Equinox

Chapter 45

Woodstock: 30 March, midnight

The house was in almost total darkness as the Acolyte parked his black Toyota in the driveway that curved round the back of the house. A light was on in the kitchen and this cast a faint glow across the path that ran under the window. He knew that the only people in the house were Tom and Jo. Almost three hours earlier he had seen Laura and Philip enter the Trill Mill Stream, then he had met with the Master before leaving for St Giles and Jo's college. He had watched Jo emerge from the main gate with her boyfriend at 10.45. Then he had followed their car north out of the city and along the road to Woodstock. There he had observed them entering the house before he'd driven a short distance to wait in a nearby lane.

This would be the final harvesting: a liver from Jo Newcombe. With this task accomplished he would make all haste to Oxford where he would stand beside his Master as they performed the ritual. By the morning, their work would be complete.

The Acolyte turned the handle of the kitchen door. It was locked. Lowering the organ-transporter to the floor he opened a pouch in his plastic oversuit, removed a long needle-like implement and slipped it into the lock. A moment later the door was open and he stepped inside.

He could hear sounds coming from a nearby room. He had been here earlier in the day and knew the layout of the house. He crept across the darkened dining room to a door that led onto the narrow hallway. He opened the door very carefully. Everything seemed to creak and groan in this old house. In the hall he could hear more clearly the sound from the TV in the large sitting room directly ahead. To his left there was a winding narrow staircase. He traversed the hall. The door to the living room was open, but only a crack. He eased it back on its hinges.

A lamp glowed in the corner near the door, but the flickering light from the TV was the only illumination at the far end of the room. Jo and Tom were sitting close together on the sofa, lost in an old movie. The Acolyte caught a glimpse of the actors, black-and-white images, a couple kissing through the window of a train carriage, steam billowing around them. Brief Encounter , he thought. How apt.

He checked his watch. It was time. He lowered the transporter to the floor with exaggerated care and silently withdrew a scalpel from a pocket in his sleeve. The long, horribly sharp blade caught the light and glistened for a fraction of a second. He took a step forward, but as his foot came to rest on the floor an old wooden board creaked. Jo and Tom spun round.

The Acolyte was fast, but Jo and Tom were faster. They were off the sofa before the killer had taken two steps. Jo screamed and fell back behind Tom who was gripping a cricket bat. The Acolyte did not pause. He came straight for them, the scalpel held out in front of him. Tom and Jo backed against the wall. Jo was ashen-faced, her eyes wide. Tom was trying desperately to keep his nerve and took a wild swing at the Acolyte. He missed. Jo screamed again and grabbed at Tom's shirt, ripping it. They started to back towards the door. The Acolyte grunted with impatience and made another rush towards them. Tom swung the bat again and it came down hard on the Acolyte's arm. The killer howled and the scalpel dropped to the floor.

Jo and Tom had gained a second and dashed for the hall. Jo grasped the handle to the front door and tugged. It was locked. She cursed.

'Upstairs,' Tom yelled and he pushed her ahead of him. He started to back towards the narrow stairs just as the Acolyte emerged from the living room. The killer now had the scalpel in his left hand. His right arm hung limp at his side. Tom caught a glimpse of the face behind the perspex visor. The eyes were featureless black circles, the face a waxwork doppelganger of a living human.

Jo sped to the stairs and Tom was close behind. They took the stairs two at a time and Tom swung again at the Acolyte who expertly dodged the bat, letting it slam against the banisters and the wall, where it took a chunk out of the plaster.

'The bedroom,' Tom shouted as they reached the landing.

The Acolyte was at his shoulder and Tom swung at him once more. This time the bat made contact with the Acolyte's shoulder, a glancing blow that barely slowed him. Tom flailed again. He missed and the bat caught between two banister struts and slipped out of his grasp. In the split second before he started to run, Tom looked again into the eyes of the Acolyte. All he could see there was his own death.

Jo was at the door of the bedroom and rushing inside as Tom sped along the corridor. Tom was super-fit and fast, but as he hurtled down the corridor his pursuer was no more than a pace behind. Jo held open the bedroom door and slammed it behind Tom, but instantly the Acolyte was forcing it back inwards with all his strength.

'Bolt it!' Tom hollered as he pushed his body against the wood. Jo just managed to slip the bolt home. She was shaking and on the verge of hysteria; her eyes were wild, her cheeks drained of blood.

The Acolyte began to hammer on the door with incredible force. A panel shattered. Jo screamed.

'Get out of the window,' Tom shouted. 'Get out. . jump. . whatever. . just get out.'

'But-'

'Go!'

Jo was at the window and trying to work the latch, but her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Nauseous with terror, she managed to unfasten the window just as a plastic-clad hand thrust through the splintered door panel and reached for the bolt. Tom grabbed the nearest thing to hand, a heavy glass vase, and brought it down on the Acolyte's plastic-covered fingers. He felt gratified to hear a muffled groan from behind the visor as the gloved hand was pulled back.

Tom backed away towards the window as the door shattered from a furious kick. The Acolyte knew that ^f his moment had passed — the astrological conditions had changed — but he was now driven on by sheer bloodlust. He rushed towards the young couple.

Monroe turned off the High Street into Ridley Street. Ahead were three police cars, their lights off. He switched off his own lights and eased forward.

Four officers dressed in full body armour and with high-powered rifles were moving to the side of the house. Two of them dashed forward as the others covered them.

Laura was pushing open the door even before the car had stopped.

Monroe grabbed her arm. 'Don't be bloody stupid. My men are going in. . they can't do their-'

Laura yanked her arm away. 'If you think-'

'If you go in there you could get yourself killed,' Monroe shouted. 'You could be responsible for your daughter's murder. Think, woman — is that what you want?'

Laura went limp suddenly and her hands went up to her face. 'Oh, my God,' she said. Philip put a comforting arm around her.

Monroe ran over to the nearest squad car. PC Smith was there, talking into his radio. Monroe was about to instruct him to go around the other side of the house when a loud crash made them look up to the bedroom windows. There was a piercing scream. Monroe yelled into his radio. 'Jenkins — report!'

There was no reply.

'Smith, follow through, round the side there.' Monroe took out his own gun and ran to the rear of the house.

As they entered the shadows at the side of the house, an upstairs window swung open. It was pushed outward with such force that it shook on its hinges. Laura saw it from inside Monroe's car and she was running towards the front lawn before Philip could stop her. Looking up, she saw Jo's petrified face appear. She was pulling herself up onto the window ledge when three gunshots rang out. They came from inside the house. Another shot followed, then a fifth. Laura flinched and closed her eyes for a fraction of a second. When she opened them again, Jo had disappeared.

The Acolyte's body lay face down in the bedroom; it looked like a red and white mannequin. The back of his hood was shredded and crimson-splashed, and two gaping holes marked a pair of bullet wounds between his shoulder blades. All around lay chunks of shattered wood.

Tom and Jo were talking to Monroe as Laura and Philip rushed into the room. Laura gathered her daughter into her arms.

Philip placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. 'Well done,' he said.

'Nothing like a good piece of willow to get you out of a spot,' Tom replied, his voice a little shaky.

Philip looked puzzled.

'I kept a cricket bat on my lap all evening. After the break-in I wasn't taking any chances,' Tom explained.

'Good for you, Tom,' Philip replied, walking over to where Laura and Jo were hugging. Embracing his daughter, he kissed her on her tear-streaked face. Then he placed one arm around Jo's shoulders and pulled Laura close with the other. 'Happy families,' he said.