by LJ Swallow
But not like this.
We enter the old hall from the rear door, which involves unbolting six locks and disarming an alarm system. Inside, there’s one room containing a trellis table covered in papers and photos, a computer, and several monitors on a desk at the opposite end of the hall. More photos and maps cover the exposed brick walls, held up by tape and arranged in rows. The carpeted floor is clean and two new-looking armchairs are covered by multicoloured throw rugs. The strangest thing is the neatness in the midst of the chaos surrounding the exterior. I’m half expecting him to have a garden like the one out the front of his house.
House.
“Do you live here too?” I ask, remaining close to the door.
Casey walks through and shuts the door behind me. Keys jingle as she locks each bolt. “That’s making me uncomfortable,” I tell her.
She shrugs and drops her rucksack on the floor.
“No, we live at the place in London most of the time, unless we feel like we need to disappear for a few days.”
“We? How many of you are there?”
Casey sits on an armchair and picks at the knitted woollen throw covering it. “Now? Just us.”
“There were more?”
“Five altogether, in this country anyway. There are others we know on the boards, but we don’t trust people as much anymore.” Seth gives a short laugh. “Because the UK group are disappearing one by one, we agreed to band together. I was about to ask you to come and live with us when we said we’d meet, but then they got you first.”
“They didn’t get me. I chose to go with them.”
Seth gives me a scornful look. “I have a shitload of information on those four men that’ll change your mind, Verity.”
Something finally clicks and I cross my arms over my chest, eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name’s Verity?”
He splutters. “Of course I do! I’ve tracked you for weeks. I don’t just connect with anybody, you know. We need to ensure we can fully trust anyone we let into the group.”
“Seth, I’m not in your group.”
He shakes his head and wanders over to a tall metal filing cabinet. The middle drawer jams as he tries to pull at it, and he swears. After an amusing struggle, he pulls out four manila folders and slaps them on the table.
“Did you want a drink?” asks Casey. I look over at where she stands beside a small fridge. “We don’t have much here. Water? Coke?”
Like I’m some kind of guest?
“Here.” Seth beckons me over and fans the files so I can read the names on the top. Ewan already told me his fake surname, Heath’s I know from work, and Xander’s by default, but now I know Joss’s is East.
I flick open the folder with Heath’s name on. With one hand, I leaf through photos, some taken recently at work and others from long before I knew him. In many, at least one or two of the other guys are featured, but occasionally he’s with other people, or alone.
“Okay. Here’s an example.” Seth pulls out a numbered envelope and produces a series of A4-sized photos. “We took these one evening last month. He’s with his brother at a bar, both of them. Here, they’re with two girls.”
I study the image of Heath and Xander. Seth flicks through a few more. “Look at this.”
I peer at the grainy photograph taken in the shadows. Heath and a girl. Heath with the girl pinned by the neck to a wall. I place down the last with a shaking hand. Heath walking away from a body on the floor, a knife in his hand.
“That’s not what you think,” I say. “She isn’t….” What do I say? Isn’t human? “It’s not what you think.”
Seth tidies the images into the envelope. “At first we thought they might be assassins, as many victims were people others would pay to have killed. They took out criminals with money from suspicious sources, or related to gangs. But then we noticed them killing women, randomly and publicly. They’re losing their minds.” He grabs a file with Xander’s name on and tips out photos. “Here’s one from last week.”
Last week? I hold the image close to my face to make out the surroundings. The Warehouse club. Xander and a girl. No, not a girl, a succubi.
“Sometimes they decapitate them.” The whispered horror comes from Casey as she approaches and flicks over to the next image.
I know the succubus isn’t human, but I can’t look. I slam the photos on the table. “Show me Heath’s folder again.”
Seth pulls them from the envelope, and I scrutinise each one.
"Verity, I’m telling you, these men are extremely dangerous. They've killed two people in our group and both of them disappeared first. Did you see any evidence of others at the house they're keeping you in?"
"The Horsemen aren’t keeping me anywhere, Seth." I pause. “Sorry. I mean, the guys you saw me with.”
"Horsemen? Yeah, I know what they call themselves. Sickos. I'm bloody relieved we found you before you ended up murdered at a crime scene of your own," Seth replies.
I stand back and lace my hands behind my head, elbows at right angles. "Seth. This is all wrong. They're helping stop murders. They kill people who are killing others."
"A group of Dexter Morgans? Vigilante serial killers? Very funny," retorts Casey from the corner. "Are they asking you to join in and lure victims or something? We saw you at the club."
Bloody hell, how long have they been following me? "Then why not talk to me back then, when you saw me?"
"Umm." She points to the folders on the table. "Crossing the Horsemen leads to death. No way are we revealing ourselves,"
"They know who Seth is," I remind her.
Casey's face pales. "They know us both now. They just don't know we're onto them."
“We tipped you off with the information about the crime scene at the car park because we knew the Horsemen would take you with them to investigate. Casey and me were going to help you escape that day."
"Then you saw what happened!" I explain. "You saw their powers."
"What powers?"
"The powers the guys have. Me."
Casey throws me a pitying look before shrugging at Seth. "Told you. The drugs must have psychedelic properties or something."
"I have not been drugged!" I protest.
This is pointless. How can I possibly tell Seth and Casey anything and expect them to believe me? And what the hell will the four guys do when they find me? This hall is a location we planned to visit today, and I bet one of the first places they’ll look.
"If you've watched the guys, you'll see they've odd... quirks."
"Quirks?" asks Seth.
"If you've followed them as much as you say, you must've seen the Horsemen doing things you can't explain."
“No. Most of my investigations are online or pictures people send me. I kept my distance at the car park. I’d hoped they’d lose you in the basement, and you could escape in the dark, but they spotted me.”
“What did you see?” I ask. “You must’ve seen what happened in the car park!”
“Nothing. I waited upstairs for a while, but you were in the basement longer than I expected. So I headed down, but when I opened the door, and one of your friends came at me with his torch. I fucking ran!”
He saw nothing?
“You were the guy in the car?” I ask. “Did you follow Joss and me the other day too?”
Seth doesn’t reply. He sits on the table and straightens all the folders, ensuring no papers protrude and appears to inspect he's piled them in alphabetical order. He doesn't speak, and I glance back at Casey. She chews her nails. Despite this girl's bravado, the jitteriness I saw at the petrol station yesterday remains around her.
"This is ridiculous. If you believe these men are killing people, why haven't you been to the police with this information?" I ask.
Seth jumps up. "Aha! Well, that's something else. They're 'in' with the police."
I give up and sink into the other armchair. "Explain."
"They're working with insiders. They've killed cops and det
ectives before with the help of some others." He heads back to his wonky filing cabinet and searches. Jesus, how many files does this man have? "I'm not showing you these peoples' faces in case you decide to go back to your Horsemen and tell them more. But let's just say I have information on people with very dubious pasts. Some of them have no history I can find."
Demons? Fae?
"There seems to be an internal struggle between the Horsemen and a rival group, one whose members regularly disappear too. These events all connect to what we—you—have been looking into. There's a battle for control happening in the world, and neither side is good. They all kill."
I look to Casey. "I'll have that water now please." What can I say? How do I explain without sounding ridiculous? "Yes, there are two... I guess you could call them factions, but the Horsemen are the good guys. I promise you."
Seth’s eyes me dubiously. “I don’t understand why you’re with them, Verity.”
“It’s hard for me to explain, but I’m telling the truth when I say they can help us. The guys I'm with are investigating the same corruption you are. We could share information and help each other.” I pause. “Seth, after years delving into this I don’t trust people easily. I trust these men.”
“I don’t know...” Seth shuffles the files into order again.
“We should talk to them, Seth,” says Casey. “Anybody who can help.”
“I don’t know, I—”
Wood splintering and a loud crash interrupt Seth.
"Fuck!" He jumps to his feet and backs up, rummaging into a nearby desk drawer and produces a handgun. A figure strides past, on Seth in seconds, and I don't need to look to know who this is. I sensed him the moment the door opened.
"Xander!" I yell as he slams into Seth and sends him sprawling across the table as if he was a doll. He grabs Seth's wrist and Seth yelps in pain before releasing the gun.
"Get out, Vee. Joss's car's outside." Xander grabs Seth by the shirt and yanks him so they're face to face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"Xander,” I repeat. "He's not a threat. Leave him alone!"
"Bullshit! I've spent the last hour trying to find you thanks to this fucker." He pulls Seth closer. "Who do you work for?"
Seth's terrified eyes look back into Xander's.
I spin around as the girl shouts out. Joss stands in the doorway, preventing her leaving. He sidesteps in her way as she attempts to leave.
"Joss! Tell him to calm down,” I plead as Xander shakes Seth, as if he'll shake an answer out of him.
Seth doesn't respond again. "Answer me or you'll be fucking sorry!" he growls.
Is Seth insane? Or genuinely unable to speak through fear? Something in the way he stares back at Xander holds a challenge—a very, very bad idea.
"Leave him alone!" calls Casey. "He can help. We can help."
Xander makes a guttural sound in his throat and pulls Seth to his feet again, shoving him back against a wall. The air pushes from Seth’s lungs in a gasp.
"Who do you work for? And do you seriously think you can abduct Vee?" asks Xander.
"Me abduct her?" he chokes. "I'm helping her escape you evil bastards."
I drag both hands down my face. I'd willed Seth to speak, but now I really wish he'd kept his mouth shut. I sense the anger in Xander blinding him and manage to get to the pair before Xander's fist collides with Seth's face.
"What the hell are you doing?" I hiss and grip his hand. "These guys can help."
"Why didn't you contact us? Tell us where you were?" he snaps.
"I was going to when I found some answers. Seth is DoomMan. Let him go."
"Joss!" calls Xander, ignoring me. "What is he?"
"Human. We know that from last time we saw him. She is too. Let's talk about this," says Joss in soft tones. "Let him go."
Xander's breath comes in short pants, and he scowls at me as I squeeze his fist with a strength to match, as he continues to hold Seth by the shirt. "Xander."
From the corner of my eye, I see Joss pick up the gun. As soon as he moves from the door the girl attempts to run though, but he grabs her arm and drags her back inside. "Not so fast, honey."
Xander pulls his fist from my grip and steps back, giving Seth's shirt one last yank. Seth ducks from under Xander's arm and rushes over to the table. As Xander switches his frustrated look to me, Seth swipes the files up and holds them against his chest.
"Tell them we didn't hurt you,” says Seth. "Tell them to let us go.” Seth runs his hand through his hair, patting down where Xander's attack mussed it out of shape.
"Tell them you can help!" I protest.
"No way. Fuck no," he stammers and jabs a finger at Xander. "Look at him. He's the worst of them all! I need to get away before he kills us all."
"What's that?" asks Xander and points at the files Seth’s holding.
"I said he’s DoomMan, and they can help us," I reply. "They have information. I was trying to persuade them to trust us before you stormed in here with your usual diplomacy."
"He abducted you!" shouts Xander. "A thank you would be nice."
"Xander, if I didn’t want to trust them, I could easily leave. Couldn’t I? I’m asking them to explain things to me."
"Like how dangerous you are," calls out Seth, clutching the files closer.
"Only to those who deserve it," snaps Xander.
"Let them leave," replies Joss. "If we want them to help, don't scare the shit out of them."
"But he abducted Vee!" Xander protests and waves a hand at me.
"They screwed up, Xander. Seth and Casey thought they were helping me, and I’ve explained the situation now." I attempt to communicate to Seth he should agree. "Why don't we stand down, leave them alone and prove to them they can trust us?"
"What the hell? No! How do we know we can trust them?"
"Don't screw up another possible alliance, Xander,” I shout at him. "Don't you think we're running out of options?"
"Talk sense to her, Joss!" he calls, his eyes firmly on mine still.
"I want to help Verity," says Seth through gritted teeth. "If I go, I will be back to find her again. She’s too important. You'll have to kill me too!"
I snap my head around at his shaking bravado. Xander opens his mouth, and I suck in a warning breath. "Leave Seth and Casey alone. We can talk again. Let's calm this and meet up tomorrow."
"If your friends don't come back and kill us first," retorts Seth.
"You touch Vee again, and—."
“Xander,” I interrupt. “Let’s be rational. I’m not hurt, and I genuinely think we should listen to them.”
The tension clouding the room doesn’t dissipate, and all eyes turn to Xander.
“Joss, give me the gun,” he says in a low voice.
Xander yanks out a chair and sits at the table. Joss passes him the gun, which he sets in front of him. Xander gestures at the files and Seth. “Sit. Talk.”
19
XANDER
I don't speak to Vee as Joss drives us towards the motorway. I'm fucking furious with her behaviour. She should've kicked the fuck out of that car and come straight back to us. I lost my shit when a sheepish Heath returned into the warehouse to tell us what happened. My belief Vee could look after herself and get out of the situation retreated as time passed; my frustration over lack of action or ability to contact her led to a heated showdown with Heath and Ewan.
Eventually Joss calmed the situation, and Heath caught the car registration. A few quick investigations and we discovered the owner: Casey Allen. Address? The same as Seth Marks.
I fucking knew he was trouble.
An hour scouring CCTV, and we located the car. Fucking good job Ewan is quick with this stuff, and that they didn't ditch their number plates. The decision was made: Joss and me to find her, Heath and Ewan to go home and wait in case this is a trap, or they try to distract us to get into the house.
I refuse to admit this, but I’m lost here and have no idea what’s happening
.
My anger turned to fear, and by the time I arrived at the place Ewan identified, the combination of the two emotions wiped out any chance I’d be civil.
I know Vee would be difficult to kill, but there's always the chance.
So DoomMan is the guy who's followed us? The guy whose associates have died one by one? Coincidence, huh? Nobody listened to me.
By the time things calmed down at their base, Seth was beyond talking to us. I’d scared the fucker too much, and it took Vee a good few minutes to talk him into meeting us again tomorrow, once he and Casey regroup. I wanted to protest and take all their files, but Joss agreed. They’re frightened and not just of us. Their friends are dying. With Vee connected to both sides and persuading them we’re not responsible, we may have a chance to work together. To ally. I’m convinced they won’t contact us again. I reminded Seth and Casey we know where they live, and if they do try to leave that they know our skills in tracking people down.
If they do disappear into the sunset and try to get one over on the Horsemen, they’re fucked.
"Stop here." I gesture at a motorway sign counting down the miles to a local motorway services. We've driven twenty minutes from their location, but I don't want to go far. We're meeting the pair tomorrow, and they'd better have answers.
"We've plenty of fuel," Joss says.
"No. I want to stay at a motel tonight. It's three hours back to our house from here, and I want to see the pair again tomorrow. They agreed."
Vee makes a scoffing noise. "If they don't run for the hills."
"They won't."
"What makes you so sure?"
I rest my arms on the back of the seat to turn to her. "Because they know we'll find them, now we know who they are."
We keep our eyes on each other. I'm still so pissed off with this girl, I wanted to grab and shake some sense into her the moment I saw her again.
The two-storey motel spans one end of the services area, close to the restaurant chain that serves passable food at stupid prices. I've stayed places like this with the boys numerous times. Functional. No frills. A slight argument occurs when we check in because Vee wants her own room, and I refuse to let her be alone again. The hotel receptionist spent more time figuring out what the deal was with the three of us, rather than paying attention to my awesome impression of controlling partner.
