by Dean Jones
They passed a news crew filming a piece outside the station and Marcy instinctively flinched as she looked to see if it was Nicola.
“Don’t worry, she won’t bother us this week.” Seth reassured, “and if she does you know what to do.” He gave her a smile.
He had booked a hotel in Mayfair and he knew it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to find them, but he didn’t want to use the back street hotels they usually frequented when going on trips as he wanted this to be special.
They had discussed what would happen if they were found and Seth had located a hotel in Paddington which was seedy enough to be off radar should they need to bolt somewhere while they regrouped.
The hotel was going to be a surprise as Seth hadn’t told either of them which one he had booked and as the car drove down Park Lane the girls looked out the window at Hyde Park and watched the people walking along the pavements as the car crawled through the busy traffic.
After a few minutes, the car turned right and stopped outside the hotel.
“You’re not serious!” Marcy exclaimed as the car door opened and the doorman greeted them.
“Welcome to the Dorchester Madam, can I help you out of the car?” He said with a smile.
Hope ran through the suite exploring the individual rooms as the bell boy placed their cases before leaving them to their room.
Seth listened to his daughter and wife discussing the bathrooms and views from the penthouse windows.
“This must cost a fortune dad?” Hope said as she passed him on her way to the balcony.
Money wasn’t an issue for Seth and if it wasn't so conspicuous, he would spend his life in opulence ensuring his family wanted for nothing. He had started married life with that intention and the farm was home for thirteen wonderful years and he had extended and added luxuries as and when they were needed with the help of Val.
He had left it all behind and for over two years, they had moved whenever they were discovered by Nicola or any of the group of psychos who hounded them under the direction of a man called Brian.
“OK, then shall we head out for a little sightseeing before we eat?” Seth asked.
The girls took no notice and were busy checking out the free toiletries and bathrobes in the en-suites.
“I said, shall we make a move?” Still no reply.
He walked into the bathroom and tapped his wife on the back, “sightseeing…before lunch…any takers?”
They laughed and gathered their things quickly before heading down to the lobby and the doorman hailed a taxi for them.
“Where to first?” Seth asked.
Hope looked at her mum “shopping,” they said in unison.
“Oxford street it is then,” and after instructing the driver the taxi set off into the traffic.
Lunchtime was quickly approaching as they headed along Oxford Street back to Selfridges for something to eat. They had just left Debenhams and were chatting happily as they strolled along the road with Seth carrying the multitude of different bags.
“Sightseeing seems to be more about retail therapy than I remember,” he said lifting the bags to prove his point.
“Can’t come to London with trying out the shopping Dad!” Hope pointed out, “after all we are here all week so sightseeing we can do on Wednesday.”
“So, shopping today and rest tomorrow?” Seth asked, though he knew the answer before he got it.
“No, shopping today and more shopping tomorrow,” Marcy corrected.
Seth saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see what had caught his attention.
A man was watching them as they walked and when Seth looked at him he turned away suspiciously. Seth looked behind him and saw two more people, a man and a woman, also change direction when he spotted them.
“Let’s go in here,” he grabbed Hope by the arm and they walked into the Disney shop with Marcy close behind.
“Oh…Disney,” Hope exclaimed as he hurried them into the store.
“Go find yourself a nice princess dress,” he joked as he took Marcy’s hand to stop her following.
“What is it?” She asked.
“We’re being followed, there was a man across the street,” he started, “look…but not obviously.” he pointed with his chin and Marcy looked up at the ceiling then toys near the door before following his gaze and seeing the man stood on the pavement opposite watching the storefront.
“It’s only a tourist, you're being paranoid.”
“There was a couple behind us too, but they haven’t passed the shop and all three tried to look inconspicuous when I caught their eyes,” Seth stressed.
“It doesn’t mean anything love, let’s go for our lunch and forget all about it.” Marcy joined her daughter and they both picked out some teddies before leaving the shop and continuing towards Selfridges.
Seth was on edge now and he scanned the street continually as they walked. As they crossed Duke Street a car pulled up ahead of them and Seth saw the one man he had hoped he wouldn’t… Brian.
“It’s him!” he cried as he looked around them.
Out of the car jumped three large men and Brian Wilson. Seth immediately took the hands of Hope and Marcy and turned up Duke Street to head away from them.
“How did he find us?” Marcy asked as they walked briskly up the street.
“I don’t know but they have, and we need to clear out of here quickly.” He looked back and saw Brian enter the street at a jog closely followed by several other people all looking at them.
“You won’t get far Seth!” Brian shouted from behind them, “We’ve been waiting for you ever since you booked your hotel and train tickets online.” There was a laugh and the three of them broke into a run.
They turned left onto Wigmore Street and headed towards Portman Square. There were shouts behind them and Seth tried to keep pace with his Daughter who was slowing down trying to see who was chasing them.
“Don’t look love just keep running, we’ll lose them soon.” He reassured.
Seth looked ahead and saw maybe ten more people around the street to their left. Quickly he turned right, and they ran past Portman Square before turning left and heading for Paddington.
Seth had counted over thirty people chasing them and knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun them with his wife and daughter in tow, but he also knew he couldn’t leave them. His options were reducing, he knew he could easily end all of this with one act, but he didn't want to expose his family to his gifts for fear of them getting caught up in the aftermath or worse being hit by the energy.
More cars stopped ahead of them and people piled out. He decided he had no alternative and it was time to make a stand. He quickly changed direction and ran towards Montague Square. He knew there was a strip of land in the street which would allow him to manoeuvre the chasing pack where he could see them.
As they ran along George Street Seth’s heart sank as he noticed the roadblock. He had been shepherded to this spot and he hadn’t even noticed what was going on.
He slowed to a walk and up ahead he saw her. Proud as punch with her TV crew and plastic smile.
“Nicola!”
“Where?” Marcy asked before spotting the woman herself.
They stopped and from behind them a large group of people, led by Brian, emerged from the street they had just left.
“I told you we’d been waiting,” he cackled.
They were surrounded, and he desperately tried to think of a way out of this situation.
“You took my family from me demon, now it’s time we returned the favour,” the threat was real, and Seth knew this had to end now.
“Stay back,” he whispered to Marcy, “take Hope towards the park and run when you can OK?” she looked confused.
“You will know when to run, don’t worry I won’t be far behind you.” He smiled, and she was reassured as she pulled at Hopes' arm to take her away from him.
More men appeared, and Seth tried to see any who seemed keen
to break ranks, but they all slowly closed the net around him with Brian still throwing threats in their direction.
Suddenly there was a buzzing in his head, but he ignored it as an elephant would a fly and concentrated on the events at hand.
“Each of us here has lost something or someone because of you Seth, the pretty redhead reporter only wanted me to find and trap you, but we’ve had other ideas…she can have your broken and dead body to write about.” They crept closer and Seth began to focus on the energy around him…no warnings this time no opportunity for them to walk away. He had run for long enough.
“Once we have dealt with you we will deal with your spawn and witch of a wife!”
His head spun, and he faced Brian. Looking to see where his family were he saw two of the group trying to get closer to them.
“The last man to accuse my wife of being a witch watched as his whole life burned, it seems you wish for the same fate!”
The air crackled with electricity as the sky grew dark with thickening clouds. The wind began to swirl and grow in strength, papers and debris were whipped up and blown around the circle of people who started to shield their eyes from dust and rubbish.
The dust cloud ballooned and covered the group in a thick grey cloud. Nicola cursed as she lost sight of what was happening, “can you see them?” she asked the cameraman.
“Not a bloody thing,” he replied, “where did this storm come from?”
Seth held his arms out as he gathered the energy.
“I will not have them taken from me…it’s time for this to end!” he cried.
Globes of light appeared in his upturned palms and with a flick of his wrist, he pushed the energy towards his wife and daughter throwing them back a split second before dropping his arms as lightning exploded into the ground.
As he let go of the energy he was overcome by the buzzing noise in his head. All around him bodies convulsed and died.
He caught Brian’s eyes as he fell to his knees and smiled as the life drained from the body of his pursuer as it hit the ground in front of him.
The rumble of thunder grew silent and he was aware of being lifted from the ground…but he couldn’t remember how he got there. He heard someone shout his name and he looked to see his wife before it all went black.
Time to Leave
The door crashed against the bed behind him as he opened his senses to the energy around him.
“Where are they, Mara?” He searched out his wife and daughter in the energies he felt.
“They are resting above you, Master.” He reached the lifts and pressed the call button and waited. He had to ensure they were safe before he confronted Corey.
The doors opened and stood in front of him, open-mouthed in shock, was Doctor Garrett. Seth instinctively threw a punch catching the man square on the temple. As he dropped unconscious Seth stepped into the lift and looked at the numbers on the panel.
“Twenty-seven floors…Which one are you on?” he passed his hand over the buttons and closed his eyes before pressing number twenty-six. The doors closed, and the lift jumped as it set off up the building.
Garrett groaned on the floor of the lift. “Mara, does he have the same barriers?” Seth asked.
“Yes Master, he is also blocked.” Seth considered for a second before deciding, since the good doctor was keen to experiment on him, then he wouldn’t mind too much if he did the same.
Tentatively he pressed his will against the buzzing and found a gap for him to send out strands of energy towards the prone doctor. As he touched the mind of the man he immediately felt what the Mara had described. For a couple of seconds, he probed until he found the same swirling patterns he had discovered in his own mind and pushed through the gaps before expanding the energy to shatter the barrier.
Garrett's eyes shot open and he stared up at Seth looming over him.
“Where am I?” he asked, “did you just hit me?” Seth smiled.
“How do you feel?”
“Well considering I’ve just been assaulted I feel OK” then a look of horror appeared on his face, “my wife!”
Pain crossed his eyes and tears began to well and drip down his cheeks. Seth crouched down and helped the man to his feet.
“I watched him kill her and could do nothing to stop him.” he wailed.
“Who, Corey?”
Garrett nodded, “for some reason I thought you had done it but now I remember it so clearly…I only came here as I was invited to give a talk…I am supposed to be at work in Christies…”
Seth watched as the man slowly recovered his memories and waited as he sifted through them.
“Wait!” he looked up at Seth, “it wasn’t even her, my God he made me believe I’d watched her be raped then killed but it never happened…it was Sarah his assistant!” a smile broke across his face and relief was clear in his eyes.
“He killed his assistant?”
“No, it was all like hypnosis but so vivid,” he exclaimed. “Sarah just seemed to play along as I saw the things he was doing in my mind...he didn't even move, but I was convinced of what I saw.” He let out a sigh, “He had me doing whatever he asked from then on, I didn’t question anything…I am so sorry.” He looked down at his feet, too ashamed to look at the man he had refused treatment for his wounds and supported his torture.
“I will end this,” Seth said, “you have my word.” He felt empathy for the man, losing your mind and your will is about as degrading a thing as he could imagine, he was not going to idly stand around while Corey did this to other people.
“How long have you been here?”
“I arrived on Monday, just after they brought you here I think…it’s a little foggy.” Garret replied.
The lift stopped, and the doors slowly opened.
“I am getting my family, you should make your way out as fast as you can, there are others still under his control.” He stepped out before remembering something. “He controls a lot of people Doctor, I suggest you call in sick at work and spend time with your wife, she’s probably incredibly worried by now.” He held out his hand and Garrett shook it. “Good luck, and remember to keep your head down,” the doors closed, and he started towards the room he knew held his wife and daughter.
Pausing outside the door he closed his eyes and sent energy out from his mind into the room. He sought his wife first as she was closest to him. As he searched her mind he broke through the barriers Corey had put there quickly as he now knew how his control worked.
He kept her sleeping as her memories reorganised themselves and moved his attention to his daughter.
“You don’t need to Dad, he never really controlled me,” came a voice in his head as the door to the room opened and stood there with a broad smile on her face was Hope.
He scooped her into his arms and squeezed and she returned the hug and for a second all was well as Marcy woke and rushed to the door to hold him too. Knowing he still had to deal with Corey he closed the door behind him and explained the situation to them both.
“I know him from before, he is my first wife’s Uncle.” Marcy looked shocked. “He is the same as me,” he added to explain. “We knew each other while I was learning to control my gifts, he taught me much along with Mae my teacher,” he shook his head, “I believed he was dead, as all the others were but clearly he had something to live a long time for.”
“He looks much older than you Dad”
“True, well you can step in and out of time as you choose. I choose to stay out of time completely as I wanted to be the same age when I met your mother again.” Hope looked confused. “Time is like a river sweetie, it flows, and all life is taken along with it. But as you know every river has a river bank and that is where I stood.” He explained, “I could watch time move forward and interact with it whenever I wanted but never actually getting onto the water…that is until your mother returned, then I dived straight back in.” He smiled Hope nodded her understanding.
He walked to the window and l
ooked out across the city, “he has been living in the water for much longer, so he could manipulate the world to his will. He controls so much power Marcy, we would never be free while he lives.”
Marcy and Hope stood either side of him and held his hands.
“What do you want us to do?” Marcy asked.
“He is on the floor above us, I can feel him. You need to wait here until I return if I am not back in thirty minutes you should leave without me…understand?”
“I won’t leave without you, you will come with us now, we can find somewhere to hide.” He pulled them both close and place a kiss on each of their foreheads.
“we can’t hide from him.” He said regretfully. Turning he walked and opened the door “thirty minutes, remember.”
Marcy watched the door close and for the first time, since she was at school, she prayed.
An End to It All
Seth stepped out of the elevator and walked down the corridor towards the ostentatious doors. As he walked he heard a gasp and looked to his left to see a pretty young woman in an incredibly tight dress sitting at her desk reaching for the telephone.
Seth sent out a tendril of thought and hit her mind hard, “shh” he raised a finger to his lips and broke through the swirling barriers tangled in her mind.
He looked at her name on the desk. “Sleep Sarah, I promise when I come out things will be different.” Sarah slumped over her desk with a thud and he continued to the doors.
Corey was leaving his bathroom when he heard the noise outside his office. Reaching over his desk he pressed the intercom. “Sarah, can you come in please?” still smug with his achievements he sat at his desk and waited. He liked to watch Sarah walk across his office she had such a nice body he may insist she wears less to work each day.
He smiled to himself as the door opened and waited in anticipation for the show to begin.
Seth heard Corey’s voice asking Sarah to go into his office and he opened the door and saw him smiling at him from his desk. For a split second their eyes met, and the realisation hit Corey as the smile dropped from his lips and his eyes widened.