Lady Paige found the experience of being inside the shadow for a prolonged period fascinating. They passed within inches of people and they had no clue they were even passing by them. She also saw just how many people seemed to move through the streets of Lancaster in the shadow. She looked at Walter as they continued back to the hotel. "Are there always so many people moving about in the shadow?"
Walter smiled as he nodded. "In a city this size you can expect to find one person in the shadow for about every fourteen walking the street. When we get closer to the hotel I am sure that will go up. Official thieves such as the Elite force will be all over the area examining everything they can to try and figure out what happened and if there are any other threats."
Paige slowly nodded as they followed along behind the young lady of the Elite force accompanying them. "Do you think there are more explosives?"
Walter shook his head. "Tim barely had the coin to buy the one explosive."
"I can confirm that, just before Agger joined his ancestors he confirmed that Tim only paid him for one explosive pack." Ray told them as he moved along behind them.
Lady Paige looked back at him. "Thank you for tracking him down Ray."
Ray smiled. "You are most welcome my Lady. It was very personal. I might have caused Walter some problems during our years together but, I'm not about to let something like that slide."
The young lady ahead of them pointed towards a side street. "Allie wants us over there."
Paige looked over and nodded to Walter. "Let's go see what she wants."
Allie smiled as they crossed the street and she moved back into the side street with Cabe until they came to some bushes. Allie pointed behind the bushes before she slipped back behind the bushes with Cabe.
Lady Paige along with Walter and Ray slipped back behind them as well. They saw a tool shed. Allie and Cabe slipped out of the shadow and Walter brought Paige out of the shadow with him and then Ray slipped out. Allie grabbed the knob and twisted it and the door opened. A member of the Elite force was inside and she smiled before she moved down a series of steps. Walter took Paige's hand and they began going down the steps followed by Ray and then Cabe and Allie followed after closing and locking the door.
They came to a series of passages. "Where are we?" Lady Paige asked looking about.
Ray smiled. "Is this one of the Elite force's quick routes?"
Allie shook her head as she joined up. "It's a special passage for moving dignitaries around the city if something has gone wrong in the city."
Ray looked at her. "It's the same thing."
Allie rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't be good to bring you out of the shadow in the open my Lady. Walter, Ray and Cabe could exit out of it without any issue but it would cause a very big spectacle to have you suddenly appear like that. Lord Beyon would not be happy if we did that."
Lady Paige nodded. "Very well, where do we go now?"
Allie looked at her sister. "Lead the way to the Sapphire hotel."
She nodded and began walking down one of the passages. They were in the passages for about ten minutes before they came to a door and the door was quickly pulled open and Walter stepped on in with Paige. Ray followed and then Cabe came in with Allie.
Lady Paige took a bag off her belt and opened it before she slid that two handed hammer down inside of it. She tied it off and affixed it back on her belt.
Allie moved around them. "This is the basement of the Sapphire my Lady. We go up over this way." She led them over to a stairway and then climbed the stairway and came up to a door that was quickly pushed open and they stepped out into the lobby of the hotel.
As they moved out into the lobby Ralph saw them from the table he sat at. "Mom! Dad!" Ralph exclaimed as he jumped up and ran through the dinning room and jumped into his Mom's arms. Paige pulled him up and hugged him tightly as Walter turned and wrapped his arms around them both and they just stood there for a moment hugging.
Lord Beyon pushed back from the table and stood and then stepped out to close the distance. "My Lady Paige, I'm grateful to the wise Lady for saving you and your family from an untimely death."
Lady Paige smiled as they broke their family hug. "As are we Lord Beyon."
"When I received the report of the explosion here we came right away. But obviously I was too late to ensure you were okay. I was just getting to know Sir Sylvester, your Blacksmith and Doctor while dining with them and your son." Lord Beyon extended his arm out towards the dinning room.
Lady Paige nodded as she turned with her family and moved down to meet with Happy and Toby and Lady Juniper.
They all sat down and their server came running over with five menus for the new arrivals.
Lady Juniper smiled. "I've ordered all of your remaining things transported to the castle along with all the belongings of your company. You will stay with us for the rest of your stay. And Lord Beyon and I have spoke at great length. From now on we want you to always come to the castle to stay. Regardless to the reason why you have come to the city, we want you there."
Lady Paige smiled as she nodded her head. "Thank you my Lord and Lady. That is very kind of you."
Happy cleared her throat. "Yes, well, speaking about your remaining things Walter. I only mention this because I know how valuable it was but I'm sorry to tell you that your telescope was destroyed in the blast. Apparently the explosive was placed in your backpack with it according to the investigator."
Walter looked at her and nodded. "Thank you Happy. I'm not surprised it was destroyed, I saw where the explosive was placed."
Lord Beyon frowned. "You knew where it was placed and yet you didn't choose to alert anyone?"
Walter shook his head. "There wasn't time my Lord. I only had seconds to act when I saw where it was and I pulled my wife to the floor and covered her with my body to protect her."
Happy looked at Walter frowning. "What do you mean you saw where it was?"
Walter smiled as he reached out to demonstrate his ability. He picked up Ralph's spoon that was sitting in his soup and they all stared as they saw his eyes change and they turned golden brown. "I'm able sense psychic impressions left behind on things. I was reading the blood of the maid that was on the carpet when I saw what happened." Walter frowned as he reached over and grabbed Ralph's soup and moved it away from him. He grabbed Ralph's head as he refocused his power. "Ralph's been poisoned."
Paige's eyes went wide. "He's what?"
Walter looked down at Ralph. "Look into my eyes son."
Ralph looked up into his eyes a bit nervous at Walter's pronouncement.
Walter growled as he spun in his chair and charged back and slammed into the door to the kitchen and it splinted and fell apart all around him even as he continued moving forward. "YOU!" Walter yelled at a bus boy that was moving towards the back exit of the kitchen.
The man looked over his shoulder and saw Walter charging towards him. He took off running after he grabbed a server and threw her down and hit the back door and fled out it.
Walter leapt over the woman and flew out of the door after him.
Lord Beyon was hot on his heels as was Ray and they both flew out the door just in time to see Walter disappear into the shadow. Lord Beyon slid to a stop as Ray charged past him and slipped into the shadow. Allie leapt over Lord Beyon even as she slipped into the shadow after them.
Toby had jumped up and moved over to Ralph even as Paige was trying to examine him for any marks. Toby pointed at the soup bowl and spoon. "Don't let anything happen to those. The poison might be in or on them. We could really use a white Witch right now."
A member of the Elite force stepped out of the shadow. "I'll go summon one." She ran out of the dinning room and out the front door.
"I'm not seeing any marks on him Toby." Paige said with a bit of fear in her voice.
"It must have been ingested because I'm not either my Lady. But whatever it is appears to be slow acting. No sweating, no chills, his heart rate and respiration are a little elevated but that is normal for the situation." Toby told her as he continued to evaluate Ralph.
Walter was running fast after the man and gaining slowly on him. As he ran past check points where the Elite force maintained surveillance in the city, those members abandoned their posts and ran after him. Walter saw the man turn and run into the alley that went to the Black Rose. Another man in the shadow stepped out of the alley and stood there beating his left hand with the blackjack he had in his right while grinning at Walter.
Walter didn't even try to stop. The man's eyes went wide as he continued charging at him. At the last second Walter twisted his waist and leaned in and his shoulder slammed into the man's sternum and he went flying out of the shadow clutching his chest as Walter ran on into the alley. He saw the man running for the stairs to the Black Rose and Walter snagged a dagger from his belt and threw it.
Just before the man made it down the stairs the dagger drove down deep into his right shoulder. And he screamed and lost his balance as he ran into the stairwell wall.
Walter leapt up and came down in the center of the stairwell and landed on top of the man trying to get back up. Walter rolled into the Black Rose and sprang up to land on his feet.
Steph was standing there glaring at him along with eight of her body guards. "Get him." She yelled.
The bodyguards began moving forward and suddenly one of them dropped to the floor. Steph looked around and then another fell to the floor and then another. "Shit, Elite forces." Steph yelled just before a red boot came out of the shadow and slammed into her open mouth and Steph screamed as several teeth were instantly broken even as she flew backwards and crashed into the bar. The five remaining men slipped into the shadow, trying to escape, and just as quickly were driven back out of the shadow as Allie, Ray and three other Elite force sisters stepped out of the shadow.
Walter ran over and grabbed Steph by her neck and yanked her up and slammed her on her back onto what was left of the bar. Ray and Allie along with her sisters all stood there as they listened to Steph as she made strangling noises as Walter's hand tightened evermore around her throat. Her feet began kicking on the top of the bar as her hands tried in vain to break the grip his hand had on her throat.
Walter could feel her heart beat, which at first had been ramped up and forcefully beating, growing weaker. Walter glared down into her eyes, her eyes pleading with him for mercy as her face continued to change colors. Slowly her kicking and her trying to claw at Walter's hands decreased. Steph was seconds away from death as she passed out first. Walter was about to release his grip to let the Elite force take her to Lord Beyon's dungeon when Bernie stood up from the other side of the bar with his thunder stick in his hands moving it to point at Walter.
Walter's eyes went wide even as his body reacted yanking Steph up as a shield as the thunder stick exploded and Steph's body was pierced by the projectile from the thunder stick.
Ray leapt up and as he landed on the bar his leg swept out knocking Bernie's arm away from pointing at Walter. Ray's motion continued as he turned a complete circle as his knees bent until he was sitting on the bar and his fist flashed out and his knuckles struck Bernie's jaw.
As Bernie's head whipped to the side from the impact, Ray's hand followed along and he grabbed one of the liquor bottles off the shelf behind the bar and he drew back and smashed the bottle down on Bernie's head.
Walter moved Steph over to a table quickly and laid her on her stomach as he began examining her back where the projectile had struck. He looked at Ray as he shouted. "Whiskey!"
Ray grabbed the first bottle he saw and tossed it over to Walter. Walter grabbed it and pulled the cork out and poured the whiskey into the wound and then forced his thumb and index finger into the wound. He touched the metallic end of the projectile and he dug his nails into the soft lead composite and pulled back and slowly it was sliding up as he pulled his hand up.
Allie put her fingers to Steph's neck and felt for a pulse. She looked at Walter. "She doesn't have much time Walter."
Walter nodded even as sweat began running down his face and finally the projectile came up enough he was able to get a better grip with his thumb and finger and he pulled it on out. Walter swung his lute around and began playing and singing. At first it looked like he was too late as nothing seemed to be happening. And then slowly they saw her skin beginning to close and Walter said a silent prayer to the wise Lady in gratitude. Steph might have pissed him off, but still, he'd rather she have to face Lord Beyon's judgment than to die a simple death.
Ray and one of the Elite sisters wrestled Bernie into cuffs as the other sisters rounded up all the others and secured them as well. It wasn't long before they heard a horse and wagon coming down the alley.
Allie looked at Walter as he continued to play. "I hope your compassion doesn't lead to your downfall."
Walter smiled as he continued to play. "I wouldn't want to deprive Lord Beyon his right to sit in judgment."
Allie smiled. "Well it is about time we brought this place down. Though I suppose someone under Steph will come along and continue it."
Walter stopped playing. "It is possible. But, I want the one who actually poisoned my son to return to the hotel with us. I plan on giving him to my wife as a present. Lord Beyon will just have to look the other way on that count."
Greetings! Hoping this finds you all well!
Railman - hehe Yep, don't mess with a MamaBear! I agree, we could do with Allie and her sisters running around here making examples out of people endangering others.
Franxine - lol And here you got to wait an worry about poor Ralph!
Susan - Yep, Walter is still kicking! Though he seems a bit hellbent on snapping people's necks, I think I need to have a talk with him about. lol Yes, good bye Tim! lol
Lucy - I feel a little bad for poor Tim. He's been a villain in 2 of my stories and killed and only a good guy in 1. Maybe I need to write a story for him? lol
Marie - Thank you!
Margaret - Good question, will we see anything from Tim's dad?
To the Adventure! -Tim