VEE

I drag my phone from my back pocket, relieved it’s not broken. “I’ll call the guys and let them know what’s happening and who you are. You really should’ve gone about this in a more logical way.”

Seth grabs the phone from my hands. “Casey.”

She remotely opens the rear window and he chucks the phone out, which disappears as we speed along. “Seth!” I shout. “You should let me call the guys and they’ll know I’m okay. Turn around and go back. Tell them what you know.”

“She’s got it bad,” calls the girl and speeds up as we hit the motorway lanes. “Maybe they drugged her.”

“Nobody drugged me. You’re both crazy!”

“Please, come with us and listen. You know us both and that we’re okay.”

“How? How do I know you didn’t murder your friends?”

“Seriously? You think I’d spend my life investigating corruption, find people who can help, and then kill them? Tell her Casey.”

“He’s cool, Verity. Honestly. I’ve known him a while.”

“Oh yeah, apart from when he’s randomly abducting girls.”

“Put your seatbelt on,” he retorts as he pulls on his. “Come with us.”

What do I do? I’m now convinced jumping from the car will hurt a lot, and I’d be stuck in the middle of god knows where. If I go with them, I can escape when we arrive; the pair wouldn’t be able to stop me.

I hold my hand out for Seth’s phone. “I agree to come with you if you allow me to call one of my friends, and then they can collect me.”

“Oh no fucking way.” I blink. Seth’s cultured accent doesn’t match the language. “You need to listen to us, and then you make your mind up what to do. If you call them, they’ll trace us. We know the one who calls himself Ewan is pretty damn good at that. We spent a lot more time masking our presence once he began interfering on the boards.”

“This will end really badly for you,” I say in a low voice. “And that’s not me threatening, but the truth.”

Seth chuckles under his breath. “The truth. That’s caused us all to make crazy decisions in the last few years. I think you made the most dangerous of all by letting them influence you.”

Casey pulls the car from the motorway, and we continue speeding past houses and shops toward a town’s outskirts. I try to read road signs or register landmarks but the monotonous and repetitive view passing by means I have no idea where I am. We’re nowhere near London, and this isn’t Oxfordshire.

I rest my head on the cool windowpane. “If I listen to what you have to say, will you listen to me?”

“Yes. And you can leave afterwards; we won’t stop you,” replies Casey. “At least then we’ll know you chose to go back to them, and you’re not being held under duress."

“Believe me, if I was under duress, they’d know.” I fix my eyes on the human guy beside me, who has no clue what he’s dealing with. “And if I wasn't prepared to listen and wanted out of this car, I wouldn’t still be in here.”

* * *

We arrive at a different place to Seth's house; one I recognise from Ewan’s CCTV investigation. Now I’m closer, I can see the old building was a village hall, now left behind for modern buildings as the nearby suburb grew. Seth parks the car behind a large skip at the building’s rear.

Yes, I could overpower the guy—both of them—and run, but what would be the point? In reality, I’ve known Seth longer than the Horsemen, and perhaps without knowing, he has information that’ll help us identify what’s happening.

Wasn't that my plan originally? To meet up with Seth and share our information about what’s happening in the world.

But not like this.

We enter the old hall from the rear door, which involves unbolting six locks and disarming an alarm system. Inside, there’s one room containing a trellis table covered in papers and photos, a computer, and several monitors on a desk at the opposite end of the hall. More photos and maps cover the exposed brick walls, held up by tape and arranged in rows. The carpeted floor is clean and two new-looking armchairs are covered by multicoloured throw rugs. The strangest thing is the neatness in the midst of the chaos surrounding the exterior. I’m half expecting him to have a garden like the one out the front of his house.

House.

“Do you live here too?” I ask, remaining close to the door.

Casey walks through and shuts the door behind me. Keys jingle as she locks each bolt. “That’s making me uncomfortable,” I tell her.

She shrugs and drops her rucksack on the floor.

“No, we live at the place in London most of the time, unless we feel like we need to disappear for a few days.”

“We? How many of you are there?”

Casey sits on an armchair and picks at the knitted woollen throw covering it. “Now? Just us.”

“There were more?”

“Five altogether, in this country anyway. There are others we know on the boards, but we don’t trust people as much anymore.” Seth gives a short laugh. “Because the UK group are disappearing one by one, we agreed to band together. I was about to ask you to come and live with us when we said we’d meet, but then they got you first.”

“They didn’t get me. I chose to go with them.”

Seth gives me a scornful look. “I have a shitload of information on those four men that’ll change your mind, Verity.”

Something finally clicks and I cross my arms over my chest, eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name’s Verity?”

He splutters. “Of course I do! I’ve tracked you for weeks. I don’t just connect with anybody, you know. We need to ensure we can fully trust anyone we let into the group.”

“Seth, I’m not in your group.”

He shakes his head and wanders over to a tall metal filing cabinet. The middle drawer jams as he tries to pull at it, and he swears. After an amusing struggle, he pulls out four manila folders and slaps them on the table.

“Did you want a drink?” asks Casey. I look over at where she stands beside a small fridge. “We don’t have much here. Water? Coke?”

Like I’m some kind of guest?

“Here.” Seth beckons me over and fans the files so I can read the names on the top. Ewan already told me his fake surname, Heath’s I know from work, and Xander’s by default, but now I know Joss’s is East.

I flick open the folder with Heath’s name on. With one hand, I leaf through photos, some taken recently at work and others from long before I knew him. In many, at least one or two of the other guys are featured, but occasionally he’s with other people, or alone.

“Okay. Here’s an example.” Seth pulls out a numbered envelope and produces a series of A4-sized photos. “We took these one evening last month. He’s with his brother at a bar, both of them. Here, they’re with two girls.”

I study the image of Heath and Xander. Seth flicks through a few more. “Look at this.”

I peer at the grainy photograph taken in the shadows. Heath and a girl. Heath with the girl pinned by the neck to a wall. I place down the last with a shaking hand. Heath walking away from a body on the floor, a knife in his hand.

“That’s not what you think,” I say. “She isn’t….” What do I say? Isn’t human? “It’s not what you think.”

Seth tidies the images into the envelope. “At first we thought they might be assassins, as many victims were people others would pay to have killed. They took out criminals with money from suspicious sources, or related to gangs. But then we noticed them killing women, randomly and publicly. They’re losing their minds.” He grabs a file with Xander’s name on and tips out photos. “Here’s one from last week.”

Last week? I hold the image close to my face to make out the surroundings. The Warehouse club. Xander and a girl. No, not a girl, a succubi.

“Sometimes they decapitate them.” The whispered horror comes from Casey as she approaches and flicks over to the next image.

I know the succubus isn’t human, but I can’t look. I slam the photos on the table. “Show me Heath’s folder again.”

Seth pulls them from the envelope, and I scrutinise each one.

"Verity, I’m telling you, these men are extremely dangerous. They've killed two people in our group and both of them disappeared first. Did you see any evidence of others at the house they're keeping you in?"

"The Horsemen aren’t keeping me anywhere, Seth." I pause. “Sorry. I mean, the guys you saw me with.”

"Horsemen? Yeah, I know what they call themselves. Sickos. I'm bloody relieved we found you before you ended up murdered at a crime scene of your own," Seth replies.

I stand back and lace my hands behind my head, elbows at right angles. "Seth. This is all wrong. They're helping stop murders. They kill people who are killing others."

"A group of Dexter Morgans? Vigilante serial killers? Very funny," retorts Casey from the corner. "Are they asking you to join in and lure victims or something? We saw you at the club."

Bloody hell, how long have they been following me? "Then why not talk to me back then, when you saw me?"

"Umm." She points to the folders on the table. "Crossing the Horsemen leads to death. No way are we revealing ourselves,"

"They know who Seth is," I remind her.

Casey's face pales. "They know us both now. They just don't know we're onto them."

“We tipped you off with the information about the crime scene at the car park because we knew the Horsemen would take you with them to investigate. Casey and me were going to help you escape that day."

"Then you saw what happened!" I explain. "You saw their powers."

"What powers?"

"The powers the guys have. Me."

Casey throws me a pitying look before shrugging at Seth. "Told you. The drugs must have psychedelic properties or something."

"I have not been drugged!" I protest.

This is pointless. How can I possibly tell Seth and Casey anything and expect them to believe me? And what the hell will the four guys do when they find me? This hall is a location we planned to visit today, and I bet one of the first places they’ll look.

"If you've watched the guys, you'll see they've odd... quirks."

"Quirks?" asks Seth.

"If you've followed them as much as you say, you must've seen the Horsemen doing things you can't explain."

“No. Most of my investigations are online or pictures people send me. I kept my distance at the car park. I’d hoped they’d lose you in the basement, and you could escape in the dark, but they spotted me.”

“What did you see?” I ask. “You must’ve seen what happened in the car park!”

“Nothing. I waited upstairs for a while, but you were in the basement longer than I expected. So I headed down, but when I opened the door, and one of your friends came at me with his torch. I fucking ran!”

He saw nothing?

“You were the guy in the car?” I ask. “Did you follow Joss and me the other day too?”

Seth doesn’t reply. He sits on the table and straightens all the folders, ensuring no papers protrude and appears to inspect he's piled them in alphabetical order. He doesn't speak, and I glance back at Casey. She chews her nails. Despite this girl's bravado, the jitteriness I saw at the petrol station yesterday remains around her.

"This is ridiculous. If you believe these men are killing people, why haven't you been to the police with this information?" I ask.

Seth jumps up. "Aha! Well, that's something else. They're 'in' with the police."

I give up and sink into the other armchair. "Explain."

"They're working with insiders. They've killed cops and detectives before with the help of some others." He heads back to his wonky filing cabinet and searches. Jesus, how many files does this man have? "I'm not showing you these peoples' faces in case you go decide to back to your Horsemen and tell them more. But let's just say I have information on people with very dubious pasts. Some of them have no history I can find."

Demons? Fae?

"There seems to be an internal struggle between the Horsemen and a rival group, one whose members regularly disappear too. These events all connect to what we—you—have been looking into. There's a battle for control happening in the world, and neither side is good. They all kill."

I look to Casey. "I'll have that water now please." What can I say? How do I explain without sounding ridiculous? "Yes, there are two... I guess you could call them factions, but the Horsemen are the good guys. I promise you."

Seth’s eyes me dubiously. “I don’t understand why you’re with them, Verity.”

“It’s hard for me to explain, but I’m telling the truth when I say they can help us. The guys I'm with are investigating the same corruption you are. We could share information and help each other.” I pause. “Seth, after years delving into this I don’t trust people easily. I trust these men.”

“I don’t know...” Seth shuffles the files into order again.

“We should talk to them, Seth,” says Casey. “Anybody who can help.”

“I don’t know, I—”

Wood splintering and a loud crash interrupt Seth.

"Fuck!" He jumps to his feet and backs up, rummaging into a nearby desk drawer and produces a handgun. A figure strides past, on Seth in seconds, and I don't need to look to know who this is. I sensed him the moment the door opened.

"Xander!" I yell as he slams into Seth and sends him sprawling across the table as if he was a doll. He grabs Seth's wrist and Seth yelps in pain before releasing the gun.

"Get out, Vee. Joss's car's outside." Xander grabs Seth by the shirt and yanks him so they're face to face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Xander,” I repeat. "He's not a threat. Leave him alone!"

"Bullshit! I've spent the last hour trying to find you thanks to this fucker." He pulls Seth closer. "Who do you work for?"

Seth's terrified eyes look back into Xander's.

I spin around as the girl shouts out. Joss stands in the doorway, preventing her leaving. He sidesteps in her way as she attempts to leave.

"Joss! Tell him to calm down,” I plead as Xander shakes Seth, as if he'll shake an answer out of him.

Seth doesn't respond again. "Answer me or you'll be fucking sorry!" he growls.

Is Seth insane? Or genuinely unable to speak through fear? Something in the way he stares back at Xander holds a challenge—a very, very bad idea.

"Leave him alone!" calls Casey. "He can help. We can help."

Xander makes a guttural sound in his throat and pulls Seth to his feet again, shoving him back against a wall. The air pushes from Seth’s lungs in a gasp.

"Who do you work for? And do you seriously think you can abduct Vee?" asks Xander.

"Me abduct her?" he chokes. "I'm helping her escape you evil bastards."

I drag both hands down my face. I'd willed Seth to speak, but now I really wish he'd kept his mouth shut. I sense the anger in Xander blind to red and manage to get to the pair before Xander's fist collides with Seth's face.

"What the hell are you doing?" I hiss and grip his hand. "These guys can help."

"Why didn't you contact us? Tell us where you were?" he snaps.

"I was going to when I found some answers. Seth is DoomMan. Let him go."

"Joss!" calls Xander, ignoring me. "What is he?"

"Human. We know that from last time we saw him. She is too. Let's talk about this," says Joss in soft tones. "Let him go."

Xander's breath comes in short pants, and he scowls at me as I squeeze his fist with a strength to match, as he continues to hold Seth by the shirt. "Xander."

From the corner of my eye, I see Joss pick up the gun. As soon as he moves from the door the girl attempts to run though, but he grabs her arm and drags her back inside. "Not so fast, honey."

Xander pulls his fist from my grip and steps back, giving Seth's shirt one last yank. Seth ducks from under Xander's arm and rushes over to the table. As Xander switches his frustrated look to me, Seth swipes the files up and holds them against his chest.

"Tell them we didn't hurt you,” says Seth. "Tell them to let us go.” Seth runs his hand through his hair, patting down where Xander's attack mussed it out of shape.

"Tell them you can help!" I protest.

"No way. Fuck no," he stammers and jabs a finger at Xander. "Look at him. He's the worst of them all! I need to get away before he kills us all."

"What's that?" asks Xander and points at the files Seth’s holding.

"I said he’s DoomMan, and they can help us," I reply. "They have information. I was trying to persuade them to trust us before you stormed in here with your usual diplomacy."

"He abducted you!" shouts Xander. "A thank you would be nice."

"Xander, if I didn’t want to trust them, I could easily leave. Couldn’t I? I’m asking them to explain things to me."

"Like how dangerous you are," calls out Seth, clutching the files closer.

"Only to those who deserve it," snaps Xander.

"Let them leave," replies Joss. "If we want them to help, don't scare the shit out of them."

"But he abducted Vee!" Xander protests and waves a hand at me.

"They screwed up, Xander. Seth and Casey thought they were helping me, and I’ve explained the situation now." I attempt to communicate to Seth he should agree. "Why don't we stand down, leave them alone and prove to them they can trust us?"

"What the hell? No! How do we know we can trust them?"

"Don't screw up another possible alliance, Xander,” I shout at him. "Don't you think we're running out of options?"

"Talk sense to her, Joss!" he calls, his eyes firmly on mine still.

"I want to help Verity," says Seth through gritted teeth. "If I go, I will be back to find her again. She’s too important. You'll have to kill me too!"

I snap my head around at his shaking bravado. Xander opens his mouth, and I suck in a warning breath. "Leave Seth and Casey alone. We can talk again. Let's calm this and meet up tomorrow."

"If your friends don't come back and kill us first," retorts Seth.

"You touch Vee again, and—."

“Xander,” I interrupt. “Let’s be rational. I’m not hurt, and I genuinely think we should listen to them.”

The tension clouding the room doesn’t dissipate, and all eyes turn to Xander.

“Joss, give me the gun,” he says in a low voice.

Xander yanks out a chair and sits at the table. Joss passes him the gun, which he sets in front of him. Xander gestures at the files and Seth. “Sit. Talk.”