Murder in the Dark, page 17
‘Like what?’ said the Professor.
‘Like we still can’t be sure he is who he claims to be,’ Mike said stubbornly. ‘Or even why he’s here.’
‘We were sent by the Colonel to protect you,’ said Penny. ‘What else do you need to know?’
‘We’re supposed to just take your word for that?’ said Mike.
‘What else can you do?’ I said calmly. ‘You need us if you want to stay alive.’
‘Ishmael!’ Penny said quickly. ‘Sorry, everyone. He’s not really a people person. But think about it. If we’re not who we say we are, how did we know where to find you? How could we have known about the hole if the Colonel hadn’t briefed us?’
The scientists considered that, but none of them seemed particularly convinced.
‘You could be spies,’ said Mike. ‘Secret agents in the service of some foreign power, here to steal our secrets.’
‘What secrets?’ said the Professor. ‘We haven’t discovered anything worth stealing. And they couldn’t steal the hole if they tried.’
‘I think proper secret agents would have been a bit more professional in their approach,’ said Paul. ‘Not made such a mess of things. And people.’
Mike glared at him. ‘Now who’s having problems with their people skills?’
‘We can either assume Ishmael and Penny are who they say they are and feel protected,’ Paul said reasonably, ‘or distrust them and feel in danger of our lives … Since we don’t have any evidence one way or the other, it all comes down to personal choice. We either pick something that makes us feel safer, or something that makes us feel threatened.’
‘He’s right, Mike,’ the Professor said steadily. ‘We have to trust Ishmael and Penny, because they’re the only ones with the skills and experience to get us through this night alive.’
‘But three people are dead!’ said Mike. ‘Four, if you count the archaeologist.’
‘All of those people died because they got too close to the hole,’ I said. ‘We know better.’
‘Right,’ said Penny, pulling a face. ‘I wouldn’t go near that thing again if you put a gun to my head.’
Mike shook his head. ‘There’s nothing you can say that will make me feel safe. The killer’s been one step ahead of us all the way.’
‘Where are you going with this, Mike?’ said the Professor.
‘The only people I could be sure of were Ellie and Robert,’ said Mike. ‘Because I knew them from before. And they’re both dead now. So any one of you could be some kind of ringer, a spy, or an assassin sent to shut down the operation. I think I should go back to my computer and have my devious little friends dig into everyone’s background.’
‘This is no time for paranoia,’ said the Professor.
‘It’s not paranoia when someone really is trying to kill you!’ said Mike.
Paul stood up suddenly and stared out into the dark. His face was set in harsh lines, his voice cold and flat.
‘Someone’s out there.’
We were all up and on our feet in a moment, looking where he was looking, staring past the perimeter lights into a darkness without end. We might as well have been looking at a blank wall. The night was very quiet, and very still. As if it was watching us.
‘Everyone make a circle, with their backs to the fire!’ I said, keeping my voice carefully calm and controlled. ‘We need to be looking in all directions at once. We don’t want anything sneaking up on us from behind because we’re all looking at where it used to be.’
Everyone moved quickly to form a circle, staring out into the dark in every direction at once. I could feel the tension rising among them. Mike was eager to confront something, so he could strike out at it, punish it for what it had done. Penny was readying herself for action, a dependable presence. The Professor was so tightly strung she could barely get her breath. Only Paul appeared unaffected by the general atmosphere, staring unwaveringly out into the dark.
‘Is this night never going to end?’ said Mike.
‘Not now, Mike,’ I said. ‘What did you see, Paul?’
‘I didn’t see anything.’ Paul’s voice was entirely steady. ‘I heard something. Movements, perhaps footsteps. Out there, in the night.’
‘Human footsteps?’ said the Professor.
‘I don’t know,’ said Paul.
I scowled. I hadn’t heard anything. And I should have, if there was something moving around in the darkness. Had the hole really shut down my senses that much? I concentrated. I could smell Penny’s familiar perfume, but not the scents of the others. I could hear all of them moving, the rustle of their clothes as they shifted their weight uncertainly, but not their heartbeats. I glared out into the night. Nothing was moving out there; I would have heard something, sensed something. I was sure of that. Except I couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.
I glanced round at the others. The Professor was trembling in all her limbs now, staring wildly about her. The lines in her face had deepened under the pressure of stress and dread, and her eyes looked oddly lost; as if she couldn’t understand what was happening. Mike was so tense he was actually quivering like a greyhound in a trap; desperate to unleash his anger and frustration on whatever was out there. His hands had clenched into fists again, and his mouth was a flat grim line. Paul just stared out into the darkness, as though he couldn’t look away because he was expecting something to emerge from the night and stare back at him. Had he really heard something? Or was he finally cracking up? Penny stood tall and steady, ready for anything. Because she was never scared of anything when there were people who needed protecting.
I turned back to look at the darkness in front of me. I’ve never liked the dark; because it hides things from me.
‘Come on, you bastard!’ Mike yelled suddenly. ‘Come into the light, so we can see you! I’m not scared of you! Come forward and face me, so I can beat the shit out of you! You cowardly little turd!’
‘Probably not a good idea to taunt the unknown homicidal maniac,’ murmured Paul. ‘Or the unknown killer Beast.’
Mike tore his eyes away from the dark just long enough to glare at Paul. ‘There isn’t any Beast! Our killer is a human being. Has to be.’
‘Perhaps sometimes it’s human, and sometimes a Beast,’ said Paul.
Everyone turned to look at him. Because this was a new thought.
‘A werewolf?’ said Mike. ‘Seriously?’
Penny and I exchanged a look. We’d fought a shapeshifter on one of our previous cases. A devious creature that hid among the very people it was preying on. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Mike saw the look pass between Penny and me, and was immediately suspicious.
‘What do you know about werewolves?’
‘Shapeshifters are always hard to deal with,’ I said. ‘Beasts that hide within people. Coming out to kill and then disappearing back into the perfect hiding place.’
‘Werewolves are real?’ said the Professor, her voice rising.
‘Sometimes,’ said Penny.
‘And unfortunately I didn’t think to bring a silver dagger,’ I said. ‘Anyone else have one? No? I didn’t think so.’
‘I have a silver crucifix,’ said Mike, unexpectedly.
‘Not terribly useful for stabbing people,’ I said.
‘Does it have to be silver?’ said the Professor.
‘Not always,’ I said. ‘But silver is usually the way to bet.’
‘Ishmael and I heard something moving around in the dark outside the camp earlier tonight,’ said Penny.
‘It’s the Beast,’ said Paul, serenely. ‘Something that came up out of the hole to run wild in the world. I think it got tired of waiting for us to go to it, so now it’s come looking for us.’
‘OK …’ said Mike. ‘Someone has lost the plot, big time.’
‘Shut up, Mike!’ said the Professor.
‘Are we really taking the idea of werewolves seriously?’ said Mike. ‘They’re just … ancient legends and in old movies. We’re scientists!’
‘I’m so scared I’m ready to believe in anything,’ said the Professor. ‘And it would explain a lot, wouldn’t it? That’s why parts of the bodies were missing. The Beast took them away to eat later.’
‘And if the Beast is out there now,’ I said, ‘that means the killer isn’t one of us, after all.’
‘Unless someone in the tent wasn’t as dead as we thought,’ said Paul.
We all looked across at the tent that held Terry, Robert and Ellie. The flaps still seemed securely closed.
‘But … why would something as powerful as a werewolf need to hide in the dark?’ said Penny.
‘Maybe it’s playing with us,’ said Paul. ‘Maybe to the Beast it’s all fun and games …’
‘Hold it, hold it!’ said Mike. ‘What do we think this is now? A human that turns into a wolf when the moon is full? Except we haven’t got a moon. Or a Beast from the other side of the hole?’
‘I don’t know!’ the Professor said sharply. ‘Why don’t you go out into the dark and ask it?’
‘Maybe it’s already got into the camp,’ said Paul.
‘Am I the only one who winces every time he says anything?’ said Mike.
‘Keep looking and keep listening,’ I said sharply. ‘Watch the camp as well as the night. Make sure whatever it is isn’t sneaking up on us.’
‘We can’t just stand here for ever,’ said Mike.
‘Hush!’ said Penny. ‘Don’t make any noise it could hide behind. And let Ishmael think, so he can come up with something.’
We all stood very still, in our circle round the fire, straining our senses against our surroundings. I could hear the crackling of the flames and everyone else’s hurried breathing, but nothing to suggest anything was moving anywhere in the camp or out in the dark. I’d reached the point where I wanted something to appear so I could be sure what it was we were facing. So I’d have some idea what to do.
‘I’m not hearing anything moving,’ Penny said finally. ‘Can any of you hear anything?’
Mike and the Professor shook their heads. Paul was still staring fixedly out into the night. I could feel the others start to relax, as they began to believe whatever had been out there had come and gone. Penny looked at me hopefully, but all I could do was shrug.
‘Paul,’ I said. ‘I think we can stand down now.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘This isn’t over yet.’
‘Paul …’
‘The danger isn’t over.’
‘Can you at least point to where you heard the sounds?’ I said.
‘Of course.’
He pointed out into the darkness, with a very steady arm. And while everyone’s attention was fixed on that direction, Paul grabbed hold of Penny, picking her up bodily under one arm, and ran off with her up the hill to the hole. Penny fought him fiercely, but couldn’t break his grip. Paul carried her easily, as though she was weightless. I yelled to the Professor and Mike to stay put, and sprinted after Paul. He was moving inhumanly quickly, but so was I. He got to the hole first, slammed to a halt in front of it, and turned to face me, still holding Penny. I crashed to a halt, facing him. Neither of us was breathing hard.
Paul smiled easily at me. Penny fought him with everything she had, but still couldn’t break free. Paul ignored her efforts, all his attention fixed on me. I took a step forward, and then stopped abruptly as Paul closed his free hand around Penny’s throat. She stopped struggling, and he released his hold just enough for her to breathe again. I nodded to Penny reassuringly, and she managed a smile for me.
I was standing on one side of the safety line, and Paul was on the other. Far too close to the hole and its razor-sharp edges for my liking.
‘So,’ he said easily. ‘Here we are, at last. No more fun and games. Time for the truth at last.’
‘What’s going on, Paul?’ I said. ‘What’s happening here?’
‘I just got tired of playing,’ he said. ‘It’s time to cut to the chase. Time to do what I came here to do.’
‘Don’t do anything foolish, Paul,’ I said.
His smiled widened.
‘I’m not Paul.’
He turned and jumped into the hole, taking Penny with him, and they both disappeared into the bottomless dark.
FIVE
Conversation on a Beach that Isn’t a Beach
I jumped into the hole after them.
It was like diving into pitch-black waters, a night-dark ocean with no end to it. I had a moment to remember the look on Terry’s face, after we hauled his dead body out of the hole. The look of absolute horror, the features twisted and distorted from seeing something so unbearable he had to die to get away from it. But I was willing to bet I’d seen a lot more of the horrors of the world than he had. Whatever was at the bottom of the hole, I was ready to face it.
For Penny.
Just like before, all light disappeared the moment I entered the hole. I couldn’t see anything, not even the coloured flecks you sometimes get when you close your eyes in a darkened room. I couldn’t hear anything either; not even my own breathing or heartbeat. I might have been anywhere, or nowhere. I tried to touch my face with my hands, just to reassure myself I still existed, but I couldn’t seem to find my hands. Couldn’t even tell where they were in relation to my body. I wasn’t sure whether I was falling down or up, or even where up and down might be. And there was no cable attached to the back of my belt to get me home again.
I was falling, all alone in the dark.
The usual reaction to being trapped somewhere dark is claustrophobia, a feeling of unseen walls closing in on you. I felt the opposite: that I was dropping helplessly through infinite space. Through a universe full of nothing where all the stars had gone out. Just me, and a night without end.
Total sensory deprivation. Only my mind was still working. I reminded myself that some people did this sort of thing for fun. Sealing themselves off from all the intrusive noise and chaos of the world in special sensory-deprivation tanks. I could handle this as long as I concentrated on what mattered: catching up with Paul and Penny and getting her back safely. Then teaching Paul the error of his ways, with stern words and extreme violence.
It helped to know this darkness couldn’t go on for ever. Paul, or whoever he really was, had to be going somewhere with Penny. Had to have some destination in mind. An end to all this falling. I remembered the steel cable unwinding from the drum as it disappeared into the hole. It never did get to the bottom. So I had to wonder, just how far down did the hole go?
I made myself be patient. I’d faced much scarier things than the dark, in my time.
The first sensation I felt was of falling through cobwebs. I could feel them brushing against my face; delicate gossamer touches like the fingertips of hesitant ghosts. The thought of unseen cobwebs raised the idea of unseen spiders, with no way of knowing how big they were or how close they might be. They could be all around me, hanging silently in massive webs, watching with clusters of inhuman eyes that could pierce the darkness. Fortunately, I don’t share most people’s irrational fear of spiders; big or small. I never did understand that. If any spider in here chose to mess with me, I would happily punch it in the head until it gave up on the idea. Always assuming I could find its head. Or my fist.
I tried to grab hold of the cobwebs, not to slow my fall but just to make sure of what it was I was feeling. But I couldn’t seem to grasp anything. I was starting to get a feeling of where my hands were in relation to my body; and a sense of movement, of heading towards something. I wondered how fast I was falling, and how hard I would hit when I finally reached the bottom. And yet above all I was fascinated by a sense of familiarity: as if I had been here before. Or if not me, then perhaps whoever I used to be, before I was me.
I fell on, into the dark. I couldn’t feel the cobwebs any more, and I was actually starting to feel a bit bored. If all this darkness and distance was supposed to scare or disorientate me, it wasn’t working.
I still wasn’t getting any real sense of speed or how much distance I’d covered, or how much further I still had to travel. But I was definitely approaching somewhere. I could feel it. Like some people can never get lost, or always know where the North Star is, I have always been able to feel the world beneath my feet and know my place on it. I lost that certainty the moment I entered the hole, but now I could sense a new world up ahead. Waiting for me. Ellie had been right all along: the hole wasn’t just a hole, but a tunnel connecting one place with another. Another world, another dimension or reality … Could I even hope to survive in this new place?
The odds favoured it. Paul must have believed he would be safe there, or he wouldn’t have been so ready to jump into the hole. He hadn’t looked like a man intent on suicide. His smile had been openly mocking; challenging me to come after him, and Penny. He had all the answers. And I was determined to get them out of him, one way or another. Once I’d got Penny away from him safely. I smiled briefly. She was going to be mad as hell at having to be rescued. I strained my eyes against the dark, but I still couldn’t see any trace of Paul and Penny falling ahead of me. There was nothing to be seen anywhere, in this darkness between the worlds.
I had time to wonder why Paul had done all this. And who he was, if he wasn’t really Paul. A spy, a ringer, from some other secret group? Some inhuman shape-changing thing, from out of the hole …? I thought hard, trying to remember if there had been any signs or warnings I should have picked up, any clue that there was something different about Paul. I didn’t think so. He’d always been the quiet one in the group, the one who seemed to go out of his way not to stand out. To avoid making the least impression. Was that because he didn’t want to give away that he wasn’t the real Paul? Could that be why he didn’t seem as upset as the others when he saw what had happened to Terry? And then Robert and Ellie?
Could he be responsible for all of the deaths? Had he been secretly protecting the hole all this time?
I remembered Mike saying we had no way of proving that any of us were who we claimed to be. He had threatened to go back to his computers and run background checks on all of us … And that was when Paul distracted us by pretending to hear movements out in the darkness beyond the perimeter lights. Had Mike’s threat been enough to finally drive Paul to direct action? But then why kidnap Penny rather than any of the others? Because Paul knew she was the one hostage that would force me to go after him. But why would he want that? What made me so important to the man who wasn’t Paul?
