by G Mottram
More vehicles kept on coming, intermittently now, parking up and engines dying away only to be replaced by others drawing in. Doors slammed and the odd shout reached him. Then he heard half-hushed voices in the corridor outside. He rushed back to the door and pressed his ear against it. People were being shown to rooms not many doors away. Jason wondered if they would be locked in as well.
Surely if the invasion exercise was beginning, they should all be rushing to “battle stations” or something… not that he knew where he was supposed to go of course.
He went into the bathroom – not switching on the light. The window there was wide but only about half a metre high.
He climbed up on the stool and opened the window. Steel bars were fixed to both lower corners. They slid out of the wall then stopped the frame from opening more than thirty centimetres. He could break out here – use a small air-strike from his finger to smash the wooden window frame away from where the bar was fixed in to it. They might not discover the minor damage for some time.
He thought for a moment. Outside, the noises had subsided. Just one or two engines still sounded in the darkness.
Slowly he closed the window and sat down on the edge of the bath. He’d see what was going on outside soon enough anyway – their alarms went off at five thirty every morning.
He climbed back into bed and dozed fitfully for an hour before giving up. There was still the odd vehicle noise from outside but he ignored it and began a long session of limbering up, Jakra and Gift practice. By the time the alarm went off, he was showered, dressed and ready to take on the world. He pressed the door release and this time the latch clicked open obediently.
He wasn’t the only one shooting out of the stalls. Half the other doors popped open just as he stepped into the corridor. Everyone turned to everyone else.
‘What was going on last night? Did you hear it – cars and stuff?’ It was Martinez, the Mediterranean looking student who took delight in peppering Jason with shurikens. Jason had no idea that her room was only four doors to his left.
There were various grunts and shrugs from the students then they all had the same thought – the stairs. More doors opened and the corridor filled with eager, chatting students. En masse, they bundled down the stairs, along the lower corridor and burst into the entrance hall where others were just coming out of the opposite corridor.
Anna was standing at the double entrance doors, holding one half open and looking out.
Jason frowned. She must have got out of her room before everyone else? Perhaps Alan Brash’s secret daughter did get some extra privileges after all.
‘We’ve got company,’ Anna announced and pulled both doors wide open to let the surging mass of students see outside.
Vehicles filled the gravel approach – perhaps fifty or more: cars, 4x4s, military jeeps and three small lorries.
‘It must be part of the invasion exercise?’ someone mumbled.
‘I’m not so sure.’ Anna said, stepping out on to the little walled terrace that topped the double steps. ‘I think we’re going need a good breakfast.’
Anna trotted down the right hand steps and headed for the refectory. Bursting into excited chatter, everyone followed her, their eyes scanning the vehicles massed before them. The cars and lorries were all empty – not a soul to be seen apart from a pair of security guards watching them from the tree line beyond the church.
Jason caught Carl’s eye as the students filed across the bridge to the refectory. Carl nodded and edged passed him. At least he hadn’t scowled.
In the refectory the buffet tables were laden with hot full English breakfasts instead of the pre-run fruit and cereal. There was also an entire bench full of newcomers eating the student’s food.
‘This isn’t good.’ Carl mumbled, looking over the new people. ‘Looks like we’re going to have to baby-sit you a little earlier than expected, doesn’t it Hot Shot?’ He turned to stare at Jason.
Anna placed herself between them. ‘It’s not a question of babysitting – we watch each others’ backs. Now get some bacon before these new buggers finish it all off.’
Carl wasn’t finished however. ‘When the time comes, just make sure you do your bit, Golden Boy, or we’re all dead.’
‘No pressure then,’ Jason said.
Carl shook his head and pushed past Anna, swinging a cuff at Jason’s temple as he went.
Jason blocked the swipe easily then bit down a yelp as Carl’s foot flicked into his shin. Anna shot out her hand but Carl had made his point. He dodged away from her and headed for the buffet table.
Jason forced a smile and rubbed his shin. ‘You know, I get the feeling Carl doesn’t really want to be on my side.’
‘You don’t do a lot to help the situation, do you?’ Anna replied. ‘Don’t worry – he’ll do the right thing when he has to. A lot of shields get annoyed at the glorifying you high and mighty Gifted get treated to.’
‘But we deserve it.’ Jason said.
Anna flicked a cuff at him just like Carl. He dodged it and foot-blocked her snap kick to his shin as well.
‘You’re learning, junior,’ she said, grinning.
Jason smiled back then turned to scan the newcomers. ‘Do you know any of these people?’
‘A few.’ Anna said, shuffling along with the queue to get some breakfast. ‘They’re all our top managers and scientists, security guards’ families, that sort of thing.’
Jason allowed his plate to be piled high as he looked over the strangers. There were around forty adults – men and women from perhaps eighteen to fifty or so, dressed in everything from hoodies to suits. They sat along the benches at the far side of the refectory and each of them looked as if they’d been up half the night. Tired, dark-shadowed eyes had watched the students enter over the rims of coffee cups but the majority of them were returning their attention to breakfast.
Jason’s eyes suddenly widened. Sitting at one end of the bench were Fast Eddie, Erin Brock and Oliver Stone. Eddie caught Jason watching him and nodded. Jason nodded back.
‘Anna, I’ve just seen some friends from Silent Hill. I’m just going to go over and find out what’s happening?’
Anna glanced over where Jason had been looking. ‘Ah, the illustrious Fast Eddie, your gang leader. Carl and I were down to be his shields when he left Silent Hill but then we got an upgrade when you came along. I’m afraid Carl would still prefer Eddie though, what with him being a couple of years older and rather experienced…’
‘And who do you prefer?’
‘With another couple of month’s training I’d probably go for you... maybe.’
‘Cheers,’ Jason said.
‘You’re welcome,’ Anna said, finishing loading her tray. ‘Say hello to Eddie for me.’
‘Sure,’ Jason said and worked his way passed the rapidly filling benches.
‘Jason, old boy – how the devil are you?’ Eddie grinned as Jason squeezed into a space opposite him. ‘Good to see you getting on so well with my mate Carl over there.’
Not for the first time, it struck Jason how much Eddie sounded like Brash… or perhaps how much he wanted to sound like the Master of Darkston Abbey.
‘He loves me really,’ Jason smiled. It flitted across his mind that the balance of power between them had shifted. Now he’d mastered some of his Gift and had been training directly under Schmidt and Cadaveril, perhaps he was in some way superior to Eddie. He realized he was holding Eddie’s eye and quickly looked away.
‘Erin, Oliver – good to see you again,’ Jason said, glancing at the shoulder Erin’s had injured during their Drunken Abbot raid – at least there wasn’t a sling or anything on it. ‘Can anyone tell me what the hell’s going on?’
Eddie shrugged. ‘Not one hundred percent sure there, old boy – it seems we were all woken up by security at about one this morning, told to pack a bag and get ourselves over here. After the usual security checks most of us were shown to a room full of camp beds and sleeping bags. Then the
y called us for breakfast.’
‘No one told you why?’ Jason asked.
‘Nope,’ Erin answered, sipping at a glass of fresh orange juice. Her red hair framed a face that wasn’t happy. ‘I dare say they’ll get around to letting us know what’s going on when they feel like it. Then maybe I can phone my parents to stop them both worrying themselves sick.’
‘Is anyone else from school here?’ Jason asked.
‘A few – most of them are still flaked out in the dorms.’ Eddie said. ‘All our Gifted are here, of course and some of the older, more competent members of our happy little gang. In short - everyone Mr Brash considers worth saving has been brought in.’
Jason caught Erin’s eye. Obviously, Brash didn’t consider her parents “worth saving”.
‘I don’t suppose…’ Jason hesitated. ‘I don’t suppose Tanya is here…’
Eddie raised an eyebrow. ‘You really liked her didn’t you, old boy? No she’s not here, I’m afraid, and my sage advice would be to forget her.’
‘None of the Skins are here, of course,’ Oliver scoffed, shoving in half a sausage and speaking for the first time, ‘not even Callum – I hope he’s the first to go.’
‘The first to go?’ Jason said. ‘This is just part of the invasion exercise, isn’t it?’ He chewed his lip –Miranda were out there.
Eddie answered. ‘Probably – it would be just like Brash to practice shipping us vitally important folk into the abbey in the middle of the night. But then again, this might be the real thing.’
He looked across at Erin. ‘Of course, if the Brethren have finally found us they’ll most likely know there’s nothing of much interest to them in Drunken Abbot or Darkston. They’ll just power on through and head straight for us here in the abbey. Ironically, those on the outside will be the safest.’
The small, riverside entrance opened before Jason could question Eddie any further. Two large security guards entered and stationed themselves on either side of the door. One of the guards had a quiet word with a couple of students who were just about to leave and a moment later, they shrugged and went to get another coffee.
‘They’re not letting people leave,’ Jason said.
‘Perhaps they’re just going to gas us all and get it over with.’ Oliver said grinning with a bit of bacon stuck in his teeth.
‘I don’t think so.’ Erin said. Her eyes were fixed on the main doors that led out to the cloister.
They followed her gaze. The doors were being held open by four more security guards, all with machine guns slung over their shoulders.
A moment later, Brash walked in with Alicia Sirensong a pace behind his right shoulder. A shadow peeled away from Brash as he took centre-stage on the top step and Cadaveril materialized on his left. Finally, Marakoff limped in, immediately shrinking back against the wall behind the three of them.
Security closed the doors and all talk in the refectory died away. Brash stepped further into the light and opened his hands like some benevolent saint.
‘Good morning to you all – staff, students and to our esteemed guests from Darkston village.’ Brash’s handsome face beamed over his minions seated below him.
‘No doubt you’re all wondering what on earth is going on. Why, for goodness sake, have all the great and the good been herded into the abbey at such a ridiculous hour this morning?’
He surveyed the room – a showman building the tension, drawing in everybody’s full attention.
‘Well, at the risk of sounding like I’m in a bad war movie… this is not an exercise.’
Whispers rose up from around the floor but died the instant Brash spoke again.
‘The Brethren have found us. Just before midnight our infra-red sweep caught two agents dug into the valley side with high powered surveillance equipment. They could have been watching the abbey grounds for hours, the whole day even. Heaven knows who and what they saw.’ Brash paused, his gaze sweeping over the room and resting for just a second on Jason.
‘One problem of course, is that they usually come in threes and we only got the two of them. A second… concern is that they were both equipped with a satellite navigation tracking device. When they don’t report back, more will come and if we catch them, more still. We have to assume the Brethren know we’re here and that they’ll throw everything they have at us before we have a chance to get out.’
Brash paused for a moment, letting the news sink in and the whispers start. Finally he spoke again, his rich, powerful voice commanding the room’s focus to return to him.
‘Fortunately, evacuation has never been the plan. We have all trained countless times for just such an attack as it was always going to happen at some point – and this will be our best chance of finally drawing out the Brethren worms from their burrowing into British government, business and security services. To be honest, I couldn’t have planned it any better.’
Brash smiled again, searching faces, judging reactions. ‘Over the next couple of hours, you will be reminded of your duties and your stations. I don’t know how long we will have before the Brethren come for us – a few hours or a few days – who can say? But when they do come, by hell we’ll be ready for them.’
Brash took a long slow breath in. He seemed to be expanding, growing in height and presence. ‘This my friends, is what we have been preparing for –’
Brash suddenly leapt from the steps, forming an air bar three metres above the nearest table as he flew. He grabbed and somersaulted around the shimmering air to catapult himself further into the refectory and landed deftly on the centre bench.
He punched one fist into the air, his eyes blazing. ‘- bring them on!’
The room erupted into cheers and applause. Students stood up, clapping and pressing in on Brash to shake his hand, touch his leg, anything to partake of his magnificence. For a few short moments he indulged the throng then without warning, he sprinted through mid-air - forming air-steps faster than Jason thought possible - over their heads and dropped back down next to Alicia. Security swung open the double doors and Brash swept out of view.
Cadaveril and Marakoff quickly disappeared but Alicia Sirensong hesitated. She caught Jason’s anxious stare and raised her eyes in exasperation before smiling wickedly and gliding out into the sun-bright cloister.
Excited conversation quickly built to a roar as the doors closed and students, guests and security began milling around the packed refectory.
Jason needed to get out – Miranda was out there and the Brethren were coming. Louisa and Mouse as well… and Dad would be hundreds of miles away in the north of Scotland by now.
With the zephyr from Brash’s Gift use still squalling around him, Jason sidled away from Eddie and the others to slip out of the now unguarded riverside door.
Alan Brash was standing not ten feet away. He was talking to several security guards but ushered them away as he caught sight of Jason.
‘Hoped I might catch you getting some air, Jason, old boy,’ he smiled. ‘Let’s take a walk, shall we?’
Jason nodded and Brash led him left, along the river towards the huge open lawns at the rear of the abbey.
‘Mr Brash,’ Jason began, ‘my sister’s out in Darkston Wick, staying with Ilena Russof while Dad’s…away. I can’t leave her there on her own.’
‘Ahh – well actually we tried to bring Miranda, the Russofs and even that little Mouse character in last night but Ilena point blank refused, I’m afraid.’
‘Then I’ll go and stay with them…’
‘Jason, Jason,’ Brash said, holding up a placating hand, ‘hold on a minute. You do realise how indescribably vital to our cause you are, don’t you and how much the Brethren desperately want someone of your power?’
‘I don’t see what that’s got to do with making sure Miranda’s safe.’
Brash stopped and looked directly at him. ‘I know we are not supposed to talk about this but there is no time for the niceties of Watch tradition now – you are a triple six, Jason, I’m su
re of it. Eighteen generations of slowly increasing power to produce you – the Gift does not get any more potent. There are only three other Triples in the World that we know of and one of them is over seventy.’
‘Fine, but the Brethren don’t know I’m here so…’
‘I understand you used your Gift in the open grounds yesterday – on the morning run?’
‘What?’ Jason asked. ‘Yes, Master Schmidt told me to but I don’t see what that has to do with…’
‘If those Brethren agents saw you,’ Brash cut in, ‘if they recognised you as Richard Darillian’s son, they will have already called their entire UK forces down on us. They know how powerful your father was and will be absolutely frantic to capture you even on the sniff of a chance that you’re a triple six.’
‘You’re exaggerating, I’m not all that…’ Jason began.
Brash cut in. ‘A triple six is the only one of us capable of defeating a demon prince should any Brethren Summoner be powerful and crazed enough to ever bring one through. Ironically, Triples are probably the only ones powerful enough to summon a prince from the lowest layer of the demons’ prison - the Abyss.’
‘What – the Gift isn’t used for summoning demons is it?’
‘We believe it might be… something to do with forcing open a hole in the walls of the Abyss.’
‘But they could never force me to do that - I wouldn’t have a clue how, anyway.’
‘If you were possessed, you would.’
Brash let his words hang in the air until Jason worked out where this was leading.
‘So you’re not going to let me leave the abbey, are you?’
‘I couldn’t take the risk.’
‘What happens when Dad gets back?’
Brash took in a slow breath and started them walking along the river again. ‘He will understand what I’m doing – he knows the abbey is the only safe place until this threat is over.’
‘So you’re just going to leave Miranda and the Russofs out there?’
