Howth Head

Speculative Fiction by Frank Sonderborg

Lupo stood on Howth Head and watched the red sun as it headed west to the Americas. There was a biting cold in the Howth tangy sea air. He looked down upon the grave of Philip Parris Lynott and thought of his Papa. His Papa had raised him with stories of the rock band Thin Lizzy and its charismatic bass player Phil..

Lupo was instantly aware of the tall well-dressed man, as soon as he had set foot in the Cemetery. He stunk of expensive cologne, and sweated fear. The man was slowly walking along the track to the graveside. He stopped about three metres away. His righthand was inside his jacket.

Hand on a firearm, thought Lupo. As if that would save him.

“Mr Lupo, can I have a word?” He said in a thin strained voice.

Lupo watched him closely and gestured to the man to come closer.

The man withdrew his hand and showed a Gold Badge.

“I’m Nathan Collins, Europol. And I’d like to have a few words with you, if I may.”

“You may,” said Lupo, and turned and looked at the grave.

The tall man joined him at the graveside.

And said, “Are you related?” Pointing at the grave.

“No, but my father met him, a long time ago. And they became, how would you say, blood brothers.”

“Mr Lupo, we’ve tracked you from London. We know you were involved, somehow, in a horrendous crime.”

“Somehow?” At this Lupo raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“Four men were murdered in cold blood. And we believe you were there at the scene.”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Mr Lupo, we’ve a witness that places you there.

The witness has testified that Mad Hatter had a beef with you, and that he had you tied up in a London warehouse. And intended to kill you.”

“And yet, I somehow untied myself and killed four men. Nonsense. You must agree, it is total nonsense.”

“Then you deny being there?”

“I deny nothing. Why should I. This is a fabrication by some confused witness. Who is very mistaken.”

“The witness states that you turned into some sort of beast, and then killed Mad Hatter and his three henchmen.”

“Now Mr Collins, are we not entering the realm of fantasy. Children’s nightmares and fairy stories. I’m sure you can do better than that.”

“Our witness places you there Mr Lupo.”

“She is mistaken Mr Collins. And I must leave now.”

Lupo turned and headed back to his car.

Collins continued, now he knew he had Lupo’s attention,

“She heard you use the word Nagual. When you stood over the Mad Hatter.”

“Lupo stopped dead in his tracks. And with his back to Collins he thought,

“They want something.” Then he turned to look at Collins. And for once Collins felt a cold chill run down his spine. Lupos icy electric blue eyes seemed to have expanded. He was emanating a brutal animalistic energy.

“The Nagual is a children’s myth. From Mesoamerican mythology, pulled screaming from the dark times in the Americas. It’s used to frighten children when they misbehave. For your own sanity, I would drop this. Find another story more fitting to the Mad Hatters end.”

“Lupo, we need something. And a Nagual could help.”

“Lupo kept walking towards his car. But said, “Shelbourne Hotel, tomorrow at 12pm. And bring your cheque book.”

Lupo was at a table in the Shelbourne bar when Collins entered. Drinking an iced tea and studying the New York Stock Exchange on his Samsung Pad.

Collins sat without asking. And started speaking in a low voice.

“The Nagual is known throughout South and Central America, as a Shaman Shapeshifter. It’s believed it can change into many forms of animals and it’s also believed to take on the human form. It can also work for good, or evil.”

“Good or Evil? As I said Mr Collins, superstitious nonsense. Wouldn’t you agree.”

Lupo had stopped checking the stock market and was staring at Collins.

“Yes,” said Collins, “it would seem so. Ridiculous when you think about it.”

“Now, you said Europol has a problem and that they would like it resolved?”

“Miguel Nobel, I believe he is well known in South American Narco circles.”

“Yes, he is well known. He runs the Tayos Cartel out of Ecuador.”

“A nasty piece of work,” continued Collins, “God created a monster when he created Migual Nobel. He is the Kingpin architect in how most of the South American narcotics arrive in Europe.”

“So let me take a wild guess Mr Collins. You would like this Architect King removed from the Narcotics Chessboard.”

Collins said nothing. Just nodded slightly.

“You are recording this conversation.”

Again, Collins nodded.

“My client, Mr Collins, requires a large fee. No negotiation. Nothing in writing. Agree and we can continue.”

Collins just blinked.

“I will take that as a yes. Eight Irish Passports for a family living illegally in Florida. A wife one husband, two boys and two girls. And her parents.

Emil Hernandez is a Professor of Celtic History. His wife Gloria is a Plastic Surgeon. They escaped Venezuela with nothing. He works part time as an Uber Taxi driver in Miami. She cleans houses and works as a nanny. I want them set up with jobs in Ireland, and good schools for their children.”

“Is that all,” said Collins.

“No, then there is my client’s fee. $5Million deposited into a Swiss account.”

“I will need to talk to my superiors.”

“Talk to who ever you need to. There will be no negotiation. That is the price for doing business with my client, who may or may not be some Mesoamerican Children’s Nightmare.”

Then Lupo smiled again.

Collins asked, “Why Howth?”

“Switch off your recorder Mr Collins and order yourself a tea. And I will tell you a story.” Lupo seemed to gather himself. “You have heard of Phil Lynott and the Irish rocker band Thin Lizzy. Well Philip Parris Lynott is buried at that spot in St Fintan’s Cemetery on the Howth Head. And I was honouring my father by visiting his grave.

My father met him many years ago when Phil and some friends crossed over the border in Tijuana to have some fun. They became good friends, and my father kept in touch with him, until he died.

“Did Lynott know your father was a Nagual?”

“Phil knew what my father was, is all I can say. He believed my father had Celtic blood running in him. And it was the magic of the Celtic Shamans that ran in our veins. Phil told my father about the great Irish warrior Cú Chulainn, who shapeshifted when he went into battle.”

“You believe Cú Chulainn was an Irish Nagual?”

“I believe nothing. I accept nothing. I will deny everything.”

Collins got up to go. “I will contact you when all the transactions are in place.”

***

Ecuador, three months later:

Lupo studied his target. Nobel was protected 24/7/365 in his jungle fortress. There was no way to reach him. He travelled everywhere in an armoured Bentley. With wall-to-wall security. His house had been designed by the same firm that had created Pablo Escobar’s jail compound. Escobar was the man who had bombed the Colombian Government into submission, and then had his own Jail built to accommodate his every wish.

Lupo had studied the Nobel compound. It was covered in razor tight security beams, that could trigger all sorts of nasty weapons and alarms. The entrance into his living quarters had a ‘Nightingale Floor.’ This floor sang its warning tune and then spit out darts of death, if unknown entities, unversed in its floor code, tried to walk across it. Nobel’s living space was fully armoured and covered in impenetrable security death beams.

Nobel had spent his money well. There was no way a normal assassin could reach him. In the meantime, he was killing off his Narco competitors. Two of these cartels had already reached out to Lupo to do a deal. Which of course he had accepted. This was no writing contest. And multiple submissions where always accepted.

Miguel Noble liked to take a walk in the late evening. He had a circular garden path that took him out of his bullet proof household. Out around the garden, growing the wonders of the known universe. Then back again to his fortress of solitary isolation.

Lupo had studied the cris-cross of security beams that protected this modern-day Ecuadoran Tsar from death. As he walked around his fragrant garden. Sometimes he spent the night with blond haired girls. Always very young. No more than 16yrs old. They were all despatched soon after. Chopped up and fed to the sharks. Nothing left to chance. No chink in the armour. When he had killed off all his competition, he, Migual Nobel, would be free to live a more normal life.

Lupo, shook his head at this stupidity. They never learn. Nobel had chopped off too many toes. Sliced off too many ears. And now even Europol wanted him gone.

Lupo checked his bank account every day. And as soon as the money had dropped, he made his plans.

Professor Hernandez had contacted him from Ireland to say, he was now working for the Irish Government as a senior consultant of Irish Mythology. His wife had landed a job with a private firm doing plastic work for the rich and famous. Hernandaz could not believe this turn of events. And how lucky life had turned out for himself and his family.

Lupo had immediately contacted Nathan Collins to confirm his client would complete the agreed transaction. For Lupo it was just a matter of how, not when.

The security laser beams where at first Lupo’s biggest concern, and then it flipped, and they became Nobels biggest weakness. As Nobel continued his grand tour around his fabled exotic garden. The security beams switched off and on. To allow him to pass through to the next section. There was an infinitesimal gap. Not enough for a mortal person to slip through. But for a shapeshifting Nagual, it was the Grand Canyon.

Noble was alone this night of nights. Deep in his own thoughts, when he returned from his garden walk. The sight of a very young naked girl waiting for him, was a profound shock. The naked girl then moved towards him with incredible speed. Turning into a monster from hell. Its claws ripped out his throat. Its savage jaws bit away half his face. Noble tried to scream, but his throat and most of his face was missing, and only a croak of bubbles, and then a torrent of blood, came pumping out.

He fell on his knees with a combined look of wide-eyed horror and disbelief.

 As his life blood poured onto his one-million-dollar Turkish carpet. Lupo was gone. And all Noble would have heard as his lifeforce ended, was the sound of distant bat wings.

***

Howth Head, Dublin.

Lupo stood again in front of the grave of Philip Parris Lynott. He bent and placed a red rose. Nathan Collins stood beside him and placed one too.

“You know Collins, it will not stop. As we speak, some South American kid is loading up his truck with cocaine slabs, and dreaming of having private herds of Hippopotamus, and an Narco architect designed El Dorado City, deep in some impenetrable jungle.”

“We know. But for now, the Narco Kings are running scared. They know our reach is far. And they also now know, we have a Mesoamerican Nightmare on the payroll.”

Lupo turned and walked away. Back to his chauffeured driven car.

Collins watched him go. And thought, who could have foreseen an Irish Rocker Legend would end up befriending a Mesoamerican Myth.

Then he too left Howth Head and headed back to Dublin City.

---

Bio: Frank Sonderborg was born in Dublin, Ireland, Shares his time between the UK and Spain. And does his best to write interesting stories. His stories have appeared in: Action: Pulse Pounding Tales 2:, Noir Nation 3: Noir Nation 5:, Pulp Modern JFK Issue #6, Pulp Alternative, Shadows and Light:, Thrills, Kills ‘n’ Chaos:, ShotgunHoney, Talkingsoup, Twist and Twain, The Yard Crime Blog, and Punk Noir Magazine. You can find Frank at his website HERE. On Facebook. Amazon and Mastodon.

Read the companion story “Lupo“

Purchase a couple of the works Frank is in, through the affiliate buttons below.

Cover Image by Pexels

Read more Speculative Fiction on The Yard: Crime Blog

Follow us on:

Looking for another book to read? Try our Bookstore.

Be safe with a cell phone alarm. This thing will set off a personal alarm, then email your emergency contacts with GPS coordinates. People get attacked and go missing all the time. This could give you or a loved one the chance to escape and start a trail for police to follow. Check it out through affiliate button below.

Secure your home with a Blink Camera System. They are easy to install and operate. Here’s a review on the cameras and a review on the nightvision capabilities. Click the affiliate button below for pricing, details and to shop around.