Skyclade ignored Hall and walked down the corridor stopping outside what looked like a large heavy wooden door but with no obvious handles. Skyclade pushed at the wood, it didn't open. Stepping back, it examined the door. It looked old and heavy with big rivets around the edges. To the right were five deep holes carved into the rock wall. Skyclade reached out to place a hand into the top hole but Hall grabbed his wrist.
“Let go witch,” snarled Skyclade, eyes glowing red.
Hall let go and pointed to a metal plaque above the top hole, “Might want to read this first. Or you may lose your hand again.”
Skyclade peered at the metal sign and the engraving it contained.
“All the same,” read Skyclade.
“Well, what do you think that means?” asked Hall. She held up her cell phone light to each of the holes and peered in, “Aha, check it out. There are large silver stones in two of them, see?”
Skyclade was losing patience and smashed his fists into the door. Small puffs of dust fell from the roof. The door didn't budge.
Hall scanned her cell phone light across the ground, “That’s not going to help. Maybe we need to find three more of the stones and put them into the holes? See I was right! Here’s one.” Hall bent down and picked up a large silver stone which she tossed to Skyclade, who caught it with ease.
Skyclade examined the stone, it was smooth and shiny. Its weight felt good in its hand.
“Put it in one of the holes,” called out Hall, “I’ll look for more.”
Skyclade placed the stone into the top hole. As soon as he let go a loud whirring noise could be heard from behind the door.
“That sounds promising,” Hall said.
The noise stopped and then started again, this time louder to the right of the door.
“That sounds less promising.” Hall shone her light past Skyclade and onto the wall next to the door. Part of the rock dropped away, revealing a large metal spike. “Duck!” shouted Hall as the spike flew towards Skyclade.
Skyclade swayed to the left, just as the spike smashed neck high into the rock. It then slowly withdrew back into the rock face.
“This Ichabod, one crazy paranoid dude. Maybe we have to put them all in at the same time?”
Skyclade reached into the holes with stones and pulled them all out, dropping them onto the floor.
“Wait! Don’t do that!” shouted Hall.
The sound of large metal cranks turning filled the tunnel. Hall covered her ears and pushed herself against the floor.
The door slowly opened.
“Now holes are all the same. Empty,” snarled Skyclade.
“Huh,” frowned Hall standing up. She stopped and held her breath. She could hear something high pitched, coming fast. “Do you hear that?” she asked.
Suddenly, a large metal sphere sped through the open doorway, shot past Skyclade knocking him to the floor and then with its powerful blades spinning, cut straight through the chest of Hall. It then turned in the air and smashed into Hall’s skull, splitting it in two.
Hall fell dead to the floor.
The now bloody sphere sped towards Skyclade, who twisted just as the sphere was inches from its neck. The sphere smashed into the wall, its blades stuck, carving and slicing the rock that held it.
Skyclade pushed the sphere further and further into the rock, snapping its blades and crushing its body. Slowly the sphere stopped spinning and its whine became silent.
Skyclade walked over to Hall’s body. Brain mush was spilling from the large split that ran from her hair to her mouth. Fluid leaked across her cheeks, making them shiny and sticky. Her eyes were open but were dull and lifeless.
Skyclade kicked Hall but there was no response. Turning back, it saw a second sphere floating in the doorway. The sphere spun up its blades and darted forwards.
Skyclade ripped Hall’s head, from her body and threw it at the sphere. The sphere swerved in the air and smashed into Skyclade’s leg, its blades sticking deep into the skin. Skyclade grabbed the sphere and squeezed. The blades continued to spin, moving up Skyclade’s leg, tearing flesh.
Skyclade tore the sphere from its leg and smashed it into the stone ground. The sphere lifted up, attempting to free itself but Skyclade grabbed it harder and threw it back to the rock floor. Putting all its weight on the sphere, Skyclade continued to squeeze the metal until the sphere finally buckled and lost power.
Breathing heavily, Skyclade stretched and looked down at the sphere. It was good to destroy again. Dipping his finger into Hall’s open rib cage, it withdrew a bloody finger and painted ‘Skyclade’ crudely on the metal.
Its vessel’s leg was bleeding heavily so Skyclade ripped Hall’s shirt from her chest and wrapped it tightly around the large tear in its leg. Grabbing two broken blades from the sphere, Skyclade limped towards the open door. The woman with power was close, it could feel her. Soon she would know its name, they all would.
THIRTEEN.
“What are they?” asked Canopus, gun drawn.
Further down the tunnel, the spheres continued to hover.
“I don’t know,” replied Keel.
Drexel held his magnum in his left hand, “So what do we do? Shoot them? Cos, I don’t think I can hit either one from this distance.”
Keel quickly glanced at the flicker, it was still frozen in time. “Whatever we do, we have to be careful to not disturb the flicker, if we break the spell, it will attack us again.” Keel’s hands felt sweaty and her mouth dry. “I’m going to take a step towards them and see what happens.”
Canopus loosened the grip on his gun and breathed in deeply, “Do it.”
With the flicker motionless behind him, Drexel crouched down behind the overturned desk and rested his magnum’s barrel on the wood, to give it support.
Keel hesitantly took a step forward.
Squealing, the spheres flew towards the trio at lightning speed.
One sphere twisted in the air, blades spinning to a blur and smashed through the overturned desk, slicing deep through the skin of Drexel’s leg, splinters of wood flew in the air and Drexel fell backwards. The sphere halted before the flicker and then quickly turned back towards Drexel, blades extending.
The second sphere sped towards Keel. Canopus fired twice, both shots skimming off the sphere’s metal body. The sphere quickly changed its trajectory and headed towards Canopus, allowing Keel to squeeze off a single shot. The bullet hit a blade, which broke and fell, impaling the ground. With its surviving single blade, the large sphere hit Canopus square in the chest, knocking him off his feet. He fell hard to the ground, blood squirting from a deep cut below his neck.
Yelling, Drexel squeezed the Magnum’s trigger, hitting the sphere flying towards him. The sphere spun backwards and collided with the flicker. The sigils around the flicker burst into light and the flicker disappeared, reappearing behind Keel.
The dented sphere sped back towards Drexel, who shot it again. This time it dropped to the ground and spun manically on the floor, its whine becoming higher and higher until it stopped spinning and just rocked back and forth.
“Solar wind and reap the whirlwind,” shrieked the flicker, as it pushed Keel to the floor with its long limbs.
Keel dropped her handgun as she hit the floor. Her nose exploded with blood as it connected with the hard ground.
Face pressed against the ground, nose bleeding, she tried to move but the hold of the flicker was too strong on her back. With one long fingered hand holding Keel still, the flicker pressed its oval face next to her ear and screamed so loud, Keel felt pain shoot from inside her ear to her eyes. The flicker’s second hand grabbed Keel’s belt and pants and started to pull them down.
“You won’t miss your water till your well runs dry” said the flicker, its voice deep and booming.
Keel reached out her fingers towards her handgun but it was just out of reach.
Drexel ran towards Keel but the flicker raised its right arm and chopped Drexel in the throat. Drexel fell
backwards, unable to breathe.
Looking up from the ground, Keel screamed as the last sphere sped towards her face. With all her effort, she used the energy from the scream to twist her body. Her arms trembled and the muscles in her back strained as she knocked the flicker off her back. Smearing her hand with blood from her nose, she placed a bloody handprint onto the flickers chest. The Sphere, turned and hit the handprint. The flicker disappeared and reappeared next to Canopus, who had his hands pressed tightly against his wound, blood leaking through his fingers.
The sphere twisted in the air and flew into the flicker, hitting it again in the chest.
The flicker disappeared and reappeared further down the corridor
“You’ll mine what you die for!” shouted the Flicker, this time in its high-pitch shrill.
The sphere sped towards the flicker and hit it once more in the bloody handprint.
The flicker fell to the ground and disappeared.
Every time the flicker reappeared the sphere turned and hit it, always in the location of Keel’s blood, both caught in a never-ending loop. The flicker fled down the corridor, the sphere following.
Keel tried to stand but the room started to spin and she fell to her knees. Taking a deep breath, she held onto the wall and steadily made her way to Canopus, his eyes were closed as blood continued to pour from the neck wound and across his hands. Keel flopped down next Canopus and placed her hand over his wound, pushing as hard as she could. She looked over at Drexel who was lying still on his back.
Keel closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.
FOURTEEN.
Keel was seeing double. A young girl’s face, no older than ten, was looking at her. But the face looked like two. She closed her eyes, held them tightly and then reopened them. She was still seeing double. She noticed a long thin cut on the chin of one of the girls was absent from the chin of the other. Keel smiled weakly. “You are the twin girls I saw with Lillian Fox. I’m guessing that as I’m not dead, Lillian Fox is not here.”
“Try not to talk,” replied Julia.
Melissa pointed a small flashlight into Keel’s eyes, “Pupils are equal and reactive to light. That’s good.”
Keel looked away from the glare, “Aren’t you a little old to be playing doctor. I feel fine.”
“Would someone playing at doctor, be able to patch up these old men?” smiled Melissa. It felt good to be fixing people again, it was something that she was good at and for a long time today she didn't felt weak. She felt in control.
Keel sat up and looked over at Canopus. His eyes were still closed but the wound below his neck had been bandaged.
“Where did you get the dressing from?” asked Keel. She could now see that both girls had different jackets on. One was wearing Canopus’ jacket, the other had on Drexels. The jackets were zipped up, sprouting from them were bare legs and feet, covered in scratches.
Melissa tapped the jacket she was wearing, “Used the padding and lining from the jacket. I learnt it in the Corps.”
“You look like shit,” shouted Drexel.
Keel looked over at Drexel who was leaning against a wall. His neck had a thick black bruise across it.
“Thanks, you too,” replied Keel. Shakily she stood.
“Luckily, these little Doogie Howser kids turned up or we would have been dead.”
“How’s Canopus?” she asked Melissa.
“If Canopus is the old man on the floor rather than the fat man against the wall, I would say he’ll live. He lost a fair amount of blood but your hand stopped the bleeding.
“Fat? Nice attitude after I gave you my coat,” grumbled Drexel.
Keel looked down at her hand, the fingers were stuck together with the congealed blood of Canopus. She gently pulled apart her fingers, red flakes fell to the floor.
“You don’t talk like children. What are you? Imps?” asked Keel.
Julia held up Keel’s badge, “Before we say anything I want to know why the FBI are here and how quickly we can get out of this fucking place.”
Keel casually took her badge and placed it back in her satchel, “We are a special FBI division that investigate supernatural phenomenon.”
“And how long have you known about that creature that captured us.”
Keel sighed, her head hurt and her mouth felt dry. She needed some water but there was none around. “A year ago, I found out Lillian Fox killed my father. Canopus and I have been tracking her down ever since. Which is why we are here. Make no mistake I will end her.”
Melissa walked over to Canopus, “Before yesterday I would have said you were full of it. But what we have seen, what we have experienced. I don’t know how to explain - ”
“- we were 35 and now we are kids again,” continued Julia. “and we had this creature attached to us.”
Keel reached into her satchel and pulled out her crystal. She looked at Julia through it, “You still do.”
Julia took a step back. “What is it?”
Keel turned and looked at Melissa, “Intriguing. It’s now moved to your sister.”
Melissa froze and then continued to examine Canopus, she was holding his pulse and counting.
“What is it?” asked Julia again, tears in her eyes.
“It’s a shroud. It feeds off your lifeforce and then feeds it back to Lillian Fox. But I’ve never seen one able to move between hosts before.”
“That’s what Lillian Fox said. It’s why she made us younger, so we could continue to feed her. Why do we always use her full name? I don’t mean to but I can’t help it.”
Keel paused and then explained, “Their names are carefully chosen messianic seals. It is to command awe and respect. All angels have them.”
“Angels? You aren't serious. Holier than thou, white winged angels?”
Keel shook her head, “I wish I was. Not that wishes are real in any way. But that is what she is. Angels are not what you hear about in stories. They are evil parasites that need to be destroyed. Drexel can lead you out, but Canopus and I will destroy this one.”
“Two. There are two of them.”
“There are fucking two of them?” Drexel said. “We are leaving, now!”
Keel grabbed Julia by the shoulders, “Please tell me there isn’t two.”
“I’m sorry, but there is.”
“What is the other’s name?”
Julia pushed Keel back, Keel stumbled but was able to straighten herself. “We are not telling you anything more until you get us out of here, get this shroud creature off us and then turn us back to our right age.”
Keel pulled two syringes out of her satchel, “One of them I can do right now but it’s going to hurt a lot.”
“What fucking doesn’t,” replied Julia, arms folded.
FIFTEEN.
“How ya doing bruther?” asked Drexel to Canopus. Drexel was holding one of the metal spheres.
Canopus held out his hand and Drexel grabbed his wrist, lifting him to his feet, “You sure you want to keep that?”
Drexel knocked on the sphere’s metal casing, “Yeah it’s kaput. Thought it would look good on my coffee table, good conversation starter with the ladies.”
“You’re an idiot.” Canopus placed a hand on the bandage under his neck, it felt scratchy when he talked.
“You want to be careful with that, the Doctor kids said it could open up again if you don't rest.”
“Doctor Kids?” Canopus saw two girls sitting in front of Keel.
“Long story,” replied Drexel.
“Ah good, you’re awake!” said Keel. She walked over and placed a hand on Canopus’ shoulder. “I thought I lost you.” She frowned.
“I’m tougher than I look.”
“Even so, this is it for you. If you go on any further, you will die. Melissa said you have three broken ribs, a concussion and that cut only just missed your jugular. You lost a lot of blood. She checked your pulse, it’s weak and you have acute heart arrhythmia. Any more strain on your body and that
wound could split further. You would bleed to death.”
Canopus grabbed Keel’s arm, “There is no way you are going on without me. I swore to your father I would protect you. How many times have we saved each other?”
“Too many. But now it’s my time to save you. I need you alive, you need to get these children to safety.” Keel looked deep into Canopus’ eyes, “I can’t be distracted worrying about you, I need to be focused to battle Lillian Fox.”
Canopus turned to Drexel, “So I guess you’re going with her?”
Drexel lowered his head.
“He’s in worse condition than you,” scolded Keel. “The curse on his fingers is already past his hand. Drexel has agreed to wait in the tunnel. When Lillian Fox follows, he will blow the charges and trap her inside.”
“I guess you have everything worked out.”
“I’ve run the numbers, it’s our best chance of success. These girls need you to get them out.”
“And what are the numbers? Your chance of success?” asked Canopus.
Keel ignored the question and held up two syringes, “Right now I need you both, we are going to remove a shroud from the girls and it’s not going to be easy. It's a big one.”
Canopus breathed deeply, his heart fluttered weakly and he saw stars. He took another deep breath and the stars disappeared.
With support from Drexel, he followed Keel as they headed back to the twins, “What about if we trap her in here now? Blow the tunnels, seal the entrances and trap her underground. She couldn’t escape.”
“And what about the residents that are down here? She would feed off them. They would die. No, I won’t have that. We stick to the plan. Well, the new plan,” Keel replied. She passed the syringes to Drexel, “Can you set these up?”
Canopus looked at Keel, there was no point in arguing, for now.
“OK. You’re the boss.”
Canopus stood in front of the two girls, his heart broke to see two children hurt and in pain. They had multiple cuts on their legs, neck and face, their hair was matted and their eyes full of tears. He reached out and grabbed their hands, “I guess I owe you my life.”
Canopus and Keel - The Hive. Page 20
