THE SIX: A Dark, Dazzling Serial Killer Story

by Anni Taylor

  I gave her a tight smile. “Hope it happens.”

  Gunshots blasted into the sand. I lifted my head. Four Saviours stood on the cliff edge.

  “Hurry!” Ruth ordered me.

  We ran together in the direction that Gray had gone. Keeping close to the bottom edge of the cliff face, we threaded our way through the rocks and around the sharp curve of the island—making it as hard as possible for the Saviours to keep up. They had hills and crevices to contend with.

  I knew that the Saviours needed us to die. We were the last ones who could tell the tale of what happened to people on this island and all that we’d seen and who the Yeqon’s Saviours were.

  Six people walked towards us in the distance. Four about as tall as each other and two shorter.

  Saviours?

  They stepped closer. One of the middle people was hurt, his companions with their arms around him, supporting him.

  Sethi. With Gray, Jennifer and Cormack. They’d also met up with Yolanda and Hop.

  “Watch out!” I screamed. “There’s Saviours up there!”

  Bullets rained down.

  They raced for the base of the cliff as Ruth and I continued on our path towards them. We all stopped beneath an area where the edge of the cliff overhung the cliff wall. The Saviours couldn’t see us or shoot us here.

  “Sethi. Thank God!” I cried.

  He gave a half grin. “I made it out of the water just before it all went kaboom. Yolanda and Hop came looking for me.”

  “The explosion was like a plane crashing,” said Yolanda. “So scary but so damned beautiful. Hundreds of Saviours gone forever.”

  I turned, startled as people ran towards us.

  Richard, Constance and Kara.

  “Safety in numbers.” Richard exhaled loudly. “Any idea how many of those bastards are left out there?”

  “Yolanda and I saw quite a few out on the island just after the blast,” Hop replied.

  “I think we’re about to find out.” Ruth gestured upwards.

  The Saviours had begun to descend the hills. Coming straight for us.

  “We can’t let them get down here!” cried Jennifer. “Whoever knows how to shoot, help me keep them at bay. The rest of you, don’t get in the way. Just stay covered.”

  Ruth took a place beside Jennifer.

  Gunfire filled the air, bullets striking the rocks.

  “No!” cried Yolanda, pointing out to the shore.

  Saviours were rowing small boats around to where we were. Making sure we couldn’t risk a sprint across to the beach. Once they’d moored, they’d be moving in, trapping us.

  I buried my head in Gray’s shoulder. Was this where we died? Was this patch of earth the place where our numbers ran out?

  I squinted into the horizon. Far beyond the rowboats, the first rays of the sun sparked off something large and metallic. “What is that?”

  Sethi stopped shooting and turned to look. He shook his head, puzzled. Jennifer unzipped her backpack and took out a pair of binoculars. “Take these, Seth.”

  Breathing hard, Sethi peered through the viewing lenses. “It’s the Hellenic Coast Guard.”

  “Would they have come because of the explosion?” queried Jennifer. “What’s their nearest base to here?”

  Sethi’s forehead rippled in concentration. “Karpathos, I think. It’s not so far away. Maybe there were reports from boats at sea. Maybe even an aircraft. I saw the water spout hundreds of feet. Someone would have surely seen it.”

  On the hills above us, the Saviours had fled.

  “Well, thank Methuselah,” said Richard. “Are the coast guard part of the Greek police?”

  “They operate independently,” Sethi told him. “They’re paramilitary. Sometimes, the coast guard and the police step into each other’s territory, and that doesn’t go so well. Mostly, the coast guard patrols the waters, carrying out rescue of refugees and conducting drug and border control.”

  We watched as the Saviours in the water about-faced and rowed their boats away.

  “We can go down there now.” Yolanda’s voice trembled. “We’re getting out of here.”

  “Wait,” Kara cautioned. “Some of the Saviours are insane. Literally insane. The ones who lived here at the monastery. You’ve destroyed their home, and they’re not about to let you go, even if they die, too.”

  And then I saw them. Crawling over the rocks like shadows to our left, staying out of sight of the fast-incoming coast guard boat.

  “Get ready,” Sethi hissed. “But don’t go crazy. Maybe they want that we fire off all our ammo.”

  Those of us with guns raised them, facing left.

  Sethi fired first. A barrage of gunshots followed from both sides.

  “Get down!” Jennifer grabbed Hop and Yolanda, forcing them below the rock that they’d been firing over. “They’ve got semis. Their bullets will take your heads off.”

  Hop and Yolanda panted, wild-eyed, pressing back against the surface of the rock.

  The coast guard boat pulled close to shore, deploying an inflatable raft.

  The Saviours who’d been hunting us directed their fire at the approaching raft.

  “We need to get out of here!” Sethi yelled. “That boat has machine guns. Point fifty calibre. Move it!”

  Jennifer and Sethi covered us with gunfire as we rushed along the beach, staying close to the cliff base.

  “We’re out of range now,” said Sethi. “We can stay here. And hope.”

  A loudspeaker blasted through the air, instructing everyone on the beach to stop. The Saviours fired in response.

  Machine gun fire followed—so loud it stole my thoughts away.

  “We have to be careful now,” Sethi told us. “If the coast guard think you’re shooting at them, they’ll shoot back. Hold your fire unless we’re under threat.”

  To the left of us, shadows stretched across the sand. A group of people running towards us from around the bend of the cliff base.

  Whether they were Saviours or coast guards I couldn’t tell.

  I glanced back at Jennifer and Sethi. At a distance to the right of them, three figures stepped along the sand, coming towards us. Dressed in ordinary clothing. All apparently hurt and limping.

  As they came closer, Constance clutched Kara close, moving herself in front of her. “It’s James.”

  My lungs tight, I watched the figures approach us. Brother Sage, Sister Dawn and Harrington. Cuts and dirt smeared on their faces. Brother Sage and Harrington in ordinary pants and white shirts, Sister Dawn dressed similar. Both of them with their hands in the air. Harrington had a thick layer of ripped cloth tied around the arm that had been shot.

  “How on earth did he survive?” said Constance darkly.

  “I can guess how.” Kara shot a grim look at her mother. “One wall of the tanks in challenge room two faces the remembrance hall. They must have shot a hole in the tank wall, let the water spill out and then gotten through that way. Before the blast hit.”

  The three Saviours stopped together, their expressions unreadable.

  Was this a trap? A trick?

  Richard and Yolanda raised their rifles and shot, the bullets pinging into the sand.

  Reaching across, Jennifer put a hand on top of the barrel of Richard’s gun. “No! Wait. Something’s wrong here. They’re making it too easy.”

  “Stay away from Kara,” Constance warned Brother Sage. “You’re evil. I’d hoped you’d died.”

  Brother Sage just stared at her, impassive.

  “Put down your weapons,” Sister Dawn suddenly called to us in an authoritative tone, completely unlike the voice she’d used in the monastery. “This is Police Lieutenant Colonel Dimitra Georgiades.”

  “She’s with the police?” Sethi exhaled a tight breath.

  The people casting the shadows to the left of us pulled into view. A group of men in uniform. The Hellenic Coast Guards.

  “This is Commander Liourdis. Lower your weapons,” demanded one of the gua
rds—a stocky blonde man with deeply olive skin. “Place them on the ground. One wrong move and we’ll shoot.”

  Sethi nodded at us but not without an anxious look in his eyes. “Do it.”

  Members of the coast guard moved in to take the weapons. Seemingly emboldened, Brother Sage, Sister Dawn and Harrington stepped up close. The three of them suddenly had guns—they must have been concealing them in their waistbands behind their backs.

  “We’ve got this under control,” Sister Dawn told the blonde Commander, flashing a police badge.

  “No,” roared Sethi. “Don’t believe these people.”

  The blonde man held up the palm of one hand. “What’s going on here, Lieutenant Georgiades?”

  “It’s a joint effort between the Hellenic and British police forces,” Sister Dawn told him. “We’ve been watching this group, under suspicion of transporting narcotics, for months now. They’re keeping stores of weapons and narcotics on the island. A number of the monks were involved in their operation. Unfortunately, we lost two other members of our special unit this morning.”

  “I’m sorry to hear it. We had reports of an explosion—” started Commander Liourdis.

  Sister Dawn gave a quick nod. “Upon our arrival just before daybreak, they detonated a naval mine—attempting to destroy an extensive array of evidence. A World War Two mine if you can believe it.”

  He nodded and then glanced at Brother Sage and Harrington with interest. “Who are these people?”

  “Sergeant Harrington Green and an American businessman named James Lundquist,” answered Sister Dawn.

  “I came in search of my runaway stepdaughter,” answered Brother Sage. “I’ve been cooperating with the police for weeks now. This is Kara, over here, with her mother, Constance. Constance was involved with the murder of a British investigator who was assisting in this investigation. I’m afraid my wife got mixed up with the wrong people.”

  “Tell them the truth, James,” cried Constance. “Look at us. Do we look like drug smugglers?”

  The commander didn’t answer, instead keeping his eye on Sister Dawn. “Who were the people shooting at us?”

  “A small number of the same group,” answered Sister Dawn. “My task force has them rounded up now. Thanks for your intervention. It was well timed. We weren’t expecting the explosion of a naval mine—who would? But we now have this operation back under control.”

  “I have files of information to show you, Commander,” said Jennifer. “I’d welcome the chance to hand it all over to you.”

  “I’m afraid the commander isn’t interested in your subterfuge,” said Sister Dawn. “He’s able to check into your backgrounds via Interpol. Drugs, prostitution, armed robbery, fraud. This woman here—Jennifer Bloom—uses an art business as a front while she engages in combat training and buys up stores of weapons. And this woman here”—she pointed directly at me—“is the infamous Evie Harlow. A prostitute who faked her own death and then travelled overseas on a fake passport. A week later, her pimp husband joined her. Both of them abandoning their two small children.”

  My lip trembled. “I didn’t abandon them.”

  “That woman is the one telling you lies,” Gray told the commander. “Take us with you. We’ll explain how everything happened the way it did and why.”

  Sister Dawn stepped forward, shaking her head. “This sting is under the jurisdiction of the British and Hellenic Police forces, Mr Harlow. Commander Liourdis is well aware of that.”

  Sethi and Jennifer exchanged worried glances.

  I knew exactly what they were thinking. The same revolutions were happening in my own mind. We couldn’t tell the truth. It was too bizarre and shocking to be believed.

  Raw fear turned to raw adrenaline inside me. Talking was only making this worse for us. The Saviours needed the coast guard gone. They needed time to clean up their island and remove the lingering evidence.

  The coast guard could leave without us.

  I tugged my hand away from Gray’s and crossed halfway to the guards.

  “Evie!” Gray urged me back.

  “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” called Sister Dawn.

  Ignoring her, I faced the commander, my heart jumping into my throat. “We’re unarmed citizens. We came here because we were duped by corrupt people. We need rescue. I know you rescue people all the time. Some of us are seriously hurt. We need medical attention. They have no medical supplies. Please. We’re willing to cooperate with you.”

  Commander Liourdis’s gaze switched from me to Sister Dawn. “You are outnumbered. We’re happy to assist your efforts and escort these people to the Greek mainland.”

  Sister Dawn shook her head emphatically. “Commander, we have backup soon arriving at the island. With full medical supplies. We need to process our prisoners and find out additional information. We’ve put too much time and effort into this sting to have its integrity affected at this point.”

  “Which members of the Hellenic Police Force are involved in the sting? We’ve had no word,” he said to Sister Dawn.

  Sister Dawn brushed his words away with an almost dismissive gesture. “I’ll forward you full documentation.”

  “Regardless,” said Commander Liourdis, “we have medical supplies on board. We can attend to this group and take them with us, allowing you to finish your investigations here.”

  I turned and watched her stare at him, unblinking, as if calculating her next move.

  “What you can do is help us secure the prisoners here on the island,” she said. “Please, we’ll show you the way up to the vineyards.”

  “No!” I whirled around to the commander, electricity firing across my skin and scalp, no longer measuring my words. “It’s a trap. They’ll kill you. They’ll be waiting in ambush. They’ll kill you and kill us. The truth here will never come out.”

  The muscles in the commander’s jaw pulled taut. “Enough!” he told Sister Dawn. “What we saw when we arrived was a situation out of control in every which way. We’re taking control. We are escorting this group to the mainland under armed guard and delivering them to the police.”

  A silent message passed between Brother Sage and Sister Dawn.

  “Very well,” said Sister Dawn. “You go ahead and do that, and I’ll coordinate things from this end.”

  “Okay, people,” barked another member of the coast guard. “Hands on heads and walk to the shore. Anyone who takes their hands from their head or attempts to run in any direction will risk being shot.”

  “Commander,” said Sethi. “There are people up on the cliff with semi-automatics. It’s not safe to proceed. You should move your men. They’re already at risk.”

  “Lieutenant Georgiades, can you assure me of the situation at hand here?” The commander studied her face.

  “Of course,” she replied, turning and raising an arm straight above her head.

  Immediately, the air filled with the rattle and roar of gun blasts. Two of the coast guards fell on the sand.

  Commander Liourdis turned on his heel and scanned the cliff above, shock registering on his face. He made a call to his boat.

  Gray sprinted to grab my hand, zigzagging with me back to the cliff base.

  Harrington stood his ground, shooting at the coast guards, while Brother Sage and Sister Dawn ran for cover.

  “No, you don’t get to get away! This is for Noah.” Jennifer followed them.

  “Jenny!” Sethi charged after her.

  Jennifer made a grab for one of the guns that we’d been forced to leave behind.

  Sister Dawn shot at Jennifer, one of the bullets hitting her in the chest. Flung back on the ground, Jennifer shot back before she collapsed unconscious. Her third shot made contact with Brother Sage, and he grabbed his shoulder, wincing in pain.

  Roaring, Sethi leaped to the ground and rolled, snatching up a gun and firing at Brother Sage and Sister Dawn.

  A bright red patch bloomed across Sister Dawn’s white shirt. She doubled over then tumbled to the
ground.

  The boom of the machine gun from the coast patrol ended it.

  The Saviours that lined the cliff edge vanished.

  The beach fell silent but for the rush of the ocean.

  Sethi turned his head, crying out at the sight of Jennifer lying on the driftwood. Rushing to her, he gathered up her limp body in his arms.

  Brother Sage came staggering towards us, one hand up in surrender.

  “Thank God.” Brother Sage had his other hand clamped onto his bleeding shoulder. “I was that woman’s captive. She told me she’d shoot my wife and daughter if I didn’t do as she said. They kept us chained up and drugged here. We’ve been hallucinating for days.”

  Kara walked steadily towards him, stopping immediately before him. “I am not your daughter.” In a swift, tight movement, she plunged a knife deep into his stomach.

  He stared back at her, his eyes glazed with astonishment. As he grasped Kara’s arms, his knees buckled.

  She pushed him back roughly, his blood spilling red onto the white sand as he fell.

  82. I, INSIDE THE WALLS

  I CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE SHOCKED faces. My mother and Cormack, mouths open, unable to conceive of the girl who just killed. Girls don’t kill. No one thinks they do.

  Until they do.

  I let the knife drop from my hand as I watched a boat row out from the shore.

  It’s Santiago.

  He’s finally leaving the island I brought him to so many years ago. He waved at me.

  I wanted to be sad, but I couldn’t. He was never like me, and I shouldn’t have kept him here. He’s the brother I should have had if my daddy, Otto, had lived. My mother never talks about Otto. Didn’t let me have photos of him and just shook her head and walked away if I mentioned his name. But I kept my memories. I have almost perfect recall. Strange brain, I have.

  Daddy spoke like Mom and me, with a Southern drawl, and we were always laughing together. He’d lift me onto his shoulders whenever we walked to the park, just because. Mom laughed a lot back then, too. She and Daddy would fight, but then they’d make up and kiss.