Hidden Secrets

"Hi, Skylab, are you still in Thailand?" asked Khwam. She stared at her mobile, and twitched, hoping for the answer she prayed for.

"How's it going? Yeah, we are driving away from the juvenile centre, trying and failing to discover more about Nick and Philippa. And what went so badly wrong with their upbringing that turned them into evil monsters?"

"I'm back and forth from their father's old home. There were some interesting experiments overlooked in the original case. The police were only interested in the drug details and the people involved. I think you and Kev should see what's been uncovered. Believe me, it's shocking, but I struggle to understand what went on here."

Kev nodded from the driver's seat and turned the car around, now, aiming it northeast to the borders between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. An area they both knew well. They had been imprisoned by the children's British father. Back in Hua Hin a young Welshman and his Thai girlfriend had become close friends to the pair. They owned and ran Kev and Skylab's favourite pub. In the past Mike the Welshman had been an expert at concocting drugs made from local ingredients. Mike believed he had sold his bar for far more than expected. The only problem was he had to deliver the keys and sign the paperwork in the North because the buyer could not travel, because of other business. He had been tricked by Philip Roger Perrin the biggest and wealthiest drug dealer in Asia. Mike had to call on his old skills. He was expected to invent or develop the next and best high for addicts. Kev and Skylab went to rescue them. The rescue went badly wrong. They all ended up in Perrin's underground prison cells. The neighbouring cells were occupied by young females who were to keep Perrin satisfied. Or so it was believed.

"What has Khwam uncovered," asked Kev, scratching his chin.

"Perrin's niece, Camilla was left the property in his will. She willed it to her girlfriend, who I believe still lives there? I wonder why she found nothing."

"I guess she kept everything valuable?" said Kev.

"Sure, probably still in the house. There was no shortage of cash."

They pulled into a petrol station, time for Holly's feed, Kev needed a coffee.

Khwam continued rifling files and paperwork, scratching her neck at each new item.

"Cannot be." She muttered, scratching harder. She had been holed up in the spacious underground room for hours. There was nothing to see in the perspex cells that once held Kev and Skylab. The police knew all about them.

She searched flash drives, computer files, and had uncovered some mind-blowing information. Not drug production-related. Bangkok's Special Branch had removed anything which may interest them. But other stuff, which was clearly above their heads was left behind. Filed as 'hobby info', merely glimpsed at remaining here and upstairs in a laboratory. She was unsure how much delving she had time for and how much she should tell her boss, at least until she discovered how dangerous this could be for Thailand.

"I must trust someone, Kev and Skylab won't say anything. I hope!" talking to herself again. She did that more often these days.

"Would you like a coffee down there?" came a call from above.

"Yeah, thanks. I need a break, but I'd prefer tea. Is that okay?"

Camilla's widow had changed her name, in fact, changed her whole life. She was almost a different person. She was now Mrs Pat Jones, widowed wife of a fictitious American serviceman.

"I know you know the truth, but I don't want the locals to uncover my history. Did you know, I was a police officer when I first met Camilla?"

"I read the full report when I arrived in Hua Hin. I take it you've changed? You are not what I expected," asked Khwam.

"Oh yes, I'm a lady of leisure now. And loving it, no pressure, no living in fear."

"Good for you. I'm pleased for you. Why the change of heart to open up these rooms?"

"Those two rooms, the one you were just in down there and the laboratory have been locked for years. I have never been in them. I'd rather not know what is hidden or details of anything you've found. Mr Perrin was like the devil. Bin it, take it all away or torch it. I don't care. I have a new use for space, I thought I'd use it for breeding dogs. A new hobby of mine, to keep my interest in my old age. You don't want a pedigree pet, do you?" She laughed.

"I'm waiting for Skylab and Kev to arrive and help me unravel the mystery of all the data and files. What I know is whatever he was working on, was not drugs. He had other plans."

She finished her tea, nodded thanks.

"I'd better get on, Kev and Skylab will be here soon."

"I'm wondering how they'll take it. I mean seeing me again?" said Mrs Pat Jones.

An hour later, they arrived.

"Oh, wow, you have a child?" said Pat.

"Hello, it's been a while," said sour-faced Kev.

"Hi, you look different," said Skylab.

"I'm older, and hopefully more sensible. Sorry about our, what shall I call it, unfriendly past."

"Most of it was Camilla, or her uncle's fault. But, you could have helped us," said Kev.

"Never mind, all that, it's a new life for all of us. Meet our daughter, Holly."

"She gorgeous, just like her mum. Please come in. Khwam is working in a place you know well. I'll show you through and leave you to your work."

"Christ, this room brings back painful memories." Kev looked around, shuddering.

"Hi, how was the trip? Oh, what's wrong with Holly?" asked Khwam. "Teething?"

"I don't think so. She has been so good all the way. Maybe just tired?"

"It's this room!" chuckled Kev.

A flash drive was inserted into Khwam's laptop.

"Do you understand this?" asked Khwam.

"All I know it's not the chemistry of illegal substances, it's more the biology of the human body. What the hell was he up to?"

"Let me see," said Skylab trying and failing to settle her daughter. "Let me put her down. If she can crawl around, she may calm down."

The three adults were trying to make sense of the mountains of information in front of them. A high-pitched shriek broke the concentration.

"What's the matter, Holly? Mummy has some work to do. Oh God, what has happened?"

"She's got her finger stuck."

Three adults bent to look. The baby had her index finger jammed into a tiny circle in the white tile floor.

Skylab gently bent and massaged her daughter's finger loose.

"What is that?" asked Skylab, pointing to a nylon ribbon tangled on Holly's finger.

She tugged it gently as she stood and held her daughter higher. She passed the cord to Kev.

The ceramic tile slid away, leaving an open one-metre by one-metre doorway. Kev and Khwam kneeled and looked in.

"There is a handle." He lifted and pulled out the square top. Below was a three-metre deep perspex shelved crate.

On each shelf was a small body. They looked at the top one.

"Is that human?" asked Khwam.

The tiny baby's body was covered in grey down. Its ears were larger than normal and pointed.

The next shelf housed a female on her back. She had black hair covering her tiny body.

"God, look at her feet!"

The feet were cloven hooves.

Skylab needed support and gripped Kev's shoulders. They stared at each other, mouths open in shock.

The next shelf revealed what appeared to be a normal boy, chubby arms and legs. Black matted hair covered his head. Too young to have teeth, although this boy already had two perfectly formed canines. Too big for his infant's mouth. They must have caused agony. Once more the three stared in shock. On the bottom, they had to stoop to see. The last shelf held a pair of Siamese twin girls. One had a normal foot, the other looked like a goat's. The rest of the baby looked normal until the pair of heads was reached, joined at the neck. One was bald but had a light grey fur covering its ears. The other head was covered in a thick, black mass. Their faces were identical, except one had a sharp pointed tooth sticking through its upper lip.

The only noise was Holly's persistent wail.