9.
Van Helsing slid off the mule back for his legs had frozen in the joints after a gruelling fourteen hours tracking over the high mountain range. He would had settled for sea trip but that will take him on a journey that will last him for weeks He had contemplated the dirigible but the weather was not permitting so it was the old way of riding. It was not like a ride across Europe with the thick forest and hills past the streams. His last ride was sitting hugging the creature neck without looking down and praying hard for God to guide you through. It did not help much when the mule will not speak back in decent guttural noise that resembled words that are comfortable. His guide was not of assistance with more curses at the silent creature or the out of chord singing that he had prayed harder will not annoy the Frost Giants from their slumber There were some moments when the snows cliffs rumbled but the drift down was smaller than expected.
“We rest here.” Van Helsing heard the guide but his enthusiasm dwindled when he saw the rest area was a squalid hut probably built with stout timbers for it to stay rigid in the snow blind trail. He stumbled onto the hut and stepped into the possible last sanctuary then. He was greeted by the blazing fireplace with three figures huddled around it. He looked around the place and saw little was added to the place besides the snow shoes and ample ropes with the carabiner clips, picks and even a set of skis. He saw also the animal hides that were pasted to the walls to shut out the wind and the noise. He heard the door behind latched and turned to look. It was not his guide but another figure dressed in the thick clothing to counter the cold air.
Van Helsing himself was also dressed in the thick clothing reached for his bag on the back and lowered it to the ground. He stepped away to the far wall and then unzipped the thick jacket of his. He could feel the mechanical arm of his was rigid and needed a new coat of oil. He then looked at the newly arrived figure joined the others at the fireplace. His instinct told him that they were going to be trouble. He reached into his jacket and held the dismantled staffs which were in two pieces then.
“You can share the fire.” The one that latched the doorway spoke. “We won’t kill or rob you.”
Van Helsing stared at the group of huddled men. He decided to walk over and joined them with the men moving aside to make space for him. He pulled out his left hand glove to let the blood get circulated.
“It takes some getting used to with the arm.” Van was all attentive when he heard the man spoke of his arm. “Don’t get tensed, Van Helsing. We are not here to fight you.”
“That is a consolation. I don’t fancy killing anyone today.” Van Helsing looked away from the fire to avoid his eyes getting blinded by it. “So who are you?”
The one next to him pulled the sleeve back to show Van Helsing the tattoo. It displayed the dark wolf leaping .
“Are we on a truce here?” Van Helsing voiced out. The Dark Wolves were a dark mercenary unit that worked for the occult groups in the upper bigger continent. They have been known to protect the occult groups or work operations for them.
“It seems to be the way.” The group leader replied. “We are here to follow you to find the doctor. And assist you if need be. That’s what we were paid to do.”
Van Helsing stood up and then stepped back to the far wall.
“I have no need of benefactors. You may do as you please but if you get in my way then prepare to die.” Van Helsing voiced his view on the arrangement.
“Do not be hasty, Demon slayer. The one that you will need to slay is not a demon but of a Man. Emperor Fu Manchu is not an easy prey. Trust us that if we work together we may survive.” The leader of the group replied and then he stood up. “My name is Death. These are Famine, War and Conquest. We are the …”
“The Four Horsemen of the Dark Wolves….” Van Helsing muttered out. “Demons too.”
Demons were the furthest thoughts from Watson’s mind then with Sherlock adding to that point. They were out at the terrace where Mycroft had sat but the later was recovering on the bedding in the room.
“I never thought with my skills, I would have missed out on your other profession.” Sherlock commented. “I guess your limp with your war experiences gave you cover then. I knew you were adept with the blades but it was for surgical purposes. Never seen you cooked…”
“Hush it, Holmes.” Watson tone then was agitated and he uses Holmes name when that occurred. “The Princess is out there with my son. I need to find her.”
“Yes, your love. I can see that concern. Actually I have done some work before I arrived and that was also how I track you down.” Sherlock replied. “There are some old friends of mine who retired here. They are the older and fancier mates from the older days of beer guzzling sessions when the bladder could hold a few pints of brew then. Bloody good friends and among them were a few that originated from here.”
“Ah, here is the help I was waiting for.” The local figure dressed in the khaki uniform approached Sherlock with urgency and then saluted him before passing over the message written on the paper. Sherlock turned to read it and chuckled.
“He still named me Shylock although I did tell him I could remove a pound of flesh without spilling the blood. It was a dead corpse then… Sherlock stopped when he saw Watson was not keen to listen to any jibes of his then. “Yes, the Princess was seen at the train station with a younger man. They boarded the train to the south.”
“That’s it?” Watson was annoyed. “Surely your fancy friends will know more.”
“These ain’ the Baker’s Lads that you were acquainted with back home. These are ….distinguish gentlemen who happened to lodge with me once before….”
“South….” Watson cut in with his mind thinking. “I know where they are headed to. She is going to the island.”
“Good man. Keep on your thinking cap and we can be back in a jiffy.” Sherlock exclaimed out. “So tell me where’s the island located? Was it called Deep End?”
Watson glared at the man who was so keen to know on the one fact that he had kept secret for years. He had pledged to the old Raj that he will not share with anyone on the island location.
“Even death do you suffered?” Watson recalled then at the palace when he faced the old Raj. Watson looked hard into the elderly man’s face and then felt the pressure on his right hand. He looked to the young feminine figure next to him. She gave him the wonderful smile that he always treasured.
“Say yes, my love.” The lady whispered to him. “It’s the oath to take.”
“Yes, Rajah. I will preserve it in my mind and …my heart.” Watson replied to the elderly man he had saved from near death. “I will be obliged by the oath.”
With the oath taken, Watson was allowed to be united with his lover then but their union was short. The call came late that night. Watson heard the pounding on the chamber door. He rushed to it and was met by the elderly Raj. The later looked at the other love of his life seated on the bedding.
“Get dress, my daughter. I need to talk to the doctor.” The elderly man dragged Watson to an adjacent chamber. There he told Watson the rumours that he heard.
“My days are numbered. I may die today or tomorrow not by disease or age but by deceit manners. Maybe an assassin…” Watson cut in to get the real reason he was called.
“My cousin had planned a revolt against me. He had the others with him. They will rule me out as a tyrant or a betrayal of the kingdom. You must leave. I must ….declare you an enemy of the kingdom.”
“I will leave but Nani goes with me. She is ….”
“She is my Princess. She will stay here. She is to be married to the cousin of mine to ….prevent this revolt. I have no choice. Even if you do not agree I am forced to …send you away.” The elderly Raj told him. Watson was to protest on but the Raj stopped him then. “You are still my preferred son but the kingdom comes first. Do as I say and when the time is right, come back to restore my throne. Not for me but for my grandson.”
“I …” Watson was taken aback that the Raj knew of the child unborn then.
“I am old but with so many wives, I know when they are pregnant.” The elderly man smiled. “When you received the message not to come it was meant to come faster.”
“Watson!” The good doctor was shaken of his day dream looked at Sherlock. “Where were you?”
“Sorry, I was carried away on some …”
“Daydreams are not your usual repertoire of excuses. Sit up, doctor. We got company.”
10.
Lady Jane Greystoke lowered her head when she stepped out of the vehicle assisted by her lover who held her hand. She looked around and found her new location was some sort of warehouse with a high ceiling and the wooden beams running across with the spaced out pillars. She saw the chains that hung from it, and then the huge cage. They have placed a king sized bedding there with the study table and seat. She counted eight guards there armed with rifles and with the Hauptmann that made for nine threats.
“Considered of them but can I have some curtains please? A lady needs her privacy sometimes.” Jane spoke out and then without any alert signs, she leverage on the arm extended by her lover to jump high and lashed out with her right leg on a swinging kick at the guard standing by the vehicle. Her kick knocked the guard back and using that momentum she jumped over the body before she reached for the rifle. She pulled the trigger but there was not bullet shooting out.
“Stay calm, Lady Jane. The rifles are unloaded. Well, not all but we won’t tell you which one.” The Hauptmann told her. “We anticipated your moves.”
At that moment Lord Greystoke had jumped to the top of the vehicle and towards a hanging chain but he never made it. The dart hit him in the left shoulder and numbed his muscles. He fell to the flooring in pain. From the dark corner, a tall stout figure dressed in the khaki shirt and knee length shorts complete with boots emerged holding a hunting high powered rifle. The figure approached the fallen figure. Lord Greystoke looked at the man who shot him.
“Sean Mercer.” The name belonged to the big game hunter who worked with the ones who can pay his fees. He was also a poacher and had some run-ins with the Lord Greystoke in his alter ego as Tarzan.
“Take them into the cage.” The Hauptmann instructed the guards.
“I don’t think so.” Sean Mercer levelled his rifle at the Hauptmann. “Tarzan comes with me.”
“Herr Mercer, we had a deal. You were to assist…”
“I did my part. I caught you the man and now I am taking over the man.” The hunter looked at the Hauptmann but the other was not taking it well. The Hauptmann reached for his holster and the bullet from the rifle threw him far back.
“I reloaded with my real bullets.” Mercer looked at the guards. “You wouldn’t want to fight me but I do.”
Without a signal or alert, figures scaled down the chains from the overhead beams and throats were cut then with the sharp daggers. The nine figures dropped down to the flooring along with their victims. Those were dressed in the dark clothing and were barefooted with the rifle slung on their back.. They had travelled far to be with their master and were named as the Hunters.
“Thank you, Boys. I am sure to call on you later.” Mercer told the killer who had then taken off into the dark. He then faced the captive duo.
“I am sure you have questions for me. Well, I am looking for the good doctor and knowing you are the same, I thought we joined forces.”
“Sean Mercer, we have never been allies” Lord Greystoke replied. “You are the hyena and I am the ….”
“Ape? Yes, you are the King of the Apes. Right now, it does not matter to me who is the King but I am here to protect you.”
“We need no protection, killer of the young.” Lady Greystoke glared at the hunter. “I will rather die than be …”
”Die?” Mercer levelled the rifle at the lady but Tarzan stepped in between the two.
“There will be no killing today. Not anymore. We will not need your protection but we will also not fight you. Not today.” Lord Greystoke stared at the hunter. “We can work together to find the doctor and then we decide.”
“Fine by me. Please let the couple leave this place.” Mercer and his killers then retreated into the darkness and then they left. When the hunter and the other have left, Jane confronted her lover.
“He won’t shoot me…”
“You are wrong. He was going to.” Lord Greystoke looked at his lover. “I cannot lose you. Not even Jack. We both love you.”
“You have changed, John. You were never caught up in the emotional states. Why did we let them go?” Jane held out her right hand to hold the others’ left elbow before she looked at the cage. She dread the thought of being caged.
“Sean Mercer works for the highest pay master. He has been known to betray his masters if the odds are too great to counter. He wants the doctor like us. I will lead him there and then we will complete both tasks then.”
It was later when they arrived at the hotel where Mycroft was staying. They alighted from the vehicle at the hotel entrance. It was the ingenuity of the lady to learn how to manoeuvre such idiotic wagon which does need a wider turning radius compared to a horse. More to it there was no reversal option.
“I will ride on the back of Tantor any day.” Lord Greystoke glared at the contraption he had endured for over an hour. AS for the lady who managed it, she was all ecstatic on it. She had never taken the helm on it and the last journey was more exciting than her jump off the high branch to reach for the tree vine.
“That was great.” Lady Greystoke pulled the goggles off the bridge of her nose and then looked at the side mirror provided by the vehicle. She have two rings of soot around her eyes, and she thought it was more charming than the ones on the baboon end.
“If we are to move in that, may I suggest a saddle on the rear seats.” Lord Greystoke remarked to his lover.
“I would agree with that anytime.” Lord Greystoke turned to look at the person who spoke.
“Van Helsing! I am ever glad to see you.” Lord Greystoke hugged the huge man who had then removed his thick coat but the bag still slung on his back.
“Did you get the same call by SOE?” Lord Greystoke smiled at the man. “I wondered if we will be kicking some criminals to the end of the world once more.”
“I won’t doubt that. The gates of Hades still remained open for many of them.” Van Helsing then turned to the lady who had alighted from the vehicle. He did a bow towards her and complimented on her beauty.
“Is Lady Harkness joining us?” Lady Greystoke asked.
“No she won’t be.” That voice was from Sherlock Holmes who greeted the three guests then. He was accompanied by Doctor Watson.
“Herr Doctor, you are the cause of our enduring journey to here.” Van Helsing shook the extended hands and then he motioned to the rear. “The sons of the Dark Wolves are on your trail too. They are shy to sit with us.”
“So are Sean Mercer and his hunters.” Lord Greystoke commented. “You have built a reputation that defies even ours.”
“Lady and Gentlemen, may we convene under the cover of the terrace.” That voice came from above and it was more like a command by the damnable Mycroft who was still in his dressing gown.
“Are you on vacation or is that the casual in the hotel here?” Lady Greystoke hollered back but the man on the upper level window was seen withdrawing for more urgent issues.
“Did I singe his tail when I asked?” Lady Greystoke looked at Sherlock.
“No, my Lady. Mycroft is …how delicately may I place it, preoccupied with the food that is digesting through his larger intestines. Am I right, Doctor Watson?”
“Elementary, my dear Holmes.” Watson replied with a forlorn looking expression. “Elementary indeed.”
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