Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  I had not really 'felt' the fifteen-odd hours that had passed since warning Archmore not to come here the night before, but things had certainly been more interesting over the course of the afternoon. First, there were what I thought of as scouts, police dressed in plain clothes surveying the area. Then two teams arrived. One had been dispersed about the area. From the radio chatter and the conversations I overheard, both on mobiles and between people, it seemed they had heavy anxiety over whether Archmore might somehow slip through their net. The other team had been divided into those who would position themselves close to the house and those who would enter the house. Fortunately for the police, the extensive gardens provided ample cover. Just a few metres from my position two officers in tactical gear crouched in amongst some bushes near the bottom of the stairs leading up to the deck.

  It was from these various officers that I had gleaned more information about my newest charge. Kerrigan Archmore had his hand in a little of everything, but he specialised in transportation. Made his money there. But some years ago, he decided to go into the drug business, even though he had more than enough money. He'd linked up with the dominate gang running drugs in the area, creating an alliance. A couple of months ago, at a raid on a warehouse they suspected Archmore used, the taskforce discovered something horrifying: Archmore was trading in children. He was packing them in crates to smuggle them to his buyers. At the raid, one of the children had been dead, curled up in a wooden crate that had become a coffin. This led to a re-haul of the taskforce with a new commander and more resources.

  At these raids, Archmore always managed to slip away or avoid them, and they were never able to find the evidence they needed to prove his criminal activity. The new commander suggested they might do better if they brought in a plumber, the inference being that someone on the old team had been leaking information to Archmore. Thus, the old team was re-assigned and a new one hand-picked. The new security protocols were considered excessive by some, but the new commander was determined to catch Archmore and shut down as much of his operation as possible, which involved a Vietnamese gang. Because of the gang ties, they were very apprehensive about the response of those in the beach house when they tried to enter, so a tactical squad would do the initial entry with a couple of tactically trained taskforce members who could speak Vietnamese— Tien Wilson and Em Thaneton.

  I wondered about that. Was Em Thaneton related to my Jayden Emerline Thaneton? Knowing my master, it was unlikely to be a coincidence. It left me feeling uneasy because I had yet to receive a vision from Aurealis telling me what she wanted me to do. Until I had that vision, there was no way of figuring out how Em Thaneton was linked to my assignment. My best guess was that she, too, was a yulari, and may also need protection in the coming confrontation. There are not a lot of options when polluted souls like Archmore's are involved. They are usually criminals, as in this case, and if Aurealis wants them kept alive I have to shadow them until they serve her purpose. After that, I am to leave them to their fate, which is usually imprisonment or death. On occasion, I have the pleasure of delivering the strike that takes their life and taking their soul too, as long as I keep to the rules with which my current master chains me. The only time I am free to take polluted souls is in defence or service of the innocent. Sometimes my justification stretches this direction, but I have to be careful not to do it too often.

  The two officers at the bottom of the stairs started moving, coming up the stairs to take up positions on either side of the sliding door, but my attention was not wholly within the earthly plane. I was focused on Archmore, my senses monitoring his position in relation to me. My muscles tensed as I waited for the police to initiate the raid. A few moments later, I heard the entrance team crash through the front door, followed by the thumping of feet and the barks of officers as they identified themselves and moved through the house. Gunshots cracked through the auxiliary noise and it seemed like every police officer froze for a fraction of a moment as they changed gears, and then I could hear them taking cover, slamming their bodies against walls as gunfire was returned. The new commander had been right in believing that this time they would catch Archmore off-guard. Despite my warning the night before, the crime lord had taken no extra precautions or security measures, signifying to me that he had decided my appearance was just his imagination. That meant the taskforce had their best chance ever at actually capturing Archmore.

  It was a pity for them that they would now face me.

  Jay

  I'd lost sight of the car.

  They were heading somewhere remote, which made sense; if I decided to abduct someone, I wouldn't take them to a place where the neighbours might see or hear what I was doing. I'd had to drop further and further back so they didn't catch on that I was following them. I'd made some lucky guesses when I came across a turn-off or an intersection, but it had been about a minute, now, since I'd seen the car. A lot can happen in minute. It had taken them only a fraction of that time to get the boy in the car.

  I'd stopped talking to my phone, which was still under my seat somewhere. Hopefully, Mum had answered and had enough to go on. I wasn't familiar with the area and street signs were getting quite sparse the more rural it got, so I couldn't pass on any useful indication of where I was. My plan was to call again when they stopped. I could look for landmarks and signs without worrying about losing the boy. I reconsidered that thought as I remembered that recent news story; that child had run out of time very swiftly. First, I'd locate the boy, see what they did with him. I wasn't eager to confront these guys, but I couldn't live with myself if they killed him before I could find a street sign and call the police.

  It occurred to me that this could be a custody dispute. Mum had told me about cases where one parent kidnapped their child because they didn't get the custody they wanted or because they thought the other parent wasn't fit. In some cases, it was justified, Mum said, because their investigation uncovered physical abuse or neglect. If that was the case here, I'd rather make a mistake and look like an idiot, than ignore a real abduction.

  The road was now winding alongside a creek or river; I couldn't see through the trees lining the bank how substantial the waterway was. What I cared about was that, because of the winding loops, I was able to catch a glimpse of the car. I sped up hoping to close the distance. We were on an isolated road, so as long as they didn't recognise my car, my trailing them would appear quite natural as there weren't a lot of places to turn off. When they pulled into the place they were going, I planned to drive past as if going on my merry way and then circle back.

  Just as I got within some hundred-odd metres of the vehicle, they did exactly that, pulling off onto a gravel road. I followed my plan and drove right on past. I saw a gate not far in, so as I turned my car around, I propped on the side of the road and waited a minute to give them time to open the gate and go through it. If fate and fortune were on my side, they'd forget to close the gate, but that was a pretty wild and unlikely hope.

  Not only was the gate shut, but they'd locked it with a chain and padlock. I parked my car and then dove under the seat looking for my phone. As my hand closed over it, I hit my head on the steering wheel and swore. I drew it out and looked at it. No reception. Damn and blast! I looked at my call log. My call had gone through to Mum, so either she had answered and was now on her way or there was a message that would hopefully bring her soon.

  I considered my options. No cars were in sight. I'd not seen any for quite some time. I could drive until I found another house or business, find out where I was and call from there… That was fine as long as I could presume that the child had that kind of time. What if, even now, that boy was putting up more of a fight than his abductors thought he was worth? What happened if they smothered him as they tried to subdue him, like that boy on the news? These could be the same people; they hadn't caught them. If they'd killed before, then they might be willing to kill again.

  Apprehension filled me as I realised that if I went af
ter him, my life was also at risk. I frowned. It didn't matter, I needed to do what I could to help. I'd go see where the road led and try to figure out if the abducted boy was in immediate danger. If not, if he looked safe enough, I'd go get help. If he was in danger… I didn't want to think about it. There was no point as I had no way of predicting what would happen; I just had to hope we got out okay.

  Jumping the fence, I followed the gravel road on the other side. I jogged along the drive, trying to pay attention to where I was going while also looking at my phone and willing the reception bars to light up. At the same time, I worried. Was Mum on her way? Would she bring the cavalry? Did she have enough information to locate me? Without a signal, my GPS would only show her where I was when I last had reception. Had she been trying to call back but been unable to get through? What were they doing to the boy? Was he still okay? Why had they taken him? Were they after a ransom or something more sinister? Had I made the right decision? Should I turn back? What did I think I could do? Despite the inadvisability of trying to do something on my own, something kept driving me on.

  As I came around a bend, I saw a group of buildings. Judging by the look of them, this was a farm, because behind the house were three work sheds of various types. A mid-sized white truck was parked near the sheds, but the black car was parked in front of a tree-enshrouded cottage. I circled around to the back and made my way towards one of the more accessible windows. I paused and looked down at my phone— one reception bar had appeared! I shuffled into an overgrown hedge, half bending to get the most signal. I checked the GPS was on and then texted what I knew of my location to Mum before calling her. The text would ensure that if the reception dropped out while I was talking Mum would still have something to go on. Mum's phone rang once, twice, and then I heard a click. I thought it was Mum picking up, but then a hard, metal object pressed against my cheek.

  It felt like my heart stopped…

  … Just… breathe…

  …

  …

  'Hang up.'

  Her voice was cold and ungiving. Not a voice you argued with.

  I pretended I was startled, jumping and allowing the phone to fly from my hand and into the bushes before turning to face her. 'Oh my God, you scared me!' I looked at the gun and frowned in puzzlement. 'Um, I know I'm probably trespassing, but I just need a phone with reception, I've been trying to get roadside assistance for-ever.'

  'You regularly hide in bushes while making calls?'

  She looked younger than I expected, about mid-twenties, with light-brown hair that matched her eyes, but to say it like that implies that the hard voice was her only intimidating feature. From the stern set of her jaw to the suspicious and unyielding look of her expression, everything about her told me I needed to be very careful.

  'Ah, no, well, only when I can get reception bars. That's why I was trying to make a call.' I frowned again and started looking about the bushes. 'Where did it go? Did you see? I've already written off my meeting, but I need to get home before dinner.'

  When I looked up, the gun had disappeared. She must have put it in a pocket; her black Driza-Bone jacket could more than accommodate it.

  'Where's your car?'

  'About fifty metres from the gate onto your property. That's why I wandered in this direction. I really didn't mean to cause any bother. If I can find my phone, I'll get out of your hair.'

  I started to get down to reach under the bushes when a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. 'No need to dirty those trousers, darlin', I'll get your phone, Jane'll take you in to use the landline.'

  The male voice belonged to the driver of the car. He was shorter than me, but he was strong. His grip on my arm hadn't hurt, but I'd felt his bicep and chest as I steadied myself against him and they were the kind of muscles you got from regularly working out. He had a kinder face but looked similar enough to the woman to be related.

  'Oh, well,' I smiled, 'thank you. I really wasn't looking forward to crawling around under there.' I turned to the woman as the man released me. 'Jane? I'm Jay.' I put out my hand. 'Jane' looked at it, and then slowly put out her hand and shook mine. I saw no point in lying about my name, they could find that out from my wallet if they went back to my car, which I'd left with my jacket in the boot.

  Jane gave me the briefest of smiles and gestured for me to follow her into the house. I was let into the kitchen and was just closing the door when the man reached it.

  'That was quick.' Hopefully my screen saver had kicked in, locking the phone.

  'Wasn't hard to spot.' He put my mobile on the bench but placed himself between it and me. Fortunately, I could see my screen saver— it had locked, so he hadn't seen my text to Mum.

  'You know, I could look at your car,' the man offered. 'I'm pretty handy with engines.' He was trying to sound casual but wasn't quite managing it.

  'That would be fantastic.' I was relieved that my voice didn't betray the panic I was feeling. Once we got to my car, they'd know I was lying. Although, I could suggest something was wrong with the ignition coil. Last year my car had problems starting, but only intermittently. I'd thought it was the battery, but it turned out to be a problem with the ignition coil. If this guy was handy with engines, it might be a plausible enough reason.

  I moved neatly by the male kidnapper to the back door, grabbing my phone from behind him as I did. 'It's not a long walk, and I'd really like to get home in time for dinner. My kids hang out at my neighbours until I get home, but I usually get them by half-past and I haven't been able to let them know I'm running late.'

  I saw the man glance hesitantly at the woman. It was exactly the response I wanted. By mentioning 'kids' I made it seem easier to fix my car and get me on my way. 'Kids' implied I had people who would miss me if I was unexplainably delayed for too long, as did the neighbour caring for them. It also implied I had a husband who would contact police if I didn't turn up. I saw and heard no sign of the abducted boy. In a way, that was good. They had no reason to suspect me or want to detain me as I hadn't seen anything. I also hoped it meant they'd tied him up and would leave him alone long enough for me to get help back here.

  I opened the door, but before I could step out something struck me on the back of my head.

  'I'm just saying, there ain't no reason to think she's lying—'

  'The car started, you said. She wouldn't be poking around unless she saw something. We can't afford to take risks, Riley. Where'd you put the car?'

  'The shed. That's her purse an' phone. Laptop's password protected. Papers in the car are for food supplies, she's some kind of restaurant manager, I'd say. Why'd you have to hit her, Lena?' Riley groaned. 'Her story 'bout the car mightn't've been a lie. Any number of things can cause problems getting or keeping a car going. She's got kids— that means a husband, most likely. And the neighbour was expectin' her. People are gonna miss her.'

  'Maybe it was a mistake,' Lena admitted grudgingly, 'but I can't undo it and we can't let her go now.'

  Riley huffed and I heard him moving about the room. I was playing possum, so I didn't open my eyes to look.

  'So, what d'ya suggest we do?' he asked his accomplice.

  'I don't think she got through to anyone, so we'll wait for Quan. He'll be here first thing to check the stock. Archmore's been pressuring him to unload as fast as possible and he has a buyer lined up who might take some of 'em before we ship. He'll know what to do. Either way, it doesn't matter if she sees the kids, so put her with them.'

  That didn't bode well.

  'Why the hell is Archmore so pushy?' Riley wanted to know. 'Normally he's happy for us to take whatever precautions we need?'

  Lena heaved out a breath. 'Don't repeat this, but Kerri's getting pressure from Langley and the others.'

  'Who the hell is he, and why are you calling Kerrigan Archmore, Kerri, like you know him?'

  There was a tense silence.

  'You said you wouldn't, Lena. I warned you; gettin' involved with him, no matter how charmin
g he makes himself out to be, is dangerous. He killed his wife, you know that, don't you? He had her dissected by that German fellow, August, and buried under that damn fountain of his in the backyard.'

  Disbelief filled Lena's voice. 'Auggie Król? He doesn't have the menace in him.'

  'He told me himself. Says she's not the only one.'

  Lena's tone became petulant. 'Well, she was threatening to snitch, anyway, so she deserved it. She didn't like what he was doing with the kids, but I'm already involved, so there's no need to worry 'bout me. It was only natural when Langley started giving Kerri grief that he sought a safe, sympathetic ear. It's not like Kerri can go to his brother; Vaughn doesn't want to know about the problems, he just wants 'em fixed.' She paused. 'And his pick of the kids.'

  The conversation convinced me that they were siblings. Riley didn't sound jealous, he sounded worried. But his tone became disparaging. 'Don't kid yourself, Lena. Archmore's just after—'

  'Don't say it. I am not a whore. Besides, he tells me things he'd never tell someone he wasn't serious about.'

  'Like about this Langley guy?'

  'If you think Kerrigan's too dangerous to mess with, David Langley will make your toes curl. He controls customs and a lot of police. He can make you disappear,' Lena clicked her fingers, 'no questions asked.'

  'David Langley…'

  'Yeah, the politician. How d'ya think everything works so smoothly? God, Riley, how d'ya expect to move up the ranks if you don't pay attention to this stuff?' She sighed with exasperation. 'Get rid of her. I'm going to call Quan.'

  I heard Riley cross over to me and when he picked me up, I concentrated on being limp. I felt like I was going to throw up but managed to hold it down. The back of my head hurt, too, which was probably the source of my pounding headache. What had they meant by kids? Kids plural, as in more than one. In fact, the whole conversation suggested a more extensive operation than the one abduction I'd thought I was trying to impede. Come to think of it, Archmore's name was familiar. I was pretty sure that was one of the main suspects my mother's taskforce was investigating…