Doctor Who_ Warlock - Andrew Cartmel [44]
‘What did?’
‘The animals. The stuff they do to them.’
‘See, Shell? He’s on our side.’
‘Why did he take Sheba? And the cat?’
‘We worked it all out. I phoned him from the pub when we got there. He had to take the cat so Ace would come here with us. He took Sheba as well because it would have looked suspicious otherwise.’
‘Looked suspicious? It is bloody suspicious! Why didn’t you just tell us what was going on?’ Ace was shaking with after effects of the struggle, adrenalin still blazing in her system. She’d pumped herself up ready for a gunfight.
‘I wanted you to come with us. The only way we could make sure of that was by taking Chick.’ Jack kneeled by the smaller cage and inserted a finger between the bars, waggling it at the cat. Chick approached and sniffed it disdainfully. ‘See? He’s fine.’
The blond man knelt down beside Jack and unlocked Chick’s cage. He swung the door open and the small ginger cat uncurled and eased himself out, pausing for a moment to look at Ace before darting across the concrete floor. He began to prowl the corners of the barn on a feline reconnaissance mission.
Sean smiled. ‘You can take him back to your car now if you like. But I suggest we leave him shut up here. He’ll be safe while I show you around.’ He smiled at Ace. ‘Hang on to your gun if you like.’
‘I just don’t like surprises,’ said Ace, slipping the fire control on the pistol back to the safety position. She tucked it back in the waist of her jeans. But she made sure it was still in easy reach.
Shell was scowling like a spoiled child. ‘I don’t like surprises either.’
Jack settled a tentative hand over her shoulder, as though she might be too hot to touch. ‘I know, love. But think how much more damage we can do with this guy on our side.’
‘If it’s damage you’re after, I’m your man.’ Sean had scooped Chick up off the floor. He opened the cage again, holding the small cat in a relaxed embrace. Ace found herself thinking that he’d look quite good holding a baby. ‘We’ll show these bastards.’ Sean urged the little ginger cat back into the cage and locked it. ‘Free every animal in the place and tear it apart.’ There was silence in the concrete building for a moment. ‘The place, I mean,’ he said quickly. ‘Tear the place apart.’
‘Right on,’ said Jack. ‘Power to the people. I mean, to the animals.’ He grinned at Shell who was trying hard to remain scowling. But Ace saw her beginning to flash a smile. The girl had a nice smile.
The blond straightened up and went back to the door of the barn. ‘Now everybody be dead quiet,’ he said. ‘I’m going to open up.’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Ace. ‘Shouldn’t you turn off the –’
But Sean had already slammed the doors open with a single heave. The brilliant lights of the barn shone out of the doorway, gleaming on the surface of the pond and on the muzzles of the guns that were pointed in at them. Three guns. They were being aimed by two women and a man. Ace recognized the couple who had been playing backgammon on the sofa. There was another woman with them, presumably the one she’d seen brushing her teeth. The guns were snub‐nosed automatic weapons with a two‐handed grip. They looked like Heckler & Koches.
Ace’s hand was halfway to her own gun when she heard Sean say, ‘The black‐haired girl’s armed. Shoot her if necessary.’
* * *
Chapter 10
Artie kept glancing back over his shoulder and asking her if she was okay.
Benny kept nodding yes, but the truth was she felt cold and light‐headed with exhaustion after the bust. She didn’t know if it was the sustained tension or the after‐effect of the white pill. Warlock.
She felt as if she was coming down with the flu. The lights streaming past the smoked bulletproof windows revealed city streets that looked distant and unreal. A stage set, constructed just for her eyes, which was populated by uneasy‐looking actors and which was being dismantled, section by section, as soon as she passed through it.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Artie, looking