TWENTY-FIVE
Stupid, stupid, stupid. The further he got away from Tommy Whitaker's madness the more Bill Fraker cursed himself for the way he had reacted. He was just thankful Charlie or any of the other boys had not been there to witness him stumbling away from the place like a scared kid. So unprofessional, now he was in the familiar territory of his car he was just plain embarrassed about it all.
Fraker pulled the car into a parking space in the hotel’s underground car park and switched off the engine. Then he just sat there contemplating his next move. He kept going back to the Lawyer. It was as if he was radiating fear, and at the time Fraker had got a damn good dose of it, but now that he was away from him he could look at the whole situation through a calm collected, rational eye. Whitaker was a grade A nut job, you could take that to the bank, but the real question was, Why? Was he simply a man driven out of his mind through fear for his life? That was understandable and above all (which Fraker liked) a perfectly normal reaction. Or was it as the man himself had put it, through the fear of his very soul.
No for Christ sake, that was just bollocks. Wasn't it? The yank was a hit man, nothing more. But in the end did it really matter? He had to get Charlie and get out of all this, and he was sure in a couple of days he would be able to laugh about all this heaven and hell shit Whitaker was spouting and it would make a great anecdote to bore the boys with, with the admittance of his stumbling exit or course.
First things first, he would have to slip Whitaker's address under Randall's door and then get Charlie and get out, preferably without bumping into the yank, that was a conversation he didn't want, just in case (again he would laugh about this later) there was some truth in Whitaker's ramblings. Besides he had no reason to come after them, not with Whitaker in the bag. Fraker and Charlie weren't important in all this, sure they were on the edge of something big, something weird, but it was like Whitaker had put it, it wasn't too late for them to get out of this unscathed, 'untainted.' Fraker got a flash of the fear in Whitaker's eyes at the word, and it sent a chill down his spine.
Stupid, stupid, Stupid. Fraker smacked his leg and told himself to get a grip, then got out of the car. He cursed himself not for the first time tonight but put it down to tiredness this time. It was nearly four in the morning and the car park was deathly quiet except for his footfalls as he made his way passed the rows of outrageously expensive cars and over to the car park’s lift at the far end. Just a few more minutes now and he would be dragging Charlie back down here and the two of them could get gone and leave Randall to it.
It was then, just as he reached the lift, that every car alarm in the place went off. Fraker cried out loud in shock and fell with his back against the unopened lift doors, barely managing to keep his footing. “Fuck me!” he shouted but the words were swallowed up by the deafening alarms bouncing off the concrete walls around him.
Suddenly he toppled backwards as the lift doors opened and he fell flat on his back which knocked the wind out of him. Then to add insult to injury hit his head hard on the lifts cold metal floor. Flecks of lights danced in front of Fraker's eyes as unconsciousness beckoned but the shock of the blow and the freezing lift floor on his back pulled him back from the brink of oblivion. A dark shape loomed over him and Fraker looked up and into Randall's face looking down on him.
Fuck.
The collector smiled and casually stepped over him and walked off into the car park carrying his suitcase. The moment he did so the alarms silenced. “Thanks for your help, Bill,” Randall said without looking around. “I'll be stealing your car by the way, if that's okay.”
Before the befuddled Fraker could muster a response the lift doors closed and it started to climb. Fraker patted his trouser pocket for his car keys and wasn't surprised to find that they had gone. 'Explain that one away, Mister rational.’ “Fucking hell,” he said sitting up. “Fucking Hell.” Fraker glanced at the row of buttons next to the door, floor three, their floor was already lit. After a moment the lift stopped and the doors opened with a gently 'ping'. Bill Fraker must have sat there for a full minute before he could get his legs to work.
Back in the car park, Randall got into the car and fired up the engine, he adjusted the rear view mirror until he could see Sherlock Holmes wearing a cheap Halloween mask sitting in the back seat. “D'you think the car alarm thing was too much?” He asked.
“Actually I thought that was rather good,” Ishrel replied, much to Randall's surprise. “I suppose scaring him half to death is better than nothing at all.”
“Complements Ishrel, from you?” Randall remarked as he pulled away and headed towards the exit, making sure he clipped an especially expensive Ferrari on the way out as he did so. “I must be slipping.”
“Hmm,” The demon replied settling back in the seat. “I still think you should have killed them both.”
“Yeah, I kinda surprised myself with that one.” Randall replied truthfully, if he was honest he didn't know why he hadn't killed Charlie, perhaps there really was some connection between them, or perhaps the answer was just simply that he was getting soft, spending so much time in the company of mortals. He shook his head clear of such thoughts and added. “But hey, don't worry, you'll have your blood before it gets light. Oceans of it.” And with this Randall stomped on the gas and the car sped away through the sleeping city streets and one step closer to the elusive Larry McCulloch.
“Charlie, shit!” Fraker dragged himself to his feet and staggered out of the lift and into the corridor, he stumbled down it like a drunk man, using first one wall and then the other for support as he pin-balled towards their room at the end. As he got closer the breath caught in Fraker's throat seeing the door was ajar. He steadied himself as best he could before going in, steeling himself to what he might find inside.
“Charlie?” He called out but got no reply, “Shit,” there was nothing for it he had to go in. Fraker nudged open the door all the way with his shoulder and not for the first time tonight he wished he had the Berreta, Christ only knew what the yank had left behind. He moved inside. The room was in near darkness, Fraker fumbled for the light switch on the wall to his left and turned it on expecting a blood bath.
Fraker sighed audibly with relief, Charlie was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. “Charlie?” Fraker came into the room which was mercifully all intact and walked slowly over to where Charlie was sitting, who was also mercifully in one piece and blood free.
As he approached the young man, Walker looked up, even though he was unscathed Fraker couldn't help but gasp at his pallid exhausted features. His normally ruddy cheeks were totally drained of colour and for a moment all Charlie did was look at him blankly as if he was a stranger, Fraker opened his mouth to speak but then a look of recognition floored Charlie’s blank face.
“Bill?” he said weakly as if still a little unsure he was real.
“It's me mate,” Fraker replied. And the moment Charlie heard his friend’s voice he broke down in tears. Fraker rushed over and knelt next to Charlie and wrapped his arms round him. “It's okay, Charlie,” Fraker said fighting his own tears. “I've got you, I've got you.” He screwed his eyes tight shut and offered a prayer of thanks to any passing deity who might be listening.
“Oh, Bill... I,” Charlie sobbed into Fraker's shoulder rendering the rest of the sentence incoherent. Fraker held him closer and let him cry it out.
“It's okay, let it out, I'm here, you're safe now. Just take a sec', let it all out.” His voice cracked with emotion, tears streaming down his own cheeks now. He just couldn't believe how relieved he was Charlie was okay and in one piece. The kid was scared shitless and in shock, but a quick look over him showed he was physically at least unharmed.
“Phew!” Charlie gently pushed Fraker away and wiped the tears from his cheeks, he smile weakly obviously a little embarrassed but seemed almost relieved to see Fraker had been crying as well. The older man playfully rubbed his hair messing it up, usually that would have brought a howl of protests from Charlie but not tonight.
“Christ, Mate,” Fraker said awkwardly. “I thought maybe...” Before he could finish Charlie smiled and nodded. Fraker didn't have to say it, both of them knew only too well how this could all have turned out.
“Shit,” Charlie suddenly grew serious, he looked around the room frantically. “Where's Randall?”
“It's okay,” Fraker patted Charlie's arm reassuringly. “He's gone.”
“You sure?” Charlie got to his feet still taking in the room as if expecting the yank to appear from behind the curtains or something.
“Absolutely,” Fraker said standing up, his knees crack alarmingly making him wince. “I, erm, I bumped into him in the car park.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing, well...” He thought about telling about the car alarms but decided it wouldn't make any sense, besides he could see Charlie was shaking again. “Charlie, sit down eh?”
The young man didn't seem to hear, he rubbed the back of his head frowning and looked at his hand as if expecting to see something on it. “Fuck,” he spat out, his teeth were literally chattering. It was a look Fraker had seen before, Charlie was still in shock and if anything had a look in his eyes similar to Tommy Whitaker, which almost broke the older man’s heart.
“What did he do to you? Fraker asked.
Charlie finally looked at him and exhaled. He shook his head and took a moment to collect his muddled thoughts. “I, Christ, it's hard to,” he kicked the table in frustration. “He was... He was here,” he gestured around the room. “I think, maybe.” He wrinkled his noses then forced himself to look Bill in the eyes. “But he was also... Inside my head, Bill.” He shrugged knowing how weird that sounded, but Fraker just nodded,
Christ knows it wasn't the strangest thing he had heard tonight. Charlie wrapped his arms around himself, he was really shaking now, tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked them away. “Fucking freak!” He said, rubbing the back of his head again.
“Well, he's gone now mate. Trust me.”
“I hope you're right.”
“Y'know?” Fraker said. “I really think we dodged a bullet here tonight, Charlie.”
Charlie nodded. “Yeah, something's... Something's really wrong here, Bill.”
“No shit.” Fraker said, then just had to ask. “Charlie, you said Randall was inside your head?”
The young man cringed, his eyes seemed to glaze over somewhat as he thought back. Fraker was about to tell him it didn't matter, anything to get that haunted look off his face when Charlie spoke. “Bill Mate...” He looked ready to spill it all but then obviously changed his mind an instant later. “Let's just say, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.” He shook the memory off with a shake of the head. “Even if I was only dreaming half of it.”
Fraker in truth was thankful for Charlie's reticence. He he'd had more than enough strangeness for one night.
“Tell me,” Charlie said, breaking the silence. “When exactly did we end up in the twilight zone?” He smiled, it was weak but still it lit up his weary face.
“Dunno Mate,” Fraker replied. “But this yank seems to have that effect on a lot of people.” With this he went through into his bedroom eager to be away from all this. “Get your gear together, Charlie. We're off.”
“God I love you, Bill,” Charlie shouted through from the other room. “But what about the boss?”
Fraker took his suitcase and put it on the bed. “Don't worry about that, I'll clear it with the old man in the morning.” He began to unceremoniously toss his clothes into the case.
“Bill?” Fraker turned to see Charlie in the doorway. He was starting to look half way human again and Fraker knew that thankfully that meant the wise cracks wouldn't be too far away. He missed them, and that was proof positive about how messed up things were. But for now, Charlie was still gravely serious, it didn't suit him.
“Yes mate.”
“Did you find Whitaker?”
“Yeah Charlie, I did.”
“What did he say?”
“Like you said. You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
Charlie frowned, he knew only too well. It took him a few seconds before he asked. “What is he, Bill?”
Fraker closed his suitcase and snapped the clasps shut. “Randall?” Charlie nodded. “I really don't know. And right at this moment, I don't care. Whatever he is...” he paused at this. 'Whatever?' Poor choice of words William (Or was it?). “Whoever his is,” Fraker corrected himself for sanities sake. “Whitaker was beyond scared of him. And we are best out of it.”
He looked at the shadow that was Charlie Walker still standing in the doorway. He had never been what you would call bulky at the best of times but right now he seemed almost skeletal. “You okay Charlie? Really I mean?”
“Dunno,” Charlie said plainly with a shrug. “But I'll be a lot better when we are away from here.”
“Me too, mate.” Fraker agreed and went through into the bathroom to collect his toiletries. When he returned Charlie was still hovering by the door.
“I, I gotta go see my Dad.” He said. Choking back tears. “I've gotta tell him, everything.”
“Christ, you sure?” Fraker asked and put his wash bag in the side pocket of his case.
Charlie nodded, his eyes glistening with fresh tears. He rubbed the back of his head again and his eyes drifted off into space, Fraker could see the beginnings of a thousand yard stare in them.
“Well that's good,” Fraker said positively and a little louder than needed in an attempted to pull Charlie back into the present. It seemed to work.
“Yeah, it's time,” Charlie said, then added barely audibly. “Before it's too late.”
Hey, come on now,” Fraker went over to him and put his hands on his bony shoulders. He tried to give him a reassuring smile, but something deep in Charlie's eyes slapped it right off his face. Now that he was up close he could see there was a kind of coldness to them. Something he had never seen in them before and it scared him.
“You okay?” He asked voice was trembling slightly.
“I really don't know, Bill.” Charlie replied honestly. He blinked and the tears ran down his cheeks. “Randall really messed with my head. I can't remember half of what he said... But still, there's this feeling he felt in me.” He struggled to find the right word, but it wouldn't come.
Fraker squeezed his friend’s shoulders. Charlie didn't need to say it. It was as plain as day in his eyes.
Dread.
He patted Charlie hard on the shoulders and tore himself away and back to his suitcase on the bed. “Don't worry about it,” he said as nonchalantly as he could. “Trust me, it'll all seem better in the morning, when we're away from all this bizarreness. It's got us thinking all kinds of bollocks.” He pulled his suitcase off the bed and together they both went through into the main room.
“Get your stuff, Charlie,” Fraker said and threw his suitcase onto the sofa. “We are out of here in five.”
“Yeah, will do.” Charlie disappeared trough into his room leaving Fraker alone. He sat down next to his suitcase and rubbed his tired eyes. One hell of a night he thought to himself and glanced over to the mini bar. A shot of whiskey wouldn't go a miss right now, and Christ it wasn't as if he would have to drive anywhere now that Randall had the car. He was still debating with himself when Charlie came back into the room with his case.
“Ready,” he announced.
Now Fraker knew things had taken a turn for the surreal. It usually took Charlie hours to pack, and that was just his hair products. Fraker got to his feet and dragged his suitcase off the sofa. He took a final look around the room to make sure they had everything. “You know, I never thought I'd say this. But I feel damn sorry for Larry McCulloch and any other poor bastard who's on Randall's shit list.”
Both men headed for the door.
“Just as long as it doesn't include us,” Charlie said as they left the room, and hopefully this wonderful world of weirdness behind them for good.
“Amen to that,” Fraker replied and closed the door on their part in the whole sorry episode.