Mammon

by J. B. Thomas

  ‘Stevens! Oh, God, no!’ Armin lunged forward, grabbing his teammate as he fell. Blood spurted onto the camera and onto Armin’s face.

  ‘Forget it! He’s gone!’ cried Jackson, the other mercenary.

  Armin began muttering a desperate prayer as he rested Stevens’s body on the carpet.

  Grace gasped. ‘What’s making them do this?’

  Followed by his one remaining teammate, Armin moved into a corridor. He slammed a shaped charge against the wall. ‘Take cover!’ The wall exploded, dousing the cameras in grey dust. ‘Come on!’ They ran through the gap in the wall.

  The next few seconds were blurry, the sound distorted.

  An outline emerged from the dust.

  ‘What is that?’ Joe muttered.

  Ivan frowned. ‘Why aren’t they firing?’

  Jackson seemed to jerk – an erratic, swaying movement. Then, he fell. He was lying on the ground, on his side – but his camera was still live. The final seconds of film captured Armin suspended off the ground by an unseen force, his body twisted at a strange angle.

  Grace caught her breath. A sick feeling of horror swamped her stomach. Something was squeezing him – like a rag.

  There was a snapping sound and then a thump – as Armin hit the ground.

  Lucius folded his arms. ‘The video just runs from here. We don’t see anything from this point. The demon just disappears. Doesn’t try to take the cameras, or do anything with the bodies.’ He turned and leaned on the table.

  ‘He needed me there,’ Ivan whispered.

  Diana frowned. ‘Then we’d be looking at five casualties instead of four! Even you, Ivan – with all your experience – you still might not have been able to handle this! Don’t look at me like that! Such a level of telepathic influence – to control all of those people, including our boys, with all their training? It’s got to be something big.’

  ‘Level Twenty-two,’ Lucius mused.

  Ivan frowned. ‘What about the guy outside – Briggs? Why didn’t he respond?’

  ‘We’ve had no contact from him. We’re assuming he’s dead too.’

  ‘They were dealing with something different here,’ Lucius said. ‘Something well beyond what we’re used to. Stronger than anything we’ve seen before.’

  Ivan stared at the monitor. ‘I should have gone with him.’

  ‘No you shouldn’t have!’ Grace blurted. Her cheeks turned red as they all looked at her.

  ‘Damn it!’ Marcus pounded his fist on the table. ‘Four of our best – gone! This is ridiculous! These were highly trained mercenaries! Why didn’t they control their minds!’

  Diana scowled. ‘Don’t you understand, Marcus? They were outclassed!’

  ‘That’s garbage. Obviously they weren’t trained to deal with the pressure.’

  ‘Not true,’ Ivan said. ‘Armin always showed commendable presence of mind. Obviously, the team didn’t know what they were up against.’

  Diana nodded at Ivan. ‘That creature – whatever it was – was able to take out four well-trained men.’ She slumped in her chair, hand over her eyes.

  Marcus thumped his fist on the table. ‘This should not have happened! The entire sarsareh community will find out.’

  Diana looked up. ‘What are you worried about, Marcus? The loss of life, or the damage to Renfield’s reputation?’

  ‘If you don’t mind,’ Ivan said, ‘I have a team member to counsel.’

  Grace felt a rush of guilt. Poor Maya. She looked at Joe. It’s our fault.

  Scowling, Joe shook his head. ‘No, it’s not.’ He felt the others’ eyes on him.

  Diana frowned. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he muttered.

  Diana cast a knowing look at Grace. ‘Don’t do that. If you’ve got something to say, speak up.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Grace muttered.

  Diana stood up. ‘Both of you – off to bed.’

  Joe stood up and walked out of the office.

  Diana sighed. ‘See Grace to her room, will you, Ivan?’

  Ivan took Grace’s hand. She mentally protested; she wasn’t a child! But her body responded differently: the heat of his other hand against her back was sending tingles all over her skin. Even with everything that had happened . . . she couldn’t ignore the reaction his touch provoked in her.

  ‘Take it slowly, now.’

  She looked up at him. ‘I’m sorry about Armin.’

  ‘It is not your fault.’ He pushed open her bedroom door. ‘Come on – get to bed.’

  She stumbled across and fell onto the quilt. ‘I’m good here. Just leave me.’ She groaned, throwing her forearm over her eyes.

  He stood, arms folded. ‘The way you are feeling now is punishment for drinking like that.’

  She looked up. ‘Don’t you have any sympathy? I bet you like to drink.’

  ‘Yes. But I know how to handle my vodka.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Now, if I were to hold you to our schedule, you would have to be up in forty-five minutes.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Goodnight, Grace.’

  ‘Ivan.’

  ‘Yes, Grace?’ He poked his head back inside.

  ‘I’m never drinking again.’

  * * *

  MARCUS CLASPED HIS fingers together. He glanced between Agatha and Lucius. ‘We need to keep a closer eye on Joe. We can’t risk losing him to the outside world.’

  Lucius removed his glasses, gave them a quick wipe and returned them to his face. ‘We’ll keep him busy. Ivan’s going to train him personally. Joe seems to respond to him. I have great hopes for Joe and Grace. I believe that they can be of use, once their skills are channelled appropriately.’

  ‘We know that.’ Marcus leaned back on his chair, his fingers drumming the table.

  Agatha leaned forward and clasped her chin. ‘The girl is way too powerful. Once she realises what she can get away with, she might encourage him to leave.’ She raised her eyes to Marcus. ‘Perhaps we should take Joe into our care and train him specially.’

  Lucius shook his head. ‘Ivan can handle them.’

  ‘He doesn’t have the right experience.’

  ‘You’re very wrong, Agatha,’ said Lucius. ‘You don’t know where Ivan’s been. Real combat. Not the skirmishes that you were involved in, so many years ago.’

  The woman narrowed her eyes. ‘Watch yourself, Lucius.’

  Marcus stroked his moustache. ‘We need to entice Joe to commit to our side. The taste of freedom last night may have been all too tempting. It wouldn’t hurt to give him some toys. A new car, at the very least.’

  He leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the ceiling. ‘Kit him up with everything he needs. Give him a greater level of responsibility within the squad. Train him up quickly, get him on his first mission within the month. By the time he’s felt the adrenaline rush, he won’t want to go anywhere else.’

  Lucius paused. ‘That sounds a bit soon. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.’

  ‘If Ivan is as wonderful as you say he is, nobody should. Don’t risk Joe on the tougher jobs – leave them to our top guys.’

  Lucius folded his arms. ‘You’ve got all of the top guys. Think you can release them so they can do some real work?’

  Marcus ignored the comment. ‘Send Joe out to clean up the suburbs. You know, small-time work. Exciting enough to a newcomer who doesn’t know the difference.’

  ‘So, they’re to be rewarded, rather than punished,’ Agatha said. ‘Diana won’t like it. Nor will his teammates.’

  ‘You leave Diana to me. And his teammates will obey my wishes, or suffer the consequences.’

  Lucius peered over his glasses. ‘Even your own son?’

  ‘Malcolm knows his place.’

/>   ‘Does he?’

  ‘Look! Joe’s the prime concern here. Grace simply has to be kept compliant – and fully supportive of our actions concerning her brother. We want him to put Renfield on the map, don’t we?’

  With a tired sigh, Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Grace could be very useful to us as well. Don’t write her off; she’s very gifted.’

  Marcus shrugged. ‘As long as she’s compliant, I don’t care.’

  Lucius crossed his arms. ‘Grace won’t be a problem. Ivan seems to be winning her over. As long as that remains the case, we can focus on Joe.’

  SHE WOKE.

  Her sleep-crusted eyelids peeled apart lash by lash. Her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth.

  Focus returned to her eyes. The clock read twelve-thirty.Gradually, her other senses kicked in and she registered that someone else was in the room.

  She jumped with the fright – but settled when she saw Diana sitting at the end of her bed. ‘Ugh.’ Grace peered at her aunt through one eye. ‘If you’ve come to tell me off about the drinking, there’s no need. I’m never doing it again.’ She buried her face into the pillow. ‘Oh, my head . . .’

  Diana shrugged. ‘Maybe you will, maybe you won’t.’

  Grace peeked out. ‘Aren’t you mad at me?’

  ‘Not now. Last night: yes. But I blame your brother more.’

  ‘Why? He didn’t force the alcohol down my throat.’ Her eyes searched the bedside table for water. Some kind of liquid . . . anything!

  ‘We’ve decided to fast-track your training. You and Joe will have specialised tuition with Ivan with a view to taking on a squad position within a month.’

  ‘What?’ No word of punishment?

  ‘Get a proper sleep tonight. Tomorrow morning, meet Ivan at the gym. I believe you and he agreed on a time.’

  * * *

  HALF-PAST SIX THE next morning Grace entered the double doors of the Renfield gymnasium. It was an airy space, with open beams stretching across a low ceiling, an array of weightlifting equipment on the left-hand wall, and directly ahead – a climbing wall. Grace felt a surge of embarrassment, remembering her first attempt to climb. Joe was leaning against the wall, arms folded; Ivan standing opposite. She paused, watching Joe.

  ‘Hello.’ She slipped her hoodie off and hung it on a large silver hook.

  Ivan nodded. ‘Morning, Grace.’

  She found her eyes wandering . . . down – along the muscle that rippled down his upper arms. Coughing, she looked up – and into those eyes.

  Ivan walked across to the middle of the room and pointed at a blue gym mat. ‘Sit down, both of you.’

  Grace planted herself in the middle of the mat; Joe sat on the edge with his elbows on his knees.

  Ivan lowered into a crouch and looked at them both. ‘We’ve decided that you both need some physical training.’

  Grace blinked. ‘I don’t. I’m a telepath. And Joe’s . . .’

  Ivan raised a finger. ‘So, if an enemy resists your power and threatens to overcome you physically, what do you do?’

  Joe shrugged. ‘Open a bigger rift.’

  ‘And you, Grace? What would you do?’

  ‘Shoot them?’ Grace chuckled. She caught his serious gaze and stopped laughing. ‘Well, I’d have a gun, wouldn’t I?’

  ‘And if your opponent was a stronger telepath than you and was able to steal your gun away? What then?’

  She fell silent.

  ‘Up you get,’ said Ivan.

  Sighing, she stood. Joe slid away a few feet so he was resting his back against the wall; an amused glimmer in his eye.

  ‘Sometimes we must fight hand to hand,’ said Ivan. ‘You must be able to defend yourself using physical means.’

  ‘I could use telepathy . . .’

  ‘Mmm.’ Ivan watched her closely. ‘From your half-hour lesson with Sarah? You’re a beginner, Grace.’

  Grace narrowed her eyes. ‘I can hurt you.’ She pointed to her forehead. ‘In here.’

  ‘Okay,’ Ivan said, smiling. ‘Do your worst. Attack me.’ He pressed his forefinger against her head. ‘In here.’

  She grimaced; his voice was falsely high, an obvious attempt to mimic her. Anger simmered in her gut. She watched him watching her, calm expectation on his face. Fine. He asked for it. She focused on his forehead . . . and white-hot pain.

  Ivan’s face twitched – but then he grabbed her left shoulder and slid his foot behind her ankle. She gasped as he slammed her to the ground, the shock trapping her breath. But there was no pain, just a sense of being overpowered, no chance of escape – his hold on her unbreakable, uncompromising.

  He locked his ankles around hers and held his hand against her throat. ‘You’re dead.’

  He rolled away and sprang to his feet.

  She dragged herself up, her breaths coming in hollow gasps. ‘You knocked the wind . . . out of me.’

  ‘I’m not a demon. I’m just a human being. But I can overcome your telepathic attack with this simple move.’

  ‘Okay, you’re not a demon, but you’re probably better than any of their bodyguards.’

  Ivan shot her a dark look. ‘How do you know that? There you go again, making dangerous assumptions.’ He folded his arms. ‘A lot of private security are former special forces from Russia.’

  ‘What . . . working for demons?’

  He sighed. ‘Grace, the bodyguards don’t know their bosses are demons. As far as they’re concerned, it’s just a bigger pay cheque.’ He nodded. ‘Again. But this time, I want you to sidestep me as I come forward.’ He moved sideways to demonstrate. ‘See?’

  She nodded; Ivan lunged at her. She slid on her heel and moved sideways, dodging his attack.

  ‘Good. Now, lift your arms as so and block me. Then lunge forward like this.’ His hands cut through the air in a simulated slice through her shoulder. ‘See?’ He showed her again.

  She threw a glance at Joe. ‘Are you going to make him do this too?’

  ‘Yes. Why? Do you want to see him get his arse kicked? Now, I’m going to come at you from different directions. I want you to practise the three simple moves I’ve taught you. Dodge, block and strike.’

  He sprang at her again, slamming one hand against her collarbone. A sudden pressure against her back as he shoved her backwards. She tipped onto her heels and then crashed down to the mat. All the while, his arms were locked around her torso.

  ‘Ow.’ The back of her head throbbed. She groaned as he pulled her to her feet. ‘Stop, now,’ she moaned.

  ‘Again.’

  Time and again he ran at her. Even when she came close, her flailing fingers couldn’t touch him. Ivan was dodging around her like a boxer. For good measure he slapped her thigh, the cracking sound reverberating through the room.

  She winced. ‘Hey! Don’t do that!’

  ‘Why not? You left yourself open, Grace.’

  The frustration built, presenting itself in the gradual tensing of her shoulders, the sick anger in her stomach and the burning in her eyes. She dodged him this time. Good. Then the lunge – her stomach rolled as he pulled her through the air. Once again she felt the familiar slam-down against the mat, her bones jarring from the impact. He locked his ankles around her calves, paused, and stared down at her. ‘Infuriating, isn’t it?’

  She regarded him through sweat-soaked strands of hair. ‘Yes.’ Even through the misery and humiliation she couldn’t help studying his face. That smooth skin, the small scar on his cheek. His eyes shone with a calm intelligence, but behind lay a savagery that would emerge when provoked. Tiny curves formed a smile at the edge of his lips.

  ‘Do you still think you can take me?’

  ‘No.’ Burning with shame, she looked away.

  His voice soften
ed. ‘I’ll teach you how to, Grace. You don’t need to think that just because you are a woman, you cannot fight a man.’ He rolled away. ‘Okay. You can take a break. You’re up, Joe.’

  Grace sat down and curled her legs up to her chest. Had he noticed her staring? Could he tell what she’d been thinking?

  ‘By the way, Grace – I did feel that.’ Ivan pointed to his head. ‘You are gifted. But you need to realise that once an enemy knows your strengths, then that enemy can also resist your telepathy.’

  She smiled.

  ‘Don’t,’ said Joe. ‘You’ll give her a big head.’

  ‘What – are you jealous?’ Grace gave him a critical once-over. ‘Don’t annoy me, Joe. Or you’ll be sorry.’

  Joe smirked. ‘Whatever.’

  Ivan turned to Joe. ‘All right then. Let’s see what you can do. I want you to open a rift. As quickly as you can. And I want you to try to get me inside it.’

  Joe grinned. ‘No problem.’

  ‘Grace, go to the other side of the room.’

  With a sigh, she got to her feet. ‘Are you going to taser him?’

  ‘No,’ said Ivan.

  Joe shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t matter if he did.’

  Grace scowled. ‘Spoken like one who’s never been shot.’

  Ivan gave her a curious stare. ‘Why did you ask me that?’

  ‘That gun.’ She pointed to his belt.

  ‘It’s not a taser. But it’s not lethal either.’ He grinned, as though remembering a private joke.

  Joe hesitated as he remembered the bony monster. ‘I’ll go in right after you,’ he said. ‘That way you won’t get hurt.’

  ‘Whatever you think best.’ Ivan folded his arms.

  Joe didn’t focus on any particular spot, but soon a dark, swirling sphere appeared around Ivan’s feet. The pull was immediately obvious – even the chain around Ivan’s neck was straining, pulling towards the ground.

  Ivan jumped up and grabbed one of the exposed beams. Hanging by one arm, he reached around and drew the gun from behind his back.

  Grace gasped.

  Ivan fired.

  Joe stumbled backwards.

  In the time it took for Grace to breathe in and out, the rift vanished. Joe was bending over, hands pressed to his face.