SILIS THE DARK STRANGER

1 Many thanks to MS with love and her kindness.

SILIS,THE DARK STRANGER.

Ronnie Carleton

2018
 THE OLD MAN FROM THE SEA

SILIS.

ALL AT SEA.

Julia Hancock brushed wet hair back out of her face, gagging on another mouthful of

seawater and was sick to the right of her small bundle of driftwood and four life jackets,

one that she removed from a floating body last night. It had belonged to a teenage girl

whose name she had forgotten after the yacht exploded. Panic set in, everyone grabbing

something that would keep them afloat as the boat broke its back and went down, flames

rising high into the air,gone. In the darkness there were cries for help and now and then a

scream but she drifted in pain, her right arm peeling and then silence except for the waves

lapping around her.

By the hint of dawn she was ready to give up, the tiredness and the cold leaving her body

and brain numb, her mouth swollen in need of fresh water and now feeling no pain. She

slipped away into a world of sleep.

Something sharply jabbed her ear and she opened one eye and could see it was a large

black back gull, a red tip on a yellow bill, and so close to her face she could smell it. She

screamed at it in alarm and it flapped away in alarm only to settle on the water. Soon as

the light came, it was joined by three more, all now watching her and waiting and again she

screamed at them, “You're not having me for breakfast you ugly bastards!”

Julia started to swim again and then in fear heard a shout to her rights. “Over here stupid.

Swim to the life-raft damn it!”

When she looked a bearded man was standing waving, shirtless and in ragged shorts. His

hair was standing up and she at first felt fear. She swam like she never swam before and he

hauled her on board and she slid inside gasping.

“You have had no message or phone calls my Lady and the beef is off tonight. Sorry.

Thanks would be nice of course.”

She looked sideways at him through wet strings of hair. “Who the fuck are you Mister!”

He bent over in a mock bow, “Robert Edward Lee but you can call me Silis or old man, no

matter and for the moment, I only have you down as shark bait. Behind you is two bottles

of water. Drink some slowly but not it all because we are not out of the woods yet. I need to

water the horses.”

Her eyes went wide. “Horses?”

He frowned at her and sighed. “I need a piss lady. Full bladder”,he lied.”

She watched him drop his shorts but could not hear water hitting water then she watched

him as if shaking water of his penis.

She turned away and grabbed the first bottle of water and open it, gulping down water fast

then she heard his gruff voice. “Wow there trigger to much too fast will make you ill if you

overload and I don’t want you puking inside here. You got a name lady?”

She glared at him and wiped her swollen lips. “Everyone has a name. Call me Julia. Were

you on the ‘Sea Swallow’?”

He nodded, “Cook of sorts, odd jobs, down below. I come up on deck while people like you

sleep and take the wheel, hold a course then I go down below when Hector the hound, the

owner, comes up at three bells and I rest, then I cook and you lot eat it if you are not still

drunk. Well right now there is you and I Julia because everyone else, including the cat is

shark food somewhere behind us.”

“How did it happen?”

He shrugged and scratched his beard, “Some damn fool boiled a kettle, made a drink,

turned off the gas, no flame, but still on, build up and then ‘bang!’ and the boat was

matchwood. You, I guess, were lucky and got out and I was lucky because I was blown out

the side and found the life raft, pulled a string and here we are, you and I, zing and yang on

the open sea.”

Julia made a face. “That is nice, You and I together all at sea, maybe for a week, maybe

more, sharing a very damp life raft, having to pee and God help me, poop over the side!”

“Better than being eaten by at least three shark species, that being tiger, white tips or black

tips and of course, a big white. Then there could be black and white banded sea snakes,

that swim well and more so if we get close to landfall.

On top of that we have the sun, little water, no food, the very real risk of sea salt sores on

any part of our body with skin shedding and are more at risk than me of that with those

burns on your arm.”

She shuddered and looked at him. “What about some good news?”

His laugh was harsh. “Good News you say. Well we have a first aid kit, which I will dress

that arm with, fish hooks and line, a flare gun with three shells, a torch that works and two

lights that come on at night. That is it lady.”

For a moment she looked alarmed took two deep breaths then blurted out. “What if one of

us die here, at sea?”

“Whoever it is ,the other person has to bury then fast at sea, Sharks will do the rest”, he

said softly and took from his pocket a lock knife on a string and set it in one of the pockets

on the inside of the life raft and nodded at it, “It may also mean cutting slices of the body

for hook bait or if pushed, eating it.”

“Shit if I’ll do that!”

He shrugged. “You and I have choices on that one lady. Me I won’t starve to death though
there is not much meat on those bones of yours. How the hell are you so skinny?”

She glared at him and then hiss at him. “It is called cancer of the stomach asshole and my

little sailing trip was as a guest not a crew member so pick the bones out of that one. They

said five months at the most, now I say any

day will do!”

He held up a finger,then went to the open flaps and looked at the sky and turned to her.

“Wind is getting up so we keep the flaps of the door to the wind and let it take us where we

have to go. If it rains, we try and collect water in a bottle.

When it gets dark, we close the flaps, and snuggle up together and sleep.”

“In your dreams!”, she snapped and give him a look that could kill him.

“Fine. I’ll sleep. You stay awake and shiver all night and you will be fit for nothing in the

morning. Meantime, we are now drifting East, later the wind is going to come from the

west, so we will cover ground. I should say ’sea miles’ so forgive me.”

Julia looked sad and her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away, took another sip

of water and passed the bottle to him which he took but replaced the blue screw top and

handed her the bottle back. She set it behind her without taking her eyes off Silis. “So what

did you do before being a cook?”

His smile was crooked. “I was a Royal Navy padre with a Commando group and many

other things”, he lied.

“A priest?”

“ Yes, For my sins though I do not believe in sin, just fun. Even earned my green lid on the

commando course, seen action and death that I am not going to talk about, was never

married, was never divorced, no children, then became a hired out cook to big money

tourists. You?”
She avoided looking at him but muttered, “I worked the clubs from Bristol to East London

in Gay pubs and clubs as a pole dancer. Good money, good fun and safe.”

Silis nodded slowly, and thought, I know all that stupid, I know everything about you and

everything about everything, and right now you are lying through your teeth.He sniffed the

damp salt air, made a face,you also smell like wet dog Julia, the thought came. Oh yes, I

know what you are, what you done.

LAND HO.

The sky was flickering in the night and the wind slapping water on the sides and the

roof of the lifeboat. Thunder mixed with the sound of wind and rain did not help as Julia

and Silis lay back to back and went in and out of his mindscape. By dawn ,Julia was in a

deep sleep as the wind died and the thunder clouds drifted east. Silis opened his eyes and

frowned. The sound of the sea had changed and they seemed to be bumping against

something that sent small shudders through the boat. He nudged Julia with his elbow and

she shouted, “What the hell did you do that for!”

“Something strange if you really want to know?”

She turned and glared at him. “Like what?”

He smiled at her.”We have run aground on rocks or a shore that is what.”

They both scrambled for the zip door and opened it. When they looked out all they could

see was white topped waves. Julia made a face. “More water!”

Silas crawled outside and looked over the top and almost shouted ‘Glory Be’ but instead

muttered, “We are on the shore off an island I think, palm trees, the lot even some jungle.”

She pushed him out of the way and so hard he slipped over the side into a few feet of water.

He struggled to stand and smiled at her. “Had a bath, thanks.”

Julia was still looking at the island and stepped into the water which came up to her thighs

and punched the air.”Land Ho!”

“Sure is, Come on help me get this raft up the beach and for the moment we can use it for

shelter when it dries out.”

“Then what Jungle Man”, she demanded. “A picnic?”

“You and I explore the island, try and find fresh water, pick an area to use as a base, go

beach hunting for things we can use like rope, string old nets and most of all, real food.”

“So how do we start a fire to cook on?”

He looked closely at her. “Are you going to be fucking negative Julia, I mean we survived

the sea so now we are safe for a while, so get with it lady or push off in the boat and I will

stay here.”

She walked passed him giving him the finger as she did so and he smiled and shook his

head and thought,you will be sorry lady muck. Real sorry.

It was Julia who found the stream, not wide but gushing down from a jungle covered

hill and she lay in it, drank and soaked her whole body then shouted for Silis who came

running to her.

He rubbed his head and muttered, “Oh my God. Water and plenty of it. Well done!” That
should make you feel good,lady.

He did not drink, doused his head and laughed like a child. Then he looked at Julia and

smiled, “Well done. You might be useful after all lady.. Come on. We drag the boat up

here, and camp. Once we do that I will find some sort of food and we eat and rest. Before

night, we need a fire.”

She sat down hard, held her head and looked at her toes. “Tell me something Old Man

Silis, have you really taken on board, that we were shipwrecked, were inside a blow up

rubber raft, drifted here to this rock in the middle of God knows where, and now you think

you can go out and get food for two adults?”

“Yes, I don’t know how yet but I will find something that will keep you,us, going tonight

then tomorrow we can really settle down to it.”

Her head shot up and she glared at him.”In your dreams big man and besides you should

know I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs, bacon, or anything that could walk or fly.”

He grunted. “Well lady you're going to be dead well before me if that is the case and you

are well below your weight because of your illness and….”

“It is called cancer hotshot!”

“......you will be pissing blood before a week is out and start to eat yourself from the inside

out then die a very slow painful death kido. Not nice.”

For a moment fear crossed her face and she fought back the tears. “Did anyone ever tell

you that you have a wonderful bedside manner when breaking bad news?”

“All the time. So you rest here, sip water and I will see what is out there for the table. Are

you in pain?”

She looked at him.”Just seeing you. Just go and get back before dark!”

He give a mock bow,his amber eyes catching the light, almost glowing, and muttered, “Yes
my Lady. On my way.”

She watched him till he went behind an outcrop of rocks and then sat brooding and looking

out to sea. Small waves now and green coloured, a few terns diving into it and calling

loudly.

At any other time, in any other place if could feel like a holiday with sun, sea and sand with

a beach bar and food shore café like they had in Goa. She slowly looked around her and

thought, without the Holy Silis of course. A very small orange coloured crab poked itself

out of a hole at the water's edge and waved a claw at her. Julia almost smiled and

muttered, “Hi. I’m Julia Hancock and no relation to ‘Tony Hancock crab and…”

She jumped when a gull lifted the crab and flew off with two more gulls chasing it. “Christ.

Life is short here!”

Her mind raced and dark thoughts came into her head like black snow. Why worry about a

crab when you could dies anytime and that Julia is a sure thing because even the Silis

Man’s boss will not save you. She looked at her toes, wrinkled white with sea water, then

her slender hands which she reached up to her hair and tugged a little. Her hair came out

easy and she looked at it in the bright light. I’m full of chemicals, I have cancer with no

hope, my hair is falling out and I am stuck on an island with an old man who lost his faith

and become a cook. Karma Julia, just Karma. She closed her eyes and started to empty her

head of morbid thoughts,tried to draw on past good memories like when she was a

teenager, happy and excited. Most of all when she was alive.
 THE DARK VISITOR.

Julia must have fallen into a deep sleep because when she looked the sun was now

kissing the sea goodnight and a few very large fruit bats were leaving the trees and flying

away across the island. When she stood up she felt dizzy and staggered to the stream and

drank deeply and refilled the water bottle.

Silis was standing there beside the boat unloading stuff from what looked like a bag but

larger. She walked over and shoved the water bottle into his hands and looked down at a

large sheet of canvas which had displayed on it, two lengths of rope, some net, a drinks can,

and half of a large silver fish with the head still on it but no eyes.

He smiled his crooked smile. “Not bad, The fish, or at least the part we have is a large sea

bass and cut in half I suspect by a shark. It was on the tide line and the gulls took the eyes,

I took the rest. In case you are worried, it is fresh, and must have been five to eight pounds

in weight when alive.”

She sniffed, “You expect me to eat that?”

“No I expect you to share it with God or the Devils and all the bugs here after I have

cooked it over a fire. I already had my share on the beach,raw.”

He waited for a comment but she went into the raft and he shrugged and thought at this

rate she would be close to death in two to three days time.

He found small twigs, some well dried out moss and a stone. Arranging the lot of wood and

moss, he took out his knife and struck the stone hard at an angle and sparks flew into the

wood and moss but nothing happened. Then he heard her call and he looked at her

standing against the sun. “I found this. It may help.”

“What?”
“Waterproof matches in a box and something in a box called a tinderbox. The knife thing

does not seem to be working jungle Man.”

“Wrong sort of rock I guess. Where did you find those?”

She laughed, “Inside a first aid pack which was zipped into a pocket. We missed it.”

“Anything else?”

“Torch, spare batteries, and a sealed packet of morphine.”

For a moment he was stunned, “Someone is looking after you Julia like big time. No

whiskey I supposed?”

She shook her head. “No just some small round thing, brass I think that looks like a

watch”, holding it up for him to see.

“It is called a compass lady. Helps us find our way, tells us east from west and where north

is. Good bit of survival kit for us. Ok, stash it all away safe and I mean ‘safe’ because we

are going to need it all.”

“Are you always grumpy?”

He nodded then smiled. “Always. Even if I sleep which is not offen. I am grumpy right now

because I am bored. You could eat a nun’s arse through the bars of a convent gate. Lets

cook, you eat.”

She frowned at him. “That fish, half a fish. It may be full of bugs and poison us both. I’m

not sure I want to eat it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Once you smell it cooking you will want to eat it. Believe me.”

When she sucked the last of the fish bones Julia tilted her head and looked at Silis over

the glowing fire and smiled. “Hate to say it old man but that hit the spot. Pity it was only

half a fish.”

He threw a fish bone into the fire to make her think he ate some of the fish before he
answered. “There you go again Julia something else to moan about and I have to keep

telling you to stay positive. Good job you are not married to someone, male or female

because you would drive them up the walls. Are you married?”

“Was.”

“And what happened?”,but he already knew. He always knew.

“He used to bounce me off the walls, smack me in the face and raped me twice. The second

time I killed him with a bread knife. The cops came, I was arrested and went to court. I

thought I would get a year in prison and pleaded guilty but I got five years, did three and

out again. Went to Queensland and made some money then hitched a lift, or paying guest if

you like on that boat, now I am here, with nothing but something trying to eat me from

inside.Wanting to get out. So the money is gone with the boat and everyone else except you.

You old man, are not much of a catch but right now you are all I have got.”

Silis swallowed twice. “You killed him?”

She nodded but did not look at him. “Sure did. They said they found sixteen stab wounds at

the postmortem and also it seems he was missing his dick and balls but I do not remember

doing that. I lost it.”

The old man stood up and went and got the torch and switched in on. “Back in a while. Got

to water the horses and think things through. Keep the fire going.”

She did not answer so he walked to the shore and along it, his red hot mind racing.Not

cancer lady and you know it.

As he walked his mind was a jumble of thoughts. ‘ She is mad as a hatter in spring, she

could try to kill me if she had the knife or try and crack my skull with a rock when I am

sleeping or...?’ He laughed.’Then she would get a real shock that would stop her heart

there and then.’

All these thoughts went out of his head in a flash when the light of the torch picked out a
hand and arm being carried from the sea across the beach and other dark shadows came

from the rocks and started to eat it.

He could hear the growls and hissing from the large lizards and slowly he backed off

turned his head and could see the glow of the fire at least two hundred metres away. “I

won’t make it running if I was human. To far for me”, he whispered to himself and thought

, from now on I take the flare gun loaded.

He looked back where the animals were still tearing the arm apart, and hear bone

snapping as they chewed. Time for me leave here Silis old chap, the choice is a no brainer,

the lizards or a past killer of bad men but then they did not have to be bad.

He turned off the torch and walked back on the tide edge till he seen the fire and the raft.

He heard her snoring inside the cover of the raft then built up the fire.

It was going to be a long night but I have had nights and days before and it would be much

worse if I was one of them. Switch off.

Something sharp poked him hard in the leg a was trying to sit up but the muzzle

of a rifle was pressing against his head made him stiffen..

“I am private Togo Osa, Imperial Japanese Forces, Marines. You both are now prisoners

of war and I will shoot you now if you resist!”

Julia opened her eyes in the dark. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

He grunted, “Not me stupid. A Jap marine or something. Says he will shoot us both if we

do not surrender to him and before you start mouthing off Julia, he has a rifle in my face

and speaks English very well so he will also understand it.”

She snapped on the torch and said, “Oh fuck! Shit! He’s an old man.”

Not as old as me, nothing alive is as old as me, he thought.

“I speak good English and I went to London University, got a degree just before the war
started so I was called up to serve the Emperor of Japan. I served well, and I never

surrender. I die first, you die before me. I make sure.”

Silis forced a smile. “Ok. Don’t shoot. We agree. We are your official prisoners of war. My

name is Silis, this is my wife, Julia. Where are the rest of your marines?”

“Hi, Dead. All dead. I am last one left.”

Julia sighed deeply. “Listen Tojo or whatever your name is, don’t you know the war is

over? Like this is 2018 not 1945. How old are you Mr Tojo?”

His face crinkled into something related as a smile. “I don’t know. It is not 2018. Cannot

be. Come, we go now to camp.”

Walk away Silis, don’t let the anger take over. He is just an old man, he thought, but he

could end up as a dead old man if you kick off.

LITTLE TOKYO.

It was pre-dawn jungle crows that forced him to open his eyes and for a moment he

forgot where he was. The small cave was still dark and the bamboo cot he was sleeping on

creaked as he moved, Then he heard snoring and looked to his left. Julia out like a light but

her profile still in darkness. His nose picked up the smell of the jungle, a dampness and the

smell of soil but most of all,the smell of woodsmoke. He looked out into the gloom and seen

the glow of the fire.

The Japanese marine was not sitting at it and he pondered on where the old man was. A

small voice in his head whispered, ‘not a good time to go and look for him old chap’

because he could plug you or stick you on the end of his large knife’. True, then I would
have to draw all the breath from his body.

He lay back in the bed and realized he had a hairy type blanket over him. It smelt old and

musty and the Japanese marine must have covered him up during the “No pee there. No,

pee over there by that dead tree and if you need a shit dig a hole in jungle and then cover

up. This my home!”

He slowly turned and Tojo, the old marine was close to him his face full of anger.

“Sorry. Could not wait.”

“Bow before you speak!”, and hit him on the head with a bamboo cane hard.

“Ouch!. Ok,ok I bow!”, and played the game of power and submission.

Julia and Silis sat by the fire, the sun now up, pretending to eating from a split coconut

shell and neither asked what the hot meat was because whatever it was, it smelt and and no

doubt, tasted good. Julia sucked her fingers one by one and Silis was watching her closely.

She caught his eye and whispered, “He has his own cave?”

Silis grunted and nodded. “Yes and he found some blankets last night and covered us up

when we were sleeping however he still is a Jap fighting his own war still so bow to him

before you talk to him.”

Her mouth fell open. “The hell I will!”

He touched his head and muttered, “Then he will hit you hard with his bamboo cane and I

mean hard and I do not have to prove it. Trust me, he will hit you. Show him respect and

you will be ok.”

Julia rolled her eyes then whispered. “You did all that Commando stuff you said so say a

prayer then kill him.”

His amber eyes blazed for a moment.”You kill him and you have killed before so it should

be easy. Then you could shag him to death because you know how to and then smother him
in the process! Oh, and you could eat him if you want!”

ToJo Osa came out with what looked like army pants and coats and threw them at their

feet. “Clothes for you both. Shoes or boots I go look for.”

He shuffled back into his cave and Julia hissed at Silis “He wants us to dress up now so will

you kill him?”

“No.Your the killer Julia. He is all yours baby doll.”

“So we both dress up and if he gets us boots or shoes that might or might not fit we wear

them you say?”

“Of course He is being kind I think. He fed us, give us a blanket, food this morning and

now clothes and maybe boots or shoes. It is his Buddhist upbringing Julia.” muy

“And he expects us to wear them?”

Silis glared at her then grunted. “Look what we are wearing now lady, rags that are falling

off us, no shoes and your tits at times, are showing, not that it matters out here of course

but Jap Army clothing and boots is much better what we have now. Your legs will be

covered and your arms and you won’t damage your feet. Leeches and other things will love

your exposed body parts, more so if it rains at night.”

She made a face as she undressed and put on the clothes and Silas did the same and they

stood and looked at one another.

“We look stupid, baggy and most of all like Japs!”, hissed Julia looking over her shoulder

as Tojo approached them carrying boots and canvas shoes. He dropped them then looked

them both up and down. “Find shoes that fit well.No socks.”

Silis was surprised when Julia bowed towards the old man. “May I ask a question please.

There might be lice in the clothes but stand in the woodsmoke?”

The old marine nodded. “Hi” looking at them both and nodded.
“Have you ever tried to get off this island, like build a boat, raft of something?”

Tojo looked at Silis and smiled. “Wife not right in the head. She needs help very soon, not

well. You had boat yet you landed here. The reason is that there is nothing out there but

thousands of miles of sea and sky.”

This time Silis bowed. “Have you explored this island Private ToJo.”

“Hi”

“And?”

“Large Island, too much jungle and you cannot walk on the shore because of dragons and

panthers. There are no jungle paths and any I make grow over again within two months.

No fishing boats anymore, no natives anymore, just jungle ghosts and tree spirits.

Sometimes demons and devils”

Julia bowed again. “Panthers like lions or leopards?”

“Hi. No lions, but clouded leopards with camouflage coats. Dangerous if they have cubs.

Worse at night. Feed on small deer and pigs, on dead bodies of my friends. Five in all over

the years I drag to beach and leave them. Dragons ate them as did panthers but panthers

will never feed on meat that dragons have fed on. Poison spittle. Kills everything.”

Silis bowed again nodded. “Private Tojo is right Julia. To us in the west they are known as

Komodo Dragons, another name for Monitors or great lizards and their mouth juices are

highly toxic to humans.”

Julia shrugged but not alarmed. “So where do we go from here gentlemen?”

“Go? Nowhere to go”, said Tojo firmly.then added, “We are three human beings here, one

woman, two men and as I am in charge of this Island I therefore am also the law under the

flag and rules of Japan. By law, and the laws of war,you are my prisoners though non

combatants but as civilians.”

Bowing Silis said. “But we are not at War with you or Japan Private Osa so you are

holding us illegally under the laws of the United Nations of which Japan is a member. We

can be friends, help one another while we are together but I refuse to be treated as a

prisoner of war. I am a free thing. spirit, energy.”

ToJo took off glasses and wiped them clean and put them back on again, the left lens

showing a crack in the morning sun. “In that case Mr Silis how do you feel at being a dead

free thing and your wife and I could have a feast.?”

“I take that means you think you could kill me,us,then feed us to your pet reptiles down on

the shore?”

“I could but why would I kill you or want to kill you Mr Silis when nature will kill you

within a week back at your rubber boat. No food medicine, clothes, night time dragons.

You came to this island with your own free will, my island and home and I am holding it

till I die for my Japan. Your wife here, if she is your wife, is ill. I know that and she will die

in great pain when I have plenty of morphine in my cave. I studied medicine in England

before the war and I practiced it with wounded Japanese heros Mr Silis until I ended up

here as a private because I protested about abuse against American and British POWs in

Borneo.So I live in shame when once I was a good medical officer, a Captain in fact but I

let medicine get in the way of duty. So go. Now!”

“You were a doctor?”, asked Julia hopefully and her eyes wide.

ToJo bowed slightly. “Yes.”

When Julia spoke her voice was husky.”So the other men, your buddies, as well as an

officer or NCO died here as well?”

He nodded, “Yes, all five of them. Malaria, snakebite, one shot himself because he went

mad and was seeing the forest jungle Jina, one drowned or taken by a shark and the last

one a year ago died in his sleep.”

“What the hell is a forest Jina”, snapped back Julia fighting back tears.
Silis said softly, “A type of spirit or ghost found in Asia but from what I know not a very

nice one. Always a female. I am correct on that am I not Dr Osa?”

“Hi! You are well read Mr Silis and correct.”

The old bastard has put me on a spot, thought Silis, rubbing his face and looked out from

the hill over the sea. He turned and looked hard at Osa. “Come with us Tojo. We go

together.”

“No. I have my duty Mr Silis. I stay here with my friends. What year is it now?”

“Twenty eighteen.”

“And Japan. How is my homeland?”

“ I told you. Doing great. No war ever again. War over long time and maybe time to go

home.North Korea is flexing its muscles right now,Syria is at war but Japan is at peace.”

Tojo Osa bowed, turned and walked back to his cave and lost himself in the darkness of his

mindscape.

Julia and Silis looked at one another. “Any ideas Julia, like good ones, even one would do?”

She puffed out her cheeks then let out a long breath. She looked back at the cave entrance.

“He says he was a doctor, then he tells us he had morphine and I am going to be selfish

here Silis, when the time comes I am going to need help to pass over to the other side and

you and him can be buddy, buddy”

Silis laughed harshly, “I can understand your thinking and we have food of sorts, shelter, a

fire when we need it and clothes now. That is the good news.”

“What is the bad news Mr Silis?”

“Where the hell would we go and he is flaky, you know it and I know it but he still thinks

he is at war with his world and has pride and honour at stake.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you are letting God get in the way of the high risk he could be to us
if he lost the plot. I say, take him down.”

. “Wow there. You are talking murder here, taking the life of an old man!”

She looked sideways as ToJo Osa came out of his cave and walked slowly towards them

holding a Samurai Sword in both hands, stopped then bowed.

Oh,oh thought, Julia fear rising within her as Silis slightly bowed back in return.

“I have come as a matter of honour to you and to me and I therefore offer my retirement

from the Japanese Imperial Army as from now. This means a lot to me but it is not an offer

of surrender. I want you to understand this, so take the sword.”

He held it out towards Silis, who very slowly took it from him, bowed and looked the old

man in the eyes.

“I am glad you have retired Tojo Osa and you do me great honour but I cannot take your

sword as you have earned the right to keep it and Julia and I respect you and understand

your brave decision on this matter, So I offer you back your sword old man with respect

for your bravery.”

Osa took the sword and bowed, turned around and went back to his cave and Julia hissed

at Silas when he vanished inside. “Jesus on a crutch stupid. What the hell have you just

done giving him back the carving knife as now he could kill us both without firing a shot!”

He looked sideways at her. “Keep the prophet Jesus out of it. Something you as a woman

would not understand. I give him back his honour and he accepted it. Excuse me I need to

go for a walk as I need time to think and space.”

“But…”

He walked away down the slight hill towards the beach below and did not look back. She

has to go and soon and then the old man and I will become close friends and between us we

will walk out of here and up over the jungle hill. Of course I could leave anytime at night.
 Silis sat on a bleached log that had been a tree a long time ago and looked out to

sea but none of it looked right, not the sea, sand or fluffy clouds.

A gull landed beside him and started to preen itself, casting a small shadow on the sand but

he was uneasy because he could have touched it with his foot if he tried and yet it sat there

doing what gulls do. Slowly he stretched out his foot towards the sea bird but it kept doing

what it had been doing, not alarmed in anyway. He was not in anyway surprised or

shocked when he realized that there was no shadow under his leg. He stood up and looked

back at the jungle the way he had come and could not see his footprints in the sand.

The gull flapped its wings and glided towards the incoming tidelines, low over the sand

where small wind flurries lifted sand and scattered it to his right.

Wind? There is wind but I don’t hear it. I see it but don’t feel or hear it.

He flopped rather than sat back on the log and touched the wood but there was no feeling

from the surface of the log .Dead, just as I am, he thought, like me.

Julia Hancock stood watching Tojo washing at the stream nude and throwing

water over himself and speaking in Japanese to someone on the other bank of the small

stream. Besides shade and light she seen a shape, a human shape that kept changing in the

light, fading then coming back again and Tojo would now and then nod or shake his head.

“Who is he talking to?”, she wondered, standing now in the middle of the narrow worn

path that led to the stream. Then the old man was back on the bank at a fast walk and

came up the path. She stood, hands on his hips to confront him but she shivered as ice went

through her and he walked on.

“Tojo. Wait!”

He did not turn or stop and she looked to her right and could see two crooked wooden

crosses on the head of small hollows that were made when the graves had caved in. She

walked over and stood looking. No names, just a ring with a turquoise stone on a rusting

chain hanging from the right hand cross.

She looked down at her right hand where over the years, the ring had been part part of

her. It was on her hand when she took to the raft. Then it hit the spirit as it stood there,

looking at the graves then slowly looked back at the path where it led to the caves. Tojo was

standing there looking in her direction then he saluted her as she faded away like melting

snow.

Private Tojo Osa nodded once, then bowed. “Hi!”

Overhead out of sight, a monkey eating eagle called as the old man went back to his cave.

He tore up the faded map as it was no use to him because not only would it give

him any hint where he was it was of Japanese Island miles away from here. He had worked

out that the patrol boat had drifted west for well over sixty days, six Japanese marines on

board including himself, one officer, two NCO’s and three privates who had escaped when

they had been overrun by US and British forces. Two nautical miles from where he was

now a plane had come in and strafed the boat with gunfire killing and wounding nine men.

As it began to sink Osa and the rest swam to a coral reef and stood waiting for the tide to

drop. By dawn they could wade ashore and they set up camp in the caves above the beach.

That was in 1945 he thought as he threw a fish head to his only friend, a moon rat that

lived in a jumble of sticks. He called the rat Cobi and was never sure if it was always the

same rat he had a made a friend of a year ago. Cobi would come into his cave looking for

food or when a tropical storm blew up

He looked at Cobi and smiled a toothless smile.

“You should get yourself a wife or a husband Cobi before I die or leave here because you

do not want to be lonely. You are the only friend I have got because the Jina have gone

also, the male Silis first and then the female. I put out food for them, give them boots and

clothes,covered them with a blanket and even dragged the woman’s worthless body up here

before the dragons got her. Buried her and stuck a marker over her. Was her spirit

grateful?”
He made a face then shook his head. “No thanks there, no loyalty or friendship, and off she

went, one at a time and I guess went to the underworld. I should have burned her body like

I burned my comrades over the years and scattered her ashes. They looked like Christians

and I did not want bad luck if I burned her..

Cobi. You think I was right doing that. Burying her?”

Cobi stopped chewing the fish head, washed his face with his front feet and ambled back

into the shade of the woodpile.

He looked at the sun aware that his old legs would only get him, at the most, five miles a

day, depending on how thick the jungle was and of course the weather.

Better make that four miles he thought then grunted, “In the old days I could march for

twenty miles and fight at the end off it,not now. Not now.”

He closed his eyes tight fighting back the tears. A low voice slipped into his mindscape.

‘You could end it all here and now. No more jungle sores, leeches, rain, having to look for

food, the shits when they come. You have a pistol and a rifle.”

“Go away. It is all a state of mind. If I die it will be like a man till my last breath.”

“Not far off now then and when you die, no prayers, no Buddha, and no one to miss your

passing. Bug food, then a bag of bones. Press the trigger old man.”

He opened his eyes and shrugged. “Not yet.”

It was three days later when he walked into a small clearing with long grass. He stopped

and looked slowly around him. Instead of thick jungle there was no trees and the landscape

was alien to him.

He walked to a stump of a tree and run his hands over it puzzled how anyone could cut so

neatly with a saw. Not just one tree stump but many.
Then he felt fear because such destruction meant he was not alone on the island. The old

man backed slowly into the shade of the forest and his dark eyes darted around looking for

human movement.

Nothing moved except for a light breeze and above him and a few birds flying around. He

stood for at least ten minutes, not moving and at last he relaxed.

He whispered to himself,”No woodsmoke, no dogs barking or livestock and no longhouses

like there were in Borneo with Japanese skulls hanging inside.”

Slowly he moved from cover and walked across the area to where the jungle started again.

Here he found a worn back road that lead into the cover and he noted there were no tracks

of man or vehicles. To him that was good news and he reached an area of forest that

offered cover and a clean stream.

His eyes went wild and wide when Silis came from nowhere and ran into him and he

shivered as he fell backwards then shuddered. He lifted his head and frowned then stood

and found no pain in his body, picked up his rifle and bag and started walking fast then

running like he ran like he did when he was a young man.

Two hours later, he burst out into a village, the houses like he had never seen before and

men, women and children stopped and looked at him.

An aircraft came in low its wheels dropping down and landed on a runway to his right but

he noted the name ‘Air France’ just as a police officer came up to him slowly, his face pale

and pointing a pistol at the old man.

Slowly the old man laid down his rifle and bag then took his sword in both hands, bowed

and held it out to the Royal Navy MP ,who replaced his pistol in the holster and a small

crowd gathered around whispering and talking.

“Well I’ll be buggered by an Admiral”,took the offered sword and saluted the old man,who

in turn stiffened and saluted back. When the men,some in uniform whites, women and

children moved closer, Silis detached and left the body then lost himself in the crowd as
they clapped. He smiled as he made his way to where he knew there were aircraft and also

knew he would have no trouble getting a flight out of here. After all, all he needed was a

live body to borrow for a time and no one would ask him for a passport or boarding pass.

Silis smiled and looked back and could see the old man watching him and he waved once

then was gone.

DOUGLAS THE ISLE OF MAN

Doctor David Defoe sat in the bright morning at his desk and sighed. It was

supposed to be his day off, golf in the morning and late lunch at the club, home to do

nothing but watch TV shows that he liked then bed. His blue eyes picked up the police car

pulling into the car park and he sighed deeply. Another one for the psychical honeypot of a

member of the homeless community and on orders of the local court, he had to do an

assessment on the man walking between the two-male officers. He had pre-warning before

he had his first cup of coffee in his own home and all he knew so far was that the man was

nude under a flyover lying close to a long dead female, age and name unknown. The police

arrived, he got dressed and the forensics team called in. The only name he had was 'Silas'

no date of birth, no fingerprints on record and for some reason, no drugs or booze in his

system. A DNA sample was taken but it would anything from twenty-four to forty-eight

hours to get a result. Old story, he thought and grunted as the door was knocked twice.

"Come in.

The door opened, the man known as Silis was brought in by the two officers and the older
one-handed Defoe the Court Order.

"The Court in Douglas said he needs the works and he is not arrested as such and Silis here

is a rough sleeper as you can see. Found beside …"

David Defoe held up a hand. "I have all the details thank you. You may wait outside or in

your car and if he escapes he really cannot get off the Isle of Man can he now?"

The older man nodded, the younger one was restless and held up a pair of bright handcuffs

and nodded at Silas.

Defore glared at him. "I have my own if needed and a baton to beat the truth out of him.

Failing that I could also fry his brain with my little gadget in the theater. Do you get my

drift officer Dibble?"

The young man flushed pink. "Sorry sir. We will wait in the car."

Defoe nodded, looked at the Court Order, checked it was signed and dated then looked up.

"You can go now officers. Silis here and I are going to have a little heart to heart and we

don't want people listening in."

When the door closed, Silas walked forward, pulled out the chair on the other side of the

desk and sagged into it. He looked at David with bright amber eyes but did not speak.

"I'm Doctor David Defoe."

"Silis. Me Silis. 'D,D,D' You are Doctor David Defoe. How can I help you David?"

"Tell me why you were under the flyover Silis."

"Shelter and Sleeping. The dead woman has been dead at least a week. Died from cold and

booze. No next of kin and will be known for a long time as Jane Doe. The rats had been

busy and the maggots. No rings or bracelets, no money, and she died alone at night and in

the cold."

"So, you found her in there?"

"Last night. It was pissing it down so I go there. No, I did not ring the police because one I

did not want to and two, she did not have a phone and neither do I. Even if she did have a

phone, dead people cant phone anyone and I do not know how to use one. Anything else

and can I go now please?"

David Defoe smiled. "Not yet. Would you like a drink, coffee or tea?"

"No."

"Maybe a cigarette?"

Silis smiled showing broken yellow teeth. "V av ways of getting to the truth so v knows you

are part of zee French resistance here in Lyon. V could have you shot right now if zee don't

answer my questions. Right?"

Defore frowned. "Silis you are on the Isle of Man not in France and the war is long over."

Silis thrust out both hand palms down. "I don't have any fingernails because they were

removed in June in nineteen forty-five. The ninth of June."

David looked at the fingers. At least now he had something to work with.

"What age were you when that happened."

Silis sat stone faced then rasped, "Forty years of age, might be forty thousand years at that

time for all I know,"

"And what age are you now Silis?"

"In French years, well over a hundred years old. I am not French if that is where you are

heading with this. I am a citizen of the world doctor Defoe."

This for a moment threw Defore but he made a note but more of a doodle than a word. "So

Silis. What brought you to the Isle of Man."

This time Silas smiled but it was not a nice smile. "To see justice done Doctor. I came to see

face to face one Hans Kruger SS and was known here as Hans Daka, Dutch. He was an
artist here, a good one, watercolors and they sold well. Not married or children, no family

left alive in Germany so he came here with a new ID and money in nineteen fifty-five. A gift

from the British Government Doctor DeFoe for services rendered at Nuremberg.

He was a Major in the SS and loved pine woods. He and his men would take men women

and children on 'nature' walks in the woods and had them dig their own graves then had

his men to shoot them all. Once the graves were filled in, he had the men plant trees on the

graves, pine trees because they grow fast and of course that wood is still there close to

Lyon, the roots being fed by the dead over the years.A Jewish Wood you could say."

"And did you find him?"

"Yes. He lived near the lighthouse. Seagulls and white shit."

"So, what happened to this man?"

"The Nazi died a very violent death."

Defore had to ask. "You killed him?"

Silis shook his head. "No, he killed himself. He jumped into the sea with rocks in his

pockets and was caught in a net put out by Irish fishermen after the herring. Crabs and

fish had been busy over two months. I was on the pier when his bones were laid out in a

body bag as others were."

Defoe pointed at Silis. "How come I did not read about this or hear about his death?"

"No need. It was put down as a 'missing man' found in sea. No one claimed him."

Defoe put his fingers together and looked at Silis over the top of them at the old man in

front of him. Now is the time to get him where he should be and that is to face reality here

and in the now.

"You know who the President of the United States is Silis?"

Silis tilted his head and looked at Defoe. "This is a trick question. Right?"
"No."

For a moment the old man pouted then his eyes became bright and he had a smile on his

face. "Fart!"

"No."

"Fart and blow are the same things stupid. Both are full of wind and make a lot of noise

over nothing. In fact, wind is another name for farting. Bet you didn't know that

professor."

Doctor David Defoe smiled. "No. I didn't. Ok. Let's do another question."

"Shoot."

"Who is the Prime Minister of the UK right now."

He rolled his eyes and looked David in the eye. "Son, this memory loss may be more than

the tumor you have at the base of your brain and unless you get help you are well and truly

fucked. On top of that you still have issue with that priest, man of God who buggered you

in the boiler room down in the south of England when you were thirteen. Father John, fat

bastard, but you were not the only child he did that too were you David?"

David Defoe stiffened in shock. "Who the hell are you?"

"Me. Just an old man, a man of many roads, of many countries on this poor dying planet

David. Unless you get help, sooner or later, you're going to go the same way but not before

you no longer can wipe your ass, feed yourself and have a bag attached by a tube to your

dick sonny. By that time, you will have the thousand-yard stare but seeing nothing. You get

my drift boy?"

Defore lost the plot and banged his fist on the table hard but Silis just sat and watched.

"All you have to do is pick up that phone and ring oncology. Seeing you work in this

hospital I have no doubt they will see you right away, do a scan and some other tests and

then take you in fast and operate. There is no time for you to do that, 'doctor heal self' shit
because your body clock is ticking and you will thank me in the long run. If you live that

is."

"Get out. Now go!"

Silis stood up, shuddered and walked to the door and opened it then looked back at Defoe.

"Your birthday is next March. The seventh. If you don't get help it will be your last day

before you pass over wherever that is."

Silis closed the door behind him and went down the backstairs, opened the fire door and

walked across into a small wood. He did not look back.

He went over a style and down a track and sheep scattered then bunched together stopped

and looked at Silis. Overhead, a Raven called and a light wind blew up and the leaves sang

in the hedgerows.

He reached a farm gate and opened it then closed it behind him with a clang and two farm

dogs ran out and started barking at him. He lifted his finger to his lips and they sat then

ran back the way they had come whimpering.

"You there. What do you want on my land!"

He looked at the middle aged woman, plump and grey haired and smiled a her.

"Just passing through on my way to the boat", he lied and aware that she was watching

him as he walked on down towards the main road. He could see the waves kissing the beach

and smell the salt in the air and started whistling the song, 'bring on the clowns.'

DERBYSHIRE ENGLAND

Toby looked up hard at what he termed as his girlfriend and she looked down from the

rock with a frown on her face.

“I’m not doing this anymore Toby. I did not sign up for this so it’s time to say goodbye, bye
bye baby and feel free to fly.”

He looked blank. “You do know that I am hanging on a rope three hundred feet up a rock

face, it’s pissing down, I’m cold and you tell me you are dumping me!”

“Getting dark too. It’s not your fault it's mine and over the six months we have share

moments I am sure as hell glad I did not ask you to move in. I don’t even like you now

never mind love you. So goodbye.”

Linda Coll struck the steel hard, and the carbineer with the rope attached parted company

with the rock crack and Toby dropped like a stone. There was a shrill scream for a moment

then a dull thud below with a rattle of small stones. She sat for a moment in the dusk

shaking but also listening but all she heard was a raven and distant sheep calling.

Then she smiled and she was still smiling when she got into her car and drove off in the

direction of Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

The tall thin old man was sitting on a log when the body hit the ground in front of

him and he turned his head slightly and looked at it. He was smiling and muttered,

“Human nature again at work and in this case, for what?” Silis watched as the last breath

was taken then that shudder, as the soul left the body and it glided away between winter

trees and the rain and before it vanished into the wet mist, it looked confused, he thought.

He shrugged, stood up and put on his small rucksack with nothing in it and headed down

to the River Dove and along the path where a few wet walkers and their dogs were heading

for the car park. A woman in a yellow coat was walking towards her car, rain dripping off

her and head down when he walked into her body. She shuddered for a moment, open her

car, took off her coat and threw it in the boot. Kate Levine turned on the inside light,

pulled down the sun flap and looked at herself in the small mirror.

She brushed away some wet hair out of her eyes and muttered, “That can’t be right.” She

blinked again and the eyes, that were once blue, were now bright amber. For a moment she

went into panic mode and then looked again and was more than delighted to see pale blue
eyes that smiled back at her.

The two police officers got out of their car, the headlights left on and the

flashing lights, and walked towards the nude man standing beside his clothes on the ground

in the rain. Sgt. Dawn Coburn whispered out of the side of her mouth to Officer Amid

Hussain.

“I’ll do the talking you do the watching and move if he gets violent.”

Husain grunted. “Whatever. He does not look from here the violent type. I mean, he is

shaking like a leaf Sgt.”

She walked up the man, seen that he was old and rolled her eyes. “Bit cold for a birthday

suit Sir. We had a call about you and came to check if you are ok?”, she lied then added.

“Do you have a name sir?”

He slowly turned his head and looked at her. She could see he had a thousand-yard stare.

He blinked twice at the question.

“Silis.”

“Address please.”

“Don’t know.”

“Could you tell me your date of birth sir?”

The old man shivered and frowned as he considered the question.

“Long time ago. Don’t know.”

Sgt Coburn caught Amids eye and he started to help the old man get dressed without any

fuss while Coburn put a call through asking if they could find out if anyone had reported a

missing person from a nursing home or their own home in the area.
She signed off and lit a cigarette and thought it out the best she could.

Nude, no watch, rings, chains, standing in the cold at night, out of it, so maybe it was time

to call an ambulance and get him into hospital before he pegged out. She put in the call and

was informed it would be at least half an hour before it could get there. She stubbed out the

cigarette and walked back to where Officer Husain was finished dressing the old man.

“Any trace of ID, phone, money, bus pass. Anything?”

Husain shook his head frowning. “No. Nothing. Except he has no shoes or socks and his feet

are bleeding. Oh, and for a moment, he was rambling on about a broken body then

clammed up. Oh I noticed his belly button was odd as if the skin had grown over it.”

She nodded, “Silis in the car, put one of our jackets on him to help him get warm, not mine,

and we will wait for the paramedics. Just another old man who has a scrambled mindscape

but the hospital will sort him out. Did he have any keys on him?”

“No. Like I said, he has nothing. He does smell of wood smoke, sweat and in need of a bath

I think but no matches or lighter. So how does he smell of woodsmoke and also a faint smell

of mint.”

“That’s nice. Come on let's get him in the car, back seat, locked in and chill for a while. We

have done all we can for the moment.”

“What about the so called smashed up body he told me about?”

She sighed and looked upwards, “Wacky Races Time, UFO’s Aliens and things that go

bump in the night but all in his head.”

Linda Coll poured herself her third drink and then rang Toby Bell’s home number

twice again and then his mobile number once. This was the second time in an hour and

again she left a message. ‘Toby, been trying to get you for hours now. Ring or text me soon

as.’

She smiled and nodded. “I live here in my home, he lived in his home and if asked I will say
yes I went to meet him at the climb but could not find him and so left the car park just

before dark. Anyway, he did not know I was coming so I went to where we meet in our

pub, ‘The Golden Leaf Inn’ at seven, stayed half an hour and was seen and then come

home. If the police call or ring I tell them that. If they tell me they found his body I will act

it out and stick to that. Then I also have the messages I left on both phones and at nine will

report him missing. As we don’t live together that should sound all right. No doubt the

local cops will tell me to wait till morning then make an official report. It is not that we

were a couple or married but I have to cover my tracks.”

She smiled again and nodded, muttering and toasting the dead man.

“Jesus Toby, I am talking to myself. Here is looking at you kid.”

She took a good long sup of the whiskey and knew she could not drive if anyone called and

looked shattered. Her phone pinged. Picking it up she looked for the number of the sender.

There was none. She opened the message and read it twice, the second time in alarm.

‘I KNOW WHAT YOU DONE TONIGHT AND WHERE YOU WERE BUT I ALSO

KNOW I WILL BE COMING TO VISIT YOU BEFORE DAWN LINDA OR IS IT JULIA

AGAIN?’

“Oh shit”, panic set in and she walked up and down the living room trying to get herself

together. She poured a large whiskey and flopped down on the sofa shaking. ‘Someone

knows about Toby, withheld number and knows or she knows I killed him. No, an accident,

no you planned this and they know!’

She had to hold the glass in both hands now as she was shaking so much. Her mind was

racing and her heartbeat was racing and now as the rain hit the windows of her house and

the wind sighted around it she knew the message was real. Quickly she deleted it and

turned off her phone, sat staring at it on the sofa and instead of panic, it was replaced by

dark fear.

After the old man was loaded up in the ambulance they got into the police car and Sgt
Colburn turned off the blue lights and sighed.

She looked at her watch. “Half an hour to go Amid before we finish our shift. Drive to the

village, find a chippy, eat and ask a few questions or go back to the station and have a

coffee?”

Amid was looking at the rain running down the side window then shrugged, “Coffee back

at the nick then sign off and I can go back to my two-month-old bride. She cooking tonight

and she is a very good cook Dawn. You?”

“Ready meal and a cat, a bath and TV. That is, it. Home alone again Amid.”

Amid slowly shook his head. “Not good for someone to eat and live alone.Please do not

mind me asking Dawn but how come you don’t have someone, like a husband or a lady?”

She glared at him. “Because I like it and besides it is none of your fucking business chap.

Let's go!”, and started up the car burned rubber leaving the car park, almost hitting a

suicidal sheep that stepped out of the undergrowth with a string of brambles tangled in its

wool.

Kate Levine sat reading a book on the small chair by the wood burner stove but she

was restless and her mind was not on the story and her eyes drifted to the photograph in a

frame of herself and Toby Bell. Her in her wedding dress and Toby in his dark suit. We

smiled a lot in those days, had fun, jobs and holidays until that bitch and there was no

more ‘Mrs. Bell’, she thought, the anger rising up within her. The home phone rang on the

table beside her and she jumped. She picked it up, her voice husky. “Hallo?”

“Kate. Is Toby with you because he has not come back from climbing?”

Kate looked at the photograph and grunted. “No. Goodbye.”

“No wait! Please. Can I come over. I’m worried about him.”

Kate sighed. “I have nothing to say to my ex best friend and no, you can’t come over as you

put it. We have nothing to say to one another Linda. Who knows, he might be bed hopping
again. Besides I have an early shift in A and E in the morning and need to go to bed. Bye.”

“Did you send me a text message.”

Kate frowned. “Text message. Why the hell would I want to text you a message unless it

was to tell you to drop dead. Time to grow up little girl, powder your pussy and get on with

life. It Toby is gone then he is gone, you are not married to him or even living with him so

how does it feel to be dumped, or he just took off. Bye!”

She slammed the phone down hard then took it off the hook and went to bed.

Linda Coll looked at the phone. She tried to ring back twice but it was engaged.

“Shit on a stick!”

Sister Kate Levine walked to the desk and nodded to the morning shift staff and they

went into her office and closed the door behind her then as the A+E manager sat at the

desk and flipped open the night shift folder.

She looked at them all in turn noting the turn out then said in a soft voice.

“You will all have noted that we are packed out this morning so I will keep it short. This

will still give you time to have tea or coffee before you start.

First, they had two DOA who have now been moved down to the Rose Garden, RTA, police

have been and gone. Cubicle A has one Alice Gover aged eighty-three, COPD and needs a

bed soon as, B contains a female child with mother who came in with head injuries said to

have been caused by falling out of the bed. The trouble with this young patient is that it is

showing old bruising on the arms and trunk so Social Service have been notified.

Out in the corridor is an old man, smelly and may have lost the plot and all we have his is

first or second name. Brought in by the police last night as was found nude in a carpark.

Keep an eye on him and make sure you push fluid. If you have to handle him, gloves and

protection may be needed because it says in his report he is a one-man nature reserve.
I suggest till we can get a bed, which could be a long time, you feed him if you can, a spoon

if you have too and note everything you do with him including BP and behavior. No fuck

up’s today please because we are stacked up. We have a duty of care. Go to it, get a drink

or whatever and out on the Department ten minutes from now. I know we are one down

when it comes to nursing so we are looking to the wards to send us a nurse if they can till I

can get someone of the Bank.”

She sighed and stood by the phone as they left then lifted it and rang a number. “Hi Jane I

don’t suppose you have a spare nurse we can have?

Ok. I'll do the rounds. Thanks.”

Dawn, after ten minutes ringing around and having no luck left her office to check that

everyone was where they were supposed to be, and do far busy but not yet a red alert. She

looked up at the board and cursed under her breath, because one patient had breached the

time limit and target and the old woman was coming up fast.

She walked over to one of the doctors going off the night shift and smiled.

“How long this time Dr Woods?”

He looked like a grumpy badger with his hair stuck up then glanced at his watch. “Eleven

hours and fifty-one minutes. No shift tonight but I am going home and sleeping away the

day tomorrow Mate, have a good shift if there is such a thing anymore Kate. Bye.”

She smiled and nodded, “On your way Alec. Sleep tight.”

Her next stop was to see who was stacked up on the trolleys and walked passed a teenager

looking at her parents but Kate did not stare but she noted it as she came to the old man.

Then with force, a husky voice somewhere in her head said with a hiss.

‘You should have gone to Linda Coll’s house when you got her call. After all she killed

your ex by smashing the rock and link that he was attached to and he screamed and shit

himself just before his face and head hit the rocks. If you had went you could have turned
the bitch into dog meat!”

Her eyes went wide and bent down and looked into amber eyes.

“What the fuck did you just say then!”

For a moment the old man’s eyes seem to glow. “Me Silas,Silas Silas.”

She leaned closer and could smell the rankness of his breath as he snapped at her and took

a lump out of her cheek then she fell back shocked.

She could see the staff slowing down and their voices fading away like something out of a

film in slow motion in black and white.

She found the words and said harshly, “If you people have nothing to do, then one of you

chase up a bed for Silus here and two nurses need to clean up this patient before he goes

anywhere. He also needs fluids close by him!”

Her long standing Auxiliary nurse, Heather McGlynn walked in close and whispered in her

ear. “Kate, you need a wash, then clean it but a doc needs to take a look and maybe put in a

suture or two.”

“Heather, what the fuck are you mumbling about?”

Heather nodded at the old man who was watching with a smile on his lips.

“He bit you, peeled off a lump or strip and swallow it within a few seconds.”

Kate ran for the staff toilet, locked the door behind her and went to the mirror over the

sink. The face looking back at her was bloody on one side with a strip of skin hanging to

the side of her mouth. She screamed like a wounded deer and darkness closed around her.

By the time she was brought round they had her in the office chair, the wound she

had treated and sutured she was still shaking. Not so much about the attack but more

about what the old man knew about her. He also knew about Linda Coll and her ex-

husband. Did she really kill him?

She was startled when the door was knocked hard, gathered herself together and muttered,

“Come!”

The door opened wide and two uniformed police officers walked in, the older one a woman

who was showing her police ID.

“Sgt. Dawn Coburn and Officer Amid Hussain. I wonder if you are up to making a

statement on the assault made on you made on you by a patient?”

Kate Levine nodded at the three chairs in front of her desk. “Close the door please as there

will be rubberneckers walking past, that being staff of course or any headbanger who has

come in. Take a seat.”

When the two officers were seated Hussain took out his notebook and pen and Dawn

Coburn noted the nurse was very quickly trying hard to to look ‘normal’ but she did not

come across as normal because the bandage on her face was large and to Dawn, an overkill.

For a bite wound. She looked at the nurse straight in the eyes but did not speak. The

Manager of A+E was now rattled, coughed once and avoided Sgt Coburn’s eye contact.

“I don’t know how it happened when I went to see him. He snapped at me and at first

thought he had kissed me on the cheek and I backed away from him. It was a member of

my staff that came to my aid and said I needed to get cleaned up. I am just glad he did not

bite me on the lips. Came in here and , no, I went into the toilet to look at my face, then hit

the floor.”

I bet you did Missy, thought Dawn and smiled. “Looks sore.”

Kate shrugged. “Strange you say that but there was no pain, even now.”

Sgt Coburn waited as she had pre-planned with Amid before they came in. He in turn came

in on cue, “Miss Lavine I…”

“Please. Call me Kate.”

“Kate. This old man did he have a name.”

Her face was like stone now. “You knew his name before you came through my door

Officer Hussain otherwise you are a bit slow on the uptake. ‘Silas’ or ‘Salus’ and that is all

we know, I know.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow and looked across at Amid then looked back at Kate Levine. “Old

man, thin, smelly, dirty clothes, five seven, grey hair and beard, the hair brushed back

from his forehead. Brought here by ambulance last night from the Dovedale car park.”

“You know him!”

Amid and Dawn both nodded and for a moment they sat in silence then Lavine put on her

‘official’ voice.

“You will of course arrest him because we have a non-violence policy here in the hospital

against staff and patients. I take it you noticed our security people out there as well as

CCTV?”

Dawn shrugged. “If we can find him we will arrest him of course and if he has a mental

health problem then we all have a duty of care and of course but we need evidence. We

know him and you know him as ‘Silas’ yet your security CCTV shows nothing of him here

in A-E. It does show you bending over an empty trolley all made up, sheet, blanket unused,

talking to it then jumping back in alarm then running in here. Then all hell broke loose

with staff running in here, then leaving after they brought you around.”

Lavine’s mouth dropped open and she reached up and pulled the dressing of her cheek and

pointed at it. “He did this to me!”

Amid looked at his boss then at the woman in front of him. "Kate. There is nothing there.

Not a mark, not a bruise."

She jumped up, her chair falling backwards with a crash and Kate barred her teeth then

screamed at them, "You're all out to get me and you two are as mad as rabbits in a

bushfire. You want to get rid of me. All of you!"

Dawn and Amid stood up but it was Amid who spoke softly to Kate. "Kate, we nor anyone

is out to get you and we want you to know that we have arrested Linda Coll for the murder

of your ex-husband, Toby Bell."

Kate Lavine ran for the door but Sgt Coburn blocked it and her, thinking that the woman

she was now looking at was in full burnout.

"Steady on Kate. No one is going to hurt you, we are not here to arrest you but would like

you to come down to the station for a chat. You can bring someone with you and that might

be a good idea."

Kate's shoulders dropped and she began to sob and shake and Amid was about to move in

and give her a hug but Sgt Coburn looked at him and shook her head. For a moment he

was surprised then got the message. He took a step backwards.

"Why did she have to kill Toby. He was good to her?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Yet. She is being interviewed by CID and I guess

everyone has a reason, or think they have for taking a life. As it stands you know more

about her than we do, a history if you like and this is not the place for us to talk. Good

looking here will take you out to the car and I will kill the whispering and tell them about

your Ex and that you are not involved in anyway."

She wiped her eyes and nodded then followed Amid out but was looking at the floor as she

did so and did not want to look anyone in the eye. Dawn walked over to a Nurse in dark

blue and whispered in her ear.

"Her ex-husband is dead and she had nothing to do with it. And no, she does not want

anyone with her and will be going home after we talk to her. She is not under arrest nor

will be and is helping us with our inquiries, Ok?"

She joined Amid and Kate at the police car, nodded at a priest who walked past and sat

in the back with Kate Levine holding her hand thinking that people like Kate who give

their all to help the sick seem to get the shitty end of a stick and the public very rarely say
thanks or well done.

BLESS ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED

It was one minute past noon when Father John King walked into the Hospital Chapel and

Place of Prayer.

He was not surprised to see someone sitting up at the front. He stood, then walked softly

towards the front and by passed the man in his set his head bowed. He stopped when the

man spoke in a low husky voice, "Bless me Father for I have sinned. Often in fact but then

everyone sins Father or is that Reverend? Never mind and as you are a man of God I

would like confession please."

John King turned around and looked at the old man, and his nose as well as his eyes said

that the man was a street sleeper but his mindscape was searching for another name, a tag,

a label. Silas laughed, his broken yellow teeth showing and said loudly, "Come, come old

chap. The word you are looking for to describe me Father is 'Evil' and I can tell you now

the devil is in the detail if you wish to confess. You can call me "Silas" and I will call you

John and what you tell me will stay with me of course. Now why don't you take a pew

John?"

The priest shivered and he wondered if he could run for the door but the look in the old

man's amber eyes told him he would not make it. He reached into his pocket and took out

his phone his eyes never leaving the man in front of him.

"Won't work and the door is locked. Even your watch has stopped and he only thing

moving and beating, so far, is your heart and that is not in great nick. Too many fatty

foods old chap and you will peg out before Christmas, unless you decide after our meeting

to bump yourself off".

"What do you want!"

"A long confession John and when the time is right. Your worthless soul. Sit down!"
"And if I don't?"

"Then you will read about your past in all the newspapers in the morning, see yourself on

TV news, ‘around, the world, accused of child sexual abuse. and, everyone’, but everyone

will come out of the cupboard as they do and make the same claim against you including

the family of little Robert Logan who killed himself with drugs and booze because of what

you did to him the the Church of St Anne in Kilcare Scotland. You in turn were removed,

in a nice way mind you and the Bishop send you here. Then John there is your mother

when you were a child, not a nice mother after your father ran off with that slut Rosa Hill

to Bournemouth and she got divorce. You still have nightmares about her don't you?"

John King was now in high panic mode, he was sweating and shaking and close to tears.

"Sit down John now!"

King sat down and he shivered even more when Silas slid across the wooden pew and

placed and arm around his shoulder.

"There, there John. No need to cry old chap. Happens in the best of families more than

people know. Daddy's buggering their children, mother's forcing sons to do things to them,

like your mother John. You would be punished with a bamboo cane if you did not get into

her bed at night. Oh yes, she was a loving mother. Then the day she was close to death in

this hospital you went to see her on Ward 12, six floors from where we are now. Three

years ago, All Souls Day, the night after Halloween you looked down at her, tubes sticking

out of her then whispered in her ear "May you rot in hell mother dear" but the trouble is

John old chap there is no Hell, No Heaven no in between place so your curse on her was

useless. Trust me, I know"

Father John slowly looked up at Silas and into his amber eyes. He wiped his nose and eyes

with his arm and muttered, "What do you want from me?"

"A deal John. Two choices only. I want you to go to a police station, one of your

parishioners, not a very good one I should say, and kill her within two days then hand
yourself over to the police. Her name is Linda Coll and you got to know her very well for a

time. Of course, she consented yet you did not answer her phone calls to you last night.

She needs to go John".

Father John swallowed hard and gasping "And the second choice?" Silis laughed and it

echoed around the walls of the hospital chapel "You make your peace with your god and

your religion today and then top yourself, but you do it here, in front of the altar and pray

like you have never prayed before".

Silis tapped him on the shoulder bowed and walked away towards the door and pushed it

open after it clicked before he touched it. As it flapped closed again he walked towards the

exit passing through people walking towards him, smiled when they shuddered. Outside

the sun was shining and he glided to the church yard found a damp bench and sat on it.

Then he began to whistle a tune.

Father John was still twitching at the end of an electricity cable that he had taken from an

old lamp in the back room and hung himself. The last thing he heard was someone

whistling a slow tune, "Bring on the Clowns" but darkness closed around him fast and a

dead Jesus was stone faced as he was slowly spinning.

Silis was still whistling when a woman with a very small dog came down the path, her face

puffy and stopped in front of her. The white dog lifted its leg and did a pee on his leg but

jumped back when the water began to steam.

"Now look what you've done. Don't you know this is a place of rest and unless you know

someone who is buried you are trespassing!" She snapped.

He smiled up at her. "Oh I do know someone who will be buried here and to add to that

and your comments your dog does not know another dog that is buried here, even part of a

dog so the dog is also a trespasser if I am. It also pisses and shits where it wants to and

shows no respect for the dead"..

Her face went red and angry. "I will have you know that I carry poop bags and I lift any
mess that my dog makes and bin it at the gate!"

"Very noble, community conscious lady but you did not lift it on Boxing Day morning last

year. 10.45 am and it was frosty. Now did you?"

Her anger was reduced to shock first, then fear and she did not like his amber eyes that

seem to shine. She stuttered now as she spoke, "I don't … who and....what are you?"

He held up a finger with a long dirty nail. "Ah! I have many names Mrs. April Blackmore

so I doubt very much that you would help you but right now I am called Silis a gentleman

of the road if you must, and as for your second part of the question, I am your worst

nightmare. Let me show you one of my faces"

She stumbled over the lead and fell flat on the path when his face changed and her dog

started to bark in panic. Silis stood up and stepped over her and walked towards the park

gate, stopped and looked back and where the woman was trying to get up, the dog now

snapping at her. He waved once at her and opened the kissing gate and she was still

screaming loudly.

As he walked away he started humming the same tune again past a young blond woman

walking with a small child. The little boy glared at him and stuck his out his tongue but he

walked on and did not react but he did think that children today are bad mannered, so full

of themselves, greedy always and always wanting more. Even when they get everything

they demanded they are still not happy in the Western World unlike the children now in

Bangladesh, ill, hungry and with no home anymore. Thanks to the holy but all holy

Buddhists that forced them from their homes and butchered many of them with the help of

the army. "This is one shitty planet", he muttered then added, " Maybe the time has come

for me to cancel Christmas and all religious holidays for the rich but not for the poor.

Teach the little fuckers what it feels like to be without."

He smiled and nodded, "Life and death are good is it not?"

He walked across the main road without looking right or left but hearing angry horns, and
brakes screaming then the sounds of metal on metal and the tinkle of glass. One woman

banged hard on the side window of her now stalled car and he looked at her and smiled

giving her the finger.

Silis walked on, past people who were now blind to him, entered shops and walked out

another door, headed for a rail station then sat in the waiting room and closed his eyes. To

anyone who came in he was just an old man who is sleeping and would not take much

notice of him. But no one came in and he just sat there with eyes closed and his mind scape

at rest.

BAD DREAMS,MAYBE?

Amid Hussain's eyes shot open and for a moment he did not know where he was until he

felt the heat of his wife’s body beside him then slowed his breathing. He also discovered he

was covered in sweat and his heart was drumming inside his chest. His eyes drifted to the

clock on the table. Four am. Oh great, not even morning yet, he thought placing his arm

over his eyes. Then a thought struck him and he smiled. Two rest days so I don’t have to

get up. He turned his head and looked at his sleeping wife. “Lucky man”, he whispered to

himself and seeing it was a Friday and a day of prayer he would thank everyone for his

good fortune, a job, a good wife and two days off.

He slowly got up not wanting to wake his wife then went downstairs and into the kitchen.

He could hear the rain hitting the windows that looked out onto the small garden. Now all

he could see was blackness and his reflection in the wet glass as he filled the kettle.

He looked into the kettle as it filled and when he looked up the painted face of a clown was

looking in at him, a wet face with amber eyes. He jumped back in fear and alarm, spilling
water out of the kettle onto the polished floor, then slipped and his legs went and he hit the

floor hard, the kettle rolling away under the table.

For a moment he was stunned then he heard his wife coming down the stairs. He jumped

up and grabbed a baseball bat from under the sink and held up his hand at his wife/

“Go back upstairs and stay there. Now!”

“But…. What is wrong?”

“Just go. Right now. Bathroom and lock the door!”

He waited till he heard her overhead then rushed out that back door setting off the security

lights that lit up a frosted long. No footprints, he thought. There has to be footprints.

But there none not on the lawn or under the kitchen window. Nothing.

He ran down the garden and checked the lock on the garden shed. Lock still in place, only

my footprints. He looked around the shadows and could see or hear nothing then made his

way back indoor shivering from cold. He looked the door then cleaned up the kitchen.

When his wife came down he forced a smile and shrugged. “Sorry. I feel such a fool.

She smiled. “Come, take me to bed and I will take your mind off your bad dreams.”

She took him by the hand and led him out of the kitchen switching off the lights as she went

and up the stairs but left the landing light on.

 TWO INTERVIEWS.

"The message on your phone is more than odd Miss Coll, which we were able to retrieve of

your phone and what we find odd it was sent to you when you arrived at home. On top of

that we know you were in the area of Dovedale, an hour before because traffic CCTV

picked you up twice driving well over the speed limit. Then at a set of traffic lights you

stopped and guess what, your pretty face shows you sitting in the driving seat. You get

home in record time then ring your partners ex-wife and she states you asked her for help

and come over to her home?"

"I was frightened, the message on the phone, Tony missing and not back from his climb.

The police already know all this and they must have logged it."

"We know. But then you went to a pub and were seen there and again you were on CCTV

in the pub car park."

"I went to that pub to see if he was in there but no one seen him or had been in touch."

Det. Louis Sharp smiled and nodded. "We already have. What did Kate Levine tell you

when you rang?"

"Basically, to fuck off if you want to know the truth!"

The female detective Ruth Devonport came in fast, watching Linda Coll and thought it was

time to rattle her cage. " Hate to say this Linda but I am sure your Solicitor here with you,

that being Thomas Jones for the record would advise you wisely, to not start making 'a no

comment' to our questions. Who else did you ring?"

Coll looked down at the floor and muttered in a whisper. "Father John, my priest."
Devonport almost shouted, "WHO!"

"Father John King, the bastardy man would not pick up!"

"I have to protest detective!", said Jones then added, "You can see my client here is upset,

emotional and tired. So, in her interests I want to call a break now so I can have a cup of

tea with her and advise please."

Det. Davenport decided to drop her bombshell before they took a break. "This Father John

King cannot confirm he got a call one what or the other. You can take him off your

Christmas list because he was found hanging in his hospital Chapel. Time of Interview

terminated at 13.17pm. Ten minutes Mr Jones and will send someone into see what you

want to drink."

Both detectives left the room and a uniformed police officer stood outside the door looking

bored out of his head, his stomach rumbling with hunger, and in need of a smoke.

"What happens now Mr. Jones?"

He had a smile like the slit belly of a herring, the amber eyes looking at her over the top of

his glasses. "Well I am called a 'duty solicitor' and as I do not know you very well outside

of this interview room but have enough knowledge in such matters to say plainly, you are,

as they say, in deep shit and they know you murdered this Toby man, hit his climbing gear

with a blow from a hammer and bingo, he falls to earth. Once they check the boot of your

car, check your climbing boots and match it all up with forensics, which I will add, they

will and you will be kept here in a cell till they can arrange a hearing. Then and only then

will the court remand you in custody and that will be in prison. You are looking at life

which in your case will mean life and you will be a very old wrinkled woman when you get

out."

He sat back and stroked his nice tidy beard and smiled again.

She went pale her mouth sagging "No. I could not handle that. I would rather be dead!"
His smile faded. "Really?"

She nodded and he took a bone handled pen knife out of his suit pocket and reached over

and set it in front of her. You don't mind if I nip out for a pee do you?"

She shook her head. "What is your first name Mr. Jones."

He stood up and lifted his briefcase. "Oh, I have many names my dear but you can call me

Silis. Good luck."

He went to the door and knocked it and the police officer opened it, looked at Linda Coll

who was sitting on the chair sobbing. Mr. Jones nodded at the officer and passed by him

stopped when he heard the door being locked then asked, "I have to nip out to my car and

get some more forms for her to sign. Back in five, need a smoke as well."

"Ok sir. No problem. She won't be going anywhere soon."

Just the mortuary, he thought as he walked away and out the door that led to police

carpark and the main street. Then he started to whistle his tune.

The alleyway was red-brick and had been through two world wars, a place of long standing

for sex at night, a dumping ground for rubbish and littered in dog poo. Samael Jones

blinked his eyes twice and shook his head as he looked around him. "What the hell!", and

the only life was an old man shuffling out into the main street and turning right. He took

out his phone and looked at it. One message. Jones clicked on it. The message was straight

and to the point,

" GET BACK TO THE POLICE STATION, YOUR CLIENT COLL IS DEAD."

Sgt. Dawn Coburn was sitting in the Restroom drinking coffee and then looked hard at

Amid Hussain across the table from her frowning. He was not in uniform and looked

washed out. "Ok buster. You are on two rest days, this being your first and here you are

sitting here in a police station with a hangdog look. So, what's up?"
He shrugged. "Did not sleep well last night. Got up and I guess this case is playing on my

mind so I went to fill the kettle at the sink and seen something looking in at me."

"Not a someone but a something Amid."

He nodded. A clown's face, close up and wet."

Dawn nodded and thought. Too much sex and hot curries. Bad dream. "Then what?"

"I fell over my wife came down alarmed and I went out into the back garden and could see

nothing, even with the garden lights on. Nothing. No footprints on the frosted grass, back

gate locked, shed locked but it rattled me."

"You then went back to bed with your wife but spare me the details what happened there.

Did you sleep?"

He looked sad. "Off and on. A dream that the clown was in fact the old man we found at

the carpark. Like underneath the mask."

Dawn sighed. "Well in that case you had better stick with me for the hour then I want you

to go back home, take your wife shopping and watch TV." She looked up and made a face,

"Talking of clowns Amid two approaching from the south west. The male one is known as

an asshole in CID."

Detectives Sharp and Devonport joined them at the table and sat down without being asked

to do so.

"Well, well, the bright and the best, honor us with their presence and detective skills", said

Coburn without a smile and eyes bright then added, "Amid and I were having a talk here

private like."

"We have a missing piece of the puzzle Dawn", said Ruth Davenport and looking directly

at Sgt. Coburn. "The old man?"

Dawn lifted her hands and smiled, "Gone!"

Ruth Devonport glared at Coburn, "Gone, where, People don't just vanish if they are

witnesses to a crime, any crime?"

"Unless they want to and don't want to be involved", said Amid Hussain then added in a

soft voice, "We picked him up in the carpark where he was standing nude in the rain and

cold because he seemed out of it, got him into hospital, took his fingerprints and DNA and

nothing came through on the crime or anywhere else. Then he vanished from the A+E

Department as if he was never there not on any CCTV cameras inside or out. You will like

this bit. Later a dead priest found in the hospital chapel, a nursing sister who claims this

old man bit her on the face and we are going to interview her again and her ex-husband is

cooling of in the hospital mortuary. The ex-wife is one Kate Levine who is the A-E manager

and you have a suspect, Linda Coll who right now is thinking she got away with murder,

Silis this old man has been spotted three times. One, in a churchyard where he frightened

the shit out of a woman walking her dog, two, walked across and through traffic causing a

pile up and disruption and five miles from that, seen in a Quaker Churchyard sitting nude

in yoga meditation, then guess what, he vanished again Detectives?"

The two detectives sat for a moment with their mouths open and Dawn Coburn sat smiling

at them and nodded.

"I don't think that is funny Sgt.Coburn. Not at all and your bright boy must be watching

too many 'X Files' TV programs that has cluttered up his brain cells", hissed Sharp.

Dawn Coburn smiled at Det. Sharp but it was not a nice smile. "For your information

Sharp and for Dick Tracey here, he has a Master's Degree in Criminal Psychology and

Profiling at Oxford, spent six months with Interpol on an exchange project and though he

can get mouthy at times he is a good down to earth cop and someday may even be your

boss."

There was a long silence, the sort you don't want around a table but it was Ruth Devonport

who broke the ice. "What does the name Silis mean anyone?"
For a moment no one spoke and without looking at him she said, "Amid?"

Amid flushed, cleared his throat and spoke in a very clear voice, "Silis could mean 'Silas'

first or second name, rare now as a baby name but a Silas was a companion way back of

Peter the Fisherman, now St. Peter and the name is mentioned in the bible both in English

and Latin. It also means, if we consider our missing old man, as a spirit of the woods and

forests and is said to be able to travel between heaven and hell, by passing limbo and is

known to do good and evil deeds."

Sharp interrupted, "Ah but he cannot be in two places at once!"

Amid Hussain leaned across the table and looked into Sharp's eyes. "Unless he can get into

people's mind is as much as I know and good and evil is in all humans anyway. It just needs

a trigger to set the mood."

They interrupted by the desk sergeant, and aged man going to fat. "Hate to break up the

party Sharp but your suspect, Linda Coll who is in the interview room has just topped

herself and blood everywhere."

Ruth Devonport and Sharp jumped up and Dawn nodded at Amid. "Drink your coffee son

and then go home. I do not want to see you in here for two days and I hope you have got me

loud and clear on that Mr. Brainy Box, so fuck off."

"What about Coll. Should we not..."

"Nope. Not all things go well and there are two dumb ass detectives who are going to be

shitting themselves before the end of the day and more than likely will be sitting on the

bums and suspended from duty till a hearing. Before you ask Amid I am going out in the

car for the rest of the morning to waste time on this shift handing out parking and speeding

tickets then out to Dovedale for a walk around. No, you can't come. Bye."
 THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.

Dawn Coburn guided a very shaken Sam Jones into a free interview room as directed by

her boss Harry Heart as all hell broke loose after the body of Linda Coll was discovered.

Forensics was finished and the body removed.

Hart had said to her that Sharp and Devonport were now on 'Gardening Duty' and that he

wanted her and her only to handle Jones official. Interview.

Mr. Jones sat in the other room, his head in his hands and only looked up at Dawn as she

pulled out the chair and sat down.

"You have not read me my rights so I take it I am not under arrest."

Dawn nodded, "An informal chat Mr. Jones but I would like as much information you can

remember and I hope you do not mind a hand-held recorder on the table?"

He nodded. "My own words?"

"Of course. Please."

"I got the call to come here at my office near Green Mews Lane to be with a woman

arrested called Linda Coll. I wrote the name down told my PA I would be back after a late

lunch. She could text me if anything urgent came in so I left the building, took a shortcut

through the Mews alleyway. It takes me out onto the main street and the police station is
five minutes -walk away. I walked towards the main street and …...met an old man, a

tramp, dirty, and of course the smell. The next thing I remember is standing there

confused. The old man went into the high street and I got a text to inform me that my client

was dead. So. I came back in, or at least I came here and here I am. Still confused."

Dawn was now on high alert but she did not show it." This old guy did he look at you as he

was leaving?"

"No. Just walked."

"Any smell from him, like something you could identify?"

Jones sniffed at his clothes. "Yes, wood smoke and sweat."

Dawn Coburn stood up and walked around to where Jones was sitting and sniffed then

went back to her seat. "You smoke Mr. Jones?"

"Yes. I smoke a pipe."

"Type of tobacco, that being rolled, flake or the old block you have to trim off as my father

did?"

Jones frowned. "I don't see where this is going or what it has to do with that woman's

death."

"Please Mr. Jones. You have been such a help so far. What type of tobacco?"

He shrugged and took a worn leather pouch, opened it and took out a small square of hard

packed tobacco plug then held it up."

She smiled at him and made a note. Then she looked up. "Of course, you need a small pen

knife to cut the tobacco to size, then rub it between your hands till it is crumbs, fill the pipe,

tap it down with a finger then enjoy. Brings back good memories of my late dad. Would

you mind letting me see the knife please?"

"If you must", reaching into his jacket pocket then frowned deeply. He stood up tapping all
his pockets then muttered and said, "I must have left it in the office. It was bone handled,

white and about four inches long."

When he sat down and looked across the desk at Coburn he was surprised and alarmed

that she was holding up an evidence bag and inside Jones could see a blood-stained

penknife. His knife of that he had no doubt.

"Yours Mr. Jones?"

"Yes. God! Is that what she used...."

"Yes. She cut through the veins of her neck, the main ones and bleed out. If you look to the

right above my head you will see a very small camera blinking red and where you were

interviewing Linda Coll the same sort of camera was switched on. Sadly, the sound was not

as it is on this one but on the silent camera you are seen setting this penknife on the table in

front of Coll, getting up and leaving the room. After you left, she opened the knife and that

was that."

Jones went pale and started to shake "Oh my God. I did not..."

Dawn shook her head. "You did. Sorry."

"But I don't remember Sgt. Coburn!"

Dawn Coburn stood up as did Jones and she said to him in an icy voice, "You are free to go

Mr. Jones but leave your business card at the front desk for my attention and bring in your

passport later this evening please. We more than likely will want to talk to you sometime

soon so please lets us know if you have any plans to travel within the UK. Gooday."

He licked his lips his eyes darting around, she opened the door for him and he was gone

leaving behind him on the air the smell of tobacco and wood smoke.

Dawn Coburn went to the window and looked out at the man she had just spoken to and

muttered, "The devil is in the detail Mr. Jones and you are in deep shit."
Det. Inspector Harry Hart was not a happy man as he looked at Sgt. Dawn Coburn across

his desk who sat with her notepad. He was unhappy for a number of reasons, the first

about the pain in his rectum with piles that had been playing up for the last twenty-four

hours, the two-asshole detective who left a suspect alone and she is now dead and now his

best Sgt. in the station, filling him in about Jones, the penknife and him claiming he had a

loss of memory about the whole event. The worse part was her saying, less than a minute

ago, was she did not think that Jones was lying or remembering anything about his

interview with Linda Coll. Yet the playback from the camera showed him there, showed

him setting the penknife in front of her, him leaving and then her cutting her throat with

three deep slashes.

"Dawn, how long have we known one another and worked together?", he rasped and

fiddled with his pen but watching her closely.

"Must be going on nine years boss, good times and bad times, drunken Christmas Parties,

and of course mortuary duty during a PM. If you are saying that my report to you just now

about the mindscape of our Mr. Jones is confusing then I can say back. Tell me about it."

For a moment Harry Hart held his head then looked at her and give a sad smile, "Fucked

Dawn if I know. He was not under arrest, he talks about that old bastard of yours, and

somehow this 'Silis' is connected to everything. I am two detectives' down, your sidekick

Hussein is on two rest days and I am under fire from the top to get it sorted. Oh, and on top

of that, two letters arrived for Amid and one for yourself. I already know what is in them

do it seems Det. Sgt. Coburn and you can give the Arab his letter, he is now Det. Hussian.

You both passed your exams. Congratulations. You still work for me."

Dawn's mouth opened and closed twice. "So, when do we start boss?"

His eyes were blue steel and his face of stone. "Tomorrow morning 06.30 and bring the

wise man with you. Keep in mind that the clocks go back tonight and you both work the

case. You take over the desks of Devonport and Sharp, they have already cleaned out their

desks and you each will get a new password for the two police computers."
She smiled then the smile faded and she frowned at Hart. "You ok Harry?"

He shook his head. "This case is a pain in the backside Dawn. Get it sorted!"

By the time Dawn climbed into her car she was in shock not starting it then punched the

air in joy. "Yes!"

BRING IN THE CLOWNS.

Samuel Jones was rattled as it grew dark and looked at the dog in his kitchen and groaned,

the muttered "You should have left with her and her toy boy like everyone thinks, five

years ago. Now instead of having you shit and piss on the kitchen floor I have to take you

for 'walkies' morning and night to avoid that problem. Christ, I am cursed!"

He got up and put on his coat and hat then lifted the lead, "Come on then stupid. Across

the park to the gate and back again."

He picked up his glass of whiskey and drained it then hooked the dog up to the lead and

dragged it behind him now full of resentment. As the dog was old and with hip problems it

walked slowly and once in the park he took it off and let it do its business. He did not have

a poo bag with him, never did because it turned his stomach to even think of it. A new

moon was hanging in the east and as he walked between the trees, the leaves crackled

under his feet and a few woodpigeons became restless and flapped away out of their nightly

roost. In the distance he heard the horn of a train and its rattle over the tracks. Then

behind him he heard the dog growl and was looking with almost blind eyes back the way

they had come. "Come on damn it!"

Jones could now see a figure approaching them and stiffened but it was now close enough

to see it was someone dressed as a clown, painted face and false smile.

"Ah, the great Mr. Samuel Jones out for a walk with his dog, well your wife's dog in fact. I
would like to thank you for, well, the use of your body for a time. I must say it went well

and though you're, our visit to the police station, went well and justice was served was it

now?"

"Do I know you?"

"Sort off. Well you may have read about me now and then over the years but that matters

little now."

Jones was now getting frightened because he was here in the park, almost dark alone

talking with a clown who seemed more than a little unstable, even dangerous.

"If it is money you want I can give you some, thirty pounds be enough?"

The clown did a little dance around him jumped in the air and clicked its heels together

then laughed harshly. "Thirty pounds. My, my you are a bit of a cheapskate or should that

be 'steak'? Never mind. I don't want money Mr. Jones. No, I want you to kill the poor dog,

put it out of its painful misery here and now and having to live with a bastard like you"

Jones started to run back the way he had come deserting the dog that was whining beside

the clown and was almost struck by a car as he ran across the main road and into his

house. He slammed the door and locked it then went to the back door and checked it was

locked, then, almost in panic he pulled all the curtains down stairs. He poured himself a full

glass of whiskey, his hands shaking as he took two gulps fast then he flopped down in a sofa

chair. His mind raced. You don't find clowns in a dark park at night and I had too much to

drink before I went out and a very stressful day. Yes...That was it. The dog. He said I was

to kill Pepe, kill him now and then. No, the wind, that was all. Pepe will in his own time,

make his way home, across the road and in the gate then start scratching the back door to

be let in. He took a long gulp of the whiskey then he heard the sound like soft bumping

coming from the kitchen. Then the sound was getting closer now and standing in the door

with tail wagging and hitting the door frame was Pepe and behind the dog looking down at

Jones, was the painted clown.

"Get out. This is my home. Go or I will ring the police!"

The clown did a little dance to a low table, lifted the home phone and started to juggle it

then thrust it into Jones hand and knocking the glass out of his hand at the same time.

"Please do. Don't forget to tell them about Iris down in the basement underneath the

concrete floor, face down, and how she got there."

Samael Jones looked at the phone in his hand then threw it at the clown who caught it mid

air and flung it back at Jones hard breaking his nose. Jones screamed as blood began to

run down over his lips, and Pepe barked and ran around in circles chasing his tail while the

clown laughed.

The clown removed his mask and Jones, through the pain, could see an old man with a grey

beard and amber eyes, eyes that were bright and seemed to be glowing. "You have no

right! There is no evidence!"

Silis leaned in close to the man's bloody face, so close he could smell his sweat and the

whiskey on his breath but he could also smell fear and Jones soul starting to dissolve but

Silis liked the word 'body energy' because he knew there were no such things as a soul and

energy when it left all living things, dispersed into other living things.

Jones gasped and tried to pull away but there was nowhere to go, he could not run, he

could not fight and most of all, he could no longer breath. Silis ripped open Jones shirt and

placed his hand just over the heart and smiled. He could feel it pumping and slowing, tick,

tock, like the sound of a clock then stop and he watched the life and energy leave the body.

Jones fell sideways and hit the floor and Pepe came over and started to lick his master's

face, stopped and looked up at the old man. "Good dog. Din dins."

Pepe the half blind dog, took a bite of the dead man's nose and gulped it down, then

another and another as Silis glided out of the room and hung the clown's mask on the door

handle and pulled it shut.

Outside in the dark he took of the clown costume and placed it folded into the green
recycling bin then closed it gently and walked off into the night whistling.

Dawn Coburn sat in her dressing gown, her hair still wet when her phone pinged a message

coming in, and with a cigarette still in her mouth read,

'YOU'RE MR JONES HAS BEEN A VERY BAD MAN MISS COBURN AND HIS WIFE

IS UNDER THE FLOOR IN THE BASEMENT WHERE HE KILLED AND BURIED HIS

WIFE. NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE DOG. IT HAS BEEN FED. IT IS PEOPLE

I DON'T LIKE BUT ANIMALS I CARE FOR.

GREAT NEWS DETECTIVE ABOUT YOUR NEW PROMOTION.

SILIS.

She gasped and the cigarette fell from her mouth in shock and she grabbed it off the floor

and placed it in the ashtray. Then she reread the message again and smiled." Without

death there is no life", she said, then rang Amid Hussain.

Outside somewhere in the darkness, a Tawny Owl hooted twice.

Amid was there in twenty minutes and came to her front door. She opened it before he had

a chance to ring the bell and said, "Welcome to my world Detective Husain and seeing you

are only a detective constable and I am a Detective Sergeant, you drive. Oh, this letter was

left for you. It just backs up your promotion."

He took the letter, rolled his eyes then asked, "Where are we going Boss?"

She laughed, "To see a dead man about a dog and get the uniform bods to dig up a cellar

floor and meet Mr. Jones wife." Simple. Forensics will meet us there."

"You do know this was my rest day?"

"Was. Get in the car and drive. No hurry, stop for chips on the way."

He tried to protest but she held up a hand, "I'll have chicken with my chips Amid with chili

sauce and mushy peas. You?"

He rolled his eyes. "I have eaten an hour ago. "How did you find out this Jones was dead?"

"Silis sent me a text. No number."

"Oh great. You know it is dark out here Boss and I..."

"Drive, I'm starving buster and getting grumpy."

BONES AND PRETTY THINGS.

Fireworks were lighting up the night sky and smoke drifted across the rooftops as they

pulled into the house. The white van of the forensic team was already there as were three

uniformed police officers who were putting up yellow tape.

Karan Malloy came over to her car and smiled at Dawn and Amid. "I and Bob have done

our walk through. One body male, without a face, one fat dog that keeps being sick and

shitting everywhere, now locked in the bathroom down stairs, a crew down in the basement

with sledgehammers, crowbars and shovels, one clown's mask inside hanging on the door

handle, Halloween job I guess, victim's lips blue, eyes have no broken blood vessels but we

will know more from the Post once we get him to the hospital mortuary, he looks like he

was hitting the booze hard, like hard. No fingerprints that are not his anywhere upstairs or

downstairs, liked porn magazines of the worse kind and some blood on the carpet but I

suspect the dog did that."

"How long has the team been down in the basement?"

Karan shrugged and looked at her watch. "Twenty-five minutes. Could not bring in a

compressor drill until morning but those guys with shirts off and shifting stuff. Bob is with

them taking his photographs as he does but still has his shirt on. I thought you would be

here before us?"

She winked at Karan. "Having supper on the run."

"By the way detectives, congratulations on the promotion. You both have earned it I hear."

"Yes. Thank you. Shall we all rock and roll and take a gander at himself. Doctor here yet?"

"On his way. Oh, we have had a few comments from the locals. Seems he kept himself to

himself over the years and a few commented that his wife ran off with some man or other

but you know what people are like. What we find in the basement will confirm if it is

human remains or just a hoax."

Amid grunted. "Somehow I get a feeling this is going to be a long night."

It was, and they found remains, broken bones some hair, a skull with a fracture and a pile

of very small bones of an unborn child next the woman's remains.

Dr. Izak Bell confirmed two things for the team. The victim upstairs looks like a heart

attack, dead less than four hours and the remains in the cellar were that of a woman who

was pregnant at the time of death and the child never reached term. He said he would

arrange for a full post mortem in the morning in Derby Hospital of the remains and the

dead man.

After he left and Karan and Bob had finished they stood by till the undertaker had

removed the tagged body bags and two police officers were left at the crime scene.

On the way home Amid driving, he asked Dawn, "One heart attack, one murder not a bad

night's work."

Dawn snapped at him. "Two murders stupid. The child was a person in its own right and

do not forget that. Ever!"

Amid did not answer and for the next twenty minutes they said nothing until the car

stopped outside of Dawn's house. Dawn got out then said, "Sorry. See you early in the

morning down at the nick."

He nodded but did not look at her. "Sure. Night."

She slammed the car door and walked with a purpose up to her front door hearing Amid

driving off then opened the door. The first thing she did was check all the windows and

doors then went straight up to bed and left the light on in the landing, pushing a large

kitchen knife under a pillow but within reach if she needed it.

ALL THE SANE PEOPLE, YOU HOPE.

Professor Boris Kasey had a large ego and a large body, stocky and tall and just this side of

sixty years old. His pale eyes matched his white hair, the two hands like hams of bacon.

With nine books under his belt, all based on anthropology and world religion he was in

demand to give talks at Universities and paid well for it plus expenses, to students and staff.

He stood and looked at the large poster of himself and then his watch. He looked sideways

at Olga Orr, a pretty blond and the Student Union President.

"Olga my dear, this photograph is smaller than I expected and I am aware that you were

pushed for time, what with the short notice and all but I am a little disappointed, however I

am sure you have arranged press coverage?"

Olga Orr pouted for a moment then put on a fixed smile, "All in place, Nottingham Press,

BBC TV want an interview, and a monthly Magazine called University Focus want to do a

spread feature. That would be with photographs of course."

He grunted and walked on into the building and she had to run to catch up. Inside was like

an airport with people coming and going and Olga led him in the direction of the horseshoe

shaped lecture hall.

"How many seats does the lecture hall have?"

She looked at her notes. "Two hundred and fifty. There is also plenty of standing room at

the back if needed Professor. Slide projector and computer are all set up when you need

them. One of our students who is in IT has the list of your slides and will go down them as

you requested."

He looked at her. "I would like you to have dinner with me tonight at seven in the Hotel
Trent and I will not take No for an answer my dear. After all, you have earned it and

more."

At that suggestion she was for a moment thrown and she stumbled for the right words that

would not cause offence. "Well thank you Professor I..."

"No while not in earshot of anyone, call me Boris", and smiled at her.

She flushed and then frowned, "What I was trying to say Professor, Boris, is that I have

another engagement at seven. Birthday party. Mine.", she lied and he stopped and turned.

"Birthday Party. It is your birthday. Well you can have your birthday with me. Wine and

song."

She played her ace card and muttered, "Zelda, my partner has it all organized and my

friends will be there as well. Maybe another time."

If she had slapped him he would not have been so shocked. "Your Gay?"

"Yes. Married in fact."

He walked on, stopped at the toilets and turned to her and snapped, "Wait here. I can do

this on my own!"

She waited till he went in then muttered under her breath, "Fuck you mister big shot."

"I agree", said a rasping voice behind her and she turned around in alarm. Standing close

to her was a tall old man in a tattered suit and she knew right away he was not using

aftershave by the warm smell from his clothes.

"Sorry. Do I know you?"

"No. I need to go to the washroom as I see the University Security heading this way and no

doubt will ask to see my ticket. Excuse me please."

Olga watched him glide of and into the toilet and the Security woman looked at Olga

closely. "That man you were speaking to,is he one of your guests?"
Olga Orr made a face. "Yes. My grandfather. He has a weak bladder and he needs to go

before the lecture. Mum could not look after him today, dentist appointment so she

dropped him off."

The woman looked Olga up and down, looked at her ID on a chain, grunted and walked

away.

She waited praying that the old man would not come out first but relaxed when Professor

Kasey walked towards her. She noted that he looked flushed and had to ask, "Are you ok

professor?"

He nodded, looked at his watch and muttered, "Come!"

She followed and thought, fuck this for a game of soldiers, never again.

The place was packed as he walked on stage, a smile and a wave to his captive audience a

few whistles and then they all went silent except for a few coughs. Olga sat in a chair far

right muttering to herself under her breath.

The voice came as a shock in her head. "Shut up bitch I'm a thinking!"

She looked around her and could see nothing and then dismissed the voice.

Boris Kasey cleared his throat, smile his stage smile. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

wannabe's and any staff who know in fact what teaching is all about.

I have based this on my last lecture in Berkeley the USA and a fine bunch of people they

were. Now I am here, to talk about Dark mindscapes and Humankind, my latest book and

with good reviews. So, what do I know about Dark Mindscapes you may wonder but at the

end of my lecture you can ask questions for ten minutes but no more. I am early to bed and

hard to rise.

First off let me say this to you all here right now. A few of you like children, a good number

of you abuse children or your partner, at least five of you hate your parents, three women

here are sweating a pregnancy that you don't want or planned for, two of those women are
looking at the old sucking job into a bucket, at least two members of staff are having an

affair with one of their students, good thinking that girls and boys, you will get the marks

whether you put in the work or not. All of you here at some time will think of murder of

murder, your mobile devices is your God and believe that money will get you anything, if

you have enough of it, no matter how or where you got it. This is all part of your Dark

Mindscapes

He waited and knew he had them hooked.

He looked into the audience to his left and upwards. "Young man, third row up, if you are

more interested in your phone messages coming and going than what I am saying I suggest

you let someone who is standing have your seat and you fuck off out of here right now!"

There was a massive intake of breath and everyone turned to look at the young man

leaving and be replaced by a leggy redhead.

"There goes a young man who has little or no future and education and the money to pay

for it is wasted from day one. On that note the rest of you who are here to work on a

degree, any degree, are also wasting their time because you need a degree that will help the

people in it and help save this dying planet.

A degree in Law is useful, if you can get a job after it, a degree in nursing is useful as long

as you don't go down the road as a NHS manager, most who could not find their dick or

tits on a dark night and as much use as a deballed bridegroom.

He paused then smiled, “As for the psychology students here, who are also looking at a

parapsychology module as part of the degree, I want you to try an experiment with me. In

all it will take no more than fifteen minutes and as a control you will have a captive

audience so please raise your grubby little hands.”

Slowly thirty three hand went up and he smiled again. “Now I have you clocked you may

put your hands down and please close your eyes and if possible, your mouths. Good. Now

clear your minds and as you do that, I warn the rest of the audience here to sit tight, don’t
talk and observe. That’s nice. Silence please.”

It did not take long for the energy to leave their bodies and Silis was pleased when they

arrived inside a run down old building that used to hold the Criminal Insane in its own

grounds near the town of Chesterfield. Silis stood in a corner, his eyes now bright amber

and he looked at the confused students.

His voice was almost a hiss as he spoke. “Yes.Here we are boys and girls, a great empty

building, dirty and dusty with the great man himself. He or you will find you cannot talk

but your mind, your hidden energy mindscape, will record everything. Boris Kaspy here is

at a loss what to say of course if he could say anything because you're Boris Kaspy is a man

without a degree of any sort to his name and in fact he was an inmate here for many years

before he escaped over the wire and wall and was known then as one ‘Doctor Mark

Kirkwell’ but the fact he is just plain Mark Kirkwell, killer of small children that he also

ate bits off and their bodies, poor little things, never recovered. Yes, you will see what you

would term as ghosts or spirits, energy souls during the short time you are here and you

will also hear them screaming and whispering in your ears, you may well feel heat or an icy

coldness, that shiver people get just for a moment as if something just walked through

them. That something is in every room in this building, every corner and they, have a story

to tell you all. Welcome to my world children of a lesser God just for another eleven

minutes now. Have fun.”

Silis left the group and stood in a dark corner observing the students and Kaspy. Even

though they could not move, except for the the odd twitch now and then but their eyes were

closed tight. Silis glided up to Kaspy and looked into the stone like face with eyes closed

then gilded around behind him, stood close and sent a message, “You are well and truly

fucked big man.”

Olga Orr looked at the audience of students and University staff. Panic started to set in and

she could hear the drumming of her own heart as she looked at them all with eyes closed
tight and now and then a few twitched, more so the psychology group. He eyes drifted to

Boris Kasby and he was standing with eyes wide open, mouth drooling and sagging. Then

she caught a movement on the right side and Silis walked into shade from the overhead

lights. He held a finger up to his lips, and winked at her then smiled. A grunt and noise

behind her forced her to swing around and she could see people walking up, shuffling feet

and now and then the odd cough. Her eyes drifted back to Kasby as he slowly fell

backwards with a crash and for a moment twitched then died.

She screamed, the students rose in a wave and panic grabbed them all and they started to

run with staff out of the lecture theatre shouting, and trampling on one another when

someone fell. Members of staff tried but failed to slow them down and were pushed out of

the way. Olga kept shouting for someone to phone the emergency services but not sure if

anyone heard her and looked to where she thought the old man was. But he was gone. That

was it and she ran too, pushing anyone out of the way that she could, then they were all

outside in the halls babbling like migrating geese.

Silis glided from behind a blackout curtain and looked down on the twisted face of and

smiled. “Death is like that and Justice has been done.”

Without rushing, he glided towards a fire door and pushed the handle and walked out into

fresh air and started to whistle, ‘a little biddy tear let me down, spoiled my act as a clown’

and very soon was lost in the crowd. In the distance he heard the Emergency Services

arriving then smiled.

That is the good thing about being bad or good it does not affect you, he thought, like it

does some humans and they walk around with a black monkey on the shoulders and fear of

discovery, good or bad is always there. I like me, I do what I need to do and I do not shrink

away from it as I have no one to fear or be responsible to. But I have also to be careful but

not alarmed and I never have dinner or supper though people watching may well think I

am eating. I don’t eat like humans. In fact I do not eat or drink at anytime, do not have sex,

do not want sex anyway, and sex with humans or animals is a mucky business the lowest
form of pursuits for humans, most of it without love. I have always wondered what they see

in it, why at times they have to use violence and fear, to control another of their species? Of

course women are just as bad because they love playing head games with a partner,

another form of mind control and they think power. Maybe I should cause chaos in the

world so that having sex is programed when a child is wanted and the humans only get two

cracks at it then it would be all over. Love would be another point because the word is used

of the cuff and in eighty percent of cases it hides an hidden agenda and in a few years it

fucks people’s heads up and when a breakup happens one or both are like wet rags for

months and a pain to be around. Silis thought a bit of research is needed on the matter and

that is what he now planned.

Inside the Library, he passed a dour looking woman behind the desk and she looked at him

over the top of her classes and frowned. He stopped and turned and smiled at her then

walked onto the shelves he was looking for. He had written one book in his long life time,

codes and codexes that no human mind had ever worked out and he smiled at the thought

that right now it was in a museum in Iraq locked away in some dark space and a copy was

also hidden away in the dark archives of the Vatican. Been in both countries for twenty

thousand years. My, my, they build rockets to go into space. Can’t read my book.

A LITTLE BIDDY TEAR LET ME DOWN.

The young woman was attractive as she walked towards Silis, slim, redhaired and a smile

that would light up a room, day or night. She stopped in front of the reading desk, coughed

lightly and waited.

Silis slowly looked up, his bright coloured amber eyes taking her all in then he was looking

into very bright blue eyes, smiling eyes that were real.

He shrugged and said in a voice that almost had an echo in it, but pleasant.

“And how may I help you young woman because you have been past this reading desk
seven times this morning, the odd glance at what books I had in front of me and reading.

Now I know you are not stalking me because I am an old man, you are not on offer in a

long term relationship with me, you don’t want to hit on me for money so what do you

want please?”

“May I sit down for a moment. My name is Lorna Quinn and I work in the University

Library here for five years. I notice you are well read, Latin, anthropology, Myth and

Mythology and you caught my interest?”

He smiled across the table, his amber eyes bright and said, “Am I supposed to be flattered

Lorna Quinn?”

She shook her head and for a moment her face flushed. “No.It is hard to explain Professor

DeCote but I thought you may be able to help me with a problem, a mystery in fact that

happened a long time ago in Derbyshire. On a Farm in fact, called Holly Bush Farm, where

one of my past relations vanished.”

His eyes and smile cooled and he looked bored. “Silis will do Lorna and I am not a private

detective like Sherlock Holmes or that old guy on TV, who finds fictional murder cases to

work on and always finds the killer in Oxford which is his patch as they say. As this

University is in Oxford you need someone like him.”

She let her smile drop away and looked at her hands on the table. She then shook her head

and stood up and muttered a quick thank you and walked out of view past the History

books.

Silis DeCote tilted his head for a moment and sighed then resumed his reading of the past

Popes in the Vatican City. He had no need to make notes because he scanned the pages

very fast and retained the information.

He stopped suddenly as Lorna Quinn came into his head and frowned.

Silis got up and went to where he got them from and set them back on the bookshelf upside

down then went to the front desk and asked Sue who was there.
“Can I help you” she asked and smiled which Silis knew was not the real her as were the

exaggerated breasts on a think woman.

“Yes. I would like to speak to Lorna Quinn please.”

“Who?” asked the woman now long faced and wide eyed.

“Lorna Quinn. She works here?”

“Did work here. She has not worked here for five years and , well, she went missing in

Derbyshire while out walking across the dells there.”

“She mentioned a farm, Holly Farm where she crossed?”

Sue shook her head. “Don’t know anything about that Sir. All I know she went missing.”

Silis looked around him and all seemed normal but Silis knew that if it looked normal it

was far from it. Oh no. Nothing in this world is ‘normal’ because the human mindscape

was far from normal but was put across as ‘normal’.

“Do you want to take any books out sir?”

He shook his head and muttered, “No. But thanks and before you ask I am not a member. I

am too long in the tooth now. A bit of advice if you are up to taking advice?”

She looked at him as if he was a starfish sitting on the computer keyboard.

“Ok. What is it?”

“The tits. Not you dear and anyone who is anyone will know they are not real so suggest

you be yourself. That will work much better. Bye.”

She watched him walk away feeling as if she had been slapped in the face with a wet cloth

and she was also worried because he was asking questions about Lorna Quinn, who she

never liked anyway. Well, at least she moved up and got her job. Not all bad.”
Silis picked a surname he had used before,’DeCote’ as he walked through Derby City just

as dusk was falling and on the main street found what he was looking for, a men’s wear

and suits. He was changing his name and also what he was going to wear so walked in. It

was half an hour to closing time and the public were all in search for a bargain. He made

his way between people until he found suits and then checked out the Harris Tweed suits.

He found one that would fit him, picked up a shirt size 16 and a tweet tie then entered the

changing room.

He stripped off fast till he was nude, placed all his dirty clothes on the suit hanger including

the old jacket then was dressed and ready to go in six minutes.

No underwear because I don’t like it and the socks and shoes I will wear, he thought as he

took the hanger and the old clothes and put them in the suit self then turned and pretended

to look at other things and as he did so, placed the security tag he had taken off the suit into

an old woman’s carrier bag unnoticed.

Once outside he was pleased it was not raining again and crossed the road and walked up

the street then stopped to look at his reflection in a deserted and empty shop. He puffed out

his chest, turned sideways smiling and then seen her right in front of him.

“Nice suit old man but the shoes don’t match. Brown shoes is what you need and I know.

My dad always wore tweed except for funerals and weddings.”

Silis sighed. “You do know you are dead and trapped in an energy bubble and why do I

think you are going to pester me until I agree to help you?”

It was a sad little girl smile that the past Lorna Quinn. “I told you I need your help because

I want to pass over to the other side, as well as you getting some sort of justice for me and

also for the police to find my bones. Also, I can tell you who the two killers are and what

their names are,and also…..”

He put up a hand and people looked at him and shook their heads as they passed him but

could not see Lorna. “Stop. Walk with me until we find a nice place to talk and not here!”
Her dead face looked blank and she muttered, “Up there, the church and a church yard.”

He looked to where the spirit was pointing then nodded. “I don’t do churches but the

boneyard is ok with me. Let's go.”

They sat under a yew tree, almost two hundred years old and planted to keep witches and

evil out and the dead in. He looked up at it then at the spirit.

“Does not work. The yew tree. Things come and go, day and night and a few will be like

you, trapped.”

Lorna nodded, “Yes. I know. They are here now walking in circles around and around

seeing nothing. Will you help me?”

“Not here but back to where your bones are hidden. But there is a condition child.”

“Like what?”

A tawny owl hooted somewhere on the other side of the churchyard and Silis smiled. “I just

heard the owl that called my name. Anyway, this place where your body was hidden by the

two brothers, Steven and Zach cannot be allowed to get away with murder so I….”

“And rape!”

“Correct. And rape, so once we get there and sort things out for you, I then need to know

that your will pay a Sgt. Dawn Coburn, either at her home or at the police station in

Ashbourne and tell her, transfer the information into her mindscape but you have to draw

on names, places, and dates.”

She looked at distant lights with a thousand yard stare. “Will you be with me/”

“Close. Very close and this Coburn woman is fair and a good copper but also as sharp as a

cut throat razor when she has to be. So do we agree on that?”

The spirit nodded. “How do we get there?”

He let out a harsh laugh. “You won’t be seen but I will so we will take a taxi from the
square. As for paying that might be a problem but I will think on that when we get there.”

“Let’s go. You sure about this Mr.. Professor…”

“Silis DeCote will do.”

She looked sideways as she walked. “Your strange Silis. You know that?”

He stopped and looked at her up and down. “Not as strange as you my dear covered in

shallow grave soil and nude.”

“So, this is the way I am in that grave?”

He walked on people looking at him as he seemed to them he was talking to himself. “How

did you find me?”

“The spirit world but it was an old Japanese spirit that helped the most. He said you were

very kind to him and wanted to help me. He said that you were the one who could do it

much better.”

“Oh. I see.He’s dead then?”

“Very.”

The Taxi driver was not a happy man because he had a pick up that whispered to himself

in the back seat and had strange eyes like a Jinn back home in Pakistan and he did not

want to look at him, it, in the back seat. Indeed not so he wasted no time driving to

Ashbourne and dropping the ‘Jinn’ near the police station and driving away fast, praying

that he could get out of sight as fast as he could.

Silis smiled at the departing car then pointed. “In you go, turn right and the name on the

door will read ‘Det. Sgt. Dawn Coburn.”

She stood stone faced. “I got the name, but how do I open doors?”

He frowned. “All that shit about ghosts and spirits walking through closed doors and walls

is shit. I forgot. Ok, high risk I know for you so trust me. Walk into me and stop talking till
we find her.”

“What!”

“I will take you in with me. Walk into me and don’t go babbling on till you are ready.”

Silis DeCote walked up the stairs and the automatic doors swung open and he went in

passed an unmanned desk and straight to Dawn Coburn’s door and knocked once then

opened it and walked in. She was sitting at her computer typing up a report but did not

turn around till he coughed. She turned and looked at him. “Oh my God. Silis!”

He nodded, “The same. Now before you start pressing buttons or alarms hear me out. It is

about that girl, Lorna Quinn who went missing a few years back, murdered in fact by two

young bastards and buried her in a shallow grave but not before they both raped her.”

“Silis, this is not funny.”

“No far from it. Holly Bush Farm ring a bell Sgt. Coburn?”

Dawn tried to control her breathing and then nodded. “Sit.”

He sat on the other side of her desk then she looked hard at him. “Nice suit, Harris Tweed,

Derby main street, nicked this afternoon, you came up on the shop CCTV coming and

going, coming in rags, leaving dapper. So don’t lie and don’t tell me all this shit about that

missing girl.”

Silis smiled sadly. “ I don’t lie. She wants to tell you herself.”

“Where is she Silis?”

Silis grunted. “Standing by your right shoulder.”

Dawn looked quickly to her right and jumped up and knocked over the chair as she did so

in alarm as she seen the faded figure of a young nude woman soil stained. Slowly she

pointed at the spirit. “This is, was, Lorna Quinn, the girl that went missing?”

Silis smiled and nodded. “The same. She has things to tell you and if you agree to look into
it she will fade away and leave. If not, you may well see her on a daily or nightly basis,

anytime, any places. So you will excuse me Dawn I have already heard all the gory details

so I wait outside while she has a chat with you.

Not by voice but by sending you voice messages that your brain will pick up.”

“Silis. You can’t leave me here with a...that!”

“That, used to be a very nice human being and there are not many of them today.”

Dawn Coburn’s eyes went wild and she was shaking. She picked up the chair, sat in it and

not taking her eyes off the spirit in front of her asked in a feeble voice,

“Why has she no legs showing now when she had when she first came in.”

Silis shrugged, “She will be able to confer that to you I am sure. See you around kid.”

“You can’t….”

“I can. Be kind to her Dawn.Bye.”

He moved fast, opened the door, closed it and was gone.

The gentle voice came into her head. “Dawn is a nice name. Shall we start as I am slowly

fading away. I suggest you treat what I am conveying to you is true then hope you will act

on it, starting today.”

Silis took his ear away from the door, smiled at the man at reception and said, “Sgt Coburn

said to tell you in passing, that she needs at least half an hour and has no wish to be

disturbed by you or the top brass should they ever get off their backsides. Before you ask,

she is dealing with a witness to an unexplained death in this area, the victim's name is

Lorna Quinn and you will get brownie points if you get her file ready for Sgt. Coburn. Bye

and good day.”

The young police officers mouth dropped open as the old man in tweeds went fast through

the door and was lost from sight.

 THE DARK SIDE OF SILIS DeCOTE.

He stood in shadow of the large shed where the two brothers were working under the

bonnet of a car. He could see their reflections, their dancing shadows and hear their foul

language vibration around the shed. Then his chance came and he glided towards where

they were, heads under the bonnet of the green car.

It was not hard for Silis to slam down the bonnet then sit on it and he heard the two young

men protest in anger. That anger would soon change to raw fear before he left them here.

They stopped trying to get from underneath the bonnet and the older brother shouted.

“You are in big trouble when we get out of here asshole!”

Silis laughed harshly. “Me.I don’t think so gentlemen. Guess what I have in my little

grubby hand?”

The younger one laughed. “Your dick!”

“No. A nice red tin of petrol, half full I think so let's get started. As your legs are sticking

out I will just pour a little over all four of them so you will feel the coolness first and the

smell second. Then we can chat.”

He undid the lid and dropped it then poured half of the tin over the back of their legs and

again they tried to get out from underneath the car bonnet. One of them was screaming

and Silis grunted. “Not on fire yet stupid so shut up and listen and believe me when I say

this, it is getting close to barbeque time and well done meat at that.”

“Your mad whoever you are and a right evil bastard to boot!”

The laughter was harsh from Silis, almost a loud cackle.”Dear me, not mad boys but evil

yes. You got that right sweetheart but not as evil as you two when you raped that young

girl a few years back them murdered her and buried her in that wood. Remember Lorna?”
Everything went quiet except for the dripping of a tap somewhere.The older brother

coughed. “What do you want from us?”

“A full confession from you both then if you're good you can pray. Failing even a start to

this confession, it of course must be made of your own free will, then I will be singing

Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring Of Fire’ and you both can join in with screams. So what is to be?”

There was a long silence then, “It was an accident. We did not mean to hurt or kill her. It

just went out of hand, we had too much to drink.”

The younger brother joined in, “Please. Don’t hurt us. We will go to the police with you.

Please!”

Silis sighed, “Police are on their way in fact, lights of blue in the night and I can see them in

the lane. Slow moving and no fire engine with them. Oh,dear, never mind. Now you buried

her on your father’s farm I believe?”

Silence.

“Well did you!”, Silis snapped and in anger.

“Yes, yes, we buried her. Holly wood near the pond.”

“Good. Both of you took turns to rape the young woman?”

“Yes damn you.”

“You must be the older brother?”

A hissed, “Yes,”

Silis waited and counted fast to twenty. “Someone here to meet you.”

“Who?
“The police?”

Silis laughed. “She can’t see you so is going to stick her head under the bonnet and if you

have a torch or a lighter could put it on. Oh, and I have your confession on her phone,

recorded of course.”

They could hear the noise and turned their heads sideways then screamed when they could

also smell the remains of Lorna Quinn and the younger brother snapped the wheel on the

lighter as Silis placed the phone of the older brother on the floor next the door and then

stood in the deep shadows of the building.

THEY SEEK ME HERE, THEY SEEK ME THERE,

AND NO SIGN OF SILIS ANYWHERE.

The six man team walked in, spread out, rifles and attached torches pointing at the two sets

of legs of the brothers and then Sgt. Dawn Coburn walked in with DC Amid Hussain beside

her. Her toe touched the mobile phone and she bent down and picked it up. It was still

recording. She almost smiled and thought, You crafty old bugger you got them dead to

rites.

The leader shouted at the two brothers come out, hands behind your heads and lie down

legs spread!”

They pushed the bonnet up and did what they were told and the armed police quickly

cuffed and then searched them. Dawn walked forward and looked down at the wet trouser

legs of the two men and grunted. “Having a bath boys?”

The younger one spluttered, “It’s petrol not water!”

Dawn smiled, picked up the red can, sniffed at it and could not smell petrol, then took out

her lighter and lit it holding it close to the can. “Water, nothing but tap water but not

petrol”
She then turned on the phone recorder and everyone listened. A full confession without the

voice or input of Silis. She turned it off then said in her official voice,” I am arresting you

both on suspicion of the murder and rape of one Lorna Quinn. You have the right to

remain silent but…..”

Silis nodded to himself in the darkness then slipped away across the fields and into Holly

Wood. He stood at the iron gate and when she came she was smiling.

“Thank you Silis, Now I can cross over.”

“Justice will be done, amen Lorna. Good luck out there.”

He watched as she faded away and he turned and walked towards a hedge and through a

gap onto a narrow track whistling to himself.

The two arrested men were put in cars, one in each and everyone drove off except Dawn

and Amid. She lit a cigarette and sucked in smoke deeply then blew it out slowly above her

head and listening to someone whistling a sad tune that she was unable to put a name to,

somewhere out in the darkness, then shivered.

Amid finished peeing in a bush then came over. “So, you going to tell me boss who your

informant was.”

“Sure, but not his real name, The Scarlet Pimpernel , Amid and a young woman who, well,

was very helpful.”

Amid smiled looking at a bright planet in the east. “And the old man, Silis.”

She smiled again. “What old man?”

Amid threw his hands up in the air. “Silis what do you call him, the old guy standing nude

in the car park and who I now suspect was the clown in my garden that night, then at the

hospital, and who recorded the conversation and confession?”

She started to walk to her car with Amid trailing behind her still talking to her back and he
was out of breath by the time they climbed into the car.

When they closed the doors and belted up, Dawn Coburn turned to Amid.

“In answer to your Questions Amid, I don’t have any evidence on any of that and I deal

with the facts and not maybe, or suggest a possibility. As for the man in the tweed suit,

which was nicked, that was Silis and maybe someday I will have to arrest him for that. You

did not see Silis in the barn did you?”

“No. Not a sign but who knows, maybe there is such a thing as ghosts and spirits, boggy

men and women, who drift around, lost souls if you like some helpful, some downright

scary and one or two pure evil.”

Amid was sitting now with arms across his chest huffing. “My religion does not believe in

such things Dawn.There is nothing in the Koran about ghosts.”

“But like all religious groups Amid, the is always a whiff or suggestion of the paranormal

and if they believe in a god or great prophet then who knows what is out there or around us

day or night.”

Amid looked out into the inky darkness and shivered. “He’s out there. I know it!”

Dawn nodded. “Could be more than one.”

ROMINIA,

Woodsmoke drifted into the still cold air above the small hamlet and the first crows were

calling. Also in the distance there were other sounds, a rooster calling in the new dawn, a

dog barking at a moon sliding into the west and lost in gathering thunder clouds, the single

bell tolls of a church somewhere, though Silis DeCote could not see it in the haze.He was

dressed as a Franciscan Brother, in brown, a white cord tied around his waist and a small

bag slung over a shoulder, a staff of ashwood in right hand. He took the track from the

woods down into the village and stood in the square. People and dogs stopped to look at

him but he met their eyes and they looked away. A few made the sign of the cross at speed
as they headed towards the small church and he followed at a distance. No surprise there,

he thought. A funeral. Oh Glory be.

A black car came up behind him, splashed water from a road puddle then stopped and a

man stuck his head and shouted. “Do you need a lift?”

Silis smiled then nodded. “Thank you. You're most kind.”

The man smelt of tobacco and garlic and had a pockmarked face. Silis could speak thirty

one world languages.The man could be no more than thirty and yet for a young man he

was somber.

“We have a problem with the funeral Father.”

“No, no. I am only a Brother, not a priest my son. What is the problem?”

He nodded at the church in the distance. “The funeral.Our parish priest died four days ago

and I had to go looking for a priest. Could not get one and the few I spoke to, would not

come here. So we have a church, a body, the grave dug and no priest to take the mass. I am

the Mayor, Julius Mazo at your service.”

“Brother Silis.”

“Yes. I understand. But you know the Mass for the dead don’t you?”

Silis let out a grunt and nodded. “Yes. But only in Latin”

The young man blessed himself. “That will do just as long as we get it soon and over with,

the Good Father buried before nightfall. Thank you Brother.”

Silis grunted and spat out the window, his eyes drifting over people and things, and a few

spirits with no shadows but then, ghosts or spirits do not have shadows. He almost smiled

at that then his thoughts went to the dead priest inside the crumbling church that matched

the crumbling religions world wide.

The man beside him did not speed now and was stone faced then Silis, looking straight
ahead, asked, “This priest, how did he die?”

The man glanced at him then looked ahead, “It matters little just that he is dead.”

“Stop the car!”

The car stopped and Silis stepped out, dust floating around him and looked in at the driver.

“I’ll walk from here.”

“But you will be late. Most of the people are already in there Brother. Waiting.”

“Then tell them to wait as the dead man is in no rush to go anywhere is he now?”

The driver nodded curtly and Silis stood waiting for him to drive off and then he seen the

shadow close beside him. He never looked at the old gipsy woman but said out of the side of

his mouth. “Mother. Tell me how the dead priest died and why?”

She cackled then said in a rasping voice. “Bad man, bad priest, hurt children for many

years and I was asked to put a black curse on him. This I did and he died!”

“How?”

He heard the gurgling sounds coming from the old woman on his right, then she spat on the

ground.”He was found in the river, in a pool, a dark deep pool,not floating but just there,

between the surface and the stony bottom, between heaven and hell Monk. If you don’t do

the prayers, he will be buried without them, then, he will come back here, to terrorise the

living.”

Slowly he turned and looked down at the dwarf of a woman, her dark eyes showing fear,

her face like an old faded map but she knew, looking at his eyes, those amber eyes, that he

was not human.

“Get the people to bury him one hour before sunset, no more or no less, and you know

what must be done Mother. In God’s or the Devil's name matters not just as long as my

instructions are carried out to the full!”

She nodded, looked at the ground and took two steps back from this man, or whatever he

was. Then she crossed herself and turned her back on him waiting for him to walk away

muttering dusty prayers that to her, did not seem to mean anything anymore or give

comfort.

At the end of the street, he headed into deep forests eastwards and kept on walking till

dawn the next day when the children of the night stopped howling at the tired moon that

was hidden by massive pine trees.

Silis was neither, tired, hungry or thirsty as he washed his hands and face in a mountain

stream, to small to be a river, but the sound of clean water singing in the dawn made him

feel better. He then sat still on a rock facing the rising sun, eyes closed and for a short time,

switched off his mindscape. He craved for innocence and peace as he closed down, his last

dark thought being, that will never happen even when the earth dies and only the rocks

remain.

An hour passed and the sound of birds singing was shattered by a chainsaw starting up less

than fifty metres away on the left of the forest track. Silis could see two men, one cutting

down a large larch tree and he stood up and walked towards them at a fast pace, his eyes

blazing and jaw set.

The man behind the other shouted something and the other switched the saw off and both

stood with hands on hips watching the brown clad figure walking towards them with

purpose.

“Good morning to you good priest”, the fat one who worked the saw, the younger one

looking like has son who had a toothless smile.

“I am not a priest”, snapped back Silis, his face close to that of the two men then added,

“What the fuck do you think you both are doing?”

For a moment they were both shocked that a man of the cloth and could speak their

language could swear like a serf.

“You blind priest as well as deaf”

“Dad!”

“Shut up!”, shouted the old man and pointed at the half cut through larch. “Tree,

chainsaw, cut down for firewood fool. None of your business so go”

The son did not like the look in the now bright amber eyes and he liked it even less when

Silas's face changed from human to what he really was.

“Oh sweet Jesus!”

Silis pushed the old man aside and picked up the chainsaw and with one pull of the cord, it

sprang into life and he walked back to the two men. Before they could run he went in close

and blood and flesh mixed with shattered bone splinters went high into the air. Within a

few seconds the heads were lying on the forest floor, the mouths opening and slowly closing

like two dying fish on a river bank.

He switched off the saw, wiped his face clear of blood and threw the saw high into the air

and it landed in a thick bramble patch.

He stood there in the morning sun, then stripped off all of his blood stained clothes and

hung them on a dead branch. At the stream he lay down in the water and let it flow over a

thin body, a smile on his face thinking he must do something with his anger.

Later he felt free, free of footwear and clothes and started off at a slow pace then building

up speed until he was a blur in the forest and his laugh echoed around the tree tops. But

the birds fell silent again as he passed.

He stopped at the edge of the forest looking across sunshine and shadow on the farm

landscapes, and in the distance he could see a busy road, flashes of bright light from fast

moving cars and lorries.

Now all I need is a body, with a brain, and well dressed. His amber eyes picked up a stop

over cafe and fuel pumps and he smiled. That will do but not in the nude, he thought. God
will provide. He laughed at his own joke and could see washing hanging out on a line in a

farm and a woman hanging out more on another washline. He started to run fast, clearing

a hedge in one leap, vaulted a

gate and ran as a blur towards the blowing clothes, his eyes seeking things to wear but he

did not have time to stop and choose, so he ran past the woman, grabbed all he could and

ran on across the fields towards the road.

The woman felt rather than seen the movement, the dog in the yard whimpered and ran

back to the farmhouse, and the woman fainted on the spot when she watched a whole line

of washing disappearing with a nude male.

He sat in cover sorting out what he grabbed and grunted then muttered in a low voice.

“Great. One pair of pants, short in the leg, a woman’s shirt, a woman's wool jumper, one

large pair of blue overalls, sex unknown, two pairs of wool socks and a skirt!”

By the time he got to the road cafe, the socks were damp from morning dew, the jumper

sagged, and the overalls he had turned up. He stood and looked around him at trucks and a

few cars that sat in lines. He went to the back of the cafe and could see bins, a brush, a bowl

of water, and a pair of old wellingtons that had seen better days. He slipped on the boots, at

least they fitted, he thought, washing his face in the dog bowl of water. It smelt and tasted

of dog as well as being stale and as he wiped his face dry with the bottom of the jumper, he

now considered his next move.

Slowly he walked across the car park, checking the lorry’s and where they may be going or

coming from. Two to France it seemed, one from Italy, one going to the UK and was

British. He scratched his head and looked up as a large woman came out of the cafe,

smoking. She had dyed blonde hair,a round face, and waddled rather than walked, heading

directly towards a red car, cradling a small dog that looked to like a rat in her arms. Over

her shoulder hung a bag that hung down to her waist.

“Lard on legs but no choice”, muttered Silis and walked into her, the dog snapping at the
woman as he did so, then jumped out of her arms and ran full tilt back towards the cafe. It

never made it, as a ten wheeler came into the car park at speed and ran over it. The woman

however opened the car, got in and shivered then started up the car and drove off at speed.

Silis sent her a mind scape message, ‘Rome please and stop only for fuel.’

THE SPIRES IN THE MIST.

Not funny, thought Silis De Cote, like seeing those spires in the early dawn in the Vatican

City right now when I know what I know, see and hear what I know and yet the fools think

I am the Antichrist, talk about the Antichrist as if they were talking about a good or bad

Italian wine over dinner. Silis looked at his reflection in the cafe window, still closed and

smiled at his reflection. Haircut, beard trimmed, and the stolen uniform of a common

priest who was not careful where he left it in the morning bath house. Stupid boy!

He walked to the gates where a Swiss Guard stood, hand out for his id. He thrust it into the

tall man’s hand. “Father Patrick Murray at your service. Do you know where I could get

bed and breakfast for a few days in the City?”

For a moment the guard looked confused and shrugged.

“Right I got the message. I speak now in Italian.”

He rattled off in Italian fast and the man’s face brightened. He pointed down a long avenue

and smiled then give him instructions and warned him that he must also get a pass before

entering the Vatican itself. Silas nodded and smiled then took his ID and walked away

whistling , ‘How much is that dog in the window.’

He had no regrets about the fat woman and her dead dog back in the cafe car park many

hundreds of miles away. After all I did get her another dog before I left her body, in the

back seat. I am no vet, but that dog looked sick and was more wolf than dog but I have to
admit, though it slobbered through its teeth, it was once a beautiful creature and like I said,

I am no vet but I should have paid more attention through her eyes of the signs warning of

rabies and wildlife. Of course when I came out of her body and walked away towards the

Bath House I did hear her screaming, then other people screaming and I darted in out of

view.

Silis DeCote walked towards the steam and the low muffled voices then could see human

figures bathing. Not for me, he thought and went into the first cubicle he came to and

closed the door over.

Father Patrick Murray stood and looked at the seat in the cubicle of the bath-house, his

bright blue eyes wide in shock for not only was his clothes gone but his shoes, socks and ID.

The only thing left was his passport and his wallet.

He now frowned. “What sort of a man or woman take my clothes and the rest and not my

wallet or passport?”, he muttered picking up the wallet and opening it.

He counted the notes and change. “Well at least I can get a taxi”, looking down his body

then muttered, “But not without something to cover my balls and arse!”

The attendant came rushing up, his hands fluttering and face red. “I have looked here and

there, everywhere. No man, no one wearing your clothes. For this I am sorry. Can I do

anything to help Father?”

Father Murray exhaled, “Yes, a large towel, not used and not the size of table napkin. I

know you can hear and understand English my friend so hear this, if I don’t have that

large towel and a taxi ordered to take me home, the hotel, I may have to kill you and it will

be a slow death by drowning.”

“Yes Father. I am on it!”

“Good. Chop, chop, hurry. I have a meeting!”

Murray rolled his eyes as the man went off and sat on the bench then looked at his watch

and swore. Oh shit. I have thirty five minutes before the interview, he thought. A job in the

Vatican City, a keeper of documents and an important one as well as a small flat in the city

paid for by the Church. A much needed job since he was removed from his parish in

Galway for using church money for gambling. The changeover was quick and the police

not involved and he was taken to Dublin airport with two of his bags and dumped.

Now he wandered like a cloud with a real possibility of a thunderstorm in the big house if

he did not get the job.

He was handed his air ticket one way and given a hotel number and address to go to where

this morning an interview would take place in the hotel there for a pen pusher in the

archives department of the Vatican itself. No temptations there, no gambling, drinking or

women. A living Limbo, he thought and screwed us his face in anger.

The attendant came back with a large pink towel and a vest that was more grey in colour

than white. He sniffed the towel and could smell its freshness but the vest had sweat stains

on it and did smell. He wrapped the towel around him and said in a loud voice, “And the

taxi?”

“Will be there now father when you get outside. Sorry about your shoes.”

Father Murray glared at the small man who was sweating badly. “May all your children

thrive and your wife has boils. May you dear man, get the shits daily for a week and you

pee blood!”

His mouth fell open. “You put a Church curse on me?”

“No stupid. An Irish curse and much worse. Get out of my way!”

Silis waited to just past midnight in the shadows carrying a small brown suitcase and

slipped through the shadows of the Vatican aware that the cameras were on but then a
priest would be normal there, depending on your holy grading. He had a mental map of the

lay out and took the stairs down to a long hall with doors on each numbered and named in

Latin. He found the one he wanted and smiled when he could see that the door had a

combo lock on it and was fully protected by a digital numbers also in latin.

“Tut, tut”, he whispered and bent down looking closely at the lock. “Smooth, shining,

bright as a star so soon I will know where you are” he whispered turning the dial four to

the right, three to the left and then let it rest on zero and pulled the heavy door open and

and walked into the vault. The lights came on and he pulled the door almost closed.

He stood, closed his mind for a moment then opened his eyes fast and walked down the

narrow walkways till he found where the book was. Taking it out he glanced at it, grunted

and placed it in the small case. No alarms, no blinking cameras and he closed the door

over, spun the dial and walked quickly the way he had come and back out into the night.

Somewhere over the Vatican City five bells chimed the half hour and Father Silis DeCote

had to become a nobody again, he thought as he entered the lobby of the DeVala Hotel and

sat down. It was packed with people coming and going, rich woman with even richer men

and what sparkled on their fingers and around their necks was not glass. He picked his

target carefully, a leggy blond who had seen better days but still had that aloft beauty and

high cheekbones, bright blue eyes and a smile that lit up a room. She caught his eyes and a

smile crossed her lips and she came over and sat down beside him. “Now let me see kind

priest, you either need a room with a view, food or your here to save souls.”

He smiled and nodded, “Father Silis DeCote at your service.”

She held out her hand, slender fingers touching his and he knew she was alive and not a

‘visitor’.

“A bit of both but I have eaten. Are you on holiday?”

She shook her long blond well kept hair and then frowned. “Sadly not. I lost my son Paul

three weeks ago in Munich. Sudden, a stroke he fell over and died.I am waiting on the full
autopsy report but they released the body for burial. That was Friday past.Oh sorry I

don’t know why I am blurting this out to you. I am Vera Hoffman, widow, and now

childless. owner of two faction design companies in Munich and one in Paris, ‘Hoffman’s

designs’ and doing well I guess. Would give it all away if I could get Alex back but that will

not happen. Not ever.”

Silis raised a bushy eyebrow and shook his head. “Not his body of course, but he is still

here in spirit of course and this was one of his places to come when he was happy.”

Silis knew she was not lying or pretending and that got her ten points score in his mind

book. She had enough pain without him adding to it. So make her childlike and happy

again without her knowing it, he thought.

Her sad smile was not a stage smile. “How did you know, about him coming here. How odd

is that?”

He smiled back. “Guess, Vera Hoffman, I am having one of my better nights and picking

up the good thoughts and sad things in people, like you. He used to come here to meet with

a girl called Maria, her second name I don’t know but she had a child, a girl who he and

she called ‘Alexander. You are her grandmother and mother and child live in Munich, an

apartment which you paid for a year ago. I know you are hurting, I know you love the

mother and child but you are also frightened that you will lose them too, so you back off a

little. You don’t want or need anymore pain Vera but if you don’t have some loving pain

from those two, then you my dear, will always miss out.”

Her blue eyes went wide, tears gathering in the corners, ready to spill over.

“Oh my God, who are you, how do you know these things and right now I am frightened of

you?”

Slowly he stood up and extended his hand and she shook it trembling.

“You have no reason to be frightened of me Vera for I will do you or your family no harm.

I bid you goodnight, or maybe good morning. It has been nice to meet a nice human being.”
He shuffled out of the hotel and was starting to go down the steps when he heard a

breathless voice behind him. “Please. Wait!”

Silis slowly turned, his face now sad and looked at her then waited.

“Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”

“Not yet.”

LET THERE BE LIGHT,AND THERE WAS.

Of course, in his hotel room at the hour of the Wolf, 04.00am, Silis did not sleep but he was

glad of the open space to rest his mind. Alone he sat in darkness and looked out over the

Vatican City but it meant nothing to him. Vera had booked him a single room under his

name of Silis DeCote,looked him up and down, noting his height and build, then at his

shoes, nodded then left him standing puzzled. What surprised him even more, and he was

not often surprised, was as she left she switched off the lights and closed the door shut.

He sat, amber eyes open but now seeing or hearing nothing and his brain or mind just

ticked over as he rested. But not at speed. Just ticking, slowly, imparcial to life or death

and in his case, blank.

Vera Hoffman tossed and turned in her bed alone and twice she had vivid dreams waking

up with a cold shudder and yet sweating. Now she was awake with a low sun in her eyes

and just lay there thinking about Silis in a room down the hall. The fear of him was gone

but she knew whatever he was or in his case is now, he would not harm her or steal from

her. But what to do with such an old strange man now, she thought. He does not eat or

drink, and the thought of suggesting a shower for him would not go down well but she was

glad she had ordered him a Tweed Suit, shirt and brown shoes and two pairs of socks. She

had added a black wool overcoat and a large black hat, matched with black gloves then
smiled. I would love to be a fly on the wall when he got a knock on the hotel door and

someone handed him the three parcels and asked him to sign for them, she thought and

now almost chuckled, something she had not done in a long time.

“What if he….?”

When the door knocked three time she jumped. Getting out of bed nude, she grabbed a

hotel bathrobe and went to the door, looked through the spy hole and grunted then turned

the lock and let Silis in.

He rubbed her hair as he passed her and sat in the one and only chair without being asked.

She closed the door, folded her arms across her chest and frowned at him.

“You do know Silis it is just dawn?”

He smiled a little boy smile and held up a finger. “The new day is born, my Lady, so let us

not waste it. You need breakfast and while you are doing that I will go back to my room

while you eat. Oh, and I must say the robe does not hide you beauty.”

She glanced down, and blushed and covered her left breast up, feeling flustered then pulled

her thoughts together. “Is that all old man?”

His smile vanished and for a moment there was what she took to be a flash of anger then

replaced with a smile. “Yes, I am leaving afterwards.”

She could not hide the shock at that remark and shook her head, “Leaving. No you can’t

leave. Not now!”

He looked grim for a moment then nodded. “Can and am still looking like a priest and

have to act like one and I hate that. Sorry. I have to go.”

Play it right Vera. Bait him and see what he does then, she thought. “Not before you get

your presents which should arrive soon. So give it another day Silis and if you like come to

Munich with me, a holiday if you like and I have had enough of Rome.”
He held up a bony finger like a school teacher of old would do. “My dear young woman,

your offer is kind but alas you have forgot one thing. Like a passport?”

She smiled. “Knowing you that won’t stop you will it?”

He scowled at her. “It is very complicated Vera. I am not what you think I am. I trust you

and I like you but...well it’s just not right for you or me.”

She threw up her arms in frustration. “Tell me so old man what the hell is so complicated

about the offer I just made. It’s not that I want you as my lover, a husband, a one night

stand, that sort of thing. God in heaven get through to him!”

He smiled broadly, that annoying smile he could give when he was amused by something.

She was about to answer when the room phone went. She picked up and muttered, “Hello.

Mrs Hoffman here.”

She turned away from Silas and said, “Ok. I have got that. Someone to see me, a woman

and a man with parcels for Father DeCote. Give me five minutes till I dress and Father

DeCote will be back in his room. I mean he will be in his room. Thank you.”

She set the phone down gently and looked at Silis. “Your presents are on the way up so you

better go back to your room while I dress and go down and see a visitor. If you feel you

must rush off I will understand and you can go down the fire stairs that will take you out

into the car park then the main street and Metro.”

At that, she turned on her heels and went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind

her with a bang.

When Vera Hoffman came out of the bathroom, hair damp and wearing a flowery dress

Silis was gone. “Ungrateful old bugger!”

Down in the lounge there was a young woman in the corner at a table drinking coffee and
when she went to the desk and asked about her so called visitor the man pointed at the

young woman.

“Thank you.”

She walked over and stood at the table and the woman looked up. “My name is Vera

Hoffman, so how can I help you Miss…..?”

The woman give a shy smile and held out her hand. “Dawn. Dawn Coburn. I am on holiday

for a week. Gardening duty from my job but I may pack it all in and go private. Detective

CID now unemployed, maybe. It all depends on my Uncle Silis.”

Vera bit her lip then sat down. “He is your Uncle. In that case you will know his second

name?”

“DeCote.”

“Old or Young?”

“Old and grumpy at times, amber eyes and a beard. Does not eat or drink, and it was by

accident that I spotted you and him coming in here last night late so I thought I would give

him a call. See how he is and what he has been up to”, looking Vera up and down then

looked into her eyes. “He has not caused any trouble since he has been here?”

Vera shook her head. “None at all. A perfect gentleman and I can tell he has breeding and

not just a slouch. He has no money, no passport and is more than interesting to be with.”

I’ll bet he is, thought Dawn Coburn, ‘interesting’ is an understatement.

“I noticed him last night dressed as a priest?”

“True. Fancy dress party. That is how we met. Then he came here with me and I got him a

room. He did not want to stay of course but I insisted. Now that you're here, you can meet

him. Come on Dawn, he won’t bite.”

Dawn stood and thought, I would not bet on that Miss. He can bite.
 When they stepped out of the lift, they almost bumped into Silis who was now dressed in

his new tweed suit, wearing a black hat and carrying a thick black wool coat over his right

arm.

Dawn moved fast and hugged him, “Uncle Silis! Great to see you again”, and kissed him on

the cheek then whispered in his ear, “Relax I’m not a cop anymore.”

He gently untangled himself and forced a smile. “Dawn. How nice to see you again. A

surprise.”

“She is on holiday, for a week”, said Vera smiling with her eyes as well as her lips.

Silis nodded. “That’s nice.”

“I love the new gear Uncle Silis. You look dapper.”

“Vera bought it for me, hat coat and suit. I was just going for a walk.”

Vera laughed, “Why don’t you take your Uncle Silis to his room and catch up while I check

my emails and things?”

She took Silis DeCote by the arm and nodded to Vera. “Thank you for looking after him.

He won’t admit it but at times he tends to wander off. So let’s go big man.”

Silis rolled his eyes, kissed Vera on the cheek and walked back to his room with Vera

chuckling in the background.

In the room, Dawn locked the door and went to the rooms drink cabinet, took out two

miniature whiskeys and poured them into a glass then took a large sip and smacked her

lips then sat on the bed and looked up at the old man.

“So detective Dawn Coburn what brings you here?”

She smiled, “Ex detective Silis, They put me on gardening leave and I decided on a holiday

here in Rome, and no, I did not follow you, I have no powers of arrest anymore, nor want
them, but now that I’m here we need to talk.”

Silis took off the hat and tossed it on the bed then the coat and stood looking down at Dawn

and muttered, “Where do you do your gardening?”

For a moment she looked blank then laughed. “No, it is just a saying when people want rid

of you to give them time to find a way to pay you off or sack you.”

“Oh,right. I think I have got that. So your visit is not official then?”

Her eyes went ice cold. “No but I still need answers and blue eyes next door has no idea

what she would be getting into but I bet she is wondering what the hell she made friends

with an old git like you for. On top of that she sweats real money. I noticed the glass.”

DeCote sat on the bed and sighed. “Know what Dawn?”

She drained her glass then nursed it in her hand, “Everything about you, who you really

are, what you are, where you came from and so on. When I first met you I thought you

were just a mouldy old man, a bum, homeless beggar and now I know you are much more

than that. When you left the UK you caused a lot of problems, but you also did some good

things like getting the bad guys though for the moment I don’t agree with your methods,

that is not to say, that for the moment, some sort of justice was melted out. Then we solved

a number of child murders thanks to you with the tip off’s and recovered remains but

because I was getting results, the top brass wanted to know my informant sources which I

refused to do. You remember Amid?”

He nodded. “Good boy that, kind, has compassion and bright.”

She took a deep breath. “Well they leaned hard on him big time, threatening him with the

sack if he did not sing the tune they wanted. Has a young wife, a mortgage and he sang like

a coal miner's canary, trying to protect me into the bargain. He told them all he knew

about you and guess what? They did not believe his paranormal ghost story so he is selling

books now in a bookshop.”

Silis smiled. “I told you he was bright and he will still shine so don’t worry. I, strange

enough admire him and of course you. However, to know all about me would require a few

million years of your time, something you don’t have and you will die in your sleep when

you are eighty seven. I will be with you.”

“Gee, that’s nice Silis. At least I am going to get old and not die from a stroke or cancer.”

He laughed, “No, you will die without any pain in your sleep as your heart stops. At the

hour of the wolf. Now, for the moment I will keep me from you until I give it some thought

but in the meantime, your talents would be better used getting justice for dead children

and others by setting up your own detective business. Suggest you give it a name, maybe

like the Phoenix Detective Agency and Investigations. You don’t do possible divorce cases

or recover a Company bad Debt as that is well below your station. You go for child killers

and abusers and Vera Hoffman would think it a great idea and bank your project.”

Dawn got up and poured more whiskey into her glass then sat down again.

“You are well and truly mad Silis DeCote but it gives me food for thought. So how come

you think that a woman I have never met before would want in?”

He stood up, bowed and then smiled. “I know. I paid her a visit twice last night. She had

two dreams, vivid dreams and those dreams were, one, do something useful with her money

and two, help those that cannot help themselves. Right, I am off to Munich so when you see

her, talk with her and I will see you both in Munich.”

“Me in Munich.”

“Think on it. Bye.”

“Wait!”
 THE MUNICH PROJECT.

There was a light snow, enough to powder the black hat and shoulders standing in the

shadows of the night. He stood, amber eyes bright and very alert, his nose twitched and his

ears picking up vast amounts of information that was processed in seconds.

His eyes moved up the tall hospital building and stopped at the seventh floor. Bright light

came from the ward windows and even from this distance he could see a nurse now and

then moving back and forth. He ran his plan through his head again and fast.

Mortuary car park, through side door that led visitors to the Chapel Of Rest, past it and

through the door that lead to the wards lift. Press ‘7’ and up. Walk out, go to the nurses

station and request to spend a few moments with the child Helena Kuph, aged eleven and

leave her a present. Do what has to be done, nod at the nurses as he left and back into the

lift and by the time he was on the ground floor the patients alarms would start to go off,

nurses and doctors all running to the side ward where the child was. He smiled at that

thought and then walked out into the light carrying a small leather bag and through the

tunnel that took him to the hospital grounds.

The nurse at the desk was overweight and a face like a British Bulldog, ice cold eyes that

has their colour washed out and as far as Silis was concerned she had as much personality

as a polecat.

He asked in Hebrew about him wanting to give the blessing to the little girl who was still in

a coma, an induced one and that it was his duty pray over her as he was a Rabbi DeCote.

She sighed and said first in German then in English, “I have no understanding of Hebrew

so what can I do for you Sir running her eyes over his black hat and coat.
He looked over the glasses he had stolen and smiled and repeated his request.

She nodded at the bag on the counter. “What is in the bag?”

He opened the brown bag and fished out a toy grey rabbit and held it upside down so that

she could see there was nothing else there. “Leave the bag, take the student nurse with you.

Lisa, take this...gentlemen to see the patient, the girl in the sideward on her own and stay

with him till he is finished whatever he has to do. You are not to leave him alone in that

room.”

Dark hair in a ponytail, thin and leggy she nodded and he followed her to the room. She

closed the door behind her, checked the patient's stats and then stood with her back to the

door.

Silis took it off his hat and laid it on one of the two seats beside the bed and started some

prayed in Hebrew, bowing now and then over the little girl. Five minutes of this was

enough, so he reached out and felt the cold forehead then bent over as whispered in her

ear. Then he picked up his hat and set the rabbit toy beside her and went back to the desk

followed by the nurse to collect his bag. Bed buzzers started going off all across the wards

and he went to the lift and pressed ‘G’ and smiled. “Another worthwhile good done.”

Two nurses ran to the girl’s room and stopped in shock then one ran back to fetch a doctor.

The other nurse moved to the bed and could see blood dripping of the girls fingers and

slowly dripping to the floor. What shocked her more was the child was sitting up hugging

the toy rabbit unaware of all the panic around her.

Dr Olga Ruger came in and looked at the machines around the bed and muttered loudly,

“This cannot be happening. Her heart is now normal, her brain is working almost normal

and she is aware of the toy. How. She was in a coma, almost brain dead and now this?”

The young nurse who had let Silis into the room coughed lightly to get the doctor's

attention. Dr Ruger looked up and at the nurse. “What!”

The man in the black hat and coat came to say prayers and when he finished I noticed he
bent over and kissed her on the ear and he whispered something then left. Then all the

alarms went off around the ward doctor.”

Except for the girl now singing softly the room fell silent. Dr Ruger’s face twisted in anger.

“This man. Who the fuck was he nurse?”

The young woman swallowed twice before answering. “ A Holy Man I think, a Rabbi.”

“Oh sweet Jesus on a crutch. Did you not check her notes on what religion she is listed as?”

“I did not have time I was just to escort the man here and stay with him. Which I did and

never left the room.”

Ruger held her head for a moment then looked at the nurse. “She is a Catholic stupid!”

The nurse shrugged and smiled, “Must have done something right I guess and God was

listening.”

“Leave now. Go and rattle bedpans or something. Get out. The rest of you get her back

into bed with that damn rabbit and then and only then will I examine the child.”

The child turned her head and looked at everyone in the room one by one then smiled,

“He was an angel a nice angel and he brought me rabbit, Is Mamma coming to see me

now?”

“Yes, yes of course. Can someone go and ring the parent now please,and you young lady

need to get back in that bed. I have to reconnect you so we know how you're doing.

Did you pull the catheter , the needle out of your arm out or did the nice man , the angel do

it?”

She smiled a long smile, her amber eyes bright with happiness and said, “No I did it.”

Dr Ruger walked over to the girl and whispered, “I am going to shine a little light into your

eyes, it won’t hurt. I promise.”

“Ok.”

She took a deep breath and looked into the young girl’s eyes and as she did so, they turned

back to their normal colour, bright blue. “Ok, follow my finger. Good. Now the other eye,

Great.”

She addressed the nurses in the room. “Her stats are normal, her temperature is one

degree above normal when before it was at a very low ebb two hours ago. So what you seen

and heard here stays here because if the press get hold of this than I will know who to

blame. Got that?”

The three nurses nodded but the bulldog faced one put up her hand. “I trust my staff

doctor but don’t you ever when you are on my ward, put any of my nurses down, or I will

make a formal complaint against you. You won’t want that.”

Dr Ruger went red faced and went on to examine the young girl but she also had to

examine the toy rabbit first, a little demand from the child.

No one laughed and they left the room.

Dawn Coburn looked out at the falling snow in the night and turned towards the blond

woman on the sofa looking at TV. “It is almost a week now and he is still not here and I’ll

bet he has done a runner and won’t turn up like he told me.”

Vera laughed and held up a German newspaper. “I think you are wrong Dawn, This could

be no one else Dawn and he made the front page with a fuzzy CCTV shot. Look!”

Dawn Coburn snatched the newspaper off Vera then waved it in the air. “The photograph

is him but the rest is in fucking German!”

Vera smiled at Dawn like a cat that got the cream. “Munich my dear is in Germany?”

“Ah. You don’t speak or understand German. That I understand. Well it seems your Uncle
Silis is a hero in this city because he saved a young girl’s live when she was in a coma last

night. The parents want to thank him, the patient wants to hug him as does, “Grey

Rabbit”, the hospital want him arrested for pretending to be a Jewish Rabbi, the Mayor of

Munich wants to have dinner with him and all religions are praying for the girl and him.

On top of that the Munich Media want to interview him, all of them and the Pope and the

rest said that whoever he is he must be a Catholic!”

Dawn clapped her hands together and laughed. “Well Silis, you surprise everyone doing

good deeds and helping a child in need. Anything more?”

Vera nodded and trying not to laugh.”Two lovers in the park said that they seen him get

into a spacecraft and it flew off and they both lost time for two hours.”

Dawn pouted. “That must have been some sex.”

“The police have arrested them for wasting police time and having sex in a public place.”

“Ooops!”

“There is good news and there is bad news Dawn”, said Vera softly and frowning.

Dawn felt her heart racing,a wave of sadness she could never explain. “He’s dead or never

coming back?”

Vera smiled, “He has been here, in this room when we were sleeping. See that painting on

the wall, the one with the canal scene, well it has been moved?”

Dawn looked, “So how do you know it did not just slip. They sometimes do?”

She grunted, “Behind that painting is a very safe deposit box in which I keep passports and

jewelry as well as around twenty thousand of mixed notes for a rainy day. Either your

uncle is a master safe breaker of codes and can open my door by whispering to it I must say

pisses me off more than a bit. The bad news I venture to say, is if I was now thinking

straight I could be looking at you as his partner in crime.”

Dawn Coburn at first was shocked then started to laugh so hard that tears ran down her

face and she was gasping for breath.

Vera went to the picture removed it, spung the safe dial and opened the safe then turned, a

pistol in her hands pointing directly at Dawn’s chest. “Don’t you move or you will have

fifteen holes in you that you would look like a tea strainer!”

This set Dawn off again and worse than the first time and she grabbed a sofa pillow and

put it over her mouth then pointed at the pistol.

“Now what is so funny Dawn!”

“You forgot to cock the pistol and even where I am sitting, I can still see the magazine in

the safe, next a folder or book so say ‘bang, bang’, you're dead Dawn!”

Vera looked at the pistol then in the safe while Dawn run to the bathroom, “Don’t shoot I

need a pee!”

Vera took out a worn book written in old latin and sat down on the sofa edge aware that

nothing had been taken but the book had been left. She did her best to read the title and

the Author then muttered, “ Holy shit! It can’t be, no way!”

She read the title almost whispering to herself, “Dark circles within bright circles. Written

by one Silis a follower of Truth,Florence.Italy, 1306 and helped by one Dante Alighieri who

rote my spoken words in his hand”

She looked at the engraving on the first page and sucked in air. “Dawn you better get your

sweet ass out here and look at this!”

A muffled voice from the bathroom, “Ok but don’t shoot me please”, then more laughing.

“Not funny. It is a book I believe he had Dante write for him.”

Dawn came out, looked at Vera and smiled when she seen the book. The smile vanished like

fast melting ice. “Oh my God!”

“It is a much younger Silis, skinny, dirty and more than likely, a walking nature reserve

with a strong smell but it is him”, said Vera jabbing at the face on the book and the date

you will not believe Dawn. He is no more your Uncle Silis than I am.”

“Ok so lied. Sorry. I wanted to protect him.”

Vera’s eyes narrowed. “From himself I guess?”

She nodded and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Well he has done alright since the year 1306 in Italy and he could be much older than that

so he does not need anyone looking after him or lying for him because Dawn, he is not real.

Or not alive in any form like we are. he does not eat. drink,. wash or sleep. So your the

detective what does that tell you?”

Dawn was shocked.”A spirit, ghost, vampire, bogeyman lost soul, what?”

Vera shrugged and placed the manuscript back in the safe beside the gun and closed it over

and replaced the picture over it. She turned, “We need to talk, both of us and work out

what we are now going to do.”

Dawn walked to the window and looked out at the snow and then she seen the dark figure

with the black hat and coat looking directly up at her smiling.
“Shit! Hate to tell you this Vera but he is standing in the snow looking up at me!”

Vera almost shouted. “Don’t ask him in. They say if you don’t invite them in they can’t

come in unless they……..”

“Are in a live body”, muttered Dawn Coburn her eyes never leaving Silas De Cote.

Vera Hoffman moved to the window beside Dawn and looked down at the figure standing

in the snow and sighed. “He knows we don’t want him and not only that he also can see us

here looking down.”

Dawn almost sneered. “You want to bring him in and tuck him up in bed Vera.”

“No way. But we have to do something about him because he can get in here if he really

wanted. We are dealing with a paranormal event. A thing, a ghost or something like that.”

Dawn nodded thinking back and muttered, “The Devil, God, a demon, some sort of alien

being, or we are just plain nuts and out of our tree?”

“That helps Dawn. Would he hurt us?”

Dawn nodded, “If he was pushed guess so. I have seen some examples of his work in the

past, a sort of justice if you like when there was no justice forthcoming.”

“And?”

“Dead bodies everywhere but he did not kill them but he engineered their deaths somehow.

One of the reasons I got the push because he was too helpful getting rid of scumbags who

thought they could get away with it.”

Vera walked back and poured two large whiskeys and said to Dawn. “Fine, let's wait or die

happy. Come on. Drink.”

Dawn took a last glance out of the window, and thought,What are you really Silas, man,

beast or God?
They drank till they could drink no more and went to bed in the early morning and they

were in and out of good and bad dreams,restless in their sleep but in no hurry for the dawn

but when it did come it came with more snow and cold, the city almost at a standstill. The

few cars that were on the roads were making slow progress towards the city center. There

was also a few walking snowmen and woman, heads down and going at a snail's pace to

their place of work and one lonely dog shivering in a doorway of an empty shop.

Silas stood in an empty bus shelter trying to keep his anger in check but he was not doing a

very good job with it, it was a white anger now and though he did not feel the cold, he

hated snow and the people who enjoy it. Then he thought of standing last night looking up

at the window where both women were looking down at him. He knew there would be no

welcome there for him, but that was life and death and once he recovered his manuscript

he was gone, like fast to some where he had never been before and had to find someone

who would lend him their body for a time. He sighed deeply, same old, always the same,

change skins, and move on.

The dog in the doorway, whimpered and came to the bus shelter and sat beside the old

man.

He stroked it's wet head and it snuggled in beside him and shivered. He looked down at it.

“I know what you might be thinking dog. Who am I, how old man like I be good to you

and feed you?”

The dog licked his hand twice still looking at him. Silas nodded, “Thought so. Name I have

is ‘Silas’ at the moment but I have had many names all starting with the letter ’S’ just so

you know. I was around just as this planet first evolved and at that time, I lived in the sea,

deep down, in darkness. First came single celled animals, little bugs, all colours, then fish,

whales that could sing to one another, large reptiles that would eat anything and some of

those moved onto land once plants came, trees grew, flying reptiles as well. It was much

safer to live in the sea at that time. But I watched, waited, listened to the singing of the sea

and the whales and I was part of that sea of living soup, and I became Master of it all, on
land, in the sea and in the sky. Animals came, lived and died only to be replaced by other

species on land and in the sea. Then there were also mutations, apes of sorts that lived and

were covered in hair, a few species would use natural materials like rocks, wood and flint

knives but all they could think of now was killing food and one another if it took their fancy

as well as mating to producing others of their kind, ugly beasts, some deformed and then

the mutants came, hairless on body except for hair on their heads and between their

upright legs, trying to compete with the upright apes, ever sexual and mated with some of

them and over times you get throwbacks today in what you would call humans, dangerous

nasty things they are, still are, with the invention of religion to complicate their lives and

breeding like toads in a pond so that soon, they will eat their way out of house and home,

kill one another with wars because they know deep down that when the virus comes, it

spread fast and because of over populations across the planet, they were extinct within

three years. Dog. hear this, no matter what way it goes, humans will destroy the planet, be

it with bombs followed by hunger and disease then death. But the future's not bleak once

the humans are gone and many animals species on land and sea with mutate, some into

grey beings with a high IQ, large head, no nose and a slit for a mouth, nude and hairless

and in time they too will mutate but will never find or look for religion and lizard like, that

walks on two legs but with a brain that is artificial intelligence but as I said before a high

computer IQ. So, there is no place for you or your kind Dog or old men and women now.”

Silas took the dogs head in his hands, kissed it, then it died.

He felt its heart and his fingers picked up no beat, no shuddering breath and he stood up.

His mind sucked out details long hidden and he was sure that the blonde leggy one was not

what she pretended to be, her DNA was more than he cared to think about and when he

was close to her he was picking up mixed messages, many of them alert for danger and lust.

He frowned making him much older as he looked and he also knew deep down that Dawn

Coburn could be high risk to him and herself. Time is in the now and the place, he thought,

no matter what we do or say for humans and some mammals, twenty four hours is all they

had.
 MOVING SHADES AND SHADOWS

Dawn Coburn and and Vera Hoffman did not sleep well that night and they even went to

the trouble of sticking the sofa in front of the door, just in case Silas tried to force it but

knew that if he wanted in he would find a way. He always did thought Dawn as they went

to their rooms and slept with the light on.

Breakfast was almost silent as they watched the TV News. Later they had a shock when

Vera switched on her laptop and logged in. There was a ping and a new message from

someone calling him or herself S. P. Wallander.

Vera frowned because the only ‘Wallander she knew was a Swedish TV detective then
opened it. It had been sent from the UN Building in the USA.

‘DEAR DEMENTED FRIENDS. SORRY I DID NOT HAVE TIME,OR THE

OPPORTUNITY TO SAY GOODBYE FOR NOW BUT URGENT BUSINESS CAME UP.

YOU WILL OF COURSE KNOW WHO I AM AS YOU HAVE MY BOOK IN YOUR

SAFE FOR SAFE KEEPING. I LIKE THAT ‘SAFE KEEPING’ BOTH GO TOGETHER.

OF COURSE WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, I DON’T KNOW WHEN, VERA LYNN,

YOUR NAME SAKE VERA, SANG THAT DURING THE WAR YEARS AS I

REMEMBER.

WHEN YOU READ MY MS YOU WILL UNDERSTAND ME MUCH BETTER AND

NOT BE AFRAID OF ME AS YOU HAVE NO NEED TO.’

Vera called Dawn and after she read it she breathed out hard, “The hell I don’t!”

“Eh? Hold on a moment there Dawn. Let us both look at this without judgment in the cold

light of day. Last night we went into panic mode and at the time for good reason, we were

thinking paranormal, a spirit or ghost that was dangerous to us and if it, he, wanted to he

could have caused us a reason for being afraid of him.

Whatever Silas is he is not all bad. The girl in the hospital, the bad guys he sorted out for

you, when you were officer Dibble and a crime fighter?”

Dawn snorted then frowned. “So why does he need us or us him?”

Vera smiled and then shrugged, “Because we are his link to the living and the dead, we are

his map pointer if you like but most of all, we are his friends, he thinks. So tell me all you

know about him, and I mean everything Dawn, leave nothing out.”

Dawn’s mouth fell open. “Your kidding right?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”
“He mentioned Dante, and Dante wrote The Divine Comedy and as a degree Anthropology

so called expert, and having read Dante, Silas must have told him things and that

means ,the Dante wrote the Comedy but the clues from Silas are somewhere in it.”

Dawn held her head with her hands and looked hard at Vera Hoffman through her hair.

“You were an anthropologist, and now your telling me you want to waste time and money

chasing a ghost. What about your business and all those people who work for you?”

Vera laughed. “A Master Degree, money I have and time I now have and I have sorted out

already that my CEO, Zandra Copperfield takes over because I trust her all the way and

no one will lose their jobs. I am bored out of my head Dawn and you are a good detective,

well ex detective and I fund you the going rate. To be honest, you have nothing in your in

tray in the way of a job. Now do you?”

“When is the last time you read this Dante guy and you still have the so called Silas book

that is written in Latin so how will we match them up?”

“In answer to your first question I read or mostly read Dante at least twenty years ago so

as your the detective and I am the rich bitch of a now anthropologist I will take on the

Latin book, you read and make notes on the Dante book and lets see how that fits. What do

you need?”

“Food, beer and a large white board with colored pens. In that order.”

Silas smiled, if you could call it that, and left the building following Dawn and Vera's

footprints in the snow to a corner bar. He stood next a shop that had bunches of flowers on

display and waited till there was no one around, then quickly lifted out a bunch and moved

on till he came to the windows of the bar and looked in through the steamed up glass. It

was almost empty so they were not hard to locate at a small table. They think I am in the

old USA, he thought but I can do nice things too. He walked into the bar but hidden from

the dining area by a wall, caught the eyes of a young members of staff and waved her over.
“Sir?”

“The two ladies around the corner, the very blond one, the tall one is a friend of mine. I

want to surprise her so could you take these flowers and leave them on her table. I have a

meeting to go to in uptown Munich but tell her, happy birthday from Silas.”

The girl smiled, “That’s nice. They are lovely. Leave it with me.”

He bowed once and smiled then left fast and across the road into a large shopping center

with Christmas lights flashing.

The young woman stood at the table looking from Vera to Dawn, a deep frown on her brow

then smiled at both. “I was told to give these flowers to you I think, your friend and he said

happy birthday.”

Vera took the flowers and smiled back. “Thank you. I take it that the gentleman had a

name my dear?”

“Oh, yes. He said the flowers were from Silas and that he had a meeting to go to somewhere

in Munich. Yes..uptown he said.”

Vera slowly turned her head and kept her smile fixed looking at Dawn. “What a lovely man

Dawn. To think of me on my birthday. How nice.”

She turned and looked up at the young woman. “Thank you my dear.”

They waited till she was out of earshot then Dawn hissed at Vera. “The old bastard. Is it

your birthday?”

Vera smiled sweetly and sniffed the flowers. “Yes but do not ask what age I am.”

“How did he know?”

Vera shrugged and set the flowers on the table. “You tell me Dawn because you did not

know, he is your friend, or at least was and we thought he was in the US then, like a flash,
he is here again.”

Dawn twitched and slowly looked around the small number of customers expecting to see

him sitting in some corner smiling at her. Nothing.

“So what do we do now?”, asked Vera calmly and looking at Dawn’s face, then added,

“Your the ex detective. Next move would be welcome please.”

“We do what we said we would do, we have had the food, next a few beers, then a bit of

shopping for what we need and of course I have to get you a present, then home.”

“You don’t have to Dawn.”

“I want to. Trust me. Our Silas has something going on in his head that involves you, he

buys you nice flowers but not deadly nightshade, or white Lilies from an undertakers.”

Vera grunted. “Maybe we should forget Silas, the whole thing and live a normal life?”

Dawn shot her a glance. “Where I come from darling nothing is normal so welcome to my

world, a world of selfish human beings, some of them I drop the ‘human’ bit and want to

hurt them big time. At times I want to kill the bastards, bury them in an unmarked grave

or at sea but always make sure they don’t come back!”

“Wow! Lot of hidden anger in there lady. Glad you are on my side.”

She looked hard at Vera her mouth tight and there was a tic in her right eye then she said

softly, “Vera. Something you need to understand I am never on anyone’s side until I am

ready and sometimes that may never happen.”

SILENT NIGHT.
 ‘ Silent Night, Holy Night, All is still…..”

Vera sat up fast in the bed, her eyes wide and mouth open in shock and panic as she looked

around the low glow of her bedroom. She picked up the ticking of the bedside clock and

glanced at it. 0.2.31am. Blinking away sleep she made out a shape sitting in the chair of a

human form in a red suit.

“Oh fuck. Who the fuck are you?”, pulling the bed cover her ample breasts her mind

racing with fear and heart pumping like a drum.

It spoke, a low harsh voice,” Man in a red suit, beard, brings presents and does not leave

any for people who have been bad or even evil ‘Vera Darling’ and as I am here thought it

was a good idea to call on you both.”

She was going to scream, took deep yoga breaths and let them out slowly then rasped.

“What do you want Silas?”

He give a low laugh, “Nice tits Vera but that is not why I am here. “You and Dawn have

been on a trip for one hour and one minute. Well not your bodies of course, your souls or

energy source has. A brief history in time travel dear as was Dawn but not to the future

because there is no future yet but I took you back far into the past, well before anyone

thought of building the Pyramids in what is now Egypt and also the same of lost history in

parts of South America. Then we walked you through history, well gilded you through it

and you and your frisky friend in the other room, who snores by the way and farts in her

sleep. You two live humans have more knowledge of things past than anyone else alive

today or even a large group of like minds who have got the Nobel Prize for ego popping. Of

course they earned it but them all put together, do not or never will have, the wisdom or

power you both have right now.”

Vera pulled a face that made her ugly. “You said “We” took you both on a fucking history

lesson so who is this “We” old man Silas?”

Silas sighed. “Yin and Yang, two identities, good and bad, and I am both. You may think I

am mad, but I do not know madness because I am not alive and God or the Devil are one in

the same, at times I am called the fallen angel Lucifer and at other times I am called God

but trust me when I say this,there is no Heaven or Hell sweetheart.”

For a moment there was a long silence and their eyes never left the amber eyes of the old

man or whatever he, it, was.

The ex- detective’s mind came into play and she was determined to show him up as nothing

more than a liar and a fraud. Dawn sighed, “So you say both our energy source or soul

went on a little mind game trip with you across the world and therefore we, that is Vera

and I would have seen, if that is the right word the same thing and we should now be able

to confirm here and now with one another whatever?”

Silas smiled at the two women.”Correct.”

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. “Ok old man give us a place and a location.”

“ The Kinder Train that left Munich for Switzerland on the 21st of March 1941”

Dawn punched the air hard, “Got you.It never went to Switzerland, it went to the

Netherlands in 1939 you old bastard!”

Vera came in fast, “Not only that, the children were sent to the UK and Ireland and a few

were given homes also in the Netherlands.”

Silas laughed, then clapped. “Well done ladies but on that train that I took you two, what

happened to the little girl with the bright red coat and her toy?”

Dawn grunted, “She started crying because the doll fell on the floor and then….”

“Screamed at the Red Cross nurse until you picked up the doll and…..”

Silas smiled, “Give it back to her and patted her on the head and she kissed my hand?”

“Oh shit Silas we were not even born then so how did we both know that!”
Vera’s eyes went wide, “Because Dawn, he took us to the past and we know it now. Then he

took us to Lake Geneva to a rented villa where….”

“Mary Shelley was writing Frankenstein many years before the Children left Germany on

the Night of the broken glass and Jews were put out of their homes.

Percy Shelley was there, took a fit and said he seen eyes looking at him on a woman’s

breasts”, muttered Dawn then added, “A doctor was there to care for him but was also a

writer and that fox Lord Byron was making fun of him, a bully.”

The slow clapping of Silas's hands brought them back and both glared at him, Vera licking

her lips trying to find words that would make sense.

“You hypnotised us, played mind games with both of us!”, snapped Dawn Coburn. “How?”

“You are rather a wilful child Dawn. Nasty, but I put that down to dear Daddy coming to

your bed at night and though your mother knew, she did nothing, did she?”

Dawn’s face drained of blood and she burst out in tears and held her hands over her face

and sobbed.

“Enough for now Silas. You have proved your point. Go for a walk for a while but go. I

need to take care of Dawn. Please.”

Silas stood, nodded and went out then looked back, shook his head and closed the door

over.

You need to control your mouth and anger, thought Silas as he passed a group of mixed

yobs in the walk through tunnel and then blocked his way.

He looked at them,”You really do not want to do this. Honest.”

They did, and they died, all nine of them and when he left the bloody mess none of them

were twitching and he shouted, “Ho,ho,ho. Merry Christmas!”

 DOOR TO DOOR, ROOM TO ROOM, NO ONE HEARD THEM SCREAM.

01.01 am

Hofgarten Park was almost dark but the music was low where the two people drank tinned

beer sitting on their motorbikes and kissed on another now and again. The blond woman

laughed and set her beer between her legs and started counted the paper money that was in

her helmet. The man drank and waited pleased with their night’s business selling doctored

drugs to the party goers closeby in bars and cafes close by. He knew not to talk to her

when she was counting but he could see she was smiling so that was good.

He jerked his head to the right on seeing the flash of red but his face went to ice for a few

seconds then he toppled off the bike and fell on the snow, blood spurting from his throat

that has been ripped out. \the woman looked up and for a moment did not register that the

Santa suit hood covered the face that was wolf like. Then before she could scream she was
dragged of the bike and thrown to the ground as the santa hood was pulled back, and

amber eyes flashed as the mouth opened then ripped off most of her face, then her throat.

Vera walked through the warm apartment nude and wet from the shower to her

bedroom and slammed the door. Dawn frowned as she lay on the leather sofa watching

German TV but has to use the subtitles option which she hated. She turned down the sound

and looked towards Vera’s bedroom door. Oh dear it looks and sounds like she is going to

have a bad hair day, thought Dawn and stood up and walked to the bedroom and tapped

lightly.

“Vera. It’s Dawn. You ok in there?”

Muffled sounds beyond the door, a gasping and panting and she thought that Vera had a

man in there. She shrugged. Her home, I’m a guest, her room is private and she may well

be at it like……

It was the low growl that startled Dawn, like a dog and that threw her and slowly panic set

in. A dog or a man?

She tapped again much louder this time and said loudly, “Come on Vera. Stop mucking

about. You want a drink, or something.?”

Dawn heard the door lock being taken off and watched as the door handle just opened

enough to leave a gap and a mixture of perfume and a damp smell coming from Vera’s

bedroom. With a stiff finger she slowly pushed the door open and called out, “Vera?”

She stood and looked around the dim light as all the curtains were pulled and no lamps

switched on. Something moved behind her and she turned round.

“Jesus!”

What was standing less than a foot from Dawn's face was a large wolf like creature, mouth

open, teeth showing and bright amber eyes that almost glowed in the diminess of the
bedroom. Her mind raced and she could see it was standing on two legs and had female

breasts. “Vera!”

“Not Vera Dawn, something much worse.”

The voice behind her she knew was that of Silas. Dawn did not turn around, her eyes never

leaving the horror in front of her because now it shuffled forwards and started to sniff at

her face, the unblinking eyes alert and glowing.

She was about to scream when what was once Vera, her eyeball, was sticking on the end of

a knife, was dripping blood and fluid and then blackness closed around her and she fainted

but not before the creature crumpled and hit the floor.

Dawn’s eyes fluttered open and for few moments was not aware where she was but found

herself lying on Vera’s bed on her side and looking at the old man on the chair beside the

dressing table, She also noticed he did not leave a reflection on the mirror.

“What the hell happened!”

Silas glared at Dawn his face full of anger. “Big bad wolf stupid!”

She looked out from the cover of the bed clothes at the nude body on the floor and the now

pink carpet around Vera’s head then her eyes bored into Silas’s.

“You fucking killed her!”

“Either her or you. She was human, most of the time but she has a craving for raw meat,

you humans in the past would have thought and said werewolf but she was also a shape

changer any mammal of choice as long as it had large canines and speed. At the moment

she was about to chew your face up I stuck her from behind, through the vertebral, up into

her eyes socket and pop. By the way I washed the knife well and out it back in the kitchen

drawer. So we have a killing, and….”

“A homicide, murder, if you are not fussy about the terminology and you the killer Silas.

Not me”

Before she knew it the bedside landline phone was pushed into her hand and Silas hissed

into the right ear, “The number you want is 911 but you also need to tell them that she, was

the killer of twelve people last night and she was back here in this dump by 04.01 having a

shower till 04.30, placed the bloody santa suit in a bag then went to bed and slept like a

baby. If you care to look in the bathroom you will see the bag, tied of course. Open it, check

it out, then listen to the Munich News.”

Dawn sprang out of bed went in and tore open the bag and could smell the blood even

before she lifted the santa suit out. She closed the bag up again then walked past Silas

without looking at him and scanned the new channels till she got the Munich news. Again

because she could not understand German it had to be subtitles and the reports came up.

Twelve victims, twelve deaths and all zoos and wildlife parks were being checked by police

for a missing big cat or wolf as an expert confirmed to police that the bite marks and

damage on the victims were that of a large mammal that was a carnivore. However, no

animals tracks were found in the snow where the victims died but the bare footprints of a

human were found at all the murder sites.

She switched off the TV and looked at the blank screen. “Where were you Silas when all

this was happening?”

“Here, hidden away, protecting you if you must know.”

She slowly turned her head and looked at him. “And how did you get in here before she got

back without a key.”

“Guess?”

“You left, closed the door behind you after what you said about my father and what he did

to me as a child.I heard the door click shut and Vera hugged me and went to the kitchen to

get me a strong drink.”

“Correct. So I waited and as she came out holding the two drinks I went into her body and

later, came out of it as she made ready for her blood and guts party.

By now Vera was out of control and you were at risk when she came back. She killed her

husband, she killed a number of adults and children when she was in India, all at night and

she moves around a lot, did move around a lot and you met her where you were a super

detective in Ashbourne. Oh yes, she was a shape changer, and good at it.”

Dawn’s mouth dropped open. “I met her?”

“Correct. Tall blond, almost beautiful if you like that sort of thing,big eyes, big ears and fit

when she changes. A lot of sheep went missing in Derbyshire, the farmers blaming foxes for

a small part but the rest they say is down to rustlers, cowboy type linked to two Asian

gangs from Leeds and Sheffield. Three of the gang members never came back, never found

out there and like some sheep, vanished also. Except to the fleece and the heads.”

“Ruth Davenport?”

“Devenport. Ruth Davenport. Left CID two days after you were asked to take a break but

told not to rush back. Came back here to Munich, but before that, stopped in Paris and

Lyon. Likes homeless street kids in both places, I guess they are more tender and no one

missed them or even bothered looking for them. Such is life and death Dawn.”

“Oh Sweet Jesus!”

“He’s dead too lady”

Dawn frowned and looked at what was once Vera Hoffman lying in her own blood.She

waved a hand at the body. “ We have a dead female on the floor, your doing, we are both in

what was once Vera Hoffman's home who is also Ruth Davenport ex CID. ex cop, human

of sorts, killed a lot of people over the years,has loads of money I think and what do we do.

Just leave?”

Silas looked grim and he shook his head. “I’ll sort the body and when I am working on it,
see what you can do about the carpet, get my book out of the wall safe and gather all your

gear together. Then we go.”

“Like where?”

He glared at her. “Don’t forget your passport and hers and the money in the safe!!”

As she was packing fast she was also rubbing down the room surfaces of prints that she

knew if they were any good at all the Munich police would dust the place down, look for

any DNA and with a big hole at the back of Vera’s head think murder. It struck her hard,

“I’ll deal with the body” How the hell is he going to do that, she thought, panic rising

within her?

She came out of the bedroom after making the bed and stood with her bag in the hallway

then called out, “Silas I’m ready to go!”

No answer, just a little sound above her head, bumps and light knocks, then the sound of

water and bubbles. She set the bag down and walked into the bathroom and looked in the

bath then felt a chill on the back of her neck. When she turned she was startled to see the

light ladder pulled down from the roof space then first one foot then another appears and

then Silas. He put his fingers to his lips and stood beside her then swiftly pushed the ladder

back into place and drew over the cover with the long rod.

Dawn hissed at him, “You put the body up there!”

“Yes, just the body in the water tank.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. You put Vera in the water tank.”

“No, I put a body in the water tank, her spirit is still here so we need to go, lock the door

and push the keys through the letterbox. I know she is here but for the moment she is

powerless, crouched in a corner muttering to herself and speaking in languages. “

“That’s nice to know. Are we at risk?”

He almost smiled at her and poked her once in the chest. “You being a human and not

clued up, are at risk because she will need your warm body.”

THE ISLAND OF THE DEAD.

Dawn Coburn bought her air ticket and stood waiting for some sign of Silas then shrugged

and headed for the check in, passed through Security and waited and wondered what the

hell she bought a ticket direct one way to Glasgow on his instructions. The last call came to

announce her flight was boarding so she went , her stomach churning and followed sheep

like the rest of the mixed passengers her eyes scanning everyone. Then a Franciscan

Brother turned around and looked back at her, the amber eyes glowing for a moment then

he carried on shuffling forwards and was lost on the stairs going down.

Jesus. He is inside a monk of sorts, she thought, and whispered to herself, ‘Hate to tell you

this man of God but Silas could ruin your holy soul if he kicks off.’

Silas sat at the front and the Stewardess leaned over to click the old man in smiling at him.

“It says that you needed some assistance Father so I will take care of things here and at the

other end in in Glasgow.”

He nodded and smiled at her, “Nice tits and smile sister. If I need a pee during the flight I

might need some help with my aimer.”

She drew back in alarm. “What did you just say!”

“I said thank you and God Bless you child and if I need to go to the toilet during the flight I

will need a male attendant to take me there, wait outside the door and then escort me back

to my seat.”

“Oh, yes of course”, her face flushed as she moved on checking on each belt as she walked.

Dawn made a note not to ask if Silas was at his games. Oh no, she thought. Not my problem

lady.

Coburn tried to sleep during the flight but each time she drifted off, black dreams and

flashbacks came into her mind. She opened her eyes and looked down on the great white

clouds and pondered on if it was all a day or nightmare. Her mouth dried up and she had

to control her breathing. Murder of all sorts entered her head, faces of dead people over

the years till now, Doverdale and Derbyshire when she was a police officer,the good and the

bad and of course, the ugly, the mind trips through all types of past history so far back as

far as the first ice age and then back to the Big Bang in deep space. The Stone Age timeline

had gripped her, and not what she thought it was because she seen in her mind’s eye many

creatures that have not yet been discovered as fossils, most of them carnivores.

The large black woman beside her started to snore loudly and she also was grinding her

teeth. Dawn shot a glance at her, expecting her to open her eyes quickly and glare at her

with the eyes of a wolf.

She shook her head and looked back out on the clouds thinking she was losing the mind

plot all together and would never get back to reality that she once knew.

She did not want to look at the woman beside her again, frightened of what she might see,

so rested her head on the glass window of the aircraft and slept.

Even after the aircraft landed on the runway and came to a halt Dawn was still sleeping.

The blackwoman nudged her with her elbow.

“Wake up child, we are here!”

She blinked her eyes open and muttered “Thanks.”

“You must have been in another world sleeping that sleep!”

The easy smile came easy. “You would be surprised where I have been Lady over the last

few weeks and I guess sleep caught up with me.”

The large woman sighed,stood up and waddled down to where the other passengers were

waiting to disembark. Dawn noticed she did not have any luggage, just a small handbag.

The woman turned slowly and looked directly at Dawn Coburn and smiled then followed

the rest of the people off the aircraft but there was no sign of Silas. Then it hit her like cold

water in the face and she almost laughed out loud. You crafty old goat, you dumped the

monk or brother and sat beside me., she thought and headed for the door .

It started to snow again as she hurried to catch up with everyone else but lost them in the

blowing snow and walked with her head down until she bumped into something solid. She

looked up and Silas looking down at her smiling. Her eyes scanned his body then she seen

the kilt.

“Oh God you looked dead stupid in that! Come on I am freezing my tits off here and you

better change that, look for something more fitting!”

He growled, “ Like what?”

She stopped and turned. “Anything than that. Look normal, fit in if you like and find

someone with a wallet and a bankers card. Come on!”

Silas pushed down the anger of what Dawn had said but he was thinking on it. He

stopped and looked at her standing in a shelter shivering, shrugged and walked on soon to

be lost in swirling snowflakes and vanished into the arrival lounge. He scanned quickly

around people coming and going, taking in who they were with and their height and body

mass. Yes time to let an old man have his freedom. He felt in his pocket and ran his fingers
over the two wads of notes and smiled. Released with money my friend and you have been

good over the years. Now it is time to say goodbye and good luck. You will of course be

confused for a time but that will pass and live for a few more years. Stay off the hard stuff,

he muttered to himself.

His amber eyes found a suitable target, a new and younger body, well dressed and clean

shaven. He walked over to him and looked down at the packed rucksack then directly at

the man in front of him placing his hand on his shoulder and made him jump.

“Are you Julia Kerr's son, David?”

The young man looked Silas up and down, seen the kilt and relaxed then shook his head.

“No. Sorry. My name is Peter Morgan.”

“Ah. A man with an education. Splendid. What did you read at University son?”

“Why Zoology. Mainly mammals. I am doing my pHd now on the Mammals of Borneo and

in an hour I will be on my way to join a team out there.”

Silas made his eyes widen in mock amazement. “Borneo! I have been there. Many years

ago as a Marine and explorer. It rains a lot but mainly in the afternoon. Have you been

there before?”

Peter Morgan smiled and shook his head. “No.First time for me. Don’t mind me saying this

sir but there is a strange woman looking at you from the corner.”

Silas smiled but did not look. “My daughter Dawn. Fusses a bit. Do you know where the

men’s toilet is son. My eyes are not what they used to be.”

Peter looked around then smiled. “Come on I’ll take you and I have plenty of time. Follow

me.”

He did and they got to the door and the young man held the door open for him and

muttered, “Looks like we have it to ourselves.”

“Thank you. Bless you son. This won’t take long.”

Peter Morgan was right, it did not take long and Silas washed his hands and looked at the

old man who was confused with a long black beard and in a kilt.

“Where the hell am I Mister?”

Silas smiled and picked up the rucksack and slung it on his shoulder.

“Glasgow airport.”

As he headed out the door he almost bumped into Dawn Coburn and muttered,

“Time to rock and roll lady. I found a nice fresh and youthful body and left an old man

with a smile on his face.”

“Fuck!”

“Tut, tut Dawn. One must not let one’s standards drop and we have a train to catch. On

yes. In public you can address me as “Peter Morgan, work in Zoology, no family to miss

me, no wife or partner to worry about me and as I now look like the young man and have

his passport we can move on.”

She grabbed his arm. “What did you do with the old man!”

His amber eyes glowed for a moment.”Set him free with one thousand pounds cash in his

pocket and he can now return to the City of Leeds where I found him many years ago

sleeping rough.Shall we go?”

She glared at him, looked him up and down and forced a smile. “Much better. The kilt?”

“Left in on the old man. Oh, dear. Also the man who owned it.”

“The Scotsman?”

Silas shrugged. “ I don’t often make mistakes and when i do I blame someone else. No point

in making things worse now is it?”

“Have you given any thought to what the haggis will do to the old man when he works out

that he now is…?”

“The word is ‘nude’ I think you are looking for Dawn and the old guy will be out of there

like shit down a drain much richer and gone. He is street wise while Bonnie Prince Charlie

cannot follow from the toilet back into the arrival terminal as he is and will be protecting

his family jewels.”

She snorted and waved a hand at him. “And where the hell did you get the black hat and

coat Silas?”

Silas raised an eyebrow and looked at her from under the hats brim, “I found it on a seat

next to some guy who looks like he had a stroke or something and walked on with it in my

hand but I did inform someone at a desk that I thought the man was ill then met you”

She frowned lips tight. “You just bumped into me Silas. A few minutes ago so you have a

coat, hat and you had it on when you almost bumped into me so stop lying to me!”

“Ok. It was sitting on the wash sink and the guy who owned it was on the floor in a heap so

I took it but I still informed someone he was ill if not dead.”

She sighed. “We need to go now Silas and fast, get on a train somewhere and outta here.

This place is going to be crawling with cops and paramedics, not to mention airport staff

and cameras.”
 THE LAND OF THE RAVEN.

One hour and twenty minutes later they were on the train heading North West into the

highlands of Scotland. They had been lucky enough to get a table between the seats and

devoid of other passengers close by. She looked like she was smouldering inside and hissed

at him. “My whole life is in ruins and you sit there like something out of a bad gangster

film or the Mafia staring at nothing!”

“Well the suit and hat are Italian my dear and you could say we are on the run with what

we left in Munich in the water tank. However we do have the money we took out of her safe

as well as my book and between us we are ok for cash. So we need a plan, a sound plan with

no holes in it and we also have Mr Morgan's rucksack, his id, his bank card and his pin

number which is his date of birth. The only problem is that you do not look like her

passport photograph.”

She made a face. “Sorry about that. Next time I will do better.”

Silas nodded. “Yes, you do Dawn and do it within a few days.”

She was for a moment was startled by the comment but her past training came into play.

She sat in silence thinking then, “I have to vanish for good,disappear off the radar, become

someone else, no contact with any friends?”

Silas was now stone faced. “Either that or hand yourself over to your police force and take

your chances which is stacked against you, a long court case, a psychological assessment or

more than one, and a real life prison sentence in a mental hospital or a lockdown prison.
And then there is your mind Dawn with all that information, that vast amount of

knowledge, real knowledge you now have and someone in the worlds defence forces will at

some time hear about your potential and want you and your mind and will not care how

they get it.”

She screamed at him. “You can tell them the truth!”

He held up a finger to his lips then said softly, “As I am not human Dawn they would not

listen to me, Silas De Cote, because they would not except the truth as you call it and would

not know what truth is even if it bit them. You have to except that right now your IQ is

away off the scale of any other human on Earth.

As for me.even if they locked me up, I would be free within a few hours and gone like a

wisp of woodsmoke.”

She sneered at him, “Like you always do Silas!”

He nodded. “Correct.”

She bit her lip, wiped tears from her eyes and sat. He was looking out into the the snow

covered landscape when she spoke. “I want this to stop, I want to take my chances and

hand myself in and I never want to see or hear of you again Silas. We are done. Finished!”

He did not look at her and he did not speak. He just sat there looking at snow.

When he turned and looked at her, he nodded then said softly, “In seven minutes and

thirty one seconds this train will stop for dropping off, and picking up passengers. You can

get off there. You have money, you have a passport so you can book into a small hotel and

do what you said you wanted to do. Take your chances Dawn.”

Her mouth fell open. “You mean that?”

“Of course. I will continue my journey into the land of the Raven.”

“I won’t miss you.”

“No. You won’t.”

She got her bag and set it on her knees listing to the train but not looking at him. Too much

was happening now, too fast, she thought, he is not protesting or trying to change my mind.

A cold fear started to creep into Dawn Coburn on thinking what she would have to face

now on her own, the police, arrest, banged up till she went to court, remand, date of main

court hearing, the trial, the Jury of mixed sexes and people, the media hype. The defence.

Oh don’t worry about that, she thought, you can defend yourself and it is a foregone

conclusion of what the outcome will be. The best defence in the world could not get a ‘not

guilty’ verdict no matter what it did.

The train slowed and she got up, did not look at him or speak and walked off the train and

stood waiting to see if Silas would get off. As it moved off and disappeared on a bend she

looked both ways along the snow covered platform.

Deserted except for foot prints. He was not there.

She headed into the town her mind drifting of all that happened to her, all the information

implanted and as she crossed the road at a crossing, her mind flashed danger but the next

moment she was tossed into the air and over the top a speeding car and crashed face down

onto the road. She felt no pain yet just a numbness but she heard the car burn rubber as it

fled. Her head was turned to one side now, the right, and her eyes for a moment watched

the snow turn pink and thought of candy floss when she was a child then total blackness.

They rushed Dawn Coburn to hospital, a police car adding its blue lights to that of the

ambulance as they drove at speed. In the back,a female paramedic was working on her and

in a small bag, a fragment of skull bone with Dawn’s hair still attached.

“She crashing Tommy!”

Tommy McGill shouted back. “Three minutes. Keep working on her!”

“BP is dropping!”
 THE DEAD ZONE.

10. 15 PM

The Neurosurgeon rasped into the phone at the A+E desk. “I really don’t give a fuck so get

me a an Operating Theatre now and I mean now! No shut up and listen. No do not talk.

Listen. Female RTA, head trauma and I need a team there when I get there and no ‘If’s or

but’s. Just do it!”

Dr McClean slammed down the phone and told a porter and nurse to bring the patient and

follow him and he walked to the flap doors and pushed them open and held them open as

they pushed the trolley.

“Speed my boy and don’t hang about. Nurse you take the lead and yell at anyone who gets

in the way and I mean anyone!”

They arrived at the Theatre Suites and McClean shouted at a scrub nurse.

“Which one?”

“B”

“They all in here?”

“Whole team as requested Dr McClean. What can I do.”

“Get her in there and use a slide board while I get ready.”

He turned to the nurse and A+E porter, forced a smile and muttered, “Well done you two.

Now get back on station and you get any flack tell them to ring me later.”

B OPERATING THEATRE

10.31PM

“We got a name for the patient Dr McLean?”

“Two names, the first is Dawn Coburn, the second may be one Vera Hoffman found on a

second passport. Lets type her up as Coburn. I also need her blood typed and urgent and

then I need the blood fast.”

The Theatre Sister nodded. “Ok lets do it. Induced coma and I want everyone around the

table focused and no fuck up’s folks. The clock is ticking for her.”

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

03.05AM

Everything that was plugged in was keeping the body of Dawn Coburn alive but there was

concern about the low output on her brain waves output. They were low but she was not

brain dead. Sister Nora Black checked everything was working and then nodded to the

staff around her. “Stats every ten minutes and written up and do not forget you have two

other patients so could be a close call of who leaves for the Rose Garden before the end of

shift.”

As Dawn Coburn lay in her coma she was having all unconnected flashes of colours, hissing

static like bacon frying too fast, faces of people she did know and did not know if she had

been awake and would have thought she was floating. But none of the nurses knew this who

worked on her and the other two patients but somehow they picked up the same flashes

and images from one another but could not respond.

Once the night shift had been done and the handover carried out to the day staff it was

doctors and consultants bed rounds. the three patients stats read and reread, notes made

and it was Dr Mclean who made a startling discovery.

His nose twitched as he read Coburn’s medical file. He looked up at Sister Ann Brooks and

raised an eyebrow. “Get me the other two patients files please, Sister.”

She nodded at the small darked haired auxiliary nurse who took them off the small push
table in front of Dr Mclean and handed them to him. He frowned at them in his hand and

muttered, “Should have went to Specsavers. In front of me all the time.”

No one smiled. It was Sister Brooks who asked the question, almost meekly.

“I fail to understand why you need the other two patients records?”

He held up a bony finger. “You will, trust me”, setting the three files in front of everyone, “

and you may also question of how and why it happened Sister.”

Ann Brooks scanned the three sets of records now in front of her and her mouth fell open.

“No this cannot be. It is impossible!”

Mclean grunted, “As you say, ‘impossible’ yet here in front of us for all to see is the

impossible. Each of the patients are named as this one, Dawn Coburn RTA, in front of us,

behind me is Zara McDonald, the redhead,RTA, then in the corner is yet another female

Suzy Ann Kirk so let me see if our little friend here can spot the problem. Take a look

Helen Watts and tell us both that we are mistaken, well I am mistaken. Please, proceed.”

The auxiliary Nurse swallowed hard and shrugged looking hard at Sister Brooks for a sign

of support but it was not there. She walked between Sister Brooks and Mclean and flicked

through each file then when finished she looked pale and was sweating.

“Your informed opinion Helen”, rasped Mclean his eyes bright, and licked his lips.

Helen Watts cleared her throat. “ You do understand Doctor, Sir, I am not a trained nurse

just a …”

“Woman with a brain. Please.”

Watts shrugged, “Well I do not know all the medical terminology but will say what I know.

“All three have been RTA’s, brain trauma, broken bones, some major organ damage,

Patient Coburn here has a very low temperature, low heart rate because of induced coma,

Patients McDonald and Kirk were also induced coma, but…..Well all three have the same

date of birth which is more than odd, Kirk and McDonald have no brain flicker waves of
any sort, but Coburn has. The BP of the other two is low to zero while Coburns is ok for

the coma, urine for Coburn is normal, but somehow the other two have stopped passing

water” licking her lips.

“Go on Watts. In your informed opinion what is it?”

“Susan Ann Kirk and Zara McDonald are both dead Sir.Straight lined.”

Sister Ann Brooks staggered and was caught by the kind hand of Mclean.

“Correct. “Now Watts tell us from the patients records when they were last alive if you

please. Coburn, McDonald and Kirk had their stats done by the night shift at 04.00 and all

‘normal’ as such Sir.”

Mclean guided Sister Brooks to a bedside chair and she slumped into it still in shock.

He nodded at Watts, “Thank you. Please inform the other two members of staff of all this,

ring the Nursing officer and the CEO’s office and tell them that I said I want them in here

in six minutes and tell the CEO to also inform the police for two sudden deaths. You got

that?”

He muttered, “They died at the hour of the Wolf, Watts. Who was the duty doctor last

night till the day shift came on.?”

She took out her note book, read the name out loud. “Dr Peter Morgan, a locum, called in

because we are short staffed, did the full shift.”

“And his buzzer number?

She read it, then started to shake, gasping like a fish and blurted out, 0666!”

The rest of the morning on the ward was taken up with police officers coming and going,

ward staff, day and night being interviewed, the two bodies of the dead women lying nude

on stainless steel tables side by side in the Hospital mortuary and a forensic team standing
by with the pathologist in scrubs. Dr Steel licked his lips and lifted the blade.

When he made the first ‘Y’ incision on Zara McDonald, upstairs, back on the ward, Dawn

Coburn’s eyes shot open and she tried to scream.

In the mortuary,the sharp blade slid down to the pubic bone and the eyes behind the mask

glowed amber. There was also a hidden bitter smile of days and nights long gone, no

regrets Zara, he thought, just part of the process between good and evil and of course,

getting even.

He pulled the flaps aside and dropped them wet and bloody on each side of her body, then

with the Attendants help, he cracked open the chest, cutting the ribs apart with bone shears

then looked at Amos, the mortuary attendant who was looking bug eyed into the body

cavity. He looked at the man across the table and stuttered, “This can’t be doctor Morgan,

no way, no how!”

Morgan nodded. “Looks like it is old chap. No heart, no lungs, no soul maybe.”

Amos snorted. “So if I was recording this on paper, on the computer what do I put Doc?”

He smiled at Amos almost father like. “Never happened, empty, maybe it has been posted

before but the does not explain why it was on an intensive care ward and nurses and

doctors were supposed to be doing stats and I should add missed out on the coma bit. She

or it, was already dead, with no heart or lungs. Tutt, Tut, Amos if we mention this

anywhere, anytime then heads will roll, jobs will go and of course they are all going to have

some real explaining to do or, a massive cover up.”

Amos jumped when he heard the shout behind him but Morgan smiled.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing!”, snapped Mclean his eyes wide and face

red.

Amos was searching for words but he spluttered out the wrong words. “I work here,

mortuary attendant, Amos.”

Mclean hissed, “I wanted to do the Post, I wanted to be here and does he look like me or I

like him numb nuts!”

Silas grunted and thought, you would be surprised. Honest.

“I do think you need to look at this Dr Mclean”, muttered Amos, sweat on his forehead and

pointing into the calaver.

McClean walked forward and looked. “ So, where are the organs, the samples?”

Amos rolled his eyes. “Don’t know.”

“ And you Dr Morgan, if indeed you are a doctor. You know?”

Silence. He looked at Amos then turned. “Where the fuck has he gone!”

“Don’t know. Just gone.”

‘’And Dr bloody Steel,where the hell is he?’’

Amos looked at the two body's laid out. ‘’He felt I'll and left.’’

ROOM ONE O ONE.

THE MEDICAL BOARD ROOM.

All of the Health Committee were sitting at two long tables of good oak and were waiting

for the Chairperson to speak,Sian O'Hara and middle aged with icy blue eyes and lips like

a split fish.

Mclean was sitting three chairs from her and he was sweating his stomach rumbling. If he

could hear it then she could hear it and so could others.

He took a sip of water but that only made things worse and for a moment she glared at
him, then coughed lightly.

“I called this extraordinary Committee meeting in a hurry because we have a number of

problems that has come to light over the last twenty four hours. Problems I should add the

gutter press would love to know and print their own version on it. So what you hear stays

here. We are missing Dr Low because she is down with flu but no matter we continue. I do

not want anyone here to interrupt me until I finish but I do want you to pin your ears back

and listen because if this gets out, we as a Trust are going to get a lot of incoming flak, as

well as legal beavers coming out of the woodwork who want to make a quick buck and find

a scapegoat or goats in this room.”

O’Hara looked at each person in turn slowly. “Our problem is not simple, we have two

dead woman downstairs on steel tables, they were on a ward, ICU along with another

woman, Dawn Coburn. All three were the result of RTA’s, all were on the ward in a

comatose state, induced of course. Dr Mclean did surgery on the Coburn woman, fracture

skull and possible brain damage. It seems that a Dr Morgan was brought in as night shift

locum but there is no record of him sighing in or where he is now. Dr Mclean here did see

him both on he ward and in the mortuary. He, this Morgan chappie did a post on one Zara

McDonald and it has been discovered she was dead a long time on ITU and that there were

no organs in her body. Not a liver, heart, kidney, or stomach or its contents. Dr Mclean can

confirm this because he looked at the body but also he did the post on a Susan Ann Kirk

and she was in the same state as the McDonald woman. No internal organs. Then comes the

date of birth of all three women, all the same.

Mclean was too quick on the draw when he found both women dead on the ward and

informed the night sister to inform the police as required by law. The damn fool! Here we

need to deal with collateral damage and how we can deal with it, how we deal with the fall

out and most of all how did it happen!

I see licking of lips, confusion, fear in your faces but believe me when I say this, it could get

much worse.”
For a moment there was the light shuffle of feet, a glass of water being set on the table, a

cough and the rustle of paper in someone’s hand.

“Well! Anyone have anything to say or our we going to be like the three monkeys, ‘see

nothing, say nothing and do nothing. Oh, and the fourth monkey.

Hear nothing?”

A thin smile passed over a grey haired woman’s lips. She raised a hand looking at O’Hara.

“Yes Mrs Woodrow?”

“As I see it now and what you have just outlined it seems that the two, shall we say,

‘patients’, were long dead before they got to EAU but were found on the road as a RTA’s

and no one checked their records when they came in. In fact from what I can gather from

my own checks as a GP they were dead a long time before they were found and when I

brought up their names on my computer they had been dead for many years. A little bit of

money offered in the right place to the right people would have got you the answer and no

one here would be pissing themselves thinking the worse. You see, what I did discover, and

with a little help from my husband who was an Inspector of Police in Scotland found out

that the bodies were delivered for PM, the women in question, were Posted, pretty beat up

from what I gather. As they and their bits and bobs have more than likely been passed

around a few teaching hospitals I don’t see the problem.”

O’Hara almost shouted at Mrs Woodrow. “How the hell did A+E miss that, then send them

up to ITU and…”

“They were never through A+E. They were delivered to our mortuary at night for disposal

the big burn up on site, signed for by a night Porter named Ali Bin with very little English

and was informed in his own language to clean them up and get both up here on ITU, he

signed for them both and brought them up with help from another night porter, with poor

English also, called Silas De Cote who did most of the talking. After the two porters

left,then a few minutes later in walks one Dr Morgan, all business and bluster and ordered
the two patients to be ‘hooked ‘ up.Short staffed, no real medical notes they did as they

were told, however failed to see that there was no BP, no stats done because they were

dealing with one patient who was brought down from Theatre after brain surgery and

placed in an induced coma, her’s was real and she had a heart, lungs and pissed into a jar

under the bed through a tube. So you see the staff were at fault as was hospital security, as

was the night porter, the Silas one is not listed as a member of staff but he and Dawn

Coburn did and came up on police radar and records. The police and Interpol are very

eager to interview them both as soon as,”

There was a lot of muttering and O’Hara slapped the table hard for silence.

She looked at Mrs Woodrow. “You would advise what?”

“Burn the two bodies, replace the ITU staff and put Dr Mclean on Gardening duties for the

duration, with pay.”

There were murmings of discontent by the other members and again O’Hara slapped the

desk hard. Silence for a moment then she held up her phone.

“Anyone here right now want to ring their MP, The Press, the Police, BMC, or the Minister

for Health?” Silence.“I thought not. So we do what has been suggested and carry on as

suggested by Mrs Woodrow but I have to ask her, “Who is this man Silas De Cote?”

THE MIND CANVAS.

In the early hours of Friday morning well before a cold grey light showed in the east, they

took Dawn Coburn in a private ambulance sixty miles outside Telford to a The Phoenix

Hospital that was also private and was already paid for with little or no paperwork

involved, just her medical records. She dropped off the radar of the NHS after it was

declared she was now a private patient but not expected to recover and was unable to

answer any questions as she was now passed into the critical stage. Her body was closing

down.
As far as anyone who was concerned, she was going to die. Maybe even helped on the way

after a week. No resus, and no medical intervention except for the basics. Of course, organ

removal needed to be done and paid for before brain death and removed and stored for

shipment.

By evening and the night shift came on they read her notes and two of them went to turn

her and when they walked into she was sitting in a chair in the dark.

She did not turn when Nurse Tammy Scott spoke. “Jesus. She is supposed to be on her

way….

The voice was husky when the woman in the chair spoke. “You mean dead not on her way

out. I would like my clothes please, including underwear. my toilet bag, my small black bag

with a purse and passport in and the form I have to sign to discharge myself. Please.”

The much older nurse spoke softly. “I think dear that we should call doctor once we get

you back in bed. You have been very ill. Tammy please go and bleep Dr Ruth who is duty

doctor this week and then come back.”

The woman turned her head fast, her face full of anger and eyes of amber.

“Which part do you not understand. I want to leave, get dressed and leave and if you touch

me I will rip your face and arms off. As for you Tammy. Yes go get the doctor and bring

my stuff back here. As for you Nurse McCabe you can go get me water to drink, then

unplug me from all of this shit.”

“How did you know my name?”

Dawn Coburn smiled. She was looking at McCabe under hooded eyes and the bed hair on

one side of her shaved skull made her look really scary to both women. “You still here

Nurse Tammy?”

“Just going.”

McCabe hissed, “And tell security we need them up here now!”

Dawn Coburn was not herself, she was in no way the same woman that had been in an

RTA months ago, a limp rag and in a coma but right now she could feel the power and

energy flow through her. She knew what she used to be but she now knew what she now

was.

In the dim night light of the room Nora McCabe gently moved to the bed and lowered

herself on to it speaking softly. “Can I get you anything Miss Coburn?”

Dawn, or what once was Dawn Coburn turned back to the window and looked out at the

night. “ I asked you for water. I am still waiting!”

Dr Ruth Bell almost collided with Nora McCabe who was rushing to get a jug of water and

a glass. She muttered to the doctor, “You had better get in there fast and I have called

hospital security. She wants to leave!”

“Leave. Don’t be silly. She is a coma and is not expected to come out of it.”

“That is what her notes said, what we are told but right now she is in a chair looking out at

God only knows what and grinding her teeth.”

Ruth Bell rushed to the room and went in and finding Coburn ripping out the tubes from

her body and standing nude and bloody glaring at her.

“No don’t.”

Buzzers and alarms started to go off at the nurses station and in the room and slowly Ruth

Bell approached her and in the dim light as she spoke softly it was then that Bell’s brain

registered what she was looking at as Coburn continued grinding her teeth and smiling.

Bell turned and ran for the door but she never made it and she was too terrified to scream

or speak. The last thing Ruth Bell ever tasted was her own hot blood and the last thing she

ever seen was Coburn swallowing a lump of flesh.

Tammy Scott had short legs as she carried Coburn’s backpack past the Nurses station then

stopped in her tracks when she seen the nude woman covered in blood running towards he

and she screamed and went into a dead faint and hit the floor. The creature that was once a

woman now sniffed at her its head tilted to one side as she did so, then it picked up the bags

and carried on running and out into the main part of the hospital and through a sidewall

fire door and into the night.

No one in the hospital who worked there could go home in the cold light of a false dawn

and at least a dozen crime detectives as well as uniforms were everywhere. They had a

forensic team on the main ward, photographs and statements taken and in some cases,

taken, retaken to get clarity of what happened.

Inspector David Silver grunted at his DS. “We have a suspect, an ex detective who was in a

coma, close to death, almost taking her last breath, rise up like Lazarus and take out this

Dr Ruth Bell, run off nude with a bag of her clothes, her body covered in her victims blood

and flesh gore, down the corridor and out into the night then vanish. Gone!”

Miles Crow smiled, “Not all bad boss. We have her name, her fingerprints, and interest

shown in her by the German police in Munich for alleged criminal activity over Christmas,

her association with one Silas De Cote, some old goat who our lot want to interview as a

suspect for possible criminal activity here in the UK, Derbyshire and West Midlands Police

are getting details to us soon as. This Dawn Coburn has been and is a very busy lady boss.”

Silas was much of his old self, had dropped the name Dr Morgan, but still used the husk of

Morgan’s body and what was left of his mind. When he glanced at the headlines outside a

newspaper shop he knew right away that what was once a young woman known as Dawn

Coburn was now well and truly dead and that her energy had been absorbed and taken
over by the energy of one dead woman still lying in a water tank in Munich. It seem that

Vera Hoffman had now gone feral and her energy well out of control here now in Scotland,

he thought, forcing his anger down to what he called ‘normal’ because he had to keep the

lid on it. He also knew that if she had not already changed her and Coburn’s name she

would without doubt do so. But Silas knew she would leave a blood trail and much better

than a paper trail for him. But that would take time until she changed over in shape and

looks that would fit in.

There was no sadness as such when he found out Dawn Coburn would be no more either in

body or soul as that was part of the process in life and death for humans and all life but he

was alert to the fact that Hoffman was not like him, she was almost part human and not a

very nice human at that. She could eat, drink, talk, have sex, change to a shift changer into

human form and the moon had nothing to do with it. She would kill again as she has over a

long time across Europe and the UK and Ireland. Vera Hoffman as she was last known,

was around for a very long time and had a good number of past names, even returning to

areas where she had killed before unnoticed. In the Dark Ages she was known only as

‘Lupus of the Dark Moon’ or ‘Moon Wolf’ and was feared across Europe and Russia.

He pondered on this as he looked out over the landscape from an old deer Stalkers croft to

the distant highlands of Scotland. He looked around him, dust, pine needles on the floor,

some wooden boards broke in a corner where underneath had lay the bones of a woman.

He give a nod and his smile was bitter. He had been here in the snow many years ago, as

well as the man, and two women who had got stuck less than a mile away. And the old man

on the run down tractor who came out of a gateway and was killed but then at least one a

month, rain or snow at dusk his spirit did the same thing. Silus knew his history, he knew

most people's history and their hidden secrets some of them sinister in nature. That old

man was trapped in his own energy and would never move on till the remains of the dead,

that he had buried in the field after killing them, all females none local. His spirit was

limited to one square mile of space including the field and the gate. They did bury his body

when the tractor rolled over and crushed him many years ago. His daughter had stood
beside the open grave that Spring day and went through the ritual of prayers for the dead

but was burning from the inside in pure hate for what was once her father.

Silus nodded to himself and his amber eyes drifted to the broken corner floorboards. Wind

sighed around the cabin and he looked at the dirty window and it was the same window

that he looked through at the man inside years ago. There was nothing on this planet that

Silus did know, the why, the how, the where, the human minds of the past and in the now

but leaving humans to sort out their lives and their cultures was a bad idea. He made a face

in the darkness of the cabin and thought, it is too late to change it….unless of course they

wanted to change and they would have to be forced to change by a major natural world

wide disaster.

He lifted his head and heard a mouse or other small rodent scuffle under the floorboards

and smiled then spoke in a husky voice,”You got the right answer, you have a home, food

and others to mate with of you kind but mouse your life span is short and to reach old age

of two years you have to survive from all things in nature that want to eat you or kill you in

another way. You are smarter than humans because you do not need a phone, computer,

radio, car or any man made gadget because you and I both know you are your own

computer, phone and your communication skills are honed to a high degree.You are a born

survivor.”

He closed his eyes, not to sleep, with his back to the wooden wall and he slowed down his

mind, and became still, but alert at the slightest sound or change around him. He blinked

his eyes open then stood up, opened the door that made a creaking noise as he closed it

behind him and walked into the snow back towards the road, the darkest of pines hid the

stars and then through the trees he seen the land-rover with a woman voiding urine in a

squat position at the edge of the forest. Whispered voices and he already knew what they

once were, what they were seeking and why. The car was only a playback of his mind tape

as were the two woman and he blinked his eyes twice and approached the road through

virgin snow. A red deer showed up red in colour from it infrared body heat as it stopped in

the road and looked in his direction then bounded into the cover of the pines. It left its
tracks but Silus left none and he glided along the road fast and like a whisper, unseen and

unheard until he was ready to be seen and heard.

Donald McKeeman blinked at the sharp white light coming of the snow from the headlights

in the night and he blinked again when he seen a snow covered man standing in the road

with both arms raised above his head. At first he was alarmed then slowed down his

landrover and relaxed when he seen that the man was old with a snow covered beard. He

stopped and slid the window across.

“What the hell are you doing out in a blizzard at this time of the night Mon!”

Silas stepped forward. “Need a lift. Got lost.Need to find a village and shelter.”

Donald screwed up his face. “No hotel or B+B in the village. it is off the beaten track you

see.? Get in and I will take you there but the best that can be offered is a police cell at the

station. I’m Sgt McKeeman, and there is just me and one WPC, Moira Harris. Before you

ask I was on patrol looking for fools in cars who got stranded. You have a name?”, he

demanded.

Silas thought fast. “Silas Henry Patterson From Kilcullen in County Down. I was heading

for Inverness and the University there. I study anthropology and am looking at at research

of family members who left Scotland and went to Ulster, the Pattersons if there are any?”

McKeeman grunted. “Well ye will no find many of that name in the next village I can tell

ya that. There was once a Patton but he is long dead. Tell me, how did you get this far?”

“Ah there lies a tale. I got a bit of a lift and she was turning off to the right yesterday

afternoon just at dusk and I walked on. An hour later and started to snow again so i found

a bit of shelter in an old cabin or hut. So cold in there so when the snow eased a little I left

and there I was when you found me. May God bless you.”

“This woman. What did she look like?”

“Big woman, grey hair, dressed for a farm with boots on. Not much chat outta her but she

did say it was no place to be at night for man or beast. Oh and she had a yew and a lamb in

the back. Smoked a lot in the land rover and I was glad to get out. It was like a fog!”

McKeeman snorted, “That place you took shelter is a bad place to be. It has a local

reputation if you get what I mean?”

“Oh! You mean ‘ghosts’?

He cast a quick side glance at Silas. “Worse than that friend, much worse.”

Silas let out a long sigh, “People got killed, murdered. Right?”

McKeeman nodded and kept looking straight ahead. “You Irish are like us here in

Scotland. We have our myths, ghosts and tall tales but there were human remains found,

women, all young, one set of remains under the floor where you were kipping. Then just a

mile up the road here on the left, two men died, said to be a chainsaw accident as they were

timber poachers but the old locals thought it was something to do with….!

“The Devil or Satan, old Black Bob or a curse. Same thing back home officer and it won’t

change. Part of our culture if you like?”

Officer McKeeman grunted and nodded then added in a dour voice, “Then we had an

outbreak of sheep killing. Many thought it was dogs leaving home at night and finding a

flock but it was much more than that. No dog or dogs left tracks like that nor did they drag

a kill into cover and eat most of it. One set of tracks I did see and it was no dog!”

They sat in silence as they drove on and then Silas whispered softly,

“Big Cat or even a large dog?!

“ Or a wolf or even a werewolf but we don’t have wolves anymore, not for a few hundred

years. Locals will not travel this stretch of road at night, even in a car winter or summer.

Tish McDonald tried it on a late summer’s evening, at dusk,

and whatever she did see put her into panic mode and she swerved left, left the road and hit

a tree. Major spinal injuries, lived for two weeks in the hospital then went insane but not

before she told me what she seen in the gloaming.

A nude blond woman, dark hair over her body standing hunched over a dead lamb and

ripping it apart with her teeth. There was what was left of a dead lamb, just the head and

four legs and the skin turned inside out. A pool of fresh blood and not a roadkill.”

Silas raised an eyebrow. “And the woman, what happened her?”

“Thought she was an eagle and flew of the hospital roof.”

Silas’s face went stonelike and he formed his question before he asked it.

“Some of my research of the area in the past mentioned something about hill sheep farmers

around here losing lambs out on a mountain called Silent Hill, Spring lambs born, lived for

a few weeks then at the round up, around three hundred were missing, maybe more. No

trace, no bones and no fleece. Of course there was some remains of a ‘natural’ cull, bad

weather, foxes taking lambs, and maybe the old golden eagle taking a weak lamb. Four

years in a row and the mountain side is silent now in Spring, no sad calling of yews or

lambs calling for one another. More than odd don’t you think?”

McKeeman slowed the land rover, then pulled in and stopped. He switched off the engine

and looked hard at Silas.

“Just who the fuck are you Mon. You have all this information in your head, seem to know

that the mountain called ‘Silent Hill’ is a name the locals give it because of what has

happened here over the years. It’s real name on maps is Wolf Hill also known as the ‘place

of wolves’ in the past.”

“I know.”

“Thought you might. The pine forest in the old days used to run from here all the way to

the base of that mountain back in 1700. The landowner at that time ordered it be cut down,
the wood used or burned and any wolves there to be killed by any means possible. This was

done, the wolves that were left scattered elsewhere and all that was left was stumps and

moors. Then just after the second World War the German prisoners were sent home,

though and few married local women, reared a family, parents died, were buried and their

children went to the scattering. My own father told me as a child that one girl stayed on,

she was not right in the head and for me to stay clear of her at all costs. This I did, but she

took to the woods and…..”

“Julia Hoffman went feral. Liked raw lamb, then raw humans,and you knew this but did

nothing, except with a uniform on at dusk and through the night, you helped her get her

pray. You even killed some single woman and left them in the forests and woods because

she was even digging up fresh graves and breaking and ripping open the coffins and

feeding on the dead. You of course being the officer in charge, did investigate, wrote a

report and put it all down to foxes and badgers. All for sex McKeeman, not love.”

McKeeman sat silent for a moment then without looking at Silus reached into his right

hand overcoat pocket and pulled out a .38 revolver and thrust it in the old man’s face and

as he did,cocked it. “You know too much and unless your a mind reader I want to know

how you gleamed this history, information on me, and who or what you really are!”

Silus put his two hands over his face and whimpered, “Please, don’t shoot I am just an old

fool, a meddling old fool.You have to understand that a man of my age picks up a lot of

information over the years. It was nothing!”

“Who are you mister?”

“Don’t shoot!”

“Who are you!”

Behind his hands he replied in a muffled voice, “Oh that! Your worse nightmare I guess.”

“Sit there, don’t move.”

Silis sat, hands still over his face and waited then felt the cold air hit him as the car door

was wrenched open.

“Out, hands on your head!”

Slowly Silis climbed out of the car and pushed the car door closed then pulled his hat down

and his black coat collar up and stuck his hands deep in his pocket.

MeKeeman rasped at him. “Hands on your head now or I will kill you here and now!”

He watched MeKeeman’s face as he placed his hands on top of his black hat, careful not to

crumple it, shrugged and give a long shiver, “Now what?”

“Walk in there, the pine wood, slowly.”

He did as he was told and entered the darkness of the wood.

“Stop right there, turn around and kneel down.”

Silis whimpered again, muffled breaths, gasping. “Please.”

“Turn around like a man.”

“No.”

“What the hell!”

“I can’t turn around like a man and I am very angry and I have to do something about this

anger, and I now have to kill you Officer McKeeman and your pets will come and feed on

you along with a few foxes, the odd badger and of course, the rats and the crows when

dawn comes.”

MeKeeman’s mouth fell open in shock and he fired three shots into the shape of the old

man, that echoed across the valley.

He never got a fourth shot off because what turned and looked at him had amber eyes,

bright eyes and a mouthful of very large teeth, whiter than snow and pointed. Mckeeman
was rooted to the spot, dropped the gun and watched as IT walked in close to him, so close

he could smell the warm smell of animal breath, and hear the teeth grinding and when his

face came off the last thing he seen, was that smile, and burning bright eyes.

Silus wiped his mouth clean with what was left of McKeeman’s coat, wiped his hands with

snow and was now back to normal. He looked around him at the waiting figures standing

in a circle, ten in all and whispered in a Syrian language that was long forgotten and was

now officially a ‘dead language’.

He walked past the them, those children of the night, who left no footprints in the snow as

they glided rather than walked to where food was or when they were haunting, some of

them, offspring of the woman known as Julia Hoffman were hungry and the bloody mess

by the car tasted better than a dead lamb.

Moira Harris was more than worried because when she got on duty in the small police

station her boss, Donald McKeeman was not there, and that was strange. She rang his

mobile phone three times and seeing the land rover was not in the carpark, she assumed he

was out on an urgent call. She walked over to the kettle and touched it. Stone cold. That

told her that he had been out early if not all night but found it odd that he had not text her

and let her know where he was. She looked out at the falling snow and shrugged and

thought he had got stranded. She picked up the radio mike and give her call sign then did it

twice more but there was no answer. She had no idea where he was and even when she

checked the desk recorder the only message was last night from John Kilgannon

complaining about the weather and his livestock breaking out of the field and now in the

pine forest. He had added, ‘just to let you know in case they get on the main road’.

She rang him and asked was Sgt MeKeeman with him but got a negative answer from

Kilgannon. After she hung up she knew this was going to be a slow day, what with snow
drifts and wind. She made a face. Paperwork to catch up with which she hated and unless

there was a murder reported she was stuck in the station. She switched on the kettle and

waited, her thoughts on McKeeman.

Not that she even liked the man but he was not here and therefore, officially she was the

one and only police officer on duty. As she poured the hot water into a coffee cup, she

shrugged and muttered, “Maybe he is drunk again and lying in bed sleeping it off. Would

not be the first time.”

She sipped the hot drink and switched on the PC and waited till it booted up.

She signed in and there was one message from Weather Watch informing her of an amber

warning for blizzard conditions for the whole of the Highlands.

She grunted, “The baby Beast from the East has arrived”, then groaned, “Nothing to do

and all day to do it. Where the hell are you McKeeman!”

She looked up at the clock and it read; 0930. The desk phone ringing made her jump and

she grabbed it. “Moira Harris here. How can I help?”

There was a long pause.

“Hallo?”

Someone breathless. “Could not get you on my mobile so ringing on my landline. John

Kilgannon here. I took the tractor up the bray and looking for my cattle found Sgt

McKeeman’s car in a snow drift. It is bad news Officer Harris. Very bad news.”

Moira Harris took a long deep breath then let it out slowly. “Go on.”

“Well I took the shovel and dug my way into the car. Empty. Then at the edge of the

pinewood my foot hit something and I uncovered a .38 Webley and Scott revolver. Loaded,

three rounds fired. Blood everywhere under the snow.”

“We don’t carry firearms Mr Kilgannon. Is Sgt McKeeman dead?”

There was for a moment the sound of rasping breathing. “Very.”

“Do you think he took his own life Mr Kilgannon?”

“No woman I don’t unless he shot himself first then removed his head!”

“His head?”

“God help us. You’re sharp. I found what was left of his head, bits of his uniform lots of

blood, a few bone bits that I do not know the name off, one shoe, two socks, a watch, and

that was it. You need to fly someone else in because there is no way your forensic people

are going to get up here by car. Location marker Crabtree Farm. I put the head in the car,

closed the door over and the gun I left on the driver's seat. Before you ask. Yes I did touch

the weapon and I did leave bloody fingerprints on the door handles and the revolver but I

had nothing to do with his death!”

Harris had to hold the phone now with both hands because she was shaking so much. “Go

home now Mr Kilgannon and stay there. I will ring for air support and will keep you

informed. Make sure you lock yourself and family in. Just wait.”

“But my cattle are still out there!”

“Fuck the cattle man. Stay locked in your home!”

Before he could reply she cut him off and dialed another number.

When it was answered, she told them all she knew and demanded back up as soon as

possible, including an armed response team.

Silis DeCote knew he was going nowhere fast he found a local cemetery near a locked Kirk

and then made his way to the back of the small church and found a wooden shed full of

firewood. He was not cold because he could not feel cold and crawled to the back of the

wood pike and lay down, not to sleep but to think.

Outside it was now a whiteout and in the distance he heard a helicopter flying west of him.

He turned his head and looked at a small wood-louse walking across a log, then smiled.

“So my little friend, your life is short and and rather risky but yet each day to fight to

survive. You will not run out of food or drinks, not here but you risk the danger of being

eaten by bird or mammal, crushed by a log or washed away in a downpour. Yet here you

are, right now doing what your species does.

Humans out there, could no more survive a week never mind a month or year if they lived

in your habitat or conditions, Do you know why ‘woody’?

Because their survival minds are blocked with daily shit and all of their own making.

Except for people trained with survival skills, the rest become prey.”

The woodlouse moved one or two millimetres, stopped and seemed to be feeding again and

Silas sighed. “You are not listening are you.I would have thought that by this time you and

others like you would have picked up on audio sounds?”

He stiffened, “Like me. I just picked up on something approaching.”

The fox came out of the white out, stopped and looked at the woodshed, then with head

down and ears flattened walked to the woodpile, jumped up and with care passed the old

man and lay down in a corner its eyes never leaving the back of Silis.

He smiled and thought, at least you, fox will be warm and in shelter. The woodlouse had

moved fast into cover as the fox jumped up. Peeling bark of a pine log would give shelter

and food for the rest of the day. The fox relaxed and started licking melting snow off its

front feet, stopped when Silis whispered,

“No one or I will harm you in here.”

It blinked, then carried on licking its feet, while the wind sighed through narrow cracks in

the woodshed.

He needed a plan, a new one and that included getting some clothes that did not have three
bullet holes in it. My hat is ok and my boots but I need to change my image and get rid of

any bloodstained clothing but that could be days away if it did not stop snowing.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the Vixen in the corner. It looked back at him with

bright wide eyes not longer alert or fearful.

He said in a low voice, “So Miss Vixen or is it Mrs Vixen, have you had cubs last year, and

what postcode did you come from, how old are you and where are you going?”

The fox licked its nose, then placed it nose and head under the large bushy tail and closed

its eyes.

“Shows you trust me but if we are going to be here for a while then I can’t keep calling you

‘Miss or Mrs Vixen’ so how about I call you ‘Fargo’?”

Fargo opened one eye then closed it again, sighed then went to sleep.

Silis shrugged, “I can always talk to myself you know?

And get answers to all my questions but being who I am and what I know I already have

the answers in my head, I should say, mind or energy source.

Take all those films now classified as ‘horror films’ or ‘slasher movies’ and the Zombies

going on the rampage, killing and eating the living. You would think that education for

humans today, could write film scripts or books on this subject or at least do a little

research. I can tell the world that what you see on screen or on TV about the Zombie is all

hogwash, no credibility of fact or truth, and the people who practice Voodoo in Africa, the

West Indies or anywhere else in this world do not eat grave dirt. In fact they may well

believe in the zombies but they are not dead flesh eating dead humans. Oh no. Very much

alive but absence of mind power caused by drugs and booze, some of them as adults having

the mind of a six year old child. Let me explain Fargo and you too Woody if your can hear

me.

First off, a person who dies a violent death, like a shooting, drowning, hangings, people
who jump of tall buildings are first the main subject of the police. They do their forensics

at the scene, makes notes, take video and photographs, dust for fingerprints, take samples,

chew gum, smoke, talk to their partner on their phones and talk dinner and sex, maybe the

sex before dinner, write up reports, interview any witnesses, wait till Dr Kildare turns up

and tells them something they already know. The victim is dead. After sticking a large

theromonter up the victims ass, they withdraw it, look at it and give a rough time of death.

If they can’t give a time of death, of someone taken out of a river or lake and his been

missing two to three weeks that is what he tells the cops. ‘Death maybe from drowning

around three weeks ago but we need to have a post’

The police officers all know this already and by the time the Mortuary meat wagon

arrivers to take away the victim they try to look busy, official because the reporters and

cameras are all around them. Deep down, they know when the body is gone, they are at a

loss of what to do next. So they walk around in small groups looking for clues, anything will

do to stop them from dying from boredom.”

Three hooded crows landed in the tall old ash tree and began calling harshly, their grey

body and black heads showing up against falling snow. Silis grunted and muttered to the

vixen in the corner of the woodpile.

“Noisy lot, the crows, seeking anything dead they can find. A bit like the myth of those

zombies I was talking about except the hoodie crow is a master at finding carrion like road

kills, any dead animal, even long dead under the snow. I know they can smell the dead

from a long distance so you are not the only one with a good nose Fargo but they are

smarter than you. I see your half awake but chill out while I try and educate you.

Like I was saying, the victim is removed to the dead house, and him or her are opened up,

including the skull, the brain removed, lungs, heart and all removed in one block as well as

the windpipe,and still attached, the tongue. Then the stomach contents, liver, a soup ladle

of blood for future examination purposes by the pathologist and some of its kept in case,

while the rest is bundled into a black bag and pushed into the chest cavity and then stitched
up. The body is washed, placed in a white sheet and wrapped tight and put in the freezer

with a name tag on the toe, real name, or John or Jane Doe. I should point out Fargo, the

soul, spirit, or energy was gone after death and fast.

The point I am trying to make is, those films about Zombies are all crap because with no

brain, no lungs or vocal cords, no mind they cannot walk, think, piss,eat, or kill live

humans and eat them.”

THE NOT SO HOLY MAN.

The vixen ran past Silis and behind the shed then across the frozen land at great speed, its

tail straight out behind it and vanished into the white out but not before it startled the

Minister, Fergus Duff who came to the woodshed with a basket to get firewood. He was

more startled when he seen Silis looking at him from under the brim of a black hat, and

took two steps backwards.

“God almighty you almost give me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, Was taking shelter.”

The priest looked hard at Silis. “ Let me get the wood, then follow me into somewhere

much warmer. How come you were sharing the woodshed with a wild fox?”

“Her choice. Enough room for both of us. Comes down to trust I guess.”

“Her?”

“Yes. A vixen. I called her Fargo just for the company. Before you ask, my name is Silis La

DeCote”, he lied and then added. I was heading to Inverness to catch a train to Nottingham
to do some work on history for the University. The poets and writers, all dead now of

course.”

The Minister did not speak as he filled the log wicker basket then picked it up and walked

off calling out, “Come on then. It’s as cold as a stepmother's breath out here.”

The Rev Fergus Duff sat down in his normal chair in a large book lined room and poured

himself a whiskey after Silis had refused, tea, coffee, whiskey or water as well as food. This

of course puzzled the priest but like the vixen in the woodshed, maybe Silis had to learn to

trust him, he thought. He mentally noted that the man was aged, wore good shoes,scruffed

yes, a large good well fitting black coat and his black hat resting on the sofa beside the old

man.He also noted that this man did smell of mint and that did puzzle him because mint

and peppermint were all summer plants and the smell did not come from his breath but the

man's skin.

The back of the coat did seem to have small holes in it, more ragged than the three small

holes in its front. He took a small sip of his drink, looked up, smiled and looked into the

amber eyes that were in turn watching him closely.

“You can call me Fergus if you like?”

“Only if you call me Silis. Tell me this and tell me no more. Why did you ask a stranger

into your home Fergus?”

The priest shrugged. “You interest me. It was nothing to do with the God bit and

compassion, and as you look and talk like a man of learning and I needed company and

conservation, here we are Silis.”

“Indeed, here we are. Is that a hint that you talk to God daily and it feels like your talking

at him rather than with him, but still getting no answers to your many questions over the

years?”
 SILIS RETURNS

Silis ponders on this world population of humans and voles and he knows they choose to

ignore all the signs. Climate change is real and he has seen it for himself over the years in

many countries and the Poles ice is melting at a fast rate now. He smacks his lips together,

and knows that out in deep space as he sits here on the carriage seat that there are two

massive blocks of dirty ice heading directly towards planet earth.

His amber eyes drift across the rolling countryside, sheep and their lambs in field with

snow thawing fast,Spring sunlight casting shadows of trees on the land, flocks of rooks and

jackdaws littering the sky light small torn black rags in the wind and the lazy smoke from

cottages and homes.

There is no one in the seats close by and he was glad that the good holyman, the Minister of

the Kirk whose home he stayed overnight, bought him a single ticket to Nottingham.

He said he would return the full amount when he got to Nottingham and the University via

the Mininters granddaughter who it seems was in charge of the new project and had, in the

end, got her full funding. As Silis never slept but closed his eyes when he wanted to think
deeply and others thought he was napping, he solved problems, planned things to the T,

and when the time was right, he put the plan into action with no ‘U’ turns.

Right now with his eyes closed he was trying to work out, with advanced maths, when the

Universe above his head, would start retracting fast and end in dust. He knew the timeline

was a major factor and this being 2018 Silis knew that in seventy to one hundred years,

Earth, the stars, the planets in this universe would be no more. A trigger to set it all off

would be the ice blocks when the hit the earth and there was nothing he or anyone else

could do to stop it.

Other universes far out in deep space would survive, at least for now, and as they had no

humans on them, then they had every chance of staying as they were and are.

That on its own would be a massive problem to solve, he thought,because he would have to

find a host species that the Sons of God could interbreed with.

He made a face, better than my last effort I hope because the human hybrids on earth now

are doomed to die out fast and it has nothing to do with a pear tree in the so called garden

of Eden and the forbidden fruit. In deed not

He smacked his lips and blinked. Of course,I just need to find a way to harvest human

energy, and with their mindscapes, female teenagers, clean brains and body and a suitable

planet outside of Earth’s universe that had the right habitat!

Silis was smiling with his eyes shut. First there was God and the sons of God before that

great bang that created a new universe, not that we wanted or needed one considering we

already had a good few and like Earth today not all did well, a few died. Put out like you

would a candle.

The smile melted from his lips. The universe deaths were of course, a poor experiment that

in time, went badly wrong. They imploded and all that was left was a dust cloud left to

Solar winds and the new stars born within that dust cloud, many without a known name,

even today and maybe, never have one. Silis knew that star clusters were everywhere and
in time, they too would burn up and die only later a new star or planet would form but so

far, lifeless of even single celled animals, water or oxygen.

He grunted as the train stopped at a remote railway station called Daw End Lane. The

doors hissed open and one passenger got on, a young woman, short, dark hair, and he

counted her steps coming towards him, stop and she sat in a seat across from him.

He could smell her body heat, the smell of scented soap, and lavender spray. He opened his

eyes and looked sideways at her.

“Cold out there is it?”

She nodded without meeting his eyes then before he could speak again, she stuck in her ear

aids and switched on the radio and snuggled down in her seat with eyes closed.

Silis knew this was a ploy by many young people so that they did not have to involve

themselves in conservation or listen to others talking. He also knew that such bad habits

were much worse in the big cities like London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester. He

also knew that he now had to deal with his slowly burning anger.

The carriage doors closed and the train moved off gathering speed then he sighed.

Frightened of what.Me?

Silis has no soul, but he tends to gather them around him as time goes on. Souls that have

no good purpose are or want to be destructive, he destroys.

He or it has been around a long time, from the time the Big Bang dust spread out in a

massive Space fan and before God was in fact invented.

The energy that Silis contains and of course absorbs, means in fact that he was never born

or dies, but he can shape change into any mammal human or otherwise.

Over a thousand maybe millions of years he has witnessed many things.

For anyone who gets to know him, if at all ,he comes across as a man of knowledge, a little

mad maybe, amber eyes that look right through you and into your mind. He is the chaos of

the earth, witness to human weaknesses, good and evil they do, their pollution of their

planet and their minds, and their population getting larger and space and soon food and

water getting less and less by the time and year of 2030. He thinks of them as large vole

populations, food for many mammals and birds, then they peak, disease spreads through

such a population, as well as hunger and there is a massive crash.

Silis ponders on this world population of humans and voles and he knows they choose to

ignore all the signs. Climate change is real and he has seen it for himself over the years in

many countries and the Poles ice is melting at a fast rate now. He smacks his lips together,

and knows that out in deep space as he sits here on the cartage seat that that there are two

massive blocks of dirty ice heading directly towards planet earth.

His amber eyes drift across the rolling countryside, sheep and their lambs in field with

snow thawing fast,Spring sunlight casting shadows of trees on the land, flocks of rooks and

jackdaws littering the sky light small torn black rags in the wind and the lazy smoke from

cottages and homes.

There is no one in the seats close by and he was glad that the good holyman, the Minister of

the Kirk whose home he stayed overnight, bought him a single ticket to Nottingham.

He said he would return the full amount when he got to Nottingham and the University via

the Mininters grand-daughter who it seems was in charge of the new project and had, in

the end, got her full funding. As Silis never slept but closed his eyes when he wanted to

think deeply and others thought he was napping, he solved problems, planned things to the

T, and when the time was right, he put the plan into action with no ‘U’ turns.

Right now with his eyes closed he was trying to work out, with advanced maths, when the

Universe above his head, would start retracting fast and end in dust. He knew the timeline
was a major factor and this being 2018 Silis knew that in seventy to one hundred years,

Earth, the stars, the planets in this universe would be no more. A trigger to set it all off

would be the ice blocks when the hit the earth and there was nothing he or anyone else

could do to stop it.

Other universes far out in deep space would survive, at least for now, and as they had no

humans on them, then they had every chance of staying as they were and are.

That on its own would be a massive problem to solve, he thought,because he would have to

find a host species that the Sons of God could interbreed with.

He made a face, better than my last effort I hope because the human hybrids on earth now

are doomed to die out fast and it has nothing to do with a pear tree in the so called garden

of Eden and the forbidden fruit. In deed not

He smacked his lips and blinked. Of course,I just need to find a way to harvest human

energy, and with their mindscapes, female teenagers, clean brains and body and a suitable

planet outside of Earth’s universe that had the right habitat!

Silis was smiling with his eyes shut. First there was God and the sons of God before that

great bang that created a new universe, not that we wanted or needed one considering we

already had a good few and like Earth today not all did well, a few died. Put out like you

would a candle.

The smile melted from his lips. The universe deaths were of course, a poor experiment that

in time, went badly wrong. They imploded and all that was left was a dust cloud left to

Solar winds and the new stars born within that dust cloud, many without a known name,

even today and maybe, never have one. Silis knew that star clusters were everywhere and

in time, they too would burn up and die only later a new star or planet would form but so

far, lifeless of even single celled animals, water or oxygen.

He grunted as the train stopped at a remote railway station called Daw End Lane. The

doors hissed open and one passenger got on, a young woman, short, dark hair, and he
counted her steps coming towards him, stop and she sat in a seat across from him.

He could smell her body heat, the smell of scented soap, and lavender spray. He opened his

eyes and looked sideways at her.

“Cold out there is it?”

She nodded without meeting his eyes then before he could speak again, she stuck in her ear

aids and switched on the radio and snuggled down in her seat with eyes closed.

Silis knew this was a ploy by many young people so that they did not have to involve

themselves in conservation or listen to others talking. He also knew that such bad habits

were much worse in the big cities like London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester. He

also knew that he now had to deal with his slowly burning anger.

The carriage doors closed and the train moved off gathering speed then he sighed.

Frightened of what.Me?

He heard them whisper in his mind, some male, some female, a few children all long gone

in body but 'they' were still around ,always there, all demanding answers to a million

questions that he had the answers to.

It was a female who spoke first rather than a whisper. 'Of course she is frightened of you

and if she knew who and what you are she would drop dead beside of you. It is forty one

years Silis since we met and I for my sins was alive sitting on that bridge over the River

Liffey in Dublin, with my legs dangling. Three minutes past midnight,New Years Eve, sleet

and wind when you came along. Stopped and looked at me. Just me and you.

You knew I was going to jump, you knew I was drunk and up the shoot with a bun in the

oven. Mammy and Daddy sitting back home with their Golfing buddies drinking, singing

songs, being sick. Black-Rock is where I used to live and all you said, " Go on then, jump."

Silis sighed and nodded. " Molly Kirkpatrick. Your father's child inside of you, three

months and four days, a girl. Yes. Then I killed your father for you."
'No not for me though he had it coming but it was the way you killed him. Not a clean job

with knife, gun or club. On no, you kidnapped him when he was drunk, got him to take you

and him to the local railway line, tied him to the rails one wet night, then sat on the

embankment talking to him and looking at a watch, his watch, then he knew and you knew

the train was coming. He begged you to let him go and he would hand himself over to the

police. You just laughed and told him to reflect on what he had done to me.

He was still reflecting as you call it when the train hit him, a goods train no less with thirty

dumpers of coal and you were still laughing when the train passed, dancing like a mad bat.'

"True. I had to do something with my anger. That was it, he died. Now go away I am

busy."

Her voice when back to a whisper, a sad whisper.

He closed her down and thought of wild daffodils in a Welsh wood, his mind space filled

with bright yellow and he smiled.

Edinburgh, then onto New Street in Birmingham. A half hour from there to Nottingham

and his host was waiting for him. She was holding up a cardboard sign with his name on it.

He waved and she waved back and walked towards him through the faceless crowd of

other passengers.

"Julia Duff, I presume?", shaking her hand, noting her fingers were long but her grip firm.

Sorry I am late getting here. Snow bound."

She smiled, "I know. My uncle left a text you had just left and here I am."

"Call me Silis La De Cote. I hate 'professor'."

"Sure. Ah! Here comes my assistant my wizard sound person. Hi Tam."

The small girl on the train came and hugged her then Tam looked Silis up and down and
grunted. "He hitting on you Kid?"

Julia's mouth fell open and she shook her head, " No! He is the Professor Silis La De Cote I

was telling you about. He likes to be called Silis La De Cote, Not professor."

Tam was stone faced as she shook his hand. "Hi.Sorry about that. I'm Tam McCloud.

Julia's sound technician. You really talk with dead people?"

Silis rolled his eyes then glared at Tam. "And living ones when they have not got a phone

stuck to their ear and earplugs in so they don't have to communicate."

"Opps! Sorry again. I thought you were...."

"A dirty only man, a leech, a stalker?"

Julia Duff jumped in quick. "You said to my uncle you needed to get some new clothes so

let us walk to the Square, Slab Square and there is a coffee shop and loads of men's clothes

shops. Oh and I thought to bring a small part of your fee the university will be paying you.

You shop, then come to the Bull Cafe and plan our next move."

She handed him five hundered pounds in new twenty pound notes that he stuffed into his

coat pocket, nodded and walk away waving in the air.

"Christ. He never even said thank you Julia. He also smells of mint you will note?"

Julia laughed took her friends arm and dragged her along with her.

"I love mint", and they both laughed.

Julia Duff looked out the window of the cafe and across the noon sun lit Square, then give a

sigh of relief.

“Oh my God!”
Tam looked at Silis walking quickly in their direction, nodded them smiled, “He brushes

up well, the dark coat and hat looks cool,checked shirt,open neck, real black walking shoes

and a spring is in his step.”

“Dapper I call it, not cool. Well,well, beard trimmed, and I bet haircut.”

Tam grunted and looked again. “Could be. Maybe he went to some hotel and paid for a

shower or bath.?”

The cafe door opened with a slight noise and closed with one. Silis walked over, sat down,

smiled and set a bundle of notes on the table in front of Julia with some loose coins.

“Thank you. Before you ask, that is your change from the money you give me.”

She had to think fast. “ Great, you look great Silis and thanks but as it is your money, part

of your fee I will keep it with me in case you need some more at any stage. You want tea,

coffee, food.?”

He laughed and patted his stomach. “That hotel around the corner near the Trip to

Jerusalem pub took care of all that including a good tidy up and believe it or not, a shower

before I changed into my new gear, cloths. I look dapper was the word you used. A good

and kind word. Thank you.”

Tam licked her lips and forced a smile. All she could think of to say, was, “Here we all are

then. Now what.”

Silis grunted, “Well I’m glad I won’t be staying at the University but somewhere else. Had

a very bad experience there once and do not want to remember it. Well done Julia and

better if we live for a while on site and get the feel of the place. Unless you want to book me

into a hotel?”

Tam looked at Julia, waiting. “How did you know that. I just got the text to tell me that?”
He laughed, threw up his hands, “Came across the square as a signal, stepped in front of it

and it went into by head and you got it later after I did a spell check.”

Both women looked at one another for a few seconds and shrugged, aware that he knew

more than most.

NEWSTEAD ABBEY.

The sunset was robin breast coloured in the west as they pulled into the gravel car park

and got out. Tam McCloud, shuddered and then grunted, “Nice pad but creepy.”

“Well at least have a room each,shower, and can cook or buy our own breakfast”, said

Julia on an upbeat tone of voice then added, “We will be sleeping in an area set aside for

our research lab but will be allowed excess to the main room for our project. I have been

informed that the room is large and all the power points are working for us to plug into. It

is also where the great man did a lot of his writing.

The other two members of the project to arrive in the morning, Zak, our cameraman and

night video bod, and a woman that I was instructed to take by my boss as a ‘must do’ tone.

Her name is Heather Morgan or Moroan and she is supposed to be a well respected

Medium. Last thing. All the others doors will be alarmed and locked so please don’t set

them off. We leave our rooms, cross the courtyard, in a side door, along the passage to the

study and work there.”

Tam McCloud made a face. “We do all this at night, in the dark Julia?”

“Yes but not before we have everything set up in the passageway,in the room and near the

side door. The night cameras will be on a time switch, the sound will be loop running as

you know Tam and anything recorded will be sent to the computers back in our sleeping

area. Two laptops, one for film recording or Video and the other to the other computer for

all sounds or movement. You are well set up with that app Tam.”
Silis made a face and in the last light of the day and both women noticed.

“What?”, asked Julia Duff.

He waved a hand in air. “This..what do you call her, ghost hunter or whatever where will

she be staying and two what is she going to do for the project?”

Tam backed Silis. “Yes. She going to turn up in black and speak in a man’s voice saying it

is from the otherside and she is not sleeping in my room, no way!”

Silis laughed, “And I’ll be fucked if she is sleeping with me!”

They all laughed and headed for the accommodation block with Julia trying to explain that

the ‘ghost buster’ would go back home after a session as she only lived in a local village

called Eastwood, a few miles away.

Silis skipped breakfast and was surprised when Julia and Tam has set up the sound

equipement and the cameras were all in place, set up by a young man called Zak who’s

bare arms were covered in tattoos. His blond hair was brushed back into a ponytail. He

held out a hand and Silis shook it and was aware of the coldness in the old man’s hands.

“Zak. You must be Mr La De Cote.?”

“Correct. Please call me ‘Silis’. I noted all the cameras were placed in good areas. If I

suggest something please do not be offended?”

Zak frowned. “Please do.”

Silis smiled. “You invisible laser beams are a good idea but I suggest with respect, you put

one just under the ceiling and aimed at an angle across the room. You will only need one in

the room we are using, corner to corner. We won’t set it off because none of is tall enough

to activate it.”

Zak laughed. “Ok. Unless this woman who turns up tonight is eight foot tall or can fly.”
“Good lad. Ah! Julia and Tam. May I have a word?”

Tam frowned. Now what is the old goat up to now?”

“Sure. Anything wrong Silis?”

“No room is fine, company is fine just wanted to know what time this evening the ‘ghost

buster’ is arriving?”

“Madam Knossos and she will arrive at seven.”

Tam almost laughed, “Will that be on a broomstick or in a black coach with six black

horses.”

For a moment Silis glared at her, his amber eyes brighter then faded back to normal. “This

old goat is up to making sure Tam that you and the rest of us are safe from what the

woman can bring into the room, if anything because some people do try and do get a visit

but the trouble is, somethings are more evil than others and do not want to leave. We will

be working in Dimension One, left side of our brains which is our ‘normal’ side and then

Dimension II, which is our right brain paranormal psychology side and there is no space or

time. Your interpretations works better on the right side and like any good computer, you

will need protection to make sure that nothing unpleasant slips in and stays there. All being

well, your left hand brain will take care of what need to be blocked.”

Tam McCloud coughed lighty. “How did you know Silis what I was thinking, the old goat

bit, sorry about that?”

Silis put on his best smile, “Because my dear you sent me a thought trigger. I should point

out McCloud you have a rare gift so look after it. Now I shall take the air unless someone

wants anything else. No lunch for me please.

Going for a walk in the grounds, going to see Byron's Dog that he buried here when it died.

Bye.”

Before anyone could reply, he opened the door and was gone.
“Did that really happen?”, whispered Tam looking at the closed door then at Julia and

Zak.

“On yes Tam that really did happen”, muttered Zak and give a crooked smile.

“Wow! They said he was good, but that was better than good”, whispered Julia, then

added, “Come on, let's plan our first night.”

DOUBTS AND DEMONS.

He sat by the tomb of the past Lord Byron’s dog and reflected on the man.his dog,

Newstead Abbey and Tam. He now knew that Tam the sound person was not the same

‘Tammy’ that met the big bad wolf in the private hospital but both had been friends for a

long time. The one that met the creature and had lost or misplaced her mind, closed it

down, now in a hospital in Nottingham at Mapperley Top getting little or no treatment that

would take her out of her Mind Tomb.

If she had been here right now, she would have called Tam, the sound person as ‘Tam’,

something they had agreed on a long time ago to avoid confusion for those people who

knew them both.

Silis give a crooked smile and chucked to himself and thought, I might just do something

nice about that when we have finished here. Nottingham was not far from Newstead Abbey

and as ‘Tam’ visited her friend Tammy at least every two weeks, he might just turn up at

the hospital and do the business of erasing the nasties in the mindscape of the young

woman. How to do it would be a slight problem but not impossible.

He squinted at the writing on the tomb of the dog and wiped it clean with his hand and

then read it out in a whisper to himself.

‘Near this Spot

are deposited the Remains of one

who possessed Beauty without Vanity,

Strength without Insolence,

Courage without Ferocity,

and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.

This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery

if inscribed over human Ashes,

is but a just tribute to the Memory of

Boatswain, a Dog

who was born in Newfoundland May 1803

and died at Newstead Nov. 18th, 1808

When some proud Son of Man returns to Earth,

Unknown to Glory, but upheld by Birth,

The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe,

And storied urns record who rests below.

When all is done, upon the Tomb is seen,

Not what he was, but what he should have been.

But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend,

The first to welcome, foremost to defend,

Whose honest heart is still his Master’s own,

Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,

Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth,

Denied in heaven the Soul he held on earth –

While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,

And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.

Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,

Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power –

Who knows thee well, must quit thee with disgust,

Degraded mass of animated dust!

Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,

Thy tongue hypocrisy, thy heart deceit!

By nature vile, ennobled but by name,

Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.

Ye, who behold perchance this simple urn,

Pass on – it honours none you wish to mourn.

To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;

I never knew but one -- and here he lies.’

“ Well said Sir, your love is noted as is the Dog’s for you. A great pity that humans could

not reach out as you did for your dog but then many humans the world over are not in the

Being and have little or no idea how to be a human being because they follow a dying

dogma of past and present religions that are melting away like ice caps.”

His thoughts jumped to Byron as a ten year old boy, and his meeting the ‘wolf-dog’ at dusk

at the edge of the woods next the ruins. He had ran back home tripping and falling over

until he rushed into the kitchen where the staff were getting the main meal ready for guests

upstairs. He went into a faint and Mrs Burns the main cook caught him before he hit the

kitchen slabs.

The dog was dismissed as just that, a stray, but not a wolf because all the wolves in

England had been wiped out two hundred years ago and no fox was that size or colour.

But they were wrong, remembered Silis,the whole area was wrong but not about a wolf but
something much worse and it walked among them during the day and it ran hunting at

dusk deep into the night, moon or no moon and killed anything it could find. Then an hour

before dawn, she washed in the stream, her red hair as well and redressed. Then she went

to work at the big house and smiled as she did so, unaware she was happy or sad but

aware, she was always hungry.

He heard the light footsteps coming towards him, and he waited not turning around when

they stopped.

He spoke softly, “How is she, your friend,Tammy?”

“Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude in your space Silis. How do you know about her?”

He turned and smiled. “Oh,I pick things up, that sort of weirdo you might say. You ok?”

She shook her head, tears ready to fall. “Mind if I sit down?”

“Big log, plenty of room, nice place to be. I’ll move on and let you….”

She looked up at him, almost begging. “ Tammy and I are great friends, both with the same

Christian names so I pulled the short straw, got more dates than her. That time we met on

the train I was thinking of her so sorry about being rude. I was also a bit frighten of you,

you know?”

He chuckled, “Me too. How is Tammy?”

She looked sadly at the old man. “I rang before I came here. It is not good. Seems she had a

fit or something. They asked me did I know if she had a family close by and did I have their

phone numbers, if any. They would not ask that if she was not going to live now would

they?”

Silis nodded. “Did they tell you if Tammy was on life-support?”

“No.All they said was that she was ‘poorly’. I don’t have a phone number for her parents

and I only met them twice when they came to see her in the very beginning of her illness.
They live abroad, France or Portugal. How come they did not leave a number with the

hospital?”

Silis muttered, “Maybe they did. Anyway don’t you think you should be there right now

with her and if you have stay on, well, so be it. Now I have a suggestion. Tell the gang that

you and I are going to Nottingham, tell them what for and we just go.”

She tilted her head and looked hard at Silis. “Why would you want to do that?”

He held up a finger. “Because I know more than doctors know, I know medical conditions

and I am also useful if staff get pushy or are text book right in their approach. So, do you

want me there or not?”

She threw up her arms in the air. “Lets go Professor!”

“I told you not to call me that. Silis or Uncle Silis will do.”

“I don’t hear you Dr Dolittle. move your bones please.”

Both of them made their excuses to Julia Duff and said they would be back before dusk to

launch their project. She protested of course, like Silis thought she might, and he calmed

her down saying he was going with Tam to see her friend Tammy who was dying. Julia for

a moment was lost for words, blinked twice, held her head and muttered, “Next you will be

telling me it will be alright on the night, the Madam will turn into a frog and hop away,

Tam, here has her friend Tammy is in hospital dying and Tam wants to borrow my car,

taking my paid guest with her!”

“Gee Julia. You are a good and kind person. Thanks”, said Tam smiling. “Come on

granda, time to rock and roll.”

Silis looked at Julia holding up his hands and then rolled his eyes and got in the car. Tam

scattered gravel and burnt rubber as she left Julia standing open mouthed with her hands

on her hips.

A chuckling voice behind her made her jump. “Wow boss. All we need now is the loud
music of Bat Out Of Hell blasting out.”

She swung around and glared at Zak. “Don’t do that, don’t say that and don’t tell me you

have a problem with your camaras!”

Zak give his best little boy smile. “No mum. Everything checked and ready to go, Tam is all

set up too and the big man is….”

“She is? Tam and the big man as you call him has fucked off as well to see her friend

‘Tammy’ who is dying in hospital!”

Zak’s smile vanished, “Keep taking the tablets boss or you could have one of my smokes?”

“Just go way little man, back to your cave and stay away from me for at least two hours or

I may have to kill you”, she hissed at him. Zak went back inside the house and she stood

there fuming hot anger.

She now had regrets about the whole project and pondered if she should just stop in now

and go home. The Team was alright but they seemed flat, except for Silis, the man of

mystery and like her father had told her, he knew more about life and death, history, the

Universe, religions, cults, anthropology, archaeology,was well read and had traveled far

and wide. She shrugged and muttered, “And it seems a law unto himself, taking off with

Tam to see her friend but for what reason?”

Julia knew that hard nosed Tam was no one’s fool, small yes but tough and she would spot

‘sexual grooming’ from any man or woman ten miles away.

She frowned, shrugged and walked back into the house dreading the arrival of that woman

who was due to arrive this evening.

THE UNIVERSE WITHIN.

“Why do you do this?”, asked Tam without looking at him,keeping her eyes on the road
as she took a bend and scattering three pheasants that were walking across it.

He grunted. “Well if you cannot take time to help people in this world without a hidden

agenda, you not going to be much use in the next world. Of course many people believe in a

‘next world’ full of souls good and bad , but I do not subscribe to that thinking because if

we really knew it was true then why is the US, France and the Russians panning right now,

saber rattling, over the Middle East and it may come to another war with many more

civilians being killed. This is a bad choice for those sitting back, smug and unwise, more so

Christians who think that God shines out of their arse?”

She went silent for a moment. “You have a nice way with words old man but if you believe

that what the hell are we trying to do at Newstead Abbey?”

His laugh was harsh. “Take your friend Tammy lying in that hospital bed, alone and

unaware, shifted from a mental hospital to an acute medical facility in a teaching hospital.

You know what Tam?”

“Go on then.Tell me.”

“Because it is bad publicity for a mental hospital if a patient dies on site so they find a good

reason to move them. It now becomes a medical case not a mental one and they are off the

hook. Don’t be surprised that your good friend is declared dead by the time we get there.”

“Thanks. You really make me feel much better telling me that!”

Silis folded his arms across his chest and looked out on the countryside passing by. “I’m

not here to make you feel better Tam. Understand that.”

She wiped away a tear and put her foot down. Silis just shrugged.

They walked to the Critical Care Unit side by side and upstairs and stood at the Nursing

Desk. A student nurse looked up, a fixed smile on her thin face.

“Yes. Can I help you?”

Silis jumped in fast. “Yes my name is Professor Silis La DeCote from Munich University. I

am here to see my Grand-daughter Tammy…”

“Oh! Let me get the Ward Manager.”

“Yes please do and also tell him or her that her best friend is here also. Her name is Tam. I

believe my brother and his wife are out of the country at the moment and as a Family

member I had to be here. Also I want the doctor or consulted who is in charge or my

granddaughters care here as well. No. Do not answer that phone. So do what I ask now

please!”

“Yes. Please wait.”

The young student nurse scuttled off to the right and into an office.

Tam looked at Silis and his stone like face. “You told me not to call you…”

He glanced sidewards and down at her. “That does not mean that I, cannot used my own

credentials, to the best use when and if the need arises.”

An overweight middle aged woman with glasses waddled towards the desk followed by the

student nurse and a young Asian man at the best speed she could. They stopped in front of

Silis and Tam.

“Mrs Little, Ward manager and Dr Hassam Malikie the doctor in charge.”

She thrust a ham of a hand at Silis who took it and bowed slightly and she did the same

with Tam. “On behalf of the hospital and team here I am sorry for your loss.”

Tam started to take deep breaths. Silis looked at her then looked the doctor in the eyes.

“When did she pass over?”

The young man swallowed twice, fiddled with his striscope around his neck, looked at his

watch then said, “”Around sixteen minutes ago. I confirmed brain death and we did all the
tests. She has been tidied up and…”

“I take it from my informed experience on such matters I take it she was moved to a single

room near the door. curtains drawn and waiting on the porters for removal to the

downstairs mortuary?”

“Yes the student nurse here was just about to ring them at the Porters office”, said Mrs

Little now much redder in the face and neck.

Silis nodded, “And has she had any prayers or last rites said yet.”

It was the student nurse who spoke softly.”We have no record of religion in her file.”

“Let me help you there. She is Jewish and cannot go anywhere until the rites for the dead

are carried out. As I am Jewish as well I am authorised to carry out such rites and I take it

there will not be a post mortem?”

The doctor licked his thin lips then nodded, “Yes, yes of course. No PM needed as she died

from multiple organ failures. As for the prayers that can be done now but but a member of

staff must me present.”

“Mrs Little I am sure could be there unless you have someone else in mind?”

“But I have no knowledge of Hebrew nor does the Doctor here.”

“Ah!”, said Silis holding up a long finger then added, “ The whole prayer ritual will only

take a few minutes, as we have one Christian,one Muslim and Tam here who is on her

Yoga Spiritual path and myself as Jewish. So we must get on because sunset is coming

down fast. Onward to the room please and thank you all for your help in this religious

matter.”

The side room was dimmed, and the body lay on a sheet and covered by another except for

the face, a thin face, eyes closed.

Silis walked over the the body, muttering in old Hebrew and stood close then spoke words

into the patients right ear then, watched by all and placed hand flat on Tammy’s cold

forehead, paying all the time. Then he stood back walked to the bottom of the bed and

picked up the clipboard with the notes, scanned it fast, then looked at the doctor and ward

manager. “She has the lAZARUS syndrome.”

They all looked shocked but it was Tam who spoke softly, “Does that mean Professor that

Tammy is….”

“Correct Tam. Let me explain please.

The lazarus syndrome is a real event, it is not a myth. Tammy here is not dead, but she

does have a few cracked ribs due to CPR

her core thempture is low, she has little or no oxygen in her bloodstream and in my

informed opinion for you all here and in the now, you need to hook her up again, keep an

eye on her output on that contraption there, she may looked flat lined but that will come

back. Do not give her 100% oxygen, keep it around half. and from the smell from the body,

someone neglected her pressure sores on her lower back and hips as a well as heels where

infection has started. So do not hang about looking like fish in a bowl and Tam here will

give you her mobile phone number so that one of you can text or phone her on her new

progress I forcast. In the meantime I have to be somewhere else but you can stay on here if

you want?”

Tam walked over, bent over and kissed Tammy on the forehead and looked at Silis across

the bed and whispered. “Thank you all and we need to go Professor. I’ll ring later.”

Silis smiled. “Keep us informed on her progress.”

Outside Tam stopped Silis in his tracks, a half smile on her face. “Would you mind if I give

you a hug Big Man?”

He smiled back, “Sure but not too hard. Old man bones.”
She did and felt a tingle run through her, then stood back frowning. “Wow! That is some

energy field you have Silis.”

He nodded and laughed. “Sure is small person, sure is.”

They got back to the abbey in good time and as Tam and Silis got out of the car, he nodded

at the others cars.

“It’s here. \the woman who wants to lead the circus and be tested on the project!”

Tam made a face. “Now Silis. Be nice to her.”

“I will of course be nice to her. Oh and by the by and by, do not mention that I said a

prayer for Tam back there. You got that small one?”

Tam shrugged then smiled then nodded. “Would not want to ruin your street credibility

Big Man, but just so you know I thought you were great, are great and thanks again, from

both of us.”

He grunted and ruffled her hair as he passed her, striding with purpose and Tam having to

trot after him at speed, holding back a giggle as she did so.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS.

They sat in candle-light in a half circle, the Medium sat at the end next Zak who looked

bored and read the single sheet of A4 he had been handled. He read it, his lips moving but

not even a whisper."You can see from this sheet I have given you all a number of dead

writers that this project will work with as we carry out tonight

THE DEAD WRITERS.

 Mary Shelley

Edgar Alan Poe

Bram Stoker

Lord Byron

Percy Shelley

, all of which is being recorded, sound and video as you read this.”

He looked at Julia and give a slight nod Silis noted but he was more concerned with the

reaction of one Madam Kossoes, her pale face lit up by bright red lipstick plastered on fat

lips, and her almost black eyes as bright as jet. She looked hard at Silis and he looked back

but she did not miss his bright amber eyes fixed on her and she looked away fast

pretending to re-read the sheet of A4.

She felt very uneasy now, almost fear, and was trying hard to find someway to have an

excuse to leave.

When it came, it hurt inside her skull, a burning pain, like fire, then a harsh whisper,

‘Welcome to my world and Stroke City,bitch!’

She slipped sideways knocking Zak out of his chair and she fell on top of him, knocking the

air out of his lungs.Julia rushed forward along with Tam and tried to roll the woman off.

Breathless, they waited till Zak stood up, gulping air, his eyes never leaving the dying

woman on the floor, her mouth opening and closing like a landed fish. Silis stood up and

looked down at Julia and Tam muttering,

“No point in CPR unless you want to do it. However you both will have to do mouth to

mouth as well. Oh, Zak here can ring for help, ambulance, whatever?”
Julia glared up at Silis, “That it! All you are going to do?”

He nodded and leaned over Julia’s head but looking at Tam as he whispered,

“Her brain now is a massive blood clot, her mouth is not moving, her heart has stopped

beating and in that case, she is well and truly fucked.”

Tam’s eyes went wide and she tried to protest, “Back at the hospital....”

He lifted a finger to his lips, winked and walked away.

Julia looked hard at Tam and made a face. “Wish I had not included the old bastard. What

may I ask was that finger signal he made to you?”

She avoided looking Julia in the eye. “Private stuff between him and I to do with Tammy’s

care. He helped a lot back at the hospital and Tammy you could say is now in recovery

mode. Before you ask, he said a prayer in Hebrew.”

She snapped back harshly at Tam. “Glory be. He has a one way line to the lord and no

doubt Jesus as well. Oh Boy!”

Tam’s face was ugly with white anger. “This is your project Julia. I’m done!”

“Meaning what exactly?”

“Finished, you got a result, and one dead woman. All you have to do is repeat it, without

someone being dead, and submit your findings to the university. For your information the

boys and girls in blue will also be coming, like coppers, so as head ot the project it is up to

you to tell them what happened here? As soon as she is gone and they are gone I’m packing

up and flying this coup.

“You can’t do that!”

“Watch me Julia. Zak can do what he wants but I want more out of life, much more and I

will have a great teacher because that ‘teacher’ brought my friend Tammy back from…..”

The slow clapping was loud and they all turned and looked at Silis standing in shadow,
“from her coma and she is now back where she belongs. As for you dumping your job.

Your life, if need be I cannot let you do that child because I am a very busy person and

don’t have time for a sound technician. I can’t pay you. As I don’t want you to believe I

have money. I don’t Tam, not a penny to call my own.”

Julia’s eyes went wide and she pointed. “It’s gone. Her body!”

Silis stroked his long beard then smiled, “Indeed it has because she was never here in the

first place, she never came here in a car or as a spirit and the only evidence that something

was in this room, no more than a shadow, was a shape on the cameras.”

“But her car was outside and I did see her!”, protested Tam, the added, “We all seen her.”

Zak came into the room and looked at them, his mouth open. “Hate to tell you all this, but

there is nothing recorded on the camera’s except for a shadow, not the dead lady and just

us sitting in chairs. I fell over, that is there but no …..Where the hell has she gone and why

did she not show up on camera when the rest of us did?”

“You had better cancel the 999 call Zak as someone else may need an ambulance that really

needs one. As you do that I do feel we should go back into the main house and I will explain

more”, said Silis and walked away from them in long strides and out the door.

For a moment they looked at one another then followed one behind the other in silence and

lost in their own thinking.

Zak supped a beer in a chair, Julia stood leaning against a table, Tam sat cross legged on

the floor and on her second whiskey with a thousand yard stare and Silis, sat legs crossed

in a sofa chair that has seen better days drinking nothing but surrounded by a heavy smell

of mint that no one could miss even if they wanted to.

Zak smacked his lips them spoke softly, “Can anyone here tell me what happened in

there?”
“A Time warp and you all had apart in it. Julia had a Project to do and funded by the

University. A first the funding was blocked and she started to pack up her office and ready

to leave her job, was going to throw the baby out with the bathwater if you like. Enter on

stage one member of staff, a woman, from the Top Office, and told Julia here, that her

funding would now be restored for what was deemed as a major research project.

Of course Julia as lead, was excited, pleased and had told her father, from Scotland who I

should add was kind enough to offer me shelter out of the snow for the night, even ran me

to the station to get a train running to Edinburgh, a change over, then onto Nottingham. It

was on that train I first met Tam who did not want to have a conversation at all with an old

man, so plugged into her music. Not my sort of music I should add, all noise. Then I was

met in Nottingham by Julia and that is when Tam joined me. She was of course introduced

as ‘Tammy’ not ‘Tam’. So we arrived here, to be joined by Zak in charge of filming

recordings, Tam with sound, and Julia had, she though, been ordered , with conditions, to

bring on board a woman who was supposed to be a medium of sorts and lived local.

What Julia or her boss did not know was that the woman in question had been dead for a

month, a major stroke and already buried in her local churchyard. By the time you all got

here, You three already had it in your heads and minds that something would happen. It

did of course, and things triggered it off, small things at first and you all thought it was

real. Well it was, but only because someone or something was playing mind games and you

became trapped in that warp of time and space. As for the dead Ghost Writers, the only

one that may have turned up, was the great man himself, Lord Byron but no more that a

blurred shape, a human shape no less on film. Here a few seconds then gone just as quick,

something but nothing Julia.”

He sat back slowly tapping his lips with a finger waiting, his amber eyes glowed for a

moment as he took each face in turn. He noted Julia’s eyes became hard and cold, Tam was

now very alert and Zak looked laid back without a care in the world and farted loudly.

The old clock behind them stopped ticking. All three turned to look at it and when they
turned back the sofa chair was empty and Silis was gone.

Zak got up frowning, and walked to the sofa chair and put his hand on it, then addressed

Julia and Tam. “Stone cold, no body heat but it stinks of mint!”

Julia Duff snorted and threw her arms up in the air and she had paled. “I’m done, Pack

everything up,and in the morning we leave. This project is dead!”

Zak shot a glance at Tam. “What about Tam and I boss?”

She turned her back on them and muttered harshly “I’ll pay you before I leave but it won’t

be cash, then load all the gear in my car, turn up for work Monday but I will be on self

imposed gardening duties and I won’t be back. Ever!”

TWISTS,TURNS AND CIRCLES.

Tam stood smoking as Julia and Zak came out of the house and as Julia put her bag in the

car, Zak walked over to Tam and hugged her tight.

“Keep in touch Tam. Might see you Monday?”

She shook her head, blinking away tears. “No. I want to do something new now. How is

she?”

“Oh, you know. No fight left in her or a wish to stay at the University. She is my friend, on

burn out.”

She hugged him goodbye and walked to her car as Zak climbed into Julia’s car. She looked

at the car speeding down the drive and shrugged. “No job,no Silis and just enough dough

now for rent for a few months.”

She jumped when she heard his voice.”Oh poor baby all sad and feeling sorry for herself

again.”

She turned around and scanned the landscape. “Where the hell are you big man?”
“In the back of your car small one, so let’s go.”

She bent down and looked in and he smiled at her, his yellow teeth showing.

“You old bastard. I thought you had gone!”

“Not ready yet to be gone, or die, or vanish into the blue. Indeed not. Now can we go

please.”

She got in and belted up then turned and looked at him with burning eyes of anger.

“Where to!”

“The Seaside. West coast of Wales.”

She rolled her eyes, turned and started the car and drove off at speed and down the drive

to the main road. I’m mad. Stupid and yet I am doing it, she thought and turned left and

headed West.

Silis put his head back, closed his eyes from bright sunlight, but thinking and not sleeping.

He ran Tam’s known profile through his mind scape; loyal to a fault, has anger when

needed, educated, all in the wrong subjects, small in build, hungry for knowledge, human

being rather than just a human robot, young, and no one’s fool.

She had of course many human being bad points, he thought, like loud music that was to

his hearing, just noise, not well read but I may change that, stubborn and would dig her

heels in if she thought she was right, crafty as a fox when needed, a bit vain at times,

moaned a lot, muttered under her breath at times, had courage that could get her into deep

trouble if she was angry, but then I, also have to learn to control my anger, takes many

showers, won’t eat red meat if it is still moving, unless of course….Tam, by mistake or

design becomes one of them like Julia Hoffman did then he would have to deactivate her on

a permanent basis?

She shot him a glance her eyes wide. “Would you really kill me?”

He turned his head and opened one eye then nodded,”I would have no choice.”
She looked ahead as the countryside opened up lips tight then, “And this Hoffman

woman,who was she?”

His other eye opened and both turned amber. His face was set in stone.

“Someone Tam you never want to meet, day or night, pure evil, no real feelings and her

body may be dead but what was inside her is trapped in her home, I wish.”

Tam blinked away tears, bit her lip and muttered, “So how will I know Silis, how will you

know that I have…?”

“I’ll know. You will know when you like the dark and the smell of warm meat and then

kill.”

She swallowed hard. “I think when we get where you want to go, I’ll drop you off then

head back to Nottingham and go see Tammy. I won’t be coming back Silis and that is a

fact. I thought I could handle this adventure but after what I just heard I can’t handle it.”

They were silent for the last mile and when they reached Barmouth he said softly, “Pull in

here.”

She pulled into a space next to a boarding house that overlooked the sea and switched off

the engine. She sat looking straight ahead as he spoke.

“I need you to do one more thing for me before you go. Take this”, thrusting a wad of

money into her lap then continued, “Book me in there for two weeks, single room as your

‘grandfather’. Use my name,and then take what is left of the money and go home Tam.”

She looked at the money with its paper band on it. “ One thousand K is a lot of money and

for this place Silis you would pay no more than six hundred quid for a room here and still

have change. Fifty pound notes, all new, where did you get them?”

He held up a bank card waving it. “Here check it for yourself?”

She snatched it off him, checked the date, the name, the bank name, the number and glared
at him. “You never told me you had a bank account?”

“Three in fact. Two offshore. In total, 15.4 million. A sinful amount I know but gathered up

over the many years. I can walk into any bank with any of my cards, draw cash, or if I need

a lot, go in order in in the morning and they will have it ready and packed in a case by

closing time.”

She made a face. “You trying to impress me big man?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No. Far from it. So,shall we go in, sort my room and you

head off and with the rest of the money you can get a brand new car. Ah, time moves on, I

forgot. Take my card, buy your new car, pay for it, post the card back to this address and

good luck for the future.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You trust me with this card and with that amount of money!

You are really crazy Silis, right out of your tree.”

He smiled again. The PIN number is easy to remember. 0666.”

She grunted, peeled off some money, placed the rest in her shoulder bag, snapped the card

off him and placed that in her purse and got out of the car.

He slammed the car door and followed her into the reception, nodding at people as he

passed, and feeling that real trust is a risk, but a risk worth taking. otherwise you have

nothing.

The large woman behind reception smiled at them both. “How can I help you both?”

Tam put on her best smile. “I would like to book in my Grandfather Silis here for two

weeks, he needs the sea air, looks after himself and can get around. I’ll pay cash for

him.Single room.”

The landlady's eyes went wide when she seen the fifty pound notes laid out in front of her.

Tam looked the woman in the eyes. “That should be enough.”

“Oh, yes of course. More than enough”, reaching for the six fifty pound notes.

Tam reached out and placed her hands on the money and leaned over and whispered in the

woman’s ear, “He will eat out but will need a key to get in the front door and his room of

course, so if there is any extras. he will sort it before he leaves. He does not drink booze,

likes water, and will be no trouble.Ok?”

The landlady looked from Tam to Silis. “Please sign in while I get you the keys.”

Tam handed him the pen, kissed him on the cheek and said so she would be overheard. “I’ll

forward any mail onto you and one letter that will be recorded delivery Grandpa so be

good enjoy yourself and take care. Bye.”

“Mrs Rita Coots at your service Mr Silis La Cote. Room seven, overlooking the sea.

Oh, your luggage.”

“Fear not kind lady, for I am here for another purpose unknown to my granddaughter and

that is to buy a home, somewhere overlooking the sea and in its own grounds. Not large. As

for luggage I am also going shopping in Barmouth so will get enough to see me through for

the two weeks. After all one does not need a lot while on holiday, does one?”

She nodded, smiled and said in a bright voice, “Too right. Follow me.”

Tam pulled into a garage and eating place, went inside and the smell of food made her

stomach rumble. Pee first, food and drink then fill up car and back to Tammy’s pad, she

thought. She headed to the Ladies, deep in thought and found she was thinking of Silis, his

bank card in her bag and in her head, the pin number.

A woman and child at a table looked at her as she passed mumbling to herself,

“He is a damn fool, handing me his bank card, trusting me when I don’t trust him. and on

top of that I don’t know what he is or for that matter, who he is.”
The boy waited till Tam went into the toilet then looked across the table at his mother.

“Mum who was she talking to?”

The fair haired woman took another bite of her burger, chewed on it then swallowed before

answering. “Some people, big people, are like that, not well in the head and you stay clear

of them if you can. Sometimes they get angry and well, like your Dad, hurt people.”

“They way daddy hurt you Mum?”

She nodded, took another bite, a large bite then started to cough, choke, first going red in

the face, then purple, her eyes wide.

“Mum!”

The mother waved her hands in the air, like a feeble butterfly and before the boy knew it

the crazy lady was behind her and pulling her hard.

“Leave my mum alone!”

“Sit there, shut up and be good little man.”

When the food came out of the woman’s mouth it dropped to the floor and Tam reached

for the boys coke tin. “Here, sip this, slowly lady then sit and chill.”

The woman nodded and did what she was told. The boy looked from his mother to Tam

and muttered, “Wow, that was cool. You a superhero lady?”

Tam smiled, “Something like that, when needed.”

The woman turned her head and looked up at her trying to smile, “Thank you for that I

was choking, could not get a breath.”

“I know. You got a son there that needs you so lose weight and get off the burgers or you

won’t live to see him when he is a man. Take care. I need to eat Bye.”

She turned away from the woman and boy, feeling mortified she just said that and found a

corner all to herself then ordered a meal of fish and chips and a large coffee. As she ate her
meal she watched the woman and the child walking to their car and before the woman got

into the car, she waved once back to where Tam was sitting.

Tam held her gaze for a moment then looked away wondering why she did what she did

and maybe saved the fat woman’s life. A human thing, she thought, maybe even a weakness

and I need to do something about this anger that comes up.

Here I am stuffing my face and I don’t really want to eat it. In fact I no longer feel hungry

and pushed the plate away. She stood up and was leaving when the woman behind the food

counter said, “You finished?”

“Not hungry. Thanks”, and walked away towards the door. She had it half open when she

heard the voice close behind her.

“You saved the fat lady’s life doing what you did.”

She turned fast but there was no one there. For a moment she was alarmed then took a

deep breath and walked to the car and frowned at it. It had been moved from where she

had left it. She tried the doors. Locked,

Looking around her, she scanned the small car park. Two trucks with the drivers sitting in

them, a motorbike, a few birds picking up scraps off the ground and the hissing of traffic

on the motorway. She felt her stomach heave and brought up the small amount of food she

had already eaten. For a few moments later she gagged but nothing else came up and she

felt dizzy, wiped her mouth with a tissue she had crumpled in her pocket. She muttered,

“Oh shit!”

She sat in the car, eyes closed and drifted off into sleep.Then without knowing it, she

drifted into a deep coma, her heartbeat slowing down to three beats a minute but strong.

Then it stopped.

Rain fell hard, a heavy night rain from a dark night sky, forked lightning in pink, green
and silver, cut fingers in the clouds as the young woman police officer walked to the car,

followed my massive thunder claps. The officer, Tess Hardey hated thunderstorms ever

since she was a child, she hated being out in the wet darkness right now in an empty car

park of a closed garage and cafe with no lights on, she was beginning to hate night duty. PC

Tess Hardey. number 9292 was on her nighty routine patrol of her patch and when she

came in to the car park, her headlights had picked up the car.

She pressed her black moon face close to the window on the drivers side and wiped the

glass then used her torch to see inside.

“Oh shit!”, seeing the face of a young woman leaning back in the seat, mouth open. She

reached for the door handle and twisted. Not locked, she thought and reached out to find a

pulse on the neck and jumped back when a voice with an edge on it hissed almost in her

face.

“I don’t know who you are but touch me again and I will bite your fucking hand off!”

“Police. WPC Hardy. Are you ok?”

The lips moved and the voice was back to normal. She kept her eyes closed as she spoke.

“Yes. Fell asleep after a long journey.”

“Can you open your eyes please?”

When the eyes opened, and the head turned sideways, the officer almost jumped back

because the light of the torch made the amber coloured eyes shine. There was a single

trickle of blood on the nose and lips and a few drops lay flat over Tam’s right breast.

“Name please/”

“Tam McCloud and I am staying in my friends apartment in Nottingham, Castle Drive, the

House name is Camalot, number sixteen. I work at Nottingham University, Psychology

Department, until a few days ago. my line manager was Julia Duff, I lost my virginity when

I was sixteen to a boy who’s name I have forgotten, Not married, have no children and am
straight.”

Officer Hardy raised an eyebrow. “Too much information Miss McCloud. You have had a

nose bleed I should add. Have you been drinking?”

“No I don’t drink and drive. Not ever.”

“Ok, I just thought of all the mint spray in the car…”

“Mint. Oh no that is normal for me.”

“Would you mind doing a breathalyzer Miss?”

A flash of lightning raked the sky above lighting up the car and two people followed by a

massive rumbling crash. For a moment the woman police officer seen Tam’s face, blinked

and stepped away from the car muttering loudly.

“If your are ok, we let it go. Take care. Thanks and bye!”

Tam frowned, took deep breaths looked at her watch and found it stopped.

The dashboard clock was also stopped. Can’t be, she thought. She tried a mind wind-back,

Silis, Tammy, Zak, Julia Duff. All ok there. Sitting in the dark car she knew something was

not right. She switched on the interior light, pulled down the mirror and looked into it.

“Oh shit, this can’t be!”

She knew now what was going on, she knew that Silis was gone, at least in body form and

she also knew that she had lost time, no remembrance of even what day it was.

Slowly she turned and looked in the back seat area and there was a black hat and inside the
hat, a tattered book written in Latin, full of symbols and signs, dog eared pages marked.

None of the pages were paper and all the writing had been written by hand. She opened the

first page and written in bright red ink was the author's name and the date; SILIS. ^

7599 BC.

Her mouth fell open and she shouted, “You can’t do this to me, not ever, not now, you can’t

leave me hanging, alone, without you!”

She slowly picked up the black hat, and sniffed it. Mint.

Tam controlled her breathing, as she scanned the dark car park, looking for any

movement, and all she seen was the redlights of the police car slowly turning right onto the

main road. She looked to her right where the shop was, and noted quickly that the doorway

was more behind her left shoulder than it was when she parked the car, even more so when

she thought it was in the first place. Frowning, she turned the key and looked at the petrol

gauge and found it full when she drove in here it was on red. Did I fill it before I went into

pee or eat?

She shook her head hard. No, I stopped the car, locked it, went in,went to the toilet, had

something to eat, a fat lady started to choke, her child alarmed when she grabbed the

woman from behind, could not finish her meal, came out, was sick, went in, put her head

back, went to sleep, had weird dreams that she could not remember, cop knocking on the

window and then opened the door….I locked the car doors, I know I did, she thought.

Don’t forget your new eyes. She looked again, yes, amber.

Her eyes drifted down to the date and time. The clock had also stopped, the date blinked

back at her, ‘5/6/2018’

She dug her fingers into her hand hard. It hurt. She did fast maths.

“Nine days. No way have I been sitting in this car for nine fucking days with people and

cars coming and going during the day, not peeing or pooping, not drinking or eating!”
She switched on the radio. BBC news, music, local news, all working.

She switched everything off, got out of the car, kicked the wheel hard and hurt her foot.

The pain made her realise that she was not dead, and human but that she was not the same

person that drove in here.

She muttered, “and this missing time, where was I, the car, the black hat in the seat, the

book?”

She walked around the car three times, checking the wheels with the torch from her phone.

Nothing.

She almost dropped the phone when a message came in loudly. She read it twice and then

leaned against the wet car and slid down it slowly sobbing.

‘Silis says,not to worry about me, as I passed over this morning at the hour of the

wolf,02.00am. Love you always. Tammy’

A cold wet dawn was coming in, birds singing it in before Tam got to her feet and climbed

into the car, numb with cold and sadness. She pushed down her pain and anger, started the

car and drove off, not even aware where she would be going or cared.

IF YOU GO DOWN IN THE WOODS TONIGHT.

DON’T LOOK, DON’T TALK.BUT RUN

AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU DO, DON’T LOOK BACK!

 ONE MONTH LATER.

Tam McCloud came out of the boarding house in Barmouth to see if Silis had left anything,

a letter, bag or a note. The landlady was more than a little put out when she told Tam that

he said goodbye, shook her by the hand and left with his bag but for some reason was not

wearing his black hat. A day later, she had been informed while in the town that an old

man had stripped down, nude, and walked into the sea and the outgoing tide. A man and a

woman walking their dogs said that he was carrying a bag with a black coat slung over it,

walked till he was chest deep and dived into the current and was gone. Two days later the

bag and his coat were washed up at high tide at Fairview, a body, such as it was,found a

mile on and the beach closed off by the police, minus its head. Police said that the remains

recovered could not be identified to be male or female and there was nothing in the bag or

pockets of the black coat. No shoes, underwear, socks, car keys, house keys were recovered.

The landlady had informed the police of course but she could not identify the coat or bag

due to saltwater damage. The police informed her that it was very unlikely it was the old

gentlemen who stayed for a few days, and she had informed them if they found a gold

earring on his right ear, that would be him. The two officers had looked at one another for

a moment and shook their heads, the older one keeping a straight face and told her that no

such ring had been found and they did not mention the missing head.

Tam almost smiled, “You used the old man’s body as a host, God only knows what his real

name was, where he came from, and who will claim the remains.”

She knew she was being watched from the window of the Guest House as she walked to the

Range Rover, its black colour reflecting the hot sun. She turned and looked at the woman

behind the curtain, placed the black hat on her head and saluted once. She drove for a

mile, stopped in a crowded seaside car park, found a space and slid into it neatly. Gulls and

the happy laughter of children greeted her as she walked along the sand, stopped and

looked up at the wooded hillside where the house was. It was on its own, great view, own

grounds but puzzled why Silis ever bought it in the first place, why he left it to her in a

rushed Will drawn up by a seedy looking solicitor in the town who handed her the keys,
after he read the short will and had handed her a sealed letter confirming that she was the

new owner of house and land. There was however a provision and that was she had to live

in it.

The keys she held had three in number, one large one for the front door, a smaller one for

the back, and a small padlock key that she had no idea yet what for. Tam opened the door

and could smell the dust, and staleness inside,and brushed away a single spiders web as she

stepped in. She looked back at the Range Rover, shrugged and left it unlocked and also left

the front door open to air the space.

Inside was bare, not a stick, chair, table but on the hallway floor, a pile of scattered junk

mail. Her eyes took in the bright sunlight coming into a large empty ‘L-shaped’ kitchen

through a dusty window and lighting up the work surface. She walked over to the sink and

looked down at it. White, large and spotless.

She reached out and turned on the taps and let them run for a while as she set her small

rucksack on the work surface. She looked out the large garden and grunted, “Nice, plants,

no lawn, trees in the background and high wooden fence.”

With a quick movement she flicked off the taps and stood and listened. A few slow drops of

water,in the sink, a small pack of noisy jackdaws calling somewhere, the distant horn of a

train somewhere down in the valley, that echoed.

For the next fifteen minutes she explored the rooms, all bare, opened built in cupboard

doors, more doors under the sink and above it. In one, she found a cracked mug, in another

a buy of the shelf salt and pepper that was still unopened, a pressdown waste bin under the

sink that rattled when opened. In what she took to be the main room four large empty

bookshelves, but otherwise empty.

The bathroom was simple, a dated shower, a loo, small bath with a dried out bar of soap it,

and a fly spotted mirror. She flushed the toilet, then put the wooden lid down and sat on it

pondering her next move.

“I could live here Silis wherever you are so thank you for it and the cash. That does not tell

me however what I am going to do with it or what to put in it. Like I left Tammy’s pad

which was small and you could not swing a cat in it.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Why am I talking to myself!”

An hour later the sun had gone copper coloured and slowly slipping down the sky as she

brought the last of her stuff in from the back of her car.

The one worn camp chair she placed in the kitchen along with a small radio. Her trusty

sleeping ex-army bag she placed in a corner or the kitchen,large torch left on the work

surface, two cardboard boxes of food she bought in Barmouth, milk she placed in cold

water in one of her many small pots, two bags of clothing she dumped in the living room

along with shoes and walking boots and the rest she decided to leave till tomorrow.

She found the fuse boxes under the stairs and pulled the main switch and shouted loudly,

“Let there be light and there was!”

Checking that the kettle worked she sat in the camp chair and sipped a large whiskey from

one of the two bottles she had bought and lit a cigarette and blew smoke rings over her

head.

As dusk fell, the first bats of the evening were out and a Tawny owl called.

The adventure go's on,she thought,as her eyes closed childlike.

Her dreams became more vivid,more disturbing and her dreamscape jumped from good to

downright pure hard core of nightmare horror, shades, shadows and then red in nature,

An aircraft flying over the Alps, and stopped for a second, tilted and dropped from the sky

like a one winged bird into the waters of Lake Geneva and broke up, the round face of a

dead face of a dead man who was captured on a phone camera just seconds before as he

was shot in Washington USA,his blond hair bloody and wet fell down over his face as the
single high powered bullet removed the top part of his skull, the woman who was running

through a wood like you see on any horror movie only this time it was real and in India, the

jungle trying to protect her, but failed as the tiger took her down, grabbed her by the

throat and held onto her till she stopped kicking and breathing.

Something or someone touched Tam in her sleep and her eyes shot open and she seen the

human shape in the darkness of the house leaning above her, Her foot came up fast and she

kicked sideways hard in survival mofe, felt the connection to a face or headm rolled off the

sofa chair and took another kick at the person on their knees and heard the grunt and then

the scream of pain.

“Christ Tam, what the fuck are you doing!”

“Oh God. Zak!”

She switched on the lamp to see one of her best friends on the floor, his nose and mouth

bleeding. “Zak I’m so sorry. I thought you were,,,,”

“A fucking Russian commando with a knife who wanted to rape you!”

“Let me help you up.”

Zak held up a bloody hand in protest. “Please don’t, I can still walk and I don’t want that

to change Tam, I’ll leave. You can help me on with my rucksack and I will be on the way.”

Tam shook her head, “No I will clean you up, have chicken and cheese, whiskey, beer

and’’......

“Tam I want to go while I still can. Back off!”

She noted that Zak was more than frightened, he was terrified of her, Zak her best male

friend was looking at her with his eyes wide and teeth clenched.

Shit, what have I done!

“Wana see my tits Zak?”

Zak’s mouth fell open in surprise and shock. No way was this real, he thought holding up a

hand.”No I don’t want to see you fucking tits Tam and what the hell has happened to you

since you left Newstead Abbey?”

“I’ll tell you over a large whiskey, and as there is no chairs at the moment or a bed you can

kip on the floor with me for the night. I really am sorry that I reacted the way I did. I also

have cold chicken and we can share.”

For a moment there was a hint of a smile on his bruised lips then he grunted and a slight

nod that she took as a ‘yes’

“Whisky first please, chicken next and then you tell me from the start,the truth of how you

ended up in a big house with many eyes, half way up a rock face, looking down at the town

and the sea and why you did not lock the front door so I came on in and got clobbered for

my trouble.”

“Deal.Let me get you that drink, and a plate of chicken and I will talk.”

Zak held up a finger. “And you will show me your bunnies of course?”

“Don’t push it Zak. When I feel the time is right I might.”

Zak looked sideways at her and smiled, “That’s me Tam, Lucky Zak.”

She reached over and lifted the bottle and filled her tin mug then pushed the bottle at him.

“My house, my mug, my whiskey and a plate of my chicken for Zak. So shut up, eat and

drink.”

TRUTHS AND HALF TRUTHS AND WHITE LIES.

I missed it all, Zak thought,lifting the flap of his sleeping bag and looking down his nude

body,fighting the drumming in his pounding head. He looked across at the the bare thin

shoulders of Tam outlinded in dawn sunlight. He could hear the gulls outside the house,
with their mewing calls, and sometimes sounding like they were laughing at him. Her

sleeping voice purred at him,’’You awake?”

‘’Uhug,dead more like it!’’

‘’Coffee please darling,black,no sugar,tin mug,kettle works,thanks.’’

Zak stood in the almost warm shower, his mind racing, eyes shut tight and his heart

beating hard. What Tam McCloud had told him this morning about Silis and

her,frightened him to the core, the house.her new wheels but most of all her new implanted

mindscape. When she later suggested he should stay awhile and help her sort the house out

with her. Everything they would need was being delivered from Barmouth around noon

including food, his eyes shot open. Two beds,he remembered, a single for him and a double

for her. He switched off the shower and stood dripping but he jumped when he heard her

voice.

‘’Hi Zak,we need to rock and roll.Breakfast on the seafront.’’

‘’Do I have too’’

‘’ Two minutes. I’ll be in the car’

The town of Barmouth was not busy,half term was over,except for locals who would be

getting ready for the main holidaymakers from July onwards. Tam noted however that

there were a number of aged grey heads with their dogs.

As far as Zak was concerned this type of shopping was boring and did his head in.So far

Tam had dragged him around five shops into a coffee shop for an on the run breakfast and

then onto a bank to sort some paperwork out as he stood outside smoking. When she came

out she looked at her watch and ushered him back to the carpark and into the land rover.
“We in a hurry small girl or is it just sex you want!”

“In a hurry, They are all coming at the one time, the stuff to sit on a table. sofa, two beds,

and all the next nacks that go with it. Two computers, both new one a laptop to be set up

when the Wifi box has been set up and that part is your job, food van delivery has a

arrived, had a text, fridge freezer man on his way, that is my job, you sort out the food into

the fridge and freezer compartment!”

“Don’t mind me asking Tam but are you not supposed to have the freezer switched on first

and run for at least an hour before you use it?”

She changed into third gear and took the car fast up the hill to her new home, skidded to a

halt where two vans were parked and one coming in behind her.

“List Zak, do as I have ask you to do, act cool and this too will pass.”

“Sure it will boss, no sweat but my back will not take to heavy lifting. Thought I should

mention that.”

HOME SWEET HOME.

It was after six when the last van left and she closed the door over and slid down it and

took the beer that Zak handed her then sat beside her and drank beer.

She blew beer froth of her lips and looked at him. “You did ok, like good I did too though I

think I was over the top with the tips. Wadda you think?”

Zak laughed, “OTT I would say,five men who were getting paid anyway and you bless

them all with a twenty quid note.”

She shrugged, “They put the beds upstairs, wardrobes in place, freezer and dishwasher up

and running, washer in the kitchen as well, TV on the wall, phone switched on, Wifi box on

and working and took all the cardboard away with them.

I call that a good deal Zak my man,”

Zak looked at his watch and smirked. Tam did not miss the meaning. ,”EE, Lad,enjoy your

nice new single bed.”

His face dropped and he nodded, “Well I best update my laptop seeing we are online. No

don’t ask I remembered the code. check emails, that sort of thing so what are you upto

Tam?”

She smiled sweetly at him patted him on the head as she headed for the bath and closed

over the door.

Zak looked at the closing door as he waited for the laptop to boot up and wondered how

she changed from a ‘mouse’ to a ‘tiger’ with claws and he knew she had a good heart but it

seemed to go cold at times,like now. He checked his email first. ‘You need cover for..Spam,

Google play has a new office just,Spam, Your account has been updated. He frowned,

sweating a little, his name came up, he put in his password and he was into his account and

his mouth fell open. He looked at the balance again, his mouth open. He should have been

in the red a little but the balance in figures did not lie. Someone had arranged to have

£50.000 transferred to him this morning at 10.55 am. “Oh my grannys knickers!”

It picked up his mobile and rang the Bank number, give his account number and answered

the hidden question and with three minutes the woman on the other confirmed it was right

and true.

“Do you have a name of the person who made the transfer please?”

“One moment Sir. Yes it was made in Barmouth, Wales by A Miss Tammy McCloud at

10.55am tAhis morning.”

Shocked, he swallowed hard and almost whispered , ‘Thank you. bye.’

He switched the laptop off and got up slowly and went to the bathroom door and knocked

hard. “Tam. we need to talk!”

All he could hear was the sound of bubbles and giggling then more bubbles.
“Tam!”

“You sound cross.”

“Confused more like. You put money in my account?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“A year’s pay.Welcome to the Phoenix Detective Agency Zak. There will be three more

people here in the morning, two twin sisters Babs and Deb Woods, and a tall dark stranger

from Ireland. ex Irish Police Officer called Marie Doohan, but a word to the wise, don’t

mess with her. She is your partner in crime and our investigations and bringing with her

our Detective Licence, an Irish one and a lot of good and useful skills. The ‘mad sisters’ of

course are office bods, while you dear man are being paid to work with Marie and me. She

gets the same as you,while Babs and Deb get half of that. Now go away I want to blow more

bubbles and think on it. You don’t have to take the job if you don’t want to. Bye.”

THUNDER CLOUDS.

Zak met the twins at the front door and shook their hands. determined that he would not

call ‘Babs’ ‘Debs’ and thought they would not pull the wool over his eyes. They were tall,

red haired, and almost reed like in body shape. Babs had one blue eye, the other, green

while Debs has the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen and an honest stare that went with

them. They had great smiles but Zak told himself he did not fancy either one, no sir, and

would not waste his charm chasing them.

He took them up and showed them their rooms and left them to choose which one they

wanted and heard them giggling and smiled thinking, ‘Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee

and fucking Alice from the Wonderland of Ireland’

The doorbell rang as he came off the staircase and he opened it and standing there was a

tall well built woman,attractive, hair in a ponytail which was the colour of a Raven’s wing
and a large smile. He noted quickly that her eyes were bright pale blue.

“Hi there. I’m Marie Doohan. Before you ask I am from Donegal but I worked in Dublin.

You?”

“No I have never been there.Oh, sorry. I’m Zak”, holding out his hand which she grabbed

in a tight grip and almost crunched the bones. “Gee Marie, that is a hell of a grip!”

The smiled faded slowly and she almost whispered, “Yes so I have been told when I used to

grab the Dublin trash at night in a bar or in O'Connell Street by the balls and led them to

the car, put them in the back and got in and read them their rights which went something

like this Zal, You are under arrest you do not have to answer questions but less painful if

you do, you get a lawdog when I say so and if needed, and as you are trash, not human,

have no sign of remorse, yet, you therefore have no legal rights when you are with me. Got

that!”

Zak rolled his eyes and half smiled, “Sure, I bet they did too. Need a hand with you gear

Marie, from the car I mean?”

She looked back at the black van with the smoked windows then turned back to Zak. “That

is not a car, but a war waggon.”

Zak swallowed twice. “Oh, that’s nice. Looks new?”

“It is. New.”

Zak and Marie turned at the sound of Tam’s voice. “Well,well, nice to see you two have

met seeing you will be working together. Hi Irish see you lost your rugby fat!”

She passed Zak and threw herself into Marie’s arms and was in a bear hug and lifted high

into the air, “Got you short arse!”

The big woman set Tam down and they both laughed and Marie waved at the hallway. “All

yours then Tam?”

“Lock stock and smoking barrels. Come on in. Zak will show you your room. coffee with

whiskey I guess. coffee for Zak and I, and then we will get you settled and talk. You ok with

that Zak?” Zak shrugged, smiled and muttered,”I’m cool.”

THE ANTHROPOLOGY CODEX.

The University room was large, as was the table that six people sat around with the

pathology and forensics report in front of them. All were stone faced until the overhead

projector was switched off and the lights switched on by Professor Helen Webb, the

Director of the New Project and also chairing the meeting.

Outside it was moonless and dark,with rain and wind hitting the large window on the right

and Webb took her seat at the head of the table, adjusted her glasses and looked at the

people on each side of her.

“ So now you know what was found on the beach, a human body and you have had two

weeks to get a report to each, a basic report I will admit. You are supposed to be the best of

the best from all the good and respected Universities in the UK and Ireland. You have seen

a few minutes ago video footage of the body, the post mortem, and in front of you the police

and Forensics Reports. You also have tissue samples sent to your departments for your

own independent research and findings that no one, not even I, know about as yet. All five

of you will present your findings this evening. Lets us start, and keep in mind what you

hear in here and see, stays here and I want you to respect that. Dr Alice Cooper will get the

ball rolling.”

Alice Cooper stood up, a pretty women, black and flashing eyes.

“First off. in my findings and research, I did not just find one DNA chain that I could link

to the Middle East and rare, but also of another sample that without doubt now, linked to a

marine mammal of sorts, from contact to the body. I have ruled out seals, otters,members

of the whale family. There were also traces of fish scales, species unknown at the moment.

However as there were no eyes in the corpse,lips and ears missing which I put down to
feeding such as by sea eels, fish, crabs and other small creature. I noted from the PM

reports that there were no internal organs when the body was discovered, no evidence of

Blue Shark or Mako Shark attack. The brain I noted was shriveled to the size of an apple,

the teeth were rotten, suggesting long term disease over many years. It was also noted in

the forensic report that no fingerprints were found but the feet did have some ridges. It has

been suggested that the male body was alive and in a B+B house in Barmouth went out and

did not come back. In my informed opinion,this I deem impossible by the state of the

remains found in the sea and on the beach.

Somehow the ID by the police was wrong and the evidence to suggest suicide in the timeline

factor is also not possible. The body was not alive when it was put into the water nor was it

in the water for more than a week.”

She sat down and there were intakes of breath by a number of people and all looked hard

at Alice Cooper who avoided their eyes.

Helen Webb pointed at an older man, with a black patch over his right eye, Jack Dean

rose,smiled and nodded. “Jack Dean by name, Dean of Zoology at a University in Belfast so

that is two Dean’s you will have to contend with as I read my report. If you are worried by

the eye patch, don’t be. I lost that eye at the nest of a Long Eared Owl when trying to put

rings on her young, and paid the price twenty years ago.”

He coughed lightly looked at each and everyone of them, smiled then, “I am not going to go

over the PM reports except to say I am more than disappointed that no one thought of

getting a feces sample and though all the main organs were missing, but poop or shit would

have helped in what was eaten in the past, if anything. From my own research, I am going

along the road that whatever was inside the body before death, was alive and suggest a

parasite of an unknown species so far. Now before you start thinking I am of my rocker,

mad as a hatter, or worse I want you to rule out Aliens and bloody UFOs that are trying to

take over human kind. Nothing from deep space, but much closer to home and if plastic

can get into seafood and mussels, as well as raditionaction pollution in the sea, then it could
get into a mammal or human as well as other creatures over time, changing the DNA chain,

causing mutations world wide.That suggests to me, that our problem is not from above but

in our seas. We have been dumping Radioactive waste in our seas as well as other harmful

waste for many years now. This is happening all around the world even now. Trust me on

that and it is and can cause genetic damage to every life form. You may well ponder what

all this is to do with a body on a beach but that body was so old, and I mean old, that I

found unknown bacteria dead of course, that could not be found in any text book today.”

He paused for a moment, looked at his notes then smiled.

“This is an unknown species but is closely linked to a number of saltwater species found

only in warm seas of Cyprus and in the waters of Southern Italy which suggest to me

frankly, the so called body on the beach, had Meditrain links. Though I could not find a

name or photographs of it,I was however able to get enough of it for dating, thanks to my

University and they having friends in high places to carry out the tests. Four tests were

carried out, one was contaminated, three came back as positive to my surprise and all

dated thus; 3500-2000 BC.

Not possible you may well think or want to dismiss as a mistake in the data but a sample

taken from a vein in the left leg, very dry and dead blood at that, was resampled with the

same results.”

He stopped, waited, raised his bushy eyebrows then softly spoke,”One of those resubmitted

samples were taken where the teeth should have been and the same result. It came with jaw

bone samples and as there was no evidence of teeth or roots, the sliver of bone also give the

same answer of dating. Thank you.”

He slowly lowered his bottom back on the chair, took a sip of water then sat back waiting

counting from one to ten in his head.

The deep silence followed and there wa no shuffling of feet or paper then Helen Webb

frowned at Dr Jack Dean for a moment then looked at Marcus Pool and nodded at him.
Pool a thin man, bald head and glasses stood up, looking rather flustered as he did so.

“My name is Marcus Pool and my findings are very similar to Dr Jack Dean who has just

read his report. Though a little miffed that some of my thunder may have been stolen, or

very similar to mine I have great respect for his knowledge and past research. Jack Dean is

no fool and as I also do some work for NASA at times checking what bugs and bacteria

may have come back to earth on re-entry, on and in the craft and also on any rock samples,

soil samples, and on the crew.

We do not know all of the bacteria here on earth, may never will or what is up there, but

bacteria can mutate, as well know, a new species cannot ever be ruled out.

What I would like to say is that the remains on the beach had no organs inside the body

when it went for the Post, and that suggests, because of no evidence of any surgical

removal, the body or remains, may well have been ingested by a bacteria from the inside

out. However in this case, it was not a fast process and I say this to you that the body of the

dead man was just a home or habitat for an unknown host. Thank you.”

Webb waited till Pool was seated again then looked down at the last two names on her

sheet. She bit her lip and looked across to the man in the suit with white shirt and tie and

nodded.

He stood up, slightly overweight and pouted. “My name is Tariff Samid, Minister for

Health and contagious diseases and have heard reports here that so far disturb me and will

disturb the Prime Minister even more when I report back as if she does not have enough on

her plate. What the hell do I tell her?”

Judy Hoffman Carter stood up, her honey blond hair catching the light. her eyes like cold

flints and she looked at the man beside her, the sweat on his brow. She leaned over,sniffed

at him twice, then licked the side of his face and smiled as he jumped back then fell into his

seat. Everyone in the room froze,breathing hard and Hoffman Carter looked sideways at

them smiling with a sharp mouthful of bright teeth, the canines pointed, and then she bent
over the MP and bit deeply and took a chunk out of his throat, a fast spray of blood

covering her. She ripped off her clothes, all of them and said harshly, “Welcome to my

world and my supper!”

Helen Webb ran for the door, her mobile phone to her ear and shouted, “Police please we

have….”

The creature bit her hard in the back of her neck right down to the brain stem and pulled

hard while everyone else were running trying to find a way out. There was none. They

stood panting like sheep, hard intakes of breath, chests heaving and all knew they were

going to die between 9.45 and 10.00 pm.

And they did.

The anger was white and burning as she ran through the door and out into the chill of the

night and to her it give her that freedom from remorse or fear. She crossed a well kept

lawn and found a fountain and washed herself down, no blood left on her but she also knew

even though she looked like a normal wet female nude she knew she had to get to her car

unseen,and her instincts led her straight to it where it was parked with others. Taking the

keys from the top of the front right wheel she was inside it in a matter of seconds and

speeding out of the campus onto the main road, turned right and headed from Bangor in

Wales South East.

Half an hour later she stopped in a lonely layby, dark and surrounded by pine forests she

stepped out of her car and took the Rucksack out of the car and took clothing out, dumped

the blond wig into tall brambles and dressed. Slip on shoes and a hoodie jacket completed

her dress. Switching on her phone she checked for any messages but there were none and

she had expected that there would be none. She brushed black hair with silver streaking

out of her face with a hand, and climbed into the car. Checked herself in the dashboard

with the car light on, smiled, snapped off the light and started up the car.

A small hotel for the night, her passport with her new name, Sian Wright, Nationally;
British, born in Wales, and on holiday, home for two weeks.

I won’t need supper she thought, as she headed for the nearest town and a hotel with a bar,

maybe even local music being played. She had left them a few clues, her old name on the

list, some saliva on her victims, a few hairs and of course very large wolf prints. Silis it

seems was now gone, the husk of the body lying cold and dissected a number of times. The

only regret she had as she drove through the rain and darkness was that she did not get the

chance to kill him. She bit her lip hard, tasted the blood and swallowed thinking, Saul is

somehow Immortal while she was still part human and still mortal and she wondered why

Saul, later Paul could be after the head was displayed on a Roman spear. She smiled.

FEAR OF LOST SOULS.

Tam McCloud stood next the TV and watched the Welsh breaking news and went pale

when she heard of the slaughter in the University Hall, she went cold when she heard the

names of the victims.

“....Bangor Police are stating they are not treating the killings as terror related and time is

needed to ID all the victims later during a number of Post Mortems at a local hospitals.

They have a list of all the victims but would like a woman to come forward giving the name

as ‘Judy Hoffman Carter’ who may have been present when the attacks took place.

Storm Hector that hit North Wales is expected to move North East by dawn and people

travelling in the morning may be disrupted due to falling trees and flash flooding. Police

stated that the risk to people is still high and if you don’t have to travel stay at home….”

Zak coughed lighty and switched off the TV. “Thought you should see it.”

Tam nodded. “Silis told me all about this bitch before he left. Wherever she is, she is an

active and present danger, to anyone who crosses her path. I’ll try and explain to the others

in the morning so in the meantime let us get some shut eye. Check the doors and window,

all of them Zak.”

“Sure. You think we are at risk from her Tam?”

She shook her head. “No. She doesn't know any of us but I am not taking any risks or

chances to make it easy for her. Silis said, she likes her meat raw.”

DAWN BREAKS.

After breakfast, Tam told them a little about Silis, about what he told her about Hoffman

but she kept a lot back and what he had passed onto her. Her mind scape was not muddled

but she caught Marie’s eye and noted she was frowning. They were longtime friends

through family and as children into and into their teens, Ireland was their playground.

Marie was six years older than the young Tam and kept an eye on her, saved her life as well

when she fell into the river at Glen during days of rain and Marie dived in and drifted

down river till the touched bottom and got up a bank. They were in trouble when they got

back home and it was Marie who took all the flack on her behalf. Tam never forgot that.

“Any questions?

Debs put up her hand. “What does she look like and how will we know her?”

Tam thought fast. “Normal like you and I and from what I gather you don’t want to know

her.Ever!”

“But she knew this old man Silis”, asked Babs meekly then added, “Where?”

“Munich, Germany. Before you ask yes, she did kill people there.”

Zak came in fast. “Old Silis was a good man, kind, and most of all honest and I too had met

him. What we could say, ‘Special’ and he was full of knowledge.”

And at times ‘bullshit’ and also dangerous, thought Tam keeping a straight face.

Marie tilted her head to one side arms across her chest, a half smile on her face.

“Was he your Sugar Daddy Tam?”

Tam glared at Marie and then burst out laughing and the rest followed, with Zak folded up
with laughter and pointing at Tam, unable to speak.

“Very funny Marie, like the time you had a blind date with a trawler crew member in

Burtonport and he came into the pub in wellie and his wet gear, smelling of herring and

God only knows what else. Then before he could speak you left but not before you pointed

at me and I was stuck with him for most of the night. I told him you were my partner and

he slammed down his pint and left.”

Zak looked at Tam then at Marie. “Did you two have and thing going?”

Marie’s face was like thunder. “You like your teeth Zak!”

“Wow there trigger,calm down, time to get back to work”, muttered Tam avoiding Marie’s

eyes and looked at the twins. “How is the webpage coming on?”

“Great. Two hits. One about a missing sixteen year old for four years. Mother wants to

know if you would take on the case? The missing girl is named as Lara Steel, last seen at a

carnival at Wollerton Park listening to the bands on stage. Her three friends who were with

her confirmed that to the police at Canning Circus.

Mrs Steel sent an attachment with all the info about the girl.”

Dabs waited, “The second one posted late night was odd, to say the least, was from, ‘clown

2@Thunderbird. com’ and the message read, ‘ You won’t find her. Ever!’ ,so Babs here

was up bright and early this morning got on the case.”

Tam frowned, “And?”

Babs looked at her notes. “Mrs Steel is real. Mr or Miss Clown is a one off.”

Marie grunted and Tam knew that grunt. Her police mind was working well.

“I say let's give it a shot. Zak and I will do a bit of trolling and Babs or Debs can open a

folder and print out the attachment. Save both email addresses in the folder. Zak we need

Maps of the area where she went missing that cover a five mile radius,we also need at ten
mile map of the area also. If she is dead, then she is somewhere within the two. You know

this place Tam?”

“Nottingham. Big park, woods, grassland, big house. Want me to come along?”

“No. You would better here. First stop is this Mrs Steel. She leave a contact number?”

Debs smiled and held up a printed page. “All there, email, phone number, address and a

map of where Mrs Steel lives.”

“Ok. Can we go boss.”

“Go.”

Zak grunted and Marie looked sideways at him frowning. “What?”

“Don’t you think it would be a good idea if you rang Mrs Steel and checked if she would be

there and not in Spain or somewhere?”

She almost smiled and Tam nodded. She snatched the address and phone number of him

and took out her phone tapping in the numbers. “Good thinking Tonto. Just testing you.”

He smiled and shook his head slowly. “Don’t need testing thank you. I’m cool, smart, and

might get around to like even you.”

“Hallo. Mrs Steel?”

There was a slight pause then Marie spoke.”Thank you. My name is Marie Doohan from

the Detective Agency in Barmouth. We got your email about your daughter Lara. I would

like to arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible.”

She frowned, “You are on holiday, in Wales, Fairbourne. Could you please hold on a

moment.”

She looked at Tam. “Fairbourne Wales?”

“Across the estuary by the bridge, Fifteen minutes drive from here.”
Marie rolled her eyes. “Mrs Steel, we can get there in fifteen minutes if that is ok?”

She took a pen from her pocket and then a small pad. “Address please. Yes of course we

have ID. Last house next the Golf Course on the right. Will your husband be there as well.

No, he lives in Slab Square in Nottingham. We might want to talk to him at some

time...He’s a drunk and sleeps rough. Oh I see. We are on our way. Our fees? No don’t

worry about that just now. Thank you.bye.”

Marie hung up, “What are our fees by the hour Tam?”

Tam put her hand to her mouth in shock. “God I have not worked that out! Go with the

flow when you meet her, pick a rate, if she looks well heeled double that.”

“Charming Tam. The woman has lost her daughter who may be dead”, said Zak and

looked at Marie for support and got it.

“He’s right Tam. Let's see what's on offer and do the sums later. Will update you after the

interview.”

Mrs Steel was not what Zak and Marie expected. She was slim, well dressed,grey haired

which was neat and she was black. After looking at Marie’s ID she let them come in. After

she shook hands she said in a firm voice. “Please call me Ellie.”

“This here is Zak and I am Marie.”

She offered them tea, coffee or something stronger but they both declined and sat down.

Marie noted the picture of a dying Jesus above the fireplace, the worn bible on the small

table by Ellie’s chair, the smell of polish, and the sea, and the rings on her fingers that told

Marie that the stones were not glass but the real thing.

It also told her right away, she was no fool and well educated but also a heavy duty

Christian.

Zak took out a small tape recorder and looked across at Ellie Steel. “Would you mind if I

use this Mrs, Ellie?”

“No young man I don’t mind. Much better than trying to remember everything. I use mine

in my work at the hospital. I’m a doctor, my husband was too till he got struck off for

drinking at work. First he was put on Gardening duty with pay, then, , HR let him go, he

just went into the bottle and stayed there. Did not even know that the GMC struck him off

or if he did, didn't care anymore. John Steel was good at his job.”

Marie went fishing with a cops mind, not too pushy,but with harmless questions to break

the ice. “That is sad. What line was he in?”

“Pathology. Postmortems , sudden or unexplained deaths. He was good at it.”

“So what happened besides the drink?”, Zak said softly and looked her in the eye. She

looked at the floor then back up at him, her lips tight.

“After we moved down to Nottingham, he became depressed, like silent and at times angry.

It was all to do with that carry on in another Hospital. The little I know is they needed a

scapegoat, the double PM on two bodies, and a mix up how they got from the mortuary

onto an Ward where they discovered, too late that they had been dead sometime, and with

all their organs missing. He became a ‘whistleblower when the ward manager was killed,

though that never was made public nor did the victim reach the mortuary. He was of

course alarmed and angry so he tried to tell the CEO of the trust and he was suspended

and later sacked. That was what brought him to his knees and then when Lara went

missing, complete shutdown. I had to ask him to leave, and he did. I don’t see what this has

to do with finding my daughter?”

“I am an ex Det Sgt from the Irish police force. The Garda, Dublin. When I take on any

case I like the full background Menu, from religion, colour, race, schools, education,

boyfriends or girlfriends, drug use, medical conditions, including mental illness, violence,

arrests and cautions. In that way, I may get some idea why and how your daughter went

missing.”

Zak was very alert and watching Mrs Steel closely and admired how Marie conducted the
interview, now sitting quite and waiting.

“Yes, she had a sort of a boyfriend but much older than her, white trash if you like and

that,caused problems with our mother daughter relationship as well as her mood swings.

My husband always took her side, they were close.”

Maria smiled, “Happens in the best of families, believe me. So how close, is close Mrs

Steel?”

Mrs Steel looked left at the window frowning then glared at Marie. “He did a lot of

cuddling of her, from the age of fourteen, they did things together like going to watch films,

swimming, fishing.That sort of thing.”

“Daddy’s girl sort of things”, Marie almost whispered, then added, “But no evidence of

anything, no hidden agendas, like sexual, petting?”

“No, he was a man of God!”

“But a man all the same.”

She was close to tears and Marie knew that she had to rebuild her condefence again. “This

boyfriend, you have a name and address for him?”

She sniffed, “David Jones, Lives in Barmouth and now works in a bar on the seafront, next

the main pier. I know because I went in there a year ago with friends for a lunch with two

friends, there he was, behind the bar, serving the Devil's Brew, some of them girls showing

skin, and getting the attention they wanted from him. I don’t drink nor my friends and

though I have a bottle of whiskey in the house here, it has never been opened. I try and do

the Lord's work each day as do my close friends. All I want is my daughter back?”

Marie Doohan sighed and looked at Zak who shrugged. She turned back to the mother. “I

want to be honest and upfront with you. Your daughter, Lara may never be found, alive

and if alive, may well have left the country or working in one of the UK’s largest cities. We

are sure that we will find something if we take the case and keep you informed of any news.
That will give you time to think it over and then you want to continue with the

investigation, email us.There is no fee to be paid for coming to see you. Do you

understand?”

She nodded. “Lara did not leave the UK, her passport is in my bag with mine. I sometimes

take it out and look at her, remembering the good times in the past.”

She looked from Marie to Zak. “Please find her if you can. Try for a month or two, then I

can review it after that. Good day and thanks for coming.”

Mrs Steele was blunt and to the point and got up and escorted them to the front door. As

they walked back to the black van Maria asked Zak, “What do you think?”

Zak looked up at the mewing gulls. “Gut reaction tells me she is hiding more than she

said.You?”

Marie opened the van and looked at Zak. “She is lying but we keep going.”

“Boyfriend, or I mean ex-boyfriend, one David Jones in Barmouth?”

She nodded, looked at her watch and grunted. “Your getting there Zac, oh yes.”

Zak scanned the street, his eyes sharp,then he pointer at The Lobster Pot and Marie found

a place to park the van. They walked back a bit and Marie spoke to a young women wiping

tables on the footpath.

She looked Zak up and down and muttered, “Davy is around the back sorting our crates.

He expecting you?”

Marie took the lead, “No, family on holiday so though call and give him a surprise,Our

Davy loves surprises,and thought we meet his long term girlfriend, Lara something or

other?”

The woman frowned,” No don’t know that one and I have been here four years this July.
He has a lot of friends, male and female who come around for the summer. Anyway turn

right up the entry and you will get him in the yard.”

Zak smiled and followed Marie up the entry and thought, Here we go.

Davy Jones looked at as the two women walked into the yard and set down a large

empty beer barrel on top of others and then smiled.

“Can I help you?”

Marie walked up close and Zak stood beside her waiting. Marie smiled back but there was

no warmath in her smile. “Hi there Mr Jones so I will cut to the chase and asked you

straight out”, holding up a photograph of Lara Steel in his face then added, “Yes or no will

do.”

He frowned and licked her lips. “Knew her, a way back. She and I parted and that was it.

She went missing, off every one’s rader, had the cops here making me jump through hoops,

then a couple of social workers turned up and I told them what I am telling you. I knew

her, she was under a lot of hassle from her mum and dad but I had nothing to do with her

doing what she did.”

Zak tilted his head, “Like what Mr Jones.?”

“Running away from home,packed a bag I guess,and headed for the hills.Then I get a card

at Christmas past, year, years after I should add, just to inform me the the baby and her

are ok and have a nice Christmas”

“Baby?”, asked Marie catching Zak’s eye,knowing he had the tape recorder switched on in

his pocket.

“Any Idea where the card was posted?”,said Marie sharply and stone faced.

He shook his head,then muttered, “It was printed by some wacky community called,I

think, Dove or Dove Land Meditation Centre and no I don’t still have the card to show

you.”
“One last question,you know anyone who calls themself,the ‘Clown’?”

Davy Jones laughed harshly,”Nope but I do know a few clowns in my circle of fair weather

friends.Anything else?”

Marie shook him by the hand her head nodding and Zak and her left the yard.

THE SOUND OF OM.

Tam scratched her head as she listened to Marie on the phone and tried to get a word in

sideways.

“Are you listening Tam. The kid is alive, well we are going to check it out now, up in

Holyhead at some Ashram or something.”

Tam sighed then smiled. “Good work so far but let's not tell her mummy bumps until we

know for sure. I take it you won’t be home for supper then?”

Marie made a face at her phone and muttered, “Don’t think so. Zak and I may stay over at

some hotel or B+B close by.”

“Together. Wow Marie, that is cosy!”, and laughed putting down the phone.

Zak smiled at Marie. “We good then?”

“I am good, you will be staying at the ashram or whatever on your own while I cuddle up

with a good meal, a good wine and a good single bed. Book in there for a night when I drop

you at the gate, say something like, ‘I love this place and will pay for a night to stay and

make a donation.”

Zak’s eyes went wide. “And have to eat rabbit food and get up early. Why me?”

She smiled at him. “You already look the part.”

Marie stopped the van at a gate with a sign post pointing onto a wooded hill and naming

the community centre. She got out and waited for Zak to get out cursing under her breath

because of the delays of getting there. They had arrived at Holyhead only to discover they

were miles away from where they were supposed to be and had to backtrack. Holyhead was

busy where now where she stopped was like being in the sticks back home in Ireland. On

top of that, it was already dark and all she could hear was sheep and the sound of a stream

flowing over rocks.

“Are we here?”, asked Zak looking into the darkness past the gate then adding,

“Like in the right place now?”

“Yes. Through that gate in front of you, mind the cattle grid and follow the track to your

place of rest. Oh and the white things are sheep, lots of them?”

Zak slung his small bag over his shoulder and looked at the van then at Marie, feeling

unsure. “Can’t you drive me there?”

“No Zak. I won’t risk the van. Your a man and do manly things and I will pray for you of

course. Off you go pal, onward and upwards.”

“Thanks. Will give you a bell in the morning”, turned and walked into the darkness aware

that the only torch he had was on his phone, and he had to use it just to get started as he

slipped twice on dark green sheep poo and over a small rock.

Forty five minutes later he reached a wooden cattle gate with a sign that stated that he

arrived at the ‘DOVE Meditation Centre,Welcome’

He opened and went in, darkness surrounded him and then not far away, a light and he

could hear music and singing. He switched on his phone torch, and could see well enough to

make out the outline of two buildings, one with lights on.

Now what, he thought as he turned the handle of the Reception Hall door.
There was a board with notes and other info and then a note that Zak would be in room

five, his supper was in the kitchen and he was late.

Room five first looking at the map of the building, above me, he thought and found the

stairs, Room 5 was ar the top of the stairs, he opened the door and went in, stopped as he

seen a bed on the floor and a small single side table, and behind him the bedroom door

clicked shut.

“Shit!”, he hissed through his teeth finding a light switch. The room looked better now and

he relaxed as he knew now that the door was on a spring.

Except for the bed and table there was nothing else in it. On the back of the soor a small

sign stating that he was not to smoke and where the fire point was in case of fire and

smoke. He sighed, took out his phone and had no signal,and left his bag on the bed and

went down to the kitchen. A plate on a plate, and when he looked,rice, greens, carrots, all

cold and a handwritten note ‘Enjoy’.

Zak slept well, a deep sleep of being safe but he jumped after a sunny dawn when

two RAF jets flew low over the Ashram on a training exercise and roared down the valley.

Then he heard a hand bell being rung somewhere down stairs and his door rapped hard.

“Fuck!”

He flung open the door and was handed a sheet with all the rules of the ashram on it by a

very attractive residents. “Bell right now is for breakfast Zak and we don’t use that word

here. Please. Three minutes downstairs.”

He forced a smile and closed the door over and rolled his eyes thinking,how sad,never

mind, then moved off the bed. Breakfast will be interesting, he thought and took out his

phone.

No signal.
He walked around the small room and still could not get one. Then he sent a text to Marie

that she would get sometime. ‘She may be here. Will ring later.’

Dressed, he went down to breakfast, most people on the floor, a bowl of porrage in their

hands and sitting in silence. He got a nod and a bowl thrust into his hands, zipped her

mouth, and pointed at the mugs on a long table, where four pots were laid out.

No bacon or eggs here then he thought as he poured coffee and found a seat and then seen a

young back woman with a child sitting together and caught his eye and smiled.

A small bell rang and someone said in a quite voice, “You may now speak and of course

check what jobs you are on first thing this morning. Kara Yoga finishes at ten thirty. At

eleven we have medatation in large hall except for those getting lunch ready,the wash up

kitchen crew includes our visitor Zak who leaves later. Shama you are in the office, along

with baby. Thank you.”

The young black woman put up her hand and smiled.

“Yes Shama?”

“If I am in the office who will water the polly tunnels?”

The woman turned her head and her eyes found Zak. She smiled at him. “Zak will.”

Zak nodded in response. “Thank you. Nothing better to get me in touch with my inner self

and feelings”, hoping he said the right thing.

People nodded and a few laughed, a well built man sitting beside him said, “First time in a

place like this?”

“Yes. I like it. Why are some people dressed in orange and others in their own clothes?”

“The people in orange, are residents and on the path to enlightenment and we so hope you

will return for a longer stay Zak in the future.”

“So who is the top buck cat here, man or woman and do they have a name?”
The man smiled. “ I am.”

“Oh I see and what do I call you?”

“Swami Murti will be sufficient. I must go now Zak but hope to see you again.”

He waited then made his way to the kitchen, cleaned the pots and with help sorted out

where everything went in its place. Finished, he excused himself and made his way to a

back gate that overlooked the hills and sheep in fields. The gate rattled when he opened it

and he closed it behind him and sat ona rock and lit up a mall spiff and sucked deeply. The

smoke haze over his head vanished in the light breeze as his eyes took in the landscape and

then there was a light noise behind him and he turned, was startled and jumped to his feet.

“I wish the fuck you would not do that Marie!”

She smiled at him, held out her hand and he handed her the spiff shaking as he did so. She

took a long drag, held it and then slowly exhaled the smoke. “That my boy is very good

shit, illegal, but good. So you found her?”

He nodded. “Seems so. Has a young child, a girl and both are pretty. She is running the

office here today.”

Marie took another drag and handed it back to Zak. “I walked up the track.. Nice views.

Right, lets go and see her.”

Zak coughed and looked at her hard. “Just like that. Walk into her office and confront her!

“Sure, best way, and laddie, be up front but let me do the talking otherwise you could fuck

the whole thing up. Better still I seen your name on the board for watering poly tunnels so

why don’t you do that and I’ll handle it. Woman to woman sort of thing?”

Zak felt relieved and almost smiled. “Ok, I’ll do that.”

She slapped him hard on the back and laughed. “I’ll make an excuse that I am making a
donation for you”

As they walked back, a Red Kite glided over them, and Zak seen the beauty in the sky and

smiled to himself.

Lara looked up from her computer as Marie knocked and walked in and handed

thirty pounds to her. “A donation from Zak. We work together.”

“Well thanks for that, I’ll give you a receipt for it. It is a rule. All donations logged and

recepts given. So what sort of work do you do?”

“Can we stay private in here as I need to talk to you. About your mother?”

Lara’s mouth fell open, she got up and locked the door then turned with hand on her hips.

“She’s dead. Right?”

“Wrong. She wanted to know where you are and if you are ok/ I am Marie Doohan, I work

for a private detective agency as does Zak. Let me point out right now I am not police or

social services and anything you tell me will stay with me.”

The laugh was harsh and Lara threw up her arms in dispair. “That’s nice. She is not dead,

but it would not bother me if she was. I have a baby girl now, a life I like and real friends.”

Marie sat down without being asked and Lara walked to her desk, folded her arms across

her chest and her eyes were bright. “I do not want to see her, speak to her or for her to

know where I am. You can tell her that but not where I am!”

“And what about your daughter?”

Lara shook her head hard. “No way is she getting near her. Never!”

Marie sighed and nodded. “A bit harsh, but you are a woman now and a mother.”
“Harsh! Watch this”, and pulled the orange T-shirt over her head amd turned bare back to

Marie.

“My back is harsh, see the bamboo cane scars, she did that, see the burns from a hot kettle

on my arms, that is harsh and she did that because God told her to punish me and she did.

That is why I left and that is why I never want to see her or go back!”

Marie for all her toughness was shocked, “Oh sweet Jesus. How could any mother do such

a thing to a child?”

Lara put her shirt back on again and wiped her eyes, her body shaking and Marie stood

and held her arms open and Lara ran into them and sobbed. Outside Zak stood, the last

poly-tunnel and waited, wishing he could have a smoke.

There was a long silence as Marie and Zak drove back to Barmouth and after ten miles

Zak had to break the silence. “Fancy a coffee Marie?”

She looked him and then nodded. “Why not, the day has gone to shit anyway, the world,

for that matter is a shitty place to live and believe me when I say this, it is not going to get

better.”

Zak nodded and then shrugged, “There is some good things Marie like finding Lara and

we all have jobs as well as good wine and whiskey, live by the sea, and eat well.”

The van stopped in the car park and they got out into sweltering heat and took of their

coats. When she shut the van door, it made Zak jump and he wondering why she was not

happy but decided not to go down that road. As they walked into the cafe, Marie nudged

Zak hard and he looked at her in surprise. “What!”

“The red van that just pulled in. Just stopped by my van, two males, white and something

about them.”

“Like what?”
“You remember I took the wrong turn on the last roundabout. Well so did they and I did it

on purpose and that was five miles back. They are following us.Trust me.”

Zak took a quick glance then ponderd on this as they found seats. Marie was not paranoid,

he knew that and as well as being an ex cop she was also a woman. That worried him

because he had no idea why they were being followed. Two men, one red van but why?

The man came over and took their order. “Two toasts with cheese, two coffees black, no

sugar. Anything else?”

Marie looked up at him and smiled, “Nice place you have here. Handy at that”, she lied

then added, “I need to use the toilet and have a smoke.”

He pointed to the open back door. “Out there, turn right and that is for woman, as for the

young man, he turns left. Smoke away. I’ll give you a shout when it is on the table.”

Zak caught the look from Marie and followed her out into the shade.

Marie pulled Zak to one side and almost whispered, “I have a problem. Like a real bad one

and I need help. I need your help in the here and the now Zak.”

Zak’s eyes went wide, “You do?”

She nodded, her face grim. “I do and it is to do with the two men in that red van. I need

you to walk over there smoking, open the door of my van, find something wrapped up in

the right hand glove compartment and bring it to me. Also don’t look at the men too closely

but see if the reg of their van is Irish. It may well have a Dublin Reg Zak but walk back

and do not forget to lock the van.”

“So don’t mind me asking Marie, what am I bringing back for you and why do those two

guys upset you?”

“Because they may well be from a Dublin Gang and I could be the Hit, and the package is

‘Irish Condoms’ large size.”

Zak looked alarmed but nodded. He walked away smoking and headed for the Van,

stopped and turned back and said to Marie. “ I need the van keys.”

She made a face and thrust the keys into his hand. “Go!”

Not good new this, he thought as he walked towards the van smoking, long draws in slow

smoke out and he found that his hands were shaking a little. Gangs from Dublin, hot shit,

and she sent him, he muttered. I get killed or shot in the legs and she fucks off. Great!

The window of red van went down and he jumped. “Hi Zak. Nice to see you.”

He could see the amber eyes on him, a slight smile on the lips and before he could speak.

“Saul once but that is by the by my boy”, and winked.

‘Silis you mean’ but got the message and muttered, “Long time no see Saul. Hows your

tricks?”

“Good my boy. Been away for a while on business. How’s Tam?”

“Good. Doing well. Has three other people and me working with her. What are you doing

here?”

“The good Father John McGarry here offered me a lift. So what a nice surprise. I do know

all about Tam’s business. Father John here came over from Ireland Zak, seems he is

needed in the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, sort of a rest and working holiday, away from

the day to day hassle in Ireland being a priest. You have been ill Father John?”

Zak looked past Silis at the aged priest. Priest he was and he was so close to Silis he could

smell the very stron smell of mint off him. “Get well then Father and….”

“We must be going Zak my boy as the good father has to catch a flight. Oh, my love and

respect to Tam to you all and tell Tam I will meet her soon in Nottingham.”
“Nottingham?”

Silis nodded, “Yes have some meetings there when Father John drops me off in Clarendon

Steet near Trent Collage.. I’ll be in touch with Tam. Saul I am, and Saul I will be and Tam

will understand. Bye. You can go now Father.”

Zak stood and watched the van leave and turn left. “Silis you look much younger and now

for the moment call youself ‘Saul’ you old bugger.”

Back at the calf Marie watched closely Zak amble across the car park as if he had not a

care in the world. She cursed him under her breath but glad the red van had left. She slid

open the door and climbed in and she waited till he slid it shut.

“Took your time!”

Zak handed her the package. “Your two hit men were no more than two old men, one a

priest and the other a friend of Tam’s who I should add looks much better than the last

time I seen him. Also Marie, if they had have been two members of a Dublin gang you put

me in great danger while you sat here scratching your tits and I did not like that. Not one

bit!”

She raised and eyebrow, “My, my, this man has balls. Eat you toast and drink your coffee

then we are out of here.”

In the van Marie opened the package, there was a wiff of oil that Zak did not miss but what

he seen set of alarm bells. Marie took two magazines out, set them in her lap, slid back the

bolt and checked there was not a round up the spout, took a magazine and slid it into the

bottom of the grip and placed the firearm into her pocket. She did the same with a small

box of ammo, dropped the rag on the floor and set the second loaded magazine into the

glove compartment.

Zak grunted. “ I should have known. An Irish woman with a gun has all the protection she

needs. Christ Marie, if we get stopped and searched, we are looking at five to ten years for
firearm offences.” She looked sideways at him.

“I will have you knowing, this gun has a Irish Licence, I have the right to own it and as

Ireland is part of the EU I am also allowed to carry it. Not loaded of course as it is now but

carry it.”

His eyes met hers. “And I take it you have used in in your last job as a cop?”

“Yes. Four times. Gang members. Two in the chest, one in the head. They don’t move after

that. No choice.”

Zak threw his hands up in the air. “I give up. Lets go!”

She made a face at him and snarled at him, “Keep that up and you my man, will be

walking

back!”

By the time they got to Barmouth, you could have cut the air with a knife when they pulled

into the house.

The twins were sitting smoking on the doorstep and smiled at Zak and Marie with a

happy,’Welcome back’. They walked past the twins and into the house. Deb looked at

Babs, “Trouble in Paradise sister.”

Babs laughed, “Shag that went tits up I guess. Did you see the face on Marie?”

Deb laughed. “Oh yes. She could have soured milk by looking at it from fifty metres.”

They both burst out laughing and it got louder and louder then they heard the voice behind

them.

“And what has you two tickled?”, asked Tam with her hands on her hips and a crooked

smile which set them off again.

 BLESS THOSE WHO HAVE SINNED.

Zak did not come down for supper and stayed in his room because he wanted his own

space, lay on his bed and plugged into his music with eyes closed. Tam McCloud frowned

as she looked around the table and one thing she did learn over the years as his friend, was

that he had ‘hollow legs’, loved his food and would eat anything. She mind scanned each

and everyone of them then her eyes settled on Marie across the table from her. She sighed,

“Ok, what happened Marie.?”

Marie did not look at Tam, chewed then swallowed the food. “He’s stropping. We had a

disagreement on the way back from Barmouth and I was carrying white anger at the time

when it kicked off. To do with Lara and her child. I wanted to tell you when we got back

but you had left the house, went for a walk.”

“You found the Steel girl?”

“More a woman now with a daughter. You want to see a photograph of her Tam, here take

a look on my phone camera!”

She pushed the camera across the table into Tam’s hand then added, “She does not want

the police involved, her mother ever involved but said we could tell her she is happy, but

wants no contact with her of any kind. As for Dad she does not want to know.”

Babs and Deb nodded. “Must have been bad for her to say that.”

“Not a happy family then”, muttered Deb then added. “So what does our client look like in

today's world Tam?”

Tam looked from the phone straight at Marie. “Oh my God, is this real?”

Marie was almost white with anger. “Pretty carved up back, neck and buttocks.

The mother has been beating her with a bamboo cane for years before she walked or ran

away so show it to Debs and Babs. They are part of the team and I am sure they and I

would like to know how you intend to handle this with the great mother?”
Babs covered her mouth in shock and Debs eyes were filling with tears. Tam closed the

phone slowly and handed it to Marie. “No police folks like Lara has stated, no telling the

wonderful mother where she is, and Marie, it’s your call. Try and see her with Zak in the

morning and you two make sure you ring her. In the meantime I will take Zak up some

food and a beer. Did he see the photographs?”

“No, I thought he..well he is a male and these were off a young women and I did not want

to upset him even more with that brutality of a human being. Oh, and he has a message

from some one for you, not sure if it was from a priest in the car or the civilian. He would

not tell me and all I know they were parked in a red van.”

Tam stood up and looked at the three of them, “After I take this up to Zak and speak with

him it is going to be party time tonight for us all, a pub in Fairbourne across the bridge,

and we take a taxi there and back, so that you can have a drink if you want it.”

“Can Babs and I wear shorts, make up and that sort of thing.?

Tam smiled and lifted Zaks plate, “If you are going hunting let me know where you are

and we come back here at eleven.”

Babs give Tam a broad smile. “Yes Mammy.”

Tam laughed then the smile vanished and she glared at Marie. “That item you brought

home with you would be better locked up in the office safe Marie. Not the sort of thing you

can keep in your room.”

“Zak told you!”

“Nope. You did, in your mind and I would like it sorted please before I get down here from

Zak’s room.”

Debs laughed, “ A vibrator, a battery operated penis?”

Tam and Marie laughed, “Something like that girls”, said Tam and then Marie added, “

Not the sort of thing you want to think about using so get the real thing.”

Debs pushed more, “What colour is it Marie.”

“Gun metal blue, short head on it, and it works, Now no more children.”

The sisters face dropped.

Zak looked up as Tam entered his room after knocking hard and he took out the earplugs,

then smiled at her, that boyish smile he had for her with his bed hair standing up. His pony

tail lay across his chin.

“Tam you have come at last. Show me your…..”

She cut him off. “Marie said you had a message for me, one aged man and a priest?”, then

added. “Also brought you smoked salmon, rabbit food and spuds.”

He punched the air. “That’s the way to go! The priest was on his way to the airport and

had given our friend Silis a lift. For the moment he is calling himself ‘Saul’ and said that

this Father John McGarry was heading to Jerusalem for a long rest from his parish in

Ireland. He also said in his sly way that he has he will meet you in Nottingham and be in

touch with you. What ever that means. Somewhere near Trent Collage I think?”

“How did he look?”

“Fit, younger, not so many lines of a map on his face, well dressed and cool.”

“Dapper may be what you mean?”

“Yes of course. Dapper it is.”

She put the plate of food on the bedside table and watched him closely. “Anything else I

should know about Zak like what happened between you and Marie after seeing Lura?”
Zak looked away from her for a moment. Then turning back he mutteed, “She is carrying

a piece with two magazines and a box of ammo and that freaked me out Tam. Also she is

more than paranoid, the red van and two males in it, the priest and Silis, Saul I mean, and

she thought it was two men after her from some gang in Dublin City, like real heavy.”

Tam nodded and now looked grim. “Yes I knew about Dublin way back and even after she

lelf the Irish police force, she was always on the move. She has every reason to be alarmed

because she had a shoot out with a man who was the son of one of the gangs leaders. As for

the firearm I picked up on that and she locked it the small beast of a safe. Right eat up and

brush the hair we are all going out for a good drink tonight and not driving. Ten minutes”,

leaning over and kissing him on the forehead.

“I don’t suppose you….”

“Bye Zak.”

She closed the door over and stood for a moment listening to the banter down in the

kitchen between the twins and Marie and there was laughter. Then she also pondered on

what Silis was getting at, when would he get in touch but most of all, why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SILIS THE DARK STRANGER

THE DARK ANGEL.

 THE DARK ANGEL

The two detectives looked over the interview table at the small young woman but Tam held

their gaze, then smiled. “I’m done here officers and unless I am under arrest I’m walking.

Got a movie to see.”

The woman detective glared at her. “I hate to remind you, but you were found at night in a

local church yard by a police officer and his dog. Not only that, the man with you ran off

into the darkness, last seen carrying a bag of sorts. Even the dog could not catch him. He

vanished Tam.You stood smoking, relaxed. So was it drugs or sex?”

Venda Parker folded her arms over her chest and waited.

Tam smiled, brushed hair out of her eyes and raise an eyebrow then shook her head,

“Neither Sgt Parker. One I don’t do drugs and two he is too old for sex, like old.”

Mark Shaw, a cop with a hard face that had seen better days, almost shouted, “So you

know the man that ran off?”

“Yep. . Charlie the slab square drunk.We are good friends.”

For a moment there was silence except for the clicking of a clock on the wall and still Tam

held their gaze.

Sgt Parker coughed lightly. “You and this drunk were trespassers on private property,at

night.”

Tam nodded. “As I am sure you know there is nothing really private about a graveyard,

cemetery and it is only becomes a crime, of sorts if you are asked to leave and you refuse. It

is a crime if damage is done with intent and your officer with the big doggy, did not find

any, or for that matter, look for it so charge me with breathing in a place of the dead, prove

now you have a case and I will except it.

Otherwise can I go. Please?”

Matt Shaw rolled his eyes then looked at Parker. “What do you want to do boss?”

“I need to speak to this old man. Where does he live?”

Tam put on her best smile and looked at her watch, then. “After nine AM, you may find

him sitting in Slab Square. You can’t miss him tall man, black coat, black hat, dapper,
beard that has been trimed as has his hair. Oh, and black shoes,size twelve.

Oh and don’t call him ‘Professor or Sir’ , he hates that.”

A hint of a smile passed over Sgt Velda Parker’s lips and she nodded. “Ok, and you are

living in Castle Drive in a friends flat at the moment, that friend being in hospital called

‘Tammy’ who has just come out of a long term coma?”

“No.she passed over,two months ago.,

Parker’s smile vanished. “This ‘Charle,old man, where does he live Tam?”

Tam waved her hands in the air, “Here, there and everywhere Sgt Parker. I don’t know.

After I give up my job as a sound editor in the Psychology Department the Slabman and I

went our ways, till I met him a week ago in Slab Square. He asked me to help with a food

that evening, take my small tape recorder with me and a bat detector so he could check the

species of bats where we were discovered by officer Dibble and his trusty pal, Fang or

whatever.”

Matt Shaw came in fast. “And did you managed to record any bats.”

Tam took out the recorder and the bat detector and set them in front of her on the table.

She turned on the playback of the recorder. There was a deep clicking coming from the

speaker and she let it run for over a minute then switched it off.

“One Long Eared Bat joined by the sound of a pipistrelle bat, a small common bat.”

Shaw’s mouth fell open for a moment then snapped it shut. “She is right. As a member of

the Bat Conservation Trust UK I also do bat surveys. She is also right with her ID Sgt

Parker. That still does not explain why he ran off like a hare with a small bag?”

“Ah, I can explain that”, said Tam then added, “He has a fear of all dogs, foxes, wolves and

anything that is doggy looking. As for the bag all it would contain is his spare clothes and

some cash as well as his bottle and washing kit.”

So where do you live now seeing your friend died?’’

She looked at Shaw, ‘’Barmouth in Wales. I have a house there and work from home now.

Investigation agency four of a staff which includes an ex Sgt detective.’’

Shaw rolled his eyes. “An ex cop make the worst private dicks ever and I will tell you why.

They still think they are still real cops but make their own rules,think they are outside the
law and cross the line.”

Sgt Parker grunted. “You can go. Don’t want to see you or hear about you again ever. Go!”

Outside Tam McCloud walked to the black van with smoked glass and the door slid open

and she got in. Marie Doohan,ex Irish Police office,pressed a button and the door closed

softly.

“So they let you go?”

Tam laughed and nodded. “They had no choice,Oh,and the copper with the bow, wow,took

you as a man in the dark.”

Marie glared at her and started up the van. “Small one is cruising for a bruising, I think.”

Marie drove off and headed for the moterway that would lead to a road to Barmouth and

Tam drifted off into a sleep, a soft purring coming from her mouth but Marie did not

mind, it give her time to think of what was in fact going on in Tam’s head. All she knew at

the moment was Tam had money,a big house, and running a Detective Agency in

Barmouth, the ass hole of nowhere, had trains and good roads, no airport if they needed to

go abroad, four staff including her and all the gear but something else was not right. Marie

was puzzled, who the fuck was this old man Tam was meeting but more so, in a disused

bone yard?

Her mind drifted to the night she found Tam asleep in the back garden and when she tried

to wake her, she was unresponsive but breathing slow, like slow and so after covering her

with a coat left her. She had to have been sleep walking and you do not wake people up

when they are like that. Tam did not mention the night garden event at breakfast which

was also odd.

Marie’s detective mind was now working overtime,she had her gut feeling that all was not

as it should be, and thought that her friend was being more than evasive. That mint spray

she used was also strong and leaked out of her when she got excited yet right now, was

weak.

Maybe she has a condition that she does not want to talk about?

She glanced at her and shrugged, we all have things in our past to hide.

Tam was having flashbacks in the van as she slept,dreams and colurs that were not dreans
and colours, she could smell the sea, see the dark sky above the hill and out to sea, a wind

with rain blowing hard in her face as she dropped what was left of Mrs Steels body over

the edge of the cliff and onto the rocks below, the call of a night bird calling then faded.

She walked back along the coastal path, a frown on her face while she was sleeping, how

come I can be in two places at once? Then sitting on a rock, nude and wet sat Silis or Saul

as he wanted to be knwn by. He did not stand when she stopped in front of him, spoke to

him and he answered each question she asked. It was the last question that made her twich

in her sleep.

‘What am I doing up here in the middle of the night Saul.”

Saul did not smile but his eyes glowed as he spoke, as if speaking to a child, “It is your soul

that is here right now, you are sleeping on a bench back at there Garden and as for your

victim she was already dead by the time you left your body.She came here, she stripped off and

she jumped and the sharp rocks and the waves did the rest.”

“Tam for fucks sake wake up”

Her eyes shot open and she looked sideways at Marie, “Where am I?”

“In my van, with me, muttering in your sleep, twitching, and taking shite. For a moment I

thought you were in a fit and was about to pull over when I found a spot.”

Tam shook her head.”Those were some dreams. Where are we now?”

“Coming down the hill into Barmouth. You have been sleeping for at least three hours,

same as I found you sleeping in the garden one night and covered you up with a coat and

next morning you did not even mention it?”

“Oh. Did not remember that.”

“And did anything else happen that night?”

“Yes Lara’s mother took a flyer of the cliff top onto the rocks and she left a note and her

clothes there before jumping.”

Tam thought, and they never found the body or will.

 THE CODEX BOOK.

She took the Book that Silis has clamied to have written along with the translated MS and a

short letter from the translator and the bill for the translation which she had paid promply.

‘The book is a Masterpiece Miss McCloud and though I could not translate it all because of

old languages being used, I can tell you now, if put onto the market it would be worth a small

fortune, with great interest from the Vatican City, and many of the Worlds Leading Book

buyers with money. I thank you for letting me read it and also the very fine fee.’

The house was silent as she sat on her bed and read it, first parts in old Hebrew, Second

part in Greek and the third part she was unable to read at all. It was the Greek part that

she came across the life and times of Saul, later to become Paul and she would bet all the

money and the house that Silis was both. How come I can read Greek, understand Latin

and if I read the unreadable from right to left, I now can understand it. It was the in old

Hebrew language with many Egyptian inserts and symbols and more a hidden codex she

thought but that hit her like cold water in the face, because it mentioned many areas of the

Holy Land, India, and beyond, the same handwriting, the same small ink blotches that

looked like spiders. Underneath it all names, many of which she tried to pronounce in a

whisper and failed. Tam did not fail with one name. ‘Saul, Paul and two, Silis and Silas’, all

in the main hand writing.

Tam turned each page slowly, careful not to damage the page as she turned it and when she

came to a few words now and then with brackets, she was more than puzzled, like when

‘there is or was more than one Jerusalem’.

She put a crow wing feather where she left off, closed the codex and put it back in the bag

for protection and thought, I understand a lot of it but I am going to need help with this big

time. Who to tell, who to trust?

Next morning when Tam came down to breakfast she was pleased to see everyone present

but with sombre faces. She sat down and took a slice of toast and set it close to her two

boiled eggs. Then she looked up at each face in turn. Setting her knife down carefully, she
said in a controlled voice. “Ok, do you lot have a problem and if so can I eat my breakfast

first?”

All four of them nodded and carried on with breakfast then when finished Tam asked. “Do

tell me please.”

It was Debs who started first. “It is about our salary and don’t get me wrong, we all agree

here that is very good, in fact more than good but as it stands, we don’t feel it right to take

such a sum for the little work we do. In fact if the truth be told we are getting bored.”

Tam took a sip of her black coffee, looked at Debs and raised an eyebrow. “Too much

money. Well that is a new one on me?”

“And the website and adverts are, well crap boss”, muttered Babs, her face flushed then

added. We have a big net out there and as I see it, we are not catching the public eye and

except for the Lara case there is nothing coming in, like work. I am of the opinion Tam,

that we need to change the name of our company, set up a more professional web page and

forget men or women who want a check done on their partners. We are much better than

that and insults our potential.”

Tam sat for a moment looking at her coffee, then took a long sip and looked at the faces

around her. “Anyone else have an input?”

To her surprise Zak put up his hand. “Tam I think we should offer ourselves to do

Research, anything but missing spouses and dogs and go more into the Academia

possibilities for students and also try and get Police Forces world wide to offer us work.

I agree with Debs and Sue that we broaden our scope if we are going to keep going after the

Brexit fuck up pending or we could be left high and dry if and when the crash comes.”

Marie glared at him. “So Zak where is your flag planted now and do you want to take over

running the show or jump ship, find a way to get away from here or is it because of your

lack of skills?”

Zak smiled at her. “My flag is planted beside Tam, who is also my friend, but as for skills I

have a few useful ones that even the Lady of this house does not know about and could be

used if we are to proceed with a different name and outlook.”

Marie took up the challenge. “Name then now!”

Tam caught Zak’s eye and give a very slight nod. There was a whisper of a smile on her lips

but she hid it well.

“Ok, at the moment I am a film-maker/ technician when at University I went for Forensic

Officers Exams, passed with an A, worked with two UK police forces in the UK, did six

months at the FBI Body farm and got another A pass, and then had a breakdown five years

ago and left the dead behind till I was ready to go back to, if ever.”

Marie was stuck for words, her face red, her mind racing. “You are ‘Zak’ who?”

“Dr Zak Rubin, PhD in Forensics investigations and an added feature of Criminal

Psychology and profiler. I still have my Home Office and FBI credentials if you want to see

them Marie?”

There was a stunned silence around the room Then Marie spoke in a soft voice, “You wrote

that text book, The Body, not the Grave’?”

Zak nodded and looked glum for a moment. “Yes.”

Tam smiled, “Anyone else who has hidden talents that we can use before we proceed?”

“I have a good detective mind, use of firearms, map reading, contacts in Europol, first aid,

and advanced self-defence.”

No one smirked or laughed. Tam fixed her eyes on the twins.

Deb grunted, “As well as using any computer and doing a build of apps for good use, I also

have a talent for getting into systems and accounts if needed, I find things that other people

just dream of or shy away from. Yes it could be deemed as illegal I guess.”

“Babs, what can you offer.?”

“History of all kinds, research methods, finding on line ‘missing families’, speak and write

Hebrew, some middle-east languages but not well, Classical Greek and Latin mythology,

can read it but not write it,the same talent as my hacker sister, web designer when needed.

Oh and I cook better than her!”

Tam’s mouth fell open. “That was not on your CV nor did you care to mention it?”

Babs flushed pink for a moment. “ Well to be honest with you I did not want to come

across as, a know all, and as I needed a job, any job would have done. But seeing and
hearing what I do now I do not want to remain a desk jockey so suggest you get even an

airhead, to do the typing, computer work and the filling. No disrespect meant boss.”

Tam smiled, clapped her hands. “None taken Babs. You have anyone in mind?”

Debs groaned, “Oh no, not metal man!”

Babs glared at her, eyes blazing. “You don’t really know him and just because he has no

lower legs he can get around in that contraption the MOD got him and he does have new

legs, can run if needed,is good on computers and laptops. On top of that he still has his

balls and is well hung!”

Deb was about to answer back but Tam put up his hand. “Stop!”

Marie smiled and looked at the floor. “Does he have a real name Babs?”

“Yes, Dan John McCabe, ex-special forces, took a hit in Afghanistan, lives close by, can

drive well and brought a dog back from there. She is called Banjo.”

Tam and Marie looked at one another for a moment. “And he lives where?”

Babs smiled, “On his boat down in the town, called the ‘Puffin’, changed to suit his needs,

including a great double bed, has no job but has money but needs some sort of job. He

could do it Tam. Honest.”

“Ring him, asked him when we could see him and do it soon.”

Debs muttered and Tam glared at her. “What!”

“She forgot to mention he was, well black, no more coffee coloured.”

Tam walked to where Debs was sitting, bent down and her nose close to Debs face.

“I don’t give a fuck Debs and I never want to here that mentioned in here again do you

understand little sort arsed person or your gone but not before you get a slap in the kisser.”

It was Tam’s bright amber eyes that made her whisper, “Sorry. Stupid me.”

Tam stood, “Well if you are going to make these changes for the better why are you all still

sitting there, Go.!”

Outside, Marie watched Zak drive off in Tam’s four by four and said out of the side of her

mouth, “He will do Tam.”

Tam smiled and blew smoke into the air. “Yes. He will do and so will we all. Now. You do

like Zak, don’t you?”

Marie looked at the car in the distance and smiled. “Still working on him Tam and he does

have a nice ass.”

They both laughed and went back into the house. Outside in a birch tree a Raven called

loudly.

Inside everyone was beavering away with low music coming from a small radio on the

window ledge and Tam thought, this will work Silis, oh yes!

Zak Rubin let his eyes drift over the boat called ‘Puffin’, well kept, clean and all ropes in

their place. It was much larger than he thought but he was brought back to the here and

the now. A large black coloured dog was standing close beside him, ears flat, teeth showing

and a low growling.

“Oh yes, right. You must be Bimbo, no sorry Banjo. Good dog. I’m Zak the man>”

A voice from behind him. “Not a good idea to touch him right now Zak the man, he does

not like strangers. So, what can I do for you unless you are just being nosey?”

“Yes, right. Well. Babs said she would ring you. Said you might be interested in a job?”

Dan McCabe’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head. “Nope, no call yet. If I get a call from

Babs, I will consider it. Right now I am busy. Good day to you.”

Zak you have just been dismissed, he thought and held out his hand. McCabe looked down

at the hand, turned and walked into the boat, and clumped down the cabin stairs, then a

door slid open, Banjo passed by Zak onto the boat, sat down and watched him closely.

Back in the car, Zak sat drinking a coke and thought McCabe was not going to be a bundle

of fun or Banjo if they joined the team. A voice slipped into his head, he is still fighting his

own war. He started up the car, checked his mirrors and pulled out into the traffic

thinking, and him and Babs are an item. Fuck!

 24 HOURS OF DARK STARS

Debs tossed and turned in the heat,a full moon turning her silver, the warm night breeze

that blew across her nude body being in her mind, suggestive, and she smiled in her light

sleep. To her at that moment in her mind-scape, some one was touching her, whispering

close to her ear. The sleep smile vanished and in a cold panic, her eyes shot open and

standing by the bed was the outline of a young woman in tattered and stained clothing with

no eyes.She tried to get up but could not move, and started to shake.

“What, do you want?”, she stuttered. “Who are you!”

The figure slowly rasied at hand and pointed towards the open window and the moonlight

and a voice came into her head. ‘Tammieeeee.Tammmmm, garden. Gardennnn.”

Before she she got round to screaming, the figure slowly faded away,and she sat up

shaking, then looking around the room. Standing , she walked to the window amd looked

out at the brightly lit landscape of the garden to the distant sea, a few lights blinking in the

distance. Then a movement below caught her eye and she could see the outline of a human

shape, limping, one arm hanging down her right side. When it turned and lifted its head

Debs could make out the face features,broken features, the lower jaw bone hanging at an

angle, the hair on the head almost gone and then she screamed, ran from the room and into

the first bedroom unaware what was behind the door or cared.

Zak was lying face down and he rolled off the bed at speed and faced Debs. “What the fuck

woman are you doing!”

She ran past him pushing him to one side and jumped into the bed, pulling the covers over
her and started to sob.

Zak was at a loss to know what to do but his mind in survival mode told him to get help,

Marie, or Tam. He did not have to, because all three women burst into his bedroom, Marie

looked at the sobbing Debs, turned and smashed her fist into Zak’s face, who hit the wall

behind him and slid down it crying in pain and holding his nose. “I did’nt do anything. She

ran in here like that and screaming and making noises, then jumped into my bed!”

Tam went to the bed as did Babs and sat on each side of Debs. It was Babs who asked the

question. “What happened Debs. You are safe now.”

She wiped her eyes still shaking and pointed at Zak as he struggled to his feet and Marie

turned and smacked him again and he went down.

“No! He did nothing. Nothing. Something was in my room and something was in the

garden, Oh God, I have just pissed myself. I ran in here looking for help!”

Marie bent over and slowly got Zak to his feet and was shaking his head and took his face

in her hands looking him in the eyes. “Sorry about that Zak. I mean really sorry.”

“Oh sure your sorry wonder women, might have broken my nose and loosened a few teeth,

gee thanks Marie!” , pushing her away from him.

Tam looked hard at Debs. “What did you see?”

“A shape of woman with no eyes who pointed to the window, then she vanished and I

looked out and down below and there was what I took to be a woman as well, with little or

no hair, her arm hanging down and no she did not speak because her jawcone was hanging

and swinging.”

“Young or old?”

“Tam I don’t know. I ran!”

Babs nudged her and smiled. “A nightmare pet. Justa very bad dream.”

She shook her head, “No dreams don’t talk or put things in your head sister. I heard in my

head as it pointed at the window,’ Tammie, Tam, garden,’ so don’t tell me it was a

nightmare or a dream. It was real!”

Tam froze and said softly, “ Everyone down to the kitchen. Tea, coffee or whiskey/ Move!”
Zak was last to leave and muttered, “And she peed in my bed.”

Half an hour later, when Marie discussed what had happened they looked at Debs who was

still upset and asked her sister to come them to the sitting room. Marie closed the door over

and sat beside Babs, while Tam sat on the sofa.

Babs looked at Marie and Tam, her face pale. “I know I am in here because of what

happened to Debs. She will sleep now all day, curtins pulled, door locked and will not

answer or come out till evening. When something like this happens in the past, she always

does that.”

“It has happened before?”, asked Marie now looking concerned and frowning.

Babs nodded, “Ever since she was five or six. As the years went on we tried to get help for

her but none of the experts so called, could find a forensic medical reason for it.Scans,

concelling, the head strinkers were the worse, they were baffled, the only one in the early

days that tried to help was our local Rabbi but he too give up in the end.”

Tam nodded, “ I still cannot understand Babs, but could it be, well, sees things that may or

may not be there?”

Babs laugh was harsh, “She sees things, feels things and is not crazy in any shape or form

and if someone has lost a ring or broach, she can see where it is, find it, and return it to the

owner.”

Marie grunted, “ So what did she see tonight?”

Babs looked downat her hands then lifted her head and looked Marie in the eyes.

“Two ghosts, one in her room who knew your name, spoke , well whatever and the one in

the garden, the ghost of a woman who’s body was damaged, then both vanished.”

“Afterwards when you spoke with her in the kitchen, did she say anything else, anything at

all, no matter how small?”asked Marie watching Babs closely.

Babs looked through the moonlit window and nodded, “Two things that did not make

scense at the time, the woman in the garden was hit by a train on the bridge in 1944, a

troop carrier no less and then the young woman, I think she said, Suzy or Sue still lived,
well not lived but was still here, in this house.”

Dawn came in quicky and all were back in their rooms except for Tam, who was sitting

outside in the warming sun, and Zak who was camped on the floor in a smell room next the

fire escape. Babs and Debs were sleeping together while Marie was snoring next door to

them with her bedroom door wide open

Tam knew that Babs was telling the truth because she had scanned her during the

interview, and found no evidence of lying.

Marie before going to her own room, was more than scepital, almost in Tam’s mind,

dismissive of what Debs claimed to have seen and heard and had muttered to Tam in a

whisper, “Bell, book, candle, holy water and the Funny Farm job.”

Tam felt the anger well up but did not reply but thought, Little do you know my friend of

what really goes on in the under world of our minds and around us all the time.

As she sat in the garden listening to the birds singing Tam knew deep down that Zak might

want to jump ship when he came out of his cubby hole and Debs could leave with Babs

because of what happened. This meant that her project would be doomed to failure, leaving

only Marie and if Dan McCabe turned up. Still it is not a question of money, she had plenty

of that, she thought, more than enough. Tam looked at young robins being fed by their

parents. “Could be right now I am grasping at straws, letting ego get in the way of it all.

Oh and thanks for the house and the money, and two fucking ghosts that you forgot to

mention.”

Let it all go, dump the project, live here on my own and carve wooden spoons as a hobby,

she thought as she driffed into an uneasy sleep and coloured shapes drifting around her

head.

It was the distant male voice that made her open her eyes and look to her left, only to see a

man with a large beard, well built, and holding a large dog as well on a chain lead.

“Hi, came about the job, maybe. I’m Dan McCabe. Your man came to see me and I was a

bit abrupt with him down at my boat. I am a friend of Babs and Debs.Sorry if I startled
you.”

She sat up and noted quickly there was no car parked anywhere on site, except hers,

Marie’s, Zak’s wreck, and the two sisters, small ‘runaround’ and pink in colour.

Tam could not help but ask, “You walk up here?”

McCabe had an easy smile and then laughed. “My new legs under the pants do a good job

so it is no probem. Is Babs or Debs around?”, looking at this strange young woman in her

dressing gown sitting on the bench.

“Sorry, everyone is still sleeping. Morning off. I’m Tam McCloud and will be doing

breakfast in an hour so.Can offer you coffee or tea or a dawn beer?”

“ No I’m fine. Banjo here had a drink in the small stream. I was in fact looking for the

Director of the outfit?”

“Director?”

“Yes would you mind if I take the weight of my legs?”

She shifted up and he sat down beside her. She could smell the soap on his skin, no

aftershave, and just a little hint of sweat. The dog smelt of dog and seawater.

“Thank you. I am find at walking but just standing hurts the living bits and scar tissue. I

take it you work here, like cook and help, meet people, and keep everyone else at bay when

needed. Babs or Debs never told me much about the Director or who else works here. So

what is this director like, male or female?”

She lit up and blew smoke into the air before she answered but had finished scanning his

brain. “ Female, odd ball but not an airhead like some, but she knows more than most, at

times scary, has a temper, smokes and drinks good whiskey, can be racist if we let her get

away with it, which we don’t, swims well, not the most tidy person in the world, likes sex if

it is good, sex, always seems to use a mint spray, or fresh mint, something to do with her

background and genetics or some mad cult we know nothing about. They say she can read

minds like she reads a book, sort of fast scan. She would know that you have those blue

green eyes from your family genetic code, all the way from Kashmir, in Northern India,

have dumped a marriage, no children, were in the Marines six years, were wounded,
discharged from a medical point of view, feel a great resentment towards the Navy because

of that and you put all you won gongs in a shoe box along with you discharge papers, pass

port and a photgraph of your ex-wife who deep down, you still love and a Wren ex medic

who now lives in Devon.”

Dan Mc Cabes eyes almost popped and he slapped his forehead. “How the hell did you

know all that!”

She took a deep drag, blew the smoke out in slow rings and watched them fade, then looked

at him. “You want the job or not?”

“Oh shit. You are the boss!”

“Correct. Come on meet the family, the odd bunch if you like, and you be you.”

THERE WAS ONCE A WOMAN, WHO CAME

FROM THE FOREST.

….but she glided, never walked but at night, if seen, she ran on all fours and had amber

eyes. Some say around the village of Canna, she has been around a long time, the older

generation would confirm that and she always attened the graves after a funeral, always at

night, always nude and always with red hair if caught in a car headlights, or a torch. If seen

close up by a hiker at night all that was found was their rucksack and stick but no one ever

found a body or remains because no one who was a local never wanted to go into the woods

or forests to look and if it was a police search, Mick Drew would shake his head and look

into his pint of the black stuff and always mutter, “They could no more find their own arse

in a snowdrift than find the woman from the forest!”

Someone in a dark corner would mutter, “Or a body or trace of one least of all a live

one.Indeed when the sun is going to sleep, even the souls of the dead stay in their graves,

more so my wife!”, and there was a roar of laughter and then the music would start up, the

fiddle first and songs followed ,about bold men who died for a cause,and the mists of time

had left them stranded in moorland, wood and forest, the black turf of a bog hidding white

bones and brown leather skin.

Lara Kincade looked across at the man driving the four by four, his shaggy beard, and

bright eyes watching the darkness of the midnight road,alert, and she knew she was safe

with Neil Bracken, her boss of four years, one month and two days. As his field assistant

she knew that there was always a lot to do when they had a research project in

anthropology in the

County of Donegal. Dublin University expected results, the money was already in the bank,

they could draw on it when needed and it would be needed.

“You do know Neil, Donegal is not like any other County we have ever worked in, different

from Europe as well, but does have some things in common with Romaina or Bulgaria

when it comes to mythology and myth beliefs?”

He smiled, his craggy face looking more relaxed than normal, and his voice soft and not

harsh when he answered.

“Yep. So you have told me, so I have heard, so I understand and you an I know that getting

the old stories from very old aged people is not going to be easy. How is your Irish

anyway?”

“It is Dublin Irish boss, but I will master it. You?”

He shrugged. “English, the only Irish I know is the Our Father and that makes it ‘school

boy’ Irish so we need a good man or women who can speak both for us. Right now we are

coming in to Donegal Town, hotel, shower, then bed in that order. You on with that
Lara.?”

“Sure I booked two single rooms for two nights there, one night in Dungloe, three in

Falcarragh and two weeks in the wilds of Inishown with Malin head our last call.

“What about food?”

He laughed. “Will be in our rooms, with flasks of coffee and tea. That bit I organised

myself just in case you forgot to.”

“Look out Neil!”

Bracken swerved around the deer standing side on and cursed then pulled in and stopped

the car. “I thought the deer were behind a fence up here. Did I hit it?”

She growned, “I think so. Grab a torch and lets go back.”

The deer was a female, lying in the middle of the wet road but was not moving. Bracken felt

its throat and looked at the glazed eyes, a trickle of blood coming from its nose.”

“One bambi gone to bambi heaven. Its dead.”

“Very. Come on, give me a hand to drag it off the road and into the side. Grab a back leg

and pull.”

Lara did as instructed, then stood panting. “I need a pee, so bugger off back to the car

boss.”

“Aye.. ok. Hurry up.”

He sat in the Rangerover, his hazard lights throwing out yellow light around him and he

noticed the pine woods on eachside of him. Now and then he would glance into the rearview

mirror to see if Lara was coming back to the car. It was during this check that he caught a

movement going from left to right and at first he thought it was a badger or fox but his

mouth dropped open when he seen what looked like a child crossing the road on all fours.

Then Lara stepped out of the cover and walked right past it back to the car. He shook is
head twice and looked again, yes, there it was going into the area that Lara just left.

When she got in strapped up she looked at him and noticed the silence. “You ok?”

He looked away from the mirror. “You see anything out there when you were coming back

to the car?”

“Nope, but I heard a Long eared owl calling in the pines. They are feeding young this time

of year.”

He started up the car, turned the hazard lights off and tried to feel normal. It was not until

he seen the lights of Donegal Town that he spoke. “ Lara I want to ask you a question and

that is in the time you have been working with me have I ever shown times when I did not

have my shit together upstairs in the slate department?”

She laughed and nodded, “ Like looking for your pipe on your desk when it was in front of

you, forgetting student appintments that you told to come and see you, putting on odd

socks that stood out a mile, blaming me for not finding a book in your office.? Sure, but

that is ‘normal’ for you and I can add to that if you like?”

He made a face. “ I mean, other things, like, well, seeing things?”

“No. When you don’t wear your glasses on the top of your head you see very well but I

have noticed, and don’t take this the wrong way, you do at times, show signs of cabin feave

meaning you should get out more, do things that is not work, let your hair down now and

then, even do things you don’t normally do, like getting pissed, having a shag with some

woman, no strings attached. Ever since your wife died three years ago from cancer, you

wrapped yourself up in your research day and night. I have come into into your lab office

just after six am and there you are, sleeping at your desk, mouth open and snoring like a

pig.”

“Thank you for that Lara. You have a nice way with words and I really feel better now.

She laughed and pointing at the lights. “Donegal Town here we come.”
They parked at the back of the hotel which had at least fifty cars, all shapes and sizes and

music coming from within and loud voices and laughter.

Lara got out, looked at the hotel and smiled. Posh, noisy, and little sleep to late in the night.

Bracken was not amused when he handed Lara her bag. “Christ on a crutch. A wedding or

what?”

“Donegal at its best old man. Could be anything. Come on, lets book in, and dance the

night away.”

They found a blond woman on reception who got them their keys and had a million dollar

smile that was not false. “Room ten and room eleven. You are most welcome to join the

party if you want. My family members seeing a member of the family on a send off.”

Bracken smiled, his good smile, which was rare. “Wedding party.”

Molly McGinley laughed. “God no, granny had that sixty years ago. No this is her wake,

burial in the morning, then another knees up. Half the people I don’t know. You are

booked in for a few noghts, in the add on away from the noise if you feel you want to turn

in. This carry on will not end to sunrise if that, Do you need a hand with your bags?”

Zara smiled, “No but I do think we need a rest, some food, and a drink.”

“All in your rooms. Out through that door at the end, white building and everything is on

the ground floor. Breakfast starts from seven onwards till ten. Welcome to Donegal.”

Neil nodded and smiled, “Sorry for your loss. Did she live and work in the Town.”

“ No out the road over the the hill and just outside Invar. She was born there and had a

very special parttime job.”

“And that was what may I ask?”, said Lara almost knowing what was coming and then it
was confirmed.

“She was a Sin-eater, special like, and helped the dead move on.”

Neil raised an eyebrow then nodded. “Thank you.”

“ See you tomorrow Mr Bracken and you too also Lara. Goodnight.”

I hope, thought Lara as she followed Bracken out. She almost had to run to keep up with

his long legs and then they stopped. Neil pointed at the black cross with a dead Jesus on it.

“No vistors tonight Lara, sorry.”

“Not funny boss, no way, no how. Give me my key please, and goodnight.”

After she got settled and scoffed the chicken and drank a bottle of beer she was ready for

bed placing the idea of a shower on hold till morning. She crawled under the covers and

almost at once was in a deep sleep. Next door Neil Bracken was already asleep, a deep sleep

and at peace with his world and himself.

Molly McGinley glared at Father Julian Potts, her face reflecting in his large glasses as she

locked the reception and handed Noel the young Porter the keys. He smiled at her, nodded

and left while Father Potts waited, looking at his watch again.

“Right you are not happy with the wake, not happy with the sineater, not happy at people

celebreating the life of my grandmother and by the looks of it Father, not happy with me or

yourself. Gee man, get a life!”

“Meaning what?”

She smiled sweetly at him. “You are from across the Irish Sea, from Oxford no less, been

here in my country less than a month, and English, know little or nothing about the Irish or

how they do things in the country, their country not yours, and if you don’t like it here,
ring the Bishop in Derry and tell him that. No one but no one is going to breast feed you the

knowledge of Donegal, its ways and myth, so good night Father. Watch out for the ‘Pooka’.

He walked away fast and got to the main door, and the porter opened it for him with a

smile and a nod. He looked at the priest then a long stare at Molly and smiled.

She smiled back and went up to her room then thought, that Mr Bracken is some sort of a

man and you and him would have got on like a house on fire.

The hotel slowly settled down, the last bedroom door closed over, no more voices or rhe

sound of bedsprings taking a pounding by lovers, run away mean and women, or two men.

Noel the porter sat in the lounge reading a text book on Medicine because come September

he was back in Galway and reading for his degree in Medicne. Right now,it was quite and

still.

Exept for moving shapes and shadows coming to pay their respects to the dead woman.

DEAD BONES IN DEAD GROUND.

“They were all young men, German Navy, washed uo on the shore below on the beach.

Twenty nine in all all shapes and sizes, thick and thin, bloated and had been fed on by fish,

crabs , motty gulls and sand flies. The lot. I was four or five at the time but I did see them.

Was with my father down there getting seaweed after the storm, for the fields,”

Neil Bracken looked at Lara and nodded at the small tape recorder on the table in front of

her, She nodded back which meant it was recording.

“So how did you find the likes of me Mr Bracken?”

Bracken held up a finger. “Ah! The university in Dublin give me a list of Donegal story

tellers and you are first on the list, so here we are. Thanks.”

“Who else is on the list around Invar.?”

“A man called Semus McKee. An old man,fisherman one time. Do you know him?”

“Did, many years ago. The Sineater was last to talk to him. Bit of a lad was our Semus, a

devil in the drink and in those days was not to be crossed by man or beast. He was a story

teller alright. Lied through his yellow teeth abut this and that. Americian toursts in the

pubs and he did it for money. Then he made a mistake, drunk, he insulted the history

around here of the fairy folk, in public no less. He left the pub after closing time and never

made the two mile walk home.”

Lara spoke softly. “He died,Mrs Cullen?”

She laughed harshly. “ I hope so because they found his lower half but his upper part and

head was gone. Like gone. They never found the other part of him and no use looking now

because he is dead bones in dead land. They found his dole card in his back pocket and that

was all.”

“And the lower parts, what happened them”,asked Lara.

“ Ach! Sure they took that part to Dublin and I guess it is still there.”

“So you think his death was somehow linked to a paranormal event?”, asked Lara

frowning.

The old woman looked from Lara to Neil. “What is she talking about Mister?”

“Oh, sorry. She meant was his linked to the fairy folk or ghosts?”

“Ach, why did you not say that in the first place”, and nodded then smacked her lips and

added, “Not ghosts, no indeed but to the Red Bean, some call her the ‘Banshee’, but not the

sort of thing you would want to meet at a crossroads at night. Indeed no. I suppose to put a

finner point on it, she would be looked on as evil, linked to those films I watch on TV, all

sharp teeth, tits that any cow would be proud off, and always licking blood out of the living

as well as their souls. Of course you educated people from Dublin and elsewhere would

dismiss such a thing because you know it all. You think.”

Neil Bracken grunted and Lara kicked him lightly on the foot. Bracken had to ask, “I see.

Have you ever read Bram Stokers ‘Dracula, the book.”

The old woman looked at him blankley. “Ouch no. I can’t read, never could and as for

those ‘sum’ things I count on my fingers. If you give me a bag of mixed money I would

have no idea how much I had because I only have so many fingers.”

Bracken smiled and nodded, “What year were you born?”

Mrs Cullen frowned. “Don’t know. I do know that there was a war on, but sometime I

guess before that. They said that some men here joined the British Army and went to war.

Eleven in all from Donegal to fight for an English King, five came back, two of them legless,

one blinded, that would have been the McKelvey man from over the Barra, then there were

Thomas and Sean McFaden from Glen, the Sean lad ended up in the Letterkenny Mental

Hospital as his mind was like badly cooked scrambled eggs. One day he somehow got out,

walked down to the Swilly and jumped in. They found the body a few weeks later on Inch

island. As far as I know the priests around here, had him buried in un-holy ground at

Churchill because he killed himself. The other brother Thomas, took himself off to

America and that was the last anyone heard of him. Oh yes...after the war, a man came

back here,his name, oh dear, he was from Kilmacrenin. Robby Walsh, that was , he was a

runaway from the army. As far as I know, he had a hard time, what being in the British

Army and a coward from the locals. Became a lone wolf.”

“Lone Wolf”,asked Lara then added, “You mean he cut himself off from people in the

community?”

Mrs Cullen nodded then give a long sigh. “Worse than that my dear, they cut themselves

off from him. Would have killed it if they could but the men around here were too weak,

too yalla to venture out onto the bogs, moors and forests at night with guns.”

“Kill him, what for?”

She looked at Lara. “Because he was cursed and the old ones at the time said he became a
wolf man. He roamed at night through Glenveagh, hid out there like a wild animal and

they also said, he found a woman, long dead, in the forest up there. For a year afterwards,

he was seen only at night, and the whole world was after him, sightings at Ards, on

Muckish, across to Lough Barra. Police, army, stalkers, anyone who could shoot a gun and

the reward.”

“And what do you believe Mrs Cullen, for the record?”

She coughed then, “I know somewhere out there, it, has family, as wild as he was and

though it might be dead, more than likley, the dark in the wild is not a very safe place to be

Mr Bracken. I have no more to say on he subject. I am tired now so if you don’t mind I

want to rest.”

As Lara and Neil climbed into the Rangerover, Lara muttered, “ We have just been

dismissed boss and big time. Also there was not one cross with a dead man in that cottage if

you noticed, no books which I understand, no pets like cats or dogs, no phone I could see.

She did have a shotgun in the corner next the fireplace.”

Bracken was stone faced with an answer. “Yes, but she did have two bunches of wolfbane,

one above the front door and in the room we were sitting. Both bunches were dried out and

I suggest she has them a long time.”

“That helps boss. It means we have had a positave result.”

He drove off in silence and stayed like that till they got back to the hotel. Lara followed him

into the bar and ordered two pints and a whiskey for both of them. Except for the pretty

barmaind there was no one else there. Finding a table in the corner next a window they

talked low, amost a whisper.

“You know the old dear is as loopy as a fruit cake, don’t you?

Neil shrugged, “We all get old sometime Lara. One of the reasons I choose the over sixties
to interview up here. They may not always remember what day it is but they remember the

past and maybe beyond that because it would be passed down in oral form.”

Lara laughed, “So she could be little Red Riding Hood when she was a child or even now

thought she was?”

He shot her a hard look, “Can’r read. Remember.”

A shadow fell across the rond table and they both looked up. Molly McGinley was standing

there smiling. “Hi, mind if I sit for a moment?”

“Sure, go ahead, need to have a chat with you anyway, Molly”,said Bracken then asked,

“Would you like a drink?” and his eyes flickered across her large breasts.

“Thanks. But no drink I have the day off. I was on my way back and I thought I seen your

car parked outside the old Cullen place back on the road?”

Neil and Lara laughed. “Everyone knows who and what you are around here. Right?”

“Ach sure that is Donegal for. So, are you thinking of buying the cottage Mr Bracken?”

“Neil please. No, nothing like that.”

“Mrs Cullen was my mothers sister you see and I am handling the sale of the cottage via an

agent in Ballyshannon.”

Neil and Lara looked confused. It was Lara who spoke first., “Was?”

“Yes. She died just before Christmas last. Sudden it was. So we cleared the house and I put

it up for sale but first come,first served I say.”

Bracken almost spluttered, “The door was open.”

“Never locked around here unless you live in the town. So what did you think of it?”

“Nice, small but nice.”, said Lara. Great views. How much is on it?”

“One hundred and fifty K but I could drop it a little to the right buyer.”
“We will give it some thought,”said Bracken. “Would you mind if we go back and look at

the garden?”

“Not at all. You eating in here tonight?”, asked Molly and standing up.

Neil rubbed his hands together. “You bet. Stakes with the rest, and beer!”

“Ok, see you both later I hope”, give a small wave and left the bar area, a slight wiggle of

the hips.

Lara rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know boss that is now rude to oggle a woman’s bum and

the rest. I mean if she had said come with me to the kashbar, you would be running by

now!”

Bracken made a face, “I may well be in the old seventy mark but Lara I am not dead yet.”

“Not, but it might be”, looking down at his pants. “ As you heard, and I heard, our old

lady who we thought we were talking to, is a long time taddybread and I bet when we check

the tape recorder we will hear us but not her so what does that tell you?”

“We are going back to the cottage now to check that out, them back here for a feed, and

then and only then we will have a PM and deside our next move.”

“Neil don’t take this the wrong way. Please. I have said this before and I will say it again,

unless we walked through some sort of ‘portal’ into the past, then I or you don’t know shit

what happened, or at least explain what we seen and heard from granny Cullen, if in fact

we did?”

Neil stood up. “In the car now and make sure you have the tape recorder with you, but

look at like this. Something happened from the moment we went into the cottage and when

we came out again.Right?”

Lara nodded and frowned. “Yes.”

“And you and I are not crazy, not from the loony farm and base most of the evidence we
gather on Projects as fact. Right?”

“Of course but it has to be ‘proven facts’ Neil. Something that we can reproduce or others

can to prove that fact.”

“Spot on Lara. Let’s go.”

Half an hour later they parked the car where they left it before and opened the door of the

collage and went in but left the door open. It was empty, except for the old chair, there was

nothing there. A smell of dust as well as hidden damp and both noticed the chair had

cobwebs on it, unbroken and a glance in the corner, showed no shotgun resting at an angle.

Neil was almost lost for words. “Play the damn tape back Lara from the beginning!”

She clicked on the tape and both stood silent while their voices asked questions but all the

answers was loud static till the next question. Lara turned off the recorder and replaced in

back in the shoulder bag and then looked at Bracken.

“Nothing. Not a word or sound from Mrs Cullen, Neil. Look at this place when we first

came a few hours ago and look at it now. Nothing, just dust and decay.”

Neil scratched his head. “I’ll be buggered by a sailor! We were here Lara, otherwise how

could I discribe the wolfbane over the door and it is still here?”

Lara shivered and slowly looked around her. “Let’s go!”

“Where?”

“The back garden. Old back gardens are a hive of hidden knowledge.”

“Could be. I’ll close the door over again.”

It was a small jungle, brambles, a few flowers being strangled by weeds, all shadeed by

higher bushes and shrubs. Somewhere a magpie chattered on and off.

There was they noticed some sort of track, narrow and a few strands of brambles in the

way.,

Lara took the lead, Bracken followed cursing each time he had a thorn prick or his coat got

snagged. Then they came into a small wooded meadow.

“Why are we in here Lara, the purpose?”

“A well or spring. There has to be one. There, by those rocks!”

They stood and looked into the ruins of the well and Lara dropped a stone and counted in

her head, then a splash with an echo. “Water down there alright, but a long way down and

when Mrs Cullen was alive she needed a rope and a bucket to get it out. There is no pump

Neil.”

Bracken nodded and then pointed into the dell of a wood. “Over there Lara, bones, lots of

them!”

As they stood and looked at the bones and skulls, Neil worked out at least 20 plus sheep had

met their end here over the years. He looked for sheep wool. There was none. Not one patch

of dirty white anywhere.

He nealt down and checked neck bones and some skulls.

“So what we have here Lara is not a killing ground, not sheep for butchering, but killed

elsewhere , skinned and brought here.”

He picked up a leg bone and shovered it under Lara’s eyes. “Not knice or saw cuts, but

teeth marks, and many of the bones snapped, which means the bone scattering was done by

foxes or badges but all the signs tell me something much bigger.”

Lara made a face. “Like what Boss?”, not really wanting to know right now till she was

back in the car.

“A big cat, or a wolf or a very large dog.”

“You are taking the piss now. Right?”

“Wrong. Lets go. Say nothing to anyone and that includes Molly back at the hotel. I fear

she is not telling us much but she knows much more than she pretends.”

Lara led the way back to the cottage much faster than she did coming in, not stopping or

going back to help him and even when Bracken got caught up in thorns and was cursing,

she kept going. Fast.

Lara left Bracken’s bedroom door open back at the hotel and sat at the end of the bed

looking at him in the chair. “Can you explain what happened today Neil, like really explain

it?”

“No.”

“Gee Neil that was a long answer to a problen we never had before.”

He grunted “Our Father who art in Heaven, stay there and leave me in peace here on

earth. You and I and a few other people back at the anthropology Department who think

outside the university box, rub shoulders with human paranormal beliefs in our work. We

find loads of questions in such research, we dig deeper, we ponder on the few answers that

show up, then find that some of the answers could not be possible. Our trained brain

cannot digest such information Lara but if we think as a human being, without all the

brainwashing we have had in study and research, we could say that what happened today,

was real, did happen and we did see and speak to a ghost or spirit. In such events such as

this my dear, we have to except that Mrs Cullen’s soul or spirit is not at rest, it is trapped

and confined to that cottage and garden. They may well have buried her, but that was a

shell of a body, not her soul.”

Lara shivered, “And the wolfbane on the doors, the small yew trees in the front and back

gardens points to rituals that s closely linked to pagan rites and beliefes, not religions, and

in a Donegal house or cottage, not cross?”

He laughed harshley. “First, she may not have been a Catholic or if she ever was, she may

well have went back to the old ways of Ireland and dumped religion for good. The Yew

trees and wolfbane point at this.”

Lara smiled, “Your not daft old man, boss, and friend. Oh no. You are smarter than a

stoat!”

He smiled his crooked smile. “Meaning what?”

“Tomorrow we go and look for the family bural plot in the Catholic confinds and if we find

nothing there we find a churchyard that the pople who kick with the other foot get planted.

We might even get a lead from the parish records.”

Neil stood, “Dinner, woman and drink, progrees I think. There has to be Church and

Chapel notices somewhere in the reception for visitors. We need the name of the priest and

the minster in this parish, location of both, address, name of the churches, and two phone

numbers.”

“Come on boss, I could eat a Nun’s bum through a convent gate!”

“Yes and you buy an OS Map of this area. We may well need it.”

The dinner lounge was packed but as their seats and table had been reserved they were

more or less on their own Two male and two female waiters and witeresses were busy

clearing tables and bringing food out from the kitchens. As far as Bracken was concerned it

as well organised and not too long to wait.

Stuck for choice, Neil went for the mixed seafood with a side salad and Lara took the

steak, mushrooms, and chips. Both declined the prawn starter.

Once they has finished, Lara noticed an old man on his own eating at a table in another

corner. She also noticed the dog collar, sleek and white around his thick neck. She kicked

Neil’s foot under the table and nodded towards the clergyman and whispered, “I wonder is

he local and could be of use to us?”

Bracken set down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth then glanced at the old man who at

that moment, met his eyes and give a slight nod. He turned back to Lara. “Doubt it. He

looks to me long gone by his sell buy date, is a little, well shabby to say the least.”

“Ah, but he may well be from around here, served the parish and now retired. So we won’t

know until we find out Neil.”

Bracken rolled his eyes and looked at the empty third chair at their table. “Offer to buy

him a drink and join us after he has eaten.”

“You sure?”

He nodded so Lara stood uo and walked direct to the table and stood in front of the

clergyman’s table, only to note that he had a clean plate and a glass that was still clean.

Amber eyes looked back at her, the small grey beard almost silver, the hair the same colour

and he said something in irish that she did not understand.

“You no have the Irish then?”

“No sorry. My boss and I would like to know if you care to join us for a drink?”

He looked across where Bracken was sitting then back at Lara. “Thanks but no and you

are blocking my light young lady.”

“Oh! Sorry. Right. If you change your mind, I am Lara Kincaid and that is Professor Neil

Bracken”, holding out her hand. He looked at the hand, then at “Lara. Nice name. I am

Cannon Silis La de Cote but the answer is still no.”

She nodded and turned stiffly back to her table thinking ,I have just been told to fuck off
by a priest.

Bracken looked across the table at Lara’s flushed face. “That went well did it?”

“No. He was almost rude.”

“Anything else?”

“Told me his name was Silis la deCote and I think he wanted me to piss off.”

“Well he was having a meal Lara. Maybe he was pissed off because he….”

“No, he had a clean plate, a clean glass. He was not eating or waiting to eat, just sitting

there dreaming about God only knows!

Bracken nodded and watched the old man get up and put on his black coat and hat then

leave.

THE DARK.

The barmaid was the same one as before and Lara paid for the two pints of

lagar, smiled at the girl. “Well these will go down well. Thanks. By the way, the old priest

that left, dark coat and hat, small beard, does he live in the parish or staying here?”

She looked at Lara as if she was some kind of snake, mouth open eyes wide, “You seen

him!”

“Yes. He was in where we had our meal. On his own.”

“Jesus, Mary and wee Joe”, and made the sign of the cross. “I’m glad someone else seen

him because no one believes me. I seen him on he road last week after I left here. It was

dark, raining, but light rain and I was heading for Lough Barra. Then in the middle of the

road there he was with his back to me walking in the middle of the road.
My car and I went right through him. I braked, got out but there was no body, nothing. I

told Molly and a few others next day, even reported it to the police. They checked my car

for damage but there was none.Then they had the cheek to ask me had I been on drugs or

drinking!”

Bracken took the lead and whispered softly, I belive you and you have a good brain, too

good to be in here. Tell me this and tell me no more, has the lady who owns the cottage out

the road, a Mrs Cullen been seen after her death?”

He lips went tight. “Why do you ask?”

Neil smiled, “ We are from the University in Dublin, Anthropology Department and Lara

here and I are doing research into Myths, the paranormal and of course, most of all, oral

and sightings of such.”

She frowned, “ So you believe me about the dark stranger, the priest or whatever he is.”

Lara nodded, “All the way. We would be rather foolish if we did’nt. How did the old

woman, Mrs Cullen die?”

“All I know, it was before my time, but I did hear that she, well killed herself. The family

here don’t talk about it here now and many whispered that she still walks the hills with the

Woman from the Forests.”

“Gee, that is scary. A sad time for the family and her friends”, said Lara then added, “But

she got a decent send off I hope?”

The girl looked around her to see if anyone close by listening then, “Mt dad said, only the

priest was there. Father Quinn and she was not buried in holy ground up the road. He

ended up in the Mental in Letterkenny, died there, killed himself too. The next priest was a

younger man from Sligo and he had only been here six or seven months. Not a happy man

and became very dour near the end.”

“The end?” , whispered Bracken setting the twenty pound note on the counter then slid it
across the counter. The girl looked down at it, then smiled.

“Yes. He wrapped his car around a tree on a Christmas Eve night a way back. The next

two that came left quickly because they could not sleep in the Church House, then we now

have the boy wonder, holier than holy and flaky with it. That is it.”

“Thanks. That all helps”, said Lara and shook her hand. Bracken did the same.

“You won’t mention my name will you. Molly would go mad?”

“Ach sure, we don’t know your name now do we and if we did it would never be mentioned

and you can trust me on that.”

Bracken left the hotel with Lara and walked around to the car park. Inside, Lara grunted,

“Well now we know Neil, we are slap bang in the middle of a paranormal project. Mind

you, it could all be here-say, like tall stories.”

He looked at her, “I don’t think so, there is always grains of truth in every old story and if I

have learned anything during my adult life Lara, is don’t rule anything out, no matter how

small it is.”

She nodded. “Like England getting knocked out of the World Cup?”

He laughed. “Yes, and they will.”

“And dumpy Trump coming to the UK for a visit and insulting everything British”

“Of course, it is his way, mouth first, brain out of gear, then the flak fired at him from

everywhere and he stands there like a fat Italian World War leader. I don’t like any

political person because they are all the same, so don’t even go there wee girl. Ever.”

She laughed, “So tomorrow we go a hunting in the fairy Glen.”

Father Julian Potts sat under the bright reading light, a copy of Stephen Kings book

‘Carrie’ but in the background loud music from the radio in the kitchen area, a half glass
of whiskey placed on the table to his right. For a short time he read but his heart was not in

it. He snapped closed the book, set it on the table and lifted the glass and drank half of it.

His mind was racing, what he had to do tomorrow. Two funerals in the morning after

doing Mass for less than nine people, all old or very old and on their last legs. The only

reason they were going to his Mass, was because they hedged their bets just in case, he

thought.

I am in the wilderness, cast here by the Bishop and all because of three children making a

complaint against me.

There was three loud knocks on the front door, so loud he heard it over the noise of the

radio in the kitchen and it made him jump. He got up, his heart pumping and went into the

kitchen, switched off the radio then picked up an old hurley stick. As he headed for the

wooden front door three more bangs on the door, loud and demanding. “Hold on I’m

coming!”

He could hear the rain on the door, turned the large key and dragged it open.

His mouth fell open as he looked at a very wet and slick with rain, Molly McGinlay, nude

and looking at him from underneath wet hair.

For a moment he was lost for words, licked his lips, took his eyes of her breasts and looked

at his watch then back at him. She was smiling at him.

“Are you not going to ask me in Father or do I just stand here in the wet while you ogle at

my tits and furry bits?”

“Oh my God. What happened, it’s late Molly!”

She shrugged, “Don’t feel well Father. I was attacked, don’t know who by and ran from my
car to here.!”

He looked at her muddy feet and legs them at her. “Do youwant me to ring the police, a

friend whatever?”

Molly shook her head. “Not yet. Later. I need something to put around me father.”

“Oh, right, come in.”

As she passed by him his nose picked up a smell of wet and warm dog or that is what it

reminded him off. He turned and locked the door and as he did, he could feel her breath on

the back of his neck. Oh sweet Jesus help me, he thought.

Her voice was husky, dry and he knew now, that he should not have asked her in.

“Are you frightened Father?”

He stuttered, “No..Not frightened.”

“You should be”, then laughter. “You should be very frightened Father.”

He could not yet turn around. A cold fear entered his body and he knew at that moment he

was going die, but not how.

The pain shot through his whole body as she bit through the back of his neck and bone

snapping, and he went down with her, ‘It’ still biting and then after tasting his own blood,

He died without a muttered prayer.

 A BAD START TO A GOOD DAY.

Tam looked shattered, not having much sleep last night, and that was because Silis or now

Saul was rattling around in her head and with flashbacks and right now as she drank

black coffee, she knew he was in Donegal, the back of beyond in the sticks.

Some names were also there. Neil Bracken and some woman called Lara and it seemed to

Tam, if the ‘dreams’ were right that they were ok people but into something that was not

of this world.

“Penny for your thoughts Tam?”

She looked sideways at Marie in her tartan night clothes. “Not worth that Marie, old stuff

from the past and present, and a man called Saul. Not a wandering Jew exactly but a
wandering something that I don’t have the words to explane .”

“Dangerous?”

Tam shook her head. “Not to me, bad people if he wants them, he goes after them and they

die. But anyway, from what I know, they deserved to die. He was good to me, and my

friend Tammy when she was in hospital before she died. And no Marie, he is not my ‘Sugar

Daddy ‘ but yes, he left me this house and money and no sex involved.”

Marie chuckled, “Could be he was in love with you?”

“Nope. He loves no one but he cares about people, in a way, unless they have hurt children

and woman.”

“Like Mrs Steel down in the town who has never been found, just vanished?”

Tam stood up and faced Marie, her eyes blazing. “Your saying what. Go on, spit it out

friend!”

Marie put up a hand in protest. “Wow, hold on there wee girl, I am not saying anything

just that she is gone, your sleeping in the garden, feet muddy, hair a mess, and I have

covered you up three times since I got here. Zak also seen you in your room cross legged on

the floor, and out of it. He put it down to yoga but he did mentioned it. Then there was that

one adventure in a Nottingam Bone yard, and I seen the old geezer, black hat and long

coat when I was running so don’t tell me I should not be worried about you Tam because I

am!”

Tam sighed deeply. “You think I am nuts or something because I am not and this ship is

not going on the rocks on my watch, I kid you not.”

“You need help Tam, a break away, let everyone do their jobs and get the changes done

and that way, you won’t loose them for good. Trust me, I know what is going on Tam but

whatever it is it makes you strange. Everyone has noticed it and you are snapping at

everyone.”
You don’t know my friend what ‘snapping’ is my long term friend, and I hope you never

do, she thought as she pushed by Marie and muttered, “I’m going for a shower so will see

you later.”

The older woman sighed deeply and thought, we can’t go on like this and sniffed the air,

peppermint or mint and then frowned. “What the hell am I doing here?”

She looked around her, high fences beyound the woods, razor wire on top, cameras

evrywhere. A noise behind her and she turned seeing Babs and Debs walkng to a seat

holding hands and sitting down together, then holding hands and both with a thousand

yard stare into the wooded area.

She had been told when she got here that it would not be a good idea, not to mix with the

twins as they could kick off and become dangerous.That part she always remembered and

later, a week after in fact, she seen what they did to the pet rabbit in the hutch, each of

them taking two legs and tugging it apart then covered in blood head to toe as they ate it

raw.

Jesus on a crutch, she thought. “What the hell are you doing here. Its my space, not yours!”

Both heads turned at the same time and they smiled at her, bad and yellow teeth showing

and Marie stepped back, turned around and backed off. She almost ran into Zak and

scowled at him as he spoke softly. “You ok Marie?”

“Fuck off you pervert. I know what you are, what you want and you want to come across

as Mr Nice Man when when you want to get under my bra, you bastard. Just like Daddy

did. Daddy did, always, Daddy’s wish, his word, his crawling into my room, lying on the

bed calling me ‘princess’ and Mammy snoring her fucking head off. Oh yes, but I fixed

Daddy and Mammy real good, they could no longer hurt me now,not ever, never again.So

you stay away from me, shit head or I will fix you too!”
Zak stood to one side and let her past then looked out at the twins. Both their heads were

turned around, no smile, eyes wide and he shivered. They are much worse than he was.

Paul Brown was stripped to the waste and being washed and dried by two nurses as they

chatted to one another about boyfriends and dancing or who they fancied when it came to

doctors.

Brown brought their attention back to him. “Need a shit.”

Tam McCloud snorted, “When we have finished.”

“No, now or I will do it and rub your face in it and yours as well Tammy, nose in the air so

called Queen Nurse”

Tammy grunted, “Once we have finished washing you Mr Brown, not before.”

“I am not Mr Brown, I am Silis de Cote, from the Universe, up there stupid!”

“Well who every you want to be, that is ok with us. Right now we need to get you spruced

up for the suits coming around this morning and we want you to look yiur best.”

He looked sideways at Tam. “If you took the handcuffs of the bed- bar I could do down

below ?”

She shook her head. “Sorry. No can do. Besides, we are used to it, seen it all before.”

“I hate you!”

“I know but we all like you, except the ‘suits’ who don’t really know you.”

He nodded. “So what is their problem with me?”

Tammy answerd. “You are.”

He closed his eyes and let them finished washing him, thinking, ‘you have forgotten how I

helped you, how you died and I brought you back you ungtateful bitch and you Tam have

betrayed me. That I won’t forget. Ever’

He stopped talking, closed his eyes, and switched off except for thinking about all the

people who had hurt him and he did get revenge for that, well most of them died but boy ,

there is a lot to go because I am Silis, and I will get them. All of them. Regrets, feeling

guilty, remorse. No. Never.

The voice he hated crept into his mind, ‘Then you won’t ever leave this place unless it is is in

a box and you are forgetting a great number of things that they can do to you behind closed

doors. You have so many tablets inside of you, none of which seem to work they say ,but they

cannot kill you but if they have to, they will kill your brain in part and the sides effects of the

medicine with bugger up your organs in time, your liver, your eye sight, your hearing,

kidneys,your own self worth. No matter what happens if they move you back to a prison and

the inmates, you will be a dead man walking because no one likes you, no one cares anymore

of how you die, just as long as you do. If you decide to top yourself just to get it over with, you

do not have the balls or the will as you are a coward, and though you won’t admit it, frightend

of death because the dead will be waiting for you.”

Paul Brown’s eyes shot opened. “Never!”

Both nurses jumped back in fear and Tam pressed the red alarm button, and waited,

watching Brown struggled with the handcuff even trying to bite through it, his teeth

snapping st the chain. He stopped, foam and spittle around his mouth when the three male

nurses burst into the room, his eyes, bright amber and a look of hate on his face.

Then he started to laugh and screamed at them. “Who’s first boys?”, snapping his teeth.
 CLINICAL SIX MONTH UPDATE.

THE BOARD COMMITTEE OF MENTAL HEALTH.

BROCKENHURST HOSPITAL.

AUGUST 2018

Professer Julia pushed up her glasses, sipped from a glass of water and continued, “And

last but not least, Paul Brown who I should point out, has been here for nine years, ordered

by the High Court to be detained here instead of prison. You have in front of you all his

data, all his interviews but we still do not know what year he was born or his real age.”

Someone give a low grown. “We all have listened to all his clinical audio tapes, his video

tapes over the years and now we have to at sometime, read it all now over the summer

term.”

Hoffman glared at Dawn Coburn. “Sorry to trouble you Dawn and as you and I have had

most of the contact with the patient and know most about him, maybe we should just stop

now and sign him off and back into the community. He would like that!”

Coburn flushed. “Everyone here knows that in his present mental state, it would be more

that dangerous for the public and us here of course because when he changes his thinking,

he also changes his profile, another name, hates us like I hate garlic and is so mixed up that

he either thinks of us as a friend, rare, and if he is having bad days, he would kill anyone in

this hospital and has. I just said that...”

“That after the car park nude farse and he stood in front of you many years back, flashing

his hardware in the rain at you, made you, in his head, his best friend.”

Dawn Coburn felt that she has just been kicked between the legs and hard. The flashback
came in fast, the police with. Amid Hussian as much use as a spare bridegroom at the

wedding and in shock at seeing the victim, Toby Bell, a hospital porter, lying half in and

half out of the bushs, his skull smashed with a chunk hammer as well as his arms and face.

Dawn talked him down softly while Hussian called for back up.

Linda Coll broke the silence. “I do think maybe we should take a coffee brake for ten.”

Professor Hoffman, stabbed her finger hard on Brown’s large file then nodded, “Ten

minutes, no more than that!”

Outside Coburn handed Marie Quinn a ciggrette and they stood smoking. Quinn blew

smoke in the air. “I came here from Ireland, left the police, got a degree in Psychology and

became a Profiler.So what do I make of this Brown? The answer is this Dawn, if the Death

by hanging was still in force, I would use it, today, right now. He is a lost cause, evil beyond

reason and he has each and eveyone of us as part of his madness. You only have to read the

data on him, look at his brain scans, all his medical do-da!”

Dawn give a crooked smile. “I have, many times as has many people, a few said and

wondered why he could not be helped along his path to Hell and fast.”

Marie grunted, “Do you?”

“Yes.”

Marie Quinn stepped on her butt, picked it up, looked at it then at Dawn. “Just like that.”

There was a bad feeling around when they returned to the room and looked at the stony

face of Julia Hoffman at the end of the table and everyone there knew the matter could not

be resolved anytime soon.

They all changed what plans they had made if they got away early.
Hoffman coughed lightly and the whispering stopped and all heads turned in her direction.

They could see her tight lips and bright eyes, the pink flush under her chin.

“Shall we continue with Mr Brown and put him to bed. But we need to reflect what we do

know about him and most of all, what we don’t. I have the Department of Justice on my

case, the Home Office want answers, , the Police Commissioner is sweating blood because

he has sent me so many emails that I could paper a room with and of course a Demo

pending by a Mental Health Charity for this coming Friday at noon outside our hospital

gates, no doubt with much focus on Paul Brown’s human rights in here.”

“Then that is a job for PR to sort out and fast. Not us, a suit is needed and none of us and

our job is patient care!”, snapped back Dawn then added, “Unless you would like to handle

the ‘hacks, and TV reporting Julia?”

“ Ok I get the point so I’ll get in touch with the PR mob. In the meantime, lets sort Brown

out and with enough heads from all departments. Harry here will outline what was found

on Mr Browns brain scans and present it to us in a simple way.”

Harry Caulfield coughed, turned a page and then grunted, “He has used the right and left

side of his brain, there was no sign of disease of any sort, and he has a very high IQ when

asked many questions and his dates and places and things going back as far as 10,000 BC

he never once got one answer wrong but insisted many times that the Time Lines in many

history dates were wrong. He stated that Christmas was on the wrong date, there was no

stable and the only wise man present was his father. When asked about his missing teenage

years, he was blunt and to the point, ‘I went to India to learn more about the people and

cults, I then went to Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, then into Russia, and across Europe.’ When

asked about his date of birth, he did not know and asked about his education all he said,

‘ the university of life and death’. I should add here that he seems better educated than

anyone in this room.”

A young Dr Owen put up his hand and Harry nodded at him. “Does that mean that he is
sane now and not dangerous?”

Harry smiled at the young man. “If I put you in the room on your own with him behind a

locked door what would you think doctor. Trust him or not. Alone?”

Dr Owen swallowed twice. “No. Stupid question. Sorry.”

Harry Caulfield looked at the others hands in the air. “Dangerous? Yes, very. Mad or

insane? No. Could he kill again? Yes without doubt. My case rests.”

Julia Hoffman rose from here chair and said in an icy voice, “Tomorrow morning here at

nine am I want you all back, with an answer. Good evening.”

They are out to get me, thought Brown as he looked at the sunshine through the barred

window, another dawn like many before. He glanced up at the red blinking camera and

smiled then give the ‘finger’ to it. His eyes, amber in colour drifted towards the hook up of

water, going through the tube and into his arm. They said he was down to seven stone now

because he would not eat, his output of fluids was below par, and pains in my lower back,

he thought. One hand in cuffs to my bed rail, the wrist rapped in tape in case I chaff my

wrist. That’s rich, health and safety at its worst, protect the body. Forget the mind but I get

the last say in life and my death. He smiled at that thought, put his free hand under a

pillow and took out a wrapped tissue, pretened to blow his nose and swallowd all the white

pills he had saved over a week. He wiped his nose, lifted the glass, made a salute to the

camera and drank deeply. Then he lay back in the bed, closed his eyes and waited.

It was Tam who found him, eyes closed, mouth open and all the wrinkles on his face

smoothed out now when she came to do his Stats and put up a new fluid bag. She did not

panic, or hit the alarm, but felt for a pulse in his neck, wrist, and lower foot.

She counted to ten then said, “I hope you get where your going before the devil knows your

dead”, then hit the red button and went through the motions of CPR till the crash team

arrived. Tam stood back and thought, O dear, heads will roll, jobs on the line and she
smiled with her bright amber eyes and wrote up with times and date on Mr Browns Bed

chart.

THE END.