Page 12 (1/2)

PART THREE - THE LABORATORY

Chapter 12 DISCIPLES

We get back in the car and tear out of Slawter as fast as Juni dares drive, Dervish busy on his mobile He makes a series of calls and speaks with six or seven different people Juni and I listen silently, not understanding everything that he says

When Dervish finally lays the phone down, he shuts his eyes and ives him a few seconds, then says quietly, "I assuo after Bill-E?"

"Yes," Dervish says

"And those we left behind? I don’t want to be insensitive, but we’re talking about the lives of hundreds of people Is Bill-E that important?"

"He is tothe others I’ve convinced two of et Billy back And I’ll find another couple to send to the film set"

"Only two?" Juni frowns "Shouldn’t we alert the authorities? Send in more than just a pair of your friends?"

"My friends have devoted their lives to dealing with the Deical abilities, accusto messes like this They’ll knohat to do"

"But surely, the more back-up we provide"

Dervish looks at Juni with a wry smile "OK Call the police Tell them demons are on the loose Draw little pictures of Lord Loss and-"

"Don’t," Juni snaps "I won’t stand for sarcasm, not in my own car"

"Sorry," Dervish says "But you have to understand, we’re on our own, just us and the Disciples That’s the way it’s always been Even if you convinced the police to send in troops, they wouldn’t achieve anything Deical means Human weapons don’t affect thee If the Disciples can’t stop the massacre, nobody can"

"But-"

"Nohis seat back

"You’re going to sleep?" Juni snorts with disbelief

"I’ to try," Dervish says "Unless you want me to drive?"

"No"

"Then wake me e hit the airport"

And with that Dervish shuts his eyes and dozes

Juni looks at"At least he’s not acting like a brainwashed sier," I say with a smile

"I think I preferred him when he was!" Juni huffs

We have to wait four hours for a flight, then three hours in the next airport Dervish o to Slawter, while Juni and I use the restrooms

I spend severalwater overdry, I study ht, but I don’t knohat I look much the same as always, skin a touch paler than normal, eyes a bit wider

Yet I can’t shake the feeling that soinger er on the problerab a bite to eat

"You shouldn’t worry," Juni says as I nibble with disinterest at a BLT "We’ll get your brother back"

"Thanks" I start to slance around nervously-are we being followed? But nobody’s watching us I’ threats that aren’t really there

A long second flight Seven hours in the air Dervish fills Juni in on what’s happening Tells her about the Lambs, the visit from Prae Athim, her interest in Bill-E Explains about the Disciples, their efforts to stop the De at will

Dervish says he knohere the Lambs’ main laboratory is situated It’s part of a vast security coerous He won’t blaet involved Juni waves that away, but she’s not entirely happy with the plan

"You can’t know for certain that they’ll take Bill-E to this laboratory," she says "What if they place him somewhere less obvious?"

"Then we’ll find out," Dervish says flatly "But this is as good a starting point as any"

I can’t shake the edgy feeling I’ve had since the restroo How did the La, that they could hit us outside town? And why should Prae Athim kidnap Bill-E in such a dramatic fashion? She must have known Dervish would come after her She was scared of the Disciples the last tiainst her now?

I discuss my fears with Dervish but he dismisses them "Prae Athim always had a chip on her shoulder about the Disciples The La second fiddle to anyone Maybe she sees this as their chance to test us Or perhaps she figured ouldn’t suspect the Lambs, that we’d blame Billy’s disappearance on the Deuessed the Lambs were involved We were ready to face down the demons Maybe she hoped they’d kill us"

I remain unconvinced That doesn’t explain how Prae Athied her moment so finely Or why her people would leave us for the de us themselves while ere helpless This is more involved than it seeue with the Deive the Lae for a little help getting rid of theGrubbs and Dervish Grady

But that’s crazy We were knocked out At theirwith the demons, they’d have si after the, but I can’t pin it down and it’s driving me mad

The plane touches down The two Disciples meet us in the arrivals hall of the airport A man and worey hair, dressed in arues There are letters tattooed on his knuckles-SHARK-and a small picture of a shark’s head on the flesh between his thuers No surprise when he tells us his name is Shark

The woman is Indian, dressed in a colourful sari Old A kindly face She walks sloith a pronounced lis Dervish hard, kisses his forehead, then introduces herself to us as Shar my brains that Dervish and I watched a docuo

"I never did like Prae Athi her down to size"

"But ill have to be careful," Sharht not be able to repel us with ic, but they are well versed in other forainst us three?" Shark snorts "They don’t stand a chance! It’s just a pity Kernel and Beranabus aren’t here-it’d be a proper reunion"

Dervish, Sharmila and Shark smile at each other, while Juni and I share an uncertain look Then the Disciples quickly discuss their plans and how to proceed Before setting off, Dervish again gives Juni the option of pulling out

"To be honest," Juni says, "I’m not comfortable I’d rather we focused on the problems in Slawter But if this is where you think the battle is, I’ words," Shark grins "You’re al!" He looks around the airport, sniffs, then nods towards the exit "Let’s go round up some Lambs"

A four-hour drive Dervish, Shark and Sharather, the three only fought together once before, o, but kept in touch and are close friends As we progress, talk turns to the present and tactics Shark has seen the plans of the building and knows the layout of the laboratory, its weak points, where the greatest obstacles will be

I fall asleep as Shark and Shar up with me I don’t dream

When I wake, we’re in the middle of nowhere Dry, arid land stretches out in all directions A huge ed by a security fence, dotted with ar aI think I’ve seen it before, but I can’t have I’ve never been here

The feeling that sonore it and focus on the conversation

"-electrified, but that won’t bother us," Shark is saying "Once inside the periuised door that opens on to a corridor that cuts past a lot of the building- an euards?" Juni asks

"We’ll fight theht a feeapons along-fight fire with fire-but Dervish vetoed the idea"

"I don’t want to harm anyone," Dervish says quietly "Most of the staff here are just ordinary people doing their job They won’t know about the kidnapping or that we only want to rescue Billy We mustn’t kill them A person shouldn’t be killed just because they’re ignorant of the truth"

"You’re too soft," Shark grunts, then throws his door open and sht fist hard into his left palm "Let’s do it!"

We stand outside the electrified fence, in plain sight, watching asus critically