Janus the Arrival (The Janus Trilogy Book 1), page 9
‘Just before I leave, I wonder if you’d be kind enough to tell me if you’re this so called Ray Gun Killer?’ Janus simply looked up and smiled. He quickly studied the man’s mind again, looking for anything that he might have missed the first time, before he finally replied,
‘It appears you’ve already answered that for yourself. Therefore, I have no wish to spoil your current line of thinking. It’s obviously a fundamental part of a policeman’s logic that becomes firmly established over the years.’ before adding. ‘That’s such a shame.’
Dave finished the few remaining drops at the bottom of the glass before placing it back down on the table. He then looked across and gave Janus a good solid stare, before he eventually rose up from his chair. He was not exactly a happy man.
‘Oh Well! Goodbye Mr Storm, I feel that we now understand each quite clearly, if you get my drift. I also realise that although in another time and place we could possibly have been friends, I fear the next time we meet each other, one of us is doomed to fail in this strange little game of yours. Janus didn’t even bother to reply to that remark. He simply carried on sitting where he was and just looked right through the Detective Inspector, as though he never even existed. Dave wasn’t even going to react to the guy. He come across punks just like him in the past, so he just turned on his heels and quietly walked away, heading back towards his car.
Janus sat quite casually and watched the policeman drive away before deciding to review their recent conversation over in his mind. It was a real shame from his perspective. He’d hoped the man would have been a little more open minded, listened and taken note of the dangers, because he was in right up to his eyeballs and getting deeper and deeper by the minute. Janus already knew, having studied the man’s mind that Dave was not the type to give up once the dice had been thrown. It was sad that the stakes were so high, but Janus had wanted to give the guy a chance and confirm that he was aware of all the facts, before he carried on with his deadly plans. That was why he’d wanted to meet, and as far as he was concerned, his conscience would be clear when things finally kicked off. However, it wasn’t as if he cared too much in the first place.
Agents Kyle Hurst and Lee Casey watched and waited until the mysterious Mr Storm exited from the Hare and Hounds car park, half an hour after Dave had left the public house. They followed closely, shadowing the guy every step of the way. Yet they were totally unaware that their prey was already on to them, and he was most anxious to play a few cat and mouse games with his would be hunters.
Kyle and Lee had originally met at the FBI Academy in Quantico, where they’d come together during their work on a project about the detection and recovery of human remains. That had been a fascination they’d both shared over the coming years, which eventually led to them becoming a highly successful team together. They also had quite a few other things in common, as they were both thirty years old with broken marriages, caused unsurprisingly, by work commitments. The other fact was that they both shared almost exactly the same taste in women. Kyle was genetically the taller of the two, and he attracted women fairly easily, due to his passing resemblance to Warren Beatty, or so he believed. Whereas, Lee was much shorter, stockier, and already showing early signs of losing his hair. Yet Lee’s strengths lay in his mild manner, as he always came across as someone who was always polite and gentle, unlike Kyle who could tend to be a little rough around the edges at times.
They shadowed Janus, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible as they did so. They drove across Putney Bridge to a small roundabout and then turned left onto Fulham Palace Road before coming to a halt at a pedestrian set of traffic lights. Lee sat in the passenger seat and stared at the legs of a beautiful dark haired nurse as she scurried across the zebra crossing in her uniform, then disappeared into the depths of Charing Cross Hospital. They’d hit a spot of congestion and the car edged forward slightly. Kyle started getting a little irate with the traffic as it gradually snaked its way up to the major junction ahead. Once there, he attempted to negotiate his way through the endless chaos of Hammersmith Broadway without losing sight of the little white mini. He noticed that the exits leading off appeared to be much clearer, and then he saw Janus suddenly shoot off in the direction of Shepherds Bush.
Kyle was thankful that he knew the area already, having spent some time with a friend who’d lived in nearby Netherwood Road about five years earlier. Eventually the mini pulled up in a small, secluded backstreet. They parked a short way back and watched closely as Janus climbed out of the car and entered the front of what appeared to be a run down building site. After waiting around for approximately twenty minutes, Kyle became extremely impatient. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he eventually decided to amble across to the site to have a look around for himself. As he approached the site, he noticed a large sign that hadn’t been visible from the car. This introduced the place as a company called Dysart Cementation Limited. Having noted where Janus had entered, Kyle used the same entrance and then went inside, moving cautiously as he took it all in. Seeing that his shoes were already covered in dirt as he walked towards an office that was located just over to his left, he was then forced to step over a few discarded bricks before he was able to peer in through the nearest window. He could see in quite clearly, but found the place to be completely empty. Feeling a little braver, he then ventured towards a heap of rusty scaffolding, some of which lay scattered across the ground. It looked like it probably hadn’t been used for a while, but as he approached a bit closer he looked just past the pile and found himself staring down into the murky depths of a deep, dark pit. He was just about to contact Lee, when without any warning a glancing blow to the side of the head sent him spinning out into the wide expanse that had opened up before him. His mobile phone instantly went flying from his hand, and a few seconds later, having landed on something very hard, Kyle found himself lying at the bottom of the pit. Gazing downwards, he could see his leg was twisted at a very peculiar angle. He attempted to see how bad it was, but any movement he made, sent a violent shooting pain straight into his groin.
Lee hadn’t liked the fact that Kyle had chosen to investigate on his own, having been told that he needed to stay and watch, just in case Janus reappeared. He began to sense that something was wrong, as it was unlike his partner to be gone for so long without making contact. Yet, this had become even more of a concern to him now, especially as he wasn’t even bothering to answer his phone. Taking the only course of action he felt was left open to him; he stepped from the car and followed Kyle’s footsteps. Lee was not comfortable at all. This was totally against FBI protocol and everything they’d ever been taught. Completely unhappy with the whole situation he found himself in, Lee cautiously picked his way across the lethal looking debris. Just at that moment, he suddenly heard a faint shout coming from the far side of the site. There was virtually no wind about, and the place had been deathly silent so far. Therefore, he realised that even the slightest sound would travel under such conditions. Stepping forward and spotting the exposed hole in the ground, he leaned over very carefully and had summed up the situation in a matter of seconds. Sadly, it was far too late to translate the warning he felt, as he too was pushed headlong into the void, only to land directly on top of his colleague below. Kyle screamed in absolute distress as the full weight of his partner came crashing down on top of him. Worse was to follow, when a loud snapping noise sounded, as Lee’s neck broke on impact. Hours seemed to pass by with Lee still lying completely unconscious. Kyle had managed to move him beside him and make him as comfortable as possible. He’d just begun to look around for a means of escape from their seemingly hopeless predicament again, when he heard the sound of an engine starting up, somewhere right above them. He had heard a few sounds earlier, but they’d been much further away, from what he could make out.
Bob Clarke had been fighting the local council for years in his bid to gain planning permission to erect a decent looking building on the site. That week, it had finally been granted, which meant that he could essentially get on with his plan to extend his empire, just as he’d always dreamed. The cement for the foundations had eventually been delivered at long last, after quite a bit of hassle, which was quite uncanny, especially as the old site used to be a cementation business. Having waved off the delivery driver, once his vehicle had been filled to the brim, he now sat in the truck, quite excited. He put out his left hand and shoved the lever into the correct position, which triggered the back of the truck to rise and cause the tailgate to open. The thick grey mass began to pour into the hole below, but Bob was far too caught up in the enjoyment of the event to hear the strained voice shouting out for help in the distance.
At first Kyle couldn’t believe his luck, and he’d thanked the gods that they’d be rescued, as someone was definitely at the top of the pit. He’d attempted to move Lee into a more suitable position and place his cardigan under his head, but the pain in his leg had intensified. Therefore, he’d had no other option than to let his partner continue lying where he was, looking much worse for wear as time went on. At first Kyle thought it was beginning to rain as a tiny droplet landed with a splat on the front of Lee’s jacket, but studying it closer he saw it consisted of a grey lumpy texture. He suddenly realised the danger of the situation they were in, as other specks fell faster and faster, rapidly increasing in size. Within seconds, it was pouring in on the two of them. As it settled, it didn’t take too long for the cement to fill every single empty space around their bodies. Kyle had always had a fear of drowning in water and that was why he’d always attempted to avoid the bloody stuff. To end up dying immersed in wet cement was therefore completely insane, and before long, both bodies were being completely submerged in the liquid. It continued to pour down on top of them until the truck had emptied its contents. Out of sheer desperation, Kyle had managed to find enough energy to make a last ditch attempt to stop the nightmare. He yelled until his lungs were close to bursting, but as the pressure increased with each passing second, the cement gradually started to draw level with his mouth. Lee was no longer visible at all, and Kyle’s life had started flashing before his very eyes, as he drifted in and out of reality. It was one of the most horrendous experiences that anyone could ever suffer. The weight on his body was becoming remarkably heavy as the downpour gradually began to cease. Kyle lay helpless, unable to move at all, while he continued to stare up with his eyes, nose and mouth still remaining uncovered. In the meantime, while up above at surface level, Bob, who was still unaware of the situation below, casually drove the truck back across the bumpy yard. He really hoped the concrete supplier had done as promised, and that one of their mixers would arrive out at the front entrance pretty soon, ready for another refill. The previous driver had told him the deliveries were usually timed fairly well between deliveries, so all he could do was rely on what he’d been told.
Kyle stared in absolute disbelief as a figure appeared above the hole and stared straight down at him. Yet he sadly realised it was probably all over, when he recognised the smiling face of Janus whose deep blue eyes bore into him as he shouted down.
‘My! My! How the mighty have fallen.’
The man obviously had a very sick mind, but Kyle was struggling badly as he was now passing in and out of consciousness quite a bit. He must have passed out, because once he came around, he quickly searched for the figure again. Then, just when he was about to give up, he saw another movement up above, and a speck of hope suddenly returned. Unfortunately, he noticed that the face had been replaced by the sight of a tailgate, which suddenly flapped open to drop the next load into the pit. Kyle could only close his eyes and mouth and pray for a quick ending. Fresh cement immediately entered his nostrils, he was completely unable to move his head in any direction, and the mixture he was swallowing just caused him to choke. His body was racked with pain. Vomit was attempting to surge up from his stomach, but this simply halted midway in his throat, as all signs of life eventually ground to a complete halt. The pit continued to fill, and Bob Clarke was just like a big kid who’d finally achieved everything he’d ever wanted, while being totally unaware of the part he’d just played in the taking of two men’s lives.
Dave had never seen such drama in the police station before. The newspapers had somehow managed to get wind of what had happened and as expected, they were completely full of it.
The entombed bodies of two FBI agent’s, Kyle Hurst aged 30 and his partner Lee Casey also 30, who were assisting British Police on the trail of the man dubbed ‘The Ray Gun Killer’ were discovered earlier today, encased in concrete at the site of the old Dysart Cementation factory in Shepherds Bush. Police had located their car abandoned outside, following reports that they were missing, and spoke to the new owner, Mr Bob Clarke. Mr Clarke confirmed that he had just been putting down the foundations for a new office complex, but had no idea that the men had been down in the pit. He was naturally horrified that he’d been involved in the incident, and he’s now being counselled to help him get over the shock. Fire fighters using the latest technology in heat seeking devices eventually located the whereabouts of the bodies following an anonymous tip-off. Plans to exhume the remains are currently under way, although this is expected to take quite a while due to the depth of the concrete.
Janus Storm had killed once again, and this time it had been some of his own, despite the fact that they’d worked for the FBI. Dave was pretty sure of it this time. He already knew that no evidence would be found at the scene of the crime, as this Janus character was too clever by far. Those two poor bastard’s would be blamed for carelessly wandering into the pit, against all known procedures, and the final verdict after numerous hearings would eventually go down on record as death by misadventure. That was almost guaranteed and he didn’t doubt that for one minute. Dave vowed that he’d seek justice for the two unfortunate men, given half a chance, even though they’d had their differences. Then, after swallowing down the last remaining dregs of a stone cold cup of coffee, and nearly choking his gut’s up in the process, he decided it was basically time to pull out all the stops. He’d track that bloody maniac down and finally put an end to this so called stuff and nonsense, once and for all. Janus Storm had certainly gotten his back up, and the guy would soon be regretting the day that he’d ever been born.
Six weeks had passed since she’d first met up with Janus and Debbie still felt on cloud nine as the man was everything she’d ever dreamed of. The man had literally turned up out of the blue, when she’d least expected that sort of thing to happen and instantly swept her off her feet. She wondered if she’d picked up some sort of illness just recently, as this was the third morning in a row that she’d been sick. She decided she’d best wait for Janus to return home however, and then check to see if he was feeling alright, as it may have been due to something they’d both eaten.
That evening as it happened, Janus confirmed that he felt absolutely fine, and had done for a while. So, the very next day, feeling just as rough as before, she attempted to book herself an appointment at the local surgery. Eventually, after a lot of messing around, she finally managed to slot herself into a cancellation that had cropped up for the afternoon session.
Later, when she arrived and had notified the receptionist before being told to take a seat, she sat there looking at all the other patients waiting to be seen by their doctors, having read a poster about immunisations about four times over. While she sat waiting, a small child suddenly began banging his book against her right leg. At first Debbie just tried to ignore him, but after a few harder whacks she began to get a little bit annoyed. Fortunately, the little horrors mother finally realised what was happening. She turned and apologised profusely to Debbie before pulling the kid away and telling him to go over to a nearby table and choose a reading book he’d like. Debbie was not exactly what you would term as a natural child loving sort of person, and at twenty two years of age she still believed herself to be a free spirit, with no ties, who could enjoy life to the full. It was great that she was still able to do pretty much what she liked, when she liked. As far as she was concerned right at that moment, kids and all the crap that tended to come with them would arrive much later in her life, and even that would only happen when she was good and ready for it.
‘Miss Green to see Doctor Richards,’ Came the announcement for all to hear.
Debbie quickly stood up and made her way towards the swing door that everyone before her had entered. This opened onto a short, very boringly carpeted corridor. Reading the name plates as she passed each room, she eventually found the one she was after and knocked before entering. Once inside, she was immediately welcomed with a hand shake by the female doctor and then asked to take her place on a red plastic seat. Having happily explained what was wrong the doctor then asked a great many questions before carrying out a series of routine tests. One of these happened to be a blood test which Debbie found a bit odd. She hadn’t questioned it at the time, but three days later she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Pregnant! The doctor’s letter had told her she was bloody well pregnant. It was right there in black and white, right in front of her eyes. It couldn’t be right. She was on the pill and had been for a while. She’d have to get a second opinion. The doctor must have mixed her blood sample up with somebody else’s. Maybe there was someone with the same name as her; it was quite a common name after all. It was bound to be something like that. Debbie had already convinced herself that that was the answer.
Wandering the ever wondrous corridors of time, Janus floated in and out of so many different levels of existence along the way. He was searching for a very specific path to the future, as having mastered this method relatively well he found this source of guidance to be exceedingly reliable. Yet on a recent journey he had become rather unsettled at one point, having sensed another presence travelling relatively close by on the same plain. So on his spirits return to his body on this occasion, once Janus had fully recovered his senses; he sat up straight and promptly opened the bedside cabinet, then reached around until he located the object he sought. With a large purple crystal now sitting before him, Janus slowly began to relax. A deep sense of karma eventually touched his soul as he chanted the Dra-Na-Zee prayer of forgiveness, which on reaching a certain pitch, caused the crystal to glow. This inevitably allowed him to bask in all its glory, just as he had so many times before. Janus had virtually learned to perform this entire incantation from the Stones and was well versed in the art of throwing his voice. Then, as he reached the end of the mantra, he picked the object back up and placed the dimming crystal back into the bedside cabinet. He was well content in the knowledge that its power held the ability to help dispel any disruptive forces. Although this was something that he felt he may have to face in the future, rather than now. Travelling the astral plain was not something for the feint hearted. You really had to know what you were getting yourself into; otherwise you could very possibly find your spirit getting into all kinds of problems.
