Demon Rock (7 page)

The light illuminated the desk. On the desk was a laptop computer with a screensaver of an army tank. Beside the laptop there were a couple of folders and on top of them was the new prisoner list coming in on tomorrow’s boat. I picked up the files and began to finger through them. There was no mention of my name or prisoner number. Generic documents such as the guard's payroll were included; the average guard's salary was far surpassed the average back on the mainland, probably taking into account 'danger pay'. I put the files down and moved towards the laptop, sitting in the Warden's leather chair. I was in luck, there was no password. One simple move of the tracker pad and the laptop jumped to life from the tank to his desktop. I double clicked on his email icon situated on the top left corner of the screen and his mailbox opened. He had his email folders carefully organised with folders such as 'General', 'Security', 'New Inmates' and 'Important'. I double clicked on the folder named 'Important' and began to scan through its contents. One message subject seemed to catch my eye almost immediately. It read 'Elite Solider Program.' CC'd in the email was some prominent government officials from the current party as well as a general from the British Army. The email itself did not contain too much detail much to my disappointment. The general had requested an update on the program. I moved to the Warden's sent items folder hoping he had replied. To my relief he had, his reply read;

General,

The program has had a breakthrough. A new asset has come into our possession which we intend on utilising.

Dr Hammond confirmed my suspicions. We are almost ready to begin the next round of testing using the asset in the lighthouse station from Friday. 

Regards

Warden O'Brien

Friday was two days away, I would be long gone by the time any testing began but what did they mean by asset and what exactly was this elite soldier program or the lighthouse station? I began to wonder if they were referring to the lighthouse on the west of the island. The mighty black structure with the UV light on top. Once again my curiosity got the better of me and I knew I had to check out the lighthouse. I had to find out why the Warden needed me alive. Any other inmate would have been thrown to the soul eating chamber without a moment’s hesitation.

After scanning the office for a few more minutes I left, closing the door and turning the light off behind me. I crept back the way I came, down the long corridor and back down the stairs. I proceeded past the cell blocks once more, the inmates who had jeered at me before seemed to have drifted off to sleep now. I passed my own cell; the guard still seemed to be out cold. I had only been away twenty minutes; I still had about an hour and forty minutes to get back. From my estimations it would take me ten minutes to get to the lighthouse. I moved on past my cell giving Warlock a nod, who seemed relieved to see me and then uneasy once more when he realised I wasn't done. I left the prison the same way I had the night before, through the caged pathway and out the main gates. This time once I left the gates I turned to my left and spied a rough path carved through the ground. In the distance loomed the lighthouse and I began to walk on the path, the lighthouse getting closer with every step. 

The path led through a dark forest, as I marched on I could hear rustling and movement from the trees and my surroundings. There were definitely some forms of wildlife out here. No more dangerous that what was within the walls of the prisoner I guessed however. I picked up my pace and broke into a slow jog through the forest, my steps breaking twigs and branches that layered the forest floor. The forest was part illuminated by the lighthouse spotlight. As a lighthouse warns ships of an islands whereabouts, it acted a guide for my destination. I almost fell several times over rocks and branches but continued on and eventually emerged from the tree line to reveal the lighthouse. The lighthouse was about the height of a four story building. It was spherical in shape and stood on the edge of the island's cliff face. It had a rather haunting facade, being completely black with a blinding light at the top. The cliff face was almost vertical in steepness with a group of jagged rocks peeking out from the water's surface below like teeth of the ocean's mouth. Waves cracked off the cliff with tremendous force which was audible even over the ferocious wind that howled so loudly that I could not hear my own voice. Rain pelted my face from a sideward angle due to the wind reducing my visibility. At the foot of the lighthouse was a door. I put my head down, bracing the wind and ran towards the entrance. 

The entrance was unlocked which I found odd. When I entered the base of the lighthouse, I was greeted with a spiral staircase made of stone steps. I began to ascend the steps carefully as not to slip since my feet were wet. I continued to ascend, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, whatever secrets this place housed must be at the top of the structure, beside the blinding light. My legs began to burn as the lactic acid was released into my working muscles. I pushed on and spotted the top. I reached the top of the stairs where there was an opening. There was no door rather just that a bit of the wall had been removed. I walked under the alcove shaped entrance into a circular room that ran around the circumference of the lighthouse. The room was like a giant doughnut with the middle making way for the spiral staircase. The entire room was cased with glass allowing a full panoramic view of the island and surrounding ocean. I walked round the room until I came across the giant UV search light. On the back of the light, there were different settings that changed the lights intensity. From what I could tell the light could either stun or kill those creatures affected by UV light as well as act as a spot light covering a large portion of the island for other escapees. I continued on past the light and around the room. I passed the entrance once more and knew that I had completed a full lap. The room was empty bar two chairs and a table with some cards scattered on it presumably for bored guards on duty. What was the lighthouse station if the only lighthouse on the island was empty? I would not have time to find out as the following tomorrow evening Warlock and I would have hijacked the boat and be on our way back to the mainland, back to freedom. Despite the thought of freedom I felt a bit deflated, the curiosity would likely have ate away at me once I left the island. Nevertheless it was not worth sacrificing my freedom.

The walk down didn't seem to take as long; I took the steps with a slight increase in pace, still being mindful of slipping. All I needed was to break my neck on the stairs, even a shifter can't come back from a broken neck. I reached the bottom and as I went to grab for the door handle something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. In my peripheral vision I noticed that one of the blocks on the floor, was a different colour than the rest of the stoned floor. I moved to inspect it and crouched to my knees. I tapped my knuckles on the stone block. It sounded less dense than stone should be; it wasn't completely hollow but not a complete stone. I felt around and noticed another slightly discoloured piece of stone. This new piece of stone lifted away completely when I inspected it exposing a handle beneath. I stood up pulling the handle and the stone block opened out as if it was on hinges. I gazed down into the darkness, there appeared to be another set of stairs, this time the spiral stairs were made of metal. I placed my left foot on it, grasping the hand rail with my hand as I did. As soon as my foot hit the metal, the whole room filled with light as the motion sensor powered lights turned on. I looked around; the room was at least three times the width of the lighthouse and square in shape. The walls were painted white with a single red stripe running down the centre of each wall. The room was about thirty metres deep and from the stairs I could see double doors that led to another room. I began to descend the stairs, it felt surreal, I was in a room under the lighthouse, under the island. I reached the bottom and proceeded towards the double doors. I looked in through the glass, the lights had turned on inside that room too but I could not see anyone else about. It appeared to be a medical lab, with a similar chair in the centre than the one I had sat on when Dr. Hammond had taken my blood. The chair was covered by a large sheet. The sheet appeared to be moving rhythmically as if someone was breathing under it. I entered the room and approached the chair slowly. I grabbed the sheet, moving it slightly allowing it to fall naturally to the floor. Underneath was a body, but this was not like any body I had ever seen before. The body was scaled, with spikes emerging from its spine at frequent intervals along its back. It had several warts, some of which were oozing puss. Its cranium looked like it had swollen with its forehead jutting out slightly over its eyes like an overhang. One eye was yellow and the other was too blood shot to tell. One of its arms looked like a giant claw and if I wasn't mistaken it looked like a tail was starting to grow. The creature’s sadness was evident in its eyes. It appeared to be trying to communicate with me but it was too painful to speak. A tear trickled down its face. With great strain and pain the creature managed two words. The words sounded like it was a man's voice, not what I would have imagined from such a creature. The words haunted me but they mirrored my thoughts at that exact moment.

"Kill me." It whispered. "Kill me please."

I looked down on the creature with pity and reached for a scalpel resting on a table beside the chair. The creature gave a nod of acknowledgement as I placed the scalpel against his neck. He closed his weeping eyes for the last time and I dug it deep and swift across his throat, severing his windpipe. Black blood oozed out and the creature was released. Just as I sliced across, a flash of my Holly's death jumped into my mind. The way Shadow had slit her throat like she was nothing but an obstacle. The flash was vivid and I dropped to my knee and wept as my own scalpel passed through the last piece of flesh and back into the air. I dropped the scalpel and myself to the floor. I was sitting with my knees up leaning against the chair, the black blood dripping down to the floor about two inches from me. The creature seized its breathing and remained perfectly still.

I do not know how long had passed but I remembered I only had two hours since I left my cell before the guard would wake up. I wiped the tears from my eyes and composed myself. I stood up and covered the creature with the sheet once more. The sheet absorbed the black blood leaving several stains over the now still corpse. I surveyed the room; there were a number of medical instruments on a table beside the chair where I had lifted the scalpel from. On the far side of the room stood a fridge; not too dissimilar to the one in the medical room at the prison. To the right of the fridge was a filing cabinet. I walked towards the fridge in a number of strides and opened it. Inside there were racks and racks of blood samples, the samples that Dr Hammond takes from the inmates upon arrival to the island. I closed the fridge and went to the filing cabinet. There were three large drawers labelled ‘0-100’, ‘101 – 200’, and ‘201-300’. I opened the third drawer and found my file sixth from the front. I began to read the file, on the first page was my real name, my equivalent prisoner number, my date of birth, as well as my home address and place of work. I turned the page. The next several pages contained photos of me. The photos were of me at home, at work and getting the train. They had been spying on me for some time; they knew where I worked and where my wife and I lived when they came for me. I flicked over the page to the second last page of the file. The page had a recommendation letter signed by Dr Hammond.

Subject: 207

After preliminary examination of 207’s blood I can confirm the Warden’s suspicions. Due to 207’s ability to adapt and shift, it is likely that he would be the best candidate to receive the elite soldier serum. I hypothesize that his body would not reject the serum like patient zero and the combination of abilities would start to become evident within a number of days.

We are ready to begin trials on 207 in a few days once supplies arrive on the next boat. This is just the beginning, once his DNA bonds with the serum; we will need to teach him how to control the abilities in order for it to be effective in combat situations. Once this is complete we can look at replicating his DNA in a new serum that any solider can take.

Dr Hammond.
  

I was the asset? The Warden was looking for a shifter, no matter if I had committed any crimes or not. He wanted me here. This elite solider program is an attempt to combine the abilities of the inmates into a single weapon. Well the useful abilities anyway. Shifting in a combat situation would be the perfect ability, you could disguise yourself as the enemy, and they would never see an attack coming. Combine that with uninhibited vampire strength, some flame abilities and you have an unstoppable army capable of winning any war with minimal causalities.

I removed the letter; perhaps back on the mainland there was someone I could expose this to. I knew, I’d bring it to the media but not now. For now I needed to escape the island. They needed whatever supplies were on the next boat before they could begin any trials on me and by then I’d be gone.

I walked back the way I came, taking one more glance at patient zero lying under the sheet, a failed experiment. That could be me I thought to myself if I do not manage to escape tomorrow. Dr Hammond should have no reason to come back down here until her supplies arrive I hoped because if she seen the body of patient zero she would know someone had been here and the whole island would be on lockdown. I headed back up the stairs, across the island and back into the prison. As I walked a thought came into my head, Shadow obeyed the Warden. He was likely ordered to take me in no matter what it took. In essence he sanctioned the execution of my wife. Anger whirled up in me like a gathering storm. I couldn’t risk my escape but I wanted my revenge. I decided that I would go to the Warden’s office tomorrow; seek my revenge before heading to the boat. Hopefully I would be gone by the time the body was found. If I was correct, the Warden should be in his office later than he had been tonight as to oversee the paperwork to do with the new arrivals.