Ian's fingers danced lightly across the keyboard, bringing up screens and files. One quick search on the personnel files for Chandler and Roth had revealed the face and background for Alexa Dupree, but Ian, still not satisfied, continued to dig.
"What are you looking for?" Sara whispered, her eyes following Nottingham's movements with alarm. "She works for these people, that's all you needed right?"
"No Sara." Ian's voice was soft as he carefully infiltrated another database. "Mr Irons wants to know who she is."
"A stockbroker?" Sara questioned, her eyes going cross-eyed as Ian found yet another lead.
"Possibly, but you saw her reaction to the Witchblade. There is more to her than meets the eye." He was digging deeper, his skill in computers ferretting out information that Pez could never have guessed at. "She doesn't feel real."
"Oh?" Pez tore her eyes away from the screen and ran her eyes around this familiar study. The ever present fire, the books and chess set, all an elaborate stage. What was Irons up to with this girl? "But you haven't found anything off about her," She turned back to Nottingham and glanced at the screen. "See.. that's her, Alexa Dupree. Large as life."
Ian did not respond, he couldn't really explain to Sara, but he knew somehow that Alexa was not all she appeared. Whatever her real history, she was responsible for his father's current emotional state and that troubled him. Kenneth Irons always guarded his feelings, but this woman had stirred more than the usual sensations of lust within him. Through the connection forged by the blade, Ian had felt the strong emotions running through his father and they concerned him. Whoever this woman was, her impact on his father was disturbing and he needed to know who she was.
"Nottingham?"
"Haven't you felt it Sara?" He asked, turning to stare at her fully as the computer led them up another dead end.
"What?" Pez demanded, looking at his eyes with her usual defiance and he smiled inwardly. She was too determined to be normal and less than what she was. Though he didn't necessarily agree with his father at times, he knew that Irons was right concerning Sara's fear.
"The blade." He looked at the bracelet reverently and his voice softened. "How it reached for her. I could sense it trying to connect with that woman. How did you miss it?"
Sara swallowed, unable to answer. She had felt the blade, it had woken her the last few nights with dreams of blood and this evening it had whispered excitedly as Alexa stood beside her. But she would not, could not, discuss this with Irons' pet bulldog Nottingham. For one long moment, neither spoke as the computer continued its long search beside them.
Ian
He felt his father's mind touch his and he froze, shocked at the rush of emotion that had accompanied the call. Sara, watching him closely, touched his upper arm.
"What is it?"
"Mr Irons." He answered shortly before striding from the room and out into the crowd. Sara hesitated for one moment before heading out after him and across the room. Ian led her past a senator or two and aimed for a secluded alcove on the other side of the room. Following him, Sara was unprepared for the sight that met her eyes as she rounded the corner. Two chairs sat facing each other across a small table and before them was Irons. The magnate was knelt on the richly carpeted floor, his arms gently cradling a semi conscious Alexa.
"Sir?" Shock infused Nottingham's voice as he moved forward. Sara, walking in behind him, could understand Nottingham's surprise as Irons was staring at the girl with a mixture of longing and concern. Neither expression she associated with Irons.
Irons held Alexa close to him, unwilling to let her fall to the hard floor of the study and possible further injury. He gently mopped her forehead and whispered her name, wondering who she was and why her face seemed so achingly familiar. Summoning his son from the study, he waited with his heart beating with a fear that he did not understand. He could feel them approach and as they stepped into view, Irons immediately began to rebuild the mask he always presented to the world.
"Ian." Irons uttered finally, as he brought his emotions back under control. "Put her in the Willow room and fetch Dr Immo."
"What happened?" Sara pushed forward as Ian picked up Alexa and slowly headed for one of the nearby doors. "What did you do?"
"Nothing Sara," Irons' voice was cool yet she could hear the tension beneath it. "She collapsed."
"Then we should call an ambulance."
Irons stared at her and she clamped her mouth shut, shocked at the vehemence she saw there. "No Sara. An ambulance will not help with this. We will look after her."