by KJ Harlow
I slowly reached into my pocket and rummaged around for Stan’s letter.
“I felt frustrated just sitting around down here not doing anything,” I said defiantly, not breaking eye contact with Death. Damn, where was it? I had to keep talking to stall. “If there was anyone who would be able to find out what was tormenting Stan, it would be me.” Aha! My hand closed around the piece of paper I brought back from the Overworld. “Besides, I had Tor with me.”
“I sent him.” Death barked, looking sharply at the Norwegian who stood motionless where we have arrived back to the Underworld. I pulled out the letter, pinching it between my index and middle fingers. Death eyes narrowed as he watched me unfold it.
“What is it?” Death asked, the ire in his voice starting to become diluted with curiosity. I stopped brandishing it in front of Death and thought about how I would answer his question.
“It’s a letter from Stan,” I said simply, seeing if I had hooked Death in. Death looked at me in annoyance as he tried to keep his anger in check.
“What did he write?” I paused again. This time my answer was quicker.
“He told the reason behind his Torment was how he… identified himself.” I said, mulling my word choice. “He also gave me a question. With the right answer, I think I’ll be able to Cease him.” I said confidently. I didn’t show it but I felt sick at how easily this came out of my mouth. Was I truly ready to shoot my boyfriend in the head?
“Tracy,” I said, addressing my friend who hovered at Death’s side. “Can I talk to you about this?” My question seemed to take her by surprise. She blinked at me and opened and closed her mouth a few times. Finally, she managed to look up at Death who impatiently waved her away. Seeing that she hadn’t moved, he rolled his eyes.
“Just go, I’m not going to shoot anyone,” Death said, sheathing his Lucent Gun. Tracy hesitated then took a few tentative steps away from Death. She looked at me and I gave her a small smile. I beckoned towards the wooden door, instructing Tracy to follow me. Walter and Agatha watched as we passed.
“Thank you,” I whispered to Walter, a wide smile on my face.
“You owe me one,” He said seriously, before winking at me. I closed the door behind me and grabbed Tracy’s hand, pulling her through the control room towards the resting chambers.
“Rose, what–”
“I’ll explain everything once we go back to my room. Let’s just say I’ve got a few boy issues.”
“Tor kissed you?” Tracy spluttered.
I got up off the bed and stared at my disbelieving friend.
“Yes, but can we–”
“You guys Rid a bunch of Conflicted that had invaded your room and then spooned on your bed?”
“Yes, but we didn’t–”
“Is he a good kisser?”
“Tracy!” I shouted indignantly.
She flopped on the bed and sighed. “I had a thing for him for a while. Never went anywhere.” She stared at the ceiling wistfully. I closed my eyes.
“You might have to let him shoot you in the head first. That worked for me.” I said dryly. Tracy laughed out loud; it was good to hear it again. She turned her head and looked at me, eyes mischievous and sparkling.
“Do you like him?” She asked, a smile slowly lifting the corners of her mouth.
“Why are we talking–?”
“Just answer the question!” She said tugging playfully at my elbow. I loved this girl, but this side of her made things difficult.
“I like him but I can’t do anything with him until I deal with Stan,” I said exasperatedly. She turned and looked at me thoughtfully.
“Stan is gone, Rose. He was gone the moment he became a Tormented.” Tracy’s words hung in the air between us. I stared at the wall, trying to frame my thoughts.
“I know he’s gone. It’s just that… he’s still there, you know? I know he’s a Tormented. I know he’s our sworn enemy. But he recognizes me. He’s still got his mind. Mortimer commanded Stan to shoot me once we got out of the hospital but he hesitated.”
“Hesitated doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t have,” Tracy said, sitting up.
“I know. I’m not crazy. I’m not letting my feelings get in the way of things.”
“Are you sure? Because to me it sure sounds like you are.” I crossed my legs and faced my friend.
“I swear on Greg’s spirit that when the time comes, my gun will be on Stan’s head,” I put my hand on the left side of my chest, “and I will Cease him.”
Tracy searched my face as I stared at her silently. I didn’t care if she didn’t believe me. I knew that I meant it. It had already seemed so long since I saw Stan looking at me from the viewing window in the operating theater. Yes, he was under Dante’s spell but the torment was always inside him. There was nothing I could have done to change that. Stan was my partner. That was a fact. I held myself responsible for his actions. Because I got involved in this, so did he. I clutched the letter to my chest.
“So what do you think about this?” I said, waving it in front of Tracy’s face. Tracy flopped onto the bed again, crossing her hands behind her head.
“Stan feels like he’s a woman trapped in a man’s body,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Is there anything else new you want to add to that?” I said sarcastically, giving her a withering look.
“No.” She closed her eyes.
“Why?”
“Because you know the source of Stan’s torment. He’s spelled it out there for you.”
“That on its own won’t allow me to Cease him, though.” Tracy opened her eyes and looked at me again.
“That’s right. The question at the end of the letter – that’s the key.”
“I know but…”
“But what? You don’t know the answer to it? Rose, I can’t give you the answer to that!”
I thought back to the moment I read the question in the 1803 staff room. I could still remember the numbness I felt. It was like the nerves had disconnected from my brain as it pondered the answer.
“I…” Tracy sat up again. She put her hands on my shoulders and brought her face up close to mine.
“You know what I think? You’re scared of what the answer is.” She leaned in even closer to me. “Let me tell you a secret: there is no right or wrong answer, just the truth. As long as you look inside yourself and find the true answer to the question, the bullets from your Lucent Gun will be able to Cease Stan.”
Tracy still had bags under her eyes, remnants of the grieving she had done while I was in the Overworld. I smiled at her contemplatively then looked down at Stan’s letter in my lap. I turned it over and over in my hand absent-mindedly. She leaned into me and gave me a hug.
“Just remember – the truth hurts sometimes.”
“Death?”
I opened the door, peeking into his office. Death was frowning over a document, busy scratching away. I knocked on the gnarled, wooden door.
“Mmm?”
“You called for me?”
Death put his pen down and looked at me. I came in, closed the door behind me and walked over to the armchair. He gestured to it and I took a seat. Before I had even gotten comfortable he launched into me.
“What were you thinking, going off on your own like that?” He berated. The bronze specks in Death’s eyes seemed to flash crimson when he said this. Maybe it was just from the fireplace. I leaned back and crossed my legs. Noticing my fists were clenched, I relaxed them and began my defense.
“When I signed that contract with you to become a Deliverer, I did it because I wanted to go back to the Overworld and see Stan. I wanted to defeat the Tormented then go back to live with him until we grew old.” Death stared at me stone-faced. I continued.
“Circumstances have changed since then. Stan is now a Tormented. My original reason for being a Deliverer is now null and void.” The fire crackled to my right as I let my words sink in. Death continued to silently watch me.
“I’m not blam
ing you for this. I’m not blaming anyone. It’s just what it is. I’ve signed to become a Deliverer and I’m not running away from my responsibility. But since Dante got to Stan, I’ve had double the reason to get back to the Overworld.” I leaned forward and crossed my hands together on his table.
“Stan is my boyfriend and because he’s my boyfriend, I’ll be the one responsible for Ceasing him. No one else.” Death opened his mouth to say something then decided against it at the last second. Something in his expression told me that it directly concerned me.
“What’s happened?” I asked slowly. Death got up and walked towards the fireplace. He stared into the fire with his hands behind his back. With every second that passed, I grew more anxious.
“Tor has gone back up to the Overworld to meet Stan.” Death said flatly. I stared at Death waiting for him to tell me it was a joke. Ten seconds passed. He hadn’t flinched.
“He can’t do that,” I murmured hoarsely. “Stan’s out to get him. Dante brainwashed him to make him think that Tor killed me.” Seconds passed before Death spoke again.
“We’ve got a new location for the Tormented. It seems like they are getting ready to leave Melbourne and join Dante. Tor’s gone back up to act as bait and to get Stan to stay a bit longer.”
“What?” I shouted, slamming his desk with my fist. His fountain pen rolled onto the floor.
Death turned and walked back to his desk. He bent down to pick up the pen. He finally looked up at me, a pained expression on his face.
“Tor volunteered to go. He’s scouting out the area and will engage with the Tormented soon. I’m sorry about how things have turned out. I know Stan meant a lot to you, which is why I’m more than happy to hold you responsible for Ceasing him. You will lead the Deliverers to take him down. Only you have the answer to his Torment.” He placed his hands flat on the table and looked down at me. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Cease Stan. Do you accept it?”
I stared straight ahead blankly as I digested the information Death had just given me. Tor was back up in the Overworld now. He was majorly outnumbered. What if the Tormented caught him? Visions of Greg Ceasing in front of me replayed themselves but this time it was different. This time, I was cradling a broken Tor, his body riddled with bullets. As his body became encased in light, he smiled at me as his spirit disappeared forever. Of the two men in my life at that point in time, I knew who was more important.
“I accept.”
Twenty-Four
“Tor? Tor? Do you read me?”
I pulled my jacket around me and cursed as the cold southerly wind bit into my flesh. We shrank into the darkness outside the shipping depot as a long truck drove by with its haul of freight containers. Its headlights briefly illuminated the sign next to us: Melbourne Port.
“Maybe he’s hiding out somewhere,” Tracy suggested hopefully. A tendril of her blonde hair had escaped its confines and whipped wildly in the air.
“Tor has his reasons for being quiet. When he does talk, it’s for a reason.” Agatha explained her voice barely audible above the wintry gale. As we huddled together like penguins, I resisted the urge to raise the possibility that he had already been captured. I knew he hadn’t been Ceased because I could still feel his presence. I raised my hand to my ear, pressing against the Light Bug so I could block out the wailing wind.
“Silas, do you read me?”
“Loud and clear.” His voice came back almost immediately. I smiled in relief.
“Any sign of the Tormented?”
“Negative.” He had crept into the depot and had stationed himself near the dock. “I’ve been here for nearly an hour and I haven’t seen anyone.”
I frowned. Was Death sure we had the right place? He had to be. I had seen the security footage for myself. Stan, Matylda and Mortimer were talking near the dock, gesturing towards a cargo ship with a large “47” painted on the side of it.
“Walter. Any sign of them?”
“Nope. They dispersed about an hour and a half ago and I haven’t seen them on any of the cameras since. Oh wait,” he said pausing as he watched the screen from the Underworld. “I see something.”
“What do you see?” Agatha asked.
“Cranes moving shipping containers onto the cargo ship marked number 47. Looks like someone’s trying to get a last minute delivery on the sea before it sets sail tonight.”
“Damn it,” I swore through chattering teeth. Tor came up to try and stall them and now he’s MIA. If he doesn’t appear sooner or later, we would have to go in and confront the Tormented ourselves. I tried paging him again but there was no response. No one spoke for a while as I considered what our next move was. A ship blared, making me jump.
“It looks like the last of the containers is on the ship,” Silas said in a low voice. Before I had time to curse, we shrunk away again as another truck came towards us. I looked at the container and paused as my mind worked.
“Walter. Have you got vision of the freight containers on the ship?” There was silence for a while as Walter checked his cameras.
“Yeah, why?”
“Are they all the same?”
“Yes.”
“Do they say ‘Chang Co. Ltd’ on the side?”
“How did you know?”
I smiled knowingly and exchanged glances with Agatha and Tracy as they cottoned on to what I was thinking.
“Silas, keep an eye out for us. We’re going in.”
We jumped off the back of the truck when it passed the dock. I dusted my hands off, watching it turn the corner before it disappeared. The dock was illuminated by floodlights. Freight containers were stacked high, creating man-made wind breaks that gave us some relief from the biting cold. With our guns drawn we weaved amongst the containers, staying close the shadows. It was too quiet for my liking. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that we were being watched.
We came to an opening where there weren’t any containers and fanned out, Tracy on my left and Agatha on my right. I turned back to them
“We should find somewhere to–”
We had wandered right underneath a freight container that was suspended in the air by a crane. My mouth was agape with horror as I watched the crane release its hold, dropping its load. Tons of steel hurtled down towards Tracy, who froze when she saw the shadow from above expand around her.
I moved faster than I could think. One moment, I was watching Tracy about to get crushed the next I had my arms wrapped around Tracy as we lay on the tarmac, feet away from the container. Skin was missing from my arm where I had hit the floor too hard. Tracy gasped as she touched the graze.
“Are you OK?” She said unable to tear her eyes away from my arm. I smiled at her.
“Better this than you being made into a Deliverer pancake.” I joked. “And now we’re even.”
“No we’re not. I saved you twice, remember?” Tracy retorted.
“Rose! Tracy! Are you two OK?” Agatha said with alarm.
“We’re fine. I’ve got a bruise, but it’ll heal quickly. Tracy’s still in one piece too. How about you?”
“I’m OK. Bit shaken but–”
“Oh Matylda, you really do have to work on your aim,” a familiar voice drawled.
“Shut up! I almost had her this time!” Matylda squeaked angrily.
Tracy and I jumped to our feet and hid between two shipping containers. Their voices echoed through speakers placed all around the docks.
“Damn it, where are they? Silas, do you have a location?” I barked.
“No, I can’t see them.”
“Rose,” The way Mortimer said my name made the hairs on my skin stand on end. “We have Tor.”
Tracy and I exchanged alarmed glances as we waited for him to continue.
“He waltzed in thinking he could take the three of us on. He couldn’t,” he sneered. “Now he and Stan are playing a game of hide and seek. Stan might have already won.”
“I’m feeling quite generous today, so
I’ll give you a choice. You can decide to leave right now and we won’t Cease any more of you today. I’ll even come out and personally give you Tor’s gun. Or you can stay and we’ll wipe all of you out before we head to our next destination. I’ll give you ten seconds to decide. Ten…”
“He’s lying,” Tracy said, emphatically shaking her head.
“What if he’s not?”
“Rose! We’re Deliverers remember? We can feel each other’s presence! He’s still here! You can sense him, right?” My intuition was going haywire thanks to Mortimer’s taunt. Was that really Tor I could feel? Or was it blind hope?
“But what if–”
“You have to be prepared to let him go!” Tracy said, grabbing me by the shoulders. “Greg’s gone and I’m continuing to fight. If Tor’s gone you have to be prepared to do the same. We’ve got a job to do here. Now can you lead us or not?”
I had to be prepared to let him go. I already lost Stan. I was here to personally send him down to the Underworld. There would be no saving him. Tor: quiet, frustrating, strong Tor. I was afraid that I was going to lose him before I even had him. I was afraid that I would be alone.
As I stared into Tracy’s fierce eyes, I realized my fears were unfounded. She had become my best friend. Despite our bad start, I could also start to see that Agatha wasn’t a bad person. Walter was like the father I never had. Silas I felt comfortable around and Death was the best boss I’d ever had. I wasn’t alone at all. In in the Deliverers, I finally had family. I nodded at Tracy.
“We will fight.” I took charge of the situation. “Agatha? Stay hidden. We need to get visibility on the Tormented first. Silas – any luck on finding them yet?”
“No but–”
“Time’s up!” Mortimer said in a sing-song voice. “I’m ever so glad that you decided to play. I did enjoy our little game last time so I thought we would pick up where we left off.”
There was a loud, metallic groaning in the open space in front of us. The two ends of the freight container that Matylda had dropped out of the sky were sliding open.
Tracy and I watched as Conflicted started walking out of the container and immediately started searching for us. They started spreading out, slithering in the gaps amongst the containers. Tracy and I stayed a step ahead, weaving and moving away from the spreading infection of Conflicted.