by Rees, Kevin
In the opposite bay, his friend was on the bed, propped up by a crutch, which had been crudely punched through the back of his neck and now protruded out of his mouth. Eddie gripped the trolley until his hands became two white vices. He forced his eyes shut and begged his mind to stop recording the torture his friend had been made to suffer. The Bloodeaters had cut his arms and legs off and used his own intestines to apply tourniquets to the stumps as a mockery of his profession. There was nothing inside Andy’s stomach; nothing but a gaping hole where his eyeballs stared back out of the cavity. At some point they had used more intestines to wrap around his neck and strangle him. Eddie guessed they had taken time to kill him slowly, revelling in the agony they could inflict.
‘Keagan, I am glad the team reached you in time. I hear it was a close call. Come, sit with me for a moment.’ Sixsmith gestured for Eddie to follow him into his office, then realised how close to collapsing the nurse was. Sixsmith reached out, guiding Eddie firmly by the arm and helped him down on to the chair Sister Flint had sat on earlier.
Eddie felt the room vibrating around him. All the shelves and cabinets were moving like the flick books he’d played with as a kid. Sixsmith unscrewed a cap and the smell of expensive single malt whisky quickly wafted around the small office. He offered Eddie the hip flask, which he took and drank deeply. The burning sensation on the back of his throat did more to bring him around than the alcohol itself. Had he swallowed a whole bottle it wouldn’t have got him out of this nightmare.
‘I want to know what those things are, Colonel?’ said Eddie, trying to restore some composure. ‘They’ve torn apart people I cared about. How could they do that? I mean, what are they? Some military experiment that’s left home and gone AWOL? I saw them bleed white stuff for Christ’s sake!’
‘They are a genetic abomination; a split in man’s evolution, if you like. The anthropologists and other scientists understand it more than I. Even after working in my department for several years, talk of DNA strands and genetics is still way above my level of understanding. All I can tell you is we have known about them for some considerable time. We have historical texts that depict periods — typically turbulent times of war — where these creatures have thrived. Most of South America and Eastern Europe have woven them into their culture and folklore for centuries. They are chameleons, which make them damn hard to find. They integrate very well, and hide equally well. That is why we work with specialists,’ Sixsmith said, taking his own sip from the flask.
Eddie noticed he didn’t wipe the top when taking his drink. ‘One of the team called me a First Blood. What’s that mean?’
‘I do not think you are in a fit state to take in a lot, Keagan. Besides, I need you prepped and ready to go back in. A man with your record is very valuable, especially as you have a working knowledge of this building. The commander of the team will need your expertise, and I assure you we will keep you safe.’ It wasn’t a request Sixsmith offered, but an order delivered succinctly and gauged on Eddie’s need to find Kat.
Before Eddie could say anything, a knock on the door brought Sixsmith to his feet. Eddie glanced up at a man who leaned forward and whispered into the Colonel’s ear. There was something familiar about the way he carried himself that smacked of Special Forces. Sixsmith looked over the man’s shoulder and gestured to someone out of Eddie’s sight. The man moved to one side to allow someone else into the office. The new man entered the room, ducking under the doorframe, and stood beside Sixsmith. It was like seeing a father and young son together, with the latter having to crane his head to look up at him. Eddie overheard his name being mentioned during the whispered conversation. The man stared at him unwaveringly as Sixsmith continued talking. It was a few minutes before they parted and Sixsmith spoke.
‘Eddie, I want you to meet Karl Felton, who is the Task Force Commander.’ Sixsmith stood to one side as Felton stepped forward.
Eddie began to rise out of the chair, but Felton gestured for him to sit back. ‘Should I be pleased to meet you?’
‘You could thank me for sending my team in to save your life,’ Karl said. His voice was deep and rumbled off the walls.
‘I’m sorry. Thanks for saving me. But out of all the staff, I still don’t understand why you made all this effort to rescue me,’ Eddie said.
Felton glanced at Sixsmith, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. ‘I see you haven’t been told the facts. Perhaps later we can have a longer conversation, but now I need to inspect my team and ensure the cordon around this place is solid.’ Felton dropped a hand onto Eddie’s shoulder and bent down. ‘I need you tonight, Mr Keagan. Please trust me on that. What’s outside this office is terrible and shocking and I want it to make you very angry. Enough to want to get revenge for your colleagues, and also for your girlfriend. Father will not stop unless we stop him. This team is unique and the best, you will complement that. Sixsmith recommends you, and that’s good enough.’ Karl Felton straightened up. This time there was a degree of softness in his eyes, as if he were trying to convey his sincerity as he left the office.
‘Well, Eddie, it is now down to you. Do you let the deaths go and scurry on back to that flat you call home? Or do you want in on the game? Even a chance to get your girlfriend back from Father before he kills her — or worse?’ Sixsmith delivered the ultimatum coldly. He gestured to the man standing outside the door to come in. ‘Before you make any decision I want to reacquaint you with someone — one of my bodyguards in fact. His name is Sam Cornick. It is accepted if it were not for your exceptional skills, Sam would have died in Iraq. He has no recollection of who you are, or what you did, because when you brought him back from the dead and stabilised him for evacuation, he was unconscious.’
They both shot glances at Sixsmith and then at each other. Sam stepped forward and stood in front of Eddie. He was a few inches shorter, but solidly built. He held out his hand, which Eddie automatically took.
‘So you’re Eddie Keagan. I’ve always wanted to meet you, mate. The lads at Hereford who carry some war wounds still talk about you.’ His voice had a peculiar fusion of accents that seemed to have a hint of London at its core, mixed with a vague Middle Eastern intonation. ‘I can’t thank you enough for not giving up on me. From what I heard you had to cross a minefield and dodge snipers. My wife gave me some grief when I got back, but if she were here now she would also thank you, and so would my kid.’ Sam held onto Eddie’s hand and kept pumping it up and down.
‘Thank you, Sam. Check on Max and Barry. We are taking over when this mission is complete.’
‘Sir.’ Sam clasped Eddie’s shoulder before leaving the office.
‘You see how many lives you affect. Not only Sam’s, his wife and child appreciate you without even knowing who you are. The men in Hereford hold you in the highest of regard, as do many others. You are revered, Eddie Keagan, without truly knowing it. Hiding away in this place has never delivered the peace you were searching for. It would seem no amount of running will ever change the person you are. I am confident you have it in you to become the Eddie Keagan who is remembered for his gallantry in the face of adversity. That is how the many citations read when you received your medals.’ Sixsmith proffered the flask once more.
Eddie reached out instinctively. The last few minutes had made him unsure of the world he knew. His hand sank back, knowing the next words were going to change his life. ‘Okay, I’m in.’
‘Good man. Granted you are not in ideal shape, but you look as if you can keep up with the team,’ Sixsmith said. ‘I am aware you are proficient with a couple of automatic pistols, but I cannot authorise you to be issued with any weapon until you are re-tested. I will reiterate, Lars will not allow anything to harm you. After the mission you and I will talk about your future.’
Eddie straightened in the chair and looked directly at Sixsmith. ‘I haven’t agreed to be one of your bloody pawns for life, Colonel! You assume by plying me with some complimentary words and meeting someone you say I saved that I’ll ju
mp and race around the hospital with your bunch of goons. I left the Army because it did my head in, literally. I dream in full Technicolor and wake up sweating. I have to drink to get rid of those images just to do my job. Now I find outside this room my nightmares are real. My mate is lying out there like a trussed-up turkey, and you want me to run around with your team to play soldiers again. I was a medic remember. I never killed anyone.’
‘Not true, Keagan. You shot two men and saved a whole squad. Two confirmed dead. I have the report with me if you care to read it,’ Sixsmith said, stiffening his tone. ‘I am not asking you to be a soldier, more a tactical guide. I thought you would have wanted a chance at revenge for your colleague who suffered quite considerably, I imagine.’
‘Colonel, let me ask you a question. How is all this being controlled? Where are the police?’
‘Gas leak. Police are providing the cordon. A sufficiently large exclusion zone is protecting this hospital from civilian snooping. My team and Karl’s are all that is needed to keep a lid on this. Keagan, I do genuinely need someone who will not crack under pressure. This team moves fast and hard. Who else has the skills — be they a little rusty — and knowledge of the environment...him!’ Sixsmith gestured to the porter who was being led away from the scene, still praying and retching.
Eddie was silent. He had to admit the last few minutes had brought back the exhilaration he’d experienced in the field — the gunfire, the smell of hot weapons, the speed of movement. And this team did control themselves expertly. ‘Okay, but only to get Kat. Felton was right about my anger turning into something I’ve been trying to exorcise for years,’ he sighed wistfully. ‘Andy was a good mate, and I love Kat. I have to do something to get back at this Father character.’
‘Of course you do, Keagan.’
Eddie got up and offered his hand to the Colonel, who took it immediately. His grip was stronger than Eddie anticipated for a desk-bound Rupert. Sixsmith let go and went to the door. He beckoned to Sam and pointed to Maya. The bodyguard nodded and went over to the woman who glanced at Eddie and began gesticulating angrily at Sam. Eddie watched as the conversation became heated. Whatever Sam had said infuriated the woman, enough for her to throw a rucksack at him. Much to the bodyguard’s credit, he threw it back at her. Karl Felton seemed to appear out of nowhere. He took hold of her arm and whispered into her ear. Eddie saw the woman’s shoulders drop as if in resignation. She seemed to concur several times with whatever he was saying and a thin razor-cut smile appeared, splitting the stern expression she’d worn since Eddie ripped off her balaclava. Karl went to take the rucksack, but Maya shook her head and walked to the office, carrying the pack. Eddie watched her approach. She was a good actress, returning the stern expression as soon as her back was turned to Karl. Maya approached Sixsmith. Without a word, she tore open the top of the pack and pulled out a black uniform and a pair of boots, which the Colonel took, nodding his thanks to her.
Sixsmith handed the uniform to Eddie. ‘I think this will fit if our measurements are correct.’
Eddie took the uniform and watched Maya return to where Lars and the team were prepping their kit. She whispered something to the big man, who glanced casually in his direction and shrugged. Eddie undressed and put on the clothing. The one-piece suit felt familiar; though Eddie found the material of the uniform seemed to be much more flexible and didn’t restrict his movement. He laced up the light boots and stood before Sixsmith for inspection.
‘You need to shed some weight, Keagan, or we may have to get you a bigger size,’ Sixsmith said with a deadpan expression that suddenly broke into an unexpected upturn at the edge of his mouth.
Eddie appreciated how much it had taken Sixsmith to drop his stiffness to try and relax him a little. Now, he began to feel something that had lain dormant inside him. Something just waiting for the chance to break free again. A familiar tightness began to criss-cross his stomach, and the boom, boom, boom of his heart thundered in his head. As with every mission he’d taken part in, adrenalin slowly drip-fed its fuel into his body. Preparing him for whatever was waiting out in the dark shadows of the building. With Kat’s life at stake, and an older head, Eddie had to bury the younger man. And bury him deep.
‘Well, you still look the part. Go and join Karl and Lars for mission prep. I will catch up with you afterwards.’ Sixsmith gestured towards the team.
Eddie left the office. He glanced at Andy Crane’s body, and the slaughter all around him. Whatever happened in the next few hours, he would make it his business to get revenge for the atrocity, and find Kat. Whoever, or whatever Father was, he wanted one opportunity to inflict the same pain he was being forced to witness.
The team were huddled around one of the beds. Karl looked up and gestured for Eddie to join them. He consciously avoided standing next to Maya, who didn’t move as he entered the group. Two of the team looked at him in his black combats and began to laugh. One sharp word from Karl silenced them. Eddie stood next to the commander. Lars was on the other side and acknowledged him with a brief nod before turning his attention back to the plans of the hospital.
‘Up or down? Where would you go if you were Father? The food source has gone, except for us,’ Karl said, bringing a chorus of laughter around the bed. ‘Perhaps we could use your knowledge of the building, Mr Keagan. Father and his family have fed well. They now need a secure place to prepare for us. It must be defensible and offer an escape route. So, would you go up or down?’
All eyes turned to him. Eddie sensed they were waiting for a babbling response — an incoherent assessment of the viability of the situation. He glanced at the plans. All the lines and symbols meant very little to him. The ten storeys were laid out in precise, geometric patterns. He tried seeing them visually, imagining all the doors and corridors with patients and staff occupying the wards. Sixsmith was right about his knowledge of the hospital. Eddie hoped he was right about the rest.
‘I take it you have teams covering the roof,’ Eddie said.
Karl nodded.
Eddie drew in a breath as silently as he could. ‘Okay. I understand they are highly developed and incredibly strong.’
‘Not incredibly strong — incredibly determined. They never give up until you make them stop,’ Maya said, staring at the plan and then up at Eddie. ‘So, nurse — where are they?’
The statement was a slap on the cheek from the woman who fully expected Eddie to humiliate himself. He stared back and reached down to the plan. Without taking his eyes off her, he pointed. ‘They must be here, then.’ His finger punched down hard onto the paper, leaving an impression. Underneath his finger the word "MOR" was just visible.
‘Where?’ Lars said.
‘They’re in the Mortuary. Easy to defend, and has bodies if they get peckish,’ Eddie replied, humourlessly. ‘Makes sense, given they have direct access to the basement from there and several bottle necks in the twisting corridors. If they barricaded here and here it becomes a fortress. You’d need some heavy duty stuff to get through — maybe even C4.’
‘Could we not assault from below — blow a hole from the basement?’ Lars pointed to a room on the diagram.
‘Absolutely not,’ Eddie said, stabbing at the plan again. ‘Look here. They store hundreds of oxygen bottles close to there. One stray spark and this place would take off like a rocket. This Father of yours is smart... I can see that. He’s planned this way before the attack tonight, hasn’t he?’
Karl remained silent, mulling over Eddie’s assessment. He could see why Sixsmith had recommended he go with the team. He had a great deal of combat experience — more than most of his squad — but he was still a liability if his motives were driven by the thought of his girlfriend’s predicament. That could make him rash and unpredictable, which would compromise the mission. ‘Could we breach through the ceiling above this corridor?’
‘Not if you want at least some element of surprise. I’m no engineer or builder, but the concrete will be supported by metal struts runni
ng through it, making it very hard to cut through quickly and quietly.’ Eddie moved closer to Karl. ‘If you don’t use tools, why not breech this wall and put teams here and here, giving you protected crossfire for your troops?’
Karl looked at Lars, who sighed loudly, punctuating his annoyance for not spotting the oxygen earlier. He wanted to impress his mentor who had made him team commander, even though it had been promised that Maya would lead. His glance towards her fell short of the support he hoped for. She was looking at Eddie with a grudging respect. The First Blood’s plan made sense — he could read the strategy perfectly, providing he was right about the location of Father. Lars felt frustration beginning to lick at his feet. He wet his lips several times before addressing the team.
‘Our new comrade says they are in the mortuary. Perhaps he can smell them better than we can,’ Lars said, making light of the decision being made by a First Blood. ‘If Father and his group are there, we take our vengeance to them.’ The team grunted their approval. Eddie joined in, acknowledging how much this must be hurting the Swede. ‘We are a team; we are a family. I want you to kill for me, for Karl. We will rid this place of their filth. And, I want you to honour this. If I go down, don’t risk your lives saving me as I will fight and kill until my dying breath chokes in my throat and my beating heart stills. Are we ready!!’
The team exploded in a frenzy of grunts and back slaps. Even Maya appeared captivated by Lars’s eloquent speech. Eddie took a couple of very hard slaps without making a sound. He knew it was a test of strength, and he wasn’t going to fold. Lars and Karl moved to another bay leaving the team to prep. Eddie watched the whispered discussion. Lars nodded like an ornamental dog in the back of a car, seemingly agreeing with whatever Karl was proposing. They became aware of Eddie watching them and quickly drew the curtain across. It left him feeling suspicious of their intentions. Or perhaps he was over-reacting given the last hour of his life, he told himself.
