“I’m sorry.”
Benny glanced at Tommy and forced a grin.
“No problem. I should have done the driving from the start.”
Just as Tommy had predicted they arrived at the crossroads within five minutes. Benny took a right turn and continued up the narrow country lane. After another ten minutes of driving, the lane began to widen, the thick hedgerow on either side falling away until there was only vast fields to be seen rolling away towards distant woodland.
“How far now?” Benny asked. There was no sign of the cottage and he was beginning to feel nervous. He was craving nicotine too and had begun to regret his decision to stop smoking.
“How many minutes?” Benny snapped wishing he’d bought several packets of cigarettes before leaving London. “We can’t be driving around here all bloody night! We’re running out of petrol as it is.”
“Just a few more minutes,” Tommy replied, regretting his decision to join Benny. He wanted to be home now and was half tempted to jump from the mini just as soon as they reached the next turn in road.
“What are you doing?” Tommy now spoke. Benny had begun to slow the mini. There was no crossroads in sight. “Why are we stopping?”
“I’m going to ask for help. Sorry young man, but I don’t think I trust your sense of direction. I’m sure these locals will know the best route to take,” Benny replied already winding down the mini’s window. Up ahead, standing in a small group beside the road’s verge, Benny had spotted a small group of people.
“No. Don’t stop,” Tommy suddenly pleaded having noticed the group himself. “Just keep driving.”
“Strange bunch of folk. Are they farmers, Tommy? Bloody awful night to be out and standing around,” Benny continued, ignoring Tommy’s pleas. “Do you know them Tommy?”
“Keep driving I told you!” Tommy repeated, this time louder. “Do the window up.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? We’re bloody lost young man. I’d rather take my chances with this bunch if I’m being honest.”
Benny began to slow the mini, its headlamps soon illuminating the small group who stood curiously beside the roadside.
“Just keep driving Benny, please. Don’t stop the car,” Tommy continued to beg, sinking himself further down in his seat as the mini began to slow. Benny could see the group clearly now. At first he thought he’d stumbled across a peculiar fancy dress party of some kind. Only when the mini was a foot away from the group did he realize his mistake. Three tall men made up this peculiar entourage, each of them dressed in long purple gowns. Two from the group wore a hood that covered their entire face. Only one of them, the tallest of the three, stood with the hood down.
“Is that a mask he’s wearing?” Benny whispered more to himself than to Tommy.
“Just drive,” Tommy muttered back, looking around the mini for something to protect himself with. There was nothing to be found. The mini’s back seat was empty. Desperate, he flipped open the cubby hole but found nothing but old sweet wrappers.
The man with no hood slowly turned towards the mini as it approached. His face was unlike anything Benny had ever seen before. His skin, if indeed that’s what it could be called, resembled a mesh of scales and tiny wart-like features. His eyes large and deep set into his skull were yellow in colour. He looked directly into the car as it passed by not once flinching as both Benny and Tommy glared back in horror.
“Bloody hell,” Benny whispered. “What sort of town is this?”
Slamming his foot hard against the pedal, they sped off along the narrow lane.
“Can you tell me what I just saw there Tommy? Can you bloody explain?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I just want you to take me home.”
Benny adjusted the rear view mirror and glared into it. Having rounded several bends in the road by this point, the group of men had thankfully vanished from view.
“We’re going to the cottage first. You can forget about home, lad. If you think I’m driving around this town all night you’ve got another bloody thing coming! I know Luke. He’ll find his way back to the cottage. He’s not an easy man to put down. He’ll know what to do,” Benny rambled on, still in shock.
Tommy listened but was now too tired to argue his point. Instead, he slumped back into his seat and looked absently out the car window watching the fields fly past as Benny increased the mini’s speed. He was looking towards the woods which ringed the village and then towards the steep hill which overlooked the whole Chatterton Village. He could see Chatterton Manor at the summit of the hill and, when he looked closer, winding its way up the manor itself, Tommy could make out a long and twisting procession of torch flames. The ritual had begun early this evening, he thought to himself. A single tear ran from his right eye and along his cheek. He thought of all the friends he’d known and lost over the recent years and promised himself that one day, if he could muster up enough courage like before, he’d put an end to Chatterton and his mob. He kept his eyes on the procession, not bothering to tell Benny what he’d seen. What would be the point? He was good at keeping secrets. Keeping secrets had kept him alive all these years. It’s what he did well. Benny steered the mini carefully into another bend. Gradually, the procession and its secrets disappeared from view.
~ ~ ~
“Taking off their heads is the only way the kill them,” Andre repeated. The giant Russian had placed Lena gently across the bed. The bloodied sword now stood in the bedroom’s corner ready for action if and when required. Luke sat on the bed caressing Lena’s feet. Andre was standing beside the window watching the fields outside, looking for any sign of intruders.
“What are they?” Luke asked not sure if he actually wanted to know.
“Lizards. Reptilians. Half-men, half-snake. I don’t know to be sure. I don’t want to know. I’ve been working for Claire and the Chatterton family for many years now. I didn’t think anything of them. They were a pay check at the end of every month. You don’t ask questions in my business. But last week, not long after they brought Claire and the boy to the house, I saw something…”
“You walked in on something?”
“I went back to collect money. They were not expecting me. I was to meet them the following day. I’m not a man who is good with patience. That’s when I found them. There was a party. They had a young woman in the room. I hid myself behind one of the doors and watched them. They were feasting on her, ripping her to shreds like wild animals. The people who did this were no longer human. They had become what you have seen tonight. They tore up their game like frenzied lions. I stood and watched until they finished. Then I ran for my life.”
“But you came back for me. You came back to save me. Why?”
Andre turned from the window.
“I am not a good man Luke. I have done terrible things in my life. But I still believe in a higher power. I still cling to the idea of God. I have to. There has to be hope, you see, even for a man like myself,” he went on sitting next to Luke. After the life this man had led, Luke could only imagine the number of demons that were now running around Andre’s giant skull.
“The scriptures tell us there was a time when the sons of God descended from heaven and bred with the daughters of man. I know the true meaning of those words now. I have seen their offspring with my very eyes. The serpent race is real, Luke,” Andre continued softly. He lifted his swollen forefinger to the air and pointed towards the ceiling. “The battle between good and evil is very real, Luke. It’s taking place this very evening in fact.”
Luke didn’t reply, content this time to simply listen. He was still trying to come to terms with what he’d seen that evening. Alexander and his father had been right after all. His only wish now was to escape Chatterton Village with Lena, Claire and the boy safe. Whatever else happened to him from this point on he would make their safety a priority.
“There is something else I must tell you,” Andre continued.
“Go on.”
“They
keep people beneath the house. They keep women and children locked up. It wasn’t just you they held as prisoner. I’ve been watching them with my own eyes these past few nights. I’ve seen children brought kicking and screaming into that house, Luke. We have to regroup and finish that place for good. There are others in the village who are willing to help. They are good people, Luke, brave people who have lost their fear and want to change things.”
“Are you saying we’re going back up to the house?”
“Of course. I have gathered a small force. They will be joining us soon. Are you with us Luke?”
“Coming here? How many?”
“Are you with us?” Andre repeated, walking back towards the window. His attention seemed to be suddenly elsewhere. Luke stood and began to wander the room.
“How do we stop them? We only have the one sword!”
Andre didn’t reply. He’d drawn the curtains completely now.
“Andre?”
“Ssh,” Andre replied, holding up his finger towards Luke. “I think the first of our guests are about to arrive.”
Luke could hear the sound of a distant car engine approaching. Quite soon, he could hear several car engines making their way. Quickly, Andre left the curtains and brushed his way past Luke. Glancing back he said, “So? Are you coming to meet the others?”
Luke nodded grabbing the sword from its corner.
“I’ve never been one to turn down a good scrap, Andre. You just lead the way,” he then replied following the Russian through the door.
~ ~ ~
“We have an army of four men?”
“Six if we include ourselves, Luke,” Andre retorted. He had taken the sword back from Luke and was now swinging the blade about the kitchen practising his moves for later on that evening. Alexander and the other three men who had arrived were each watching Andre carefully. A simple slip of his hand and one of them would end up like Elizabeth. Andre had already dumped her head and torso into several bin liners and threw them on one of the kitchen corners.
“I’m not so sure if this is a good idea anymore,” Alexander spoke. He looked very nervous and even twitched a little with each word. “I think you are all rushing into this with little consideration for the consequences!”
“You can’t back down now lad,” One of the new arrivals broke in. John Fry was standing next to the kitchen sink. His son, Andrew Fry, was busy making the group cups of tea. Both men were farmers and had lived in Chatterton all their adult lives. John, like Andre, was a big man. Years of toiling the land had blessed him with hands the size of shovels and a back which could carry the heaviest load. Andrew was the smaller and stockier of the two men but still looked incredibly strong. Andre had introduced the third man as Peter from Romania. He was short and wiry and spoke very little. He worked as a labourer on John’s farm and Luke had taken an instant dislike to him.
“I’m just being sensible John. You don’t know what you’re up against,” Alexander continued, sticking to his guns. Luke walked over and gave him a pat across the arm.
“It’s good to see you again Alexander. How’s your dad?” he then asked.
“He’s okay, thank you Luke. He wanted to be here with us this evening, but sometimes, my father forgets just how old he is. I had to talk him out of it.”
“Well, with any luck we’ll all be able to tell him all about our adventures.”
“I hope so Luke. I certainly hope so.”
“Now, I don’t much care for all your talk of bleeding snakes, Alexander,” John broke in commanding the room with his deep voice. “All I know is this. Every year it’s the same. Strange bloody things start to happen in this village. Livestock are found dead. Folks go missing and Chatterton is behind it! That much I’m certain of!”
“You don’t believe in Lizard men then?” Luke chipped in. He was feeling suddenly confrontational with all the testosterone flying about the room. “You’ve seen what’s left of Elizabeth in those bin bags. Does that body look human to you?”
John paused quietly taking a cup of tea from his son. Andrew was looking directly into Luke’s eyes. Luke held eye contact until the younger man glanced away.
Stirring the tea with his spoon John replied, “I don’t know where you’re from fella, but up here in these particular parts, we don’t believe in fairies and goblins. I saw a badly decomposed body. That’s all I saw.”
“She’s been dead for less than an hour,” Luke replied calmly. “It’s hardly had time to decompose. One look and you can see it isn’t human.” Luke could feel his temper rising. He’d had enough for one day and now anyone was fair game.
“One tea!” Andrew then broke in, slamming the cup onto the table, the majority of the tea escaping and splashing across its top as it did.
“Now, now, boys. Please, let’s all of us calm down, shall we? Falling out is not going to solve our problems,” Alexander went on, beginning to wipe the table clean with a used dishcloth. “I don’t think taking the Chatterton’s full on is good idea. That’s all I was suggesting.”
“Well, do you have a better idea?” Andrew asked.
Alexander continued to wipe down the table. He then paused. Looking up towards the youngest Fry he said, “No. Not at the moment. I don’t have a better solution. I’m sorry.”
“Then perhaps you should leave the planning to us,” John continued.
“Very well John. Have it your way. But like I said, you don’t know what you’re up against. You can mock me all you want. But you’ll see the truth for yourself soon enough. You can choose to ignore what you saw in that bag, or you can open your eyes and wake up. Either way, you’ll have to acknowledge the truth at some point. Andre and Luke appear to have done so.”
“The Fry’s like to make up their own bloody minds if that’s okay with you, Alexander. You just keep your head in those books of yours and leave this work to real men,” Andrew rattled on. Luke couldn’t help but giggle.
“Problem?”
Luke raised his hand and smiled.
“No Andrew. No problem here.”
“I have seen strange things,” Peter unexpectedly interrupted from his quiet corner.
“Oh, heavens! Now you’ve started Peter off!” John proclaimed raising both his hands in mock exacerbation. “We should have sent you back to the East years ago!”
“Be careful what you say to me John. I might do that one day.”
“Let the boy have his say, Dad,” Andrew broke in swigging back his tea. “I’m going to rest in the lounge while you lot rabbit on. I’ve had enough for one hour,” Andrew continued flinging the tea cup into the sink and then heading towards the door. “Give me a shout when you silly buggers have made up your minds, will you?” he then finished slamming the door shut. For a moment the kitchen fell eerily silent. Peter was the first to break the stillness.
“I’ve worked on John’s land for over ten years now. I came from Romania with nothing and I thank God every day for him and his family. They gave me a roof over my head and food in my belly. They are good men. We have had arguments for sure over the years. Like any employer and employee will have. But I will tell you this much, Luke. John and his son are men I would want by my side in battle.”
Luke nodded thoughtfully. For now the fire had left his belly. Waving a conciliatory hand towards Peter, he encouraged the man from Romania to continue. Peter took in a sharp breath and said, “In the ten years I have been working on John’s land I can say I’ve only ever seen one thing which I cannot explain.”
“Oh, not this old chestnut again,” John broke in grinning from ear to ear.
“It is the truth John. I saw what I saw.”
“Let Peter finish what he has to say, Mr Fry,” Andre now spoke. He took a step closer to John and leant himself against the sink. Both were big men. Andre was far bigger however and John respected this. Shaking his head slowly he said, “Very well Peter. Tell the room what you told me all those years ago.”
“Thank you John,” Peter replied sar
castically. “It was October seven years ago. I had been working late on the top fields. I remember it well. There had been a terrible storm that night. It had been raining heavily since midday. One of our bulls had slipped in the mud and broken its leg. We could hear his groans from over a mile away. I had gone to the field with my shotgun to put the beast out of its misery. I found him next to a bridge wallowing in mud up to his neck. The poor animal couldn’t move. I think he had exhausted himself by trying to escape the mud. I found him motionless not far from the bridge’s arch. He was still breathing and as I stepped closer he let out a terrible groan. He was in agony. He knew what I had come to do. The rain was terrible. It lashed against his hide. I was loading the shotgun carefully. One by one I remember slipping in the shotgun pellets. I looked back up and there it was sitting on top of the bull, its face staring straight back at me. It was like a small boy except his face was that of a lizard. It started towards me at that moment. I froze in panic. It crawled off the bull’s stomach and started to crawl my way! I remember raising the gun and firing. I don’t know if I hit the creature or not. The rain was pelting against my face. I was terrified. Even now, I can see that terrible animal darting back beneath the bridge. That is all I can say on the matter. I left straight after. I left our poor bull to die in agony. I regret that deeply, but I was afraid.”
The kitchen fell silent for the second time. John was no longer grinning but looked very serious. Andre nodded thoughtfully.
“Well. Come on, you boys. I need you to help me with Elizabeth’s torso. She won’t climb to her feet and walk into the bin by herself!” Andre suddenly blurted out trying to lift the mood.
“Bloody hell, man. Show some respect!” John barked. It was obvious to everyone in the room that Peter’s story had affected John more than he would have liked to admit.
“Okay Andre. After you,” Peter replied patting John on the shoulder and moving towards the bin liner where Elizabeth’s torso now lay. John took in a deep breath and followed Peter. Andre opened the kitchen door and watched as both men began to lift the bag, one standing either side. Andre then followed them out into the back garden.
The Devil's Blue Eyes Page 22
