Chapter 11- Remulous Havoc #2
The cinema was as cold and abandoned as always. As they approached the large red curtains drew and china came running out to meet them. Her hair was coiled down her shoulders in dark seducing curls and Valkyrie had to look away to stop herself from staring.
"Skulduggery" she sighed "Thank god"
He came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She cocked her head "Follow" she said.
As they walked through the doors the sound of machinery beeped and whirred in their surroundings.
"Billy Ray sanguine…" she said "I was meeting an old friend, who just so happened to find him lying in the street with half his blood running down the road."
"Was he alive?" Skulduggery asked.
"Just" she said "I managed to keep him breathing until we reached Kenspeckle."
Skulduggery nodded as they speed walked around a corner.
"Why bother?" He asked innocently.
Valkyries gut twirled at the lack of sympathy in his voice.
"He said something about you as we were bringing him here…something about his 'plan to kill someone' at first I found it amusing…until he started to mention the faceless ones…then I got angry." She knocked on a door and heard Kenspeckle yelling in the distance.
"He's trying to find Vaurien Scapegrace for some reason…I was wondering if you'd like to find out why?"
Skulduggery laughed. "Of course my dear Miss sorrows…now where's our patient."
Kenspeckle Grouse opened the door angrily, as if on cue, but relaxed a little when he saw Valkyrie.
"What do you want?" He asked.
Skulduggery opened his jaw to speak but China silenced him.
"We're here to see Mr Billy Ray Sanguine? I brought him here about an hour ago…"
Kenspeckle nodded "Ah, yes of course, Oh but, He's on life support at the moment I don't want any violence right now Mr pleasant? Is that an agreement?"
Skulduggery nodded and they were brought into a large room to the corner of the building.
The light was warm, orange and peaceful but the scene in the centre of it was not at all calming in any way possible.
Bags of blood were hooked up into machines that were hooked up into Sanguine's body. His face was grey and bloodless and the skin around his eyes was a deep purple.
He flinched at their arrival and his eyelids opened revealing the eyeless sockets in his face.
He groaned.
"Hey Doll face" He said weakly trying to smile
"Jus' can't get ridda' me hey?" He coughed aggressively into the air.
Valkyrie's mouth twitched into a sort of pathetic smile "Unfortunately not"
"Sanguine, im not here to chat, you may have initially guessed that, but to the point- lets get down to business- China saved you're life am I right?"
He grunted.
"You owe us and what better a time to fulfil that debt by telling us information. As you put it earlier: let's 'spill the beans'"
His smile melted a little bit and he swallowed awkwardly.
"Yeah well she mighta' helped me…a little…bit…But Y'all don't expect me to tell you anything now do ya?"
The heart rate monitor beeped steadily.
"That would mean that we are here for no reason. Tell us…or" He looks at Valkyrie
"Option 4?" she remarked.
"Well it wouldn't work as well…but the results would be hysterical."
As Sanguine tried to laugh his stomach throbbed wildly and his voice turned into a raspy squeak.
"You Cain't torture me…you folks wouldn't cope…you couldn't… So why'd I have to owe you anything…The sorrows gal…she never told me saving my life was a bargain?"
"Im saying it now" She said sweetly.
Valkyrie rolled up a sleeve.
"We didn't kill you back at my uncles house…we wanted too but we didn't"
"Really wanted to." Skulduggery threw in. "Look you're a mess right now sanguine and I doubt your daddy would like to find out about you're failure?"
Sanguine's breath suddenly sounded rusty and sore.
"No- no wait" He coughed Up phlegm "Don't…you don't have to tell him…I'll tell you anything…most things…" He clutched his neck with one weak hand.
"Hey, does this place have water? Im parched lil love?" he looked at Valkyrie.
"Little love?" Valkyrie repeated mockingly "Uh, Kenspeckle left some for you" She reaches to the bed stand and passes it to him; he grips it weakly with his frail, bony hands.
"You're avoiding the question" skulduggery said "what can you tell us? Who do you work for?"
Sanguine sniffed innocently "Can you put on my glasses? I feel naked without them…Oh and I can't drink this by myself….help me first then I'll talk."
Valkyries mouth dropped slightly.
"My muscles hurt…" he said "Help me drink please…"
Skulduggery looked at Val expectantly.
"No" she said abruptly
Skulduggery nodded
"NO WAY!" she said
"I'll get you a better Christmas present this year…better than a stick anyway…" he sniggered.
Valkyrie rolled her eyes and put Sanguine's sunglasses on his eyes, she lifted the cup for him and tilted it until it had gone empty.
Skulduggery waited patiently and examined around the room looking at weird and confusing little contraptions.
"Talk" Valkyrie said as she pulled away and crumpled the plastic cup in her hand.
He sniggers at her embarrassment and lays his head back deep into his two thick pillows.
"His name is Havoc…Remulous Havoc…Y'all know him when you meet him… dead white…creepy as hell...He's into all this faceless one crap…but he's a deep man… Deep into this messed up shit… This Urm…'Scapegrace' dude…he's….i….i….no I really can't say man…I aint risking nothin' I aint allowed"
Valkyrie sighed "Anything else?"
"What's so special about scapegrace?" Skulduggery said.
Sanguines belly started to sting again and he moaned.
"I…I dunno…something about…some other man…bigger…scarier…I dun'no…I don't think I know it all… Havoc'll kill me…. When he finds out im alive…im dead…"
"Have fun with that predicament" Skulduggery said.
Valkyrie plastered a fake smile on her face before turning on her heel and heading for the door.
"WAIT!" he yelled under a croaky throat " g-guys! W-when I recover…Im under sanctuary protection right? Y'all wudn' jus leave me?"
The three of them left without another word.
Valkyrie popped her head around the door "Sorry about that…"
With that they were gone.
Sanguine swore under his breath.
"Of course" he sighed "Why'd I expect anything else."
He raised his voice as loud as he could hoping to attract some attention to himself.
"NOT LIKE U IDIOTS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO SCAPEY NEXT WEEK!" He laughed evilly.
Valkyrie comes sprinting back into the room and feircley grabs him by the collar pulling his out of bed a little bit.
"TELL ME! OR I WILL MAKE SURE YOURE TORTURE WILL BE EXCRUCIATING."
Sanguine whimpered not sure whether to laugh or scream.
"P-P-PUT M-Me down right now! ….MY…SHIT!" He screamed "IT HURTS LITTLE LADY! P-put me down!"
"ILL TELL YOU! p-put me down!" he squeals his voice croaky from pain
Valkyrie yanked his collar harder pulling him even further off the pillow.
"The quicker you tell me, the quicker the pain stops."
Sanguine screamed if he'd of had eyes they would have been watering.
"ITS IN HIS BLOOD!" He screamed "THE DISEASE IS IN HIS BLOOD" HE'LL KILL US ALL!" He bit his lip in agony " PLEASE…ple…assseee…." He gasps for air "IT HURTS….It hurts so so bad…"
Valkyrie dropped his back onto his pillow "Speak now"
Sanguine shuts his 'eyes' panting and holding his chest…he groans and tries to catch his breath.
"Ok…h…havoc….he…he said that…Fallonia…s… she had this curse or some'in…he'd been searching for her for a long time…Its been passed I think…from her to him and…it only happens once a month…big thing…dark and evil…Scapegrace….he can destroy cities…c-countries…he has to be killed…or Havoc'll get'im first…"
Sanguine groaned…."Where's Doc…I need morphine…"
Skulduggery appeared from the doorway with China and Kenspeckle following.
"Thank you for your co-operation" Skulduggery said and Kenspeckle came over to help his whinging patient.
China, Valkyrie and skulduggery walked outside into the corridor.
"We won't kill scapegrace right?" Valkyrie said.
"What's it to you?" China sniggered.
"The mans to innocent to die…he'd never admit it…but he's the softest guy I've ever met…he doesn't deserve to be murdered…even…if he is…'cursed' or whatever"
Skulduggery sniggered "Hmph…I hope you're not getting a soft side for the idiot…"
"Course not…" Valkyrie lied…"Of course not…"
Meanwhile Kenspeckle looked at sanguine angrily.
"Why did you pull out you plugs? Ow look what you've done now! Made a mess everywhere…" He grumbled.
"NO! it was the girl! The lil devil! She did this!"
Kenspeckle grunted "Of course she did?!" he laughed "you're so twisted" he shook his head disappointed. "She's only a young innocent girl"
Sanguine snarled.
"Don't you snarl at me young man! Or no medicine for you!"
Sanguine's pride vanished immediately and he bowed his head furiously.
"IM SORRY" he said through gritted teeth.
"There" Kenspeckle said smugly… "That wasn't so hard now was it?"