Chapter 14

Devil

“Peri, what’s going on?” Alex demanded. “Peri ..?”

Merlin was staring at the door to the underground range. “There was a shot. I heard it.”

“Are you sure?” Alex glanced at the door too. “The range is soundproofed.”

“I heard it.” Suddenly, she pounded on the door again. “Let me in! You .. bastard, let me in … ” Her voice caught and broke. “Alopex! For God’s sake, get this door open!”

It swung inward and Merlin burst thru, her wild gaze racing around. Alex, more cautiously, followed just as Derek and Rachel came down the stairs.

Steve was on the floor. So was Nick. Neither was moving.

“Are they ..?” Alex began, her heart in her throat.

Alopex appeared. “Unconscious. I did what I was told and knocked them both out.”

“I heard a shot,” Merlin said in a dull voice.

“Yes. Steve fired. He missed. Or rather his target avoided the hit. I’ve never seen a man move so fast in my life .. except in the Matrix movies and that’s special effects.” He carefully picked up the gun and laid it on the counter. “One bullet. The magazine was spun. The deal was that Steve would have one shot, then they’d trade places and Nick would get one shot. Five empty chambers, and one full. Steve went first.”

“Russian roulette,” Alex said with a shudder. “Nick’s played that before. He had a plan though. He didn’t put a bullet in the gun.”

“This wasn’t Russian roulette,” Alopex responded. “It wasn’t even a duel. In those, the chances are fifty fifty. It’s down to reaction time and ability to aim straight. Both parties fire at each other. This was .. well, a firing squad. One man had the gun. The other had only his courage to face a bullet. Steve established rules for the dare, reasonable rules in the circumstances. He built in equal chances. Consider. They each loaded a weapon, spun the magazine, and then exchanged the weapons. If one had deliberately tried to manipulate it, he immediately lost his advantage. Nick obeyed the rules laid down. He didn’t have a choice. He’d been dared and he is inherently honorable. He couldn’t resist. He was the target. Once he was at the far end and beyond taking any action, Steve cheated. He realigned the bullet. He meant to kill Nick with his first shot. Fortunately, Nick managed to get out of the way.”

“Not quite,” Merlin commented from where she knelt at the far end of the range. Her hand was red with blood. “Flesh wound. It grazed his upper arm.”

“At least he’s alive,” Alex murmured.

“Rachel, you’d better prepare the medical center,” Derek advised. “It isn’t very often that I truly wish this house had something in the way of secure cells .. but tonight is a rare exception. They need to be isolated and locked away. Not as prisoners – although that is a very great temptation – but for their own good. Alopex, can you assist somehow with that?”

“I believe so, Dr Rayne.”

“Something to restrain them while we work on a solution. We have to get this compulsion out of their minds.”

Merlin stood back as Alopex and Derek hauled Nick to his feet. Rachel followed them, already trying to examine the wound. Alex and Merlin remained behind with Steve.

“It’s for the best,” Alex remarked quietly.

“I know. I do. I just … ” Merlin shook her head, blinking away tears. “I felt so helpless. So powerless. My man was being shot an’ I couldn’t do a damn thing. I’ve given up a lot to have this baby an’ sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it. I know it is. When everything’s calm an’ no one’s in danger, sure, it’s worth every minute. But tonight .. I couldn’t help thinking that .. if I didn’t have this baby inside me, I would have had so many options. I could’ve sent in Aquila. I could’ve knocked this door off its hinges an’ gone in myself. I could’ve healed his wound … An’ look at me. All I can do is stand here an’ cry.”

Steve groaned.

“Stay down there,” Merlin hissed. “If you move so much as an eyelash, I will take you out myself. There’s one gun that hasn’t been fired yet.”

Alex regarded her and knew for a fact that Merlin would do it. “You’d be no better than him,” she murmured, trying not to sound like she was accusing.

“I’d be worse,” Merlin admitted. “I’m not under any compulsion an’ no one’s dared me to do it. It’d be revenge. But I find it very hard to accept right now that he’s a victim. Alex, I would make a lousy single mother, okay? I need Nick to help me raise this child. Yes, we have both faced the fact that it could happen, that one of us could get killed. An’ that’s okay. In the line of duty, I could accept it. But this way? Uh uh. Anyone who threatens Nick for the hell of it .. yeah, I’m mad with them.” She stared down, her eyes narrowed. “As well as restrain him for his own good, locking him up will keep him safe from me.”

*****

Up in the medical center, Rachel cut away the tattered remnant of Nick’s sleeve. She winced at the blood, her nose wrinkling. Boys will be boys rang hollow right now and she felt a little ashamed that she’d let it be an excuse for so long. Maybe if they’d paid more attention instead of delicately keeping their distance, it would never have gotten this far.

Derek moved a small unit to her side and she began to wash the blood away. “It is only a flesh wound,” Rachel confirmed. “A deep graze rather than a gouge. He was lucky.”

“Was he?”

“He’s alive,” she pointed out.

“I mean was it luck? Or maybe the Nick inside had something to do with it. I like to believe that is true.”

“Butterfly tape should be enough. It doesn’t need stitches.”

He nodded, not arguing her opinion, and went to get the tape and a dressing. While Derek did that, Rachel examined Nick for other signs – of injury and of compulsion. She checked his eyes – they reacted normally to light. His heartbeat was rapid. Blood pressure was sky high. He was sweating and there was a definite pallor in his face. Overload of adrenaline, she thought. But I have phenoxybenzamine in the supplies. Now I have a .. willing patient, I can treat him. Of course, if he was awake, he would never agree. Best to work fast then.

“What’s that?” Derek inquired as she prepped a hypo.

“Something to start blocking adrenaline production. Blood pressure’s way, way up an’ his heart’s racing. I suspect it’s been racing for way too long. This drug could be the first stage of reversing the compulsion. Adrenaline is feeding it. An’ if that box is destroyed .. they won’t be able to start this all up again.”

Derek nodded slowly. “I want to test it for the resinous compound in the wood.”

“Just get rid of it, Derek.”

“And what if there are more? What if another one surfaces and attacks another Legacy member? We have to investigate everything, Rachel. Anything less is .. not doing our job. Similarly, while Nick is unconscious, take a blood sample. Analyze it. See if there are any elements in his blood which shouldn’t be there and which might be causing this. We have a guinea pig. Let’s experiment while we can.”

She sighed, not liking this. Immediate treatment to counter the obvious effects, yes, she’d do that without the patient’s consent. Experimentation ..? That was pushing the envelope.

“You want a reason?” Derek inquired softly. “Look at his face.”

Rachel’s eyes shifted and she gasped silently.

“Somewhere, buried inside, is the Nick we know. That Nick is in torment. He can only show us his pain when the body is unable to stop him. I knew he was exhausted. I have been expecting this crash. Steve slept for nearly a day. Nick hasn’t slept much at all. For him, it is a blessing and a curse; for us, it has to be an opportunity. We owe it to him to grasp it with both hands.”

“You’re right,” Rachel agreed. “Let me tape this wound, then I’ll get on it.”

*****

Alopex hoisted Steve to his feet. “Where’re you taking me?” Steve asked, sounding a little groggy.

“To your room, for now,” Alopex replied.

“How’s Nick?”

“Do you care? You meant to kill him. You cheated on your own rules.”

“I wanted him dead, yeah, but that was then. It was the dare. He tried to cut my throat. A hunt to the death. I had to have payback. I got him scared. The look in his eyes .. should’ve seen it. A blast. Fun, y’know?”

“And if you’d won the dare? If he was dead now instead of simply wounded?”

“Did I hit him? Whoa. Bonus. I would’ve been sad if I’d killed him. Sure.” Steve shook his head. “He’s my bro. Partner in the thrill game. It’s not so much fun if you do it alone. No one to share it with.”

Alopex said nothing as he helped Steve up the stairs.

“Hey .. I don’t know you,” Steve mumbled.

“We haven’t been introduced.”

“Who are you, man?”

“Right now? Your jailer. It’s a pleasure.”

*****

Having finally exchanged the sundress for a pair of pants and a light sweater, Merlin watched from the doorway, her arms crossed tightly. “How is he?”

Rachel checked with the stethoscope and shook her head. “The phenoxybenzamine isn’t slowing it down. I’ll risk another shot. An’ then it’ll be down to pure lab work.”

“He says do whatever you have to.”

She glanced round. “Nick says that?”

Merlin nodded quickly. “I can hear him. His mind. The boss gave me a trickle of psychic energy,” she shrugged. “Not enough to make my baby an Enforcer. It’s just enough for me, to take the edge off being normal. I couldn’t cope with it. I can’t fight. I don’t have weapons. So far, I wouldn’t have said it’s made a damn bit of difference but I do seem to have the gift of intermittent telepathy. It kicks it when it needs to. An’ Nick says you’re to use his body however you have to if it means he gets back control of it. He hates being like this, Rachel. It’s driving him crazy. It’s like .. he’s in a straitjacket in a padded cell only three feet square. He has no peace.”

“Then I’ll take that as the patient’s full consent. Tell him I’ll do whatever I can. We all will. We are not going to stand by an’ watch him self destruct.”

“He says thank you. An’ he understands that you’ll have to restrain him.”

“How are you?” Rachel inquired as she withdrew the syringe.

“Okay, I guess. Now we have them apart from each other, we can help them .. even if they don’t want it. I was mad. Mad enough to … Knee jerk,” she grinned, her mouth tight. “Time, distance, an’ a few deep breaths, they work miracles.”

“I doubt any of us are gonna get any sleep tonight. I’ll be working in here. Derek’s in the other lab with Alex. You could give them a hand. Where’s Steve?”

“In his room. Alopex is guarding him.”

“An’ Profelis?”

“Taking a break. He’ll be back as soon as he can.”

“A break?” Rachel queried. “In a crisis?”

Merlin closed her eyes, her shoulders sagging. “He’s in Geneva, Rachel. Holed up in his hotel room. You know how the body gets stiff an’ cold when it’s comatose an’ just left for extended periods. He needs to eat, drink an’ take a little exercise. An’ this .. crisis, Alopex is perfectly capable of dealing with it on his own right now. Profelis will be back as soon as he can.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just Derek has a task for either him or Alopex. And, as Alopex is busy … ”

“What task?” Merlin frowned.

“Doing a sweep down by the dock. If Kat’s dream has any real accuracy, that’s where the dare devil is waiting.”

There was no answer and Rachel glanced round. “Peri ..?”

Merlin had gone.

*****

“It looks so .. innocent,” Alex remarked, bending to peer thru the clear but solid plastic. “Y’know, Derek, I can’t blame Steve for what’s happened. If a stranger came up to me an’ said ‘have this, it’s a gift’, I might think it odd but I would at least examine it, even if I did then refuse.”

“If you touched it, you would be snared. You wouldn’t want to give it back.” He frowned, scratching a thumb along his jaw. “I wonder if it gives off fumes.”

“Carl didn’t mention anything like that.”

“Didn’t he? He said it was perfumed. He wants to take another look. Yes, it might be genuine curiosity caused by the fact his office almost caught on fire. On the other hand, he may be mildly influenced.” He angled his head. “If I introduce an inert gas, it may reveal any .. odors being released.” Derek looked round. “Metal seems to be unaffected. The tongs are not pitted by direct contact.”

“Let’s get it into biohazard containment,” Alex said. “Then we can work on it.”

Within five minutes, the tiny wooden box, so intricate and apparently innocent, sat securely in a new sealed glass container. Derek filled it with gas, Alex switched off the lights, and he shone a UV light thru it.

“There .. you see? Very faint but it is giving off something.” He straightened. “Imagine, Alex, if we had not known it had been moved to the study. All the precautions and watchfulness in the world would not have been enough. It would have worn us down over time. Even you have been affected, and the exposure you’ve had is minimal. The time you spent searching Steve’s room and while we were all in the study .. and you think it is innocent. A beautiful thing.”

She smiled wryly. “Derek, I happen to think a spider’s web covered in morning dew is a beautiful thing even though I know it’s a trap for unwitting flies. Can’t I appreciate beauty while being aware that the purpose isn’t beautiful?”

He smiled too. “Perhaps I am being overprotective. But you cannot blame me. After Steve and Nick, I’m not taking any chances. All right, let’s clear the gas out and have the lights back up. Next, we take a swab sample of the resin and start the analysis.”

“Derek, is ..? Oh, no, I can see she isn’t,” Rachel said from the doorway.

“How’s Nick?” Alex inquired.

“Way under. But the phenoxybenzamine is finally having the desired effect. His heart rate is still higher than I’d like an’ his BP is dangerously high but they’re both on the way down to safer territory. If I can, I’d like to give Steve a shot too.”

“Alopex will make sure it happens,” Derek declared. “Just tell him it’s my order. Were you looking for Peri?”

“I was, yeah. We were talking an’ she just walked out. I’d hoped she was in here.”

“The alternative being ..?” he prompted.

“She may have gone down to the ferry,” Rachel admitted. “I was telling her that you had a task for Alopex or Profelis! I didn’t expect her to go, especially in her condition. I would’ve thought she’d know better.”

“Peri’s feeling very angry,” Alex remarked. “In some ways, she an’ Nick are very alike. If they have a sense of helplessness, they get mad, they want to act, an’ they don’t always think it thru. Peri’s only discovering this now. Before she gave up the power, it was never a problem for her an’ she always thought it thru. She was a brake on Nick’s impulsiveness. Now he isn’t around to slow her down.”

Derek sighed irritably. “Then I must take his place. Alex, stay here and continue with the tests. Rachel, if you’re sure Nick can be left for a little while, go and start Steve’s treatment. I’ll go down to the ferry. I may be able to overtake Peri and bring her back. And, if I can’t persuade her, she won’t go alone.”

*****

Alopex unlocked the door and opened it. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You can’t keep me shut away like this!” Steve complained loudly.

Merlin came in. “Leave the door. Steve an’ I are taking a walk.”

“To where?” Alopex asked in a steady voice.

“Outside. Off the estate. Fresh air.”

“And you stole my money,” Steve continued.

“What do you intend to do?” Alopex persisted.

“Talk to him. I need his help.”

“I doubt you’ll get much sense,” Alopex replied. “All he does is complain.”

“You’re not using the right words,” she commented.

“I’m trying not to use any words at all,” Alopex muttered. “You won’t hurt him?”

“Not a hair on his head. I’m not armed.”

“You still managed to incapacitate Nick and take him prisoner,” he pointed out.

Merlin nodded. “He was tired. His reactions were off. Steve is fresh. I wouldn’t be able to do it a second time. Please, release him to me. I’ll bring him back in one piece. Derek could use a hand in the lab, go help him.”

Alopex glanced back at Steve who was pacing and talking to himself.

“Good luck,” he said and left them alone.

Merlin’s eyes sharpened. “It’s cool out there. If you need a jacket, get one.”

“You stole my money! I need that to make a fresh start.”

“We put the money back. You stole it, not us. Come on, we’re going for a walk.”

He stilled. “You wanna kill me,” he accused. “You think I’m just gonna walk out to my death? It ain’t gonna happen.”

“Dare you,” she smiled.

*****

Rachel didn’t want to give Nick a sedative on top of the phenoxybenzamine. It would depress his vitals too much. Besides the medication seemed to be working. Nick’s heart rate was still coming down. His body wasn’t quite at rest. It twitched, flinched. His face was the most active. She might have said he was having a vivid dream, but she knew it was real and a nightmare as well.

“Hang in there, Nick. I won’t leave you,” she murmured.

Steve could wait. He might be a member of this house but Rachel’s loyalty was with the guy she knew.

Next door, Alex carefully ran a swab over the box to get a sample of the resin. She waited to see if it would catch alight before she could start the next stage but it seemed stable enough. Maybe it was just latex it reacted to .. and human skin. The glass container was unaffected, the rubber seals appeared immune to the perfume. Alex put the swab in the dispenser at one end, then picked up a metal scalpel. Working in thick rubber gloves was cumbersome but she was very watchful not to touch the rubber to the box. She used tongs to hold the box while she attempted to slice off a portion of the wood from one corner. Slicing didn’t work so she tried hacking at it. Even a splinter would be enough. Eventually, the box yielded a tiny fragment and she put that in a dish and covered it with a glass lid. That went in the dispenser too.

She withdrew her hands and pulled on latex gloves, reminding herself not to touch anything directly. Even so, she got an extinguisher and put it on the bench, just in case.

I’m no scientist, Alex mused, but I’ve learned fast.

She smeared the swab onto a glass plate and put the plate under the microscope. Then she smeared the swab inside a test tube and put that in a holder. Finally, she smeared it thru the nutrient gel in a petrie dish, smiled as she thought of Charlie Smith over at Berkeley, and covered the dish to see if it would grow a culture. The test tube holder was inserted into the gas spectrometer which analyzed component chemical parts and their proportions. Then she started over with the fragment of wood. After a lot of effort made difficult by the fact that the fragment was so small and she couldn’t touch it, she managed to split it in two. One piece went into a test tube, the other went on a glass plate.

Alex bent over the microscope and focused it. “Whoa … ” The specimen was moving. Writhing.

The analyzer beeped and began to churn out a sheet of paper. Alex turned to pick it up.

“Rachel? Can you come in here?” she called. “I need a proper scientist’s brain to tell me what I’m reading.”

A moment later, Rachel entered. “I can’t stay long. Nick’s .. I don’t know what he’s going thru, Alex. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. What’ve you got?”

“Printout of the chemical composition of the resin,” Alex said, holding it out.

“Okay, let’s see … ” Her eyebrows rose. “Well, these elements here make up the resin, the carrier medium. An’ this .. it’s a form of PCP. It would depress the ethical center of the brain, the part which tells us right from wrong. Remove inhibitions. I don’t know what this other element is. Even the computer can’t recognize it.”

“Probably it’s the instruction,” Alex ventured. “The part which tells you to open the box.”

“That’s next then. Can you get a sensor in there?” Rachel asked, pointing to the containment unit. “I’m willing to put money on the fact that there isn’t a creature or an insect inside. It’s going to be something intangible. A gas most likely. Something fast acting. If we want to get medication quickly into the body without using a syringe, a nasal spray is good.”

“Okay, yeah. I can get a sensor in there.”

“When you’re ready to open it, call me back. I’d like to see what happens.”

“Will do,” Alex nodded.

*****

Derek stopped at the gate. “Has Peri been past?”

“I haven’t seen her since early afternoon when she arrived,” the duty guard replied.

Derek frowned and shook his head. “Thank you,” he murmured and continued on his way.

The sky was rich and purple black, spattered with stars, although, far out to the west, there was a glowing band of orange gold light, all that remained of the day. For him, however, it was a walk in darkness. Outside the estate, there were no street lights, no light poles, nothing until near the dock. He took as much time as he could to let his eyes adjust and he listened carefully for the sound of footsteps. Derek carried a flashlight but didn’t yet use it. He didn’t want to signal his presence until he was ready.

Merlin and Steve were taking another, more direct route – cross country. She knew she was taking a big risk here. Steve was fresh, and he was strong. Thus far, she had him on a kind of mental leash. He saw this as fun so he was prepared to go along with it.

“Steve, can you remember how you got the box?” she asked.

“The what?”

“Don’t fuck with me. I need answers.”

He sighed loudly. “It was a gift. Someone gave it to me.”

“An’ you didn’t think it strange?”

“Yeah, I did. I didn’t want it. I didn’t take it. I said no thanks.”

She frowned. “So .. how did you get it?”

“He put it in my pocket. I didn’t see him do it. One second, it was in his hands, the next, in my pocket. My jacket felt heavier, so I put my hand into my pocket .. an’ there it was.”

“Where did this happen?”

He shrugged. “On the ferry.”

“You said he, him, his. Who’s he?”

He sighed again. “The guy on the ferry. I thought you were smart.”

“Okay, describe him to me.”

“Young. Dirty. Clothes way too big. He was in dire need of a Jenny Jones makeover, y’know? Slow voice. So laid back, he was practically horizontal. An’, no, he didn’t tell me his name. Is that it with the fucking questions?”

The guy in Kat’s dream.

Merlin slowed a little and took a deep breath. I hope this works …

Now I want to speak with Steve.

She thought it as hard as she could, projected it as best she could while not having any idea how to do it.

He stumbled, looking around suddenly.

Oh, thank God. Finally, someone can reach me …

Steve, it’s okay. Can you hear what your body is saying?

Everything.

Tell me, is he giving me the truth?

Yeah. I wanted to make such a good impression. I wanted to do a good job here an’ I’ve really screwed up. I’ve lied, cheated, stolen … this isn’t me. It’s .. I’ve turned into a monster.

We know it isn’t you. Right now, I need to know about the guy on the ferry. Tell me exactly what happened.

*****

“Alex .. Peri says you could use a hand.”

“Oh, hi.” Alex was concentrating on attaching a wire. “You’ve seen her?” she asked suddenly, frowning.

“Ye-es.” Alopex looked bemused. “We talked. She said .. you could use a hand.”

“Well .. yeah, but I think Derek could use a hand more. Unless Profelis is around?”

“Not back yet. All right, where’s Derek?” Alopex inquired, feeling like he was being pushed from pillar to post.

“Gone to find Peri. We thought she might have gone down to the ferry.”

“Why?” he asked.

“You weren’t there,” Alex realized. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m talking in riddles. Okay, briefly – Kat’s been having these dreams which aren’t dreams so much as warnings. In them, there’s a guy and he hangs out by the ferry. We think he’s the dare devil, the one behind all this.”

She watched his expression change from tolerant impatience to total realization. As his face shifted, so his body tensed.

“Is there such a thing?” she ventured.

“A dare devil? Sure. Not just one either. Most devils share these qualities – daring, challenging. The end result the same – corruption into evil. But there are a few who specialize. They’re nasty. Tricky bastards. You think you have one here?”

“How else would you explain Nick an’ Steve’s recent behavior? Steve got this box from someone.” She let out a breath. “At least he’s safe for now.”

Alopex smiled a diplomatic smile. “I’ll catch up with Derek.”

“Okay.” Alex continued wiring the sensor probe into the gas spectrometer, then she halted to frown. “Who’s guarding Steve ..?”

*****

Rachel checked Nick’s vitals again and nodded. He was quieter now, his face slackened into genuine sleep.

“You just rest,” she told him. “I’ll be right back.”

She prepped another hypo and, casting one final look at the couch, went on her way. The treatment was working so she should start Steve’s meds as soon as possible.

“Alex, I’m just going up to Steve’s room,” Rachel reported.

“I’d better come with you. Alopex has gone after Derek. You may need backup.”

“Steve’s alone?” Rachel queried.

“I guess so. But he’s locked in. What harm can he do?”

They went thru the control room and entered the darkened library. “I have no idea,” Rachel sighed. “I shall be glad when this day is over.”

Behind them, in the medical center, Nick’s eyes opened. He stretched and let out a long, satisfied sigh. He felt .. good. Like he’d rounded a corner and emerged a better person. The events of the past couple of weeks were like a nightmare already fading and he was glad that his friends hadn’t given up on him.

He sat up, feeling hungry and thirsty. Communication with the outside world had been such a relief after days of screaming in silence. Now he just wanted to go home, nestle next to his wife, and just get this nightmare behind him …

He flinched. Something roared up from somewhere in his head. Some force or dark energy which reached out a hand and clenched hard around his consciousness. Nick felt his grip being prized away, felt his mind being driven back into hiding.

No, no, don’t make me go back there. I’ll fight you. I have to. Merli’s gone to the ferry with Steve. I won’t let him have her. You want this body, you’ll use it on my terms.

He staggered to his feet and looked around for clothes because his chest was bare. He found the blood soaked, ripped T-shirt and pulled it on, not even noticing that his upper arm was taped and dressed. Then, his stride growing more confident as the adrenaline began pumping, Nick headed into the night.

*****

Kat sat alone in the kitchen and felt forgotten. She’d heard the commotion downstairs and had heard what was behind it. Steve had shot Nick. On purpose. Nick wasn’t badly hurt and would survive but Kat hated Steve for doing it. With the discovery of the box and Nick’s injury and Steve being a prisoner, everyone was busy doing something, even if it was only worrying what would happen next.

Kat wasn’t a Legacy member so she wasn’t bound by Derek’s orders. However, his recommendations were invariably worth taking and he’d told her to stay awake. Easy for adults with something to do. Less easy for a teenager, anxious yet bored and alone after a lovely afternoon in the fresh air, exercise, and lots to eat. She wondered whether she could go to the lab and offer to help somehow. She could wash test tubes or something. At least she’d be with someone who’d keep her awake. Her eyelids were getting impossibly heavy. She forced them open again. The tabletop looked very inviting. She could pillow her head on her arms …

No. I have to stay awake. Derek said I must not go to sleep. It’d be dangerous. There must be something I can do. Make coffee. Empty the dishwasher. Write out a shopping list for groceries.

Kat rose wearily and went to the larder where she began counting packets and food cans. It was like counting sheep. Slowly, her eyelids drooped and then her knees buckled. She slept.

*****

I landed at the airport, got my rental, spent some time just driving around the city, getting a feel for the place. I liked it. It seemed alive, vibrant. Eventually, I headed over the Golden Gate. I’ll be honest, Angel Island looked so far away that I thought it would be inconvenient. I got to the ferry point in Tiburon, drove the rental onto the ferry, got out to stand at the rail. It was foggy. Outta the fog, this guy approached. I didn’t like the look of him. He started talking to me an’ I wished he’d just go the hell away. He noticed the car was a rental. It was really strange. I remember it was very foggy an’ I felt .. dislocated, like I wasn’t completely in this world. I couldn’t see anyone else. He asked me for a light, kept on asking. I told him I didn’t have one. An’ then he said this is for you then. I thought he was reaching for a weapon. I started to back away. It wasn’t a gun, it was the box. I told him thanks but no thanks. He stepped closer then back an’ the box was in my pocket. He told me that, if I liked what was inside, I should pass it on. I thought it was his stash box. I planned to toss it in the trash soon as I could. It seemed always slightly heavier than it should have been, like it was reminding me it was there, that I mustn’t forget it. When I went into the house the very first time, it seemed even heavier but then, once I was in, it passed. Anyway, I was so busy that day, I didn’t get the chance to do anything with it except put it in my room. Then, the next day, I opened it an’ my life went down the toilet.

You genuinely didn’t want the box. You weren’t even remotely tempted?

Not for a second. Peri, I have wanted San Francisco for a long time. I wanted to work with Nick. He’s my role model. I mean, the guy’s a legend. I knew he was gonna be a problem but I hoped we had enough common ground to find some kinda way. The last thing I wanted was to get into trouble my first week. I meant to keep my head down, learn as much as I could, early nights, early starts. I didn’t even mean to leave the house .. until I found there was an estate. Then I planned not to leave the estate.

Merlin nodded.

Would you recognize the guy again?

Sure. His is not a face I’d easily forget. He’s a weasel. A rat. Why? Is he here?

We think he’s down at the ferry an’ has been ever since he met you.

He didn’t get off the boat. I remember I looked for him. I didn’t see him.

Just cos you didn’t see him doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. We’ll know soon enough. We’re almost at the ferry.

*****

“Steve ..?” Rachel called. “It’s Rachel an’ Alex. We’re coming in. Okay?”

There was no answer and they looked at each other. He was either sleeping or waiting in ambush.

Cautiously, Alex unlocked the door, pushed it open, and, when Steve made no attempt to escape, peered around it. She blinked.

“He isn’t here.”

“Is he in the bathroom?” Rachel wondered.

Alex looked. “No .. he isn’t here. He’s gone.”

Rachel sighed. “He does seem to make it a habit, doesn’t he? I’ve already done this – come up here only to find he’s vanished.” She shook her head. “I’ll be very glad when this day is over. Well, it’s outta our hands. Let’s go back, keep an eye on Nick an’ work on the box.”

“An’ check in on Kat,” Alex said. “We’ve left her alone for far too long.”

Rachel flushed guiltily. “I don’t even know where she is an’ that is a terrible thing to say. She’s our first priority. Nick’s sleeping an’ the box can wait.”

*****

“Have you found her yet?” Alopex asked, fading into being beside Derek who had to swallow his heart.

“No, nor have I heard her. She must have gone cross country. The gate said she never went by them.”

“She isn’t alone,” Alopex confessed. “She came for Steve.”

Derek stared at him. “And you let her take him?”

“She said she needed his help. They were just going to take a walk and talk together. I saw no harm. She promised to bring him back in one piece. I didn’t know she was going to confront a dare devil.”

Derek shook his head. “One Nick is bad enough,” he muttered almost to himself. “Rash, impulsive, headstrong. Just act, don’t ever think. Then I get another Nick on my team. And now it seems I have three to cope with.” He put out a wary hand. “We’re almost there. Can you sense anything?”

“Faintly, yes.”

“Old?”

“No. It’s fresh. Just faint. The devil isn’t completely on this plane. More there than here but even a little here is too much to be tolerated.”

“Can you flush him out?”

“I don’t need to,” Alopex breathed. “There’s bait.”

*****

“Kat! Kat! Where are you?” Rachel called. “Honey, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to leave you this long.”

“Rachel … ”

Her heart turned over. “What? Where is she?” she demanded in a wild, desperate voice.

Alex emerged from the medical center. “You’ll never believe this. Nick’s gone too.”

The air shimmered and Profelis appeared. “Good evening, ladies. I’m back.”

“Find my daughter!” Rachel ordered tersely and he promptly vanished again. “What d’you mean, Nick’s gone?”

“He isn’t in there. He’s .. gone!” Alex retorted. She didn’t want to accuse but … “I thought you were going to restrain him.”

“He was so far under .. I didn’t think he’d wake so restraints weren’t necessary!”

Rachel felt the tension threatening to overwhelm her and she had to cut it loose before she exploded. What was at the back of her mind was that Kat might have disappeared too.

“All right, we forget about him for now. Wherever Nick is, he obviously felt fit enough to get there under his own steam. We find Kat an’ – ”

“She’s in the larder,” Profelis cut in, appearing again. “The day’s clearly gotten to her. She’s fast asleep.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “Oh my God … Kat!”

*****

There was something wonderfully liberating about plunging thru the woods in the dark at a breakneck speed. Nick sucked oxygen into his lungs and raced on, leaping obstacles, almost falling, regaining his balance, and all with a feral smile on his face. The road wound like a switchback up from the ferry to the gate. Cross country was steeper but it cut out a lot of distance. He covered it in just over fifteen minutes and arrived soon after Derek. He halted short of the ferry dock buildings, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, to get his breath.

Derek and Alopex stood by the ticket booth, peering around its corner. Merlin and Steve were on the dock itself. And twenty feet farther away from them, the air seemed to shudder and groan then it vomited two figures into this world. One was the dirty, unkempt youth and his arm was around the neck of the other, and he was holding on tight. The message was clear. One wrong move and he would choke Kat Corrigan.

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