Angel's Fury (23 page)

I wanted to reach for Seth, but didn’t. My touch would probably make his skin crawl.

Soon our trainers pounded on dew-dampened tarmac. I tried to match my pace to Seth’s; despite the trees lining the road I felt exposed. ‘Should we be walking in the open like this?’ Anxiously I looked ahead.

Seth pointed at a rise of rock to our left. ‘We don’t have time to navigate that.’

I looked. To either side of us the terrain was crumpled like one of my old art projects. Mossy patches looked as if they’d fall apart under our feet and boulders stuck out of hillocks like bad teeth.

Seth checked the sky, where the dawn had just finished
pinkening the horizon. ‘There shouldn’t be anyone around this early. If we hear a car, we’ll just have to try and hide.’

I stared around. The idea of hiding was laughable. Even distant sheep appeared like exclamation marks on the black hills. I stuck my hands into my pockets and hurried.

We made it to the outskirts of the Manor grounds without being seen. There was no movement on the long driveway and the only sounds were the piping calls of birds.

‘We should split up.’ I cast a glance at Seth, half hoping he’d insist on staying with me, but he nodded his agreement.

‘I’ll check around the rest of the grounds then follow you into the wood.’ His hands moved over the book stashed in his jacket.

I gestured at his coat. ‘Maybe we should hide it.’

‘In case I’m caught, you mean.’ Seth nodded. ‘Here then, behind the sign.’ He tugged the grass back to find a crack in the earth then shoved the book into the ground. He glanced at his watch. ‘If I don’t catch up with you in the woods, meet me here at eleven. If I don’t make it, you’ll have to get the book to my dad.’ He pulled a stiff rectangle from his coat pocket. ‘That’s his business card.’

Careful not to touch him I took the offering.

‘Good luck.’ He dug his fists into his jacket, turned on his heel and disappeared into the undergrowth.

‘Be safe,’ I whispered.

Alone, I headed towards the woods.

There was open space between the new range and the trees. I crouched behind a holly bush and watched the Manor for signs of life.

The Doctor has to have realised we’re gone by now
.

I squeezed my eyes closed.
Why didn’t I tell Seth where Pandra’s secret spot is? If I’m caught, there’ll be no one to help Lenny
.

My jeans were soaked through, but I still didn’t dare move. I only had to cross one hundred yards but it was in full view of the rec-room window, the one with my initials carved into the sill.

If I’m seen, I’ll just have to run like mad and hide in the woods.

After one final check around I forced my legs into the starting position, lifted my fists to my chest and sprinted on to the lawn.

My feet pounded almost silently on the grass, but the beating of my heart sounded like a message drum calling, ‘Here I am – come and get me.’ I ducked my head, trying to run faster.

The damp made the lawn treacherous and my feet slid out from under me. With a single indrawn breath I skidded and my elbows hit bark. I’d made it to the trees. I landed on my back and rolled till I was hidden behind a silver birch. Then I looked back at the Manor.

My eyes created figures out of the morning mist. I had to blink several times before they cleared and I realised there was no one chasing me.

Picking my way over fallen branches I tried to remember the route Pandra had taken to the cave. All the time I was listening for Lenny, but the woods were soundless and the deeper I got the more the undergrowth seemed to suck the noise from the world.

Above me the greenery thickened and trees seemed to twist in my direction as if trying to drive me back. I huddled deeper into my jacket and eventually let my fingers seek the comforting lump that was Bunny.

Crack
.

The surface gave way beneath my right foot and something lashed towards my face.

Instinct took over and I threw myself backwards. Pain
lanced beneath my eye, but I crashed into a log before it could register properly.

The landing stole my breath and for a long moment I lay still, smothered in a blanket of hurt. Then I felt my chest. I didn’t think my ribs were broken so I sat up carefully and explored my throbbing ankle. As I felt for a sprain my face started to sting. Something wet and warm tickled my cheek.

I’m bleeding
.

My probing fingers discovered a slash that ran from the top of my nose almost to my ear.

What did this?

Stunned, I looked down. There was a hole in the ground where my foot had been.

Inside the hole was some frayed string and around it broken sticks were splayed like ribs at an autopsy. It looked as though someone had covered a hole with sticks and grass so that it wouldn’t be seen. Above me a branch was bent out of shape. Dangling towards me, the whip-like end dripped with my own blood.

Suddenly I heard Pandra’s voice again: ‘if you want to come here, it’s best you come with me.’

This trap had not been meant for a hare. I drew in a shuddering
breath. Pandra had meant to injure anyone wandering in the woods. I didn’t know if she’d set the ambush long ago, or if she was expecting me to follow her today; either way, the reckless violence of her actions squeezed my chest like giant hands.

Trembling, I pushed myself to my knees and then to my feet. I had to go on. Tentatively I tested my right foot. Agony stabbed towards my knee, but it bore my weight.

At least this tells me Pandra can’t be far
.

There were two more traps on my route. Once I knew what to look for they weren’t too hard to spot. One I tripped with a branch poked into a pile of leaves, another I managed to sidestep. Either might have crippled me. Although I was using a slow pace I was panting as if running a marathon. My eyes burned with the effort of checking every step, so when the ground in front of me vanished I had to pinwheel my arms to prevent myself from stumbling down the slope.

For long moments I stared at the incline. I’d been putting off the thought of it, but now had to accept that I would have to go down that hill.

I know the Doctor said the Manor grounds didn’t flood . . .
but there was a stream down there once . . . and the storm last night was a bad one
.

Suddenly I was hit by an attack of vertigo. I bent over double, retching violently.

Weg vom Hang!

I fell to my knees clutching my head.

Weg vom Hang!

‘Kurt! Th-this isn’t the slope you died on. Let me do this.’ I tried to get to my feet.

Nein
.

My head pulsed with a headache that almost blinded me and I pressed the fingers of my left hand into my eyes.

‘I have to go down there.’

Das mußt du nicht
.

An image of no-man’s land flashed in front of my eyes like a strobe.

‘This isn’t the same,’ I cried desperately. ‘There’s no barbed wire on this hill. It isn’t raining. We aren’t at war.’ I staggered one step forward.

Du bist dumm, wenn du meinst, es gibt keinen Krieg
.

‘It’s not that sort of war.’

My head felt as if spikes had been rammed through it and nausea slashed at my stomach with clammy claws.

I swallowed.

Maybe . . . maybe I don’t have to go down there. Lenny might not even be in the cave
.

Ja. Weg vom Hang!

As I started to move away from the hill the wind whipped a blizzard of leaves into my face and I stopped.

I can hear Lenny
.

He was crying for help; and he was somewhere at the bottom of the hill.

Before Kurt could stop me I inched my left foot on to the slope. As I tilted downwards my ears rang with the screaming of a panicked German.

Images flashed into my head, stronger than before. They mingled with the scent of blood from my own injury and made Kurt’s death scene completely real.

My feet slip and the ground isn’t there to catch my fall. I howl as I roll down a steep hill
.

Still at the top of hill I fell into a crouch and dug my left hand into a patch of moss. It wasn’t a particularly good handhold, but it reminded me of where I was, and when.

My chin knocked into my chest as I fought for breath. ‘There’s a little boy down there who needs me.’

Ein erbärmlicher Schwächling
.

A pathetic weakling.

‘A ten-year-old boy. Let me help him.’ I stood up, swaying. The only way down this slope was quickly. I’d just have to hope Pandra hadn’t booby-trapped my descent because I wasn’t going to be careful.

Nein
.

‘Yes.’

Deliberately I sent my balance into the wind. If he didn’t want to fall, Kurt had to let me move. My twisted right ankle took all my weight; I cried out and staggered on to my left foot. With fear closing my lungs, I pelted down the slope, stones flying. I had no choice.

The bottom of the slope arrived shockingly fast. As the ground levelled I stumbled and nearly lost my footing. Finally I tottered to a standstill. Straggling pebbles bounced around me for a few seconds, then stopped.

I hauled in a breath and despite the blood that crashed in my ears I heard the faint caw of a boy’s cry.

I did it
.

For a moment I allowed dizziness to overwhelm me. Then I
forced myself to start limping along the dry stream bed.

I stopped outside the bush that hid the cave and tried to think of a plan.

Pandra won’t be happy to see me
.

Cursing, I looked around. The area was empty of anything I could use to defend myself.

Then my eye fell on the bush.

Thorns dug into the skin of my palm but I ground my teeth and continued to twist. Finally I managed to wrench off a fairly hefty limb.

If Pandra comes at me, at least this will give her something to think about.

I gave my weapon an experimental swing, took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness.

Pandra looked up. The torch was balanced on an outcrop above her head and she was sitting cross-legged in its circle of light. ‘I wondered if you’d come,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d make it down the slope, though, not after last time.’

I grimaced and continued to walk towards her.

‘Did you come alone?’ She cocked her head. ‘Or were the others delayed by my little surprises?’

Anger made me raise my weapon. ‘I came alone, Pandra, sorry.’ I looked around the cave. I’d expected to see Lenny somewhere nearby, perhaps even tied up, but there was no sign of him. ‘Where’s Lenny?’

Pandra ignored my question and gestured for me to sit on the rug beside her. ‘I knew you wouldn’t let me down. We’re so alike.’ The light glinted from her teeth as she smiled. ‘Just like sisters. Isn’t that what you want, for us to live together as sisters?’

My jaw sang as I gritted my teeth. ‘It could work. Come home with me and we’ll find another Doctor.’

Pandra shifted her hands into her lap. Her rings glittered. ‘There isn’t another Doctor. Anyone else will say we’re crazy.’

Carefully I stepped into the halo of light that surrounded her. ‘Then we’ll help each other.’

‘Yeah, right.’ Pandra sniffed derisively.

‘Come on – just having someone else understand will help and maybe we can learn how to do what the Doctor
should
be doing.’

Pandra licked her lips. ‘I don’t have time for that,’ she murmured.

‘Why not?’ My toes reached the edge of the rug.

Pandra touched her forehead. ‘You
don’t
understand then.’ She cocked her head like a bird. ‘He’s right here. I can feel him.’ Her voice lowered and her final words were in the tones of a frightened little girl. ‘I’m slipping away.’

Before I could answer her, I heard Lenny again and this time he was calling my name.

I peered around the cave, but no movement shifted the shadows. I lunged and grabbed the torch with my free hand. Pandra didn’t even try to stop me. I swung it round, pointing the beam at every lump I could see. The light showed me nothing but rock.

‘Lenny?’

I circled and my trainers thumped on the floorboards. A horrible suspicion took hold of me. ‘Pandra, you
didn’t
!’

I threw the branch aside and hauled planks from the grave hole. Directing the torch towards the depths I tried not to look as the light swirled over corpses heaving with ants and maggots. The glow barely touched the blackness beneath the uppermost ledge. ‘Lenny, are you down there?’

‘H-help.’ His voice was hoarse; he’d been screaming for ages. I wasn’t surprised.

‘I’m going to get you out. Can you come into the light?’

‘Th-they’ll g-get me . . . th-the animals.’ His reply was barely a whisper, but I understood him and my heart contracted.

‘Lenny, they can’t hurt you. Come towards the light.’ I glared disbelievingly at Pandra and she carried on watching me, expressionless.

Finally I caught sight of movement in the hole and directed the torch beam as best I could. Lenny was cowering at the very bottom of what looked like a ten-foot drop. His face turned to mine. Tears had tracked lines into the dirt that smeared his cheeks.

‘I need a rope.’ Automatically I cast the beam around and Lenny gave a squeak as the light shifted from him. Quickly I directed the glow back and turned to Pandra. ‘How’d you get him down there? Where’s the rope?’

Her lips twitched. ‘What rope?’

‘Then how . . .’ I stopped.

She just shoved him in
.

Quickly I pushed the horror from my head. I had to stay strong. ‘Lenny, are you hurt? Is anything broken?’

His voice shook tearfully and the whiny tone that usually
drove me mad was gone. ‘I-I think I’ve sprained my ankle . . . and my wrist hurts.’

Pandra leaned against the wall of the cave. ‘Why d’you care? He’s pathetic. Leave him down there.’ She shrugged. ‘It’ll do him good.’

‘Holy . . .’ I smothered my response and wheeled back to the hole. ‘I’m thinking, Lenny, alright.’