Angels Bleed (Fallen Angels Book 1)

by Max Hardy

  Rebecca paused and sighed deeply, a haunted expression inveigling its way onto her face. She looked directly at Dr Hanlon. ‘Looking back, I realise now what she was doing. She was dressed the same as me. Made up the same as me. We could have been twin sisters. We were even trading sins. Challenging. She was moulding me, shaping me, grooming me even, to be as domineering, as masterful as she was. I know it was sex, but in my mind I wanted sensuality. I wanted to make love to my lover. That’s where my sins took us. Madame Evangeline, well, she had a different agenda. I can see that now. Every one of her sins, led me to be more and more intimate with my Gimp and less involved with her. She was leading me on a journey to lose my virginity.’

  Dr Hanlon’s brow furrowed and he said. ‘Really?’

  ‘Not necessarily in the anatomical sense. I’m sure my hymen was broken years ago, but I had never had a man inside me, until that night. We traded sins for the next few hours, making love or having sex all over the room, in every position, every location, with every unimaginable depravation sprinkled on top during her sins. Then we came to her last. Up to that point while I had carried out many sexual acts on my Gimp, he hadn’t been inside me. ‘Now, my darling, this is my ultimate fantasy.’ Madame Evangeline said, leading me to the sheepskin rugs in front of the fire and lying me on my back. She was naked too, and sat astride me for a few moments, lettings her body, her dangling breasts course along the length of my skin, gently touching, tingling. She did that all the way to my toes, then stepped to one side and led my Gimp between my open thighs.’

  Rebecca started to cry, softly as she spoke, silent tears biting a stream of decimation on her scar kissed cheeks. ‘He was quivering, I could tell, and I was too, nervous and excited all in one breath. He entered me and gently leant over my body, resting hands on the floor either side of my chest, his suit sensually rubbing up against my stomach as he started to gently move in and out. Madame Evangeline straddled both of us and knelt down so that her head was visible to me by the side of his. She looked down on me, her eyes alive with desire, gorging upon the sexual platter she had created. ‘Tell me how it feels, taking a man for the first time.’ she asked with a simmering urgency. My gimps movements were getting faster and I could feel him swelling inside me, feel the girth of him starting to throb. It was euphoric, feeling my walls start to pulse in time, feeling the tip of his erection tickling my most sensitive spot inside, feeling the base of his penis caressing my exposed clitoris. ‘Heavenly.’ I said through short, surging pants, my own body starting to course with the tingling of orgasm. She grinned wickedly.’

  Rebecca was sobbing uncontrollably, her body shaking ferociously, Dr Hanlon holding her tight around the waist, trying to stop her hands riving the bandage off her wrists. Pain contorted her features as she forced herself to speak, to relive the memories.

  ‘‘Tell me how it feels,’ she started, ripping the bit out of my gimps mouth and grabbing the edge of the mask on his neck, slowly starting to pull it back. He was pumping harder now and I could feel him start to tense, his erection throbbing deep inside me. I could feel my orgasm rising too, forcing me back into the floor, forcing my head back and forcing my eyes closed with the intensity.’

  She started to kick and writhe under Dr Hanlon’s firm grip, head bucking, trying to bang into his, her arms now flailing, her voice rising in anguished intensity as she started to spit the words out.

  ‘’To have this man,’ she continued, slowly pulling the mask back off his face. I forced my eyes open as she said that, taking in the stubbled chin and contorted mouth and cheeks of my Gimp just as he came, just as his head shot back and he started to jerk inside me. I came a second later, the intensity thrusting me back even further into the soft rugs as I screamed in pleasure.’

  She screamed, an ear splitting raucous roar of desolation, her whole body tensing and stiffening, quivering with the release of grief before the tension left her suddenly and she slumped limply back into Dr Hanlon’s arms, crying as she continued.

  ‘Fuck you!’ she finished, pulling the last bit of the mask off his head and throwing it to one side. I looked up in an orgasmic daze, spent, firstly into Madame Evangeline’s eyes. They were on fire, intense, the reflection of the fires flames a maelstrom in her pupils as she nuzzled her scarlet cheek into my Gimps hair. I looked down from her face into his. To his satisfied, sweating, euphoric smile beaming down at me. The smile of my son.’

  Rebecca was sobbing, her tears uncontrollable, her body softly shaking in Dr Hanlon’s embrace, her fingers scratching at the riven bandages on her wrists. ‘He was smiling Doc, he was smiling. He knew it was me and he was smiling!’ she whimpered, staring at him incredulously. ‘It took a second or two for my mind to register who it was, but when it did, shock kicked in straight away and I screamed at him. ‘Michael, what the hell are you doing?’ I started to scramble back from him, trying to get as far away as I could. His expression turned confused instantly and he started to stand, looking to Madame Evangeline who was doing likewise. ‘I don’t understand.’ he said to her. ‘You said she wanted this too.’ he questioned, imploringly. Madame Evangeline just smiled, casting her sultry satiated façade between the two of us. I stood up quickly, the sudden change of altitude just after an orgasm making me feel dizzy, the shock of seeing Michael making me nauseous. Adrenaline was still coursing through me and I was livid. I glared at him and, rushing forward, pushed him in the chest shouting ‘That was wrong Michael, I am your mother, how could you!’ He stumbled backwards, one of his feet catching on Madame Evangeline’s leg, making him topple into the side of the fireplace, banging his head on it as he fell to the floor, his face contorted in the agony of his realisation.’

  Rebecca cuddled in to Dr Hanlon’s chest, sinking her head into the comforting cardigan, wrapping an arm around his waist, seeking sanctuary as she softly spoke.

  ‘That was the second last thing I saw, his absolute grief, his utter despondency. The last, well, that was Madame Evangeline, smiling at me, whispering, ‘Now, you truly are a Dominatrix!’ just as I fainted.’

  7:38 pm

  ‘He’s not at home Sir.’ relayed DI Munro over the conference phone on the table in the MIU.

  ‘Shit.’ Strange exclaimed, rubbing a hand over his chin. ‘Mick, can you say there for now please. Forensics have just informed us that Ennis’s fingerprints were all over the snake warehouse. We need to get a warrant to search his place.’

  Strange turned to the plasma screens. ‘Sir,’ he started, directed to the Chief Superintendent. ‘Could you sort out a warrant quickly for a search of Dr Ennis’s property please? Justification is forensic evidence linking him to a known crime.’ Strange asked, pacing the short distance between the table and the whiteboards.

  ‘I’ll do that immediately Jerry. Should be with you in half an hour.’

  ‘Thank you Sir. Mick, do you have any idea where else Dr Ennis may be in the meantime. Did the Institute give you any ideas? Is he a member of a Gym, of a Gentlemen’s club, anything like that?’ queried Strange, resting his palms on the table and leaning into the phone.

  ‘No Sir, no indications of anything like that. We can do some door to door here while we are waiting and see if any of his neighbours may know his whereabouts.’

  ‘Good idea Mick. Keep in touch with anything at all you find out and as soon as you get the warrant through, get in there straight away.’

  ‘No problem Sir.’ Munro answered, then hung up.

  ‘Right, Steven, how are you coming along with those connections? Have you made any progress with changing the time of the heartbeat at all?’ Strange asked.

  Reynolds turned in his chair and faced Strange, a look of nervous excitement visible. ‘We might just have done it Sir. It looks like the bot uses a parameter string for the time. We have simulated sending it a different time, just waiting to see if that changes on the connection back to here.’ he said. His stutter was gone, supressed as he was embroiled in his passion. He turned back to his monitors and
opened up an application on his computer. ‘Yes!’ he shouted, bum leaving his seat as his body shot up triumphantly.

  ‘Yes what Steven?’ Strange asked, coming up and sitting down beside him.

  ‘We’ve changed the time on that connection. The heartbeat is now saying 16:00 hours. It means if we can decrypt all of the other heartbeat connections, we have a way of changing what time the bomb explodes. It doesn’t mean we can stop it at the moment, but at least we can keep extending the time until we can figure out how to stop it.’

  ‘Excellent work Steven. Now what help do you need to decrypt the remainder of the heartbeat connections and how long do you think it will take?’

  ‘They are all using 256 bit triple DES encryption algorithms which take about thirty minutes to decrypt. Given there are more than three thousand of them and we only have around four hours.’ he paused, the mental calculation evident on his features as his lips counted silently. ‘I’m going to need about fifty computers running flat out in that four hours to decrypt them all.’

  ‘Right, give Tech at HQ a call and get in anyone you need. We’ve got all the computers here too. Steven,’ Strange reinforced, whatever you need, just ask. If you get any resistance just let me know.’

  ‘I’m on it Sir.’ he said with obvious relish, picking up the phone straight away.’

  ‘Great news.’ Strange said to the room, positively, before he turned to the whiteboard and checked his notes.

  ‘Phyllis, are there any updates on the checks at Pison and with the Old Waverley Hotel?’

  ‘Yes Sir. With regard to the Hotel, they have confirmed that both Mrs Seymour and DI Saul stayed there. They have CCTV of the Room Service Waiter attending the room at the time stated and also of them both entering the room earlier in the evening and leaving the room the following morning. No record of them leaving in between.’

  ‘Okay.’ Strange said, mulling the information over in his head as he went to the whiteboard and updated the notes. ‘In one way that is good, in another, not so good. How about the limousine and the chauffeur?’

  ‘That’s who DI Saxon is talking to at the minute Sir. We should hear back from her soon.’

  The door to the interview room opened and Sarah popped her head around, the main room suddenly falling silent.

  ‘Is everything alright Sarah?’ asked Strange, walking around the table towards her.

  ‘Everything is fine Jerry. Thanks for setting up the monitor in there.’ Sarah answered as he came up beside her. ‘I would like to go and talk to Jessica Seymour, if you don’t mind.’

  Strange looked surprised, putting his hands into his pockets and shooting her a quizzical stare. ‘Is that wise? She is the woman your husband is having an affair with, she is the woman who is implicated in Michael Angus’s murder so therefore she is the woman who may be involved in the abduction of your son.’ Strange asked bluntly.

  ‘I know Jerry, and trust me, I don’t want to fight with her. She may be all of those things, but she is also someone John loves, may not be involved with Michael’s death at all and therefore may not be involved in Jacob’s abduction. I know how alone I feel right now. I can imagine she is feeling the same. I just want to talk, that’s all.’ Sarah answered, gently stroking the top of Strange’s arm.

  He observed her features for a few moments, looking for any sign of anger, any sign of resentment in her countenance. He saw none. ‘Alright, I am trusting you. Please don’t let yourself down.’ Strange said, returning her affectionate smile.

  ‘I won’t Jerry. Can I grab a coffee for us?’

  ‘Yes, help yourself.’ he answered, moving back to the whiteboard. ‘Right, where are we.’ he said, looking at the board.

  Sarah filled two cups from the percolator and left the MIU, the conversations within fading as she started to walk around to the back where the Visitor Unit was located. The smaller unit came into view as she rounded the corner, Jessica sanding at the door looking out towards the house. Her relaxed stance tightened as she saw Sarah approach and she stepped out of the Unit towards her.

  ‘I haven’t come to fight.’ Sarah said as she got closer. ‘I’ve come with coffee.’ she continued, proffering the cup to Jessica, a tired smile on her face. ‘Can we talk?’ she finished.

  ‘Would you like to sit down?’ asked Jessica, standing back and motioning in the direction of the seats within the unit.

  ‘To be honest, I wouldn’t mind a walk in the fresh air. I’ve been stuck in the interview room for the past hour crying my eyes out.’ she answered.

  Jessica smiled back at her and took a step to be by her side, both of them heading out over the grass at a slow pace.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Sarah said.

  Jessica looked at her, nearly stopping in her stride, taken aback. ‘What have you got to be sorry about? It should be me who is sorry.’ Jessica answered.

  ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. John does. He should have told me about the two of you a long time ago. If he had, you would have been together much more in the past two years. No, I’m sorry for having the two of you followed. I shouldn’t have done that, it was wrong.’ Sarah said, running the little finger with the remaining false nail around the rim of her coffee cup. She was clutching the taggie entwined in her fingers tight in the palm of the hand holding her cup.

  ‘I would say you had good cause. Your husband has been cheating on you. I have been totally complicit in that. You have every right to be angry with me.’ Jessica answered, mimicking Sarah’s actions on her coffee cup, walking in tandem with her steps.

  Sarah smiled and looked sideways at her, taking in her profile. ‘I can see why he likes you. You are very beautiful. I sat outside your office this morning in the café opposite, thinking about what I would say to you when I saw you. I was angry then. Very angry. But angry at John. My friend Allie reminded me of something. I had an affair when I was younger. She asked me, did John jump, or was he pushed. I pushed him.’

  Jessica looked back towards her, a slightly awkward expression on her features as she sought the right words to say. ‘I know you have more insight into John than I do, but I find he can keep things to himself and not open up.’

  Sarah let out a little laugh. ‘Jessica, I would really like to say I do have more insight into him after the time we have spent together, but I don’t think I do. We shared experiences, we had wonderful times, we had horrendous times and I have memories, good and bad, that I will cherish forever, but I never really knew John. He never let me in and I never let him in. Not all the way. I hope the two of you are different, I really do because he is a good, good man. Has he told you anything about his childhood? Anything other than he doesn’t want to talk about it.’ Sarah asked.

  Jessica didn’t answer for a moment, deliberation painted onto her face. Eventually she simply said. ‘Yes.’

  Sarah stopped and caught her breath as a sudden sob rose in her throat, her eyes welling up. ‘Good, that’s good.’ she mumbled, rubbing her face with her free hand, quickly wiping the tears away as she started to walk again.

  They walked in silence for a while, turning around and heading back towards the units, sipping their coffee. Eventually Sarah spoke again.

  ‘Are you Madame Evangeline?’ she asked, simply.

  ‘Do you know, you are the first person to ask me that directly. There have been lots of questions about where I was and what I was doing, but not that one. Everyone must be thinking it. No. I’m not.’ she answered, pausing, and then continued. ‘In certain ways I wish I was. I can see a lot of suffering happening, with you, with John, with Jacob. I’ve been watching that building since I arrived here this afternoon and that’s what I have been thinking. I could end this. I could say, yes, I am Madame Evangeline. Take me into the room and I will admit to killing Michal Angus and all this will end.’

  ‘So why don’t you? No, sorry, that’s not fair, that’s me being selfish. It’s my son in there and I will do anything to get him out but it is not fair to even ask you to con
sider that. God knows what’s going to happen to the person who does go in there. Look what they have done to an innocent child.’

  ‘Don’t be sorry. This isn’t just down to you and it’s not selfish. You are a mother, and that’s the way a mother should feel.’ A distant emptiness crossed her features as she said the last words, her eyes lost in that space for a moment before she continued. ‘Why don’t I? They have enough evidence to suggest I was involved, so why don’t I? I don’t really know Jacob. But I know John. I love John and Jacob is his son. I might not be a mother, I might not be his mother, but I know how a mother feels.’ Jessica finished the sentence with a firm resolve resounding through her voice, emboldening her demeanour.

  ‘I think I have sat around feeling like a helpless victim for long enough today. If there is something I can do to help Jacob, then that’s exactly what I am going to do. I am going into that room to tell whoever the hell is listening that I am Madame Evangeline and that I killed Michael Angus.’

  8:05 pm

  Saul kicked the boarded up door with venom, planks splintering and bursting inwards through the door frame, his foot following. He looked around the derelict, floodlit area at the base of the tower entrance to the old Lunatic Asylum, opposite the Fielding Institute, to see if anyone had heard the noise. Only the augmenting breeze, becoming a wind, ruffling the leafless gnarled branches of surrounding trees came to his ears. He ducked and entered the building, torch in hand.

  The torchlight picked out broken windows, flaking paintwork, rubbish littering the floor as its narrow beam circled the entrance hallway. There was an overwhelming odour of dampness, decay and urine mingled together, almost palpable in its alkaline intensity. Corridors headed off to the left and to the right, with an entrance to what looked like a main hall in front of him. Saul darted the torch beam around the floor, looking for signs of footprints or a disturbance in the dust and dirt. Off to the left some of the rubbish looked to have been kicked to one side. He headed off in that direction.