"Uncertainty"



Renee was sitting at the computer when the door opened. Dakota walked in, followed by her boyfriend, Jason McBride. He towered above the two girls with a smile on his face. His red hair was cut short, but was still long enough to appear messed up.

"Hello, Renee," he greeted her.

"Hey, Jason. Have a nice trip?"

"It was all right. Dakota told me you met a guy." There was an amused light in his eyes.

"That little . . . " The statement ended in a growl.

Both Dakota and Jason laughed. He put his suitcase beside the couch, then flopped onto it. "We were planning on going to dinner tonight," Dakota told her. "Would you like to come?"

"I don't want to tag along with the two of you."

"Why don't you see if Gabriel would like to come?"

"I don't even know him! I can't just ask him to dinner."

"Stop using that argument. You said he asked you out after the first time you met."

"Kota, will you please stop trying to push us together."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," Renee replied with a laugh at their old joke.

"Yeah, you're right. Fine, if you won't ask him, I'm all right with it. I'll just do it myself."

"Don't, Dakota."

Dakota knew Renee was serious when she didn't use the shortened form of her name. "Why not?"

"I'm not ready for this. I don't know if I can trust him. And anyway, I have to work on this story."

"I'm not saying you should run out and marry the guy tomorrow. Just see if he's free for dinner tonight. And stop making excuses. The story can wait 'til tomorrow."

"Fine. I'll call him if it'll get you to lay off." She picked up the phone then realized she didn't know what his phone number was. "I can't call him. He never gave me his number."

"That's why there's a phone book, Renee."

She flipped to the "B" section and found his name. After dialing the number, she almost hung up but her friend stopped her. He answered after the third ring, and she said, "Hello."

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Think we've gotten the greetings over with. Now how about an introduction."

She giggled nervously then said, "Sorry. This is Renee."

"Didn't recognize your voice on the phone," he apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Most people don't."

She wasn't sure how to ask him to dinner, so neither of them spoke for a minute. Finally his voice broke through the silence. "Why did you call?"

"Uh, well, Dakota was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with us tonight."

Gabriel was shocked. He hadn't thought this chance would come for quite some time. He jumped at it. "Of course. What time?"

Renee looked at Dakota and asked. She looked at her watch and said, "About six o'clock."

Renee repeated this to Gabriel and told him, "We'll pick you up then."

"Great. I'll be ready."

That evening they were seated in a nice, but inexpensive restaurant. After they ordered, Gabriel tried to start a conversation with Renee, but she couldn't keep it going. She was nervous, and whenever that happened, she could hardly say one word.

He was getting frustrated, but wasn't planning on giving up anytime soon. He was determined to break through her wall. Trying to find out what her interests were, he asked, "What are you doing in the city?"

"Going to school."

"Where?"

"Paragon Writing Institute."

"What are you doing there?"

"Hm. Building a car," she said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Didn't know that's what you did at a writing institute," he said with mock wonder. "Thanks for increasing my knowledge."

She laughed, and he grinned at her. Their dinner arrived, and while they ate, they found out more about each other. As Renee talked, Gabriel began to learn why she acted the way she did toward him. She felt that no one ever stuck around for long. So, she figured if she got close to anyone, she would just end up getting hurt.

"My parents got divorced when I was young. Only saw my dad every other weekend and for holidays. Then, he decided we didn't have to come down as often. Thought me and my sister would have better things to do. She was happy. I wasn't. Felt like he didn't care anymore."

Gabriel felt sorry for her. When he told her that, she said, "Please don't. I'm not telling you to get your sympathy. In fact, I don't even know why I'm telling you."

When they left the restaurant, Gabriel asked Renee, "Would it be okay if I called you sometime?"

"Sure, if you don't mind talking to a wall."

Dakota laughed. "She's not lying, Gabriel. She doesn't talk much."

They dropped him off at his apartment, then headed back to theirs. Renee sat at the computer and typed her assignment for the class on Monday as the words came into her head.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"How's the arm, Jake?" Sara asked the rookie when he walked into the office.

"Healing," Jake McCartey's arm was still in a sling after being shot during a drug bust with a corrupt cop.

"Yeah, well, Dean is gonna get what he deserves for this."

They looked up when their partner, Danny Woo, walked in. "We have a new case," he told them.

"What is it this time, Wise Asian Master?" Sara joked with him.

"Guess you'll find out at the scene."

Danny and Jake drove to the crime scene in the car while Sara followed on her motorcycle. When they arrived at a church, a coroner approached Sara and filled her in, "Victim's name is Simon Peter. Late twenties, reddish-blonde hair, blue eyes. Old man found him early this morning. Took four bullets to the heart, top, bottom, left, and right sides. First shot probably killed him. The rest were just for show."

Sara lifted the sheet from the dead body. Rigor Mortis had set in before his eyes could be closed. Sea-blue eyes stared up at her with a terrified look in them. She couldn't stand to see that look and put her hand over them. As soon as she did this, she was assaulted by a Witchblade vision. A you man was leaving the church. Three men jumped him in the alley. Two of them held him while the other put four bullets in his heart.

She was pulled from these visions when Jake tapped her shoulder. "Pez, are you all right?"

"Never have been," she replied as she dropped the sheet over the body again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I thought we were going to the library," Renee said to Dakota as they walked down the street.

"We are."

"Then why'd we just pass the street it's on?"

"Decided to take a detour."

Renee didn't buy it. "There's no reason to take a detour. This'll just make it take longer to get there. Detour's are supposed to be shortcuts."

"We just have to see something before we go there."

Renee shook her head. She didn't believe her. She knew her friend was up to something, just not what it was. They hadn't walked much father when Renee thought she saw something move in the shadows of an alley. "I think someone's watching us."

Dakota sighed in disgust. "You're being paranoid, Renee. I think after three years you wouldn't still feel that way."

"I mean it. I think I saw someone lurking in that alley."

Dakota started to argue with her, then her mouth clamped shut, and her face went white. Renee spun around and saw what had made her friend freeze. A tall man dressed all in black was walking toward them. His long, black, curly hair hung loose to his shoulders. If he hadn't scared her by just appearing like that, Renee might have thought he was good looking. She started to back away, but Dakota was frozen. He grabbed Dakota's hands in his gloved ones and said, "It has been a long time since I have seen you, Darvi."

She was surprised to hear her older sister's name, though not surprised to be mistaken for her. Everyone seemed to make that mistake.

"I-I'm sorry, sir," she told him, still startled. "You have the wrong person. Darvi is my sister."

"Forgive me my mistake. You resemble her immensely."

To Dakota, it sounded as if he was paying her a compliment. "Thank you."

He turned to leave, but she called out and stopped him. "Excuse me, sir."

He turned his hazel eyes on her and waited for her to continue.

"What's you name?"

"Ian. Ian Nottingham."

She nodded her head. "Darvi told me about you. You work for Kenneth Irons."

"I did." He looked away, then back again. "And you, sweet lady. What is your name?"

"Dakota. If you know my sister, you know3 my ast name."

He smiled at her. "Dakota Rose. As beautiful as your sister." He turned again and had disappeared into the shadows before she could stop him this time.

"Okay. That was weird," Renee said, finally able to speak again. "Who was that?"

"Someone my sister met a few years ago when she was working here," Dakota replied, but she still looked like she was in a dream land. She shook her head and said, "Let's get going."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The old priest's white hair was trimmed neatly around his ears and the base of his skull. He had bright, sharp, blue eyes that showed his intelligence. There was no reason for him to doubt why the three detectives who sat in front of him were there. He decided to play with them anyway. "What can I help you with, detectives?"

Sara could see through his act of ignorance, but decided to sit back and see how this show unfolded. The priest noticed the bracelet on her wrist when she sat in the chair. Danny took a picture out of his pocket and handed it to him. "He studied under you."

"Yes. Simon Peter."

"He was killed last night."

"I hear. It was truly a pity. He was a bright young man. And strong in his convictions."

"So you know who would've wanted to kill him?" Jake asked.

"No one, detective. Everyone seemed to like young Simon. He was friendly, but like I told you, strong in his convictions."

"Is that why he was killed?" Danny asked, wondering why Sara hadn't spoken since they had showed the priest their badges.

"How am I to know? I'm not the one who killed him. But no one likes to think their beliefs are wrong. Someone may have taken exception to his way of thinking."

"And what was his way of thinking?" Sara finally asked.

'I told you. He was stro-."

"Yeah, yeah. He was 'strong in his convictions.'" She interrupted. "But what were his convictions?"

"He didn't always see things the same way as the Church. Some of his fellow clergymen, even me at times I admit, took objection to this. He, however, didn't give in to us. Any other questions, detectives?"

"No, that's all for now," Danny told him. "If we have any more, we'll get a hold of you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Why do you keep on tricking me into coming here?" Renee whined when she saw Gabriel's building in front of them.

"Because it's good for you."

Renee scowled at her, but it was only a mask. She actually was excited to see him, but she didn't want her friend to know. If she did, she would never give up until she got the two of them together. She followed her to the door but looked at the floor until Gabriel answered Dakota's knock.

"We can leave if you're busy," Renee said before he could even greet them.

He smiled at the sight of them. "Come in. I wasn't expecting you. Sara's supposed to be coming over after work, but my day's open until then. Glad for the company."

They walked inside, and Renee once again marveled at this collection of oddities. There were skulls, artifacts from numerous cultures, a sword, and many things she couldn't place. She felt drawn to a velvet-lines box. There was a coil of what appeared to be dark brown horsehair. As she reached over to touch it, Gabriel came up behind her. "Custer's."

"Huh?" she asked unintelligently, not making sense of the one word.

"Well, his horse's actually."

Renee was still giving him a blank stare, but at the mention of a horse, her eyes lit up.

"Those are hairs from the tail of Colonel George Armstrong Custer's horse."

Renee looked amazed, and they both heard Dakota start to laugh. "Gabriel, you never should have told her that. There's only three things she's fascinated by, at least when it comes to history: Celtic history, the Civil War, and the Old West. Now, I'll never be able to drag her away from here."

Renee just rolled her eyes at her friend. "What else do you have here?"

He spent the next hour showing her around the shop, explaining every piece he owned. Dakota sat at the computer, watching them. She could see her friend was enjoying herself. She stood to leave unnoticed, then remembered something she wanted to ask him.

"Gabriel?" She ventured.

He looked up from a skull he was telling a story about. "What?"

"Sorry to interrupt the two of you, but I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?' He questioned, walking around a display case.

"I was wondering if you knew someone."

"Lots of them," he replied with a laugh. "Hard to do business otherwise."

"Well, a particular someone. Ian Nottingham. Tall, long black hair, works for Kenneth Irons."

"I know Irons is missing."

"Yeah. I read that in the paper. But what about Nottingham?"

"Don't know him. Sara might though. I think she had some dealings with Irons during a previous case." He didn't tell them everything he knew about Kenneth Irons. "I'll ask her for you later."

"Thanks." Turning to Renee, she said. "I'm gonna go home now. Are you coming with me, or will I see you later?"

Renee glanced at Gabriel, then made up her mind. "I'll see you later."

Dakota smiled, then nodded farewell and left. Gabriel smiled at Renee and asked, "So, what should w do now?"

"Show me everything else here," she told him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The old, white-haired priest stood in front of a group of hard-bitten and rough edged men. If they only had the hats, boots, and strapped on six-guns, they would look like they had just stepped out of a western. The leader of the five men stood to face the elderly man. "You wanted to see us," he sated.

"Yes, we have a problem as you know. We knew it would be difficult to obtain our goal, but not how much so. The Church had one of its own opposing it, but thanks to you, that problem was handled. Now we face our next hurdle; the wielder herself. We knew she was a cop, just not who. Now we know. Her name is Sara Pezzeni. You will get Digitablum Magae from her. It belongs to the Church, and we will have it.

The five men seemed bored by his speech. They didn't really care about the reason behind the job, as long as they were being paid.

"We'll get it," the leader told him. The five of them stood and left through the alley door where the young priest, Simon Peter, had been killed.

The priest nodded approvingly at the men, then left through the front door.