DAI

By David Wheatley

Inspector Dai Thomas sat waiting in the car. The Inter-Regional Taskforce had been limited to minor league stuff of late. Since Excalibur had relocated, Scotland Yard had lowered the priority of the I.R.T. Now they were in Wales, working on another case, in the middle of a dark and rainy day.

Still this was not an ordinary case. A young child was missing, kidnapped by what had been referred to as the Dorian Cult. The Cult had been a harmless enough bunch of crackpots until they had found their messiah.

Martin Aurelius. Charismatic, charming, dangerous.

Beth Goldfish was just a girl who had wandered into the cult. She was a mutant and she had the power to reveal the truth. Her powers were not controllable as she had found out at school when she had been headmistress had attempted to assault her. Because the old woman had been a friend of a friend in the House of Lords, Beth had been made out as the victim.

The old woman had got off without incident, though she retired soon after. Beth however was persecuted. Her ‘friends’ deserted her. Her family despaired. Without anywhere she could turn, she found the Dorian Cult.

Thomas had been disgusted when he’d read the report. A man preying on children was bad enough but a woman? He shook his head as he thought of it in anguish at the way of the world. It hadn’t been like this in the old days.

Before he’d lost her. Before he’d lost his wife all those years ago.

That was then, this was now and he pushed his mind past that. The concern now was Aurelius. Beth couldn’t have known the man was dangerous, that he was a terrorist, gathering an army of children to fight for his cause. I.R.T. had known but had never got the proof needed. Until Beth Goldfish came along.

Martin Aurelius was a typical tyrant. He loved power, to control, to dominate. He was also a pervert. He knew of her history, the biased reports in the press. He tried it on with her.

“Pervert,” muttered Thomas, his welsh accent coming out from the behind the world-weariness of his tone. He was getting too old for this.

“Did you say something, sir?” asked the lieutenant sitting next to him.

“No,” said Thomas. “Get ready, it’s nearly time.”

Beth’s power had shone through him like a beacon, burning the truth out of him. He may have been charming but he was still a monster and the people he had taken years cultivating fled in droves, some who Aurelius had abused before. However a lot stayed, including Beth, who was terrified.

How did this keep happening to her? Why did God hate her so much to not only make her a mutant, but to make her an object that only the sickos wanted. She couldn’t run because she had nowhere to go. Thomas would never be able to understand but he could sympathise.

The call had come in that Aurelius had contacted his people across in Europe. He needed to get out of the country. Paedophilia was a crime and they could and would get him on whatever they could. However the call had come too late and now Thomas and the I.R.T. team were here. It was a waiting game whilst everyone got in position.

He may not have had the clout he once had, but this was big and so the S.W.A.T. teams were moving in to position. All he needed was the go call and the teams would swoop in and take Aurelius.

The thing was they didn’t know what Aurelius had inside. What types of weapons he’d had and not for the first time, Thomas wished Excalibur were here. On the way over he’d heard they were in England fighting the Warwolves. He’d faced the Warwolves before and knew they’d have their hands full.

He’d even heard the Knights of Pendragon were getting back together. For a moment he’d wondered about getting back with them, but he was not a superhero, he was a policeman, plain and simple.

That was what he’d finish as. What he needed to do.

“We’re in position,” came the voice over the radio.

“Stand by,” said Thomas and looked at the lieutenant, who nodded. “Get the bastard.”

War broke out over a small village near Tywyn, Wales. The cult had been well armed indeed, and as the bullets sped across the area, Thomas ended up wondering if this was all worth it. He’d spent years he’d campaigned against super-heroes, the recklessness with which they acted and reacted without a pause for the cost or consequence. How had the world changed, become a darker place that even regular people could do this.

After the fighting died down and the cultists were subdued, he walked through the chaos and destruction and a tear rolled down his eye. This hadn’t been what he’d wanted, but it had been unavoidable, and that was what hurt the most.

Some of the dead were nothing more than children. Children armed with automatic weapons, but children all the same. Through it all he looked for the one body he feared finding, that of Beth.

It was all thanks to her that they had managed to get this far. If he could find a better, nicer life for her, away from all this death and debauchery then he swore by God he would do it. No child should suffer.

She wasn’t anywhere to be found. Nor was Aurelius.

“Where are they?” he demanded of the officers who looked down at the ground, shuffling their feet, in shame at their failure, and nervousness about Inspector Thomas’ rage. “DAMN!” he said as he slammed his fist on the car bonnet, his chin sinking to rest on the closed palm. “Damn.”

After all the death, it hadn’t been worth it. They hadn’t gotten Aurelius.

“Sir!” The voice brought back from his guilt.

“What?” he asked.

“There’s a report of a man heading for Style’s Ledge. A man and a young girl.”

“It has to be them,” said Thomas and got in the car. He’d grown up around here and he knew where that was, and the best way to get there. He was damned if he’d let Aurelius harm the girl. He sped off, leaving his people to follow.

As he arrived he saw the man on the edge of the cliff face. The sea was a bright blue, as the sun shone overhead. The clouds were clearing, as Thomas hit the breaks and got out. He was very close to Aurelius but not enough to stop him before he could kill the girl.

“AURELIUS!” he shouted. “IT’S OVER!”

“BACK OFF!” Aurelius shouted back, as he held Beth to the cliffside. “OR I’LL KILL THE BITCH!”

Thomas’ heart froze. The man wasn’t bluffing, he could tell.

“Take me instead,” said Thomas, no longer shouting but loud enough to be heard. “I’m more valuable as a hostage.”

“This cow cost me everything. Damned muties get everywhere. Like a parasitic disease on society!” He grabbed her by the hair, yanking it upwards. “She isn’t even human!”

Thomas could hear the sirens getting closer and he knew he had very little time left to save the girl. He wished he had a gun, but he’d never believed in it. Once upon a time when a police officer shouted ‘stop’, that was what happened.

“Aurelius,” he said slowly advancing forwards, a fraction at a time to get closer. “You kill the girl, they’ll kill you for sure. My name is Dai Thomas, Commander of the Inter Regional Taskforce. They won’t do a thing to you whilst you’ve got me.” He could see Aurelius thinking about it.

“How about I kill her, then take you,” he said, pulling a pistol from his coat. “Commander Thomas.”

“Easy, boyo,” said Thomas. “Just let the girl go.” He was getting closer towards Aurelius who had noticed and had now started to back towards the cliff. He had his car keys in his hand. It would be simple enough shot, if he had time to pull it off.

“Or what?” snarled Aurelius and Thomas threw the keys as hard as he could. They struck Aurelius on the side of the face and he staggered back, his arm flailing, waving the gun in the air. Thomas seized the chance and ran forward whilst the monster was off guard. He had to grab Beth before he took them both over the cliff.

He jumped for her, just as Aurelius lost his balance and fell.

“GOTCHA!” he shouted n triumph as the cult leader fell over the edge. Beth’s leg was in his tightly clenched arm and Aurelius had let go. Beth was crying, and Thomas put his coat around her, to keep her warm from the shock of it all. “Easy,” he said as he led her back to his car, just as the cavalry arrived.

He shook his head as he opened the passenger door of his car and sat her down, as the medical team came. He conferred for a moment with his colleagues as the ambulance crew checked her over.

He didn’t like it, the way it had ended and he looked towards the cliff side, just to make sure.

Aurelius was standing there, safe from the edge, and he pointed the gun at Beth’s head. The sharpshooters weren’t ready, there was nobody to stop him and there was a crack as he squeezed the trigger.

“NO!” cried Thomas as the bullet was fired and pushed Beth out of the open passenger door, the bullet striking him under his shoulder. He knew it was bad as he exited the car, catching the handbrake with his foot. The car started to roll forward.

Aurelius didn’t have time to react as the car gathered speed and hit him with a thud. The bounced on to the bonnet and lay there stunned as the car went over the side of the cliff.

“Mister?” asked Beth, holding his hand as he lay there on the floor, an overwhelming need to sleep surrounding him. He could hear people asking how Aurelius had gotten that close to them without anyone noticing, but he found he no longer cared.

The girl was safe and that was all that mattered. The villain vanquished. The girl’s voice too began to fade as darkness descended around him.

“Dai,” came a clear voice. “Dai, it’s time to go now.” He looked up the darkness becoming a white light. “Come on, Dai.” His wife stood there.

“Hello, love,” he said and the light consumed them both.

NEXT ISSUE: In Excalibur #10, a tribute to an ally, fond memories of a important man. Inspector Dai Thomas has passed on, but not before Excalibur can toast their dear friend with an issue in his honor. Excalibur #10, a touching salute for Dai.

However at that time Excalibur #10 had been written for Dai’s funeral. But without the issues, Dai wasn’t dead. A problem.

The only thing that remained instead of wasting a fine issue by Mike Bent was to kill Dai again. To Dai’s fans (of which I’m one) I hope I did him justice. I didn’t want to see him die, but there you go.

I think I gave him a noble end, which was fitting for a character of his calibre. So here’s to Dai Thomas. I’ll miss him.

David.