Interrupted Journey

Chapter 3 - Escape

I do not claim to understand the explanation that followed but I don't think she understood it either. I strongly suspect that it was not open to understanding because it simply made no sense. Chunks of the more obscure corners of the Book of Revelations bolted onto the Apocrypha behind the hymn 'Jerusalem': "The Holy Lamb of God in England's pleasant pastures", with a measure of socialist sloganising: "for the many and not the few". I nodded approvingly and knew enough of some of the themes to be able to respond appropriately.

My only problem was in controlling my reaction to the casual references to ritualistic cannibalism that were scattered throughout her explanation. Whilst I recognise that she had become insensitive to the subject, I still found it utterly shocking.

"Thank you, sister," I said when she had finished. I fought to remain calm and consciously stayed in the formal, slightly archaic language that she had been using to put her at her ease. "That understanding is a great comfort to me. If it is not too much trouble, I have a favour to ask. Though she is not one to complain, I know the ropes binding my niece Ashley are much too tight. Could you just loosen them a little so at least her circulation is not cut off."

"You should have said something earlier, dear," she said. I had no trouble containing my rage this time, I was too busy trying to send Ashley telepathic signals to get ready without showing signs of anticipation on my face.

The simpering look of gratitude that Ashley gave was perfect, as was the fluid grace with which she broke the stupid old woman's neck as soon as her hands were free. Laura would be proud of her.

Within seconds, she was completely free and so was I and I caught her in an enormous hug. We just had time to catch our breath when I heard the church door open and a male voice say, "Hello, Gran, are you there?"

"Do something to distract him!" I hissed as I dragged the old woman's body into a store cupboard.

She thought for a moment then responded, "Don't look!" She removed her trousers and underwear and lay back on the floor as if still bound. I could have hugged her again but it would have been wildly inappropriate. Instead I searched desperately around for a weapon. Propped up at the back of the cupboard was a heavy wooden pole with a large metal crucifix at its top. I moved to stand behind the door, hefting the pole to judge its weight.

We heard more sounds of movement out in the church then the door opened and a young man stepped in, carrying a rifle. "Hello," he said, as if he had been expecting his grandmother to be there. "Hello!" he said in an entirely different tone when he saw Ashley's exposed lower body.

The idiot didn't even notice that I was missing. He had already put down his rifle and was fiddling with his trousers when I smashed him over the back of the head with the pole. He collapsed forward onto the floor. I continued to hit his head until the pole shattered leaving a long, viciously sharp, splintered prong at the end.

Rolling him onto his back, I stabbed this prong into his eye and, applying my full weight to the arms of the cross, forced it through the eye socket into his brain. That was the last time he was going to try and rape anyone's niece.

For several seconds, the two of us were silent as I stood back to study my handiwork. The man was lying on his back, a stupid, shocked expression on his face, and a crucifix emerging straight up from his eye. It was the first time that I had ever felt unalloyed satisfaction in having killed someone. It was usually just an unpleasant but necessary task to be performed to allow our community to survive and I frequently felt guilty about it. On this occasion, however, I knew I had made the world a slightly better place.

My attention was dragged back to the present by Ashley scurrying around to find her clothes. I searched the man and found an emergency kit in one thigh pocket and a small amount of food in the other. His belt held a knife and pouches with a surprisingly large amount of ammunition.