Andy tried not to panic as the Talisman was pulled from his neck. He half expected to vanish and leave this nightmare behind, but he didn’t. The Ugly Man who’d slapped him before grabbed his hair and pulled him up until they were eye to eye.
“Thought you’d disappear when we took the Talisman off, didn’t you? Shows you’ve got no idea about what you’ve got yourself into”
The man spat as he talked and his breath was appalling. Someone behind Andy grabbed his wrists and tied a rope around them.
“Oww! Not so tight. It hurts!” he cried.
He was slapped around the ears so hard he saw stars.
“Shut up boy, or I’ll gut you here in the car! Ruane, gag the little rodent and blindfold him.”
Andy had a sack pulled over his head and was pushed to the floor. He was more frightened now than he’d ever been in his life. The car carried on for another half hour or so, turning occasionally, starting and stopping but never really cruising for any length of time.
‘I’m still in town, not out in the country,” Andy thought.
The motion of the car was starting to get to him. With his head in the bag he was worried he would be sick and choke, however the car stopped before he threw up. A door opened and someone got out. A minute later whoever it was came back.
“It’s too exposed here. Take the car round back and he’ll open up for you.”
The car started again and moved quietly forward, then stopped again. Andy was grabbed by the feet and hauled out of the car then carried inside. He could hear footsteps on bare timber boards and some ancient hinges protest as a door opened. A second later he was thrown onto something very cold and smelly.
“Coal,” thought Andy. “I’ve been biffed into a coal shed.”
The hinges screeched again as the door closed and the room went completely dark. Andy struggled against his ropes for a while but gave up in defeat. He wriggled onto his back and listened, but couldn’t hear a thing.
Pain woke Andy up. He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep, but his bladder was full and demanded attention. For a brief moment he’d forgotten where he was, until he heard the men’s voices outside the door. Andy couldn’t make out what was being said, but it was obvious there was a disagreement between the parties. The voices got louder and then the argument became violent.
“No!” cried a voice.
Andy heard a horrible scream and a thump against the door next to him. Then a gun was fired. Two rounds in quick succession, a gap, then bang! Another shot.
“God, someone’s being murdered out there,” Andy thought to himself.
He strained to hear more but there was silence. His bladder was killing him now and fear was making it worse. The door was thrown open and he was wrenched up by his arms. He could hear the man breathing hard. His breath stank. Andy guessed it was the Ugly Man.
“I’ve just killed two of my mates over you and I’m quite happy to send you the same way. Are you going to give me any trouble?”
“No,” said Andy meekly. “But I’m desperate to pee. Can I go please?”
The man laughed.
“I thought you’d have wet your pants by now. All right, I’ll let your arms go and you can turn round and go on this coal heap, but I’ll be right behind you so behave!”
He untied the ropes binding Andy’s wrists and pulled the sack from his head. Andy squinted in the light. The Ugly Man was in front of him holding an evil-looking serrated knife which was covered in blood. Fear got the better of Andy and he felt himself starting to go. He spun round to face the coal heap just in time and the Ugly Man stomped out of the room.
“Come out here when you’re done!” he called.
When Andy stepped through the doorway, he noticed something was partially blocking it. To his horror lying on the floor was a dead man. At least Andy presumed he was dead. No one could loose that much blood and still be alive.
Just a few feet from the first dead man was another corpse, lying on its back and staring at Andy with lifeless eyes. It had three bullet wounds; two in the chest and one between the eyes.
Andy fell to his knees as a wave of nausea rushed over him. He was about to vomit when a hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, then dragged him into another room and tossed him into a chair.
“Sit there. Don’t speak and don’t move!” snarled the Ugly Man.
Andy did as he was told, forcing himself to try and be calm and let the nausea pass.
“My God. Just look what you’ve done. A double murder in the back of my shop. We’ll hang for sure!”
Andy looked towards the voice and saw a thin, pale man, immaculately dressed in a business suit with a bow tie and round spectacles. He was a nervous wreck, visibly shaking and wiping teary eyes and a runny nose. The Ugly Man was across on the other side of the room searching through an open safe.
“Shut up!” he snapped. “You’re lucky you’re not lying dead next to them. It’s only by the good grace of the Great Master’s rules, you being a helper and all.”
He returned his attention to the safe and pulled a wooden box from it.
“Ah, here it is,” he said as he opened the box. “Bring the boy and the Talisman to me.”
The Thin Man went over to Andy and gave him a nudge.
“I’m sorry but you’d better come with me,” he said weakly.
Andy saw that the Ugly Man had taken a gold collar out of the box. He turned to Andy with an evil smile.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked pointing at the collar.
“A headband?” Andy said hesitantly.
“Close, but no,” the Ugly Man replied, “It is a collar and you’re going to wear it.”
He lifted up his hand and showed Andy a ring similar to the one Mr Cropp had recovered, only bigger and more ornate. Andy noticed a bandage on his hand covering what appeared to be the stumps of where two fingers used to be.
“This ring comes from the time of the Great Master, as does the collar. We will use them as a ‘key’ like you have used that coin hanging round your neck. With this ring and collar, I will return this half of the Talisman to our Great Master where he will re-unite it with the other half of the Talisman. Then he will be the ruler of the earth. With the knowledge I take back with us and the power of the Talisman we will sweep the Spaniards and the English aside. They will become part of our empire.”
The Ugly Man picked up the Talisman and set the dials, while the Thin Man put the collar round Andy’s neck. He seemed to be very nervous and fumbled about.
“Hurry up!” the Ugly Man shouted.
“I’m doing my best,” said the Thin Man.
Then, when the Ugly Man was checking the settings on the Talisman, the little man whispered in Andy’s ear.
“The catch has a difficult lock. The collar can be removed, but you’ll need help.”
Andy nodded slightly, but he was a little confused. He understood the collar was a key like the flying helmet and the coin necklace, but where was he being taken?
The Ugly Man looked up from the Talisman.
“It’s set correctly. Bring the boy over here.”
The Thin Man pushed Andy to the Ugly Man.
“Wait!” cried the Thin Man. “What about the bodies....? Oh they’re gone.”