Savage Wings: Book Three of The Whitechapel Chronicles

EPILOGUE

The alarm for the closing doors resounded shrilly and I jumped onto the train just in time, hearing them hiss and click close just behind me as I managed to squeeze into the claustrophobic crush of people packed onto the tube.

It was a Friday night and the carriage was rammed with a particularly rowdy crowd, people talking excitedly and friends cracking jokes. A group of teenage girls were singing raucously in the corner, breaking into fits of giggles and earning raised eyebrows and disapproving glares from nearby commuters, who glanced owl-like at them over the tops of books and newspapers. 

When I'd been alive, when I'd been human, I'd hated tube journeys. Hated the crush. Hated the chaos. Hated getting my feet stamped on and getting squashed between bodies and smells and too-loud voices in my ears. I'd always preferred taking the car rather than getting the tube, but not now. Now, I couldn't get enough of it. I loved the bustling throng. I loved standing in amongst them, listening to the sweet hypnotic hum of their hearts and feeling all their heat and all their vibrant life.

Harper couldn't understand this new-found obsession of mine, but then again he'd never been one for crowds, even amongst his own kind. He was trying though and seeing him looking mightily uncomfortable as Lucius chittered to him about some new comic book he was reading or having to chair meetings with the whole group when he'd rather tell them all to fuck off, had also become a bit of an obsession. It was always me, however, that was the one that got told to fuck off whenever he'd catch me laughing at how awkward he looked, but I didn't care. I could handle Harper Cain as he knew only too well.

Clinging onto a pole for support, I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the gentle sway of the carriage as it rocked through the tunnel and tuning into the heartbeat of a heavy-set man who was standing just a little too close. Underneath his over-eager splash of cologne, his clothes smelt faintly of sweat and fried-food and for a moment, as his body brushed against mine for the umpteenth time, I thought about getting off at the same stop as him and seeing whether I could persuade him to take a wrong turn down some dark alley. The idea was tempting – too tempting I had to admit – but when the train reached Edgware Road and he got off, I stayed where I was, watching him wistfully through the carriage window as he turned and disappeared from view. It had been a delicious thought while it lasted, but I had somewhere to be and I knew Harper would be waiting for me to check in with him and let him know I'd reached my destination.

We'd argued about it, of course. I knew he was struggling to understand why I wanted to go but I had to, just the once. It seemed like the right thing to do. Harper had wanted to come along naturally, but that hadn't felt right. This was something I had to do alone, a chance to lay the ghosts to rest that had been haunting me. Or one ghost anyway.

The disembodied voice on the loud speaker told me the next stop was Kensal Green and I hopped off as the doors swished open and followed the tunnels up to the exit. Once out on the street, I reached into the pocket of Garrick's military-style jacket and withdrew my mobile, sending a quick message to Harper.

I'm here, will text when I'm leaving x

Within a matter of seconds, the phone beeped.

Hurry the fuck up.

And then beeped again.

Seriously hurry up, I have a hard-on with your name on it.

"Cheeky bastard," I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes as I slipped the phone back into my pocket and set off on the short walk down the road.

The green and white sign by the top gate of Kensal Green Cemetery told visitors that the grounds were closed after six pm, but thankfully, the security guard was poorly paid and had been more than happy to accept a donation from someone who wanted in after closing time, with very few questions asked. Of course it had also helped when Josiah had met him one night coming out of the local snooker club and put forward my request, making it quite clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer. It turned out that the seer had uses other than seeing into people's futures and I knew this wouldn't be the last time I used his Hackney-boy charm to get what I wanted.