Chapter 9
"You know when you sacrificed yourself for me, a part of me worried you wouldn't come back," Jenny said clutching a cup of coffee in her hand. "It terrified me to think I might have to live in a world without my big sister."
She wiped the corner of her eye and took a deep breath. "I know we've had our differences and there was a long time when I didn't like you very much, but these last couple years, you have become the most important person in my life Abbie. We've lost so much and I don't want to lose you again."
Abbie met her gaze with sorrow filled eyes and Jenny continued.
"My point in all of this is that life is short, especially in our line of work. And if we can't be honest with each other and ourselves then what are we fighting for?"
"I have been honest," stated Abbie and Jenny came around the counter to stand next to her sister.
"I'm not talking about the demon hunting stuff. I'm talking about listening to your heart. Life isn't just about duty Abbie. It's about people, and finding our purpose, and love. And just because you have a calling, that shouldn't mean you get the shaft in life either."
Jenny's words hit Abbie down to her core and she thought long and hard about all of the time's she had put her duties above all else. Maybe she used those duties to hide behind so she wouldn't have to get emotionally attached to anyone or anything. It was simpler that way and becoming attached meant taking a risk, taking a risk of losing and having her heart broken, like it had been broken when her father walked out on them all those years ago. Since that day, just before her world came crashing down and her mom was sent off to the asylum then she and Jenny went into foster care, Abbie had decided that she wouldn't be dependent on anyone but herself ever again. It was one of the reasons she had struggled so greatly in her partnership with Crane. She had to trust him, she did trust him, but every time she did there was a cloud of dread that filled her mind telling her she shouldn't. It was the same with the FBI. She liked her job, it challenged her in all of the right ways, but she couldn't go to work every day thinking it would be her last. Abbie wanted to stay ahead of the game. But as Jenny's words echoed in her head, she thought perhaps it wasn't time to throw in the towel yet-With her job and maybe with her partner too.
As Abbie thought of her partner she realized she hadn't heard from him in a while and she moved into the other room where she thought he had been reading, but all she found was a pile of toppled books.
"Where's Crane?" Questioned Jenny who had been reading Abbie's mind and Abbie shook her head.
"I don't know. I thought he was here."
Abbie walked into the bedrooms and checked in the bathroom but there was no sign of her partner.
"Didn't you hear the front door close earlier? Maybe he went to the archives, or the museum. That's where he got the new job right?"
Abbie didn't have a good feeling about this. Especially when she noticed her car was still in the driveway which meant wherever Crane went, it was on foot.
"Wherever he went, it was not by car," replied Abbie going to get her car keys and purse in the kitchen.
"Does he go out like this often?" Questioned Jenny and Abbie shook her head.
"He always tells me where he's going," replied Abbie recalling before that this was the whole point of Ichabod staying with her, so they could remain together, because separately they were more vulnerable to Pandora.
"Pandora," Abbie muttered feeling the pits of worry sink in her stomach and she rushed to find her car keys.
xxx
Ichabod had been wandering for nearly an hour before he looked around and realized he had travelled into the woods and had no idea which direction he had gone. He was still furious about what he had heard back at the house but Ichabod also blamed himself because he knew there was a reason the Leftenant had laid those ground rules. She had always been up front with him, verbally speaking, and he could not blame her for that. She was the strongest and bravest person he had ever known and Ichabod supposed this was one of the traits that made her so attractive to him. Glancing up to find the sun he put his hand over his eyes to peer through the glare blinded by the white light but when he glanced back down to the Earth's surface he found Pandora standing in front of him. She smiled sweetly and before Ichabod could even speak she zapped him with her magical powers. At first it was like a jolt of electricity running through him but once his reserves gave out he was rendered unconscious.
When his eyes finally opened it was clear some time had passed because it was now dark. Ichabod realized he was restrained to a stake at the center of a wooden pyre. He looked up at the sky and it was black as ink. But the clouds above had a red hue to them as if hell was waiting in the wings to storm in and unleash its wrath on the world. As if on cue, a crash of thunder sounded in the distance and then a bolt of lightning burst from the sky and struck a nearby tree causing sparks to fly. Ichabod flinched when the tree began to catch fire.
"There's a certain poetry to the calm before the storm," A voice spoke from behind. Ichabod had to turn his sore and stiff neck to the side and found Pandora sitting there on a stone bench appearing quite relaxed. "But I much prefer the aftermath myself," she concluded.
"What do you want?" Croaked Ichabod. He was trying to appear strong and courageous, but truthfully every muscle in his body ached. He wasn't sure what she had done to him earlier, but it felt as if he had been electrocuted. And being restrained in such a manner by rope ties only brought on more pain.
"I want what every woman wants. To see you suffer Ichabod Crane."
"Why the pyre then? Once lit I will go up in a matter of seconds. Would you not wish to draw out my torture if you were so loathsome?" Ichabod countered and Pandora stood.
"All in good time Mr. Crane, all in good time." Pandora smiled smugly and disappeared from his view.
xxx
Abbie drove like a madwoman into the woods with her SUV. Jenny was seated at her side and put her arm out to stop Abbie from swerving so far that the SUV would tip over.
"If you don't watch where you are going I'm going to kick you out of this car!" Jenny proclaimed while holding the navigation potion in her lap. Thankfully they had some left from when Ichabod went to the Underworld to rescue Abbie and Jenny had the good sense to grab it from her car before her sister had stormed out of the house.
"If you're not going to make yourself useful, you can always jump out," replied Abbie as her knuckles clutched the steering wheel.
Jenny knew there was no use arguing with her sister when she was in this kind of state and retorted sharply, "Take a left here."
"Left. Here. Now!" Jenny repeated herself and finally Abbie turned.
It was hard to see too far ahead because they were in the woods, it was now dark, and there was a lot of brush and foliage on the ground level but up ahead a huge ball of light crashed into the Earth and illuminated everything. Peering forward Abbie and Jenny tried to make out the scene before them, squinting harder Abbie thought she saw a body amidst the burning inferno and her heart stopped. Slamming on the breaks she put the vehicle in park and sprinted towards the light.
When she got to the source she saw Ichabod at the center of a circle of flames. His head hung low and his eyes were sunken in. He looked as if he had been to hell and back.
"Ichabod!" Abbie cried and glanced around trying to find something that would help her put out the fire or at the very least get to him.
"I'm afraid your partner has his back up against the wall at the moment," Pandora said with a wicked smile stepping out from behind the fire. "I do enjoy the chance to use some of these modern day expressions when the chance presents itself."
"Abbie it's a trap," groaned Ichabod but Abbie was overcome with an all-consuming rage and she charged the woman.
"Abbie don't!" Jenny shouted from behind not wanting to see her sister get hurt. Abbie usually kept a cool head but that was before she saw her partner pitched above a roaring fire like some piece of meat.
But unfortunately it was too late because in a matter of seconds Pandora had stopped Abbie in her tracks and pushed her down to a large boulder where stone handcuffs emerged from the rock to restrain her.
Jenny lunged forward to help her sister but Pandora used her power to thrust Jenny back into the SUV and then flipped the car upside down to trap her inside.
"Jenny!" Abbie cried but Pandora paid no attention.
"You and I need to have a little chat."
Abbie was relieved to see some motion through the cracked windows of her SUV hoping and praying her sister was alright. Unfortunately Ichabod however was not. The flames were inching ever closer to his feet.
Pandora thrust out her arm and the flames appeared to freeze. She glanced back towards Abbie and then made a chair appear out of thin air in which she slid over the leaf covered ground so she could be directly in front of Abbie.
"There's no reason we can't be civilized," remarked Pandora with a coy grin.
"You got me here. Now what the hell do you want?" Growled Abbie and Pandora merely laughed.
"It's funny you happened to use that word, hell, because that is exactly what I want to discuss. You see it's been over ten millennia since I have been flesh and bone and the world has changed drastically since then. Not only is the Earth dying but the humans are killing it. I have seen a great deal of tragedy in my lifetime, but I will not stand idly by and watch the world I once knew be destroyed for nothing more than these vessels that only care about self-indulgence. The Earth has become the land of no return, or hell as it is more commonly referred to today. We must purify it of all of its toxins, and I am prepared to do that, hopefully with your help."
"You want me to help you start an apocalypse? Keep dreaming sister," replied Abbie stubbornly before casting a weary yet watchful eye over to Crane and then Jenny to make sure they were still okay.
"Well the way I see it there are two choices. The first choice is to destroy everyone and everything-Tabula Rasa. From there my husband can help me rebuild the world into its former glory."
"And the second choice would be?" Abbie asked knowing she wasn't going to like either.
"You become my ally and allow me to end Ichabod Crane's existence. With one witness gone I would be able to work freely. You could reclaim your old identity and freedom once more as well and with your guidance we could work together to restore all that had been damaged. Think about it. You and your sister would be together and alive for the most important metamorphosis the world has ever seen."
"Why me?" Questioned Abbie.
"Because you my dear have a gift. You have a warrior mentality, you are a strong woman, you are from this time, and you would be a valuable asset to my team. Ichabod is from the past. His life should have ended 250 years ago. His life ending today would be a small price to pay to restore world peace, do you not agree?
Abbie glanced up again and this time Ichabod had the strength to meet her gaze which tugged at her heartstrings.
"You seem familiar to me. Have we met before?" Questioned Abbie refusing to give her hand away just yet and Pandora stood.
She laughed lightly and gave a small nod.
"You could say we knew each other in another life. In fact it was your partner over here who was responsible for sending my beloved back to the underworld where he has been trapped for ten thousand years."
"What did he do?"
"On the night of our marriage he tricked my husband into thinking I had a special gift for him and he was tricked into falling into a fiery grave. So you see, it would be quite pleasurable for me to have him sent to his grave in the same way, making it even sweeter yet by the hands of the woman he loves, who does not love him back."
Abbie appeared torn and questioned carefully, "So you knew both of us back then?"
"It was the same then as it is now. He wanted to simply destroy us, whereas you, you saw the big picture. You understood what had to be done so when it came down to deciding, him or the greater good, you chose the greater good. You saved me Hellen—I was your sister."
Abbie gasped her head spinning. It all seemed so far-fetched and at the same time her mind recalled everything with perfect clarity. Pandora was her sister. And Ichabod was her partner, and she chose to save Pandora over her fellow witness. In her past life she had led Ichabod to his death just like she was doing again in this life.
"Have you made your decision?" Questioned Pandora.
"Would you allow me to be free of these restraints before I give my answer?" Asked Abbie glancing back to Ichabod with worry.
"Of course," replied Pandora. She waved her hand once and the stone shackles were gone.
Abbie stood, rubbed her wrists and then looked to Ichabod again.
"Family comes first." Replied Abbie and Pandora beamed.
"I never doubted your loyalty Hellen. Together we will conquer the world like we were meant to do."
"May I say goodbye to him?" Abbie questioned and Pandora gave a nod. She parted the flame so Abbie could pass through.
When Abbie reached Ichabod she had to step on a kindling in order to get to his level. Even slouched over he was still a good foot taller than her.
She put her hand on his cheek and he met her gaze with haunted eyes.
"Abbie, I would gladly give my life to save yours, but I do not believe her to be entirely forthcoming."
Abbie could tell that he was afraid she was going to betray him and she whispered softly in his ear.
"I know. Now tell me how to kill Pandora."
