The Temporal Stone (The Morgan Sisters) (27 page)

'But there's something else,' Lana cried. 'They've killed... one of us....' she sobbed.

Eleanor stood up and closed her eyes.

'And the other?'

Lana shook her head, 'I don't know if it was Rita or John and I don't know where they're keeping them. All I know is that Grycan did it.'

Emma stroked Lana's hair and pulled her towards her.

'It's okay now,' she whispered gently.

But Lana stood up again, losing her balance as exhaustion began to take its toll. 'We must leave now. We must.'

'You are not going anywhere,' Eleanor insisted. 'You've done so much for this fight already, Lana. For now, you must rest. Wilbur, please take Lana to the nursing station and make sure she gets some sleep.'

Wilbur stepped forward and helped Lana to her feet.

'There there,' he said softly. 'Come on, my girl.'

Lana barely argued. She'd never felt so awful. 'But... I need to tell you exactly which way to go, which tunnel to take.'

'Declan, if she pictures the tunnels in her mind, can you read it?'

Declan nodded, 'I should be able to.'

'Declan will walk with you,' she smiled. 'No go and rest.'

Before the three of them left the room, Lana turned back and looked at Emma who stood up and ran to her. They hugged each other tightly.

'Be careful, Sis,' she whispered. 'Be careful.'

'Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on her,' said Diarmuid who looked across at Barber. They both nodded.

'Let me carry her, Wilbur, you can stay here,' Barber said as he lifted Lana up into his arms and followed Declan out of the office.

The others looked across at each other briefly before Eleanor turned her attention back to the map.

'Right, so we'll start here...'

CHAPTER 36

Several groups waited at strategic locations along the tunnels, both above ground and below, while Declan, Eleanor, Ava, Elliott, Emma and Diarmuid entered first. The others waited patiently for Ava's telepathic instructions as to when they should make their move.

After burning down the locked door, the six of them entered the tunnel. Without making a sound, they ran through the darkness, lit up by the boyfriend and girlfriend team, until they reached their destination. But the moment they approached, Declan knew something wasn't quite right.

'I'm not picking up anything,' he whispered, rubbing his temples.

'What do you mean?' asked Emma as Eleanor waited for a moment before peering round the corner.

'I should be hearing their thoughts, but I'm not.'

'That's because they've gone,' Eleanor said.

Walking into the large tunnel, the only one lit up by several fluorescent light bulbs, she dropped her arms and sighed.

'But they've not been gone long,' Emma added. 'Look, this coffee is still warm.'

'Alert the others, Ava. If Sthenelaus is on the move, they might in danger.'

Ava nodded and immediately began communicating with the other Watchers, Mentors and Supernaturals.

In the meantime, Eleanor began to take in her surroundings, trying to find clues as to where they might have gone.

'Do you think they were on to us?' asked Diarmuid.

'Perhaps. Although I don't know how.'

'Maybe they've got some telepathic Skulls or something,' suggested Emma as she bent down to pick up a strange object on the floor.

'What is it?' asked Elliott.

'Not sure. But it looks like a claw or something.'

Eleanor rushed over and inspected it. 'You're right. It is a claw. It's probably from the Krakor.'

Emma screwed up her face and handed it over.

'You keep it.'

'So the Krakor's been here then?'

'I doubt it. That was probably just brought in by Drake or one of the others. That beast is probably too big to be let loose down here.'

'What do we do now, Eleanor?' asked Emma as she and Diarmuid locked fingers.

Standing still for a moment and looking around one more time, she replied, 'We go to the next location.'

Emma's eyebrows furrowed.

'The docks.'

Just as they were about to turn back, Declan hesitated.

'What is it?' whispered Eleanor as she looked back at him.

'There's something... someone down there.'

Pointing to a tunnel they hadn't yet investigated, Diarmuid and Emma lit themselves up and began to walk into the darkness.

'Wait, you two. We'll go first. Just keep us lit up from behind,' Declan insisted as they shoved past them.

The echo of their quiet footsteps soon became louder as Declan's urgency increased, as did their speed.

'It's Rita,' he yelled. 'She's injured.'

As he rounded a corner, he came to an abrupt stop, almost tripping over the body that had been dumped so casually beneath a hatch.

'Rita, can you hear me?' Declan whispered as he very carefully turned her over so that she lay on her back.

'She's got a pulse, but it's weak,' he said as Eleanor approached and crouched down.

Emma and Diarmuid stood just behind them, their eyes wide.

Cuts and bruises covered the woman's face, making her eyes barely visible beneath the blood and the swollen skin.

Declan quickly removed his jacket and draped it over her.

'Her heart beat's slowing down. We're losing her.'

'Stay with us, Rita. Stay with us,' Eleanor almost shouted as she pounded her chest. 'It's no use. We need hospital equipment. We need... Diarmuid!' she suddenly added. 'Shock her, Diarmuid.'

Declan nodded, 'It might work.'

Diarmuid's face dropped and he glanced at Emma before wiping sweat from his forehead.

'You can do it,' she whispered.

Nodding, he knelt on the floor beside the woman and placed his hands on her chest. Closing his eyes for a second, he then let a charge of electricity shoot through his hands. Her body reacted, lifting slightly off the floor.

Eleanor checked her heart beat. Leaning back, she shook her head.

'Again. Stronger this time,' she said, placing her hand on Diarmuid's arm.

He looked into her eyes.

'She's going to die, Diarmuid. You're her only hope.'

Something in him seemed to click and he turned back to Rita and put his hands back on her chest. Closing his eyes, he let the charge course through him, making him glow bright white.

Emma gasped. It was like he was surrounded by a beautiful bright halo, tinged with blue and red. She watched as the charge continued until the halo faded, leaving the tunnel darker than before.

Eleanor placed her ear against Rita's chest and smiled.

'You did it, Diarmuid. You saved her. Ava please communicate with Wilbur. Tell him we need him and Beau to come down and get her.'

As Ava began to instruct Wilbur as to their whereabouts, Diarmuid slowly stood up. He looked down at his shaking hands.

Emma took them in hers before pulling him into her, hugging him tight.

'You have healing hands,' she whispered.

'No, it was just electricity.'

Eleanor turned her head upwards and shook it, 'No Diarmuid. Emma's right. It wasn't just electricity. You had a special aura about you. It was a combination of the electrical charge and your hands.

'E...E...Ellie?' croaked Rita.

'Rita?' Eleanor whispered. 'You're going to be alright. Shhhhh.'

But Rita tried to shake her head, 'N...n....n....o. They... kill....killed J....J...John,' she sobbed.

Eleanor nodded sadly. 'We know, Rita. But you're going to live. Stay strong, Rita, stay strong.'

'Rita?' Declan whispered.

She turned her head slightly and looked at him through the slits of her eyes, wincing from the pain.

'Do you know where they've gone?'

She closed her eyes and tried to nod.

'Try not to move,' Eleanor said.

'They're releasing the Krak...' she sighed before closing her eyes.

'Where? Rita, where is the Krakor?' Declan asked but it was no use. Rita's exhaustion and pain were too much. She'd slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

'I'm not leaving her here alone. We'll wait for Wilbur and Beau to arrive and then we'll head to the docks. She's been through so much,' Eleanor said sadly as she held the woman's cold hand and gently stroked it.

'I reckon they were taking her with them but something must have spooked them and they just dropped her here,' Declan said as he looked upwards at the hatch.

'They had no need for her. They probably thought she was as good as dead.'

Declan nodded.

'We'll get them, Ellie. We will.'

Eleanor looked down and adjusted Declan's jacket over Rita as they waited.

oOo

Apart from the hundreds of motionless people scattered around the area, Emma couldn't see any movement other than the gentle lapping of the Thames.

'Do you see anything?' asked Eleanor as she and Diarmuid shook their heads.

'Declan?'

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes for a moment. 'But they're close.'

'Do you think they're in the warehouse?' asked Emma.

But Declan shook his head, 'I doubt they'd be that stupid. They wouldn't go back to the one place we know about. I reckon some of them are on the ship they transported the Krakor on. But there'll be others hidden elsewhere.'

Eleanor nodded and motioned for her peers to wait for a moment.

'What if they know we're here?' Emma whispered.

'They'd already be attacking us if they did.'

'Sammy's trying to get your attention,' Diarmuid said as they turned to see Sammy waving frantically from the other side of a building where another group were awaiting instructions.

Eleanor carefully looked around and then waved her over.

Moving as quickly and as silently as possible, Sammy soon reached them. Catching her breath, she leant forward for a second before standing up.

'There's a group of Skulls in the warehouse,' she panted.

'How do you know?' asked Diarmuid.

Sammy smiled, 'Some of the plants are still alive. I managed to get a connection,' she said.

Declan grinned, 'I knew your power would increase. Well done you,' he said, patting her on the shoulder.

Preparing for a fight, the Watchers were stunned when they forced open the door and found ten Skulls tied up on the floor, unconscious.

'What the...?' said Declan as he and the others walked in.

'Oh,' said Eleanor. 'I... what's going on here? Sammy? Can the plants shed any light on this?'

Sammy nodded and opened a couple of the boxes, pouring some water on to the plants before she began talking to them.

Looking quizzical, she looked back at Eleanor. 'They heard a woman's voice and some fighting but then it all went quiet,' she said. 'That's all they can tell us.'

Eleanor nodded as Barber walked to her side. 'I wonder...' he muttered to himself before lifting his head up, 'I wonder if it's the same woman who rescued me.'

'Perhaps,' Eleanor replied with an odd smile, 'I just wish we knew who she was.'

'They're all out cold,' Declan said after inspecting every one.

'We'll get them transported to the Praxos Prison.'

'There's a Praxos Prison?' asked Emma with a frown.

'Of course. Whatever did you think we did to the evil people we apprehend?'

'I, erm, I guess I never really thought about it.'

'Come on, let's head to the ship. But be careful, everyone. Just because someone has assisted us here, certainly doesn't mean the ship will be equally safe. If the Krakor is waiting for us, we must proceed with extreme caution. Remember, if he whips you with his tail, you will likely perish. We certainly don't want that to happen. Stay safe,' she said as she exited the warehouse, leaving a handful of people to watch over the unconscious Skulls.

The sound of an engine roaring into action echoed around them as they approached a huge ship that was docked just a few miles down from the warehouse.

Several Skulls were rushing around on board the ship. It was clear they were in a hurry to leave. Declan was the first to board, knocking out two of the Skulls before Eleanor joined him.

Emma and the other Watchers followed. One by one, the Skulls were incapacitated and tied up. It was just too easy.

'What's going on?' asked Emma as she tiptoed behind Diarmuid.

He shrugged, 'They're dropping like flies. It's weird. Something's not quite right.'

'Yeah, I know what you mean.'

'Something has spooked them, that's for sure.'

As they pushed open a door below deck, they were faced with two Skulls. Emma immediately became  defensive, kicking her leg out to trip the first one up as he rushed towards them. Diarmuid managed an elbow to his back as he went down. Before he had the chance to get back up again, Emma threw herself on top of him and they wrestled on the floor as Diarmuid fought the larger of the two, punching him square in the jaw.