“Fortunes of war,” she said. They quickly exchanged stories. Cawthorne was a sniper and had been on one of the roofs on the far side of the church. After those creatures had burst out of the ground all around the church, one had sprung up onto his roof and dragged his spotter down and toward a hole in the earth. He had hesitated only briefly before shooting the woman dead.
“A mercy, I think,” he said. He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes for a moment. “I hope.” He had seen a Pawn on the next roof grow several extra arms and grapple with another monster for a few minutes. He had shot at it, but his bullets had no visible effect, and then the creature tore the Pawn apart.
“Have you heard anything over the radios?” she asked.
“There was a few seconds’ worth of shouting over the air from the chief, then static.” After that, Trevor had beat a hasty retreat and was making his way through the alleyways back to the pub when he ran into Felicity.
“You didn’t meet up with any other Checquy?” she asked.
“I saw two,” he said, “both of them involved in fights. I went to help one, Sally, but the creature walked through her gunfire, snatched her up, and bounded up onto the roofs before I got within twenty meters. The other one was Jimmy Hourani; he was spraying that acid mist of his at three of the monsters. I fired a few bullets at them, but it’s best not to get too close when the conflict gets, uh, eccentric. Some of my Pawn mates can get a bit carried away. Jimmy started flooding the alleyway with that stuff, and I got out of there. I take it you’re heading to the pub too? For the backup radio and satellite phones?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Felicity. “Those would come in handy. But I’m also looking for a girl from our side. She was in the pub with Pawn Kirkcaldie when things got edgy.”
“Right, the guest you brought.” Cawthorne nodded. “I heard about it over the radio when you arrived. She was some kind of VIP?”
“Well, she’s an I, anyway,” said Felicity. The Retainer’s eyebrows went up. “And a P as well,” she conceded.
“Let’s see if she’s around, then,” said Cawthorne. “Shall I lead the way?” They proceeded around the corner and into the courtyard. The back door of the pub hung on its hinges, and they waited for a moment, listening for any sounds, before they ventured in, guns at the ready. Felicity found herself praying as she went in. Please. She didn’t even know what she was praying for.
But this certainly wasn’t it, she thought. The front room of the pub was empty except for the corpse of a soldier sprawled awkwardly on top of the beer taps. There was, however, a gaping hole in the middle of the floor. Damn it, they came up in here as well. The windows had been blown out, but there was no sign of the thick black smoke she had seen pouring out of the building, nor of any fire. The place was riddled with bullet holes, however. Through the windows, they could see that the area around the church was now deserted, no sign of either the monsters or any Checquy people. Acrid smoke from burning cars wafted over the street.
“It’s not looking good for the chief,” said Cawthorne. “Or any of the lads and lassies who were in here.” He shook his head over the dead man. “Pawn Lenton. At least he went down fighting.” Felicity looked at the corpse — instead of hands, long stone blades projected from his wrists, scraps of that yellow and green skin fluttering on the ends.
“The others?” asked Felicity. “Any sign?”
“Either scattered or down the rabbit hole,” said the Retainer grimly.
Did they take Odette? she thought.
“Can you stand guard for a sec?” she said.
“Why, do you need to go to the lav?” he asked. “Because I think we can find a slightly more secure place than a building with a gaping hellhole in the floor.”
“No, I’m going to take a peek into the past.”
“Fine,” he said. “But make it fast, and move back from the hole a bit. If something comes out, I want to shoot it before it snatches you.” She nodded and sat where Odette had been sitting. Cawthorne watched as her body stiffened and her eyes went distant, and then he turned his attention back to the rest of the world.
Felicity returned to her body a few minutes later to find that Cawthorne was kneeling down by the windows, his long rifle out at an angle. He held his finger to his lips and gestured for her to get low. She joined him, and he pointed down the street to where one of the monsters was prowling. She lifted her weapon.
“Any problems while I was gone?” she whispered.
“Just our friend down the lane there,” he replied in low tones. They watched tensely as the creature moved along the street. Finally, it entered one of the snickelways and vanished from sight. They relaxed slightly.
“So, what’re the results of your trip into the past?”
“As soon as the creatures emerged outside, Pawn Kirkcaldie ordered his aide to take Odette out the back. A few moments later, that hole opened up in the floor and three of the things came out.” She didn’t mention how relieved she had been that Odette had escaped. “Four of our people were pulled down into the burrow, including Kirkcaldie, I’m afraid.” His face was grim. “The smoke I saw came from a Pawn. A creature pulled his arm off, and it poured out of him. Then his body evaporated.”
“Cutler,” he said. “A good man. Good friend. But your girl got away?”
“Yes, or at least away from here. But I don’t know where she went,” said Felicity.
“Can you track her with your powers?”
“I could, but it would take a while. However, I have another way.” She backed away from the window, retrieved her handbag from where it lay in a corner, and produced her mobile phone. “I’ll give her a call.”
“That reminds me,” said Cawthorne. There were several large plastic cases in the kitchen of the pub, and he cracked one open. “Satellite phone. And more ammunition. But I think we should find somewhere a little more secure before we start making calls.”
“I don’t think there’s anywhere particularly secure in this place,” she said with feeling, but they made their way back through the snickelways to a nearby house and briskly broke in. From a bedroom on the second floor, Felicity began to dial.
“Wait. Text her,” suggested Cawthorne. “If she’s hiding, the ring might give her away.” Felicity nodded and thumbed in a message.
RU OK? Is it safe to ring you?
The answer came back straightaway.
Yes.
Felicity called her immediately.
“Clements?”
“Odette!” exclaimed Felicity. Thank God.
“You’re alive! Are you all right?”
“Yes. Where are you?” asked Felicity. Odette explained that she and Burrows were in the attic of a house on the outskirts of the village. “Do you have an address?” For all the good it will do. As it turned out, she did have an address, the apparently resourceful Burrows having snatched some mail from the letterbox before they’d hidden. “Okay, hold on a sec.” She turned to Cawthorne, who had been talking intently on the satellite phone.
“The Checquy is aware of the situation. They’re sending backup troops,” he said. “They should be here within the hour, and then they’ll march through and kill everything that’s not us.”
“Okay, so, we’ll just hole up here and wait?” she said.
“Probably easiest,” he agreed. Felicity put the phone back to her ear.
“Odette, reinforcements are on the way. We’re going to wait until they arrive. Okay? Odette?”
“Felicity, there’s something moving about downstairs,” came the whispered reply. “I think there’s more than one.” She sounded terrified.
“Keep quiet,” said Felicity. “We’re on our way.”
“We are?” said Cawthorne in surprise.
“We are,” said Felicity firmly. She slung the gun back on her shoulder and took up her club. “Let’s go.”
*
“How are we going to find them?” asked Cawthorne, following her down the stairs. “This place is a maze.”
“Internet directions,” said Felicity, holding up her phone.
“It won’t have the alleys on it,” he warned. “We’ll be using the streets.”