” He held up his survival knife with the serrated blade.

  “Okay. Yes. She ordered it, then the doctor told us what to do.”

  A doctor. Just like the Nazis. Ray steadied himself for his next question. “Was that all the kids? Did you take them all out and murder them?”

  The silence seemed to stretch into infinity. Ray wondered what he would do if the young man said yes. Maybe plunge the knife into his chest. He’d never thought of himself as a killer, but if William was dead he wasn’t sure he’d be able to restrain himself. “No,” the young man finally answered. “She kept some of them. Around ten or so, I think, her special group. Told the rest of them they were going home.”

  Ray grimaced. So the poor kids thought they were going home. Back to their parents. But he couldn’t let his mind go down that road right now. “How about a kid named William? Dark hair, glasses, nine years old?”

  Matt shook his head. “I don’t know any of their names. But I think I know him. Skinny little guy? Thick glasses? Kinda quiet?”

  Ray nodded. “That’s him.”

  “He’s still there. He wasn’t in the truck.”

  He realized his hands were squeezing the steering wheel so hard it hurt. “How about a woman named Ellen? She’s locked up. You know her?”

  He nodded. “She’s in lockup with the punk rock chick. I only see them through the window on their door. I’m not in that building much.”

  “So what do you do there, Matt? Other than kill little kids and throw them on a bonfire?”

  The young man glared at him. “That wasn’t my decision.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Just following orders.” He picked up the knife again and tapped the blade against the dashboard. “What’s your job? Taking out the garbage?”

  “I do maintenance. The trucks, the generators, wind turbines, solar panels, pretty much anything that needs fixing.”

  Ray nodded. “So you know the layout of all the buildings. And who is there. Who’s armed. That kind of thing.”

  He answered quietly. “Yes.”

  “Good, good. You keep answering honestly and you can stay inside with me. You feed me bullshit and you’ll find out how sharp this knife is. And this isn’t my vehicle so I don’t care if you bleed all over everything.”

  Matt turned back to the window.

  “So who is this doctor you mentioned? Does his name happen to be Mengele?” Matt stared at him. He had no idea what Ray was talking about. “What’s his name, and what does he do?”

  “Dr. Regardie. He’s the head of the school.”

  Ray made note of the name. When he found him, the good doctor was going to wish they had never met. “And what kind of school is it? What are the kids there for?”

  Matt shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  Ray held the knife up against the young man’s neck.

  “I swear. They don’t tell me anything. I’m not lying. Some kind of magic shit. That’s all I know.”

  Ray stopped the snowcat and angled the blade under Matt’s jugular. “What about the dome? What’s happening there?”

  Matt swallowed. “I’m not sure. I was only in there once to fix a generator. There
’s a hole in the ground. And a ladder going down. I wasn’t allowed to go down there. And I didn’t want to.” His voice began to crack. “Nobody likes to talk about it.”

  “Why?”

  His Adam’s apple rose and fell. “Because she’s taken people down there before. And they don’t come back.”

  —

  They were all gathered in the back of the truck. “We’re not going to get there before nightfall,” Burnham said. “Not in this weather.”

  Ray held up a map he had drawn of the compound, based on the description from Matt. “That’s going to work in our favor. We’ll pull up to the garage here.” He pointed to the map. “That puts us near the kids’ dorms. And they should all be there, right?”

  Matt nodded, his eyes glassy. “They’re always there after dark.”

  “You trust this piece of shit?” Mantu asked. His unbandaged eye was completely bloodshot.

  Ray stared at Matt. “No. But he knows that the second I find out he’s lying, he’s dead.”

  Matt lowered his head. “I have no reason to lie. I gave you my keys. I told you where everything is. I just want this to be over.”

  Mantu shook his head. “I hope you’re telling the truth, punk.”

  Ray continued: “Thanks to Matt’s electronic keys”—he held up a keyring with a half-dozen plastic fobs on it—“we have access to William and the rest of the kids. And to Ellen’s cell.”

  Burnham stared at the map. “And you think we’ll find Lily…where?”

  Matt spoke quietly. “She’s usually in this main building or in her living quarters, which are right next to it.”

  Claire looked up. “What about the dome?”

  Ray bit his lip. “That’s a special case. Burnham?”

  Burnham opened up a metal box. He pulled out something small, green, and round and held it up. “These are M67 grenades.”

  Mantu whistled. “Holy shit.”

  “We will each carry one,” Burnham said. “I’ll show you how they work, but do not use them unless there is no other choice. Because you’re just as likely to blow yourself and everyone near you to pieces.”

  Ray pointed to a black circle on the map. “If we make it to the dome, which is all the way over here, there is a ladder leading down into a chamber. The artifact is down there. Pull the pin, drop your grenade in, and run like hell.”

  “If Lily dies, the artifact may not be able to function without her,” Claire said. “At least, that is my hope. I don’t know if it’s true. But one of the two—Lily or it—must be destroyed. Or everything we’ve done will make no difference.”

  “No pressure or anything,” Mantu said.

  It was a joke Vinod might have laughed at, but the only sound was the wind blowing against the truck and Vinod’s shallow, raspy breathing.

  “Lily’s going to die,” Ray said. It was the only thing he believed for certain. If he had to die to make it happen, so be it. “Now let’s get down to specifics.”

  After a protracted discussion, Claire pulled Ray aside. “Do you feel it? The energy of the artifact?”

  “Yes.” It was almost subliminal, but the closer they got the more it felt like his innards were being pulled by a giant magnet.

  Claire whispered. “She’s preparing for us.”

  “I know. Let’s just hope arriving in the truck throws her off.”

  She took his hand in hers. “Since this may be the last quiet moment we have, I just wanted to tell you I am so very glad I met you, Ray Simon. No matter how this ends.”

  That’s when he noticed Matt staring at him from the truck. The young man turned his head away but Ray thought he noticed a slight twist of a smile.

  Chapter 13

  When the first sign of Lily’s compound became visible through the blowing snow—a tower with a square enclosure at its top, just as he’d seen in vision—Ray felt all of his remaining hope evaporate. If a dozen trained strikers believed infiltrating Lily’s operation was most likely a suicide mission, how could they even attempt it now? Especially with Vinod nearly dead and Mantu half-blinded? And despite the fact that they had a plan, it seemed increasingly obvious that what they were attempting was madness. Only the thought of finding Ellen and William kept him from turning around and abandoning everything. Because even if they died in their attempt, if he managed to see Ellen and William one last time, at least they would know he tried.

  He jumped in his seat and nearly screamed when the snowcat’s radio crackled to life.

  “Alex? Tower here. You copy?”

  Ray let off the accelerator and fumbled for the handset. He pressed the edge of his knife against the young man’s throat. “Talk to him. Make him think everything is normal.”

  “But the Jeep isn’t with us. They’ll ask about that.” He winced as Ray pressed the blade harder.

  “Make something up. And don’t fuck up.” He pressed the TALK button and held the radio near Matt’s face.

  The muscles in Matt’s jaw tensed. “It’s me—Matt. Alex is back in the truck.”

  “Roger that. Where’s the Jeep?”

  Ray stared coldly.

  “Broke down about three miles back. I’m going to need to go back in the morning with my tools.”

  There was a moment of silence. “Okay. I’ll pass that along to operations. The doctor wanted me to ask you if everything went according to the plan. No complications?”

  Ray’s hand tightened on the knife’s handle. No complications. None at all. We shot those kids and burned their bodies, just like the doctor ordered.

  “None,” Matt said, his eyes locked on Ray’s. “We did exactly—”

  On the floor next to his seat Ray’s walkie-talkie suddenly erupted in static. Burnham spoke before Ray could grab it and twist the power button off. “Ray, why did you—?”

  Shit.

  “Matt, what was that? What did you say?” the voice at the end of the snowcat’s radio asked.

  Ray held the handset up to Matt. “Answer him.” He pressed the TALK button.

  “Nothing,” Matt said. “I was talking to Phil.”

  Another long silence. Ray wondered if Matt had just clued in the guy on the radio. Maybe there wasn’t anyone named Phil. A fine trickle of blood crept down the side of Matt’s neck.

  “Roger, Matt. After you get the vehicles secured, tell everyone to get cleaned up. They can debrief with Regardie in the morning. Things have been a little weird here. I’m sure the doctor will fill you in.”

  “Roger,” Matt said.

  Ray let off the TALK button and lowered the knife. “Good. The longer you cooperate the longer you live.”

  Matt snickered. “When she finds out, we’re all dead.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Ray said. “Now guide me to the garage.” He picked up the walkie-talkie and turned it back on. “Burnham, sorry about that. A guy in the tower radioed me. I had Matt talk to him. I think we’re good to go. You all ready back there?”

  “Ready as we’ll ever be. Hold on a second.”

  Mantu’s voice came over the radio. “Ray, brother. We’re gonna do it. You feel me?”

  Ray’s voice faltered. “I feel you,” he said.

  —

  The complex of buildings loomed ahead, lit by the last faint rays of the fading sun. Ray steered the snowcat toward the garage. Two wind turbines, like weird arctic flowers, were silhouetted in the distance, as was the top of the forbidding black dome. Ray had switched coats with Matt and now he pulled the fur-lined hood over his head. He wasn’t sure if anyone could see through the vehicle’s tinted windows when it was dark out but he wasn’t taking any chances.

  “There,” Matt said. “When we get close the doors will open automatically. Just drive in.”

  A few hundred feet away a guard with a leashed dog waved at them. Ray waved back at the shadowy figure, keeping his face hidden. Was it the same guard whose dog had transformed into some sort of monster when they visited in vision?

  The stretch of snow-covered ro
ad to the garage seemed to be lengthening rather than shortening. His body was thrumming. “You sure there aren’t any cameras inside?”

  “Positive,” Matt answered. “It’s the only building that doesn’t have them.”

  “And there’s no one in there?”

  “I doubt it. No reason they would be.”

  Ray hoped he was telling the truth. As he drew closer the doors began to rise. Lights flickered on inside. When the metal panels rose past the halfway point he saw the enormous garage was empty except for fuel cans and shelves full of boxes and parts. He concentrated on guiding the snowcat slowly and evenly inside. Burnham pulled up beside him. When he turned the vehicle off, he realized he hadn’t been breathing and exhaled loudly. Sweat ran down his forehead.

  “There’s a switch on the wall over there,” Matt said, nodding in the direction. “That will close them.”

  Ray pulled the hood tighter over his face. “Keep quiet and don’t move,” he said.

  Matt smirked. “I’m bungee-corded to the seat. I don’t think I’m going anywhere.”

  Ray ignored him and jumped out of the vehicle. The cold was extreme, even inside the garage. It stank of diesel fuel. He kept his head low and walked to the switch, his hand clenching the pistol in his coat pocket. He hit the switch and the machinery whined as the doors began to close. The noise stopped as the doors clanked against the concrete floor. Burnham and Mantu climbed out of the truck’s cab, Burnham with his rifle and Mantu with a short-barreled automatic shotgun. Claire climbed out the back.

  “How’s Vinod?” Ray asked.

  Claire shook her head. “In and out of consciousness. I don’t think he’s going to hold on much longer.”

  Ray grimaced. “Okay. This is it. Let’s stick to the plan the best we can.”

  “What about fuckface?” Mantu asked.

  They had discussed what to do with Matt. Ray hadn’t liked any of the options, especially those that had remained obvious but unsaid. Killing someone in cold blood, even a guy who had murdered a bunch of children, was too much like something Lily would do. “I’ll take care of him.” He climbed into the back of the truck and grabbed a roll of duct tape and one of the sleeping bag compression sacks. When he opened the snowcat’s passenger door Matt smiled at him. “You going to kill me?”