Dark Angel 03: Broken Dream (30 page)

‘It’s as if Charlie’s been playing with us all along, like he gets his kicks out of fooling with us.’ Holly got what Grace was saying.

I agreed and saw a glimmer of hope. ‘And that’s always been the dark angels’ weakness,’ I pointed out. ‘They play with us and get enjoyment out of it. Charlie even said it: “The more the worms suffer, the more powerful we become.”’

‘Pure sadism,’ Grace sighed. ‘Remember, he made that stupid joke about having supersonic hearing. It turns out he actually does.’

‘So Tania’s right.’ Holly grew more animated. ‘It’s because they don’t just finish us off, end of story, that we’re still alive – we still have a chance.’

‘And we have to follow it through to the end – to the party.’ To me it was crystal clear that Charlie had set this stage for multiple victims – for me, Grace and Holly, but mainly for Orlando. The script was already written. Lights, camera, action!

‘So the grader’s out clearing snow from the helipad,’ Holly reported soon after dawn when she went down to reception. She came back to the room with fresh coffee and news from Amber. ‘If the snow holds off for a few hours, they’ll fly in and airlift Natalia and the kids off the mountain.’

‘Before or after tonight’s party?’ I wanted to know.

Holly shrugged. ‘It depends on conditions in Aspen, I guess. That’s where the chopper’s based.’

‘Oh God, I hope they stick around,’ I groaned. Suddenly, more than anything else I needed Adam to stay.

Be strong. Take my hand
.

‘Whose idea was it?’ I wondered with a fresh jolt of fear. ‘Don’t tell me – it was Charlie’s.’

If he couldn’t get rid of my good angel by losing him on the ski slopes in a snowstorm, it looked like flying a helicopter into the side of a mountain would do the job instead.

‘I need to talk to Natalia,’ I said.

It was nine a.m. when I pushed the button and rode the elevator to the premier suite. Meanwhile Holly and Grace had agreed to warn Jack.

‘He’s in Rocky and Lisette’s rooms,’ I’d reminded them. ‘Just tell him what Charlie’s got planned for Natalia and the kids. Try to keep him calm and focused.’

It was early and my offer to visit the penthouse had taken Natalia by surprise. Stepping out of the lift, I found the kids in their jammies and their mom making breakfast for them in the small kitchen. When she saw me, she came out into the living room and I registered the full effect that the stress of family break-up was having.

‘Sorry,’ she sighed, making no effort to smooth down her tangled hair. She was paler than ever, without make-up and she looked fragile. ‘Hey, Adam, look who came to visit. Aren’t you glad?’

Adam glanced up from a book about dinosaurs. He gave me a bright smile then carried on looking at the pictures with Phoebe. Charlie sat in a highchair, chewing on wheat toast.

‘I’m sorry I look the way I do but I’m glad you’re here,’ Natalia said wearily. ‘Even if it’s only to say goodbye.’

‘Yeah, I heard you were leaving.’

She nodded and sank down on to a sofa. ‘They’re preparing the helipad. I have to get out of here.’

‘But is it a good idea?’ I asked. ‘Will the pilot even fly out of Aspen?’

‘All he needs is a three-hour window – no snow, no wind. The local forecast is good.’

Finishing the dinosaur book, Adam turned to Phoebe. ‘You want to play superheroes?’ Soon they were busy with invisible cloaks and light sabres, jumping off sofas, flying through the air.

‘Ryan said I should wait until the roads are clear,’ Natalia confessed. ‘It was Charlie’s idea to bring in a helicopter.’

‘I agree with Ryan. Why the rush?’

Natalia winced. ‘You want the truth? It’s because I can’t stand being in the same building with Jack.’

I did what I could to put the record straight. ‘Yesterday he stuck to his word. He didn’t drink that whisky.’

‘So what? It doesn’t really matter, does it? The fact is, he and I are through and the faster I get out of here, the sooner I can get on with the rest of my life.’

‘It matters,’ I insisted. ‘Jack had all the reasons in the world to stretch out across that bar and drown his sorrows but he didn’t do it.’

She gave a faint shake of her head. ‘Too late,’ she insisted.

I pushed harder. ‘You know it was Charlie who kept the Jack Daniels flowing for Jack these last few months?’

If I’d told a born-again Christian fundamentalist that God didn’t exist I couldn’t have got a bigger reaction. Natalia jumped up from the sofa, startling little Charlie and making Adam and Phoebe stop their game. ‘Tania, that’s a mean, mean thing to say,’ she told me. ‘After everything Charlie did for you, how can you believe that?’

‘I’m warning you – don’t rely too much on Charlie,’ I went on. ‘Lately I’ve learned things about him—’

‘And how do you know that it was Charlie who supplied the whisky?’ she interrupted.

‘Jack told me himself.’

‘Hah!’ Rushing back into the kitchen and out of sight, Natalia acted like I’d just proved her case. ‘I thought you were smart,’ she shouted. ‘I guess I was wrong.’

‘No, Natalia, listen. Don’t go in that helicopter. I know the weather round here. If a storm gets up in the mountains behind Carlsbad, it blows in without warning.’

‘Charlie tells me it’s safe, so it is.’ She reappeared in the kitchen doorway, lips trembling and voice breaking. ‘You don’t understand. It’s dangerous here. I feel trapped. This hotel is a prison.’

‘I do – I understand.’

‘No.’

‘Why? What are you afraid of? Jack loves Adam and Phoebe and Charlie. There’s no way he would harm them.’

Fiercely Natalia swept the tears from her cheeks. ‘You don’t know him. You don’t know that he was here in the middle of the night, standing in the lobby banging on the door and swearing the way he does, yelling for me to let him see his own kids. If I didn’t open the door he’d break it down.’

‘You’re sure?’ I asked. ‘Really certain that it was Jack and not Charlie?’

Now she was furious. ‘What kind of stupid question is that?’

‘There’s one way we could check. Rocky invited Jack to share his suite. Why don’t you call him now and ask him where Jack was at three o’clock this morning?’

‘You’re saying it was Charlie pretending to be Jack?’ Natalia laughed. ‘Oh grow up, Tania. Just because you tried to hit on Charlie and he turned you down flat—’

Now it was my turn to laugh in disbelief. ‘He told you that?’

‘Add to that the fact that your beloved Orlando is now sleeping with Charlie’s beautiful, talented little sister …’

‘I came here because I care what happens to you, Natalia. There’s stuff going on here that’s too big for you to get your head around in the time we’ve got, but all I’m saying is – for your kids’ sake, don’t use the helicopter.’

It made no difference. She reached for her phone and spoke into it. ‘Charlie, I need you,’ she said. ‘Tania’s here and she’s paranoid. Come up as soon as you get this message.’

I didn’t hang around in Natalia’s suite waiting for Charlie – what was the point?

Instead I made my way down to the first floor in search of Holly and Grace, only to have one of my shuddering, juddering elevator moments when the door slid open and I came face to face with Orlando.

Not quite face to face, actually.

He stood in the corridor carrying his costume for that night’s wrap party. There was a black tunic and a cloak hanging over his arm and a white mask with ornate silver decoration, which, when he saw me emerge from the lift, he held up to hide his face.

Too surprised to say anything, I took his free hand in mine and felt how cold it was. Slowly he lowered the mask and stared at me.

Don’t scare him. Don’t make him run away. My reaction was to act as if I was dealing with an untamed, wild creature in a forest – to hold my breath, not to make any sudden move. It gave me time to study his face for any small sign that my old Orlando still existed. Recognize me. Remember what we had, I pleaded silently.

His hair seemed darker and duller, his eyes a paler grey and it felt to me that though he’d lowered his carnival mask there was still an unnatural smoothness and stillness to his features.

Remember me. Realize what’s happening to you.

‘How are you doing?’

‘Good,’ he murmured. He seemed hardly to breathe, his face was fixed in a blank stare. But when he looked full into my eyes, I saw a flicker of dark fear.

‘I’ve missed you,’ I whispered.

He frowned then almost imperceptibly he nodded.

‘More than I can say.’ Please remember our starry nights, our dreams. You are me and I am you. ‘Orlando, come home with me.’

The fear in his eyes flared up. ‘I can’t,’ he mumbled. ‘It’s too late. I just can’t.’

‘But you do remember what we had?’ I pleaded.

He nodded again.

There was so much pain, so much loss – neither of us could bear it. ‘Hey,’ I breathed, still holding his hand. ‘You found a costume.’

He nodded slowly while I ran my hand over the shiny black fabric.

‘Where are you taking it – to Gwen’s room?’

‘No.’

‘Where then?’

‘I’ll show you.’ Turning away from the elevator, he pushed through the fire door and took the stairs to ground level. When I didn’t follow him, but remained where I was standing, he turned to wait.

‘You want to find somewhere for us to talk?’ I asked.

This time he didn’t nod but he didn’t say no either. He waited.

I knew it wasn’t right. His movements were slow and stiff; his expression didn’t change. ‘OK, I’m coming.’ I followed him down the stairs.

We made it to the ground floor and Orlando led the way down a corridor showing arrows to the swimming pool and spa, with a temporary sign saying ‘Closed for Maintenance’ hanging from a hook. I hesitated again.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’ Everything.

‘Don’t you want to see me try on my costume?’

‘Yes.’ No. I want to talk to you. I want to save your life.

‘Come on then.’

Again I followed. As we passed through a large tiled area I smelled the jasmine fragrance from the oriental spa to the left, the scorched cedar wood of the sauna to our right. I saw white towelling robes and towels piled high on a reception desk, heard soft piped music played through invisible speakers.

‘Orlando, talk to me,’ I begged, overtaking him and blocking his way into the pool area that opened up ahead of us. ‘Don’t you see what Gwen has done to you?’

Tiny muscles twitched – under his eyes, around his mouth.

‘You do! Somewhere, deep down, you still know what’s happening to you.’

‘Shall I try on my costume?’ he asked in a monotone.

I thought he was still talking to me then in the split second it took me to understand that he wasn’t, Gwen stepped silently through a changing-room door with Weller, Daniel and Jarrold. I gasped and tried to run. Daniel stopped me – stood in front of me and thrust me back with enough force to send me stumbling and sliding along the wet tiles to the very edge of the pool.

‘Orlando, don’t leave me!’ I cried when I saw him turn and walk away.

‘Don’t waste your breath,’ Jarrold snarled. remembered the snap of his wolf jaws, heard water lap against the sides of the pool.

They’d sent Orlando to lead me into this trap and now he went away silently and they stood over me, united in their evil intent. They looked down on me as I lay sprawled on the limestone tiles.

‘What’s it to be this time, Tania?’ Gwen asked in her high, childlike voice. ‘Do you choose death by drowning over suffocation in a rockfall, or burning in white-hot flames over both of those? Which is quickest, I hear you wonder.’

‘Rockfall,’ Weller grunted. ‘Underground, in total darkness.’

‘Fire,’ was Daniel’s choice. ‘Not quickest but for sure the most painful.’

‘Water.’ Jarrold dropped to his knees and pushed his face close to mine. I recoiled from him.

‘And you believed you could win a victory over me,’ Gwen sighed. Her breath seemed to fill the vast pool area with thousands of butterflies – gold, scarlet, iridescent blue – all beating their fragile wings against the glass canopy, soundless and desperate. ‘Didn’t you know that I could see every move you made?’

The butterflies swarm around my head. They fade and fall into the water
.

‘I watched your pathetic attempt to discover my name. It amused me.’

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, rose to my feet, stared her in the eye.

‘Look,’ she invited, and she unwound the sky blue scarf she wore to show me bruises – deep thumb marks, areas of broken skin like a cruel necklace around her slender neck.

I couldn’t bear to see it so I closed my eyes again.

Butterflies fall in their thousands, like autumn leaves on the surface of a pond
.

‘Carrie died slowly,’ she whispered. ‘I watched. I chose my moment with care. But knowing what you know, seeing what you now see – the proof of how she died, you must realize that the name Carrie Hall gets you nowhere.’

‘One step closer,’ I argued.

‘But not close enough.’ Circling behind me and coming to face me again, Gwen savoured her moment. ‘Zoran Brancusi equals Malach. Jean-Luc and Aurelie Laurent equal Ahriman. Carrie Hall, Charlie Speke – they equal … what? That’s the key.’

‘I’ll work it out,’ I promised. I gritted my teeth, held my breath to ward off the dark angels who surrounded me.

Jarrold springs forward. He leaps at my throat. I stagger, I fall. I hit ice-cold water and sink to the bottom of a lake amongst drowned corpses, decaying houses, the rusting iron cross from a church steeple. Slimy weeds pull at me and hold me down. I look up at rising bubbles of air, light shining on the surface. The light will save me. I kick free and rise
.

Daniel and Weller hooked a hand under each armpit and dragged me out of the water. They manhandled me and walked me down the length of the pool, out through a back door labelled Medical Centre. They pushed me into the centre of a windowless room, then before I was able to resist they backed out through the same door and turned the key in the lock.

The room was stark and cold under an ugly strip light. Its white walls were lined with locked cabinets, there was a desk with a glass top, a large white leather chair and a cubicle screened off by a floor-to-ceiling white curtain. Rings rattled along the supporting rail as I whisked back the flimsy fabric and found Macy’s body lying on a doctor’s examination bed. She was covered in a stiff, pale-green sheet with only her head and feet showing. Her toenails were painted brilliant red.