by Lucy Banks
Minutes passed. Hours, perhaps; it was impossible to tell. Kester groped and stumbled his way along the network of passages, carefully mapping out the route in his head, bumping into dead-ends and low ceilings, and fighting to ignore the constant prickle of doubt and despair at his back. After a while, he almost forgot he was in darkness. His hands started to become adept at detecting shapes and distances, enabling him to picture his location more clearly.
A low, trickling noise stopped him in his tracks, and he paused, motionless, like a dog scenting a fox. Is that water? he thought, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. He squinted through the darkness, and to his amazement, he saw a low glow up ahead.
“That’s light!” he mumbled. His voice sounded hoarse and tinny. “I don’t believe it!”
Instinctively, Kester hurtled towards it, noting with pleasure that it grew wider the closer he got to it. The trickling noise also increased in volume, and soon, he realised what he was looking at. However, even though he knew what it was, it didn’t make much sense to him.
Before him was what looked like a pool of water. How deep it was, he couldn’t tell. The glowing light was coming from underneath the pool, which he presumed meant there was an illuminated space on the other side of the rock face.
But who’s lit the cave beyond? he wondered. Will I just find Felix Taggerty and Reggie Shadrach on the other side, ready to throw a sack over my head?
“Or maybe it leads outside,” he told himself, smoothing his hair down nervously. “Maybe that’s a street light casting that glow.”
Kester knew there was only one way to find out, but he didn’t relish the prospect at all. I hate swimming at the best of times, he thought, nibbling his fingernail anxiously. Let alone swimming in a cave. To make matters worse, it was impossible to tell how long he’d have to swim underwater. The light looked close, suggesting that the neighbouring cavern was only a short distance away, but he knew that water did strange things to the light, distorting and lengthening it.
Tentatively, he bent down and touched the pool. Ripples eased lazily across the surface, dancing outwards into the dark. As he’d expected, the water was freezing. Wildly, Kester ran through other possibilities in his mind. Should I try to find another route? he wondered. Should I just start shouting and hope someone hears me? He smiled joylessly, suspecting that if he started bellowing, he wouldn’t be able to stop. And that way leads to madness.
Sighing deeply, he took off his glasses and shoved them into his trouser pocket. This might possibly be the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, he thought, running through all the other times he’d recently thought that. A catalogue of horrible events paraded through his mind, but none could quite equal the unspeakable horror of having to swim in a dark cave pool, at night, in the bitter cold. Without even knowing what’s on the other side, he thought with a shudder.
Kester stepped into the water before he could change his mind. The cold hit him with brutal force; his feet threatened to cramp at any moment. Taking a deep breath, he waded in further, until he was suddenly out of his depth and gasping for breath.
Stay calm! he urged himself as he sized up the pool in front of him. Just keep breathing and get it over with! It didn’t help that the water was freezing. He was no scientist, but he knew the human body could only withstand such extreme temperatures for a short period of time.
What if I run out of air halfway through? he wondered, then wished he hadn’t. With that frightening thought in mind, he swam as close to the wall as he could, took a huge breath, and dived below the surface.
Cold pierced his face and scalp, abusive, raw, and unrelenting. Kester pulled and kicked earnestly, propelling himself forwards, aware that his chest was already burning, desperate for air. Rising nearer the surface, he extended a tentative hand upwards, but felt only hard, wet rock.
Keep going! He swam with greater urgency, the urge to breathe growing stronger with every stroke. Glancing upwards gave him no clues; the water made everything seem dreamlike, an endless tunnel of strange, shifting rock. The light seemed to be growing stronger, but it was difficult to get his bearings.
With frantic energy, he pressed forwards, his body naturally bobbing upwards, lungs burning like embers. I don’t want to die! he screamed internally as he hauled himself through the water, reaching out with desperate fingers. He knew he couldn’t hold on much longer. The pain in his chest was excruciating, a ball of needles rolling around inside, ripping him to shreds. Releasing his breath in a torrent of bubbles, he pushed forward with a final burst of energy. This time, rather than rock, his fingers wiggled in glorious, empty air.
Kester erupted through the surface of the water, spluttering and choking. Another second and I would have been breathing water instead, he thought, splashing weakly towards the side. A few more seconds, and I would have drowned.
Clasping the ragged sides, Kester clambered out of the water, though his muscles protested every movement. The icy air of the cavern only made him feel colder, especially with his wet clothes clinging to his body. It was futile trying to prise the fabric away from himself. In fact, it only seemed to make it worse.
But I did it. He allowed himself a moment to recover. I was terrified, I thought I was going to die, but I made it through. And that’s something to be proud of.
A series of coughs tore through him, and he collapsed, every inch of his body aching, cold, and miserable. Finally, he raised his head and looked around.
“Where the hell am I?” he whispered. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting. The space was smaller, more cramped than he’d imagined, and instead of the light-source being right here with him, he now realised that it was emanating from a further cavern with a low entrance framed by stalactites.
Still, Kester thought as he tried to console himself. At least if the Thelemites are all waiting in that other room, they might not notice me. I can sneak through the entrance and see if it’s safe first.
He shivered, a full-bodied quiver that made him realise how weak and exhausted he was. It was tempting to just give up, to find a corner somewhere in the dark, shut his eyes, and forget about everything.
“No,” he whispered quietly. “I’ve come this far. I’ve got to keep going.”
The cavern beyond was completely silent. Kester wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Either it’s deserted, he thought as he started to creep beneath the low-hanging rock, or someone’s waiting to pounce.
Finally, he dared to look up and peer inside. The first thing he noticed, to his great surprise, were chairs. Rows and rows of wooden chairs, laid out to face what looked like a rough altar. Then, to his horror, he noticed something far worse. People. Three of them sitting down, the final person standing, motionless.
Kester screamed. He simply couldn’t help it. The noise reverberated along the rock surface, then died, just as he realised his mistake.
They’re not people at all. With a hysterical giggle, he clamped his hand over his mouth. They’re mannequins! That’s why they’re completely still! I’ve managed to find the tourist section of the caves!
He leant against the wall, almost out of his mind with relief. I’ll be able to get home now, he thought crazily. I can find my way out of here now. I don’t believe it.
“I’m alive,” he whispered aloud and started to chuckle.
One of the mannequins turned around, eyes sparkling darkly in the dim light.
“So you are,” it announced cheerfully.
Kester screamed again, and this time, he didn’t stop.
Chapter 18: Winning the Battle, not the War
“Hey, hey! Calm yourself, silly boy!” The mannequin rose awkwardly to its feet, moustache bristling ostentatiously under its nose. It was only then that Kester realised he was looking at his father.
Kester collapsed onto the nearest wooden chair. “Oh, thank god,” he spluttered and clutched his ches
t. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see you. Though you nearly gave me a heart attack in the process.” It’s like the corn maze all over again, he thought, almost delirious with relief. Except this time, the person waiting for me on the outside was my father, not my mother.
Ribero scooped up his crutches and limped over. Without warning, he pulled Kester into a ferocious bear hug, then released him just as quickly. “Come on,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “We need to get you out of here quickly. It is not safe.” Leaning back, he surveyed Kester sceptically. “Why are you wet? Have you been swimming?”
“I’ll explain as we go along,” said Kester as he followed his father out of the cavern. Walking past the mannequins, he could now see that it was a recreation of an underground church, presumably during the war, if their outfits were anything to go by. “You’re right, though,” he added, “it’s not safe. It’s the Thelemites, Dad. They kidnapped me, and they’re probably still looking for me now.”
They hobbled as quickly as possible through the network of caves until they found the others, who were gathered in one of the larger caverns, bickering about where to continue looking. At the sight of him, Miss Wellbeloved let out a cry of relief, immediately whipping off her cardigan and enveloping him in its musty softness.
“Julio, why didn’t you offer Kester your jacket?” she snapped. “Look at him, he’ll get hypothermia if we’re not careful!” She hugged him tightly, rubbing at his back with the energy of a groom preparing a horse for a show.
“Ah, I am an old man, right? I did not want to get cold.” Ribero ran a hand across his well-oiled hair, looking mildly abashed.
Kester grinned, then wriggled free of Miss Wellbeloved’s embrace. “How did you find me?”
“Tinker,” Mike interrupted before tugging Kester into a bear-like hug. “The man’s a genius. He managed to trace your mobile phone, so we knew exactly where you’d ended up.”
“Wow,” Kester breathed, rubbing his face with amazement. “So, me dropping my phone wasn’t as disastrous as I thought.”
“No, it was lucky you were trying to call me at the time,” Miss Wellbeloved said. “That allowed us to carry out a proper trace.”
“Tinker did it in the back of the surveillance van,” Serena added. “Which was no mean feat, given how fast Lili Asadi was driving. Thank god they were at the hotel; we never would have found you otherwise.”
“Lili’s here too?” Kester said, shivering like a drowned puppy. “How many of you came?”
“As many as we could gather at short notice,” Miss Wellbeloved retorted. “Thankfully, when we arrived, the security guard was still on the premises. After a phone call from Curtis Philpot, he let us in willingly enough.”
“But we were starting to despair, yes?” Ribero added. “We looked all over the caves and couldn’t find you. The Thelemites, they took you to another part of them, right?”
“Yes,” Kester confirmed as he wrapped his arms tightly around himself. “There’s a secret entrance around the side. Anya tricked me. Just like you suspected.”
The team glanced at one another. Pamela wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. “Look at you,” she said with maternal ease. “You’ve had a rough night of it, haven’t you? We should get you out of here before anything else happens.”
“Do you think they’re looking for you?” Miss Wellbeloved asked, peering anxiously into the shadowy corners of the cavern.
Kester nodded. “I’m almost certain they are.” Through chattering teeth, he quickly filled them in on what had happened, right up to the moment his father had scared him half to death.
“Yes, he screamed like a little baby!” Ribero confirmed gleefully. He hastily straightened his expression when he caught sight of Miss Wellbeloved.
“I’m not surprised!” she spluttered as they made their way towards the exit. “After what he’s been through tonight, I’m amazed he’s even still standing. I’d like to see you try to stay calm whilst being chased through pitch-black caves, Julio.”
Ribero muttered something in Spanish under his breath, then gestured ahead with his crutches. “Here we are. Let’s get back to the van, I need to get back to bed.”
“Yes, don’t go running off like that again,” Serena chastised once she’d stepped out into the open. “It’s been a total nightmare trying to find you.”
“Yes, but I’ve managed to find out exactly what the Thelemites are planning,” Kester replied, blinking in the moonlight, which felt oddly unreal after his time in the darkness. “Surely that’s worth something.”
“Well, yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “But not at the cost of your safety, I suppose.”
Mike grinned and slapped her on the back. “Hang on a minute, was that you being concerned about someone for once? I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Oh, shut up Mike. I’m perfectly capable of being—”
She faltered, eyes widening. Mike opened his mouth for another witty comeback, followed the line of her gaze, then promptly closed it again.
“Oh dear,” Miss Wellbeloved said quietly as she instinctively moved in front of Kester. “It seems that we have company.”
Reggie Shadrach and Felix Taggerty emerged from the shadows of the car-park. Their silhouettes would have been comical under any other circumstances; one almost unnaturally tall and thin, the other broader than he was high. However, given the expressions on their faces, this was clearly no time for laughter.
“I don’t know how you pulled that off, Kester,” Reggie growled, expression full of menace. “But I’m impressed. You hadn’t struck me as the enterprising type.”
Kester shivered. “I’m not going with you, so just leave us alone.”
“Yeah, go away,” Mike growled.
“Kester, please.” Felix stepped forward, fingers weaving restlessly in front of his stomach like a nest of adders. “You’ve badly misunderstood us. We don’t want to hurt you. We don’t want to hurt any of you. By the way, may I say how charming it is to see you again, Miss Wellbeloved? It has been a long time.”
“Hello, Felix,” Miss Wellbeloved said in a tight, strange sort of voice. “I heard about you becoming Master of the Cambridge branch. Quite an achievement. However,” she added, linking arms with Kester, “regardless of how powerful you may be now, you’re in no position to order Kester around.”
“And you should not be kidnapping people either.” Ribero shook a finger in their direction. “How dare you treat my son like that? No respect! No respect at all!”
“It wasn’t a kidnapping,” Felix replied smoothly. “We merely needed to discuss things with Kester, important things. Miss Wellbeloved, you should understand this. After all, you were once one of us.”
Kester felt Miss Wellbeloved stiffen against him. “I no longer support what you believe in,” she said quietly. “You’ve gone too far, and you know it. I agree with Julio, you had no right to treat Kester like that. Look at him!”
“Yes, we really do need to get him out of those wet clothes and into a warm bath,” Pamela added, looking worried. “He’s shivering like mad.”
“I am here, you know,” Kester said with a small smile. “And I can speak for myself. Mr Taggerty, Mr Shadrach—I’m not interested in what the Thelemites have to say. I’m working with my dad, for the agency, and that’s how it’s going to stay. I’ll be reporting you to the government too, so don’t think you’ll get away with what you did tonight.”
Reggie laughed, a rough, guttural sound that clanged discordantly in the still, quiet night. “If you think the government will be able to do anything, you’re sadly mistaken.” He stepped forward, rubbing his hands together.
Serena paced in front of Kester, shielding him completely. “Don’t even think about it.”
Reggie laughed. “Oh, dearie me. Get out of the way, little woman. I don’t want to have to hurt anyo
ne.”
“Hurt anyone?” Serena sneered. “I’d like to see you try. And don’t you dare call me a ‘little woman’ ever again, you patronising moron.”
“Serena, be careful,” Pamela hissed. “What are you doing?”
“I could snap you like firewood,” Reggie retorted. “Get moving. Now.” He reached out and seized her by the arm. Serena shrieked as he shoved her out of the way.
“You shouldn’t have done that!” Mike stampeded forward, and in an instant, his fist had connected with Reggie’s shoulder. However, the other man hardly seemed to notice. Instead, he drew back his own arm and punched Mike directly in the face. Serena screamed again, covering her mouth in horror.
“Mike!” Miss Wellbeloved shouted, anxiously gripping Kester’s arm. “He’s stronger than you, trust me, I know! He was a professional boxer before he joined the Thelemites.”
Kester stared, open-mouthed, as Mike threw another desperate punch, which glanced painlessly off the side of Reggie’s face. With reflexes that were almost too quick to follow, Reggie returned the blow with a fist that smashed into Mike’s chest, pushing him to the ground.
“You bastard!” Serena wailed, immediately swooping down to join him.
Kester watched in horror, then noticed something odd moving in the air above Serena’s head. What is that? he wondered, blinking, overwhelmed by the chaos in front of him. That little, brown, squidgy thing, that’s growing bigger every second?
He watched, stupefied, as the thing swelled to several times its original size before lurching at Reggie with abrupt ferocity. Although it was difficult to see in the dark, Kester could just about make out the flailing of spectral arms beating wildly at Reggie’s face until he retreated, bellowing in confusion.
Pamela pointed, then started to laugh. “It’s the incubus! Look! He’s defending Serena!”
