The ultimate horror boxs.., p.106
The Ultimate Horror Boxset (10 Terrifying Novels), page 106
Jack thought about it. In his years on the police force he had seen women cry rape before when it wasn’t true; although he wasn’t about to agree that it was as many as one in three, and what was most maddening about those false claims was how much harder it made things for genuinely abused women to seek justice. Nonetheless, it was true that some people were capable of such lies, but was Tally? Jack saw no sense in it.
“Why would Tally want to accuse you?” he said. “What would she have to gain?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, pardner. Maybe it would be best if we went and asked her.”
“I don’t know about that. She went into hiding after… after what you allegedly did. I don’t want to scare her away again.”
“Look, Jack. I don’t know what her deal is, but she’s up to something. I don’t understand what she has to gain by making us enemies, but it obviously factors into some agenda she has. Maybe she’s behind this whole time-crap-magic that’s been going on. Maybe I was getting close to something she didn’t want me to see.”
Jack laughed. “What, by getting drunk and gambling? You haven’t discovered anything.”
“Perhaps you’re right, but either way, the only person who knows for sure is her.”
Jack thought about it and decided he agreed, with certain conditions. “Okay, I’ll go find her and talk to her. But you stay here until we speak again.”
Donovan sighed. “She convinced you of lies last time, so what makes you so sure you won’t buy the same line of bullshit again?”
“Because I’m a good police officer. If I have reason to suspect someone is lying, then I’ll know whether they are. I had no reason to doubt her before, but this time I’ll search a little deeper.”
“Okay, Jackie. I trust you.”
“If I find out she’s telling the truth…”
Donovan raised his gun at Jack. “Then you and me will have a problem, which is why I’m hoping you’re as good as you say you are at detecting bullshit.”
Jack turned around and said nothing.
Jack hadn’t seen Tally since the day she’d told him she’d been raped—the night they had lain together like lovers. Jack was mad at himself for not checking in with her sooner—letting his vendetta against Donovan consume him. He couldn’t believe he was in a situation that now involved a rape accusation in addition to a deadly manmade virus and a supernatural time spell. Coming aboard the Kirkpatrick to relax was the single most stressful thing in his life. Irony didn’t even begin to describe it.
There were likely two places Tally would be: the Sports Deck, if she were still trying to help the children, or her cabin. It was still early in the day, so Jack was guessing the latter. He had a quick think about where she’d led him on the night he’d visited her room. He remembered it was aft on A Deck. He headed for the elevator and pressed the CALL button. Minutes later, he was on A Deck heading towards Tally’s cabin. A maid passed him along the way, smiling and nodding, but other than that, the entire deck lay deserted. He located the cabin he thought was Tally’s and knocked on the door. After ten seconds of waiting, he knocked again.
Then somebody knocked on the back of Jack’s head and the lights went out.
DAY 235
At 1400 Jack did not wake up. Not until 1425 did he finally stir. His head whirled with a faraway throbbing. Whatever had struck him in the back of the head had been enough to knock him out cold for the rest of the day, or had perhaps even killed him. Midnight would have eventually come and started things over again. For the first time, Jack had overslept.
Feet pressed against the carpeted floor, he eased himself upwards. The room tilted, and for a moment he thought it was his vision, but then he realised the ship was rocking. He was usually out in the corridor by now, heading for the Promenade Deck and the two racing little boys.
He went into the bathroom and stared at the mirror. The flesh beneath his eyes was dark, and his pupils were wide. He looked tired and felt it too.
He had fallen for Donovan’s bullshit.
After leaving the cargo bay for Tally’s cabin, Donovan must have followed him and attacked him. It was a risky move because the man knew that Jack wouldn’t stay dead, but he’d obviously decided it was time to fight back. In a way, Jack didn’t blame the man, but it now made things very clear—Donovan was one of the bad guys.
That familiar anger rose up in Jack’s guts, but he took a deep breath and suppressed it. He turned on the taps and splashed cold water on his face. Barring everything else, Donovan had been correct about one thing: Jack’s rage was consuming him. It had destroyed his life once before, and now he was allowing it to control him all over again. Stalking the ship like a madman and committing murder would never have been acceptable to the man Jack used to be—the man who had been in love with Laura. Once upon a time, he had believed in justice and doing things by the book. Now he had become something else.
Something still needed to be done about Donovan, but there had already been too much violence. Jack would have to find another way. A way that meant not losing a part of his soul.
He got dressed and sat down on the end of the bed, staring at the blank television screen and thinking about the virus on board. It was still unclear whether it was the reason for everything that was happening. Was there really a way to stop it? To save everyone from their grisly fate? Jack had tried before, but it had been no good. What was he missing? Why was he stuck here? Who was responsible? There were so many questions that his throbbing skull ached even worse.
As he turned his thoughts to how he would spend his day, Jack decided that all he wanted to do was find Tally. He’d been jumped right outside her room, and it was a possibility that Donovan had hurt her again. Jack needed to make sure she was okay.
But when he tried her cabin again, there was no answer. The next place he searched was the Sports Deck, but that too was lacking Tally’s presence. He would try again later, but decided, for now, to visit the pool area and sun deck. Perhaps Tally would be working again, trying to find comfort in her old role.
He ordered a drink from the bar in High Spirits and took it out with him to the lounger beside Claire. They exchanged small talk, as usual, but Jack paid no mind to her today. He was more concerned with keeping a lookout for Tally. Every second she didn’t appear made him worry worse.
“You’re in a nosey mood,” Claire said to him.
Jack looked at her, hearing her words but not absorbing them. “Huh?”
“You keep looking around the ship and staring at people.”
“Oh. Yeah, I suppose I do. I’m a… health inspector. I travel on cruise liners to look out for signs of infectious illnesses.”
Claire went pale. “What?”
Jack put a hand up. “Oh, don’t worry. We’re talking Avian Flu at worse, and that wouldn’t threaten a healthy young girl like you. Have you seen anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms?”
Claire nodded. “My boyfriend.”
Jack kept his voice calm, not wanting to panic the poor girl, but saw he had an opportunity to ask her some important questions. “I’m sure there’s no reason to worry, but do you know where your boyfriend might have caught it from? Has he been mixing with anyone else under the weather?”
Claire shook her head. “I don’t think so, but then I flew out a day earlier than he did. Him and his mates got drunk and missed the original flight. They had to board in Majorca instead of Barcelona like I did.”
That was interesting, thought Jack, because Claire was healthy and Conner was not. They had boarded in separate locations. Conner had boarded the same day as Jack, but Jack himself was perfectly fine. He was close to something, but not quite there. “What about your boyfriend’s mates? Are they ill?”
“I think so.” Claire looked worried. “They had the sniffles this morning at breakfast. I don’t know how bad they are though.”
“Like I said, no need to worry, miss. I’m sure it’s just a cold virus spreading.”
“What if it is something worse? Would I be at risk?”
Jack looked at Claire and wondered why she was so concerned about a cold. “No. There’s no reason you would be at risk. Flu viruses are only a danger to the elderly, the very young, or-”
“Pregnant women,” Claire answered for him.
It all made sense. That was the reason Claire put up with the way Conner treated her. He was the father of her baby.
Jack sighed. He’d seen so many young lives wasted by unplanned pregnancies. A baby was a wonderful thing, but uneducated, jobless teenagers were just adding to the cycle of benefit-supported, ambitionless families that were nothing but a drain on society. Not all were like that, of course, but many were.
“How far along are you?” he asked.
“A few weeks, I think. I haven’t told Conner yet. I was planning on doing it this week—tomorrow at the captain’s reception probably. We’re getting dressed up.”
Jack smiled, hoping that one day ‘tomorrow’ would actually arrive, and that Claire would get to put on her dress. “Well, I hope he takes the news well and that you’re very happy together. In the meantime, please don’t worry. There is a very good doctor on board, and I have no reason to believe there is anything to worry about.” He wished it were the truth.
Right then, Conner’s cue to arrive came, and the young couple had their predictable conversation about hotdogs. Jack chose not to get involved today, but was disappointed not to learn more about how Conner caught his flu. The answer was lurking there somewhere, right beneath the surface, like a blackhead, but there hadn’t been enough time to squeeze it free.
And Tally still had not appeared.
Jack decided the only other person with possible answers was Donovan. It was time to pay another visit to the cargo hold.
The cargo bay lay deserted, and Donovan was nowhere to be seen. The pallets and crates were undisturbed. Jack called out and got no answer. He crept around the space, aware Donovan was dangerous and in possession of a firearm.
“I’m done with this, Donovan. Whatever your deal is, I’m ready to put a pin in it for now. When everything goes back to normal, then you and I will have a different conversation. Right now though, all I want is answers. I need to find Tally.”
There was still nothing but silence. Jack headed further into the cargo area, looking left and right between boxes of pharmaceuticals and the blue crates of cash. Towards the back of the area were thick metal cases that he’d not noticed before, each the size of a footlocker. Behind them, something else lay on the floor, sticking out into view by just a few inches. Jack took slow steps towards the mystery object, ready to throw a punch at the first sign of a threat.
As he got closer, it became clear what he was looking at. On the floor, sticking out from behind the crates was…
A foot.
Jack found Donovan lying on the floor, covered in blood so thick it had congealed against the metal grating beneath him. The blood was old, his body stiff. The cowboy had been dead for a while. Jack knew enough about rigor mortis to deduce that Donovan had been murdered shortly after speaking with him yesterday. He had not reset at midnight. He wasn’t coming back. It also meant that Donovan was not the one who had attacked Jack from behind. Now, more than ever, Jack wanted to speak with Tally.
She had some explaining to do.
DAY 236
Jack got out of bed and made a mental checklist of the things he needed to do. Finding Tally was number one. Finding out who the pathwalker was came a close second. Stopping the virus was number three and underlined twice.
There was a knock at the door.
Jack frowned. No one ever knocked on his door.
As the only one left who could exercise freewill, it had to be Tally.
Jack opened the door.
Two large Filipino gentlemen stood there wearing the bright red waist jackets of Security. Jack didn’t understand what had brought them there. What had changed?
“Yes,” Jack said. “Can I help you?”
“Could you come with us, please, sir?” It wasn’t a question; it was an order.
Jack closed the door slightly, bracing his foot behind it to keep it still. “I’m sorry? What is this about?”
The man on the left, identical to his colleague in every way except for a wispy black beard, answered the question. “We’ve received reports you assaulted a member of staff during the early hours of this morning. We need you to come and answer some questions, please.”
Jack balked. “That’s impossible. Whom am I supposed to have hurt?”
“Please, sir, if you could just cooperate.”
“Cooperate, my arse. I haven’t done anything.”
The two men tried to barge through into Jack’s cabin, but he held the door firm with his foot. The man on the right reached out to grab him but received a punch in the face for his efforts. Jack had been hoping to move past the violence of the past couple of weeks, but it didn’t look like he was going to get the chance. He threw an overhand right at the remaining security guard and sent him to the floor to join his partner.
Then he ran—where the hell to, he had no clue. He was in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and there was nowhere he could go free of security’s reach. There was a chance he could take them all down, but that was only if the team of guards was small. For all Jack knew, there could be a hundred members of security.
He took the elevator up to the Broadway Deck and hurried through the jewellery store and onto the balcony of the theatre in the room beyond. A couple sat drinking at the bar, but nobody else was around. Jack considered sitting down in the corner and lying low, but it was too out in the open to remain undetected. He was at a total loss and close to panic. As a police officer, he was far happier being the pursuer than the pursued.
Who had accused him of assault?
The answer dawned on Jack. There was just one person who could have accused him, someone with a habit for making false allegations.
What the hell was Tally playing at?
Jack heard concerned voices coming from outside of the lounge’s main doors and decided it was time to get moving again. He headed out the rear exit and entered the Lido Deck, knowing it would lead out past the 24-hour restaurant and out to the pool area. Once he got there, he would run out of ship and there’d be no place left to run.
As it turned out, Jack wasn’t even able to get that far. Spread out throughout the pool area was half-a-dozen security guards. They spotted Jack the moment he stepped out into the sunlight and came at him in unison. Jack held his hands up. At least by allowing himself to face charges, he would get the full lowdown on what he’d been accused of. Hopefully, he would also learn who had accused him.
He already had a good idea.
Security took Jack down to the brig. He’d been there before. Only this time they placed him in a small interview room instead of a cell. Walking in to meet him was Captain Marangakis. The man did not look happy.
“Captain,” Jack acknowledged with a small nod.
Marangakis did not take a seat at the table, but stood behind one of the chairs opposite. The man liked to remain in positions of authority, always looking down. “Are you Mr Jack Wardsley?”
“I am.”
“I’ve been informed that you’ve been accused of some rather despicable behaviour aboard my ship.”
Jack leant forward across the desk. “I haven’t hurt anyone. Whoever has told you otherwise is a liar.”
Marangakis took a seat, yanking back a chair and dropping himself down with such force that it must have hurt. “The accusation has been made by a member of my crew. I see no reason she would lie.”
“It’s a she, then?”
“I’m sure you know very well. You’ll be placed in the brig and handed over to the French authorities as soon as we make port.”
Jack laughed. “And when will that be? I’d love to know.”
The captain seemed confused, which was hardly surprising. “We’ll be there in a little over twelve hours. I’d be in no hurry if I were you.”
“We’ll see,” Jack said. “Do you want to show me to my room?”
The captain nodded to a guard standing by the door. The burly man went to take Jack by the arm.
“There’s no need to get grabby,” he said. “I’ll play nice.”
He accompanied the guard to the cell next door and allowed himself to be locked inside. It was the safest place to be, anyway. Once the infected became violent, they would wreak havoc on every area of the ship, but they wouldn’t be able to get inside the brig. After what had happened to Donovan, Jack worried the spell was wearing off, and if the infected were to rip him apart, he might not get put back together again. Despite how much his life sucked, he didn’t want to die when he was so close to answers.
The guard left Jack to sit and contemplate his fate. His previous life of walking the streets as a policeman by day and drinking himself into a stupor by night, now seemed like a distant memory—a fuzzy recollection of a vivid dream. It would once have seemed impossible to think it, but Jack was starting to miss the life he had all but lost. Given the chance, he would make more of it then he had. Perhaps that was something positive to come out of this hell.
Jack lay down on the room’s uncomfortable cot and closed his eyes.
He awoke a few hours later to the sound of screams and chaos—the noise of passengers being torn apart. The eye bleeders were doing their thing, as punctual as ever. Jack closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
DAY 237
Security took Jack away again citing the same allegation.
DAY 245
For over a week, the ship’s guards arrested Jack, and every day he went with them peacefully. His intention was to see how long Tally—if she were in fact responsible— would keep things up. It appeared, however, that she was content to have him detained indefinitely. For some reason, she wanted his movements aboard the ship restricted.
