The Red Slayer
16 - Let Slip the Dogs of War

I hope I live up to my words, but I’d rather go down fighting than sit in the dark and wait for our fate to be decided. Always resist the oppressors. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum and all that jazz.

The two most obvious solutions (slip through the bars or pick the lock) aren’t as practical as they sound. I could be skinner than a stick insect with anorexia and I wouldn’t be fast enough to slip through before the guard came back. And, even if I knew how to pick locks, there’s nothing to pick it with, not even a hair grip,

No, the solution lies above us. The bars of the cage wall don’t go all the way to the arched brick ceiling. There’s the smallest of gaps for a thin girl of five-foot-one to climb through.

I turn to the boys. ‘Give me a boost.’

They follow without question, crouching and locking their fingers together for me. I hold onto the bars as they lift me up. I grab the top and they push me up until I have one leg over. My back and head brush the ceiling. The rail sticks into my chest.

But I manage it, landing silently on the other side. My feet touch the floor with no more than a tap. I stare at the boys who stare back, equally impressed.

I smile. ‘Phase One complete.’

‘And Phase Two?’ asks Luke.

‘Subdue the guard.’

I go to the metal table for anything I can use as a weapon. There’s a lighter next to the ashtray. But there’s nothing I can use as a stake. The benches in the cage are carved from solid wood, hardly something you can smash apart in a hurry. They’ve taken many a precaution in case of a mass breakout.

Footsteps echo in the corridor. The boys and some prisoners gasp but I put my finger to my lips to silence them. I crouch beside the door, making sure the shadows hide me when it opens and the orange light pours into the room. The guard waddles down the steps with an ice pack over his nose. With his back to me, I spot a taser hanging from his belt.

This is my moment. My adrenaline surges, giving me the courage to spring into the air. I swing the ashtray. It shatters on the back of his bald head before he can turn and close the door. Shards and ashes scatter across him while my hand goes for the taser.

He turns dizzily, unable to shield his lower regions from my very pointy school shoes. He winces. Grabbing his ghoulies as he goes down, exposing his flabby neck to the business end of the taser.

Electrocuting someone isn’t as cartoony as I imagined. Instead of making funny noises as his outline goes all zigzag, flails on the floor, weighted down by his own obesity, foaming at the mouth. But I don’t let up. I can’t kill him. Perhaps I can knock him out.

‘Iorwen! Move out of the way!’

Luke, holding a bucket of water, tosses a metal ladle to me as I step back. He heaves the water as well as he can through the bars so it sloshes over the guard. ‘Tase him again. Use the ladle as a conductor.’

I don’t question it. I rest the scoop of the ladle on his neck, touch the barbs of the taser to the end of the handle and pull the trigger.

The guard goes up like a Baked Alaska. I jump back and flatten myself against the wall as the flames spread down his body to the very tips of his fingers. He murmurs in pain rather than screams, too gaga from the numerous shocks. The women crowd the bars on either side of Luke and Dante to see their captor crumble into ashes. He doesn’t age into a corpse the way Karen did. He merely disintegrates and flakes away. The flames die the second he’s gone, as if someone blew them out.

In the silence, I examine the remains. His grey, polyester overalls burned with him, leaving his steel-toed boots and a ring of keys which lie untouched.

‘That was badass!’ says Dante, breaking the quiet awe.

I use my sleeve to pick the keys up. ‘We’re not out of the woods yet.’

The door swings open once I unlock it. Luke goes to stand over the remains.

‘How did you know the water and the ladle would work?’ I ask.

‘I didn’t,’ he says. ‘I just thought “water, metal, electricity bad” and went for it. I guess vampires are more flammable than humans.’

I gasp and whoop at the same time, making Luke and Dante jump. ‘That’s it! Luke, you beauty!’ So elated am I that jump up and kiss him on the forehead. If we weren’t so platonic, I’d have gone for the lips.

He pulls himself away, flabbergasted. ‘What the hell has gotten into you?’

‘Vampires are flammable.’

This is an intoxicating discovery. I pull the door open again. The corridor is clear. We’ll try to get out unseen. There must be another way out than the one we came through. Luke and Dante stand behind me, eager to follow. I turn back, only to notice that the imprisoned women haven’t moved. My eagerness to run stalls. I can’t leave them here.

I motion for them to follow. ‘Please,’ I say. ‘I know you can’t understand me, but I’m trying to save your lives. Don’t you want to escape?’

There must have been something in my tone that stirs them. The girl who caught me earlier comes forward to the entrance and smiles. Her face shines with hope. One by one, the others come forward, pulling those still sitting up by the hand.

I lead the way down the orange-tinted corridor with a confident stride, taser at the ready. I’m I acting brave or is this real courage? I’m not sure. But I must seem brave to everyone if they’re going to trust me. Either way, my heart is thumping so hard, I’m certain my blood pressure must be through the roof.

The burning flesh smell returns to assault our senses. At least I know we’re going the right way, and I’m reminded of that Harrison bloke’s existence.

‘Should we shock him with the taser?’ asks Dante.

I shake my head. ‘We need information first.’

I look around the next corner. The incinerator room door is open again. How else is Harrison meant to deal with the smell?

‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ says Luke as I wind my school tie around my knuckles.

I pull the door shut with a slam and back myself up against the opposite wall. Harrison begins to pull it open. I charge at it, throwing all my weight against it and the door, getting Harrison on the forehead.

He stumbles backward against the incinerator. I enter and close the door behind me. A concussed vampire is as slow as a human it seems. He throws a punch, I dodge. He tries to grab me, I duck and bury my fist in his diaphragm. Knock the air out and daze him even more.

I step to the right and bump into a stainless-steel gurney. Harrison lunges, fangs fully extended. The bright flames illuminate the blade of a giant carving knife hanging from his belt. These guys love showing off their weapons.

I duck and roll at the last minute, grabbing the handle of the knife as I go. He collides with the gurney and as he doubles forward, I see the slightest bit of bare skin between the top of his boots and the cuffs of his overalls.

I swing the knife, but look away while the blade slices through his Achilles tendon. I open them again when I hear his body hit the floor.

‘Oh my God,’ says Dante from the doorway.

I wasn’t expecting him to come in but I could use a second pair of hands. ’Quick.

Pin his arms behind his back. Beware the fangs.’

He does so. Harrison grumbles and looks up at me. ‘Wha’ ah ooh gah do chu me?’ he says, barely coherent through his extended teeth.

‘I won’t do anything if you talk,’ I say.

He draws his fangs back into his gums. ‘About what?’

‘The exit. How does one get out of here without being seen?’

He sighs, ‘Why would I tell you that?’

I scowl. ‘Dante, help me get him on the gurney.’

He holds Harrison’s wrists and a handful of his overalls while I take the legs. Once he’s lying face down on it, I position his face directly opposite the orange flames still burning strong.

‘I’ll make sure you go the way of every victim you and your mates dragged down here.’

Harrison’s red eyes dilate with fear. His jaw is set, his hands tremble under Dante’s grip. ‘You’re bluffing.’

I grab his jaw, turning those fearful red eyes towards mine. My green irises bore into his. ‘Do I look like I’m bluffing?’

Harrison gulps. I feel his Adam’s apple bob under my hand. ‘There’s a loading bay,’ he says. ‘Go back where the spiral staircase is and take the corridor directly opposite. There’re some stairs that’ll take you there.’

I raise an eyebrow. ‘And that is the truth?’

He nods fervently. ’Yes. Yes!’

I smile. ‘Thank you. Dante, let go of him when I say.’

Dante nods and I draw the gurney back to the opposite wall. I set my eyes on the incinerator as I move to the foot of the gurney, steadily aiming. A deep breath in and…

′Now!’

Dante lets go. I kick off from the wall. The gurney shoots across the short distance and smashes against the incinerator with enough force to crumple the head. Harrison’s zooms into the flames as though he’s been fired out of a cannon. I shut the grate after him and ignore the screaming.

‘Right. Let’s go.’

Dante stares at me, jaw hanging open. ‘Bloody hell! You said you wouldn’t do anything if he told us the way out.’

I pull the door open and look back at him. ‘I lied. We can’t risk sparing them.’

***

What can a human being be capable of when they’re fighting to survive? The truth is you never really know until it happens to you. Before I drove that chopstick into Karen’s heart back in January, I never thought I could hurt someone with the intention to kill. I’ve lashed out at bullies, but only enough to get away from them.

But it’s all self-defence, I tell myself. There’s no use going Lady Macbeth over parasites and murderers. I bury my emotions deep, as well as my conscience. It won’t do me any good down here.

I lead us down the corridor, pausing at every corner, though we don’t run into another vampire. It’s not until we reach the final corner before the mossy central room that we hear footsteps descending the spiral staircase. I freeze. Everyone behind me stops, holding their breath.

‘Shall I fetch the girl, sir?’ says Navy.

‘Not yet,’ says Sir silkily. ‘First I need to call our contact. He’s promised progress with the method. We might be able to sell those boys off to him.’

The three of us share wary glances. I ease myself to the corner to peek out. Sir, Navy and a few others from the bar up top reach the ground and head towards another corridor.

‘Sir,’ says another vampire. ’Do you plan to give the girl back to her father at his first offer or make him pay more?

‘Of course I’m going to make him pay more. And he will. He went mad after he failed to protect his wife from our kind. I’ll insist he doesn’t repeat that mistake.’

His entourage laughs in his wake as they continue on. When I peek again, they’re gone. ‘What did they mean by “measures”?’

‘I don’t know,’ says Luke. ‘We’ve got to move.’

‘But my mother…’

‘Ask your dad later. Let’s just get out of here.’

I sigh, rushing us across the space to the opposite corridor, replaceing the stairs in less than a minute. They open out to a large grey loading bay at the top, complete with piled boxes and forklifts. A huge metal shutter stands between us and the outside world. Thankfully, it’s deserted. Vampires are either so confident their prisoners can’t escape or rely more on intimidation and brute strength for security.

‘Look, there’s a fire exit,’ says Luke, pointing to some double doors next to the shutter.

‘Wait!’ I say, pointing to the giant stickers saying it’s alarmed. ‘Can’t we disable it?’

Dante looks around the room, noticing a rack of tools, including a giant pair of wire cutters. ‘These’ll do.’ He reaches up and cuts the wire attaching the alarm to the door and promptly slams both of them. Sweet, sweet daylight pours through. He leads the way out with Luke and the women following. I stay long enough to make sure no one’s been left behind, making myself the last one out.

We run down a narrow alleyway, spying a backstreet dead ahead. Just as we spill out, someone carrying three backpacks jumps into our path. I jump into defensive mode and some of the women scream, but then I notice the long black braid.

‘Olga!’

‘You guys got out!’ she replies happily.

‘You should be careful,’ I say. ‘I nearly tased you in the chest.’

I pull her into a hug. The boys wrap their arms around us to share in the relief.

‘How did you replace us?’ asks Luke.

‘When you three went through that skylight, I called your dad, Iorwen. He said to go to a safehouse belonging to MI5 near here. I stayed here instead to see if I could help. What happened?’

‘There’re vampires in there,’ I say, pointing behind me. ‘They locked us up with these trafficked women.’

‘I thought they were mafia or something.’

‘I’m sure they’re connected.’

‘Iorwen led the escape,’ Luke tells her. ‘She was amazing.’

I stare back the way we came. Now we’re safe, the conversation between Sir and his droogs rings in my ears. I could ask Dad, but he might not be of sound mind once he replaces out I’ve crossed paths with more vampires and was taken prisoner.

I don’t realise Olga is speaking until she nudges my arm and hands me my backpack. Dante, reunited with his, checks his phone while Luke takes a long sip from his water bottle.

‘Thank you,’ I say. I kneel on the ground and search through it, fishing out a bobble to pull my hair into a messy bun. The next thing I take out is my emergency hairspray. No one likes losing volume in bad weather.

I leave the backpack on the ground, tuck the hairspray into my pocket and check if that lighter I picked up earlier is working.

‘What are you doing?’ asks Dante.

‘I need to ask that vampire what he meant about my mother. You heard what he said. I’ll go mad if I don’t replace out.’

‘No!’ Luke shouts. ‘They’ll kill you.’

‘They won’t. I’m worth a lot of money to them, remember? And MI5 will be here soon.’

He steps forward and grabs my arm. ‘Let me come with you at least.’

I hand him the taser. ‘If you want to help, replace that front entrance we came through and replace a way to block it.’ He takes it from me and nods as I look to Dante and Olga. ‘I won’t be long. I promise.’

‘Good luck,’ they say in unison before I turn and charge back into Hell, closing the fire exit behind me.

© Alice of Sherwood, January 2020