Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days (10 page)

21
THE RAID

“I
’ve always thought,” Skulduggery said as he drove, “that Skulduggery would be an excellent name to give a baby.”

“Well,” Valkyrie said, nodding slowly, “I’ll be sure to pass on the suggestion. But what if it’s a girl?”

“Skulduggery,” Skulduggery said.

“Boy or girl, the same name?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think my parents would go for the name Skulduggery, if I’m being honest. If it’s a girl, they might decide on Stephanie Number Two because they’ll probably never see
me
again.”

“You’re such a pessimist.”

“We’re about to walk into the Sanctuary, where they all want to arrest me.”

“You
did
break the law.”

“I was rescuing
you.
”

He shrugged. “I was happy where I was.”

“Don’t talk to me any more.”

“I still haven’t thanked you properly for rescuing me, have I?”

“Nope.”

“I will,” he said and nodded.

They parked at the rear of the Waxworks Museum and got out.

“They’re not going to arrest you,” Skulduggery said as they walked through the door. “They might glare at you and say angry words, but they won’t arrest you. Well, they
might
arrest you. There’s a good chance they will. But the important thing is that
I’ve
done nothing wrong.”

“For once.”

Skulduggery led the way through the darkness and Valkyrie frowned. Her Necromancer ring was cold. Skulduggery murmured something and took out his gun. The Sanctuary door was open and the Phil Lynott figure was lying motionless on the ground. It didn’t look up as they crept by. Skulduggery headed down the stairs first, Valkyrie right behind him. There was blood smeared on the wall.

They stepped out into the Foyer. Cleavers lay dead. Valkyrie couldn’t tell how many there were. They’d been torn to pieces.

Skulduggery motioned to the open door ahead and they moved to it quietly. A sorcerer was crumpled in the corridor beyond, a gaping hole in his chest. They went through, sticking to the walls, not making a sound. The Sanctuary was eerily, unnaturally quiet.

There was a dead vampire around the next corner. Its bone-white body had almost been cut in half by a Cleaver’s scythe. Valkyrie had never had the opportunity to study one of these animals close up before – not without fighting for her life at the same time. It was male, and bald, and its wide mouth was open, a red pointed tongue lolling out over its jagged teeth. Its black eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

They moved on and saw another vampire, its head cut off. Beside it lay a sorcerer Valkyrie had once chatted with. His face had been ripped apart by a swipe of the vampire’s claw. He was dead too.

Skulduggery motioned to her then pointed down an adjoining corridor, towards the holding cells. She nodded and they changed course. Her mouth was dry. She realised she was terrified. Every new corridor held more dead bodies. An army of vampires had come through here – for all they knew, an army of vampires was
still
down here.

They turned a corner and Davina Marr spun towards them, her eyes wild. Skulduggery waved and her gun flew from her hand. He pushed and she shot back off her feet and hit the wall. He kept his hand splayed, holding her there.

“What happened?” he whispered.

Marr opened her mouth to shout and Skulduggery whipped his hand to the side. Marr hit the opposite wall and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Valkyrie resisted the urge to kick her as they passed, and they continued on to the holding cells. Skulduggery stood guard while Valkyrie released Ghastly and Tanith. Moving quietly, Tanith hugged Skulduggery and Ghastly shook his hand.

“Welcome back,” Ghastly said, speaking softly. “Now
what
is going on?”

“Vampires.”

“
What?
”

“We don’t know how many are still here, so move out and keep it quiet.”

They moved quickly back the way they had come then broke right. Tanith picked up a Cleaver’s fallen scythe. They passed the open doors into the Repository, the closed door into the Gaol and turned left. In the corridor ahead of them, Thurid Guild was propped up against the wall. He was clutching his arm, which was obviously broken. Blood ran from a cut above his eye.

He saw them and shook his head sharply. They froze. His eyes twitched left.

A vampire padded into view, its mouth smeared with the blood of others. It approached Guild and he shrank back. It sniffed him and growled. Guild raised his hand to push the air and the vampire swiped, almost lazily, and the Grand Mage’s fingers fell to the floor. Guild screamed and the vampire moved in. Skulduggery whistled through his teeth.

The vampire swivelled its head, its black eyes widening when it saw all the fresh meat on offer. It forgot about Guild and bounded towards them.

Valkyrie, Skulduggery and Ghastly pressed against the air and the vampire hit an invisible wall. It snapped and clawed and roared, but there were no gaps to get through. Skulduggery held out his other hand and Valkyrie felt the air shift, as another invisible wall closed in on the vampire from behind. Skulduggery closed his hand gently, trapping the creature. The vampire lifted off the ground, squirming and flailing, but unable to free itself.

“Stay here,” Skulduggery muttered, tossing his revolver to Ghastly before moving back to the holding cells, taking the vampire with him.

They crossed to Guild and Tanith helped him to his feet. He was sweating and his teeth were chattering. Valkyrie knew well the signs of someone going into shock.

“Get his fingers,” Tanith told her as she helped Guild hobble down the corridor, Ghastly leading the way.

Valkyrie blanched. Doing her best not to gag, she picked up the three pale fingers and held them away from her as she followed the others. She dropped one and stepped on it.

“Damn,” she said.

“Why is she saying damn?” Guild muttered, too weak to look around. “What is she doing?”

Tanith glanced back to see Valkyrie hopping on one foot, trying to work the finger out from the grooves on the bottom of her boot.

“Nothing,” Tanith said, shooting her a glare before turning back.

Once again holding all three fingers, Valkyrie hurried after them.

The Cleavers were on their third sweep of the Sanctuary by the time Guild’s fingers were reattached. The final tally was fourteen dead vampires, plus one live vampire in a holding cell, and seventeen dead sorcerers. Nine Cleavers had died. The injured were brought in and quarantined as the Sanctuary doctors worked to rid their systems of the infections brought on by vampire bites. Three more died on the operating tables while Valkyrie was standing there.

Against the doctor’s orders, Guild left the Medical Bay as soon as he was able. His broken arm was in a sling and his damaged hand was wrapped in a glove designed to speed up the healing process.

“It was Dusk,” he told them as they walked the blood-splattered corridors. “We thought he was still imprisoned in Russia. They didn’t bother to tell us he’d escaped two weeks ago. Billy-Ray Sanguine burrowed into his cell apparently, and they fought their way out. The Russians didn’t bother to tell us
that
either.”

“So Sanguine and Dusk are working together again,” Skulduggery said. “But why? What happened here?”

“Dusk planted explosives on the door and led the way in. I’ve never seen so many vampires. They came like a wave, swarmed over everyone and just kept coming.”

“Dusk hadn’t shed his skin?” Skulduggery asked.

Guild shook his head. “He was still human. He let the vampires come at us, but he broke off to the north wing, to the Repository. I have people down there now, trying to ascertain what he was after.”

There was a curse and they turned to see Davina Marr pointing her gun at them, fury in her eyes. “Step away from the Grand Mage,” she demanded.

Guild shook his head. “Put down the gun, Detective.”

“Sir, these people are fugitives! Pleasant and Cain were working with the vampires! They assaulted me!”

“They were not working with the vampires,” Guild said, “and as much as it pains me to admit it, they saved my life. They’re free to go, Detective Marr. Put down the gun. That is an order.”

Marr blinked and lowered the weapon. “The Desolation Engine,” she said dully.

“What?”

“Dusk took the Desolation Engine. We’re doing a visual search now, but it appears to be the only item that’s missing.”

“What’s the Desolation Engine?” Valkyrie asked.

“Essentially, it’s a bomb,” Ghastly said. “It obliterates everything within its radius, wipes it all out. These days it would be called a Weapon of Mass Destruction.”

“It was only ever used once,” Tanith said. “Back in, when was it, 1498? A town outside of Naples. Every living thing, every building, tree and stone, was obliterated.”

Valkyrie frowned. “Why is there a bomb in the Repository?”

“That’s a very good question.”

“It’s been made safe,” Guild said. “It can’t be activated. It was kept here because it’s the only one of its kind. The Engine is useless to whoever has it.”

“You’re sure about that?” Skulduggery asked.

“Positive. It’s a paperweight now.”

“That may be so, but there’s a reason Dusk went after it.”

“Then get it back,” Guild said. “Do what you need to do to find them and stop them. You will have access to every resource we have for the duration of the investigation.” He sighed. “Pleasant, I don’t like you and the idea that you were going to spend the rest of your existence on a world of Faceless Ones really warmed my heart these past few months. My wife was saying to me just the other day how she’s noticed a spring in my step lately. That was because I thought you were gone forever.”

“I missed you too, Thurid.”

“But it’s time to set my personal loathing of you to one side. We’ve just witnessed a massacre, and we need to catch those responsible and make them pay.”

“You seek revenge,” said Skulduggery.

“I seek retribution.”

Skulduggery looked at him and nodded. Valkyrie and the others followed him as he walked away. Marr glared at them with fury in her eyes and they left her to whatever argument she was about to have with her boss.

“I’m only going to be telling you the absolute minimum about what I’ve been doing these past eleven months,” Skulduggery said to Ghastly and Tanith as they reached the Foyer and climbed the stairs, “so don’t bother prying.”

“Fine with me,” Ghastly said.

“A
little
prying would have been nice,” Skulduggery mumbled. They passed through the Waxworks Museum and emerged into the chill night air to find Fletcher standing beside the Bentley. His arms were folded.

“You abandoning me?” he asked crossly as they neared. “Is that what’s happening? I do what you need me to do and then you discard me, yeah?”

“This really isn’t the time to be petty,” Valkyrie said, frowning at him.

“On the contrary,” Skulduggery said, “this is an excellent time to be petty. Fletcher, we didn’t bring you with us because we didn’t want to risk you.”

Fletcher narrowed his eyes. “So…I’m still on the team?”

“Of course you are,” Skulduggery said happily. “Apart from anything else, you’re the only one who can
guarantee
that we escape any more vampires that we come across. You’re going to prolong all our lives, my boy.”

“I am?”

“You are. You, Fletcher Renn, are good for our health.”

Fletcher beamed.

“You’re like our own little vegetable,” Skulduggery continued and Fletcher’s smile disappeared.

“I need my sword,” said Tanith.

“I’ll take you to it,” Skulduggery said. “Valkyrie, take Fletcher and go and see China.”

Fletcher frowned. “I’m not a
bus.
”

Skulduggery ignored him. “If anyone has heard rumours abut Sanguine or Dusk, she has. The fact of the matter is that Sanguine doesn’t do anything for free, so if there is someone paying his bills, we need to find out who that is, and what he wants with both the Desolation Engine
and
the Soul Catcher.”

“Or what
she
wants,” Valkyrie added.

“That’s a good point,” Skulduggery said. “This might be the first move Darquesse makes on her road to destruction. If it is, then we’re in a lot of trouble.”

“And if it isn’t?”

“Let’s face it,” he admitted, “we’re probably still in a lot of trouble.”

22
THE MAN WHO KILLED ESRYN VANGUARD

V
alkyrie and Fletcher appeared in China’s library. It was late at night and there was nobody around. Fletcher didn’t say anything as they walked and she knew he was thinking about Skulduggery’s dismissive attitude towards him. Fletcher didn’t talk much about his parents. She knew his mother was dead, but he rarely mentioned his father. Was that why he could be so insecure and intimidated by Skulduggery? Was Fletcher harbouring a secret need for a father figure’s approval?

She led the way across the hall and knocked on the apartment door. China bid them enter. Valkyrie turned to Fletcher.

“You stay out here,” she said.

He frowned. “Why?”

“Because China’s probably still weak after being shot and she doesn’t need the both of us in there. Also every time you’re around her you make a fool of yourself.”

“Not
every
time.”

“You’re staying out here.”

“I think you’re confusing me with a dog.”

“Stay.”

He looked annoyed so she left him to it and stepped in, closing the door behind her.

China walked in from the bedroom and Valkyrie stared. China looked awful. She was too pale and her eyes looked bruised. She moved stiffly and wore a silk robe tied with a sash. Still beautiful, unnaturally so, but sick. For the first time Valkyrie saw China in a moment of weakness and she didn’t know what to say.

“Your silence says it all,” China said, a faint smile on her bloodless lips.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nonsense.” She sank into a chair with an audible sigh. “Take a seat, Valkyrie. You reaction is refreshing. Most people do their best not to catch my eye and prattle on like nothing is different. Now then, you were at the Sanctuary?”

Valkyrie sat. “Yes.”

“It was raided I hear. By vampires.”

“News travels fast. It was Dusk who led them.”

“Him again.”

“He stole the Desolation Engine.”

“I thought that had been made safe.”

“It
has
been, so we don’t know why he took it.”

China shifted in her seat and grimaced.

Valkyrie hesitated. “Are you…OK?”

“I’ll survive. This is what happens when you invest all your magic into healing a bullet wound. It’s not pretty. Tomorrow I should be back to normal.”

“Should?”

China waved a delicate hand. “You worry too much about people who mean nothing to you.”

Valkyrie’s eyes widened a fraction, but China still noticed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she continued. “I didn’t mean to sound so cold. What I meant was there are others who would deserve your sympathy much more than I. Fletcher, for instance. That boy is always getting himself into trouble. How is he?”

“He’s fine I suppose. He’s out in the hall.”

“My, you have him well trained.”

“China, do you think I don’t like you?”

China’s smile was gentle. “No, my dear, I’m sure you do. You shouldn’t, but I’m sure you do. You’ve got a big heart. That’s not a compliment by the way. That’s a flaw in your character.”

“I’ll work on it.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“Sanguine is back. He stole a Soul Catcher from the Necromancer Temple and he’s working with Dusk.”

“That
is
interesting, but I’m afraid I can’t help you with Dusk. My ongoing inquiries about Sanguine, on the other hand, have finally borne fruit. What do you know of the assassination of Esryn Vanguard during the war?”

“Just that he was a pacifist and the guy who killed him got out of prison a few days ago.”

“At the time of his death support for Vanguard and his ideas was coming from soldiers on both sides of the war. I’d always despised the man – this was when I was a supporter of Mevolent’s, you understand, and I know that Mevolent did not appreciate Vanguard’s attempts to broker peace.

“He suspected that Vanguard was working for Eachan Meritorious, in an effort to rob Mevolent’s troops of the will to die for him. A reasonable suspicion, I think you would agree.”

“So he sent Dreylan Scarab to kill Vanguard.”

“I had turned my back on the Faceless Ones by this stage, but yes, from what I can gather, Scarab was dispatched to eliminate the problem. An arrow, dipped in poison, while Vanguard was addressing a hall full of supporters. It happened so fast nobody had time to do anything. Vanguard was dead within seconds. The crowd, and bear in mind these were all sorcerers, swarmed the area, hunting for the killer, but Scarab was gone. Skulduggery found him a few days later, and with Guild’s help, he arrested him.”

Valkyrie frowned. “Guild?”

“Guild was one of Meritorious’s most trusted men. He oversaw certain departments within the Sanctuary and his duties included direct interaction with the investigators.”

“I didn’t think Skulduggery and Guild were ever friends.”

“Oh, they weren’t,” China smiled. “They hated each other from the very start, for reasons I won’t go into here. But they worked together on occasion.”

“So they arrested Scarab and he was sent to an American prison. Where does Sanguine come into this?”

“It took a long time for me to come across this little piece of information, so I hope you understand how much of a sacrifice it is to part with it for free.”

“It wouldn’t be for free,” Valkyrie said. “You’d have my undying gratitude.”

“Free then,” China sighed. “Scarab had a son, Valkyrie. You are trying to find out who is pulling Sanguine’s strings? I’d look no further than his father.”

“Scarab is Sanguine’s
dad
?” Valkyrie stood. “This is…This is
huge.
”

“Quite.”

“China, I’m really sorry, I have to go. If I have some spare time, maybe I can stop by later to see how you are.”

“By this time tomorrow I’ll be back to my usual self. But your concern – while pointless – is noted. Of course, if our positions were reversed…”

“I know,” Valkyrie smiled. “You’d do the same for me.”

China arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry? Do I
look
like I make house calls? You may leave me now.”

“Thank you, China,” Valkyrie said and turned to go. “Oh, one more thing. Ghastly’s façade. It’s great.”

China smiled. “He seems to like it, doesn’t he? It took me long enough to devise, but I think it’s worth it.”

“Me too,” smiled Valkyrie then hurried out to the corridor.

“Well?” Fletcher asked grumpily.

“We have the connection,” she told him, and immediately his grumpiness vanished and he took her hand.

They appeared in Ghastly’s shop. It was dark, so they turned on the lights and waited for Skulduggery and the others to get there. Valkyrie crossed her arms and looked at Fletcher.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You’re dying to say it.”

“Don’t know what you mean.”

“They’re still on their way back from the Sanctuary. We’ve been to China’s, found a very large piece of the puzzle and we’re here before them. Say it.”

“I’m sorry, Valkyrie, I really don’t know what you want me to say.”

She waited.

“Although,” he began.

“Here it comes.”

“Teleportation is clearly the best power to have and you should all be really grateful that I’m on your side. Why anyone would still be using cars, I have no idea. Is it pride? Is it because Skulduggery doesn’t want to admit how useful I am? I don’t think I’m appreciated as much as I should be, that’s all.”

“Right.”

“We were getting on fine without him, you know.”

“We really weren’t.”

“We were doing OK. It wasn’t a
disaster.
No one got killed.”

“A few people got killed.”

“But not any of
us
,” he said, exasperated.

“Anything else you want to complain about before he gets here?”

Fletcher laughed. “What, do you really think I’m scared of him? I’m
not
scared of him. But since you brought it up, yes, there is one thing. I’m older than you. I should be the one giving
you
orders.”

“Yeah, no. That’s not going to happen.”

“I have more world experience.”

“At doing your hair.”

“What is everyone’s problem with my hair? My hair’s
cool
.”

He kept talking about his hair until Valkyrie told him to shut up. A few minutes later Skulduggery and the others got back and Valkyrie told them what she’d learned.

“It’s too neat to be a coincidence,” Skulduggery agreed. “Well, all right then. That means we have our big boss. Scarab is released, he has an emotional father-son reunion with his psychopathic offspring and they recruit Dusk, maybe Remus Crux, and whoever else happens to be around and holding a grudge against society.”

“So what does Scarab
want
?” Tanith asked as she lovingly cleaned her sword.

“My guess is he wants revenge,” Skulduggery said.

“For what? He committed a crime and he was punished for it. If he was going to take these things personally, he shouldn’t have killed Vanguard in the first place.”

“Ah,” Skulduggery said, “that’s the thing. You see, I don’t think he
did
kill Vanguard. It’s something I’ve suspected for a while now.”

Ghastly stared. “But…you arrested him.”

“Because all the evidence pointed his way,” Skulduggery nodded. “It was only later than I began to suspect that the evidence was rather too easy to come by.”

“Scarab was framed?” asked Valkyrie. “He’s innocent?”

“Not
entirely
innocent. Or even
remotely
innocent. He
was
Mevolent’s top assassin, remember. But, as regards this particular crime, yes, I believe he was innocent.”

“You have a theory then?”

“Naturally.”

“So who framed Scarab? Who killed Vanguard?”

Skulduggery hesitated. “I actually have a horrible feeling that
we
did.”