Page 112 of The Nameless Ones

‘Did I also mention that I’m recovering from cancer?’

‘You can stay with the car, if you prefer.’

Angel turned to Željko. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘I also would prefer to stay with the car,’ he said, ‘but he’ – Željko pointed at Louis – ‘told me I wasn’t being paid to sit on my fucking ass. Excuse me, but those were his exact words. Also, someone has to carry the hammer.’

‘The hammer?’ said Angel.

‘The hammer,’ said Johain.

‘Why do we need a hammer?’ said Angel. ‘Actually, don’t tell me.’

His gaze moved between the Audi and the canyon.

‘And I thought Jersey was wild,’ he said. ‘Okay, fine. I’m coming too.’

They headed into the canyon. The day was already cold, but the canyon’s depths were colder still. They tried their best to stay in what little sun there was, yet even that was sparse. Angel walked more slowly than the others, but not by much: the boulders on the canyon floor forced frequent detours, and sometimes they were obliged to clamber over rockslides that had blocked the way entirely. They would break a sweat only for it to cool upon them once the obstacle was cleared. It was misery for Angel, although he did not complain. He had not tested his body in this way since the surgery, and it was standing up to the ordeal. This was why he had endured the pain of the operation and the subsequent misery of chemotherapy: to feel pain and know that he could beat it.

At last they came to a small waterfall that fed into a stream. To the right of the waterfall were three holes in the rock, one larger than the rest. The cliff face looked unscalable at first, but from an angle it was possible to spot depressions that might serve as handholds and footholds.

‘There,’ said Johain.

‘You’re sure?’ said Louis.

‘Would I have brought you here otherwise?’

‘I sure hope not.’

Angel sat on a boulder. ‘There’s no way I can get up there.’

‘I can make it,’ said Željko.

‘Yeah, I reckon I can too,’ said Louis. He turned to Johain. ‘What about you?’

‘I will stay here, with Angel.’

‘Afraid?’ said Louis.

‘Very,’ said Johain.

The climb was easier than it looked, but the largest of the caves, when Louis and Željko entered it, narrowed significantly beyond its mouth. The two men had flashlights, but were forced to crouch as they ventured deeper, until finally Louis was convinced that they might have to crawl if they were to progress farther. This he had no desire to do. He did not suffer particularly from claustrophobia, but something primal in him rebelled against the prospect of enclosure.

Then, just as it seemed crawling would indeed be forced upon them, the cave widened again, and they found themselves in a small chamber in which they could almost stand upright. In an alcove lay the exsiccated remains of a small human being, like a skeleton wrapped in old paper. The body was curled into the fetal position, the hands folded beneath the head as though to cushion it in sleep.

‘Is it her?’ said Željko.

The chin was pointed, and the skull slightly rounded, which suggested the remains were female. Louis focused his attention on the spine. The scoliosis of which Frend had spoken was plain to see.

‘It’s her,’ said Louis. ‘Hand me the sack.’

Željko produced a woven sack from his pack and held it open while Louis shifted the cadaver into it, the skin tearing and the bones separating in the process. They then retraced their steps, Željko leading, until they reemerged into the canyon. Louis tied off the top of the sack and dropped it to where Angel and Johain waited. He and Željko climbed back down without incident, and the four men stood around the body, the bones poking against the material, the hemisphere of the skull rising from the heart of them.

‘Give me the hammer,’ said Louis.

Željko handed it over, and Louis broke the bones, striking at them over and over until they were reduced to fragments. Angel then took a turn, followed by Željko, until the fragments became little more than shards and dust. Johain did not offer to help. When they were done, Louis opened the sack and tipped the contents into the stream. He turned to Johain.

‘Are you sure that’ll do it?’

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