Revelations and Repercussions
Part One
Written by Donald E. Fleming II
Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II
Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff and also are being used without their permission. The character of Don Michael Taylor is my creation. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.
October 13, 1999
Manhattan
Captain Maria Chavez was not having a good night. First her power went out, causing dinner to be ruined, and now her car was giving her grief. She glanced at her watch. She was never going to make it to the station on time. The way the car was acting, she would be lucky if she made it there at all.
The engine gave one more tired cough and then died on her. I definitely need a new car, she thought for the tenth time that year. She picked up her cell phone and dialed the precinct. All she got was static.
"Well, that's just perfect," she groaned. Angry, she popped the hood and got out to inspect the engine. Ever since the old Toyota started acting up, she had gotten pretty good at basic repair, but as she looked inside, she could tell it was a lost cause. She closed the hood angrily and leaned against the grill. This just isn't my day, she thought.
"Hey, sweetheart," she heard someone behind her say. "Need a hand?"
She turned and saw three punks standing by the driver's side door. She had seen them before. They had a habit of showing up at the precinct, usually in handcuffs. One was thin and had his head shaved bald, the second was muscular and sported a severe high and tight cut that left the sides of his head bare, and the third was dark skinned and wore a leather jacket. At the moment, 'Leather Jacket' had his arm resting on the roof of her care and was giving her a predatory grin.
"No," Maria said. "I'm a cop and I just called for a tow."
"Ooooh," he said, trying to give her the impression that he was impressed. "You hear that, guys? She's a cop." They all started snickering.
Maria started to ease over to the passenger side door. If she could just get to her purse and retrieve her gun, she thought, but then 'High and Tight' cut her off as she got to the corner of the car.
"Where's your badge, sweetheart?" 'Leather Jacket' taunted. "Maybe it's in your purse?" He pulled open the door and grabbed her purse off the seat. He opened it and fished around until her came up with the badge…and her gun.
Crap, she thought. She couldn't believe she had made such a stupid mistake. I've been behind that damned desk too long, she thought bitterly.
"Well looky here," 'Leather Jacket' said. "She really is a cop." He tossed the badge to 'Bald Guy', who looked at it.
"And a Captain, no less," 'Bald Guy' said. "I guess we better help her out."
The way they were snickering made her nervous. She took one step back, intending to turn and run, when 'High and Tight' grabbed her by the arm.
"Oh, no no no," 'Leather Jacket' said. "We want you to stay and enjoy the show."
Maria grunted as her captor shoved her against the hood of her car, pushing her down until she was leaning across it. She managed to get her head turned so she could glare at them. She could see 'Leather Jacket's' hand reach for her.
She heard something land behind them. 'Leather Jacket' turned and then backed up against her, clearly startled by what he saw.
"Now that's no way to treat a lady," she heard someone else say. She knew that voice. Elisa. But why hadn't she heard Elisa's car pull up? "Maybe you boys would like to try to take me on?"
She felt 'Leather Jacket' suddenly get pulled away from her. From the sound he made, it was clear he was scared for his life.
"Should I take you on all at once," she heard Elisa's voice taunt. "Or one at a time, starting with you?"
'Leather Jacket' cried out, and Maria heard the sound of ripping cloth, followed by the sound of running feet. She managed to turn her head enough to see him running down the street, the front of his T-shirt ripped open.
Now she could see her, and Maria realized with a start that it wasn't Elisa Maza. It was a gargoyle. A gargoyle that looked and sounded like Elisa. What the hell…
The 'Elisa' gargoyle looked at 'Bald Guy'. He turned and ran without a single word.
Then she turned her attention towards 'High and Tight'. "I guess that just leaves you and me," she said. "Now what shall I do with you, hmm?" She settled her hands on her hips and pulled back her lips, so that he could see her running her tongue across her teeth, pausing slightly at the pronounced canines.
'High and Tight' had seen that look in her eyes somewhere before. As she took a step towards him, he realized where. He'd seen that same predatory look in a cat's eyes once, just before it broke a mouse's neck. Thoughts of self-preservation took over and he quickly let go of Captain Chavez and bolted down the street.
"Humph," the gargoyle said as she watched him run for his life, sounding very upset. "I just can't seem to get a date anymore." She turned and looked at Captain Chavez. "I think this is yours, Captain," she said, extending her hand.
Maria looked at the gargoyle's hand. Somehow, she had ended up with Maria's gun. Must have taken it when she grabbed that guy, she thought. She stepped forward cautiously and took the gun from the gargoyle's hand.
"Who are you?" she asked pointedly.
The sound of a police siren drew her attention away for an instant. When she turned back, the strange gargoyle was gone.
"Okay, Elisa," she said as a police cruiser pulled up. "You and I are definitely going to have a talk about this."
23rd Precinct
Elisa Maza was in high spirits when she arrived at the 23rd Precinct. She and Goliath were finally going to have a night to themselves. She couldn't remember the last time they had managed to have some free time together. She walked into the detectives' room and headed for her desk.
"Evening, detective," Morgan said as he caught sight of her. "You and Bluestone better clear out quick. Captain's on the warpath again."
"About what?" Elisa asked, looking around for her partner. Matt Bluestone was nowhere in sight. "Don't tell me the Toyota finally died on her." She recalled not seeing the captain's car outside when she arrived.
"That's not the half of it," Morgan said. "She..."
Captain Chavez poked her head out of her office. "Maza. My office, now!"
"Uh oh," Elisa groaned. "This doesn't sound good."
Morgan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Been nice knowing you," he said.
"Thanks a lot," she said.
Elisa sighed as she headed for Captain Chavez's office. "You wanted to see me, captain?"
"I had an interesting encounter tonight," she said. "I finally ran into a gargoyle."
"Oh?" Elisa said. Inwardly, she groaned. Uh oh. "What happened?"
"She rescued me from a trio of thugs," she said. "They took one look at her and ran for their lives."
Elisa smiled. "I guess the crooks in this city are starting to play it smart when it comes to the gargoyles," she said. "It just makes our job that much easier. Even if it is kinda weird."
"I'm willing to accept a certain level of weirdness in this city, Maza," Captain Chavez said. "But I have to draw the line when I start running into gargoyles that look and sound like my detectives."
Delilah, Elisa realized, and this time her groan was audible.
"Care to comment on that, detective?"
"Do I have a choice?" she asked.
"Not really," Chavez said. "Who is she? And why does she look and sound just like you?"
I was afraid of this, she thought. "Her name's Delilah."
"The stripper?"
"If you called her that, she'd get really ticked off," Elisa said. "She prefers 'exotic dancer'."
"I don't care what she prefers, detective," Chavez said. "What I want to know is why she's running around with your face."
Elisa hesitated, wondering what she could tell her without revealing her own involvement with the gargoyles, Goliath in particular. "She's a clone," she said finally. "Anton Sevarius created her using my DNA and the DNA of gargoyle."
Captain Chavez was momentarily stunned by her answer. "Why?" she finally managed to ask.
"Who knows?" Elisa said. "You know what a sicko Sevarius is. He probably did it because he wanted to." Elisa decided not to tell her the real reason behind Delilah's creation; that Thailog had her created to replace Demona.
"Sevarius' personal life aside, detective," Maria said. "How did you find out about her? I'm assuming you've known about her for some time."
Time for another half-truth, Elisa thought, grimacing inwardly at the thought. How many times have I done that over the years? Dozens, maybe even hundreds of times? "She's been living down in the Labyrinth," she said. "Ever since she escaped from Sevarius. Derek…"
"The Labyrinth?" Maria asked and Elisa realized that the captain didn't know about the series of tunnels running underneath Manhattan.
"There's a whole network of tunnels running underneath the city," she said. "Part of it was turned into a homeless shelter by the Xanatos-Renard Foundation a few years ago. That's the part where Delilah's been living."
"And you found out about her how?" Maria asked.
"Derek told me about her," Elisa said, which was basically the truth. "He found her while they were getting the shelter set up." That part was a lie, but Elisa didn't want to tell her the true circumstances of how Delilah ended up with her brother. It would raise too many questions. "Captain," she continued. "Delilah's a friend. She's almost like part of the family. And it's not like she's hurt anyone intentionally. Unless you want to count Tony Dracon."
Captain Chavez's eyes went wide in realization, remembering the report that crossed her desk concerning Dracon's arrest the previous month. "She's the one who put him in the hospital?" she gasped.
"Yeah," Elisa said, trying hard to suppress the grin that threatened to spread across her face. "She was kinda upset when his goons grabbed her off the street."
"Why…" she started, but then she remembered what line of work Delilah had been in. "Never mind," she said. "Just answer me this. Do Diane and Peter know about her?"
"Yeah," Elisa said. "Like I said, she's like part of the family now. In fact, she's almost like a…" She paused for a moment as she explored the ramifications of her next word. "Sister," she said, changing her mind at the last second.
"Well, tell your 'sister' thanks for me," she said. "And tell her I'd like a chance to meet her again sometime."
"I'll let her know, captain," Elisa said before leaving the office. She sighed heavily as she saw her partner waiting for her by her desk.
"So what did the captain want?" Matt asked as he followed her to her car.
"I'll tell you as soon as we hit the street, partner," she said. "And believe me, you're not going to believe it."
October 15, 1999
Destine Manor
Dominique murmured softly as she relaxed in the bubble bath and felt Don's arms encircle her waist, pulling her against his body, and then closed her eyes as his lips brushed against the back of her neck.
"And you said you weren't in the mood," he said.
She sighed heavily. "I wasn't," she admitted. "Up until a few moments ago."
Don smiled as he reached over and took the bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket and filled a single glass, which he took a drink out of before handing it to Dominique, who drained it slowly.
The day had started out lousy, and she was in a bad mood when she got home that afternoon, having decided to take off early to avoid further aggravation. She had stalked over to the couch and slumped into it when she heard movement behind her. She was ready to spring on the intruder when she felt his hands close on her shoulders and began massaging them. Don, she had realized, recognizing the feel of his hands and she allowed herself to relax. She leaned her head back as far as it would go and found him looking down at her.
"Rough day?" he had asked.
She sighed. "You have no idea," she had said.
"I had a feeling when you missed our lunch date," he said. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," she said. She'd been stuck in meetings most of the morning, trying to fight off an attempt by another corporation to buy up most of Nightstone's available stock. They'd managed to protect themselves from a possible buyout, but it had cost them. And she didn't want to burden Don with her worries.
She felt Don's hands begin to drift down her arms, heading towards her wrists and she felt him lean down to whisper in her ear. "I know what you need right now," he said.
"I'm really not in the mood for that," she said.
"I'm not thinking about that," he said, which eased her mind somewhat. "I was thinking what you could use right now is a long, relaxing soak in a nice hot bath."
She moaned softly at the thought. Now that did sound wonderful, and she smiled at the thought. So she allowed him to lead her upstairs to the master bath, where he had a bubble bath already prepared for her, along with a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket. She had looked back at him and realized that someone at the office, probably Candice, must have called him and told him that she had taken off early, giving him enough time to get here and set this all up.
She leaned back into his embrace as she felt his hands drift to the buttons on her jacket and blouse. "I don't deserve you," she said.
"Everyone has a bad day every now and then," he said. "Even I do. You just have to remember that you have friends who care about you." He bent down and kissed the side of her neck after he opened the collar of her blouse.
"Show me how much you care," she said.
"We may want to get undressed first," he said.
So they had undressed, Dominique first, then Don joined her after she slipped into the tub. She relaxed almost immediately as he massaged her neck and shoulders before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. It wasn't long before the troubles of the day drifted to the back of her mind, where she tucked them away with the rest of her problems.
"So what do you want to do tonight?" he whispered into her ear. "Dinner, dancing, maybe take in a show?"
"You're kidding, I hope," she said. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't be seen at night on Don's arm, not if she wanted to keep her secret. Most of New York was already buzzing about the new man in Dominique Destine's life. The last thing she needed was to be seen with him while she was a gargoyle. It would be too easy to make the connection between the head of Nightstone Unlimited and Demona.
"Not really," he said. "You got stuck at work most of the day and we missed our lunch date. I was hoping maybe we could go out tonight. You could cast your illusion spell…"
"And the moment someone bumps into me or a paparazzi takes a picture of the two of us together, my secret is blown," she said. "I can't risk it, Don. There's nowhere we could go that I wouldn't be instantly recognized." She sagged against him, crestfallen. And it sounded like such a good idea, too. But she was right. They couldn't go out, not to any of the places she would have liked to go. Although there might be one place they could go…
"We could always go back to 'Bronco's'," she said, her face lighting up.
"Uh, uh," Don said. "Much as I'd like to, I promised Angela I'd never take you out bar-hopping again. I thought she was going to eviscerate me when I brought you home that night."
"I couldn't have gotten that drunk," she said.
"You said 'piffle'."
Dominique turned and looked at him. "I did not!" she protested.
"Yes, you did," Don said. "You said, and I quote, 'Piffle, full of piff!'"
Dominique almost sunk below the suds in embarrassment. "Please tell me I didn't say that at the bar."
"No, you waited until we got home," he said. "It was when Brooklyn and I were dragging you upstairs to your bedroom that you said it. Right after I told you that you were in no condition to see the twins."
She sunk even lower. She would have gone under, but Don wrapped his arms around her waist again and pulled her back up. "I'm sure they've all forgotten about it by now."
"I certainly hope so," she said, then sighed. "Well, I guess that means another quiet night at home," she continued. "Can you think of anything you'd like to do?"
"I'm getting a few ideas," he said, tightening his grip on her waist and dipping his head down to the side of her neck again. She moaned softly as he began sucking at her earlobe.
Her eyes shot open when the phone rang.
"It never fails, does it," he said. He reached for it as it rang again.
"Let it ring," she pleaded.
"What if it's your office?" he asked. "It could be important."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Dominique said. "Please, Don."
Her pleas went unanswered as he picked up the receiver. "Hello? Destine residence."
"Don?" came the reply. "What are you doing there?"
"Who is this?" he asked.
"It's Andrea," the caller said. "I was looking for Dominique."
"It's Andrea," Don said, covering the mouthpiece. "You wanna talk to her?"
"Yes," she said quickly, reaching around and plucking the receiver from his hand. She sat up as she brought it to her ear. "Hello, Andrea," she said. "How is Los Angeles?"
"It's great," she said. "Dominique, what's going on? What's Don doing there?"
Dominique looked over her shoulder at him. "Nothing's going on, Andrea," she said. "Why do you ask?"
"Nothing's going on, huh," Don said mischievously. He reached forward and ran his fingers up her sides, causing her to squirm. Dammit, he knows I'm ticklish there, she thought, suppressing the urge to giggle.
"Dominique, did I call at a bad time?" Andrea asked. "I can call back later if you want."
"No, no," Dominique said, trying hard to push Don's hands away with her free hand. "I haven't heard from you since you left for Los Angeles. Tell me, how is the show going?"
"It's going great," Andrea said, smiling as she heard the sound of splashing water over the phone. Oh, Dominique, she thought as she looked at an old copy of the Daily Tattler, which had a picture of her friend and Don plastered across the front. What have you been up to? "That's what I called about," she continued. "We're wrapping up the show tonight. I should be back in New York by this time Monday."
"That's won…wonderful, Andrea," Dominique said, stammering as she felt Don pull her close again and began running his hands along her belly and then lower. "I can't wait until you get back."
"I'll bet," the artist said knowingly, suppressing the urge to giggle.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Nothing, Dominique," she said. "Nothing at all."
"What time will you be f…flying in?" Dominique stammered again. One of Don's hands had found its way to the tender spot between her thighs and was now caressing her gently, sending waves of ecstasy racing up and down her body. She was helpless now.
"I should be arriving at three Monday afternoon," she said as she heard Dominique gasp over the phone. She smiled as she continued. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said. "I just…stubbed my toe, is all." She reached under the soap bubbles and tried to pull Don's hand away. As soon as she did, his other hand quickly took its place.
"Listen," Andrea said, trying hard not to laugh at her friend's apparent plight. "I'll call back later, when you're not quite so…busy. Have fun, you two." She hung up the phone and finally gave in to the urge to laugh out loud.
Dominique heard Andrea hang up and reached up to set the receiver on the cradle. As soon as she did, she quickly darted out of Don's grasp. "You are terrible!" she mock-scolded.
"So what are you going to do?" Don challenged. "Punish me?"
"I'll think of something," she said seductively. She moved forward, straddling his legs and resting her hands on his shoulders. She smiled as she bent forward to kiss him.
Don relaxed as he saw her lean towards him, so he wasn't ready when she quickly pushed downward as hard as she could, sending his head below the water. She held him down for a good five seconds while he thrashed around under the water, trying to resurface. She finally let him go and he came up sputtering. She backed away, smiling playfully.
"Oh, you wanna play, huh?" he said, wiping the water from his face. "C'mere!" He reached for her, his hands heading for her sides.
Dominique tried to escape, but he was too quick for her, pulling her back into the tub and she was quickly rendered helpless as he tickled her mercilessly. "Don, no! No!" she cried out at the playful torture. Finally, when she thought she could stand no more, he thankfully stopped and pulled her into his lap.
"Now, where were we?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her.
Dominique looked up at him and then turned in his arms, straddling his hips as he gazed longingly at her. "Here, I think," she said as she bent down and captured his lips with her own.
The day may have started out lousy, she thought, but it certainly wasn't going to end that way.
October 18, 1999
John F. Kennedy Airport
Andrea looked at her watch, checking the time. It was almost four. I hope she didn't forget about me, she thought. Her flight had been delayed for almost a half an hour, and then their own landing had been delayed by another flight's in-flight emergency. Dominique did tend to be impatient at times, but she hoped that her friend hadn't decided to abandon her to the mercy of the New York cabbies.
She turned and looked at the line of payphones lining the wall. I could try to call her, she thought, but as she turned, she caught sight of a stretch limousine pull up beside her. The chauffeur got out to open the doorand Dominique Destine stepped out. Andrea breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried you forgot about me," she said.
"Never," Dominique said. "We got tied up in traffic." I just hope it doesn't delay us too much on the way back, she added to herself. The last thing she wanted was to undergo the transformation while stuck in a traffic jam, and she definitely didn't want Andrea to see it. "So how was your flight?" she asked as her driver took Andrea's bags to the trunk of the limousine.
"It was okay," Andrea said. "Our departure was delayed and then another flight declared an emergency, which delayed our landing. And the food..."
"Say no more," Dominique said, holding up her hands. "I perfectly understand. The next time you hold a gallery out of state, I'll arrange to have you flown out in the company jet. At least then you can get a decent in-flight meal."
"I'll hold you to that promise," she said smiling. "So how was your weekend?" she added suggestively.
"I...I didn't go out this weekend," Dominique said, which was true. She and Don had spent the entire weekend together at his place.
"Oh?" Andrea said, raising her eyebrow.
"It's not what you think," Dominique said defensively. "I was tied down..." She stopped when she caught the amused look on Andrea's face. "I mean tied up..."
This time, Andrea's hand shot to her mouth as she tried frantically to suppress a giggle.
"I mean..."
Andrea brought her hand up to stop her. "Dominique, please!" she said. "Any more and you're going to have me rolling on the pavement." She looked up and saw her friend blushing brightly through the tears in her own eyes. "Please," she continued as she wiped them away. "I think I know what you and Don have been up to."
"It's not what you think, Andrea," she said. "Don and I are just friends."
"So he's your boyfriend."
"Andrea!"
"Hey, I perfectly understand," Andrea said. "You want to project this air of superiority about you so that you can intimidate your business rivals, but you don't want to admit that you're just as mortal as the rest of us. It's okay to have a love-life, Dom," she said. "It doesn't make you any less you."
Dominique looked at her in surprise. "When did you get so wise?" she asked.
"I had a psych professor who asked me that once," she said. "I guess it just comes naturally."
"You're not going to psycho-analyze me now, are you?" she asked.
"Not if you fess up," she said, smiling.
"Okay," Dominique sighed. "Yes, I am seeing him."
"I knew it!" Andrea said triumphantly. "I knew there was something going on between you two. I could see it even before I left for Seattle."
"Actually, it wasn't until after you left that we…well…"
Andrea smiled. "That's okay," she said. "I'm just happy that you've finally got another man in your life."
"That's the problem," Dominique said. "I…really don't have all that much luck with relationships. I don't know how long this one is going to last."
"What?" Andrea said. "You're worried about to old adage 'Once bitten, Twice shy'? Let me remind you of another one. 'Third time's a charm'."
"True," Dominique said. "Except that my third time was my ex-business partner, Alexander Thailog."
"Ouch," Andrea said. "I forgot about him."
"And there's another complication," Dominique said. "Don…" She paused as she looked at her friend. "How much do you know about him?"
"Not much," Andrea admitted. "I know that he disappeared during Desert Storm and that he was rescued back in July, but that's about it."
"Well, I know a bit more than that," Dominique said. "You remember Detective Maza?"
"The cop I saw at your house last year?" Andrea said. "What about her?"
"She and Don were engaged to be married before he disappeared," Dominique said. "And I'm fairly certain that she still loves him."
"Your life just gets more complicated every day, doesn't it," Andrea said.
"You don't know the half of it," Dominique said. She sighed as she looked at her watch. "We'd better get going if we want to avoid getting stuck in traffic again. I can drop you by your apartment if you'd like."
"Yes, please," she said. "I've got some fantastic ideas for a new series of paintings I want to do. I came up with the idea while I was in LA, and I may have some takers for some of the stuff I started before I left."
"That's wonderful," Dominique said as her driver opened the door and she got in. "Have you given any thought as to when you might hold your next showing?"
"Not until after the first of the year," Andrea said as she got into the limousine and sat down. She paused as she took in the interior, slightly envious of her friend's ability to afford something as extravagant as this. "This tour's left me a little worn out and I want to kick back and relax for a while. Have a little fun. Which brings up something I want to talk to you about."
"What?" Dominique said. She turned and produced a small bottle of champagne from a hidden cooler in the back seat and poured two glasses. One she handed to Andrea. The other she brought to her lips.
"I want to go as the gargoyle this year," Andrea said.
Dominique almost choked on the champagne. "What?"
"Are you okay, Dominique?" Andrea said in concern. "I didn't mean to startle you like that."
"I'm okay," she said. "I think I may have misunderstood what you said."
"Remember last year when we went to the PIT Masquerade Ball," Andrea said. "I was dressed in that gorgeous dress and you wore the gargoyle costume."
"I remember," Dominique said, even as she realized what Andrea was asking.
"Well," Andrea said. "I want to wear the gargoyle costume to this year's Ball." She tossed her head back, trying to appear seductive. "I think I'd look good in wings and a tail."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Dominique said, forcing a smile as her mind reeled. What am I going to tell her? she wondered. I certainly can't tell her that it wasn't a costume, that it was my true form. "I'll see what I can do about setting you up with one," she said. "But I can't make any promises, mind you. Gargoyles seem to be the rage this year, and I might not be able to find one as good as the one I wore last year."
"Don't worry," Andrea said. "I trust you."
Dominique sat back as the limousine turned onto the expressway, wondering what she was going to do about Andrea.
October 19, 1999
A hidden location somewhere in Manhattan
All the pieces were finally in place, he thought, smiling as he watched the video footage of Dominique Destine greeting her friend Andrea at JFK Airport. They stood there for a moment talking and he could swear that Dominique was blushing brightly at something Andrea had said. Probably some dirty little secret she had been keeping that had been found out. Interesting. He then turned his attention to another video monitor, which showed Delilah leaving an apartment near Central Park. He wondered about that for a moment, but then recalled what his informant had told him about her recent activities. She was certainly keeping odd company these days. His attention then went to the clipping from the Daily Tattler, which was all about Dominique's most recent romantic interest.
"You two are certainly making things easy for me," he said with a smile. "I would be foolish to pass up an opportunity like this." He turned his attention to the computer and began to set his plans into motion.
"They won't even see it coming," Thailog said, laughing.
October 21, 1999
Destine Manor
Demona sat in her study, wondering what she was going to do. Andrea wants to go as a gargoyle, she thought, remembering the PIT Halloween Masquerade Ball last year when Andrea had gone in the elaborate French gown Demona had bought for her while in Paris, and Demona had gone as…well, Demona. And she still thinks that was just a costume, she thought. This year, Andrea had insisted that she go as the gargoyle, not Dominique. Just how am I going to explain this to her, Demona wondered. Am I going to have to fess up and tell her I'm a gargoyle? She didn't want to. Dragon knows I care for her, she thought. But did she trust Andrea enough to reveal her most guarded secret to the young artist? I may have to eventually. After all, Don knows and he and I are lovers. Of course, he knew about my secret beforehand...
She looked at the phone, trying to decide. Finally, she picked up the receiver and started dialing. Then she set it down again. Do I want her to know? And what will she think of me if I do tell her? She looked at the phone, her azure blue talons still clutching the handset, her mind already running worst-case scenarios through her head. Andrea yelling at her. Andrea hating her. She shook her head to stop the images. She'll probably hate you more if someone else tells her, she realized. This time, when she picked up the phone, she finished dialing Andrea's number. She listened as the phone rang. She almost hung up when she heard the answering machine pick up.
"Hello, this is Andrea Calhoun," the recorded voice said. "I'm not available to take your call at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, I'll definitely get back to you as soon as possible. Ciao."
She hesitated for a moment, until she heard the beep.
"Andrea, this is Dominique," she said quickly. "Could you give me a call as soon as you get in? There's something I need to tell you."
She hung up the phone and breathed a heavy sigh. I just hope I'm not making a terrible mistake, she thought.
October 23, 1999
Don was standing by the stove cooking something when Demona showed up at his apartment. She tapped lightly on the skylight to get his attention.
"Demona, hi," he said, turning around and seeing her. "Come on in."
Demona pushed open the skylight and stepped into the apartment, remembering fondly what happened the last time she was here. It certainly was a wonderful weekend, she thought.
"What's up?" he asked as he returned his attention to whatever it was he was cooking. Intrigued, Demona stepped over to see what he was up to. "Is this a social call or business? Or do you want to…" He left the statement hanging there, waiting for her response.
Demona smiled and blushed slightly. "Not tonight," she said. "I came to ask you..." She paused as he picked up a measuring cup filled with chocolate chips and poured it into the mixture he was stirring. "What are you making?" she asked, momentarily forgetting why she was there.
"Fudge," he said. "It's for the Halloween party in the Labyrinth on Sunday."
"Chocolate fudge?" she asked as her eyes lit up. She was almost excited by the prospect. She absolutely adored chocolate.
Don noted the gleam in her eye. "Yeah," he said as he removed the pot from the stove and poured the mixture into a nearby cookie sheet. "You want a taste?"
"Yes, please," she said.
Don smiled as he quickly scraped as much of the mixture as he could onto the cookie sheet and then handed Demona the spoon. She tasted the fudge mixture.
"Mmmm," she murmured. "This is fabulous!" She then proceeded to try to get as much off the spoon as possible while Don began cleaning up.
"I guess you like it," he said.
"You know I love chocolate," Demona said. She spotted a stray crumb on the spoon that she had missed and quickly devoured it before handing the utensil back to him. "Although, I could do without the walnuts."
"Sorry to hear that," he said. "I love 'em myself. But if you prefer it without..." Don stepped over to the counter and uncovered one of five cookie sheets full of fudge. Taking a knife, he cut a small piece out and handed it to Demona. "Here you go," he said.
Demona took the morsel and bit into it. Oh, this is heaven, she thought. She was tempted to snatch up the whole sheet and fly away with it. I'm sure that will go over real good, she thought as she finished the sample. "You have to share this recipe with Broadway," she said.
"I'm going to," he said. "He told me that Angela seems to have inherited your addiction to the stuff. You said you wanted to ask me something?"
The reason for her visit came flooding back. "Yes I did," she said quickly.
"Okay, shoot," he said.
"Have you seen Andrea recently?" she asked. "I haven't seen her since she got back from Los Angeles and I'm getting worried."
"She hasn't called?" he asked.
"No," Demona said. "I left a message on her machine on Thursday, but she hasn't called back."
Now Don was starting to become worried. He liked Andrea, although he didn't have any romantic interest in the artist. He was still exploring the full extent of his relationship with Demona. "Listen," he said, putting his arms around her waist. "I'll see what I can find out. Meet me back here tomorrow morning and I'll let you know if I turn up anything."
"Thank you," Demona said.
October 24, 1999
Andrea Calhoun's apartment
Don and Dominique stopped outside Andrea's apartment. Don could tell Dominique was worried. No one had seen the artist since she got back from Los Angeles, but that was a week ago. And he hadn't been able to turn up anything on his own. Something definitely was up, he thought. He rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang it again and still there was no answer.
Dominique knocked on the door. "Andrea?" she said. "It's Dominique. Are you home?"
Don put his ear to the door to listen, but he couldn't here anything from within. He touched the doorknob and gave it a turn.
The door opened.
"This is not good," he said. An unlocked door in New York was a clear invitation to burglars. And the fact that the alarm wasn't going off, a system Dominique herself had had installed as a precaution against the possibility of a break-in, also didn't bode well.
Don pushed the door open and went inside. When Dominique followed him in, her eyes went wide in shock when she saw the apartment.
The place was a shambles, and there were clear signs of a struggle.
Don quickly pulled out his cell phone and called the police.
"When was the last time either of you saw or spoke to her?" Elisa asked. She was officially off-duty, but when Morgan had called to tell her what had happened, she had immediately headed over to the apartment.
"A…a few days ago," Dominique said. "I left a message on her answering machine asking her to call me."
"Why?" Elisa asked quietly. She could tell that Dominique was shaken up, and that was something she wasn't used to. She's usually stronger than this, she thought.
Dominique looked at Elisa. "I was going to tell her my secret," she said quietly, not wanting stray ears to pick up their conversation. "I wanted to tell her everything before she found out on her own."
Elisa was slightly stunned by this. She looked at Don, who was standing behind Dominique and had his hands on her shoulders in support. Boy, you have been a good influence on her, haven't you, she thought. Even before the Newtech fire, Demona had been on a road to reform, thanks mostly to Angela, but it had been Andrea and Don who ended up being the turning points in her life. Now she was a completely different person from the maniacal she-demon of years past. The fact she was going to tell Andrea about her life as Demona was obviously proof of that.
"You have to find her, Elisa," Dominique said. "If anything were to happen to her..."
"Don't worry, Dem..." she started but caught herself quickly. These guys don't know about her being a gargoyle at night, she thought. "Ms. Destine," she quickly corrected. "We'll do everything we can to find Miss Calhoun." She looked at Don. "Don, why don't you take her home and we'll let you know if anything turns up."
"Okay, Elisa," he said as he led Dominique towards the door.
After they were gone, Elisa started making a few phone calls.
The Eyrie Building
"Are you certain something has happened to her?" Goliath asked.
"Positive," Elisa said. "When we got to the apartment, there were clear signs of a struggle. It's obvious Andrea didn't go of her own free will."
"But who would want to hurt Andrea?" Angela asked. "She has such a good heart."
"Unfortunately, not everyone is like her," Elisa admitted. "There are still people out there who don't like gargoyles and those who associate with you guys."
"Is there anything we can do, Elisa?" Goliath asked.
"Yeah," she said. "You can keep an eye out, see if you can turn up anything. Angela, I think Demona could use your support right about now. You've known Andrea longer than she has, and I think you should be there for her if the worst happens."
Angela shuddered at the thought that something terrible might have happened to Andrea, but she knew that Elisa was expecting the worst. "I'll head over there right now," she said, hoping that Elisa was wrong.
Elisa's pager went off. She snatched it off her belt and looked at the number. "It's Matt," she said. "I'd better see what he wants." She picked up the phone and called her partner.
"Brooklyn," Goliath said. "I want you to take Sata and the twins. Check out the East Side. Broadway, Lexington, go with Hudson and check out the waterfront."
"We'll stop by the lass' apartment and let Bronx have a try and pick up her scent," Hudson said.
"Good idea," Goliath said. "Brooklyn, take Nudnik and do the same."
"Got it," Brooklyn said. "Let's go." As the others left, Goliath turned to Elisa as she finished talking to Matt.
"Thanks for letting us know, Matt," she said. "We'll get there as soon as possible."
Goliath could tell by her expression that something else was wrong. "What has happened?" he asked.
"Delilah's friend Kate is in the hospital," Elisa said as she hung up the phone. "Delilah stopped by her place to invite her and Danny to the Halloween party in the Sanctuary on Sunday and found her unconscious and the apartment in shambles." She paused before continuing. "And..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
"What is it?" Goliath asked.
"There's no sign of Danny anywhere."
Manhattan General Hospital
Matt was standing next to the clone outside the ICU ward when Elisa and Goliath arrived.
"How is she?" Elisa asked.
"She's hanging on right now," Matt said. "She'd lost a lot of blood by the time Delilah found her and brought her here, but the docs think she'll pull through. It's a good thing Delilah found her when she did."
Elisa turned her attention to the hybrid clone. "What happened?" she asked.
Delilah looked at her and Elisa could see the tears in her eyes. "I...went to invite her. To see if she and Danny wanted to..." Her bottom lip quivered and Elisa could see fresh tears start to well up.
Elisa put her hands on the clone's shoulders. "Easy, Delilah," she said. "One step at a time."
Delilah took a deep breath and continued, fighting back the tears. "I found her on the floor, bleeding." She paused as she looked at her hands, still covered with Kate's blood. "I did what I could to stop the bleeding and brought her here. Closer than Labyrinth and they have her records on file." She looked at a nurse who walked past, who gave the clone a long stare. "They think I did it."
"I'll have a talk with them about that," Elisa said.
"Thank you," Delilah said.
"What about Danny?" Goliath asked.
"He wasn't there," Delilah said. "I thought maybe he went to get help, but he never came back. I call the Labyrinth, Talon said he's not there." She hung her head. "I'm afraid..."
"We'll find him," Elisa said. "Don't worry, Delilah. For all we know, he's back at the apartment. I'll call Morgan and have him swing by there for a look."
"Thank you, Elisa," Delilah said.
Elisa turned to look at Matt. "Matt, why don't you take her back to the Labyrinth. I'll stay here for a while in case Kate wakes up."
"Sure thing, partner," Matt said. He carefully took Delilah by the arm and escorted her out.
"I don't like this," Elisa said when they were out of earshot.
"What?" Goliath asked.
"One abduction already," Elisa said. "And apparently another one on top of it. And both involving friends of gargoyles. This stinks big time, Goliath."
"You believe there is a pattern to the abductions," Goliath said.
"You know it," she said. "But what I can't figure out is why these two? Why would someone want to target Demona and Delilah first?" Then her eyes went wide as she realized the connection. "Unless…"
"Thailog," Goliath said. "We had better warn the rest of the clan."
The Eyrie Building
Lexington, Broadway and Hudson landed on the parapet and were greeted by Goliath and Elisa. Hudson set Bronx down as they approached.
"Did you have any luck?" Goliath asked.
"No," Hudson said. "Whoever took the lass covered their tracks well." He caught the worried expression on Elisa's face. "Has something else happened?"
"Yeah," Elisa said. "Danny's missing, too."
"The wee tyke that belongs to Delilah's friend Kate?" Hudson asked.
"What happened?" Lex asked.
"Delilah found Kate unconscious and bleeding in her apartment," Elisa said. "Kate's at Manhattan General right now, but her son has vanished. He may have been taken as well."
"But who would do such a thing?" Hudson asked.
"We are not sure," Goliath said. "But we think it may have been Thailog."
"Thailog!" Broadway roared and his eyes flashed brightly. He'd been wanting to get his hands on the sinister clone ever since he orchestrated Angela's abduction earlier that year. "When I get my claws on him…" He turned to leap off the parapet.
Goliath quickly clamped his hand on Broadway's shoulder. "Broadway, wait," he said. When he turned back to face Goliath, the lavender gargoyle continued. "You cannot face Thailog alone. Despite his injuries, he is still dangerous."
"Besides," Elisa said. "We need you for something else." She looked at Hudson and Lexington. "All of you."
"What?" Lexington asked.
"We think that Thailog may be choosing specific targets," Goliath said. "Andrea is Demona's friend and Danny is Delilah's. He may be targeting people who are very close to the clan."
"Richard and his family could be next," Elisa said. "Since Richard was very close to Angela, he is the next likely target."
"I'll head over there right now," Broadway said. He still wanted a piece of Thailog, but he didn't even want to think about what Angela would do if Richard were hurt.
"Take Bronx with you," Elisa said. "I'll call them and let them know what's going on."
"Got it," he said. He picked up the clan's watchdog and headed off into the sky.
"Lexington," Goliath said. "You had better call your friend Liz. I do not believe that she is in any danger, but…"
"I'll do it right now," Lex said. He scurried across the parapet and disappeared into the castle.
"I'll go check on Robbins," Hudson said. "Best to cover all our bases, as the humans would say."
After Hudson left, Goliath turned to face Elisa. "Elisa, I think it best if you remain here tonight," he said.
"You know I can't, Goliath," she said. "I have a job to do."
"But Thailog…"
"Thailog is not going to be able to snatch me away as easily as the others," she said. "Remember, I'm a cop." She pulled out her gun. "I can fight back. And if he comes anywhere near me, believe me, he won't live long enough to regret it." She stabbed the gun back into her shoulder holster.
"Just be careful, my love," he said. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I do not want to lose you again."
"You won't, Goliath," she said. She captured his hand as it came free from her hair and kissed the knuckles. "I'll check in before sunrise. I promise." She released his hand and left. After she was gone, he opened his wings and leapt from the parapet. He had to find Thailog before another of the clan's friends turned up missing.
October 27, 1999
Destine Manor
Dominique sat down, got up, paced around the room and sat down again. She was growing impatient.
It had been three days since she learned Andrea had been abducted, and there was still no word. No word from Don, no word from Detective Maza and regretfully no word from Andrea's kidnappers. She was afraid that the worst had happened.
"Andrea, where are you?" she sighed.
The phone rang. It startled her and she jumped at the sound. When it rang again, she approached it hesitantly, afraid that it was bad news. As it rang a third time, she quickly picked it up. "Hello?" she said.
"Ms. Destine?" a familiar voice said. "This is Detective Maza."
"What can I do for you, detective?" she asked, even as her mind started working. Why did she call me Ms. Destine, she wondered. She knows who I am.
"I've got some information about Ms. Calhoun," she said.
"Is she all right?" Dominique asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Elisa said, dashing her hopes. "I'm sending a car to pick you up. We need you to identify…"
The phone dropped out of her hand, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "No," she moaned. She could still hear Elisa's voice calling out to her over to phone. Shaking, she picked it up again. "I'm here," she said.
"A unit will be by to pick you up in a few minutes," Elisa said.
"I'll be ready," she said. She hung up the phone and took a moment to compose herself. She could be mistaken, she thought. Maybe it's not Andrea. Maybe… Her thoughts were interrupted by the intercom. She went to the security monitor and saw a squad car sitting outside the gate.
"Yes?" she said.
"It's Officer Frewer, ma'am," the uniformed officer said. "Detective Maza sent me to pick you up."
"I'll be out in a minute," she said, opening the gate from the console. Stepping away from the security monitor, she retrieved her purse and took out the compact, trying to restore some sense of order to her face. "It'll have to do," she said. She returned the compact to her purse and went to meet the officer.
The squad car was already turned around, facing towards the gate and ready to leave as she walked out the door. The passenger side door was open, which was unusual, she thought, since they don't allow passengers to ride up front. She tossed that thought aside, thinking that it didn't matter. What could she do to him, especially in the state she was in right now? She got in the squad car and closed the door.
"I hope Detective Maza is wrong about this," she said, trying to put up an air of dignity. "I would hate to think…"
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about her," the officer said, taking off his cap and turning to look at her. "After all, you should be more worried about yourself."
"Jackal!" Dominique cried out, instantly recognizing the cyborg.
"You are quick, aren't you," he said.
"Don't forget about me, baby," Hyena said, popping up out of the back seat. "We're a team act, remember?"
"I have no time for this," she snarled.
"Oh, that's right," Hyena said. "You were going somewhere." She paused and coughed for a moment. "Ahem, I'm sending a car to pick you up," she said, her voice a perfect imitation of Elisa's. "We need you to identify the body." Then she laughed. "Rich Little, eat your heart out!"
She'd been tricked!
Dominique made a lunge for the door, trying to escape. If she can get inside and get to some weapons… Jackal grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back, trying to restrain her. "Uh, uh," he said. "We've got someone who's just dying to see you again."
"And I know you're just dying to meet him," Hyena quipped. Laughing, she extended her index finger through the back of the seat. Dominique cried out in pain as it stabbed through her chest, killing her almost instantly.
Jackal looked at the bloody stain spreading across the CEO's blouse. "Dammit, sis," he said, turning to face Hyena. "We were supposed to bring her back alive."
"She'll be all right by the time we get there," she shot back, wiping the blood off her finger. "Besides, I owed her for interfering when we tried to grab her brat." She looked out the window. "Come on, brother dear. Let's dump her in the trunk and get out of here. We've got to get back before sunset."
Jackal got out of the squad car and opened the trunk as Hyena dragged Dominique's corpse towards the back of the car. After loading her inside, they tacked a note to the front door and left through the main gate.
Dominique awoke in a cell, her clothes a mess. When I get my hands on those two, I'll make them pay…
"Dominique?" she heard someone say. She turned and saw Andrea sitting on the floor behind her. There was a small child with her, sleeping with his head on her thigh.
"Andrea!" she cried out. She sprang to her feet and rushed to the artist's side, relieved that she was still alive. "Andrea, are you all right?" she asked. "I thought…"
"I'm fine," she said. "They haven't hurt me." Her eyes drifted down to the child. "Dominique, what's going on? I think I know why they grabbed me, but I don't know what they want with him."
Dominique looked at the child's face and gasped. Danny! "What's he doing here?" she asked.
"Do you know him?" Andrea asked.
Dominique looked at her, wondering what she could tell her. "Yes," she said. "He's the son of one of my employees." But if he was here, she wondered, then what happened to his mother?
Her unspoken question was interrupted by the sound of a sliding door. She turned to see Anton Sevarius enter the room.
"Ah, my dear Ms. Destine," he said. "So good to make your acquaintance again after so long."
"Sevarius," she snarled. She got up and stalked to the front of the cell. "Let me out of here, or I'll…"
"You'll what," he asked. "Fire me? Need I remind you that I am no longer under your employ."
"I'll do far worse than that," she snarled. "Now open this cell…"
"Dominique, don't!" Andrea cried out as she saw her friend reach for the bars.
Electricity arched through Dominique's body, causing her to cry out in pain. It lasted only a matter of seconds, but it seemed like an eternity before she crumpled to the floor.
"Now that was so unnecessary, my dear," he said as Dominique started to recover. "After all, you'll be experiencing enough pain as it is shortly."
"What are you…" she started, but then she caught sight of the clock on the wall. Sunset was only moments away. She charged the bars again, desperate to get out. She couldn't let Andrea see her change! "Sevarius, let me out!" she cried out in a panic. She grabbed the bars again, only to jump back as the electricity jumped through her briefly. "You have to let me out!"
"My, my," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen you quite so emotional, Ms. Destine. I'll tell you what. I'll come back when you're feeling more like…yourself." Smiling, he turned and left.
"Sevarius!" she called out as she saw the door close behind him. "Sevarius! Anton!" She could practically hear him laughing at her plight from behind the steel door.
"Dominique, it's okay," Andrea said as the redhead stepped away from the bars. "We'll get out of this somehow. I'm sure…"
"It's not okay," Dominique said, turning to face her. "You don't understand. I have to get out of here! I can't…" She weighed her options. She could knock Andrea out; a well-placed strike to the back of the neck would put her out long enough to keep her from seeing the transformation, but what would happen then? Andrea would probably never forgive her for striking her, and how would she explain it if Andrea were to regain consciousness before she could escape. She looked back to the clock, watching as the second hand ticked away the time she had left before her friend learned the awful truth. That she was a gargoyle. "Andrea, there's something I have to tell you," she said quickly. "I'm…"
The pain clamped around her like a vise, making her double over. No, she thought. Not now, not yet! But it was too late.
Andrea's eyes went wide as her friend's body turned blue and contorted before her, the feet bursting through the shoes and lengthening and a long sinuous tail snaked out from beneath the skirt. Then a pair of wings burst out through the back of the jacket. Dominique gave a cry that was somewhere between a shriek and a sob as she collapsed to the floor, panting as the transformation ended.
"I…I don't understand," Andrea said after the shock passed. "I thought…you said…"
Demona raised her head, looking at the artist through tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Andrea," she sobbed. She saw the expression on her friend's face but couldn't tell if it was surprise, shock or outright fear. "I'm sorry." She retreated to a corner of the cell and curled up in a ball, crying as she felt her world shatter around her.
The Eyrie Building
"Angela, what is it?" Elisa asked. She had gotten a call from Angela and rushed over to the castle when she heard the urgency in the young female's voice.
"I found this note," Angela said. She handed a piece of paper to her. "It was tacked to the front door of my mother's home."
Elisa took the note and read it. "To the gargoyles. We have Ms. Destine. Wait by the phone for instructions if you wish to see her and Andrea Calhoun alive again."
"What do we do?" Angela asked.
Elisa reread the note, trying to pick up on anything that would lead her to the kidnappers. "We wait," she said finally. "There's not much else we can do besides that." She looked at Angela. "Don't worry, Angela. I'm sure that Demona's all right. And I'm almost certain that Andrea is, too. He won't…"
"He?" Angela asked. "You know who did this?"
Elisa looked at Angela, berating herself for allowing herself to slip like that. "We think it might be Thailog, but we're not sure."
Angela went cold, remembering her last encounter with her father's sinister clone. "You have to do something, Elisa," she said.
"We will," Elisa said. "But first we have to wait for the rest of the clan to get back. Broadway and Bronx are over at Richard's. Why don't you head over there and fill them in on what's going on. I'll try to track down the rest of the guys."
"Okay, Elisa," Angela said. She headed out the door and took off into the night.
Elisa quickly crossed to the phone and dialed a number. Thailog's got Andrea, Danny and Demona, she thought. If he finds out about Don…
She listened as the phone rang and then breathed a sigh of relief as she heard someone pick up.
"Hello?" she heard Don say.
"Don, thank God you're home," she said. "Listen…"
"I bet you thought this was a real person, didn't you," she heard his voice continue and then realized it was his answering machine. "Well, leave your name and message…"
She slammed the phone down as a sick feeling settled in her stomach. She turned away from it for a moment, but then turned back and picked it up again. I'm jumping to conclusions, she thought as she dialed the number again. He may have just stepped out for a moment…
She heard the machine pick up again. She fought back the urge to slam the phone down a second time and listened as the greeting continued.
"Leave your name and message at the beep and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can." She waited for the beep.
"Don, it's Elisa," she said. "Pick up if you're there." She waited a second. "Don, can you hear me?"
"'Noma, you 'kay?" she heard a young voice say. Demona turned and saw Danny standing over her. She sniffed as she turned to consider the child.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said.
Danny looked down at her chest. "Bad one hurt you?" he asked.
She looked down and saw the blood staining her blouse. "Yes," she said. "But I'm okay now"
"Are you?" she heard Andrea ask.
Demona turned and saw the young artist get up and approach her cautiously. She'd been dreading this moment for so long. How do I explain this to her? "Andrea…"
"Dominique, I have to know," she said. "Is this…I mean, are you…"
"Yes, Andrea," she admitted. "This is my true form. I am a gargoyle."
"But I thought…" She paused as she looked at her friend. "What they say about the gargoyles turning to stone during the day. Is that a lie?"
"No," Demona said. "The part about the stone sleep is true. The reason I don't any more has to do with a miserable little wretch named Puck. I haven't undergone the stone sleep in almost five years."
"And before then?" Andrea said.
"You wouldn't have been able to pick me out from any of the other stone gargoyles across the city," she said. "My transformations from gargoyle to human was Puck's idea of a sick joke."
"Puck," Andrea said. "You mean like the Puck in Shakespeare's play. That Puck?"
"Yes," Demona said. "The very same. He's been a thorn in my side for…" She stopped then, not wanting to reveal any more than was necessary. "Let's just say that he and I have never gotten along."
"Wow," Andrea said, stunned. She sat down next to Demona. "Does that mean that the rest, Titania and Oberon, they're all real?"
"All too real in fact," Demona said. She looked over at her. "Andrea, you have to understand that I didn't want to deceive you. You're the first human friend I've had in a long time."
"Does Don know?" she asked.
Demona was taken aback by that. I almost forgot about him. "Yes, he knows," she admitted.
"You told him and not me?" Andrea asked, sounding hurt.
"He knew before we even started dating," Demona quickly said. "I'm the 'mysterious gargoyle' he rescued from the Newtech fire in August."
"Does anyone else know?" Andrea asked.
"Only a few others," Demona said. "Detective Maza, Xanatos…" She paused as she looked at the cell door. "Sevarius," she added with disdain. "No one on my board of directors knows about this."
"Do any of your exes know?" Andrea asked. "Well, I guess they would, wouldn't they?" Then she made a connection. "Wait a minute. I just realized something. Angela…"
"Is my daughter, yes," Demona said. "And Goliath, her father, was my first mate." She looked at the child sitting next to her. "I've made some mistakes in my life, Andrea. Goliath was one of them. Not telling you the truth was another. I'd like a chance to try to make up for that one at least."
"Of course, Dominique," she said. "I just hope…"
"Now isn't this a tender moment," they heard a new voice say. They looked towards the cell door and Demona gasped as she caught sight of their captor.
"Thailog!" Demona said.
"Hello, my dear," the clone said. "It's so good to see you again."
To be continued…