Reign of Evil

CHAPTER 26

Phones began ringing. Not just those belonging to Section 9 but also those carried by Triple Six. Everyone began shouting into a telephone. Pandemonium existed for twenty seconds; then they all hung up at roughly the same time.

Even as Ian addressed the group, the TV screens went blank. “That was the Home Office. They’ve declared a national emergency. They’re pulling all the footage and banning further broadcasts of any nature relating to it.”

“They can do that?” Yank asked.

Ian gestured at the screen, which went blank. “Just did.”

Preeti hung up another phone. “My brother’s been asked to monitor the Internet. He’s been given superuser privileges. If anyone tries to post anything, he’s authorized to remove it.”

“Same thing in the United States.” Holmes pocketed his phone. “The networks were set to run this. Senator Withers got the president to sign an emergency declaration. Last thing they need is to scare the average citizen. Better to think such things are sci-fi TV fodder than know that they really exist.”

“Even my mother called,” Trevor said, holding up his phone. “She was alerting me to the possible dangers of the Wild Hunt.”

Sassy Moore shook her head, a grim, knowing smile on her face. “I mentioned this before. It’s fear. They need it. The Wild Hunt grows more powerful because of it. Back before television, before cell phones, before the Internet, mothers told their children stories which scared them. It’s this sort of fear they’re trying to cultivate.”

“They’re not going to like that we’re blocking this, then,” Laws said.

“Shit’s fucking scary.” Yank shook his head. “Television or no television, people are going to be talking about it. That it’s no longer available for viewing is going to give it more power. Trust me. I’ve lived this sort of thing in Los Angeles. Rumor and gossip can be hells more powerful than fact.”

“Even if it’s not on British or American television, it’s going to come out,” YaYa said. “Something like this is too big to keep secret.”

“Yeah, but when it comes out, it can be discredited,” Laws said. “Look at UFOs. It’s to the point where national media covers strange-looking lights in the sky and no one gives it a second thought.”

Trevor stepped forward. “Wait a minute. Are you admitting that UFOs are real? That America is covering it up?”

Laws laughed. “See what I mean? The idea is already there even if I don’t say anything.” He turned to Sassy. “What we need is a way to get the Red Grove to come to us. If we could find them, it would go a long way to helping us stop the Hunt.”

Walker cleared his throat. “I think I have an idea.”

All eyes turned to him. Preeti saw the naked emotion on his face and made to move toward him, but Trevor held on to her and shook his head.

“Listen, the faster we can get this over, the faster I can make those bastards pay.” A lone tear rolled down his cheek. “Not just for Jen, but for all these others.”

“That’s what we want too, son.” Holmes stood motionless, but his words had a calming effect. “What’s your idea?”

Walker closed his eyes and remembered how he liked to watch her—the tilt of her head, the pursing of the lips. “It came to me when YaYa and I were outside. There’s an antenna farm about a kilometer from here.”

“It’s an old antenna farm,” Ian said. “Hasn’t been used for years, but no one wants to take it down.”

Walker opened his eyes and smiled grimly. “It’s not the place; it’s the idea. What if we lay a trap? After all, we do have the bait.”

Laws stroked his chin. “It would have to be somewhere defensible.”

“More than defensible. It would need to be a place where the Hunt couldn’t go.”

Sassy shook her head. “They can go anywhere.”

YaYa looked at her. “Not inside.”

She laughed. “They ripped my house down around me.”

“Then something a little more permanent,” Walker said.

“What about the National History Museum?” Sassy offered.

Laws snapped his fingers. “I love it.”

Yank narrowed his eyes. “The Smithsonian?”

“Did your mother drop you as a child? Not the Smithsonian. That’s in America. We’re in England, McFly.” Laws shook his head but kept his ever-present smile plastered on his mug. He turned to Ian. “I saw a special about the basement storage rooms at your National History Museum and how they’re discovering things that were right under their nose.”

“Spinops,” Preeti said. “They discovered a new species of dinosaur they’d had for a hundred years.”

“That’s it. The museum is perfect. It’s a public place, built like a castle, and the logical place for us to store something like a golem head.”

Holmes stared at Sassy. “Think they’d go for it?”

“Who they? The Grove or the Hunt?” Walker asked.

Holmes shrugged. “Does it matter?”

The witch nodded slowly. “At the very least, it would get their attention. If I were them, I’d be concerned that their Sidhe has returned to England. It’s much more powerful here. If loosed, it might just make it a point to do something to the Red Grove for keeping it away for so long.”

“Perhaps we can use the Sidhe, then,” Ian said.

Holmes nodded. “Perhaps. But for now, we’re going to see if we can’t get one of the grove members to pop their heads up so we can play Whac-A-Mole. Everyone get their gear ready. Ian and I are going to plan this.”

The teams began to move, but Preeti made them pause. “One thing that’s been bothering me.” Everyone stopped to stare at her and she blushed. She pressed a few keys to show the pictures from Blackpool. “These aren’t digital. They’re scans. See these edges?” She pointed to a white border around the images that was larger at the bottom than at the top. “These have to be Polaroids. Who uses Polaroids anymore?”

Laws and Holmes stared at each other. “No one,” they said simultaneously.

“So if no one uses them, then how is it that someone was using one at the scene of the last attack?” Preeti shrugged. “An attack that disrupted all the electronic image-capturing devices. Just asking.”

Ian put a hand on her shoulder. “Smart girl. You caught what everyone else missed. It could be nothing; then again she could have been put there to get pictures.”

Laws nodded slowly. “CCTV broadcasts were disrupted, but not still photography. Then again, no one really uses still photography anymore. It’s all digital. From our cell phones to top-of-the-line Nikons. That’s something to remember.”

“So if she was placed there, then she must be a part of the Red Grove.” Yank grinned as he looked at Laws. “Not bad for Marty McFly.”

Holmes held out his hand. “Everyone slow your roll. We’re piling on supposition and calling it fact because it’s so thick. Let’s work on the hypothesis that this was just a girl with a Polaroid camera until we can prove it.”

“You’re right, of course,” Ian said. “Preeti, see what you can come up with. She had to have signed a release or something for the pictures to be put online.”