Tunnels 05 - Spiral

blankly.
    “I’m hardly going to use it on us,” Eddie assured him. “I’m not suicidal.”
    Drake frowned, but then, to Will’s complete amazement, he allowed the Styx to take the grenade from him. The oddest thing was that Will could detect no animosity between Drake and Eddie, but something entirely different. Camaraderie. Friendship, even. It rankled him.
    Eddie returned to the line of Limiters and presented the grenade to the Styx with the bandaged face. He accepted it mutely.
    “This soldier wants to express his regret,” Eddie announced, then the Limiter began to march a little way up the track and into the forest.
    “No!” Drake shouted as he realized what was about to happen. He swung around to Sweeney. “Sparks! Your ears!” he yelled.
    Just as the last word left his mouth, the Limiter pitched forward onto the grenade. There was a muffled explosion. Will saw the flash as the Limiter’s body was lifted from the ground. Everyone was showered with earth and wood splinters. As a tree groaned and keeled over, Mrs. Rawls screamed.
    “Ouch!” Sweeney complained, his hands still cupped over his ears. “That was loud.”
    “That was unnecessary,” Drake said grimly to Eddie.
    Eddie’s face, and those of the other Limiters, wore their normal, inscrutable expressions. “No, that was the price for dereliction of duty,” Eddie explained. “And I’ve also just answered your question, Drake. Every one of these men will show me unquestioning and absolute obedience. They are completely loyal to me. That’s why they’re here. They’ll do anything I ask of them.”
    Eddie then addressed a wide-eyed Will, who was still half crouched from the explosion. “As I said, we are extremely sorry for the Hunter’s death. Now that the responsible party has been punished, I hope it has gone some way toward making amends.” Eddie swung around to face Drake. “And now can we talk, please?”
    “As long as you don’t pull any more stunts like that,” Drake said.
    The Sten looked like a toy in Sweeney’s huge hands as Will and Drake left him to keep watch over Mrs. Rawls and the Limiters. Eddie had made the tactful suggestion that they talk in the Humvee on the far side of the ford, which spared Will from seeing Bartleby’s body for a second time.
    Will climbed into the front passenger seat. He’d never been in a Humvee before and was peering around at the spacious interior.
    “Are you all right?” Drake said to Will as he settled into one of the backseats.
    Will turned and nodded, but Drake was already examining the weapons rack mounted behind him in the rear of the vehicle. It housed almost a dozen Styx rifles and state-of-the-art Topsoil weapons. And beside it was some expensive-looking communications equipment.
    “Bet you had to flog a few diamonds to pay for this lot,” Drake said as Eddie climbed into the seat beside him.
    “I’ve a couple more of these vehicles in London,” Eddie replied. “And some armored pers —”
    It took Will completely by surprise when Drake lashed out, punching the Styx full in the face.
    “That was for Darklighting me,” Drake said, rubbing his knuckles.
    Eddie’s eyes were watering as he fumbled for something in his hip pocket. He produced a handkerchief, using it to dab his nose. Will could see a smear of blood on his top lip.
    “I suppose that I deserv —” Eddie started to say.
    Drake lashed out at him again, if anything hitting him with even greater force this time. His handkerchief went flying, and blood was now flowing freely from his nose.
    “And that?” Eddie asked, sounding even more nasal than ever.
    “That was for Chester,” Drake growled. “It was a low-down dirty trick to Darklight him, too.”
    “What?” Will exclaimed. “Then it wasn’t the real Styx?”
    “No, it wasn’t, was it, Eddie?” Drake accused the man.
    The Styx nodded. “I suppose I deserved that, too,” he said. He didn’t exhibit any resentment at the way Drake had just treated him, his voice impassive. “It was underhanded of me, but I needed a means to keep track of you. So when you left Chester alone in my flat, I applied a little light conditioning. It was nothing drastic.”
    “You make it sound as though you gave him some sort of hair care product,” Drake commented drily, then shook his head. “So we bugged out of my father’s house for no good reason. Why in God’s name didn’t you just knock at the gate?”
    Eddie sniffed in an attempt to clear the