Army of Angels

by Marcus Brown

  “But I did call you, Detective.”

  “When?”

  “Earlier on.”

  “I can assure you, Miss Oswell, there have been no calls into my office from you, or anyone here.”

  “Well, I must be mistaken, but as you can see, Sandra has turned up safe and well.”

  “I wouldn’t concur with that analysis, Miss Oswell. What happened to her?” He positioned himself to look at Sandra, unable to catch her eyes through her matted hair. “Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

  She didn’t respond to his question.

  “Cat got your tongue, Sandra?” Juliet teased, as Andrew remained unaware of why she wouldn’t answer him.

  He put his hand in his pocket to retrieve his phone and remembered he’d left it in his car. “Do you mind if I use your phone?”

  “Not at all, it’s out in the hallway. Help yourself.” She snorted like a pig. “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse my manners. Something I ate earlier isn’t agreeing with me.”

  “I won’t be long.” He eyed her suspiciously.

  “Take your time, Detective. Nobody is going anywhere.” Something about the way she spoke set off alarm bells in his mind.

  He walked out of the room and into the hallway. Juliet put her hand down the side of the chair cushion and followed him out of the room. He picked up the receiver and put it to his ear, but there was no dialing tone.

  “This phone seems to be out of order. Do you have another?”

  “Oh, really? How tiresome.” She took the receiver from him and listened herself. “Try the one in the kitchen–this way.” She guided him to the kitchen. “Over there.” She pointed at the phone hanging on the wall by the table.

  “Thank you. Most kind.” He sat on the chair and picked up the phone. “This one is broken…”

  Andrew didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence before the hammer Juliet had hidden behind her back, hithim at the base of his skull. He slid out of the chair and fell hard onto the floor, blood streaming from the exposed wound.

  Andrew felt as though he was emerging from a long tunnel.

  He didn’t remember what happened, but his head hurt like hell.

  It wasn’t long before he realised he couldn’t move his hands. They were strapped either side of him. He looked down and saw that he was naked.

  Juliet loomed over him and sniggered. “This little piggy went to market,” she sang chillingly.

  “What the fuck is going on? Untie me right now,” he ordered.

  “This little piggy stayed home,” she continued to sing.

  “Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it’ll go easier for you if you release me.”

  She totally ignored him. “This little piggy had roast beef.”

  He panicked and shouted for help. “Sandra. Help me please.”

  Another woman entered the room. “Sandra won’t help you–we used her to lure you here.”

  “What did you do to her?” He looked at Juliet, then to the other woman. “And who the hell are you?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Who are you? Answer me now, dammit.”

  “My name is Samantha Whitmore, and you’re a guest in my house, so watch your filthy mouth and show me the respect I deserve.”

  “Juliet Oswell is the owner of this house so please dispense with the lies.”

  “My sister is telling you the truth,” Juliet confirmed. “She owned this house long before I returned.”

  “You’re all mad.” He struggled against his restraints. “Let me out of here.”

  “I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere. Not until we’ve finished with you, that is.” The sisters laughed out loud, infuriating him.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “It’ll be a surprise, but it won’t hurt for long,”

  Andrew was terrified of what they had planned.

  The sisters hovered around him.

  His heart pounded.

  “Untie me, right now.” His eyes were drawn to Juliet as she picked up a pair of pruning shears from the work surface.

  He tried to kick out, but they’d tied him too tight. He realised he was losing the feeling in his hands.

  Samantha joined her sister at the bottom end of the table.

  “And...” she paused, a maniacal grin plastered across her face. “… this little piggy had…” She continued with the nursery rhyme as she grabbed his little toe and snipped it clean off with the pruning shears. “…none.”

  He screamed at the top of his lungs. The searing pain was like nothing he’d ever felt.

  Samantha jumped up and down on the spot, silently clapping.

  Juliet grabbed the next toe.

  “No, please,” he screamed, but she ignored him and snipped the next toe off. The sisters cackled at his blood-curdling scream as they watched the blood spurt from where his toes used to be.

  “Take the big one.” Samantha urged, clapping her hands together. She sounded like an excited child. “Go on, do it, do it,” she urged.

  Andrew screamed in agony, trying and failing to kick out.

  A horrible smell wafted up to his nostrils, then humiliation piled on top of the excruciating pain he was in.

  “Seems the little piggy has soiled himself,” Juliet teased, as she took hold of his big toe. It was too fat to get off in one go and he shrieked as she crunched through the bone, pulling and tugging, before finally tearing it off. “And this little piggy cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home.” She sang at the top of her voice as Andrew continued to scream and thrash about.

  “You won’t get away, so I’d save your energy. Only seven more toes to take, and then we’ll start on other… parts.” Samantha grinned from ear to ear and ran her fingers up his leg. She stopped at his testicles. “I’d forgotten how much fun this was.”

  Andrew’s eyes darted from corner to corner. He spotted Sandra hiding by the back door.

  “I’m so sorry,” she mouthed.

  The sisters took another toe.

  He screamed and cursed as they took the rest of his toes and watched as Juliet collected them in a bowl.

  “Adam will be hungry later,” she said, picking up one of the big toes, playing with it. “He’ll enjoy these immensely.”

  “Shall we give him time to rest, or carry on? What do you think sister?” Samantha asked.

  “I think we should carry on. What do you think, Detective?”

  “You’ll rot in prison for this, you fucking bitches.” Pain racked his entire body. “I’ll make sure you’re never released.”

  “Brave words considering nobody will find any trace of you even if they do come looking,” Juliet said, dismissively.

  “My colleagues will find me,” he choked. “and I’ll be in court to watch you both get life for this.”

  “Silence now, you’re boring me,” Juliet ordered, imperiously. “You’re losing blood by the minute, and won’t last much longer, so we need to get a move on if we want you to actually feel what we’re doing to you.” A grin spread across her perfectly made up face.

  Andrew was in a state of extreme terror. Thankfully, he no longer had any feeling left in his feet, but he’d never forget the pain of losing his toes. “I’m not frightened of dying,” he stated. “And when the time comes, I’ll haunt you until your dying day.”

  “We know when someone is lying to us,” Samantha taunted. “Save what breath you have left because this is really going to hurt.”

  “Eat shit and die, the pair of you.”

  Juliet looked at Andrew and smiled. “I like him,” she stated. “Such a shame we can’t keep him like this. It’s so much fun.”

  “We have to finish this now. There’s no more time for silly games,” Samantha insisted. She picked up a knife and hovered over Andrew.

  He was getting colder by the minute and could feel his body trembling.

  “Do you want to do this, or shall I?” Samantha asked.

  “I’ve ha
d my fun,” Juliet replied. “It’s your turn now.”

  Samantha walked around the table, muttering under her breath. Juliet joined in, but he couldn’t quite understand what they were saying. “What are you mumbling?”

  They ignored him and continued what they were doing.

  Samantha stood to the side of Andrew. She grabbed hold of his testicles as he thrashed. With a smile, she stabbed the blade under his ball sack, and with one swift motion, tried to slice his testicles off.

  Andrew squealed in agony.

  Juliet seemed mesmerised by the flowing blood and licked her lips. “He even squeals like a pig.”

  Samantha cackled as she cut through the last piece of skin and muscle connecting the testicles to his body.

  Looking down at her blood-soaked hands, she grinned as she popped them out of the surrounding skin.

  One of the testicles landed on his stomach and made him gag. Juliet picked it up and showed it to him.

  Andrew turned his head away, trying to fight through the immense pain. Juliet gawked at the testicle in her hand before popping it into her mouth and swallowing it whole.

  “Yummy,” she whispered.

  Andrew gagged again.

  “My turn,” Samantha added, as she picked up the other testicle and clamped her teeth down on it, biting it in half and savoring the taste of the juices. She greedily chomped on the first chunk. “A bit chewy,” she declared, then continued to gnaw it a few times before swallowing. “Not bad though.” The second chunk was dropped whole into her mouth and with one gulp, it was gone.

  Blood poured from the table, dripping onto the kitchen floor, and in the distance, moans could be heard.

  “Time to say goodbye, Detective.” Juliet hovered with the hammer, smirking.

  The last thing Andrew saw was Juliet bringing the hammer down.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Jason’s mother’s funeral had been delayed due to a mix-up with the toxicology results. The first batch had come back as inconclusive, but the paramedics had found a stash of empty pill bottles as well as empty bottles of gin and vodka, thus they were pretty certain it wasn’t death by natural causes.

  He sat in the living room with his head buried in his hands. “I’ve got nobody left, but I won’t go into foster care. No fucking way.”

  “What did the social worker say about your father?” Hilary asked, sliding next to Jason and pulling him close to her.

  “He wants me to go and live with him, but I’d rather live on the streets.” Jason clenched his fists. “I want nothing to do with him. He just wants me ‘cos he feels guilty.” The anger spilled out. “Why should I do anything to ease that fucker’s guilty conscience?”

  “It won’t come to that, Jase. You can come and live here with me and Tim, you know that.”

  “I’m sure your husband won’t take kindly to a strange kid moving into the house. Thanks, Hils, but I’ll make other arrangements.”

  “It’s not up for debate. End of.” She was resolute. “I’ll call your social worker in the morning and tell her you’re coming to live here. If Tim has a problem with it, he can deal with me.”

  “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but I won’t be the root of any more trouble.”

  “Tim’s a great guy and yes, he’ll be suspicious at first, especially when he realises our connection to the lane, but he’s got a heart of gold. Trust me, he’ll be fine with it. Anyway, having you here will give my ear drums a break from his constant talking.”

  Jason smiled for the first time in days. “Now I know why Sandra loved you.” He put his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes but jumped slightly as something popped through the letter-box.

  “Don’t worry, love, it’s only the paperboy.” She got up and grabbed the paper. She gasped when she read the front page.

  CHIEF INSPECTOR CHUCKY MISSING.

  “Jase, you need to see this.” She rushed into the room and thrust the paper toward him. “It’s Andrew. He’s missing.”

  “He’s the copper you told me about, right?”

  “Yes. I can’t believe it, they’ve got him too.”

  “They wouldn’t be stupid enough to take out a copper.”

  “It says here they found his car burnt out and abandoned on Millfied Industrial Estate last night, and there’s no sign of him.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We need to get to St. Jude’s and speak to David, but we’ll have to wait until nightfall, or he won’t show himself.”

  “I’m worried we’ll be spotted coming and going from there so often. Surely Juliet and Samantha will be watching what you’re doing.”

  “Juliet wouldn’t expect any more trouble from me, especially after the little gift she left for me.” She shuddered when she thought of what was inside the little box.

  Hilary parked the car.

  “All clear,” Jason said. “Let’s go.”

  They rushed inside the beautiful church and locked the door behind them.

  “David. Are you here?” Hilary called out.

  “Yes, Hilary, I’m here.” David stepped out from the shadows, making Jason jump. “What can I do for you?”

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that, dude. It gets me every time. My mum had a saying for somebody like you – creeping Jesus.”

  “Well, as much as I appreciate the comparison, it isn’t justified,” David said, missing the sarcasm.

  “Forget about that for now, you two,” Hilary interrupted. “Have you seen the paper today?”

  David chuckled. “I’m sorry for laughing, but Heaven isn’t on the paperboy’s route.”

  At that moment, Hilary could see why Sandra had fallen for him. He really was beautiful, and that dimpled chin was to die for.

  Jason choked, trying not to laugh. Hilary was poker faced.

  “Oh, very funny.” She looked annoyed.

  “Sorry.” David replied. “Now, what do you have to tell me.”

  “Andrew Hope is missing.”

  David appeared confused. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who he is.”

  “He’s the Chief Inspector on Sandra’s case. I think they’ve taken him.”

  “Oh, I see,” David answered. “Wait here for me. I’m going to see what I can find out.”

  He closed his eyes and disappeared into orbs of light.

  Hilary and Jason watched them rise towards the ceiling before vanishing.

  “No matter how many times I see that, it never stops being cool.” Jason looked in total awe.

  “It is impressive, I’ll grant you that much.”

  “I wonder how long it takes to get there?” Jason asked.

  “Ask him when he comes back and see what he says.”

  “He isn’t really one for small talk, Hils. Probably be better if I wait until I get there myself.”

  “That won’t be for a long time yet.”

  “At the rate Juliet and Samantha are knocking people off, I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  “Don’t even joke about that, Jase.” She shuddered. “Although if I’m honest, we’ll both be lucky to come out of this alive.”

  They looked at one another, neither losing sight of the severity of the situation they were in.

  A heavenly glow filled the church and they watched as the orbs reappeared, and David stepped out of the light.

  The look on his face spoke volumes.

  “As you suspected, Andrew is dead, but they couldn’t capture his soul in time.”

  “Oh, my…” Hilary said, choked with sadness.

  “He’s safe in the light.”

  “Thank God for that.” She made the sign of the cross.

  “What happened to him?” Jason inquired.

  “That isn’t my story to tell, but right now he’s dealing with his own death and is surrounded by loved ones.”

  “Wow,” Jason exclaimed. “Is that what happens when you die?” His face was a picture of wonder and excitement. “Your family come to meet you, t
hen help you settle in.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but essentially, yes,” David replied.

  “Wicked!” Jason stated.

  “Enough of the what, why’s and how’s. We need to know what to do next,” Hilary interrupted.

  “Nothing has changed, Hilary. We do nothing until the time is right. They can’t know I’m here, or we’ll lose the element of surprise.”

  “But nothing’s changed,” Jason interjected. “We were supposed to get that book, but we’re no closer to that.”

  “They’ve cloaked the book well. I can’t sense it, but I have no way of getting to it. They can’t harm me, physically, or any other way, but losing the element of surprise will hurt our chances of success greatly.”

  “I don’t know what the three of us are going to achieve anyway,” Jason added.

  “I can’t help but agree, David,” Hilary said.

  “Have faith. We will find a way.”

  Jason exhaled noisily. “Why don’t we just go there and burn the house to the ground with them inside it?”

  “Jason, it’s strictly forbidden for any of us to take a life, no matter how wretched the person is. To do so would mean you’d never be welcomed into the light.”

  “With respect, I don’t give a shit about what happens to me when I die, but I do give a shit about my brother being held against his will and used to do fuck knows what.”

  “Adam no longer has free will and won’t know any difference. His soul has been forced out and bound to Juliet. What’s left of him is a shell, a vessel without a conscience attached.”

  Jason looked stricken for a minute.

  Hilary rubbed his arm. “Come on, Jase, don’t focus on that. We’ll get them both out.”

  David approached Jason and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Jason. It wasn’t my intention to upset you, but I need you to remain aware of what we’re dealing with here. There’s more at stake than either of you realise. Even my friends…” He looked up to the ceiling. “… are worried.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “If Cloud City can’t help, what hope do we have?”

  “Cloud City–how apt,” David said. Seeming to ponder his comment. “There’s always hope, and help will come when we need it most, of that you have my word.”