He reached the mouth of the alley and cautiously peered around.
“It’s all clear,” he announced.
“Okay, let’s go straight into the alleyway on the other side.”
They both darted across the road, shadows in the street lamps and then back into darkness.
“What now, Josh? I mean what the fuck is our plan of action now?”
“Well, we keep going, play it by ear.”
“Shit man, I mean on a bigger scale. We’re just getting deeper and deeper into shit!”
Josh thought for a moment. “Oh shit! Karen! Hey, pass me your phone.”
“What, here and now? Don’t you think we should get a bit farther away?”
“Man, she’s got to get her and Sarah out of there as quick as possible, before Carthy gets to them.”
They’d both broken out into a mild jog, their pace subconsciously building and building as they’d hurried away from their unknown attackers. Josh dialled as they ran.
“Man, this shit’s got crazy,” Rufus said to himself.
“Come on, pick up, pick up!” Josh urged down the ringing phone.
“Hello?” came Karen’s voice.
“Karen!” Josh gasped. “Man, you’ve got to get the fuck out of there! We’ve ditched Carthy and somebody’s trying to kill us!”
“What the hell are you talking about!? Are you both alright?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. I nearly got shot but no we’re both fine!”
Karen’s voice exploded out in panic. “You nearly got shot! Who the hell was shooting at you?”
“I don’t know. Look that doesn’t matter right now. You and Sarah have to get out of the flat now!”
“How? She’s still out cold!”
Josh thought for a second. “I don’t know, get her into a taxi or something.” A vision of him saying something very similar before opened up inside his mind but he shrugged it off. “Tell them she’s drunk! But you have to get her out!”
Karen was silent for a second. “Okay, but where should we go?” Josh was stunned, found he had no idea and then suddenly he did. “The studio,” he said. “Get her to the art studio!”
ANOTHER STAKEOUT
OUTSIDE JOSH’S ART STUDIO—shrouded in darkness—there sat a silver Mondeo. Inside Ian McCalister was resisting the urge to light a cigarette, knowing the light could give him away. He’d been sitting for close to an hour now and he still wasn’t sure he was making the right move. Still some voice at the back of his head said it was.
Finding out who Josh and Rufus were had been relatively simple detective work. Catching up with them was proving to be far more difficult, however.
First step had been to go to Rob’s mum’s house. There he’d found his mother half-convinced that she’d already been visited by the police. Rob had been another story. He was shaken as hell, had clearly seen something but would in no way go into what had happened at his flat. Normally Ian would have made more of an effort to find out, but right now he was more concerned in finding out who the hell had already paid him a visit. Besides, this was personal not official. Rob, as it turned out, had known who they were, a couple of Art students, but had only known their first names. After ten minutes of getting nothing but hysterical burbling out of the lad, McCalister had decided to move on.
Finding out the full names and addresses of his leads hadn’t proved difficult either. He’d simply sweet-talked the university dean and come away with photocopies of Josh Holt’s and Rufus Raffertie’s home addresses for the term. The dean had seemed concerned and surprised, but McCalister had assured him they were only wanted for routine enquiries.
That’s where his luck had ended, however.
McCalister had decided he was now too close to get personally involved. He’d given a false name to Rob’s mother and the dean, but that would still easily lead back to him. That couldn’t be helped, but he wanted as little evidence of his involvement as possible.
He’d decided he’d approach the students on a more personal level, just catch them as either left their houses. Only problem was they’d never showed.
He waited a number of hours outside of the Rafferties to no avail. Next he’d waited outside Josh’s place but the only kid who’d left hadn’t matched the photocopied pictures he’d received off the Dean. He’d waited a while longer and then a black executive-looking car had shown up and some guy in an expensive looking suit had walked over and knocked on the door, so McCalister had made a sharp exit.
Knowing that special branch or someone else even higher now knew where to look, he assumed the houses were under surveillance and he hadn’t dared return. It also seemed that the kids were smart enough to lay low.
Then he’d remembered the address of the modified art studio that had also been given to him; with nothing else to chase up, he had decided to go there and hope something turned up.
It did.
A black cab had rolled up at about twelve, and two kids, one white, one black, had got out. At first Ian couldn’t make out their faces but it seemed too much to be mere coincidence.
At first he had decided to confront them straight away but instead of moving towards the building’s entrance they seemed to be waiting by the street for something, so he had waited too.
That had lasted about twenty minutes and then the white kid had started to hold his head and when he fell to his knees, Ian had decided something was definitely up and decided to make his move.
Ian opened his door and as casually as he could, made his way towards the couple.
“Hey!” he shouted as he neared them.
The black kid had looked up. “Oh shit Josh, it’s one of those guys again! Run!!”
He tried to pull Josh back to his feet, but he had merely crumpled to the ground, unmovable.
“What’s wrong with him?” McCalister asked.
Rufus eyed him suspiciously. “Nothing,” he said. “He’s fine. Come on Josh get the fuck up!”
“I can’t move,” Josh mumbled.
“He’s anything but fine lad! So what’s wrong?”
Rufus looked anxious. He looked down at his fallen friend and then up at Ian. He looked behind him, seemed to be considering running and then realising he couldn’t leave his friend behind, resolved himself to his fate.
“So who are you man?”
Ian stuck out his hand. “Detective Ian McCalister.”
“I guess we’ve been caught,” Josh murmured from the pavement.
“What’s wrong with your friend, son?”
Rufus said nothing for a second. “A drug. He’s taken a drug of some sort,” he finally admitted.
Ian was surprised. “A drug?? What sort of drug?”
Rufus shook his head. “Look I don’t really know but someone’s trying to kill us and there’s a guy looking for us! Man can you help?”
“What exactly are you involved in kid?”
Rufus laughed, looked close to desperation. “Man I wish I knew! So you here to arrest us?”
Now Ian regarded him suspiciously. “Should I be?”
Rufus laughed again, then looked down at Josh. To Ian he looked close to his breaking point.
“Should I be?” he asked again.
Rufus shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Ian smiled mildly. “No I’m not here to arrest you. I’m not even here on an official basis. I just need some—information and the trail leads to you. So what exactly are you both involved with?”
Rufus laughed. “Shit where to start! Monsters, drugs or demon cops. Man you won’t believe the things I’ve seen!”
Ian was quiet for a second. It seemed he was talking to right people.
“Try me,” he said.
Rufus just stared at him. “Seriously, you won’t believe me! you’ll just think I’m crazy!”
Ian nodded, again went silent for a moment. “About a month ago I saw... something. Something that’s made me question a lot of things I once would have thought were complete nonsense.
”
Rufus seemed to be taking him seriously now. “Yeah? Can you help me get my friend up?”
Ian nodded. “Sure.”
“I-I don’t want to move,” Josh stammered as they began to pick him up. “The whole world’s spinning!”
“It’s alright, Josh,” Rufus said pulling him to his feet and then propping his arm over his shoulder.
“So what are you doing here?” Ian asked.
“I wasn’t joking before. I really don’t know where to begin.”
Ian nodded. “Listen, I don’t think we can stay here very long. The people who are looking for you probably know about this place, and I shouldn’t even be here.”
“Yeah?” asked Rufus. “Why not?”
Ian shook his head. “It’s complicated. We really don’t have time! How do you and your friend feel about coming to mine? We can piece the whole thing together there.”
“I don’t know, man. I mean I don’t even know you.”
“Well, you said you needed help right? I can give you somewhere to hide till we’ve worked this out but I can’t force you.”
Rufus nodded tiredly. “So this isn’t an arrest?”
“kid, I’m not even officially on this case. My involvement is of a more... personal, nature. The truth is I want to keep you away from my colleagues as much as you do! For now at least.”
Josh managed to speak. “Man we need to go somewhere!”
“So why are the police after you anyhow?” Ian asked. Even now he recognised his first duty was as a cop.
“I’m not even sure they were the police!” Rufus blurted. “I mean there was sirens but it sounded like they were still coming. Man I tell you we’re caught up in some real messy shit!”
Ian was thoughtful for a second. “I can keep you safe as long as you haven’t done anything too serious,” he paused. “Have you?”
Rufus shook his head. “No, it was Carthy! He shot someone!”
Ian’s head was beginning to swim. He didn’t know what he’d expected to find out but this wasn’t it.
“Carthy? Look I sense this is a real long story, you’re gonna’ have to tell me the whole thing back at mine. The same people who are probably after you could have got the same info’ I got, so this place isn’t exactly safe. I think we should go now.”
Josh spoke. “We can’t. Not yet!”
“Yeah,” said Rufus. “We’ve got to wait for Karen and Sarah to get here.”
Ian was getting more confused by the second. “There’s more of you? I can see I’m out of my league here!”
“Seriously, it’s crazy!” Rufus told him.
At that moment another black taxi pulled up. The three of them looked up to see Karen getting out. When she saw Ian, she looked suddenly panicked.
“It’s okay!” Rufus shouted. “He’s a good guy!” Then he looked back to Ian. “You’ll have to carry Sarah. She’s in a coma.”
“What? A coma!!? Why?”
“Man, I’m telling you, it’s a mess. She’s on the same drug as him, only she’s even more fucked up!”
“So are you telling me this is all about drugs somehow?” Ian rubbed his head. “Jesus!”
“It’s all about drugs!” Josh said. “This fucking whole thing!”
Ian shook his head. How any of what he’d seen back at that house could ever be linked to drugs completely escaped him.
Karen paid the driver and opened the back door to reveal Sarah’s unconscious body laid out across the seat.
“Jesus!” said McCalister. “I see you weren’t joking. Come on, I’ll get your friend.”
SPIDERS
“HOW THE HELL CAN YOU be sure he wasn’t Casendrull?”
Zackeriah was furious. He was pacing around the room with barely contained anger. The news that one of his crew had been murdered and that someone was now on to them had not been well received. Chairs had been thrown and kicked across the room, plant pots smashed in a blind fury which had ceased only when a threat to call the police had been shouted through the door. Now Zackeriah was tensed with barely contained anger which it seemed he might unleash at any second. The atmosphere around him was charged with static and above him the light erratically pulsed and dimmed.
Nickoloi just sat smiling, casually playing with his magic eight ball. He waited for Zackeriah to finally stop pacing before he spoke.
“Since when have Casendrulls worked with humans?”
Zackeriah glared at him. “Then they must have been cops!”
“No,” said Nickoloi defiantly. “One of them was definitely of our kind. If you need proof you need only look at the fact that he took out Malok.”
Zakeriah cursed and continued to pace about the room. He stopped, suddenly distracted by the TV.
“Oh damn it,” he growled. “I’d hoped they would vote off that fat annoying pig of a girl! Her incessant sounds send me quite mad with rage but no, no, no they vote for...”
Nickoloi interrupted him. “Zackeriah, what is to be done?”
Zackeriah paused, thinking. His eyes still burning holes through the Tv screen. “Well there may be something to your claim that they were not Casendrull, as I fear we would already be quite dead if they were! But who else could they be? And if not the police...” He was talking more to himself than to Nickoloi, just an unclear outpouring of his thoughts.
Nickoloi interrupted again. “It would appear the police are on to us, too. When I made the decision to go back there were black cars everywhere. When the real police showed they were sent away by men in suits. Some kind of special unit it would seem, but their involvement is very real all the same. If I may venture, I would say we have entered the bad place.”
It was impossible to know if Zackeriah had even heard. He continued to pace and fume. “No, no, no, but this won’t do!” He stopped, again distracted by the Tv. “God I wish someone would gut that fat pig, see how high she squeals then!” Static rushed over the screen and the sound broke apart.
Nickoloi was desperately trying to keep Zackeriah’s mind focused. “Zackeriah, there are more pressing issues.”
“Yes, yes quite true! Well whether they’re Casendrull or not, it seems that the time for us to leave this city has come. Nick, see to the disposal of all our meat puppets! I don’t want to leave any loose-ends! In fact talk to them first, ask if any one has come around asking any questions then gut them like pigs, yes it’s the only thing to do! Rip them wide fuckin’ open! Incompetent bastards!” He punched the wall and someone on the other side knocked back.
“Fuck you!” He bellowed.
“Should I do that now?”
“Why yes, boy! Post haste! Transport will have to be arranged as well, of course. I’d prefer to keep things above board, so tomorrow take some money from our funds and buy something suitable for the transport of our merchandise. yes, yes, yes speed is of the essence now! I feel we have to assume that it is the Casendrull that we are dealing with and knowing that each second wasted could be our last! They are not well known for their inefficiency!”
Nickoloi laughed. “Zack, you talk too much and say too little. So is our plan simply to tuck our tail between our legs and run! Don’t you feel we should at least find out who we are dealing with?”
Zackeriah looked at him coldly. “I’ve got us this far have I not? Are your pockets not fat with their money?”
“None of which am I permitted to spend,” sneered Nickoloi.
“Nick, Nick, Nick... that’s for the next city. Here we were to simply lay-low, establish a beachhead. Start a network—all of which seems to have turned to shit now! No, I am quite keen to find out who these cunts are! Now they have taken one of our own, pissed on our plans! But where to start? It’s a big city and it seems safe to say that from their actions it is them who are coming for us and not the other way round! It is we who are the hunted and if it does turn out to be the Casendrull...”
“No,” said Nickoloi. “They were not Casendrull. As you have pointed out they do not make mistakes! I
f they had gotten this close we would be dead. We are not, so they are not!”
Zackeriah nodded stroking his chin. He turned thoughtfully on his companion. “I agree. Are we agreed, however, that this is the time to exit this place to pastures anew?”
“Well, it would appear some kind of net is closing and that it may be twofold. It also appears that they will find us before we find them, after all, we have no way of knowing how much they already know or what we are actually up against. I say yes we leave. We have no hold to this city and we lose nothing other than Malok in going. I disagree to the slaughter of the meat puppets however.”
“Ahhh, your deep-felt morality, no doubt?”
Nickoloi laughed low. “Zackeriah, we gain nothing by their deaths. They hold no memory of us anyway! In questioning they would simply run a blank. However, by going to them, we risk capture by whoever it is who knows of us. Since it was from there which we were followed, returning seems unwise. I say we simply secure the van, pack and leave.”
Zackeriah slumped down into a chair. His brow was crumpled in deep frustration. He suddenly let out a low growl which rose in ferocity till he once again stood, his whole frame vibrating with fury. He turned on Nickoloi and his eyes burned white hot. “These fuck pigs, this excrement cannot be allowed to go unscathed!” he snarled. “Tonight as they sleep their brains will leave a trail of piss! Each thought of us, of our operation, will lead us closer to them. We’ll seize their sleeping corpses and have them gut each other with knives! Have them tear at each other with teeth, rip with claw and nail, tear holes from each other!”
Above him the light had all but gone out. A strange whining sound was being emitted by the Tv and the images on it were warped and bleeding. Zackeriah’s hair had raised up with charge he was radiating and he made a terrible visage, brimming with power.
And still Nickoloi merely sniggered.
“Is that wise?” he asked. “If they are in the company of a Weird, we, by going to them may in turn bring him to us!”
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