Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days (21 page)

“It was only years later that I understood what I had done and took responsibility for my actions. I didn’t take the human equation into account, you see. I was all about the magic and the science. Everything else…slipped by unnoticed.”

“And you’ve been making up for it ever since,” Ghastly said.

Kenspeckle looked even more annoyed. “No, no, no, that’s not it at all. I merely learned from my mistake and made a decision never to hurt anyone ever again. This isn’t about
redemption.
I’m not seeking forgiveness. I did what I did and I will suffer for it for the rest of my life, which is no less than I deserve.

“And I’m not telling you all this because I’m after absolution or your understanding. I’m telling you this because I need you to appreciate just how clever I really am. I took an abstract concept of magic-science theory and I made it real. I am very,
very
clever and I am telling you that something is wrong. There are too many pieces left over.”

“So what does it mean?” Skulduggery asked.

“I think there is only one thing it
could
mean,” Kenspeckle said, “and it is something that has only occurred to me as I’ve been speaking. It’s not just about the excess parts, it’s about the parts that
should
be there, but
aren’t.
I don’t think I – or the Remnant within me – only repaired the Desolation Engine that Detective Marr has in her possession. I think Scarab got me to build him an entirely new one.”

Skulduggery was the first to speak. “Are you
sure
?”

“No,” Kenspeckle said at once. “But there is a very big possibility that Scarab has a second Engine.”

“I’ll alert the Sanctuary,” Guild said, taking out his phone.

“Do you have any idea of a kill zone?” Skulduggery asked Kenspeckle while Guild made the call.

“I estimate a lethal radius of 150, maybe 200 square metres,” said Kenspeckle.

“I can’t get through to Marr,” Guild said, putting away his phone, “but the Sanctuary is being evacuated. Again.”

Skulduggery cocked his head. “What if the target isn’t the Sanctuary? If Scarab’s plan was for two bombs all along, he’d have two targets. What’s the second target?”

Ghastly said, “Set it off in a crowded street and we’re looking at a couple of thousand dead.”

Valkyrie frowned. “What would be the point of that? Scarab wants revenge on the Sanctuary, not ordinary people.”

“But attacking ordinary people
would
be an attack on the Sanctuary,” Ghastly argued. “That’s what it’s there for, isn’t it? To shield the non-magical population from
us
?”

“So you think Scarab is just going to slaughter thousands of innocent people?” Kenspeckle asked.

Ghastly turned to him. “Why not? The Sanctuary frames Scarab for a crime he didn’t commit, and in response, he commits a crime the Sanctuary will never recover from. You think the other Sanctuaries around the world will ignore something like this? They’ll descend on us and devour
everything.
They’ll tear this country apart and fight over the remains.”

“It won’t be a street,” Skulduggery murmured. “But it
will
be somewhere public. Somewhere densely packed. Like a…sports stadium.”

Valkyrie looked at him. “The All-Ireland Championship. My dad was trying to get tickets. But that’s
today.
It must have already started by now.”

“Good God,” Ghastly said in a quiet voice. “He’s going to kill 80,000 people live on air.”

Skulduggery turned to Fletcher. “Please,” he said, “tell me you’ve been to Croke Park before.”

“Of course,” Fletcher said. “The VIP area, mostly.”

“Perfect. That’s where we’re going.”

“And I’m coming with you,” snarled Guild.

44
REVENGE

V
alkyrie was eleven years old the last time she’d been to Croke Park. Her father had taken her to the Dublin Kildare game. She had worn her blue jersey and shouted and screamed and cheered along with the thousands of other people in the stands. The sun had been beating down and she remembered it as a day when everyone around her was smiling and laughing. She’d been buzzing with positivity and had talked non-stop all the way home, a rare feat even back then. Her dad had promised to take her again, but they’d never got around to it.

They teleported on to a wide concrete ramp and immediately Valkyrie was hit by the roar of the crowd inside the stadium. Out here though they were alone, high up off the streets and looking out over Dublin. Fletcher led the way down to a set of doors just as they opened and a security guard came out.

“This is the Executive Area,” he informed them politely but firmly, in the tone of a man who had already dealt with dozens of people who had strayed from where they were meant to be. “VIPs only.”

“We are VIPs,” Ghastly smiled. His façade was up, covering his scars. He walked up to the security guard, reaching his hand into his pocket. “I have our tickets here somewhere. Say, you wouldn’t have seen some friends of ours, would you? An odd-looking bunch, with an old American man?”

“Haven’t seen anyone like that,” said the guard, waiting for the tickets to be produced.

“Pity,” Ghastly said and hit him, catching the guard as he fell. He laid the unconscious man on the ground then rejoined the others as they walked through the doors.

Cream walls and wooden floors, framed photographs and tasteful art. Everything in the VIP area was clean and new and nice and safe. The door to one of the Executive Boxes was open and Valkyrie could see past the people gathered inside to the huge windows that overlooked the stadium. It was packed to capacity – over 82,000 people cheering and singing and waiting to die.

“We’re going to need a Sensitive with us,” Ghastly said as they walked on. “We need
someone
with psychic abilities to sort through this crowd.”

“Scarab’s gang don’t exactly blend in,” Skulduggery responded. “If they’re anywhere, they’ll be somewhere like this, away from the masses. We have Caelan coming in on foot. The rest of us will have to split up and search different areas.”

“We shouldn’t be trusting a vampire,” said Fletcher.

“But you
can
trust vampire nature,” Shudder told him. “For whatever reason, Caelan has a grudge against Dusk. You can trust him to see that through.”

“Fletcher,” Skulduggery said, “it’s important you understand this. If you see the enemy, do
not
engage. You might be the difference between success and mass murder.”

“Fine,” Fletcher responded grudgingly.

“Guild, you might want to call in some of your operatives – try to get in touch with Davina Marr again. We could cover a lot more ground with her and a few Cleavers.”

“Let’s try to get this done without her,” Guild said.

“You’d be willing to risk 80,000 lives just to protect your secret?” Shudder asked.

“I told Anton the truth about the Vanguard assassination,” Skulduggery said.

Anger contorted Guild’s features. “You had no right to discuss that matter with
anyone
!”

“Anton’s one of us,” said Ghastly. “He’s not going to use your past indiscretions against you. None of us are. Which is why you trust
us
to go after Scarab’s gang and not Davina Marr.”

“I knew Vanguard,” Shudder said. “He was a good man. And yet I can understand Meritorious’s decision. I don’t agree with it, and I don’t like it, but I understand it. Your secret is safe with me, Grand Mage.”

Guild nodded curtly. Valkyrie could see that he didn’t like the fact that they now had something to hold over him. From what she knew of the man, he didn’t strike her as someone who would be comfortable with trusting other people. By not revealing a secret that could bring him down, each one of them was doing him a favour and he knew it.

They reached the door to the escalators. To their left was a window over the Conference Centre, another Executive Box, an elevator and two wooden doors that stood open wide. Standing in that doorway, a smile on his face, was Dreylan Scarab.

They all stopped – Guild out in front, Valkyrie beside Skulduggery, Fletcher and Shudder to her right, Ghastly to her left. Scarab didn’t look at all alarmed.

“Aren’t you a motley crew?” he said. “Detectives and desperadoes. Outlaws and agents. And so many of you. However can I hope to prevail against your combined might?”

“Give us the bomb,” said Guild.

“You
have
the bomb.”

“The
other
bomb.”

“Ah,” Scarab smiled. “You figured it out, eh? Of course, you realise this isn’t going to end without a battle. You have your motley crew. I have my Revengers’ Club.”

“They seem to have deserted you,” said Ghastly.

Scarab shook his head. “We’ve lost a couple along the way, but the big players are around. This is all part of our lovely little plan, you see. Everything we’ve done, it’s all about revenge. And when it comes to revenge, timing is everything.”

Skulduggery stepped past Guild. “Scarab, you’re under arrest. Hand over the Desolation Engine, give yourself up and I swear you will get a fair trial.”

“You slap those cuffs on me and I’ll be dead before I get to a cell and you know it. The Grand Mage will have me killed. He might very well have
you
killed too. And your friends. We know too much, don’t we, Grand Mage?”

“The Detective is offering you a peaceful way out,” Guild said. “I suggest you take him up on it.”

“You prepared to give me a fair trial too, Guild?”

“Of course.”

Scarab laughed. “For a born liar you’re not very good at lying. You’d organised a little welcoming party for my release, hadn’t you?”

Guild narrowed his eyes. “This is getting us nowhere.”

“A nice band of specially chosen Cleavers, waiting for me when I got out of prison. Lucky for me the warden is no fan of yours, so he let me out a few days early.”

“Take him down,” Guild said to Skulduggery.

“Want to know a secret?” Scarab said with a grin. “I think the American Council is kind of hoping my little revenge plot succeeds. And the Russian Council didn’t tell you that Billy-Ray had freed Dusk, did they? Seems to me a lot of folk are hoping I succeed. Everybody who’s anybody wants you dead.”

Guild stalked forward, clicking his fingers and summoning flame. “If you want something done,” he muttered.

“Oh, good,” Scarab said. “The fight.” He turned and ran, and Guild ran after him.

The elevator door opened behind them and Valkyrie whirled round to see Dusk and Springheeled Jack stepping out. They brought up their silenced sub-machine guns and opened fire.

She dived, glimpsed Ghastly pulling Fletcher to the ground, and an instant later they had disappeared. Shudder dodged behind a pillar. Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery, but he was just standing there, hands out, and she saw the bullets appearing in front of him, coming into view as they slowed.

The gunfire cut off and she peeked out. Fletcher and Ghastly had materialised behind the enemy, and Ghastly had his arm wrapped around Jack’s throat. Fletcher grabbed Dusk and they both vanished. Jack squirmed free and kicked out, catching Ghastly across the jaw. Ghastly pushed at the air and the gun flew from Jack’s hands. Ghastly smashed a fist into him and kept on pummelling. Three punches sang in a short, sweet rhythm, the fourth knocking Jack’s hat off his head. Jack stumbled away, straight into Shudder, whose elbow cracked against Jack’s chin. Jack wobbled and went down.

“Stop hittin’ me!” he cried. “This is hardly fair, now is it? Two of you against me?”

“You’re the one who came at us with a gun,” Ghastly said, standing over him.

“But that was for a giggle,” Jack tried. “I wasn’t
aimin’
at you, I swear.”

Valkyrie looked back and saw Skulduggery running to catch up with Guild and Scarab.

“Besides,” Jack continued, “we accomplished what we needed to.” He looked up at Ghastly. “Are you usin’ a new face cream or somethin’? You look different.”

Shudder frowned. “What did you accomplish?”

“You got one unpredictable element in your little team,” Jack told them with an exaggerated sigh. “The kind of power that could mess up everythin’. It was our job to take that power out of the equation.”

Valkyrie paled.

“Where’s Fletcher?” asked Ghastly.

Jack grinned. “He should be right—”

A fist of cold granite hit Valkyrie and she went tumbling. Shudder went to leap over her at Dusk, but Dusk threw Fletcher’s limp body into him. They went down in a heap and Jack sprang, his knee smashing into Ghastly’s face, then he leaped off him and landed behind Valkyrie.

He grabbed her, his hot breath in her ear. “I got someone who’d like to talk to you.”

He shoved her at Dusk, who swatted her hand away as she brought it up. He didn’t waste time with talk, or threats, or anything as mundane as enjoying the moment. He just sank his jagged teeth into her neck.

45
SEARCHING FOR SCARAB

F
or a time there was just the pain and the feel of her heartbeat thumping loudly and quickly. And when the pain stopped and her eyes refocused, Valkyrie saw Dusk holding her at arm’s length. His lips were red with her blood, but his eyes were narrowed in confusion.

The window behind him exploded and Caelan came through, slamming into Dusk and lifting him off his feet. Valkyrie stumbled backwards, tripping over Fletcher’s unconscious form and falling. Dusk seized Caelan and threw him into the wall, but Caelan came back with a snarl.

Valkyrie’s hand pressed against the wound on her neck. Her blood was warm. She felt it trickling between her fingers. She glimpsed Caelan and Dusk fighting, and even from that one glimpse she could see that Caelan was completely outmatched. No matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t hope to match the speed of a vampire like Dusk.

She lay flat. She was thirsty. Her thoughts were muddled. She turned her head in time to see Caelan drop to the floor. He didn’t get up. Dusk slipped back to the side of Springheeled Jack.

Ghastly and Shudder closed in, forcing Jack and Dusk to retreat towards the elevator. Jack grinned. Dusk stepped back behind him.

“Careful,” Jack said, “we don’t want to hurt each other, now do we? I mean, who knows? After today, we’ll probably be fightin’ on the same side.”

“I’d ask you what it is you’re talking about,” Ghastly said, “but I really don’t care.”

“Oh, come now, ain’t it obvious? What do you think will happen when over 80,000 people are murdered live on air by a bomb that could only be described as
magic
? People are goin’ to know, ain’t they? They’re goin’ to believe in magic and they’re goin’ to believe in
us.
No more hidin’ for yours truly. I’ll be free to walk about on street level, do what I want, kill who I want…It’ll be a little slice of heaven.”

“That’s why you’re doing this?” Shudder frowned. “To reveal magic to the world?”

“That’s why
I’m
doin’ it, yeah. The others have their own reasons. They want the Sanctuary destroyed; they want the confusion of every sorcerer around the world scramblin’ for a piece of what’s left…I don’t know, I didn’t really ask them. We’re not what you might call a friendly bunch. Ain’t that right, Dusk?”

“That’s right,” Dusk said from behind him. “But I don’t care about the Sanctuary or the war you’re hoping will start.”

Jack nodded. “Dusk’s motives are pure. He’s only interested in revenge. So, mate, did you do it? Did you bite her?”

“I did,” said Dusk.

“Then has your thirst for revenge been sated?”

“Not quite,” Dusk said. “Valkyrie Cain was only one of the people I sought revenge upon.”

“Really? You didn’t tell me that. Ah well, I suppose this is what you get when you don’t talk, am I right? You get surprises. So come on, Dusk, who else is on your list?”

“You are.”

Jack frowned and turned as the elevator doors closed and Dusk was lost to sight. Suddenly alone, Jack turned back to Shudder and Ghastly just as they attacked.

Valkyrie forced herself up, one hand at the wound on her neck, and she ran. The wound was burning, but there wasn’t much blood loss. She followed the corridor and took a left, jumping over the unconscious body of another security guard. Skulduggery came running back towards her.

“Where is he?” she called.

“Guild went after him. I lost them both.” He started to say something else then grabbed her. “You’ve been bitten.”

“Kenspeckle can cure me, right? So long as I get to him in the next few hours, I’ll be fine. Dusk bit me and basically spat me back out. It’s not even bleeding any more.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Well, it’s not bleeding
much.
”

“Valkyrie, you have to listen to me. Go back to Fletcher and get him to teleport you both out.”

She pulled away from him. “What?”

“The Desolation Engine could go off at any moment. If it does, it won’t care how strong you are or how tough. It won’t be something you can fight.”

“I’m staying with you.”

“Damn it, Valkyrie, if it goes off, I won’t be able to save you.”

“I’m not going to need you to save me.”

“I didn’t involve you in all this just so you could die by my side, do you hear me?”

“You
didn’t
involve me in this – I involved
myself. I
tagged along after Gordon was killed,
I
got you to teach me magic,
I
did it, OK? You didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“For once, please will you do what I ask?”

“Not a chance. And the more we argue about it, the less time we have to stop Scarab.”

Skulduggery looked at her then wrapped his scarf around his jaw. “He’ll be among the crowd now,” he said. “It’s the safest place for him now that he knows we’re after him. We’ll have to keep each other in sight at all times.”

“I’ll be able to move faster than you. I don’t have to worry about a disguise slipping off.”

“You’ve got blood all over you.”

She snapped up the collar of her coat. “Better? Now come on, we don’t have much time.”