The Reaper's Kiss

by Robert Southworth

  A bloodied and injured Gossup forced himself to his feet. He returned to the doorway to where Finch had been ordered to stay.

  “Bloody bastard!” Gossup cursed. He also realised that he had failed completely. Finch was gone, and those that hunted him were dead. He knew that his injuries were too serious to give chase, and so, slowly he began the journey back to Slaughter Yard.

  Chapter 18

  Gossup refused to see a doctor. Instead, he had John clean up the wounds and rested for two days, never straying far from the fireplace at Slaughter Yard. On the third day, he had John arrange a carriage to take him to Cloveney Hall. The decision had not made John happy.

  “You are bloody mad. I’ve seen wounds like that send men to their graves,” John shook his head as he chastised Gossup.

  “Stop mothering. I’ve had worse trimming my toenails.” Gossup winced as he rose from the chair. He looked at John and saw the concern in his face. “When I reach Cloveney, I will rest.”

  “The carriage ride could kill you.”

  “I will be fine. Is the carriage here?”

  The next few hours were equal in discomfort to any Gossup had endured during his time in the ranks. Every bump in the road sent waves of pain through his body. Each time he glanced at his bandages, they were bloodier than before. His vision was becoming blurred and fighting to remain conscious. He slumped and fell to the floor of the carriage. His breathing became ragged, and he was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. The carriage seemed to be filling with light and he felt a hand on his face.

  A muffled voice said, “Goss…come on. Goss, don’t go to sleep.”

  Gossup tried to answer, but his world turned to darkness.

  ***

  Gossup woke to a cool cloth being applied to his forehead and then a gentle hand stroked his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked into the face of Emily.

  “What are you doing? You silly old rogue. You scared the life out of me, Goss,” Emily whispered.

  Gossup was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He placed his hand on hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “I’m sorry,” he replied.

  “Sorry is not good enough. What about young Alfie?” Upon hearing the young boys name, Gossup tried to sit up, but Emily placed her hands on his chest and prevented the action. “He is fine and believes you have had a minor accident. You will have to heal some more before you see him.”

  Gossup went to reply, but another face appeared over Emily’s shoulder. It was Sir Simeon Harkness and his arrival stirred feelings of shame. He was suddenly emotional. He wondered if it was the wounds or seeing Emily close to tears. It was a new sensation for Gossup, and he did not enjoy it.

  “I am sorry,” he apologised again.

  “What for?” Simeon Harkness asked.

  “I failed the mission.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened. Let me be the judge,” Harkness replied.

  “Help me up, would you?”

  “Of course,” Simeon replied. He and Emily put an arm each under Gossup’s to bring him forward. Emily rearranged his pillows and Simeon offered him a glass of water then he began.

  “I scoured London for Finch but the search was without success. I thought that he had already left the city. Nonetheless, I put the word out to my contacts. At first, I received no news but when I was at Slaughter Yard, I got a lead. Finch had arranged to board the Benvenue and travel to America. John wanted to join in tracking down Finch, but I refused. I set about bringing Finch in on my own. It was an easy task to work out where he would be staying, and I simply waited for him to emerge. When he did, I was not the only one watching from the street. Three men were close on his heels, and I could tell they were not in his employ. To bring him in I had to try and save his life. To do that I had to remove the threat. The last of the three men was a proper bastard and nearly did for me. I had no choice but to kill him and so missed the opportunity to bring in one of the Ripper’s men. As I fought, Finch took the opportunity to make good his escape. So, I failed to bring him in.”

  “Hmm, let me see. Finch, was a spent force. He would only have tied up valuable manpower. Yes, I would have liked one of the Ripper’s men, but you have removed three dangerous men. Who knows how many lives you have saved? I agree you should have accepted John’s assistance. William has told me of your talents. To use his words, ‘you are a right dangerous bastard.’ But you are still just a man. No, Gossup you have not failed me.”

  “Thank you,” Gossup replied. He was shocked to find that he had to wipe a tear from his eye.

  “Well…yes. Get some rest.” Harkness gave Gossup an awkward pat on the shoulder and then hurried from the room.

  “It seems you are a dangerous man, Goss. You forced the great Sir Simeon Harkness into a full retreat from your sick bed.” Emily chuckled, and wiped a tear from his cheek.

  “Don’t know what’s wrong with me. Soldier’s don’t cry like a child.”

  “Soldier’s may not, but men do. Now get some rest, that boy of yours will be anxious to see you.”

  ***

  William sat on the edge of his bed. He had lost track of how many days he had been held captive. Faraday had visited on a number of days and when he didn’t his food was delivered by a hooded figure that refused to speak. He rose from the bed and paced the room. There was one door that was locked from the outside. The only other possible way in or out was a narrow window, Unfortunately, even if he could fit through the slender opening, the window itself had been nailed shut. Given time, he could dig out the nails, but without any suitable tools, it would be an impossible task. William knew that the only real chance of escape lay with the man that had deceived him. Somehow, he must convince Faraday to aid his escape. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a key turning in the door’s lock. William was disappointed to see a well-built hooded man step into the room. He carried a tray with a bowl containing what looked to William to be some kind of stew. It also held a small jug and a glass.

  “Oh, gratitude the service is excellent. I must tell my friends.” William made no effort to hide the sarcasm from his voice.

  The figure did not reply but walked passed William to place the tray on the small table next to the bed. For a moment, William looked towards the door that had been left open. If his focus hadn’t been on the door, he might have seen the blow coming. The hooded stranger had delivered a powerful punch to William’s gut. Another blow was thrown. However, despite the pain to William’s abdomen, he managed to spin away and avoid further violence.

  “Come on then, you bastard!” William balled his fists, but the figure had already closed the gap between them with terrifying speed. Two jabs were sent in William’s direction; he blocked the first but the second rocked his head backwards and split his lip. William realised that his opponent was dangerous and tried to read his movements. He blocked another two blows and replied with a jab of his own. It struck somewhere within the hood and succeeded in stopping his assailant in his tracks. William wondered if the man liked to inflict pain but had no stomach for receiving it. His attacker, however, raised his hands and dropped the hood. “Charles Coldridge, I wondered when I would meet you again. Obviously, you do not possess the intelligence to be the Ripper. So, I guess you are merely a hired thug?”

  “Payment is not required when your death is the prize,” Coldridge replied.

  “You have tried that already, and it cost you dear.”

  “This time your father will not be here to save you,” Coldridge growled.

  “But this time you will have to do the act yourself.”

  Coldridge moved forward his powerful fist pulled back and ready to sweep down and crush William.

  “Stop!” A voice bellowed from the doorway.

  “Stay out of this, Faraday,” Coldridge hissed.

  “Alpha said that William is to remain unharmed. You may be a trained killer but how long do you think you will live if you disobey Alpha. Your throat will be cut before a new d
ay dawns.”

  “I want Harkness dead.” Coldridge made to move forward, but a familiar click made him hold his advance.

  “One more step and I will blow your bloody head off. Get out and don’t enter this room again.”

  Coldridge gave Faraday a furious stare then moved toward the door. He stopped a pace away from Faraday.

  “You have made an enemy this day.”

  “I hope you don’t mind standing in a queue. Get out!”

  As Coldridge left the room, William walked over to his bed and slumped down. He poured some water and took a drink, wincing as the glass touched the cut on his lip.

  “I have been summoned to London,” Faraday announced. “Don’t worry Coldridge will also be away.”

  “Shame, I do so enjoy his visits.”

  “When I return, I will find some way of getting you out of here.”

  “They will want you dead.”

  “Hell, you were right. It is only a matter of time before they kill me, and if truth be told, I was dead the moment I allowed them to sink their claws into me.” Faraday took out his pistol and passed it to William. “Wait until I return. You won’t get far without my help, and I need to thin their ranks.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. We will probably die in the attempt.” Faraday nodded his goodbye and left the room.

  William stared down at the pistol. Trust was hard to earn once it had been lost. He could not help checking to see if the weapon was loaded. He smiled, and for the first time in days, he believed that he might just see Emily again.

  Chapter 19

  Alpha stood on the deck of the ship called the Starling. In its day, the Starling had danced across the waves of the world. However, its timbers were now sixty years old, and only the brave would venture out to sea in her. Now it played host to secretive meetings that Alpha had no wish to be overheard. This night was no different.

  He had thought that taking William captive would have given him time to carry out his plans. It had been a surprise that Sir Simeon Harkness had continued with his investigation. If anything, his enemy seemed to be even more determined. Cronos’ funds had been scrutinised at Drummonds. Accounts had been frozen and two properties had been raided. At this point, he could only guess how much of the cult’s wealth had been compromised. Coupled with the loss of the smuggling revenue then the cult of Cronos was in deep trouble. Sooner or later, members were bound to fall into the hands of Harkness. He had always been careful to keep his identity secret but had one of the followers become curious? Had one of them realised that he had spirited away funds? It was becoming necessary to accelerate his plans and eradicate the members of Cronos. It was not an easy task. The followers were still numerous; far too many to remove in one lethal act. He knew he must trim but without alerting the others.

  The boat stood just off St Saviours Dock. Despite the lateness of the hour, this part of London still hummed with activity. Alpha’s vantage point allowed him to see two small launches begin their journey from a secluded area beneath the Rotherhithe Wall. The steam-powered vessels were not the quickest but more than adequately coped with the waters of the Thames. Alpha continued to watch the arduous journey as two figures approached.

  “I sense tension, gentlemen.” His tone let the other two men know that he found the prospect amusing.

  “It is nothing,” one of the men replied.

  “Faraday, all those years in the police force have done nothing to improve your skills at speaking untruths,” Alpha replied.

  “He is concerned that I got a little physical with William Harkness,” the other man replied.

  “A little? You wanted to kill him, Coldridge,” Faraday replied, his temper clearly beginning to rise.

  “Enough! Faraday, go below and ensure that all is prepared.” As Faraday moved away, Alpha turned to address Coldridge. “It seems that Faraday is aware of your true identity?”

  “My hood fell off during the altercation with Harkness.”

  “Creates somewhat of a problem.”

  “I do not see why. William will not be allowed to live, and Faraday has lost his usefulness.”

  “But Faraday obeys orders, somewhat reluctantly, but he obeys. I told you that William Harkness was not to be harmed.”

  “With Sir Simeon Harkness’s investigation still ongoing, I thought William’s imprisonment futile.”

  “That is why I lead Cronos. It would be wise to let me do the thinking. William Harkness will meet his end soon enough. But that will be when I say and not before. Do not make me consider you surplus to requirements, Coldridge.”

  “Forgive me, Alpha…” Coldridge replied. He appeared hesitant, as though he had more to say.

  “Spit it out, Coldridge.”

  “I just don’t understand why we are killing our own.”

  Alpha remained silent for a few moments,

  “Have you ever had a garden, Charles?” Alpha asked, his tone softer.

  “Erm…My father had many gardens and always loved to walk among them. I confess that they held no allure for me.”

  “Then I truly feel sorry for you. A garden is both beauty and knowledge. You walk through nature’s offerings and revel at its splendour. Then, as you work the soil, you think on the world and gain clarity of thought. I had a singular rose within my garden. Despite all the beauty in the garden that one plant was my favourite. Every few months I would take the secateurs and trim away the dead. So beloved was the plant, it caused me actual mental anguish. That was, however, nothing to the heavy pruning that would take place once a year. The rose would be reduced dramatically in size and lose much of its grandeur. However, if you want the plant to be healthy and strong for the coming years, then you must be cruel. Failure to act would leave it vulnerable to disease, and the entire plant would die.”

  “We are pruning?”

  “Clearing away the weak, so that the strong can be reborn. Now be prepared, we have visitors.”

  ***

  Within the hour a table played host to fifteen followers of Cronos. Fourteen had been invited by Alpha, who sat at the head of the table. These members were not part of the inner circle. Most of them had found their calling working for the more influential figures in the movement. Alpha looked around at them, he held nought but contempt for each one. They were no more than mere sheep. Killing them would be a service to the world. It hardly seemed worth the effort to add theatre to the process. He held up a glass of wine.

  “Cronos, bringer of order. We salute you.” Each of those seated around the table followed his example. “I have brought you here because I know that you must be concerned. Our movement has been quiet, but I assure you that we are working tirelessly. I will inform you of our plans, but first, I wish you to indulge in this meal that Cronos has provided. This is a mere sample of what awaits us when the glory of Cronos is recognised throughout the land.” He rose from his seat. “Please my friends, eat.” His guests did not need much persuasion as the foods on display were a joy to behold. As the chatter began to rise, Alpha slipped from the room. He closed the door and silently slipped the newly fitted heavy bolt into position. As he climbed the steps toward the deck, his nostrils filled with the unmistakable stench of coal oil. Once on the deck, he could see Faraday and Coldridge emptying barrels, not one inch of the deck was spared. “Are we ready?”

  “The last barrel is for the steps to the lower deck,” Coldridge replied.

  “Make it quick. I am no lover of this stench.”

  Within ten minutes all three men were climbing into a launch. It moved away slowly, and as it did, Coldridge lit a lamp and tossed it high into the air. It disappeared over the Starling’s rail. For a moment, Alpha thought that Coldridge had thrown the lamp clear over the ship. He was about to order the launch to turn around, but then the flames erupted from the deck of the old clipper. In just a few minutes the Starling was a floating fireball with no hope of surviving. The passengers in the depths of its hull would be fortunate
if smoke filled their lungs before the flames engulfed their flesh. As the small craft reached its own secretive dock, Alpha watched as the Starling slipped beneath the waters of the Thames. There had been screams from the populace of London, and even a few smaller boats had set out to try and perform a rescue. The intense heat had stopped them in their tracks, and they were reduced to observers. Alpha stepped from the transport his mind no longer concerned with the fate of the Starling or its passengers.

  “Faraday, you will return to watch over William. It is not safe for you in London, and you are to prepare for my arrival. Coldridge, you will remain with me.”

  “When should I expect you?” Faraday asked.

  “I shall send word, but it will not be for a number of weeks. I must determine what progress our enemies have made.”

  ***

  Faraday arrived at Hartshill Castle two days after the sinking of the Starling. He could have made the journey in half the time, but Alpha’s method of disposing of the Cronos followers had sowed the seeds of an idea. He did not stroll up to the gates of the castle; he arrived on a wagon. The back of the transport was filled with all manner of foods and a plentiful supply of wine. He was tempted to rush to William’s quarters but knew that he had to oversee the unloading of the cargo. Besides, he assumed that Coldridge would have spread the rumour that a former policeman could not be trusted. Faraday knew that he must appear dedicated to the Cronos cause. The heavy wooden timbers to the castle swung open.