by Tim O'Rourke
“What are they doing?” I whispered at Potter, but unable to tear my eyes from the gruesome scene below.
“I told you they were thirsty,” he whispered back.
“But they’re eating one of their own!”
“All the good human flesh has run out,” he said glancing at me. “All that is left is each other.”
“So what you’re saying is that their cravings will get so bad they will eventually eat each other?” I said.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Potter grinned at me. “They can’t leave the town as it’s been sealed off by Vampyrus and Lycanthrope, so in the end they will turn on each other to feed their thirst. Every night, once making sure that you were okay, I’d sneak from your cell and come in here to watch them. At first there were hundreds of them, but as the nights have passed their number has grown smaller. Look!” he said, “There goes another one!”
I glanced back out of the window, to see a pack of the vampires leap through the air and attack another of their own. The vampire went down in a flurry of shadows as it frantically thrashed its arms and legs about. Within seconds it had fallen still, and the others gathered around it like a pack of wild hyenas that had made a kill.
Not wanting to see any more, I turned away, sliding my back against the wall to sit on the floor. “You know we’re not the only people hiding out in this town, don’t you?” I said to Potter.
Joining me on the floor, Potter said, “Who else then?”
“Ravenwood, for starters,” I told him.
“How do you know that?”
“Hunt told me Ravenwood had escaped with half of the DNA code that they had developed,” I answered. I sat and told Potter about everything that I could remember from my time at the facility. I explained to him that most of my memories of what had happened had come to me in nightmares or visions, as I had been constantly drugged. Potter listened with a grim look on his face as I recalled how I’d been treated by Phillips and Sparky at the zoo. He smiled knowingly as I told him how I’d figured out my escape from my cell, but his smile soon faded as I described my last nightmare to him – the one in which the faceless man had said that he had let me escape so that I would bring Ravenwood and the missing part of the code to him.
“What did this man look like?” Potter pushed, his eyes the colour of an overcast sky bloated with snow.
“I’ve told you, I couldn’t see his face,” I said. “It’s always cast in shadow. It’s like he knows that I can see through the dark, so he has this way of blocking me out from seeing him.”
“But why would he do that?” Potter asked thoughtfully, then added, “Unless…”
“I’d already met him before – I would recognise him,” I said. “In my dream he said I’d seen his face because I could see everything.”
“So there was nothing that you recognised about this man?” Potter asked sounding frustrated. “What about his voice? You heard him speak in your dreams, right?”
“Sure,” I said, “but he always kept his voice low and shallow as if to disguise it in some way. But knowing that isn’t good.”
“What do you mean?” Potter asked, taking another cigarette and popping it between his lips.
“Don’t you see?” I said. “Whoever this faceless – invisible man – is, for him to go to such lengths to disguise himself from me means that he isn’t someone that I’ve met just once or twice – he is someone that I know extremely well. So well, that just the briefest glimpse of his face or the tiniest sound of his voice would reveal his identity to me.”
Blowing smoke from the corner of his mouth, Potter turned to face me and looking me straight in the eyes, he said, “Got any ideas?”
“None,” I said back. And fell silent.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“You must think I was born in the early hours of this morning if you think I’m going to believe that,” he said, and moved closer. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Remember Murphy thought that there was a traitor amongst us?” I said, staring at him.
“Yeah?” Potter said thoughtfully.
“Well, Hunt thought the same thing. It was he who first gave Murphy the idea,” I pushed.
“So that’s where Murphy got the idea from,” Potter said with bitterness in his voice. “That Doc is just an old quack. What does he know?”
“But what if he was right?” I said, still looking at him. “What if there is a traitor amongst us – reporting back to this invisible man exactly what we’re planning, where we are heading next?”
Potter broke my gaze and sat silently for a moment. Then, with his head bent low, he whispered a name. “Isidor.”
“Do you know how crazy that sounds?” I said. “I’m mean do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“Look, like I’ve said before, there’s just something about him,” Potter said, turning to face me again. “He just turned up out of the blue like that back at the manor.”
“He saved us,” I reminded him.
“I had everything under control,” he said.
“He told me that he came looking for his sister – Kayla,” I said not wanting to believe what Potter was saying. Then I stopped, and I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.
“What?” Potter asked, eyeing me.
But all I could think about was my dream, the one where Sparky went back to the manor and killed Mrs. Lovelace, then met the man at the top of the stairs. The faceless man that helped Sparky murder the half-breed children. What if Potter was right? What if it had been Isidor at the manor and once he’d finished helping Sparky, he had come to the summerhouse? It couldn’t have been Luke, Murphy, or Potter as they were with me, fighting off the vampires. So that did only leave Isidor.
“What are you thinking about?” Potter pushed, again sounding impatient.
“Nothing,” I lied. I couldn’t share my fears with Potter as I couldn’t be sure that I was right about Isidor. Potter disliked the guy enough without me provoking him. No, I wouldn’t say anything until I was sure. However much my heart ached to even think that Isidor might be the traitor, I knew that I would have to watch him, see exactly what he was up to.
“Okay, keep your thoughts to yourself,” Potter sniffed. “I’m getting used to that these days, but I’m telling you that kid has got more fiddles going on than the London Philharmonic Orchestra.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” I said.
“What I do know for sure,” Potter growled, “is if he is the bastard that’s been tipping this invisible man off, I’m going to personally nail his scrotum to the floor!”
“You have such a wonderful way with words, Potter,” I sighed.
“Thank you,” he snapped.
“That wasn’t meant as a compliment,” I told him. “Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Didn’t we learn that in police training school? Isn’t that meant to mean something? Don’t we need some evidence?”
“I have evidence,” Potter said.
“And what’s that?” I asked. “Go on, enlighten me.”
“He’s a pain in the arse!” He snapped. “Good enough for you?”
“No!” I snapped back.
“I tell you something for nothing, Kiera,” he said. “You’re a beautiful-looking girl, but that Miss Marple thing you insist on doing don’t go with the posh French knickers you like wearing!”
“Why do you have to be so impossible sometimes?” I asked, and got up to walk away. But before I’d even reached the door, Potter had grabbed my arm.
“What about the other one?” he said.
“The other what?”
“Person hiding out in this town. You said there were two,” he reminded me.
“Nik,” I said, almost forgetting all about him.
“Nik?”
“He’s a Lycanthrope,” I told him.
“I didn’t think you were a fan of that particular species,” Potter said, drawing deeply on his cigarette.
“This one’s different,” I started.
“What do you mean, he isn’t a murdering son-of-a-bitch like the rest of them?” Potter grimaced.
“No, I think he’s done his fair share of killings, but like I said, he seems different.”
“Don’t you believe it,” Potter said, grinding his cigarette out on the office floor.
“Nik’s looking for redemption,” I tried to convince him. “He helped me, Isidor, and Kayla escape. I’m surprised you didn’t see him, he was here the day you found me.”
“Apart from Seth and Eloisa, there was no werewolf, sweet-cheeks,” Potter said.
“That’s strange,” I wondered aloud.
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” I said back. “Anyway, I thought you and Seth and what’s-her-face are the best of friends.”
“Don’t you believe it, sweet-cheeks,” Potter said, his voice low.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Aren’t I meant to be going down into The Hollows with Seth while you swan off with his girlfriend?” I said, trying to mask my bitterness.
Pulling me close, he whispered in my ear, “Seth ain’t ever going to make it down into The Hollows – I’ll see to that. And as for Eloisa, she won’t ever be coming back from that zoo, once I’ve rescued Luke.”
“What are you talking about?” I whispered confused.
“You don’t think I’ve forgotten what that scum did to Murphy, do you?” he said. Then letting go of my arm, he left the room.
“Potter!” I called after him. “What are you going to do to them?”
Without even so much as looking back at me, Potter continued down the corridor to his cell and closed the door.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
My sleep was restless and I spent most of the night rolling onto my side, onto my back, and then my side again. My stomach still lurched from time to time with hunger and my mouth and throat would turn dry. I knew it was my body still craving the red stuff – but it was easier. Would I have these cravings for the rest of my life? Potter told Isidor we would, and it would be those feelings that would keep us sharp – alive.
In an attempt to take my mind off the red stuff, I thought of Ravenwood. I had already figured out where he would more than likely be hiding out in Wasp Water. But what would happen when I found him? The man in my visions said that I would take Ravenwood to him, but how would I ever do that? I’d never lead Ravenwood and the code to my enemy. But who was that? I know Potter suspected Isidor, but I wasn’t convinced – not yet.
Rolling onto my side again, I picked up my iPod and turned it on. Closing my eyes, I started to listen to Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine and the line, ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’, couldn’t have seemed truer at that moment in time.
I must have eventually fallen asleep, because I woke to find Kayla sitting at the end of my bed. Either my iPod had fallen out or she had taken it, because she was now listening to it. Kayla was dressed in the clothes I’d taken for her from the department store, and I could tell that she had showered and fixed her hair, as it now shone its usual brilliant red as it cascaded over her shoulders. Although her skin still looked pale, her eyes had more of their emerald sparkle and it made me feel happy to see her looking better.
Seeing that I was awake, she removed the earphones and said, “Potter says that we’re good to go when you’re ready.”
“What time is it?” I yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
“Nearly nine,” she smiled.
Pulling myself up onto my elbows, I looked at her and said, What are you smiling at? What’s so funny?”
“You,” she chuckled. “You’ve got the worst case of bed-head ever!”
“I didn’t sleep too well last night – so give me a break,” I smiled back. “Where’s everyone else – Isidor and the others?”
“They’re in the canteen having some tea and coffee before we set off for The Hollows,” she said. “Potter’s keen to get going.”
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I said, “I’m not going to The Hollows – not yet, anyhow.”
“But Potter…” Kayla started.
“Potter can think what he wants,” I said back, as I pulled on my jeans and top. “He doesn’t tell me what to do. He’s not my keeper.”
“Where are you going, then?” she asked me.
“To find Ravenwood.”
“Can I come with you?” Kayla asked.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said back.
“What about Isidor?”
Looking down at her sitting at the end of my bed, I said, “Sure, why not.”
“Good,” was all she said.
“You like him, don’t you?” I asked.
“Sure,” she smiled at me. “But just my luck though.”
“What is?” I frowned.
“The first cute guy to come along since, like, forever and it turns out he’s my brother,” she groaned.
“Too bad,” I grinned at her.
“Don’t I know it!” she grinned back.
Heading towards the cell door, I looked back at her and said, “Give me five and I’ll see you in the canteen – I’m just gonna take a shower. And tell Potter, I take my coffee strong and sweet!”
As I made my way down the cellblock to the showers, I could hear Kayla giggling behind me.
I stepped into one of the shower stalls, and removed my clothes. Turning on the water, I threw my head back and let it splash against my face and it felt wonderful. With my fingers, I started to untangle the worst case of bed-head ever. Then, very carefully, I felt for those little black bones that had been sticking out from between my shoulder blades. With my eyes screwed shut, I felt for them. To my relief, they had gone. I opened my eyes again and saw a shadow fleet past on the other side of the shower block. I reached up and turned off the water. Standing with my arms covering my chest, I listened. I could hear the sound of movement on the other side of the cubicle I was in. Keeping my breathing shallow so I could hear the slightest of sounds, I hurriedly pulled on my jeans and yanked my top over my head. My clothes clung to me and I felt uncomfortable in more ways than one.
Easing open the cubicle door, I peered out into the room, which was now empty. I opened the door leading to the passageway that ran between the cells and I could see by a set of damp footprints who had been spying on me. With my heart thumping in my chest, I raced down the passageway, following the footprints as I went. But as I reached the corridor that led to the canteen, the footprints had faded, the moisture evaporating into the air.
With my blood almost seeming to boil in my veins, I threw open the canteen door and rushed inside. I could see him sitting at one of the tables, sipping coffee from a mug. How dare he? I screamed inside and raced towards him. But no sooner had I taken my first step than I was upon him and knocking the mug away from his lips with my fist. Jack Seth looked startled as the mug flew from his hands, and hot coffee splashed against his face. His eyes blazed brilliant yellow as he pounced from his seat.
It all happened so fast, I think it had taken everyone in the room by surprise. All I could hear was the sound of chairs skidding backwards across the tiled floor.
“What was that for, you crazy bitch!” Seth snarled, his top lip rolling back to reveal his black rotten teeth.
“You filthy, freaking pervert!” I screamed, and clawed at his face. As my fingers flashed before my eyes, I could see that my fingernails were no longer clear–looking and neat, but now long and ivory-looking, like claws.
Seth saw me reaching for his eyes, and snatched my arm away, twisting it down by my side. His grip was fierce like a vice, but with one lightning snap of my wrist, I had pulled my arm away as easily as if I were being held by a baby. I saw the surprise in his eyes at how easily I had gotten away from him, and he took a step backwards.
Leaping into the air, I took hold of his scrawny neck and launched him through the air. He spun away from me like a child’s toy a
nd smashed into the wall on the opposite side of the canteen. Plaster and brick dust exploded into the air, as the wall cracked beneath the force of him colliding with it. But Seth hadn’t even hit the floor before he was coming at me, his eyes burning in their sunken sockets. He came towards me in a flash, and I stood my ground, back straight and arms and legs rigid. And in my mind’s eye, I knew exactly what I was going to do when he reached me, I was going to…
Then as if being plucked from the air, Seth flew from the room as Potter clattered into him. They hit the side the wall with such speed and force that the whole building shook.
“What’s going on here!” Eloisa suddenly roared as she pounced into the air, landing on top of a table, her nails making a clicking nose against its surface.
“Why don’t you ask your lover over there!” I shouted back at her. “He was watching me take a shower!” And inside, I could see those images again of him hurting me, laying on top of me, and the thought of it made me want to puke.
“What the fuck are you going on about?” Seth growled as Potter fought to restrain him from coming at me again.
“Ever since I met you, you’ve been staring at me with those fucked-up eyes of yours!” I roared back. “Filling my head with disgusting images of how you want me – of how you want to slowly torture then murder me. We’ll I’m not having it anymore, you sick bastard. It ends now! It ends at this moment!” Then, before I knew what had happened, I was standing before him, as Potter held him back. I looked up into his crazy eyes and whatever he saw in mine made him flinch. It was only there for the briefest of moments, but it was there.
Leaning in so close that I could feel his hot breath against me, I hissed, “You ever look at me like that again, you won’t believe what happens next.”
Seth stared into my eyes and I refused to break his stare. Then smiling down at me, he ran his grey coloured tongue over his cracked lips. “I look forward to it, Kiera Hudson. Now, whoever you thought you saw watching you, it wasn’t me. I’ve been here the whole time. Your friends will testify to that.”