The Music of Sound

by Ian Jarvis

  ‘What on earth are you doing?’ asked Quist, his eyes wide.

  ‘This is all my fault. I bit Adler and now she’s getting away. I’m going to stop her. I have to put things right.’

  ‘You’re not thinking straight. You need to...’

  Utilising lupine strength, Rex wrenched open the sliding doors and leapt out.

  ‘Oh, for crying out loud...’ hissed Quist, gripping the seat as the gondola swung precariously. ‘I don’t believe this.’

  He peered down to see a white splash in the dark water. Seconds passed before a wolf broke the surface and began swimming towards the far bank. Knowing the Air Line probably wouldn’t operate if the safety system sensed a door was open, he pulled it closed with difficulty, the silver poisoning still leaving him weak.

  ‘I really do not believe this,’ muttered Quist.

  ***

  The Royal Victoria Dock has changed dramatically since its 1855 opening. Gone are the masses of industry and shipping and the huge expanse of water is now given over to pleasure craft and water sports. Preserved cranes line the quayside by the modern buildings, their metal booms raised high in a poignant salute to their hectic past life.

  ‘Come on,’ snapped Adler, slipping off her stilettos to move faster in bare feet. She hurried along the edge of the water dragging Ligeia by her arm. ‘Kick off your shoes like me.’

  ‘I don’t want to go with you,’ sobbed the tiny singer.

  Reaching down, Adler wrenched them from her feet, then continued at a brisker pace.

  ‘Stop now,’ said Ligeia. ‘STOP and let me GO.’

  The Colonel laughed. ‘So that’s your other voice, I take it? Your supposedly harmful voice? There’s a tickling in my ears, so I can sense you’re trying to do something with it, but you’re wasting your time. It won’t work on me and that’s no longer down to my implants. I’m different now.’

  Couples and small groups strolled along the dock between the chic waterfront bars and restaurants, some of the closer ones turning to look with uneasy frowns. Most assumed it was a gay couple quarrelling, but one bunch of inebriated young men didn’t like what they saw.

  ‘What’s going on?’ asked one of the four, standing in the Colonel’s way. ‘Are you alright, luv?’

  ‘This doesn’t concern you,’ hissed Adler, pushing past. ‘Walk away, now.’

  ‘She’s crying. Why don’t you stop crushing her arm and then I might leave.’ He moved close behind, tapping Adler’s shoulder. ‘Hey, I’m talking to you, Sweetheart.’

  ‘Wow!’ One of his friends followed him. ‘Do you know who that bird is? I don’t believe this, but...’

  Adler turned, slamming the heel of her palm into the first man’s face, breaking his nose and propelling him ten feet backwards. She gasped at her new strength, before landing a swift karate kick on his friend’s chin. His boots left the ground, he fell unconscious, and their shocked companions stepped back shaking their heads. Adler tugged at Ligeia and walked faster towards the ExCel and the airport.

  ‘I want to be with Elva,’ moaned Ligeia. ‘I don’t want to go with you. Why did you take me away from her?’

  ‘You know what?’ said Adler. ‘I’m starting to wonder that myself. Why did I take you? I’m beginning to think I should just snap your neck and leave you here.’

  The Colonel yanked her close, gripping her throat as she hurried past a wide square planted with lines of trees. Why not do it? Why not break the stupid slut’s neck? She gazed at the dusky skin and felt the terrified pulse hammering beneath her fingers. Better still, why not bite into her soft throat and tear out her windpipe? Why not eat her throat?

  Adler shook herself. This was insane. Why was she allowing primal emotions to take over in this way? It was obviously something to do with the werewolf bite and she needed to control it.

  Everything had changed. God alone knew what Elva had done, but the Padre had been correct with his warnings. Elva was obviously a supernatural creature like Ligeia. The little bitch had wiped out her entire team and would have killed her too had it not been for Grant’s bite. Thanks to those interfering bastards back there, the authorities would be investigating Charlington Hall, they’d find Moran and Ramson and this lucrative venture was finished. She needed to get away now, alter her plans and begin afresh. The Colonel had grabbed Ligeia in the O2 without thinking, but the more she debated, the more she realised there wasn’t any point in taking her along. She had enough money and, more importantly, she had this incredible new power.

  With her hearing accentuated, Adler picked up a distant splash. She twisted around, gazing at the wide dock and then up at the Air Line where she could make out the tiny figure of Quist closing the gondola doors. She was being pursued and someone must have jumped from the cable car - probably that idiot Rex.

  ‘Run,’ snapped the Colonel. ‘Run now.’

  A huge wolf climbed a boat ladder from the water and bounded along the quay after them. Adler ran past the Royal Victoria footbridge and along the narrow walkway between the vast bulk of the ExCel exhibition centre and the water’s edge. Looking back she saw the black wolf closing on them. Four legs were swifter than two and Rex didn’t have a struggling girl to drag. People leapt aside in horror as Rex raced past, all wondering what this creature could be and most wishing they’d had the foresight to photograph it on their phones.

  ‘Please stop,’ said Ligeia. ‘I can’t run any further...’

  ‘No need to run.’ Adler looked around to ensure there was no one nearby. The evening revellers were much further back near the hotels and bars they’d passed and this section of the quay was empty. ‘I’m ending this right now.’

  Still gripping her captive’s wrist, Adler closed her eyes and concentrated. How were you supposed to do this? How did you embrace the lycanthropy and change? She felt an alien darkness rise within, bones lengthened and she bent double, grunting in pain as her entire frame began to transform. Ah, apparently it wasn’t too difficult. Designer clothing tore apart and fell away, black fur sprouted and her wolf muzzle extended as Ligeia stared in terror.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she whimpered. ‘You’re frightening me.’

  The Colonel no longer held Ligeia’s arm. In her place, a huge she wolf stood on two legs, gripping her wrist with hairy talons and gazing malevolently with a burning red eye. The eye patch remained, with the elastic stretched tight around the creature’s head. Ligeia opened her mouth to scream, then toppled stunned and bleeding as a paw smacked across her face. Adler fell to the ground too as Rex reached them and slammed into her from behind.

  The Colonel flipped onto her back, slashing his chest with her claws. ‘Following me was a stupid move,’ she growled. ‘Attacking was even more stupid. I’m trained in combat and, now I have this power and strength, do you honestly think you can best me?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Rex. He buried his fangs into her shoulder and twisted his jaws, wrenching at the flesh. ‘Let’s give it a try.’

  An ExCel fire exit opened and one of the evening cleaning staff emerged, a chubby man hoping for a quick smoke as he emptied his mop bucket. He tutted to see the writhing mass of fur, threw the soapy water over it, and the animals parted. The cleaner had assumed they were stray dogs fighting and had tossed the bucket without allowing himself the time to notice their size. He’d doused dog fights on occasions before, but as the creatures turned to scowl at him, he realised he’d never seen dogs that looked anything like this. Baring his fangs, Rex growled and the man soiled himself before bolting back indoors.

  Still sprawling on her back, Adler took the opportunity to lift her knees and slam both feet into Rex’s midriff, the kick launching him across the walkway and over the edge of the quay. He smashed his head on the side of a boat and plunged into the icy water between the vessel and the dock. Adler turned to Ligeia and saw she was sti
ll unconscious from the swiping blow. Hesitating and making up her mind, she left her and darted away. This girl was nothing but a hindrance now and she didn’t need her anymore. She’d made enough profit from her and now she had the exhilarating power to do anything.

  Rex floated face-down in the dock, ten seconds passing before his head wound healed and he roused himself. He grabbed the boat ladder beside him, raging furiously and coughing up water as he climbed. His amber eyes turned to the deep red of glowing coals as he hauled himself onto the quay and he knew he had to kill Adler. No matter what, he was going to tear this woman apart.

  ‘Rex, is that you?’ asked a frightened voice. ‘Rex, she hurt me. She hit me.’

  He turned to see Ligeia awake and climbing unsteadily to her feet. The urge to help the girl momentarily wrestled with the darker homicidal compulsions. Like a bizarre traffic signal, his eyes changed from red to amber, and then back to red. Ignoring the girl, he raced after Adler, growling and snarling.

  Chapter 39

  Watson sat with Elva in the rear of a taxi on Victoria Dock Road heading for the airport along the northern side of the ExCel exhibition centre. Turning to the girl, he saw how distressed she was and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Hopefully, she wouldn’t forget herself and ask the driver to go faster.

  ‘Hey, it’s okay.’ He smiled. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll find her.’

  Elva nodded, but didn’t look too sure.

  ‘How long have you known her?’ he asked.

  ‘Not long,’ signed Elva. ‘I lived in a place called Ireland for a very long time, but then I met a man who took me to a city called Prague. He was a driver and he hid me in his lorry. We had lots of sex and I thought he liked me, but when we got there he knew some very bad men and he tried to sell me. I escaped and met Ligeia. After all that time, it was wonderful to meet someone like myself at last - a sister.’

  ‘Yeah, I’ll bet.’ Watson wondered how many years, or even centuries, she’d been in Ireland. He lowered his voice so the driver wouldn’t hear. ‘So you’re er, you’re a Banshee, eh? Don’t they have fairy stories about you lot - legends about how your scream causes death? That’s one myth that seems to have a grain of truth to it.’

  ‘I’m never able to speak,’ signed Elva. ‘I only use my voice when bad people hurt me, like the ones in Prague...’ Suddenly stiffening, she pulled at Watson’s arm and pointed right, signing frantically.

  ‘You can sense Ligeia?’ Watson peered through the window. ‘She’s over there? Are you sure?’

  She nodded excitedly.

  He leant forward and spoke to the driver. ‘Take your next right, please. We need to get into that big car park over there.’

  The driver negotiated a roundabout and took them along Lynx Way down into the ExCel parking area. Elva bounced giddily on the seat to see Ligeia in her crumpled mini dress walking across the tarmac, barefoot and dazed.

  ‘The girl there in the silver dress,’ said Watson. ‘We have to pick her up.’

  The taxi drew up beside the weeping Ligeia and Elva leapt out to embrace her. Watson looked around for Quist and Rex, but there was no sign of them. Fortunately, there was no sign of Adler either. With the full moon beaming down, she was the last person he wanted to meet in a deserted car park right now.

  ‘Hey, that’s amazing.’ The driver grinned as they climbed in. ‘You look just like that famous singer.’

  ‘She gets that a lot,’ said Watson. ‘Okay, straight to the airport now, please.’

  ‘Yeah, you’ve definitely got her looks,’ said the driver, glancing in his mirror and chuckling. ‘I bet you wish you had her cash.’

  Watson watched the girls cuddling and kissing. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, feeling slightly aroused. ‘No need for tears; you’re safe now. What happened to the boss and Rex? Where’s the bastard who took you?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ mumbled Ligeia, wiping her eyes. ‘The Colonel was really nasty to me and then she turned into a big bad wolf. Rex had a fight with her, but then she left me and ran away. Rex left me too and chased her, but he was different. He was a bad wolf too.’

  ‘No, Rex is okay,’ said Watson. ‘He’s a good wolf.’

  ‘He’s bad now. His eyes turned red and I could feel he was bad.’

  Realising the driver was listening, Watson glanced and saw his incredulous face in the mirror. Once upon a time, this kind of talk would get people burnt at the stake, but these days there were plenty of recreational drugs to blame.

  The taxi sped across Connaught Bridge, which separates the Royal Victoria Dock from the Royal Albert, and the London City Airport appeared on their left. A compact facility, the single airstrip ran along the entire southern side of the latter dock and catered for propeller aircraft and small jets. The driver glanced warily in the mirror again. From the conversation, he was now wondering about the mental health of his passengers and, more importantly, whether these young nutters had any money for the fare.

  ‘Nearly there,’ he said. ‘Er, you don’t have any bags, so I’m guessing you’re not flying. Are you meeting someone from a flight?’

  ‘We’re supposed to be meeting someone,’ said Watson. He turned to Elva. ‘The boss said to come to the airport, but then what? We’ve got your friend back, but where’s Adler?’

  ‘Rex is here,’ gasped Ligeia, grabbing the youth and gesturing to her left. ‘He crossed this bridge a few moments ago and now he’s just over there. I can feel him.’

  ‘Oh, boy,’ muttered the driver.

  ‘That’s the end of the runway,’ said Watson, peering into the blackness through the fence. The taxi turned left onto Connaught Road and he spotted an airport entrance off the roundabout just ahead. ‘Turn in here, would you?’

  ‘You aren’t allowed in there,’ said the driver. ‘I think it’s a service road or something. The public entrance to the terminal is a little further away on Hartmann Road.’

  ‘No, this will do. Pull in here.’

  ‘Okay, mate.’ The taxi driver was glad to be rid of them. ‘Whatever you say.’

  ‘Thanks.’ The teenager jumped out and paid the fare. He waited until the car had sped away before walking towards the security booth with the girls. A guard appeared and Watson turned to Ligeia. ‘Get ready,’ he whispered. ‘I think you’ll need to do the enchantment thing with your voice.’

  ‘Sorry.’ The guard held up a hand. ‘You’re not allowed past this point.’

  ‘Tell him to let us through,’ said Watson. ‘Then tell him to forget about us.’

  The girl repeated his words and the man stepped aside.

  ‘Certainly, Miss.’ He smiled politely. ‘Have a nice night.’

  ‘Hey, that was brilliant.’ The teenager spotted an airport buggy parked behind the security booth similar to those used on golf courses. It was dark and hopefully no one would see them if he left the lights off. The guard returned to his post, oblivious to their presence. ‘Come on. Jump in this thing with me.’

  Ligeia and Elva climbed in the electronic vehicle, holding on to each other, and he drove across the grass towards the aircraft turning point at the end of the runway.

  ‘So that’s how your voice works, eh?’ Watson laughed nervously. ‘It’s like using the force. These are not the droids you’re looking for.’

  Ligeia frowned. ‘I’m sorry?’

  ‘Not to worry.’ He laughed again, but fear knotted his stomach muscles. ‘I’m just quoting the classics.’

  ***

  There was no pedestrian walkway over Connaught Bridge, but the traffic was light this Friday evening and Adler crouched behind shrubbery waiting for a break in the flow of vehicles before running across unseen. The she wolf jumped the roadside barrier to land in bushes beside the airfield perimeter fence. This western end of the London City Airport was devoid of infrastructure. The eno
rmous Royal Albert Dock was on her left, the terminal buildings stood some distance away to her right and, in front of her, an expanse of grass surrounded the end of the runway with its wide turning area. Taking a step back, she launched herself over the razor wire to land on the turf. This was amazing. She was stronger and more alert than she’d ever felt in her life.

  Shrouded by darkness, Adler ran to the edge of the airstrip by the water and gazed around, sniffing the air and picking up vague scents which had always been indiscernible to her human nose: vegetation, rabbits and foxes, aviation fuel and oil. An aircraft taxied slowly towards her to turn and take off into the breeze. The front spotlight illuminated the tarmac and grass, but she stood outside its bright beam by the dock. One of the mid-range airliners which used this airport countless times per day, Adler recognised it as an ATR42, a French twin turboprop. So where was her Gulfstream? The wolf looked around and smiled. There it was, parked on the right side of the runway with several other planes.

  Hearing a distant thud behind her, she turned and bristled to see glowing red eyes; Rex had jumped the fence and was bounding towards her on all fours. ‘You,’ she snarled. ‘Why the hell did you follow me? Why can’t you just...’

  Obviously not in the mood for questions, Rex attacked ferociously, pouncing on the she wolf and ripping into it with fangs and claws. Adler locked her jaws on his shoulder, gouging at his chest with taloned fingers and attempting to get her muzzle past his chomping teeth to tear into his neck. All reasoning had vanished and animal savagery had taken over. She had to kill this creature right now and she instinctively knew that decapitation would end her opponent’s life.

  Rex broke away from her as another wolf ran across the grass to appear beside them. The pair turned, panting and growling, to glare ferociously at Quist. The detective had transformed in the shadows after leaving the Air Line and had followed their scent trails. He raised himself on two legs and nodded grimly to see that Adler’s single eye burned red. His heart sank as he noticed Rex’s eyes were the same colour.