“That’s right.”
“Through what?”
“A doorway.”
“Right. That makes no sense at all but I’ll see what I can do.”
“As soon as possible,” Ben said.
“Okay.”
Ben ended the call and walked back into the Anomaly. Kramer and Geordie stood by the stove talking quietly. When she saw Ben, Kramer came over and took his hand.
“There’s no privacy here, but I need to tell you something.”
Ben frowned. “Not like you,” he said.
“I know. Sometime after we were stranded here we were overtaken by a sandstorm. There were creatures in it. Wraiths and goblins. Maybe others. And a voice that kept telling me I wanted to die. We were lost in there. I was injured, tired and hungry. She sounded so persuasive that I came close to killing myself. Geordie stopped me.” Kramer sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Ben put his arm around her. “Why?”
“Because I gave up hope.”
“And now you’re here.”
Ben liked the way she leant into him. “Stay focussed on that.”
“Yeah.” Kramer wiped at her eyes. Ben ignored the fact she had tears on her face.
“Hey, Geordie,” Ben called out to the British soldier. “Thanks for helping Kramer out.”
Geordie shrugged. “I didn’t want to be left on my own,” he said.
“See,” Ben nudged Kramer. “He likes you.”
“You two should spend some time together,” Kramer said. “Learn how to insult me properly.”
“Once you’re out of here, I’ll do that,” Ben said. “Now I have to go find Reuben and see if we’re being kicked out of the village once and for all.”
“Stanton?” Kramer asked.
“The one and only.”
“Pity he isn’t stuck in here,” she said.
“Think about that for a minute. You and Stanton trapped in here for the rest of your lives.”
“Oh, don’t,” Kramer shivered. “That will give me nightmares.”
Ben gave her a final kiss. She seemed to like that and clung onto him longer than he expected. It made walking away difficult, and he didn’t want to look back but when he did she was out of sight, back into her world. The soldier with the clipboard patted Ben on the back as he walked passed. That didn’t make Ben feel much better. Up the road and around the corner he found a garden wall to sit on and stare at nothing in particular. He didn’t want to admit it to Kramer, but the chances of her getting back seemed pretty remote. All the scientists did was fiddle with their equipment and mutter words Ben never knew existed.
He could only hope that Old Davey would have an answer. The alternative was too much to think about.
***
“I’ll want all your staff out of my area within two hours,” Stanton said. He waited for a response from Douglas Congrave. When none came, he added. “Do you understand?”
“Of course.” Congrave made a play of inspecting his nails.
“And no interference with the research that is taking place.”
“That will be difficult considering much of the off-site work is being done at Sheddlestone Hall.”
“Not for long.” Stanton patted his laptop. “I’ve emailed a request through to have relevant staff moved to military establishments so greater control can be kept on them. Their orders should come through in the next twenty-four hours.”
Congrave sighed. He’d not been sure about Stanton when the appointment as commanding officer for the Anomaly security zone had been made. The feedback Congrave received from colleagues in the army suggested a man wedded to the book and unable to think outside the rigid box in which he lived. Sometimes this was a good thing. But in his line of work, Congrave knew that an inability to see beyond the nearest horizon would be a dangerous handicap.
“Are you sure that’s the correct decision,” Congrave asked.
“Due to the nature of this operation my direct report is the Government’s Cobra committee,” Stanton said. “That includes the Secretary of State for Defence and the committee have all signed off on this.”
Of course, the good old Secretary of State for Defence, Congrave thought. Your brother.
“One of my people is stuck in the Anomaly,” Congrave said. “So I would like to leave at least one person here to keep any eye on her situation.”
“Not possible.” Stanton smiled as he spoke. “In fact, Joanne Kramer, as she is still officially an officer in the United States Army, has been transferred to my command.”
“How convenient,” Congrave said.
“I think it works out for all of us. She gets proper care and consideration, and you have nothing to worry about.”
“Joanne’s partner, Ben Scarrett, will want updates on what’s happening with the Anomaly.”
“He may soon be on the other side of the Atlantic if my request is approved.”
Now Congrave’s face hardened. He’d allowed Stanton’s little power play to go forward without too much resistance. Congrave could monitor events in the village from outside and make any moves he needed without alerting Stanton. But this went a step too far.
“Ben is a very capable agent operating under my authority,” Congrave said. “He will not be returned to his parent organisation unless, and until, I approve it.”
“I’ve described him as a loose cannon before now. To be honest, I think that’s being generous. He’s reckless and a danger to everyone around him.”
“That’s why I like him.” Congrave’s voice held an edge of anger that made Stanton frown.
“Really?” the Lieutenant-Colonel sounded surprised. “Perhaps I should question your suitability for leading your department.”
“Question away.” Congrave stood. He needed to get out of Stanton’s presence.
“I will.” Stanton rose as well, trying to dominate the conversation. “However, from the feedback I received in my communications with Cobra this morning, your Department of Environmental Security is facing closure sooner rather than later.”
Congrave stopped halfway to the door. He stared at Stanton, trying to see beyond the smug grin to understand why this was happening. That Stanton wanted control was obvious, but his desire to take down the DES went beyond simple that and into an area Congrave wanted to explore. But how much time did he have? And how many allies were left in government? As soon as the tide turned, most of Congrave’s supporters would disappear faster than a ferret down a rabbit hole. “No doubt you’ll be in touch to let me know any other rumours?” he asked Stanton.
“Not rumours,” Stanton said. “It’s the truth.”
Congrave walked out without another word. He strode through the command post and out into watery sunlight. His driver waited for him, resting against the bonnet of a Range Rover and watching three soldiers unload a van. As soon as the driver saw Congrave’s face, he had the rear door open. “Trouble?” he asked, as his boss slid into the vehicle.
“Big,” Congrave said.
When the driver sat behind the wheel, Congrave said, “Are Reuben and Ben on site, Ed?”
“Yes, I saw Reuben heading down to get his gear out of his accommodation. He’d left Ben up by the Anomaly to see Jo.”
“Head up that way.”
***
It took thirty minutes for McGrath to call back. Ben waited patiently on the garden wall, shifting position from time to time to ease the numbness in his backside. A couple of army trucks drove passed, belching fumes in his face as they took the tight corners at walking pace. There seemed to be more troops coming into the exclusion zone now. Stanton seemed to think that the risks associated with the Anomaly were growing, or maybe he just wanted to build his little empire down here in Cornwall.
Thinking about Stanton wasn’t Ben’s idea of how to spend an afternoon, but at least it stopped him mulling over Kramer. She’d been pretty downbeat when they’d spoken. Not like her at all. She’d faced every other obstacle thrown at her and overcome
them. But being trapped in another world seemed to have drained her energy. Geordie would have to keep a close eye on her to make sure there wasn’t another repeat of Kramer thinking about killing herself.
The sound of his phone ringing broke into his thoughts. He saw McGrath’s name on the display. “Hello, John.”
“Ben.”
“Did you do it?”
“Aye, I drove a couple of miles out of town to a bay I know. I didn’t want anyone seeing me talking to the ocean.”
“And did it work?”
“I almost gave up. Then he came.”
Ben slid from the wall; his fist clenched in delight. “What did he say?”
“Watch for the Guardian.”
Ben’s heart sank. “Is that all?”
“Watch for the Guardian. Then he sank beneath the waves, and if you don’t mind me saying I hope he never comes back up.”
“You don’t mean that,” Ben said.
“Wanna bet? Honestly, Ben, if this is the kind of thing you deal with then I’m out. I’m flattered you considered me for a position with your organisation, but I have to turn it down.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Of course it is. It means you have to travel up here if there’s another visit from a dead guy, or an old god or whatever kind of freaky thing you are dealing with.”
“It’s an interesting job,” Ben said, making one last try to convince McGrath. “You’d get a pay raise.”
“Not worth it,” McGrath laughed. “So I’ll be saying goodbye to you. And I hope you don’t take any offence, but I hope we never have to speak again.”
“Thanks for your time, John,” Ben said. “Good luck in the future.”
With the call over, Ben walked back towards the Anomaly. The same soldier waited with his clipboard, but it seemed to Ben that more uniformed figures stood around than before. He decided to be a little more circumspect this time in his approach. The soldier saw Ben and stepped forward. When he spoke, he kept his voice down,
“My Captain is over there so I can’t let you through this time.”
“Okay,” Ben sighed. “I understand. Do you ever speak to either of the two people in there?”
“Yeah. Usually the guy. He likes to know what’s going on with the research and the like.”
“Can you pass a message? Just tell him that Ben says ‘watch for the Guardian’.”
“Watch for the Guardian,” the soldier repeated. “Is that all?”
“Yeah.”
“Will it help?”
“I don’t know.” Ben couldn’t see either Kramer or Geordie. In some ways that came as a relief. He didn’t know if seeing Kramer again would be a good thing.
“I’ll do it as soon as I can.”
“Thanks.” Ben fished in his pocket and pulled out an English bank note. He didn’t get a chance to see what kind before the soldier took it from him in a practised movement. Ben frowned. “How much was that one?”
“Twenty,” the squaddie said with a grin.
“Damn, I was only going to give you a five.”
“I’ll tell him the message four times. Will that do?”
Ben laughed. “Yeah, I guess. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem. It looked like you and the girl in there are an item.”
“We are.”
“You must feel like shit right now.”
“You got that right,” Ben said.
The soldier nodded and lifted his clipboard and pen up. “What’s your mobile number? Me and my mates’ll keep an eye on things, and I’ll call you if anything changes. My name’s Tom.”
“Thanks,” Ben said and told the soldier the number before saying, “I’d better go before your officer gets too interested in us.”
The Captain seemed on the point of coming over to question Ben, so he turned and walked away. He’d just reached the same corner where he’d been sitting when Congrave’s Range Rover pulled up next to him. Ben got in.
Congrave said, “We are now persona-non-grata in the exclusion zone. Stanton has used his brother’s influence to have us excluded from all future developments here.”
“So, what’s next?” Ben asked.
“We find out why your dead Scotsman seems so insistent on warning us about Morrigan.”
“I had another message from him passed on by the local cop. It was for Kramer and Geordie. Watch for the Guardian.”
“What does that mean?” Congrave frowned.
“I’m hoping the Guardian is the same guy who led them across the desert to the Anomaly. He might know a different way out.”
“We can only hope so.”
Ed pulled the Range Rover up alongside Reuben’s car. The two men had a brief conversation before Ben thought to ask the question, “Who or what is Morrigan anyway?”
“The Celtic goddess of war,” Congrave said.
“Wow,” Ben said. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Indeed,” Congrave said, “and if I may say so that’s a slight understatement. Especially now Stanton has given us the boot. If there’s a war goddess involved in this, we don’t need an idiot like our dear lieutenant-colonel having to deal with her. She’s more than likely to win.”
“Kramer said she heard a woman’s voice inside the Anomaly. She was trying to get Kramer to kill herself. I wonder if there’s a connection.”
Congrave studied Ben for a moment. “We need to get back to Sheddlestone and sit around a table with experts in Celtic and Norse mythology. If we can get any inkling on what is happening, we might have a chance to prevent it.”
Chapter Seven
Moira took the twins back to the clearing so they could watch the man die.
“This is your first lesson in death,” she said, leading the girls closer to where the saplings held her sacrifice in their embrace. “He has lasted a hundred years. If I had been a little more careful, and perhaps a bit more attentive, he would have given me another decade or two of energy. As it is, he is too weak to help me now. I need a new source.”
Lizzie didn’t follow what Moira said. Her attention focussed on the man and the way blood crusted across the surface of his skin. It must have rained recently in this world because the air held a fresh quality and patches of flesh showed through the scabs where rain had cleaned the skin. The man lifted his head. One eye opened and fixed upon her. She shivered in delight. He seemed so weak, so helpless. Lizzie scanned the ground and saw a fallen branch, not much thicker than her thumb, lying nearby. She picked it up and returned to the man. A quick glance showed Moira and Vicky watching her. Moira seemed amused, and she gave Lizzie a nod of encouragement as if she knew what the girl intended to do.
Lizzie stepped closer to him. The man’s smell made her nose wrinkle in disgust. Examining him, she saw where a thin sliver of new growth from the sapling had pierced the man’s flesh from the inside. Raw skin hung down from the tip of the offshoot. At the base, Lizzie could see blood seeping out along with a yellowish liquid that ran in a sticky stream to pool at his feet. Lizzie poked the tip of her branch at the base of the offshoot. The man’s hiss of pain made her heart race with excitement. She prodded harder, and his whole body swayed back against the restraint of the sapling.
“Mistress?” his hoarse voice broke with the pain. “Why?”
“Because you have outlived your usefulness,” Moira said without regret. “As much as I love you, I have to acknowledge that you are no longer the man you once were.”
“No. Please, I need you.” Tears ran down his cheeks.
“But I don’t need you,” Moira whispered.
She took Lizzie’s branch and studied it for a moment. The wood seemed strong enough. Moira examined him as she said, “Banna?”
“Yes, Mistress?”
“Do you love me?” she leant close, whispering into his ear.
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the nights when you shared my bed?”
“Oh, yes.” His head turned towards her as if he wanted
a kiss from his lover.
“Think about them, Banna.”
He did. His cracked lips curved into a smile at the memory. Moira stepped back. She waited, watching Banna’s head go back, and the sunlight bathe his face. He seemed as close to happiness as she had seen him in half a millennia.
Moira plunged the branch into his chest, splitting ribs as it pierced his heart. Banna’s scream shook the forest and the land upon which it stood. His body arched as the branch burst out of his back in a rush of blood. He coughed his last breath, spraying red foam across Moira, Lizzie and Vicky. The girls jumped back in shock, but Moira threw her head back and laughed as the sapling holding Banna broke and he crashed to the ground at her feet.
Reaching down, Moira turned him, and the twins saw that the branch had carried Banna’s heart out of his body and it hung now at the tip, still beating. Moira pulled it free. When she turned to the girls, they saw the last movements as the chambers pumped for the final time. Moira squeezed the heart like a sponge and blood ran over her fingers and down her wrist.
Moira beckoned the twins forward. When they were close enough, she dropped the heart and stroked her fingers across Lizzie and Vicky’s faces. Moira painted their cheekbones with blood. She drew a knotted symbol on their foreheads. Then Moira knelt in front of the girls and said, “You are mine. Anointed in blood.”
She put her arms around the girls, hugging them close. They seemed so young and fragile, but she knew that was a lie. These girls held a strength that no adult could comprehend. Moira could because she knew that Lizzie and Vicky had souls re-born within them.
“We’re going to rule the world,” Moira said, as she released the twins. “And, with you at my side, no-one can stop us.”
***
Hannah and Tim met up outside an Italian restaurant just before eight. She wore a printed shift dress and low heel block court shoes. Not the most revealing item in her wardrobe, but she didn’t want him getting any ideas nor did she wanted to be spotted by a parent or member of staff from the school wearing something inappropriate. Hannah felt sorry for Tim the moment she saw him. He’d walked down from his house into the centre of town, carrying a bouquet of flowers. Which is about the time the rain came. Hannah found a parking slot right next to the restaurant and hopped out carrying a compact umbrella she kept in the glove compartment for emergencies. She didn’t quite know what looked worse. The battered bouquet or the drowned rat Tim. His dark, curly hair hung down in sad loops above brown eyes that looked even sadder. Hannah couldn’t help herself when she laughed as Tim offered the flowers.
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