From The Dark

by Tobey Alexander

  ‘But he hasn’t! Instead, he is who knows where in more danger now than he has ever been.’

  ‘That is why I am here, my understanding of this world of Magdons, Nivags, Veks and more will help me reunite you with your son.’

  Gabe had not thought of it that way. All the time she had been with Archy, he had thought it had only been to aid him. Blinded by his own grief Gabe had failed to see her true reason and all she had already done to bring them closer to being reunited.

  ‘I have watched you since losing your wife, always wanting to tell you what Logan was doing but it was his choice not to involve you.’ Gabe turned to look at her again as she spoke. ‘He wanted to know how you were coping, he asked I tell him how you were.’

  ‘I don’t know if that hurts or if it makes me feel warmer.’

  ‘Do you know what he was most proud of when I told him about it?’

  ‘What’s that?’ Gabe fought back the tears.

  ‘This.’

  Nahem reached out and held her hand on his right bicep. The tenderness from the final session had subsided, and in the time since they had finished it the tattoo was healing well. Nahem unzipped his jacket and pulled the sleeve down off his right arm.

  ‘I watched when you first discussed what you wanted with the artist. When I told Logan about I watched him fill with emotion. He looked very much like you do now. Fighting hard not to cry or show more emotion than you think you need to.’

  Nahem traced her delicate fingers along the raven that sat across Gabe’s shoulder. The skin was rough but the detail of the wings, the feathers and ink were most impressive.

  ‘What does it mean?’ Nahem asked as she followed the course of the design, down along the outside of his arm.

  ‘The raven is me, it comes from a dream I had as a boy. Each of the other birds are my family, the rest represents the journey I have been on. A compass, the sword and the mountain all show my past.’

  ‘And the inverted city?’

  ‘The fact they have turned the world me knew upside down.’

  ‘It is a good reminder, so much personal meaning in something that, to most, is just another design.’

  Gabe felt an odd sensation as Nahem’s hand pressed against his skin.

  Part of him was glad when a voice on the speaker announced their imminent arrival at Yarmouth port. They had been talking so long they had missed the journey across The Solent. Pulling his arm from Nahem’s touch her slid the sleeve of his jacket back into place and looked down at her for a moment.

  ‘Suppose we should get back to the car?’ Gabe offered as they turned and walked back to the parking level.

  24

  In The Dark Of Night

  As Gabe drove the car from along the coastline road, the sun had already set. The dim streetlights did little to bathe the way in light, and he was relying on the beam of his headlights to pick out the edge of the road. That edge, was all that stopped him tumbling to the rocks and beach a little below them.

  ‘Are we there?’ Claudia asked and straight away felt all sets of eyes stare at her in the dim cabin. ‘Sorry!’

  The drive across the island was uneventful. Having purchased food at the small town of Shanklin they had watched the sun set into the ocean. It bathed the rolling waves in the orange-red glow of the dying sun. As soon as they had all eaten, they had returned to the car and driven the rest of the way along the narrow coastline road.

  ‘Up there, ahead on the left.’ Archy declared and pointed between the two front seats.

  Pulling up onto a large parking area in front of a circular windowless structure Gabe killed the engine. The Xenon lights switched off, and it plunged them into almost darkness.

  ‘What is it?’ Gabe asked as he peered out of the windscreen.

  Atop the strange building sat a scale statue of an Indian tiger standing proud peering out towards the sea. The paint once applied to the concrete perimeter walls showed signs of weathering from the coastal weather. From the outside it was not an attractive structure, bland and featureless the only curiosity being the fact it was round.

  ‘It’s a fort, built in the nineteenth century, it’s been many things, but now it seems to have become a zoo.’

  They all exited the car and walked towards the bland building. Archy led the way towards the solid walls, and his companions allowed him a moment of recollection in silence.

  ‘It’s been a long time since I was here,’ Archy added as he stepped up to the wall. ‘I remember arriving and wondering what they could have found to warrant my historical skills.’

  ‘Was there anything?’ Gabe pressed as he watched Archy place his old hand against the rough exterior of the fort.

  ‘Nothing of note, it was more the site’s significance and the immense pipeline operation that dictated they needed a consultant.’

  Archy looked up at the top of the wall, an air of sadness hovering over him.

  ‘It allowed me to be deployed, yet away from the conflict so I could at least feel I was doing my part.’ He sighed. ‘Funny thing is the soldiers deployed here never understood that, how could they I suppose? I had fought my own battles, but they weren’t on the global stage so to them I was just a coward scholar.’

  ‘Far from it.’ Nahem interjected. ‘The things you have done overshadow their efforts.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Archy protested. ‘Our wars were different, and the sacrifices made by all of us are neither comparable nor any more worthy than the other’s.’

  Nahem fell quiet, dropping her gaze to the floor for a moment.

  ‘So the story you told us about the Nivag and killing it, that was all here?’

  ‘It was.’

  ‘And the soldier what happened to him?’

  ‘Chris,’ Archy cleared a lump from his throat. ‘After that night they redeployed him, I never saw him again. He sent me a letter once, I think I still have it.’

  ‘Only one letter?’

  ‘Yes Gabe, he died at Bastogne after the D-Day landings. I am certain the letter he sent me was the last he ever wrote.’

  Gabe felt guilty. Archy had silenced all with his retelling of this aspect of his life. Gabe had realised that the more he learnt about Archy, the more the old man had been right in pointing out Gabe was not alone in accepting loss.

  ‘Who is to say the Nivag remains are still here?’

  ‘They are.’ Yebot declared full of confidence as he sidled his way across the bonnet of Gabe’s car.

  ‘Oh come on little guy, that’s a Jaguar, not a climbing frame.’

  ‘Yebot’s small Yebot’s light, I want to see the stars at night.’

  Not bothering to argue anymore Gabe pressed the little Nivag further about his confident declaration about the Nivag’s remains.

  ‘How can you be sure it’s still here?’

  ‘The mind of Nivags all connected, although it’s dead it’s not affected.’

  ‘You can feel it can’t you?’ Claudia pressed as she stepped back towards the car.

  Dropping to sit on the lip of the bonnet beneath the windscreen Yebot smiled at her. Bathed in the artificial light from a row of streetlights around the edge of the empty car park he looked somewhat menacing. The orange light emphasised the spaces beneath the exposed bone done that half of his small body.

  ‘I feel its presence like a whisper, as we are near the connection’s crisper.’

  ‘Do you think you can find it?’ Gabe interrupted. ‘If we get into that place do you think you could find it for us?’

  Yebot looked to Archy who offered the diminutive Nivag a slight smile. In response, Yebot looked at Gabe and nodded.

  ‘Archy,’ Gabe rounded on his aged companion. ‘Can you at least give us an idea of where to look? Judging by the size of this place I don’t think we can afford to wander around.’

  ‘The pipeline was still under construction, there were access tunnels all around, but I buried it where the work had already been finished, around the pumping rooms.’

&
nbsp; ‘Then that’s where we will start. Now just to find a way in.’

  Turning around Gabe realised that Nahem was gone. As Archy, Claudia and himself had been drawn into conversation with Yebot she had slipped off unnoticed. To Gabe’s amusement, he realised how good Nahem was at disappearing and fading into the shadows.

  ‘Wait, a second.’ Gabe declared as the phone in his pocket vibrated. ‘Nobody should have this number.’

  Removing the inexpensive phone from his pocket, Gabe answered the call and placed the phone to his ear.

  ‘I assumed you would require a way into this place,’ Nahem’s familiar voice declared over the crackling line. ‘If you wait just a second, ah yes here we are-‘

  As she spoke all the lights inside and outside the Sandown Fort Zoo extinguished. They were, all of them thrust into thick darkness. The clouded sky obscured any natural light from the gibbous moon somewhere high above them. When Nahem spoke again, she did so by their side and no longer down the phone.

  ‘I have my unique skills,’ she finished. ‘I thought it best to isolate the lights and cameras before we went in.’

  ‘Unique skills, no doubt.’ Gabe chuckled.

  ‘Well, having observed your performance in getting into Wollaton Hall a few years ago I somehow doubted you would perform any better here.’

  Grateful of the shadows and darkness the flush in Gabe’s cheeks went unnoticed. Turning he held his hand out towards Yebot and could just make out his outline in the dark.

  ‘You will need to come too!’

  Suppressing the shiver that bubbled he allowed the small Nivag to step onto his hand and clamber up his arm to perch upon his shoulder. The feel of bone against his skin was alien and unnerving, but right then it didn’t matter. Casting aside his aversion to Yebot Gabe turned and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark.

  ‘Guessing we will need these again.’ Claudia declared as she retrieved the bag they had used in the Nottingham caves and slipped it onto her back.

  ‘Archy?’ Gabe asked as they readied to enter the Isle Of Wight Zoo complex.

  ‘Not for me my boy,’ he replied. ‘I would only slow you down, and something tells me the memories I left in that place are best left undisturbed for me.’

  ‘Only if you’re sure.’

  ‘Besides,’ Archy tried to lighten the sudden sombre mood. ‘Someone needs to be on watch in case someone comes to investigate the power cut.’

  ‘On that note might I suggest we get moving?’ Nahem interjected.

  The four, Yebot included, moved around the front of the old fort and found a narrow door to the side of the main entrance wedge open and insecure. Not wanting to ask how Nahem had managed to not only find her way into the substantial and secure complex but also isolate the electricity and get them in, they walked into the service entrance in silence.

  The staff area was eerie and quiet. A modern addition to the nineteenth-century structure the plastic and metal seemed out of place.

  ‘Alarm?’ Gabe whispered to Nahem as they moved through the back rooms and out into the main reception area.

  ‘Trust me!’ Nahem hushed and waved her hand in front of a wall-mounted motion sensor with no reaction from the device. ‘Not my first time.’

  Gabe did not doubt that fact at all and fell into place behind Nahem.

  They moved through the main building with relative ease and pushed through a narrow fire door and out into the main open-air space behind the walls. Unlike how Archy had described the site it was now filled with large cages and displays containing many animals. To the right, a large open area had been constructed and was filled with picnic tables and a small eatery.

  ‘Beats the American Adventure!’ Claudia joked as she looked around, referring to the abandoned theme park that had been their isolated location having left their home behind.

  ‘Over to you little guy,’ Gabe said to Yebot whose single eye was wide and drinking in his eerie surroundings. ‘You’re our guide in all this.’

  ‘A long time’s been since I was here, yet straight away the Nivag’s near.’

  With his bony finger, Yebot pointed towards the left-hand side of the complex. Without waiting for more Gabe pressed in front of the group and worked his way between the enclosures and out towards the far side of the compound.

  Moving as quiet as they could the enclosed animals remained asleep or watching with curiosity. Passing by an enormous fenced area a shimmer of light caught Gabe’s attention. He snatched his head around to locate the source of the light.

  Gabe’s heart leapt into his throat as, separated only by the wire mesh fence, stood a proud and powerful tiger staring at him. The tiger’s intent eyes observed his every movement and Gabe could feel the animal weighing him up. Rooted to the spot Gabe felt hypnotised by the almost jewel-like shine from the tiger’s staring eyes.

  ‘We should move.’ Claudia whispered and all the while the tiger remained fixed on Gabe.

  Not wanting to turn his back on the powerful feline, Gabe returned to their original path. As they moved along the line of the enclosure, the tiger stalked behind them, keeping her distance but ensuring she kept the troop of humans in sight.

  Gabe felt a sense it was not only the tiger that was watching him as they moved towards a large outbuilding that sat against the wall of the fort.

  ‘Over there,’ Yebot whispered to Gabe who adjusted his course and led them all towards the building.

  25

  Another Way Down

  Passing alongside the monkey enclosure, there was no sign. Hidden amongst the foliage, Gabe knew they would watch the sneaking intruders but seeing as they remained silent he was happy.

  The clouds above broke without warning, and it bathed the entire zoo in the pale light of the moon. Their surroundings took on a different appearance, and they all took it in. A movement caught Nahem’s attention drawn to a painted tin sign they had found what they were looking for. Stencilled in weathered black lettering on a pale metal background were the words:

  P.L.U.T.O D-DAY PUMP

  ‘Guess that’s it then,’ Gabe whispered as he walked across to the building.

  An imposing and unmoving door was padlocked shut. Gripping the handle Gabe pulled with all his strength but the secured bolts would not budge. As he pulled against the metal Yebot struggled to maintain his perch on Gabe’s shoulder and slipped.

  Releasing the handle, Gabe caught Yebot as his fingers dragged across his cheek to maintain his position. As Gabe steadied the little Nivag and held him in his hand something painted a look of concern on the skinned side of Yebot’s face.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Gabe quizzed as Yebot looked from his fingers to Gabe’s face.

  ‘Scar,’ The Nivag hushed. ‘A sword of magic, strength and power, cut your face in a desperate hour.’

  Gabe traced the scar that snaked across his face.

  ‘Yes, Viktor did this when he tried to stop us killing the Magdon.’

  ‘It has left a mark up your skin, it holds a mark upon your soul.’

  Yebot dropped and wiped his hand against the tattered fabric of his clothes. Walking up to the door he looked around and pointed towards a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. Not needing any more direction Claudia moved past her father and grabbed the extinguisher.

  ‘I think we can find a way that’s less like to cause,’ Gabe’s sentence trailed off as Claudia swung the extinguisher through the air and smashed it into the padlock. ‘... damage.’

  Three clean hits and the padlock dropped to the floor. With the commotion and noise, a handful of the slumbering animals had woken, some cheeped and chirped with curiosity. Pulling the door open they stamped into the building and closed the door behind them.

  The room was dark, no natural light could pierce it, and Claudia fumbled to find the head torched within the rucksack. Finding them, she handed them out and soon the room was illuminated by the beams as they looked around.

  ‘Impressive,’ Gabe gasped as he took in the uniqu
e exhibition.

  Parts of the original machinery that had formed part of the military operation to supply fuel to the invasion were still in place. Almost everything had been stripped back but what remained was a feat of engineering mastery.

  ‘Over to you little buddy.’ Gabe said to Yebot who was busy clambering up a series of cogs and mechanisms anchored to the floor.

  Gabe watched as the Nivag reached the wide platform from an upturned cogwheel. Strolling Gabe could see Yebot sniffing the air with his eye closed.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ Gabe asked as he whispered into Nahem’s ear.

  The closeness of his voice and the feel of his breath on her neck caught Nahem by surprise. For a moment she could not answer but quickly composed herself.

  ‘Something connects Nivag’s as a hive-mind. Yebot has the very weakest of connections to that flow, he needs to find the connection and locate its source.’

  ‘Is that because he is so small?’ Gabe joked but suppressed his smile as Nahem glared at him.

  ‘Not at all,’ she bit. ‘More the fact it has detached him from the line by his connection and imprinting upon Archy instead of its chosen master.’

  ‘My kin it lays beneath the ground, if you listen close you’ll hear the sound.’

  All of them fell silent, but there was nothing to be heard.

  Yebot remained poised like a hunting dog on the edge of the cog. Head pointed towards the far wall he continued to sniff until he raised a bony finger and looked across towards a ragged hole in the wall.

  ‘Come on,’ Claudia declared and stalked towards the hole.

  Passing through it allowed them access to a secondary room. More remnants of the massive machinery stood anchored around them. They searched around them one at a time seeking anything that would help. Moving in and around the substantial pieces of machinery Yebot clambered up a sizeable cylindrical drum and peered down behind the structure.

  ‘Into the shadows, your eyes should look, I see the things from Archy’s book.’