The Body Thief (13 page)

The Departed

Milo was up before the sun. Although his cuts and bruises still hurt, he felt a great deal better after such a long sleep. With Bingle snoring loudly in the armchair by the window, Milo dressed quietly, careful not to wake him. When he was done he tucked his crutches under his arms and headed straight for Adele’s bedroom.

He wanted to know if she had made any progress regarding Dr. Mangrove.

Milo knocked on her door. No answer. He knocked again and entered.

“Adele, you awake yet?”

The room was empty. Completely empty. Adele’s clothes, her books…
everything
was gone. Apart from the bed and an armchair, the bedroom was bare.

It made no sense. Milo’s pulse quickened.

Hopping down the corridor, he threw open Isabella’s bedroom door.

Empty.

The cold hand of fear wrapped its claws around his heart.

His cousins had vanished without a trace.

***

Mrs. Hammer walked quickly across the second-floor landing wearing a deep scowl. She hated sneaking about, but what choice did she have? When an old friend asks you for a favor…well, you do what you can to help. Besides, the master would not be awake yet, so she was safe enough.

Turning toward the east wing, the old housekeeper nearly jumped out of her skin when Silas appeared from behind a large marble column.

“Sir!” she gasped, clutching her chest. “Oh, dear! You startled me.”

“How unfortunate,” said Silas, his dark eyes staring intently at her. He pointed to a piece of paper clutched in her right hand. “What have you got there, Mrs. Hammer?”

“Oh…this? Well it’s…it’s a note, sir,” she told him. “Just a note.”

“Who is the note
for
, Mrs. Hammer?”

“Well… ” She hesitated. “It’s for Master Milo, sir.”

Silas put out his bony hand. “Give it to me.”

Dutifully Mrs. Hammer handed over the note, and Silas opened it carefully.

Milo,

Meet me by the cottage, tomorrow morning at sunrise. I reckon it’s time you knew the truth about your uncle.

Moses

Silas folded the note and slipped it into his pocket. “I will see that my nephew gets it, Mrs. Hammer. You may go back to the kitchen. Oh, and, Mrs. Hammer—if you value your position here at Sommerset, keep your distance from Moses. The old man is deranged.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Just a moment, Mrs. Hammer,” called Silas, waving her back. “Send someone down to the orchard to fetch Knox. Tell him to meet me in my study at noon. I have a job for him.”

Mrs. Hammer nodded and walked swiftly to the stairs. She was in such a hurry to get away she did not notice Milo storming along the western corridor with a look of thunder in his eyes.

“Where are they, Uncle Silas?” the boy demanded, hopping toward his uncle as fast as his crutches would take him. “What have you done with my cousins?”

“Ah, yes, your cousins,” said Silas calmly. “They are gone, Milo. They left last night while you were sleeping.”

“Left?” Milo did not try to hide his fury. “I don’t believe you!”

“You don’t? Well, that is the truth, child, whether you believe it or not.” Silas moved along the landing, then stopped, turning back to face his nephew. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell you this,” he said. “But your cousins were stealing from me. Yes, that’s right—stealing. I discovered their crimes and confronted them. They confessed everything.”

“Adele wouldn’t steal,” declared Milo firmly. “You’re lying, Uncle Silas. I know you are. Where are they? Now tell me where they are!”

Silas sighed wearily. “Do you know why Isabella and Adele came to Sommerset? They came for my fortune, Milo. I don’t blame them, of course; their parents are vultures. However, once I was alerted to the stealing, I had no choice but to ask them to leave. I chose not to call the police.” Silas smiled thinly. “Returning to their parents is punishment enough.”

“It makes no sense,” said Milo, shaking his head. “Adele wouldn’t have left without talking to me first. She wouldn’t have.”

Silas laughed softly, his pallid face buckling in a wave of creases.

“What do you think I’ve done with them, Milo?” he said softly. “Locked them away somewhere? Come now, do you really think me capable of harming my own nieces?” He reached out for his nephew’s hand, but the boy pulled away. “I’m not a monster, Milo. Just a sick old man trying to do what is right. Look, you can phone your cousins tomorrow and see that they have arrived home safely. Now that’s fair, isn’t it?”

Milo looked down at his hands. He wanted to cry but stopped himself. Adele and Isabella needed him, and he wasn’t going to let them down.

“Yes, Uncle,” he said, nodding his head, “that’s fair.”

***

Deep under Sommerset House a labyrinth of tunnels spread out like a spiderweb. Down there, the chilled air had the pungent stench of rotting fish. The walls were damp and a small stream of water trickled along the tunnel floor on a carpet of silky moss.

The prisoners were being held in a remote tunnel under the east wing.

“This is just
great
,” groaned Isabella, yanking on her chains. “I thought Uncle Silas’s basement was supposed to be full of gold and jewels and priceless treasures. The only priceless thing down here is
me!
”

The girls were secured to the floor by a thick chain connected to leather straps clasped around their wrists. They stood side by side midway along an enormous stretch of tunnel that narrowed to a hazy ball of dim light at the far end.

“Uncle Silas is going to pay for this!” shrieked Isabella. “My father will be furious when he finds out what that horrid man has done to me! Oh, cousin, my arms hurt, and this
smell
. If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to throw up!”

Adele said nothing. She had barely spoken since waking up on the tunnel floor, chained like an animal. Her mind was a tangle of muddy thoughts, churning like a mixing bowl. Had anyone discovered they were missing yet? Was Milo okay? Was he even alive?

“How much longer are we going to be stuck down here?” whined Isabella. “He can’t keep us chained up forever.” She looked at her cousin, seeking a little reassurance. “He can’t, can he, cousin?”

“I don’t know,” answered Adele. “I really don’t.”

Suddenly the tunnel went black. Then a flicker of light began to break the darkness like a torch being switched on and off. Both girls looked down the tunnel and saw the unmistakable silhouette of their uncle moving steadily toward them. He had a box on his lap and was tossing large pieces of raw chicken and water buffalo along the tunnel floor as he went.

“What on earth is he doing?” said Isabella nervously.

Before Adele could answer, Silas came to a stop just beyond his nieces’ reach. He observed them carefully, a boyish grin spread across his ghostly face.

“Captivity suits you, Adele,” he said crisply. “The fear and anger in your eyes is actually rather beautiful. It almost makes one forget about your hair. And you, Isabella, after so many years of crime, how does it feel to finally be in chains?”

“You deranged skeleton!” spat Isabella. “I may be a criminal, but at least I’m not
crazy!
”

Gazing anxiously at the trail of raw meat lining the tunnel, Adele said, “Uncle Silas, what are going to do to us?”

“Nothing, child,” Silas told her softly. “I am not going to do a thing.” He sighed. “However, I cannot say the same for my alligators. You see this tunnel connects directly to the swamp and in exactly one hour the gates will open and my alligators will be free to come in—it will be lunchtime, so naturally the poor beasts will be starving.” Silas tipped the box upside down and a pool of animal blood splashed across the tunnel floor. “The meat is just an incentive;
you
are the main meal, and I am quite sure the reptiles will find you utterly delicious.”

Isabella began to scream wildly. “
Help! Someone help us...Please!”

“No one will hear you down here, child,” said Silas.

“You’re a monster,” said Adele softly, her eyes downcast.

Her uncle smiled warmly. “Not for much longer, child.”

Without warning a shudder pushed through Adele and her eyes flew open. A flood of memories, like pages from a book, flipped rapidly through her mind. She recalled being in the storeroom with Isabella and her uncle. Then the floor fell away…the next memory she had was of mumbled voices and movement through the tunnels, the damp walls slipping by. And something else; a flash of light glimpsed through an open door. Inside was a brightly lit room with a pair of glass coffins in the center and a bank of machines along the wall.

Adele gasped. Not coffins—chambers. Two glass chambers!

“I saw it,” said Adele, fear coating each word. She looked fiercely at her uncle. “I saw what you’ve built! It’s the chamber Dr. Mangrove dreamed up all those years ago; the missing chapter from his book. I’m right aren’t I? When I first read his insane theories about cheating death I thought it was impossible.” Adele was shaking her head, her face pale. “It couldn’t be true. Mangrove believed a human soul could move between bodies and that awful contraption is how he…how you plan to do it.” Tears of anger and helplessness crowded her eyes. How cruel it was to finally understand what her uncle was planning now that it was too late to stop him…and too late to save Milo.

“You’re going to steal Milo’s body,” she whispered. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it, Uncle Silas?”

“Steal Milo’s
what?
” yelled Isabella, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“It’s an evil thing you’re doing!” said Adele bitterly. “A horrible, terrible, evil thing!”

“Indeed,” agreed Silas. “But utterly brilliant, don’t you think? My body is dying, and I need a new one. Dr. Mangrove’s genius has made that possible.” He raised his hand waving at his nieces. “Farewell, children. Apart from this unfortunate ending, I do hope you enjoyed your time here at Sommerset.”

Turning his chair, Silas taxied down the tunnel, leaving a track of bloody tire prints in his wake. The girls could hear their uncle humming contentedly to himself. At the mouth of the tunnel, he stopped suddenly.

“Oh, and don’t worry about your parents,” he told them. “They will be contacted in a day or two and told that there has been a
terrible
accident: you two inquisitive girls were exploring down in the basement when you accidentally wandered into the wrong tunnel and
oops
—eaten alive by a pack of hungry alligators.”

Laughing softly, Silas exited the tunnel with the terrified screams of his nieces ringing in his ears.

Trapped

As Milo crossed the entrance hall he felt it—the eerie silence that had settled around Sommerset like a fog. It was as if the entire island was a deserted ship. Hopping toward the front door, he passed the mangled elevator shaft, swinging his broken leg over the cracked stone floor. He was on a mission to find Moses and make him talk. Whatever secrets the old gardener was holding about Silas Winterbottom, it was time he spoke them aloud.

After all, Adele and Isabella’s lives might very well depend on it.

Milo did not believe for one minute that his cousins had been sent home. A rumbling in the very pit of his stomach told him that the girls were still on the island. They were close, he could feel it. But where?

Grabbing the door handle, Milo made a silent vow to do whatever it took to find them. Locked. He tried again. The door would not budge. Milo’s breathing began to quicken as it hit him—he was trapped inside Sommerset House. A prisoner.

“Can I help you, Master Milo?” said Bingle from behind him.

Milo turned his head. “Why is this door locked?”

The head butler was carrying a tray containing a pot of tea and a selection of freshly baked biscuits from the kitchen. He cleared his throat. “Well, sir,” he said, “your uncle felt it best that you stay indoors. Just for today. It’s awful chilly outside.”

“Open this door, Bingle,” said Milo sharply. “Open it
now!
”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir.” He noticed Milo glancing off toward the drawing room. “You will find, Master Milo, that all of the doors are locked.”

“Where is my uncle?” Milo demanded to know. “I want to see him!”

“The master is taking a meeting in his study,” explained Bingle calmly. He walked toward a circular table in the center of the entrance hall. “You do not look at all well, Master Milo. Let me help you back up to your bedroom.” Carefully Bingle placed the tray on the table. “Yes, I think that is best. Your uncle will come and see you as soon as he is able.”

Bingle turned back to escort the boy upstairs, but he had vanished. Once again, Sommerset House was silent.

***

Hopping up the narrow staircase, Milo ascended to the second floor of the library. He had been searching a good hour or more, going over every inch of the place looking for the secret compartment. Adele had disappeared before she could tell him the exact location, and Milo knew that if he wanted to find a way into the basement, then he would need the blueprints.

Weaving between the towering bookcases he ran his eyes over every shelf. It had to be here
somewhere
. Turning into the last aisle, Milo immediately noticed the jumble of books still scattered on the ground where Adele had left them. His heart skipped a beat. Adele would never leave books lying around; she cared for them too dearly.

Fast as he could, Milo hopped down the aisle. He saw it immediately. The concealed bookshelf was still wide open. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the books scattered on the floor must be the contents of the hidden vault. Milo sifted through the pile looking for the blueprints, coming swiftly to the last tome.
The Science of the Soul
by Dr. Mikal Mangrove. He studied the cover closely. This was the book Adele had told him about.

“The soul is a fascinating thing,” said Silas.

Milo gasped, spinning around. The master of Sommerset sat before him. He looked frail, his long hair shielding much of his face, his head bent forward like he was having trouble holding it up.

“I admire your determination, Milo,” said Silas softly. “It is a sign of character.”

“Where are my cousins?” Milo demanded to know. He thrust the book toward his uncle. “Here’s the secret you’ve been trying so hard to protect—you and
Dr. Mangrove
. I think Adele and Isabella discovered what you were up to, and you removed them just like you remove everything that gets in your way.” Milo pushed his crutches away and lunged forward, gripping the armrests of the wheelchair. “You won’t get away with this, Uncle Silas!” he shouted. “I won’t let you.”

“I suspect you are right, child,” admitted Silas.

Milo looked into the darkness of his uncle’s eyes. They glowed menacingly like two bottomless pits.

“I will not get away with it,” said Silas with a faint smile, “but
you
will.”

A hand came from behind Milo and pushed a rag into his face, covering his nose and mouth. He struggled to pull the hand away, but the grip was too firm. Rapidly the fumes took effect and Milo’s body went limp as he fell into unconsciousness.

Easing the boy’s body to the ground, Dr. Mangrove grinned excitedly at Silas.

“Now we can begin.”

***

When the first alligator clawed its way into the tunnel, Isabella’s scream tore through the place like an explosion. The beast sniffed the air with hungry curiosity. The scattered chicken and water buffalo soon lured others, exciting their senses. The slick dark beasts gradually moved deeper inside the tunnel.

“
Help us!”
shouted Isabella, her face red with strain.
“Someone help! We’re going to be eaten!”

“No one can hear you,” said Adele anxiously, fear stinging her voice. She looked about the tunnel desperately. “There’s got to be a way out of this!”

“Then find it, cousin!” screamed Isabella.

Adele noticed a metal grille secured to the ceiling about twenty feet in front of her. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like some sort of gate.

“Look,” she said, pointing, “up there—”

“Grrrrrrrrrrrr!”

A fierce snarl vibrated down the tunnel. Both girls looked up as a monstrous-looking alligator, some fifteen feet long, moved quickly inside, its thick legs tracking mud along the damp floor. Two smaller alligators that were gathered around a chicken carcass slunk away from the larger beast as it approached. The huge reptile prowled close to the abandoned carcass, then lunged swiftly, its jagged teeth snapping down on the meat, swallowing it whole.

Both girls screamed, pulling wildly on the chains as if they might tear them from the concrete. Adele began to cry, unable to control the fear pumping through her veins. They were going to be eaten alive!

Suddenly the reptile stopped. Its wet eyes slid around, fixing on them.

“It’s seen us!” cried Isabella, her voice cracking.

“Shh!” warned Adele. “Be quiet. Don’t move.”

Both girls were silent. Completely still.

The alligator seemed to lose interest, turning away. Then, without warning, the beast roared, its fierce jaw cracking open. It lunged forward, clawing rapidly toward Adele and Isabella.