by Dean Jones
“What kind of journalism is this, I mean she has no proof other than the word of these youths who are all now fully grown and trying to remember what they did years ago, and yet she still names this poor bloke who is probably some fella who was minding his own business she’s taken a dislike to!” He ranted, “even worse, one of them is currently convalescing at a psychiatric hospital…a nutter!” he shut the paper in frustration and lifted his tea and drank it down.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways love, perhaps there is a plan to all of it only He knows?”
Brian nodded, he knew she was right, and a wave of guilt filled him over his outburst, “yes, you have a point, let us pray this man will face justice if he is responsible.” He said, “or the journalist if she is spinning a tale to sell papers,” he added with a wink.
Brian and Shelia were both practising Catholics and actively involved in their church’s affairs and events. He knew God had a grand plan and often prayed for those who were less fortunate. He decided to pray for both the journalist and this Seth Goodman, so they may be shown the way.
If Seth is wrongly accused, he would ask he be spared any discomfort from these words. But, he thought, if he is responsible then he would pray he does the right thing and bring the matter to a close for those who had suffered.
“We still heading to see my mum today love?” Sheila asked as she sat down at the table beside him
“What? Oh yeah,” he replied looking at his watch distractedly.
Sheila’s parents lived in Northampton which was about an hour drive from their home in Luton. They had been promising to take the boys for a couple of months now, but Brian always seemed to find an excuse not to go. This time he knew he would have to accept his fate and make the journey to ‘the dragon’s den’ as he liked to refer to his in-law’s house.
It was 8:15 am and they had said they would be there for lunch so as it stood they should really start to get the boys ready as they took ages to do anything.
It was 11:30 am by the time they had successfully got the boys to get dressed and into the car. Sheila was sat just putting on her seatbelt as Brian locked the house and climbed into the car.
“Right, we all set for a trip to Grandmas then?” he asked, and Sheila smiled as the boys cheered. He wished his feeling of imminent doom would go away but all trips to Sheila’s parents were like this, so he swallowed and started the car.
Whose Fault Is It Really?
Brian lay motionless in his hospital bed; the nurse had just finished speaking with him and the hospital priest was sitting at his side providing comfort and support through the difficult process of coming to terms with the loss of his family.
Brian was numb and struggling to accept what had happened. They were just on their way to grandmas, a trip he’d made a thousand times so what happened, why had they gone.
“Father, why have I been punished,” he asked the priest.
“Oh, my child, this is not punishment for any sins. God works in mysterious ways they say but in this, he has only called back his angels to be at his side.”
Brian turned his head and looked at the old man beside him. Clearly, he was only a year or two from retirement and the traditional retort of God’s mysterious ways gave Brian no solace and only stoked the anger.
“My wife and children are gone, I am in pain and alone…how is this not a punishment?” he cried.
“We were happy and went to church every week, took part in fundraising and gave freely of our time and money to support Gods work in the community and across the country. So why, of all, people am I lying here when my beautiful family are gone…?” Tears ran down his face and he tried to turn over, but he was restrained as he had badly broken his legs and several ribs in the accident.
“I cannot answer for God Brian, He and only He knows why this has happened, but I am certain you are not being punished. God has chosen this burden for you and it is his will which has made it so but know he loves you and would not place this on you if he felt you were not able to cope with it.” The priest placed his hand on Brian's
“Let us pray together so God can hear our words and your family will learn of your suffering and know they are loved still.”
“Pray?” Brian said incredulously. “I will never pray again, God has taken my life away from me, all its purpose was wrapped in the love I had for my wife and children, what is there possibly to live for now?”
The priest looked sympathetically at Brian and sighed, “you have been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours, Brian, let us speak again tomorrow. I note you have a visitor and I don’t want to intrude on your conversations.” Smiling, he got up patted Brian again before he walked down the ward stopping at the bed nearest the doors to speak to an elderly man who had caught his attention.
Brian looked at his visitor, “you from the police?” He asked as the man shuffled towards the now vacated chair and lowered himself into it. Brian watched and thought again about him being a police officer, though he was clearly too old.
“Mr Wilson, my name is Corey and I have come to pass my deepest condolences to you for your loss,” he said.
“I am certain you do not wish to speak of the matter further and I will not draw you on the subject nor ask you to tell me what occurred, for I am fully aware of the specifics which surround your unfortunate circumstances.” Brian listened and was strangely calmed and reassured by this man as he let himself sink into his pillows whilst they spoke.
“I would like to talk to you about a man called Seth Goodman, have you heard his name before?” Corey asked.
Brian thought for a second and then recognising the name nodded his head, “I read about him in the newspaper yesterday just before we set off for Sheila’s parents and…” he left the words unspoken but Corey nodded knowingly.
“Yes, he has been the topic of several stories of late and this is why I am here, you see I do not believe your accident was an accident at all…I think this Seth Goodman was directly involved.”
Brian thought back to what he could remember and struggled with the imagery in his mind but saw he was driving up the street towards the motorway when from nowhere another car slammed into the side of theirs and then next thing he knew they were toppling over and covered in glass. At first, Sheila had screamed but then he didn’t hear anything. When he woke, the firemen were slowly cutting through the wreckage and letting him know it would be fine.
“Get my wife and boys first…” he had said, looking across to where she was, “leave me and save them.” he pleaded.
“Its OK mate let’s get you out then we can deal with your family” the fireman had told him. He later found out his wife and children were dead in the car and the only focus of the rescue was him as he was the only survivor.
“What happened?” he asked, as he was loaded into the ambulance.
“Don’t worry about it just now,” the paramedic told him as he secured the bed inside the ambulance.
“What about my family, I don’t want to leave until I know they’re safe,” he said.
A fireman stood in the doors to the ambulance and removed his white helmet.
“You’ve been in a bit of a wreck I’m afraid sir, the boys are still working to recover your family and the driver of the other car.”
“What other car?”
“You were hit by a car which had lost control, looks like the driver had had some kind of attack at the wheel but we are still trying to establish the cause…unfortunately, the driver didn’t make it, so we may never fully understand.”
The paramedic finished securing the bed and nodded towards the fireman who started to close the doors.
“Was he the driver of the other car?” Brian asked Corey.
“Seth is a dangerous man Brian, he is capable of things which would make you question the fabric of reality and yesterday he caused the accident which took your family…there was no other car.” Corey spoke softly and slowly so Brian could fully take to the idea. Given his menta
l and physical state, Corey didn’t have to delve too deeply into his mind only a gentle touch was needed.
Brian looked confused for a second and then remembered the quiet road with nothing but trees beside it and then this man who stood in front of their car and the flash of light before he lost control and struck a tree.
Tears began to fall, and he shook his head slowly.
“He was the man in the road?”
“Yes, we believe he was and it's important you understand there are others he has attacked in the past and we don’t think he is planning to stop,” again the words settled on to Brian’s subconscious and he took each as truth.
“What can I do to help you?” he asked angrily, “I will hunt him down and expose him for what he is!”
Corey smiled, “yes, I think driving him and his family out into the open would be a very good idea, Mr Wilson.”
“I will make him suffer the same way he has made me suffer,” Brian said determinedly, suddenly overcome with rage at what he had just learned.
“Excellent, my people will contact you soon Mr Wilson,” Corey said as he pushed himself out of the chair. “You focus on getting better and perhaps we can talk again in the future?”
Brian nodded absently already forgetting the truth of how his family was lost and replacing it with what Corey had told him. He began planning how he could get to Seth Goodman. First, he figured he needed to speak to the reporter who had written the story, she would know where he could start looking and perhaps, he could gather a few of his friends to help rid the earth of this demon and his evil deeds.
The Hunt
It had been twelve weeks since the accident and most of the physical injuries had healed. Physiotherapy had worked wonders and coupled with his burning desire to get Seth Goodman he made great strides towards full recovery.
“You’ve done really well, Brian.” Jane, the physiotherapist, was telling him. “I think we can consider this your last session as I don’t think there’s much more we can do for you.”
Brian smiled and sat down on the chair opposite the treadmill he’d just been running on.
“Obviously there will always be a slight limp but considering the injuries I think we will consider it a small price,” she smiled again and began to write up his notes.
Brian thanked her for all her efforts and said he would continue to pray for her sister who was going through a rough patch in Australia with her husband. As he left the hospital he took out his mobile phone and dialled.
After a couple of seconds Nicola answered, “Hello Brian, how are things?” she asked politely.
“I have been dismissed from my physiotherapist and am no longer tied to these frustrating weekly appointments, so things are good thanks,” he laughed.
“Any news on our friend, you received any tip-offs about his location?” This was the only reason Brian called Nicola and she knew it, but he was a good hound dog and had eagerly dropped everything to travel the length and breadth of the country to follow up leads she had received and each time he spotted him he would create a stir. This let her interrogate neighbours and locals to get more dirt on Seth.
Her goal for a one to one interview was paramount to her and it was this which kept her relationship with Brian valuable.
“Nothing concrete, I’m afraid, though I have had a sniff of something in Lincolnshire…” It wasn’t really a lead, but she needed Brian to stay focused, so the occasional wild goose chase was fine with her.
“Excellent, where? I can get a few of the group together and get up there tomorrow.”
The group he mentioned brought a smile to Nicolas' lips. Brian was so passionate about Seth and his demonic ways to anyone who would listen, and he had gathered quite the following from his local church and other areas he had visited whilst chasing Seth down.
The plan had always been to flush Seth out, she wanted an interview with him and hounding him wherever he was seemed the best way to get what she wanted and once that was done, she would let Corey know where he was. A deal was a deal after all.
She recalled finding him at the remote farm in the peak district and how elated she’d been, but she was alone so couldn’t stop him from leaving. Now he wasn’t able to settle for more than a few months at a time before she found him again and she knew the next time she confronted him he wouldn't be able to escape, especially since Brian and his associates had started to turn up en masse to corner him. She would get her interview or watch as Brian got him… a story is a story after all.
“Grimsby, somewhere on the outskirts, I am just waiting for my contact to get back in touch for the name of the street and hopefully the full address.”
Brian smiled, he had been getting closer and closer to trapping him and he knew God would soon deliver this man and he could exact his vengeance. Nicola didn’t need to know why he wanted him so badly after all she was only useful for the contacts she had and the information she gave him. Soon she would write the story of how Gods justice was exacted on one of the devil’s own children here on earth.
“OK, Nicola, let me make a few calls and I will contact you again tomorrow when we get to the location, probably after we’ve had our chips.” he laughed and hung up the phone.
Ten minutes later he had seven of his group organised to meet up and travel to Grimsby. The group had been his strength in the last few months. Each time he tried to weed out Seth he seemed to attract one or two more like-minded people to join him in God’s work to find and eliminate this man. The group had started with two or three from his local church and was now over seventy people who followed leads where he could not and reported back on any snippets from local communities as far north as Aberdeen and south into Cornwall.
Brian got home and sat in his kitchen remembering his life before Seth had taken it from him.
“I will find you Seth and when I do I will take everything from you!” he slammed his fist down on the article he had read this morning and went to pack his bag ready to leave.
One Last Risk
Seth awoke in his now customary position strapped to the chair in Hector’s torture room. The same attendees were present, and they were talking amiably in the corner waiting for Seth to regain consciousness.
Harvey glanced in his direction and noted he was now awake.
“Mr Goodman, pleasant dreams I trust?” he asked with a smile, as both he and Hector moved over to him.
As Seth looked them both over, Hector reached for his electrical machine and placed the electrodes onto his bare chest. Without comment, he turned up the charge and administered it. Seth’s body bucked with the current coursing through his skin but found the pain he had previously experienced had diminished significantly.
Seth found, to his surprise, that he was able to remain fully conscious during his latest round of torture. Even more amazing to him was that he had somehow unconsciously absorbed all the energy from the machine and instinctively redistributed it around his injured body to speed up the healing process. As the final burst of electricity was triggered Seth broke out into a fit of laughter.
“I must admit,” he shouted over the noise of the device, “this is getting to be quite enjoyable.”
Hector immediately switched off the device and reached for his trusted hammer.
Seth smiled again, “what you are going for, a hand, foot, knee or perhaps the head?”
Hector looked at Harvey who just shrugged. He swung the hammer at Seth’s right knee.
As it dropped Seth concentrated on his newly found energy in preparation for the blow to come. Instinct took control again and he focused hard on the area where the hammer was about to strike. The hammer hit and there was a jolt of feedback through Hector's arm forcing him to drop the hammer.
Panic began to set in and before anything went wrong Harvey called for reinforcements.
Several men now filled the room, but Seth wasn’t interested in resisting and instead happily got to his feet when the restraints were removed and followed along th
e corridors back to his room.
The door clicked closed and Seth sat down on the bed and considered his options.
Harvey rushed into Garrett's lab.
“Dave, you have to help. He’s not even noticing the effects of the torture, he laughed through the electrocution and when Hector hit him with the hammer it just bounced off him!”
Garrett looked perplexed, “What do you mean it bounced off him?” he had heard of people who could tolerate electricity but never of a hammer bouncing off the body.
“I mean it bounced off him, Hector swung at his knee and I watched it hit but it just jumped up and out of his hand!”
Garrett thought for a second and then got off his chair and headed past Harvey towards the elevators.
“I’ll speak to Corey, he knows more about Seth than anyone.”
Corey was on the phone when Garrett was shown into his office.
“Listen to me, Mr President,” the sarcasm in his voice was thick, “ I do not care what your senate claim or how the people will react, you will do exactly as I tell you or you can start planning for your retirement and I will replace you with someone else, is that fully understood?” Garrett waited while he concluded his call.
“I am glad we have reached an accord, now do not trouble me with this type of petty issue again…I will call you in a few days to arrange a summit, I will need to speak to all the leaders as I am expecting some good news.” Corey hung up the phone and placed it on his desk.
“Doctor, how can I help you…no trouble with our guest I hope?” he asked as he looked up at Tom waiting patiently.
“Well, actually that’s the reason I have come…” he began and instantly regretted not sending Harvey to tell him as Corey’s face change and became dark and frightening.
“Erm, well it’s just…Agent Harvey came to see me and mentioned Seth had enjoyed the last session of interrogation and that the hammer had bounced off his knee when it struck him.” he paused and waited but when there was only silence he was compelled to fill it.