Chapter 22

Cathy Douglas

In the command room Maurice was trying to establish contact with the teams inside the Association's headquarters.

Kathy was checking feeds from various CCTV cameras around the location, recording showed a bright light spreading out from the car-park and as it passed the cameras they shorted out.

Charlotte was talking to the surveillance teams outside the car-park and they reported short term loss of signal but nothing seemed to happen to them, however they did report that some people near the car-park appeared to have fainted for some unknown reason. "Check them out, they might be Association!" Charlotte instructed.

Sharon was tracking the light as it spread through London, her eyes widened as she noticed something, she connected to Hiram. "Take cover Hiram, that light thing is getting near to you!" She quickly said.

"I'm sorry Sharon, but that is impossible for me to do. When the light hits me I will be unable to stop it." Hiram said.

Sharon shook her head, "But it disrupts all the electricity it strikes, you'll be damaged." She said.

"Then I will be damaged, this has been an interesting 5 years 3 months 25 days 12 hours and 35 minutes ... I will not mention the seconds as I understand you don't worry about those. If I should terminate during this time it was a pleasure knowing you..." Hiram said. "Light thing expected in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0" the screen showed a whiteness as the light struck.

"HIRAM! HIRAM talk to me!" Sharon cried out.

"Didn't you hear them?" Hiram's voice spoke from the speaker and the screen cleared to show his cartoon face.

"Oh Hiram you're safe ... didn't I hear who?" She asked.

"That's whom! Cathy and Chris of course, they are the Twins and are sorting out the Association, now their energy is approaching Alpha 3..." Hiram said.

Sharon turned to shout to the others, "Here it comes, brace yourselves!" She called out as the light passed through the room; she looked around as voices spoke to her and to the others in the room. 'We're fine and safe, we'll be back soon!' Leaving the three musketeers, and Maurice, to look at each other in shock.

'Where are we going?' Chris asked Cathy

'Since Bemalin wants to fight us, we are going to him!' Cathy said

The world dissolved to reappear as the Dreamtime; a youth was standing on one leg watching the pair as they arrived. "Hello girlie, you's back again?" He said with a smile.

Cathy nodded, "Yes, but I might have to break a promise I gave to you." She said.

The youth lost his smile, "You's bringing the world to an end?" He asked her.

Cathy shook her head, "No, just removing a cancer in this world."

The youth put his leg down and approached her, "You's have to do this girlie?" He asked looking at her closely.

Cathy was almost crying, "I have to. To protect others this one must be ended." She said to him.

He nodded sadly, "Then do it girlie." He said and walked away from her.

'Who was he?' Chris asked her.

'He's an aboriginal who lives in the Dreamland with other Australian people; he's a sort of guide to those on their dream walk.' Cathy told him.

They entered a cave and followed it to where it changed to panelling; Cathy opened a door and found a drawing room with a fire and four comfortable chairs. "Sir Robert?" She called out.

"Hello Cathy my dear and Chris Henderson! How nice to see you again. So you have worked out your true destiny I see." Sir Robert said.

Cathy looked at him, "You knew about it?" She asked in surprise.

Robert smiled at her, "Of course my dear, I've have several lifetimes to really study the prophecy, but I realised that it wouldn't help my cause if I told the Grand Marshals the truth. When the Twins arrived they would find out on their own." He said with a smile.

Cathy studied him, "You don't mind that we might destroy you?" She asked.

Sir Robert shook his head, "I have existed here for so long that I really don't care anymore, I cannot truly touch anything except for what I create, the food and drink I have are only in my mind and it doesn't taste of anything. For me it would be a release." He said mildly.

Chris spoke up, "But Sir Robert isn't there anything you would want to do?" He asked.

Robert looked wistful; "I wouldn't mind walking on the real world just once ... but that is not available to me, my body has long turned to dust and I wouldn't even know where it was even if it hadn't." he said.

Chris looked at Cathy who had tears in her eyes.

"You feel pity for one such as him!" Bemalin's voice sounded within the room. "He chose to remain here! I was told to come to this place to guide our people on the right road! I had to give up my life to serve the Association!" He appeared in the corner of the room.

Cathy's eyes went cold, "But you guided them along the wrong path, they should have followed the Knights Templar code and helped those who needed it!" She said.

"I was told to ensure that my people survived, by any means necessary. They became lost and so I had to steer them using what I knew!" Bemalin told her.

Chris shook his head, "But you were wrong! You made them evil with their actions!" Chris said angrily.

"Good, evil what is the difference. When the Association wins then the Organisation will be the evil ones. History is written by the victors not the losers!" Bemalin said with a laugh.

"The Association is lost Bemalin, we have seen to that!" Cathy told him.

Bemalin shook his head, "Oh no bitch. All you've done is to stop the current Association, but another will arise. I will make sure of that!" He said giving a wide smile, there was a dark flash which quickly faded Chris and Cathy touched hands and prepared for anything.

"What did you do?" Cathy asked him.

Bemalin looked confused; "It should have worked ... what happened?" he said out loud and then glared at Cathy and Chris. "But it doesn't matter. I can still attack you, " he said as the room disappeared and they were standing beside a lake. "Recognise this place bitch! This is where you almost captured me, and that French bitch died here. You didn't protect her and so you were the cause of her death!" He said with a cruel smile.

Cathy shook her head. "Jeanne was only helping me and she survived in heaven. I've met her again. So that doesn't work with me Bemalin." She said. Barbed hooks flew out of the lake towards the two youths. Chris just gave a small smile and a force screen appeared that surrounded the pair. "That's much better than just small screen." Cathy said smiling.

She looked at Bemalin and then there was a large vacuum cleaner behind him. "Hey Bemalin, recognised that?" She called out.

Bemalin glanced behind him and his face showed fear, he waved his hands and the barbed hooks wrapped themselves around the cleaner and pulled it into the lake. "I've learnt how to fight such monsters!" He said.

Cathy smiled, "Are you really sure?" She asked as the sound of the cleaner began and the lake started to churn and thrash as if something was fighting beneath the surface.

Bemalin looked in shock. "What are you doing?" He demanded.

Cathy turned to Chris, "I made a waterproof version, and it's sucking up the spirits of the lake." Cathy said smugly.

"Nnnoooooooo! It cannot be!" Bemalin screamed out as the cleaner rose to show ... something indescribable writhing in the container.

"Care to join them Bemalin, you will be safe from us while you're in there!" Cathy said.

"And while you're in there I'll ensure that nobody will come to release you or the spirits for as long as I live ... and I plan to live a long time!" Chris added.

Bemalin roared out his refusal and charged the pair with his arms outstretched. Chris concentrated and steel bands appeared which wrapped themselves around Bemalin holding him tightly.

Bemalin fell to the ground struggling weakly against the bonds that held him. Cathy approached him carefully. "I was going to allow you to live Bemalin, but you have brought misery into the real world. I cannot let this happen again!" She reached out to Bemalin who tried to move away from her touch. "Wake up!" She screamed at him.

Bemalin's eyes widened and he realised that his hold on the Dreamtime was fading. "What have you done to me?" He cried out.

"I have entered your mind, I'm cutting the bonds you had with the Dreamtime, you will return to the world to your body ... wherever it might be!" She said.

Bemalin was slowly fading, "But my body is dead, years dead and gone to dust. I will not live!" He protested.

Cathy nodded her head sadly. "I know, and for that I'm sorry Bemalin, had you been different you might have lived again. But not now!" she said

"You will die and I will be there waiting for you bitch. I will never rest until I..." As his body faded so did the voice until it was just a breeze in the wind.

Cathy looked at the steel bands and began to cry; Chris held her and cried with her.

"So what do you have planned for me?" Robert's voice said and they were back in the panelled room.

Chris and Cathy looked at each other, "There is one thing we could try." Cathy said, "But I'm not sure if we're allowed to do it." She said

Robert smiled, "Well my dear, if anyone's allowed to do things I'm sure the Twins are." He said and there was a twinkle in his eyes.

Chris and Cathy held a silent conversation. "Do you think you can do this? ... I think so; it's nothing I've tried before ... but what happens if it doesn't work?" they looked at Robert.

"There is a possible solution ... but we're not sure if we're able to do it. If we fail then you will die." Cathy said hesitatingly.

Robert shook his head, "It's all right my dear, and by rights I should be long dead. It would be a release of one kind anyway." He said reassuringly

"This may hurt you." Chris said and concentrated on reducing Robert down in size, down, down, down until he was just a speck. A bubble appeared around the speck and Chris bent down and picked it up, it resembled a pearl with a shiny cover.

"Hello Cathy, Chris. It's good to see you again." Sir Timothy appeared in the room.

Cathy went to hug him but stopped as he held up his hand. "I'm not really here Cathy, but I appreciate your actions. What are your plans for the Organisation now?" He asked.

Cathy looked at Chris. "We're going to keep the two running, but changing their approach to the world at large, the Association is going to concentrate on making life better in England, repairing the damage they've done." She said.

Sir Timothy looked at Chris, "Will you be overseeing that side of things?" He asked.

Chris shook his head, "Not me, I'm not sure who will be able to do that." He said.

Sir Timothy nodded, "Well someone will appear, don't worry about that. What are you going to do?" He asked Chris.

Chris hung his head, "I've been a fool Sir Timothy, and I've caused lot of people hardship! I want to join the Clerics and to study the Knights Templar and to carry on their duties." He said

Sir Timothy nodded, "That is probably for the best. So now what happens to the Twins?" He asked the pair.

Cathy frowned, "There is such a thing as too much power. We've seen how it's affected Bemalin, he wouldn't listen to anyone. We don't want that. We've fulfilled the prophecy and have destroyed the activities of the Association. There is nothing else for us to do." She said.

Sir Timothy nodded, "But I would think you'd need to be around for some weeks, your powers can bring healing to the sick, and those who've been affected by the war in the past few months could benefit from you two." He said.

Cathy and Chris looked at each other and nodded, "Very well Sir Timothy. Is there anything else?" Cathy asked.

Sir Timothy shook his head, "Not at this time. But ... are you going to be keeping the Dream world site active? You'll need someone to remain here to keep it running?" He said

Cathy smiled, "Well it's very relaxing here, and I know that several Organisation people have visited here." She said and then she looked at Sir Timothy, "Would you like to keep this running?" She asked him.

He smiled, "If you want me to then I will." He said and somehow became his shape took more form. "Thank you Cathy, I accept." He said and then he hugged Cathy finding himself now solid in the Dreamtime.

Cathy laughed as she touched him, and then the scene changed, they were outside by a large open fire; the youth was watching the newcomers closely. "You's finished girlie?" He asked.

Cathy nodded, "I have, I bring you a new friend. His name is Timothy; show him how life is lived here. And I promise that I will no longer threaten to wake anyone else here." She said.