by Denis Hughes
Varden Two sighed. “What a mind you have,” he said, “No, there’ll be plenty of time for pleasure later on. I wanted to know about Merrick’s plans, pal, and I think I’ve got the goods.”
“Did she talk?” Varden was suddenly interested in spite of himself.
The other man nodded slowly. “After a little gentle terrorising,” he said with a smile. “I did get enough to go on with.” He paused. “Are you interested, Bob?”
“Of course I am! I’m supposed to be working for Merrick! He won’t act till he knows what Blake has up his sleeve—if anything—which I can’t really believe.”
“He’s pretty much afraid of what Blake can do,” was the answer. “More so than I thought in the first place. You’ll have to go ahead with your part of it and find out for him—and for me!”
Varden’s eyes narrowed. “Why for you?” he snapped.
“I think a war might be fun, but Merrick is only out for gain, of course. And Viki tags along because she really belongs to him. We only come into the picture because we form a link with the Blake girl and, via her, with the old man.”
“What did you discover?”
“Merrick is in a position to plant a guided projectile on London and New York. The world is in such a state right now that one bomb on any of our cities would be enough to start the war. By doing what he intends, Merrick will force our hand and the government of this bloc will be pitch-forked into hostilities. Now do you follow the reasoning? It’s simple and direct and, by heaven, it’ll work!”
Varden frowned. “You mean our side will assume as a matter of course, that the potential enemy did the bombing?”
“Exactly!”
Varden stood up and took a turn round the shed, the eyes of his companion following him reflectively. At last: “I’d better get on to Blake, I suppose.”
Varden Two grinned. “Don’t try double-crossing Merrick,” he advised.
Varden whirled. “Do you imagine I’ll stand by and see this happen to the world?” he flared. “I didn’t use to give a hoot about a war being started, but I’ve had time to think since then! I’ll do what I like, and you can’t stop me!”
The other blew smoke towards the roof of the shed. “No?” he answered. “All I have to do is knock you cold and just borrow the body for a while.”
Varden felt a chill foreboding at the words. “Yes?”
“Yes. You wouldn’t want anything dreadful to happen to that sweet little red-head, would you? I’m quite a master at it now, you know! Four killings to my credit. Yours, I mean. But before I killed those women…”
“You unspeakable monster!” Varden’s voice was no more than a whisper, dragged from his throat by sheer hate. Before the other man could move Varden had seized the whiskey bottle and smashed it full in his grinning face. The bottle shattered, raw spirit running up his arm and broken glass tinkling on the floor. He stepped back, his hatred spent. He couldn’t kill this thing that was part of himself. He knew it, but the force of his attack had been enough to kill any living man.
Varden Two sank to the floor. There was blood pouring down his face, dripping on the ground, spreading over his chest. He raised his head and stared at Varden with blazing eyes. But he said nothing. Varden dropped the broken neck of the bottle. His eyes were fixed on his enemy staring incredulously.
Varden Two rolled slowly over on his side, to lie quite still. Then he gradually faded and became invisible to Varden.
“I can’t have killed him!” he breathed in a sudden surge of hope. “It can’t be true!” He dropped to his knees, feeling all over the ground where the other man had been lying. He could not feel anything solid but the rotting floor boards of the shed. The second entity was gone, disappearing as if he had never been!
A great weight was lifted from Varden’s shoulders. New life seemed to enter him. He was free now! Free to confound the plot being hatched by Merrick, a man who had once been his best friend and was now a power-seeking fiend in human guise.
But despite his new-found relief he realised he must walk with the utmost caution. Even the killing of Varden Two did not remove the shadow and stigma from himself. He was still a wanted man.
His watch told him it was two o’clock when he left the yard.
CHAPTER 7
A WOMAN’S FAITH
Varden walked quickly, making for the address Merrick had given him as being Rhonna’s. Still protected to a certain extent by his carefully disguised face, he was not accosted or scrutinised by anyone, but nevertheless breathed a sigh of relief when he found the big block of flats and went straight up without arousing suspicion.
The door of Rhonna’s flat was unlocked, so he walked in and looked round, searching for the girl. There was no sign of her in either of the two rooms, the bathroom or the kitchenette. Varden sat down to wait, impatience rising inside him.
He chose the bedroom in which to wait so that she would not run straight out again when she caught sight of him, for he was positive there would be difficulties in making her see reason.
He waited ten minutes before hearing her voice outside the flat door. Then she came in, saying goodbye to another woman as she closed the front door behind her.
Varden held his breath and tried again to think of a suitable opening.
He was still thinking when she walked in from the lounge and halted dead in her tracks at the sight of him. One hand went up to her mouth to check an involuntary scream, but before she could back out and slam the door he had reached her and put himself between the door and her.
That she had recognised him instantly, there was no shadow of doubt in his mind, and her first words quickly confirmed that impression.
“How dare you come here for refuge!” she breathed. “You, a killer, coming here!” The terror showed plainly in her eyes, but she was holding herself well in hand, fearing an immediate attack.
“I’m not a killer, Rhonna,” he said, very quietly. “If you will only give me a few minutes I can make you see that. But it isn’t why I came here. That’s a secondary thing; something I hardly understand myself.”
She backed away from him, looking round wildly for a moment. She was close to a little bedside cabinet. Before Varden could prevent it she slid the drawer out and picked up a gun from inside. Breathing hard, she levelled it at him.
“Get out of here at once!” she said. Her voice was firm now, most of the fear gone from it.
Varden shrugged and tried to smile. “You can’t kill me, Rhonna,” he said. “Not because you wouldn’t, but because you can’t. That’s another thing I don’t follow, but it’s true.”
She came towards him, step by step. “If you don’t go I shall shoot,” she told him.
“If I could die you’d be a murderess then,” he said. He sat down on a chair, watching her. He didn’t want her to shoot because the noise would bring other people on the scene, and that would upset his plans.
“You can shoot or hand me over to the police when I’ve had my say,” he went, on slowly. “I’m not armed myself, but hang on to that gun if it gives you confidence, I shan’t hurt you.”
“Do you expect me to believe that after what you did to those other women?” she demanded grimly. “I liked you once, Bob, but you’re not a human being now. Get out! I’ll give you two minutes start before calling the police, and that you don’t deserve.” Her eyes were hard, unrelenting in their hate.
Varden chose his words with care. He had to change her attitude in a matter of seconds. “What would you say if I told you that before long guided missiles would be fired on London and New York?” he began.
She stiffened fractionally, then laughed. “I shouldn’t believe you!” she snapped. “Aren’t you going to leave while you’ve got the chance?”
“Not till I’ve told you the rest of it, Rhonna. Why do you think I came here and risked my neck to see you?”
“Because you want a hideout, no doubt!”
He shook his head. “I’m serious,” he went on. “You’v
e got to tell your father what I’m telling you.” He leant forward, feeling for a cigarette. Instantly the woman was on the alert.
“Only a cigarette,” he said, bringing out his case. “May I?” He lit it slowly. She wouldn’t shoot at him now, he thought. “Merrick wants to start the war,” he said. “The world is in a ripe state for it at the moment. What would happen, Rhonna, if a bomb landed on London? Tell me!”
She touched the tip of her tongue to her lips. The gun in her hand never faltered. “The fools would think an enemy had committed unprovoked aggression,” she said. “Everything’s ready for instant mobilisation. Within hours the world would be flaming. But—”:
“It’s going to happen if you don’t do something about it,” he cut in grimly.
“I do something?” She was genuinely surprised.
“Your father then. He can stop a war, can’t he? You’ve always kept on telling me so!” He drew on his cigarette with apparent calm, but inside his pulse was raging. He mustn’t fail, he kept telling himself. Not now.
“Why are you telling me this?” she demanded. “You’re only trying to frighten me!”
“No I’m not. Last time I saw you I hurt you because you hurt me with your sympathy. I didn’t want it, but I didn’t mean to drive you away like that. I’m no good to a woman, but I didn’t mean to sneer as I did. Now I need you, not for myself, but for the safety of the world. I’ve just got to make you listen to reason!”
She stared at him closely, noting the earnestness with which he spoke. “Can you prove what you say?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Merrick wouldn’t tell you the same,” he said flatly. “His only objective as far as I can make out is personal gain and power. He and Viki are in this together.”
“Viki!” she echoed. “That woman! There’s a story in the news that you visited her after committing murder the other night.”
Varden sighed. “Rhonna, I didn’t commit any murder. Do you really think I’m that kind of man? Am I?”
“Well, I shouldn’t have said so before, but—”
“I’m still not!” He sought desperately for words. “Have you ever heard of double entity? Can you comprehend that when something happens to a man his soul and his being might be split in two? A sort of spiritual schizophrenia…” He stood up and walked slowly up and down the room. She was watching him.
“I didn’t kill those people,” he said. “When you saw me in hospital I swore at you, didn’t I?”
She nodded dumbly, a queer expression in her green eyes.
“But I wasn’t cursing you, Rhonna,” he said. “That other being who was part of me was making me do it! I was answering his gibes, and they fitted the situation so that you thought I was talking to you.” He stopped and faced her across the gun. “Can’t you believe me, Rhonna?” he pleaded.
“Suppose I do?”
“Will you take me to your father and let him decide? You can’t in all conscience let the world be plunged into war simply because the man who warns you might be a killer! This is too important for that.”
Her brows drew together. “You say Merrick is doing this?”
He nodded. “He can do it at a few hours’ notice,” he said. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Give me time,” she muttered uneasily. “If only I could really believe that you didn’t commit murder, Bob!”
“I’ve told you about the second entity.”
She shot him a shrewd glance. “Where is it now?”
“I killed it,” he answered simply. Then he told her how Varden Two had returned with the information he had given her. “I just saw red and smashed it in the face with a bottle,” he ended. “I didn’t think it could be killed, but it faded out and vanished as I watched it, so it must be dead.”
“I wonder if you can be killed…?”
He smiled faintly. “Don’t try to find out,” he begged.
She considered briefly. “I can’t be sure,” she said. “But I will do this: I’ll fly you to dad’s place and see what he says.” She frowned. “He’s a scientist, and if he doesn’t understand what you’ve told me about yourself, no one will.”
Varden inclined his head. “Thank you for that,” he said quietly. “I knew I could rely on you.’
“You can’t rely on anything,” she told him. “And I’ll keep the gun, so don’t be funny.”
“Quite a handful, isn’t she?” He was standing in the open doorway, stroking his scarred chin, smiling with all the malice of his evil soul.
Rhonna was turning towards the door when Varden choked back a sob in his throat. She spun round, the gun in her hand moving fast. “What are you…?” she began, then saw the expression on his face.
“I couldn’t have killed it!” he sobbed. “Oh. God, it can’t die!”
The woman eyed him narrowly.
“Go on, brother, tell her all about, me!” The jeering tones were like a whiplash to Varden. He straightened up, glaring at the nude, ugly figure now leaning over Rhonna’s shoulder. She moved away, almost as if she sensed its presence.
“There’s something there,” she breathed. “Something here in this room, Bob? Is that what you mean?”
“Listen, Rhonna,” said Varden grimly. “I’m not mad, but if I talk to it, don’t take any notice. I’ve got to talk to it. You understand? It won’t make sense to you, but…”
“Maybe I do believe you,” she told him quietly, looking about uneasily, seeing nothing though she followed Varden’s gaze to the doorway.
“You tried to kill me, Bob. That was foolish, because you know we can’t die, either of us.”
“I hoped it was possible.”
Rhonna frowned, but kept her gun trained on Varden. “Trusting little thing, your girlfriend!”
“She has a right to be suspicious after what you did,” he snapped. “I wouldn’t blame her for shooting on sight!”
Varden Two shook his head regretfully. “Too bad! But I didn’t come here to chatter small-talk with you. There’s a man waiting outside this building for you, Bob. A detective, and he’s already sent for his friends. They’ll be up here before very long. You were seen coming in. A man recognised you in spite of the make-up.”
“Recognised me? Then the police… Oh, Lord, I can’t afford that just now.”
Rhonna gave a start as she listened to Varden. “Are the police on to you, Bob?” she demanded urgently.
“That’s about it,” he grated. “My other half says so it any rate. What can we do?”
“Take it easy, pal! You must have a guilty conscience. I didn’t say the police. I was kidding, anyway. One of our friend Merrick’s private eyes is on your tail, that’s all. He is outside though.”
Varden breathed more freely.
Rhonna said, “If the police are after you, I suppose I’d better get you out of here somehow. Oh, Bob, I wish it hadn’t come to this between us!” There were tears in her eyes as she spoke.
He felt compassion for her, even in the presence of his other personality. “It’s not the police,” he said. “He’s just told me it’s one of Merrick’s men. Keeping an eye on me to see I do as I’m told, no doubt.” Anger flushed his face.
“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.
Varden Two sneered and then turned the sneer to a grin. “Aren’t you going to tell her you’re working for him?” he said.
“No, I’m not, damn you!” snapped Varden.
Rhonna swallowed hard, but said nothing. Varden looked at her, wondering if she’d still play the same if she knew about his bargain with Merrick. She might, but he didn’t want to tell her. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “That wasn’t meant for you.”
“I guessed it,” she said, with the hint of a smile. “Why is Merrick watching your movements?”
“She’ll kick you out if you don’t tell her!”
Varden ignored it. “I can’t understand,” he said slowly. “Unless it’s because he thinks your father can spoil his plans.”
She nodded s
hrewdly. “You could be right,” she admitted.
Varden turned to the other man, now sitting on the edge of Rhonna’s bed and studying the woman appraisingly. “Why did you come here to tell me all this about a man on watch?” he demanded.
“Eh?” He tore his gaze from Rhonna for a moment. “Oh, I just thought you’d like to know. I was actually coming here to play hell with you for trying to kill me, but then I realised that being watched might cramp your style with the red-head. Mustn’t let the course of duty be smirched by sordid detail, must we?”
“You’re a crafty swine!” He bit his lip. “Not you,” he added hurriedly as Rhonna glared at him in amazement.
The other man laughed. “Mind your step!” he advised.
Varden turned to Rhonna. “May I use your video?” he asked.
“If you think it’s safe to, by all means. Who are you calling, Bob? Don’t run any risks.”
“She’s getting all fond of you, brother. Be cuddling you next. Poor lickle tootsey-wootsey Bobbie boy!”
Varden lost his already frayed temper, hurling himself at the other man in sudden fury. Rhonna let out a gasp of fear, but Varden wasn’t rushing in her direction. Incredible though it seemed to the harassed woman she realised that an unseen fight was in progress—or rather a one-sided fight, one combatant being visible.
“Is there anything I can do?” she pleaded anxiously. Varden did not answer. A hand was closed on his throat and threatened to choke him into insensibility. Only at the last moment did he tear himself free and jump clear. Then he stood away, panting and gasping as Rhonna watched in an agony of uncertainty, not knowing what was going on. Varden Two sat up straight on the bed.
“We’d better call it quits for today,” he said playfully. “I’d hate you to be damaged at this stage! Go ahead and tell Merrick to call off his snooper!’’
Varden nodded and straightened his collar. “All right,” he said grimly. “I’ll square things with you another day!”
“I doubt it!” He glanced at the woman. “Wouldn’t like to go to sleep for a few minutes, would you” he inquired slyly.
