by Bill Bennett
‘Freddie,’ Kee said. ‘We’ve got intel you should be aware of.’ Kee was Cygnet’s top surveillance expert and often used her former relationships in MI5 in the UK to get satellite and CCTV feeds that would be impossible to get any other way. ‘We’ve learned there’s going to be a major disturbance at the Charleston State Fair the day of Unholy.’
‘We think they’re going to do this to create a diversion,’ Gabby chipped in. ‘To draw all available law enforcement and emergency services, and keep attention away from what they’ll be doing at the Deep Sink.’
Freddie paced on the porch outside Starbucks. ‘What sort of disturbance, do you know?’
It was a common practice of Baphomet to have the cops race to an atrocity in one part of a state or district while they unleashed their full fury somewhere else.
‘We don’t know,’ said Kee. ‘But it will be significant. Word we got is that they’re anticipating major loss of life. All we know is that it’s going to involve some kind of explosion, and it will be spectacular. Something that will play well on the TV news cycles. You know what they’re like, they love the grand gesture.’
‘Indeed they do,’ Freddie said wryly.
‘But there could be another reason, too, Freddie,’ Kee said. ‘It could be a cleverly disguised Baphomet trap, for us. Cygnet.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Like what they did with David. Draw us to a particular place on the belief there’s going to be a major disturbance, then kill whatever Cygnet operative turns up.’
‘You think we have a spy in our midst?’ asked Freddie.
‘I think it’s possible, yes. I’m sure that’s how David was killed – someone within Cygnet leaked his whereabouts to Baphomet.’
‘Personally I think that’s a bit far-fetched,’ said Gabby. ‘We’d know if we had a spy in our ranks. We’re all very skilful witches. We can read people. We can read their energy. I think we should do whatever we can to stop this disturbance at the fair, whatever it might be, but of course our number one priority is to get Angela back safe and sound as quickly as possible. How’s that going, Freddie? Where are you? Are you making any progress?’
‘Remember, Freddie,’ Kee said before he could answer, ‘this call is unencrypted.’
Freddie was aware that Baphomet could be monitoring all their conversations. He gave Gabby a coded rundown of what had happened and what they were doing, but he didn’t give his location and didn’t tell her where they were going. Nor did he mention that they were travelling with cops.
‘And what are you going to do about the fair?’ Kee asked.
‘Let me think about it,’ he said to Kee. ‘And Gabby, thanks for coming. You’ll be a huge moral support for everyone there and for me,’ he added.
Freddie finished the call and walked back inside. He was concerned. Deeply concerned. He knew they had to do something. If the intel was indeed solid, and Kee’s intel usually was, then a lot of innocent people would die – women and children and families out for an evening of fun. He couldn’t allow that to happen, even if there was a chance it could all be a hoax, or a trap.
Olivier and Marley were sitting quietly, still reeling from seeing Joe’s eyes. Freddie sat opposite Gummi, who was just about to ingest another pink candy-topped donut. ‘Young lad,’ he said, ‘how would you like to go to a state fair?’
CHAPTER 20
Was she slipping? Kritta still didn’t know what KJ’s game was. By chasing after the girl as he had at the motel, had he purposefully got in the way so that she couldn’t get a clean shot at her? And then had he deliberately fallen so that he took Bess down with him, to allow them to escape? He could have been well intentioned of course; had he been forced to take a police drug and alcohol test he would have been whisked away swiftly to the nearest lock-up. But even so, the doubts lingered with Kritta.
Why was he attaching himself to her? With his looks and his body, he could freely avail himself elsewhere. Was it that he was simply fascinated by witchcraft? The previous night while they’d been drinking and making out he’d played some of his music – black metal, he’d called it, with its demonic lyrics and its thrashing beats that took you to sweet dark places of the soul. He’d sung along, karaoke style, which she’d found hilarious. They’d both rolled around laughing. But it had shown her that the boy certainly had satanic tendencies.
And ever since leaving the cave he’d bombarded her with questions – about the Golden Order, how you joined, what kind of things you could do as a witch. Kritta told him precious little, just enough to tantalise him. She was acutely conscious of Baphomet’s fanatical requirement for secrecy. And their tendency to punish any transgressor with brutal savagery.
‘You still haven’t told me why you’re after them,’ Kevin said, glancing over at Kritta. They’d been on the interstate all day and had covered a lot of miles. It was late in the afternoon now and shadows were creeping across the highway, cast from high stands of trees lining each side. As they got closer to the Appalachians, the air was becoming cooler, crisper, the skies a more brilliant hue of blue.
‘The mother is a fiend,’ Kritta said. ‘A killer. And her daughter too. She’s training the daughter to become just like her. They look like nice people, yeah? Like they’re just a regular friendly mom and daughter doing it tough, making do, wouldn’t harm a fly. It’s all a sham. They’re monsters. They’ve killed hundreds of us in the Golden Order, maybe even thousands over the years. They hate us and they always try to cut us down, every chance they get. They hate what we stand for, which is freedom.’
‘My God,’ Kevin said. ‘I had no idea. I mean, I always thought they were a bit weird, you know, but killers? Wow. You just never know, do you?’
‘They’ve got this whole secret society thing behind them, and they’ve been hunting us down for years, like we’re animals …’
‘No way,’ said Kevin.
‘Yeah, but now we’ve finally got the mother, and we’ll get the girl soon too.’
‘Well, that’s where I’d like to help.’
‘You weren’t much help last night,’ Kritta said bitingly.
Kevin looked away, embarrassed. ‘Yeah, well, I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t try and run when I’m hammered.’
‘We missed a perfect opportunity, thanks to you trying to help.’
‘Well, I’d like to join Baphomet,’ Kevin said. ‘So I can really help. I mean, if I were, like, officially part of the Golden Order, that’d mean I could really swing behind this. And you could teach me things, yeah? Like spells and stuff?’
‘This isn’t a game, kiddo,’ Kritta said. ‘You don’t join Baphomet just for fun. For sport. To learn pool hall tricks. If you’re serious –’
‘Of course, I’m serious!’
Kritta hesitated. ‘You join Baphomet for life,’ she said quietly. ‘No one leaves. Understand that? If you join the Golden Order, the only way out is if you die. Naturally, accidentally, or if we kill you. You break our rules, we kill you. You tell anyone anything about what we do, we kill you. We grow to not like you, we kill you. And probably the person who will kill you will be me.’
Kevin Johnstone looked at her a long moment, then broke out into a broad grin. ‘Cool. So how do I join?’
Later that night they picked up some Mexican food from a strip mall Chipotle and took it to an EconoLodge just off the interstate. Kritta once again took two rooms – one for Andi and Bess, the other for herself and KJ. Bess, now back in her human form, was still recovering from the concussion she’d suffered when she slammed into the Mercedes car door. And she was still in pain from her severed ear. Andi would comfort her, Kritta knew that. Her two familiars were usually combative and competitive towards each other, but when one of them got hurt or injured, the other put aside their sometimes bitter sibling rivalry and did everything possible to look after her sister familiar.
Kritta and Kevin ate in silence – Kevin on the edge of the queen-sized bed, Kritta at a small table, picking
at her food, She wasn’t hungry, she was deep in thought. She quickly finished up and headed to the door.
‘I gotta make a call, in private,’ she said. Kevin looked up at her curiously as she walked out, closing the door behind her. She made her way down to the carpark and around the back to a strip of lawn that hadn’t been mowed in months – a place where no one could overhear her call to the Grand Master.
‘Where are you?’ he asked.
She knew that would be his first question and she’d prepared her lie, knowing that he was capable of ‘remote viewing’ – if he put his mind to it he could see where she was, and in effect be there with her – but it required preparation and a focus of energy, which at that time of night he obviously wasn’t prepared to do. He accepted what she told him, that they were only one day away from the mine now. They would make up time tomorrow, Kritta figured, and he need never know that she’d gone to the Needle and wasted nearly a day trying to take out the girl.
‘The boy I’m travelling with,’ Kritta said, nervously, ‘he’s asked if can join the Golden Order and I just wanted to check with you, Hallowed One, to get your approval.’
There was a long silence, then he asked, in a voice not of any known time and place, ‘What is his name?’
‘Kevin Johnstone,’ Kritta said. ‘He could be very useful. He knows the Maguire girl, goes to the same school, and he really wants to help. I think he’s …’
‘What you think doesn’t matter,’ the Grand Master cut in. ‘It’s what I think that matters.’ There was another long silence, then, ‘We’ve had our eye on him for some time, as a possible recruit. He has a fine pedigree.’
‘He does?’ Kritta didn’t understand, and thought it best not to ask. ‘So then I have your permission?’
‘Yes, you do,’ the Grand Master said. ‘But don’t let it hold you up. The Fallen Priest is waiting for that book. He needs it fast. Do you understand me?’ There was a quiet menace to his voice that caused her skin to prickle with fear.
‘Yes, Grand Master. I’ll do a simple novitiate ceremony tonight. It won’t take long. But at least then …’
The line went dead.
Kritta stood among weeds almost up to her waist, holding her phone to her ear, feeling like she was an insect that had just been squashed by a giant’s boot.
Somewhere, she heard toads croaking.
She didn’t have much time. Forty-five minutes, at the most. The ceremony, by ancient decree, had to happen at one hour to midnight, the true witching hour. She went back to the motel room, grabbed an empty Coke can that would act as a chalice, along with her well-thumbed Book of Shadows, went over to a closet and pulled out a spare red-coloured blanket, then she woke KJ, who’d slumped asleep face down on the bed.
‘What is it?’ He drowsily propped up and turned to her, blinking under the harsh fluoro lighting, still not fully awake.
‘You want to join Baphomet?’ Kritta asked sharply.
‘You bet,’ he said, sitting up. ‘What’s going on?’
‘This isn’t going to be pleasant.’
‘What isn’t?’
‘I’m going to induct you into the Golden Order as a novitiate. It’s the lowest level, even lower than an initiate, which would take longer to prepare for. But as a novitiate you can attend ceremonies and begin to learn spellcraft, and you can start to create your own personal Golden Order Book of Shadows. So in other words you’ll officially become an entry-level witch in Baphomet.’
‘Wow,’ Kevin said, grinning. ‘That’s so cool.’
‘But you’re going to have to take certain vows, solemn vows, and these are vows for life, like I said before. You break these vows, you’ll be condemned to death, and believe me, you don’t want to die at the hands of a Baphomet assassin.’
‘I get it,’ Kevin said, gravely. ‘I like what you guys do. I want to be a part of it. For life.’
‘Okay, then,’ Kritta said. ‘Let’s get going. We’re going for a drive.’
She roused Andi and Bess, and together they all piled into Kevin’s Mustang and headed out into the night. Kritta gave him instructions on where to go, taking backroads which became narrower and rougher until they were bouncing along a rutted track deep in woods several miles off the highway.
‘Pull up here,’ she said, and Kevin came to a stop beside a tall stand of trees. It was dark, with little moonlight, and a cold wind whipped the trees’ branches. Kritta hopped out, the others too and, grabbing her bag, she walked off into the underbrush following a barely visible track.
The track wound its way through thick woods and around lichen-covered tree trunks wider than a car, until it finally opened out into a small clearing, in the centre of which was a fallen log. Edging the clearing on one side was a stream that gurgled ominously as it tumbled over a bed of stones. Above, no sky was visible through overhanging branches that swayed and shifted in the wind.
Kritta walked into the clearing and shivered. She looked around, satisfied, and nodded to the others. ‘This will do just fine,’ she said.
She threw the red blanket over the fallen log, and began to set up a makeshift altar. She took the Coke container over to the creek and filled it with water, then walked over to some nearby rocks and wrenched a handful of moss free, which she added to the water. She searched the ground, found a pile of raccoon droppings, added that too, then walked back to the altar. Bess and Andi were already preparing the ground around it, sweeping it clean with branches.
Kevin looked on, fascinated. ‘So what’s going to happen?’ he asked Kritta as she walked up.
‘Take your clothes off,’ Kritta said.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Don’t question me! Take your clothes off, all of them!’
‘But it’s cold,’ Kevin said.
Kritta grabbed the branch Andi was using for sweeping and viciously thrashed him across the face. Kevin stared at her, his face stinging, then he slowly began to take off his clothes. Andi and Bess headed off into the underbrush and began collecting firewood, while Kritta walked around the clearing pulling out weeds and nettles.
They made a fire in front of the altar and when it was at full blaze Kritta threw the weeds and nettles onto the flames. Smoke began to rise and a foul unpleasant smell filled the air. Kevin Johnstone stepped forward to the heat, totally naked. Kritta turned to Andi.
‘You know what to do,’ she said, and with a momentary concentration and a whispered spell, she turned Andi into her golden eagle familiar form. With a few flaps of her powerful wings, Andi took to the air and disappeared into the woods. Kritta then shifted Bess into her pit-bull form, then she too took her clothes off, until she was naked as well.
She stared into the flames and began to intone a chant – a mesmerising chant of strange words from ages past that filled the clearing with its hypnotic resonance. She began to chant louder, which carried deeper into the blackish woods. Somewhere, there was a stirring. Somewhere, there was flutter and flight. All around, the night came alive. Shadows shifted, a gleam here, a reflection there, of something, of nothing, of all that the dark held dear.
Creatures began to emerge from the woods, slowly, cautiously, stopping at the edges of the clearing – enchanted by the call to attend. Rabbits, squirrels, raccoons – but soon larger creatures too: foxes, small feral cats, a beaver and a skunk, a skittish elk with a twelve-point rack, several large turkeys and further back, lurking in the shadows, the massive bulk of a bear. Crawling out of the murky underbrush were snakes and lizards and dozens of spiders, and into the trees bordering the clearing flew owls and fly-catchers and small birds of prey with pin-sharp eyes that gleamed in the firelight.
With a thwack thwack thwack of her powerful wings, Andi landed back into the clearing by the fire, holding in each of her talons two large Woodhouse toads. They wriggled and squirmed, still alive. Andi deposited them on the altar, then flew back to watch as Kritta took out a razor-sharp stiletto knife and stabbed both in the centre of their heads, until they wriggl
ed no more.
She pouched the stiletto knife, took out another blade, a skinning knife, and slit one of the toads open, then from its horned leathery back she carved out a triangle of skin. She threw this into the fire, at the edge, so that it crisped up, then pulled it out to let it cool down. With the other toad she slit it open too, and cut out its heart. She put that on the altar, beside the Coke container acting as a chalice.
She then picked up the container, walked over to the edge of the clearing, walked up to the skunk, and offered it up to the animal. It turned and squirted a flow of putrid liquid into it, filling it nearly three quarters full. Kritta then found two large stones – one black, one whitish in colour – and along with the container brought them back into the clearing.
‘This rock will represent the black pillar, and this one the white pillar,’ she explained to Kevin as she placed each either side of the altar, then she put the would-be chalice on top of the altar, in the centre.
Kevin watched it all, fascinated.
She turned then to the creatures lining the edges of the clearing. In a loud clear voice, she called to them, ‘Come, Adorators of the Dark. Sentinels of the Rule. Come form the Hall of the Novitiate, so that he might take the Hidden Knowledge of the Golden Order of Baphomet.’
Slowly the animals stepped and slithered and scuttled and flew out of the shadows and moved into the clearing, into the firelight, forming a line either side leading to the altar – a corridor made up of snakes and foxes and deer and coyotes and turkeys and all the creatures that had come from the woods. And once they had taken their place, two more animals emerged from the darkness – a large goat with two massive horns, and beside it a wild boar, with razor-sharp tusks. They stood at the entrance to this hall.