Fiat Lux 2: Life After Death
Summary: It's been over two and a half years since my boyfriend murdered me. After I came back, one of my friends and I decided to team up to take down The Family, a supposedly clean group of supers with a dirty past.
))))!!!!****^^^^****!!!!((((
Chapter Seven
Never Too Late
"We've been through just about every business in this stupid town," I said as we left yet another. We'd been in Valparaiso for over two weeks, and nothing. "Maybe we're too late, and he's left."
"It's never too late," Warren said as he climbed into the driver's seat. "And even if he's left town, somebody's bound to remember him."
"Unless he managed to get a hold of some memory tech," I said as I climbed into the passenger's seat. "Which is highly possible, since he's got North in his pocket."
"We don't know for certain that he's got North, Tish," Warren said calmly as he pulled onto the road. "It's just another on a long list of assumptions."
"But a very reasonable assumption," I pointed out. "I mean, how else would they get away with all that they have?"
"Blackmail?" Warren said. "Bribery? Ransom?"
"I don't think so," I said, picking at my nails. "They wouldn't be able to keep something like that quiet. It'd be everywhere, and it'd never hold. It has to be North, or someone right up there."
"Come on," he said, pulling into yet another building. This one was a new-looking movie theater.
"What'll we do after this?" I asked as we both exited the car.
"No idea," Warren said, holding the door open for me. "But I'm sure we'll think of something.
"Can I help you?" the teenager behind the counter asked.
"Yes," Warren said, pulling the picture of Inferno. "I was wondering if you've seen my grandfather, William." She took the picture and studied it.
"I think I did," she said, handing it back to him. "I think he was here… what was it, a week ago? Gimme a sec." She turned and motioned over an older woman, probably a manager. "Lisa, when did that weird old guy come in for the superhero movie?"
"I think it was last Friday," Lisa said.
"Did anyone talk to him?" I asked.
"No," the teen said, "But he did show his ID for the senior discount."
"Sounds just like him," Warren lied. "Do you have any ideas where we can find him?"
"I think the woman he was with said something about the Blue Giraffe?" the teen said. "Maybe you should check there."
"The… Blue Giraffe?" I asked. "Where can we find that?"
"It's on Calumet, by K-Mart," the teen said. "It's a blue building. You can't miss it."
"Thanks," Warren said. We left the theater and went back to the car. We got in and he started the engine. "Any ideas which way Calumet is?" I grinned and pulled out a map of the city.
"Head back the way we came, 'til we get to Roosevelt," I said. I used the map to direct us to Calumet, and we found the Blue Giraffe, which turned out to be a salon, easily enough. We went in and pulled the usual 'have you seen my Grandad?' routine, and the woman at the desk went to find the boss. We sat in the proffered chairs and waited. Next thing I knew, we were surrounded by many well-muscled men. One of them grabbed me roughly by the arm, yanking me from the chair. Warren stood to protest as one more man entered the room. Inferno.
"Well well," Inferno said, clasping his hands together in front of his face. "It seems that Barron's Brat has found us. I wondered how long it would take you to start looking. You seemed so… fond of your mother. I wouldn't try that," he said as Warren went to power up. "You see, while you were waiting, I took the precaution of pushing hydrogen gas through the vents, just as a measure to keep you in line. One false move, and this whole block goes up in one big cloud."
The man holding my arm gave it a tug, nearly yanking it from its socket. He then shoved me, sending me careening into Inferno.
"But you, my dear, have complicated things," he said, continuing as if I hadn't nearly sent us both crashing to the ground. "What on Earth are you doing here?" I didn't answer. In fact, I didn't say a word. Not even when he nodded to one of the brutes next to him, and the brute's fist sank into my side. "A stubborn one, I see. You'll be a fun one to break." Inferno turned to Warren. "And I think we'll do it in front of you, since that would probably break you, too." Inferno nodded to the brutes and turned to leave. The brutes closed in around us and put blindfolds over our eyes. There was the strangest sensation of vulnerability as they pushed us this way and that, down a flight of stairs, through more twists and turns, and tossed us out into a room. The blindfolds were torn from our eyes, revealing what looked like a medieval torture chamber.
In one corner, there stood a rack on which one could be drawn-and-quartered, in another there was an open iron maiden, revealing sharp spikes set inside. There were many other torture machines, along with a lot of devices hanging on the walls, most of which I didn't recognize.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Inferno said, walking in behind us. "Most people use more up-to-date, modern ways, but I like to stick to the proven methods." At his words, both of us started struggling, but were easily stifled. He laughed. "I think, as I said before, we'll try her first. And don't try the flames. The air in this room is full of hydrogen." The brutes holding me dragged me over to the iron maiden. "Let's see how long you last in here."
The brutes roughly shoved me into the iron contraption. I felt spikes pressing into my back and put forth my best effort to stand straighter. Inferno was laughing as they closed the front. There was a small window in front of my eyes, and I heard them sliding a lock into place. My back began to ache from the forced position, but every time I relaxed in the slightest, either the spikes in front of me or those behind me would press into my body. Soon, my clothes were torn and ragged and covered in blood from many a minor cut. My back began to sing. But through it all, I wouldn't give them the pleasure of a noise. Just as my knees were about to buckle, there was the sound of the lock being fiddled with, and the front opened. I fell forward, and didn't even have the strength to stand. But they still weren't done.
When I worked up the strength to move, I rolled over, so that I could at least see what was happening. I had just enough time to see a brute coming at me with a nasty grin on his face and a nastier club in his hand before it connected with the side of my face, sending me reeling. I closed my eyes, saving myself the psychological pain, but I could still feel more than the first club hitting me all over. I managed to keep from whimpering, but, I couldn't withhold a scream when I felt my leg crack. The beating lasted for quite some time. Eventually, when it got to the point where I could barely feel anything, and I knew that more than just my leg was broken, they stopped and pulled away. I was dragged forcibly to my feet, and I whimpered when I was forced to put weight on my leg. Warren and I were both led to a giant pit in the ground. Someone began tying our wrists.
"Now this is an interesting one," Inferno said, walking over to us. Someone else began attaching our wrist ropes to a pair of chains attached to the ceiling over the pit. "Any ideas what it is?" We both kept a stony silence. Inferno shook his head. "What are they teaching you at that school? It's an oubliette. A French prison. I think we'll let you, hang around for a while." As Inferno turned away, Warren and I were both pushed out into the oubliette. There was a jerk as one of my arms was torn from its socket, but soon the swinging slowed before it finally stopped.
A/N: Wow. Bet ya weren't expecting that. So, congrats are in order for _______ for knowing that Evanescence did Imaginary. Yay!!!! Now, do you know who did Never Too Late? And yes, I was watching Jewel of the Nile before writing that last bit.
L8s.
