THE PLOT SO FAR: Lily sent Mary-Louise and Nora to "assist" Caius and to solve the murder cases that happened during one of the shindigs that was held by The Heretics. The trio arrived in Green Woods Town where there was an unusual amount of missing people and where victims were drained of their blood. Mary-Louise and Nora received an invitation to the Green Woods Anniversary celebrations and prepare themselves for it. Meanwhile, Caius was held captive by a blonde in a dark room and was tortured and badly beaten.
Chapter 10: The Chase
The town hall is located at the outskirts of town. There were ample grounds surrounding the building as it was buzzling with activity. A magnitude of colourful tents were set up not only for performers to rest but there were also many make-shift tents near water sources for chefs to cook and to prepare dishes on the spot.
The aroma of roasted chicken filled the nostrils of Mary-Louise and Nora as they passed the chef and his grills but the duo did not flinch when they passed the sizzling roasted chicken. They calmly showed their invitation card to the ushers who were at the entrance before entering the Town Hall. Inside were rows and rows of long table and chairs and most of the seats were already occupied. A stage was erected at the far end and one of the performances where a group of masked figures doing stunts looked like it was about to come to an end.
"Let us now welcome the Mayor of Green Woods Town", the commentator blasted. Both Mary-Louise and Nora took the nearest seats available and listened.
"It is my honour to be part of this 100th year anniversary celebrations. Enjoy yourselves and have a memorable night…"
A shadow passed the 2nd storey corridor of the Town Hall and it caught both Mary-Louise and Nora's attention due to its inhuman speed.
"Did you catch it?" Mary-Louise replied. "Someone just sped into hiding."
"Dammit Mare, were we being watched all along?" Nora exclaimed.
"It was a grey hood right?" Nora continued
They quickly left the masses on the ground floor and moved towards the nearest exit to get to the 2nd storey. There were 2 security guards guarding the stairways whom they had to compel to pass.
Mary-Louise looked around in her attempts to trace the hooded figure.
"Well, hello Nora, it's been a while", the duo stopped in their tracks and turned towards the familiar voice.
Nora turned to face a familiar masculine face.
"Oh!"
"Benjamin Mason? What are you doing here?" Nora was surprised and looked at him in amusement.
"Of course to attend the celebrations!" Benjamin beamed. "How long has it been? Almost a century? How have you been? My god, you look just as gorgeous as before. You're amazing…"
"…and so is Mary-Louise too. Well, hello Mary-Louise," Benjamin added after he caught sight of the inpatient figure next to Nora.
"Hello Benjamin Mason," Mary-Louise coldly replied while she kept her eyes fixed across the corridor where she thought she last saw the shadowy figure. She briefly caught sight of the shadow again and this time, she sped full speed towards it.
Nora sped after her with Benjamin following.
ENGLAND 1903
Mary-Louise, Nora, Julian and Benjamin gave chase too and they sped into the woods. Mr Mason and Brandon were far ahead from the pack as they reacted almost immediately and sped off after Brian Mason. It was a rough forest trek covered by shrubs and loosened earth as they entered deeper into the forest.
The winding forest trails made the chase all the more difficult. Nora stumbled once but Mary-Louise caught her just before she regained footing. That slight delay, however, allowed for the two Masons to disappear in sight as they speed full vamp speed ahead.
"NOOO!" a voice echoed throughout the forest as the pack continued the search.
"Over there!" Mary-Louise pointed and the pack sped towards the source with Julian in the lead.
"Someone is over there," Julian alerted as he vamp speed toward a body that was face down on the forest floor.
"Brandon! Brandon!" Julian flipped him over and attempted to wake him.
"Is he alright?" Mary-Louise caught up just after Julian.
"Julian! There's a stake protruding from his chest!" she pointed in shock.
"No! Brandon!" Benjamin exclaimed as he sped over to knee beside him.
"Missed the heart by a few inches," Julian assured as he pulled out the stake.
"Brandon!" Benjamin shook Brandon by the shoulders. "Brian…" he weakly muttered before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"He's in good hands," Julian assured automatically even before Benjamin asked. Benjamin sped off.
"Girls help him out", Julian continued.
Mary-Louise and Nora gave chase behind Benjamin.
Swooooosh
The duo continued on and followed Benjamin while he headed towards the direction of the nearest commotion. Just as they proceeded nearer, Nora could briefly make out three figures in the distance. Two looked as though they were wrestling with each other as there was constant push and pull movement while the third was motionless on the ground. The nearer they were, the louder the sounds of breaking bones they could hear as the two men brutally fought each other.
"NO! FATHER!" Benjamin yelled in despair as they approached the motionless body on the ground.
Laying motionless on the ground was Mr Mason. A stake was right through his heart and his last moments were one with pain as his face was twisted with mouth opened widely.
Benjamin stood in despair and he dashed towards the fighting duo.
Brian's face was bloodied and his jaw was crushed. His shirt was bloodied and filled with soil, he was badly injured but he continued to fight on. Grappling and punching with all his might whenever he could. Bruce's shirt was bloodied, had a badly bruised eye and suffered a few broken bones, which was evident in his slower than usual reflexes when battling Brian, but he battled on. Brian gripped Bruce by his shirt and lifted and threw him with all his might.
Thud
Benjamin broke his fall as Bruce crushed head-on into him. Mary-Louise immediately went over to check on both brothers while Nora was trying hard to absorb what have happened so far.
PRESENT
"Just like old times", Benjamin murmured as he paced the ladies.
However, this time round, Mary-Louise took the lead.
"So what are we up against?" Benjamin uttered while following.
"He seems a little…deliberate, don't you think so Mare," Nora spoke loud enough for Mary-Louise to catch.
"Pardon me but care to fill me in on what we are about to do?" Benjamin interrupted and reminded the ladies of his presence.
"We're playing catch," Mary-Louise nonchalantly replied.
"Short and sweet, the same old same old Mary-Louise that I know," Benjamin remarked.
"Roger that!" he sped ahead.
The trio sped across the Town Hall and passed many buildings and districts till they arrived at the gates of a grandeur mansion. It was quieter for the area as the mansion was near a forest and in the more secluded area of town.
"The Mayor's Mansion?" Benjamin looked at both ladies in shock as their eyes trail the name signage at the gates.
"Ouch!" he shouted out loud in pain as his palms burnt when pushed the gates. "It's coated with Vervain!"
Nora was surprised for a moment but she garnered herself and chanted a spell that automatically unlocked the gates.
She then proceeded and passed Benjamin.
"Well, ladies first then," Benjamin forced a smile as he trailed after them.
They crossed a flowery garden and reached a porch decorated with pots of different flowers.
Taking a deep breath, Nora stepped into the mansion.
"Well that's new. I was expecting myself to be repelled," she looked at Mary-Louise from the foyer.
"Is this not the mayor's mansion?" Mary-Louise questioned Benjamin.
"It definitely is as it's written on the signage at the entrance," Benjamin added.
Mary-Louise glared at Benjamin's reply. "Yikes, I'll stop with the obvious," he murmured.
"Mary Lou, can you smell that?" Nora interrupted as she already made her way more than half way across the foyer of the grandeur mansion.
"The stench of blood…its everywhere," she continued. "To think that the mayor's mansion is the hide-out.."
"Nora and I will be searching here," Mary-Louise pointed. "Why don't you search over there," she casually pointed in a random direction before moving away from Benjamin.
Taking her spot next to Nora, they were just about to enter one of the rooms when the curses of Benjamin stopped them.
"My gosh, the doors and knobs are coated with vervain," he yelled in pain and staggered backwards towards the wall.
"Ouch! Not the window grills too!" He yelled in agony.
They smirked and enjoyed watching Benjamin screaming in pain.
"Hey milady, you still owe me a handshake," it echoed from the end of the hall way.
Shocked by the echoes, Benjamin immediately sprung around and searched frantically for a non-existent figure.
"Over there!" Nora pointed and both Mary-Louise and Benjamin trailed the echo voice and passed a few corridors into a room that resembles that of a huge dining area.
The room was spacious and had only an oval-shaped wooden table in the middle of the room with a few wooden chair surrounding it. It was a dimly lit room but these did not deter Mary-Louise and Nora. A cloaked figure, face covered by the hood, sat at the end of the table.
"Finally caught up. Not running away anymore?" Mary-Louise's voice boomed across the room.
"Tsk! How dare you ignore us," Nora added.
"Will I get my handshake?" the cloaked figure remarked and removed the hood that covered his face.
"Brian…" Benjamin whispered in disbelief.
"Brian?" he went a second time.
"BRIAN!" Benjamin shouted the name from across the room and readied himself a dash stance.
"How are you doing Ben?" Brian smirked.
Mary-Louise looked at Ben, she had never seen him that agitated and angry before and he was ready to dash.
"Ben, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Brian warned.
"My friends will be very displeased.."
Bang
They turned to see the doors slammed shut behind them just as he finished his sentence.
Click click click click click
"Mary Lou, there are projectiles pointed at us," Nora warned as she watched the brick walls moved and a hundred protruding projectiles pointing at them from the holes.
Brian snapped his fingers once.
"Ugh" Benjamin went on a knee and he pulled the dart out from his right thigh and threw it to the ground.
"What the hell, come fight me one on one you coward," he cursed while kneeling on the knee.
Benjamin tried to stand but he dropped back into a kneeling pose.
"Get back up on your feet and fight!" Mary-Louise shouted.
"I want to but I can't. Its vervain coated mixed with something else...I can't feel my leg," he punched the floor with his fist and sat on the ground.
Click click click click click
The sound of gadgets echoed loudly as it auto loaded.
"Who's next?" Brian asked as he made his way closer.
Both Mary-Louise and Nora turned to face Brian.