Sun Wukong - Monkey God: The Plymouth Grey, #3

By Brian Lambert

Singing stones?

Cars turning into dragons?

All in a day’s work for the Grey, Plymouth’s secret defence against paranormal attacks in the city. But things take a serious turn when Frank, the Grey’s leader, mysteriously disappears.

With the rest of the Grey making sure the city’s weirdness level doesn’t hit critical, it’s up to Alex, Frank’s grandson, to search for answers in the Grey’s potentially deadly, historical Archive.

Can the current problems be related to the ‘Strawberry jam’ urban myth that originated in Victorian times? Or even the strange issues Brunel encountered while building the Albert Bridge across the River Tamar?

But, as Alex discovers, the answers lie even further back in the history of the Grey. Back to the 17th Century and the introduction into Britain of the ‘China drink’. And to a secret war being fought underneath Plymouth Hoe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Lambert
• Release date: May 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386291695

Book preview

Prologue

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The day was warm and the sky was blue, and the stones sang to Mrs Weston.

Already half-asleep on her sun-lounger she initially thought it was someone’s radio or one of those new-fangled i-something-or-others. But then she remembered her neighbours were at work after dropping off their noisy children to primary school (which was why she was out enjoying the sun and the sweet sound of almost-silence). No workmen were in evidence on any of the houses around her, and the strange sound was too close to be other than in her own garden.

Squinting into the bright light she carefully looked around her garden like it was suddenly harbouring a cat ready to do its business in her carefully planted flower beds. Nothing.

Had someone thrown one of those electronic things over her fence? Puzzlement was making way for annoyance. Why should someone want to do such a thing and ruin her few hours of peace until the tired parents and their screaming children arrived back?

Making sure her sunflower-pattern dress wouldn’t snag and accidentally tear a seam she leaned over onto her right side and examined the lawn. Nothing. But the sound diminished slightly. Therefore whatever it was had to be on her other side. Quickly, she rolled back into the centre and then swung her legs so she could sit up and give whatever it was a glare before she stamped on it and stuck it in her recycling bin. Her gaze landed on three round stones, diminishing in size from a dark brown bowling-ball, a grey hockey ball, and a white cricket-ball. Startled by the sight, her momentum made her swing too far and she landed on the soft green turf in a tangle of limbs and sunflower dress.

The strange sound stopped as she hastened to right herself and stand up, making sure her hair was still in place. But she had the strangest feeling that the three stones were watching her.

Brushing herself down she stood, coolly regarding the stones. They didn’t look to be like those i-things, but a while back she’d ventured into one of the few record shops left in search of something for her niece and saw some strangely-shaped speakers. Was this what they were? Was someone nearby using that blue thing to make them play music? Her gaze swept around her fence for anyone laughing at her. No-one.

She rapidly backed up when the stones started making their strange noise again. How could she make them stop? How could she make them go away? Still watching them she headed to the little wooden shed for her garden tools.

Armed with the longest implement she could find, which was a spade, she headed back determined to remove the things from her garden. Ready to evict them from her previously tranquil garden she again felt like they watched her as she approached.

The sound stopped when she got within a few feet. Again she looked around. No-one.

She turned back to the stones. They were gone.

The strange noises began again behind her. Startled, she turned round to see them in a flower bed. How had they moved? No matter. She had the shovel, they were leaving her garden.

Keeping a beady eye on them in case they moved again, she advanced with a two-handed grip on the spade. The small cricket ball-sized one looked like it would be easiest to get rid of first. Lowering the spade like a Jouster’s lance she slipped it into the soft earth below it. The stones had stopped singing and again seemed to be watching her. She lifted the spade slightly and saw the small stone move. Lifting it up like it was an unexploded hand grenade she headed towards her back gate. Holding the spade’s handle between her elbow and body released a hand to unbolt it.

Behind her the two remaining stones began making even stranger noises, making her skin crawl. She didn’t look back at them as she didn’t want the one she already had to disappear. With the door open she moved back so as to manoeuvre the spade and stone out but something blocked the way. She looked up and saw an even larger round grey stone completely filling the doorway. It suddenly screamed at her, the noise so loud it shocked her into dropping the spade and stepping back. But she tripped against something and fell, hitting the ground hard. Pain exploded in her hip and ankle and she cried out. The two stones had moved behind her feet and the small white one was rolling over to join them. Through excruciating agony she saw the three of them roll towards her open back gate and join the massive one outside.

The sound of laughter floated down from the clear blue sky. Looking up, this time she did see a face.

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Part 1 –

Present Day

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Chapter 1

An Urgent Need for Distraction

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Alex’s course books were open in front of him on the small table. He was in Drake’s Bunker, the Plymouth Grey’s home underneath Plymouth Hoe, and was having a devil of a time with the maths questions.

Cruz sat next to him with a pen and notepad open with what looked to Alex’s eyes like some foreign language written on it.

You say those two are equal? Alex asked, pointing to something resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics on the pad.

Cruz nodded, Yeah, dude. But you gotta remember to carry the L.

But-? Alex’s brain shut down and drew up the drawbridge against any further mathematical intrusions. He slumped back against the sofa and shut his eyes, hoping he’d suddenly jump into another dimension that hadn’t evolved maths. Considering where he was no-one would bet against that happening. Something warm and furry pushed against his hand. Hoping it wasn’t Cruz doing something horrible he opened his eyes. Thankfully it was only Scotty, his grandfather’s grey-furred dog, wanting some attention. Something the whole of his being suddenly wanted to do very urgently.

Cruz glanced over at the purple-haired Misha, his marine scientist colleague, who was sitting at one of the laptops against one of the room’s walls and shared some raised eyebrows with her at Alex’s decision to play with Scotty. She indicated with her head he should leave them to it and join her. Somewhat relieved not to deal further with Alex’s straightforward maths he heaved his short, large body out of the sofa and went over to sit on a stool next to her, giving Scotty space to jump up onto the sofa and play with Alex.

The polished dark wood door that Alex knew led to the Archives, opened. Of all the many doors that led into the strangely-shaped room it was unique in that it was surrounded on all sides, and even the floor, by at least a foot of embossed and engraved shiny metal. From it, Frank, Alex’s grandfather, emerged with a leather-bound book under his arm. The Plymouth Grey Archives contained the books and journals and notes, some of which were quite cryptic, concerning everything the Grey had dealt with over the centuries. As leader of the Grey it was Frank’s job to make sure the Archives were maintained and kept up to date. That he really enjoyed delving into them to find out what monsters and situations the Grey had dealt with in years past was a bonus. The most recent addition to them was Alex’s recounting of what had happened to him whilst in the witch caves underneath Plymouth’s Central Park.

Alex was dying to get inside as Cruz had told him of some of the really cool stuff it contained.

Frank smiled at seeing Alex and Scotty playing on one of the two sofas. He’d only emerged because his watch alarm had sounded, indicating, Gerry, his Asian girlfriend, was due to arrive. He’d learnt long ago to be there when she walked in - cold food was something he wished to avoid.

Sitting on the sofa opposite the one with an excited Scotty and Alex on it, he put his glasses back on from where he’d left them in his white hair and opened the book to where he’d left off - something about a giant octopus living underneath the breakwater.

One of the other doors to the Bunker opened and Gerry came in, her black hair in a bun, still in her dark blue nurse’s uniform from her shift up at Derriford hospital.

Frank quickly closed the book and went to greet her.

Frank. Stones. Noisy ones, she said in greeting.

Sorry? Sometimes her use of English could get the better of him.

We had new patient, broken hip, foot. Talk about noisy moving stones in garden.

Come and sit down, he said, still slightly puzzled, and led her to the sofa.

Noisy moving stones? Her comments had piqued the others curiosity and they came over to squeeze onto the sofas as well.

Tea, Alex? Frank asked.

Yeah, great! Which turned to Oh, right, as he realised he was the one meant to make it. With one last tickle of Scotty Alex got up and went over to the cooking area of the room, his ears ready for any new titbits of information from Gerry.

There was a new patient? Misha prompted.

Yeah, old lady. Came in with broken bones. Said noisy stones did it to her.

Noisy stones?

She in garden, noisy stones annoy her, she try to get rid of them, they trip her.

Misha’s eyes looked over to Frank’s, You want me and Cruz to have a look?

Frank nodded. See what you can find out. Tony and Mark are on an exercise and’ll be in later.

Ok.

And take Alex, he needs to get a bit more involved with the Grey.

Alex’s face split into a big smile. Catching sight of it Cruz cried out, Dude, a job!

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Chapter 2

Looking for Weirdness

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The sun was setting as Cruz drove slowly down the alley behind Mrs Weston’s house. The 4x4 bounced over the uneven surface and Alex was glad they’d manage to miss the rubbish bins left out for collection day.

Misha sat in the passenger seat taking a video on her phone of the area and also checking out the houses to work out which one was the back of Mrs Weston’s. There, she pointed to an immaculate white one a bit further down and turned her phone towards it.

Cruz slowed down and Alex stuck his head out of the rear window to see if anything strange was in sight. All he could see were the normal sights and smells of an alleyway behind houses. Nothing strange at all. You guys get anything?

Cruz slowed down to a snail’s pace and then stopped one house away from their target. Nope. Any stones? he asked.

Just the normal looking ones, Misha replied.

Want to check over her wall?

Yeah.

Cruz slowly drove forwards making sure to leave enough room between the car and the wall for Misha to open the door and step out onto the running board, then stopped.

Holding onto the top of Mrs Weston’s red brick wall for balance Misha leaned out and peered over, her phone still capturing video. Immaculate grass and flowerbeds met her look.

Anything? Alex asked, excitement in his voice.

Any signs the stones were ever there? Cruz asked.

Misha was silent.

Mish?

No. No sun lounger, no spade. Nothing. If anything was here it’s been wiped clean, Misha eventually replied.

She make it up? Alex asked.

Misha got back in the car closed the door and shook her head. No, from what Gerry said she was really shaken up about it. With the injuries she got that doesn’t sound like a figment of her imagination.

Someone else tidy up afterwards? Some friend or something?

Can’t be sure. Misha tapped her phone to end the video.

Cruz put the 4x4 in gear and continued along the alleyway then turned a corner and stopped before heading onto the street. Go back?

Misha thought for a second and said, No, let’s have a look at the front, then restarted the video on her phone.

Ok.

Cruz turned the wheel and drove up the street past the house fronts.

Number 7, Misha said holding her phone up to it.

Alex and Misha closely examined the house. Above the front door a lit Chinese lantern with black brush writing on it made it stand out against all the others and bathed the door in a crimson glow.

"Anything? Misha asked.

Nope, Alex replied.

Ok, let’s head back. Again Misha tapped her phone to stop the video recording.

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Chapter 3

Strange Video

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The sound of food being consumed filled the bunker. The sofas were packed as Tony and Mark had come back from the commando exercise and Barber had closed and locked his barbershop up for the night. The tables were laden with bowls of food and everyone was looking at a laptop screen showing the video Misha had taken on her mobile of Mrs Weston’s house.

Garden’s very clean, said Barber, She get anyone in you reckon? thinking of his own mess of a backyard.

Cruz looked over and rolled his eyes at him.

Just you wait til you get your own place, Barber muttered darkly.

Quickly cutting in, Misha said, "And this is the front.

Silence, apart from chewing and swallowing, resumed filling the room.

The laptop screen went black after Misha’s video ended.

Anyone see anything? Frank asked.

Go back to lantern, Gerry said, sitting next to Frank.

You see something? Frank asked.

Maybe.

Misha leant over started the video again and fast forwarded it to where they’d driven by the front of Mrs Weston’s house.

You reckon she’d mind if I asked her? said Barber almost to himself, then concentrated on the tasty delight of an Onion Bhaji after Frank gave him a look.

On the laptop screen Misha slowed the video then and stopped with the Chinese lantern in view.

Gerry’s eyes slowly widened and her chopsticks stopped halfway to her mouth.

Everyone looked at her, so surprised by her look of shock.

What is it? Frank asked.

Gerry remembered to swallow before answering in a shocked whisper, Sun Wukong.

Alex had no idea what she was talking about, he just knew that if something affected Gerry that bad, then it was bad. He glanced around at the others in case anyone would be willing to enlighten him. No one did, but it also looked like they’d not understood either.

Puzzled, he looked directly at Cruz and mouthed, What?

Some Chinese thing? Tony asked.

Monkey God, Gerry clarified.

Monkey God? asked Mark.

Oh! Some trickster God, like Coyote? Misha asked.

Or Loki? offered Cruz. Wait a sec, he added. We’re talking about a God? Not some witch, or demon or Tor Troll?

Gerry silently pointed at the laptop screen. Ice water trickled down Alex’s spine as he, and the others, saw the black brushed words on the video Misha had taken earlier slowly, impossibly, change from Chinese characters into English to spell out ‘Monkey God’.

Shit, said Barber, eloquently speaking for them all.

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Chapter 4

Beautiful or Boring?

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Misha and Cruz sat over in the computer area looking on the internet for information. Gerry, after clearing the tables of food bowls and crockery, was over in the kitchen area. Tony, Mark, Barber, and Frank were still on the sofas with Alex, talking about how to deal with it.

Alex decided to stay out of the conversation as he knew he’d not be able to add anything of use to it. Sipping his orangeade he scratched Scotty’s head over the sofa’s armrest and mulled it over. A God was messing around in Plymouth? A Monkey God? What was one of those anyway? Did bananas appear whenever it was