The Power of Five Oblivion

Yorkshire Post but his next step towards a career that he had wanted since he was a boy. Richard had always been fascinated by the news, by the way people’s lives all over the world could be changed and moulded by events over which they had no control. Why should a flood in Bangladesh mean anything to a housewife in Yorkshire? It was the journalist’s job to make the connection, to make people care.
    Not, of course, that he ever covered such stories in Greater Malling. Almost from the day he had arrived, he had been bored rigid, writing about marriages and funerals, charity events, local councillors and bright school kids. He had thought about leaving several times and had only stayed because there were no other jobs. He had a flat in York. He had occasional girlfriends. Life wasn’t too bad and he was sure that if he stayed around long enough, something would turn up.
    That something was a fourteen-year-old boy who had arrived in the office one afternoon, just after lunch, with a story so incredible that Richard had given up on him within five minutes of their meeting. Matthew Freeman claimed he had been kept prisoner in a local farm, Hive Hall, that he had stumbled upon a conspiracy that involved a disused nuclear power station, a circle of witches and God knows what else. It was all completely unbelievable. Richard had said so and Matt had stormed out of the office.
    What was it that had made Richard decide to take a second look, to drive out to the old power station that night? He doubted now that he would ever know, but as things had turned out, he had met up with Matt again and at once he had been plunged into a different world. And it really had been like that … as if he had dived off a cliff, into a cold sea. His own life had been torn away from him. Everything he believed had been shattered. Yes, there were witches and demons and blood sacrifices. There were children with special powers and secret societies that existed to protect them. There were the Old Ones. He had been forced to accept all of it and had known from that moment on that there would be no escape.
    From Yorkshire to London to Peru, back to London and then to Hong Kong – Richard had been swept along, trying to work out what his role in all this might be. The five Gatekeepers had been chosen for this adventure long before they had been born … but why him? He had consoled himself with the thought that he was there to help Matt. Certainly the two of them had become friends of a sort. But even that role had been taken from him when he had found himself in Cairo with Scarlett.
    Since then, he had tried to give her the same support he had given Matt. He had barely left her side after she had been wounded. He had managed to save her from Tarik and had brought her here to Dubai. And now he had failed her. It was as simple as that. He should never have brought her here.
    Richard went into Scarlett’s room. “We’re leaving,” he announced.
    “What?” Scarlett had been lying on the bed but now she sat up.
    “We’re getting out of the palace. It doesn’t matter about Larry Carter.” Richard went on quickly, before she could interrupt. “He probably wouldn’t have taken us where we want to go anyway. We can get back in the car and drive to Oman or even down to Yemen. If there are planes here, there may be planes there. It doesn’t make any difference. All we know is we can’t stay here.”
    “But what about the door? It’s locked.”
    By way of an answer, Richard leant down and seemed to take something out of his shoe. When he straightened up, he was holding the gun that had once belonged to the Frenchman, Rémy.
    “Where did that come from?” Scarlett asked.
    “I had it in my sock.”
    She stared, then remembered the entrance to the casino. “What about the metal detectors?” They had both passed through them.
    “Yes. I was worried about that. But they weren’t even plugged in. I knew when I saw a man go through, carrying a dog. It had a metal collar and it didn’t set anything off. I guess the security was all part of the make-believe.” He gripped the gun. “I wasn’t going to come here empty-handed. And I can use this to get us out.”
    “Someone will hear if you shoot.”
    “I don’t think so. There were no guards in the corridor as far as I could see, and most of the people here were so drunk when they left the dinner that they’re probably fast asleep. But you can help me. Run the bath and put the shower on.