Chapter 11 - One Step Too Far

Madeline sat in silence as she was driven back to Armitage City Police Station, the cold metal of the handcuffs around her wrists a grim reminder of the terrible events she was caught up in. Her arresting officer cast occasional looks at her from the rear view mirror but said nothing. As they pulled into the station car park Madeline wondered morosely about what was going to happen to her. Was she going to be convicted of a crime she didn’t commit but could well have caused? Was Mason going to get to her before any of that happened? These were the questions that were filling her grief addled mind as the officer escorted her to the holding cell area at the far end of the station.

‘Stand there, please,’ said the officer, indicating a line on the floor. Madeline looked blankly into the camera as her mug shots were taken and stared helplessly at the ceiling while her DNA swabs were taken from the inside of her cheek. She was then led to a desk where her fingerprints were taken, and all the while a strange feeling like none of it was really happening washed over her. It was all so horrible, things had gone so wrong so quickly that it didn’t feel like reality anymore. It was only when a seated female police officer asked for her name that her attention was brought back.

‘Name?’

‘Oh, Madeline Jameson,’ she replied numbly.

‘Date of birth?’

‘30^th of April, 1982.’

‘Turn out your pockets.’ The officer standing next to Madeline took off her handcuffs but held them ready to reapply.

‘I…I don’t have anything in my pockets,’ said Madeline.

‘Sergeant Tate?’ The seated officer indicated the man who had removed Madeline’s handcuffs.

‘Please spread your legs, Ma’am.’ Madeline did as she was told and was briefly searched before the sergeant took his place at the side of the desk once again. ‘She’s clean.’

‘You don’t have any personal items on you, Ma’am?’ asked the seated officer.

‘They were all in my bag,’ said Madeline slowly, as the realisation dawned on her that she didn’t have it, which meant that she didn’t have the compound.

‘And where’s your bag?’ asked the officer.

‘It was in the squad car.’

‘I searched Sergeant Thomas’ vehicle and didn’t find any bag,’ said Sergeant Tate, further cementing in Madeline the fact that she had lost the compound, the one thing Sebastian said could finally kill Mason.

‘Right, we’re done here,’ said the female officer.

‘Come with me, Ma’am.’ Madeline was led to an empty cell and as the door closed fast the tears began to well up once more in her eyes. Seeing no possible way out, Madeline sat heavily down on her hard bed and started to cry.

 

*          *          *

 

The rest of the day wore on painfully slowly for Madeline, as she paced her tiny cell, intermittently crying over the tragedy of Zeb’s and Sergeant Thomas’ deaths. She had lost the compound and left Sebastian stranded so all hope of stopping Mason had evaporated into the air. Her thoughts also kept returning to the possibility of being convicted for arson and double murder, crimes that carried penalties too severe to think about, and as the afternoon became evening Madeline was overcome with extreme physical exhaustion. She flopped down on to her bed and almost instantly fell into fitful and restless sleep, her body clearly needing to recharge but her mind too full of fear and doubt to power down.

Madeline wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep when a persistent noise roused her from her distressing dreams, but they were unpleasant enough that she was almost glad to be awake, until she remembered where she was and why she was there.

‘Madeline,’ came a whispered voice from somewhere behind her head. Turning sleepily on to her side she could just make out in the gloom a familiar shape standing at the bars of her cell.

‘Sebastian?’ she said groggily.

‘Yes, it’s me. I am sorry I could not get here sooner but I had to stop and pick up this.’ Madeline sat up and approached the bars, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she did so. When she could focus again she could see that Sebastian was holding a syringe.

‘What’s that for?’ she asked.

‘This,’ said Sebastian, holding up the glass vial that contained his compound.

‘Where did you…?’

‘Your bag was dragged to the street along with me, and I was relieved to find the compound inside. Now, quickly, roll up your sleeve.’

‘What, now? Someone might see.’

'Just expose your arm for me, they won’t see me.’

‘How come?’

‘Because they don’t expect to.’ Madeline leant towards the bars and looked down the corridor to see if anyone was coming, and as Sebastian began to draw the compound into the syringe a thought struck her.

‘Hey, wait a minute. You’ve tried this on vampires, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘How many humans have you tried it on?’ Sebastian said nothing as Madeline looked at him questioningly. ‘You’ve never tried it on a human before, have you?’

‘Not as such, no,’ he replied honestly.

‘So how do you know that stuff’s not going to kill me?’

‘I doubt it will.’

‘You doubt it will? You don’t know?’

‘You are, I regret, the first fully alive person I have administered this to.’

‘But what if it doesn’t work?’

‘It has to.’ Madeline weighed up her options for a moment, and, realising they were pretty slim, decided she had nothing to lose.

‘Okay, do it,’ she said, extending her arm. She winced slightly at the scratch of the needle before continuing. ‘We still have the problem of me being in here though. How am I supposed to get to Mason?’

‘He’ll come for you,’ said Sebastian, replacing the stopper on the glass vial.

‘He will? When?’ The sound of a door opening at the far end of the corridor distracted Madeline briefly and when she turned back Sebastian was gone.

‘Sebastian?’ she hissed to no reply. She quickly rolled her sleeve back down as one of the officers working the graveyard shift approached her cell.

‘We’ve just got a call from your brother, Miss Jameson, he’s on his way to see you.’

‘He is?’ The officer didn’t say anything in reply, but Madeline was more concerned with what she was going to say to Chris. How could she tell him all that had happened to her and have him believe it? She began pacing her cell once again and the time seemed to stretch out before her, but as soon as the door opened to the cell area she rushed to the bars to greet Chris.

‘Hello my dear.’ Madeline recoiled in horror as before her stood Mason, large as life and smiling in the nauseatingly calm way that sent a chill to her spine.

‘Officer, this isn’t my brother, he’s a maniac!’

‘Oh come now,’ said Mason in an oily smooth tone. ‘The stories you tell, next thing you know you’ll be telling them I was Jack the Ripper.’ Madeline looked from Mason to the officer standing behind him and wondered why he had accepted Mason’s obvious lie about being her brother, but as she stared at the officer’s vacant expression and back into Mason’s cold, hard eyes she realised that he would believe anything Mason told him.

‘You are free to go,’ said the officer in a somewhat robotic voice as he unlocked the door to her cell and slid it open. ‘We are sorry for inconveniencing you.’

‘No, don’t send me with him, he’ll kill me!’ protested Madeline, as she backed away as far as she could.

‘Now now, this simply won’t do,’ said Mason silkily as he walked into the cell and took Madeline by the arm. ‘These nice officers clearly have you confused with someone else and I was kind enough to point out their mistake. Now let’s hear no more about it and just go home.’

‘Have a nice day,’ said the officer blandly.

‘Why thank you,’ said Mason brightly. ‘You too.’ As they walked through the station Madeline looked about to see if there was anyone else who might come to her aid but everywhere she looked she found the same blank expressions on all the officers.

‘I know what you’re doing,’ she said.

‘Well done,’ smiled Mason. ‘Maybe now you realise the futility of causing me further grievances.’

‘You were Jack the Ripper, weren’t you?’

‘Yes, I was, although I never did care for the name. Now please do not try anything foolish, I have gone to far too much trouble to simply kill you right here and now. Besides, there is something you simply must see.’

‘What?’

‘Patience my dear, patience.’

 

*          *          *

 

As they exited the police station Mason placed a firm hand on Madeline’s shoulder to prevent her from running, and waiting patiently by his sleek Mercedes was Andreas, who shot an uncharacteristically dark look at Madeline, contrasting with his usual stony demeanour. His feelings about her aside, Andreas still opened the car door for her and Mason.

‘Thank you, Andreas. Take us home.’

‘Yes sir.’ As the car pulled out of the car park Mason sat back and looked Madeline over with his piercing, malicious eyes.

‘You know, many vampires would by now have regretted choosing such a feisty young thing as a trophy but I must say Madeline you have provided some excellent sport.’ The light of the car’s interior illuminated Mason’s face in such a grotesque fashion that Madeline could barely stand to look at him, and she remained silent, not wanting to let Mason bait her further.

‘You actually remind me of Annie Chapman,’ he said, continuing despite Madeline’s silence.

‘Who?’

‘Oh remember your research, girl. Annie Chapman, my second victim during my time as Gentleman Jack.’

‘Oh,’ said Madeline numbly, who didn’t feel as if she had the capacity to be brought any lower.

‘Yes she had a fire about her, much like you, it was almost a shame to kill her.’

‘I bet,’ said Madeline bitterly.

‘Almost, but not quite.’ Mason smiled so sickeningly that Madeline had to look away, and the rest of the journey was spent in silence, her captor satisfied for the moment. After a while the smoothness of the asphalt was replaced by the crisp crunch of Mason’s gravel drive and the car soon glided to a halt. Andreas once again opened the door for them and Madeline was escorted into the house flanked by both men.

‘Welcome to my humble abode, this way.’ Madeline was forced to follow as they walked through elegantly appointed corridors and past equally elegant rooms, until they came at last to a door that resembled a bank vault.

‘After you,’ he said smarmily. Madeline made her way through the heavy looking door and down a flight of stone steps until they came to a set of larger, heavier looking metal doors. She realised as she went along that this was eerily similar to what happened to Sebastian all those years ago, and as she passed through the double doors she prayed she wouldn’t be met by the same sight that greeted Sebastian the night he was sired.

Her prayers went unfortunately unanswered, as what she saw when she entered the room through the double doors was exactly what Sebastian had himself witnessed; lines of stinking cages all containing freshly sired vampires, all naked and bestial. Madeline put her hand to her mouth both out of horror and because of the putrid smell that filled the air, all the while Mason eyed her with a sense of cruel amusement.

‘Say hello to my babies,’ he said proudly. No matter how disgusting and abhorrent Sebastian made this sight feel in his book it could not compare to actually seeing it, and feeling a wave of nausea grip her Madeline sank to her knees and vomited on the cold stone floor.

‘Yes it does get a bit pungent in here, doesn’t it?’ said Mason conversationally. ‘But no matter, we’re merely passing through, but before we do come and look at this.’ Mason strode off along one of the lines of cages and Andreas picked Madeline up roughly by the arm and led her to where Mason was standing, his hands on his hips and a devious grin on his face.

‘Madeline my dear, may I present your charming brother.’ Madeline looked in disbelief as Mason indicated the cage he was standing beside and feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach she saw inside the cage, on all fours, Chris. The horror overcame her so quickly and completely that the scream which erupted from her mouth sounded primal, almost feral. Once again Madeline sank to her knees as huge shrieks of anguish were torn from her mouth, the tears streaming down her face. Like all the others, Chris was completely naked and crouched like an animal. His eyes were not those of her zealous but loving brother but of a soulless creature, now devoid of any semblance to what was once Chris Jameson. Only one thing marked him out as different from the rest, he wore about his face some kind of cage-like mask and as Madeline looked at what used to be her brother Mason opened the cage and affixed a lead to Chris’ neck, dragging him out of the cage like some huge wild dog.

‘Stop it stop it stop it!’ screamed Madeline, her throat hoarse and dry. ‘Why him? Why?’

‘Simple,’ smiled Mason. ‘To sweeten the blood. Nothing tastes better than blood that is rife with fear and misery. But I digress, we shall not do this here. Come, I have room specially prepared for us.’ Mason walked off to the other side of the room, dragging Chris behind him, and once again Andreas took Madeline by the arm and forced her to her feet. Her legs didn’t feel like they would work at first but Andreas’ pace and the grip with which he held her arm was enough to make her keep up. In the far left corner of the cage room was another single metal door that Mason opened and took Chris through, closely followed by Madeline and then Andreas, who locked the door behind him. The room they were now in looked like some sort of control room, a computerised panel running almost the length of one wall. Set into the wall above it were several monitors, all showing what looked to be areas of a darkened stone maze. Next to the computer panel was a single metal door and sitting along the opposite wall was a comfortable looking leather sofa, into which Madeline was unceremoniously forced by Andreas.

‘Don’t move,’ he said sternly before moving over to the control panel. He began pressing buttons while Mason secured Chris’ lead in the corner of the room so he could not reach anyone, and then, taking a set of keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the door to the maze.

‘Let’s make this sporting, shall we?’ he said jovially. ‘I’ll give you a minute’s head start, that’s more than fair.’

‘What?’ asked Madeline, trying to make sense of what was going on.

‘Tut tut, you’re wasting precious time.’

‘Move!’ snapped Andreas as he came away from the control panel and pulled her up by the arm for the third time. Madeline walked unsteadily towards the door and felt the cold, clammy air of what was clearly a large space as she stepped into the maze and into darkness. Mason shut the door and locked it and just as the panic was setting in Madeline heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere.

‘I would get going if I were you,’ said Mason into the microphone that was mounted on the control panel before beginning to undress. He preferred to hunt his victims naked, allowing the beast in him to blossom forth. ‘Watch him,’ he added, as he padded across to the door and motioned to Chris.

‘Yes sir.’

In the pitch blackness of the maze Madeline fumbled and groped her way as best she could, all the while her heavy, ragged breathing filling her ears as they strained to listen for any sounds of Mason. Goosebumps began to rise on her skin from the chill of the air and her heart pounded hard and fast inside her chest. As her eyes began to grow accustomed to the darkness she felt she could make out dim shapes of where walls ended and began, and as she continued on her way a cruel chuckle broke the deafening silence.

‘You’re getting warmer,’ said Mason’s disembodied voice, causing the sweat to prickle on Madeline’s brow and the pulse to increase in her ears and temples. She looked all about her in desperation, feeling half-blind for any indication of where Mason was, and as she swung around she felt a gust of wind as something passed her very closely.

‘Hmmm, your fear smells delicious,’ breathed Mason not an inch from her ear. Madeline screamed and ran, hitting walls and tripping over her own feet as she heard Mason’s cruel laughter fill the air. Rounding a blind corner she ran face first into a wall and fell backwards, instantly feeling a steady rush of blood coming from her nose.

‘I smell that,’ said Mason from somewhere off in the distance, but his revelling was cut short by the unmistakable noise of a door slamming shut. ‘Andreas? Is that you? I told you not to disturb me.’ Dabbing at her bloody nose with her sleeve Madeline listened as a new sound filled the maze. It was a strange guttural sound, like breathing but far more animalistic, and as Madeline sat frozen in terror she saw a dark shape rush past the alcove she was huddled within. The strange noise grew into a snarl and Mason could then be heard, far less cocky and arrogant than he had been before.

‘What is he doing out? Andreas? Andreas?!’

‘Andreas is dead,’ echoed Sebastian’s voice throughout the maze. Madeline gave a start at the sound of this familiar and welcome voice, but Mason was far from pleased.

‘Why you insolent little cockroach! I’m going to rid myself of you once and for all!’ Mason’s words had barely faded into echo when the maze was suddenly flooded with light, as Sebastian flicked every switch on the wall mounted panel, Andreas’ decapitated body lying in the middle of the floor. Blinking in the harsh light, Madeline pulled herself up and decided to make a run for the door, but she found what she thought to be the right passage something barrelled out of a side passage and knocked her to the floor.

‘And now we end this!’ hissed Mason, his fangs fully exposed and a look of pure maddening hatred emblazoned across his demonic features. ‘Oh and don’t worry about your dear brother, I killed the pathetic little whelp.’ As Madeline’s eyes widened in terror Mason struck, sinking his fangs deep into her neck and drinking the very life from her. The pain seared through her body as she fought and struggled against the iron-like force of Mason, and as he drank deeper and deeper she began to feel light headed. Then suddenly, Mason’s grip loosened and he tumbled backwards off of her on to his back.

‘No! He said it didn’t exist,’ he croaked painfully as he writhed and twisted on the cold stone. ‘Sebastian you…’

‘For Catherine and Isabelle,’ said Sebastian, appearing round a corner and picking Madeline up and taking her weight on his shoulder. ‘See you in hell!’ Mason tried to go after them as Sebastian half dragged Madeline out of the maze but his legs would not support his weight. He sank to his knees and fell once again on to his back as the compound Sebastian had worked so hard for ate him from the inside.

Stopping briefly to pick Madeline up completely, Sebastian charged through doors and thundered down corridors towards the front door.

‘Do I smell gas?’ slurred Madeline deliriously before she passed out.

‘Yes, you do!’ Crashing through the front door, Sebastian kept going until he was knocked off his feet by the massive explosion that tore through Mason’s house. Madeline was stirred slightly by the noise and the bump to the ground, and the last thing she saw before completely losing consciousness was a ball of fire rising into the night sky.

 

*          *          *

 

‘Maddie? Maddie?’ Madeline became aware of a voice somewhere in the peaceful realm she inhabited and as her mind swam back into focus she realised it belonged to Abby.

‘Hey, she’s awake!’ said Ben, as Madeline gingerly opened her eyes. She winced as she felt pain over most of her body but as her eyes lost their sleep induced gumminess she saw she was surrounded by friends.

‘Abby, Ben, Mike,’ she said, smiling. Her throat felt very dry and when she moved her head she felt a sharp pain in her neck where Mason had…

Mason!

Madeline tried to sit up but her body protested, causing her to gasp in pain.

‘Take it easy, Maddie,’ said Abby. ‘You’re okay, you’re in the hospital.’

‘How did I get here?’

‘We don’t know, we just got a call from someone saying you were here.’

‘But this was handed in with you,’ said Ben, handing Madeline a letter addressed to her. She tentatively sat up in bed and opened the letter, which read:

 

Dear Madeline,

 

We have succeeded! Words cannot describe how thankful

I am to you in helping me bring this monster down, I feel as

If the weight of a thousand souls has been lifted off my shoulders.

I am so sorry about your brother, but his sacrifice was not in vain.

I doubt you will ever see me again, for I am going home, but

thank you once again.

 

Your friend,

Sebastian

 

‘Who’s it from?’ asked Ben.

‘Just a friend,’ said Madeline.

‘We called your parents,’ said Abby sadly. ‘They’re on their way.’

‘Thank you.’ Madeline put the letter on the bedside table and fell into a deep sleep.

 

*          *          *

 

It didn’t take long for the news to break, fire fighters were called to the blaze at the home of Professor Jonathan Mason and in the sub-basement floors the charred remains of numerous bodies were found, including what was believed to be Mason himself. Forensic investigations of the house and the bodies pointed strongly to Mason’s involvement, if not direct participation, in the disappearances and subsequent murders of several young Armitage women, and Jonathan Mason was cemented in the public’s eye as a vile sexual predator and vicious murderer. Very few people would know the truth, but that didn’t matter to Sebastian, Mason was dead and he could finally return home to his native London. Sitting in the corner of a cargo plane’s hold, Sebastian smiled to himself at the thought that his task was at last complete. His smile left him as he thought of all the people that had to die before Mason was finally stopped, especially Chris, Madeline’s brother. There was no need whatsoever for him to become involved in this and Sebastian cursed the fact that he had not foreseen Mason’s plans for the unfortunate young man. As the plane continued on its way Sebastian said a silent prayer for Chris, as well as all the others who were now, at last, avenged.

 

*          *          *

 

In the pre-dawn hours of a cold and crisp London morning, a dishevelled figure made his way through the deserted streets to an old churchyard in Mayfair. Opening the rusted and creaking gate, Sebastian easily found the twin graves of his wife and daughter, long neglected throughout the years. Picking the bracken off the discoloured tombstones, Sebastian uttered a prayer for both Catherine and Isabelle before sitting down across their graves.

The sun would be up in an hour or two.

Then it would be truly over.

Then they could be together again.