Out of the sack dropped a c.o.c.katrice and after a few more shakes from Apollo, another two, which had been clinging on tight from within the sack, also followed.

The c.o.c.katrice had the body of a large rooster and its wings were bat-like, dark but leathery and also useless as it couldn't fly. The creature's tail was long and heavy and lizard-like, and it dragged on the cold prison floor, anchoring the creature to the ground and its weight kept the bird flightless.

From its mouth flicked the forked tongue of a serpent and very tiny fangs.

They were venomous and humans in experiments bitten by a c.o.c.katrice initially felt none of the violent pain that the bird's usual prey did, but if the creature was starved (as these ones were) then they would eat anything such as beetles and grubs.

The bite from a c.o.c.katrice was like a pinp.r.i.c.k, and could be treated with the right medicine, so the scientists in the labs said, but it was the stare of one which was much more deadly.

The c.o.c.katrice hunted by paralysing its prey with a direct stare, the longer the creature held that stare the more paralysed they became until they went into spasm and death took over, the venom was just a precaution, anything the birds felt to be a threat, they would try and paralyse.

These species were made like all the creatures in The Complex by genetically engineering and gene-spicing various animal DNA and mixing them with creatures created by Big Man's team of lab workers; the three in the bag were the *Red' c.o.c.katrice because of their plumage.

A starving c.o.c.katrice would gladly feast on Hustle beetles and the three birds flapped awkwardly around the prison chasing the beetles. Hustle beetles would normally tunnel through bark or soft earth to escape from predators, but there was no bark here, only prisoners, and they pulled at their chains as the beetles crawled over their face and body, they were also trying to avoid the clumsy advances from the c.o.c.katrice pecking at them to reach the Hustle beetles.

The beetles had nowhere else to scuttle to, they were being hunted by the bird-like creatures and inside these men was the safest place to hide.

CHAPTER FIVE.

No Crime, But Punishment Big Man sat in his office with a bemused look on his face, there was a small box on the table which had been opened and the Network boss had what was inside in his hands, he fiddled around with the small contraption before giving up and pressing down on his phone intercom.

"Melissa?" His secretary answered, "Yes sir."

"Where is Apollo?"

"He's just finishing up with the teachers for the *Beetles Battle'."

"What are the ratings like?"

There was brief silence as she typed out some figures on the screen. "Five per cent loss, sir."

Big Man played with the contraption again.

"So the beetle show was a complete loss then?"

"It would appear so, sir."

Big Man stood up and blew out a tired breath. "Ok Melissa, thank you and is Nayan out there?"

"He is sir, would you like me to send him through?"

"Yes please, Melissa."

A black man, huge in stature, entered the office. He was dressed in a uniform, he was bald and his face was scarred, his eyes tired and sad, and his unkempt beard spread around his face. Big Man could smell alcohol on his breath too. This was Nayan, head of security for Big Man.

Big Man's eyes flicked up. "Still thinking about your wife and kids I take it?" Nayan remained quiet. "Drinking yourself to death won't bring her back, she's left you and taken the kids with her."

"Can I help you Big Man?"

Nayan's voice was firm and hard but not threatening, Big Man held up his arms in a mock surrender.

"Ok ok, I get it." He showed Nayan the contraption. "Look at this, look at what my daughter gave me for my birthday, she got me a nose-hair clipper, can you believe that? A nose-hair clipper, what does she think I look like?"

Nayan looked on unimpressed. "That's very insulting, she obviously thinks I look like c.r.a.p, what's she going to get me next year? Mouthwash? Well I'm not keeping it." He pressed the Intercom b.u.t.ton. "Melissa, when is your birthday?"

"It's today, sir."

Big Man grinned and gave the *thumbs-up' sign to Nayan. "That's great, I've got you a present, Nayan's going to give it to you now." He stuffed the nose-hair clippers back in the box and gave them to Nayan, shooing him out of his office, Nayan left and shut the door behind him, there was a brief silence followed by an astonished shriek and then some swearing. Nayan re-entered the room as Big Man spoke on the intercom.

"You're most welcome, Melissa, happy birthday."

Nayan frowned. "What do you want Big Man?"

BigM an reached for a remote control on the table and aimed it at the big TV screen in the corner, the image that came up was a news report on the evening's earlier events at The Splash Wave swimming baths and at the Chicken Shack, involving Ca.s.sandra and Kimberley.

"Do you see that, Nayan? I think I made these things, in fact I know I did."

"You made these kids?"

"No, not the kids, dummy, just their powers."

"What did you do, Big Man?"

Big-man shot a hard stare at Nayan. "Never you mind where they came from but I want them here, the blond chick almost melted a swimming pool and the other one scared every customer out of a chicken shop by changing into a monster, now they are the ones I want playing in my game shows."

Nayan remained silent and kept his stance.

"Listen, I just threw a bunch of teachers in my underground prison and then released my special beetles on them and got one of the lowest ratings this season, you know why? Because people want to see a decent fight and these kids are going to give the viewers exactly what they want."

Now was when Nayan spoke up, his eyes squinted with interest. "What do mean?"

"The police picked up those two girls and another guy, I don't know what he does but if he's hanging around them he might have a power.

"Anyway, we took the boy earlier and put him in the Beetle Battle, if he survives, when he survives, we'll see how it goes The police chief owes me a favour so I'm going to get the girls transferred here and throw them in the danger games A.S.A.P, what do you think?"

Nayan slammed his hand down on the table, his eyes fully focused on his boss. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THESE KIDS IN THE DANGER GAMES WITH YOUR MONSTERS? AND THE BOY? HE'S JUST A KID, AND YOU'VE PUT HIM IN YOUR DUNGEON?"

Big Man seemed surprised at the outburst.

"What's the matter? We've put kids on the TV before on the singing shows and stuff and you didn't complain then so what's the crack?"

Nayan threw his hands in the air in desperation. "THEY WERE TWENTY-ONE AND THEY WEREN'T FIGHTING YOUR MONSTER CLONES, THESE KIDS LOOK ABOUT EIGHTEEN AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEND THEM TO FIGHT THESE THINGS. YOU'RE SENDING THEM TO THEIR DEATHS."

Big Man grinned. "But think of the ratings and this is where you come in, there must be more of these freaks around, I've already got some spies sniffing around and I want you to spearhead this campaign to round up these power kids and put them in my games, the audience will do the rest."

Horrified, for a second, Nayan stepped back.

"You're not joking are you, you really mean it."

Big Man kept his sick smile. "Of course I mean it, I never joke about business, this is important stuff, if we hurry we can get them on for tomorrow's shows."

Nayan turned to leave. "I want no part in this sick game of yours, find someone else to do your dirty work."

Big Man's smile started to fade.

"Nayan, you could be doing your country a service, by herding up these freaks and putting them on TV. The nation needs entertainment and together, with my games and this gigantic studio, we could give them what they want. Your wife isn't coming back, your kids aren't coming back, do something useful with your life, bin the booze and bring me those kids."

"GO TO h.e.l.l!"

Big Man stood up slowly and remained weirdly calm. "You'll be making a big mistake if you're not with me on this, Nayan, I do have others I could use but a man of your talents is always handy."

Nayan was by the door when he turned around and shot a look at Big Man.' "If you use any of my men to bring those kids here then I will quit."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, old friend."

As the security man turned the door handle Big Man shouted out to him, "NAYAN! Leave your badge with me and clear out your locker...you have no idea what you're missing out on."

Moments later, Nayan sat on a bench by his work locker with his head in his hands, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and pressed his wife's name in the contact list, and waited for it to ring, then it went to voicemail. Waiting for the beep, he spoke, "Hey there, just wanted to say hi and hear your voice, I miss you so much, haven't spoken to you in a while and love the sound of you, in fact there's so many things I love about you. I love your beautiful eyes, I love your laugh and every time I look at you I get a warm feeling inside."

Nayan pulled the phone away from his ear to wipe away a tear from his eye. "I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone, give my love to the boys." He ended the call and opened his locker and pulled out a bottle of whisky, which was half-empty, putting the bottle to his lips he hesitated...before throwing the bottle against the wall, and as it shattered in all directions, Nayan dropped to his knees and cried his eyes out.

It was a while before he got up and left with his phone held tight between his sweaty fingers.

CHAPTER SIX.

The Trial of Felcey Felcey slowly opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. The last thing he could remember was being in the Police station with Kimberley and Ca.s.sandra and then he was led away and that was it. He raised his head and that's when he heard the screaming from all around. Trying to straighten himself he realised he was chained and in some sort of prison. His hands were dry and not weeping, and he didn't know why there was so much commotion. That was until he saw the contents in the two bags. That was when he knew struggling would be futile. The beetles crawling along his skin hadn't started to burrow, yet the c.o.c.katrices in the room weren't paying them any attention. With disgust, Felcey bounced his body on the ground trying to shake off the little pests and it worked for a moment until a few more approached from his right-hand side.

Felcey shook in agonising pain as the new beetles hurriedly began to chew down on the fleshiest part of his side, he tried bouncing along again on his bottom to shake them off but they held firm, he screamed and scrambled to his feet but he was chained to the wall by his hands above his head so could only stand and stare as more beetles clutched hard to his skin and bore into him. Felcey frantically pulled on his chain which kept him steadfast to the wall, the chains were long enough for his hands to reach his waist and he tried in vain to tear the beetles off him.

Felcey's body shook like a marionette's puppet as more beetles tried to eat their way inside, the pain on his face mirrored by thirty other prisoners with beetles chewing through them as well, the c.o.c.katrice flapped and chased at their six-legged prey, pecking away on the bodies of the men as they also tried to pull the beetles from their skin.

Felcey pulled again at his chain and lifted his foot, somehow managing to grab at a beetle which was already halfway through his ankle, with both hands he pulled with hope and might and just about managed to hurl the insect across the room and into the waiting mouths of the c.o.c.katrice, but that tremendous effort had tired him.

Suddenly a hole opened in the wall just where the chain was fixed to, like a trapdoor it spat open and released more of the chain, after a few feet more appeared it slammed shut just as quickly, whether this was to help Felcey or was just a cruel game to appease the watching public at home was anybody's guess.

Falling headfirst to the floor, Felcey spun around and tried in vain to reach the beetles that were now biting away on his back. He crawled as far as the chains would allow, unable to roll along fully on the floor to crush the beetles digging deeper in his posterior.

What little food Felcey ate that day was soon erupting from his lips as he vomited furiously on to the floor, it would have been more if his stepdad hadn't eaten his dinner earlier.

His eyes had glazed over as the pain began to take him, each beetle had tunnelled their way in to his body and then sealed up the holes behind them, the beetles moved slowly under the skin stretching it but not breaking the new patchwork flesh.

By the time the tenth beetle was sewing up the skin, which was to be a new home until the danger had pa.s.sed, Felcey had already pa.s.sed out and *if' and when he awoke, he would have insect company in his body for a while.

Oram writhed in agony as the beetles began to bore deep into his skin. He wasn't chained to the walls like some of the teacher prisoners as he was deemed *low risk' by the Network and was free to walk around the cramped dungeon with ease. But this didn't stop the Hustle beetles trying to hide in his body and even with supreme efforts pulling most of them free, it was the ones in his back where he couldn't reach that made his cries of agony the most raw.

Other prisoners like Jago, Faris and Aubrey tried to help him and others whose backs were also black with beetles.

A c.o.c.katrice ran up to the now fallen body of Oram on the ground, he was still alive but had given up attempting to remove more bugs from his body, more to do with pain than hope.

The c.o.c.katrice begun to pull at a very big beetle on Orams's right bicep and even though the bird was probably doing him a favour, the pain and desperation were too much for the prisoner and he lashed out with his other arm striking the creature square in the beak and sending it squalling along the floor.

It picked itself up and headed back to the promising meal of a big beetle and once again began to pull at it on Oram's arm. With his body now a sea of beetles Oram managed to haul himself up and grab the c.o.c.katrice by its neck, the bird's wings flailed rapidly by its side as Oram began to squeeze tightly.

As the bird thrashed around in his grasp Oram's tired eyes stared directly at the c.o.c.katrice, the prisoners who weren't already unconscious screamed at him to drop it or shut his eyes but Oram was oblivious to their shouts and remained defiant with his capture.

The creature stopped pecking at him and its eyes which, were at the side of its head, suddenly drew forward to the front and its black eyes turned green. Saliva trickled down the side of his mouth as the man was unable to turn his gaze away from the eyes of the c.o.c.katrice.

Oram's whole body began to tremble, but it was not the beetles' doing, his mouth turned red, blood mixed with saliva, as he bit hard onto his tongue. He was convulsing now, shaking violently and still squeezing on the neck of the c.o.c.katrice, but still the bird's eyes bore directly into his. The Hustle beetles were still trying to hide in his flesh from the bird whose squawking had stopped as it was beginning to struggle free.

Oram's body was in spasm and finally the bird was released and flapped away to a safe distance as the now lifeless body of Oram flopped to the ground.

The c.o.c.katrice returned to him and finished off the beetles still scuttling along his frame, and this time Oram gave no resistance at all.

Outside the prison door Apollo rolled around on the floor, his sides in agony from laughing so hard at the screams inside. He loved his job. Dandridge stepped over his boss and unlocked the door; five other guards with empty sacks followed him to round up the c.o.c.katrice. Elias was unchained and gently lowered to the ground and led away, untouched by beetles or the c.o.c.katrice.

Apollo composed himself and burnt the remaining beetles to a crisp with a flame-thrower, chuckling along as he did so.

It was a lousy night out for Aphrodite and she was happy to be back at home. She took a deep breath and sank back down into her hot bath, with her hand covering her nose she stayed submerged for a few seconds before rising up again with a huge splash. Her arms had grown more hairy since she was out with Sabrina earlier, they had left the club early as the music and the men on offer were poor.

Flinging her hair back she looked around for an audience in the bathroom but there was none, reaching for and grabbing a towel she stood up and wrapped it around her waist, realising that her arms would be on show she threw the towel on the floor and pulled on her night gown instead and headed for her bedroom.

Sabrina sat at her friend's dressing table. "You smell nice," she said as Aphrodite flopped onto her bed.

"Why thank you darling, too early for my jim-jams do you think?"

The girl nodded whilst handing her a towel and watched as Aphrodite tied it to her hair.

"It's just that school was so exhausting today and I'm so tired."

Sabrina gave a weak smile. "You were hardly at school today, neither of us were."

Aphrodite rose from the bed and slipped her arm through the other girl's and gently pulled her closer. "You still worried about your arms?"