Tuesday 27th April 2010
07:58
Having just finished a particularly greasy breakfast in what referred to itself as a "restaurant" round the corner, Gary gets into the office earlier than anyone else, despite or because of the fact that he has not managed to get anything resembling sleep.
He is not surprised to discover that the only person there is David Oswald. He looks very bright and alert considering they have only left the Haunt just over five hours before, which is more than can be said for Gary.
"Good morning, Gary!" He says.
David is by no means chipper when he says it, but he manages to rile Gary.
"'Good morning', is that all you can say to me?"
David looks slightly downcast. "I'm sorry about Isabelle."
"I don't understand what is happening," Gary can hear the despair in his own voice.
"The Brethren kidnapped her and they've…"
Gary waves him off, and David's voice comes to a halt.
"I understand all of that. What I want to know is why did it happen?"
David seems to have no clear answer to this and it takes a few moments for him to find the words. "I think that they just realised that it was the best way to get to me…"
This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. He raises his voice suddenly. "But don't you realise that they were wrong. It's not got to you. You're so fucking calm about the whole thing. It's got to me!"
David appears hurt by this remark. Anyone that can't see it in his eyes would be able to hear it in his voice. "But don't you see, Gary? They got to me the only way that they could. By getting to someone that I consider to be a friend."
It is this sudden and honest admission that stops Gary in his tracks. His face blanches slightly out of embarrassment for the way he has treated David since he has come into his office, as well as the thought that David considers him to be a friend. He calms down and wishes that he could come into the room and start the conversation again, beginning from the less angry stance that he is adopting now.
"So what do we do?"
"Well I've been doing a bit of research since I dropped Edward off at the Hospital…"
Belinda, Alice and Robert had filled Gary in on the story after Edward and David had left the night before and he had seen from the amount of blood that was lying around that his co-worker and friend had received quite a cut from the knife.
"How is he doing?" Gary asks, feeling bad that he hasn't asked the question earlier, concentrating more on what had happened to Isabelle.
"They reckon that he'll probably lose some use of his arm, but nothing major."
"I can't believe that Isabelle stabbed him!"
David stands up and stares Gary straight in the eyes. "It's not Isabelle, you have to remember that more than anything else."
"I can't help but think it is Isabelle. That thing is in her body!"
"Well hopefully we can do something about that. As I was saying, I've been researching since I dropped Edward off at the Hospital. I reckon that there might be a way that we can bring the Isabelle you know and love back!"
"Whatever it takes, David. We have to do it!"
"I'm warning you now that it is going to take a lot of preparation."
"I'm willing to do anything. Just get her back!"
"It won't be easy. I'd go as far as saying it's going to be dangerous."
"That's a risk that I'm willing to take."
David smiles at this remark, not unpleasantly. "It's not going to be dangerous for you."
Gary is confused by this remark. "What do you mean? Who's going to be in danger?"
"I just mean that you should go home and get a bit of rest."
"But if there's going to be stuff to prepare…"
David decides that he has to be brutally honest. "You're no good to me right now, in the state you are in, Gary!"
Gary is very close to protesting about this but suddenly realises that David is actually right. He nods and drops his head in resignation. "I'm going home."
With this he turns and walks out of David's office. Nobody else has arrived yet so he lets himself out and decides to try and get some sleep before attempting a return to the office.
2.
Tuesday 27th April 2010
08:30
The sound of sirens fills the air, a group of fire engines heading off to a call. Their mission is a dangerous one; and not all of the firemen will return alive. There will be an article about the fire in the newspapers the next day.
None of this bothers Kevin Reilly as he taps the steering wheel of his van to the sound of a song that he liked back in the seventies. The song is stuck in his head, despite the fact that the radio has moved onto a tune from Crowded House. The sound of fire engines are still filling the air outside, he has not got past it yet.
He cannot for the life of him remember who had sung it or what the song is called but there is no way that he is going to let these nagging facts ruin his enjoyment of the music. The tapping of the tune merges with the different sounds around him to create a strange beat; a not unpleasant one to Kevin's ears.
He is not alone in the van. Behind him are six men who are waiting for any movement to occur in the house they are watching. Kevin has another quick look at his watch, even though the time is displayed on the dashboard, just beside the radio that he has been staring at so intently.
He lets out a little sigh. It is hard to tell whether it is annoyance or boredom that has caused this exhalation of whistling breath. Whatever it is, Kevin wants things to move on quickly. The music in his head is distracting him.
At this moment the front door to the house opens. Without any surprise in the slightest, he turns to the men behind him.
"It's time to move."
The six men in the back all nod in unison. They are all wearing identical grey suits to the one that Kevin has on.
The van door slides open and they all get out in what appears to be one fluid moment. They head towards the house. The owner of the place is walking down the garden path and looks very tired indeed, something that Kevin has been banking on. She is exhausted and does not notice the men coming towards her until they enter through the garden gate she is about to walk out of.
Her boyfriend is standing at the door, having run downstairs to wave goodbye to her. He looks just as tired as she is and Kevin wonders if he has also joined David's ranks and had a late night.
She spots the six men and in a split second spins round to her boyfriend and screams, "Call David, and tell him that the men in the grey suits are here!"
He only just begins to realise that something is wrong, despite the scene in front of him. Four of the men grab the woman, who struggles as best she can. The two others start towards the front door to get the witness to the crime. The door shuts. The woman screams as loudly as she can while being dragged to the van. Meanwhile the two grey suited men start to kick at the front door of her house.
Kevin opens the door to the van. "Leave him alone. I think it is best for us if David knows it was us who was here today."
Actually they are not sure that this is the best idea. They heard about David coming by to see Kevin last night. Still, the men shrug and obey, heading back to the van to help their compatriots get the struggling woman inside.
She continues her struggle against these four highly trained professionals. It looks to Kevin, despite the insurmountable odds against her, she has a better than usual chance of escaping from them. He sighs and gets out of the van to help out.
"Hi there Alice. Remember me?"
"Let me fucking go or David's going to rip you a new…"
"Hush Alice. We're going to be looking after you for a couple of days."
She struggles some more and Kevin's eyes widen slightly, transfixing her. "It would be best for everyone if you slept now!"
With that, her whole body goes limp. She is carefully placed into the van and, once the six men in suits climb in after her, Kevin slides the door shut. Nobody has seen a thing except for Christopher.
3.
Tuesday 27th April 2010
08:32
The creature that has taken control of Isabelle's body stands – well more floats if truth be told - in front of the other members of the demonic Brethren – the ones who have brought this new personality into existence from the lower depths of hell.
"So what are our plans for today?" She asks them. Her floating is a symbolic one. Everyone assembled can do it but she feels the need to slightly elevate herself above the others at this point in time.
The one who had led the Brethren before her takes a step forward. She has been graceful enough to retain his important position and has named him the new second in command of the group. He knows that his powers are nowhere near hers and thinks that this is a great honour. He hopes that the Great Fallen One might increase his powers once he has proven his worth.
"Oh great leader, we have come up with many ideas for dealing with David Oswald and any other who stands between us and our goal."
"Oswald will be fine for now. Once he is out of the way, it will be a great thorn removed from our side."
"As you say, oh great one."
"Well let me hear some of these ideas!"
"As you are aware, he had a great weakness for his friends. In bringing you from the depths of…"
Isabelle waves a hand to stop him in mid-flow. "Been there done that. We've already hurt him from that angle. No, I want David…"
"But we can't" Says the newly appointed second in command, instantly regretting his contradiction. Brethren Members have died for less.
"Why the hell not!"
She seems to be very angry but not because of the interruption. She continues. "It's not as if we've not killed Society Members before."
"But he isn't…" The second in command ventures on.
The smile that his leader flashes is a very dangerous one. "And you think that I don't know that. David has an important part to play. That's why I want him out of the way. We have a better chance of winning if he's not there. He is proving to be a more dangerous enemy."
The second in command's voice is now down to a murmur, aware that he is treading on a very dangerous path. "We have tried to take him out of the equation before."
Isabelle's voice softens now. She seems to be treating him like a pet who has done wrong but is forgiven for it. "I know that. But you have me here now and my plan has more merit. I know that you must have heard of the prophecy of the merging!"
There are murmurs of assent from the ones who are assembled. The second in command speaks for them once more. "Of course we have, great Leader. It is one of the most important prophecies we have been given."
"Well then we're about to make the prophecy into a reality! This is the only way that we're going to get anywhere in this war."
4.
Tuesday 27th April 2010
08:34
Dark plans remain unfinished in Robert's head. Last night he had planned to say goodbye to his friends and go looking for a woman. Sometimes the need comes over him and it has been so long since he has had sex, down mainly to the hours he has worked. He knows that he would probably have gone to a prostitute but there was nothing really sinful in that – was there?
He is the first to stumbled in after Gary has left and he is pleased to see that David has already put on the coffee percolator for him. He has a bit of a hangover despite the sobering experience he had been through a few hours before. The experience had made him briefly forget just how horny he is, though.
"I really need that!" Is about all that he could manage. He is referring to the coffee, in case there is any doubt in your mind.
David smiles at this. "So how was the night out?"
"I've had better!" He manages. I really need to get laid.
He has a quick look around the office and moves a little too quickly; it feels like his brain has just smashed off the side of his skull. He moves his hand up to his head, but such a movement will do nothing to help.
"There's no way that I can be the first person in. I've got a hangover."
"Gary was in for a short while but, as you can imagine, I thought it was better if he went home."
"And how's Eddie doing?" Robert is the only one who calls him Eddie, and never to his face.
"He's not going to be in today. I can understand why. That was his first really bad wound."
Robert smiles humourlessly. "I've still got that honour to look forward to."
David does not know what to say. He puts these people's lives in danger every day. He knows that it is for the greater good but that doesn't help him feel any better when he sits in the office alone at night. What has happened to Isabelle makes this crystal clear.
Robert, who had not been expecting an answer anyway, pours himself a coffee and takes a sip. David gets himself a glass of water and is just about to take his first sip, when the phone rings.
5.
Tuesday 27th April 2010
09:05
She is dreaming. She is with another woman. She is sure she knows the person, but at the same time, the name is that of a stranger. Then reality comes back.
Although she is unaware of this little nugget of information, Alice comes back round in a much nicer environment than her fellow kidnap victim Isabelle had the night before. She is, however, handcuffed to a chair but you can't have everything. Kevin Reilly is standing in front of her.
"It's good to see that you're awake, Alice. I trust that you slept well?"
She struggles slightly but to no avail. "You had better hope that I don't get out of these you bastard!"
"I will let you take them off. But not until I am sure that you're not going to run away from me!"
Alice smiles sweetly at this. "Looks like I'm going to be wearing them for quite a long time then."
Kevin shrugs at this, showing none of the annoyance that Alice had hoped for. "I suppose that's up to you."
"Just why are you doing this? Are you nuts? Did you not see how angry David was last night when he thought that you had kidnapped Isabelle? Have you got some kind of death wish?"
There is a flicker in his eyes for a moment and Alice is sure that it is fear. He recovers well and smiles. "Yes, poor David. Last night he inadvertently made me aware of a weakness. One I did not know he possessed."
"Oh? You mean compassion and a caring for others?"
Kevin says nothing. Alice continues.
"Just what are you to David? Why would you want to find a weakness in him? Do you work for the Brethren?"
Kevin cannot contain his laughter with the last question. "You're a very inquisitive young lady."
"Don't patronise me!"
"I don't work for the Brethren. On the contrary, I am trying to stop them just as much as David claims to be."
"What do you mean, claims to be? David is fighting body and soul to stop them…"
"But he has been given opportunities to make more of a difference…"
"The David I know would have taken those opportunities if it saved more lives…"
Kevin clicks his fingers and points to her. "That's exactly what I think he should be doing. I want David to work with me."
"And kidnapping his friends is going to help your case?"
The smile that has covered his face disappears with that question. "I think that it will if I tell him that he'll never see you alive again if he doesn't join Nemesis."
She tries to appear unfazed by the threat on her life. "Just what is Nemesis?"
"I am Nemesis."
Alice looks confused.
"Or rather, I am the leader of the organisation known as Nemesis. I have been here waiting to stand down for many years, as it is not my place to be in command. We all believe that David should take over."
"And your problem is that he doesn't want to?"
Kevin shakes his head. "He has decided not to take sides."
"He has taken sides. He is fighting the Brethren."
Kevin seems to have a strange sense of humour, because he finds this amusing too. "He really has not told you much has he? How long have you known him for?"
Alice thinks for a moment. "I'd say about three years."
"David has decided not to choose sides between Nemesis and the Society."
Alice cocks her head slightly at the sound of yet another name she has not heard before. "The Society?"
"David and myself… in fact every member of Nemesis is an ex member of the Society. We left them because we didn't believe that they were using the correct methods in their war to defeat the Brethren."
Alice looks very surprised and cannot find the words to convey what she is thinking. Finally she manages to find them. There is a mixture of the evident surprise as well as some hurt in her voice. "David hasn't told me any of this."
Kevin strikes a blow of victory on his part when he confides in her, "maybe he just doesn't trust you."