A/N: Here is 2 chapters; hope you enjoy them. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 9
Night has fallen and all was quiet both within complex and outside. They had waited for this time to approach, slowly and cautiously making their way to the building. They moved through the corridors with little effort, almost surprised that they had not run into any sentries, and the lights were all out. They entered a room and the lights went on without warning; when the door slammed shut.
"I'd have thought you might be smarter and turned back when you noticed there were no guards. I had always felt that almost always screamed 'trap', but apparently that means nothing to you three. I've heard much of your reputation; I do hope you forgive me, but I have no intention of finding out whether or not it's true." the dark haired, dark eyed man in the middle of the encircling group spoke. He looked at them and then at the rest of his group; all armed and ready to fire. He aimed his own gun and said;
"I believe that it's important for your enemy to know the name of the person killing them. I am Christian Blair."
He pulled the trigger and at the last second; the barrel of his gun was knocked upwards. The timely appearance of the late arrival was either a relief or a nuisance depending on their point of view.
"Stand down," she said firmly, from where she now stood next to Christian. Several of the guns had lowered instinctively on her orders.
"This is interference, Pheonix." Christian said, threat edging his voice.
"/You should not be to hasty, Firebird; you wouldn't want our deal to end so soon. Or you life for that matter.\ I've told you before that I take the precepts very seriously. And everyone here has been warned what will happen if those rules are violated." She answered as she stepped away from where he was standing; to lean casually against the wall. She was wearing all black and her long red hair was tied back in a tight, thick braid.
"/Are you going back on our deal, Pheonix?\" Christian asked.
"/Not at all. Kenneth Irons will die, as agreed. However, if you do not stand down; you will not outlive him by very long.\" she said quietly, her tone shifting from indifferent to cold; and her eyes just beginning to shade towards the pale ice blue.
Her tone and the icy blue eyes told him how serious she was about that threat. It was of great interest to him; her debt aside, she rarely showed such interest in anything. It could be possible that these people might be more useful than he had originally thought.
"From the sound of it, Phoenix; one might think you actually care for these humans. If that's true, you only need say so" Christian said, there was something in the way he said the word 'humans' that did not sound right.
"I made it perfectly clear that this is about a debt; it has nothing to do with how I or anyone else may feel, and that is besides the point." she replied.
"You've bargained for their lives; considering the price to be paid for this deal, and the lengths necessary in order to complete it. I have to say it makes me curious about the deal. Allow me to ask is this worth the price?" he asked.
"Why do you care? You consider these three to be inferior; they are of little worth to you either way, and it changes nothing. You will get what you want, Christian, as long as you keep your word." she remarked.
"Your price seems a bit steep, pretty bird. Three lives for his death; even if they are inferior that is rather expensive." he said, watching her carefully. She shifted her stance; sparing a glance at the three ninjas before she spoke;
"Price is defined by the parties involved; you're getting a deal, Christian. What you ask is no simple matter; why the collateral damage alone will probably be monumental, and that's not even mentioning the trouble I'll have to go to in order to get out afterwards. I'm risking my life for this job and I demand proper compensation for it."
"Of course, proper compensation must be given for everything. Do not give too much as a payment or charge too much for a service. It should always be fair or someone could get hurt." he responded, his tone was cordial; but his eyes are cold, hard pieces of jet. Her green blue eyes narrowed in response to the threat she read there.
"I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish my own goals, Christian. I suggest that you keep that in mind," she answered with the slightest edge in her voice.
"I understand, dear Pheonix. I'm certain we have more important matters to discuss; so hopefully there will be no more distractions. The rest of you can put these humans some place out of the way." he ordered as he walked out of the room.
After a moment of hesitation she turned to follow him. The ninjas notice a look exchanged between Scarlett and the tall African American man in the corner of the room; there was no actual exchange between them, and the slight nod he gave her was almost imperceptible.
It was only hours before dawn when she made her way to the place Christian had designated as the holding area; Scarlett knew exactly where it was, and it had only been days ago that she was in there. Jean and Lucius were currently on duty; Alexei and Antonio would be taking over in a couple of hours, and she really did not care who was on duty. Christian was smart enough not to put her on watch down here; he did not trust her that far, and he knew that with enough time she could get the doors unlocked without the key. Christian also knew he could not stop her form coming to make sure he was keeping his word; the men would allow her some time, and it was part of the deal. She stepped up to the two guards calmly.
"How has it been?" she asked, it was all old routine for them all.
"Quiet. Haven't heard so much as a peep." Lucius answered her, his tone was very professional.
"Doesn't necessarily mean something's not happening, mon ami." Jean replied, caution in his lightly accented voice.
"He's right. Just because it's quiet, doesn't mean you should let your guard down," she remarked. This conversation was merely for the benefit of the audio and video surveillance out here in the hall. He had neglected to do so in the other rooms; something she had made a note of during her previous stay in there, and something she would take advantage of.
"Why don't you two take a walk? Nothing's going to happen while I'm here." She offered.
"Are you sure that's wise, Pheonix?" Lucius asked, uncertainly.
"I'm sure. Christian is watching us now; he knows I'm not going to try anything at this point. I'm not that reckless after all. He can't keep me from being here; so he probably wants to test me, and see if I'll keep my word." She said, glancing back at the camera. She knew very well that he was there; observing them and listening in on their conversation.
"If you're sure," Lucius said, softly.
"I am. Christian wants Moby's and my ideas on how we should begin proceeding with our mission. Once things really get underway, there probably won't be a moment's peace for any of us, so we should take whatever we can get now." She remarked casually.
"Okay, chere. We'll see you in a little while. Don't be in there too long." Jean answered as he undid the locks on the door before the two walked away.
She watched them walk until they turned the corner, then she turned towards the unlocked door with a quiet sigh. Her thoughts turning to countless possibilities that could happen now. She had to change her carefully constructed plans and make new contigency plans, and all the while she thought: 'This is a problem to say the very least; while I considered this a possibility, I had hoped it would not happen. I can handle this on my own and I prefer this to be done alone. Hector and the others can look after themselves; and capable of handling Christian on their own as well. No one else was supposed to be involved. Damn it, this is supposed to be an internal issue.'
"Why are you here? What in the hell were you thinking, coming here? You don't realize the trouble you caused or what you've done, do you?" Scarlett asked as she paced the length of the room in front of the cell, turning a small revolver in her hands.
"Other than getting caught?" Stormshadow asked sardonically. Her cornflower blue eyes snapped to him as she fidgetted with the gun. It was odd to see her fidget like that, she was usually calm.
"You've ruined several days worth of planning; hours upon hours of hard work is now useless. You don't know the kind of last minute deals I had to make just to keep you alive for the time being. And even that is only temporary." She responded, continuing to turn the gun over in her hands.
~And then?~ Snake Eyes signed. It was a question she expected; she stopped turning the gun and stared down at it for a long minute before she spoke.
"The next move belongs to Christian; until I know what he's going to do I can't do anything, and if I act too soon it likely that someone will end up dead for it. You should not have come here; you will not be leaving alive." she said softly.
"You know Christian Blair, Scarlett. What do you think he's going to do?" Jinx asked.
Scarlett turned the gun over again; pausing to check the chamber, and she glanced at them without saying anything. Her silence itself was telling.
"So Christian Blair is going to kill us and we're not leaving here alive? The odds are what, six to four? We've survived worse odds than that. It's practically nothing." Stormshadow stated.
"Normally, I'd argee; but this situation is anything but normal. I know Christian and I know everyone else here; I've taken certain precautions, but that will only last so long. You might think the odds are in your favor but they are not, you don't know what they, no, what we are capable of. I know very well, that's why I can be certain that you will not be leaving here alive." she said turning the gun yet again.
~Not without help, you mean.~
"Ian gave me this the day the White Bulls fell; the bullets it uses are armor piercing, and I used it to kill Bruno Dante. I will give this to you if you wish; I'll open the door and let you walk out. I only ask one thing in return." She spoke quietly; there was something wrong, and she held out the gun.
~What is it?~ As he signed he had the suspicion that he was not going to like her answer; something felt very wrong about this.
"When they attack, you'll take this gun and kill me. That should be enough to slow them down; it'll give them pause, and you may be able to get away." she finished calmly.
~You cannot be serious.~ he signed, staring into her dark blue eyes. Scarlett was acting as though she was talking about the weather; like she had not just told him to kill her as though it did not matter, and that was too much.
"I'm very serious; that's the only way you'll get out of here alive right now, and you'll ruin Christian's plans as a bonus." she said nonchalantly, as she stepped closer to the cell.
~Are you listening to yourself? You know I will not do that. You know I cannot.~ There was anger there now; she could read it more easily then his words, and she turned away. When she spoke again; it was low and soft.
"I am and I do know that, but my life is already forfeit anyway. Christian will never allow me to walk away from this; but there are fates far worse than death, I know that very well. If given the choice, I would rather chose death. If granted the opportunity, I would want it to be useful." Scarlett answered far too calmly.
~That's not going to happen. You said something about a deal. What is it he wants?~
"He wants a very powerful person dead. That's probably just to begin with; you overheard a fair amount about it"
"Who does he want dead? And what does it have to do with you?" Jinx asked, curiously.
"It's obvious. He wants her to do it. If anything goes wrong Scarlett takes the fall." Storm supplied.
"There will be no fall to take; if things do go wrong then I'll be dead anyway. As for who; it's not something I can tell you or anyone, and those that actually know him probably won't miss him if I suceed."
"So this person who ever he is, is a complete bastard?" Storm asked.
"No. You met the bastard just now. This man, HE is much worse. And anything involved with him is on the top of the list of fates that are worse than death." she replied; there was something else in her tone now, a mix of disgust and bitter hatred.
~There's a few things I don't understand.~
"There's a lot of things happening here that you wouldn't understand." she answered,
~Then try to explain. What is happening here?~
"I can't explain it. There is a price to pay for that knowledge, one much too expensive, and I have no wish to pay or collect it. Please don't ask me to," she said, quiet exhaustion in her voice. There was very little she had to give them in information or otherwise; the consequences would be dire for that. There was too much happening now; too much that was at stake, and no where near enough viable options.
A sharp heavy knock broke the tense silence that had settled over the room; the exhaustion she had displayed only minutes before vanished as the door opened, and the African American man from earlier stepped in. His movements were slow and cautious when he approached her; his manner was deferential, and he did not speak until she gave him her attention.
"It's time to leave." he said softly.
"Did Christian send you to get me?" She asked, there was an edge to her voice.
"Of course not. I only follow your orders. You know that, milady. However, if you stay here too long; Christian will come looking for you. I know you don't want him paying too much attention." he said,
"You're right, Moby, I don't need his attention. Not now; we need to make preparations. It will be a long day tomorrow." she said to him as she walked towards the door. He made to follow her; pausing to look at them, his gaze was assessing. A long second passed of meeting his dark gaze; then he gave a slight nod to them, and followed her out the door.
Lucius and Jean were back in the corridor when they exited the room; they exchanged slight nods of acknowledgement as they passed each other. Continuing through the halls, they soon passed Alex and Antonio on their way to relieve Lucius and Jean. Only those four were doing guard duty; Christian didn't trust her with it, and Hector could really care less about it. Besides, Christian wanted them both to help with his plans; and so they had different duties than the others. It wasn't much longer until they reached the room that she had been using.
"It's true, isn't it? What Christian suggested, you care about those people." Hector said to her,as she shut the door behind them.
"Yes; I've decided that I will do whatever is necessary to see that they make it out of here alive." she answered without hesitation.
"Even if it compromises yourself? Or costs you your life? With Christian involved, you could lose everything that you've worked for and your life. And you're willing to risk all of that for a handful of outsiders?" he asked.
"Have you ever considered the possibility that we are the outsiders, Moby? We exist in the darkness; living in the shadows, and it's difficult to live in shadow. We walk with and among Death itself, as its emissaries. This existence is full of pain and torment; nothing should have to exist like we do." she told him, sadly.
"I know it's difficult for us all. Hopefully we can all find different existences after this is over." he remarked. softly.
"I would hope so for all of you. It would be nice." she commented.
"And what of you? What will you do when this is over?"
"I'll go back to where I came from; which is exactly where I want to be, and maybe this time my past will stay in the past where it belongs. I've tried to change who I am; being here I'm caught in who I was in the past, and I don't wish to be that person anymore. I feel as though I'm being dragged down by the memories of the past. The longer I'm here the heavier it becomes." she answered.
"It will be over soon; we will all see to that, and you can have any wish you want." Hector said softly.
"Soon? Sure, I just have to wait, right?" she asked.
"Get some sleep, Shana. Tomorrow will be a long day."
"You get some sleep, Moby. I've got plans to make, a lot of plans to make." she muttered, stifling a yawn. She had not slept much here; if anyone here would have noticed that, it would be Hector. He and Ian paid too much attention sometimes; it was odd that she found it annoying from them, but not from certain other people.
"Nothing will happen; the plans can wait until morning, my lady. You need the rest or else you'll be dead on your feet in the morning, and your plans will count for nothing. Call it a request from your concerned brother." Hector stated quietly.
"Fine. I'll get some sleep. I really do wish you and the others would just call me by my name; technically we are family after all." she remarked as she ushered him out of the door.
"It must be hard not knowing what's going on. Phoenix knows, but I'm sure she hasn't told you anything, she's far too careful for that. Considering the lengths she was willing to go to; the mission she was suddenly willing to do, and I figure you must be special to her. That she was even willing to invoke a form of protection that had only existed for one other person." Christian commented. He held a piece of cloth in his hand; Antonio stood nervously at the door, and Alex had left.
"It was different with Woo; he was there at the beginning, and so that made sense. You don't. But still you're important in some way to her, and I can find some way to use that to my advantage," he continued.
He did not get a response from any of them; not that he expected any differently. Christian tossed something into the cell; a simple scrap of light colored cloth, the edges were torn and it was stained a dark red.
"That happened just last night. Two hundred and thirty seven; that's how many times I cut into her, much more then the previous nights. She has a lot of pride; not once did she cry out, but pride can be deadly itself." Christian said, smirking when he saw the man in black reaching or the cloth.
"Shall I give you the details? I hung her from the ceiling. I watched the shackles cut into her after hours, I watched her bleed; and my whip cut into her even more. Last night I turned her shirt into shreds of cloth; that's where that came from. There's just something arousing about seeing her covered in her own blood." Christian's comment made Antonio stiffen.
'Just a little further,' Christian thought as he watched the man's hand clench tightly on the bloodstained cloth. While the threat or retaliation would keep the others from voilating Phoenix's oath, he just did not care. 'It may even be interesting to see if she can actually kill me.'
tbc