Tunnels 06 - Terminal

word, waiting for Parry’s orders.
    Eddie reached a hand out to him, taking hold of his arm for a moment. ‘I’m sorry, Parry, but …’ he whispered.
    ‘Oh, yes,’ Parry said, struggling to make himself focus. ‘All positions … hold your fire.’ He was watching as Elliott knelt beside his mortally wounded son, a small figure amongst all the Armagi.
    ‘That’s why they’re so relaxed,’ Eddie said. ‘They’ve got men in position in the buildings all around. Those shots weren’t from any of the Limiters on the ground.’
    ‘You’re right,’ Parry replied, and wasted no time in addressing his men again over the radio. ‘Did anyone get the location of those Styx sharpshooters? Check all the facing windows, and check them carefully – there are bound to be several teams round the place, maybe even on the floors below you. On my orders, I want them taken out. Got that – I want every single one of them slotted.’
    Eddie met eyes with Parry, who nodded once. One had lost his son, the other was likely to lose his daughter.
    Then they again turned their attention to the cathedral square.
    The situation was so tense that no one on the roof with Parry noticed as Captain Franz slipped away, then ran all the way downstairs to the street.
    ‘You idiot,’ Elliott said tenderly, as she cradled Drake’s head in her lap. ‘You knew how it would turn out. So what did you do that for?’ she asked, tears trickling down her face.
    Drake grimaced as the pain gripped him. ‘To buy you some breathing space to …’ he whispered, ‘… to do whatever you’re going to do. Do it now, girlfriend, and do it for me … for all of us.’
    ‘But I don’t …’ she began, catching herself as she saw how close to death he was.
    He started to choke.
    ‘I can’t think of a joke,’ he said.
    He let out his last breath.
    Elliott carefully lowered his head to the pavement and roseto her feet, a look of sheer determination on her face.
    And no one noticed as she took advantage of the opportunity Drake had given her, sliding a hand beneath her coat to the small of her back. Neither Hermione nor any of the other Styx had any idea what was tucked into her belt. But Elliott knew what she had there; she could feel it, feel the sceptre, as if it was willing her to take it out, willing her to use it.
    She began towards Hermione.
    Hermione gave Elliott a sneering glance. ‘I just need to deal with this half-breed bitch, then we’re all done here. Nice to tie up some loose ends, and not before time.’ Hermione turned to Rebecca Two and the Old Styx. ‘Any reason you can think of why we need her alive?’
    Neither Rebecca Two nor the Old Styx said anything.
    ‘Fine, then it’s night-night and sweet dreams for the Drain Baby,’ Hermione announced.
    She raised her insect limb, ready to snap it again.
    ‘Your sister died the worst death you can imagine,’ Elliott suddenly said to Hermione, a cold smile on her face. ‘Vane would have been covered in buboes, all over her body. You can’t imagine the pain when they burst from the pus and blood in them, but what got her in the end was the fluid in her lungs. From the lesions. She would have drowned in it.’
    Elliott threw a glance at the Old Styx. ‘Every single one of your men in the inner world went that way. You see, there’s a virus down there, and it’s still there, spread by the birds.’
    ‘That’s as may be,’ Hermione said, her words clipped with her anger. ‘But who cares, because this world is almost back in our hands again.’
    Elliott ignored her, speaking instead to Rebecca Two. ‘And let me tell you about your sister,’ she said. ‘She was burnt to acrisp by the nuclear explosion. Jiggs found her, but when he tried to examine her, one of her arms just broke off. She’d been turned to charcoal.’
    Rebecca Two said nothing, averting her eyes as Elliott took another step towards Hermione.
    ‘And you … what’s so messed up is this world has always been in your hands ,’ Elliott said. ‘There’s no need for any of this.’
    ‘What are you talking about?’ Hermione snarled.
    ‘You won’t remember – no Styx does – but many millions of years ago, our ancestors came to this solar system in a huge ship.’
    Hermione gave a derisive snort. ‘Ship? What ship?’
    ‘The ship that you’re … we’re … everyone’s standing on right now.’
    ‘What – you mean the Earth ?’ Hermione said, her voice rising with incredulity.
    ‘That’s