by Alan K Baker
‘Yeah, but why the hell would he do that?’
‘Because Azathoth is his father,’ Fort replied.
Rusty looked at him open-mouthed. ‘Oh Christ.’
‘That’s right, Miss Links. Crystalman is an avatar of Nyarlathotep. He intends to feed the Earth and everything on it to Azathoth. Real nice company you keep, if you don’t mind my saying so.’ Fort glanced at the rock book which Lovecraft was still holding. ‘But I’ll tell you something else. This might just get you off the death penalty. You’ve given us the way to defeat him.’
‘What do you mean, Charles?’ asked Lovecraft.
‘This rock book, created at the time of Haq ul’Suun’s imprisonment by means of – what do the notes call it? Lithotechnology? – can reverse the process and free his mind from its confinement inside the Falcon. So all we have to do to prevent that from happening is destroy the book.’
‘That’s easier said than done,’ Rusty replied. ‘I’ve tried smashing it, but I can’t. It’s unbreakable.’
‘Makes sense,’ said Fort. ‘Created by the same means as the Falcon.’ He grinned at her. ‘But we’ll see how unbreakable it is.’ He picked up the case he had put on the floor and laid it on Penny’s desk. He opened it and took out the Teleforce Projector.
‘What’s that?’ asked Rusty.
Fort told her. ‘If anything can destroy the rock book, this can.’
Rusty went to stand beside Fort and Lovecraft. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Actually, no, not a hundred percent, but it’s our best option right now.’ He glanced around at the four walls, and then indicated the inner wall separating the office from the corridor outside. ‘Howard, put the book on the floor and stand it against that wall.’
Lovecraft nodded and did as Fort asked. ‘Shouldn’t we take it to a more secluded location and then destroy it, Charles?’ he said as he rejoined Fort and Rusty at the desk.
‘Ideally, yes, but we don’t know how much time we’ve got. If Crystalman knows where Miss Links is, his elementals could be on their way here right now. We’ve got to destroy the thing while we have the chance.’ He indicated the door to his office. ‘Okay, the two of you take cover in there; it’s my guess there’s going to be some shrapnel flying around.’
Lovecraft opened the door and he and Rusty stood in Fort’s office on either side of the door. Fort glanced at them and shook his head. ‘Not enough. Get behind the wall and hunker down.’
Lovecraft and Rusty disappeared from view behind the wall. ‘Good luck, Charles,’ said Lovecraft.
Fort switched on the Teleforce Projector and took careful aim at the rock book. His finger closed on the trigger.
At that moment, the corridor door burst open and John Carter, Dave Wiseman and several uniformed policemen surged into the room. All had their weapons drawn.
‘Drop it, Charlie!’ shouted Carter.
‘What the hell!’ cried Fort.
‘Do it, or we’ll drop you.’
Fort lowered the Projector.
‘On the desk, and hands in the air.’
Fort put the Projector on the desk and raised his hands.
‘Step away.’
Fort took a couple of paces back.
‘Anyone else here with you? Your buddy Mr. Lovecraft, maybe?’
‘No,’ said Fort. ‘Just me.’
‘Like hell,’ said Wiseman, peering at the door to Fort’s office. ‘Whoever’s back there, get out here, now!’
‘Do as he says,’ said Fort over his shoulder.
‘Are you sure, Charles?’ asked Lovecraft from behind the wall.
Fort sighed. ‘Yes, Howard, I’m sure.’
‘Well,’ said Lovecraft as he edged into view. ‘I suppose they’d have checked in here anyway.’
‘That we would, Mr. Lovecraft,’ said Carter.
As Rusty followed Lovecraft through the door, Wiseman added: ‘Well well, Miss Rusty Links, I presume.’ With a glance at Carter, he added: ‘See, John? I told you Fort was dirty; been in it from the start, he has.’
Rusty said nothing; she merely smiled as her skin lost its flawless alabaster hue and turned bright, hellish red.
‘She’s shifting!’ shouted Wiseman. ‘John, now!’
Carter pointed his weapon at Rusty, and Fort realised that it wasn’t a conventional service revolver. It was smaller, and the barrel was too thin. When Carter pulled the trigger, the only sound was a muted phut! The needle struck Rusty in the side of her neck. She dropped to the floor instantly, her skin returning to its human colour.
‘What the hell is that thing?’ demanded Fort.
‘New tool from the eggheads in the police armoury, Charlie,’ Carter replied as one of the uniformed officers hurried across to Rusty and handcuffed her. ‘Pneumatic needle gun. Each needle carries an anaesthetic compound with a component that prevents shapeshifters from doing their party trick. Only lasts for a few hours, but that’s more than long enough to get them squared away.’
‘That’s pretty impressive tech for the NYPD,’ said Fort as two more policemen moved forward and cuffed Fort and Lovecraft.
‘You’d be surprised at some of the tricks we’ve got up our sleeve, Charlie,’ said Carter.
‘I guess that’s true. What’s the deal, John?’
‘You’re under arrest,’ said Carter.
‘On what charge, for Christ’s sake?’
Carter indicated the Teleforce Projector on the desk. ‘Accessory to murder… but I guess now we can add possession of an unlicensed weapon.’
‘God damn it, John! Are you still playing that tune?’
‘What other tune would I play?’ Carter pointed to Rusty’s unconscious form. ‘She staked Sanguine, and here she is in your office. And we also have reason to believe she’s involved in the disappearance of Aldous Bradlee…’
‘Who the hell’s he?’
‘The chief archivist at the NCPE in Florida,’ said Wiseman. ‘As if you didn’t know.’
Wiseman glanced around the room, saw the rock book propped against the wall and picked it up. ‘And what do we have here?’ he asked theatrically. ‘Why, it looks like a Martian artefact! I wonder if it’s the one that was stolen from the NCPE. So we can add theft to the list.’ He chuckled. ‘Oh, you’re in it, Fort – up to your eyeballs!’
‘Go screw yourself, Wiseman,’ muttered Fort.
Carter walked across to the desk and picked up the Teleforce Projector. ‘Where’d you get this?’
‘Just read me my rights,’ said Fort.
Carter looked inside the case and picked up the Anomalous Oscillation Detector. ‘What’s this?’
Fort scowled at him. ‘I said read me my rights.’
CHAPTER 28
Too Much Knowledge
There was a police wagon and two squad cars waiting outside. Fort and Lovecraft were shoved unceremoniously into the back of the wagon while two of the uniformed officers placed Rusty’s sleeping form on the floor between them. Carter gave the rock book to Wiseman, who held his hand out for the case.
‘You just take the book,’ Carter said. ‘I’ll hold onto this. I want to take a look at it.’
Wiseman nodded. ‘Okay, John, I’ll see you back at the precinct.’
Wiseman left in one of the squad cars while the uniformed officers climbed into the other. Carter climbed into the wagon and sat on the bench seat beside Lovecraft, who gave him a morose look as the vehicle set off. ‘This is so embarrassing,’ he muttered. ‘Arrested! Imagine! I don’t know what my aunts would say.’
‘They’d probably say you shouldn’t have got yourself mixed up with Charles Fort,’ Carter replied. He lit a cigarette, blew a stream of smoke into the air and looked at Fort. ‘I’m sorry, Charlie. I wish this caper could have played out some other way. But you’re in it deep, and I can’t see a way out for you.’
‘I’m sorry too, John,’ said Fort. ‘I expected you to be smarter than this.’
Carter smiled and blew more smoke. ‘Why don’t you square with me, Charlie? Things’ll go easier for you and your friend here if you do.’
Fort nodded. ‘All right, I will. You remember the conversation we had when you pulled us in after the Expressway?’
‘Yeah. You said the Falcon had something to do with the death of the Martian civilisation.’
‘That’s right. Well, it’s true. Howard and I went to see Tesla…’
‘So he’s the one who gave you that cockamamie gun and the other gadget.’ Carter said.
‘Yeah. It is a weapon – the only weapon that stands a chance of destroying the rock book.’
Carter sighed. ‘And why, for the love of God, would you want to destroy the rock book?’
‘Okay, this is going to sound crazy, John, but hear me out.’
Carter shrugged. ‘Go ahead. I’m all ears.’
Fort laid it all out for Carter; everything they’d learned about the Martian Falcon and the ninth rock book.
Carter whistled loudly. ‘Whew! You’ve really gone off the deep end this time, Charlie. Nyarlathotep? Azathoth? The Great Old Ones? The Outer Gods?’ He laughed harshly. ‘So you’re going to destroy a priceless artefact to prevent a mythical bogeyman from eating the world. Jesus, is that the best you can come up with?’
Fort sighed. ‘Why am I even bothering?’
‘Beats the hell out of me,’ Carter replied, dropping his cigarette butt and grinding it under his heel.
Rusty groaned and began to stir.
‘Welcome back, Miss Links,’ said Carter.
Rusty opened her eyes and looked at him, her face expressionless. Then she frowned, and a look of fear and consternation spread across her face.
‘Trying to shift? Don’t bother. There’s a chemical compound in your system that prevents it. You just lie there and be a good girl, okay?’
‘What are you going to do with the rock book, Lieutenant?’ asked Lovecraft.
‘Same thing I’m going to do with the gadgets in this case, Mr. Lovecraft. Bag them as evidence.’
‘Is there nothing we can say to convince you of the truth?’
Carter shrugged. ‘You could try telling me the truth. That might work.’ He looked at the case, which he had placed on the seat beside him; then he opened it and took out the Teleforce Projector. He examined it carefully and nodded. ‘Quite a popgun you’ve got here, boys. Looks like it could take out half a city block.’
‘It was designed to end trouble, not start it,’ said Lovecraft.
‘Oh, I’m sure it was,’ Carter chuckled.
‘Tell me something, John.’ said Fort. ‘How did you know we’d be at my office?’
‘We’ve got men watching your office and your apartment. They saw Miss Links here going into your office. They also saw you arriving in a cab in a hell of a hurry, and then Father O’Malley leaving with your secretary.’
‘Have you picked them up, too?’
‘Not yet, but we will.’ Carter replaced the Projector in its case, glanced out through the barred window behind him, reached into his jacket and pulled out his service revolver. ‘As soon as I take care of the business at hand.’
Fort eyed the revolver. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘You and your friends know way too much about the Falcon, Charlie. I can’t have that.’ He shrugged. ‘Just can’t have it.’
‘My God,’ said Lovecraft. ‘Do you mean to murder us?’
‘Self defence,’ Carter replied. ‘The three of you attacked me, tried to get the keys to your handcuffs off me. Three against one – I wouldn’t stand a chance. Then you would have gone for my gun and put a slug in my head. I really had no choice: you’re dangerous fugitives, after all. That’s what my report will read.’
‘Christ,’ said Fort. ‘You’re working for Crystalman?’
‘In a manner of speaking.’
‘What do you mean “in a manner of speaking”? John, what the hell’s going on?’
‘You’re the one who told Crystalman that Charles and I were going to Colorado,’ said Lovecraft.
‘That’s right, Mr. Lovecraft.’ Carter threw him a mock-sympathetic glance. ‘You know, you really should have stuck to writing pulp fiction instead of living it. You might have lived a little longer.’
Fort gazed at Carter, appalled. ‘Why, John? For God’s sake, why?’
‘Like I said, Charlie,’ Carter replied, taking aim at Fort’s head. ‘You know way too much.’
His finger squeezed the trigger.
CHAPTER 29
Ambush
The police wagon jolted at the instant the hammer of Carter’s pistol fell, throwing off his aim. The bullet missed Fort’s head by less than an inch, the report sounding like a thunder blast in the confined space.
Carter cursed. Assuming they had hit a pothole in the road, he quickly took aim again, and again his aim was thrown off by another jolt, much harder this time. And then he realised, as they all did, that the wagon had not hit a hole in the road. Carter stood up and looked through the barred window. He cursed again, more vehemently this time, as the wagon was shunted to the side by another impact. He lost his footing and fell to the floor, dropping his gun.
Lovecraft reached out with his leg and kicked the weapon away from him and under the bench seat. Rusty squirmed to the side, her hands reaching blindly behind her back, searching for it. Fort stood up and was about to kick Carter in the gut, but there was another impact and he, too, went over.
The driver struggled with the steering wheel as the wagon was hit again and again. The cabin was filled with the loud, ugly sound of metal crunching against metal. Fort tried to knee Carter in the groin, but with his hands cuffed behind his back, he was at a serious disadvantage. Carter easily evaded him and punched him hard in the face. Fort’s head swam. He tried to get up but Carter punched him again. Lovecraft stood up and aimed a weak kick at the detective’s head, but Carter grabbed his ankle and twisted. Lovecraft howled with pain and went down.
Carter raised his fist for a knockout punch, but at that moment the driver of the wagon lost control, and the vehicle mounted the kerb and toppled onto its side, throwing Carter and the others from the floor to the wall in a mass of thrashing limbs. Carter’s head hit the wall hard as the wagon slewed along the sidewalk, smashed a lamppost flat and ground to a halt.
For a few seconds the only sounds were those of panting and groans. Fort got onto his knees and spat blood. He looked at Carter, who was unconscious. The door of the driver’s cab opened and the two men inside screamed in unison and fell silent.
‘What the fuck’s happening?’ demanded Rusty of no one in particular.
‘This feels oddly familiar,’ said Fort, as the rear doors were ripped from their hinges, revealing two black-suited figures. Beyond them could be seen a sleek, black car, its front wings dented, the paint chipped away to reveal the steel beneath.
‘Evening, fellas,’ said Fort. ‘Right on time… but how did you know? Were you staking out my office as well?’
The vampires stood aside to reveal Johnny Sanguine. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I was.’ His eyes dropped to Rusty, who was picking herself up. ‘Hello, doll. Long time no see.’
Rusty sighed. ‘Well… I guess this is it. Do me a favour and make it quick, huh Johnny? For old times’ sake?’
Johnny smiled at her. ‘You think I’m gonna kill you? Nah! That’s all in the past. All is forgiven. I have other work to do, other debts to repay.’ He glanced up and down the street and added more urgently: ‘Let’s go. Can’t stick around here.’
‘Where to?’ asked Fort.
‘The meeting place, of course,’ Johnny replied. ‘We’ve still got an appointment to keep – assuming Capone shows up.’
‘What about O’Malley?’
‘He’ll be there, too. I paid him a quick visit at your secretary’s parents’ place.’
‘Okay.’ Fort nodded at Carter’s unconscious form. ‘First things first. He’s got the keys to our cuffs in his pocket. And we’ll have to take him with us.’
‘Why?’ asked Johnny.
‘Because he’s working for Crystalman. He may have been in the Dero caverns. He might be able to tell us something useful.’
One of the vampires took Carter’s keys and unlocked their handcuffs. Fort grabbed the case containing the Projector and the AOD. They stepped out of the wagon and saw that traffic was stopping and people were getting out of their cars. A tram glided past, its windows filled with gawping faces.
Somewhere in the near distance a police siren blared, growing rapidly louder.
Johnny shook his head. ‘No time to take him; we have to leave right now. Come on!’
Fort glanced again at Carter. ‘All right,’ he said, reluctantly.
‘Kill him,’ said Rusty.
‘What?’ said Fort.
She gave him a look that said I can’t believe how stupid you are. ‘Kill him! He’s working for Crystalman and he has the rock book. We can’t let him live. Kill the son of a bitch, while we have the chance.’
‘For God’s sake, Miss Links,’ said Lovecraft. ‘We cannot commit cold-blooded murder!’
‘Even if it means saving the planet?’ said Rusty.
Lovecraft looked at Fort. ‘Charles, we can’t. He’s our enemy and a traitor to the human race, but…’
Fort balled his fists in frustration, as a police squad car rounded the nearest corner and sped towards them. ‘You’re right, Howard – we can’t.’
Johnny nodded to his vampires and they returned to their car. ‘My boys are leaving. If you want to as well, get in the car. Right now.’
Fort sighed. ‘Let’s go.’
They piled into the vampires’ car and took off, as the police car screeched to a halt beside the overturned wagon.
CHAPTER 30
The Meet