NINE

‘Tosh? Toshiko!’

Gwen was starting to wish she’d listened more closely to the Torchwood health and safety briefing. At the time it had seemed too remote from real life, literally incredible. Police training had taught her the ABCs of basic first aid – A for Airway, B for Breathing, C for Circulation. The Torchwood equivalent seemed to go through the entire first half of the alphabet, and it started ‘A for Alien, B for Bioform’. She’d sort of switched off by the time Ianto had reached ‘I for Inseminoid’.

Here she was now, faced with an injured colleague, on the freezing rooftop of a shopping mall. Better to go with her police training. She was just about to roll her friend into the recovery position when Toshiko – thank God – seemed to revive.

‘Steady, don’t get up too fast.’

‘Banged my head,’ Toshiko groaned at her. ‘How did you know where to find me?’

‘What, apart from following a trail of blood and body parts, you mean?’ Gwen held up her PDA. ‘When I couldn’t raise you on comms, I got a trace on your GPS coordinates. You were very insistent that we all get the hang of this.’

Toshiko gingerly levered herself up on her elbows and smiled. ‘You’re my favourite pupil.’

‘Took a little while to get right,’ Gwen admitted. ‘Bit of interference. I may have tuned it to Red Dragon FM at first.’

‘Interference? Of course! Are they still here? The men in uniform.’ Toshiko sat up suddenly, trying to look around. The effort made her giddy.

‘It’s all right, Tosh. All the security staff have evacuated. Those that are still alive,’ she added darkly.

‘Different uniforms.’

‘Well, there’s only us here now. Rhys is down in the mall. Spitting feathers, of course, ’cause I wouldn’t let him up here. I left him talking to Andy Davidson.’

‘PC Andy,’ said Toshiko. ‘Cardiff’s finest. Ouch!’

‘Steady.’ Gwen supported Toshiko into a proper sitting position, and examined the back of her head. ‘Better get you back to the Hub, Tosh. Don’t know how long you were unconscious. Need to get Dr Harper to look at that.’

Toshiko was getting agitated again. ‘And Owen, too! We were talking on mobiles, and the line was disconnected by… the same people who were up here! Achenbrite, that was the name. I saw it on their uniforms.’

Gwen reluctantly allowed Toshiko to stand. ‘Do you a deal. You can research Achenbrite. But you do it back at the Hub, and get this seen to.’

Toshiko gripped Gwen’s arm. ‘I need to show you something first.’

The fire alarm died just as they re-entered the building. Gwen sent general manager Maddock on his way back downstairs for some fresh air, which left her and Toshiko to examine the security room unaccompanied and unhindered.

She hadn’t seen this much blood in one place since the space whale at that makeshift slaughterhouse. Only this was human blood and remains. She wasn’t sure whether to feel ashamed that this made it so much worse. Easier to imagine these men with families, she supposed. Someone would have to tell their kids, or their neighbours, or their lovers. Thank God it wasn’t her who had to do that any more.

‘I saw the creature that did this,’ Toshiko explained shakily. She picked her way carefully through the room, showing Gwen the incontrovertible evidence of scratches and splinters. ‘A bat the size of a dog.’

‘Like the thing I saw in the loading bay!’ breathed Gwen.

Toshiko nodded carefully. ‘It had a bullet wound in one wing. This was the same creature that killed your Weevils.’

‘How did it get up here, then? Surely it would have just flown off. Not come back into the mall.’

Toshiko indicated the breakage around the door jamb. ‘It didn’t break in. It fought its way out. This door has a cipher-lock on it. But those poor victims would hardly let that creature in and then lock themselves inside with it, would they?’ Gwen saw the realisation dawn on Toshiko’s face. ‘Hey, remember how it vanished?’ Toshiko manipulated the control desk, carefully avoiding the spattered blood. The central monitor switched to a view of the loading bay.

‘No!’ Gwen found it hard to believe, but the evidence seemed to fit. ‘It came through the CCTV?’ She studied the flickering image of the loading bay. She brushed at some shreds of plant that were partially obscuring the monitor screen. And was surprised to find they were attached to it. Growing in the cracked plastic casing. ‘Look at this.’

Toshiko took an evidence bag from her pocket, and plucked some of the plant from where it was growing. ‘There’s no daylight in here. Not much natural light in the whole mall, that’s why the greenery is all fake. So how’s this growing in here?’ The variegated leaf had also established itself between the carpet tiles. She pulled up one tile, and found the roots went into a crack in the screed concrete floor. ‘This isn’t your typical office plant.’

‘And it’s dying. See? The leaves are browning. Not watered enough, eh?’ Gwen shook herself. What was the matter with her? She was standing by the bloody remnants of two men, and talking about plant care. ‘This whole thing’s going to take a lot of explaining,’ she concluded.

‘I know,’ agreed Toshiko. ‘And there’s still those dead Weevils in the basement.’

‘We’re stretched too thin,’ snapped Gwen. ‘Just five of us. Torchwood doesn’t have enough people.’

‘What would ever be enough?’ Toshiko prised a further plant sample from the base of the control desk, a double-headed bud that had not yet opened. ‘Well, this’ll be one of those things that needs covering up afterwards. Destroy the data trail in a week or so, once we know what the authorities think they’ve found. And if they can’t work out what they’ve got, then there’s nothing for us to cover up. Whoa!’

Toshiko staggered a little. She had risen too quickly from her crouched position.

‘OK,’ Gwen told her briskly. ‘You need to get back to the Hub. Don’t drive, get a cab. Use the account.’

Toshiko sighed. ‘A secret organisation with a taxi account.’

Gwen grinned. ‘Another Ianto innovation. It’s in the name of Dr John Smith. Some in-joke of Jack’s, apparently.’

‘Bloody Andy Davidson!’ Rhys the Rant was in full flow as they ascended the escalator. It was stationary, so they huffed up the big steps together. ‘I’ve a good mind to cancel his invitation!’

‘He hasn’t replied yet,’ Gwen tutted. ‘Don’t suppose you thought to ask him.’

‘You’re joking me.’

‘What’s he done now?’

This was all the excuse Rhys needed to go off on one. ‘I was kidding about with him that I hadn’t got the right change for the car park ticket. And he was banging on about how I’d get a sixty quid fine. And I was… Oh, what are you laughing at?’

Gwen had her fist in her mouth to stifle her giggles. ‘He’s having you on, love.’ She shifted nearer and kissed him on the forehead. ‘Right, was it this floor?’

Rhys hopped off the end of the escalator and crooked his arm for her to join him. ‘We should shop more often when it’s like this, eh?’

‘That’s ’cause the police have cleared the place. See how they’ve turned off the up escalators? Gets people out faster.’

Rhys looked around the deserted top floor. ‘It’s a bit spooky with no one here.’

‘You sound like Andy.’

‘Don’t start,’ he laughed. ‘OK, I remember these Halloween decorations. There, in the far corner: Leonard’s Toys and Games.’

The lights were still on inside the shop, bright behind the pumpkins and gravestones in the window. Its metal shutter was almost down, with just a metre gap at the bottom. The pair of them stooped beneath it.

‘Oh my God!’ Gwen’s shock turned into relieved laughter. She’d seen the tall figure by the tills, like an over-tall Weevil. In the split second before she’d realised it was a dressed-up shop dummy, her gun was in her hand and pointed unwaveringly at its head. She holstered it again, noting that Rhys’s face registered something between shock and admiration.

The empty shop had a locker-room smell, as though a football team had recently vacated it. A forlorn-looking papier-mâché diorama, painted and laid out like a battlefield, filled a section at the rear. Several carved figures had tumbled, discarded or forgotten, next to a couple of dice that had more than six sides. A handful of dog-eared MonstaQuest cards were strewn on the far side of the table.

Gwen rotated the blister packs that hung on wire racks by the till. She definitely recognised a couple of miniature Weevils and a Hoix – though the packaging called them ‘Toothsome’ and ‘Maymer’. The other models were new to her, including one with two heads like snarling, spitting snakes. Another had a long tail and neck, with a horn in the middle of its forehead that made her think it looked like an angry diplodocus.

‘We’re closed,’ snapped a thin voice. It belonged to an equally thin man, who stood up from behind the till counter, almost as though he’d been hiding there. The shopkeeper’s dark hair spiralled wildly about his head. His abrupt appearance made Gwen jump involuntarily, which seemed to amuse him. He turned to face Rhys, and a look of recognition spread slowly across his face.

The shopkeeper’s mouth twisted into what might have been a smile or a grimace. The tiny teeth and a wide expanse of gum made him resemble some kind of pasty boxer. ‘Hullo,’ he said, ‘have you come back for your change, then?’

‘Oh, aye,’ Rhys laughed. ‘Left in a bit of a hurry.’ He offered his hand.

The shopkeeper started to fumble in his till.

‘No,’ laughed Rhys. ‘I was introducing myself, proper like. I’m Rhys, and this is Gwen.’

‘Dillon.’ The shopkeeper shook his hand, and sheepishly gave him another gummy smile. He ignored Gwen. ‘I remember. Gave me a tenner, for the MonstaQuest pack. Then hoofed it when the alarm went off. S’why I always take the money before I hand anything over.’

Rhys jerked his thumb in the direction of the main mall. ‘You didn’t evacuate with everyone else, then?’

‘So many false alarms these days,’ said Dillon dismissively. ‘But I might as well close up the place now. Sales have been rubbish. But this – busiest trading day of the week? It might put me out of business.’

Rhys looked surprised. ‘You said this MonstaQuest thing was really popular. Thought you must be coining it there, mate.’

‘Not me. Gareth’s the one making all the money on this. I’m just a niche supplier.’ He pronounced it to rhyme with ‘hitch’, and spat the word like it was a curse.

‘This is what we came to talk to you about,’ interrupted Gwen impatiently. She pushed a ‘Toothsome’ blister pack across the counter.

‘Seven ninety-nine,’ said the shopkeeper.

‘I thought you were closed?’ Gwen replied, irritated by the misunderstanding. ‘But I’m not buying.’ She was aware that Rhys was scowling sidelong at her. Well, what did he want? He’d be chatting with this guy all day and getting nowhere. ‘Where did these models come from?’

‘Who wants to know?’

‘Trading Standards.’

The shopkeeper’s lips set in a narrow line. ‘You can sod off then.’

Rhys blew out a sigh. ‘Nice one.’ It took Gwen a moment to spot that he was muttering at her. ‘Please, Dillon. We need your help.’

‘Oh, you’re Nice Cop, are you?’ The shopkeeper looked between them warily. ‘You don’t scare me.’ His till snapped shut with an emphatic bang. ‘Told you, we’re closed. You can see yourselves out.’ And with this, he was off to the rear of the shop, where he began to tidy up the papier-mâché landscape.

Rhys put his hand on Gwen’s arm to stop her rushing after the thin man. He joined the shopkeeper at the diorama, and began to put model Weevils into a box while Dillon scooped up the scattered MonstaQuest cards from the painted surface. ‘Come on, mate. What harm can it do?’

‘What do you care?’ muttered Dillon

Gwen could hear in Rhys’s voice that he was struggling to keep calm. ‘What about this Gareth? Got an address for him? Where can we find this mate of yours?’

Dillon snatched a Weevil model from Rhys’s fingers. ‘He’s no mate of mine. Not any more!’ he shouted. Gwen was alarmed to see the tendons sticking out in the shopkeeper’s thin neck. MonstaQuest cards quivered in his fist – a couple of growling Weevils, and a fiery monster than looked as inflamed as Dillon’s veined forehead. ‘He talked me into setting all this up. Organised these table-top games. Such big plans we had. But when I tell him that the mall management have put the rent up, and I might have to close, what’s he do? Storms out, that’s what!’

Rhys gestured to calm the man down, but this just infuriated him more.

‘Left me holding the baby, good and proper! Niche supplier not good enough for him. He’s getting MonstaQuest into Wendleby’s. Right in the centre of town.’

Rhys gave Gwen a brief look of desperation. But Gwen wasn’t really looking at him now. She was staring at the cards in Dillon’s grip. There was a distinctive lick of fire from the flame monster. Dillon noticed where Gwen was focusing, and took a look himself. He squealed in surprise, and dropped the burning card onto the painted landscape.

It was as though he’d dropped a match onto petrol. With a whumph of ignition, a huge gout of flame spurted upwards from the landscape. All three leaped away from it as the intense heat seared them. This was no ordinary fire. It curled and twisted at the edges, until it defined a distinct humanoid outline. One arm reached out lazily, and a shelf of comic books burst spontaneously into flames.

Gwen’s first reaction was to pull out her handgun. Rhys goggled. ‘What the hell good is that?’ he yelled. ‘Dillon, where’s your fire extinguisher!’

Dillon seemed frozen in shock. Another shelf full of magazines exploded into orange and red and yellow. The whole of one side of the shop was ablaze.

Rhys pulled the shopkeeper away as the table containing the diorama collapsed. The fire creature stood tall in the middle of the conflagration, and reached out a scorching tendril towards them. Dillon covered his face in horror.

A cold dark hole seemed to open up in the centre of the fire creature’s torso. It folded its arms towards its body and bowed its head. Its furiously burning legs buckled, and the whole thing collapsed into a molten heap, scattering embers across the shop where they began fresh fires.

‘It’s gone!’ yelled Rhys.

‘But this fire hasn’t!’ called Gwen. ‘We have to get out of here!’

They dragged Dillon out through the shop exit. After a panicky search, they located the crank that would bring the shutter fully down. Rhys ran to a fire alarm and managed to break the glass on the second attempt. The all-too familiar wail of the alarm echoed throughout the abandoned mall.

The Halloween masks and fake cobweb in the display were ablaze now, the windows blackening and cracking. Sprinklers were making a futile attempt to contain the inferno, but it was already clear that the fire was uncontrollable.

They’d backed away as far as the dead escalators when Leonard’s Toys and Games blew out. Pea-sized chunks of window glass scattered across the area like a sudden shower. Within seconds, the pre-school store next door had caught alight.

Dillon sank to his haunches on the mall floor.

‘That fire-monster enough to scare you?’ Rhys asked him.

The shopkeeper began to sob. ‘No one will believe me,’ he wailed. ‘They’ll have me for arson.’

‘Nah,’ said Rhys. ‘Spark from the till, wasn’t it?’ He nudged Gwen’s elbow. ‘We only just got you out in time, didn’t we Gwen?’

‘That’s right.’ Gwen helped Dillon to stand and indicated their escape route down the stairs. ‘We’re your witnesses.’

The shopkeeper had an incredulous, eager look in his eyes.

‘Well, we could be,’ added Rhys as they ushered Dillon through the fire doors. ‘So long as we get this Gareth’s home address.’