Dark Side Darker

by Lucas T. Harmond

  Ian leaned up against the door frame. It displayed a calm he in no way felt. “Who are you?”

  “As I said, that’s of no concern...”

  Ian cut him short by smacking his hand on the flat of the door. “Damn it I want some answers! you think you can just come to my door with your pleasant threats and...”

  The man took a step back and raised his hands in a calming gesture but there was no stopping Ian.

  “What I saw that night was not of this Earth! And the only thanks I get is to be thrown off the case and told to shut the fuck up! Now they send some smiling cunt...”

  “Detective...”

  “Some smiling cunt! To tell me to mind my own business, well...”

  “Detective, please restrain yourself.”

  Ian shook his head. “No, damn it, I won’t! I’ve been shat on from on high, I can’t sleep and I’m at the end of my fucking tether! What the hell was going on in that house? I want some fucking answers!”

  The man merely shook his head, that same superior smile resting on his lips. “You’ve got none coming, detective,” he told him firmly. A pause. “All I have are questions,” another loaded pause. “And advice.”

  Ian managed to calm himself slightly. “I have no idea what you’re fucking talking about.”

  “Cut the shit, detective! We know you’ve been snooping about.” After Ian’s outburst it seemed his visitor was also struggling to keep his cool.

  There was no masking of his aggression when Ian replied. “And how do you know that? Whoever the fuck you are!?”

  “Seems somebody we were questioning had been talking to an unknown police officer before us.”

  “It wasn’t me!”

  “Would have been very unwise don’t you think? Being suspended and all. Actually, as it happens, it wasn’t your name they gave; funny thing is, no one seems to have ever heard of this certain detective. Strange don’t you think?”

  Ian shook his head. “Look I’m not saying anything more until you tell me who you represent. I want to see some credentials.”

  “You’re not in any kind of position to ask me for anything. Quite simply, we want to know everything you know.”

  Ian grunted out a half-laugh. “Won’t take long.”

  The man frowned. “Have you found them, detective?”

  Ian returned the fuck-you-smile. “Found who?” he asked innocently.

  The man slowly shook his head. “I’m not at liberty to say. Can I come in?”

  “Got a warrant?”

  A low laugh. “Detective, if we truly wanted to come in, we wouldn’t need a warrant! So am I to take that as a no?”

  Ian nodded. “I didn’t know I was going to have visitors. I’d hate for you to see the mess the house is in.” Ian half growled. He in no way liked being threatened at his own door.

  The man glanced over his shoulder and seemed appalled. “So I see...” There was a long pause while the suit seemed to weigh out his options.

  He spoke the instant his mind was decided. “This isn’t over, detective; you will be watched, and if you so much as take a step somewhere...” He paused and smiled. “Well, as I said it would be very unwise, to say the very least. This is infinitely bigger than you can imagine and your interfering with our investigation can only fuck things up for everyone.” He paused and his glare grew harder. “And for some more than others.”

  Ian smirked. “I’ll bear that in mind. Fuck you!”

  Again he shook his head. Clearly this man was unused to being treated with such disrespect. His steel grey eyes struggled to contain the fury he was clearly feeling. “I don’t think you can imagine the consequences of your actions! Drop whatever investigation you have going now!”

  “Investigation? Consider it dropped. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.”

  For a second it looked as if the man might lose his cool. His eye twitched, then the corner of his mouth, but in the end he merely smiled, forced and stretched across his skull till his teeth showed like knives. “This isn’t over, detective,” he said cooly and walked away to the parked car.

  Instead of getting in he lifted a tiny cellular phone to his ear and in a matter of seconds an identical car pulled up.Having given Ian a wave, the suit disappeared into the passenger seat before being sealed away by black glass.

  Ian was left frowning into the glaring eyes of the driver of the first car, who sat smoking with his window down.

  Ian gave him a wink and closed the door.

  BEHIND DARK GLASS

  “HOW DID IT GO, SIR?”

  The man lit a cigar and inhaled deeply. “About as well as you’d expect.” He paused to exhale smoke. “The man’s desperate for answers.”

  “As you’d expect,” said the third suit in the back of the car.

  The driver spoke again. “Did you find out anything?”

  The first frowned. “No. He denied everything. Still, we already knew it was him who spoke to the Dean. All that bothers me is how he got to him in the first place. We’ve clearly got a leak at the station.”

  “We’ve tried to initialize a total blackout.”

  He waved him away. “That doesn’t matter right now.”

  “Do you think the Students were with him sir?”

  “I don’t think it matters too much. I fail to see what real damage they can do. Having said that, they may have the girl, and she needs to be contained.” He paused. “And I’d like to find out what they know. However, on the greater scale of things, we have the site contained and they are only a bunch of kids.”

  He breathed out a heavy screen of blue smoke. “All that really worries me is this unknown man who was with them. I think we may have to seriously consider that our quarry may now be on to us. However, I am bothered by a number of factors. Why would they abduct that girl from the hospital and why would one of them be going around with a bunch of students in the first place? No I think we may have a rogue element and that bothers the hell out of me! And the fact he’s shooting at our people bothers me even more.”

  “Hmmm,” said the man in the back. “Do you think he may be a Casendrull operative?”

  “Working against us? Seems unlikely.”

  “I’ve never trusted them,” said the driver.

  The first laughed. “You should watch what you think!”

  “So what’s our next course of action?” asked the voice in the back.

  “Same as before—continue to monitor the site and wait for the Casendrull strike force.”

  “MAY CAUSE PARANOIA...”

  AS IAN OPENED THE DOOR to his kitchen, he was met by three pairs of anxious eyes.

  “Who was it?” Rufus blurted out. Ian went to the window and pulled down the blind. “Whoever was shooting at you just threatened me at the door. They’re watching the house.”

  Rufus looked panicked. “Oh shit!”

  “Could someone please untie me!” pleaded Josh.

  “What are we going to do?” asked Karen.

  “Nothing for now. Lay low, keep away from the windows.”

  Rufus was peering through a gap in the blinds. He looked back over his shoulder. “We can’t just hide here forever.”

  “No, you’re right lad, we can’t, but we’ll work something out when it comes to it. For now I want to try my man Callum on this drug angle.”

  “Can someone untie me?” Josh asked again, this time slightly less desperate.

  Ian walked to the phone, pressed a button and lifted the receiver to his ear. He paused and looked back at the room. “Do you think they’ve bugged my phone?”

  “You think they might be listening in?” Karen asked.

  Ian stroked his chin. “Jesus, I don’t know.”

  “Well, do you want to use my phone?”

  Ian shook his head. “No. I got the impression they were looking for you too. If they’ve got that kind of power I’m sure they’ll be monitoring your mobiles.”

  “They can do that?”

  “There are ways, yes.
”

  “So what now?” asked Rufus.

  Ian was quiet for a long time. Finally he shrugged. “Shit your pants and dive in, I guess!”

  He lifted the receiver and dialled. Ian wasn’t sure but he might have heard a click, either way it was enough and he hung up.

  “What’s up? Is something wrong?”

  “I don’t know, I thought I heard something.”

  Josh groaned. “Guys...”

  “Yes, in a second Josh!” Karen snapped, then she turned back to Ian who was now pacing about the room holding his chin. “Are they listening?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I heard a click... Shit!”

  “You could use a pay-phone,” Josh said.

  Karen looked at him. “Yeah, but won’t they follow him?”

  “What are they going to do? Arrest him for making a phone call?”

  Rufus was again peering out of the blinds. “Shit! I can’t believe this shit! I’m a fucking student!” He looked back a Josh. “Jesus man, how the fuck did you get me into this!? Fucking mutants and, and, and you fucking stabbed me man!!! You fucking stabbed me!”

  “Look I’m sorry! It wasn’t me!”

  “Look,” said Ian, “everyone just calm down. This isn’t helping.”

  “Hmmm,” started Karen. “Maybe you could go to him in person.” “No, the nicks swarming with them. I’d be spotted in seconds.” The room settled into silence. It was Josh who broke it. “What about a neighbour? you could tell them it’s an emergency... pay them if you have to. They couldn’t set up a wire tap that quick. At least I don’t think so.”

  Ian nodded. “Capitol lad! There’s an old chap across the road I’m quite friendly with. Look I’m going to go now, you lot just stay here and lay low. Oh and someone better check on the girl.”

  SHORT VISIT

  AS IAN OPENED HIS FRONT DOOR the watcher in the car instantly turned on him. As Ian paced down the path the darkened window slowly slid down. “Going somewhere detective?” came the voice.

  “Yeah, I’m going to see a friend of mine.”

  “I’ve got orders to follow you.”

  “Go ahead. It’s just across the street.”

  The lock clicked and the door was flung open. “I’d rather you didn’t!”

  Ian reached his gate. “Fine lad. Then you’re going to have to arrest me.”

  The man fell silent for a moment. “Fine, but if you’re not back in half an hour, I’m coming to the door.” The man watched him go and once Ian was safely inside his neighbour’s house, strolled to Ian’s own front door.

  Karen was half-way through untying Josh when they all heard the heavy knock on the door.

  They jumped.

  “Oh shit!” said Rufus. “It’s them!”

  “What should we do?” asked Karen.

  “Let them in,” said Josh sarcastically, and was ignored by both.

  Karen looked at Rufus. “What if it’s Ian?”

  “Why would he be knocking on his own front door?”

  “Then ignore them,” said Josh. “Ignore them and untie me!”

  Outside the suited man checked the house’s windows and when he was satisfied there was no one looking out, raised a cell phone to his ear. He pressed a button and waited.

  “Yeah?” came the weary sounding response.

  “Are you still watching the back?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Any activity?”

  “No none at all.”

  The first guy nodded. “Okay, our guy’s left the house. He’s gone to a neighbour’s, I can see it from here but I’ve got a feeling he might try to slip out the back, so I’m gonna’ go watch it. ”

  There was a brief pause. “You sure? We’re not supposed to abandon our posts?”

  “Yeah, but needs must when the devil drives, right? Anyhow I want you to come ’round and watch the front. And the house you’re watching out for is the one with the green door and ivy. you can see it easily from the car. Okay?”

  “Yeah okay. I’m on my way.”

  PICKING UP THE TRAIL

  WITH THE THIRD KICK whatever lock was holding shut the door shattered and Nickoloi was in. He found himself in a large space with white brick walls and dirty windows which let in little light. Above him glowed the intense glare of strip-lighting. Apart from a series of paintings, the room appeared to be empty.

  Nickoloi sniffed the air and then allowed the room’s stored energy to flow through him. Fragmented sounds and visions flooded his mind. Echoes recorded by brick and wood. His quarry had been here and for one second they looked through each other’s eyes. He saw a painting writhing in pain, and in turn Josh had seen the crucified man who had stood before Nickoloi. He smiled.

  Zackeriah had entered the boy’s mind, searching along corridors and pathways until the signal had become clear. Once there he’d manipulated his limbs like a toy, slashed out at his friends and nearly succeeded. Nearly but not quite. Still his failure was not complete. With the drug still in his veins the boy’s mind had been like an open book. Names, fears, visions had all been his. A Casendrull he was not. Then had come the name of something other than human, Carthy. His reason for being involved, a girl possessed. A girl he loved. How he and his friends had met with their acquired meat puppets. But all of these fragments were useless without a location and this Zackeriah had not been able to find. For hours he had meditated, his mind linked to the boy, Josh, but it was clear the boy himself didn’t know where he was. Instead he had glimpsed an address that meant something to him, a place where he had unknowingly encountered Malok. And this place had felt right. He could see the pathways expand from it. The sights and visions of the area had filled his mind.

  Zackeriah had seen clearly the night on which Malok had met Harper. Seen flashes from Josh’s fledgling mind, a figure stalking some distance behind. No, Josh it seemed was no Casendrull, as Malok had said, no, just a human who’s powers had been partially awakened first by their presence and then by their product.

  But Carthy? The question hung steadily in all their minds. Who was this Carthy? And what?? His methods far too erratic for Casendrull— yet clearly not human. Carthy. The true threat to their scheme, having already executed Malok; but where was he? To get to him it seemed they would have to go through the children.

  And this was how Nickoloi had come to be standing in Josh’s art studio and as he stood there revolted by all the recorded sensation, he, on impulse, approached a nearby table. Amongst the empty coffee cups and jars full of dirty water and brushes was a discarded letter. And there at its top, neatly printed beneath a coffee ring, was the address he was looking for.

  INFO

  “DRUGS?” SAID CALLUM. “You’re asking me about drugs?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got some new information.”

  “Not really my field...”

  “Yeah, but you can ask about them, right?”

  There was a pause. “I don’t know, the suits at the office are making me pretty edgy.”

  “Yeah I know, they’ve been to see me. Slapped my wrist and told me to keep my nose out in so many words.”

  “Jesus, do they know about me?”

  “Not from me they don’t, and my guess is, that if they did, you would as well!”

  There was a longer pause this time. “Listen,” said Callum. “You’re my mate Ian, and you’ve done a lot for me in the past, but I don’t know about this... The Station is pretty much in lockdown. The suits are asking a lot of questions and they’re looking into everything, all sorts. Missing persons, murders, Narcotics, the lot.”

  “Narcotics!?” snapped Ian. “But don’t you see that proves it?”

  In his office Callum paused and nervously watched as one of the suited men walked past his desk. When he spoke again it was hushed.

  “Look mate, I’m not saying it doesn’t but I’m getting nervous.”

  “Callum, I just need some info, I’m out of the loop. Look, have you heard anything about a drug called Blue?”
>
  “Yeah. There’s a bit of a buzz about it on the street. LSD, I think, but no one seems to know who’s pushing it. What’s it got to do with your case?”

  Ian hesitated as his neighbour John walked into the hallway carrying a hot cup of tea.

  “Hang on Callum,” he said and took the receiver from his ear. “Cheers again John, just put it down on the stairs.”

  The elderly man nodded and moved away with out saying another word.

  Ian was about to speak again when a dark notion suddenly took him.

  “Callum, it just occurred to me there’s a very good chance they’re monitoring your calls there.”

  “It had occurred to me. Do you want to phone back on another line?”

  Ian thought for a long time. “No, the longer we wait the more chance they’ll have set something up. Shit your pants and dive in right?”

  There was a long pause from Callum. “I’m not sure about this Ian. Maybe you’re in too deep? Maybe you should walk away from this one? Call it SNAFU?”

  “For reasons I can’t explain, I can’t. Look I’m in this do or die, can you tell me anything about Blue? Anything about drugs in general?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, anything! Anything big that’s happening, any names connected to Blue. Anything!”

  Callum thought for a few seconds. “ A number of Gareth Heath’s boys have been found dead. Either real cut up or with what were apparently self-inflicted wounds. By all accounts it looked like the start of a drug war but no one seemed to step up to fill the gap. Then it all went quiet again.”

  “Does this have anything to do with Blue?”

  “I wouldn’t know. you said anything. Heath’s deep into drugs though. Him and Sonny Black pretty much have the city divided up between them. If someone’s pushing something new it seems reasonable to assume him or Sonny would know about it...”

  Ian interrupted “Or would want a piece, right?”

  Callum nodded. “Yeah but that doesn’t figure. If that was the case it wouldn’t have been Heath’s boys we’d have found.”