it was - ' - But it wasn't.'
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Charnel HouseIt was plain that Trask couldn't go on, so while he sat there shaking his head in a kind of numb disbelief, still seeking a reason for, or perhaps a solution to, his irreparable trauma, the precog lan Goodly took over. In contrast to Trask's harsh, grating rasp, his voice was almost melodious:'It was a period of unrest among the old USSR's satellite countries,' he began, 'one of many since the death of European Communism. The former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, they were all in a state of political turmoil, and Radujevac stood at the crossroads, as it were, of all three nations. The Refuge was a kind of Sovereign Base Area - a British enclave, if you like - on foreign soil. But despite that, and as a result of its work, it was greatly respected and had achieved an almost diplomatic status. Of course, the British government had safe houses, embassies and the like, in all the former satellites. But because of the unrest access was always difficult, even to the Refuge.'Well, Nathan Keogh arrived at our London HQ that night, and he was in the process of explaining what was happening in Sunside/Starside when Ben got there. At first Ben was overjoyed, even relieved to see him. Maybe this was what had sparked his dream; perhaps in some way he had anticipated this renewed contact with a friend from the once-hostile environment of the vampire world. But as Nathan's story unfolded, Ben's awareness his sense of dread, of foreboding - returned in short order. It was one of those times that come to all esp-endowed persons, when out of the blue they're made aware of the other side, the downside of their talents. And now more than ever Ben's talent was telling him that Zek's telepathic message had been no mere nightmare...'As the precog paused, Trask levered himself off the desk, stood up straight and closed his eyes. He breathed in until his lungs couldn't take any more, then made for the door. And no one said anything until he had made an unsteady exit.Covering for his superior - though in fact Trask needed no such excuse - Goodly said, 'Did you hear the chopper?' (No one had.) 'Ben will want to see it safely down, and maybe ... maybe talk to the pilot?' He offered a shrug which was followed by an awkward silence, until Jake said:'lan?' It was the first time he'd used Goodly's first name. 'Will you finish it?'Goodly looked mildly surprised as he answered, 'Of course. All of this is for you, after all. But in any case there's not much more to tell.' And in a little while:'We had radio and telephone links to the Refuge,' the precog went on. 'Well, we should have had, but not that night. We tried but couldn't get through. And because of what Nathan had told us, we feared the worst. But Ben - denying, or even defying his own talent - he had to know for sure, of course. Several means were to hand.'We called in our espers, everyone who was available, and put them to work. But long before the first of them arrived at the HQ, Nathan was volunteering his services. He'd been to the Refuge before and its coordinates were locked in his mind. But if Ben was right and the Wamphyri had come through the subterranean Gate - and if they were still there - what then?
'For Ben, the next hour was an endless anxiety attack; he sweated and agonized over danger-fraught decisions and equally painful but inescapable truths. Having faith in his talent, he knew it was already too late - but it was Zek who was there at the Refuge! And Nathan: he would have gone at the snap of Ben's fingers - indeed, he was the only one who could go, along that special route of his. And in fact we had to restrain him, order him not to. And Ben weighing all of this in his tormented mind, all the time knowing in his heart that it was too late, that it had been too late from the moment he'd started awake in a cold sweat at his home in Kensington.'Then Millicent Cleary arrived; Milly is - now she is -