Infanticide (Fallen Gods Saga Book 2)

by T. W. Malpass

  The pressure in Kaleb’s head began to build. The air felt stale in the back of his throat once again, and the same stickiness coated his skin. Looking at the others it was clear they were having the same experience. He’d waited a couple of days to speak with Celeste, and now, faced with the prospect, he wasn’t so keen – especially as Ashley turned to face them with her eyes of opal. The radio frequency hiss arrived before the strange, childlike voice came from Ashley’s mouth. ‘Kaleb, please step forward,’ she said.

  The others looked to him, and Josie clung to his arm. Shrugging her off, he stepped to the end of the bed. He couldn’t look at Ashley, or poor Celeste. He kept his head down until he felt the coldness of the metal bed frame on the back of his hands.

  ‘You may not be able to comprehend it now, but your selfless act has already sent a shockwave of hope out into the universe. Because of what you did, life still has a chance to find its way through the entity’s grasp. Preserving each other should be your primary objective until Cradleworth makes his play. I have already sensed his Ceron plotting behind the faces of others.’

  ‘You still haven’t told us what to expect. You keep talking about this move that he’s gonna make. How are we supposed to prepare for it if we don’t know what it is, or where it’s coming from?’ Vladimir said.

  ‘He has a point, Celeste. You have spent a long time pushing us this way and that, without really telling us a great deal,’ Heven said.

  ‘I told you of your reason for being – the true nature of the man that hunts you.’

  ‘A story that scares the shit out of us, but that’s all it is. When are we going to learn some practicalities on how we stop this guy?’ Heven replied.

  ‘Have you forgotten the research centre? What I taught you there?’

  Heven felt the inquisitive eyes of the others on him.

  ‘There is a lot I have taught you all. Some things you have been conscious of, and some will show themselves in time. Life or death is the most prominent of phrases at this juncture, for this is life and death at its very essence.’

  ‘Did the high council on this planet we’re supposed to come from swap bureaucratic bullshit for philosophy?’

  ‘I understand your cynicism, Heven. I understand why you all feel the way you do.’

  ‘Even Jerrico?’ Stuart said. Martha had set him down on one of the chairs around the bed.

  ‘Even Jerrico…Don’t worry, as long as he has friends like you to support him, he will fight through the pain he is feeling. I suspect Jerrico’s recovery might be one of the reasons for Cradleworth’s lack of activity. He may be waiting for him to get back to full strength before he continues.’

  ‘So what’s with the clouds?’ Vladimir said.

  Kaleb focussed his talent mainly on the little girl, riddled with tubes and wires. She really was in there somewhere, overshadowed by her first-born visitor, but still there all the same.

  ‘They are one of the first physical signs that the matterless is about to allow two separate worlds to collide.’

  ‘See, now, I don’t like the sound of that.’ Heven paced to the back of the room, pausing to check if Jerrico’s creature was lurking in the shadows. ‘Don’t like the sound of that at all.’

  ‘And what will that do, Celeste? What will that do to the earth if it collides with another dimension?’ Evelyn asked.

  ‘I’m not sure. One world may destroy the other. They could amalgamate. Whatever happens, you can be sure that if it’s by Cradleworth’s design, it will involve destruction.’

  ‘So why have you kept us in here, waiting for something to happen, when we could be out there trying to stop him?’ Kaleb said. He felt Celeste had somehow nominated him as the group’s spokesperson, although he knew he didn’t necessarily share the general view of everyone else.

  ‘Things may get much worse over the coming days. Cradleworth will use everything about your human existence to torment you, tempt you away from one another,’ Celeste replied.

  ‘I thought you said he wanted a challenge?’ Vladimir said.

  ‘He wants to face you at your strongest, but not all together. He isn’t certain of what the outcome would be. That is why it is imperative you stay together, no matter what he uses to bait you.’

  ‘By that you mean who he uses, don’t you?’ Martha tightened up, imagining all of the horrible things Cradleworth might do to her brother.

  ‘This is the first battle in which you must triumph – the battle between your human identity and your true majestic souls. Although Cradleworth may wish to draw this out, he will be wary that the more time that passes, the more you will be in touch with the first-born within, and the less likely you are to walk into his traps.’

  ‘So, this is what life comes down to? The entire fate of the universe hinges on some immature game of cat and fucking mouse,’ Vladimir said.

  ‘It’s much more than a game to him. It represents all that is,’ Celeste said.

  Vladimir walked over to the window shaking his head in dismay, running his hands through his jet black hair and down through his ponytail.

  ‘What do we do about Jerrico?’ Stuart could not contain himself any longer. It seemed he was the only one who cared. The others were too wrapped up in themselves. Even Barnes had distanced himself. All Stuart had seen the dog do for the past two days was mope around, and then doze off in various parts of the manor.

  ‘For a start, we tell him his new friend ain’t welcome,’ Vladimir sniped.

  ‘The creature is hideous, and I appreciate it must make you all uncomfortable.’

  ‘No shit,’ Vladimir said.

  ‘But as long as Jerrico is with us, you are quite safe from it.’

  ‘Not very reassuring, I’m afraid,’ Heven remarked from the back of the room where he still sulked.

  ‘Clover may yet prove to be a useful ally against Cradleworth and his minions.’

  ‘We’re at a heightened stage of human anxiety right now. So, I’d like to say thanks from all of us for using the word, minions,’ Heven replied.

  Don’t mention it.

  They were all taken aback by Celeste’s dry delivery. She’d sent them a joke via the power of thought. Heven was the only one who didn’t find it funny in the slightest, though it calmed some of the tension within him, whether he chose to admit it or not.

  ‘Stuart just raised a poignant question. It is vitally important that you ensure Jerrico remains here. He is probably the most vulnerable right now, because Cradleworth might want to remove him from the equation first. He worries him. He’s not sure what Jerrico is capable of in this world.’

  ‘What is he capable of?’ Josie asked.

  There was a pause, and for a moment, all they could hear was the low hiss that carried her messages running above the sounds of the beeping machines.

  ‘I’m not sure exactly. There’s a chance the power he has may spiral so out of control that he becomes every bit as dangerous as Cradleworth.’

  ‘Oh, fucking great. Can everybody back up and make some room please? I want to cartwheel,’ Heven said. No one was smiling this time.

  ‘So you’re not sure who’s going to wipe us out then, but it sounds like it will be someone,’ Vladimir said.

  ‘I think I understand.’ Evelyn had stayed silent, taking everything in. ‘Celeste is trying to say that this is what we need Jerrico to be. If he isn’t, we don’t stand much chance against what’s coming.’

  ‘Evelyn is quite right. Supporting Jerrico is the only way you can prevent the end of all life. It does not rely on him alone however. You must make some difficult decisions, maybe even sacrifice those you love, or use the life on this planet to aid you,’ Celeste said.

  ‘And we call this collateral damage, I suppose? Human sensibilities are not so easily thrown aside,’ Kaleb said.

  ‘You are right, but you cannot deny that you feel the power inside you – the power that will soon take over any connection you have to this species.’

  Kaleb turn
ed to look at Josie. He didn’t see a fallen god. He saw a beautiful young woman, scared for herself and her family, for him. He looked back to the comatose girl on the bed, then to Ashley, who stared up at him with her unnerving white eyes.

  ‘I think I’m going to take a walk outside. The air’s not so good in here – excuse me.’ As Kaleb left, he brushed the back of Josie’s hand with his fingertips. She tried to return his gesture, but he was already too far away.

  ‘Very well,’ Celeste replied.

  The atmosphere altered for him the moment he stepped out into the hallway. He made his way downstairs, desperate for a drink of water, so he decided to head down the corridor towards the kitchen. He started to hear voices. It must be Ashley’s television, he thought. She’d had it running constantly since their arrival, searching for news of Cradleworth’s movements. Kaleb’s suspicions were correct, but he was unprepared for the sight of Jerrico standing in front of the set, if you could call it standing. He used the breakfast bar to prop himself up, clearly struggling to watch what unfolded on screen. It was another news report. As Kaleb stepped into the room, he could make out the words of the presenter.

  ‘The details coming in at the moment are sketchy, but we do have confirmation that the village of Walton is under quarantine. Even though reasons for this are yet unclear, there are rumours circulating of a possible contagion, and the army have already sealed off all access roads. This is the closest our cameras have been able to get.’

  The images showed one of the main roads into Walton. A couple of military vehicles drove past, heading towards the barricades in the distance. ‘There has been no mention from the authorities as to the residents’ welfare so far. Perhaps the most pressing question for the public will be, does this worrying development have anything to do with the unexplained cloud formations that have become a permanent fixture in our skies?’

  Jerrico slumped, almost slipping from the breakfast bar onto the floor.

  ‘You can’t go back,’ Kaleb said.

  His comment startled Jerrico. It seemed to clear his head. He pushed himself away from the kitchen surface until he was standing straight. ‘You saved my life and I’m grateful, I think, but that doesn’t make me beholden. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.’

  ‘Look, you leaving could be exactly what Cradleworth wants. Celeste thinks he wants you out of the way first – cause you’re the one he’s not sure he can defeat. I’m not sure she’s right about everything, but she could be right about that,’ Kaleb replied.

  Jerrico smiled ironically and walked a little unsteadily over to him. ‘Fine – I’ll go and face him right now and we can test her theory.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, don’t you get it? He’s not going to let you save her, not unless it suits his plan for you.’

  Jerrico tried to shrug away Kaleb’s words, aware that there must be some truth in them. He looked him in the eye, moving to within an inch of his face. ‘You haven’t given up on this life yet. You don’t feel you ever will. Look at me and tell me that this race is expendable,’ Jerrico said.

  Kaleb did look into his eyes, and maybe he had more faith in Celeste than Jerrico. However, all he could feel was Jerrico’s heartbreaking need for Kate. It was crushing all he had left to know she was in danger. It may be a huge mistake, and exactly what Cradleworth wanted, but how could he stop him.

  ‘You can’t, can you?’ Jerrico asked, teary-eyed.

  Kaleb didn’t argue. Based on what Jerrico had already endured, he knew if Kate were killed, he would just give himself up to Cradleworth anyway.

  Jerrico headed for the doorway and Kaleb allowed him to pass. He kept his back turned, even after he’d heard the front door slam and the engine of Evelyn’s camper van kick in.

  Vladimir reached the ground floor as Jerrico pulled away from the manor’s grounds, heading through the narrow lane that led onto the road. He rushed outside, but it was too late. The only trace of the camper van was the faint cloud of its exhaust smoke.

  Lamentation

  1

  Woodthorpe, Nottinghamshire

  Morrow’s ink blue Ford Mondeo was only a couple of miles from the Matherson house. Reeves had succeeded in annoying him for the whole journey with his constant off-the-cuff remarks and suppositions. When driving, Morrow liked to block everything else out and dissolve into his thoughts. He sometimes got his biggest breakthrough in a case while on the road – not today though. How could he concentrate when he had a juvenile delinquent slouching in his passenger seat, blurting out the first thing about their investigation that came into his uncomplicated head.

  Most of the time, Reeves’ musings were centred on the hideous site of the train wreck which they had left behind in Milton Keynes. The subsequent days hadn’t helped much to push the images from the minds of either detective. The icy chill that ran through Morrow every time Reeves mentioned it gave him an unwelcome sense of kinship to his young partner, although to give credit where credit was due, Reeves did manage to find the railway attendant at Northampton station; the one who identified Jerrico Flynn boarding the ill-fated train bound for London. The attendant had described how he’d helped Jerrico lift his young friend’s wheelchair into the carriage. When asked to describe the boy’s appearance, he’d told them that he looked, ‘just like the kid from Different Strokes.’ Not only that, they’d also been accompanied by a dog – a chocolate lab, ‘moody little bugger,’ the attendant called it. In his own simple way, the attendant had provided their best lead to date. It wasn’t hard to track down a disabled Gary Coleman lookalike, reported missing within the last week. Officer Baddi, who’d worked on Stuart Matherson’s disappearance, called the station when he heard about their investigation through the police grapevine.

  The car turned onto Chester Street. They were almost there. Morrow could see the unease in Reeves’ movements as he fidgeted in his seat; he knew why too. This wouldn’t be the first time Morrow had given worried parents some grave and undesired news. About ten years prior, he and Duncan Fisher travelled a similar distance by car to tell a young family in Liverpool that their son had been hit by a train at a crossing. The boy had fallen out with his parents over something trivial and ran away from home. Fifteen years old – what a waste, Morrow thought.

  ‘This is it!’ Reeves pointed to the street coming up on the left. Morrow turned the Mondeo, and they were soon pulling onto the driveway of number 28.

  Robert Matherson was already waiting in the doorway. Sue lingered behind in her husband’s shadow. Conscious of his responsibilities, Reeves covered his nervous exhalation with the slam of the car.

  The Mathersons looked pale and overtired, but they were polite enough when welcoming the detectives into their home, leading them into the neat living room. Sue produced four, barely warm cups of tea from the kitchen and placed them on the coffee table. Once settled, Sue and Robert huddled together on the centre cushion of their three-piece-suite, shoulders touching.

  Reeves wasn’t his normal cocky self. He sat gazing into the china cup that he held in his hand. He wouldn’t be butting into Morrow’s questioning today.

  ‘Thank you for finding the time for us at such short notice, Mr and Mrs Matherson.’ Morrow’s fixed smile quickly began to make his cheeks ache, so he replaced it with his usual poker-faced expression. ‘I don’t know how much you have been told about our investigation—’

  ‘Officer Baddi informed us that you were searching for a murder suspect.’ Robert hesitated, fearful of what he was about to hear.

  ‘Yes, that’s correct,’ Morrow replied.

  ‘Those murders in Walton…’ Robert glanced at his wife. She couldn’t meet his gaze.

  ‘I don’t want to prolong this more than I have to, so I’m going to get right to it, if you don’t mind,’ Morrow said. ‘Does Stuart have a computer in his room?’

  ‘Yes,’ Robert said.

  ‘Access to the internet?’

  ‘Yes – why?’

  ‘Has he ever mentioned any f
riends he may have met on a forum, or something like that?’

  ‘Stuart doesn’t have many friends.’ Sue suddenly broke her silence. ‘The only real friend he has is Joel. Boys in wheelchairs don’t tend to have hordes of screaming fans.’ She blinked back a tear.

  ‘Which is why he may have found communication easier on the internet. Sometimes, it can open up new worlds for people who may feel isolated.’

  ‘I think he has mentioned once or twice that he chats to people on those online games – they’re called MO’s or something,’ Robert said.

  ‘So he never mentioned anyone special?’

  ‘No – no one.’ Robert had difficulty containing his agitation.

  Morrow paused before his next question. ‘Who’s Joel?’

  ‘He’s a boy Stuart goes to school with – the same age. They are best friends. Joel’s a good kid. He comes around here quite a lot.’

  ‘So, I take it Joel saw him the day before he disappeared?’

  ‘He’s already given a statement. He’s worried sick, like we are.’ Robert gave Sue’s hand a reassuring squeeze, as much for himself as for her.

  ‘Yes, Joel mentioned to our colleagues that Stuart had stood up to a bully in the schoolyard because he was victimising another child. Would you happen to have a name?’

  ‘I have no idea.’ Robert thought for a moment. Hang on, it could be Cedric Atterby, I think that rings a bell.’

  Morrow scribbled the boys name into his notebook. ‘Did Joel mention any other details that might help us? Anything that seemed out of the ordinary?’

  ‘There was something.’ Sue emerged from her melancholic state and spoke, ‘I called him to see if he was okay. He said the day before he went missing, Stuart told him that he thought he was being stalked by a dog.’

  Reeves snapped to attention. Morrow’s stare back instructed him to remain silent.

  ‘Joel said he laughed – he thought it was one of Stuart’s jokes, but Stuart seemed quite serious about it, worried even. You don’t think that could have anything to do with it, do you?’ she said.