Death Marks (The Symbolist) (29 page)

'Sir, I couldn't get any reply from the PC in the Church, so I got a couple of uniforms to climb up to the windows. It's empty; they've disappeared. I've got officers in the tunnel, but no sign of them.'

'Fuck - fuck - get some more officers in there - just bust in - call terminated.'

Racing now to the Church, he heard Green's voice, urgent, 'Officer down boss, up in the gallery, throat cut. I'm calling the ambulance.'

'Okay, I'm contacting the SWAT Team and K9 Unit. I'm on my way.'

He spoke into his lapel, 'Jack - Jack - come in - come in now.'

'Okay Dan - Jack here. What's up?'

'Officer down at the church - bastards cut his fucking throat. The guests have disappeared. We need the SWAT Team.'

'Okay - we're on our way.'

'Get the bloody dogs in.'

'Already contacting K9 - be with you in a couple of minutes'

'Make sure Tess's dog's with them.'

'Come on Dan - he's neurotic - he'll fuck it up.'

'Jack he tracks her blood for Christ's sake.'

'I know - I know - okay I'm on it.'

Redd touched the bulge of the Glock in his jacket; he wouldn't hesitate to use it. People scattered as he ran, fuck - fuck - shiiiiiiit - fuck - fucking fuck. He shouldn't have let her do it. He saw her face, her eyes, her lips, shiiiit - he'd bloody kill them - kiiiill them.

As he raced into the church, Green called to him from the gallery. 'Up here boss.' Redd bounded up the stairs, stopping short as he nearly stepped in bright blood pooling around the young officer's head. Fuck - poor bugger - he was only a kid - only a fucking kid. They've jammed the wires. We've lost Tess.' He pulled the Glock out, espying the uniforms searching the gallery - bugger all. Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the stone floor, as Jack burst through the door. 'Hey man put this on.'

Jack threw him a Kevlar vest with neck, arms and groin reinforcement. Gritting his teeth, hating every moment that kept him from the chase, Redd rammed the thing on.

Jack said, 'And take this,' throwing him a Heckler & Koch MP5.

Redd hefted the assault rifle, feeling the weight before strapping it to his shoulder. He also had the Glock, he could shoot on the run. Hearing the barking of the K9 Unit he stopped. His face brightened just for a moment - Sweetpea. The mutt irritated him at first, all that licking and slobbering, but now, he felt a rush of warmth - he'd find her scent.

As he gathered the handlers and dogs around him, Sweetpea sat down on his haunches, and howled. The handler shook him gently, but Sweetpea howled even louder, leaping and gnashing at the lead.

Redd muttered, '
Okay; you've given them Gemma’s clothes?'

'Yes Sir - ready to go on your command.'

'Go ahead.'

Clumping up to him in her hardened combat boots, Dove looked particularly ferocious in her bulky SWAT gear. 'Any ideas Sir?'

'Nah, it's up to the dogs now. This place is riddled with secret doors, tunnels and cellars. God knows where they've gone.'

Dove nodded. 'Look at the dogs, they're everywhere.'

'Yeah, I expect Tess's been in few places here.'

Standing with her and Jack, he watched, as the dogs chased around the church, sniffing pews, the floor, the altar. To his amazement Sweetpea shot off to a door in the far side of the church, standing on his hind legs; he scratched at the latch, then backed off and leapt, throwing his full weight against the wood. Christ, the dog could batter it down. He was lethal. A few dogs now joined him, but sat quietly, paws lifted towards the door.

The handlers opened the door for the canines, who now rushed through in a pack, barking and whining down a stone corridor, with Redd and the teams following.

Redd muttered, '
This leads to the mausoleum.'

Dove running steadily beside him, her boots thumping on the stone floor, said, '
But it's too small - wouldn't hold twenty people and a bonfire.'

The handlers raced to the dogs, sniffing around the edges of the door to the mausoleum. Already feeling the pinching fingers of claustrophobia creep over him, Redd searched desperately for signs of blood. He mustn't panic - not now. Christ - shiiiit. He remembered Tess's words, to breathe slowly and deeply. It was hard; the dogs were frantic, their heads dipping and rising as they sniffed frantically. He dived into his pocket for the diazepam, just two, that would stave off a panic attack. As the door opened, snapping and growling, Sweetpea, caught in the middle of the pack, fought to get to front place, definitely an alpha male.

Crowding into the small burial chamber, they shone torches on the dust-ridden coffins - nothing. Sweetpea shrieked, gulping air, as he pawed at the exit door almost as tall as the handler. As the door opened, he raced with the pack down the steeply sloping tunnel.

Redd caught his breath; Tess had left blood for them to follow. He heard a K9 officer shout, '
Bodies - loads of bodies down here.'

His heart thundered, as he looked up to see the ceiling sinking down, the walls closing in on him. Stifled, he gritted his teeth; the diazepam would kick in soon. His heart in his mouth, he ran with Jack to see mummified remains of bodies on shelves hewn from the rock.

Dove gasped, 'It's like catacombs - Christ it's eerie.'

Redd saw Sweetpea sniffing the bony fingers of a skeletal elderly woman in a mildewed fob cap, her clothes mouldering. He went over, to see blood darkening the bones. For once Sweetpea was not licking, head bowed, his nostrils sensitively twitching; he examined the bones once more, gulping air before racing on ahead.

Catching up with Jack, he saw the K9 handlers facing a stone wall. A tall officer traced the wall with his hands, feeling for edges. 'Bugger it Guv. Dead end.'

Redd went over to see the dogs sniffing eagerly at the rough stone. Sweetpea went on his hind legs frantically scratching at the stone. An Alsatian growled, his nose flat onto the wall at a stack of stones.

Jack went over the arch, stone by stone. 'Got to be here somewhere Redd, a false wall - got to be.'

A handler reached in among the wet noses and gnashing teeth of the dogs. 'There must be a pressure point somewhere here.'

Jack looked over to the SWAT Team, 'Briggs - metal detection plate.'

The tall helmeted officer came to the front of the arched wall, posing the detector over the area, covering it inch by inch. The silence was almost overpowering as they waited, even the dogs fell quiet except for a small whimper. The machine beeped; Brigg's said softly, 'Yeah, right there.' He then pushed at the stone. The dogs backed off as the stone wall slid to one side.

Dove whispered, 'A lift and a door - Christ Sir - we've found them.'

Redd pushed forward, 'Well done Briggs. Now....'

Jack walked over. 'They've locked the lift down. Damn.'

Dove went over to the smaller door, pressing a steel button. It slid over to reveal a sheer glass front. 'Boss, over here.'

Jack and Redd looked down on the scene, as cries of terror reached them through the beating of drums. The effigy of the Wicker Man stood in the centre of an immense cavern; around it were individual wicker cages each occupied with a single figure; they could see the cages rocking, hands stretching out through the wicker. Redd recogni
zed the earl standing between two women in the loins of the huge Wicker man. Packed with people, the effigy swayed slightly from side to side.

Dove
murmured, 'They're all going to burn - mass suicide, and they're taking the victims with them.'

Jack whispered, '
Fuck - we haven't got much time - the damn thing's ready to go.'

Dove said, 'Boss, do want me to take out the
earl, I can do it from here.'

'No - if they haven't seen the door slide open already, we've got about two minutes of surprise at the most.'

'There's a steel walk way around the rim top of the cave boss, looks quite sturdy.'

An officer murmured, 'Christ; they're all bloody naked.'

His companion said, 'Some sick fucking orgy.'

Ignoring them, Redd looked over to Jack. 'Rappel?'

'Yeah, best way - fast.'

'Okay go ahead.'

Jack signalled to the Swat team, 'No time to use the steps, we're gonna rappel down there. Get those people out of the bloody cages.'

Shrugging on harnesses, Jack, Dove and the team, ran on to the steel walkway, anchoring their rappelling devices from the steel rims, swiftly checking their ropes were in the middle mark. Some of them simultaneously rappelled down the steep wall, rapping the ropes around their legs to stop the fall.

Redd followed by Green, Connell and the other officers, rushed down the steps taking them two at a time. A few of the officers jumped the last six feet - running to the cages and cries of the victims.

Tess trembling by the side of the
earl, looked up to see officers in heavy SWAT uniforms rappelling down the walls. The earl, eyes squeezed tight; screaming demented prayers to the gods, had not seen them.

Tess prayed silently to any god listening, '
Please - please - don't let him open his eyes. She peered at Gemma who nodded. Swiftly, they both grabbed him, shoving him to the Wicker floor.

Shouting, he struggled, '
You fools, you stupid fools, you are going to die, don't fight it. It's going to happen.'

As the Ovates sprang to his aid, Gemma's eyes fell on his sword, yes - oh yes. In a heartbeat, she snatched the sword from the scabbard, as the Ovates helped the
earl to his feet. She leapt, slicing the earl's flesh open from his forehead to his feet. Swaying, he looked at her, astonishment widening his eyes. Snarling, Gemma raised the sword to run him through, only to be grabbed from behind. Sobbing, she fought, kicking out at the earl as he turned, wiping the blood dripping into his eyes and down his body, to see officers running towards him.

Frenzied he cried, '
Kill them, kill them - light the fires - light the fires goddammit.'

Redd seeing the tapers leading from the cages to the Wicker effigy, screamed out, '
Cut the tapers - cut the fucking tapers - faster - faster.' To others he cried, 'Get them out of the Wicker Man - hurry - hurry.'

Elsewhere, he heard Jack and Dove screaming out his instructions.

Julia jumped on her father scrabbling for the ignition box, his fingers trying to reach the switch that would ignite both the Wicker Man and the tapers to the cages. 'Damn you - I won't let you - you pig - you fucking pig.' Beating him with her fists, she clenched her teeth, stabbing her fingers into the earl's eyes, gouging, pressing him against the wicker wall. Screaming in agony, he staggered, throwing her off.

Officers tackled Ovates lighting wickers stacks around the perimeter walls; two sprang alight, their flames leaping in moments, setting fire to a couple of the wicker cages. Screams rent the air, as Dove followed by more officers, stamped on the flames, dragging out the victims.

Seeing some of the Ovates leaving the Wicker Man to tackle the officers, Redd fought his way to Tess, he had to stop the earl - had to get Tess out of there. It would only take one stray spark, for the whole lot to go up in flames. As he neared the steps, he saw her struggling with an Ovate forcibly trapping her in the effigy. Seeing him, she screamed out, 'The earl - he's got an ignition box - stop him - stop him.'

The
earl blinded, his eyes seeping mucus and blood, dropped to his knees, his hands on the box, scrabbling for the switch. Leaping up the steps, Redd tackled him, throwing him bodily out of the effigy. With one blow from his fist, he knocked Tess's captor to the floor and seizing her, jumped from the Wicker Man.

As they rolled on the floor, Tess cried out, '
Save her Redd, save Gemma.'

He looked up to see a young woman held down by two Ovates. Rage surged through him as he yelled, 'Let her go.' Running back, he scrambled up into the effigy. Fists swinging, he caught one with an upper cut to the chin, the man's head snapped back, teeth crunching into his upper palate; blood spurting. Redd turned to see Gemma kick the other man's feet from under him. As he went to rise, she grabbed his arm, pulling it up and back. Redd heard the snap as it dislocated. Jumping up, Redd snatched her up, leaping back down the floor.

Shouting to Tess, he cried, 'Make for the stairs - go - go.'

He looked around; the
earl was nowhere to be seen. Dove led some of the victims to the stairs, while Jack and the other officers cuffed the Ovates. Where the fuck was he?'

EPILOGUE

Leaning back on her elbows, Tess gazed at marshmallow clouds drifting over a cerulean sky. In the distance, a forest of silver birch and pine broke up the flat landscape. 'This is such a lovely place; I didn't know it existed.'

Reaching over the linen tablecloth, Redd picked up a slice of ham off the bone. 'There are so many dotted around the Downs. The fields around Slindon woods are quite private, very few people come here. They stick mostly to the woods; you'll find loads of walkers there, ideal for the dogs.'

Tess picked up a glass of wine. 'It seems such a private place.' Glancing over to the next field, she gasped, 'Hey look - oh just look at that, Sweetpea's jumping through the rapeseed. You can just see his ears and his tail.

Redd rose to his feet. 'Get up Tess - quick. You've gotta see this '

She joined him, as he pointed over to the dog. 'See - he's racing with the deer.'

Tess clasped his arm, 'Oh my goodness - can you beat that. He's keeping up, and he's not attacking. He's playing with them.'

Grinning they both stood enjoying the sun on their backs, as they watched the animals frolic through the gold flowers of the rapeseed. Entering the serenity of the scene, Redd thought it a far cry from the horror of Kingley Vale.

As if catching his thought, Tess said, 'I used to love Kingley Vale, But I don't think I could go there again, too many memories.'

Redd nodded, taking her hand. 'It will take a while, but there are many places like this, and we have lots of time to explore them.'

He clutched her to him, dipping his head to taste those plump lips, his tongue flicking through to her teeth, her mouth. Slowly, they sank to the blanket, her breath now quickening as his hand cupped a full breast. He felt her fingers under his sweatshirt, tickle his nipples. Grunting slightly, his hand went to her bottom, massaging the toned cheek.

Laughing, she arched away. 'Hey, hang on there, we're in broad daylight, the walkers will see us, or their dogs will search us out.’

Taking a breath, he grinned, his voice thickening as he said, '
Just for starters. We'll have the main course later.'

Sitting up, she pulled at blade of grass, tasting the sweetness of the stalk. 'Talking of searching, I wonder where the
earl is now?'

'God knows, he and Titmouse must be a thousand miles from here. D'you know, I still wasn't sure Tits was mixed up in it.'

Tess nodded. 'He was further in the Wicker Man behind the earl. Honestly, he's vile. All the time you were on the case, he was giving them all the information.'

'At least Mainwaring wasn't granted bail. He's locked away until the trial. The jury will make short work of him.'

'D'you think he'll get life?

'Oh yes, and the others.'

'They damn well deserve it. I don't believe in capital punishment - they hung so many innocent people, but in this instance - well—'

'I'm with you there. I hope Mainwaring gets imprisonment without parole.'

'What about Julia?'

'She's out on bail. She's back at the mansion.'

'Well, the girl was forced or coerced as they say. I mean he father threatened her with the Blood Eagle, if she didn't help abduct Jeannette and Neil.'

'I know, but she could have gone for help. It's a sticky business.'

Tess took another sip of wine. 'At least the Dowager is happy. She's got her back. She does remember her you know, and the earl. I'm glad you've told her he's traveling abroad.'

'Kindest thing we could do. I mean each time they tell her what he did, she'll get so upset, then she'll forget, and they'll have to tell her all over again - a recurring nightmare. I don't think the relatives of the victims can ever come to terms with it.'

'I know, but at least they can see justice being done. Some parents go a lifetime never knowing what happened to their missing children.' Shaking her head, Tess said, 'In this case maybe that would be a blessing. These poor parents have to live with such terrible memories. God, it doesn't bear thinking about.'

Seeing her face pale, the tears gathering, Redd took her in his arms. 'Memories fade sweetheart. Let's hope we can catch the bastards. They snuck off as we fought to stop the effigy igniting. But, we found a secret passageway from the cavern leading underground to a whole system of tunnels. They go on for miles under the Downs. But, wherever they are, we'll never stop searching'

'Well the earl won't be difficult to find with that cut Gemma gave him.'

Redd shook his head. 'I don't know - plastic surgery could take care of that' He touched his cheek, '
Didn't do me much good, but at least it's fading.'

Tess leant over, rolling her tongue lightly along the scar. 'I think it makes you more attractive - my warrior hero. Anyway, it will fade even more, just like memories.'

His voice faltered for a moment, as he thought of Esther - Harry. No, he was wrong, for him the memories do not fade; sometimes they become too vivid. Often, he thought he could hear their voices calling to him.

Stroking Tess's cheek, he said, '
So are you packed for the trip?'

'Yes - I don't know how long I'll be away. Melissa is very ill, it's only a matter of weeks. She's so brave, even in the face of the last news, she says, she'll live to be a hundred....' She paused, and looked at him. 'I do believe in miracles you know.'

He hugged her. 'So do I. I found you.'