Watchers

by Philip Caveney

  In the entire hall there wasn’t one person that he could see who was standing still. It was a moment of pure magic, a moment when he realised that there was something more to this music than just chords and rhythm. It was like the story of the Pied Piper, Will thought, the one where the Piper had played and he had led the children through the streets of the city to their doom . . .

  Only there was nothing bad in this music. This was a power for good, not evil. He was sure of that.

  Maybe nothing’s going to happen, he thought. Maybe we’ll just dance the night away and go home and that will be the end of it all.

  And it was right at that moment, when everything seemed to be making perfect sense, that the floor lurched beneath his feet and there was the deafening crash of an explosion. And before he had time to react, the roof was coming down on top of him.

  TWENTY FOUR

  Will was floating on a dark treacly sea, his body rocking with a slow drifting motion. Somewhere, a long way off, voices were screaming and calling for help . . .

  He opened his eyes to chaos. There was noise and smoke and dust and rain, all at the same time. The lights had gone out, a fire alarm was clamouring and he was lying face down on the dance floor, amidst a tangle of wreckage. He turned his head to one side and saw that a huge beam had crashed to the ground only a few feet away from him. He could feel rain lashing down on his back, soaking through his jacket.

  What the bloody hell was happening?

  He twisted around and found himself looking up at a great ragged hole in the flat roof of the gymnasium and above it he could see the night sky, choked with tumbling, boiling clouds. Rods of rain were lashing down at him like icy javelins.

  With an effort, he sat up. The stink of sulphur filled his nostrils and he suddenly knew what must have happened. The roof had been struck by lightning and the section directly above him had crashed down onto the dance floor.

  The realisation jolted through him like an electric shock. His eyes streaming, he peered through the smoke and saw Sophie lying on her side, her red dress spread out around her. There was a smear of blood on the side of her head and she seemed to be unconscious, although he could tell by the movement of her chest that she was still breathing.

  Nearby, Terry and Asha lay with their arms wrapped around each other, as though they had tried to protect each other from the falling masonry. As Will looked, Terry stirred and sat up. He pulled the skull mask off, threw it aside and coughed loudly.

  He gazed down at Asha for a moment and his face was calm, as though he suspected he was dreaming. Anxiety etched itself into his features and he started shaking her cloaked figure. After what seemed an age, she groaned and stirred.

  Will let out a sigh of relief. He struggled to his feet and looked anxiously around.

  He couldn’t make out much detail. Everywhere there was a chaos of running, shouting people. Through the smoke he thought he glimpsed Mr Henderson trying to direct those who were uninjured out of the building. People were pushing and shoving each other in their haste to get to the exits.

  Will blinked. The rain was still hitting him, soaking him. He looked towards the stage and saw that the curtains had fallen down across the front of it. He had no idea if the Watchers had been harmed or not.

  ‘Will, what’s going on?’

  He turned back to Terry and helped him up and the two of them lifted Asha to her feet, she was staring around wide-eyed, evidently deep in shock.

  ‘What happened?’ she gasped.

  ‘Lightning, I think,’ said Will. At the back of his mind was the terrible conviction that this hadn’t been an accident; that Lou was somehow involved, using all his powers to make this happen. Was such a thing possible?

  ‘Help me with Sophie,’ he gasped, ‘I think she’s knocked out.’ He kneeled to help her and as he did so, figures loomed out of the smoke, tall leather-clad figures, who displayed no panic in the midst of all this confusion. Az towered over Will, a triumphant grin on his ugly face.

  ‘No!’ said Will. He struggled back to his feet and moved to stand between Az and Sophie. ‘Keep back!’ he said.

  Terry looked at Will uncertainly. ‘The Hell’s Angels?’ he said. ‘Will, what’s going on?’

  Will looked frantically about for a weapon, but there was nothing within reach that would be of any use. Az was close now. He regarded Will mockingly.

  ‘You should have known,’ he shouted over the shrill blare of the fire alarm. ‘The last time we met wasn’t going to be the end of it. Did you think we’d let you get away with humiliating us like that?’

  Will shook his head. ‘Just stay back,’ he said. ‘Or−’

  ‘Or what? Face it, you’re just a kid. What are you going to do?’ He motioned to the men standing behind him. ‘Take them,’ he said, pointing to Terry and Asha. ‘And her,’ he added, pointed down at Sophie. ‘We’re to take all the people that matter most to him. We’ll get his mum and her boyfriend later.’

  The men moved to obey him. Will tried to put himself between Sophie and them, but one of them, a big brutish thug with a bootlace moustache, just pulled back a hand and slapped Will hard across the face, sending him flying onto the rain-soaked floor. Then the man stooped, swept Sophie up in his tattooed arms and turned to walk away with her.

  Will scrambled back to his feet and tried to follow him, but Az stepped in and pushed Will in the chest, sending him staggering back. Behind Az, Will could see two other men grabbing Terry and Asha and dragging them towards the exit. He looked helplessly around, everyone else was too intent upon their own escape to notice what was going on.

  ‘Here’s what’s going to happen, kid,’ said Az. ‘Your friends and your family are going to die. Not quickly. We’re going to kill them slow, we are going to make it last for days and nights and you know what? I’m going to phone you regularly so you can hear their screams, so you can hear them begging for mercy.’

  ‘No!’ gasped Will. ‘No, don’t hurt them, please, they haven’t done anything!’

  Will tried punching at Az, but the man’s long arms kept him easily out of reach.

  ‘That just makes it all the more sweet,’ he said. He shouted over his shoulder. ‘Take the girlfriend straight to Lou, he’s waiting outside. He’s got something really special lined up for her.’

  ‘NO!’ screamed Will. He renewed his efforts, fighting and kicking but to no avail, ‘Take me, take me instead!’

  Az laughed. ‘Take you?’ he jeered. ‘Where’s the fun in that? We’re going to take everyone that ever meant anything to you, including your dad and we’re going to make sure they spend all eternity in torment. You got that, kid?’

  Despair welled up in Will and he couldn’t stop the tears from coming.

  ‘Please,’ he sobbed. ‘Please, don’t do this.’

  Az chuckled.

  ‘Yeah, that’s it,’ he said. ‘Beg. I like to hear people beg. It’s just the best.’

  There was a silence. Then a voice said, ‘Hey, you! Pick on someone your own size.’

  Will looked over his shoulder in surprise. Marc, the biggest of the Watchers, emerged from the smoke around the stage, his face blotched with soot, his coat torn and smouldering in places. He was holding his bass guitar by the neck.

  Az tried to make a move but he wasn’t quite fast enough. Marc lifted the guitar like an axe and swung it with all his strength at Az’s head. There was the crunch of an impact and the guitar neck snapped. Az went flailing backwards, a stunned expression on his face. He crashed onto the wet floor and slid backwards, cannoning through the wreckage that was strewn there. It was a blow that would have killed a mere mortal, but Will saw to his amazement that Az was trying to struggle back to his feet. Before he could, Marc leapt on him, his fists flying, smashing him back to the ground.

  Suddenly, other figures came running out of the smoke. Will recognised Amy and Reg and even Wormy. As one, they ran after the two Hell’s Angels who were dragging Terry and Asha towards the exit. Instinctively, Wi
ll ran with them.

  He caught up with the man who was attempting to drag Asha along by her hair. Will leapt onto the man’s back and wrapped his arms around his neck. The man, a shaven-headed thug with a thick handlebar moustache, gave a bellow of anger and spun around only to step into the fists of Amy and Wormy, who pulled him to the ground and directed a series of punches and kicks at him.

  Asha broke free and ran to help Terry. Will let go his hold and rolled away. He stumbled towards the exit and saw Reg struggling with Terry’s assailant by the open door. Terry had joined in the fight and was lashing a series of kicks into the Hell’s Angel’s ribs.

  Will was about to join in when Reg flashed an urgent look at him.

  ‘Go after Sophie!’ he yelled. ‘Ari’s out there, he’ll help you!’

  Will nodded and ran for the exit. He dived into the packed corridor beyond. Alarms were still going off, the corridor was choked with fumes and he found himself immersed in a pushing, shoving crowd of people trying to get out of the main exit. Up ahead, he thought he glimpsed the head and shoulders of the remaining Hell’s Angel and there was a flash of red that could have been Sophie’s dress, but Will was hampered by the crush around him and could only shoulder his way onwards.

  When he finally emerged from the doorway it was like pushing out from the mouth of hell. Outside, the storm seemed to have passed, but the air was rent with the sound of scared kids trying to find their friends. The teachers were trying their best to get the kids to stand together in groups, in a desperate attempt to identify who was present and who was still trapped inside. Will looked frantically around and spotted Lou’s bike gliding across the quadrangle. He saw the other Hell’s Angel striding towards it, Sophie’s still form clutched in his arms.

  ‘Stop!’ yelled Will. ‘Somebody stop him!’ Everybody was too caught up in their own troubles to take any notice. He began to run towards the Harley Davidson as Lou’s henchman threw Sophie across the front of the bike.

  Lou placed a gloved hand on her back and grinned with impure pleasure. He glanced up, saw Will coming and gave him a mocking grin. Then he hit the throttle and the bike began to accelerate out of the quadrangle.

  ‘NO!’ screamed Will. ‘He’s getting away. Somebody, please help me!’ He kept running. The Hell’s Angel squared up to him, attempting to block his route but Will dodged and evaded the man’s grasp. He chased after the bike, but it was already heading for the exit and the main road. An instant later, he became aware of footsteps alongside him. He looked and there was Ari, running beside him.

  For a moment, hope sprang up in Will’s heart. Ari was amazingly fast for someone of his advanced years and he seemed to be closing the gap between himself and Lou as the bike approached the main road.

  Just then, Lou accelerated again and the bike took off at phenomenal speed. Ari followed it along the main road for some distance, then slowed to a halt and stood there trying to catch his breath.

  ‘He’s getting away!’ screamed Will, running up to him. ‘Ari, do something!’

  But Ari was shaking his head.

  ‘I’m sorry, Will,’ he said. ‘I tried . . .’

  ‘Where were you?’ cried Will. ‘Where were you when I needed you?’

  Ari pointed back towards the school. ‘I was . . . helping others,’ he said.

  ‘But you’re supposed to help me. And my dad . . .’ Will took the soul-meter from his pocket and looked at it. The needle was almost back down to the red. As he watched it slipped back another notch.

  ‘We’ve got to go after Lou,’ he said.

  Ari spread his hands helplessly. ‘How?’ he asked. ‘We’ve no transport. By the time we find him, it’ll be too late.’

  ‘No! Don’t say that! We don’t give in, we never give in, we have to catch him. Do the trick you do. You know, where you go from one place to another.’

  Ari shook his head. ‘I can only do that over short distances,’ he said. ‘And the bike’s moving . . .’

  Will paced up and down for a moment, his mind in turmoil. What to do, what to do? And then the answer came to him.

  ‘You’ll have to fly,’ he said.

  Ari stared at him. ‘What are you talking about? You know I can’t.’

  ‘Ari, you have to try.’

  Will dragged the heavy overcoat from Ari’s shoulders, revealing the beautiful white wings folded flat against his back. Ari regarded him sadly.

  ‘Don’t be stupid, kid, I’ve already told you, we can’t fly. We’re grounded.’

  ‘How do you know?’ Will asked him.

  ‘Because I . . . just know, that’s all.’

  ‘When did you last try?’ asked Will. ‘Tell me that, Ari. When did you last try to use your wings?’

  Ari looked confused. ‘I don’t know exactly,’ he said. ‘I suppose I had an attempt at it only . . . fifty . . . sixty years ago.’

  ‘Sixty years?’ Will could hardly believe what he was hearing. ‘You see, you don’t know. Maybe you can do it if you try. Maybe you’ve already been forgiven.’

  ‘Kid,’ said Ari. ‘I’m sorry, but . . .’

  ‘No! I don’t want you to be sorry! I want you to help Sophie.’ Will pointed up the road. ‘Lou has got her, he’s going to kill her. Do you understand? If that happens, my life will be over, my dad will be in hell and you may as well write off Mum and Jake as well. You’re going to let all that happen without at least giving it your best shot?’ He moved up close and fresh tears welled in his eyes. ‘I’m only asking you to try,’ he said. ‘Please, Ari. Please. You’ve got to do this for me.’

  Ari sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and the wings slowly spread themselves out to their full size. Will was momentarily astonished to see how magnificent they were. He had never seen them fully unfolded before. Now Ari tried to beat the wings. They flapped a little, but nothing much happened.

  ‘See,’ murmured Ari. ‘Nothing . . .’

  Will stepped forward and slapped Ari’s face, hard.

  ‘So you’re giving up, is that it? You didn’t even give it half a chance. Try again!’

  ‘Will, you don’t understand, I . . .’

  ‘Try again!’ Will began to beat his fists against Ari’s bare chest and the huge wings stirred into motion. Ari closed his eyes and made a monumental effort and they began to beat, not flapping this time, but sweeping up and down with a slow regular rhythm. Will was still pounding on Ari’s chest, except now he was beating Ari’s stomach and it occurred to him that Ari was rising, he was rising into the air. Will stepped away, his mouth open, his head tilted back as Ari lifted from the ground and rose higher. Ari opened his eyes and he was looking down at Will from a height of ten feet. His eyes filled with tears and he said, ‘Will, tell me I’m not dreaming this!’

  ‘You’re not dreaming!’ yelled Will, overcome for an instant by the beauty, the mystery of the moment. As he watched, Ari flew higher and then swooped low, describing a wide arc in the sky. And then he was yelling and whooping with the joy of rediscovery and it was a good few minutes before Will came back to his senses and remembered why he had needed this in the first place.

  ‘Ari!’ he yelled. ‘We have to go after Sophie!’ Ari came drifting down to the ground, seemingly as light as a December snowflake. A car, speeding along the road, swerved suddenly and mounted the kerb as the astonished driver got his very first glimpse of a real live angel.

  ‘Oops,’ said Ari. ‘Might need to do a bit of a mind-wipe there.’ He looked at Will for a moment and seemed to come to a decision. With one lithe move he swept Will up into his arms.

  ‘Whoa! What are you doing?’ gasped Will.

  ‘You’re coming with me,’ said Ari. ‘It’s only fair.’

  ‘But . . . but I’m too heavy, you can’t . . .’

  Ari leapt into the sky and Will could do nothing but hang on tight and pray he didn’t fall.

  TWENTY FIVE

  They sped through the night sky at a dizzy height and as Will looked down in fascinated hor
ror, the landscape in which he had spent his life was laid out like an illuminated circuit board below him.

  ‘Wait till the other Watchers find out about this!’ yelled Will, against the tumult of wind that was rushing past his ears.

  ‘They already know,’ Ari yelled back. ‘I told you Will, cut one Watcher . . .’

  ‘ . . .and you all bleed! But you’re not a Watcher any more Ari, you’re an angel.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Ari, you’ll be able to go back to heaven!’

  ‘Yes.’ Ari’s grin stretched across the entire width of his face. ‘I can already taste it. But first, there’s a job to finish here.’ He angled his wings and soared down through the heavens. To Will it was like riding the biggest roller coaster ever. He closed his eyes for a moment, terrified that Ari might not be able to pull out of the dive in time, that they might simply plough into the ground and perish together,

  When the speed settled a little, he opened his eyes again. Far below him, he could see the spooling ribbon of a road stretching through a wooded landscape. He could see the headlights of cars passing backwards and forwards along the ribbon. And then he saw a single headlight, lancing through the darkness.

  ‘Ari!’ he said, pointing. ‘There!’

  ‘I see him,’ said Ari, calmly. ‘We’re going down.’

  Again, the dizzying rush of air and Will felt the contents of his stomach threatening to come up his throat, but he gritted his teeth and hung on. When they levelled, they were racing along some ten feet above the surface of the road and Will could see the taillight of the Harley Davidson ahead of them. Ari’s wings began to beat faster, Will could hear them displacing the air above him and the distance between Ari and the motorbike began to shorten.