Judgement (The Twelve)

by Jeff Ashcroft

  Heartless managed a loud belch and got one or two reproachful stares from the females, “What? In some countries it’s a sign of respect. Look kid, every now and then we get to take turns to choose a celebration dinner. It was my turn and I love fish and chips.”

  Chris looked confused, “What we celebrating?”

  Heartless offered a cold smile, “Destroying a Shades nest.”

  Chris didn’t return the smile he didn’t see anything funny in what they had done.

  Hot Cross added, “Poor choice of words, more like a reward for a dangerous job well done.”

  It still didn’t impress Chris. But he decided to let it go. Instead he spoke to Patch.

  “Can I come next time?” Chris asked.

  Patch looked to Anvil for confirmation, who after a pause for thought, agreed. The unspoken nod granting permission didn’t go unnoticed to Chris, again he kept silent. So he was still a prisoner of sorts but under house arrest now.

  Patch walked over to sit next to him on the settee and laid a hand upon his knee, which sent shivers up his spine, “Your in luck, I’m going out to buy more bottled water tomorrow with Bulls Eye backing me up in the In Between place with Rage. Two pairs of hands will halve the work load. Once clear of the store, we pass it to Rage. He has a massive backpack which can hold sixty litres of water.”

  Rage smiled at the look on Chris’s face, “Don’t worry, water not heavy. Now Priest he’s heavy!” and he started to chuckle at his own private joke.

  Priest looked affronted for a second before joining in, “Guess you’re right there my old friend and since the waters not heavy, buy me a few ready cooked chickens will you?”

  Chris ignored Rages rude reply as he sat there next to Patch. Why was it she smelled so nice? And why did she make him tingle all over, just by sitting next to him?

  A short time later Chris yawned and admitting he was exhausted. He excused himself and went off to bed. Just as he’d pulled up the quilt, there was a knock and Patch poked her head around the partially open door.

  “You still awake, “She whispered.”

  Chris’s heart rate went into over drive and for some reason his mouth was suddenly dry. Having had to spend most of his vagrant days sleeping fully clothed, he now afforded himself the luxury of sleeping naked, a fact he was now acutely aware.

  “No…I mean yes, I mean.” He managed to stammer.

  Patch grinned and walked in, “We will be wearing our civilian clothing when we pop out to the shops tomorrow. So wear that nice leather jacket and jeans Anvil gave you.”

  She walked around his small room as she spoke, running a finger along the edge of his chair, then the table top, finally arriving at his bed. She suddenly yawned and sat down next to him.

  Chris sank lower under the quilt, “You sound tired yourself.”

  Patch grinned from ear to ear, leaning down she planted a quick kiss on his forehead, then after a second, a longer kiss on his mouth. “Leach is wrong you know. I choose who I want to be with.”

  Chris’s head was reeling, “Oh and who’s that then?” His voice went up an octave and he silently cursed himself.

  “You’ll know in good time.” She replied as she stood and left the room, whistling softly to herself as she closed the door behind her.

  Chris lay there for ages staring at the ceiling. Finally he flicked the bedside light switch on and climbed from bed, “Now I need another bloody shower!”

  Patch was shaking Chris, “Wakey wakey lazy head, time to get up.”

  His quilt had slipped in the night and he was half exposing his naked body. Shocked, he quickly pulled up the quilt.

  Patch laughed and walked out the room, calling over her shoulder, “Nice body, now get dressed, time to go out.”

  Chris took a cold shower and dressed in the street clothing supplies by Anvil. He looked at himself in his mirror, amazed how normal he looked but realised he missed wearing his hat.

  Leaving his room, Chris intended to make some toast, but Patch stopped him. “Let’s eat at McDonalds. I love there breakfasts.”

  It had been years since he’d eaten fast food and agreed on the spot. Bulls Eye joined them, then Rage. Chris’s eyes went wide at the size of the haversack on his back.

  “Ready to go?” Rage rumbled.

  Patch told them that they were going to call in at McDonalds first. Rage grinned from ear to ear.

  “Get me twelve of those sausage and eggs things will you?”

  Bulls Eye added, “And pancakes for me.”

  Anvil gave Patch a wad of cash, she didn’t bother counting it, just shoved it in her tight fitting jeans pocket. Chris couldn’t help noticing that her tee shirt which sported ‘I love it’ on the front was also nice and tight fitting. Boy did she have some lovely curves!

  Leaving the warehouse, Bulls Eye and Rage vanished from sight whilst Patch and Christ turned left and headed towards the nearest underground station. It was nice to walk in real time, feeling the cool fresh early morning air on his face. Chris marvelled that even though he knew Bulls Eye and the huge Rage were walking nearby, he couldn’t detect them. For some unknown reason Chris tried something and really concentrated on looking for them both. After a moment he thought he caught a glimpse of Rages bulk moving about thirty yards ahead of him. The effect made his eyes sore so he gave up.

  They walked until they came to ‘Popular’ underground station. This was London City land, where Chris’s kind was always kicked out of the area. He looked up at the Gurkin building, a landmark for the City.

  Chris wondered how much cash flowed through here on a daily basis. As they passed a small closed office block, Chris saw a woman curled up in a sleeping bag in the entrance, she had a dog with her. At this point a police squad car pulled over to the kerb and both officers got out and approached the woman. Chris walked ahead with Patch for a few moments, before stopping. He turned to see that the woman was getting her meagre belonging together. As usual the coppers were moving on any vagrants they found. The white collar rich boys didn’t like tramps anywhere near here.

  “Patch can you spare some cash?” He asked.

  Without replying she quickly split the cash in her pocket and handed him a roll of twenty pound notes. Chris walked over to where the officers stood watching the woman struggle with her sleeping bag. Obvious disgust showing on there faces.

  “Excuse me officers.” He asked.

  One of them was no more than nineteen, the other about forty. The older one asked what he wanted.

  “With you nothing, here lady a small present, go get yourself some food for yourself and the dog.”

  Chris handed her eighty quid. She looked down at the cash in her hand as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  The young copper also looked amazed, before suspicion replaced amazement, “Where did a kid like you get that sort of cash?”

  Chris smiled, “I’m a secret millionaire.”

  The copper smirked, “And you give cash away to flea ridden tramps do you?”

  Behind them, Chris caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. The front nearside wheel on there car was being slowly wrenched free from the vehicle. The older copper heard the noise, turned and saw the wheel slowly fall to the kerb. The car followed a second later as it crashed down on the axle.

  “What the f…”

  Chris smiled, “Metal fatigue. Don’t see that every day. Good job you weren’t driving it at the time.”

  The young copper spun around, “Jesus Harry what the hell…”

  The older copper ran to his car, “Metal fatigue! It’s only four weeks old. God the Sergeant will kill me!”

  Both coppers ignored Chris now as he helped the woman pack away her sleeping bag, “Best be getting on your way. Head down the Soho, better pitches there.”

  The woman still hadn’t spoken a word, just jerked her head in thanks and with her dog in tow, scurried off.

  Chris and Patch entered the In Between just as the young copper turned back, “Th
at wheels been bloody ripped off! I want a word with...where the hell did he go?”

  Bulls Eye was laughing his head off as was Rage, who grinned at Chris, “Nasty men, no manners. Taught them a lesson me thinks.”

  Walking on until they arrived at the underground, Chris and Patch re-appeared and descended the steps.

  “Sorry I gave away some of Anvils cash.” Chris said to Patch as they bought train tickets.

  She dismissed it, “He’s been around a very long time. Anvil’s had the time to create a vast fortune. It’s our war chest. You wouldn’t believe how much we have.”

  She fingered some coins she got in change, “Funny how this stuff keeps changing, I used to like the old big white bank notes and thrupenny bits but then again I prefer this way of travelling to the horse drawn carriages and I absolutely hated travelling by sailing ship or airship. Took ages and was travel sick on them all.”

  Chris had to force himself to remember how old she was. She’s seen both world wars and plenty more besides that. He listened as she carried on talking absently about, life down through the ages. He was amazed with the things she had seen and experienced.

  A thought struck him, “You said Anvil has a fortune. So just how much is he worth? “

  Patch thought about it, “Oh I suppose somewhere in the region of three hundred.”

  It was an anti-climax, “Oh is that all?”

  Patch smiled, “Three hundred billion you idiot!”

  “Three hundred…but!”

  Patch playfully punched his arm, “Chris, Anvils thousands of years old. He leant capital in return for stock when that fizzy black drink you love started up. He leant money to start up a certain fast food chain I love. He helped with the developing costs for penicillin and a dozen other world wide major drug companies. He put cash into Henry Ford when he wanted to start up an assembly line building model T’s. He owns sugar, coffee and tea plantations. Hell he even owns major shares in half a dozen oil fields. Chris Anvil’s got a hand in everything that makes money, everything that’s legal. No drugs, gambling, prostitution or extortion. Capone once tried to get him on his books. He sent some heavies around with orders to break his legs if he said no.”

  Chris was staring back with his mouth wide open, “Capone as in Al Capone! What happened?”

  Patch grinned, “Well Anvil never got his legs broke. The heavies disappeared and a short time later, the Feds received anonymous information about where to find Capone’s book keeping ledgers and Capone ended up in Prison.”

  Chris was gob smacked, was there nothing about Anvil that didn’t amaze him!

  Chris kept quiet until they reached Oxford Street and found the nearest McDonalds. The breakfast took his mind off things. For twenty minutes he acted and behaved like a normal teenage boy. Even Patch seemed to settle into the role. They talked about mundane things that teenagers talk about and laughed at each others rude jokes. Chris enjoyed talking to the staff and thanked the cleaner as he mopped the floor around there table. He excused himself to Patch, telling her he’d be back in a second after seeing to Rage and Bulls Eye. When he placed the shipping order for them both, the staff stared back at him as he carried three huge bags of food outside. He walked around the corner into a side alley, glancing around to make sure no one was looking at him, he held out the bags, which instantly disappeared into the In Between place. Walking back inside, Chris asked Patch if she’d like another coke, belching once, she laughed and nodded. Chris made his way through the crowd to stand in line. It felt good to be amongst ‘normal’ people again. If only they knew!

  He was concentrating on carrying the two large cokes that he didn’t see the person blocking his view.

  “Excuse me.” He said and tried to side step around the person, looking up from the floor.

  It was Edge, dressed in ‘civilian’ clothing like Chris and Patch, “Nice to see you again. Chris isn’t it?”

  Chris was rooted to the spot, even dressed normally, Edge smelt of body Odour, a fact not lost on those that gave him a wide birth.

  Then for some strange reason that Chris couldn’t understand, he offered him his coke, “Fancy a drink?”

  Edge was taken aback, that much was obvious. After a moments hesitation he shrugged and took the offered drink, “Thank you.” The words seemed hard and alien to him.

  Chris tried something else, “Join us?”

  Edge just nodded and followed Chris over to his table. Patch looked up as he arrived, “About time I…”

  Her words trailed off when she saw who was with Chris. Startled she made to rise.

  Edge showed her his drink, “Chris brought me a coke.”

  Patch slumped back into her chair with a look of surprise clearly showing on her face. Chris could see the tension between them. So he did the unexpected and slid across his bench seat and offered Edge the one next to him and passed the other Coke to Patch.

  Patch took a drink of her coke without noticing and just stared at Edge, as he slide in next to Chris and took a long slurp from his drink, “Boy that tastes good! Forgot what it was like. Do you know this was first given in American Apothecaries in a little shot glass, as a remedy for stomach upsets? No, well I think that’s the last time I actually tasted it.” He took another slurp, “The older version tasted better, but this isn’t bad.”

  Patch was glancing this way and that. Edge noticed and smiled, “Don’t worry I’m on my own.”

  Chris remembered something and spoke up urgently, “Rage, Bulls Eye don’t do anything.”

  Edge smiled, “Its okay, I’ve got Claws, Leach and a dozen Shades keeping Rage company outside. Shadow’s in here somewhere with Bulls Eye with orders to start killing humans if they try anything.”

  Chris checked around, focusing hard, finely he saw the faint outline of Bulls Eye with guns drawn standing near there table facing Shadow. Rage stood directly outside the window, facing down The Dark.

  Chris nodded, “So I see.” He looked directly at Bulls Eye, “Bulls Eye go outside please and calm Rage down. There’s nothing going to happen in here.”

  Patch and Edge both stared at Chris in amazement, “You can see INTO the In Between?” Edge asked in awe.

  Chris kept his face straight, “Can’t you?”

  Patch put her drink to one side, “I thought you said you’re on your own?”

  Edge took a pull on his coke, “Poetic licence. I meant I’m in the real time on my own. Anyhow, how do you know nothings going to happen?”

  Chris turned sideways to face him, “You’re not here to fight. Besides I can see Shadow is still injured. I don’t think he wants to cross paths with me so soon. “

  Chris smiled, “Besides I bought you a coke and you accepted. Be rude to start fighting. So what do you want?”

  Edge raised an eyebrow, “Very observant of you. Shadow is seething with anger by the way, you hurt him and he doesn’t like that but you’re right he’s too week to start a fight with you. I on the other hand am different.”

  Edge took a long pull of his drink, “I did come here to kill you and return everything to the status quoi but for some unknown reason decided to talk instead. You’re not scared of me are you?”

  Chris noticed amazement in the question, “No” he replied in all honesty. “I feel….sorry for you.”

  Edge sneered, “Sorry!”

  Chris’s voice took on that deeper note as he replied, “Blood of blood should not fight each other.”

  Edges face went white with anger, “You know?”

  “I am Judgement.” Chris replied still in that deep voice.

  Edge tried to regain his calm,”So I’m speaking to Judgement am I? Let me tell you something, I’ve led The Dark for thousands of years and now because of you, I’ve got to recruit The Chosen One and he or she will take over. Have you any idea how that feels?”

  Edge stood up from the table, “Tell Anvil that if he kills you in the next twenty four hours. I won’t recruit the Chosen One and things can remain the same.”<
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  Chris shrugged, “You must do what you must do. That is the order of things.”

  Edge started to move towards the door, “Tell Anvil.”

  Patch realised she had been holding her breath, “Bloody hell! What was that all about?”

  Chris returned to normal, “I have no idea!”

  When they finally returned to the warehouse, Anvil was furious and made no attempt to hide it.

  “You spoke with Edge over a glass of bloody coke?”

  Chris nodded, “Actually a cardboard cup of Coke, but I wont argue with you. He gave me message to give to you.”