THE RED MIST TRILOGY: The Box Set

by R T Green

  Or was I finding excuses because I’d fallen in love?

  I knew one thing. I had to stop her; save Zana from herself. I turned away from the doors, heading for the kitchen. The first essential was to take the case, back to my apartment… anywhere as long as it was away from her. She wouldn't know it was me who had taken it. I'd just reached the service counter when something froze me to the spot.

  A noise. The rear door opening.

  I looked around desperately, but I already knew one undeniable hard fact.

  There was nowhere to hide.

  A voice, one I knew well. ‘Who's there?’

  My heart stopped.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  ‘Is that you, Madeline?’

  Chapter 27

  How the hell could she know?

  I took a deep breath. ‘Café's closed, Zana. You’ll have a long wait if you want something to eat.’

  She appeared in the doorway, and even in the moonlight I could see the evil look on her face.

  ‘Then what are you doing here, Maddie?’

  ‘I could ask you the same question.’

  She strode into the café, the red boots clicking menacingly on the wooden floor as she walked right up to me. ‘I asked first.’

  I held her angry stare. ‘I was here first.’

  She turned away from me, walked to the double doors. ‘Just get lost, Madeline.’

  ‘You said that once before, you didn't mean it that time either.’

  ‘Oh I mean it now. Just go, this doesn't concern you.’

  ‘I think it does. You called me here the other night, remember… when you really needed me?’

  ‘That was a mistake.’

  Anger welled up in me, I fought to control it. I strode over to her, grabbed her arms and spun her round so she had to look at me. ‘You're talking crap again, Zana. You asked me to come because I was the only one you wanted, and judging by the state of you when I got there, you really needed me. Do you expect me to ignore that?’

  She pulled away from my grip, pushed me away roughly. Her eyes blazing, she shouted the words. ‘And who are you to judge what I really need, Maddie? You're nothing to me.’

  That did it. Even though I knew it wasn’t the truth. I lunged at her, grabbed her hair and spun her into me. Our faces were almost touching, her hot angry breath gasping into me. The words just tumbled out, somehow it wasn't me talking. ‘More bullshit. You need me as much as I need you.’

  Tears began to fill her eyes, her face contorting in her anguish. And then she slapped me, so hard it ripped the breath from my lungs. ‘Why do you need a bitch like me?’ she cried out, pushing my shoulders so viciously I only just kept my balance.

  Stunned, my basic instincts took over, my days growing up in the East End flashing in front of my eyes. I went for her, pushed her flat onto one of the pine tables, shaking hands grabbing the hair each side of her face as I leaned over her. ‘How the hell should I know? Never cared about anyone before, but now…’

  Her eyes were wild, her body convulsing as she fought to get away from my grip. ‘Now what, Madeline?’ She wrenched my hands away, tears streaming down her cheeks as she screamed the words. ‘Look me in the eyes and tell me!’

  In that moment the anger left me, as I watched my own tears fall onto her face and mingle with hers. ‘Now I do care… too much to ignore.’

  Suddenly her lips were pressed into mine, our faces damp with shared tears as they came together. Her whole body was shaking; or maybe it was mine, I couldn't tell. My hands moved involuntarily to the sides of her face, the silkiness of her hair folding beautifully around my trembling fingers.

  She kissed me, over and over, her lips darting to my cheeks, my chin, my eyes… then back to my lips, taking away my resistance as she cried out quietly in her pleasure and the tears continued to fall. Then I felt myself pushed upwards a little. I looked into her eyes, ablaze with something I'd not seen before.

  ‘I hate you,’ she whispered, deep breaths swelling her chest as she lay flat on the table gasping out the words.

  ‘No you don't,’ I said, unsure for a moment.

  ‘I do.’ Her hand grabbed mine, shoved it between her legs. I could feel her body still shaking, like she was freezing cold. I knew it wasn't the cold. ‘I hate you for what you're making me do…’ Her trembling hands fumbled with her belt, ripped it undone. I pulled the jeans to her knees, cried out as I slipped a finger inside her.

  She moaned, a tiny cry mingled with a sob. Her hands undid my jeans, pushed them roughly to the floor as I stood over her. ‘I hate you for what you make me feel…’

  Her hand cupped around my butt, pulling me closer to her as she turned her head slightly to me. And then her tongue was inside me, flicking around my clit as her other hand grasped mine, thrusting more of my fingers inside her.

  Everything around me faded into nothingness. I wasn’t in control anymore, vaguely aware of wrenching the jacket and top off her, her eyes piercing into me as her tongue pulled away for a moment. ‘Why did you have to come into my life..?’ The words were whispered; still she was shaking, still the tears fell.

  I was high, desperate to have her tongue back inside me. I lifted the big round silver pendant away from her neck, grabbed the back of her head and forced her into me. Her hand still grasped my wrist, pushing more of me inside her. I could feel her flex, gripping my fingers as I stretched her.

  Her nipples were like rocks, so erect they cast shadows across her breasts in the moonlight as she lay sideways to me. Her eyes never left mine as she broke away again, cried out the words. ‘Everything was so uncomplicated…’

  I was losing control, conflicting emotions fighting me like their life depended on it. As I thrust my hand hard inside her, I wanted to hurt her for what she was doing... what she was doing to me. I wanted to soothe away her pain, hold her tight and never let go. I wanted to punish her, love her, heal her, all in the same moment.

  ‘Why Madeline…?’

  I could feel her body tense as she cried out, her hand grasping mine, thrusting it ever deeper. So high then, almost painful, I had to come... Then suddenly she was motionless, and eyes that still shed tears of pain bore into mine with a desperate angst, asking me an unspoken question.

  ‘Fuck you, Madeline…’

  Our lips met, tongues intertwining as she tightened her grip around my butt. I could feel her pulsing around my hand as we kissed, knew she was high too. Slowly she took her lips from mine, breathing heavily, her eyes locked into me. She kissed my neck, my nipples, then my stomach as her head lowered tantalising slowly to where I so needed it to be.

  And then her tongue was inside me again. I screamed aloud as her body arched from the table and she tightened around my hand, so unbelievably tight, almost painful.

  It was too much; I had to come... but then she went still, broke away a moment. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes blazing with a passion she could no longer control as she gazed into me. ‘Oh Madeline, I can't…’

  She exploded, her whole body convulsing so violently I could hardly hold onto her. She screamed, fingernails piercing into the skin on my butt as she lost control. Again and again she tightened around me, and then her eyes were boring into me once more.

  Still coming, she cried out, ‘Share with me, Madeline.’

  Her climax had taken me to the brink without her touching me. As her frantic tongue found my clit, we came together, a passion so intense I didn't think my legs would support me; feelings so incredible it brought the tears back to my eyes.

  A moment so mind-blowing I knew I would never be the same woman again.

  Exhausted, Zana broke away from me, lay flat on the table gasping for breath. My left hand shakily caressed her hair as I came back down, trying to force eyes that didn’t want to focus to look at her. She smiled, a beautiful contented smile that made the tears fall again.

  ‘Fuck you,’ she said, just a tiny whisper.

  Chapter 28

  We sat
on two pine chairs with a metre of space between them. Five minutes passed by and neither of us had moved, not a word spoken.

  I stared blankly through the glass doors at moonlight sparkling off a crisp white frost that looked like snow. It was minus three outside; I hadn’t dressed, nor had Zana.

  Neither of us felt the cold.

  I noticed a small movement out of the corner of my eye. She slowly lifted her arm out from the side of the chair, a hand calling to me for another to hold. I took it, felt the rush of emotion just that one simple act sent through my whole body.

  I shut my eyes, unable to comprehend the feeling overpowering me, wanting to feel its force without sight or sound to cloud the impact. But then it became too painful, so I opened my eyes again and tried to speak.

  It was a hoarse whisper. ‘You're quiet.’

  She didn't turn her head, but I felt my hand squeezed a little tighter as she spoke softly. ‘Do I need to say words?’

  ‘Guess not.’

  Silence again. I looked across to her, sitting motionless on the hard wooden chair, her eyes fixed blankly onto nothing. She didn't blink. The light from the moon bathed her perfect body in a ghostly white light, made her look surreal. She was taking quick, small breaths and I realised a slight smile had spread across my face as I watched the gentle rise and fall of her breasts as she sucked in the air.

  It wasn't sexual, just… somehow beautiful.

  She must have felt my eyes on her, turned to look at me and saw the smile. It was like a switch had been flicked... in a moment the warmth of her skin was back against mine as she straddled me, her gentle arms wrapped around my shoulders.

  I enveloped her in my arms, the feel of her body against mine making the blood rush through my veins. I began to feel… what did I feel? I didn't want to make love, didn't need sexual gratification right then.

  I just needed to hold her and never let go.

  I knew she didn't want anything more either; for an age she held me close, her head resting on my shoulder and her warm breath caressing my neck. She was making tiny movements, her crotch hard against mine, flexing involuntarily and sending incredible sensations through my whole body.

  But this time it was nothing to do with sex; everything to do with something I'd never known before.

  Zana seemed to understand, aware that neither of us needed the intense passion of love-making. I could feel my own flex too, softly matching hers as we both allowed pure emotion to cocoon us.

  I felt her shiver slightly, noticed her skin begin to texture up as the cold finally kicked in. She lifted her head from my shoulder, her eyes locking into mine for a moment before she spoke.

  ‘Will you take me home please, Madeline?’

  Suddenly a speck of harsh reality kicked in. I answered her nervously. ‘How did you get here?’

  ‘Worked late, got a lift with a work colleague to the tube, then cabbed it the rest of the way.’

  I breathed easier again; that meant it would be very unlikely she'd been followed.

  I watched her as we dressed in silence, a strange kind of regret in my mind as she covered up her flawless beauty. Something inside me didn't want unnecessary clothes to come between us and the feelings I didn't want to lose. But it was cold, and we couldn't stay there forever. Reality had a nasty habit of not going away for good.

  She pulled out her phone and called to cancel the cab she'd asked to pick her up before she knew she would have company in the café. We stepped out into the crisp night air, and I pressed the padlock closed… fully this time.

  Zana slipped an arm around my waist, wouldn't let go as we headed back into the trees and then out onto the little street where the silver BMW sat waiting, its sleek body looking like it had been sprayed with an ice glaze.

  The drive back was made in silence; somehow words seemed unnecessary. The warmth of the car's heater brought out the tingles as the heat kicked in, made me realise just how cold my body had actually become without me even knowing.

  Without me even caring.

  I pulled into Zana's driveway, brought the car to a stop. She looked at me with eyes that gave away the intensity that had shaken her to her core, leaned over and kissed me. Softly, beautifully.

  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, and was gone.

  Stretching out on the sofa back at the apartment, yet again I fought to understand the emotions rocking my world, and once more decided that as the early-morning light filtered through the windows, hitting the bed was a bit pointless.

  But trying to make sense of anything wasn't happening. My mind was numb, any sense of reason impossible to find. And as sleep overcame me, I began to wonder if the voice of cold hard reason would bother speaking to me ever again.

  Chapter 29

  ‘Bye-bye, Maddie!’

  Ryland Cooper's voice, shouting. Wide awake in a second, bright sunlight hurt my sleep-filled eyes.

  ‘Coop?’ I mumbled hoarsely.

  ‘I said you were a fucking moron, Maddie!’

  I couldn't see the big man clearly, his head was above me, against the sun. Way above me. Another shape blocked out a little more of the light.

  ‘You betrayed us, deWinter.’

  I shuddered; the eerie voice was even more menacing when I couldn't see Duncan Scott's face clearly. I moved my arms, felt cold hard ground. I was still lying on my back, but not on the sofa.

  ‘Your trouble old girl, is that you can't keep your clit in your knickers!’

  A third shape above me… Miles Courtney's shrill gloating voice.

  ‘Miles… what the hell is going on?’

  The three men cackled; manic laughter that filled me with panic. Frantically my eyes flicked around. Earth. Brown soil for walls, so close I could touch all four. Where was I?

  Duncan Scott's sinister voice above me reverberated around the small space. ‘I think hell is a good word to describe your situation, deWinter. Look in your pocket.’

  I raised my hands in disbelief but couldn't find my voice. I was wearing the black jacket; I fumbled in the pockets. A piece of thin card, white and orange. I pulled it out, forced bleary eyes to focus.

  A rail ticket. Finally managing to focus, I gasped in horror. The start point was London, Euston Station. The destination was listed as 'HELL'.

  And underneath, in bold-type letters, ‘Single - No Return'.

  Something hit my legs. I lifted my head to see what it was. More soil.

  A woman's laugh, above me. ‘Zana?’ I managed to croak.

  ‘See Maddie?’ she cried, ‘you're my mushroom aren't you? The one that poisons me. But you're too late, your evil can't hurt me now.’

  I tried to see her, the sun behind her head making it impossible to make out her features. I wanted desperately to see her. ‘Please…’ I tried to shout but had no voice, the word just a whimper.

  More earth, falling onto my chest. ‘You've got it all wrong…’ I could only whisper. Zana stood no chance of hearing me. I tried to stand, something unseen was pinning me down.

  She laughed again, a sound like a crazy witch that stabbed me through the heart. ‘You're a fungus, Maddie… not what you seem…’

  Spadefuls of soil rained down, the four grave-diggers above me cackling hysterically as they shovelled the earth faster and faster. As my body grew heavier with the weight of the soil I tried to cry out again. My voice was gone, no words would come.

  ‘You were warned, Maddie.’ Ryland Cooper's voice.

  ‘Now you know what we do to agents who betray us…’ Duncan Scott's breathless, evil words.

  A spadeful of earth splattered into my face, I shook my head to clear it away, tried to spit out the soil in my mouth. Half-buried, I watched in horror as huge red worms slithered out of the soil and began to head for my face.

  The sunlight was fading, fogged by the torrent of earth raining down on me. It seemed like only seconds until my body was encased. I lifted my head as much as possible, gulped in a breath of air, but closed my mouth quickly as the mass
ive worms reached my face.

  They had round piggy eyes, and wore gold-rimmed spectacles.

  I was helpless, at the mercy of people I knew, who had turned on me. This was it, endgame. I closed my eyes to stop the tears that tried to come. And as the earth finally covered my head and consciousness slipped away, I heard Zana cry out.

  ‘Now you'll never be able to lie to me again, Miss deWinter!’

  Chapter 30

  Light streamed through the apartment windows, a bright November sun burning off a thick frost that sparkled a magical white contrast to the cloudless blue sky. The early winter air was dead still, and not a breath of wind disturbed the few leaves that still clung to their parent trees.

  In the stillness, the jumbled noise of a London morning seemed amplified. Not yet above freezing point, the cold air added an unearthly tone to the sounds of Soho.

  I wasn't hearing or seeing any of it. Moments ago I'd screamed in terror and woken myself up, my sweat-soaked body shaking uncontrollably as tears streamed down my face.

  I sat on the edge of the sofa, elbows on my knees and my face buried in hands that wouldn't stop trembling. The beat of my heart was thunder in my ears, the brutal reality of getting buried alive just the worst nightmare I could ever have imagined.

  I stumbled to the kitchen, gulped a pint glass of cold water. That didn't help much. Clothes so sodden they were clinging to my body disappeared in seconds, as I ran to the shower and turned the valve to the coldest setting.

  As the water hit my overheated body I cried out in shock, gasped for breath but didn't move. I let the freezing torrent cascade around me, stood motionless for five minutes as my mind wrenched itself back to reality.

  Reality? The nightmare from hell had felt real.