Fuck.
She turned back towards the bike, to Casaria, and realised for the first time that he had no shoes, and his bandaged left foot was bleeding. And she’d brought him here, to a crusty dead street for the promise of, in Holly’s words, a magic elixir. His eyes met hers imploringly, but he’d stopped complaining, a hand pressed into his side as he waited for her to save him.
Christ, even if she stabilised Casaria, saved Rufaizu and pinned the chaos on the Blue Angel, did she have anything to go back to? Letty was right: she had seen things she couldn’t unsee. Monsters, not just under the city but in her limited personal life, too. She’d been happy playing cards. She’d been happy wandering Ordshaw at night, not knowing what lay under the surface. She didn’t need this.
“Regrets?” Letty asked, dropping down from the sky.
“Huh?” Pax shook out of her thoughts. “You see anything?”
“Definitely more than you, staring off into la-la land. There’s a spot about halfway up the road. Building gutted by a fire or something. Would bet your mum on it being the place. If you thought Apothel’s chapel was something, you’re gonna love this.”
“Show me.” Pax gave Casaria a thumbs up and started away.
She felt an odd sense of foreboding in her gut. Another dreary location, drawing her into trouble. It had a direction; she sensed exactly where they were going before they reached the site. Her fingers tingled as the dread built. Was something happening again?
No, it wasn’t like before. Just a slight burn, a subtle pull. But it was something. Simple anxiety, perhaps?
Pax stopped as Letty drifted up to their target building, the nervous feeling only getting worse as they got closer. Maybe she felt the glo itself, if it was connected somehow to the energy of the minotaur?
The rough shape of the building matched the others, but the roof was mostly missing, the windows were boarded up, and the entrance was blocked by a chain link fence. Unlike the chapel, it wasn’t secured. The fencing could be moved, and the boarding was weak chipboard. Some kid had graffitied it with an illegible green tag. Letty perched on the fence as Lightgate joined them.
Pax asked, “Can you go in and scope the place out?”
Letty didn’t answer at once, likely recalling their disagreement at the chapel. “What’s it worth?”
“I’ll pay you,” Pax said. “Tenner?”
“How about you owe me,” Letty said. “Pretty sure you’re no good for cash.”
Pax flipped her a middle finger and Letty buzzed to a gap in a window frame.
Lightgate hung back. The Fae’s hip flask was out again, another swig. Had she been drinking ever since West Quay?
Pax turned to check the street again. A few neighbours had lights on but their curtains were drawn. The sounds of bad television came through too-thin windows two houses down; loud voices followed by a cacophony of either laughter or cheers.
Sure she wasn’t being watched, Pax crept into the driveway of the ruined building and took out Rimes’ phone to use the torch.
“You’ve got something going on here, don’t you?” Lightgate said, suddenly a foot from Pax’s head. Pax suspected the fairy had tried to make her jump. Not this time.
“Me and Letty?”
“You and Letty. You need to be careful.”
“Thanks, but I trust her.”
“I’m not talking about her. Neither the Ministry nor the Fae look kindly on mingling. It’s one thing we have in common. And you’re making it worse.” Lightgate gestured back up the road to Casaria. “This pot you’re stirring had better taste good.”
“Like I have a choice,” Pax said.
Rimes’ phone buzzed in Pax’s hand, making her start. An unknown number; eleven digits that could have been anyone. Pax had come to fear mystery callers since her first terrifying conversation with Letty.
“You’re in luck.” Letty swept down from the sky. “This is going to be a –” The fairy paused, seeing the ringing phone. “What is it?”
“It’s not my phone,” Pax said.
“Want me to talk to them?” Lightgate offered.
“God no.”
“Just answer it or I’ll give you a slap,” Letty said, and Pax did.
She said nothing, as the caller was already speaking: “– not on silent.”
The caller went quiet for a second. A woman. Holly?
“Dr Rimes? This is Sam Ward from the Ministry of Environmental Energy.”
Pax shot her hand up to hang up, but Letty waved urgently. The fairy put a finger to her lips for quiet, then mouthed, “Let her talk.”
“Dr Rimes, are you there?”
Pax cleared her throat, and Letty nodded. Pax croaked an ambiguous, “Yes.”
“I’m the head of IS Relations,” Ward said. “We spoke once before, about two years ago, if you recall.”
Pax gave a muffled, “Mmhmm.”
“I’m sorry about the time. I believe you spoke with our agents this morning, and I expect you’ve heard what’s happened today?”
“Yes...”
“Could I ask you a few questions? If it’s not too much bother?”
Pax hesitated, searching down the road for Casaria, as though he might help. Letty got in her way, nodding encouragement. Pax spoke in her best mumbled mimicry of the doctor’s voice, “Go on.”
“The praelucente, or something very close to it, was heard to make noises today. They match a word Apothel wrote a couple of times. Did he ever mention this to you?”
“What...” Pax kept her voice quiet. High-pitched. Lightgate stifled a laugh, earning a fierce look from Letty. “What word?”
“Grugulochs.”
Pax frowned, as Letty gave her an I told you so look.
“I’m looking at Apothel’s diary, the Miscellany, as he called it. There’s a page on what he labelled the minotaur, titled ‘Grugulochs’. Did he connect the two words with you?”
“In his book?” Pax croaked.
“Yes, in his code. It’s been partially translated by a civilian.”
“A civilian...wrote that word?”
“Yes.”
That hadn’t been in the Miscellany when Pax had read it. She would have remembered if Rufaizu’s notes included it, and she certainly hadn’t written it herself. This didn’t add up. Had someone doctored the book? Was it a trap?
Ward continued, “Is it a word you’re familiar with?”
“No,” Pax said.
Ward gave that a moment. “I wonder if you might come to Greek Street, Dr Rimes? We could benefit from your particular viewpoint.”
Pax grunted dismissively.
“If I’m honest, I’m concerned. We’ve missed some important details, and an outside perspective would be welcome.”
Pax opened her mouth to say no. But this was an opportunity for information. If they were going to cross the Ministry, she had to know it was worth it. She spoke slowly, sure her cartoonish voice would be discovered. “Ms Ward – do you have Rufaizu?”
Ward didn’t answer at once. “It’d be best if you came to Greek Street, then we could talk in person.”
“I’d like to see him,” Pax told her. “But not there. I don’t go there.”
“Why don’t we –”
Pax winced, suddenly, and let out a short shriek, the phone dropping from her hand as pain shot down her lower back. Not now. It knocked her to a knee, one hand slamming into the pavement. The pain pulsed, her heart lurching, the same electric jolt.
The same feeling as when the trains had crashed.
But no images – just black – burning black – the monster moving – feeding – doing something. It was close. Very close.
Pax gritted her teeth, trying to move away from it but paralysed by the pain.
“What the fuck?” Letty demanded, flying in her face. “You having a stroke?”
“Dr Rimes?” Ward’s voice said from the phone on the pavement, loud with concern.
The pain gave one more pulse, then left as qui
ckly as it came. Pax dropped onto her haunches. Her jaw slackened and she uttered, “Bloody hell.”
Then it was all over, with no sign it had ever happened bar breathlessness and the position Pax found herself in.
Letty hissed, “You got some kind of illness I should know about?”
Pax shook her head, grabbing the phone. Ward wasn’t talking. Pax affected Rimes’ voice again, “Sorry, I –”
“Ms Kuranes? Is that you?” Ward said.
Pax froze.
“Why do you have Dr Rimes’ phone?”
Pax’s mouth dropped open. This was bad. Very bad.
“Let me.” Letty flew below Pax’s nose, to the bottom of the phone. She raised her voice, and said, “Rimes is dead and you’ll join her if you keep this up. Understand, fuck-bucket?”
Pax stared, aghast, and imagined Ward reacting the same way.
“Fucking hang up already,” Letty snarled.
“Who is that?” Ward spoke urgently. “Pax, are you with –” She was cut off by someone in the background. A panicked man. “Not now! Pax – please –”
“I said step the fuck off, desk-jockey!” Letty shouted. “Or you wanna learn what InterSpecies Relations really means?”
“Wait!” Ward said. “You can’t –”
Pax ended the call and glowered at Letty. “What the hell was that?”
“You tell me, you’re the one on the floor!”
“No, that!” Pax held up the phone. “You just –”
“She made you! Better to give her the fear.”
“Absolutely,” Lightgate agreed, grinning at this whole exchange.
The phone started ringing again.
“Ditch it,” Letty commanded. “We need to move.”
Pax looked over to Casaria, in shadows with his head resting back against the tree. Had he passed out? She stood quickly, cutting off the caller, and brought up Rimes’ home number. She nodded to the ruined building. “The glo’s in there?”
Letty hovered upwards, “In the kitchen, straight through. I didn’t see anything else.”
The phone was answered: “Dr Rimes’ residence –”
“Holly, you need to get out of there.”
“Pax?”
“I got a call from the Ministry. On Rimes’ phone. They know. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean –”
“You need to leave, now.”
“And go where? How –”
“Is that the Bartons?” Lightgate appeared alongside the phone, eyes suddenly bright with excitement. “I can take them to Broadplain.”
Pax needed only the briefest pause, her instinct flaring against leaving Lightgate responsible for anyone’s safety. “I’m sending Letty to get you, she’ll take you somewhere safe. And...I’m sorry, I need to lose this phone.”
She hung up as Letty said, “Get this fucking liquid and we’ll go together.”
“You said there’s nothing dangerous in there. Go, meet me back at Rolarn’s place.”
Letty looked from Pax up to Lightgate. “You gonna watch her?”
“While you’re on a collision course with the Ministry?” Lightgate’s hands dropped to her pistols. Holding them like handles. “No chance.”
“Both of you go if you have to,” said Pax, raising her voice. As the fairies started to move, she looked at the phone in her hand. Rimes had said they couldn’t track everything, but they’d surely be after this now. “Can you take this with you? Dump it somewhere.”
Sam swept her jacket off the back of her chair as Roper blocked her doorway. She started dismissing him before she’d met his eyes. “We’re on our way out – what’s wrong?”
“There’s been another incident,” he said, cheeks flushed red. “In Nothicker.”
Sam stared. They couldn’t waste time cleaning up after the praelucente – not now. Pax was with someone – it had to be one of the Fae, they’d referenced IS – and she’d done something with Rimes. The doctor had been involved with whatever Apothel knew. Even if Pax wasn’t a criminal herself, her thuggish connections or the Fae were. She said, “I need to find this woman – can you run a phone trace?”
“Now?” Roper exclaimed. “Ms Ward, we’ve got a major crisis!”
Sam bit her lip. Fine. She had to move fast. Whether Pax had hurt the doctor or was working with her, chances were they’d been to the laboratory on the hill, and would be covering their tracks. Maybe they’d been hiding there all along. Had Casaria there. Was Pax there now?
“Get Mathers in,” Sam told Roper, quickly. “Use the agents near Nothicker.”
“Devlin’s been alerted,” Roper said, “and the deputy director. But –”
“There’s nothing I can do,” Sam said, briskly. “We’ve got to go.”
“You’re the ranking officer!” Roper insisted. “Someone needs to call through to London, and file an LR-58 –”
“Not now!” Seeing his stunned expression, Sam struggled to keep her voice reasonable. “You can open the LR-58 yourself. London can wait. Please step aside.”
“I’ll handle it,” Landon volunteered, drawing a hopeful look from Roper.
“No!” Sam insisted. “I need you with me.”
“Ms Ward...” Roper started. There was no time: Pax would know Sam was on her way to Rimes’ place. She barged past the analyst.
“We’ve got a lead on the root of this problem,” she said, for her own benefit more than his. “All this chaos started with Pax; she’s got information about the praelucente’s instability – meaning she can help us stop it or she could make it worse. We have to find her, we have to understand what she’s up to.” Sam turned back to give one final, firm reason. “And she might have Casaria.”
Roper responded with weak, stuttering complaints. “But the LR-58 – street-level – what if the papers call?”
“Don’t answer!”
26
“Why were the Ministry calling you?” Holly demanded, storming after Rimes like a woman possessed. “You turned them away, didn’t you?”
Barton hopped after her, trying to get in the way, barely able to keep up. He should have seen this coming: Holly must’ve been waiting for a chance to rip into Rimes.
“They work together,” Barton said. “Keep your enemies close, Holly, that’s basic –”
“The only basic thing here is your thick skull!” Holly snapped. She turned on Rimes. “Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused?” Rimes refused to meet her gaze, receding into her own flustering attempts to organise a stack of petri dishes. Holly circled a workbench, trying to get in front of her. “What are we supposed to do? We’re not using that stolen car, are we? Do you have some form of transport besides rusty scooters?”
“They don’t come here,” Rimes answered quietly. “They can’t come here.”
“Are you hearing me?” Holly raised her voice. “How do we get out of here?”
“Mum!” Grace cut in, loud and worried enough that Holly paused. Bless her, Barton thought. She could calm this beast.
“Grace,” Holly faltered. “Best get your things together.”
“What things?”
“I don’t know!” Holly exploded again, hands in the air. “Find some!”
“There’s a tunnel...” Rimes said. “Then a boat, or a path along the river. But the Ministry aren’t going to –”
“Get your head out of the clouds!” Holly commanded. “Where’s this tunnel go? What then?” She spun to Barton. “Do you know about this?”
Barton nodded. The old escape plan, which they’d never needed. How many times Apothel had insisted the spooks would come for them, and none of them had really believed it.
“I can talk to them,” Rimes said.
“I bloody doubt that,” Holly said. “Do you have money? We’ll get to a train station, that’s what we’ll do. Go to Betty in Manchester, as we should’ve done in the first place.”
“They have people in Manchester,” Barton said.
“So where can we
go?”
That was the part Apothel’s plan hadn’t accounted for. Escape, fine, but then what? Barton said, “They have people in every major city. Across Europe, too. We’re better off in Ordshaw.”
Holly snarled, “In places like this?”
“Mum!” Grace cried again, stomping a foot. “We need to work together!”
Holly paused, but her gaze was no less fierce. Rimes turned without another word and pointed at the edge of a trapdoor, beneath a crate of metal piping. She crouched to start shifting the crate, and her face strained, feebly. Holly shoved her aside. She used all her weight to move the box herself, and it scraped over the floorboards with a piercing sound, tearing up the woodwork. Holly thrust the trapdoor open.
Grace took Barton by the elbow as they got closer, the pair of them ambling like they were shackled. He could feel his ankle straining, but couldn’t let it show. The look on Grace’s face gave him strength. She was ready, eyes determined, filthy t-shirt and shorts partially concealed under a tatty leather raincoat she had found. She’d found some slip-on shoes, too. Barton whispered, “We’ll be okay, honey.”
Rimes stood beside Holly, frightened eyes absurdly big in those glasses.
“A light would be nice,” Holly said.
Rimes fussed to the side and thrust a torch into Holly’s hands, then took a few quick steps back. Holly regarded the torch oddly. “You first, I think.”
Rimes did as she was told, climbing nervously into the tunnel. Twenty years Holly’s senior, but following her orders the same as everyone else. Barton came to the ladder next, as quick as his aches would allow. He said, “You go, both of you. I’ll activate the defences.”
“Oh rot,” Holly snapped. She told Grace, “Hurry on down, dear, we’re right behind you.”
Grace jumped forwards, embracing her in a hug.
“I love you, Mum.”
Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. “Get along.”
As Grace climbed onto the ladder, Holly turned to Barton. “Are you going to get your fat gut down there, or what?”
“The defences...”
“Tell me what needs doing.” She helped him onto the ladder, carrying some of his weight.
Blue Angel Page 18
