by Gareth Otton
“Alright. I’ll call Kate and get her on it.”
“Thanks,” Maggie said. “I’m sorry, Tad. I guess, I just didn’t think.”
Tad nodded, but he had said all he had to say on the subject. It was time to move on.
He felt the weight of the following silence though, and was about to change the topic when suddenly Jen spoke up. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but she sounded more shaken than she had all night. Her aura was the pale grey of strong fear.
“Uh… Who’s that?”
She pointed at Stella’s bag on the counter. It had come open and papers had spilled out. In pride of place at the top of the pile was a pixelated photo of Cleopatra.
Tad’s blood ran cold, and he shared a look with Stella.
“Why? What is it?” Stella asked.
“She was there tonight, outside Mark’s house. I bumped into her on my way out.”
“You what?” Tad demanded, coffee forgotten and rising to his feet quickly. He had nowhere to go, so he felt foolish. “You’ve seen this woman?”
Jen let out a panicked little chuckle. “Seen her? I’ve actually touched her. I walked right into her when I left Mark’s. I knew she was weird. At one point I thought she was following me, so I ran.”
Tad looked at Stella in astonishment. “What do you think this means?” he asked.
“Can’t be anything good. It means she knows who Jen is at least.”
“Then why didn’t she take her?”
Stella had no answer, but Jen did. “I shocked her. She looked stunned when I bumped into her and couldn’t stop staring at me. Tad, what the hell is going on?”
“Was she a Proxy, Jen?” Tad asked, ignoring her question for now along with the rising intensity of her fear.
Jen shook her head. “I don’t think so. She didn’t seem like one. She was just kind of weird.”
Stella searched her bag until she had her phone. “Don’t worry about this, guys. We’ve got this, I promise. I’ll get Jen protection. I’ve just got to make some calls.”
She excused herself and walked into the living room with her phone on her ear. Tad turned back to Jen to see her on the verge of tears.
“Tad? What’s going on? Who is that woman?”
Tad didn’t know how to respond. He had just spent the night fearing Jen would be taken by this woman and now it sounded as though that really could have happened. It was only some lucky accident that startled the woman which kept Jen safe.
He walked to Jen's side and leaned down so he was at her eye level. Whatever she saw in his face was enough to make the tears actually start flowing.
“Tad?” she asked again.
“Jen. I know we’ve been having our problems recently, but this is serious. I mean forget everything that has happened and start over, serious. You understand?” Jen nodded and yet more tears fell.
Tad took a deep breath and answered her question. “That’s the woman we’re calling Cleopatra. She’s the one who’s been taking people.”
It killed him to watch the fear overwhelm her. He had never felt so helpless in his life. So many Proxies had been taken by this woman already. Now she was coming for his daughter. He’d lost her twice within a week, how could he keep her safe from Cleopatra?
Helpless, terrified and completely without hope, Tad did the only thing he could do. He took his daughter in his arms and prayed.
21
Thursday, 26th November 2015
21:00
Tad followed a droplet of rain that ran down the glass. He was supposed to be paying attention to the house across the street, but his mind was occupied by his desire to be home watching over Jen.
“Here they come.”
The voice that broke the silence in the car was tinny as it came in over the radio. Kate grabbed the handset.
“Alright. Everyone to your places. Wait until they’re all out before you move in. Don't give them any chance to escape.”
He could tell by her excited tone that she was loving this. Why shouldn't she? This was her moment.
Things moved quickly after last night’s shock had worn off. Stella wasted no time in organising protection for Jen, and once that was sorted, Tad called Kate.
From that moment on Tad was lost in the hectic momentum of two investigations. Kate kept him updated by phone, and Stella stayed at Tad's while they made arrangements and combed through evidence. They were too wired to stop, and they worked late into the night, side by side on one of his big sofas with papers spread out over the coffee table.
When the bust was organised, Kate told him that even though he worked for the police, he wasn't allowed to be part of it. However, so long as he promised to keep Maggie restrained and not to interfere, he could come and watch. It would be off the books and he would have to keep his head down, but at least he’d be there.
Tad was reluctant to go at first, not wanting to leave Jen alone, even with her police protection. To his surprise, it was Stella who came to Jen's rescue, offering to babysit while Tad went out.
A little more comforted knowing Stella was there, Tad finally agreed to go. He left Charles, but took Miriam, Tony and Maggie. He had been miserable ever since, sure that he made the wrong decision in leaving Jen.
Now things were starting to happen, a hint of interest and excitement slipped past his worry.
"You lot, stay here," Kate said after she replaced the radio. She looked to an impatient Maggie and said, "I mean it. If you want this arrest to go down right, then you need to steer clear. Got it?"
Maggie nodded then looked eagerly out her window towards the opening door to her old home. Two men stepped out, carrying a freezer between them. Mark was in the lead and walked backward while an older man had the other end.
There were three more inside. Tad recognised all of them from the files Kate provided. They were the men Maggie and Miriam had overheard Mark talking to nearly a week earlier.
"Where's Kate's team?" Tony asked, leaning forward from his place in the middle of the back seat so his head was between the two front seats. "I can't see them."
“That's the point," Tad said. "But there are a few in that car over there, some more in that van, and there are definitely others around somewhere."
"Have they got guns? You reckon there'll be shooting?"
Tad hoped not, but said nothing. Kate's bosses had decided to take no chances and had authorised an armed response team to work with her.
"Why haven't they moved on him yet?" Maggie asked.
Mark and his friend had already loaded the fridge into the back of the van and were on their way back to the house when Maggie asked her question.
"I think they're waiting for that," Miriam said, pointing to the front door that was opening again. On cue three guys exited, each carrying dismantled cabinets.
Tad had been right about where he had seen Kate's team, but he had not expected just how many more people there were. On a signal from Kate who hid behind a parked car opposite Mark's house, everyone started moving.
It was like something from an action movie.
Bright lights blinked into existence, illuminating the front garden of Maggie's old house. The men froze, two of them dropping their cabinets as they stared into the lights trying to see what was going on. The one closest to the door was the first to react, trying to run back inside.
Armed police were already moving around the side of the house with their guns raised telling him to freeze. He didn't freeze, but he rethought his plan.
He turned from the house and ran in another direction only to be tackled a moment later by yet more police.
The rest of the men weren't doing much better. Now that one of their number had been brought down it was every man for himself. They darted away at different angles, and in each case there were police ready to stop them.
Tad's heartbeat accelerated as he saw two more take downs before the fourth of Mark's friends simply surrendered.
It left only Mark who ran for the edge of
his property that lead down the street towards where Tad watched. Two police stood in his way, but unlike their colleagues, they couldn't bring him down.
Before Mark had joined the police he had been a decent rugby player. He played ten games for Welsh under 21s and had played once for the main Welsh team before he'd injured his knee. He may not be playing internationally anymore, but he was a big guy and knew how to avoid a tackle.
He side stepped one cop and dipped his shoulder into the second, knocking him aside and stepping past in one easy move. Before anyone could come after him he was sprinting up the street. It was clear by the police reactions that there was no one close enough to catch him.
"No! He can't get away."
Tad turned in time to see Maggie faze through the car door and appear on the street outside. She was sprinting after Mark as fast as she could, and being a ghost, that was pretty fast. She would be on him in seconds but it wouldn't do any good. She was only a ghost after all.
He hesitated, remembering that Kate told him to stay in the car. To hell with that.
He suddenly realised he liked the idea of the run. He had spent too long stressing out and getting nowhere. Some physical activity would do him good, and if he got to hit someone at the end of it, then that would be the icing on the cake.
He looked to Tony and didn't even need to ask. Tony jumped straight into Tad and Tad felt that rush as he grew stronger, more alert, and ready for anything.
Tad looked to Miriam who was caught in a state of indecision and decided not to ask her to join him. He didn’t want to put her in a position of choosing between him and Kate. Instead he climbed out of the car and ran after Maggie and Mark.
With Tony's strength added to his own he was shifting much quicker than a normal person. The explosive energy in his muscles along with the cold wind and rain against his face was exhilarating. His fears and worries were washed away by his surge of adrenaline. His world narrowed to a single focus, Mark. Mark was his prey and he the hunter.
It was a wonderful feeling, but one that was short lived.
No matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t outpace Maggie. She already closed the distance between herself and her ex-husband and she pounced.
Tad expected her to pass through Mark, but to his amazement she collided with him. She was only a fraction of his size, but she had enough forward momentum to knock him from his feet, and they both went rolling.
Tad missed a step in shock. He wasn't using his powers which meant she had done it on her own. The only other time he had heard of such a thing was the other day with the mad ghost. Mad ghosts were stronger than regular ghosts, it was a byproduct of their madness. That they could interact with the living world was one thing, but for Maggie to do it was something else.
Mark rolled from where he landed, a look of intense anger on his face as he searched for someone to lash out at. He shouldn't have been able to see Maggie, but judging by his widening eyes and slacked jaw, he could. Tad still wasn't using his power, this was all Maggie.
"I knew I heard you last night," Mark said in a frightened whisper. "How? You're dead."
"Exactly. You killed me, you fucker," Maggie spat at him. "Now you're going to pay for it."
Tad didn't know what she would do next, and Mark didn’t have chance to respond. Even though he was shocked by what he saw, Tad kept running and got to the scene before either his ghost or her ex-husband could act.
With supernatural strength he collided with the stunned Mark and took him from his feet once again, knocking him to the ground face first. The man was unresisting and Tad didn't have to try hard to get his hands secured behind his back.
It wasn't the most satisfying feeling. Tad wanted a fight.
He heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and he turned, expecting to find Maggie or Miriam. Instead he saw Kate and another cop. It was clear from their faces that whatever power Maggie accessed to become visible had faded.
"I told you to stay in the car," Kate said as she pushed Tad aside and had one of her men take his place. Tony slipped out as Kate read Mark his rights and he looked from Tad to Maggie.
"Holy shit Mags, how'd you do that?"
Maggie looked up from her husband being arrested. There were tears in her eyes and a stunned look on her face. All she could do was shake her head.
Before Tony could ask a follow up question, she turned and walked away. Her moment of justice had arrived. The question was, did that justice live up to her expectations?
The next few days would be telling for Maggie. Most ghosts moved on after their unfinished business was put aside. Would Maggie leave too?
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, she was once his best friend. On the other, he said goodbye to that friendship five years earlier, and the woman who returned was not the Maggie he remembered.
The truth was, her moving on would solve a lot of problems.
Time would tell, and for now there were more interesting things to watch. Tad turned back to where Mark was being hauled to his feet. He eyed Tad with suspicion as he passed, no doubt trying to figure out why Tad looked familiar. He had met Mark, but that had been a long time ago and Mark had never paid him much attention.
By the time Mark was out of sight, Tad knew he hadn’t been recognised. The man was too shaken from his ordeal with Maggie to realise who Tad was.
“You had best hope your little stunt doesn’t mess up my arrest,” Kate said.
Tad thought about apologising, but remained silent. He was fed up of second guessing himself. If he and Maggie hadn’t been there, Mark would have gotten away and who knew where that would leave them.
“What happens next?” he asked.
“Now the real fun begins. First, we make sure that what we’ve picked up from him is evidence of a crime, then we get the crime scene guys here to take apart that house piece by piece. Meanwhile, I get to ask questions.”
Kate turned from watching Mark being locked away so she could look at Tad. “If I invite you to the station to watch, are you going to behave?”
Tad smiled. “I’ll do my best. I’ll stop in to check on Jen on the way. She’ll want to know what’s going on.”
Kate nodded. “Fair enough. Give the munchkin my love.” Tad nodded and walked back to the car. He stopped when Kate called his name. “Tad. Do yourself a favour and don’t be too long. I won't wait for you to arrive before I start having my fun with these guys. I’d hate for you to miss the show.”
Tad smiled again and found himself in a happier mood. The arrest of Mark felt like a win after long months of nothing but painful losses. It was a feeling he had almost given up hope of experiencing again.
The smile remained as he drove away and he felt lighter as a though some weight had been lifted from his shoulders. If only the feeling could last.
22
Friday, 27th November 2015
01:12
Midnight came and went. Tad’s high went with it.
Kate had exaggerated when she said the fun was about to start. What she meant was three long hours of tedious questions would be asked and nothing would be answered. Tad wished there was a film crew on hand to edit the interrogations down to a five-minute highlight reel.
The only other person in the observation room was Maggie. She had her eyes glued to the monitor and unlike Tad she seemed riveted. She hadn’t said much since the arrest, but she had pulled herself together.
By one o’clock everyone was tired, solicitors had been called, and the day’s activities were drawing to a close. Tad and Maggie moved into the hall in time to see Mark marched past them in handcuffs. Again he failed to recognise Tad.
“Prick,” Tad muttered under his breath, and for the first time in a while, Maggie giggled.
“He is that.”
Her words broke the discomfort that had consumed them since their argument over Jen.
“Is this enough for you?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. It’s good to see him i
n chains, but… I thought there’d be more.”
Tad was about to answer when he noticed Kate with two other police officers staring at him. Kate understood who he was talking to, and by now the other two knew of him as well. However, they weren’t ready to dismiss what looked like him talking to himself.
Their expressions were familiar and threatened to ruin his good mood. Normally he would have endured it, but this time something was different. Why did he have to endure it? These people knew he was a Proxy. Why must he suffer their condemning looks?
He was so used to doing it by now it took barely a thought. One moment Maggie was invisible and the next the detectives either side of Kate let out startled gasps.
Tad didn’t bother hiding his smile as he watched Kate try to suppress her own. She whispered something too them and they nodded eagerly. They all but ran down the hall in the opposite direction while Kate approached casually.
“That was mean,” she said. Her words may have been admonishing, but her tone was anything but. Finally her smile won through. “You should do that more often. Those two could do with being brought down a peg or two.”
“Not their biggest fans?” Tad asked.
Kate shrugged. “More like they’re not mine.” She looked to Maggie and her smile slipped. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m a bit overwhelmed. It’s like that holiday you’ve been dying to take for a year, and when it finally comes, it’s over too fast. I don’t know how to process it.”
“That’s just the shock. Don’t worry, it’ll wear off soon.”
“Just tell me you’ve got enough to put him away for a long time and I’ll be happy.”
Kate’s smile returned, and she nodded. “No promises, but I can’t see why not. There was blood all over that fridge, more than enough to give us reason to enter the property. We found bloody clothes and hastily cleaned up blood in the kitchen. The results matching the samples to you won’t come back for a while, but I don’t see any problems.
