by Glynn James
"We start following the Horde's agents. They are here again, we know that. We have to somehow persuade them that the junkyard is the best place for the door to open. Then we will be ready."
"How are we going to do that? There are a lot of them," asks Kale.
"We make everywhere else too dangerous for them."
"This is risky, you know," says Joshua. "Pulling another piece of London into The Corridor, and barely a couple of miles between the two locations. We took whole streets last time. If we do it again we could cause untold damage."
"We went about it all wrong last time," I reply. "We've been too busy trying to stop the Horde, and not concentrating on the one element that will achieve that goal. This time we don't try to get the whole outbreak. This time we just want him. And if we aim to set the thing off in that junkyard, then we have half a square mile that no one is ever going to miss. And those Waylanders will be working hard to make that junkyard as enticing a lair as possible, even as we speak."
We stand on the street corner for an hour or so. Ashley looks impatient.
"We're not going to find them here."
"Just be patient," says Joshua. "Andre assured us that there were at least two gangs working out of Gallowshill that were being controlled by one or more of Nua'lath's scout minions. They are here. The Sisters will come to us when they have located them. Until then, we just have to keep our eyes open. This is where the Sisters said that they are most active."
We wait another hour before I notice the group hanging around across the street, in the alleyway next to the pawn shop opposite. I nod to my brothers, and we make our way into the crowd, disappearing from view.
I watch as a young boy leaves the pawn shop and turns into the alleyway. The gang have been watching him, and as they corner him in the alleyway and pin him against the wall I see one of them talking to him, obviously the gang leader. I glance over to Kale, who is ten yards from me, standing next to one of the market stalls and pretending to examine the fruit. He nods to me. The tell tale signs were there. Dry and mottled skin with patches that look black and diseased, rotten teeth that have started to sharpen, eyes that look somehow distant. These are plague zombies yet to be reborn, an invasion in the making.
We start moving as one towards the group, approaching from different directions, but something is happening.
There is a scuffle, and the boy strikes out at the leader, and then begins running away. Another of the gang grabs for the boy but he lashes out with something, a knife. Fingers scatter across the ground. I recognise the style of the knife. It's Resistance made.
Then the boy is running down the alley, followed closely by the gang. The leader, with his arm spewing blood all over the ground, is trying to follow his gang after the boy, but he is losing blood fast, an artery severed.
My brothers run past the gang leader and continue running, following the gang. Joshua slows and glances back.
"I've got him," I shout, and I stop and grab him by the collar of his jacket, avoiding the blood and dragging him further into the alleyway, round a corner into a dead end.
I push him to the ground, draw my gun and put it to his head. His eyes widen with fear.
"Where is the one who speaks to you in your head?"
He doesn't answer, just lays there stuttering.
"I'll kill you if you don't tell me where the creature is that you call master."
"Hemley...he is on Hemley alley."
I look into his eyes and see that fear has made him blurt out the truth.
"Please," he says. "I need help."
"Yes. You do."
I fire the gun twice, head and chest shots.
One less future zombie. I haul the body into the yard of a derelict building, cover it with oil and set fire to it, then run back into the alleyway to find my brothers.
Just as I turn the corner I see three figures, dressed in robes. I guess that they have been watching me and will have seen everything.
"I see that you have found them," says the first.
I aim my gun.
"Who are you?"
"We are allies. We are the Sisters of Rahl. Come. I think your fellow soldiers have found the rest."
The Sisters of Rahl. A Vampire sect. Why we ever deemed it right to become allies with them, I question, but they have proven helpful in tracking down Nua'lath's movements in London.
I follow them, and we turn many corners, making our way through one of the most dangerous parts of London, along dark alleyways and empty streets. Just as I begin to wonder if the Sisters have turned on us and this is a trap, we turn a corner and I see my brothers.
The alleyway is a mess. Several men lie dead, blood everywhere, and at least a dozen others are kneeling on the ground, my brother's guns trained on them.
I glance at the name on the street sign as I walk by. Hemley. The creature is on this street.
At the other end of the alleyway lie the bodies of two women. Two of the Sisters move quickly through the carnage and over to the two bodies. They examine them, and then look up to the Sister who still stands next to me.
"They are both barely alive."
She nods.
"Turn them."
The two sisters lift the dying women and take them along the alleyway and around the corner.
I walk over to Joshua.
"Well?"
"One of the Scouts is living out of a house down near a place called The Running Ground. It's some kind of storage for contraband."
"Good, well the other one is on this street, somewhere."
"We have them."
"Yes."
"Then we kill these things and then tonight we drive the minions out of their hiding places. They will move on and we will make sure that they move in the direction we want them to go. From here, they can't fail to find the junkyard."
The Sister of Rahl standing next to me touches my shoulder.
"When we are done here, I would wish to speak to you. It is in my understanding that you are able to open doors. Doors to other places."
"I can, yes."
"The Sisters do not wish to be here anymore. We would like to go somewhere where there are no crowds, no wars, and no people. We will miss London, but it is not safe for us here anymore. Would you be able to assist us?"
"Of course, you and your kin have been of great help to us and I can understand you not wanting to be here if we can't stop the invasion that is coming. I think I know the ideal place."
"You do?"
"Yes, how does an entirely empty city sound to you? It's post invasion, so there are some elements of the Horde still there, but not too much. And there is a whole city of empty buildings."
"It sounds perfect."
FLASH
I opened my eyes and looked around. Marie was still talking. They hadn't even noticed that I'd just had more flashbacks.
"...So I joined them and followed them to the stadium. Senga promised me that she would help with my memories. She has over the years. I still get the occasional flashback, and there are still memories that I'm sure are missing, parts of my mind and my past that I hope will come back, one day."
I lay down again. I was tired, and it was far too late in the evening to start telling them all about the flashbacks that I'd just had.
Day 52
The sun wasn't quite as hot today, and there was a cool breeze blowing across the desert as we made our way out of the forest and down the highway, back towards the road station. I kept thinking about how I was going to be able to explain to Cory that Eleanor was my granddaughter, and that she would be leaving with me. No easy way to put it came to mind.
As we approached the road station, around midday, I could already tell that something had changed. The front door was wide open, and the truck was gone.
We went inside, but found no one there. Things were missing, not furniture, but other things, like the cutlery in the kitchen, pictures on the wall. They had taken anything that could be stuffed into a vehicle. Rudy and Adler went throug
h the hatch and looked around in the secret basement, but came back with worried looks.
"Nothing."
Growling. From outside. The Maw.
I was the first one out, with both guns raised, followed by Reg and Marie.
There was a figure standing on the other side of the road. The Maw were encircling it, but keeping their distance. We crossed the road, slowly, until I recognised who it was. A week ago I would have opened fire, thinking it was CutterJack.
"It's impossible," said Rudy, behind me, still unaware of the addition of Dha'mir to the mystery. "How can he be here? You have to kill him. You've got guns, Kill him."
"Wait. Calm down. It's not CutterJack."
"It's not?" asked Rudy.
"No, it's not," said Adler. "This one has no scars."
"I had a flashback late last night. This is one of CutterJack's kind, but he was helping us. I think he was the one who helped us trap CutterJack down there."
"You trapped him? You did it?" asked Rudy.
"Remind me tonight to tell you all about my flashbacks."
The figure approached.
Dha'mir.
"Do you have your memory back this time Mr. Halldon?"
"Yes. Of you at least. Why are you here?"
"I was watching over your offspring."
"You knew she was my granddaughter?"
"Hmm, it would seem that not all of your memories have come back, otherwise you would have known that your daughter left the child here when you went into The Corridor a few months ago. You do not remember this yet? I presumed something had gone very wrong, you have been gone for longer than expected."
"So you just decided to watch over her out of kindness?"
He laughed.
"Of course not. No difference to me, except that I knew that if you survived, your daughter would have come back for her. I believe Eleanor was quite confused that you did not recognise her. Of course, I warned her that you were not well, and that you would be back again."
"Then why didn't you show your face when we were here last? Why didn't you speak to us?"
"I entered your mind and found no reference to myself. It was quite strange. You appeared to have forgotten quite a lot. I presumed that my brethren had damaged you. You spoke of your memories, and I knew that the Rahl witch would be able to change your illness. I decided to wait. It must be very frustrating that your mind is open now, when once you were strong enough to stop almost anyone."
"You were the angel that Eleanor spoke of. Her angel."
"Yes. Ironic is it not?"
"You could have saved me a lot of time."
"Really? If I had appeared, you would all have fired your guns at me, believing me to be Nua'lath. Would you not? I would now be dead. Not a wise choice."
I had to admit that I would have shot him if we had met a few days ago.
"So where is she? Eleanor."
"They have moved on, under my instruction. To another location."
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe. Do not worry, the Maw that stayed here have gone with them. She is safe, and they will return. When you have completed your half of the deal, you will see her again. Do you remember if you destroyed the scrying device that you suspected he was using?"
"That much I do remember. I destroyed a mirror."
"A mirror, yes, a favourite method of his. Then he is trapped once more. And if you came out of there alive, then he must be weak enough now. It is time to fulfil the rest of our deal. You must take me to this Corridor. This trap. So that I can kill Nua'lath and take my rightful place. This is what we agreed, and I have waited long enough."
"You said that my daughter went with me?"
"Yes. Your daughter, and your mate, and others. I am sure this memory will come back to you soon. It would be unfortunate if they were all now dead."
"They could still be in there."
"That is also possible."
"I need to get them out."
"Yes, well then. It suits us both. You will take me to The Corridor. And you will wait at the door until I have killed him. Then it will be safe for you to go and get your kin."
"But I haven't remembered how to use the key yet. I can't get us in there."
FLASH
I'm standing in a field. Corn sways in the wind and the sun is creeping behind the horizon. DogThing is beside me. He is much smaller. Much younger.
We're alone.
"Now sit," I tell him, pointing to the ground.
He whines at me and scratches the ground, then sniffs at his feet.
"Sit," I repeat.
This is going to be harder than I thought. Three days and the pathetic little thing hasn't even learned to sit still yet.
I pat his back end and he sits down.
"That's sit," I say.
He makes a quiet growling noise.
"Okay. Now up. Stand," I say.
He sits there looking at me. Big puppy eyes all wet and confused.
"You are a stubborn mutt," I curse.
"And you are rude."
A voice in my head.
I look round, drawing a weapon, panning across the field. Looking for the source of the voice, but I see no one, there is nobody there.
I look down at DogThing.
"I'm imagining things now."
"No you're not."
The voice again.
"Who's there?" I shout, looking round again. I must have missed them. They are there somewhere, hiding.
"Just you and me."
"Where are you?" I shout, my gun ready to train on anything that moves.
"I'm right here, ManThing. Why don't you sit down?"
I turn to DogThing.
"You're speaking in my head."
"Yes."
"How? How are you doing that?"
"It's how I talk."
"You can talk."
A stupid statement.
"I can talk. Is that really a surprise? You can talk."
"But..."
"Sit."
I sit down.
"Now. Can we agree on something here?"
"What's that?"
"Next time you want me to do something. Ask me. I don't like being told to sit, any more than you do."
"Of course."
"Good."
There is silence. We sit opposite each other, working each other out. Finally I break the silence.
"So, what else can you do?"
FLASH
I'm standing in the ruins of a city. It's one that has fallen recently and is still under attack by The Horde. Around me, buildings are still burning. I'm convinced that we are too late to save anyone in this city, and we don't have time to stay here very long, or else we will miss the chance to save people elsewhere. Even now, squads of Resistance troops are portaling across the world, hunting for places that are not already burning, places that people are still alive that may still be saved. But this world is turning out to be a particularly bad one. We were just far too late in following The Horde, too slow in finding where they were going next.
Andre is standing next to me, watching up and down the street for movement, expecting the enemy at any moment. I'm concentrating on the building directly in front, waiting to hear from our forward scout.
"He's taking too long. Should I go in and check?"
"No. Wait. He's fine."
Andre shakes his head.
"It freaks me out that you can do that," he says. "Talk to him, I mean."
I smile.
"Me too."
DogThing comes out of a building on the opposite side of the road. He runs across the street and stops next to me, looking back.
"Nothing in there."
"And no burning ones?"
"No. They have already finished with this place."
"Okay. Let's get back. There's no point sending the Vigilants in here if there is no one to rescue. Andre. You need to get the squads moving to the other locations. Let's get back. I'll open some more portals. There are a few pla
ces here that I remember. One of them is the ruins of a church next to a small town. It's far enough from a city to hopefully not be too hot when you go in. But we're a week into this incursion, and we were too slow this time. We were complacent. So be careful anyway."
He nods.
"I still don't understand how. He's been locked in The Corridor for decades, yet the attacks have begun again. How is he doing it?"
"Something we missed. Something we overlooked."
I pull something out of my pocket. A small device. It's a key. It's similar to the one that I wear around my neck in the present time, but this one is different. I made this one.
I concentrate on it for a moment, and a hole pops into existence next to us. Through the gap is a dark room with a mosaic on the floor. People are moving around, preparing for war.
We step through.
FLASH
I blinked my eyes. The flashbacks were over and I was standing on the road again.
Dha'mir was looking at me, his eyes untrusting.
"Ignore what I just said," I said to him. "I know how to open portals now."
"Good," he said. "Then we need waste no more time. You must open the portal, and keep it open. I will be able to keep in contact with you that way."
I nodded.
I turned to the others. They look confused.
"I'm sorry. I just don't have time to explain everything to you all. I'm going to open a portal over in the back yard of the station, let him through, and then come back. Then we will all have to watch the door until Dha'mir returns."
"That could take days though," said Rudy. "CutterJack could be hiding anywhere, and The Corridor is a big place. Isn't it risky, keeping the door open so long?"
"We need to," I said. "If Dha'mir needs to know anything, he will need to be able to talk to me."
"I will know where my brethren is when I get there. I will be able to sense his presence. It will not take me long to find him."
"I will come in with you."
I looked across the road at DogThing, and then nodded. I walked around the building and into the back yard of the road station. The box that Eleanor stood on to look over the fence was still there and my heart jumped at seeing it.
I will find you again, little one. I promise.