CHAPTER SIX
The Ghoul
They descended to level ten before encountering any serious dilemma. Below, the back door of the hospital burst open, allowing a tidal wave of troops to sweep up the stairs towards them. K wasted no time shoving Connor through the doors on level ten.
‘Keep low!’ K hissed.
As the thunderous footsteps passed, the two fugitives peered discreetly through the glass doors. The soldiers were armed, as they stampeded up the stairs, wearing distasteful green uniforms.
‘So, they brought in the troops!’ whispered K, too preoccupied to notice the looming figure of a large lady hovering over them.
‘What are you two doing in this maternity ward?’ she snapped, dressed in a blue uniform with her grey hair swept into a bun with stray wispy strands. Her murky coloured eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Identical twins – humph! Double the trouble.’
‘We’re lost and on the wrong level,’ muttered K, pushing the doors and descending to the next level. They jumped the stairs, two at a time, for a further three levels, when above them came a loud shout.
‘There they are, men!’ cried a commanding voice.
Several faces peered at them over the bannister.
‘Run!’ shouted K.
They raced down the stairs jumping five at a go with the soldiers followed hot on their tail and gaining on them. On level four the door once again crashed open on the ground level and more soldiers swarmed into the building. They were trapped and Connor’s legs had frozen in fear, holding him a prisoner inside his own body. With no escape, the enemy stormed towards them from both sides. Yet, at the crucial time when the enemy was almost upon them, time appeared to stop.
‘Huh?’ K scrutinized Connor’s face. ‘You can stop time? Jump!’ he shouted, yanking Connor towards the banister. ‘Trust me! You’ll be fine!’
It was flight or fight and they chose flight – the railings appeared to be the only escape route. Connor peered at the ground as they climbed over the railings.
‘Now!’ urged K and with a firm grip on Connor’s wrist they jumped.
Suddenly, gunfire exploded as they fell towards the ground the concrete below, the air whizzing past their ears. Connor yelled and K released him.
Moments before they crashed to the floor, a magnificent creature with powerful wings flew above him. Huge talons closed on his shoulders and lowered him to the ground in one piece. The giant eagle squawked, ‘Go! I’ll keep these men at bay!’
K had come to his rescue, yet again. Connor gaped and fled from the building into the night as gunfire erupted behind him. He ran for his life, skidding as he swerved a corner and colliding with someone.
‘Ow!’ a familiar voice echoed.
‘Deana – you’re safe!’
‘Steady on!’ she laughed half-heartedly, as he embraced her. ‘I’ve bad news – your aunt and uncle have been kidnapped.’
‘What?’ he panted.
‘Definastine’s servants entered your home through a portal and took the sofa as well.’
Strangely, this didn’t bother Connor. ‘They should have taken them years ago!’
‘Connor!’ scolded Deana. ‘What a horrible thing to say!’
‘I know – the truth hurts.’ Connor didn’t regret a single word.
Deana squinted into the darkness and cautiously checked the area. ‘Sparkie’s waiting for us in his van. But I can’t see him. Where is he? He must’ve parked round the corner. Stay close to the wall and we’ll use those bushes for cover.’
The cool night air was refreshing after the sterile atmosphere of the hospital and although glad to be outside, a pang of guilt remained at leaving K behind, despite him murdering two men. Yet, there was a sense of gratitude towards him too. For without K, he wouldn’t have escaped. Those men were going to do something awful to him, maybe kill him. Goodness knows what would have happened if K hadn’t arrived when he did.
‘I met your friend, K,’ whispered Connor, not wanting to mention the murder.
‘And?’ Deana eyed him dubiously. ‘Everything okay?’
Connor nodded.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
‘Nothing,’ lied Connor, fidgeting.
‘You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you, because K’s a good friend of mine. If he’s hurt or something I must know.’
‘No, he’s fine,’ replied Connor.
‘Good.’ She relaxed and continued along the path for a short distance, stopping whenever she saw someone walking across the car park. When it was safe to move, she silently resumed along the path where lampposts watched with empty eyes.
‘Sparkie turned the lights off, to give us more cover,’ she explained. ‘He’s good at manipulating energy.’
She shoved Connor to the ground, face first in some mud.
‘What did you do that for?’ he complained, wiping his eyes.
Deana hushed him as a black car with concealed windows parked straight ahead of them, a few feet away. They peered through the shrubbery. Clouds of smoke drifted from a small opening in the back window. A tall man dressed in a black suit strode across the car park towards the car and opened the back door. The interior light of the car revealed a tall, skinny woman stepping from the vehicle. She had sleeked bleached hair and wore a bright red mini skirt and high heel shoes. A cigar perched between her lips as she blew circles of smoke into the night air.
‘Who’s she?’ Connor murmured.
‘Shh!’ hissed Deana, forcing his head lower.
‘Any sign of the little creep?’ grilled the woman.
‘She’s talking about you?’ whispered Deana, as if it needed explaining.
The man beefed his arms to the side like a peacock. ‘Not yet, but we’ll track him.’
‘It’s been a long time since we caught an alien for ourselves. I’m not going to let this one get away.’ The woman clutched her jacket, shivering.
‘The girl escaped and disabled five of our officers. She may be one of them, but we’re not sure. No one else was at the house.’
‘How dare she!’ the woman raged, throwing her arms in the air and stamping her feet. Her black leather jacket fell to the ground. ‘I’ll kill her myself!’
The man retrieved the jacket for her, placing it on her skinny shoulders once more. ‘I believe you will. You can do anything.’
‘Thank you, Doug.’ The woman stroked her finger along his jaw. ‘You’re a great asset to the ACE. Pierre might have to go, so I can have you as my personal bodyguard. What’d you say?’
‘It would be an honour to serve you so closely,’ he agreed.
‘Urgh! Enough of this,’ groaned Deana, pulling Connor with her. ‘Let’s go!’
Deana kept low as she headed back towards the corner of the car park, hoping to spy Sparkie’s van. Crouching within the shadows of a bush, Connor’s legs ached.
‘Was she talking about you disabling her men?’ he whispered.
‘Yes.’
‘What happened? How did you do it?’
‘What? You want the gory details?’ She sounded amused.
‘No, I wondered what happened.’
‘I’ll tell you later.’ An unexpected flash startled them and Deana lost her balance. ‘Sparkie?’
But it wasn’t Sparkie. A decaying stench burned the inside of his nostrils before she saw the tall hooded figure, wearing a robe, stepping out from the solid brick, having walked straight through it.
‘The Starstone – give it to me!’ it ordered, as if in a rush.
With lightning speed a shrivelled claw gripped Connor’s throat. The faceless creature towered before him, bringing his shadowy face closer.
Deana gasped when the creature gazed at her for two shafts of red light exited its eyes and she slumped lifeless to the ground. Connor struggled to get free.
‘Deana!’ he croaked. ‘Deana!’
She remained unresponsive.
‘What did you do to her? Get off me!’ Connor squirm
ed desperately but to no avail, for the more he struggled, the more sinister the grip. Grasping hold of Connor’s coat, it hoisted him high in the air. Connor’s feet dangled from the ground. ‘Let me go. You’re hurting me!’
‘Give me the Starstone,’ it repeated coldly, ‘and I’ll let you live!’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about! You have the wrong person. Let me go!’
‘Ahhh,’ the creature screamed. ‘You play me for a fool. Surrender it now or I will take it myself.’
Connor choked. ‘You’re hurting me!’
‘Good!’
Slowly Connor suffocated.