The Black Shepherd

by Steven Savile

  ‘I was told to let him go as soon as he wanted to.’

  ‘You did the right thing. He needs to see you as an ally not the enemy. You are his friend as his world comes down. You didn’t see anyone in the club you recognized? Anyone you didn’t expect to see?’

  ‘Like who?’ She hesitated for a moment, as though unsure she could actually say what she was thinking.

  ‘It’s not a test,’ he said.

  ‘You mean someone who knew me from before?’

  Ash said nothing.

  The less he said for the moment, the better.

  ‘But I don’t understand how anyone could? I don’t look the same as I did before I joined the family.’ She shook her head, struggling to process it. ‘I’ve never been to Germany before. No one would know me here.’

  ‘What about from the compound? From before you were chosen?’

  ‘The compound? I don’t understand.’

  ‘Not all of the girls who were there with you remained with the family.’

  ‘You think one of them might be here?’

  Peter Ash shrugged as if to say it’s possible. ‘Have you stayed in touch with anyone?’

  She thought about it. Then shook her head. ‘Not really. There are a couple of girls who moved on to the place in Stockholm when I left, but we haven’t stayed in touch. It isn’t encouraged.’

  ‘No. Of course not. And you’re not in trouble. I promise you. But can you recall the whereabouts of any of the others? Take your time.’

  She shrugged. ‘No.’ And then she seemed to have a revelation, and looked up at him, eyes hopeful, like she’d cracked it. ‘Apart from Irma, of course.’

  ‘Irma?’ Peter felt the fine hairs prickle on the back of his neck.

  He tried not to let his excitement show.

  The girl inclined her head slightly, trying to judge if this was another test.

  ‘The computer whizz-kid. She always thought she was smarter than the rest of us. Though to be fair, she was.’

  Peter nodded, he needed to be so careful here, a blank slate. Let her talk. Let her fill the silences. Don’t push.

  ‘She’s in the place on Lossi Plats, isn’t she?’

  He said nothing.

  ‘I’m assuming that she’s still there?’

  He waited.

  Silence was powerful.

  She looked at him, desperate for approval.

  He said nothing.

  Finally she asked, ‘You don’t think it’s Danika, do you?’

  ‘Danika? Why would you think of her?’

  ‘She ran away.’

  ‘She did,’ he said, thinking of the burned body in the woods. ‘Why?’

  ‘It was her name,’ Cristiana said. ‘We couldn’t help it. We teased her … like you’d tease your sister … but she couldn’t take it.’

  ‘Is that what made her run?’

  ‘A Russian girl called Danika Putin? Can you imagine having to live with that?’

  ‘Sometimes it is better to leave your past behind,’ he said.

  ‘We are one family,’ Cristiana said.

  ‘Poor kid,’ Peter Ash said, shaking his head.

  FIFTY-FIVE

  Frankie knew the name. Of course she did. How could she not? Maksim Kask? How many Maksim Kasks could there be in Estonia?

  Right now her fake name was all that was between her and a world of hurt.

  Maksim Kask.

  The same policeman who had given up investigating Irma’s disappearance.

  The same policeman who had ‘lost’ the incriminating statement by Annja Rosen.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said, fixing a smile on her face. There was a moment, a flicker behind his eyes, and for a moment she feared it was recognition. But it shifted quickly into … what? Hunger? Lust?

  ‘And you, Ceska,’ he said. He didn’t offer his hand. There was no contact between them. ‘Tell me, what do you hope to do for One World?’

  ‘Ceska has a gift,’ John said. ‘She sees potential in others and helps them unlock it.’

  ‘Ah, then she seems like she would be good here, perhaps running the compound to help the new intake of girls? That would free Charles up for other duties,’ Kask said.

  ‘You have read my mind, Max. That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. But Charles isn’t quite ready yet. Soon, I think. But these things are not to be rushed. And, to be fair, neither is Ceska here. There is still so much for her to learn.’

  ‘Always,’ Kask said. ‘If we stop learning we die.’

  John nodded at that.

  ‘There is always so much we can do to push ourselves, to grow. I thought that you would be perfect together.’

  ‘I only wish to serve the family,’ Kask said. ‘If that is your wish, then I will dedicate myself to her preparation.’

  John said nothing for a moment, considering something. Frankie got the distinct impression a plan was slowly forming in his mind. After a few seconds he said, ‘We could always take her back to the city with us.’

  ‘Is that wise? I thought we were going to be staying here for a while?’ Kask said. There was a trace of worry in his voice. A glance passed between the two men. It was obvious Kask wasn’t happy with this turn of events. Frankie wondered what kind of crap was waiting for him back there.

  ‘I will meditate on it. Regardless, we won’t leave the compound until tomorrow. Take the time to get to know Ceska. For now, I believe you are the man to help her reach her full potential.’

  Kask gave the slightest of shrugs.

  ‘Maksim here was one of our very brightest stars back in the day. He was a revelation. Indeed I haven’t been so excited about a recruit since him until your arrival, my dear.’

  ‘Sounds like I’ve got some big boots to fill,’ Frankie said.

  ‘I do hope there’s not a but coming,’ John said, giving her his brightest and widest smile.

  ‘Not at all. I’m a competitive soul.’

  John smiled. ‘We’ll talk again later.’ And he turned his attention back to the other girls, needing no more than a few seconds to make them feel every bit as important as Frankie and Kask, even though they weren’t being singled out for any kind of special treatment.

  It was a gift.

  Just that thought made her smile, because in her own language ‘gift’ had a quite different meaning to English. Well, two quite different meanings, actually. One, gift, meant married. The other, poison. She couldn’t think of anything more appropriate.

  Kask offered her an uncertain smile, then excused himself.

  It was obvious something was troubling him.

  The biggest threat was that it was her. She’d never met him face to face, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t dug into her file when she’d started asking about Irma.

  It was possible.

  Distressingly so.

  She needed time to think.

  She remembered she’d promised to meet the young guard for a run.

  She walked out of there thinking about her cousin.

  Irma was a bright girl, a university student who was doing well by all accounts, a shining star of the department. That, surely, would have marked her out as special, too, wouldn’t it? A different kind of special, but there were all sorts of opportunities to be special in a cult like One World.

  She wasn’t here. That much was obvious, anyway.

  But at the moment Frankie had a more pressing concern: if she was going to be moving on, she needed to make sure the tracker came with her and that meant getting access to her things.

  Without it, she was on her own.

  FIFTY-SIX

  ‘Pay dirt,’ Peter Ash said as he left the lobby and stepped out into the busy Berlin street. He had his phone pressed to his ear.

  Laura had picked up on the first ring; she’d been waiting for his check-in. He moved out of there, not looking back. He didn’t know how long it would be before Cristiana’s handler touched base and they began to realize he wasn’t who he pretended to be, but
then, he hadn’t given her a name. He’d just let her make assumptions.

  ‘Let’s hear it, superstar.’

  ‘Number one, we’ve got a new name. Money on she’s the dead girl.’

  ‘I’m listening.’

  He paused for a heartbeat, looking forward to hearing her response. ‘Danika Putin. Danni for short.’

  ‘Putin? As in Putin Putin?’

  ‘I’m assuming no relation.’

  ‘You sure she wasn’t taking the piss?’

  ‘Nah, she thought that I was one of them. A test.’

  ‘How did you pull that off?’

  ‘Showed her the medal I’d taken from Kask’s place. Then did some reading on the flight. Gave her the Vulcan salute and that sealed the deal. She wouldn’t risk lying just in case I reported back to The Shepherd.’

  ‘Makes sense.’

  ‘She was there when Danni ran. She had no idea she didn’t make it out.’

  ‘Not just a pretty face after all.’

  ‘I try to please.’

  ‘OK, I’ll run the name through the system, see if it hits. You said number one, that implies a number two?’

  ‘She was there at the same time as Irma Lutz.’

  ‘Jesus. You’re sure?’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Jesus,’ she said again.

  ‘Told you. Pay dirt. Seems she was quite the computer genius. Marked out as being something special. The last thing she heard, Irma was in a place on Lossi Plats. Mean anything to you?’

  ‘Tallinn,’ Laura said. ‘Not far from the cafe where Annja worked, actually.’

  ‘Bollocks. I really wish you hadn’t said that. If we’re even a minute fucking late I’m going to blame myself.’

  ‘Better hope we’re not a minute late then,’ Laura said.

  ‘OK, OK,’ he said, thinking on his feet. He really didn’t want to follow that train of thought for any longer than he had to. He’d be the one that carried the guilt and he already had enough ghosts to last a lifetime. I’m getting her out of there alive. ‘We need to get word to Frankie.’

  ‘I don’t know, Pete. It’s a risk. I ping her phone and she’s not the one holding it, I blow her cover. She’s out there alone. I’m not putting her in more danger unless I absolutely have to.’

  ‘OK. We need to get eyes on her. I’ll jump every bloody queue between here and Estonia if I have to.’

  ‘Already sorted,’ and he felt his phone vibrate in his hand as she sent his boarding pass through. ‘Taxi will be with you in three, two, one …’

  He saw the yellow sign on the roof of an E-Class Mercedes as it pulled to a stop in front of him.

  ‘Sometimes you scare me, woman.’

  ‘Only sometimes? Must try harder.’

  FIFTY-SEVEN

  Frankie didn’t enjoy the run as much as she would have liked. She spent most of the time gritting her teeth and pretending it hurt. But she managed to get a better idea of the lay of the land, and scoped out a lot of the surrounding buildings she hadn’t otherwise seen.

  She caught several glimpses of the perimeter fence, which felt very much like a noose around her neck as she ran.

  The guard, she suspected, was doing his best to control what she saw by following a route that gave as little away about the compound itself as possible. Even so, she noticed the dark silhouettes of other buildings further into the trees, though every time she tried to stretch her legs and run towards them he matched her stride and steered her away.

  As best she could tell, all of the buildings in the main camp area were reserved for accommodation, catering, supply stores, and the assorted needs that came with keeping the compound functioning smoothly. But there was nothing that looked like a classroom or test centre, which made her think this was what those hidden buildings were for.

  She wouldn’t know until she got a look at them.

  As they ran, Frankie was sure she caught a glimpse of a dark shape deep in the trees. A figure. Someone watching silently from the woods. Her running mate showed no sign of having seen it. She didn’t mention it. Odds were it was nothing more than another guard, watching. Or maybe it was some sort of challenge she’d be tested on when they got back to the main building: did you see the watcher, where, describe him. She kept moving, keeping herself a couple of steps behind the guard. It gave her the chance to look around.

  ‘I think you’re holding back. You’re a better runner than you’re letting on,’ he gasped between breaths when they completed another circuit.

  Frankie did her best to make it look like she was struggling to catch her breath when he stopped with his hands on his thighs, but it was pretty obvious she was in considerably better shape than he was. She could comfortably manage another couple of circuits, maybe more, but he’d be lucky to get around a third one.

  ‘I used to be,’ she admitted, remembering the hours of pounding the pavements where she’d grown up in Sala. She used to run along the side of the huge lake in a 10k circuit, crossing the strip of country road to the silver mine that had been the lifeblood of the place once upon a time. She’d been running all of her life. She liked to do at least 5k a day. If she wasn’t running she wasn’t living. ‘But it’s been a while,’ she lied.

  ‘All I can say is I’m glad you’re out of shape then, because trying to keep up with you like this is damn near killing me.’ He gave a smirk, some cheesy line going through his head that disappeared in a coughing fit.

  ‘I’ll get you some water,’ she said.

  The administration building was the closest, a couple of hundred metres back. She’d noticed Elsa through one of the windows as they’d run past.

  ‘It’s OK,’ he gasped.

  ‘Don’t be silly. The things some guys will do to try to impress a girl.’

  ‘Rumbled,’ he said, though it was clearly an effort for him to get the word out. He managed a cockeyed smile between ragged gasps.

  ‘Come on,’ she said.

  Together they walked to a bench outside the cabin. He sat while she slipped inside.

  Elsa looked up from her work.

  ‘Everything OK, honey?’

  ‘Need some water for pretty boy out there. He was showing off.’

  The other woman laughed at that. ‘You go look after him, I’ll be right out.’ She smirked, unable to pass up the opportunity to watch the young guard humbled by one of the girls.

  ‘Ready for another go round?’ Frankie asked when he finished up his drink.

  ‘You’re kidding, right? I’m ready for a beer.’

  She grinned at him like he was just too precious for words.

  ‘OK if I do another one without you then?’

  ‘Knock yourself out. I’ll just wait here. You know the way by now.’

  She nodded.

  Elsa gave her a smile. That was all the approval she needed. Frankie took off, and didn’t look back. She kept her pace steady, again not stretching her legs even through the temptation was to really run. She had no idea who was watching her.

  A few minutes later she reached the treeline and ran in. The shade was already giving way to darkness. She moved out of sight of the main building.

  She was alone for the first time all day.

  Even as the thought occurred to her she felt eyes on her. A cold shiver of dread ran down Frankie Varg’s spine.

  FIFTY-EIGHT

  It was getting dark.

  Darkness offered extra cover.

  He’d been cooped up in planes for too much of the day. His entire body ached. He felt like he hadn’t stretched his legs for more than an hour at most, and that his veins were plotting to get their own back on him with a little thrombosis just for shits and giggles. He savoured the cool crisp air. It was good to be outside, even if he wasn’t dressed for it.

  Laura had downloaded directions to the GPS unit in his tricked-out phone, allowing him to follow a track deep into the forest that brought him to within touching distance of the compound.

  He’d walked five k
ilometres across rough ground, much of it through heavily forested terrain, meaning he wasn’t going to be seen making his approach. He dragged his feet through mud and rotting leaves, each new step adding more mulch to his soles as he trudged on.

  Eventually he reached the mesh fence which marked the compound’s perimeter. It was at least three metres high. The wire coiled around it made him think that it was electrified. The One Worlders were serious about keeping people out. But then, what cult didn’t value its privacy when it was busy brainwashing the faithful?

  Unless of course it wasn’t meant to keep people out, but rather keep them in.

  He heard people coming towards him on the other side of the fence and retreated deeper into cover, hiding behind the thick bole of a tree. He made out two figures, running. They weren’t moving particularly quickly. The first runner, male, obviously out of shape and not used to this kind of physical exercise, ran with his head down, oblivious to his surroundings. The other runner moved with more ease, head up, taking in everything around her.

  She stared right at him.

  He had no way of knowing if she’d seen him, but it was fucking fantastic to see her.

  Frankie.

  She looked good. Safe. He felt the weight lift from his bones in relief. He needed to make contact somehow, bring her up to speed with what he knew. But there was zero chance of him getting over that fence without getting fried. He’d already noticed the fresh yellow wood where overhanging branches had been sawn away, so that wasn’t a workable option either.

  But he couldn’t pull her out, either.

  Not that she’d have left without Irma. That was the problem when stuff got personal. You made mistakes. Errors of judgement you never would have made if you weren’t sticking your neck out for family. Everything he did now risked blowing her cover.

  He raised a hand, hoping she saw. But even if she did, would she realize it was him?

  Blow this now and everyone from The Shepherd down would disappear with the wind, and that would screw any hope they had of finding justice for Annja and Danika and however many girls hadn’t made it to the promised land, or bringing Irma home.

  The fact that Kask, a fully paid-up member of the cult of crazy, was already on the run and wanted for murder must have had them spooked.