Blood Fever

by Charlie Higson

  Then there was a flash of steel as she whipped out her knife and held it to his throat.

  They waited like that for some time before James realised that she was crying. A salty tear fell and landed on his lips. He took off the goggles and put up his hand to dry her cheeks.

  ‘Amy,’ she said quietly, then rolled off him and turned away in a sulk.

  ‘Yes, Amy,’ said James, harshly. ‘Is that was this is about? Look. I’m going to get her, all right? Not because she’s my girlfriend, or any nonsense like that, but because I promised I would. I don’t love her. I don’t love you. But I need you, and I need you alive. So stay here.’ He stood up. ‘Look, I know you can’t understand what I’m saying,’ he said more gently. ‘But I’ll be grateful to you for as long as I live. It’s just that, if you come with me it’ll make my job twice as hard.’

  He picked up the fins and touched her on the back. ‘I will come back,’ he said. ‘Wait for me.’

  He took four steps, then ran back and kissed her hard on the mouth. He left her there, frozen in surprise, her jaw hanging open and her eyes wide, and ran down to the aqueduct before she knew what to do.

  He ripped off his shoes and slung them in his knapsack, which he strapped over his belly so that it wouldn’t stick up, then he put on the fins and goggles and lowered himself into the canal.

  The water was cold, but James was too excited to really notice. He slid underwater and started to swim with the current. He could see just enough by the light of the moon to stop himself from bumping into the sides and he moved quickly along, paddling hard with the fins.

  Anyone looking this way would see nothing; all that was visible was the narrow top of his schnorkel moving smoothly along the top of the water.

  He didn’t dare risk putting his face up to see how far he’d come, but it was taking much longer than he had expected. He seemed to have been swimming for ages. He was just considering taking a quick look above water when he heard a rushing, roaring sound and a deep rumbling that grew steadily louder. And now he saw the water boiling up ahead and a mass of seething white bubbles. The current suddenly got very strong and he found himself being pulled ahead too fast, out of control. He tried to brace himself against the sides, but before he could get a grip he was smashed into a metal grille. He was stuck there, held in place by the force of the water, and his schnorkel was swamped. He fought back the panic, took hold of the grille, and hauled himself sideways across it until he reached the edge.

  He had to put his head up to a take a breath and found to his relief that he was underneath a ledge of some sort. He heaved himself out of the churning water and rested on the uneven concrete surface.

  He slipped off his sodden knapsack, took out his shoes and two coils of rope and replaced them with the fins, goggles and schnorkel. Then he hid the knapsack in a dark corner, put on the shoes and looped the rope over his shoulder.

  Cautiously he crept out from below the shelter of the ledge and looked around. Above him was the funicular railway car, waiting by the piazza. There was no sign of any guards. Presumably they were in their hut, playing cards.

  He crawled over until he was behind the car and made doubly sure that there was no one around.

  So far, so good.

  He looked down the railway. The moon was bright and it was a long way to the tunnel and the big outcrop of rock; luckily, though, the palazzo walls were throwing a wide shadow across the tracks.

  He would have to risk it.

  He dashed across the tracks into the shadows and started down.

  He remembered from the other night how slow and awkward it was negotiating the steep slope and he began to worry that he would be too late. He looked up at the sky. There was still no sign of dawn, but he knew that it wouldn’t be long in coming.

  By the time he got to the tunnel the heat of his body and the warm night air had dried his clothing, but he was tired. More tired than he had ever been.

  There was nothing he could do about it. He had to keep moving, to keep pushing his exhausted body onward. He had to get to Amy before it was too late.

  He climbed round the rock and up to the base of the palazzo wall, where he scaled the wooden scaffolding on to the roof of the unfinished building. It was little different from before: most of the tools were still here, but, as he had expected, the rope had been taken away.

  No matter. He had his own. He uncoiled one length and tied a pickaxe to the end of it. He secured the second rope to the same column as Stefano had done, then tied both ropes round his waist, took a deep breath and lowered himself over the edge, the pickaxe dangling beneath him and clinking against the wall. He stopped at the first window, untied the pickaxe and lowered it gently to the floor of the empty room.

  A minute later he was perched on the window ledge outside Amy’s cell and he softly called out her name.

  ‘James?’ It was Amy. And there was her pale face at the window.

  ‘I told you I’d come back for you,’ said James.

  ‘Thank God,’ she said, her voice catching. ‘Who’s with you?’

  James hesitated before replying. ‘No one – it’s just me.’

  ‘Oh…’ Amy tried to hide her disappointment.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ James said, quickly. ‘I have a plan. Listen to me. Any minute now, all hell’s going to break loose. As soon as it does, keep to the edge of your cell and wait for me. If anyone comes to your door, yell.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Trust me,’ said James. He climbed up to the window above, crawled inside and undid the rope.

  He grabbed the pickaxe.

  He was ready. Now all he could do was wait for dawn.

  He sat by the window and watched the sky, looking for the first glimmerings of light.

  He felt a long way from home.

  He wished he was back in England. He had had enough of feeling scared. But beneath his fear there was an electric current of thrill running through his veins. So close to death, he felt fully alive.

  He was a member of the Danger Society, after all.

  He wondered what Pritpal and Tommy Chong might be up to now and smiled when he thought of them. But then he thought of Mark Goodenough. He remembered how he had looked in the car, sent mad by his pain and grief.

  James was reminded of who had done that to him – Ugo and Zoltan and Peter Haight.

  He had told Mark that he would do anything he could to put things right.

  Well, now he had the chance.

  Stefano, too, was watching the sky, trying to hold back the daylight to give James as much time as possible to get into the palazzo. He hoped that James was already in place; there was nothing more he could do to delay Zoltan’s men.

  They had come down the mountain by an old goat track and waded across the shallow river. Now they were waiting under some trees near the entrance to the mines. The men were talking quietly, checking their guns and preparing the fuses in the grenades.

  An hour ago they had left Zoltan up at the dam with Tree-Trunk and he had run through his plan of attack.

  As soon as the sun cleared the top of the mountains, the Charon’s first mate, Davey Day, was to lead the attack on the mines. Using the grenades and the tommy gun, they were to take out the sentry post then fight their way up to the palazzo through the tunnels.

  They had to cause as much noise and confusion as they could.

  ‘You know what to do when you reach the palazzo, don’t you, Davey?’ Zoltan had said.

  ‘I go with two men and get the girl. When we find her, we bring her out the way we go in.’

  ‘Good man. When this is over, you can all take home as much loot as you can carry.’

  Stefano shivered. He dreaded going back inside the palazzo. His chances of getting out alive were less than slim.

  He jumped as someone put a hand on his shoulder. But it was only Davey Day, his pale face grey in the moonlight.

  ‘You job’s done,’ he said. ‘We’ve got your map. We know where we’re going.
You needn’t come any further. It’s going to get pretty hairy in there.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Stefano, and tears of relief sprang into his eyes. He felt like hugging the man.

  ‘Good luck,’ he said.

  ‘We’re going to need it,’ said Davey.

  Stefano left them and ran back across the river towards the goat track.

  He would go back up the mountain and look for Vendetta.

  He was not going to die after all.

  He hoped it would be as easy for James.

  He stopped and looked back at the palazzo, way up on the mountainside. Then he closed his eyes and mouthed a silent prayer for James’s safe return.

  27

  When Hell Breaks Loose

  It was a beautiful sunrise. A pale glow lifted the darkness to the east and soon the whole sky became a hazy screen of gold and blue. Watching from the window, James saw the shape of the mountains form in shadow on the floor of the valley as the countryside changed from grey to faded green. Finally the edge of the sun showed itself and birds began singing in the trees.

  The day had begun.

  There was a feeling of peace and calm. The air smelt clean. On a day like this only good things could happen.

  Then there was a deep boom and a flock of white doves flew up into the sky like a spray of litter.

  The boom was followed by distant bangs, and the sound of panicked shouting.

  It had started.

  James moved quickly. He lifted the pickaxe and swung it as hard as he could at the centre of the floor. He paused, listening for Amy’s warning yell, but all he could hear was the growing sound of confusion and gunfire in the palazzo. He swung again and a crack appeared. Again he swung and again until a chunk of concrete gave way and dropped into the room below. Two more swings and he’d opened up a sizeable hole. He saw Amy looking up at him, with dust in her hair.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he said.

  ‘I think so.’

  ‘Any sign of your guards?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Good. Stand back, and keep as close to the wall as you can.’

  James lifted the pickaxe and carried on swinging.

  In a few minutes he had a hole wide enough to fit into. Then suddenly there was a great crash as half the floor collapsed. He lowered the rope to Amy.

  ‘Grab hold of this,’ he shouted and braced himself. Amy climbed and he pulled and eventually she slithered up through the hole into the room. She was covered in chalky powder and her eyes were glassy with fear. She gave James a big hug and he was glad of the human contact.

  ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ he said. ‘Can you swim?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Come on then, let’s go.’

  James was about to go to the window when he heard a key rattling in the lock. Thinking quickly he gave one end of the rope to Amy and pointed to the other side of the door. Luckily she seemed to understand what he meant and they took up their positions, flattened against the wall.

  The door flew open and a guard rushed in. They yanked the rope and he tripped, falling face forward into the hole, smacking his head on the edge as he went down.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ said James, and Amy didn’t argue.

  They ran through the door that the guard had unlocked and found themselves in a dark, twisting corridor that eventually led outside into a sunny square.

  There was panic and confusion everywhere. People were running in all directions, yelling. The servants were trying to get away and the guards were trying to get to the fighting, although they didn’t seem too sure of which direction they were being attacked from. James and Amy passed unnoticed through the chaos, working their way up through the palazzo towards the aqueduct.

  After a couple of dead ends, James spotted the equestrian statue.

  ‘This way,’ he said, running along a walkway.

  The sound of gunshots grew louder.

  ‘We’ve got to try not to get mixed up in the fighting,’ he shouted. ‘Or we won’t stand a chance.’

  Amy’s face was set in a grim mask, her lips white. She nodded quickly, too scared to speak. James grabbed her hand and pulled her up a flight of steps. At the top they nearly ran straight into Jana Carnifex, who was going the other way with a small entourage.

  She looked so surprised to see the two of them that she didn’t have time to react, and before she could do or say anything James and Amy had run off. James could smell her perfume, wafting on the still air.

  It was a smell he didn’t think he’d ever be able to forget.

  The terrace in front of the temple was deserted apart from one of Ugo’s men, who was stretched out on the ground. He appeared to be just lying there, resting and there was nothing to show how he had died. He was a young man with a simple, open face and he wore a slightly puzzled look.

  James felt desperately sorry for him. This fight was nothing to do with him. He thought of all the other soldiers who had died in countless wars without ever really knowing why.

  As he was standing there, looking at the dead man, he felt something tug at his sleeve a split second before he heard the bang of a gun. The bullet tore his shirt, but only grazed his skin, not causing any damage. He had no idea what direction it had come from, or who had fired it, and didn’t wait to find out. He grabbed Amy and ran for cover before another shot found its mark.

  They hurried in silence through the network of alleyways, steps and courtyards that led up to the main piazza. When they got there they found that between them and the aqueduct on the opposite side were Zoltan’s men, who were involved in a fierce firefight with the palazzo guards.

  James saw in an instant that they were badly outnumbered and it would soon be over for them.

  ‘Come with me,’ said James. ‘And keep your head down.’

  Not giving Amy a chance to object, James pulled her into the piazza.

  They pounded over the paving stones and dived into the fountain, where they shuffled backwards until they were up against the central support, hidden behind a curtain of water.

  ‘We’ll wait until it’s safe to go over to the aqueduct,’ said James.

  ‘Please,’ said Amy. ‘You have to tell me what’s going on.’

  ‘Zoltan’s attacking Ugo.’

  ‘But why?’ said Amy. ‘It’s hopeless. What’s he trying to achieve?’

  ‘He told me he had a plan to destroy the palazzo. He said my cousin Victor had given him the idea.’

  ‘What plan?’ said Amy. ‘What did your cousin say?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said James. ‘I’ve been trying to think. We all rode down from the dam together in one of the railway cars.’

  ‘And what did you talk about?’

  ‘The dam,’ said James, and an awful realization struck him. ‘He’s going to try and breach the dam.’

  ‘He wouldn’t,’ said Amy. ‘All these people…’

  ‘What would he care about that?’ said James.

  ‘He wouldn’t,’ Amy repeated quietly.

  ‘We have to stop him,’ said James.

  One of Zoltan’s men ran past. There was a crack and he toppled over into the fountain. His blood quickly stained the pool and in a few moments the curtain of cascading water had been turned pink. James and Amy cringed back against the central support. They both wanted to get out of there as fast as they could now.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ said Amy.

  ‘We could try and go up to the dam on the railway,’ said James.

  ‘Shall we risk it?’ said Amy, who had evidently got her courage back.

  The firefight had moved on. The last of Zoltan’s men had fled inside the palazzo, with Ugo’s guards following.

  ‘Well, we can’t stay here all day,’ said James. ‘Come on!’

  They darted out of the safety of the fountain and sprinted across the piazza, their wet feet slipping on the polished marble. As James ran his whole body was tensed, waiting for a bullet to hit him, but they made it u
nhurt and he glanced quickly back. There was nobody around.

  They climbed aboard the railway car and pulled the doors shut behind them. For a while they lay exhausted on the floor in a slowly spreading pool of water. Then James sat up and saw a terrified guard crouching in the shadows at the other end. He had a tommy gun in his hands but it was shaking all over the place and he obviously had no desire to use it.

  James yelled at him. ‘Get out! Just go.’

  The guard didn’t think twice. He jumped up and bolted away like a startled rabbit, leaving his gun behind.

  James studied the car’s controls but could make no sense of them.

  ‘How does it work?’ said Amy.

  ‘It’s a counterweight system,’ said James. ‘The two cars are connected by a cable that winds around a big drum up at the dam. The car at the top is filled with water until it’s heavier than the one at the bottom. Then it rolls down the slope and pulls the other car up. Once it reaches the bottom it empties the tank and the process is reversed.’

  ‘How do you empty the water out, then?’

  ‘It’s one of these levers,’ said James and he started to yank and twist everything he could find. Amy joined him and at last they heard a flushing sound as the tank below was emptied into the drain.

  There was one big lever that must surely be the brake. James pulled it, but nothing happened.

  ‘Hell,’ he said.

  ‘What is it?’ said Amy. ‘Why aren’t we moving?’

  ‘Obviously somebody needs to operate the car at the top,’ said James. ‘They need to fill it with water and release the brake. We’re stuck here, I’m afraid.’

  But then, with no warning, the car moved forward with a jerk and they were travelling up the cliff.

  Amy laughed with relief.

  ‘How did you do that?’ she said.