Chapter Nineteen

Deryck moved slowly round a corner. He was on his own. Stacey had finally passed out from anxiety. He’d known she would as soon as he’d gotten to the computer room. It was the look on her face. He’d only seen that look once before, and that affair hadn’t ended well for either of them. It had gone dark moments before, but his vision had adjusted easily and he could make out vague shapes in front of him. But he wasn’t looking down, so it was shock when he tripped over someone. He stared at the face. Raymond. He was out cold. Who was Raymond with…? Matt! Deryck feel something on Raymond’s leg, and as he lifted up his hands he could see a dark liquid on his fingers. Why weren’t there any windows in these corridors?! Damn it! Bullet. Raymond out. Matt missing. The situation formed together easily in Deryck’s mind. But where were they…?

*          *          *          *          *

“Jay… Don’t… Please!” Matt hoped that the usage of his nickname for James would work. It did. James faltered. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t. You know you don’t. Please. Don’t.”

James was about to reply when the door flew open, and Matt saw Deryck standing in the doorway. He took in the scenario before him, and focused on James, his eyes narrowed. Matt frowned, then he remembered. Deryck was a controller Demon, meaning he could will people to do whatever he wanted. It clearly took a while in some cases. James didn’t look at him, which didn’t seem to help. “You’re too late, Wheer,” he called. Deryck didn’t say anything, he never did, but he continued to stare at James. After a while, James dropped the gun and backed off. “I can’t do it.” That’s when Deryck struck. It was a small room, and James had backed off towards the door. The teenager swung his leg round and into the side of James’ head with surprising force, which was quite a stretch considering Deryck was shorter than James by a few inches. James crumpled. Deryck waited a moment before kicking the gun to the other side of the room so James couldn’t grab it if he was faking.

“He has another one!” Matt told him. Deryck frowned and turned the unconscious James over, and took the other one out his belt. He emptied it, before throwing it over to the other. Then he brought out a pen knife. He flicked it open, and Matt noticed that it was unusually sharp. That joined the guns in the equipment corner.

“You okay?” This was the first time Matt had heard Deryck speak. It was in a soft London accent and he appeared to have a lisp. Matt knew he should be honoured, not even Olivia and Marie had heard him talk. He nodded. Deryck made sure that James had no more concealed weapons. “He didn’t want to shoot you.”

“What?”

“He didn’t want to do it. In his head, I was overriding the fear of being killed if he didn’t, not his want to do it. He considered you a friend. It was tearing him up inside.”

“What, can you read minds or something?”

“Perks of the job.” He gave Matt a small smile, “There have to be some.”

*          *          *          *          *

“So he was working for Phogolini this whole time?” Cali raged. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“Please don’t. We had to cope without you the last time you were sent to prison and it was hell,” Martin told her. “And somehow I reckon a life sentence might keep you longer.” It was later in the day, and James was unconscious into a cell next to Cali’s hostage. Stacey was telling everyone the facts.

“So he shot Simpson?” Marie asked doubtfully.

“He was trying to get us to turn on one another. Clearly Matt didn’t fill him in on the fact that the only one likely to shoot someone still can’t use bullets after she shot the Prime Minister.”

Cali sulked, “Wait until the two months are over, Mackenzie… You’ll be my first target. Even if I do feel the pain.”

“You want us to think the mad girl in denial wants to self harm?” Stacey asked tauntingly. Cali threw a cushion at her.