Chapter 6: Third Strike

Kirika awakes in a small chamber. At first she can't see very much because the light stings in her eyes. After her eyes are accustomed to the light she can see a room which looks like something form a medieval film dotted with some futuristic objects. The whole room, walls, ceiling and floor is made out of stone. To her right is a big mirror. Now she realises that she lies on a table. Her wrists and ankles are chained to it. Her body fells oddly numb and her thinking is slowed down. In the mirror she can see a reflected wooden door. As it opens she turns her head and looks to her left. In comes a man, whom she has seen before. He smiles and makes a small bow.

"It is a pleasure to see you again my dear."

Kirika only looks him in the eyes. Her own eyes full of anger and menace. She doesn't say a word. On one part because she just hates this man and doesn't want to talk with him, on the other part because she doesn't trust her tongue to make the right movements.

"Oh, I see…you are mute." He laughs loud. "Well then…I'll have other ways of convincing you to talk." And again this loud laugh, this time it seems to Kirika that it has a touch of madness.

"Who…are…you?" She asks with a heavy tongue.

And again this laugh, this time the madness is clearly to hear.

"I think I'm the one you are looking for. May I introduce myself? I'm Parcival du Croix, the leader of the 'Black Brigade'. And you…" He looks Kirika straight in the face. "…are Kirika I propose. Don't look so astonished! I know who you are and I know what you are looking for. And let me say you this: that what you are looking for might be dead right now."

"YOU BASTARD!" Kirika struggles in her chains and tries to free herself, but unfortunately the chains are not out of a medieval time.

"HAHAHAHAHA….farewell my dear."

The door closes and Kirika lies on the table and tries to hold beck the tears.

This is a side of Kirika which one can see only seldom.

"Shut up you scum! YOU WON'T SURVIVE THIS, I SWEAR!"

Kirikas blood boils with anger. The next one won't have a good time with her, even if she is chained to the table. The door opens again and a man enters the chamber. He has a bucket in his hand which is full with metal objects. Kirika looks at him with the meanest look she can manage in this situation. The man positions himself beside her table. He turns to the mirror and says: You know it, go away! I don't want to be seen. It's only my pleasure!"

Then he turns to her and grins. He puts a hand in the bucket and pulls out an ice – pick. He puts both hands on the table and bends over Kirika. His face is close to hers and his breath smells like rotten fish. He grins and reveals yellow teeth.

"Oh Darling…we'll have so much fun together."

Kirika narrows her eyes and spits him right in the face. Still smiling his tongue snakes out of his mouth and licks the spit from his face. His eyes sparkle and he says: "You little slut. I like that. This will be as good a time as I seldom have."

He bends up and the hand with the ice – pick nears her face. The man shakes his head and moves further down her body. With one hand he pulls up her shirt, with the other he brings the ice – pick to her bellybutton. As she feels the metal on her skin her right hand yanks to the side, as far as it goes with the chains. She manages to grab between his legs and the man lets the ice – pick fall with a cry.

Kirika smiles her grim smile and looks him in the face. Her hand lies like an iron tongs between his legs. He tries to free himself by trying to pull on her arm. But the instant he touches her arm she closes her hand tighter and the man howls with pain.

"Now we're in a position I still don't like very much, but it is much better then it was before." Kirika says and closes her hand a little bit more. "Now let me free of these chains."

One can see, that the man barely stand because of the pain, but he shakes his head. Kirika twists her hand a little bit and the man cries out loud. She opens her hand a little bit and says again:" Open the chains!" Shaking, the man pulls a bunch of keys out of his pocket.

"First the feet."

The man obeys and opens the chains at the arms afterwards, She stick holds him between his legs and slits from the table. Now the man has fear in his eyes. It seems that he likes to cause pain, but not to experience it himself. Kirika can see the ice – pick lying in the floor and bends swiftly down. She weights it in her hand and without a forewarning she rams it in his stomach. Caught in surprise he doesn't even make a noise and only looks down with an expression of unbelief on his face.

Kirika looks him in the eyes and says: "Now we're in a position I REALLY like!" With these words she pulls the ice – pick out of him, releases him and goes one step back. The legs of the man begin to shake and a big red flower blossoms on his shirt and the man collapses. He lies on the floor and clutches his shirt.

"You know," Kirika says. "Stomach wounds are the most painful way to die. The gastric acid spreads itself and you're poisoned from within. Nice feeling, isn't it?"

"Argh…you whore…I'll kill you!"

Kirika opens her eyes in astonishment. "Oh really? Let me see!"

Kirika, you're rude.

"Am I? Can't be…but perhaps you're right, I'll think about it."

The man crouches over the floor in the direction of the door. With one step Kirika is beside him and puts one foot on his back and pins him to the ground. Because of the loss of blood he has no chance to escape.

"Tz, tz, tz…where are we going?

Kirika still holds the ice – pick in her hands and wonders what to do with him. In the bucket next to the table lies a big metal hammer. She takes it.

"You know, I'll let you die faster. I can't risk that you alarm the other because I have to go on fast!"

Now fear is clearly to be seen in his round eyes, but before he can utter one single cry she drives the ice – pick with the hammer right through his head.

"That'll do it." She says satisfied. She goes to the door and opens it slowly. No one is to be seen in the corridor. "I need my weapon and my rucksack, where might it be?"

Perhaps inside the room behind the mirror?

"Good thinking…for once."

Kirika looks around the corner and this corridor is empty too. This time she might be lucky. She turns around the corner and opens the door. Inside it is dark and she can see the room she was in before through the one – way – mirror. And there, in the corner lies her rucksack and the Beretta lies on a table.

Kirika smiles and says: "Wonderful, but still no ammo."

She shoulders her rucksack and puts the Beretta in the holster. She goes back to the door and opens it a bit. She can hear footsteps coming nearer and sees a man who stops at the corner and bends down to close his shoe. Kirika takes her knife and creeps directly behind him. She grabs him from behind and holds her knife against his throat. The man lets out a little squeal but doesn't shout or else.

"Huh, huh." Kirika says and pulls him back to the little room and closes the door.

"So now tell me, because I'm curious: who and where is Parcival du Croix?"

"I won't tell you anything!"

"Oh, do I have to convince you? I warn you, I loose my temper pretty fast." With these words she cuts him a little bit so that a drop of blood rolls down his neck.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Monsieur du Croix is the leader of the 'Black Brigade'. He's a former member of the Foreign Legion. He's cruel and reckless and doesn't stop when he wants something to be accomplished. His office is on the topmost floor. I don't know exactly where, I've never been there. That's all I know, really!"

"Thank you." She says and strangles hi. She picks him up and lays him in a dark corner of the room. And again she opens the door to look outside.

Where to go now? Big question: Where is the elevator or where are the stairs?

"How should I know? Do you think I know the ground plan of this damn castle?"

How should I know?

She shakes her head and enters the corridor slowly and cautious. She turns around another corner and hides swiftly in a dark chink between two cupboards, because two men approach.

"Did you hear? The elevator is broken down again."

"Which one?"

"The one we past a moment ago. Didn't you see the 'Out of Order' sign?"

"Oh no, that's the one I have to take every day at least 20 times. Now I have to take the stairs."

"Why don't you take the other one?"

"It's too far away, I'm faster taking the stairs."

The two men are so deep in there conversation that they have no eye for their surroundings. Kirika smiles and goes on. And there she sees the elevator with the 'Out of Order' sign. The door of it is open a little gap. Kirika peers inside and sees that the elevator cabin is approximately one meter under the door. That'll be a good way of getting upstairs without being noticed. It'll be a little bit strenuously but the best way.

It's good for your body…that little exercise.

She squeezes through the gap and lets herself fall on top of the cabin. Once there she grasps the cable and starts the laborious climb. After a good way she sees the end of the hoist way. The door is to her right but she can't open it. It's closed too tightly.

"What now?"

Go down and take the stairs.

"After this climb? Have you gone nuts? After all this work."

She looks around and sees a ventilation grille a little way down. She slips down a bit and grasps the cable tightly with both hands and kicks hard against the grille. Luckily it falls off and the way is open for her. But how will she get in there?

"Jump."

Hahaha, you're kidding me, right?

Silence

Aren't you?

And again silence.

Kirika climbs up a bit, swings with her legs and lets go of the cable. With a 'bang' she smashes against the wall but manages to get hold of the brim. She pulls herself up and crawls through the ventilation shaft. It is not long and ends in a dark room. She climbs out, makes a few steps and smashes with her knee against a box. She suppresses a snarl and goes on more carefully. There is the wall. She feels her way along the wall, until she reaches a door.

"Here has to be a switch. It's always beneath a door…Ah, there it is."

She turns the switch on and the room in illuminated. She stands at the door of a supply room. Kirikas eyes sparkle with enthusiasm. Here is everything the heart of someone like her desires. But all she needs is some ammo for her Beretta. After a short time of searching she finds it and grabs as many as she needs. Which means: a lot. "You never know how much you'll need!"

Outside the door she hears something. She dashes to the door, switches off the light and positions herself beside the door.

"He's in a bad mood, because of that girl in the lowest floor."

"Why that?"

"I've heard she caused him a lot of trouble. Stan takes care of her."

"Bah, that guy?! I shudder when I even think of him."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

The voices fade away and Kirika opens the door. Now it is time to find du Croix's office. She goes down a corridor and…how wonderful, there is a sign on the door of his office. She opens the door with a kick and directs her weapon in the office. Du Croix stands behind a desk with his back to her, looking out of a window. She closes the door.

"I knew you'll come here somehow," He says, "to get the information where Mireille is." He turns around to her. "It is very brave from you to walk in here all alone, with all those armed men around. It seems she means much to you. Am I right?"

"This is none of your business du Croix. Just tell me where she is!"

"You think I'll make it that easy for you? I could call for all the men here and you won't last five minutes."

"Yeah, you're right, but I'll take as many with me as I can, including you."

"That's right, but what are we going to do now, my dear?"

"Stop calling me 'my dear'! And now to your options. You have two. First one: you'll just tell me where she is and I'll leave you and no harm is done. Second one: I'll torture you, until you tell me where she is and you'll die in the end. Choose which one you prefer."

Du Croix shakes his head. "My goal is to destroy both of you. You have killed the best of my men. In the past, and now. You're a risk I have to eliminate…so prepare to die!"

The door behind Kirika bursts open and two men come in. Kirika turns around and shoots the two men. But it is a mistake. Two arms come from behind and hold her in a tight embrace.

"I have my pride, my dear, I can handle one little girl on my own."

"That is a very big mistake."

She smashes the back of her head directly in his face. With a cry he lets go of her and covers his face in his hands. Kirika turns around and rams her knee in his soft parts. He howls with pain and falls to the floor.

"Oy, what have I done?" Kirika asks mockingly and kneels down. She points the weapon at his head and says: "I think we're in for option number two: torturing." Kirika narrows her eyes and smiles grimly. She looks down his body and sees a dark spot between his legs. The smile grows to a laugh. She laughs so hard that tears roll down her cheek. After she has recovered she says giggling: "So big and such a baby. It seems we may be in for option number one? Even if it doesn't please me as much as option two."

Du Croix lies on the floor and stutters: "I...I…I won't tell you. I'm m…mmuch stronger…th…then you!"

Kirika laughs again. "You probably are. But why then are you laying on the floor like a little cry – baby?"

Kirika, you're much too hard. I think he'll tell you if you ask nicely

"Since when do I ask nicely?"

She pushes the weapon hard against his head. Tears roll down his face. "In the forest…Please stop…she's in the forest. I don't know where. Please don't kill me….PLEASE!"

"Asshole."

She pulls the trigger. Now she has to search in the forest. As if it is this little. But she has no other choice. She looks around in the room and sees another door. There is a switch next to it, and after she has used it she hears the hum of an elevator. "Bingo!"

The elevator brings her to an exit on the ground, this must be his privet entrance. She goes to the forest and looks around. This might take a while, but she has so little time.

In the distance she hears the familiar sound of a bike.

She smiles.