Awakening the Red Claws

by C P Sennett

  I screwed up my face at that. “What do you mean worrying time for us all?”

  He looked a little shocked now. “Well the Brokers are being hit and nobody is supposed to know who they are.”

  “Hold the fuck up…The Brokers, why, who else has a Broker then?”

  “The Brokers, the organisation of Brokers?”

  I laughed. “They have an organisation, do they?” I laughed thinking back to Monika, I knew her as THE Broker, I didn’t know there were others, let alone a formal organisation of them!

  Ben looked at me as I did my best to hide my shock at this.

  “Your Broker was killed we understand?”

  I nodded. “Yep, killed whilst on a phone call to me. A job I had been working for her went south. Someone got to her.”

  “Well that’s it. The Brokers work for a few wizards in the Order at any one time. Giving work, helping etc. Sorry, I assumed you knew this?”

  I shook my head and engaged my brain here. “No, Monika just worked with me.”

  “No, Eddie. She also ran work for Senti…Wilfred Sonoman and a few others. The others we are not supposed to know.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that, I knew her only as a contact of Wilf’s.”

  “That was the point, we were not supposed to know but the Order has been contacted formally by the Brokers to ask for help in protecting them and finding out who has been killing them off. The Elected Rivers has lost her contact as has one other. We’ve believe three have been killed in the last few months. The call was made just over a month ago, I was then ordered to come here and make sure things were well with you.”

  “So, you’re my fucking babysitter now. Or does the Order thinks I could be involved?”

  Ben looked worried now. “No, it’s not like that.” hands raised in a defensive gesture.

  “How long have you been here then, in Suffolk?”

  “A month almost...”

  I interrupted “A month, a month! You have been watching me for a month and not telling me that you are here.”

  Ben put his hands up in a pacifying motion. “Sir, Eddie, I mean no disrespect.”

  “No disrespect. You and Enid can kiss my fucking ass! It’s that sort of behaviour that gets a wizard killed.” Yes, my voice was well and truly raised now and I could hear Tabitha kicking off in the hallway. I guessed at Fern but Fern was remaining silent.

  “So, Ben, why are you here then as it isn’t for my wellbeing. Why is it then?” I pressed.

  “As I said Eddie.” He pleaded. “I am here under orders to observe and to learn.”

  “Learn! What do you expect to learn by spying on me?”

  “I’m here to eliminate you from the murders!” he snapped.

  “WHAT!” I roared getting up and jabbing my finger in his face. “You listen to me you shitty arse apprentice.”

  “I’m not an apprentice.” he shouted and stood up looking as if he wanted to swat my accusing finger aside. He then sighed, “I’m sorry.” he said, putting his hands up.

  “I’m here to try to watch you as well, to learn from you if I can.”

  I hadn’t fully dialled down my annoyance yet. “Learn, what are you hoping to learn from me, who the fuck thinks I am a spy or a murderer, who?”

  He sat back down and both of us could hear Tabitha outside saying in frustration “Let me past Fern, I need to get in there.”

  “Eddie…” Ben continued. “I am due to take over Essex. I’m due to be given temporary custody of it with a view to becoming the Sentinel of Essex. Elect Rivers thought as did the other Elected that you would also be good to shadow.”

  “Really!” I said waving my arms around as my fight was starting to abate. I was tired again. “So, they want you to spy on me and to learn from me. Come on kid, how are you going to do that. Also, what’s this bull about you taking over Essex. They are never going to give you Essex, not in a million years. How far beyond apprentice are you?”

  Ben swallowed. “I’ve not had the formal elevation from them but I’ve passed all I need to attain the rank of an Order Wizard. At this stage I can hold, in times of need, the post of Sentinel in any vacant county.”

  “Times are that hard are they?” I asked wearily.

  Ben rubbed his short dark hair in frustration and was about to answer when the door burst open. Tabitha came in and flew at us both and yeah, she let us have both barrels.

  ****

  An hour had passed now. I left Ben and Tabitha downstairs, presumably with Fern upstairs. I simply hadn’t an interest in all of the emotional toil that would be taking place between them. I wanted people out of my house, not more in it. Up until a few months ago I rattled around in my own big house with nobody bothering me or interfering with my time. There was no women’s clothing in the washing machine, no ladies shoes left in the hallway. It was a much simpler life and I wanted it back.

  I was out in Beauty, my lovely black Jaguar F Type Coupe. Yes, people want to talk about saving the planet and all but with a 5-litre supercharged petrol engine I know I’m not helping. However, I feel as I do enough saving of the planet in other ways, my scales are balanced. Also, if I need to get away, I want something quick and this lovely four-wheel drive is the answer.

  I drove on through the rain which had whipped up. I don’t mind the rain, unlike many who hate it, I can take it or leave it. I’m not bothered if it’s scorching hot or freezing cold, as our weather is in a constant state of flux. It’s never one way long enough for you to get too used to it or to hate it.

  The rain beat off the panoramic roof on my Jag. It was dark still although it was still early, a day of bad weather was on its way.

  I drove out of Ipswich and up to a place where I liked to walk. I headed out to Rendlesham Forest. It’s a nice walk around nature, fresh air and a good chance to relax and clear my mind.

  I had walked for long time, a couple of hours but it wasn’t clearing my head. It wasn’t giving me the cleanse I sought. I had a backup plan though, in times like this I had to go deeper.

  I left Rendlesham and took a slow drive around. I checked my phone when I pulled over for some fuel. It was early afternoon by now and I was doing my best not to replay things in my mind. It wasn’t working well though. I had called Malcolm and there was no update. The lycans of the Red Claws were looking for Carval but otherwise everything was normal. The pack was being held back from war with the vampires of Grays and most of Essex, so the peace was holding.

  I then took a trip to Felixstowe on the sea front, that was what I needed. Felixstowe beach, it may be full of stones, it may be windy but the wind on days like today is great. It can be so brisk that it pricks at your face, it almost hurts. The advantage of that is it stops you thinking too hard, it hides your thoughts and that was what I needed. I needed to let something come to the fore of my mind, I didn’t want to be in my house but I couldn’t meditate here for fear of looking a madman. The weather was too harsh, so I thought I’d let nature do the work for me.

  ****

  I parked up on the seafront around 2pm. The place has changed a lot these days but the pier, it remains the same, the same sounds but it feels like it never changes. It still feels familiar, which is comforting.

  I walked to the pier building which is just by the carpark. It’s a quick walk and one I did every time I came here to think. Then, when standing outside I turned whichever way my senses wanted me to go. Today was left, towards old Felixstowe. So, I turned and walked on.

  I walked against the cold, abrasive wind as the quiet winter streets barely stirred. A few cars went by, turning off up the big hill and disappearing. It was hard to hear them due to the sounds of the waves whipping up and the strong sea wind.

  It was nice, it was what I needed. The cold wind blasted my face and it drowned out the annoyance and anger I was feeling. I’ve been living alone for so long that I am not used to sharing. I’m not used to sharing space, things, time or feelings. My life can be fairly secluded but that’s a good th
ing in my view. Being on my own means I am on my own. I have to rely on me as history is littered with many of my kind trusting others, a trust that has been misplaced at best or betrayed at worst.

  I’m nobody’s fool I thought, that’s a song lyric I think, if not it should be, as I kicked a stone off the promenade and back onto the stony beach.

  Yes, for me this was good weather. The cold keeping my brain from going overtime. Meditation is good and all but I find this can work better in a few circumstances. I liked the harshness of it all. Nature in full flow.

  I enjoyed a walk along the promenade and I stopped twice for a sit down. Just to relax.

  Despite the brisk weather I nodded at the odd dog walker who passed me by. There was a big boat out to sea but otherwise there wasn’t much going on. It was perfect, and I enjoyed it for as long as I could.

  On my way back, I had been walking for about an hour in each direction, I was nearing my car when I felt the vibrate of my phone in my pocket.

  It was Malcolm calling so I swiped the bar to accept the call.

  “Hi Malcolm, anything new?” I asked loudly to get over the din from the beach.

  “Sorry Eddie, guess again?” was what it sounded like in a voice I didn’t recognise.

  “Malcolm, is that you? What have you found out?” I asked, screwing my face up struggling to hear. It didn’t help so I moved away from the wind and lifted my leather jacked up around my ears to better hear Malcolm, it didn’t help much. “Sorry Malcolm, I can’t hear what you are saying, it’s too windy here. If you can hear me I’ll ring you back in a few minutes.” Then, I ended the call and made my way quickly towards my car.

  As I approached the Jaguar the phone rang again. It was Malcolm calling again. I let it ring a few more times whilst I opened my car door feeling refreshed. Quickly I slid into the driver seat to take the call.

  “Hi Malcolm, sorry I couldn’t hear you earlier?”

  “Eddie…” said Malcolm “I’ve got a problem.” He sounded odd, exhausted maybe but something wasn’t right. I couldn’t tell which it was.

  “Malcolm, you ok? Have you found anything new out?” I asked.

  The voice who replied now was someone else, it wasn’t Malcolm. “I’ve been busy Eddie, have you?”

  This new voice was like someone disguising their voice on purpose.

  “Who is this, put Malcolm back on please?”

  “No!” replied the person sharply.

  “Stop messing about whoever you are and put Malcolm back on the phone.”

  The voice then became clear. I knew who this was...

  “Are you listening to me now Eddie.” spat Carval, his voice full of malice.

  “What the fuck are you doing, don’t harm Malcolm, you hear me?” I threatened.

  “Or you will do what exactly. You fucked my plans and you took the book I wanted. So, now I’m gonna destroy you. I’m gonna invade every part of your life. My family have disowned me and now I’m going to reap that revenge on you.”

  “Carval, you brought this on yourself, don’t do anything to make things harder than they need to be. Just talk with me will you?”

  “You will suffer Eddie, oh you will suffer. I’m going to leave you utterly broken before I kill you, know this, and be ready.”

  “Carval, put Malcolm on you milksop?”

  “No Eddie, it’s my rules now, you insufferable puke. You follow my rules now!”

  I started my car and the call instantly flicked to speaker phone. “Carval, let me see if I can repair things. The lycans, they won’t forgive you but I am willing to let things slide. Please, I’m tired just let me speak to Malcolm.”

  I hoped if I could get Malcolm to speak he could use some spell to help himself. Anything to aid him as most people tend to bind spell casters when they catch us to stop us talking. Some of us can do magic through thought alone but it’s not easy and I didn’t really know if Malcolm could do this type of working. He would be a good wizard though to have been made a Sentinel as he wasn’t promoted in an emergency, he was an established Sentinel.

  “Please, Carval, let me speak to Malcolm?” I said sounding as bored as I was. I didn’t want to play Carval’s games.

  The vampire spoke with anger in his voice. “I’ve got the power now, you don’t tell me anything.” he said, his voice full of barbs. “You don’t tell me anything at all, you UNDERSTAND!” he roared, sounding unbalanced and out of control.

  “Ok, ok. Can I speak with him though?” I said trying to not provoke him further for Malcolm’s sake.

  “You’ve got me on your car phone haven’t you?” asked the vampire.

  “Yes.” I replied.

  “Then pull over when you can and put me on video phone?”

  “Ok, give me a minute.”

  “Are you going anywhere nice?” asked Carval, the fucking nutter chatting now as if I was a friend.

  “Er, the beach for a walk, why would you care?” I asked, keeping him talking.

  “I like to know things, knowing things is important. You wizards should know that knowledge is power, shouldn’t you?”

  “Yes, we do.” I replied, looking for a spot to pull over. I quickly turned off and into a school buildings car park and stopped.

  “I’m parked now.”

  “Good.” he purred. “Road safety is important for your kind. Too bad a crash and you can go splat you know.”

  “Sound advice.” I said, trying to empathise with him. “What do you want me to do now?”

  “Put me on picture phone. It’s a new technology thing.”

  I didn’t want to correct him on it being older than he thinks but I did as he asked. “I’m just doing it now.”

  I touched the button to turn the call to video. The screen then changed to show a picture. It was all black though. There wasn’t anything to see. “I can’t see anything Carval, the screen is all dark.”

  Then a hand moved away from the screen and the phone started to focus at the other end. The phone then rose up as Carval’s face came into view. His swept back hair and angular features were as I remembered, and he had the same young look to him. His delicate cheek bones were as before, he looked in his twenties I guessed but he had something of a baby face to him but now it was a different. The left-hand side his face was burned, it was badly burned in a patch and his hair was matted in a bloody mess.

  “Where is Malcolm?”

  “Do you see what he did to my face Eddie? Can you see, he burned me? Apparently lycans don’t like burning either?”

  “Most things don’t Carval, come on, where is Malcolm?”

  “He is here.” replied the vampire as he flashed the phone around. I could see someone, but it was hard to know if it was really Malcolm, it was not much beyond a blur of colours and a person.

  “Can I speak with him?”

  “You can. He can hear you, so speak.”

  “No Carval, so I can see him and speak to him. He doesn’t need to speak back I just want to know he is alive.”

  “Eddie, the funny thing here is you are acting like you’ve got some say in this. You haven’t, you’ve got no say at all. I hold all the cards, all the money, all of everything. So, you are in my world now!” he said, putting the camera back up to his maniacal, burned face.

  I sighed. “Carval, look I’m happy to play along on this. Let me see Malcolm or I will hang up.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “You don’t know me very well at all but I know you wanna be vampire noble. Your family think you are a joke, I know all about you now, I know how they kicked you out and this isn’t the first time you’ve dropped the ball. One hundred years is a noble, it’s all but a guarantee but house Coyne kept you back.”

  “You can’t see him until I say so.” he snapped sounding wounded.

  “I’m not going to play this game Carval. Let me see him now or…”

  He interrupted me. “No, Eddie, you see him when I…”

  I then shut him down. “Carval,
fuck off, ring me back when I can see Malcolm. Sorry Sentinel.” was all I said for Malcom’s benefit, then I cancelled the call.

  This will teach him I thought. Then, I fired up the car and sped off out of Felixstowe and onto the dual carriageway.

  It wasn’t long before the phone rang again, it was Malcolm’s number. I knew he would call back, psychopaths always do as you can’t interrupt their plans. He needed to speak to me, he had to speak to me, the unbalance in him wouldn’t let this go by. The problem is I’m wasn’t sure I could help Malcolm, but I needed to keep things going as long as I could. I couldn’t get to him as they would likely be in Kent. My only hope, or Malcolm’s was if I could stall him long enough for Malcolm to help himself. That was my plan, to stall, a risky one but if the Sentinel of Kent couldn’t save himself soon he was all but done. I quickly pulled over and put on the hazard lights to take the call. It wasn’t an ideal spot, but I was as far off the road as I could be.

  “Carval?” I said slowly.

  “Yes Sentinel, a brave game you play?”

  “I’m the bravest, don’t you know?” I said coldly. “Let me speak to Malcolm or I hang up again and turn off the phone. Don’t test me, give a little and you get a little.”

  “Hmmm.” he mused as if getting some gratification off what I said.

  “Let me see him Carval or call someone else.”

  “But I want to talk to you most.”

  “So, does everyone else, now put Malcolm on or I’m out.”

  The phone turned and Malcolm came into view. He was pale, to be expected with a vampire as draining you makes you weaker with magic. It’s a tactic they have been employing for centuries. That was confirmed by sight of the tell-tale puncture wounds on the right side of his neck. There was also a large graze on the top of his forehead and matted blood around his nose and in his beard. It was Malcolm though. He was bound tightly in barbed wire of all things. Poor guy, it really is a shitty thing to do as you want to move but every move is agony. Some spells require a gesture or movement and he wanted to avoid that.