The Dark Expanse - Astral Clash Series - Book 1

by Jack Hammond

  Edward’s mind was built for this kind of thing, he was sure of it. He loved the chase, the hunt, the exhilaration of trying to out think the people above him. Edward paused, actually stopping dead in the street. He would have been quite a formidable opponent in the colosseum he mused, the edges of his mouth curling at the thought. He continued heading past the shop fronts, paying no mind to the huge posters in the window declaring great reductions. The fact was come January there would be at least another ten percent off their current asking price.

  Sarah had chosen a new location from their previous meeting to Edward’s delight. He preferred coffee shops. There was something about the aroma of coffee, Edward didn’t drink it, but the smell filling his nostrils created a more conducive atmosphere, allowing him to get the mental juices flowing. He cut through a side street, the coffee shop facing him on his left. He headed in and took a corner booth with his back to the window. Maybe today he’d drink a cup he thought, shaking his head he turned to the young lady who had arrived to take his order.

  “Morning darling,” She smiled falsely, clutching a small note pad in one hand and a pen in the other. “What can I get you?”

  Edward removed his hat, reciprocating the falsities. “Good morning, I would like a large coffee please, black, no sugar.”

  “Do you want any food? Our specials are…”

  Edward had no intention in eating in a place like this, he interrupted. “No thank you, I’m not hungry.”

  She smiled her false smile and walked away.

  Edward took out his paper; the front page was no longer dedicated to the missing boy or even to disparaging the mother. Martin’s murder didn’t even warrant a space in the first ten pages. As in life he had been resigned to a small side section, nobody paid any real attention to. The headlines were all about escalating fighting between a government and the rebels in a far off land. If you considered a few thousand miles that far off.

  His coffee arrived, the young girl plonking it on the table in a manner Edward found repugnant. Her face caked in makeup and her hair coloured three, maybe four different shades. He returned to the front page, but his mind was still focused on the girl. Why didn't people take pride in their appearance and work anymore? No matter where he went he saw people who just existed, they didn’t appear to have any interest in bettering themselves. Just happy to plod along as if fame and fortune was owed to them like some ordained birth right, it angered him.

  Edward breathed in the rich smell of the coffee and soothed his inner temper tantrum. And relax, he repeated to himself again and again until he was completely at ease once more. According to the clock behind the counter, Sarah was due within the next hour. He gave it thirty minutes before she made her way into the cafe, he knew her that well. The conversation the previous day had surprised him somewhat, he genuinely had not expected to pick up their friendship where they had left it all those years ago, but they had. Edward’s assumption was their great mutual respect being the defining factor, was most likely correct.

  Sarah Mather took her seat, as Edward suspected, a good thirty minutes before the time of the meet. She was dressed smartly as before, a dark blue suit rather than the grey she had worn the day before. Perhaps the warming sun had pushed her toward a less dreary colour Edward mused. He smiled. “Good morning, Sarah.”

  “Morning, Edward.” She replied. They revelled in the formalness of their meeting, just like they had all those years ago. “How was your night?”

  “Very good, I have a few things to run past you.”

  “Okay.” She shuffled her coat off laying it beside her.

  “Wait.” He paused, raising his arm. “Could we get another coffee please, black, no sugar.” He called to the young waitress.

  “Sure thing,” She shouted back.

  Edward returned to his line of thought. “I have some ideas of how we can the gain the attention we require.”

  “Marvellous.” She grinned.

  “It’s not easy. We will have to request access to the archives.”

  Sarah’s optimism drained swiftly from her face, she repeated his words from the previous day. “If we use the archives, then they will know what we are looking for.”

  “Exactly,” he beamed.

  “Okay, now I’m confused.” She acknowledged and then added, “Why do we want them to know what we’re doing?”

  Edward quickly changed the subject, “That ‘lackey’ you had with you the other day.”

  “Yes?” optimism to confusion in a few short words, Sarah said to herself.

  “Did anything come of the forensic reports?”

  “No, nothing,” she replied.

  “So you saw them?”

  “Yes, I saw the file. He emailed me a copy before he left work last night.” She couldn’t resist. “Why, where are you going with this?”

  “If he hadn’t sent you the file would you have been suspicious?”

  “Yes.”

  “What would you do if you became suspicious? Confront him?” he asked.

  Sarah closed her eyes and grinned. “No, I would have him put under surveillance,” Like finding that all important jigsaw piece the puzzle had unravelled before her eyes.

  “Yes, most people would.”

  “I should have thought of that,” she admitted. “I’ve been out of the game too long. God I have missed this.”

  The two sat silently for a moment, neither speaking nor drinking, but both thinking about the same thing. Edward was not going to talk first. You can lead a horse to water he thought. He just watched the cogs turning in her mind.

  “I know what we need from the archives,” she began. “Something that would not be linked with Max directly, but enough to get someone’s attention.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Accessing some of Martin Hampton’s old records.” She suggested, looking for the approval in Edward’s face. “I thought maybe if I reopened some of his old cases, the suggestion of his involvement…”

  “What if he was involved in the deceit?”

  “He’s dead. He can’t be asked any questions.”

  “Excellent!” Edward’s approval brought a smile to Sarah’s face.

  When Edward imagined an archive in the normal sense, he pictured rows of shelves, filled with endless amounts of dusty books, papers, folders and journals. But the archive the Associates used was very different, they had no paper trail. No evidence of their existence appeared in any journal, book, ledger or any computer hard drive, flash drive or disc. Yet every assignment, every move they had taken was accessible as long as your clearance was high enough. Thanks to Sarah, they had a clearance level higher than required.

  “Are you coming with me?” she asked regaining his attention.

  “If you don’t mind,” Edward replied. “I have only ever used the archive once when I selected Maximus.”

  “You didn’t pick me?” Sarah asked with a sincere look of surprise.

  “No, you were a gift.”

  She beamed, her white teeth as well polished as the rest of her. “Thank you.”

  “When do you think we can enter?”

  “I’ll put in a request now. Should have confirmation by…” she looked at her wrist, the expensive designer watch catching the eye of the waitress as she put Sarah’s coffee on the table. Her eyes filled with jealousy, Edward was amused.

  “Midday, so an hour,” she finished, before thanking the waitress who was already moving away.

  “Good, we will need to pull some other files also, random ones.” He explained. “So it looks like we have a lead or at least an idea.”

  “Yes, makes sense.”

  “Hmmm, I love the smell of fresh coffee.” He proclaimed.

  “Yet you don’t drink it?”

  “No, never touched a drop.”

  “Not even the good stuff?” Sarah asked taking a mouthful of her coffee. “Oh dear, God!” she recoiled banging the cup down, “Which that is most certainly not.”

  Edward lau
ghed out loud.

  The cold water splashed against his face, his hands trembling slightly from the harsh freezing environment. Even with the bathroom door shut, a draft had still followed him in here. The water may have been cold, but it refreshed him. Max needed to pick a coffee up from the local petrol station, it may be over priced but he desired the caffeine rush like never before. Max dried himself off with a towel, pulled on his clothes and headed downstairs.

  Max opened the door and looked down at the set of keys on top of the brown manila envelope. It was about the same size as an A4 sheet of paper. He wondered what was inside, had they brought the boy into the fold already? He doubted it, but he was curious about its contents. He stuffed the keys into his pocket and tucked the envelope under his arm. No one knocked the door, called his phone and yet he’d sensed that his package had been delivered on both occasions today. Max sat on the bed and tapped his fingertips against the brown covering. He was actually considering opening it, knowing the consequences would be dire if he was caught, but still. Who was this kid? He seemed ordinary enough out here in this realm, but in there, in there he was obviously something special. To have two enormous powers vying for him and not even knowing it, Max couldn’t comprehend what that must be like. Luckily he had no idea either at least for now.

  Unable to resist, he had to know what was inside. Maybe the lack of sleep had caused his sense of self-preservation to take a hiatus. He didn’t know, but he opened the seal and pulled out the two pieces of paper. They were not printing paper; they felt too thick and grainy. Max knew exactly what they were, he slipped them back inside and closed the seal once again. What he’d seen wasn’t logical, why would the boy need pictures of the colosseum? How could they aid him? Max had not expected to see a hand written letter asking the young boy to join the darkness of the expanse, but drawings of the arena? He would never have guessed that in a million years.

  The car journey was smooth, the clear roads now revealing the woodlands surrounding Edward’s home in the distance. The houses around his were identical, expensive, well maintained and isolated. Sarah accelerated the Porsche, the sports car gripping the road as it cornered like a dream. This was Edward's first time in a Porsche and he found it a little cramped. His companion however didn't see it as an issue. The traffic lights ahead flicked from amber to green, seconds later the light blue convertible flashed by.

  With a gleeful smile, enjoyment in her voice she whooped, “Home, sweet home.” The Porsche came to a sudden halt on Edward’s drive. Sarah looked at the bus stop in the distance, “Do you seriously walk all that way, every day?”

  “Yes.” He replied, patting his tummy, “Keeps me fit.”

  “How on earth do you make it into Nottingham for meetings? You must leave at four in the morning.” She remarked as they headed into Edward’s house.

  She had never seen his home before, yet it was how she expected it to be, perfect, clean, tidy and unassuming. Sarah looked around the front room, a beautiful wooden fireplace with brass companion sets on each side of the tiled hearth. A large mirror hanging above it, the ornaments above the fire were also brass, well-polished too. She noticed no photos. Edward had never spoken about his private life, perhaps he had none. From the front room it certainly appeared so.

  “May I take your coat?” Edward asked.

  “Thanks,” Sarah said passing him the black coat and taking a seat. “Shouldn’t be long now.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  “Yes, this is the only way to find out who's behind this.”

  “As long as you are sure,” Edward replied. He understood how serious this business was about to get.

  “I’m very sure.”

  Like a sign from the heavens Sarah’s phone beeped, looking at the text she smiled. “They’re ready.”

  “Okay, let’s not keep them waiting.”

  The pair sat back on the leather sofa in front of the fire, closing their eyes, the two of them shifted from one world to the other in a heartbeat.

  Sarah opened her eyes and leaned back to take in the huge building amidst the black abyss. Most corporations were regarded as faceless, this one literally was! From the mid-level up, nobody had any facial features. At first it was disconcerting but eventually like most things here, she had got used to it. The higher member’s anonymity was essential; they had people in every level of government, which required a certain amount of secrecy. Sarah imagined if such protocols were not in effect, how much Max could have damaged the Associates. The nameless building’s revolving doors spun, the two of them making their way into the foyer.

  Their footsteps echoed against the white marble floor of the lobby, the walls had a luminescent white glare, along with the ceiling. No furniture, no waiting area, just the front desk. The man behind the counter was young, late teens. An obvious new addition Sarah mused as she and Edward reached him.

  “Welcome Miss Mather.” He smiled. “Sir,” he respectfully acknowledged Edward, not aware of his name. That suited Edward just fine.

  “We are expected.” Sarah confirmed.

  “I have your passes here.” The young man eagerly handed the pair a small rune stone each. Bright red, the marking looked somewhat like a capital ‘R’, it shimmered for a moment as the two held them.

  “Thank you.” Sarah replied.

  The elevator was directly to their right as they continued Edward inspected the red rune in his hand. The lift doors parted, and they stepped in.

  “Is something wrong?” Sarah asked his interest in the stone puzzling her.

  “You know rune stones were memorials?” Edward asked her.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Yes, they date back to the fourth century. Usually they are huge boulders with inscriptions, marking the deaths of men.”

  “Are you checking they’re not marking our deaths?”

  Edward glanced at her and smiled, “There would be more than one letter if it was a memorial for us.”

  “Of course,” Sarah replied as the lift doors parted.

  They headed along a plain white corridor towards a pair of double doors at the end. A symbol which matched their runes hung above the entrance.

  Sarah turned to Edward. “Shall we?”

  “Ladies first,” Edward replied chivalrously.

  Sarah was apprehensive. She couldn’t tell if Edward felt the same. From his manner, he always appeared untroubled by any situation. She envied him that, it wasn’t a skill that could be learned, you either handled pressure well or you pretended to. The doors opened automatically as they approached. Inside the room was bare, with the same repetitive glaring walls and floor.

  Sarah moved to the centre of the room and began. “We require the archive.” She stated boldly.

  “How may we serve you?” the man said appearing behind them.

  The two of them turned and looked upon the archive. He was a small, balding, fat man. His small amount of hair was neatly combed back and his eyes were as black as the void that swirled around the building. His simple red robe rustled slightly as he awaited Sarah’s response.

  “I request these files.” She explained closing her eyes she conjured the list from memory. A small piece of paper with five dates materialized in the middle of her open palm.

  Edward watched with great interest as the archive walked between them. An office supplies cabinet now stood behind them, the little man no doubt manifesting it for a purpose. Edward’s mouth was dry, he licked his lips. Was it a sign he was nervous or just anxious to move ahead with the plan? The man opened the cabinet, it was empty. He placed the note at the foot of it and then closed the doors. Turning to face them, the archive said, “One moment.”

  Sarah just nodded, the two of them remaining silent.

  Like a magic trick he turned and opened the cabinet again, this time a stack of files were inside. “Your requested documentation,” said the archive. “Please use our facilities.” He continued as he passed the heap of folders and papers
to Edward.

  A large table and two chairs appeared, looking back to thank him Sarah saw the archive and cabinet were gone, vanishing into nowhere.

  “No matter how many times I see that,” Sarah said. “I never get used to it.”

  “Indeed, it is very off putting.”

  “Where do we start,” Sarah said as the two of them sat.

  Edward fanned through the files and split them in half before passing half to his colleague.

  “Enjoy.” Edward remarked with a smile.

  The evening had finally arrived, the sun had dipped out of sight and the moon was now looming in the cloudy sky. Beams of light from the heavy traffic of Nottingham Road blazed through the darkness. The sound of car engines, the noise from the tyres splashing into the puddles from the earlier rainfall began to diminish. Max had moved off the main road and onto Alberta Terrance, a Nike gym bag slung casually over his shoulder. Max wasn’t comfortable with this delivery. There were too many variables. How long would the kid take getting outside and would someone notice him acting suspicious while he used the call?

  The closer the house got, the edgier Max became. Unlike the other boys home, Max had no cover here, he was exposed. Max pretended to make a call on his phone when he was within distance. He located the least open area. Max talked for a little longer before tucking the mobile away. The house was ready for the night, curtains closed and the green wheelie bin already put out for the rubbish men in the morning.

  Max guessed they were sitting in front of the television or eating a meal. The bedroom light was not on. Max needed to wait even longer for the boy. His gaze shifted up and down the street, it appeared clear for now. With no choice in the matter, Max held the necklace with his right hand and squeezed it tightly. He closed his eyes and visualised the strands of energy in his mind. They began drifting across the road and into the house. It was a pleasurable sensation when the call took hold of someone. A kind of intoxicating warmth took over. Like your first shot of whiskey on a cold night.