Revelations and Repercussions
Part Two
Written by Donald E. Fleming II
Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II
Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff and also are being used without their permission. The character of Don Michael Taylor is my creation. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.
Previously…"You two are certainly making things easy for me," he said with a smile. "I would be foolish to pass up an opportunity like this." He turned his attention to the computer and began to set his plans into motion.
"They won't even see it coming," Thailog said, laughing.
Just how am I going to explain this to her, Demona wondered. Am I going to have to fess up and tell her I'm a gargoyle? She didn't want to. Dragon knows I care for her, she thought. But did she trust Andrea enough to reveal her most guarded secret to the young artist? I may have to eventually.
Don and Dominique stopped outside Andrea's apartment. Don could tell Dominique was worried. No one had seen the artist since she got back from Los Angeles, but that was a week ago. And he hadn't been able to turn up anything on his own. Something was up, he thought. He rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang it again and still there was no answer.
Dominique knocked on the door. "Andrea?" she said. "It's Dominique. Are you home?"
Don pushed the door open and went inside. When Dominique followed him in, her eyes went wide in shock when she saw the apartment.
The place was a shambles, and there were clear signs of a struggle.
Don quickly pulled out his cell phone and called the police.
"I don't like this," Elisa said when they were out of earshot.
"What?" Goliath asked.
"One abduction already," Elisa said. "And apparently another one on top of it. And both involving friends of gargoyles. This stinks big time, Goliath."
"You believe there is a pattern to the abductions," Goliath said.
"You know it," she said. "But what I can't figure out is why these two? Why would someone want to target Demona and Delilah first?" Then her eyes went wide as she realized the connection. "Unless…"
"Thailog," Goliath said. "We had better warn the rest of the clan."
Andrea's eyes went wide as her friend's body turned blue and contorted before her, the feet bursting through the shoes and lengthening and a long sinuous tail snaked out from beneath the skirt. Then a pair of wings burst out through the back of the jacket. Dominique gave a cry that was somewhere between a shriek and a sob as she collapsed to the floor, panting as the transformation ended.
"I…I don't understand," Andrea said after the shock passed. "I thought…you said…"
Demona raised her head, looking at the artist through tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Andrea," she sobbed. She saw the expression on her friend's face but couldn't tell if it was surprise, shock or outright fear. "I'm sorry." She retreated to a corner of the cell and curled up in a ball, crying as she felt her world shatter around her.
"I've made some mistakes in my life, Andrea. Goliath was one of them. Not telling you the truth was another. I'd like a chance to try to make up for that one at least."
"Of course, Dominique," she said. "I just hope…"
"Now isn't this a tender moment," they heard a new voice say. They looked towards the cell door and Demona gasped as she caught sight of their captor.
"Thailog!" Demona said.
"Hello, my dear," the clone said. "It's so good to see you again."
Revelations and Repercussions Part One
Revelations and Repercussions Part Two
October 27, 1999
Manhattan
"Hello, my ex-love," Thailog said. "You're looking well."
Demona snarled at the charcoal-colored clone on the other side of the bars. "I should have realized that you were behind this, Thailog. When I'm through with you…"
Thailog laughed at her. "You'll do what?" he sneered. "You've grown soft, my dear. Keeping company with humans, forming attachments to them, possibly even…" He paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "Well, I must say this is so unlike you."
"Dominique, what's he talking about?" Andrea asked. "Who is he?"
"Dominique, is it?" Thailog said, amused. "I get the feeling she doesn't know who you truly are, does she, my dear?"
"Thailog…" Demona warned.
He was laughing at her. "After all this time, you have yet to tell her the truth about yourself. This is a surprise."
"I know enough," Andrea said. "I know that she's my friend and that she cares…"
"Oh, does she?" Thailog sneered. "Perhaps she hasn't told you about the lives she's destroyed, the people she's betrayed, the humans she's murdered."
Andrea looked back at her friend and saw tears running down her cheek. "Dominique?" she asked tentatively.
"I guess not," he said. "As much as I'd like to fill you in on what Demona is truly like, Ms. Calhoun, she and I have some business to discuss. Demona?"
"We have nothing to discuss," Demona snapped.
"Oh, I think we do," he said. "Otherwise…" He stepped back as the cell door opened and Jackal and Hyena entered the cell.
"Which one do you want, sis," Jackal said. "The artist or the brat?"
"I'll take the brat," Hyena said. "I've got a way with kids, remember?" She eyed Demona maniacally as she extended her fingers, exposing the razor-sharp edges.
"Leave them alone," Demona snapped, placing herself between the twins and her fellow prisoners. "I'll do what you want, Thailog. Just leave them alone."
The clone smiled at her. "I thought you'd see things my way," he said. "If you'll come with me?"
Demona took one last look at Andrea and Danny before leaving the cell. She fell in step behind Thailog and she could hear the twins follow behind her. At least they're safe for the moment, she thought. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"You are going to make a phone call," Thailog said.
The Eyrie Building
Elisa turned as she heard Goliath and the rest of the clan enter the room. As soon as she saw that all of them were present and accounted for, save for Broadway and Bronx who were still at the Harrison residence, she turned her attention back to the phone.
"They just got here, Matt," she said. "I'll let them know. Let me know if you find anything." She hung up the phone as she felt Goliath place his hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you guys are here," she said.
"Angela has told us what has happened," Goliath said. "Are you certain that Demona has been taken?"
"A unit was stolen from the 14th Precinct this morning," she said. "It was found abandoned about three miles from here." She looked at Angela. "One of Demona's neighbors said she saw the unit pull up to the Destine Manor at around four o'clock this afternoon and then leave. When the car was found, there was blood on the front passenger seat and in the trunk. We don't have a match yet, but…" She paused for a moment. "We think it may be hers."
"Have the kidnappers called yet?" Sata asked.
"I…I don't know," Elisa said. "I've been on the phone since Angela left, trying to…"
Goliath could see her shoulders start to shake. "What is it, Elisa?" he asked.
"I can't reach Don," she said. "I think…"
The phone rang.
Goliath looked at it as if it were a snake ready to strike. It rang again.
"It could be the kidnappers," Brooklyn said.
It rang again.
Elisa hesitantly reached out and picked up the receiver as it rang a fourth time. "Hello?"
"Elisa, it's Don," she heard him say.
Elisa breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Don, thank God," she said, breaking the tension in the room. "Where have you been? I thought…"
"I just got back from the Labyrinth," he said. "Didn't Goliath tell you?"
She looked at him. "No, he didn't," she said. "Did he tell you what's going on?"
"He told me that Danny's missing now," Don said. "Is that why you tried to call me?"
"No," Elisa said. "I was worried that…" She paused. "Never mind. How soon can you get here?"
"I can be there in a few minutes," he said. "Why? Has something else happened?"
"Yeah," Elisa said. "Demona's been taken."
"I'll be there as soon as possible," he said.
Elisa hung up the phone and look at Goliath. "You didn't tell me?"
"I did not get the chance to call before Angela found me," he said. "We came straight here from the Labyrinth." He turned towards Hudson. "Hudson, go and make certain no one attempts to abduct him on the way here."
"Aye," the old gargoyle said. "Enough of our friends have gone missing without having to lose another to these villains." He quickly turned and left, almost running into Owen Burnett on the way out.
"What is it, Owen?" Goliath asked as he saw the majordomo enter the room.
"There is a call waiting for you in Mr. Xanatos' office," Owen said. "I believe it may be the call you have been waiting for."
Thailog's lair
Demona followed Thailog down the passageway until they reached the far end. As they got there, a hidden door opened and Thailog stepped aside, motioning Demona inside. She glared at him as she entered the room.
Thailog looked different from the last time she had seen him. He was still the same evil clone, but now he was mostly encased in what appeared to be a modified version of Xanatos' own battlesuit. The only parts of him that were still visible were his head, hands and wings, which emerged through the back of the armor through two specially designed slots. The rest of his body was covered in armor that jet-black in color. She did note that he kept his wings caped around his shoulders, since they had been damaged severely by the fire.
"I assume you have already decided on your demands," she said, turning to face the clone. "What will it be this time? More money? If that's what you want, you didn't have to go to the trouble of abducting me. I would have gladly paid whatever was necessary for Andrea's release."
"I'm not interested in money just now," he said. "Although I will be asking for a tidy sum to cover their expenses." He gestured to the two cyborgs.
"Yeah, we don't work for free, you know," Hyena said.
"Then what?" Demona asked.
"I take it you have noticed the recent improvements," Thailog said.
"I have," she said. "I take it you stole the plans from Xanatos while you were still working for him."
"Of course," he said. "I knew eventually that the design schematics would come in handy someday. Although I hadn't counted on having to use it as a external support system."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short, boss-man," Hyena said. "I think you look fabulous in titanium armor plate."
"Oh, now that is sick," Jackal said, rolling his remaining eye. "First robots, then halflings and now armor plated cloned gargoyles. I can't wait to see what's next."
Thailog ignored Jackal's comments and turned his attention back to Demona. "At any rate, as much as I enjoy the power this suit gives me, it does have certain drawbacks. The least of which is the constant pain I am in while wearing it. There is the problem of my scarring rubbing against the interior of the armor. I would gladly discard this suit for a chance to be whole once more."
"So why do you need me?" Demona asked, crossing her arms across her chest. She looked over at Sevarius as he entered the room. "Why don't you have Sevarius clone you a new body?"
"I had thought about that," Thailog said. "But the procedure would take too long and would leave me at the mercy of the good doctor's, shall we say, less than tender graces. I have a better solution. You have I take it an object known as the Bloodstone?"
Demona's arms fell to her sides. "How did you find out about that?"
"You'd be amazed at the information that can be had for the right price," Thailog said. "A nurse at Manhattan General was most willing to surrender a file on a certain human patient recently in exchange for her own life. The victim of a catastrophic fire, I believe."
Demona felt herself go cold when she realized he was talking about Don. She had saved his life using the Bloodstone, but she'd been forced to leave it around his neck when Dr. Sato discovered her. She recovered it later, but it was out of her possession long enough that quite possibly several of the staff had seen it. So that's what he wants, she thought. "It won't do you any good, Thailog. Even if I were to give it to you, I'd never show you how to use it."
"I think we can work something out," he said, causing her to wonder what he was up to. "In the meantime, you have a call to make." He moved over to a video conference system and dialed a number. Within moments, Xanatos appeared on the screen.
"Hello, Thailog," he said. "I was wondering when you'd call." He paused as he took in the clone's appearance. "I must say I don't approve of the new look. You'll be hearing from my lawyers about patent infringements."
"Ah, Xanatos," Thailog said. "You haven't lost your edge. But I did not call to discuss legal affairs with you. I called to talk with Goliath. Some friends of his are 'enjoying' my company at the moment. I just thought he'd like to know."
Xanatos didn't even bat an eye. "I'll let him know," he said.
"See that you do," Thailog said.
The Eyrie Building
Xanatos' office
Goliath and the others gathered into the office. As soon as he saw the image of Thailog on the video screen, his eyes blazed with fury.
"Thailog!" he roared.
"Hello, Goliath," Thailog said. "I'm pleased you remember me." His eyes shifted for a moment. "Hello, Angela."
Goliath quickly stepped in front of his daughter as she paled noticeably. "What do you want, Thailog?" he said.
"I believe I have someone here you've been looking for," he said, stepping aside.
"Mother!" Angela cried out, seeing the condition Demona's clothes were in.
"I am fine, Angela," she said quickly. "So are Andrea and Danny." She looked at Thailog. "At least for the moment."
"Where are you?" Goliath asked.
"Now now, Goliath," Thailog said. "You know the rules of hostage negotiations. Ransom first, then we discuss location."
Goliath looked to Elisa. She quickly placed a call to try to get a trace placed on Thailog. "Very well, Thailog," he said. "Make your demands."
"Succinct and to the point," Thailog said. "First off, I want fifty million dollars in cash. I know that you don't have that kind of capital on hand, Goliath, but I'm certain Xanatos does."
"Done," Xanatos said without even waiting for Goliath to ask. "I'll have the money here within the hour."
"Very good," Thailog said. "Second, my 'disagreement' with Demona three years ago left me somewhat less than whole. She has a certain bauble in her possession that has, shall we say, 'restorative' properties."
"The Bloodstone," Goliath said.
"Precisely," Thailog said. "And finally, I want what is rightfully mine. I want Delilah."
"Delilah?" they all gasped.
"Yes," he said. "My mate. I want her returned to me. She is mine and mine alone." He paused as he let his words sink in. "I shall call back in two hours with further instructions." The screen went dark as Thailog severed the connection.
Goliath looked over at Elisa as she pocketed her cell phone. "Were you able to trace the call?" he asked.
"No," she said. "There wasn't enough time to get a fix." She looked up at him. "What are we going to do, Goliath? We can't give in to his demands."
"I agree," Brooklyn said. "We can't let him get his hands on the Bloodstone, and we sure as hell can't give him Delilah. There's no telling what he'd do to her."
"Unfortunately, we may not have a choice," Goliath said. "Thailog knows that Demona is of no use to him as a hostage, but Andrea and Danny…" He hesitated. "We can not allow them to come to harm. Angela," he said, turning to face his daughter. "Go to Demona's home. Fetch the Bloodstone and return immediately. Brooklyn and Sata, go with her. Make certain she returns safely."
"Got it," Brooklyn said. "Let's go." Turning, he preceded the two females out of the office.
"I wish we'd had time to record the conversation," Lexington said. "I could have checked to see if there were any clues as to where they were transmitting from."
"What makes you think I didn't record Thailog's call, Lex," Xanatos said. He stepped over to the video monitor and took a DVD disk out of the nearby video recorder. "I took a hint from a character on 'Babylon 5'. Always record important conversations." He handed the disk to Lex.
"I'll let you know if I find anything," Lex said, smiling. He quickly left the office.
"Elisa, we should go to the Labyrinth and inform Delilah what has happened," Goliath said. "She needs to be told."
"We can't let Thailog get his hooks into her again, Goliath," Elisa protested. "She's finally starting to become more self-sufficient, more sure of herself. If we give her to Thailog, he'll take all that away from her."
"I know, Elisa," Goliath said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "And I know how much you care for her, but as I said, we may not have a choice." When she looked up at him, he continued. "Do not fear, my Elisa. We will do all we can to prevent Thailog from succeeding." He turned his attention to Xanatos. "You had better come up with a plan, Xanatos. From past experience, we both know what Thailog is capable of."
"I'll have a plan ready by the time you get back," Xanatos said.
As Goliath turned and left with Elisa, he turned his attention to Owen. "Get in touch with the Microbotics division, Owen," he said. "You know what we need."
"Of course, sir," Owen said as Xanatos picked up the phone, placing an emergency call to his bankers.
The Labyrinth
Delilah put her arms around herself as she turned away from Goliath and Elisa, shivering uncontrollably.
"I…I can't," she said. "Elisa, please…"
"I know how you feel, Delilah," Elisa said. "I know what Thailog's like…"
"You can't," Delilah said. "Thailog…when I was with him, he…did things…"
Elisa looked up at Goliath, realizing what Delilah was going through. He was abusive, she realized. She looked over at Sharon. The female Mutate who was Delilah's closest friend took the unsaid hint and stepped up to the clone.
"Delilah," Sharon said. "Elisa may not know, but I do. You cannot allow your fear of Thailog rule your life. You must be strong. Danny is depending on you."
"I know," Delilah said. "But Thailog…"
"Thailog will most surely harm Danny if you do not do this, Delilah," Goliath said. "Do not fear. We will not allow him to hold you longer than is absolutely necessary."
Delilah looked at Elisa. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart," Elisa said. "We'd better get back to the castle before Thailog calls back. I just hope Xanatos has come up with some sort of plan."
The Eyrie Building
Don turned as he saw Goliath and Elisa enter Xanatos' office, followed by Delilah. Elisa caught sight of him and quickly rushed to his side. Goliath rumbled low in his throat as she did.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I was worried…"
"Lex told me what's been going on," Don said. "But not why." He looked over at Goliath. "You want to fill me in on who this Thailog is? I know he was Demona's old business partner, but she never wanted to talk much about him."
"He is a clone," Goliath said. "Xanatos had him created four years ago using samples of my own blood, and programmed him with Xanatos' own particular slant on life."
Don looked at the billionaire, giving him a hard look.
"It was during my 'cliché villainy' phase," Xanatos said. "And believe me, the 'experiment' didn't turn out quite as expected."
This drew another rumble from an already irritated Goliath, and Xanatos quickly changed the subject. "Let's just say that Thailog didn't inherit any of his father's better qualities."
"Thailog mentioned a disagreement with Demona on the recording you gave Lex," Don said, having viewed the clone's demands after he arrived at the castle. "What's that all about?"
"Thailog and Demona conspired to destroy the clan three years ago," Goliath said. "We had captured Demona and imprisoned her in the Labyrinth, but we did not realize until later that she had allowed herself to be taken in order to draw us into a trap. It was during this time that the clones were created, including Delilah." He looked at the hybrid clone. "When Demona escaped from the Labyrinth, we followed her and Thailog to Coney Island, where they were waiting for us, along with the clones Brentwood, Hollywood, Malibu and Burbank. It wasn't until later that we found out about Delilah, after Thailog tried to kill Angela and Demona objected. He tossed her aside and revealed Delilah, calling her the 'perfect programmed companion', and ordered her to kill us."
Delilah hung her head, grimacing at the bad memories.
"Surprisingly, Demona helped us to escape," Goliath continued. "And she and Thailog disappeared in the resulting fire. We thought Thailog perished in the blaze. That was not the case however."
"He resurfaced not too long ago," Xanatos said. "He's been causing trouble from behind the scenes for over two years, embezzling money from Nightstone, trying to have Alex kidnapped, but it wasn't until a few months ago that we found out he was still alive. Demona obviously wasn't too happy when she found out."
"And it didn't help matters that he kidnapped Angela either," Lex said.
"Were the clones involved?" Don asked, eyeing Delilah.
"Delilah and the other clones don't want to have anything to do with Thailog," Elisa said. "They like their freedom. If Thailog gets his hands on them though, he'll take all that away from them." She looked at Delilah. "Even hers."
Don stepped over to Delilah and placed his hands on her arms. "Is that true?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, looking down. "Thailog is…I…"
Don placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up. "I understand," he said. "You're afraid of him. Of what he'll do when he gets his hands on you."
"Yes," Delilah said, looking into his eyes. "Don, I don't want to go back to him. I…" She hesitated, wanting to tell him how she felt, even though she knew he was involved with Demona and that he thought of her as just a friend, but she needed to say it. "I…"
The phone rang, breaking the moment, and Delilah stepped away from him as Xanatos answered the phone.
"Xanatos," he said. He paused as he listened to the voice on the other end and then looked at his watch. "You certainly are prompt, Thailog. Yes, she's here. Just a moment." He transferred the call to the video conference monitor. Delilah paled as she saw Thailog's image appear on the screen.
"Hello, my dear," Thailog said over the video link. He eyed her possessively, causing Delilah to shiver uncontrollably.
"Hello, Thailog," she finally managed to say, trying to sound defiant.
Thailog raised his eyebrow at that. "Excuse me?" he said.
"I'm sorry," Delilah said, casting her eyes down. "Master."
"Much better," he said before turning his attention to the others. "I hope you're taking notes, Goliath," he said, eyeing Elisa lasciviously.
"I do not need advice from you, Thailog," he said, draping his wing protectively around Elisa. "We have done as you asked. Tell us where you are holding the others."
"All in good time, Goliath," Thailog said. "I trust you have the other items."
"Fifty mil in cash, Thailog," Xanatos said. "I had to do some fast talking to get it though. I hope you appreciate the trouble I went through to get it."
"I am not interested in your trivial matters, Xanatos," Thailog said. "Just the money. The Bloodstone?"
Angela stepped forward and pulled the Bloodstone pendant out of the pouch. She held it up before her so that Thailog could see it over the video link. The clone eyed it suspiciously, then turned to Demona. "Is that it?" he asked.
Demona stepped into view. "Yes," she said, sounding defeated.
"Good," Thailog said. "Delilah, you will bring the items to me yourself. Bring them to the spot where you were taken from me. I believe you know where that is."
"Yes…master," Delilah choked.
"And no tricks," Thailog said. "No one is to follow her, Goliath. And no tracking devices, Xanatos. Any attempts to trick me and you'll never see the hostages again. At least not in one piece." He let the words sink in before severing the link.
"Where she was taken?" Don asked. "Where's that?"
"Where we last encountered Thailog," Goliath said. "Coney Island."
"So we go there and lay a trap for him," Lex said. "Just like he did with us."
"No," Goliath said.
"No?" came the response. "Why not?" Lex asked.
"Thailog will not be foolish enough to wait for Delilah himself," the lavender male said. "He will no doubt send someone else to meet her. Possibly a member of the Pack."
"I agree," Xanatos said. "But we can't allow Delilah to walk into the lion's den alone."
"You have a plan then," Goliath said.
"As I told you a few years ago, Goliath," he said, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a tracking device. "Old habits die hard." He walked over to Delilah and started to reach for her collar. She pulled back as he did.
"He said no tracers, Xanatos," Elisa said.
"If I know Thailog," he said. "He'll expect me to plant one on her anyway. This way, he won't be looking for a second one after he finds the first." He looked at Delilah, who held still as he placed the tracking device under her collar, doing his best not to make it too hard to locate.
"Second one?" Goliath asked.
"That's where this comes in," he said as he held up a pneumatic hypodermic gun and handed it to Owen. The blonde assistant took the device and approached the hybrid clone as Xanatos handed an alcohol wipe to Fox.
"This is how they tracked me when I was affected by the Eye of Odin," she told Elisa as she rolled up Delilah's sleeve. She rubbed the flesh with the wipe and took the gun from Owen, then pressed it to the spot. "This is going to sting a little," she said as she squeezed the trigger.
Delilah flinched as she felt the needle penetrate the skin, injecting her with something and then withdrawing just as quickly. Fox stepped back as Delilah rubbed the sore spot.
"What was that?" Don asked.
"A sub-dermal transmitter," Xanatos said. "Completely invisible and virtually undetectable and untraceable unless you know what to look for and just happen to have one of these." He picked up a small receiver and pointed it towards Delilah. It emitted a series of beeps as he waved it back and forth and then emitted a long tone as he stopped it so that it was pointed directly at her. "As long as Thailog is within a twenty mile radius, we won't have any problem finding him."
"Just be certain to stay away from unshielded power sources," Owen said. "This particular model is very sensitive to electrical discharges."
"One good jolt is all it'll take," Xanatos said. He picked up the briefcase and handed it to Delilah. "Try not to lose this," he added. "Even if you went back to dancing at the 'Saturn's Rings', I doubt very much if you'd ever make enough to pay me back."
"I'll try and remember that," Delilah said. She turned and headed for the door, pausing for a moment to look at Don. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed him by the collar and jerked him forward, planting her lips against his. Then, before he could do anything other than look at her in stunned surprise, she raced out of the office.
"What was that all about?" Elisa asked.
"I have no idea," Don said.
Coney Island
Delilah reached the amusement park and landed on top of the Ferris Wheel. She sighed as she looked around.
She'd hoped she would never have to come back to this place. Too many bad memories, she thought. Ever since she was taken into Talon's clan, she'd realized just how bad Thailog was. He was mean, abusive, evil. She didn't want to go back to him, but she really didn't have a choice. He has Danny, she reminded herself. She couldn't let Thailog hurt him.
She was aware of an odd sound above her. She turned as she heard a voice call out to her.
"Hey, sweetheart," Jackal said. "How about an autograph?"
"Jackal and Hyena!" she said in surprise.
"Well, there goes my dumb blonde jokes," Hyena quipped as she descended on the clone. Delilah dived out of the way and unfurled her wings as Hyena gave pursuit.
"Careful, sis," Jackal called out. "Remember, Thailog wants her undamaged."
"I won't bruise her too much," Hyena called back.
"How...reassuring," Delilah shot back at her.
"Ooh, she's got a mouth on her," Hyena said. "I wonder what else she can do with it."
"You two will never find out," Delilah snarled as she headed for the boardwalk. If she could just put some distance between herself and the twins…
"I think you're forgetting something," she heard Jackal call out. She turned her head and saw the cyborg hold up a stuffed toy gargoyle, similar to the one Alex owned. She blanched as she realized where Jackal must have gotten it. I gave that to Danny for his birthday. She watched as Jackal put the toy into the crook of his arm, then popped his wrist blaster and pointed the weapon at the toy's head. "Surrender, or the fuzzy gets wasted!"
"Oh, real convincing, brother dear," Hyena said. "You think she's going to give up because you're threatening some stuffed toy…"
"Wait!" Delilah called out as she turned around, heading back towards them.
"Then again, I could be wrong," Hyena said.
Delilah landed back on top of the Ferris Wheel and looked at the two cyborgs hovering around her. "Where are they?" she snarled.
"Patience, my dear," Jackal said as he moved in front of her. "First, we have to make sure everything's been taken care of." He held out his hand and Delilah handed him the briefcase as she took the stuffed toy from him. He opened it and smiled. "Look at all that money," he said. He pulled out a stack of bills and tossed it to his sister.
"I just love the smell of newly minted greenbacks," she said, waving the bills under her nose. "It smells like…well, you know." She tossed the stack back to Jackal, who put it back in the briefcase and closed it. Then Jackal held out his hand. "The bauble?" he asked.
Delilah reached into her pocket and pulled out the pouch containing the Bloodstone. Hyena took it and removed the contents.
"Doesn't look like much, does it," she said. "Oh well, as long as it works." She put the Bloodstone back into the pouch and tossed it to her brother. Jackal put the pouch into the briefcase.
"Now, where are they?" Delilah demanded.
"Feisty, isn't she?" Jackal said. "You forgot to say the magic word."
Delilah sighed as she realized what Jackal wanted to hear. "Please," she said.
"That's better," he said. "You know, it's too bad Thailog didn't have you bring that costume you wore for your poster. I bet he would have gotten a kick out of seeing you dance in it. I know I would have."
"Humph," Hyena said. "And you say I'm sick."
"You'll have to excuse my sister," Jackal said. "She's been moping ever since Coyote dumped her for a Eureka Upright."
"Watch it, bro," she warned.
"All kidding aside," he quickly added. "It's time we were leaving. We don't want to keep Thailog waiting, now do we?"
"No," Delilah said. "You lead. I'll follow."
"I have a better idea," Hyena said. She quickly came up behind Delilah and clamped her hand down on the clone's shoulder, sending a charge of electricity through her. Delilah cried out as the energy coursed through her body before she collapsed limply into Jackal's arms. The stuffed toy fell from her grasp and tumbled to the ground.
"What did you do that for?" Jackal snapped, already burdened with the briefcase. He quickly passed it to his sister as he adjusted his hold on the unconscious clone.
"Just making sure she doesn't try to skip out on us," Hyena said. "Besides, we both know what Xanatos would do in a situation like this." She reached under the collar and found the tracer Xanatos planted there. "He is so predictable," she said, using her thumb and forefinger to crush the device. "Makes me wonder what Fox really sees in him."
"If you're done patting yourself on the back," Jackal said. "We'd better get going. I want to be there when Thailog talks Demona into showing him how that little trinket of hers works."
Eyrie Building
"Blast!" Xanatos cursed as the signal from the sub-dermal transmitter went dead.
"What happened?" Goliath asked.
"I lost the signal," Xanatos said.
"What do you mean 'you lost the signal'?" Elisa snapped.
"That's what I mean, detective," he said. "I've lost the signal." He made an adjustment to the tracking receiver. "Both of them. I'm not getting anything from the sub-dermal or the one I placed under her collar." He tried another adjustment and frowned as the scanner still read nothing. "Whoever met Delilah must have found the tracers."
"I thought you said…" Don started.
"I did," he said. "But I may not have given Thailog enough credit." He pocketed the scanner before going to the parapet and leaning on the stone wall. "I'm sorry, Goliath."
"You did what you could, Xanatos," Goliath said. "I just hope…"
"I think you're overlooking one option," Don said as he remembered one of the secrets Demona had shared with him. "A way to find them without resorting to electronic means."
"I don't…" Elisa started, but then Goliath's eyes went wide in realization.
"Of course," he said. "Macbeth!"
Thailog's lair
Thailog smiled as he removed the Bloodstone from the pouch and held it up, looking at the white jewel dangling from the thin chain. "I still don't know why you kept this thing all these years, my dear," he said to Demona. "With your immortality, I'm certain it would have been of little use to you."
"It has come in handy from time to time," Demona said, casting a piercing glare at Hyena before returning her attention back to Thailog. "And I still refuse to show you how to use it."
"Oh, I think you will," he said, dropping the Bloodstone back into the pouch. He turned and crossed the cell, approaching Andrea, who was sitting on the floor with Danny. The young artist started to back away from him, but he caught her by the arm and lifted her to her feet. "You have such a rare gift, my dear," he said. "It would be a shame if you were to lose it." He smiled as he looked back at Demona.
"What…" Andrea started as she looked at Demona and saw the fear in the azure gargoyle's eyes as she realized what Thailog was about to do.
"No!" Demona cried out as she stepped forward to stop him, but Jackal and Hyena tackled her, holding her down as Thailog brought Andrea's left arm down across his knee, breaking the limb.
Andrea screamed in pain as the bones in her arm broke neatly in half, then collapsed as Thailog shoved her away roughly. Sobbing, she cradled her shattered arm as Demona looked on in anguish.
"I assume you will be more amenable now," he said, tossing the pouch onto the floor in front of her. Demona looked up into his cruel face as she felt Jackal and Hyena release her. "Or do I need to demonstrate further?" He looked over at Danny, who had moved to Andrea's side and was trying to help her.
"I…I'll do it," Demona said as she scooped up the pouch and rushed to Andrea's side, desperate to help her friend. "But you have to let me use it to heal her first. After that, you can do whatever you want with it."
"I thought that might be your answer," he said cruelly. He turned to the twins. "Have Sevarius bring my mate here to me. I'm certain she will find this most enlightening."
Macbeth's manor
Lennox Macbeth swirled the brandy in the snifter as he looked across to his guest, Joanna Walker. She smiled at him as she took a sip from her own glass, then crossed over to sit next to him.
"So," she said sultrily as she swirled the contents of her glass. "Any plans for tonight?"
"I honestly can't think of anything," he said, then winked at her when he saw her face draw up in a frown. "Except perhaps enjoy the company of a beautiful woman."
"And her name is…" she teased.
"Ye know perfectly well who I mean," he said, wrapping his broad arms around her and pulling her close. "Ah, my dear. It has been too long since…"
A wave of anguish hit him like a fist, and he jumped away from Joanna as he tried to block it out. No, he thought angrily as the brandy snifter hit the floor. Not again!
"Len, what is it?" Joanna asked as she set her drink on the table and rushed to his side. "What's wrong?"
The wave held him for several seconds before it released him, and he sagged in her arms. Fortunately, he managed to stay on his feet and he let Joanna lead him back to the couch.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I dinna know," he said. "I felt…"
"Was it Demona?" Joanna asked.
"Aye," he said. Joanna had learned about the mystical connection between Macbeth and Demona when she and Macbeth encountered the gargoyle and her daughter Angela in Scotland last October. She still didn't fully understand the bond between the two, but she accepted it nonetheless, although it did tend to interfere in their lives from time to time. Had something happened to Demona? she wondered.
"What was it?" she asked.
"I do not rightly know," he said. "I felt…anguish, as if…"
There was a knock at the door, and Joanna helped Macbeth sit down on the couch before going to answer it. If it's not one thing, it's another, she thought. She opened the door. "Whoever you are, this really isn't a good time…"
"Professor Walker!" Angela said in surprise. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were here."
Her eyes went wide in recognition. "Angela! What are you doing here?" Then she noticed the individuals behind the lavender female. "And who are your friends?"
"I am Goliath," Goliath said. "Angela is my daughter." He looked at her. "I take it you are familiar with her."
"We met when Mother took me to Scotland last year," Angela said. "She was with Macbeth…I mean Professor Macduff…"
"It's okay, Angela," Joanna said. "Len finally told me what was going on between him and Demona."
"Len?" Elisa asked.
"Oh, this is Elisa Maza," Angela continued. "And Don Taylor. We need to talk to Macbeth."
"Now isn't a good time," Joanna said. "He's not feeling well…" Then she paused. "Maybe you can help," she quickly said. "Len almost collapsed a minute ago…"
"What are ye doing here, Goliath?" Macbeth asked, coming up from behind Joanna.
"We need your help, Macbeth," Goliath said. "Thailog has abducted Demona."
"And this concerns me how?" he asked. "I'm fairly certain that Demona is quite capable…"
"He's also kidnapped a young boy named Danny Roswell and a woman named Andrea Calhoun," Elisa said, then looked at Joanna as she gasped sharply. "Do you know either of them?" she asked.
"I know Andrea," Joanna said. "I bought one of her pieces a few months ago." She looked at Macbeth. "Len, whoever this Thailog is, you can't let him hurt her. It would be a tragedy if something terrible were to happen…"
"Come inside," Macbeth said, then looked at Joanna briefly before returning his attention to Goliath. "Tell me from the beginning what has happened."
Thailog's lair
"Hello, my dear," Anton Sevarius said as Delilah finally regained consciousness. "I must say I've been looking forward to seeing you again for quite some time."
Delilah snarled at him, then tried to get up off the floor. When she heard the sound of dragging chains, she realized she'd been restrained.
"What are you up to, butcher?" she said venomously.
"Butcher?" he replied, then swooned dramatically. "Oh, my dear. It pains me so to think that you still hate me after all this time, after all that I've done for you. I gave you life. I gave you form. I gave you…"
"A headache," she spat out. "Shut up, Sevarius. I'm not interested."
Sevarius coughed, then looked over at the door as Jackal and Hyena came in, Jackal carrying what appeared to be a rolled up poster.
"Thailog wants to see her," Hyena said, then turned her attention to the hybrid clone. "He's got something for her to see."
"Of course," Sevarius said. He picked up a set of keys and moved towards the clone. Delilah snarled at him as he approached. "Now, now, my dear," he said. "Let's have none of that. Need I remind you of whom Thailog has in his 'tender, loving care'?"
Delilah shivered at the thought of what Thailog would do to Danny if she resisted, then settled down as Sevarius unlocked her restraints. When she was free, she rubbed her wrists as Jackal approached her.
"There is one little addition to what Thailog wanted," Jackal said. "A personal request, actually." He produced a pen and unrolled the poster. "Could you autograph this for me?"
Delilah's eyes narrowed as she recognized the poster. It was a full-color poster of her in her belly-dancing costume. She remembered the day she posed for it, wanting to give Jack and her friends at the 'Saturn's Rings' something to remember her by. Don had taken the initial shots of her, then superimposed one of her images onto an Arabian palace background. The poster attracted a lot of attention, became known as the 'Delilah Poster', and soon everyone wanted a copy. At first she thought it was amusing, then began to take it seriously when Demona secured exclusive rights to produce the poster in mass quantities, but now…
She stepped up to Jackal and, in one deft move, slashed the image with her talons, and then shoved the cyborg into the wall. Holding him by the throat, she drew back her arm, preparing to repeat the process to his face, but then she felt herself being pulled away. A meaty hand slapped her across the face as she was turned around and she looked up, finding herself face to face with Thailog.
"That, my dear, was uncalled for," he said low, berating her.
She went limp in his grip, suddenly afraid of what he was going to do in way of punishment, but then he released her and bent down to pick up the shredded poster. There was enough of the picture left for him to see and he eyed it lasciviously. "Well, well," he said. "This is a side of you I hadn't seen before." He turned his attention back to her. "I may have you dress up like this permanently." He tossed the poster onto the floor, then grabbed her by the arm. "You will come with me, my dear Delilah. I have something to show you." Pulling her after him, Thailog dragged Delilah out of the room and headed for the cell.
Macbeth's manor
Macbeth paced back and forth and listened as Goliath laid out what Thailog had been up to over the past few months. Joanna sat on the edge of her chair, amazed by the story. How can anyone be that evil? she thought. I thought gargoyles were the good guys...
"I still don't understand why Thailog picked these particular people," Macbeth said. "Demona I can understand, but why Miss Calhoun and this Roswell lad?"
"My mother and Andrea have become close friends," Angela said. "Andrea even painted the portrait for my mating ceremony. But she doesn't know that my mother and Dominique Destine are the same person."
"Andrea Calhoun is a close friend of the clan, Macbeth," Goliath said. "We value her friendship, and it has been through her that Demona has shown recent progress in reforming her ways, even though it is her human form of Dominique Destine that Andrea knows her."
"What about this Danny Roswell?" Macbeth asked.
"That's another long story," Elisa said. "I guess you heard about Delilah performing at the 'Saturn's Rings' a few months ago."
"Aye," Macbeth said. "But I merely thought it was another of those tabloid stories that I wouldn't wrap dead fish in." He paused as he looked at Don, recognizing him from the Tattler story about Dominique Destine's latest romantic interest.
"It's true," Elisa said. "Delilah was working there as a…dancer in order to help out a friend. Danny has a rare disorder that requires expensive medication. Thailog kidnapped him because he wanted Delilah back." She looked at Goliath. "He'll probably hold on to Danny just to insure her cooperation. We know he grabbed Andrea to ensure Demona's." Then she looked at Don. At least, he didn't get you, she thought.
"So why do you need Len's help?" Joanna asked.
"My mystical link to Demona enables me to sense her presence when she's near," Macbeth said. "And to track her no matter where she may be on the planet. That's how I was able to locate her five years ago after Goliath's clan awakened. I also helped them to find her when Demona rescued Angela from the Pack a few years later."
"That's what we need you to do," Elisa said. "We need you to track them down…"
"With all due respect, detective," Macbeth said. "I am not some blasted bloodhound that you can call on every time Demona gets herself into trouble."
"Len…" Joanna started, but she was interrupted by Goliath's voice.
"Macbeth, you are a man of honor," he said. "Does your honor allow you to stand by while innocents are brought to harm by a madman such as Thailog?"
Macbeth sighed heavily. "You are correct, Goliath," he said, and his voice caused a swelling in Joanna's heart. This is why I love you, she thought. "I will do what you ask." Then he looked up at the clan leader. "But let this be the last time, Goliath. I'll not have my life continually interrupted in this manner."
"Understood," Goliath said. He turned to Elisa and Angela. "The two of you should return to the castle and inform Xanatos and the rest of the clan. We may need their assistance and that of his robots."
"You're not cutting me out of this, Goliath," Elisa protested.
"Elisa…" he started, but then Don cut in.
"Elisa, you can't get involved in this," he said. "This isn't a matter for the cops. This is probably going to be a full-blown assault on wherever Thailog's holed up. And how effective do you think Goliath's going to be if he's worrying about you. Not to mention me."
"You're not going," she said flatly.
"I have to, and you know it," he said. He looked at Goliath. "I have a stake in this," he added. "I have to do whatever I can to get her out of there."
"Just be careful," Elisa said, then looked at Goliath. "Both of you."
"We shall, Elisa," Goliath said. He shared a concerned look with Don as she left.
Thailog's lair
Demona was cradling Andrea's whimpering form in her arms when Thailog and the others returned. As soon as she saw Danny, Delilah pulled away from the clone and scooped the child up into her arms.
"D'ilah," he squealed as she hugged him tightly. "We go home now?"
"In a little bit, sweetie," she said, trying hard to hold back the tears.
"This is definitely a Kodak moment," Sevarius said. "Makes me wish I had a camera right about now."
"I can download an image for you if you like, doc," Jackal said as he acted as if he were brushing away a tear.
"Enough of the touchy, feely already," Hyena said. She looked at Thailog. "When do we find out if that thing really works?"
"Now," Thailog said, turning to Demona. "You will now demonstrate, Demona," he said. "I do not have to tell you what will happen if you refuse."
"No, you don't," she said icily. She turned her attention to Delilah. "I'm going to need her help setting the break," she said.
"Very well," Thailog said.
Without waiting for Thailog to give her permission, Delilah hesitantly walked over to Demona and knelt by Andrea's side. She hissed as she saw the broken arm. "What happened?" she asked.
Demona glared at Thailog. "He did this," she said.
Delilah started to turn on him, but Demona quickly reached up and grabbed her arm. "Now is not the time," she said. "We will deal with him later. Right now, I need your help."
Delilah looked at Demona, then at the human in her arms. Andrea was in pain, both physically and mentally. She had to help. "Okay," she said.
"I'm going to need a bowl," Demona said. "And a knife."
"Do you really believe I would trust you with a knife, Demona?" Thailog laughed.
"The Bloodstone needs an infusion of blood to activate it," she said. "That's why it's called a Bloodstone."
Thailog thought about that for a moment, then turned to Sevarius. "If you would, doctor?"
"Of course," he said. He turned to leave.
"And a splint," Demona called out. "I need something to keep her arm straight after we set it."
"You are becoming annoying, my dear," Thailog warned, but he let the request pass. Just as long as he got what he wanted.
While Sevarius was retrieving the necessary items, Demona turned her attention to Andrea. "Andrea, we're going to help you, but you need to hold still."
"O…okay," she said painfully.
Demona shifted Andrea into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her, holding onto her as Delilah took the broken limb carefully in her hands. Andrea closed her eyes tightly as she felt Delilah pull gently on the arm and tensed as the clone began setting the break.
"This is going to hurt," Delilah said, trying to comfort her.
Andrea gritted her teeth, trying to suppress a scream as she felt the bones in her arm move under the clone's fingers, but it was too much for her senses to handle. When she felt the edges of the break begin to shift against each other, she let out a cry that pierced Demona's heart before she mercifully lapsed into unconsciousness. After several tense minutes, during which time Sevarius returned and placed the requested articles beside them, they finished their painful work and Delilah quickly splinted Andrea's arm as best she could while Demona made preparations for the Bloodstone ceremony.
"This ought to be interesting," Jackal said.
Demona ignored the comment and set the Bloodstone in the dish Sevarius had provided. Then, picking up the scalpel, she made a long cut along her arm and allowed the blood to flow into the receptacle and onto the crystal. The Bloodstone changed color from white to red as it absorbed the blood and Demona lifted it by the chain, then set it around Andrea's neck. It began to glow as it began healing the injury.
"She gonna be 'kay?" Danny asked.
"Yes," Demona said. She could already see the bruising around the break begin to fade.
"I think we've seen enough to know it works," Thailog said. He stepped forward and began to reach down for the pendant.
"No!" Demona cried out, reaching up and grabbing his wrist. "You have to let it finish or you'll ruin it!"
"Somehow, I doubt your sincerity," Thailog said.
"Thailog," Sevarius said. "I spent enough time working for Madoc and Maeve to get an idea of how certain mystical items work. She may be telling the truth."
"Or she may be lying," he countered. "She may want to buy time for her friend to be healed."
"Be that as it may," Sevarius said. "But are you really willing to take that chance? What good is the Bloodstone to you if you disrupt its properties?"
Thailog mulled that over in his mind. "Very well," he said. "You may allow the Bloodstone to complete its work. After that, it belongs to me. But I will take the rest of the items if you please."
Delilah quietly picked up the bowl and the scalpel. She set the bowl in his hand, but then brought the scalpel down through his palm viciously. Thailog roared in anger and pain and slapped her away from him. Delilah hit the wall and slid down senselessly.
"You little…" he said angrily as he pulled the blade out of his hand. He extended the battlesuit's wrist blaster and aimed it at the fallen female.
"Leave her 'lone!" Danny cried out, racing in front of her. The wrist blaster fired.
Delilah recovered enough to pull Danny out of the line of fire and tumble to the side. The laser blast scorched the wall behind her.
"You have ceased to be of use, human!" Thailog snarled at Danny. He took a step towards Danny and Delilah, intending to end the child's life.
To be concluded…