The Dark Expanse - Astral Clash Series - Book 1

by Jack Hammond

  “Ask him, I made him look away for a split second. That’s when I removed it.” Edward pleaded.

  “I can’t, he’s dead. Is that how you killed him? Did you make him look away for a split second?”

  “He’s dead?”

  Sarah pointed at Edward, her eyes burning with hatred. “I will not listen to anymore of your lies, you’re a traitor, a killer and dead to me.” She spat the hate filled words into his face.

  “I can’t tell you what I don’t know!” he said.

  “You can’t tell me,” she suddenly smiled. “But you will tell Mr Schultz. Take him away.” Sarah said.

  The two guards took hold of Edward and led him outside. Sarah tucked the necklace into her coat pocket. “Pack it up!” she shouted. “We have what we came for.”

  Footsteps rumbled down the stairs as four agents left Edward’s house. Sarah walked outside, watching as her mentor was cuffed and locked in the back of the black van. The doors banged shut, and it drove away. Sarah knew that was most likely the last time she would ever see him. She had a moment of regret and disappointment.

  “Do you want us to lock it up?” an agent asked.

  “Yes, we were never here.”

  “Understood.” The agent replied.

  Sarah took one last look at the house, bowed her head and then turned away. She dialled a number into her phone and placed it to her ear. “I need to speak with Mr Schultz.” She said.

  A few seconds passed before a voice replied. “Yes?”

  “I have a man being delivered, I need everything he has.” Sarah informed him. “He's one of ours, will that be a problem?”

  “No.” He answered.

  “Good, let me know when it’s done.” Sarah hung up the phone and walked back to her car. The house reminded her of Edward and now it reminded her of his betrayal. How he had lied to her, she wasn’t sure who she was angrier at, herself or him.

  The darkness swirled around Max, the noise was deafening with the drugs still running through his system. He was unsure how long they would remain in his body, but the stranger had told him his meeting with the expanse was of the utmost importance. The wisps of dark shifted and took form as the shadow he served appeared. Max was scared, he wondered if the stranger would look at him, the same way he had looked at Martin before he was killed.

  “Max Carter,” the voice rasped. “You have failed me!”

  “Yes. I know.” Max saw little point in arguing or pleading.

  “Why did you meet with Edward Houghton?”

  “I needed to know what happens to me.”

  “How would he know?” the rasping voice enquired.

  “He seems to know everything that’s going on,” Max admitted. “I just wondered where I stood.”

  “Edward Houghton knows nothing. He is not one of us.”

  “You what?” Max suddenly felt competent as if the drugs had vanished. “I thought he was one of us?”

  “No.” The voice told him.

  Max couldn’t believe what he had done, he had set himself up and now he was about to be killed for it.

  “You wanted to know where you stand.”

  “Yes I did. I thought I was being made a scapegoat again,” he said honestly. “I messed up, I’m tired and I’ve had enough.” Max took a deep breath. “Just get it over with will you.”

  “Very well…” the voice concurred.

  Silence. Nothing was said, Max just stood there with his eyes closed. Then he opened them, the shadow was only inches from his face. Max gulped hard, he was petrified as he stared into the abyss of black before him. He couldn’t scream, he couldn’t find it in him.

  “Are you afraid?” the voice asked.

  Max just nodded quickly.

  “You wanted to know where you stand.” The voice paused. “You, Max Carter are protected.”

  He felt the tension relax instantly throughout his body. “I am protected?”

  “Yes.”

  “I failed you. I don’t understand?” Max couldn’t believe he was questioning it.

  “You are important to my plans Max Carter.” The rasping voice confirmed. “You are protected!”

  Max sat up quickly, he was on a soft bed. Quickly taking in his surroundings he stood up. The room was a soft cream colour; the bed had a chequered beige and light brown cover on it. On the wall was a fifty inch plasma television. A cream desk sat in front of the window, with matching blinds that were closed. Reaching around his neck he found a new necklace, a different symbol to the one he had before. There was no sign of the stranger who'd brought him here.

  He moved into the next room, like the other one it was stylish and fully furnished. A continuous cream and beige theme throughout gave Max a comfortable and relaxing sensation, something he hadn’t had in his last place. Warm, he had just noticed how warm it was. Max wondered if he had died, maybe the expanse had finished him and this was where he would spend eternity. With a smile, Max agreed there could be a lot worse places he could've ended up.

  “Mr Carter.” A voice said from behind him.

  Max turned to see the stranger again, he hadn’t died after all. “Yes?”

  “Everything is to your satisfaction?”

  Max looked around again. “Yes, this is very nice.”

  “I’m pleased. There is a package in bedroom.”

  “My assignment?” Max interrupted.

  With a smile the stranger confirmed Max’s suspicions. “I will take my leave.” He said walking away.

  Max heard a door close, and he slumped himself down in the chair. He hadn’t been killed, his accommodation had got a significant upgrade, and Max was unsure what to make of it all. Was this a good thing? Was this a promotion, was he still a valuable asset? What was so special about Max Carter?

  The fat man paced up and down the room, his hands holding open a file. A pair of thin reading glasses hung from his nose as he read through the report. He bit on his lip each time he turned, to pace back on himself. Sarah sat in her chair silently, her eyes following the man avidly. He stopped mid-stride and shook his head before continuing. It had been at least ten minutes and it was torture for Sarah, sitting there just watching him walk up and down her office. Then he stopped dead, faced the desk and dropped the file down in front of her.

  He carefully removed his glasses, folded them and slipped them into the breast pocket of his suit. “What a complete arse of a job.” He declared.

  “I understand mistakes have been made.” She confessed.

  “Mistakes? My dear girl you took on board the spy you were looking for,” he shook his head. “Absolutely awful handling of the whole thing.”

  “I don’t believe he is the spy I was tasked with finding!” Sarah replied defensively. “The leaked information was well beyond Edward’s reach.”

  He chortled and remarked, “How do you know what his reach is?”

  “The information that was…”

  “Enough of that rubbish,” he interrupted. “You allowed him knowledge of Max Carter’s whereabouts even though you suspected him of subterfuge. I’m sorry but that is unbelievable.”

  “Sir, I was…” Sarah could not finish.

  “You will be silent!” he demanded. “I am not finished. You may have people who think highly of you, let me assure you, I am not one of them.”

  Sarah lowered her head and looked at her desk.

  “I've read that report, and it’s a disgrace. I can only imagine what you have left out.” He paced up and down the room. “I have been told to leave you in charge of this task-force; sadly we all have our superiors.”

  Sarah allowed herself a little smile, she had angered this man but for all his posturing and bluster he could do absolutely nothing.

  “I suggest you get on top of this,” he told her. “You may have lost Carter, but you still have the boy.” He turned and banged his hands down on the desk. “Get the boy!”

  Sarah watched the man waddle out of her office, he may dislike her, even hate her, but h
e was right. She had really allowed herself to get caught up in old friendships and not worked the case. This time she would get the boy and Max Carter. She pressed the intercom button and called Vanessa into her office.

  “Yes, Miss Mather?” Vanessa said formerly as she entered the room.

  “I want a team ready for an extraction within the hour,” Sarah said. “I want Luke Simons and I don’t care what it takes.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The large stone doors rumbled open slowly, the heat from the pit once again blasted against Wesley’s face as it had many times before. The noise was loud and boisterous, chattering mixed with the occasional shout. All the fighters were in their groups, huddled around the stone benches or flaming cauldrons. There was no excitement at Wesley’s entrance tonight, no bustling contenders desperate to challenge him on his arrival. He had become accustomed to cheers, gawping faces, surprised looks. But tonight he was met with nothing. He moved across the marble floor and sensed the gazes of everyone upon him, but vanish the instant their eyes met.

  Wesley was uncomfortable; he imagined this was how Chris and Perry’s arrivals used to be. The words Darren had said seemed to have been correct. No one would clash him; he really had gone too far. He saw that now, yet last night it hadn’t occurred. To him the previous night was like a wild dream. This time he couldn’t blame the powers, that in other fights had taken hold of him. The fall out with Luke had made him angry, Wes clearly remember the rage. But couldn’t recall why he reacted the way he did out there, had he subconsciously tried to end his chances of challenging the Elite?

  The group were sat at their usual bench, Sadie, Alwin, Darren and the newest member Patrick. Wesley sat on the edge of the bench, Alwin budging up without saying a word. Neither Sadie nor Darren made eye contact with him, only Patrick broke the silence.

  “Hey, Wes.” He said simply.

  “Alright Patrick, hi everyone.”

  Darren remained silent, Alwin made a face at him and Sadie stared. A look full of disappointment, hurt and pity.

  “Sorry.” Wesley said.

  “What for?” Darren finally spoke.

  “Last night,” Wes replied. “I wasn’t myself.”

  “Why say sorry to us? We didn’t get destroyed in the arena last night.” Darren continued not even sparing a look of disapproval.

  “You know she can’t return, right?” Sadie angrily snapped. “You know that, right?”

  “No!” Wesley said shaking his head.

  “Whatever you do, whatever it is that you have, you can stop people coming back here,” Sadie explained. “And last night, you did something awful, you destroyed a young girl and for what?”

  Wesley looked away.

  “Well? Perry made you mad, but you let him off lightly. What did she do? Answer me, what did she do?”

  “Nothing. She did nothing.” Wesley replied.

  The group looked at each other, he wasn’t arrogant tonight. He looked wounded and lost.

  “Why did you do it then?” Alwin asked.

  “I don’t know, I just did what I did,” Wesley stopped. “I don’t know why and I don’t know how I stop people being able to come back. I don’t understand anything.” Wesley put his head in his hands.

  “You need to take a break from this Wesley,” Sadie told him. “This is no good for you.”

  Wesley lifted his head from his hands. “What do you mean?”

  “Look at what’s happening to you.” Sadie said. “You’ve gone from a quiet kid at school, to a…” she couldn’t find the word, Sadie wasn’t sure what he’d become.

  “Arsehole?” Darren added.

  “No!” Sadie snapped. “You’re special Wes, that’s undeniable. But this is changing you.”

  Wesley looked at them closely. They all seemed to concur with what Sadie was saying. Even Alwin, who had pushed him, he had told him to challenge the shadows.

  “Take a few weeks off, mate.” Alwin added, “Have a rest, just forget this place for a bit.”

  “What about challenging the Elite?” Wesley asked him. “You wanted me to fight them and show them up. You wanted that Alwin.”

  Alwin retorted raising his hands. “Hold up there, I didn’t push you into it. I didn’t send you out there to batter some poor girl. This is on you,” he answered. “I do want you to knock them down a peg or two, I didn’t say you were to go mental.”

  “It’s pointless anyway,” Darren quipped. “You need ten wins, look around.” He said pointing his finger around the pit. “No one’s interested in you ending their days here.”

  The Overseer announced the next clash, Wesley turned to watch the two fighters enter. He knew he had messed up, but he needed to make things right. A break wasn’t an option. There had to be someway to convince them it was a mistake. Wes thought for a moment, was it a mistake?

  “I messed up,” he admitted. “But I know I did wrong.”

  “That’s not enough Wesley,” Sadie said. “If you carry on winning, you’ll continue changing and that’s not a good thing.”

  “What if I lose?” Wes blurted out.

  “You won’t.” She replied.

  “Yes, but what if I did.”

  “Why would you throw a fight?” Alwin asked.

  “To prove it isn’t about winning.” Wesley insisted.

  “It’s all about winning, everyone here wants to win.” Darren laughed, “Not one person in here wants to lose. The difference is how they handle it. You handle winning badly, God knows what you’d be like after a loss.”

  Wesley heard a voice in the back of mind as it came to the fore, telling him they were jealous. They wanted him out of the arena so he couldn’t steal their thunder anymore. Darren was acting as if he was holier than thou, Sadie too. But Wesley remembered, “What about you two?”

  “What about us?” Sadie said looking quizzically at Darren.

  “You pair! I remember not that long ago, when he was clashing someone, you were all up for him ‘toying’ with them.” Wes countered. “Showing him up. I think your exact words were ‘putting him in his place’. What about that? Not exactly the shining example of sportsmanship is it?”

  Darren laughed. “We were on equal footing. I wasn’t eight echelons higher, I wasn’t you.”

  “So what you’re saying is its okay to play with people as long as you can’t hurt them?” Wesley asked with a smile.

  “It’s completely different to what you did last night Wes.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t pretend to be righteous. I didn’t preach at you pair when I thought what you were doing was wrong. Maybe I should have?”

  “We were playing the game.” Darren snapped.

  “So was I, only I play it better. How is it my fault I have power in here?” Wes began. “I’m sure all of you would switch places with me in a heartbeat.”

  Alwin looked at Wes and nodded. “I’d love to have the power you do. I'd go out there and challenge the Elite, everyone would know my name.” Alwin smiled and then it was gone. “I wouldn’t batter a little girl though. That’s not me.”

  “She was ten feet tall, dressed in armour, carrying a massive sword,” Wesley countered. “You’re acting like I punched a baby in a pram.”

  “Regardless of what she looked like Wes, you kind of did,” Alwin disagreed. “You have power, but no self-control.”

  “So that’s it?” Wes threw his hands up. “I can’t clash anymore, so that’s that?”

  “Have a break.” Sadie said again. “Wait for things to settle. Maybe in a month or so someone will challenge you.”

  “A month?” Wes exclaimed. “I can’t wait a month!”

  “You’re addicted, Wes.” Alwin said.

  “I told you,” Darren rejoined the conversation. “No one will clash you. Nobody trusts you now. You’re no different to Perry or Chris in the eyes of these people.”

  The group agreed, all nodding. Only Patrick remained still and silent, he didn’t know where his loyalties lay so he was happy to r
emain impartial.

  Wesley decided to try a little truth, he needed them to bend a little, and he needed them to accept his challenge. “I don’t understand why I did what I did.” He started his voice low and humble. “I get this thing inside me when I go out there, it’s an urge. A powerful desire. It sounds crazy, but sometimes it takes hold of me, I know if I go out again I can control it. Deep down, I'm sure I can.” He pleaded. “Once I challenge the Elite that will be the end of it.”

  “Like the last level of a game?” Alwin smirked. “You think once you’ve completed it, you’re free of the addiction.”

  “Something like that.” Wesley looked directly at Sadie. “Please! I need to fight the Elite, I need this.”

  “Why?” she asked, his desire intriguing her more than she expected.

  “I'm not sure. It’s like something’s inside me, at first I never noticed it. But, with every win it increased. It was incredible, the desire to clash those shadows is so strong.”

  “I don’t understand, but I have nowhere near the kind of power you have.” Sadie admitted.

  “It’s overwhelming.” He declared.

  “That doesn’t scare you?” she asked.

  “A little... but I have to clash them, I have to win.”

  Alwin folded his arms and rested them on the bench. “No one doubts your ability to beat them Wes, we doubt your ability to not become one.”

  He looked sideways at Alwin. “You what?”

  “You’re becoming more like them, they are callous, unrelenting and powerful. Remind you of anyone?”

  “But you wanted me to fight them!” Wes argued.

  “I did, you’re incredible. After last night...” he trailed away.

  “I swear, it was a mistake. It will not happen again.” Wesley defiantly proclaimed.

  Darren laughed, “Convincing us won’t help you, you need to convince these people and trust me when I say. No one will risk it.” Darren told him again. “You are dangerous, you can stop people playing the game. Who in their right minds would try their luck? What do they get out of it?”

  “He’s got a point, Wes. We’re your friends.” Alwin said. “The people in here only know you from your fights.”