Chapter Twenty Six
Tom got up with a struggle to greet the policeman. ‘Have you got...any...water?
The policeman went back to his car and got Tom a large bottle of mineral water. ‘Are you both ok. D’you need any medical treatment?’
‘No, we’re fine; just a few bumps and bruises’ said Tom feeling his head. ‘Here Jodie...drink this,‘ he then said as he gave the bottle to Jodie. After she had finished quenching her thirst she gave it back to Tom, who did the same. He felt much better after this.
‘So, what has happened to you two?’ asked the policeman, whom Tom could see was looking at and smelling his and Jodie’s thirstied, bloodied and dirtied appearances. ‘Aren’t you the girl who went missing?’ he then asked Jodie.
Jodie got up. Tom could see she was also feeling much better after the drink, though she rubbed her head a little where the driver must have hit her.
‘Yes, but we haven’t got time. We MUST go back to North End station before the driver escapes,’ she said to the policeman.
‘Driver. What driver?’ asked the policeman.
‘He was the one who attacked us,’ said Tom, who realised that the policeman might now listen to him and return to the station. They could not only capture the driver but also have evidence of the creatures.
‘What, he’s still there?’ asked the policeman.
‘Yes,’ Jodie and Tom both answered. ‘Quick, let’s go.’
The policeman opened the door to the back seats of his car, got in the front, and sped back up the hill to North End, which Tom noticed he now knew the location of. As they passed Wellgarth road, the policeman introduced himself and asked them their names. Then he asked, ‘So what happened with Harry? Has it got something to do with these “creatures”?’
Tom and Jodie looked at each other as Terry explained how he had read a story about a tube worker claiming to have been kidnapped by some creatures. He then told them how he had found Harry in his car at the top of the hill and that Harry had told him to go after the teenagers who were in danger. He also told them Harry was now in Intensive care in the Royal Free Hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Tom hadn’t realised it was the detective who had run over the creatures; how strange was that? He hoped he would survive.
‘You’ll see what happened when you get to North End,’ Tom finally said as he saw they were now approaching the station. ’You didn’t believe me before and won’t until you see it for yourself.’
‘Looks like the detective finally realised I was telling the truth,’ Jodie said to Tom. She then said to Terry, ‘Maybe you should radio for some extra help; it could be dangerous.’
‘No time for that,’ said Terry as he parked the car outside the still open gates of North End. He grabbed his torch and they all got out.
Terry led the way, as Tom saw that the door to the station was also still open. He felt safer with the policeman, but was still nervous as he remembered some of the bad things that had happened to him and Jodie here.
They entered the passageway at the top of the stairs and slowly went down into the disused station. They were not particularly noisy but if the driver were in the station, he would probably hear them, thought Tom. Just before they reached the door to the lift engine room, he said to Terry, ‘Be careful; he could be in there.’
Terry pushed the half-opened door completely open and searched around for a light. He could not find one and so flashed around his torch for any signs of anything. Tom and Jodie peered nervously into the room themselves but could see nothing. Tom then checked his watch; it was 3.51 a.m. Terry closed the door and they continued walking down the concrete stairs to the final metal ones.
Behind another door to the room Terry had just left, the driver breathed with relief as he got out his bayonet from his bag, which he had not had the time to get out when he first heard them coming down the stairs. He had not thought they would be here as quickly as that. He had entered the lift engine room and then the other, which hardly anyone knew adjoined it.
He had not bothered to chase the teenagers into the tunnel earlier: with his bad leg, he would never have caught them and they may have even overcome him, angry though he was, especially with the girl, who had stabbed him. He had known that the teenagers would get help as soon as they reached Golders Green station and so he felt he should escape.
But then he thought that the teenagers would still need proof of what happened, for the only other person who had seen the creatures was the car driver and he was now dead. The authorities would not believe what happened unless they saw it for themselves and the driver still had time to destroy the proof.
And now as he realised there was only one policeman and just the teenagers, he became a little excited: If I can kill them, I could yet escape from this situation, he thought, as he slowly opened the door and left the lift engine room himself. He was injured and exhausted, but still had a little hope. He had his bayonet in his hand at the ready.
Tom glanced at Jodie as Terry carefully opened the door leading to the last staircase going down to the platforms. He could see her take a deep breath as Terry finally went through it. But there was no one there.
‘It was further down where we fought with the creatures,’ said Jodie whispering. ‘One of their bodies should still be there.’
Terry looked at her in a concerned but sceptical way, thought Tom, as they began to walk down the metal stairs. Tom was at the back, looking around him all the time, now feeling less and less safe as they approached the scene of their final struggle against the creatures. He realised it was possible that the driver had disappeared by now but he had a feeling he was somewhere in the station. They reached the spot but there was no sign of the creature or indeed of any struggle – no blood, nothing.
‘Are you sure this is the place?’ asked Terry looking around him, as he flashed his torch at the stairs and landing.
Tom and Jodie also looked around. ‘Yes,’ said Jodie. ‘This was definitely it. I remember it being about half way down. She looked up to the large corner step they had just come from and then walked further down. Tom followed quickly after her. But there was nothing there and they came back up to Terry.
‘Hang on,’ Terry said ‘Where’s this water come from?’
Tom saw Terry touching the banister and the floor of the spot where Jodie said they had fought.
‘The driver!’ said Jodie excitedly, no longer whispering. ‘He must have washed away all the blood.’
Tom knew she must be right. The driver must also have taken the body away, but surely would not have had time to get rid of the other as well. ‘Quick, let’s get down to the bottom. The other body of the one that I pushed down the well of the stairs may still be there!’ he said, as he began to rush down the stairs. Jodie followed him.
‘All right, you two, slow down,’ said Terry from behind.
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they also saw nothing. Terry flashed his torch around, to no avail. They did, however, notice that there was some water here as well.
‘He’s obviously cleaned up everything,’ said Jodie.
‘But there’s no way he could hide the entrance to the creatures’ den in the tunnel,’ said Tom. ‘Come on let’s go there; that’s where he’s probably taken the bodies to the...cesspit.’ This last place Tom remembered only too well but still rushed towards it.
From the top of the metal stairs, the driver heard the teenagers work out what he had done with the creatures’ bodies and mess. With an effort because of his injured leg and exhaustion, he had carried the body of the creature on the stairs and the one at the bottom into the tunnel to the creatures’ den. He had felt a little depressed as he did this: the creatures had been the only life he really had and North End had been his second home – what would he do now? he had wondered.
He left their bodies just inside the entrance to the tunnels leading to their den; he knew he had to be as quick as possible, which was difficult as he tr
ied to catch his breath. He then got a bucket of water from the disused toilet at the bottom of the stairs to the platforms and washed away all the blood he could see on the stairs and at the bottom.
Down below, he could now hear the teenagers and the policeman at the bottom of the stairs, presumably going down to the platforms.
The driver was not sure what he should do now and hesitated a while. He knew that if he followed after them, they might return while he was on the stairs. He would probably not be able to ambush them successfully on the stairs if they did this. Moreover, they would certainly hear his walking back up the stairs if they did return while he was there. He also realised that he should save his little remaining energy for when he could confront them successfully.
He could still hear the distant echoes of their speaking below but could not make out what they were saying. He wanted to know if they had found the creatures’ bodies. He was also listening for any noises above showing if anyone else was coming from there. His nerves were almost finished but his adrenalin was pumping through his body. He tried to force all thoughts except how he could ambush them out of his head, while he continued to wait at the top of the stairs.