The Amphiblets (14 page)

Later that night they were all sitting around the table eating their evening meal when, during dessert, they heard a knock on the front door. Since they were not expecting anyone, Peter told the others to stay where they were while he went to answer the door.

Scarlet stared anxiously at the door through which Peter had left. A few seconds later, they heard the front door open.

‘You!’ growled Peter, his voice loud and abrupt. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’ve come for my children,’ replied a voice that made the hairs rise on the back of Will’s neck.

‘Children?’ quizzed Peter. ‘Don’t you mean child. You wouldn’t let me have the other two, remember! Only Will is here.’

‘I saw your note when I arrived home. Riley and Ed are missing. That’s a coincidence to me,’ snarled Professor Snipes, his voice rising.

‘Leave, now!’ shouted Peter. ‘Before you say something which you might regret! Accusing me of kidnapping your children is considered slanderous around here!’

‘Are you telling me you didn’t come into my home and take them?’ Professor Snipes demanded.

‘Yes,’ said Peter. ‘That’s not to say I didn’t think about it, especially after you double-crossed me and withdrew the deal of the other two children at the last moment. They should’ve all been kept together. But no, you wanted to break their hearts. Feed them further lies so as not to leave you. You disgust me, Lionel Brandwell.’

‘So you discovered my real name,’ sneered Lionel. ‘It makes no difference. No one else will believe you. I died a long time ago.’

‘How old are you exactly?’

‘That’s a rather rude question to ask an elder.’

‘Rude?’ shouted Peter. ‘You experimented on my grandfather! You experimented on Will’s mother and all those other people! You are sick!’

‘Correction. Extremely gifted. It’s the reason I’ve lived for so long. I’m pushing the boundaries of science further than anyone has ever done before. What do you mean I experimented on your grandfather? Who was he?’

Peter ignored his questions. ‘You may think you’ve progressed to a level to which other scientists can only aspire, but in truth there is something you have forgotten. You lack simple human traits, such as empathy and love. Your selfishness and warped mind have driven you into being a self-obsessed maniac. What person in their right mind would consider going through with the experiments at all? You are evil. Pure evil and you should be destroyed!’

‘Enough of this!’ shouted Lionel. ‘I want to see Will.’

‘No. I’m not going to let you!’ snapped Peter. ‘If your two children have left you, it’s because they have discovered what kind of person you are – a cold, heartless liar. Will has not seen his brothers in eight years, so why should he know where they are now? Besides, seeing you will upset him. Lord knows, you’re upsetting me enough!’

‘I am not going until I have spoken with him!’ shouted Lionel.

‘Yes, you are! But whether you walk or fly out of this house depends on you.’

Back in the kitchen, Will, Ruby and Scarlet were eavesdropping on every word. Will was still coming to terms with the fact that the Professor was more than two hundred years old. But how was that possible? He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he go and confront the Professor or should he stay where he was? Oh, it was so confusing. If only someone would tell him what to do. He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. Scarlet leaned forward and placed a hand over Will’s own in a silent attempt to stop him leaving the room but Will’s mind was already made up.

‘I have to do this,’ he whispered and Scarlet reluctantly withdrew her hand and nodded in understanding. ‘This might be the last chance I get to see him.’

‘Then do what you have to do,’ replied Scarlet, smiling with reassurance.

This might be the only opportunity that Will would have to challenge Lionel. At last that chapter of his life might be put to rest.

Will pushed the door open and entered into the hallway. His eyes immediately locked with the Professor’s. A chill travelled the length of Will’s spine. It was a horrible moment that seemed to last for minutes.

Peter spun round, startled by Will’s sudden appearance.

Utilising this moment of surprise, the Professor whisked something from his pocket and seized the opportunity to gain control of the situation. He stepped forward, clenching a syringe in his raised hand, and brought it down sharply into the side of Peter’s neck. Peter immediately slammed his hand over the area where the needle had pierced his skin.

His vision instantly blurred and his voice faded. Within seconds his legs weakened and buckled beneath him. He crumpled to the floor in a heap.

‘What did you do to me?’ he murmured weakly.

Will screamed for Scarlet, who came bursting through from the kitchen. Seeing that Peter had collapsed. She rushed to her husband’s side and stroked his forehead.

‘What happened?’ she asked, her eyes darting from one person to another for information.

‘He did it!’ accused Will, turning to the Professor with his eyes ablaze. ‘What did you do to him?’

‘What makes you think I did anything?’ asked Professor Snipes with a cruel smile and pretence of innocence.

‘Because you’re capable of anything – including selling your son!’ shouted Will, emphasising the last word loudly and clearly.

‘Son?
Son
?’ repeated the Professor. ‘You were never my son – NEVER – do you hear me! And as far as your buddy is concerned, I merely injected him with something to help calm him.’

‘You’re a monster!’ cried Will, stepping towards the Professor and thumping him hard on his chest.

Professor Snipes took a step back and lifted his arms to defend himself against Will’s attack, trying to catch his breath after he was caught off guard and winded.

‘No!’ cried Hugo, hurrying towards them both. He reached for Will’s T-shirt and tried to pull the boy back. ‘You’re hurting him!’

‘That’s the whole idea!’ cried Will, shrugging off Hugo’s grip, with a sudden strength that surprised the Professor. ‘He did this too me! He turned my brothers and me into freaks. He lied to us our whole lives. I hate him. I want to kill him!’ Will punched his father in the face and knocked him backwards.

‘This isn’t the way to deal with it,’ said Scarlet desperately. ‘Will, I’m begging you. Please stop it!’

Losing his temper, Will was fuelled by years of pent-up anger, which was now being released with the full force of its power. Will had grown into an angry adolescent and had every right to be. He was hardly aware of Scarlet and Ruby’s attempt to pacify him. He yanked the Professor off his feet and held him by the scruff of his neck up against the wall. Someone from behind clasped Will’s arms to force him to release his grasp. It was Hugo.

‘No, don’t!’ urged gentle Hugo.

‘Will, stop it!’ pleaded Scarlet.

Will tightened his grip. The Professor’s face turned a dark shade of purple. Hugo grabbed hold of Will’s neck and pulled him back.

‘Stop it, Will. This won’t achieve anything!’ Scarlet was frantic.

Ruby was crying.

‘It’s sure making me feel better.’ Will squeezed a fraction more.

The Professor was close to suffocation. Hugo had to get the boy to release his grip. He wrapped his arm about Will’s neck and used all his strength to pull back.

Suddenly Hugo released his grip and gave a groan before collapsing to the ground. Only Ruby’s screams had the power to break Will’s focus on killing the Professor and reduce his hold on the man he detested.

When Will turned round, he felt the ground spinning beneath his feet. Hugo was lying on the ground and shaking uncontrollably.

‘No!’ Will leaned over Hugo, whose face was now swelling and changing colour from red to purple. The veins on his temples and backs of his hands were protruding beneath his skin. He was breathing hard, fighting for air. ‘Hugo, what’s wrong?’

Except for a gurgling coming from his throat, Hugo said no more, but gazed at Will. Then to the boy’s horror, Hugo’s familiar warm eyes reddened as tiny blood vessels suddenly burst inside, distorting them.

A cruel, cold voice spoke from behind. ‘What have you done, William?’ Lionel sneered at Will, and straightened his jacket, paying little attention to Hugo, who was fighting for his life.

‘I didn’t do anything!’ Will cried. ‘I didn’t do this!’

Hugo’s body fell still, his head slumped to the side and his bloodshot eyes stared blankly at the wall.

Shaking, Will slowly rose and stepped back from Hugo’s lifeless body. He watched as Lionel knelt down and gently touched the pulse in the side of Hugo’s neck.

‘He’s dead,’ said Lionel, his voice full of loathing for Will. ‘And it’s your fault. You killed him, Will. You were responsible for his death.’

‘No, it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything.’ Will was beside himself.

‘On the contrary, you did everything!’ accused Lionel.

‘Stop it!’ screamed Scarlet. ‘He didn’t do anything!’

Shocked and bewildered, Will slipped next to Hugo’s lifeless body, shaking uncontrollably. Scarlet was about to comfort Will and place her arm around his shoulders when Lionel barred his way.

‘Poisonous venom has soaked into his clothes. Touching him now will kill you,’ warned the Professor.

‘What poisonous venom?’ whispered Ruby, stepping forward, her hands close to her face.

‘The one secreted from his glands,’ said Professor Snipes.

‘Will?’ said Scarlet, but the child didn’t respond to anything that was happening around him. It was as if his mind had switched off. She spoke to the Professor. ‘What can we do?’

‘He’s dangerous now. I’ll have to take him back with me.’

Scarlet frowned. ‘No, you can’t!’

‘Then what do you suggest?’ snapped Professor Snipes. ‘Do you want to be the next to die? From now on, every time Will becomes angry and aggressive, the poison will be secreted. It cannot be controlled.’

‘What about Peter?’

‘I’ll give him something to mobilise him again before I leave. He’ll be fine. I’ve got what I came for.’

The Professor was more concerned than he let on. If Will had somehow managed to produce poison inside his glands, having gone through puberty, what about Riley and Ed? Were they deadly dangerous too? He had to find them before it was too late. The triplets now had lethal potential. It was clear that they should no longer be around people. They had become adolescents and their bodies had undergone further, unpredictable changes. The Professor had to make a serious decision. It was not difficult given the intense situation. It was either their life or his, for he knew they could come for him at any time. He put on some rubber gloves and strolled towards Will. He reached under the boy’s arms and hoisted him up.

‘Come on, Will,’ he said softly. ‘You’ve done enough damage here.’ He tossed a vial towards Scarlet. ‘This antidote will make him feel as good as new.’

‘Will, don’t go!’ pleaded Ruby. ‘We can fix this!’

‘You’re not taking him!’ said Scarlet. ‘He’s been my son for the past eight years and you’re not going to take him anywhere. You had your chance.’

Coldly, the Professor stared at her. ‘Come and take him then,’ he challenged her. ‘His T-shirt is soaked with poisonous venom. You’ll die in the attempt but it could be quite amusing to watch.’

Scarlet felt her eyes burning with anger. Ruby ran to stop her.

But Will was being led away in a state of utter trauma. He had killed his best friend: dear, gentle Hugo, who would never have hurt a fly.

Riley and Ed were growing increasingly worried. They had tried to phone home several times but no one had picked up, which meant one of two things. Either Hugo was still hiking and hadn’t been back to read the note, or he had read it and was making his way to the lodge at that very moment.

‘I hope he doesn’t walk here,’ said Ed, finishing his drawing of Elisha smiling. ‘It was bad enough when there were two of us and we used that abandoned truck we found. Do you think we hid it well enough?’

‘We drove it into a deserted ditch, inside a desolate wood. Then we covered it with leafy branches. No one will find it for weeks. It’s quite safe for now. Besides, we won’t be in this dump for long anyway.’

‘What makes you say that?’ asked Ed, scrunching his face.

‘We can’t life here forever.’ Riley was slumped in a chair, fiddling with his pocketsize radio. Every evening he put it on for an hour and not a minute longer, for he was afraid the batteries would die. He had some more but that wasn’t the point. He was saving them.

If one thing was for certain, the boys didn’t want to go home and didn’t care whether they ever saw the Professor again. As far as they were concerned, he might as well have been dead.

‘True. Dad will find us eventually if we stay here. What are we going to do for food?’ asked Ed. ‘We have no money.’

This was something they had never needed to be concerned with before. The Professor had always made sure they had enough to live on.

Riley shrugged. ‘I took the stash that we saved for a rainy day. That should last for a while.’

‘And Hugo? Has he got enough?’

‘I left him a little. I think the Professor gave him money,’ said Riley.

‘But you’re not sure?’

‘I’m pretty sure,’ said Riley, tuning into a local channel. A man’s voice spoke and filled the little room.

And that’s all we’ve got time for today. I’ll be back tomorrow at the same time. Now it’s time for the news. Goodnight folks!

A woman’s voice spoke.
Good evening. My name is Mary Gibbon and this is the nine o’clock news. Elisha Kingwood was found safe this afternoon and has been reunited with her father. Her terrible ordeal is now over and police have begun to piece together the information that she has been able to give them. Elisha was blinded in a horse riding accident a number of years ago and was unable to tell the police what her abductor looked like. In an extraordinary turn of events, Elisha claims to have been rescued by two brothers named Riley and Ed who according to Elisha, saved her life.

Then Elisha’s voice came on the radio. ‘
Riley and Ed were kind to me. They looked after me and waited with me for my dad to come. Luckily, they tied up that horrible man so he can’t hurt anyone again. I was so frightened until they came and found me. They saved my life.’

Mary Gibbon:
Mr Kingwood had this to say when we caught up with him earlier.

Mr Kingwood:
It’s a parent’s nightmare to have their child go missing. On some occasions those children never get to see their parents again but today I was lucky. God was on my side. Elisha returned to me safe and well. I have everything to thank those two boys for. They brought my child back safe and sound. I want to meet the two individuals who saved my daughter. I want to reward them for helping to bring the kidnapper to justice too.

Mary Gibbon:
Was it true that you once knew the man?

Mr Kingwood:
Yes. I employed him several years ago. He has held a grudge against me ever since I had to lay him off when my business took a turn for the worse.

‘He’s wants to give us a reward for rescuing Elisha!’ gasped Ed.

Riley raised his eyebrows. ‘I hope you’re not getting any funny ideas.’

‘Like what?’

‘Going to see Elisha again to collect your winnings,’ grumbled Riley, ‘because we can never meet her father. He would have a heart attack if he saw us.’

‘Perhaps we can go in some kind of disguise,’ suggested Ed. ‘They don’t live that far away from here.’

‘How do you know?’ asked Riley.

‘I asked Elisha when she gave me her phone number.’

‘You’re not thinking of phoning her, are you?’ asked Riley.

‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ said Ed.

‘Oh, do what you like,’ said Riley, who continued to listen to the news, while Ed stood and left the room.

‘Be sensible. Don’t tell her where we are!’ called Riley.

‘What do you think I am –
stupid
?’

‘You said it!’ Riley replied.

Ed closed the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Ed returned holding the phone, chewing his lips.

‘What is it?’ asked Riley. ‘Is she okay?’

‘Yeah, she’s fine,’ Ed slumped in the chair where he had previously been sitting.

‘Then why do you look like a confused goldfish?’

‘I don’t!’

‘You do!’

‘Elisha’s dad wants to pay us fifty thousand pounds as a way of saying thank you.’

‘Fifty thousand pounds?’ gasped Riley. ‘That’s a lot!’

‘Now who looks like a confused goldfish!’ Ed laughed.

‘Wow! What did you say?’

‘That you looked like a confused goldfish,’ repeated Ed.

‘No. I meant what did you say to her?’

‘Well, what could I say?’ shrugged Ed. ‘You’re the one who said we couldn’t visit them. I told her that we would have done it for anyone and they should forget about rewarding us.’

‘You fool!’ shouted Riley. ‘We could have lived well for a long time on that money.’

‘But, you said …’

‘I know what I said!’ Riley stood, running his fingers through his hair. ‘Ring her back. Tell her we’ll meet her tomorrow night.’

‘Really?’ said Ed, smiling.

‘Yeah, really,’ replied Riley, his eyes brightening.

Little did the boys know that something was going to spoil their plan.