by Ricky Fleet
Don’t look down! Don’t look down! Don’t look down! Malachi chanted in his head as he moved through the trapdoor, then looked straight down. The stranded elevator loomed up at him and he felt dizzy for a few seconds. Holding on tight to the rungs of the maintenance ladder, he took a deep breath and concentrated on the wall inches from his face. Fat lot of good he would be if there was breach on the way down and he needed to fight.
“Get a hold of yourself,” he whispered angrily to himself.
“Did you say something, Mal?” Claire asked from above.
“No, honey,” he replied, slightly envious of her calm demeanour.
Scraping and tapping echoed up the vertical passage from the steel doors. Every floor was the same and Malachi knew they were being herded towards a dead end. He had reached the empty cab when the first hammer blow reverberated down from the roof door. Everyone let out a cry of surprise, and they redoubled their efforts.
“They are nearly through,” Anton shouted down.
“Daddy, please hurry,” Claire called up.
“Mal?” Anton called.
“Save your breath and get moving!” Malachi shouted in reply.
“I’m going to hold them here,” he called back.
“Daddy, no!” cried Claire, trying to go back up the ladder.
“I have to baby or they will be able to get you,” Anton explained, looking down at them, his voice tempered with love, “Mal you do whatever it takes to keep them safe, do you understand me?”
“I will,” Malachi replied.
“I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, I love you both so much,” Anton called, blowing a kiss to his wife and child.
Hot tears ran down everyone’s cheeks as he gave a final wave and slammed shut the steel hatch. The padlock being engaged was such an awful sound of finality that Malachi would have covered his ears if he hadn’t been clinging to the ladder. Reaching up, he tried to rub Claire’s thin leg to show how sorry he was, but she was still determined to climb past her mother.
“Claire, you can’t get to him,” sobbed her mother, no less distraught.
“I need you to help me, Claire,” Malachi cooed, “I can’t do this without you.”
Reluctantly, one foot stepped down, followed by the other until they reached the basement doors. Pressing the manual release, he pulled them apart and helped everyone to step through. Grunts of exertion and the crashes of battle accompanied them all the way to the basement. As their intensity grew to a crescendo, Malachi puled Claire in tight and held his hand over her free ear.
“She shouldn’t hear this,” he husked, barely able to speak, “Come here.”
Claire’s mother joined the embrace and used her body to replace Malachi’s hand, shielding her child from the heart breaking sounds. Anton finally succumbed and the agonised screams cut right through the survivors. Paul was on his knees, trying to hold it together through the tears. The silence that followed was as stark as the screams and Claire’s mother collapsed in a faint. Thankfully, two of the other three survivors had seen the life go out of her eyes and gently eased her to the ground.
Are we having fun yet? Chuckled the voice.
Knowing he would appear insane, Malachi couldn’t fight it anymore and addressed the being directly, “I don’t know who you are, but I have a feeling I know what you are.”
Then you know that I will always win against a mere mortal.
“That may have been true until now, but I know I have powers and that you fear them, which means you can be harmed. So no matter what it takes, I am going to find you and destroy you,” Malachi growled.
“Who are you talking to?” Paul looked around the empty basement.
Impossible.
“Then why do I sense doubt in your voice?” Malachi mocked, enjoying the role reversal.
I don’t trade insults with cattle. Enjoy your last moments, because we will be putting your bravado to the test very soon.
“Save the threats for your minions,” Malachi spat vehemently, “I will repay every ounce of pain you have caused here today, now begone!”
Using his energy, Malachi drove the entity out before it could reply.
“You were talking to Clarence?” Paul asked, misunderstanding the one-sided conversation.
“No,” Malachi shook his head, “The being that he serves.” It sounded crazy.
“Oh, ok.”
“You believe me?”
Paul shrugged, “With all that’s happened I have no reason to doubt you.”
Malachi patted him on the back; their survival to this point was in no small part down to the previously hated supervisor. Surveying the basement, it became apparent they were at the end of the line. The high set windows were purposely narrow to deny access to thieves. It left only three ways out; the lift shaft, the main stairs up to the apartment building itself and the emergency access. There were no surprises waiting for them behind the doors, they knew their assailants were waiting. Fresh screeches came from the pipe duct but the steel was thick enough to fend off the snapping claws.
“What do we do now?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know.”
The others had all seated themselves on a set of abandoned dining chairs and stared vacantly. It was the same feeling of hopelessness which had nearly crushed Malachi and he couldn’t blame them. Claire’s mum had regained consciousness and stroked at her daughter’s hair. The room comprised rows of cages which came with each flat for storage. Thick pillars were set at eight feet to spread the weight of the upper floors. A redundant furnace with a madly spreading ductwork system sat in one corner. It had been the source of heat to the whole building for several decades until spare parts were made obsolete. It was cheaper to fit small heating boilers to each property rather than replace the iron monolith. The mains electricity was brought in via a massive fuse board, set within another lockable cage. An insane idea formed in Malachi’s mind and Paul caught the frown.
“What is it?”
“Can you remember science class at school?” Malachi asked mysteriously.
“I’m nearly fifty, I can’t remember last month let alone thirty years ago.”
“We covered electricity and my teacher had a rhyme he used to use,” Malachi racked his brain, “It went something like ‘the volts jolt, but the mills kill’.”
“Great, but what does it mean?”
“If I remember correctly, a normal home will have a two hundred and thirty-volt supply. The mills refer to milliamps which is the bit that kills you.”
“I don’t see what the fuck this has to do with our current situation,” Paul said, shaking his head in confusion.
“Bear with me,” Malachi pleaded, “I was told, and this is word for word, that as long as life exists within this plane, this building will never be free.”
“And?”
“We need to make it so there is no more life in this building.”
“Mal, we don’t have time for this shit. They will be in here at any moment,” Paul sighed.
How could he possibly sell the idea to the group who were all staring at him?
“Electric shock can stop the heart. No heartbeat means no life. No life means this all ends,” Malachi said slowly, unsurprised at the horrified reaction.
“You want to kill us all?” Claire sobbed, hiding behind her mother.
“I have friends in the street who can help once we get rid of all the monsters, sweetheart,” Malachi tried to reach for her but she shrank away.
“Mummy don’t let him hurt me.”
Claire’s mother studied Malachi’s eyes. After the events they had endured she trusted his judgement and knew Anton didn’t give his life for them to ignore their only chance.
“Will it work?”
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.
“How would we go about it?”
One of the men jumped out of his chair, “Are you out of your mind? You can count me out of that bullshit!”
“Then we all die
down here,” Malachi said, slumping into one of the chairs.
Claire’s mother grabbed the man and shook him violently, “You will not be the cause of my daughter dying, do you fucking hear me?”
“It’s a simple choice,” Paul said, calmly separating the pair, “Either we try the electricity and the worst case scenario is we die. Or we wait for them to get in here, tear us to pieces and then eat us. I know which choice I’m taking.”
“Shit!”
“Look, I know this is totally fucked, but I can’t think of any other way to save you all,” Malachi explained.
The man paced back and forth, mind reeling at the impossible choice. With a deep sigh, he stopped walking and faced the rest of the group. “What do we have to do?”
“The time window will be narrow. If I can’t get you medical attention within a few minutes you won’t wake up.”
“Jesus Christ,” said the man nervously.
“I will need you to all do it in quick succession for it to work. If all goes well I can step out of the sphere and end this thing,” Malachi explained, reaching out with his mind and tearing the cover from the fuse board, exposing the wires.
“There are so many things that could go wrong!”
Paul sighed with frustration, “It’s a chance versus no chance.”
“I’m afraid so,” Malachi commiserated.
The incoming mains would be of a much higher ampere than the building side of the fuse so he pulled one of the domestic live conductors free in a shower of sparks. A frenzy of scratching and screeching commenced at the doors as the creatures tried to gain entry.
“They know what we are trying to do!” Paul shouted.
“No, it’s the one controlling them who knows. It’s now or never,” Malachi looked at each of them in turn.
“Tell us what to do,” said the man with resignation.
“I don’t know enough to be sure of the best way. All I can remember is the electricity will need to pass through your heart to stop it. Don’t touch the wire with an open palm as the shock could cause your muscles to contract and you would end up clutching the cable and frying.”
“Fucking marvellous.”
“Use the back of your hand on the wire and put the other on the cage,” Malachi said with urgency, “Stand on this wooden box to act as an insulator for your feet.”
“Claire, I need you to do what Malachi has said,” her mother said with a brave face.
The inhuman din was growing and the doors were starting to fracture. The child held out a hand and Malachi squeezed it supportively.
“Ok, Mummy,” she said quietly.
Standing on the box, she placed one hand against the cold metal of the protective cage and poised the other an inch from the wire. Malachi moved everyone back to protect them and nodded at the young girl. The basement erupted with a flash and a loud crack, throwing Claire free of the fuse board.
“Get her away from here, Mal. We will do what’s needed,” Paul declared.
Picking up the limp body, Malachi checked for a pulse, but there was nothing. Her hands had small scorch marks from the contact and her mother gave her a tender kiss on the forehead.
“I’ll see you soon, baby.”
“Go!” Paul shouted, pushing him for the exit.
Malachi raced for the crumbling emergency access door and screamed his hatred at the vile monsters who were nearly through. An explosion of energy sent the remaining door and obliterated creatures in all directions, clearing a path across the short distance to the orb’s shell. Hoping against hope, Malachi tried to walk through with the body, but it just compressed against the surface. Repositioning her body and freeing an arm, he extended his hand and it passed through without resistance.
“Fuck!”
It’s not going to work, he thought as the next flash came from the basement doorway. Then another. And another. The insectoids were swarming towards him and the open basement door, eager to finish the sacrifice. Placing Claire gently on the ground, the hatred was all consuming.
“Go back to Hell, you filth!” screamed Malachi, waving his arms like a composer.
Waves of hellish beasts were crushed or tossed aside violently as he protected the basement and himself. Shrieks of anger came from the roof and Malachi looked skyward just in time to see the suicidal dives. They were attempting to crush him under their weight and he had to divert his attention to form a shield above his head. With sickly crunches they impacted, exploding in yellow bursts of gore. One final flash and a crack echoed in the basement which signalled the last survivor had touched the cable. It was now or never. Either the attack would cease or the bodies would be consumed. At least they wouldn’t feel the pain.
“You failed,” Malachi taunted the entity.
What? How is it possible? I will feast upon your soul for all eternity! It was beyond furious at losing its quarry.
“I will come for you, whatever your name is; Berumozun, Xaxuzal, Mordreth Jord.” Malachi promised, unsure if he could actually fulfil the threat.
Before it could reply, he stepped backwards out of the sphere and the effect was instantaneous. A howling wind burst into life and the surface turned translucent, fading gradually as the energy dissipated. An invisible vortex dragged the hideous abominations back into the pits from which they had spawned, screaming their frustration and hatred of the living. The scattered remains of the fallen steamed away, their black armour vaporising as easily as the pools of yellow gore. In seconds, no trace remained of the otherworldly foe, but the bodies of the elderly still lay undisturbed. Although broken and bloodied, their faces were serene which assuaged a little of the guilt in Malachi’s heart.
“Come on!” Malachi was losing patience as every second counted in the resuscitation.
The purple orb faded more and more until all that was left was a thin spider web of crackling power. Like a lightning strike, the energy raced to the ground with a loud snap and everything came back to life. Engines rumbled and a can rattled down the street. With a screech of brakes, his minders leaped from the vehicles in shock. Amaris came sprinting, her guns drawn and scanning for targets.
“Where did you go? One second you were next to me and the next you are stood outside the building looking like you’ve seen a ghost?”
Her eyes took in the bodies and realization dawned of what had happened. The briefings didn’t prepare her for coming face to face with the true power which they fought against.
“Shut up and help me!” Malachi shouted, breathing air into the young girl in front of him, “There are more people in the basement who need you. Be careful of the electricity, now go!”
Without asking questions, Desmond, Michael, and the Yardies holstered their weapons and hurried through the destroyed doorway. Amaris covered them, guarding Malachi as he frantically compressed the girl’s chest. Tears coursed down his cheeks, the true magnitude of what he had been through hitting him like a hammer blow.
“Come on, baby!” Malachi sobbed.
“Malachi, we need to go,” Amaris urged, trying to pull him away from the body.
“Get the fuck off me!” he cried, “It’s because of people like you that she is here in the first place.”
“That’s not fair, I’m not that different to you,” she replied with a pained expression.
“Ok, then the people you work for,” Malachi hissed, “The fucking elites and their games that always end up with the innocent suffering while they hide in their ivory towers. I’m sick of it!” Shouting the final words, Claire started to cough, drawing in precious oxygen.
“Bring her and lay her on the back seats. We can keep her safe too.”
Michael appeared at the doorway and he showed little hope, “Get out of here! We will do all we can for them but you must go!”
“She has been electrocuted and needs medical treatment,” Malachi said, rolling her into the recovery position while she coughed and gagged.
“We have some of the most gifted medical professionals on th
e planet, I promise she will receive the best care money can buy.”
Malachi sighed with exasperation and picked Claire up. They hurried to the car and he laid her gently inside.
“Where’s my mummy?” she croaked.
Malachi looked at Amaris for support, “She’s coming in the other car, sweetie. Malachi will keep you company until she arrives, ok?”
“Are all the monsters gone, Mal?”
“Yes, honey. Your brave daddy scared them all away to keep you safe,” he said, fresh tears flowing at the self-sacrifice.
“Is he dead?”
“I’m afraid so, sweetheart. But he will always love you, never forget that.”
As Amaris drove away, the two distraught passengers consoled each other as best they could. Malachi knew the crushing weight of grief the poor girl would be placed under if her mother succumbed to the injury and he hugged her even tighter. In the darkness of a side alley, a man watched them pass by. The side of his face was lit up by the screen of his phone.
“Drake, he got away,” he said and hung up before the barrage of questions could begin.
Finally, he had a worthy adversary after decades of boredom and indiscriminate slaughter. Clarence smiled.
EPILOGUE
Malachi watched as Claire was ushered away into the side chapel under the care of two priests. Amaris urged him to continue and each footstep on the stone floor of the nave echoed around the empty cathedral. Candles fluttered in the aisles, disturbed by the hurried entrance and subsequent slamming and bolting of the doors. At the altar a man stood looking up at the image of Jesus on his cross, head pierced by a crown of thorns and a trail of blood running from the spear wound on his flank. Malachi could attest to the pain and looked away, feeling a puzzling guilt that he had survived where the Son of God hadn’t. In a way, his incredible resurrection had striking parallels to the tale of Christ, only without the cave. I’m going to Hell; Malachi shook his head at the blasphemy. Why was it that places of worship always set his nerves on edge and jumbled his thoughts?
“Are you ok?” whispered Amaris.
“Fine,” Malachi replied, “I am just frazzled after what has happened.”
