Count to Ten

by Mark Ayre

  Mercury was, but she was also on the phone, dialling Liz for the third time. Once more, she got voicemail.

  “We don’t know how long we’ve got,” said Amira, grabbing Mercury at the elbow. “There’s no time to waste.”

  “I know, I know,” said Mercury, sliding away her phone. “We’ll get to the woods, then straight to this field.”

  Mercury started moving. It took her almost ten seconds to realise Amira hadn’t followed. When she turned, she saw her friend by the car, dumbstruck.

  “What are you doing?” Mercury called. “We don’t have much time.”

  That dumbfoundedness held Amira a few moments more. In a blaze of anger, she charged across the tarmac towards Mercury, shaking the laptop above her head.

  Throwing it into Mercury’s hands, she said, “I’ve only found two cases where there were this many chanters. In the first, they never got going. Someone killed enough of them before they could begin, and the rest scattered. In this case,” she jabbed the screen. “They screwed up. The ritual went wrong. They were all torn to shreds. Every last one.”

  Mercury stared at the screen, took in those rows of people, then nodded, and handed back the laptop.

  “Exactly,” she said. “That’s why we have to hurry.”

  She turned to go. Amira caught her. “Under Heidi’s guidance, we both know they won’t mess up. That means we either stop them before they start, or we lose. Simple as that. Once they’ve begun, killing the chanters won’t help. As you know from experience, nor will killing the host. All the ritual needs is a body. It can resurrect the dead. Do I need to press that home any further?”

  “You’re saying,” said Mercury, gritting her teeth. “We don’t have time to save Xyla, Liz and Will.”

  “I’m saying I don’t know if we have time to save the world as it stands. If we take a detour to save Xyla and Liz, we will almost certainly miss our chance to stop the mega demon rising.”

  Mercury felt the frustration building. Breathing hard, she took Amira’s laptop and hurled it at a warehouse wall.

  “Hey, that was expensive.”

  Mercury was already storming towards the car. “I’ll pay you back. Maybe a quid a year for the rest of my bloated lifespan.”

  “Uh, you’re not going to live to two thousand.”

  “You spend too much on laptops.”

  At the gate, Mercury hopped over the pools of blackening, burning blood and went for the car. Amira caught her as she reached the door.

  “Don’t be angry at me for pointing out the truth,” she said.

  “I’m not angry about the truth,” spat Mercury, trying to yank the door handle from the car. “Will you unlock already?”

  “What are you angry about?”

  “I thought we didn’t have time? Unlock the damn car.”

  Amira did. Mercury slumped in. Amira followed. She placed her phone on the dash and the key in the ignition. She looked at Mercury, who refused to look back.

  “Merc…”

  “I’m angry because you find it easy.”

  “Easy? What do you mean?”

  Rather than answer, Mercury said, “You told Will there was a chance you could save his wife, even though Yassin infected her. Is that true?”

  Amira had her hands on the wheel. The car was running, but she hadn’t released the handbrake. Now Mercury looked at Amira, and Amira could not look back.

  “Thought not,” said Mercury.

  “It was a high-pressure situation,” said Amira. “Who knew what he might have done if I’d been honest. By giving him hope, I gave him the strength to get us out of there. You might think I’m a bitch, but I did what I thought was right.”

  “You always do,” said Mercury, as though it were an insult.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Lying to Will was the right thing,” Mercury said. “Even though learning the truth will destroy him. Going to stop Heidi is the right thing even though an innocent baby and a woman who risked everything to save me might die. Even though a teenage girl might become an orphan. Don’t you see? In doing the right thing, we are sacrificing people we know for masses we don’t. It’s the right thing, and we’ll do it, but I don’t understand how it’s not tearing you apart. Because after this, forget the long-life span, I won’t be able to live with myself another week.”

  Amira started the car. The four bodies receding as they reversed. They disappeared as the car twisted around the corner, and they head towards their destination.

  Amira said, “It’s destroying me too.”

  Mercury looked at her friend. For the first time ever, the raw, pained emotions were etched into lines that had never existed on the smooth face.

  “We’re both supposed to be shut down, emotionless robots,” said Amira. “But seeing as you’ve gone all wuss since you had a demon in you, I’ve had to turn it up a notch.”

  Mercury reached out and clutched her friend’s arm as they sped on.

  “This is how it is,” said Amira. “This is real-life heroics. It’s messy. You make sacrifices, and they feel like the wrong sacrifices. That’s how you know they’re the right ones. I reckon, if you come out of saving the world and don’t feel like you’ve lost your soul, you’ve probably done it wrong.”

  Amira pulled her arm from Mercury’s and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She kept her eyes on the road. She drove them towards their destiny.

  Mercury was going to say something, to try and make it that little bit better. Before she could, her phone rang. It was Liz’s name on the screen but when she answered, a man spoke.

  “We have Will, your friend, and the baby. Come to the woods, or they’ll die.”

  Mercury didn’t hesitate. “Let me hear all three of them, or I’m doing nothing.”

  A pause, but Mercury guessed he had orders to comply.

  “Fine.”

  A second later, she heard Xyla crying. A second after that, Will.

  “Mercury. Mercury.” He didn’t seem to know what to say so the phone was taken, placed to Liz’s cheek.

  “Stop that demon bitch,” said Liz, and the phone was gone. Onto the line came the first man.

  “You’ve got ten minutes.”

  “We’ll be there in twenty.”

  Mercury hung up before he could say any more. For the first time since they had got in the car, Amira and Mercury’s eyes met. They were coming towards a T-Junction.

  “Left is Heidi, right is Liz,” said Amira, “whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

  “I’m doing what Liz said,” said Mercury. “Stop that demon bitch.”

  In stone silence, they took the left turn and rushed towards where Heidi was gathering her forces for her ultimate ritual.

  Mercury said, “I just hope twenty minutes is enough for them to escape.”

  Fifty

  Gina’s hand remained on Xyla’s throat, under the crying baby’s chin. The man at her shoulder had a gun,

  A second man had taken Liz’s phone and her demon killing blade. The former he held to her ear so she could prove to Mercury how alive she was. He had stank. Liz needed a drink. She hoped Amira won out over Mercury. Someone had to stop Heidi.

  The man with Liz’s phone had disappeared. Their plan was simple. When Amira and Mercury arrived, Gina would tell them to fall in line with Will and Liz, or she would kill the baby. When they did as instructed, the gunman would shoot them dead.

  As plans went, it lacked nuance. Then again, did it need it?

  That her life was in the hands of an unstable gun wielder didn’t worry Liz. She was frightened for Xyla and anxious to keep her promise to Will. Edie deserved to be an orphan no more than she deserved to have a baby killer for a mother.

  Liz also wanted to help Amira and Mercury take on Heidi. While she didn’t fear dying at the hands of these morons, it was not her preferred location for a showdown. Therefore, she sought to escape.

  The gunman pointed his weapon at her, not Will. That was useful.

/>   The problem was Gina. She looked uncomfortable but willing to kill the baby, which hardly recommended her as a babysitter. Her eyes showed nervousness and reticence. There was every chance, if Liz made a move, Gina would hesitate long enough to allow Liz to save Xyla. Then again, if she didn’t hesitate, Liz didn’t stand a chance of getting there on time. She wasn’t keen on gambling with the baby’s life.

  There was also the third villain to consider. After taking Liz’s phone and knife, he had disappeared into the trees. She didn’t know where he was now. Nor what weapon he carried. Quincy was a police chief so he would likely have access to guns. How many, though? And would Heidi have wanted to waste two on this side project? That would depend how afraid of Mercury she was.

  Time was running short to make a move. Mr Gun checked his watch and smirked.

  “Fifteen minutes. Looks like your friends ain’t coming.”

  “Didn’t Mercury say twenty?”

  “Heidi don’t want us to wait too long,” said the gunman. “She reckoned there was a chance all you would never show. If it looked like that were the case, we kill what we got, then go back to help the rest.”

  “What about the baby?” said Will to Gina. “Will you kill her no matter what?”

  “No need to keep it,” said the gunman.

  “I wasn’t talking to you. Gina, are you going to kill Xyla? And what about me? You said you’d never kill Edie or me.”

  “And I never would,” said Gina. “Will, I swear.” She looked at the gunman. “But I can’t stop him. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have interfered. I kept telling you.”

  “This is why I never married,” said Liz. She lowered her voice. “They’re going to kill Xyla anyway. Will, I want you to dive to the ground when I say go. I’m going to try and save her.”

  “Stop whispering,” shouted Gunman. “Your friends have ten seconds.”

  “No.”

  The voice rang through the woods, bouncing off trees. Horror struck, Will turned to its origin.

  “Mum,” continued Edie, “please don’t hurt Xyla. Don’t let that man hurt dad.”

  “Ha,” said the gunman. Delight turned to annoyance as he realised he had taken his eye off the ball. “No.”

  The moment Edie had shouted, Liz had started running. While all eyes were turning to the teenager, she had barrelled towards her two assailants.

  Initially, she went for Gina and the baby. When she recognised Edie’s voice, her plan changed and she curved as she ran, hoping Gina would be distracted while Liz got the gun.

  Gunman turned, pointed the weapon at Liz, and fired.

  She hit him side on a second before he pulled the trigger. She pushed his arm to the side. The bullet flew through the trees.

  They hit the ground. He lifted his arms to bring the gun back to her face. As he did, Liz rolled away, so they were lying side by side.

  When Gunman had lifted his arms, his shirt had come up. As she moved away, Liz had snatched the knife he’d revealed in his waistband. As he rolled after her with the gun, Liz rammed the blade into his stomach.

  Knowing his blood would render the blade useless, she yanked her hands away and jumped, leaving it behind. As the steaming acid began to pour into the dirt and leaves, she snatched the pistol from his hand and staggered back, almost tripping and going to ground.

  She pointed the gun at Gina.

  “Put Xyla down.”

  Gina fled.

  Liz pointed the gun at the kidnapper’s back.

  “No.”

  This time it was Will who screamed. He crashed into Liz and knocked her to the ground. By the time she rolled onto her back, he stood over her. She wanted to tell him she would never have fired at Gina. Not because Gina was Will’s wife, but because she couldn’t risk hitting the baby.

  Instead, she said, “Your daughter.”

  He spun to see Edie fleeing through the trees after her mother. Desperate, calling her name, Will fled on the tails of the two most important people in his life.

  Getting to her feet, Liz prepared to give chase. As she took her first step, the spare man appeared through the trees.

  She lifted the gun, but he was already running. Before she could get off a shot, he was on her. They collapsed into the dirt, rolling, each trying to get a purchase, trying to get the upper hand.

  Liz got on top, straddling him. She went for the gun and realised her hands were empty.

  Using her second of frustration, the Phone Stealer swung a fist. He was much bigger than the gunman. His meaty hand was slow but could break a face.

  Liz had been in a few hand to hand battles. Never initiated by her, of course.

  Seeing the fist’s arc, she propelled herself backwards into a roll that took her away from the punch, into a spring to her feet.

  The Phone Stealer was rising too, but more slowly than had she. A quick scan of the trees showed the gun had lodged between two plants next to a mighty oak.

  The Stealer stood between Liz and the weapon.

  He hadn’t bothered to look for the weapon. Like his fallen comrade, he had a knife. Her knife. He drew it as they faced off.

  At least he didn’t have a gun.

  Smiling, he twirled the blade in fancy patterns. Like a crazy mating ritual. Liz returned his smile.

  “You want to be careful,” she said. “Very sharp. One little nick while you’re mucking about and it’s game over.”

  Still smiling, he looked unconcerned by her warning. He watched her closely, with the focused eye of someone who knew what he was doing and was not quite crazy enough for Liz’s liking.

  Against the knife, empty-handed, she stood no chance. She had to make him charge. Or, if they circled, she could open a path to the gun. If she charged him, he would cut her open. Any move was high risk.

  “Why don’t we put the knife down,” she said, smiling, circling a little. “Fight hand to hand, man to man. Or woman. Come on. You can’t be afraid.”

  He said, “I’m going to slice you in half,” which was nice.

  She hadn’t expected him to shrug, drop the blade, and raise his fists. If he had, she’d have felt guilty going for the gun and shooting him dead. Though she’d have done it.

  She had hoped he would mirror her circling, putting her on the side of the gun, giving her a good chance of getting it before he stabbed her.

  He wasn’t going to move a muscle. Liz had only one possibility.

  She stopped circling. Met his eye.

  She ran.

  Roaring, he came after her as she dodged between two trees, as though intending to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible.

  Not the plan. Immediately past the first tree, she dug one foot down. She took a deep swerve around the trunk, diving to the ground, rolling, and coming up where the Phone Stealer had been, seconds ago.

  He’d followed her. Seemed confused by her moves. Still, she was off balance. If he had kept coming, swinging the blade, he could have sliced her to pieces as she rose. The gun would have done her no good.

  Because he’d forgotten about the weapon and was nervous about her actions, he paused as she rose. Putting on his most threatening smile, he raised the knife, pointing it in her direction.

  “Very threatening, she said.”

  As he nodded, she lifted her gun and shot him three times in the chest.

  No sooner had he hit the ground she went for his pocket and snatched her phone and blade, than darting away before the spread of blood could become a threat.

  As his chest began to disintegrate under his bubbling blood, Liz unlocked her phone. Mercury had sent a text 21 minutes after the call in which Liz had told her to get the demon bitch.

  It read: Take it you’ve got free by now. If so, we know where they’re meeting.

  Care to join us?

  Fifty-One

  They parked down the road from where Quincy had earlier left his car. Though the trees ahead shielded the field, they could see the white through the leaves. Before they reac
hed the fence that split pavement from grass, they knew they were looking upon a giant marquee.

  Off-road, lined diagonally towards the fence were six parking spots. Eight cars occupied the space as Amira and Mercury approached, one of which poked into the road. As yet, no one had stuck an angry Post-It to the back windscreen. Amira might have. Alas, she had no pen, no notes.

  Suspecting the car park might be guarded, they approached slow and low, but they were alone. All the cars were empty. The only movement came from the other side of the trees. Hopping over the fence, hiding behind an oak, they peaked at the scene.

  In the centre of the marquee, beneath its point, lay the unconscious Kayla. Beneath her, Heidi’s followers had drawn into the grass a silver symbol.

  Potbellied and red-faced, Quincy organised the followers, ensuring each occupied their precise position as the circles began to form. Even as they scurried to and fro, Mercury could tell Heidi had her forty-five. And change.

  Of the demon, there was no sign.

  “How many you reckon?” asked Mercury. She could see Amira counting.

  “Fifty maybe. Much better than it could have been. Course there’s a couple of tents at the other end. Could be more in there.”

  Mercury hadn’t spotted the tents. Heidi would be in there, perhaps with company, though no more than a couple of followers. Around fifty sounded right, considering she had already lost four earlier in the day, plus Sammy, Leon, Imran and whoever she’d sent with the baby. Even with the demon Yassin’s help, she’d been almost ridiculously productive.

  “They’ll be ready in a second,” she said to Amira. “No use waiting around.”

  “No,” Amira agreed.

  They knew what they had to do. Amira had one of the two remaining demon-killing blades. Liz the other. From Will’s kitchen, Mercury had taken the largest knife. It was neither as sharp or as long as a sword. That didn’t matter. The plan was to run at the followers and slash as many as possible. A well-placed strike could take out a couple or more. Killing as few as three each might be enough. They’d go for more. Possibly they’d die. Okay, so long as they were sure they had succeeded in thwarting Heidi’s plan, if only for today, first.