by Len du Randt
‘Sinclair,’ a woman’s voice answered the call.
‘Tanya?’
‘Yes...?’
‘Hey! It’s Justin.’
‘Oh hi, Justin. How are things?’
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ he said louder than he intended. He pressed the receiver tighter to his left ear and stuck his index finger into his right to try and block out as much of the ambient airport noise as he could. ‘Is Rebecca there?’
‘I’m sorry, Justin,’ Tanya said. ‘She stepped out for a bit. Could I perhaps take a message?’
‘Nah,’ he said. If something was wrong, Tanya would have said so. ‘I’ll call back later.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah, thanks.’
He hung up the phone and picked up his luggage. ‘Now to get a taxi cab,’ he said and headed for the information counter. The idea was to shoot straight through to Brooke & Lester for the meeting and then—after spending the night—make the trip back home. Justin stopped mid-way and placed the luggage back on the floor before looking around. Something kept gnawed at the back of his mind, urging him not to take a taxi. He didn’t know exactly why he felt the way he did, but he knew the voice that spoke to his heart and that he should listen to it. He wondered if he should call Dorothy before getting a cab. Justin looked at the phone, and then at the information counter and bit his lip. He looked at the phone again and picked up the luggage and made his way back to it. At the phone, he took out a piece of paper. He dialled the number on it and it rang twice before someone picked up.
‘Suzette, hello.’
‘Hi, uh…’ Justin said and he squeezed the handset. ‘May I please speak to Dorothy Stevens?’
‘Who?’
‘Dorothy Stevens,’ Justin confirmed.
‘I’m sorry, but no one by that name lives here.’
‘Lives…?’ Justin asked and looked at the number on the piece of paper. ‘Isn’t this Brooke & Lester?’
‘No,’ the woman at the other end of the line. ‘This is a private residence.’
Jared confirmed the number with the woman on the other side of the line. ‘But I called this number yesterday and spoke to a Dorothy from Brooke & Lester Literary Agents.’
‘I’m sorry,’ the woman said, ‘but you have the wrong number.’
‘Are you sure—?’
The line cut with an abrupt click and Justin just stood there for a minute, wondering what on earth was going on. He wanted to call the number again, but the sense of urgency overwhelmed him to the point of nausea and so he called Tanya instead.
‘Sinclair.’
‘Hey Tanya. It’s me again.’
‘Justin?’
‘Yes.’
‘Rebecca’s still not home, if that’s—’
‘No,’ he interrupted. ‘I actually wanted to speak to you this time.’
‘Oh?’ she asked. ‘What about?’
‘I wanted to know if that pilot friend of yours still lives in Cape Town.’
‘He does,’ she answered. ‘Why?’
‘Well, I’m here at the moment and desperately need to get to Kelwick as soon as possible,’ Justin said and shot up a quick prayer. ‘Problem is, there are no flights to Kelwick for at least a few more hours.’
‘And you were wondering if he would fly you out here?’
‘Hoping, yes,’ Justin said. ‘If it wouldn’t be an inconvenience. I’m more than willing to pay for his services.’
‘One moment,’ Tanya said and the line cut. After a while Justin thought that she might have hung up on him, but then the line came back on. ‘It won’t be a problem,’ she said.
‘Really?’
‘Greg said that he has to deliver supplies for a customer of his in Kelwick this afternoon. If you call him now, you might be able to catch a ride.’
Justin scribbled down Greg’s details and thanked Tanya. ‘Please don’t tell Becky I’m coming,’ he said. ‘I want it to be a surprise.’
‘Why the sense of urgency? If you don’t mind me asking?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Justin said and hesitated. ‘But I have a feeling in my gut that she and Jared might be in some kind of trouble. I can’t explain it, but I feel that I have to be there.’
‘Indeed,’ Tanya said. ‘Don’t worry about it, Justin. She’ll be quite surprised.’
Justin thanked her and hung up. He looked around the airport and for a moment wondered if he should rather try to get hold of Dorothy again.
No!
He shook his head and called Tanya’s friend.
‘This is Greg,’ the mutual acquaintance answered.
‘Hi Greg. This is Justin Greene speaking. You might not know me, but Tanya gave me your number.’
‘Hey,’ Greg said. ‘I’ve been expecting your call. I understand from what she said that you might need a lift, eh?’
‘If it’s not too much of an inconvenience,’ Justin said. ‘I’m prepared to pay full air-fare for the trip.’
‘No probs, man,’ Greg said. ‘I’ll pick you up at the airport in about twenty minutes and we can head for the airstrip from there. We should be in Kelwick just before sunset.’
‘Thanks Greg,’ Justin said. ‘I really appreciate it.’
When they hung up, Justin picked up his luggage and once again made his way across the floor. But this time it wasn’t to the information counter, but to the coffee shop. He would spend the next fifteen minutes there, drinking coffee and wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his short-lived writing career.
* - - - *
‘Interesting turn of events,’ Tanya said. ‘We’re expecting company.’
‘Oh yes?’ Natasha asked. ‘Who?’
‘Justin Greene.’
‘Excellent,’ Natasha said. ‘The more of Jared we can destroy, the better.’
‘Agreed,’ Tanya said and looked at the wide-eyed woman lying against the wall in the corner of the room. She was bound, gagged, and shivering with fear. ‘We can take care of their daughter at another time.’
‘When will he be here?’ Natasha asked.
‘They should be at the airport anytime after five. We’ll meet them there.’
‘And Jared?’
‘Oh, he will be there,’ Tanya said and grinned. ‘He will be there, and we will kill both his parents in front of him before ending his worthless life once and for all.’
* - - - *
Jared woke with a start. He scanned his eyes across the room as he tried to figure out where he was. He checked the time and sat upright. Could it be half past three already? With one swift movement, Jared got up from the bed and limped to the miniature bathroom where he splashed some water over his face and hair. After he gathered the last of his belongings, he left the apartment, locked the door, and handed the key in at the landlord on the first floor.
‘Leaving so soon?’ the landlord asked.
Jared merely nodded. He had wasted a whole morning and most of the afternoon already by dozing off after he arrived at the apartment. The idea was to pick up his things and leave. It was the splitting headache and dizzy spell that finally convinced him to lie down for just a minute. And now it was almost four o’ clock in the afternoon and he, Tanya, and his mother were still in Kelwick.
‘Send my regards to your mother, will you?’ the landlord called after him as Jared shuffled down the hallway to the elevator. ‘She’s a sweet woman, that one!’
‘Thanks,’ Jared said. ‘I will.’
Half way to Tanya’s house, he called up front to warn his mother and Tanya that he was coming to pick them up. Natasha answered the phone and, in the voice of an angel told him that they would meet him when he arrived.
‘I’m worried about you, Jared,’ she said. ‘You left so abruptly yesterday. Is something wrong?’
‘No,’ he lied. ‘Nothing’s wrong. I just need to speak to my mother urgently, that’s all.’
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. ‘Was it something I said?’
‘What?’ Jared asked. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Why are you ignoring me, Jared? What did I do wrong?’
Jared clenched his teeth. ‘It’s not you,’ he said. ‘Look, I’ve been through a really rough time. I just want to sort myself out before I commit to someone or something again, to figure out where I go to from here, really.’
‘I’d like for us to try again,’ she said. ‘You know, pick up from where we were before the accident.’
Jared had to fight the urge to give in and lose himself to her completely all over again. ‘We’ll talk about it later,’ he said, trying to stall for time. ‘I’ll be there in about five minutes.’
‘Drive safely,’ she said.
It was exactly seven minutes later when Jared parked his car in Tanya’s driveway. He painfully made his way to her door and pressed the buzzer a few times.
No one opened the door.
Jared took a few steps back and tried to see through the windows. ‘Hello?’ he called before buzzing again. ‘Is anyone here?’
No one answered.
He tried the handle and the door clipped open. Something felt wrong. Jared couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, but he could sense that something was out of place. ‘Hello?’ he called again as he entered the house.
The eerie quietness was overwhelming.
‘Tanya?’
He walked to the living room. It was dark and musty, almost as if no one had been in it for a few years.
‘Mother?’
A fluttering drew his attention to the staircase. Jared made his way to it.
‘Natasha?’
He climbed the stairs one at a time and, after what felt like forever, reached the landing at the top.
‘Is anyone here?’
A fluttering from Tanya’s bedroom. Jared cautiously made his way to it and peered inside. Natasha was standing at the open window, looking right at him. ‘If you want to see your mother alive again,’ she said. ‘Follow the trail.’ With that, she jumped from the window.
Jared rushed to the window as quickly as he could, but when he got there he didn’t see the sprawled body of a woman one storey below. What he did see sent a shiver down his spine. In the sky were hundreds of demons flying toward a mutual destination.
Follow the trail.
Fear gripped Jared and twisted a knot in his stomach. He shuddered and as quickly as his aching lower back and numb legs would allow, rushed back to the car.
* - - - *
Justin gasped when he first saw Kelwick through the window of the Cessna 172. The farming suburbs spread out like a blanket beneath them and they made a pass over the entire town before turning to align the plane with the landing strip.
‘Hold on,’ Greg said as the plane started its descent. ‘This might be a bumpy landing.’
Justin tightened his grip on the seatbelt that was strapped around his waist. It felt to him that the closer the plane came to the ground, the faster it moved. His stomach tightened, and a few seconds later, he was jerked slightly forward as the landing gear kissed the ground.
‘Touch down!’ Greg said and made a gesture that consisted of him kissing his index finger and pressing it against the roof. ‘The eagle has landed.’
Justin gave a thumbs up as the pilot taxied the Cessna to what appeared to be one of only two hangars at Kelwick’s small airstrip, bringing their five-hour trip together to an end. He soaked in as much of the surroundings as he could, flooding his mind with memories long forgotten. It only took a moment to feel as if he had never left the town in the first place. When the plane came to a standstill, Greg completed the post-landing check and then motioned to Justin that he could get out. When he did, Justin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘Nothing beats Kelwick air,’ he said and stretched his arms. ‘Don’t you just love that smell of recent rain?’
‘Uh huh,’ Greg nodded. ‘Sure do.’
Justin looked up and down the air strip and wondered how long he would have to wait for Tanya to pick him up. Greg unlocked the hangar and with Justin’s help, the two men heaved it open.
‘Would you mind helping me with something inside?’ Greg asked. ‘It won’t take a minute.’
Justin looked down the strip again. Still no sign of Tanya. ‘Sure,’ he said and followed Greg into the hangar. ‘I’d be glad to help out...’
His words trailed off as the sheer size of the hangar overwhelmed him. From outside the building appeared quite small. High above them the roof spanned from one end to the other. Justin couldn’t help but feel small and insignificant; a single planet with life in the never-ending expanse of space.
‘This way,’ Greg said and motioned for Justin to follow him.
Justin followed closely behind Greg as he soaked in the rest of the building. The huge windows on the sides appeared dwarfed from Justin’s point of view. He estimated that one would be able to fit five to ten of Greg’s Cessna planes comfortably inside the building and still have space to spare. Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, they reached the other end of the hangar where Greg stopped at what appeared to be some sort of workbench and a few lockers.
‘I just need you to do something for me,’ Greg said as he rummaged through one of the lockers.
‘Sure,’ Justin said. He looked at the end of the hangar where they came in and frowned when he thought about the walk back. ‘Oh yes,’ he said and took his wallet from his pocket. ‘How much do I owe you...?’
‘Keep your money, Mister Greene,’ Greg said and only when he turned around did Justin see the gun. Greg motioned to a chair with the pistol. ‘Have a seat.’
‘What’s this?’ Justin asked. ‘What are you doing, Greg?’
‘Sit down,’ Greg instructed and raised the gun to Jared’s head. ‘Or you might have me do something irrational.’
‘I don’t understand...’
Greg slammed the gun against Justin’s head, sending the older man sprawling back and into the chair. ‘I said, sit down.’
Justin shook his head and tried to re-focus his vision and rid his head of the sharp, throbbing pain. He touched the place where the gun made contact. It was bleeding, but not gushing.
‘That’s better,’ Greg said. ‘Now sit tight. Our guests should be arriving any moment now.’
* - - - *
Jared stopped the car and looked out of the window to try and figure out where the demons were going. He scanned the landscape to see if there were any familiar landmarks, but could find none. It was only ten minutes later that he realised where the horde was headed. Oh no, he thought and stepped on the gas. This can’t be good.
* - - - *
Justin was still applying pressure to his wound when a car pulled into the hangar. It drove almost all the way in to them before coming to a halt. Thank goodness! Justin thought when the driver’s door opened and Tanya climbed out. The passenger door opened and another woman much younger than Tanya also emerged from the car.
‘Tanya,’ Justin shouted a warning. ‘Watch out! He’s got a gun!’
Tanya merely grinned and opened the back door. The younger woman leaned into the car and pulled Rebecca out.
Justin’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. ‘Tanya?’ he asked. ‘What’s all this about?’
Rebecca was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back. Natasha shoved her violently towards Justin and he grabbed Rebecca to break her fall. He gently removed the gag and kissed her before turning his attention to Tanya again.
‘Are you still as ignorant as ever, Greene?’ Tanya asked. ‘Are you still blind to the very things happening right under your nose?’
Justin frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’ he asked. ‘What’s the idea behind this charade, and why do you want to harm us?’
‘We don’t want to harm you,’ Tanya said. ‘Not yet, at least.’ She lit a cigarette, took a deep drag and then exhaled the smoke into Justin’s face. ‘You’re merely bait.’
‘Bait?’ Justin asked. ‘What for?
’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Natasha answered on Tanya’s behalf. ‘Our primary target is on his way and should join us shortly.’
‘Speak of the devil,’ Tanya said as another car pulled into the hangar. ‘Here he is.’
* - - - *
Jared got out of the car and carefully surveyed the hangar before he closed the door. At the far end of the building was Tanya, Natasha, a man he didn’t know, and both his parents.
Dad?
Moving only his eyes, he carefully studied the rest of the building. The hangar was infested with the demonic beings that he had seen in Tanya’s house. Some of the creatures walked around the hangar, patrolling the area; others hung from the roof high above; while some were lodged against the walls, sitting there like gargoyles while they watched his every move. Most of them, however, crowded around the five people at the end of the hangar. Jared could feel all eyes locked upon him as he neared them. The only sound was the clicking of his cane as he made his way to the group of people. The demonic horde opened a path for him as he walked, hissing and scratching at him.
‘Hey,’ he greeted as he approached Tanya. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Jared!’ Rebecca shouted. ‘Don’t—!’
‘You’re just in time,’ said Tanya.
It was then that Jared saw the gun in the stranger’s hand. The fear in his parents’ eyes spoke volumes and only then did he see his mother’s tied hands. ‘In time?’ he asked, trying to stall as long as possible as his mind worked furiously on a plan. ‘For what?’
Tanya ignored Jared’s question; her only reply was a condescending smirk.
‘What’s going on?’ Jared insisted. ‘And what’s dad doing here?’