I’ve been serialising my first novel (published 2010) for Steemit. I hope you enjoy this story, I enjoyed writing it.
Take a look on Amazon – reviews etc UK
Take a look on Amazon – reviews etc US
A little longer excerpt this time – experimenting on what length of story works best.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
“Hmm, good question. I don’t have an answer, but I can guess that maybe he hasn’t only just started, but probably got more prolific and therefore his protectors were unable to cover all his crimes up. I’d even hazard a guess that they’ll never find out about the larger part of his murders. To be honest, at first, I didn’t know that I was tracking a tried and convicted criminal. I thought that it was a Wolf gone feral and had gotten a little too blood-drunk. I saw reports of the murders in local papers and my orders didn’t catch up with me until after I had begun the hunt.”
She noticed his raised eyebrow and answered before he could voice his disbelief. “It’s a huge coincidence I know, but it’s true. I only got involved because I was the closest Sentinel to where he began killing again. It could have been any one of us, but I got lucky I guess. I followed the trail over from France and up England to here, where he seemed to stop for a while. That’s why I needed a base and here is as good a place as any, my old stamping ground.”
Steve seemed to accept the explanation, or if he didn’t, he made no further comment.
“Where are we going?” he asked after a while.
“We’re going to Victoria’s house; she has the facilities to hold the body until an Official can collect it. She has the facilities to test the body too if necessary.”
“Test it for what?”
“Well, I suppose you could say I think that she’ll be as interested in his pedigree as I am.”
Steve’s brow furrowed again, “That’s a bit cryptic.” But she just smiled and kept her eyes on the road.
They drove for another twenty minutes or so then she turned off the main road and up between large trees and abundant undergrowth which lined and helped to obscure a private road. The going was slow because of all the potholes. At the top of the drive, they reached a very large Georgian building that had seen better days and was in need of a coat of paint. She drove the car around the front but reversed so that the rear of her car was towards the back of the house. Then she got out and beckoned Steve to follow. As they reached the front door, a portly older man, dressed in an expensive but dated suit, opened the massive front doors. He stood on the doorstep and waited for them to reach the steps before extending his arms to invite her for an embrace.
“Hello Oscar,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “This is Steve; I’ve spoken to you about him.”
“Ah yes, Steve! I’ve heard so much about you! I am pleased to finally meet you, young man!” Oscar boomed as he took Steve’s hand and as he pumped it, he looked up, into Steve’s eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you too, sir,” Steve replied, holding Oscar’s gaze.
“I take it that you were successful this evening?” Oscar asked, his features set in a grim expression. “It’s not good when the Sentinels have to hunt down one of our own.”
“I agree, but in this case it was more necessary than I think you realise. I have another theory on Jervais Marchand that I’d like to run past you before we get the Orders involved officially.”
She led them both around to her car.
She opened the boot of her car and started lifting the cumbersome parcel, trying not to allow the pool of congealing blood to flow from the plastic.
“Ah damn it!” she swore, throwing the parcel onto the gravel drive. “Now I’ve got blood in my car!”
“Never mind dear.”
She turned to the new voice and her face brightened. She went to greet the woman who had appeared from the rear of the building.
“Victoria! Where have you been for the past few months?” Both women hugged each other as friends rather than Royal and subject.
“Actually, I was in France, adjudicating on Jervais Marchand’s trial and conviction. I was not entirely happy with their judgement, but as they reached it by unanimous decision, I left it to them. I did make notes of my displeasure on the official documentation however, and I was not at all surprised when I heard that he had now taken up his practices in England. I am glad that you caught him.”
Victoria allowed herself to be guided towards Steve for an introduction.
Whilst Oscar led the way to take the body into the outbuildings and to the refrigeration units, Victoria took Steve by the elbow and guided him indoors.
They converged in what resembled a large hotel kitchen and Victoria, Oscar and Steve watched and listened as the blood was washed from the Sentinel’s hands with the thoroughness that mere wipes could not give. She chattered as she washed and explained how she had followed what she thought, at first, was a case of finding and guiding a Wolf that had gone feral, into territories where his actions would be more easily explained as wild animal activities.
Steve was surprised to find out that ‘going feral’ was only frowned upon a little and was not illegal as long as it was sure not to bring the unwanted attention of the Hume authorities. There were still places on the planet where a Wolf could get back to nature.
Then, as she dried her hands, she got back on track and explained that she could not have made her capture without the help from Steve.
“Oh, how did Steve help?” Victoria asked.
“I was already following the Feral through France and I thought that I was quite close to catching him when my orders caught up with me and I moved the hunt up in urgency. Suddenly it was a matter of all Sentinels in the vicinity - and by that I mean Europe - to be on alert to find and capture a Renegade. It was apparent that the Wolf was arrogant and cocksure because he was charged with certain crimes and instructed to attend a hearing and instead of going on the run before the hearing, as most Wolves would in that position, he showed up to answer to them. I knew then that he must be from an influential family. My theory was confirmed when I read that he was not executed or banished right after the sentence was passed. I was already close on his heels by the time I read the report so I had the advantage and I followed him across the Channel.”
“He surprised me by not making a kill on the full moon as he arrived in England and that alone told me for definite that he was no youngster. He waited until he got to the Capital before he made his first kills. I suppose he could easier cover his tracks in London than in relatively quieter surrounding areas between there and Dover.”
“I then requested as much literature on the accused and his trial as was available but not much was forthcoming. That was another clue to his family’s influence. I eventually managed to get hold of what I needed from one of my contacts in the Order. I followed, who I by then knew to be Jervais Marchand, up the country and was well prepared to go on into Scotland, but he seemed to stop here in the Midlands. I waited to see if he would break cover and whilst I waited, I needed cover for myself. That was where Steve’s help first came in. He got me a job in a town central to where I had last sighted Jez. You know I have one of my safe-houses in a neighbouring village, so I was ok for long-term accommodation. All I had to do was wait, but waiting was never my strong suit. I did a bit more digging and a month ago I saw an obvious pattern emerging. This Wolf did not just kill to feed, he liked what he was doing and he wanted to shock. My problem was that I had got too close to him on a couple of occasions and he knew that he had a Sentinel or at least another Wolf on his trail. I soon realised that if I could sense him, he could also sense me, even when I was cloaking.”
They had moved into a sitting room where coffee had been served and left for them to help themselves. Once seated, Steve took advantage of the break in conversation and asked: “Just how important is this Jez Marchand’s bloodline?”
Victoria looked at Steve as though trying to work out if he were joking or not. When she decided that he wasn’t, she took up the narrative.
As the group settled into the brocade sofas, she began with a history lesson.
“Jervais Marchand was the son of Phillipe Du Sang’s youngest daughter, Claudia - there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding Jez’s father’s infection - there were rumours - never proven of course - that she had taken him herself rather than him being pure-blood, or bitten for her. She reverted back to the original family name and did not take on the name of her husband which in itself only added to the controversy surrounding Jez’s birth, which was always suspected to be tainted. As you can imagine, however, any Wolf - including Sentinel - that voiced an opinion on this subject was never heard from again. Needless to say, Claudia’s ‘husband’ also disappeared and she has never remarried, nor re-mated. She was a particularly spoilt brat as a child and has grown to be a vicious and ruthless Wolf who stands out even amongst the nastiest of the Du Sang / Marchand family.
“As for the rest of the Du Sang branch of the family, Phillipe Du Sang - Jez’s grandfather - was the eldest child of Francois Marchand. Francois named himself Marquis Du Sang in the mid 1500s. This is literally translated to ‘Marquis Of Blood’. Do you remember when he took that name?”
Oscar laughed. “Yes I remember,” and then winked. “I also remember that her name was Hazel back then.” He said this to Victoria in a stage whisper, nodding towards the Sentinel.
Steve looked at his companion. “I never knew that you’d changed your name,” he said.
She shook her head to prevent him continuing. “I’ll explain later,” she whispered.
Victoria continued, ignoring Steve’s whisper. “I always thought that he was arrogant and presumptuous in the extreme in his self-proclaimed title. I still wonder how he managed to get away with it.”
“Maybe it was because he was chosen by your great-niece for her husband?” Oscar said.
“Ha! It is still too grand a title for that ignorant cur!” Victoria said, her hand curling into a fist.
“So are you related to their family?” Steve asked.
“No! That branch forfeited their right to be related to me when they killed my niece and her daughter!” Victoria slammed her fist on the arm of her chair, taking Steve aback at her reaction to his question.
“To be fair, that was never proven dear.” Oscar placed his hand over hers.
“Maybe it was not proven, but I know and you know that they would never have gone so far as they have if Juliet and Diana had still been alive.”
“Does that mean Phillipe is related to you by blood? Was he Juliet’s son?” Steve asked.
“No, he is Diana’s son. Juliet was my niece, Diana was her daughter.” Victoria said.
“Oh of course, that means until the tests are run and he is proven to be a Throwback, it means that you killed a Wolf of Royal blood!” Oscar exclaimed, looking over to his guests.
“Don’t worry, dear. Jervais was convicted of crimes in France and it is all documented. He was also heard admitting similar crimes in this country and you have an independent witness to that.” Victoria made an attempt to reassure everyone and then she looked right at the Sentinel and continued: “The Sentinels were perfectly right in giving the order that the execution was a viable option and you were right to carry it out.”
“I know I was, but that’s not how they’ll make it look given half a chance,” she replied. “As I brought the body here, I should also have informed the Order that I had performed the execution, but I didn’t. I made the decision to wait until morning.”
“Does that have significance?” Steve asked.
“It shouldn’t, but I dare say that given a chance, someone who is out to cause mischief could well twist the fact to make it look like I had something to hide. I could be in deep shit and I could also be dragging not only you, Steve, but Victoria and Oscar down with me too.”
“They wouldn’t dare try!” Victoria snapped and then she thought for a moment and decided to err on the side of caution. “Oscar, perhaps you would be so kind as to instruct a call to be made to the Order, requesting representatives and technicians to attend me here. We have an important meeting which cannot wait until Monday morning.”
Oscar nodded, his expression unreadable as he left the room.