Box Set - Chapter Twenty-Four

The room before us transcends enormity. It’s clear that the old stone castle has been hollowed out and re-integrated with metal balconies, floors and banks upon banks of computers and equipment with spirits bustling away at it.

In the centre of the room sits a cube with the moleskin man sat in its centre.

‘Don’t you know that when you shut the bad guy in the glass cage, it inevitably ends in escape?’ I observe.

‘And/or becomes part of said bad guy’s plan?’ Elle adds.

I turn to her showing pride for her inner geek. ‘I’ve taught you well.’

Windermere ignores us. The room is warm despite the fact that the windows are all glassless and the roof has endless holes in it.

‘How do you stop all your things from getting wet?’ Yates asks, looking towards the dizzying heights above us.

‘We have many tricks thanks to Thacker’s research,’ Windermere says. ‘The equipment you see before you is kept on our plain, it would be invisible to anyone who entered this castle.’

‘What is this place?’ I ask.

‘It was abandoned a long time ago. Legend says it is heavily haunted meaning people stay away from it.’ A ghost of a smile passes over her face.

I close my eyes and view the room. I wonder are they aware of our gift. The people of the Council have proved to be confusing. They lock us away and seem more annoyed that we set Thacker free than the fact that we escaped ourselves. They don’t seem to know about our ability to talk to each other through the Edge, and the fact that the power remains ours shows that they’re either oblivious to it, or are unable to block it.

Do you think they’re divided in opinion? Elle thinks. I look at her. We’re clearly following the same train of thought.

I look around the room. People stand talking together but their feelings are clear for us to see. Deception and distate flickers across conversation as clear as if they were voicing their thoughts.

Windermere did say their opinion was divided about what to do with us.I reply.

I don’t like them, Easton. Elle says. I just get a bad feeling. Their only problem with Thacker is the fact that he became a she, or part she. Why is it always people like this who get power?

Because they’re the ones who are willing to take it.

The voice is familiar, and not one I wanted to hear again. I look at him in the glass cage. He sits cross legged with his eyes closed. He doesn’t regard us, or make any indication that he knows we’ve arrived, but Teague knows we’re here.

Don’t be surprised, you look surprised. I don’t want you to give the game away.

How are you doing this? I think back.

It’s not a secret. I’ve learned a lot since we last met. The people here are fools and you’re going to help me take them down.

You’ve got another thing coming. Elle says.

I close my eyes for a second. Teague lights up like a firework.

How did you become a spirit again? Don’t tell me someone’s paying the price for this.

I’m shocked as I realise we’re in trouble. I can’t help it, but I turn around and look at Yates.

‘Oh god,’ Elle says.

You’re right, he won’t have long. Teague says. He sounds happy.

‘Windermere,’ I say. The woman had been looking at a computer with a tall man with glasses. She turns her attention to us again. ‘We need to find Graham, my friend.’

‘We know all about Yates’s condition,’ Windermere says. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t realise it already.’

I realise my mistake and my heart sinks. I’d been so worried about my own problems that I’d forgotten that Yates was in danger. How much longer did he have? I don’t know how long we were in the cells.

‘He’s coming to help, Easton,’Yates says. ‘Don’t worry.’

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ Elle pushes forward. ‘You have all of Teague’s equipment. You’re like masters of the spirit world, right? So end the connection between them, unless you want his blood on your hands.’

‘I don’t know how many more times I have to say it.’ Windermere crosses her arms. ‘Spirits are not bound by the limitations of life. We cannot die. We live on.’

‘But other things can happen,’Elle says. ‘Worse things. And you know that.’

Windermere’s eyes flicker.

‘So end it.’

‘I feel this would be a good place to make a deal.’

The voice is deeper and commanded respect. The low hum of chatter around us died a little and we turn to regard it. The woman is squat but strong looking, with close cropped dark hair and pale hazel eyes. Her suit is crisp and she walks lightly like a woman free of troubles. I think she would have been rich in life.

And here’s the boss of the operation.Teague adds. Be careful, she has a forked tongue.

‘Just let out of your cell and now you’re making demands,’ the woman says.

‘If you didn’t want us to be out, you should build better cells,’ Elle says. ‘Maybe invest in some windows.’

‘I’d ask you to keep quiet if you know what’s good for you,’ the woman snaps.

‘Don’t talk to Elle like that,’Yates demands.

‘I’d also asks that criminals like yourselves watch your manners. You’re lucky to be out anyway.’

Windermere has shrunk to stand behind her. She looks small despite standing so tall.

‘My name is Agatha,’ the woman stares me in the eyes. They pierce me; threaten to read my every secret. ‘Why are you not talking with Teague yet?’ she continues.

Because he won’t reply.

Be quiet, you. I think.

‘I still don’t know why you think he’ll listen to us,’ I reply. ‘He double crossed us , I know you know that. You know everything else.’

‘Well then we’ll connect you together and take you to the other side of the world until he cooperates.’

It’ll never come to that.

‘And what do you want from him?’

‘We want to know what he and his friend were planning to do when we caught them both.’

‘And where did you catch them?’

‘I’m not at liberty to disclose that.’

We were sightseeing. Completely innocently. The girl and her ghost. Sound familiar?

I don’t trust either of them for a second. A lot of things are clear. One, that Graham either won’t or can’t come to find us. Two, that we won’t get out of this building without cooperating, and three, Yates would fall to his atoms if we didn’t wasted too much more time.

‘Let’s go and see him,’ I say. ‘And I’ll show you how little help we are.’

Agatha waves her hand towards the cage. It strikes me how absurd this all is. ‘If we get him to cooperate, then you release Yates and let us go.’

‘Release the boy from his captivity I can agree to,’ Agatha says. ‘Your situation after will be put to the council.’

First chance we get, Elle thinks. Run, opposite sides of the earth.

And where will we all be meeting? Teague chips in.

‘Hello Teague,’ I say, presuming he can hear me through the glass.

The man doesn’t open his eyes, but rather sits absolutely still and speaks. ‘I wondered when you were going to come.’ Terrific actor aren’t I.

‘Why did you wonder that?’

‘Because these fools believe they can control me.’ This will all happen very quickly. You have one chance to do the right thing.

I look at him. And then at Elle. I don’t know what to do about Yates. We haven’t had a moment to introduce him to our new ability. If something happens he has to come with us.

‘I’m watching you, Easton.’Agatha stands beside me with her eyes narrowed. She smells a rat.

‘Hello, Agatha, how are we today? You bigoted old witch.’ Teague’s words are scathing, but he doesn’t give her the time of day. Five.

‘You’ll watch your mouth,’ Agatha spits. ‘After everything you’ve done you haven’t earned the right to insult me.’ Four.

What’s he going to do? Elle says. Yates, can you hear me?

I bless Elle’s thinking. She’s always on top of things so much quicker than I am.

How are you doing that? Yates thinks. A knot releases in my stomach, whatever happens, we’ll be together.

Three.

Elle explains our new ability quickly. Agatha has abandoned hope of talking to us. She stands with her hand against the glass, almost willing Teague to challenge her.

Two.

‘You killed all those people with your last experiment. Two men, three woman and a child. Do you really expect me to treat you with anything other than contempt?’

Lies. Teague thinks. And one.

The room erupts around us. Light fixtures go dark, some overload and explode in showers of sparks. The population of spirits in the room joins in a unanimous scream as we’re plunged into the gloom.

‘Secure the prisoner!’ Agatha yells.

‘I think we’ll be making our escape.’

Teague stands beside me and grips my arm. I can only hope he’s gripped Elle’s too.

We’re jerked forward and enter the Edge without another moment’s warning, leaving the chaos in the room behind us.

We exit the Edge and I instantly lose my footing. The ground beneath me is constituted of small stones and scree. I fall to my knees and tumble downwards.

‘Easton!’someone calls. I think Elle.

I reach the bottom and dig my hands into the stones to steady myself. My heart beats quickly in my chest.

The memory of a heart, I remind myself.

A rushing fills my ears. A repeated crescendo of rise and crash, rolling and tumbling. I’m by the sea. I have a flash of running on Weymouth beach. Mum chases me with a towel. I giggle uncontrollably. It’s not a memory I’ve had before. I’m far too young yet the memory is fresh. This isn’t Weymouth. The sea spray is cold and harsh and stings my cheeks as I raise myself onto my elbows.

'Are you alright, Easton?' Elle skids to a stop at my side after sliding down the slope herself.

I can hear Yates shouting at Teague from the top of the slope by the waves drown him out.

'I'm fine,' I insist as I drag myself to my feet.

'What the hell was that?' Elle shouts back up the slope. 'No warning, no asking if we want to come with you.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' says Teague. 'I'll leave you to rot in the next castle.'

'That's completely beside the point,' Yates says. 'We go no further until someone tells us what's going on.'

I swell with pride for my friends. My friends who, a lot of the time are stronger than me and push me to be better myself.

'It's fairly simple,' Teague chides. 'Did you really think the entire earth would adopt your freeloving, freeroaming lifestyle after death? Human beings band together. It's a simple fact of life. We're like rats on a sinking ship.'

'Always the optimist,' I say, crossing my arms. 'Are there other groups?'

'Oh thousands,' he replies. 'The Council are among the noisiest. A lot of people fear disorder. They believe it is the first recipe in brewing chaos.'

'But we're ghost's, what can we do?'

'Easton, you're looking at exhibit A,' Elle says. 'Where he's concerned, I can see the Council's point.'

'But that's where you're wrong.' Teague slides down the slope. The ground is damp here. The waves growing ever closer to our ankles. 'I may have been overzealous in my early efforts, but my viewpoint is valid. After death, we don't stop existing. We go on living, there is no difference between the two.'

'Then why did you want to return to life so much?' I ask. 'In Rome you were desperate to.'

'Position,' he says. 'Power and fear. Even I'll admit that. I feared the crossing but now I embrace it, all thanks to Robin.'

'Oh yeah,' Yates says. 'Would you care to explain that one? I have zero problem with any man who sees fit to become a woman, but I was under the impression that required a great deal of surgery.'

'The dead have privilege,' Teague says. 'We have to discuss this elsewhere. I only took us here to throw them off our trail. We can meet up with Robin and discuss our position in comfort.'

'I still don't know why we should trust you?' I ask.

'Because we've escaped the hand of the Council and they'll most certainly be coming after us.'

'So you've put us into a nice little catch 22,' Yates says. 'We can't leave you because we have no way of clearing our names. So we have to stay and do whatever you want.'

'See, this is why I always liked you, Yates,' Teague says. 'A man with perspective.'

'My perspective is that you're a murderer who should be brought to justice. Just because some other people might be worse than you doesn't make you any less bad.'

'I'm with Yates,' Elle says.

'Me too,' I concur.

'You'll change your minds when you meet with Robin,' Teague says.

He holds his hands out. He certainly seems to have changed since we last met. His devious streak has increased tenfold but there does seem to be an ounce of righteousness to balance it out. But Yates is right, it doesn't change the man he was before. In my head, if you can live you can die and if you can die then murder is still murder.

But Yates is right. We have no choice but to go along with him.

I place my hand on his coarse palm and the other two follow me. Elle is the last to join.