Chapter Twenty-Two
Once the door closed behind them, the policemen escorted Kora down a long, white hall and into an exceptionally large room. Part of it was divided into an office, the divider being a wall of thin, tiled glass to overlook the wide working space in the center of the room.
As they passed the office and slowly went down a long ramp into the room, at the end was a large metal door to the cold room. Silas was cleaning his glasses with a thin cloth, his appearance disheveled and messy. It was strange for a man who clearly took pride in his appearance. Even more so when she noticed the bodies of five policemen sprawled everywhere on the floor. But none were close to Silas' working area.
Kora's eyes settled on the gurney and noticed someone laid covered in a white sheet. She wanted to speak but her words were caught in her throat where they sank back down.
Something was wrong and she felt fear slowly creep up on her.
Silas waved his hand at the policemen, "Leave."
They released Kora's arms and left down the hall, exiting the room.
Kora waited for an explanation, but her mind was already fearing the worse. Her eyes looked everywhere for Jacob, even above her where part of the ceiling was glass, one frame perched open to give the room some air.
That could possibly be how Jacob got in.
But where is he?
Her eyes then landed on the shrouded being on the gurney and the chill in the room froze her to an icy stance. Panic edging on her nerves as Silas stood on the other side of the gurney, adjusting his deadly tools on the second cart close to him.
"Kora, Kora, Kora." Silas began, "Where do I begin to fathom the amount of surprises you've given me today."
Kora remained silent, watching his every move.
"I suspect your wondering why I've had you escorted here." Silas's hand lingered over his medical tools, silently wondering which one to pick up. Kora recognized the scalpels, long tweezers and a wide saw. But what was unusual was the long silver knife at the end. "I need you to identify a body."
Kora kept her solemn stare as her eyes never left the shrouded being.
Silas took the edges of the shroud and pulled it off the body with one pull, waves of the thin fabric rippling as Kora's heart plummeted into her stomach. The shock in her eyes was clear as she tried to swallow back the fear her body was enveloped in.
The familiar assassin laid on the gurney, blood speckled him everywhere until her eyes noticed the darker crimson on the left side of his lower abdomen. He had been struck with something sharp as she could see the hole in his waistcoat. Jacob's nose had dried blood stained under his nostrils from a nosebleed and a small bruise was forming on his right cheek.
Her heart hammered in her chest as tears threatened to spill past her cheeks. The way he laid there, motionless and pale even in the ray of sunshine pouring over him like a spotlight was just too much for mind and heart to handle.
Kora choked back a gasp for air as she began to tremble, she leaned her hands on the gurney to keep her standing. She almost wheezed Jacob's name as her mind was begging her to touch him.
"Ah, so you do know him." Silas said as he discarded the thin sheet onto the ground. "Did I not say to keep this between us? But no, you allowed this— 'assassin' to meddle in our agreement."
Kora summoned enough strength to reply albeit with a tremble in her voice, "What did you do to him?"
Silas adjusted his glasses, "I'm afraid I don't fully trust those I make deals with. So, I had the room secured with some of my most reliable policemen. Six men against one assassin." He gave a chuckle, "It was an interesting show watching him take down man after man. But once he was fully distracted, he was not expecting me to deliver the final blow."
He paused as he watched Kora's trembling hand brush against Jacob's cheek.
"He is still alive." Silas finally answered her, "But only long enough to teach you a lesson."
Kora's green eyes tore away from Jacob to look up at Silas. As the mortician drew the silver knife from the cart beside him, he brandished it with elegance as his finger lightly tested the sharpness of the blade.
Silas moved closer to the gurney Jacob laid on. The panic in Kora rose with every movement the mortician did, his hands were meticulous and precise as he gently moved aside the flaps of Jacob's trench coat and began opening his waistcoat halfway.
"First it was Thomas. The boy was a pawn and he played his part very well. He died attempting to take your life. And now this assassin will die all because a clever Irish woman could not keep a deal to herself." He loosened the red ascot and opened Jacob's dress shirt until the assassin's chest was wide open in display.
"These are the men who will die either trying to kill you or protect you." Silas paused as Kora watched in horror, "And soon you will have no one to blame but yourself."
He aligned the point of the knife directly above Jacob's heart. Kora's own heartbeat drumming in her ears as she felt a tidal wave of panic fill her.
She pleaded desperately, "No! No, please!"
Silas gripped the blade with his hand and placed his free hand over Jacob's chest, preparing to thrust the knife.
"Don't kill him!" she pleaded louder, her arms out-stretched to grasp at Jacob, "I'll do anything you want! Kill me in his place! Anything!"
The mortician froze. Kora could see her desperation in the reflection of the blade as he slowly retracted the knife to his side. Confusion colored his expression, but intrigue filled in his grey eyes.
"Now why would I do that?" Silas questioned her.
He found his answer rather quickly as tears spilled past Kora's cheeks. She leaned into Jacob in a protective stance as she held a firm but petrified stare at the mortician.
"How ironic." Silas replied in clarity. "You're in love with a criminal and yet you seek out for a true justice. This changes nothing. If anything, you have given me more of a reason to kill him."
"He has nothing to do with what's between us!" Kora reasoned as strength returned in her voice. "He is already dying as we speak! I will not move until you kill me instead!"
Silas tsked, "Such stubbornness. But if you insist…" He walked around the gurney as Kora lifted herself from Jacob and allowed Silas to back her into the glass tiled wall.
"I was going to send you back, broken hearted and to be hanged. But you are proving to be a difficult one." He placed the blade against her cheek and very finely glided the blade down, "No matter. There are no more tricks and schemes to save you now."
Kora waited for the blade to pierce her as her eyes remained on Silas. The mortician pulled back his armed hand, full ready to plunge the blade deep into Kora's stomach.
"But I have one up my sleeve." Silas spoke in barely a whisper.
And in a sudden change of direction, the mortician turned on a dime, blade hand swung up to strike down on into Jacob as Kora's face displayed pure shock and fear at the sudden change of mind.
But the gurney was empty.
This stopped the mortician dead in his step.
His wide eyes searched the room before turning back to Kora. In midstep, he lunged back to avoid Jacob's hidden blade and Silas gripped his armored arm, inches away from Jacob's hidden blade. Jacob gritted his teeth as he applied more force into Silas, backing the mortician into the gurney. Silas threw the gauntlet arm away from his face and plunged his silver knife forward. Jacob swiftly dodged and delivered a punch that connected with Silas' face, followed by more before the mortician finally dodged and attempted to strike Jacob again. The assassin crouched to avoid a swipe of the blade and grabbed Silas' ankles, picking up the man and pushing him forward. Silas' hands were gripping the gurney and he fell over with it, causing a loud clatter of metal against polished floors.
As they fought, Kora noticed a dead policeman close by and quickly walked over to him. She pulled out his police baton and held it as she watched them tussle and fight.
The gurney was kicked away off to the side as Silas finally stabbed Jacob in the left shoulder. The assassin gave out a muffled cry and staggered away, close to the cold room. It was then Jacob used his right hand to pull out his revolver and he pointed it at the mortician.
Silas only laughed, "Go on, fire away, young man!" He pointed to wherever he thought Kora stood, "If taking out another templar is worth more then this woman living as a criminal the rest of her life. Then so be it!"
Silas held out his arms wide as an open target and Jacob stood there, his eyes reflecting conflicted emotions and he fought with himself for several seconds. But the anger in his face was plain as day, he wanted this templar dead.
He pulled back the lock and aimed the gun to perform a headshot—
A loud, hollow sound resonated the walls of the empty room as Kora, wielding a police baton smacked it against Silas' head. The contact made the mortician's head jumble as he dropped to the floor, unconscious. Kora stood there behind Silas, brandishing the baton as a lethal weapon and silence filled the room for a long second.
She stared at Jacob from across the room with a sudden sense of overwhelming relief. Jacob lowered his gun and shoved it half mindedly into his sash as he staggered over to Kora. The Irish lass dropped the baton and hurried to him where she met him in an embrace. Jacob winced in her arms as her body pressed against his wounds, but he did not stop the long-needed hug. She held him as if he would vanish in her arms any second and she did not hide the tears that continued to spill onto him.
After what seemed like forever, Kora slowly released him.
Jacob's hand brushed her face as he asked, "Are you alright?"
Kora hesitated as she was still digesting all that had happened. She shook her head as the back of her hand met her mouth. The plan was a royal mess now and she struggled to think of quick ways to cure this dilemma. But then again, Mr. White was still alive and withholding evidence. This may have played out better for them then she thought.
Her breath hitched as she wiped away tears and tried firmly to compose herself.
Jacob touched her arm as he spoke softly, "Kora, are you alright?"
"How can I be alright when this man—" she pointed at Silas on the ground, "— almost tried to pierce your heart?"
Jacob exclaimed, "How do you think I felt? When he pinned you against that wall threatening to take your life?"
The Irish lass opened her mouth but closed it just as fast as she realized they were both in past dangers and not once had they thought about how the other would feel. But now felt different. All their time together had created something between them that was so strong that they couldn't handle the thought of losing one or the other.
Jacob exhaled as he spoke quietly, "I can't promise you that our lives will never be in danger, Kora. This will not end with the court case. If you are around me, you will always have enemies."
She listened as she looked around the mess of the coroner's office. The unconscious mortician, the flipped over gurney, the mess of tools scattered everywhere and speckles and smears of blood.
He was right. If she wanted to live her life with Jacob, there would be no end to the killings, no end to constantly being stalked or preyed upon and her life would constantly bear a target. All because she fell in love with an assassin.
She took in a breath and exhaled with a soft reply, "Aye." She paused as she stepped closer to Jacob and laced her hand with his, "I knew the day you asked me to be your doctor. I knew fully well what I was signing myself up for, Jacob Frye."
As they closed the distance, the sound of several footsteps echoed through the room until a group of policemen and constable Abberline came into view. They hurried down the slow ramp and onto the scene within seconds, breaking Jacob and Kora from their moment.
"Kora. Jacob. What happened here?" Abberline asked as he approached them.
The assassin opened his mouth to speak but Kora took over, "There was a problem in our plan, but it's been sorted." She released Jacob's hand as she walked over to the groaning Mortician. She searched his two waistcoat pockets and pulled out the letter in view of the constable and the other policemen, "Mr. White was withholding evidence."
Abberline took the letter and turned to the other policemen, "Take him away to the holding cells."
Two policemen grabbed an arm each as Silas was slowly coming back to consciousness. He only gave Kora a long stare. Kora exchanged the same long stare as she watched Silas be taken away.
Abberline then turned to Jacob and Kora, "I apologize but Kora will have to return to the holding cell until the evidence is looked over. Tomorrow will be a debate on whether she will return to the asylum or the women's prison."
Kora nodded as Jacob looked at her, "Do as the law commands. I'm prepared for either one."
Abberline looked at Jacob, "You best be making your great escape. Kora will be fine here overnight."
Jacob smiled at her and planted a peck on her cheek before he started walking backwards slowly, "Good Luck, Kora."
The Irish lass only smiled as she felt her cheeks warm. Her eyes followed Jacob's every move as he scaled the wall by cracks and edges up to the open window above them. He climbed it so fast and gracefully that it was only seen for a few seconds before he vanished.
Abberline took her arm gently and escorted Kora out of the room to her own cell.
Writer's Note: Thank you for reading! As always, don't forget to leave a review! I love hearing what my readers think and it motivates me to continue. Questions and Critic are very much welcomed! xoxo