Curse of the Sea

by Joni Parker

“A siren—it’s the police.” Alex paused and listened.

  Jeffrey heard it. “They’re too far away. Maybe it’s for something else.”

  “No, they’re coming here.” She closed her eyes and the sirens continued in their direction. “We don’t have much time.”

  ***

  In the Glastonbury police station, the officers gathered around the speaker phone to listen to Detective Inspector Tyler from Scotland Yard, calling from a helicopter.

  “We’re looking for a young woman about twenty years of age with long, black hair and blue eyes, about six-feet tall. She’s wearing old-fashioned clothes—a brown cloak, brown jacket, white shirt, brown pants and tall brown boots. We’ve released a drawing to the public and it’s posted on our website. I ask--”

  “Wait a sec, Inspector.” One of the officers brought up the website on the computer and the other officers gathered around to look at the drawing.

  “Sweet Jesus! I saw her. She was with them hippies on the way to the Tor. What’s she wanted for?”

  “It’s a matter of national security. What’s your name?”

  “P.C. Humphrey, sir.” He stood up straight as the other men nudged each other.

  “Have any of you ever seen her before? Does she have relatives in the area?” Tyler asked.

  “No, sir. Never seen her before. Any of you?” Humphrey glanced around him. “None of us have ever seen her before.”

  “Do you have any idea why she would be in Glastonbury?”

  “She must be a hippie.” Humphrey rolled his eyes.

  “What in bloody hell are you talking about?”

  “The hippies here are celebrating some festival for the Super Moon.” Humphrey grinned. “We didn’t have any problems with them, sir. They just needed some traffic control.”

  “Find her, but don’t try to take her. She could be dangerous. I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m flying in by chopper. Thanks, lads.” Tyler nodded to Detective Sergeant Smith across from him and gave him a thumbs-up.

  “Roger, over and out.” Humphrey grinned as he pushed the button to turn off the speaker. “Men, we’d better get out there. Scotland Yard’s coming.” They scrambled for their hats and ran out. This was the most excitement they’d had in years.

  ***

  Across the street from the Red Springs, a small building had a sign for the White Springs. The door was locked, but Alex could hear water running inside.

  “The arch should be at the base of the Tor, Alex. I looked down through the crack in the ground from above once.” Jeffrey pointed to a field that led up to the hill.

  “We’ve got to be close.” Alex stood beside a brick house. The Tor rose in front of them on the other side of a grassy field. “Do you see any cracks in the ground?”

  To the right, a line of candles marked the progress of the procession to the top of the Tor. Many had reached the top, but people still marched slowly upward, with many more standing on the street.

  “Now what?” Jeffrey rubbed his forehead. “Wait, remember the entry point was blocked when you tried to go through it.”

  “Yeah, I remember that.” She nodded. “How did that happen?”

  “Haven’t got the slightest idea.” But his face flushed as he recalled his effort to block the entry point. He’d been sworn to secrecy.

  Alex detached the green stone from her necklace and changed it into a wand. She waved it over the field.

  “Wand of Spiritus, find me the entry point.”

  The wand vibrated in her hand and pulled her ahead, leading her over a wire fence and then pointed down like a divining rod.

  “Wand of Spiritus, reveal the entry point.”

  She waved the wand once more. Lightning flashed from the tip and struck the ground, throwing dirt and stones out in all directions. Alex and Jeffrey ducked low to avoid getting hit, but Alex’s feet slid out from under her as the ground caved in with a roar. Jeffrey grabbed onto her and helped her to her feet.

  “What was that?” Jeffrey shook dirt out of his hair.

  “It’s my wand. I think I need to be more careful with it.” Alex brushed the dirt off her head and shoulders.

  “You think? How does it work?”

  Alex shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

  Jeffrey knelt on the edge of a fifteen-foot pit.

  Several people from the procession ran over, including the woman Alex had spoken to. “Are you all right, love?” The woman reached out to her. “What happened?” She raised the candle in the air. “Oh, it’s another cave-in. Happens all the time. We just had this filled in a few months ago. Be careful.”

  “We didn’t know,” Jeffrey said. “What’s that noise?” Sirens blared and cars squealed to a stop at the end of the street.

  “Coppers...you know, the police.” The woman waved her hand at them. “Always causing trouble, instead of stopping it. There’s absolutely no reason for them to be here.”

  Then they heard another noise—a whup-whup sound from above.

  “Chopper!” The woman’s grandson pointed up. “Nana, there’s a chopper landing in that field over there.” He pointed at the flashing lights.

  More people gathered around to watch as several local cops ran up the street with flashlights in their hands. They headed through the crowd at the gate for the Tor.

  “What are they doing here? We haven’t done anything wrong,” the woman said.

  Jeffrey stared at the street as the local cops sprinted up the hill and more cops poured out of cars parked on the street.

  In a nearby field, the helicopter landed. Detective Inspector Tyler hopped out, followed by Detective Sergeant Smith. The two men jumped into a car with flashing blue lights.

  Jeffrey stared at the activity, counting the number of men. He glanced at Alex—she was also counting.

  “Thirty men on foot and two with dogs.” Alex took a deep breath.

  A line of military vehicles drove up and men in black uniforms ran out.

  “Look, Nana! It’s the SWAT team!” The boy pointed at the vehicle. He jumped up and down with excitement.

  “SWAT?” Alex didn’t like the sound of that word.

  “Well, it’s officially called the Specialist Firearms Command, the SCO nineteen, but I like SWAT better. It stands for Special Weapons Assault Team…I think,” the boy said.

  “You’ve been watching too many American shows on the telly. I’ve told your mother about that,” the woman said.

  But Alex confirmed the identification when she read the lettering on the vehicle, SCO19. She rubbed her cloak pin and closed her eyes to Elfspeak. “Lord Arethus, we’re here. We need the arch now.”

  “Lady Alexin, the Mentors are most excited. They’ve improved the entry--”

  “Not now, my lord. Tell me later. We really need to use it now. They’re coming.” In the pit below, a white arch glistened, filling the dark hole with light and a buzzing noise.

  She turned to the woman. “Thank you so much for your help, but we have to go.” She gave the woman her candle back.

  “Where?” The woman asked. “Are they looking for you? What’s that white arch?”

  “What’s that buzzing, Alex?” Jeffrey asked.

  “An improvement of some sort. Come on!” Alex slid down the side of the pit and scrambled toward the arch with Jeffrey next to her.

  From behind, a man shouted for them to stop, followed by rapid popping noises. Alex’s shoulder stung—a hot bullet tore through her flesh and the impact spun her around. Pain seared through her body…more bullets…more torn flesh. Stop! Screaming, she spun in the air, holding her hands out to stop the bullets with her blue light, but her light failed. She couldn’t focus her energy as more bullets thudded into her body. Pain surged like lightning. She fell hard, her hot face against the cool dirt. She tasted blood, her blood. Her lungs gurgled when she breathed. I can’t breathe…I’m dying. With effort, she raised her head as Jeffrey leapt through the arch. She sighed with relief—at least he got away. Black dots appeared
before her eyes; sounds faded…Alex’s head dropped to the ground and the world went black.

  The arch flashed and disappeared. Silence enveloped the Tor. Everyone stopped and stared, stunned to see a young woman gunned down and just as shocked to see a glowing white arch appear and then disappear. Even SWAT members froze in place.

  Tyler had never requested the unit, but as soon as this incident was declared a matter of national security, it was deployed. Tyler waved his arms and shouted, “Stop shooting! Hold your fire!” He tumbled down the pit to the bottom with Detective Sergeant Smith and ran to Alex’s side.

  ***

  Jeffrey fell as he landed on the other side of the arch and rolled to his hands and knees. He was alone. Alex had gone down. The arch disappeared and Jeffrey covered his face and cried. Gunshots. And Alex took the hits. Was she still alive?

  He sat in the dark for a while, gathering his thoughts. He wiped tears away as guilt overwhelmed him. The feeling unnerved him—he’d left her behind. He should have stopped and picked her up.

  After a few moments, he took a deep breath and stood up. He needed wood for a fire to attract a ship to his location on Opal Island. Then he could tell someone what happened.

  The fire burned for hours, but no one came. He caught some crabs on the beach and threw them into the flames. When they were done, he ate them, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Alex. He’d left her on the other side. His guilt returned.

  A fresh water spring provided water—it was clean and cold. As he drank, his tears fell once more and he added more wood to the fire.

  ***

  Tyler turned Alex over and gasped. Blood covered her face with a wound in her cheek and a bloody gash on her forehead. He placed his fingers on her neck to feel for a pulse, instead he felt another wound. Blood pulsed out in rhythm to her heart beat. He pressed on the wound and laid his head against her chest and heard gurgling noises.

  “Christ!” D. S. Smith touched the blood. “They killed her!”

  “Not yet. Get a medic.”

  Smith pushed the button on the walkie-talkie, but it was dead. “What the--?”

  Tyler pointed away. “Get a medic, ASAP!”

  Smith ran to the pit wall and shouted up, relaying the message. Within seconds, two medics rushed down, carrying a backboard and a case of medical supplies. They knelt beside her. One medic checked her vitals while the other checked her wounds. A special patch stemmed the bleeding from the wound on her neck, freeing Tyler’s hand.

  A lump rose in Tyler’s throat. This was all wrong. If the girl died, those sailors will never come back.

  The medic pressed a stethoscope against her chest and shook his head. “She’s alive, but barely. She needs a hospital ASAP.”

  “Where’s the closest one?”

  “Bath. An hour by van.”

  Tyler bit his lip. “We could get her to London by then. Get her to the chopper.” He ran to the side of the pit and climbed out with the help of a rope and several men. The chopper, located at the end of the street, was still churning. Tyler leaned into the cockpit and briefed the pilot.

  Precious minutes ticked by as the medics struggled to get Alex out of the pit. Finally, Smith picked her up, slung her over his shoulders, and climbed out with the help of ropes.

  As the medics strapped her to the backboard, a cop, dressed in black from the SCO19, came up and leaned over her body. “Is she dead?”

  The medic felt for a pulse. “No, she’s still alive.”

  “This’ll take care of ‘er. One shot between the eyes…” He aimed his rifle at her head.

  “Back off!” Tyler pushed him away. “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “She’s a fucking terrorist! We don’t need any more of them.”

  “We need her alive! She has valuable information. No one gave orders to shoot!”

  “She’s better off dead! It’ll save us all kinds of trouble.”

  “Get the hell out of here!” Tyler pointed away. “Get him out of here!” He pointed to the SCO19 team leader, who pulled his man away. “Load her into the chopper.”

  Tyler and Smith helped the medics carry her to the helicopter. One of the medics jumped into the cabin and set up an IV. He took her vitals again. “She’s in bad shape.”

  “Do the best you can. That’s all I ask.” Tyler patted Smith on the shoulder. “Go with her. And make sure they take care of her.” He backed away from the chopper as it prepared to leave. He stared into the sky, following the lights until it disappeared, sighing deeply. His stomach churned as he fumbled for an antacid tablet. The men of the SCO19 were good, but sometimes hard to reason with. He wanted the girl to bring those sailors back, but all anyone seemed to care about was making her pay. As he chomped down on the antacid tablet, he stared at the empty pit. What happened to the good old days when police were unarmed? Those days were long gone. With the rise of terrorism, the police had no choice but to change with the times. He sighed again.

  Chapter 18

  CRIME SCENE

  The local police formed a barrier between the crowd of people on the hill and the crime scene as SCO19 left in their armored vehicles. The people were chanting and shaking their fists, “Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers!”

  Tyler rubbed his face in frustration. He jogged over to a local police officer. “You need to move these people out.”

  “I know, Inspector. We’re trying!” He waved his arms in the air and moved the police barricade forward. “Go home!” The people fell back, but no one left.

  Tyler saw other police officers, combing the pit without their flashlights. “Your name?”

  “P.C. Humphrey.”

  “Humphrey, where’re your torches?”

  “The batteries are dead.” He shook it. “We think there was an EMP from that arch.”

  “A what?”

  “An electromagnetic pulse. It wipes out all electronics and batteries.”

  “Then how did they shoot her?”

  “It only bothers the electronic stuff on them. Guns are gas-powered. You know, Inspector, the effects of that EMP should be gone by now, but they aren’t. This wasn’t an ordinary one.”

  “How do you know?”

  “One of our men studied it in the army. He said the effects should be gone as soon as the pulse ended and some of our equipment should still work, but that’s not the way this one’s working.”

  “Is there any power anywhere?”

  “If you get a hundred meters away, there is. The cars parked on the main street work and there’s light in the village.”

  “All right, we’ll use moonlight. Do you know the exact location of that arch?”

  Humphrey pointed to the ground. “We think it was here, but there’s no evidence of it. No markings anywhere.” He scratched his head. “I’m beginning to think I was seeing things.”

  “Where was the girl?”

  Humphrey pointed to the right. A white outline was spray-painted on the ground. “She was here, Inspector…where the blood is.”

  Tyler put on a pair of latex gloves and bent down over the outline. “How many shots were fired?”

  “One of them SWAT officers told me a whole magazine, thirty rounds. Not sure how many hit her.”

  “Have you checked for radiation?”

  “Geiger counters need batteries.”

  “Christ! What about those people on the Tor? Any of them have pictures of the arch?”

  “No, same problem. And they’re hostile. They’re calling us murderers. They think she was an alien from another planet who came here in peace and we killed her.”

  Tyler frowned. “I was afraid of that.”

  Both men looked up as more chants of “murderer” rose from the top of the Tor.

  “How many people are still up there?” Tyler asked.

  “Don’t know. Maybe they’ll get tired and leave.”

  “Let’s hope.” Tyler couldn’t believe how quickly the situation had spiraled out of control. He ran his hand t
hrough his hair and held back tears. He didn’t know if it was from the stress of the situation or his regret the girl had been shot. She’d brought a hundred sailors home and was nearly killed for her good deed. Glastonbury had turned out to be a way for her to get home. He left the crime scene and headed into the village to use the phone.

  ***

  After speaking to Inspector Tyler on the phone, Admiral Collins glanced up at Captain Jonas and clenched his fist. “The girl’s been caught. She was shot and is in critical condition on her way to hospital by chopper. I’ll let Admiral Teller know.”

  The Admiral picked up the phone and called, explaining the situation. “Yes, Admiral Teller. I’m glad she’s still alive.” He rolled his eyes as he ended the conversation; he handed the phone to Captain Jonas. “The Admiral wants to speak to you.”

  “Jonas here. Good evening, Admiral Teller.” The Captain paused. “No, Admiral. Without my ship, I’m currently unemployed.” He glanced at Admiral Collins and raised his eyebrows. “Your chief of staff? I’d be honored, Admiral. Thank you.” He listened again, frowning. “Yes, Admiral, I understand. But I don’t believe the girl came here with good intentions.”

  Admiral Collins raised his eyebrows as Jonas hung up the phone. “New job?”

  “Yes, the Admiral has offered me a job as his chief of staff. He wants my help convincing the Ministry that the girl is the key to getting our sailors back.”

  “This could be a perfect opportunity for you. Chestermann has asked for his retirement, you know.”

  “So, it’s true?”

  “Yes, he’s got thirty days to submit his final report on Hunter Dawn, proving that his actions didn’t result in the loss of five ships and if he doesn’t, which he won’t, he’ll be forced to accept retirement. Once he’s gone, I’ll be transferring back to the fleet and will need a qualified squadron commander. Are you up for it?”

  Jonas nodded as he raised his eyebrows. “Yes. What should I do in the meantime?”