Reapers Mist: Third in the Reaper Trilogy by Justin Gowland (15 page)

“Morning sweetheart!” I called over.

“Morning, what time did you get up?” She asked.

“Just when the sun was rising and I wanted to get some fresh air and a hot drink.” I said.

“Did I hear you talking to someone down here?”

“Yeah was talking with Rees as to what we were doing today.”

“What are we doing today?”

“Well Rees, Mary and Jacob are going to have a look at the fallback position and I am staying here to spend some time with you.” I said.

“You're not going to look for Marc today?”

“I think it might be a good idea for him to calm down on his own and if he doesn’t come back then he has made his mind up about us.” I replied.

“That makes sense but are you sure he will come back?”

“I don’t know but it’s all I can do. I can’t force him to come back so this is the next best thing. Let’s stop talking about it and get on with things here.”

Maddie gave me a kiss and wandered over to the kitchen and after a short while I could hear the clatter of the pots and pans. Christine came in and started cleaning the tables down and moving the chairs. I felt like I was in the way so I got up and headed out of the café and into the courtyard. Sam and Toni were on their hands and knees pulling weeds from the garden they were both dressed in dirty looking jeans and shirts. Chris came out carrying some wood and started to make a small fence for round the garden. With the noise of the hammer and the giggling of the girls the castle felt like it had when we first got here.

Walking past the girls and Chris I said hello then continued through the castle and out into the small courtyard where we had set up the pistol range. Rees, Jacob and Mary were getting ready to go out to the boat.

“Are you lot ok?” I asked

“We should be then island isn’t too far and we shouldn’t run into any Reapers there.” Jacob replied

“Ok just be careful, and the other thing I wanted to ask is do we have enough fuel for the boat?” I asked Jacob.

“When we got the boat it had just enough to get us here but because it runs on diesel we topped off the tank with what was in the bowser. So the boat now has full tanks there should be enough to do a few trips.” He said.

“That’s great so when are you going?” I asked.

“We will get away as soon as you stop asking stupid your questions Walker!” Rees answered.

In reply I flipped him off and walked away into the castle. I walked through the large dining hall and into the library of the castle and sat on one of the chairs looking at the books on shelves. There was a lot of history in this room I just hoped that one day I could read some of them but today I just wanted my mind to wander. So I closed my eyes and let my mind take me where ever it wanted to go. (Of course you know what happened don’t you.)

I was stood on the coast looking out at the sea in the distance I could see a low blur hidden by a low sea mist. Turning I looked at the gathering of Reapers there must have been forty or fifty of them watching me.

Mathleic was stood at the front and said “My Queen these are our most skilled warriors and they have never failed us.”

“We have found where it is and we will soon take it and make it part of us or we will end it.” The Queen said with a hiss.

“Your majesty we have had one scout return from the land in the water. He said that the others were killed in a fight with the other and the meat it is with.” Mathleic said bowing low.

“Bring me this scout you speak of.” She said.

The group of Reapers parted and the smallest Reaper I have ever seen walked through the group and fell to its knees in front of the Queen.

“I will see what you have seen.” She said going to her knees and placing her forehead on to the small Reapers head. As soon as her head touched there was a flash of images showing my fight with the Reapers in the chapel and ending with the image of Marc beating the Reaper to death with his bare hands.

Standing back up away from the small Reaper the Queen looked at her elite warriors and said “The abomination that has been at the edges of our dreams has been found and it will pay for being.” She shouted to the gathering.

The warriors all shouted and a cruel look spread over Mathleic’s face.

The vision faded and I looked about and for some reason I was no longer in the library but in the little chapel just off it sitting in the pews at the rear. (How the hell had I got in here and more to the point how the hell did I not whack something on the way.) I have never been a religious man but sitting there I felt a need to throw out a silent prayer to whomever and ask that Marc be kept safe. Quietly leaving the chapel I knew that I needed to talk with everyone and get things sorted. I just hoped that the fall back island was as good as Jacob said it could be.

Walking out of the castle and toward the café I saw that Chris and the girls had finished weeding and putting up the small fence round the garden. I walked into the gift shop and saw Chris playing on the Xbox with determination. I sat down beside him on the couch and watched as he killed wave after wave of undead on the TV screen.

“You look like you’ve played this before.” I said.

“Dad got me a copy of this for the Xbox 360 but for some reason it plays a hell of a lot better on the Xbox One. Do you want to join in we can play Co-Op?” He said.

“Sorry Chris I have things to do I just wanted to see if you were ok after the other night.” I answered standing up.

“I’m ok it was just a big misunderstanding but Toni and I have manage to sort it all out so no problem.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said “That’s great news because as long as both of you are ok then that’s all that matters. Just remember you and the girls are the only young people in this group and you need to get a long and support each other.”

“I will Jay. Can I ask why the pep talk?”

“Nothing just wanted you youngsters to know how important you are.” I said walking into the kitchen.

Maddie was lifting a large tray with what looked like baked potatoes on to the bench. She saw me and threw a small wave and went back into the kitchen seconds late Christine came out with another small tray with something in it but I couldn’t tell what it was. I heard a door bang and Derek came down the stairs carrying some network cable. He stopped when he saw me and went bright red.

“What’s up Derek?” I asked smiling.

“I… erm…..I needed to get the cable from the office I was wanting to run a web camera from near the gate to a pc so we would be able to see anyone who came knocking.” He said getting even redder.

“Ok.” I said and walked past him.

“What? I thought you might have kicked off about me being in your brother’s room.” He said.

“Derek, you needed to get the cables so I have no problem with you getting them from out of Marc’s room. How is it going anyway?”

“Should have them up and running by tonight don’t expect anything special it’s just a few web cams from the computers upstairs. I mean you should be able to tell what they are up close but anything further than say twenty meters and you’re not going to be able to tell what they are.”

“Look any security is better than no security can you do me a favor and make sure your two girls are close by will you.” I asked.

“Why? Is there something wrong?” Derek asked nearly dropping the cables.

“Don’t worry there’s nothing wrong. I am just being a little security minded today that’s all.”

“I suppose you would after the last few……oh shit Jay I didn’t mean anything.” He said flushing red again. (Bloody hell you could use his face as a stop sign the way it goes red so quick.)

“Derek I am not upset mate just please go and get the security camera stuff sorted and thanks for doing it.” I said.

Chapter Eighteen

He rushed out of the café like his arse was on fire and I just shook my head and went to the kitchen looking for Maddie. Sticking my head inside the door I saw Maddie and Christine up to their elbows in work. Maddie was busy washing dishes and Christine was making some pastry.

“Christine any chance I could steal Maddie away for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I can spare her but she needs to come back soon I’ll need help putting the tops on the vegetable pies. For some reason I can never do that by myself.” She said.

Maddie picked up a tea towel and dried her hands as she walked out of the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face.

“Ok what’s happened now?” She asked coming into the café. (I swear to god I heard Christine laugh in the kitchen.)

“Nothing has happened yet.” I said with a smile on my face.

“No!” She said.

“What I haven’t even asked anything yet!” I said holding my hands up.

“I know that smile and I don’t have time Jay. Christine found some tinned vegetables and we had enough stuff to make some pastry so we thought we’d make vegetable pies for evening meal. According to Christine because we are using tinned vegetables we have to cook them for longer because they have a lot of water in them. So no!”

“Alright but remember you were the one that said no.”

“Yeah it’s not like we haven’t had similar discussions before about this subject. So can get back to work now then?” She asked.

Smiling I pulled in to a big hug and said “Yes you can go back to work but first you must do the one thing every woman must do once in a while for their man.” I said.

“I am not giving you a blow job so stop asking for one and I am not giving you one here in the café.” She said. (This was accompanied by another burst of laughter from inside the kitchen.)

“I wasn’t going to ask for that but now that you mention it…..Ow.” She hit me with the tea towel and I laughed and said “No I just wanted you to say that you love me.” I said.

Her eyes went wide and I could see the beginnings of tears along the rims.

“Of course I love you. What makes you think that I don’t?” She asked.

“Nothing I just wanted to hear it from you that’s all.”

“Jay what’s going on I know you well enough by now to know when something is up so come on spill it.”

“Like I said I just wanted to hear you tell me that you loved me. With everything that has happened over the last few days I just needed to know that.” I said.

“Ok, I love you. Now if you’re finished being a soppy sod I’ll get back to making food.” And with a funny look on her face she headed back to the kitchen.

Smiling to myself I headed upstairs to the apartment I had my hand on the door handle when I had the sudden feeling to go have a look in Marc and Becky’s old room. Opening the door I saw clothes spread all over the floor and their rucksacks lying on their sides. I stood at the doorway smiling Marc had never been a tidy person and it looked like Becky hadn’t been one either. It looked like they had found the perfect person to be with. I closed the door and went next door to the apartment. Picking up my webbing and rifle I headed out to the pistol range and for the next few hours practiced quick draws of both my rifle and pistol.

Maddie brought me some soup in a flask for my lunch and I sat on the castle steps eating it and watching the seagulls wheeling about in the sky above the castle.

Just after lunchtime Rees and Jacob arrived back and I said I could wait till evening meal before hearing what the fallback island was like. They both shrugged and said that they would go and get some food.

What I really wanted to do was put off telling them about the vision. The reason being I wanted fewer arguments about the plan I wanted to use. For once I did have a fully formed plan and I wanted everyone to do their part and understand why. Rees came back and sat watching me practice my pistol shots after a short while he said “Loosen your grip it’s too tight that’s why you’re going high right.”

“Thanks mate couldn’t figure out why it was doing that.” I replied.

I fired off a couple of shots with the looser grip and hit center mass with both shots.

“Yeah that’s better.” I said.

“Ok now that we have sorted out your shit shooting you can tell me what’s going on. Even Maddie is a little worried about you and she asked me to come and talk with you.”

I laughed and said “I really do need to get better at this cloak and dagger shit. Rees mate we have been friends for just over half my life and we have been through a lot of shit together. I have never been one to hold back on anything that might fuck up that friendship but I really need to talk about this when everyone is together for evening meal.”

“They’re coming aren’t they?” He asked.

I just nodded.

“Shit! When?”

“Don't know probably tomorrow morning or sometime after that during the day.” I replied.