Author's Notes: ERG! I'm so sorry for the long wait. Real life can really suck sometimes. At any rate, we're nearing the final stages of the story and it will hopefully be wrapped up in a few more chapters.


The hand gripping the back of her neck is like a vise and no matter how hard she's tried to break free of it, the hold has held true. She knows that they're coming upon another net soon and as much as she hates the idea of being caught in it, if it gets her her property back and an extremely fit male in the bargain, she's willing to go through it. She can barely make out the box that generates the trip laser and she smirks to herself as thoughts of proper punishment for the insolent little bitch drift through her mind.

"There's another trap ahead," the man states.

Shocked, she tries to turn and look at him only to have his fingers tighten their hold on her causing her to gasp in pain.

"How do ya'll wanna get past it?" Audrey asks as they come to a stop not too far away from the laser, but far enough away that Abigail can't set it off. "Ah know ya'll can probably just about fly over tha thang an' Ah can easily step over it, but knowin' her, she'll probably try ta set tha damn thang off."

"That shall not be a problem," he assures the younger woman.

Before she can react, Abigail finds herself spun around and facing the man. With her equilibrium thrown off from being spun around so fast, she doesn't have a chance to even take a step for freedom. He roughly grabs her and flings her over his shoulder as if she weighs nothing more than a piece of paper. After getting over the shock of being manhandled, she starts screaming, kicking and hitting for all she's worth.

"Right noisy thang, ain't she?" Audrey muses as soon as they're both safely past the trap.

"She is quite vocal," he agrees as he sets a brisk pace. "Do you really think it was wise to have brought her along? I'm sure we could have gotten past the traps without her."

"It was that or use her fo' target practice," Audrey responds with a shrug.

"Would you really have shot her?" he inquires, barely noticing that Abigail has run out of steam again.

"If it came down ta her life or my freedom, Ah would have," Audrey tells him flatly. "Ah couldn't chance her goin' an' gettin' help. Ah can't go back ta that life an' Ah sooner put a bullet through my own brain than go through that again."

"I understand," he softly tells her as he drops Abigail back onto her feet.

"Ah thought ya would," she replies quietly as she sadly looks up at him.

Abigail attempts to make a break for it but quickly finds herself spun back around and the hand is once more painfully clinching her neck.


It seems like they've been walking for days and she hurts everywhere, especially her feet and her neck. She can feel the blisters on her feet and she wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she was bleeding at this point. However, that discomfort is nothing compared to agony of her neck being held in his vice like grip and some small part of her brain wonders how he can keep up that hold for so long.

While them ruining her designer shoes and being so disrespectful towards her is upsetting enough, the fact that they've gotten past every single trap so far has really got her fuming. She knows where the traps are, but she can't seem to figure out how they keep seeing the trips long before they get to them. They're very well hidden and the natural gloom of this place should be enough to make them impossible to see, but they still have bypassed each of the snares waiting for them.

There aren't very many traps left and they're nearly upon one now, which for some reason they haven't spotted yet. She quietly gloats as she gets ready to be hit with the net and the man holding her stops just inches short of the trip. Before she can kick her foot out and set it off, he yanks her back behind him.

"Another net?" Audrey asks as she stops next to him.

"Yes, she mustn't have be paying attention," he replies, looking down at the red haired woman. "She didn't let me know that we were getting closer until we were nearly caught. The trip is only a step away."

"What do you mean I've been letting you know?" Abigail demands, trying to turn and look at him. "I haven't said anything to you."

"While your voice has remained still, you body has spoken volumes," he purrs maliciously near her ear. "You tense every time we near a trap."

"How much farther do we need ta go?" Audrey inquires.

"The station up ahead is our exit," he tells her as he easily lifts Abigail up and steps over the trip. "Are you ready?"

"Yes an' no," Audrey responds and he does that oh so familiar head tilt. "Ah'm more than ready ta get outta here, but whatta Ah do once Ah'm back in North America? Ah have no family that Ah know of an' Ah have no money."

"While I cannot help you with your family situation, I believe I can help you with your monetary needs," he says as she carefully steps over the invisible beam of light.

"How so?" Audrey questions, looking up at him and he swings Abigail around to face her. "Whatta am Ah supposed ta do with her?"

"They are quite lovely, aren't they?" he inquires as he gently strokes a finger over the multiple strands of pearls around Abigail's neck.

"Don't you dare!" Abigail shrieks and then starts trying to kick her foot through the laser.

Before she can even blink, she's spun around, forced down onto her knees and her hands are pinned behind her back. She continues to struggle even though she can feel some of the broken bits from the crumbling walls and ceiling beneath her are cutting their way through her clothes and into her flesh. She tries to throw her weight forward in order to break his hold while she starts screaming again despite her already raw throat until a hand grabs the hair on top of her head and forces her head back, exposing her throat.

"Maddin', ain't it?" Audrey asks, getting right into the other woman's face. "Bein' helpless an' not bein' able ta fight back."

"You'll pay for this, you little bitch," Abigail hisses, trembling with rage.

"That's what Ah thought at tha beginnin'," Audrey calmly tells her as she reaches out to unfasten the necklace. "Ah remember what it was like bein' so angry an' frustrated after they caught meh, waitin' fo' tha calvary ta come an' rescue meh an' then those miserable bastards would get their just desserts. But they didn't come an' Ah was left feelin' helpless an' alone. The day they stuffed meh in a box an' shipped meh ta another country was tha day all hope died in my life. Be glad that ya'll will never have ta go through that, unlike meh or any o' tha other human bein's lives ya'll helped ruin."

By the time Audrey's done talking, her hands are filled to over flowing with multiple strands of pearls and the sizable diamond and pearl earrings. V lets go of Abigail's hair and then brings her arms around the front of her body while Audrey sets down the precious bundle in her hands. Abigail starts to fight again, but it's like fighting against a brick wall.

When she sees Audrey going for the jewels on her hands, she balls her hands into fists and glares at the other woman. Non-plussed, Audrey simply removes the bracelets around the woman's wrists while V exerts enough pressure to cut off the blood supply to the woman's hands. Despite her struggles to break his hold on her arms, her fingers soon go numb and the rings are easily slipped off of her nerveless hands.

"That's my wedding ring!" Abigail shrieks while Audrey starts to carefully store the jewelery in her bag. "And the earrings were an anniversary present."

"Whadda ya need 'em fo'?" Audrey asks, not bothering to look at the other woman as she continues putting the items away. "Ya're not married any more an' it's not like ya'll were tha poster child o' fidelity anyways. O' course, neither was ya'll's precious husband from what Ah understand."

"You little bitch," Abigail snarls as she's roughly dragged to her feet.

"Flattery'll get ya nowhere," Audrey replies while she closes her bag, slings it back over her shoulder and then looks over at V. "Ah'm ready."

"Good," he replies with a nod before turning his attention to Abigail. "Are there any more traps between here and the station?"

"Like I'm going to tell you," Abigail sneers and then gasps in shock as his hand suddenly grabs her throat.

"I have noticed that there is always a trap before and a trap after a station," he purrs dangerously as his fingers tighten around her neck and she starts trying to struggle out of his grip. "The next station is only a hundred yards away, so there are no more between here and there. Am I right?"

"Yes," she whispers, barely able to get that out because of her constricted air passage.

"Then you have out lived your usefulness now haven't you?" he asks pleasantly and Abigail's eyes get very large as she finally realizes how much danger she's in.

With a movement that looks like he's just pushing a free swinging door open, V shoves Abigail back towards the snare. Unable to stop her backwards motion, she pinwheels her arms and shrieks loudly as she stumbles towards the laser trip wire. V casually reaches out, takes a hold of Audrey's arm and steps a few paces back to make sure they're out of range of the net as it hits the ground. Abigail's screams of pain are short lived and the echoes quickly fade away as she passes out from the electric shock. Audrey stares at the scene in front of her in stunned silence with her heart pounding against her ribs, to flabbergasted to string two words together at that moment.

"Have ya'll gone plum loco, V?" she demands as soon as she's over the shock, turning on him in anger. "Now her men'll know we're here!"

"Correction," he replies, sounding rather amused. "They know where we used to be."

Before she can draw a breath to ask him what he's talking about, he swings her up into his arms and starts to run back the way they came, easily clearing the net when he reaches it. Know that there's no point in fighting him, she holds onto him as best she can as he dashes through the dark tunnel. A short time later, he slows to a stop and she looks around at the new location, yet another abandoned train station.

"Where are we?" she asks while he sets her back down on her feet.

"West India Quay," he answers as he makes his way over to the platform. "Abigail's men will find her at Canary Wharf, a rather unsavory part of town filled with all manner of ruffians."

"So, what was tha point o' leavin' her there while we back tracked ta here?" she questions while he easily climbs up onto the raised area and then leans down for her hand.

"To send her and her men on a wild goose chase," he replies, easily hauling her up to his level. "By the time they realize that we're nowhere around there, you'll be safely on your way and I'll be back in the Shadow Gallery enjoying a nice cup of tea."

"Ya sound right sure o' yaself, don't ya?" she chuckles as they start to head for the stairs.

"I suppose I do," he responds with a rare smile. "We are coming close to the surface now. It is time to become mute once more."

She nods her understanding and they continue the rest of the way in silence. They slip through a side door that leads to an alley that's darkened by tall buildings, an over cast sky and a rapidly sinking sun. They have only minor difficulties getting past the barricaded door because of her guitar case, but as soon as they're clear, they head over to a dark alcove where a large wooden box waits for them.

She stops and stares at it, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. A part of her is thrilled to be finally getting out of there but a more primal part of her is scared to death to be leaving in almost the same exact way she was shipped there. He waits patiently for her to steel her nerves and step up to the crate he made himself.

Once she's ready, he helps her into the padded box and then assists her in arranging herself and her belongings in as comfortably as possible. As soon as she's in, he retrieves the lid to the crate and a hammer from a nearby hiding place. When he returns, he sees her watching for him with worried eyes and he tries to give her a reassuring smile, though it comes out more as a grimace with all of the latex on his face.

"Now remember, if you need to get out, a solid kick will knock out the boards at the end," he quietly reminds her and she nods her understanding. "I wish you safe journey, Audrey, and good luck with your new life."

She gives him a small smile as she waves goodbye to him. Before he can move the lid in place, she places her finger tips on her chin before dropping her hand down, palm up and mouthing 'thank you' to him.

"You are most welcome," he replies as he lifts the cover in place.

In short order the nails are hammered into place and he tosses the hammer off to the side, it's usefulness gone. He carefully checks over the box over to make sure that the spaces between the planks are unobstructed thus letting air in. Once he's satisfied that there's air getting in, he grabs a hold of the handles and lifts the crate up without so much as a grunt.

He carries his burden off into the night, knowing that soon, she won't be the only one who he will be setting free.


V watches as the ship carrying a special crate slips out of sight and into the night. A good deal of money was slipped to just the right people to insure that Audrey's box was placed in an area with good air circulation and nothing placed on top of it. With a nod of a job well done, he turns and makes his way back home.

On the way back to the tunnels, he notices off in the distance, Abigail Percy, looking much the worse for wear, yelling at the men she's hired to capture Audrey. He allows a self satisfied smirk to creep across his lips, knowing that Audrey is safely out of reach and turns to head back home. Abigail's voice reaches a higher octave and goes up a few decibels causing V to look back over his shoulder at the woman.

He chuckles to himself as the hired hands walk off, some of them throwing a few choice insults at the woman for wasting their time. She stands there, alone on the docks with a stunned look on her face at the retreating backs for several moments. Once she's over the shock, she stomps her foot like a petulant child and the goes storming off in the opposite direction as the men.

He watches for a few seconds more and then proceeds towards the tunnels and eventually home.


A few hours later, V shuts the door to the Shadow Gallery, content with the knowledge that all of the nets between his home and the docks have been dismantled. He mentally makes a check list of things he'll need to find any more of the snares, deactivate them and then bring back any useful parts that he might salvage out of them. He walks into the center of his home, lost in thought for a moment and then he stops.

He stands perfectly still, barely breathing and listening to the absolute silence that now reigns supreme in the Gallery once more. There are no grunts coming from the workout room as she pummels the punching bag, there are no sounds of dinner being made coming from the kitchen and no sound of a computer mouse being clicked or a keyboard clacking away coming from the art storage room. But most notably of all, there is no music.

She's not humming to herself as she does the dishes or quietly singing as she bakes something delectable or strumming her guitar in a rare moment of her sitting still long enough to pick the instrument up. The silence is nearly deafening as it fills up every nook and cranny and he finds it almost overwhelming. With a few long strides he is standing next to the jukebox and randomly pressing buttons.

"There are no coincidences, only the illusion of it," he chuckles when he recognizes the first few notes of a guitar playing.

With a smile firmly planted on his lips, he heads towards the dressing room as the male duo start to sing.

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence...


"Morning, Dom," Chief Inspector Finch greets as he enters the office.

"Morning, Chief," Dominic replies while he picks up a folder off of his desk and holds it out to his boss. "The coroner sent this up a little while ago."

"What is it?" Finch asks as he shrugs out of his coat.

"It seems a Jane Doe was brought in yesterday," Dominic tells him, handing the folder over to his superior. "She was found down near the docks, robbed, raped, beaten and then stabbed to death."

"So, who was it?" Finch inquires as he opens up the item in his hands.

"Abigail Percy," Dominic answers and Finch stares at him in shock.

"I thought she was in jail," Finch states forcefully when he recovers as he drops down into his seat.

"Got out on bail a couple of weeks ago," Dominic responds as he leans back in his chair. "Seems her lawyer was able to sweet talk the judge into lowering the bail."

"Bribe is more like it," Finch growls, looking down at the file in front of him.

Finch shakes his head as he starts to go through the file, even carefully examining the grizzly pictures taken of the crime scene and the corpse while Dominic goes back to reading another report. He's a little puzzled by the bruises on Abigail's neck and reads a bit further into the report.

"This is curious," Finch says, drawing Dominic's attention back to him.

"What is?" Dominic asks.

"The bruises on her neck," Finch replies, handing a picture taken by the coroner over to Dominic. "According to Delia the bruising was caused by someone gripping the back of her neck very tightly for at least an hour and it was done a couple of hours before she was beaten to a pulp."

"So what was she doing down at the docks?" Dominic muses after perusing the photo for a few moments.

"I'm not sure," Finch replies as he brings up the report written up by the investigating policeman. "Perhaps she was looking for something."

"Like a missing piece of...'property'?" Dominic suggests.

"Could be," Finch agrees with a nod.

"Guess Audrey wasn't joking when she said that The Man would kill to protect her," Dominic implies.

"Maybe, maybe not," Finch responds. "The report says that they can't get a consistent DNA sample of the rapist indicating that there was more than one. The Man may be a killer, but I don't think he raped her or beat her."

"Then who did?" Dominic questions.

"Probably some thugs," Finch answers with a shrug. "We'll probably never know what really happened."

"Think Audrey got away?" Dominic inquires several silent seconds later.

"I hope so, Dom, I certainly hope so," Finch answers, wishing with every inch of his being that it's true.


Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence.