by Steve Hester
CHAPTER 12
There was a squeak and the sound of tiny claws skittering on the thin plasterboard of the ceiling as a rat made its way back to its nest after gorging. It had eaten its fill and very soon the rest of its family would be coming back as well, no doubt to sleep off their huge meal. It all went unnoticed by the houses only occupant however.
He was sat on a bed in the remains of a child's bedroom. Around him were a series of arcane symbols that had been chalked on almost every surface but a space in the centre of the room had been cleared away and a circle had been drawn there.
The old threadbare carpet had been ripped back to create space to draw it onto the floorboards. It had then been casually flung to one side, leaving some still attached to the running boards by the walls. The remnants of the room’s contents had been just dumped into a corner; small vanity, plastic boxes containing toys, dolls, a portable TV, all just discarded as useless clutter.
None of it was needed. There were only two to go now and within a few short hours there would be none. The bloodlines would end and this Key would be broken.
The man with the sympathetic face stared at the only illumination in the house, a laptop, and watched as the details he needed to know slid into his view. His employer had given him the names and addresses he needed and some resources but it was ultimately up to him to track down his victims. It was lucky for him that most became became slaves to routine over time.
The soldier, for example, had been in another country until recently coming home and quickly slipping into a pattern of predictable behaviour. All the other targets living so close together, it made it so easy to pick the right time to strike based on his movements. The Sympathetic Man had waited patiently for the call in the timeless realm on the other side and now he could begin his task in earnest, wasting no time and showing no mercy. But still the biggest threat to the plan had been the Key as leaving him till last would have presented problems.
Ensure the strongest one was dealt with first then the rest could be picked off much easier. Getting Connor separated from the rest of his team had been almost laughably easy too. He wasn't happy at how much the masking stone had cost him but you couldn't argue with the results. Less risk of being found out too early and more chance of completing his mission by sowing confusion in their ranks.
His mind wandered briefly to the small chest under the bed and the three glowing stones inside he'd been given as the first part of his payment. The souls trapped inside were worth a fortune; it must have taken even his employer a long time to get them together. Soon the Sympathetic Man would get the rest as promised and if his employer felt the need to double cross him... Well, there were always contingencies.
He focused back onto the screen. No doubt by now they would have found the bodies of the two potentials and would be searching for the others. It was a race against time once the first move had been made but while they had the resources they were now without a head and flailing blind. They had grown so weak over the centuries, a once proud force of defenders now a laughably small group of rejects. They were confused and flailing blind in the dark; their end wouldn't come soon enough.
He was now on the attack but the odds would be starting to slip. The closer he came to his goal, the more likely they would unstick his plans, if only through sheer luck and dogged persistence. There were rumblings he could feel out in the city though. The restless refugees that were only kept in line by the authority and power of the Key would no doubt stir up trouble. He had to choose the next target carefully and hope the ensuing chaos would make his job easier. Two choices.
The old man or the young one next? He sat bathed in the glow of his laptop, his fingers steepled and eyes closed as he mused. The old man would be quick and easy, he doubted there would be much fight in him. No, he could wait. The young one looked more troublesome at this stage. He would be harder to pin down and predict but there would still be ways. The Sympathetic Man continued to do his homework. His address... now for his friends...
Social media had made it all so much easier to plan; these people wanted you to know where they were and what they were doing, it was practically an invitation! One of his friends had mentioned going to a party with the potential in one of his status updates. It'd be tricky to get him separated but not impossible. He smiled as a plan formed in his head.
He closed the laptop and hopped off the bed. The stairway was tight and steep. Hard to imagine a family of five used to live here, he thought as he made his way into the lounge and out the front door.
As he closed it behind him, he wondered how long it would be before they found the bodies. After all, the rats already had.
