Different (12 page)

"I apologise for having to delay the meeting, gentlemen,” Jeremy Marchant, the British Prime-Minister said, once the waiter who'd placed their respective drinks on the table had left the room. “Another damned riot. Nottingham this time.” He looked drained and his illness was betrayed by the slightly yellow tinge in his eyes.

Henry Matherson, the American Vice-President, sighed. “Why the hell don't you just do what they want and pull out of Europe until it comes to its senses like you promised before you got yourself elected?"

"There's too much pressure from the banks, the city and our legal profession, they're making billions from all the new legislation. People can't even send their kids to school without the proper legal documentation."

Russell Downey, the youngest of the three men and Matherson's head of security, laughed. “You Brits have taken the personal claim business to new heights, Jeremy. Is it right that parents have to list every single physical activity, including play surfaces, weather conditions and items of equipment they're allowed to use, before their kids can take part in games or sport?"

"We've also included edible stuffs for the beginning of next term,” Jeremy said, smiling for the first time. “If ever I get booted out of office, I'll make a bloody fortune,” he joked. Their secret twenty-year-old partnership had made them all multimillionaires. Their fortunes were safely stowed away in the Cayman Isles.

Henry took a sip of his Southern Comfort and savoured the sweet liquid before swallowing. “Ok, Jeremy,” he said. “Let's cut the crap and get down to business. Why the emergency summons? I know I'm treated as a big joke by the president, but I still have a busy schedule. You're lucky Russell and I were in Belgium."

"Yes, I know Henry, for what it's worth I sympathise with you. President Slojhenski may be your first female president, but she seems to be an American version of Margaret Thatcher. Younger and prettier perhaps, but she's strong. It's a pity she such a complete and utter bitch!” Jeremy spat out the last few words with such venom that Henry looked at him in surprise.

"I take it then, the reports that you two didn't get on at your mini-summit last month were correct?” Henry was intrigued. Jeremy was considered by others, besides the man himself, to be quite a ladies’ man.

"She told me that I was a bigger threat to the democracy of the West than any bunch of terrorist, and that Europe was becoming a communist style police state!” Jeremy scowled at the memory and then passed a tabloid newspaper over to Henry and then another copy for Russell.

Henry looked at the headlines, “TEENAGE GIRL—Healer Sensation". Henry read the article about the Welsh girl who'd apparently healed a couple of people by somehow covering them in some kind of blue light and wondered what the hell it had to do with him and Russell.

Russell asked the question. “Is this supposed to mean anything to us?"

Jeremy nodded, “Possibly. The girl lives in Conway, that's Wales, with her grandparents, but according to a report I received this morning the family only moved there fifteen years ago. Before Jay Williams, that's the girl's name, healed the other girl, somehow she lifted a bus off her."

Henry almost spilled his drink, he knew now, and he could tell by the Russell's expression he did too. So that's why they were there.

Jeremy nodded in confirmation. “That's right, the family moved from Catherstone Village. Is there the remotest possibility that the female infant could somehow have survived?"

"No way!” Russell was adamant. “We all saw Adam pitch her into the marsh. She went under all right, we all saw it. There's no way she could have escaped or survived."

"We have to make sure, though,” Henry said. “If it is the girl, she could jeopardise everything, including our ongoing project. Russell, get yourself over to the village and see if you can find out anything, and then..."

Jeremy interrupted him. “What worries me, Henry, is ... if the girl did manage to survive somehow, then how do we know that the male hasn't too?"

"I don't even want to think about that,” Russell said.

"You'd better check it out while you're there,” Henry said. “Call in at the Foundation and take a look at that mine shaft and make sure he's still there."

"Ok. If it is the same girl, do you want me to head for Wales and take her out, or what?"

"Yes, get rid of her,” Henry answered. “Make it look like a robbery or something."

"Try not to draw attention to the Devil's Footprint,” Jeremy said. “We don't want to put our current project at risk."

Henry, who knew that one of the runaway girls Russell and Janine were holding on the Devil's Footprint was the same rare blood type as the British Prime Minister, wondered if the rumours about Jeremy's failing health were true. It would explain his sudden concern that the project remained ongoing. It would have made more sense otherwise, to close the place down and dispose of any possible witnesses. Henry kept his suspicions to himself however; it would be stupid to antagonise Jeremy by exposing his health to scrutiny.

"I'll take the girl out anyway,” Russell said. “Then we'll know we're safe."

Shouts came from behind her and Jay saw approaching headlights racing along both sides of the dual carriageway. She launched herself forward, her feet pounding the surface of the road and then found herself scrambling up the embankment on the other side. Not one of the speeding vehicles had even come close to reaching her before she'd crossed. It was confusing, how was it possible? How fast had she run?

The sound of Ben and Cassie calling her name snapped her out of her reverie. She could see them looking for her on the far side of the road, it obviously had never occurred to them she would have risked crossing the busy dual carriageway.

She stepped behind a tree, pulling out her mobile, she rang her Grandmother. Jay had given Anna a mobile phone for her birthday. She answered on the third ring and Jay tried to sound calm.

"It's me Grandma,” she said. “I'm ok, but I need to get away. I need time to think things out."

"Yes, I'm fine and so is Tom, Ethel,” Anna said, letting Jay know she couldn't talk freely. Obviously the reporters were still there. “You have yourself a nice holiday and don't forget to send me a postcard. You take care of yourself and we'll see you when you get back. Bye, Ethel."

Anna hung up and Jay put on her coat and checked to see that her purse was still in her pocket. It was. She had a little over fifteen pounds in cash but she could draw some money out of the bank from a cash machine. The best thing she decided was to make her way to Colwyn Bay and get herself a room somewhere for the night. Tomorrow she could decide what to do.

Jay still worrying about what was happening to her walked towards the town.
I'm changing, yes, but into what?
She wondered. She wasn't religious like Mary, she only went to church when she had to. Jay didn't really buy into any of that stuff about heaven.

She didn't seem to have been walking very long but she was in Colwyn Bay's town centre already and started looking for a bed and breakfast for the night. Jay became aware of a dog following her. It was big, black and white, and scruffy looking. She had noticed it earlier, but then the dog had been on the opposite pavement, just standing looking at her. She hadn't really taken much notice of it until now when she'd turned and saw it following about a hundred yards behind her. When she stopped walking the dog stopped, but it never took its eyes off her.
Weird,
she thought, but she didn't feel spooked or threatened by the dog or anything, she was just aware of it.

Jay stopped, the dog stopped and she grinned at it. “Well, come on if you're coming,” she called. “C'mon doggy, good dog!” Its ears pricked up, cocked its head and its tail swished but it remained where it was. She took a couple of steps towards it but the dog turned back the way they'd come and walked two steps away from her. Then it gave a bark and walked a few more steps away. Shrugging, Jay turned away from it,
crazy mutt
, she thought, and started walking towards the suburbs in search of a somewhere to stay.

"Woof!"

The dog about ten yards behind her. It looked at directly at her before turning around and walking a few steps away. It stopped, turned its head towards her and barked again.

It wants me to follow it!
The dog barked again as though in agreement and she could have sworn it was smiling at her.

"Ok dog, I'm coming,” she called and incredibly the dog barked again, before it started walking back the way she'd come.

The dog trotted the length of the block and then he took a left turn and headed down the street, and turning his head occasionally to make sure she was following. Somehow she sensed it was meant to be, and thought that someone or something was guiding her to them. The dog stopped at the mouth of a narrow alley and waited until she was right up to it. She reached out and stroked its head and it looked up at her and she could see the love in the dog's eyes.

This crazy dog's in love with me,
she thought and then the dog was walking down the passageway, which was narrow and dark. Menacing shadows gave way to even deeper more threatening shadows where moisture ran down the blackened brick walls, like snot from a runny nose.

The smell was the worst though.
It smelled worse than unwashed jock straps that hung in a football teams changing room,
she thought. In the distance she could see a light, a warm welcoming light and it was there that the dog had stopped and looked back at her wagging its tail.

As she drew nearer, she could see the source of the light was an old-fashioned paraffin lamp that hung from the wall of an out of place log cabin.
What on earth was a log cabin was doing in the heart of Wheatstone City?
That only troubled her for an instant, after every thing that had happened.

Something disturbed the air around her and a huge shadow blotted out the cabin for an instant and she saw the unmistakable shadow of out stretched wings. Jay threw up her arms to protect herself, half expecting to be confronted by a blood-sucking vampire. Instead she found herself looking into the unblinking eyes of a golden eagle.

"Jay,” a voice sounded inside her head. “I am Silver Fox of the Cherokee Nation! Hear me.” It sounded like the voice of an old man but as powerful as any voice that she'd ever heard. “I have been chosen to show you the way but we have very little time. You must come to me quickly Jay!"

"How? And where are you?"

"That is of no importance, Wind Rider our feathered brother will lead your spirit to me! You must enter the cabin, remove your clothes and then use the oil and water that stands on the table beside the bed to seal the seven openings of your body. This will prevent evil from entering your body while your spirit comes to me. The dog will protect you from any physical threat and keep you safe. But you must hurry for time is your greatest enemy. You must hurry and come to me."

The interior of the cabin could have come straight from a movie script. There was a pot-bellied wood-burning stove in the centre of the floor and a white scrubbed pine table next to it. Over an old white sink was a hand operated cast iron water pump and in the other end of the room was a bed. Standing on a bench seat that was next to the bed was a decanter filled with water and a small bottle filled with some kind of oil.

"You will know what to do,” Silver Fox's voice said in her head and suddenly she did.

She stripped and taking the bottle of oil, she tipped a drop onto her fore finger and inserted it in her left nostril. “Let no other spirit but mine enter in here,” she said aloud. She repeated the procedure with her other nostril, ears, mouth, vagina and anus. Finished, she re-dressed and lay down on the bed and then drank deeply from the decanter. The taste of the water reminded her of every pebble-strewn stream that she'd ever seen and she closed her eyes.

The dog was stretched out alongside the bed where she lay and it took a few seconds before she realised she was looking down at her own body.
So this is an out of body experience,
she thought, looking up she saw the eagle waiting for her. It was perched above her on a rafter and she willed herself to rise up to it. Set in the apex of the cabin's roof was a small open window and when the eagle sailed through it, Jay followed.

Below her the city quickly diminished in size as she rose higher following Wind Rider up into the clouds until they burst through into bright sunlight. The bird stopped climbing and opened its massive wings to full stretch. It rode the air currents that carried them west. Time seemed to have no meaning and she was oblivious to heat, cold and there was no sense of effort in travelling like that.

After a while, Jay became aware of a faint drumming sound, like that of a heartbeat or pulse and it was getting louder. Then she realised Wind Rider was heading towards it and soon she was able to hear another sound accompanying the drum beat, for she'd worked out what it was now, it was the voice of someone chanting, the voice of Silver Fox.

Even as she became aware of it, Wind Rider tucked in its wings and plummeted downward through the clouds. She went after him and despite the lack of physical sensation; it was exhilarating until she hit an outcrop of rock, head on.

She screamed and then she realised she was actually passing through the outcrop as though it didn't exist and emerged below it. Beneath her an ancient looking Native American, his long silver hair reflected the flames of the fire by which he sat banging a drum and chanting. And then as though sensing her presence, he stopped and looked up at her. His lined face broke into a smile and then he laughed.

"That Wind Rider sure has a crazy sense of humour for an eagle, letting you dive head on into that outcrop like that. Come and join me, we have a lot to talk about you and I."

Jay went down; stood beside him and realised she could feel the warmth of the fire on her face and his welcoming embrace. She smelled the fringed and ornately beaded buckskin he wore and tasted the pungent wood smoke on her tongue.