by Neal Martin
Edger blew a plume of smoke out into the room. "Gemma's dead," he said, staring straight ahead towards the window. "Rankin killed her."
Shaking her head, Donna screwed her face up as she tried to work out a reaction to what he just said. He could see she didn't want to believe him but the truth was written all over his face, a truth she couldn't deny and she knew it. She put a hand to her forehead and sat down heavily on one of the armchairs. "John killed Gemma?" she said finally. "I…I just can't get my head…around that."
"He shot her in the face." Edger swallowed hard. "Then he tried to rape and kill Kaitlin."
Donna was breathing heavily, looking like she was going to be sick. All the colour had drained from her face.
"He isn't who we thought he was, Donna. The man's a monster. A sick cunt."
"I just can't get my head around what you're telling me. This is John we're talking about here." Her hand shook as she took a drag of her cigarette.
Edger took a final drag of his own cigarette and stubbed it out in the skull shaped ashtray on the coffee table. "He hid it well, I'll give him that. I never seen it. I should have seen it though. Maybe Gemma would still be alive if I did."
"Hey." Donna went and sat beside him, put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't go blaming yourself, Harry."
Edger shook his head. "You have anything to drink? I need a drink."
Donna fetched them two glasses of vodka and sat back down again. Edger drank half the contents of his glass, the vodka burning its way down to his empty stomach.
"Where is he now?" Donna asked. "Did you kill him, Harry?"
"No," he said. "But I fucking should have. The cops are sorting him out."
"You phoned them?"
"Not exactly. The cop who was investigating me—Paul Black—he was with me when I walked in on Rankin. We we're too late to save Gemma. Just about saved Kaitlin. He had her stripped naked, Donna, in one of the bedrooms. He had a knife. He was going to cut her up and he would have fucking enjoyed it as well."
"Jesus Christ." Donna put her drink down quickly and ran out of the room and into the kitchen.
Edger went after her, entering the kitchen just as she was being sick into the sink. He went over and rubbed her back until she had finished, then she turned and threw her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest as she started crying.
As he held her, Edger felt his own tears come to the surface. Tears so bitter it felt like they burned his face.
Not long after, they were back in the living room. Edger had just checked on Kaitlin. She hadn't moved from the position he left her in before, and she still remained unresponsive to his gentle pleas asking if she was alright. It was like she had retreated into herself so far that no one could get to her and Edger prayed that he hadn't lost her forever.
"She'll come around eventually," Donna assured him as they sat on the sofa, drinking coffee this time instead of vodka. "It'll take time though. You need to be prepared for that."
"I hope you're right, Donna," Edger said. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost her as well."
A heavy silence fell between them for a moment, finally broken by Donna. "So why are you here, Harry? Did you come just to tell me about…God, I can't even say his name now. Rankin."
"There's more to all this than you know, Donna."
"What do you mean?"
"Rankin is part of some secret club called the Red Falcon Country Club. A cult basically, a place for sick cunts like Rankin to indulge their sexual sadism. On children mostly, as far as I can make out."
"Jesus Christ."
"The members are all big wigs in this country. McGinty is a member. The fucking Deputy Chief Constable is a member."
"That's unbelievable, Harry."
"Believe it, Donna," he said. "I have a laptop in the car with the evidence on it to back up what I'm saying here. Videos. Documents."
"Where did you get it?"
"My brother. He was kidnapped by this cult all those years ago. He was brainwashed into being some kind of assassin. There's video footage." He shook his head, remembering the brutal footage. "What they did to him…"
"Why did he kidnap Kaitlin?"
Edger sighed. "That was personal. I'll tell you sometime. But he also wanted me to help him take down cult who practically stole his soul from him."
"Do you even know who they are?"
Edger nodded. "The man who oversees it all is called Gabriel Mason. He lives on some estate in Armagh. That's where the cult is. There's going to be some kind of ritual there tonight."
"Ritual?"
"Yeah. Some fucking occult thing apparently. I don't know what it's about."
"Occult rituals are more common than you think," Donna said. "There's groups like the one you describe all over the world, all made up of powerful figures, the ones who run things. They believe these rituals give them power. I thought that stuff was mostly just conspiracy theory nonsense, but obviously not, not if what you're saying is true."
"Like I said, I don't give a fuck what they believe or don't believe. These are evil men. Sick cunts who torture kidnapped kids in ways you wouldn't believe. They don't deserve to live, and I'm going to see to it that they don't."
"You're not thinking of taking them all on by yourself, are you?"
"Someone has to. Besides, they didn't give me any choice. They're out to get me. I have to get them first, or Kaitlin will never be safe."
"Fuck, this is too much." Donna shook her head. "I need a joint." She leaned forward and opened a tobacco tin on the table, took out a bag of weed and started rolling a joint. When she had finished rolling she lit the reefer up, filling the room with a sweet, skunky smell, reminding Edger of the vast marijuana fields he used to come across in Cambodia.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into all this," he said, declining the joint when she offered, wanting to keep his head as clear as possible for what he knew he had to do later. "You're the only person I can trust right now."
Donna blew out a thick stream of smoke and settled back in the sofa, putting one black booted foot on the edge of the coffee table and smiling. "I always thought you were the dark one, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're a dark horse, Harry. Though as it turns out, not as dark as Rankin." She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get over this. You think his wife knows what he really is?"
Edger shrugged. "If she didn't, she does now."
"Shit. I just realised. I don't have a job anymore either. Is it bad saying that?" She burst out laughing. "Sorry. The weed's going to my head."
"You're a smart, resourceful girl, Donna. I'm sure you'll land on your feet."
"What about you? What will you do?"
Edger hadn't given the idea a moment's thought. Didn't care to either. "Assuming I don't die tonight, I don't know."
"Fuck, Harry. Don't talk like that. Come to think of it, why can't you just get on a plane with Kaitlin and leave all this mess behind?"
He drained what was left in his coffee cup and set it on the table. "You think I haven't considered that? I'll be looking over my shoulder the rest of my life, Donna. Fuck that. Besides, someone needs to stop these bastards."
"And what about Kaitlin?" she asked.
"I was hoping you would look after her for me until I got back."
"Yeah, I sort of figured that, but that's not what I mean." She looked at him with slightly bloodshot eyes. "I mean what if you don't come back at all, Harry? What then?"
"Kaitlin has grandparents in Fermanagh. They'll probably want custody anyway."
"And you're just going to hand her over?"
He raised his head towards the ceiling for a second, sighing deeply. "I don't know, Donna. That depends on Kaitlin, I suppose, what she wants to do. It'll be her choice."
"She'll chose you," Donna said, after a moment. "I would if I was her."
Edger shifted in his seat, unsure of what to say to that.
Donna smiled. "I've embarrassed you.
It's the truth though. You could be a great dad, Harry, if only you would stop running around like the Equalizer all the time."
"I didn't exactly ask for any of this."
"No, but you know what I mean. I'd give anything to have my parents back again. Don't make Kaitlin wish the same thing. You need to be there for her."
A long silence descended between them, while Edger thought about what she said. She was right of course. If he made it out of this situation alive, he promised himself to make Kaitlin a priority. "I'm worried about the damage the last couple of days have done to her," he said eventually. "She's seen things that no twelve year old should ever have to see. I'm not sure if she'll be able to come back from that."
"It won't be easy," Donna said, stubbing her joint out in the ashtray. "It'll take time, but she'll get there. She seems like a strong girl."
"She is."
"Like her father then." Donna smiled, gave his leg a gentle squeeze. "I'll be here whenever you need me, Harry."
Edger returned her smile and gave her a brief hug. "You're a good girl, Donna."
"The best," she said, then laughed.
Edger couldn't bring himself to join her.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Paul Black turned up at Donna's house sometime after 7:00 p.m. Donna opened the door to him, while Edger stood in the kitchen forcing himself to eat a pizza that Donna had insisted on cooking up, despite the fact that it was like chewing cardboard. Upstairs, Kaitlin still lay in her borderline comatose state, completely unresponsive to anything he did or said. The last time he checked on her, he spent some time cleaning the slash wound on her chest, covering it with fresh bandages. He also made sure the bandages on her injured hands didn't need changing. Throughout this whole process, Kaitlin stared through him with blank, emotionless eyes. It broke Edger's heart to see how little light was left in her eyes, a light that she was once so filled with. Again, he fought against the guilt that threatened to tear him apart from the inside, constantly telling himself that there would be plenty of time for guilt later. For now, he needed every ounce of strength he had to survive what he needed to do.
After Black introduced himself to Donna, she ushered him into the kitchen where Edger was. The ex-cop had changed out of his usual suit and into all black garb, including black pullover, black jeans and heavy looking black boots. A black jacket completed his new look. Compared to the darkness of his clothes however, his face looked deathly pale, his eyes sunken with dark rings underneath. "You look like shit," Edger said to him.
Black threw him a look. "Well, I am dying of fucking cancer here."
Edger smiled and shook his head.
"You have cancer?" Donna said, taking a seat opposite Black at the small kitchen table. "I'm sorry."
"Why do you think I'm going on this suicide mission with John Rambo here," he said. "You have any whiskey, love? I need a drink after the day I've had." He looked at Edger. "Sorry. I didn't mean to belittle what happened with…" He trailed off.
Edger swallowed a mouthful of pizza. "It's okay, Black. What happened anyway?"
Donna got up, went to one of the kitchen cupboards, and brought a bottle of Jack Daniels back to the table.
Black looked at the bottle like it was medicine. "Thank Christ," he said, taking a long swig straight from the bottle.
"I was about to get you a glass," Donna said. "But you know…drink away."
"Thanks, love." Black fumbled in his coat pocket for his cigarettes and looked at Edger. "So, you're former boss has been charged with murder. He'll be going away for a while."
"Any problems explaining things?" Edger asked.
"A few," Black said, lighting a cigarette, then barely suppressing a cough. "Nothing I couldn't handle. They have Rankin pegged as a serial killer. They did a search of his house. Guess what they found?"
"Bodies?" Donna asked, horrified.
"A fucking box of teeth," Black said. "Dating back over twenty years. They're still running tests and cross referencing the teeth with old murder and missing person's cases. They've linked him to the murders of at least three young girls back in London so far. No doubt more will follow."
Donna shook her head, shocked by the revelations. "I've been working for Ted Bundy for the last four years," she said, shaking her head "God help me."
"Did he say anything else about this cult he belongs to?" Edger asked.
"No," Black said. "He refused to talk about it when I interviewed him. He seems to think his fellow cult members are going to get him off." Black laughed, then coughed. "You believe that?"
"They can't get him off if they're all dead," Edger said. "He better have been telling the truth about this meeting tonight."
"Let's hope so," Black said, taking another swig from the Jack Daniels bottle. "All the gear's in the car. I managed to swipe some body armour from the station in Fermanagh. Few more boxes of 9mm rounds as well."
"Good," Edger said. "I have a feeling we're going to need them. I suppose the cops want to speak to me as well?"
Black nodded. "They do. Your daughter as well. Couldn't hide the fact she was there after her grandparents said so. I said I would track you down myself. Should buy you some time before you have to deal with them. There's no charges against you. They just want statements."
"Thanks, Black," Edger said. "For doing all that. You tell them you burnt your badge yet?"
"They'll find out soon enough," he said. "When are we going?"
"Soon," Edger said. "I need to speak to my daughter first."
"How is she?"
"How do you think?"
The bedroom was dark when Edger walked in, only the sickly yellow illumination from the street lamp outside throwing some light into the gloom. He paused by the door a second, thought about flicking the light switch, and then thought better of it. Instead, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Kaitlin was lying on her back, her eyes closed, the only sign that she was alive being the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. "Kaitlin?" he said softly. "You awake, love?"
Kaitlin opened her eyes, but she didn't look at him. She stared straight up at the ceiling.
At least she's responsive. That's something.
"Kaitlin, I have to go out for a while now," he continued, hating having to say it to her. "I'm not sure how long I'm going to be, but Donna is going to look after you until I get back." He stopped, half expecting some kind of reply from her.
She said nothing. Just kept staring at the ceiling.
"I know you probably hate me, Kaitlin. I don't blame you. None of this would have happened to you if it wasn't for me. Your mother, she—" He paused, swallowed. "She would still be alive."
Kaitlin's head turned to the side then, away from him. He saw tears run from her eyes.
Jesus, Kaitlin…
He wiped tears from his own eyes. "I'm trying to make things right. That's why I have to go. When I come back, I can take you to your grandparents, if that's what you want."
Edger stared at his daughter for a long moment. When he got no response of her, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, Kaitlin."
It nearly killed him having to get up off the bed and walk away, when all he wanted to do was lie beside her and hold her in his arms. It's what he should have done, but the burning need in the pit of his stomach, the need for revenge or retribution or whatever it was that was driving him, wouldn't let him stay.
"Don't go."
He stopped dead by the door when he heard her small voice behind him. He closed his eyes for a moment, then turned around, went back to the bed. Kaitlin was sitting up crying. "Please don't go," she said again.
Edger lay next to her on the bed and held his daughter in his arms, rocking her back and forth as tears streamed down his cheeks. He realised then for the first time that he might never see his daughter again and the thought horrified him, punched a hole in his gut as surely as any bullet would. "I'm sorry, love," he said. "But I have to."
She re
leased herself from his arms and sat up. "Please. If you don't come back, I'll be all alone. I don't want to be left alone."
"Kaitlin…" He didn't know what to say. All he could do was look at her face, seeing his dead ex-wife in her eyes.
"I don't blame you. I'm sorry I said that. I know you didn't cause what happened."
Did she really believe that, or was she just trying to get him to stay? What did it matter? It was enough that she said it.
He smiled and gently placed his hand on her cheek. "I'm not going to leave you alone, Kaitlin. I promise."
Jesus, how could you? That's not a promise you can make, soldier.
"You'll come back?"
He could barely nod. "Yes."
She looked into his eyes for the longest time before hugging him tight again. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he prised her off him and lay her down in the bed again while he got to his feet. "I love you," he said, his voice choked.
Kaitlin nodded, gave him some sort of smile. The best she could manage, he guessed. "I love you, Daddy."
Turning his back on her and walking out of that room was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
He awoke with a sudden start in the large leather armchair he had fallen asleep in by the front of the fire in his living quarters. An epiphany struck Professor Gabriel Mason even before he opened his eyes, and when he did open his eyes it was like a veil had been lifted in his mind, revealing to him the answer to a question he had long been asking. Getting to his feet with a quickness that belied his seventy-eight years, Mason went to the great stone fireplace and took a notebook and pen from off the wide oaken mantel. When he sat back down again, he began to feverishly scribble in the notebook, writing out a series of chemical equations that he barely had to think about. It was like he was copying them straight from the chalk board in his mind. When he had finished a few moments later, he sat and stared at what he had written, the flames of the fire dancing in his eyes as a wide smile spread across his sunken face.
