ttw1

Thicker than Water
one


Behind a heavy wooden door, tucked beneath the confines of a goose down comforter, a sleeping Relena moaned and shifted to her side. Crisp white bed linens rustled at her movement. The sun's bright morning rays streamed through the windows, casting yellow squares of light onto the floor at the foot of the bed. With a distant sigh, she stretched, pulling the night's drag from her muscles, and opened her eyes. She remembered the night before, sitting in front of the massive fireplace in the sitting room, listening to the wood pop and crackle. All alone in that huge house, she knew, just like the human's precious mind was so precariously caged in the skull. Not either of the protective barriers could keep such things safe forever.

Of course, fears were long past, as far as she knew. Life was content and there was no threat to the life of the world's sweetheart. Relena Darlian. So far, at least.

Hiding beneath the covers, Relena could hear her own breath pulse against the material in a scratchy huff of warmth. Her eyes closed again, to conceal them as they adjusted to the morning light. Outside her room, there was evident footfall coming nearer. Muffled along the running rugs that prevented the wooden floors from gaining scuff marks due to constant traffic, the footsteps became more obvious. Soon, they reached Relena's ears in a jolt. It was a Saturday, no one was supposed to be getting her up, much less bothering to set foot on the second floor. Unless there was an emergency.

Relena slid her hands beneath the pillow that held her head and anticipated a knock. It never came. The door knob clinked and the door itself gave way to the strong, masculine hand of the visitor. He saw Relena's face shrouded by the white down comforter and felt a spine tingling shudder of slight relief flutter through him like an electrical current. It only took a few more moments for her patience to break, and she removed the cover to see the serene face of a harlequin mask instead of a human's. The mask was black as night on the right and white as the clouds outside the windows on the left. Eyes of shadow, a pointy nose and the lack of a visible mouth made Relena gasp, pushing herself back against the headboard.

The man in her presence stood rooted, wearing not only a ridiculously intimidating mask, but also a pinstriped, sleek looking charcoal gray suit and white opera gloves. He was relatively tall; a tangle of sharp angles and plains. Relena's chest locked down over her lungs. Her eyes widened, trapped like the mouse he knew she could be.

Time itself hung onto her as she was dragged from the bed with only a twinge of gentleness from her aggressor. Relena gained a bit of backbone as he began tugging her out of the bed.

Who are you? What's going on here? she demanded, but he said nothing.

The back of his head was covered by a black lycra extension of the mask. Relena fought to keep up with his pace as he walked down the hallway. Relena choked when the she saw the approaching, fallen, legs of her Preventer bodyguard. They edged around the staircase, where Chase lay in a mass of his own blood. Harlequin stepped easily over his legs, and Relena collapsed into his side in an effort to remain in control of her emotions. His hand pulled around her shoulders to keep her from tripping down the remaining steps.

Chase's bloodied body imprinted itself in the back of her mind. His eyes cloudy, his mouth gaped open in a fatally silent groan of pain at the knife still imbedded in his chest. His Preventer badge lay open faced on the step next to his hand, deathly pale, clutching his semi automatic. Relena's nose and sinuses stung when tears started to break free from her eyes.

Harlequin eased her down the final two steps and led her through the lobby. The front double doors were wide open gates of hell, beckoning Relena to run away before she got swept away by the river Styx. Her guide, however, showed no signs of letting that happen. He gripped her hand harder and sent her a slanted glance through the shine of his mask when she started to panic. Fear had already claimed her gut. They exited out into the blinding sunlight, bouncing off of the white marble. Using her hand as a shield against the sun, Relena caught sight of a swift, black 72 Corvette Stingray.

Awe was beyond her as she was escorted to the passenger side door. Her apparent kidnapper helped her in and buckled the seat belt around her waist with able hands. Words, so many words flew through her mind. Things to say, to tell him. To display her disgust and her anger in him. Why was he doing this? What would this feeble attempt for power or money or war benefit him? Surely it wouldn't last. The world knew better than to repeat the history that had come about. Didn't it?

He got in on the driver's side of the vehicle and strapped in. The tan interior of the Corvette was almost liquid in the light, and Relena kept her hands folded neatly in her lap, trying to think her way out of the situation. Through the other apprehensions she'd been taken in, her calm perseverance and wit had seen her through. He wasn't violent, and he probably wouldn't kill her. Not any time soon. His white, gloved hand settled on the key in the ignition and his feet found rhythm with the gas and the clutch. He cranked the engine in a tremendous roar. All that was left of them were a few misplaced bits of gravel and an abandoned mansion.

To be continued...