The Hollow Church by Amy Cross

Author:Amy Cross [Cross, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban
Amazon: B00FARWQCI
Publisher: Dark Season Books
Published: 2013-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

Abby Hart

"I don't want to be here," I say, turning to him, already able to feel the pain that's radiating out from all the minds around me. "There's no point. I can't help you."

"There's no-one else I can ask," Detective Gregory replies as we stand at the entrance to the ward. "There's not much time. These people are dying, and once they're gone, I've lost my best hope of getting to the truth. It might sound harsh, but I'm willing to put one of these people though more pain if it means I can stop hundreds more from suffering."

"That's a very cold and logical conclusion," I say, surprised by his mettle.

"It's the only approach that makes sense," he replies. "Fewer people will suffer in the long run if we stop this now."

"But why me?" I ask, keen to work out what's really happening here. After all, I'm still not entirely certain how much this guy knows about me. The other day, he seemed to be on the verge of accusing me of being... Well, it was as if he'd understood my true nature but was too scared to say the word. Since then, I've been conspicuously avoiding him, while wondering whether I made a mistake by not letting him die. When he came to find me today at the lab, I was already considering the possibility of taking action to neutralize him, but now I find myself called upon to help with the investigation. I wish I could just make a decision. I know I should kill him, to make sure that my secrets are preserved, but something's holding me back.

"I've got a feeling you might be useful," he says. "These people are dying. There's some kind of toxin in their systems, and their bodies are falling apart. They're heavily sedated, and if we bring one of them around, the pain is going to be..." He pauses. "I just figured you might know something. You might be able to meet them halfway. I know it's a last-ditch attempt, but I'm hoping that bringing you into the mix might shake things up."

"Wake them up," I say with a shrug.

"Isn't there something you can do?" he asks.

I take a deep breath. I can already feel the pain of these victims. Sure, they're sedated, but their minds are still alive and I can feel a screaming wall of agony resonating from each of the rooms. If this is what they're like when they're doped up to their eyeballs on morphine, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like if they were forced to experience the full strength of their pain. Frankly, I don't think the human mind is capable of surviving such a thing. Their souls would shatter if they had to deal with what's happening to them. Even a vampire would struggle.

"What are we waiting for?" I ask eventually. "This isn't going to get any easier."

"This way," he says, leading me along the corridor until we reach a room at the far end.

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