The Jonah (33 page)

‘Ellie!’ he screamed. ‘Let go! I’ll grab you!’

Whether or not she heard, or the current simply tore her loose, he had no way of knowing but, as she sped by, he grabbed a flailing arm. He was nearly jerked away from his own hold on the
stair-rail as her body swept around, the cascading water from the doorway forcing her towards the centre. Kelso lost his footing, but he grimly held on to both the girl and the metal upright.
Slowly he pulled her towards him. A desperate heave brought her up against his chest and one of her arms went around his neck.

‘Grab a stair-rail!’ he managed to gasp, and she obeyed his order, reaching behind him. The release from her dragging weight was instant and he turned in the water, grabbing her
waist and helping her to press up against the staircase. Once she was secure, he let his own body stretch out again. By kicking against the fierce flow, his feet came within striking distance of
the unsettled trapdoor. He thrashed out and one foot came in contact with the wooden hatch. He fought against the current once more and this time the contact was more solid.

The trapdoor toppled forward, for a moment the swirling water preventing it from slamming completely shut. Then the weight of water pouring across its upper surface forced it down until the
opening was closed completely.

The chamber immediately began to fill even faster, although water still poured through cracks in the trapdoor.

Below, Henson screamed as total darkness enveloped him and water rushed into his lungs. His only hope had been the area of blurred light through which the torrent cascaded. He was turned, over
and over, buffeted against the walls, the pillars. Something heavy struck him and he did not know it was the already dead body of the man who had fallen into the pit before him. Water poured
through other openings in the cellar, creating a mêlée of vicious currents, and small bristling creatures struggled with him in the darkness. Several bit his flailing limbs in their
own panic, but he never felt the pain. The rising water pushed him towards the ceiling and soon his battered body could no longer continue the struggle. It twisted and turned without any
resistance, a lifeless carcass entombed in a dark, airless world.

Above, Bannen knew his only hope was to reach the stairs. The chamber was filling rapidly – it was already at chest height – and there was no telling at what level it would stop.
There was no danger of being sucked into the cellar below now that the trapdoor had been closed, but water still spewed through the entrance.

He had found some metal piping protruding from the wall behind and he clung to it gratefully, but was aware that it offered only brief respite before the floodwater rose higher. The heavy chest
which they had used to weight down the pit’s trapdoor suddenly came into view, a few inches of its top showing above the water line. He plunged for it and tried to haul himself up onto its
surface. He was only partially successful, for the crate began to roll over with his weight. Nevertheless, it carried him near enough to the stairwell for him to reach out and grab at the closest
thing within reach. Which was Kelso.

Kelso’s body was swung round as Bannen clung to his shoulders. He tried to wrench himself free, but the other man hung on desperately. Only when Bannen could grab hold of a stair-rail was
the pressure released. Another hand snatched up at the metal banister and Bannen wrenched himself several feet out of the water. One foot found a step between the uprights and he felt more secure.
And confident enough to deal with Kelso.

He swung a fist hard into Kelso’s side, causing the detective to cry out and almost let go of the stair-rail. Ellie saw what was happening and tried to reach around Kelso and flail the
other man with a clenched fist. Bannen ignored her efforts and brought his knuckles hard against the side of Kelso’s head.

The detective slid back into the raging waters. Ellie caught him beneath one shoulder and managed to hold him there until he had grabbed hold again.

Then Kelso’s head went underwater as the other man pressed down. Ellie went for Bannen’s eyes, pulling herself up with one hand, lunging for the man’s face with pointed
fingers. Temporarily blinded and shaking his head against the pain, Bannen let go of Kelso and pushed Ellie’s hand away as she stabbed and clawed at him.

Kelso emerged once more, coughing and spluttering swallowed sea water. He yanked his opponent from his perch and both men went plunging back into the water.

For several terrifying seconds, Ellie could only see splashing limbs as the two men battled with each other; then she lost sight of them completely as they disappeared beneath the foaming
surface.

She clung to the stairs, gasping in air and sobbing at the same time. Her hair was flat around her face, her eyes dark with the remains of running make-up; her water-sodden clothes dragged
heavily at her weary body. She searched the bubbling waters, then turned away, pressing her face against the rails she clung to. She turned again in time to see two heads bob to the surface. They
vanished, but quickly returned again.

‘Jim!’ Ellie screamed, stretching away from the staircase and reaching out with one hand.

A body swept by and, as it rolled over, she saw it was the other man. Something bumped into her from behind and Kelso was holding onto her, clinging to her waist to prevent himself from being
swept around the chamber once more. Ellie pulled herself back towards the staircase, the effort tremendous, the current and Kelso’s weight almost too much for her. The weight suddenly left
her and then it was she who was being helped.

They clutched at the staircase, feeling their bodies rise with the still flowing water, and tried to draw in breath.

Finally, Kelso pushed at her arm, urging her to climb over the rail. With his help, she was able to do so and he dragged himself up after her.

They lay against the stairs, the lower half of Kelso’s legs still in water, too exhausted to move, chests heaving. The roaring noise continued to fill their ears as the flood poured around
and through the old mill, causing the very foundations to tremble.

It was only when the water reached Kelso’s waist that he shook Ellie’s hip. ‘We’ve got to go up!’ he shouted oyer the noise. ‘The water’s still
rising.’

‘How high will it reach?’ she shouted back.

He shook his head. ‘God knows! But we’ll be safer up there!’ He hauled himself from the water and pulled her to her feet. ‘Come on! We can rest at the top!’

They began to climb.

And did not notice the hand that emerged from the churning water below to grab at a stair-rail.

They had only reached the second bend in the stairs when the lights below began to flicker. They looked at each other anxiously, their features barely visible in the already
dim light.

The lights flickered twice more, then went out.

‘Christ!’ Kelso muttered.

Ellie held on to his arm, but kept a grip on the handrail with her other hand. The gushing water below echoed hollowly around the stairwell and, over that, they could hear the sound of the
building, itself, creaking under the strain. Somewhere in the distance, something unable to resist the force of the swollen river disintegrated with a dull crash.

‘Can’t we stay just here, Jim?’ Even at that level, Ellie had to raise her voice over the noise. The howling wind outside added to the roar.

‘No, it’s not safe enough! The stairs could collapse under the pressure from below! We’ll be safest at the top of the building, Ellie!’

They lurched onwards, feeling their way in the dark, shivering with the cold, and finally found themselves on a small landing.

The sound of the wind was much stronger and moonlight, poor though it was, managed to filter through gaping holes in the sloping roof. The landing opened out into a vast room and they could see
round shapes, the tops of the grain silos. Railings on one side, protection for workers inspecting the open bins, disappeared into the gloom ahead and, to their right, they could just make out
stout beams rising to the ceiling, long cobwebs, hanging from cross-sections, tossed and twisted by currents of air which had found their way into the building. The outlines of two windows at the
far end of the huge room barely stood out amongst the surrounding blackness.

Kelso took Ellie’s hand and led her forward; she hung back, reluctant to enter. There was an eerie atmosphere about the place, something foreboding. It was like entering a huge cave
wherein lived something corrupt, something ugly. The putrid smell seemed to corroborate her fears.

A dark shape moved among the shadows.

Kelso and Ellie stopped and rain that had found entry through gaps in the roofing formed puddles around their feet. The shape came closer and Kelso stood in front of the girl.

Sudden light dazzled them and they crouched back against the glare.

‘Where are the others, Kelly?’ It was Slauden’s voice. He held the flashlight before him, its beam wide and powerful, lighting up much of the grain room and the stairwell
behind the two figures.

‘They’re dead, Slauden!’ Kelso replied, his voice raised, unsteady. ‘They drowned!’

The light wavered momentarily and Kelso tried to move forward.

‘Stay there!’ Slauden warned. ‘I’ve a gun in my hand. It’s small, but effective.’

‘What’s the point, Slauden? You’re finished. There’s nothing left for you!’

‘Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve lost one key figure – the other two didn’t matter!’

‘But your laboratory. It’s underground – this flood will have destroyed it!’

‘Flood doors will have protected it. It will still function!’

Kelso tried to move closer, keeping his body between Ellie and the man. ‘Look, Slauden, I had nothing to do with Trewick. I’m with the Drugs Squad. We’ve been watching you for
some time. If anything happens to me or the girl they’ll know where to come looking.’

‘That’s a rather stupid lie! If that were the case my estate would have been swarming with police when you both disappeared. Perhaps you could have gone missing for one day, but not
the girl the day after. I’ve had someone watching your caravan for the past two days – before and after she returned – and nobody has been in the least bit curious over your
absence.’

Kelso tried to see beyond the flashlight. Did Slauden really carry a gun? It was impossible to tell. ‘You can’t kill us!’ he shouted, unconvinced himself.

‘I have no choice! It’s too late for you both. You refused to co-operate, so you must pay the penalty. I daresay there will be many missing persons when this flood has abated –
God knows what damage it’s caused! You’ll just be among the bodies never recovered!’

Kelso had to take a chance. Slauden was the type who let others do his dirty work for him – would he be able to soil his own hands? ‘Back away, Ellie!’ he ordered the girl.
‘Back up towards the stairs!’

Slauden did not react. Perhaps he wanted them down there in the floodwater.

They were nearly out on the landing, moving slowly, shielding their eyes from the glaring light, when movement made Ellie turn to look behind. She screamed when she saw the figure waiting for
them.

Kelso whirled around to find Bannen standing there, his oilskins discarded, his drenched clothes hanging loosely around him. The bandage on his face had been torn away, and the skin was puckered
and red where he had been burned. Bannen knocked the girl aside with a sweeping blow and came at Kelso, an expression of furious hatred distorting his scarred features even more.

Kelso went back with the impact, Bannen’s charging rush sending both men crashing against the rail guarding the open grain bins. Bannen screeched his rage while his hands squeezed
Kelso’s throat. The detective felt his head was about to explode. He tried to pull away, but it was no use – Bannen was too strong. He brought his knee up hard into the other
man’s groin and the grip immediately relaxed. Kelso pulled himself clear and struck out with a clenched fist. Bannen hardly seemed to feel the blow. He lunged at the detective again and this
time the momentum carried both men over the guardrail into the grain silo just below.

Kelso’s open mouth became clogged with fine grain and he retched uncontrollably. Bannen twisted his body so that he was on top of the spluttering man’s back. He grabbed Kelso’s
head and pushed it deep into the grain.

Ellie stumbled towards the guardrail and watched in helpless dread as Kelso’s face disappeared. His hands scrabbled frantically as he tried to reach behind and dislodge the heavier man.
Ellie moaned aloud, but she could only stretch a hand out towards the struggling men, her body too exhausted, too drained to move further. Her legs began to give way and she collapsed against the
rail, sobbing and moaning, unable to help Kelso.

The wind reached a new crescendo and tiles from the roof above fell inwards with a rush. Rain poured through the huge rent, and the wind entered with fresh force, tearing around the chamber,
ripping cobwebs from the rafters, rippling the surfaces in each bin. The grain rose up and flew around the two men like a yellow blizzard. Kelso’s struggles were becoming weaker; his hands
clenched and grain was squeezed through his quivering fingers.