The Revelation Room (The Ben Whittle Investigation Series Book 1) (26 page)

He threw the empty can onto the floor in the hallway and
walked into the kitchen. He took the second can off the table and unscrewed the
cap. If he’d had more time, he might have tried to rig up explosives. Gone out
with a bang, you might say. But Satan had forced his hand somewhat.

The ventilation system in the Cannabis Room would fan the
flames. The bunnies would all get as high as kites before they burned.
Obviously, that depended on whether or not God was in a merciful mood. Ebb
didn’t think it wise for the bunnies to pin their hopes on God’s mercy. God
wouldn’t forget all their lies and treachery in a hurry. No, sir. God could be
quite an uncompromising Pixie if you boiled his peas.

He poured a good splash of petrol on the gas cooker and then
limped down the basement steps. He would turn on all the rings. The sugar rush
from the Mars Bars and the Lucozade was already wearing off. His throat felt
like a bog about to conjure up toads. He put the can on the floor. The smell
was almost overpowering. The ventilation system seemed to stir up the stench.

Maybe you should have tied the bunnies up, Pix?

Ebb shook his head. There was no time for that. He had a
shotgun to keep those rabbits in their burrow. One move from any of them and he
would pebbledash the walls with what was left of their corrupted minds. He
picked the gun up. Two cartridges. Enough to quell a small army, let alone a
few loose bunnies.

Ben sat on the floor beside his
father. The old man was as good as dead. There was a nasty gurgling noise in
the back of his throat that reminded Ben of blocked drains. Ben held his hand
and prayed to Pastor Tom’s God for a quick end. He didn’t care about dying
anymore. Death just meant an end to all of this pain and suffering.

Maddie stood near Bubba, looking through Veronica Ebb’s Book
of Revelation. ‘The skeleton Bubba knocked off the wall is Ebb’s mother.’

‘I didn’t know creatures like him had mothers,’ Emily said.

Maddie leafed through a few pages and then stopped. She read
for a few minutes, and then: ‘He beat her to death with a shovel.’

‘And there was m-me thinking the bastard was n-normal.’

Maddie closed the book. ‘He was only sixteen when he did
it.’

Ben looked at his father. ‘Thanks. That m-makes me feel a
lot b-better.’

Maddie walked over to Ben with the book in her hand. ‘I’ve
had an idea.’

Ben didn’t care. The time for ideas had long since vanished.
He felt his father’s wrist for a pulse and was rewarded with a faint beat.

Emily laughed. A dry humourless laugh. ‘So what’s this great
idea, Madeline? I can’t wait to hear it.’

‘My name’s Maddie. Only my father’s allowed to call me
Madeline.’

‘Pardon me for speaking.’

Maddie ignored the sarcasm in her voice and held up Veronica
Ebb’s Book of Revelation. ‘This book obviously means a lot to Ebb, right?’

Emily pushed herself back against the wall. ‘So?’

‘So if I destroy it, he’ll get distracted. Then you and Ben
can attack him and get the gun off him.’

‘Or he might just blow your head off with the gun.’

‘Have you got a better idea?’

Emily laughed. A high-pitched whining noise that sounded
close to hysteria. ‘Yeah. Maybe you should put the wig on and pretend to be his
mother. That would
really
mess with his head.’

Maddie considered this for a few seconds. ‘Yeah. That might
actually work.’

‘I was joking. Bloody hell. J-O-K-E. Joke! You put that wig
on and you’ll just freak him out even more than he’s freaked out already. For
God’s sake, Maddie, do us all a favour and don’t have any more ideas.’

‘Emily’s r-right. The best thing to d-do now is p-p-pray.’

‘We can’t just sit here and wait to die. We’ve got to do
something,’ Maddie persisted.

Emily laughed again. ‘Why don’t you put the sunglasses on as
well? Really throw him off the scent.’

Maddie looked away. ‘I don’t hear you coming up with any
suggestions, Emily.’

‘That’s because there’s nothing left to suggest.’

The key turned in the lock, putting an end to the
conversation. Ben’s heart fluttered in his chest. This was it. Crunch time. He
squeezed his father’s hand. His father didn’t reciprocate the action; he just
carried on making that horrible gurgling sound.

Ebb opened the door and walked a few feet inside the
Revelation Room. He put the petrol can on the floor and then walked back
outside and retrieved the shotgun. He aimed it in the general direction of the
group cowering in the corner. ‘Good afternoon, bunnies.’

Ben’s stomach dropped. Under any other circumstances, Ebb
would have looked comical with his beady brown eyes peering over the top of the
bandage. But Ben was more than aware that looks could be deceptive. Ebb was
about as funny as a plague and ten times as dangerous.

Ebb looked at Ben. ‘Benjamin?’

Ben ignored him.

Ebb pursed his lips. ‘If you don’t want me to blow
Madeline’s head clean off her shoulders, you’d better pay me some respect.’

Ben’s bladder threatened to burst. ‘Wha-what?’

Ebb jerked the gun at him. ‘Stand up and move away from the
Infiltrator. I want you to drag Bubba’s body over there with the others.’

‘My h-hands are hurt.’

‘Hurt, my eye. If you’re referring to your reaction to the
holy water, then I’m afraid that won’t wash with me. The time for excuses is
up, Pixie-pea. If you want to remember Madeline with a head, you’d better get
going.’

Ben gave his father’s hand a final squeeze. It was a
see
you in heaven or wherever we’re going to end up after this world
squeeze.
He forced himself to stand. His left leg was numb. The thought of touching
Bubba’s lifeless body made his blood run cold. Poor decent Bubba, who’d
suffered so much at the hands of Ebb. He hoped with all his heart that Pastor
Tom’s God would look after Bubba.

Ben limped over to where Bubba sat propped against the wall.
The top half of the big man’s yellow overalls was stained red. His eyes were
closed. His mouth hung open. A thin line of blood had dribbled from the corner
of his mouth and down the side of his chin.

Ben tried not to look at Bubba. He tried to focus on doing
what Ebb had asked him to do. He turned around and looked at Maddie. He wanted
to tell her that he loved her. Tell her how he wished they’d had a chance to do
the simple things most people took for granted.

Maddie smiled at him. For the briefest moment, the sunshine
returned to her eyes. And then it was gone again, hidden behind a veil of
tears.

You must do what’s right, son
, Pastor Tom said, from
somewhere deep within Ben’s mind.

Ben almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it. How the
hell did you do what’s right when everything was so damned wrong? He stood more
chance of giving Bubba the kiss of life. He grabbed Bubba’s hands. They were
still warm. Something thick and noxious filled his throat.

‘What have you got there, Pixie-pea?’

Ben turned his head to face Ebb. ‘N-nothing.’

‘Not you, Stutter-bunny. I’m talking to Madeline.’

Maddie put the book behind her back, ‘I—’

‘Don’t play games with me, girl; I know you’ve got my
mother’s book. A little bunny told me. Now, you get the other two books from
Brother Cyril and Brother Gerald and bring them to me.’

Maddie looked at Ben.

‘D-do it.’

Ebb grinned. ‘You’ll listen to the stutter-bunny if you know
what’s good for you.’

Ben stared at Ebb, gripped by an overwhelming urge to tear
him limb from limb. Maybe he could rush at him and knock him off balance.

In your dreams, Stutter-buck.

Ben watched Maddie gather the books from the breastbones of
the skeletons and then walk over to Ebb. He wanted to let go of Bubba’s hands
and rush to Maddie’s side. He wanted to push his fingers into Ebb’s eyes and
gouge them from their sockets. Rip out the pages of those books and stuff them
right down Ebb’s throat. Make him eat his words. But poor old Stutter-buck
could only look down from the conker tree as the other kids threw their sticks
at him and hurled their insults.

Ebb levelled the gun at Maddie’s head. ‘Put the books on the
floor and then get over there with the Fallen Angel and the Infiltrator.’

Go on, Stutter-buck, j-j-jump!

Maddie placed the three books on the floor in front of Ebb.
‘You’ll go to Hell for this.’

‘Evil always licks its finger to test an ill wind.’

Maddie stood up straight and tall. ‘I don’t have a clue what
you’re talking about. You’ll have to answer to God one day. I hope I’m there to
see it.’

‘You’ll see nothing when you’re engulfed in the flames of
Hell. Now get over there with the bunnies.’

Maddie walked over to the corner of the room and took
Emily’s hand.

Ebb looked at Ben. ‘Drag Bubba to the pyre.’

You’re going to die, anyway, Stutts. Rush him. What have
you got to lose?

Ebb pointed the shotgun at Ben’s head. ‘Do it. Now!’

Ben turned his head to one side and started to pull Bubba
away from the wall. As he applied more pressure, he felt Bubba grip his hand.
He then noticed the shallow rise and fall of Bubba’s chest. Confused, he looked
over his shoulder at Ebb.

‘What’s wrong, Stutter-bunny?’

Bubba squeezed his hand. The action said to Ben,
Hey,
it’s okay, do what he says.

Inch by painful inch, Ben dragged Bubba into the middle of
the room. His whole body begged for relief. His lungs felt like two punctured
tyres.  

‘Right, Benjamin, I want you to put the bodies into two
separate piles. Maxine is to be laid to rest beneath Sister Alice, with brother
Bubba on top. That’s the “good pile”. And then I want you to put Brother
Tweezer on top of Sister Dixie, with Brother Marcus on the top. That’s the “bad
pile”. Have you got that?’

Ben didn’t answer. He bent over and rested his hands on his
knees.

Ebb looked along the barrel of the gun. ‘I think it fitting
that the whore should lay beneath the rapist. Very fitting indeed.’

‘God will be
so
pleased with you,’ Maddie said.

Ebb ignored her. ‘I wanted to bury poor Maxine in the North
Field, but with Bubba out of action and my leg gnawed to the bone, I’m afraid
she’ll have to perish in the flames along with the rest of you. Anyway, this is
no time for recriminations. Get going, Stutter-bunny.’

Ben stared at the concrete floor. ‘I c-can’t do it.’

‘Don’t be such a baby. I’m only asking you to move two
bodies.’

‘He’s exhausted,’ Maddie said.

‘So was Jesus of Nazareth, but I don’t recall him
complaining he couldn’t carry his own cross because he had splinters in his
fingers.’

‘Ben isn’t Jesus.’

‘It’s all right. I’ll d-do it.’

‘Attaboy. Chop
chop
, then.’

As Ben bent down close to Bubba, the big man winked at him.
Just a  slight flicker of an eyelid. Ben had no idea why that one tiny
facial movement made him feel like falling to his knees and sobbing like a
child.

Ben rolled Alice on top of Max. The dog emitted an awful
belch of gas as Alice’s dead weight expelled air from its corpse. Both of
Alice’s eyes were now open, staring up at the ceiling as if seeking salvation.
The skin around her neck hung in loose folds. Her cold, clammy hands rested on
the filthy concrete floor. Her left index finger pointed at the skeletons. A
faint smile played upon her lips, as if she had some secret knowledge only
obtainable through death.  

‘Look what that swine Marcus did to her,’ Ebb said. ‘The Lord
will toast his head on a pitchfork for this.’

Ben tried to shut Ebb’s words out of his head. They buzzed
around his brain like a swarm of angry bees seeking a hive. He dragged Bubba
over to the ‘good pile’. Bubba helped Ben by taking some of the weight as he
hauled him on top of Alice and the dog.

 ‘Well done, Benjamin. Jesus has asked me to spare you
from the flames. You will be shot before the bunnies burn.’

‘You’re going to kill us all? Just like that?’ Emily
shouted.

‘I’d be careful about pointing the finger of blame in my
direction. It’s
you
that’s got everyone into this mess by fornicating
with Brother Marcus in the first place. If you’d kept your knickers on, Tweezer
would be pinned to a cross by now and The Sons and Daughters of Salvation would
be breaking bread around the dinner table.’

‘Marcus loved me.’

Ebb scoffed. ‘You wouldn’t know what love was if it leapt up
and bit you on the backside.’

‘We loved each other.’

‘Very touching. Perhaps you can remind yourself of this
misguided delusion whilst you burn with the rest of the bunnies.’

‘Why are you doing this?’ Maddie asked. ‘What have we done
to you?’

‘Done to me? Oh, heavens, Madeline, nothing. It’s the Lord
Jesus Christ that you’ve insulted and betrayed.’

‘You murdered Marcus,’ Emily shouted.

‘And Brother Marcus murdered my faithful dog, Maxine. He
also murdered Brother Tweezer in cold blood, so stick that on your abacus and
add it to the sum total of his miserable existence. Anyway, I’ve had enough of
this nonsense. There’s an apple pie in the oven and petrol evaporating on the
stairs. Arrange Brother Tweezer, Brother Marcus and Sister Dixie as requested,
Pixie-pea.’

Ben could see the faintest rise and fall of Bubba’s chest.
He was amazed that Ebb couldn’t see it. He arranged the other three bodies in
their hideous union beside Bubba, Alice and Maxine.

‘You may or may not want to join me in prayer,’ Ebb said. ‘I
accept that The Sons and Daughters of Salvation is now defunct, so the choice
is yours and yours alone.’

‘I’ll pray that you go to Hell,’ Maddie promised.

Ebb ignored her. He bowed his head. ‘Dear Father, I ask that
you find it in your heart to forgive these wretched misguided souls.’

Ben stared at Bubba. Apart from the obvious fact that the
big man was still alive, there was something else that offered a possible
lifeline. But what?

Ebb droned on. ‘I have done all you have asked of me, Lord.
My time is finished here. I trust you will find it in your heart to offer
salvation to those who have earned it and forgiveness for those who seek it.’

I might only have one eye, but I can see that dog clear
enough
, Old Joe piped up in Ben’s head.

‘Bless this house, Lord, and bless all the bunnies that burn
in her. Amen.’

Ben took a step forward.
The dog. The bloody dog! Ebb
cared about that dog more than anything else in the world.

Ebb thrust the gun at him. ‘Stand still, Pixie-pea.’

Ben pointed at the bodies.

‘What?’

Ben took another step forward. ‘M-Maxine.’

Ebb glanced at the dog. ‘Maxine? What about her?’

Ben whined in the back of his throat. He threw his voice so
it sounded as if the noise was coming from beneath Bubba and Alice.

Ebb took a few steps towards the bodies. ‘Maxine?’

Ben whined again. A long pitiful sound in the back of his
throat. 

Ebb waved the gun at Ben. ‘You get over there with the other
bunnies, Pixie-pea. You so much as move or twitch and I’ll blow your head clean
off your shoulders.’