Jack walked to the shore and stared out into the sea. Redmond knelt down and said a silent prayer of thanks to a God he habitually ignored. Adam turned to speak with John.
“Where’s John?”
Redmond and Jack turned, both looking, as was Adam, in all directions for John Smith.
“He was behind you Redmond,” Pegg accused.
Redmond opened his arms wide in a futile gesture. “I didn’t hear a thing. Perhaps he stopped to relieve himself.”
Jack looked at the wall of trees. He knew, they all knew, that Smith hadn’t stopped voluntarily. He was the last man in line. He had been taken.
Then there was a scream of pure pain; a soul being ripped violently from its body, before its time. The scream grew in volume and in terror.
“It’s John.” Adam rushed towards the jungle, but Jack held him back.
“There isn’t anything you can do for someone who screams like that.”
The awful sound stopped as suddenly as it had erupted, but somehow the silence that descended was more fearful than the suffering.
Grace watched as Sybella stripped off her cream robe and swimming costume. Fascinated despite herself she found the sight of the body intriguing. There was a calm dignity about this woman that was very attractive, almost dainty yet durable.
Sybella had no shyness about standing naked in front of someone who was virtually a stranger to her. Her breasts moved softly as she reached into the wardrobe for a dress. The golden skin was flawless, ripe like a tropical fruit, smooth and firm.
“Where do you think Leo has got to?” she asked almost rhetorically to her reflection in the mirror.
Distracted by the words, and suddenly aware she had been staring at another woman’s nakedness Grace was flustered. “I’m not sure.”
“He knew I was going swimming, we’ll look for him there.”
Grace felt she had caught an undercurrent of concern in the way Sybella talked about Leo. “You’re not worried about him are you?”
Sybella put down the brush she had used to smooth out her hair, and moved to the doorway. “Oh yes. I’m worried for us all. I don’t think they want us here.”
Leo had found the only lift in the complex. It took people from the roof garden to the swimming pool area. No one had been shown the roof garden because it hadn’t been finished yet, so in Redmond’s scheme of things was not on the agenda. Leo had woken to find Sybella off on one of her jaunts, probably up bright and early for a swim and a read he guessed. He lay in bed, contemplating as he did each morning the good fortune that had been bestowed upon him when he found Sybella. Not once did a trace of self-pity enter his thoughts despite his illness. His only regret was that he would have less time with her than he might have done. But his philosophy had always been that the glass was half-full, not half-empty, so he thanked each day he spent with her.
After getting dressed he had a bite to eat and wandered off to search the complex without a tour guide.
The first discovery he made was that there wasn’t anybody else around. He half expected to come across Sybella but he didn’t, nor did he see any of the other guests. If he was concerned about this his fears were compounded when he realised there were no staff around either. It was as if he was the only person left in the complex.
Then he heard a dreadful sound. A roar, like a wounded beast charging out of the jungle. A rampage of rage crashing through the trees, howling with fury and purpose.
He reasoned that he would get the best view of the bungalows, and some of the jungle if he was up high, on the roof. By deduction he had already realised that there had to be another storey to the complex building, even if it was just a low-level storage area. The gables at either end suggested more height than the ceiling of the complex allowed. Searching for a staircase he came upon the lifts. They weren’t sign-posted but he soon found they were working. He pressed up and 2 and soon was on the roof, with the incomplete gardens beckoning to him.
Leaning as far over the edge of the parapet as he dared he scanned the roofs of the bungalows, partially hidden by the discreet foliage. He couldn’t see a thing, and now the noise had died away, he couldn’t hear anything either.
Then he saw it. Like a black cloud rolling drunkenly through the trees, bouncing off the thicker tree trunks, lolling obscenely against the side of one of the bungalows. It moved as one entity, but he could see from the mass as it shifted that it was made up of different shapes, all coalescing into one.
He couldn’t see which bungalow was being threatened but his immediate thought was for Sybella. The lift doors opened smoothly and he stepped inside, and pressed the button. Descent began, and then stopped.
Adam said nothing, stunned into shocked silence by the consideration of his friend’s death. If he was dead, but he had to be, no one could make those sounds and survive.
Redmond was making an effort to calm himself. He smoothed the creases and folds of his suit. “Let’s ask them if they saw anything.”
Jack looked at him. “If who saw anything?”
“Them.” Redmond pointed.
The fishermen were huddled around two small boats, half-heartedly folding nets into them. Some of their attention was on the three white men who had straggled out of the jungle, but most of it was on getting off the island as quickly as possible, before the Kumari realised they were there.
Jack and Redmond walked over to the group of men, insisting Pegg came with them. He was still in some kind of trance, clearly shock.
The fishermen were wary, tense about their presence on the island. There were seven of them, ranging in ages from about fourteen to over seventy. When the three men approached the younger ones had stopped putting the nets into the boats but the others urged them to hurry.
“We…” Jack began, but hesitated. What could he say? “You heard the noise?” They didn’t respond but it was obvious they had, the whole island would have heard it.
At first the fishermen turned as one back to their boats. Adam stepped forward and grabbed the nearest man by the arm. “Listen to me you…My friend is probably dead and if you know what killed him, you tell me. Now.” He spoke the words quietly but there was power behind them. The power of anger and loss.
The man looked down at his arm and Adam released his grip. The eldest of the fishermen came forward and addressed Redmond, but included Pegg and Jack in his reply.
“We told you they would not let you stay here. We told you not to build here, but you would not listen. We begged you not to move the stones, but you did not listen.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Redmond blustered. “This is no help to us.”
Jack elbowed him out of the way until he was standing directly in front of the old man. “Who are they?”
“The Kumari. The old gods of Ashushma. He disturbed them and they are angry.”
Redmond sighed dramatically. “Not these fairy stories again. The stones were moved, not destroyed. Your ‘gods’ can rest in peace. All they have to do is learn the route to the north cove and they can dance around the rocks to their hearts content.”
The other fishermen were clearly angered by Redmond’s sarcastic tone but the old man didn’t let any emotion mask his face. “We are leaving.” He moved his arm imperceptibly and both boats pushed out into the frowning waves. “I suggest you do the same.”
With that he climbed into the nearest boat with surprising agility and the oars began a pounding rhythm away from the shore.
Jack watched them until Redmond drew his attention back to the beach.
“What nonsense. We had all this when we started. Depositions from the local high chiefs, demanding we build somewhere else. Gods for…” He stopped, suddenly aware he was about to say “For God’s sake.”
“Like it or not, “ Jack said. “We have to get back to the complex. We haven’t found the pilot, and we’ve lost Smith. I don’t want Emma or any of the others to be next.”
Redmond didn’t want himself to be next either but he wasn’
t willing to stay on the beach. “Come on, Pegg,” he said with false camaraderie. “Let’s watch out for each other this time.”
Adam launched himself at Redmond, both hands wrapping themselves around his throat. They fell to the sand in a soft heap, Redmond flapping his hands in futile defence and Pegg straining with all his strength to throttle Redmond.
Jack tried to pull Adam away but he was a powerful man. He resorted to kicking Pegg as hard as he could on his body until after five or six kicks he slumped onto the beach, groaning quietly. Redmond scuttled away from him like a frightened crab. His throat was red, and he struggled to breathe. Jack stood poised in case the attack was repeated, but Adam seemed resigned to sitting on the sand, head hanging forwards.
“This is doing us no good at all,” Jack almost shouted. “Whatever is out there isn’t going to go away. We need to get back and get back quickly. We can only do that if we work together. Okay?”
Redmond nodded still gasping for breath. Pegg shrugged.
“I’ll take that as yes from both of you. Now get up and let’s get back. We’ll go a different way than the way we came. Redmond, there is more than one path isn’t there?”
“There’s one that way.” His voice was a rasping whisper as he pointed behind him. “It takes a few minutes longer but it brings us back behind the kitchens.”
“Come on then.”
Stephen ran round the bungalow making sure all the doors and windows were shut and if possible locked. Emma stood by the veranda door as shadows passed across the glass.
“I knew I saw something last night,” Stephen said, as he came back into the main room.
“What do you mean?” Emma took hold of his hand, for comfort.
“We were in the swimming pool. I jumped out, but Grace was still in there. There were shapes, one long one anyway. I shouted at her to get out but she thought I was messing about.”
Emma squeezed his hand, misinterpreting his meaning. “She’ll be fine I’m sure.”
Stephen felt a tug of guilt. He hadn’t given Grace a thought.
They both heard it at the same time. A scrabbling on the roof. It sounded like hundreds of birds scampering over the tiles. Then a loud thud as if a heavy weight had been thrown to the ground.
“Something was on the roof and just jumped off,” Stephen said.
“What is it?” Emma pleaded.
“More than one I think,” Stephen said. “The noise we heard before, that sounded like several animals, not one.”
“Is that what you think they are? Some kind of wild animal?”
“What else can they be?”
Something huge launched itself at the front door and it clattered on its hinges. Scratching at the windows began, with claws raked down the glass in an intolerable cacophony. Then another attack on the front door, and they heard the sound of splintering wood.
“That won’t hold out much longer,” Stephen said. “We need to get out.”
Emma glanced at the veranda, and remembered the terrible sounds that had driven them indoors.
Stephen let go of her hand, and opened the bedroom door. He just saw, in the instant before it ducked out of sight, a grey head, large, with a snout like protuberance, and oddly shaped mouth.
He rushed back to Emma. “Right. We try the side window. Jump out and run for the main complex building. The others will probably be there.” He looked at her. “Will you be okay?”
She nodded. “Will you give me a hug?”
They put their arms around one another, a little awkwardly, trying not to be intimate, but needing the human comfort.
When the lift stopped Leo was grateful for an instant, thinking he was on the ground floor already. Then he found the door didn’t open, and he knew he was stuck. He pressed the alarm button but doubted it was even connected. He tried shouting but nothing happened. He cursed his hands, certain he could force open the doors if he had the strength in his fingers.
Instead of brute force he had to use his brains. He looked around the tiny cabin to see if there was anything he could use to find a way out. Finally he glanced up at the ceiling. There was a panel there that looked as if it would move easily enough. If only he could get up to it.
His shoe. He took one shoe off, and hopping slightly, he threw it at the panel. Missing twice, he was the proverbial third time lucky. The panel was knocked back and the shoe fell down at his feet. He was bending to put it back on when he felt he was being watched.
“Who’s there?” he called, neither frightened any longer, nor prone to worry much about self-preservation. He had found terminal illness gave him great fortitude.
“Is that Mr Martin?” Vicky Towers shouted back.
“Have you seen Sybella?”
Vicky found she was becoming irritated. She knew the reason was that she was jealous. Jealous of the closeness this couple had achieved; knowing she had never experienced it, and wondering whether she ever would.
“Let’s get you out first shall we?” she said, patronisingly.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
Vicky smiled despite herself. “It’s a no. I haven’t seen any of the others.”
Leo could just make out the figure at the top of the lift shaft. Vicky seemed to be trying to adjust the knots of pulleys and levers that controlled the lift mechanism.
At the top of the shaft she was struggling to free a lever that had got stuck. It seemed to Vicky, though she was no expert, that the lever had been twisted out of shape. She was tempted to blame Redmond for buying inferior equipment again, but she stopped just in time. She was tired of blaming him for the relationship. She had entered into it with her eyes wide open, and if it hadn’t fulfilled any potential then they were both to blame.
The working area above the lift was cramped and she soon found her skirt getting in the way, as she had to lean and crouch to manoeuvre the controls. She dealt with that problem in the same efficient way she did everything else. She removed it and flung it onto the floor behind her. If Leo Martin got a glimpse of her half undressed then good luck to him.
The lift was getting warm. Leo unbuttoned his shirt a little and tried to stand directly under the ceiling opening. He couldn’t really see what Vicky was doing but she had struck him as a capable woman and if she could manage the mechanism she would. His concern was for Sybella. He hated not knowing where she was. He remembered the only argument they had ever had, quite soon after they met. They had arranged to meet at a café in London. Leo arrived on time but Sybella was almost an hour late. Frantic with worry, his emotions extreme at that time because of his problems, Leo had annoyed Sybella from the moment she got there. She knew he was concerned but she couldn’t accept his almost irrational fear that she might be in danger. They had argued and not spoken for two days before Leo went to the same café, not by arrangement, only to find her sitting there at the same table, waiting for him. They vowed never to argue again.
“The problem is, my darling, that this time you might be in real danger.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud until he heard Vicky calling down to him.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Talking to myself. Ignore me. How are you getting on?”
“Nearly there. Wait a minute…That’s strange.”
Leo was aware of a sudden movement above him. The light from the shaft above was suddenly extinguished as a huge shape blocked the entrance. Vicky screamed as her legs were ripped from underneath her. Her body fell soundlessly through the air, landing with a horrible dull rending noise on the lift roof. The roof buckled and the ceiling gave way as the torn body caved in the ceiling panels. Leo moved to one side before it could hit him.
Then the light rushed back into the shaft as the shape moved away from the opening. A protest of metal and wiring exploded above Leo’s head as the cables tore from the holding levers and the lift plummeted downwards.
The swimming pool was calm and serene. It invited Sybella and Grace to enter. The area gave the impression that the complex
was at peace, that the guests were somewhere being pampered by the caring staff.
The water moved only occasionally, the breathing movement caused by a filter system. To Grace it brought back memories of the previous night with Stephen. She was certain at the time that he had been trying to frighten her in some silly childish game. Now she wasn’t so sure. She wondered where he was.
Reflections of the blue lilting water were speckled on the glass-domed ceiling, which was awash with brilliant sunlight. Sybella seemed to be listening for something, a sound that would tell her she was right, that they were not alone.
“There, did you hear it?”
Grace listened but couldn’t hear anything apart from the soft fall of the water on the shallow steps.
“Surely you can hear it?”
Just the gentle lapping of cool water against the sides of the blue tiled pool.
“You must be able to hear it, it’s so clear.”
Then Grace heard what Sybella could hear. Not as distinctly as the older woman, not so obviously, but it was there all the same. A murmuring in the background, a whisper of speech, of communication. It was on the periphery of her hearing, yet Sybella was excited as if some great announcement had been made.
“What is it?” Grace asked, and she realised she should be afraid but strangely she wasn’t.
“Kumari.”
When the side window wouldn’t open Stephen took a chair from the living area and smashed the window. Emma flinched back as the glass shattered and sprayed in all directions, but really she was more afraid of the noise they had made. Surely that would attract the attention of whatever was trying to get to them.
Stephen took her hand and together they jumped through the window and landed on the grass outside. They rolled together coming to rest against the rough bark of a tree. Their hands were still clasped.
A resounding crash told them the front door had been breached and they hauled themselves up and ran. Pounding feet behind them spurred them on. Stephen was the faster runner and he dragged Emma behind him, feet tripping and stumbling but miraculously not falling.
Echoes of Darkness Page 5
