PART FORTEEN
Sara followed Ian to her apartment door quietly. There had not been much talk in the car, as he had constantly looked into the mirrors, she assumed to make sure they were not being followed.
"Sara." He looked her in the eyes. "I want you to stay out here until I make sure everything is clear."
"Not on your life Nottingham. This is my place." She saw the protest in his eyes. "Tell you what, we'll go in together." Pulling her gun waited for him to nod. "I'll go low." She waited to the side of the door as he placed the key in the lock then turned the knob. Silently they counted to three together, then rushed into the loft. Sara rolled and came up to her knees, gun at the ready as Ian aimed his above her head, sweeping the room with his well-trained eyes. Satisfied that the area was clean, he motioned for the bathroom. Together they moved to each side of the door. Again Sara waited for his silent command then with gun before her, quickly looked into the darken room. "Clean." Finally she lowered her gun. "Want something to drink?"
"No thank you Sara." Ian continued to look out windows until he was sure they were alone. Only then did he finally put away his gun and breath deeply.
'Nottingham." Sara poured herself a glass of water as she turned to him. "I have been more than patient. Are you going to tell me what is going on?" He lowered his eyes as she spoke. "Irons looked scared. I think that if I am in danger, I have the right to…"
"I would never allow you to be hurt, Sara." Ian snapped his eyes up and stared at her. "You have to believe that."
"I do." She was hesitant. "I really think I do, but please, if there is anything I should know. What did Irons mean by the sleeper had escaped."
"You were never supposed to know about the Sleepers, Sara." Ian shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Mr. Irons never intended him to be fully awakened. At least not until he was able to control the violence."
"So who is the sleeper, Nottingham?" Ian looked away uncomfortably. She put her glass down and walked to him, touching his arms lightly. "Ian, please, who is the sleeper?" He tried to move away from her, but her grip became tighter. 'I'm not going to let you go till you tell me."
"The sleeper is him but different." Both turned as Danny's voice echoed throughout the room. "He is afraid to tell you Sara."
"Danny not now." She glared at her ghostly partner.
"He is right Sara." Ian looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I am afraid of what you will think."
"You see him? You can see Danny?" Sara looked at one and then the other very confused. Ian only nodded.
"We met under trying circumstances." Danny took a step closer.
"So introductions are not needed." She rubbed her temples as she moved to the couch to sit down. "So, will one of you kind men, tell me what in hell is going on?"
"Sara." Ian moved to sit next to her, as Danny remained close.
"She has the right to know Ian." Danny said soothingly. "Allow her to make her own decisions." Ian nodded and looked down at his gloved hands.
"Your guardian is right that we are the same, but different." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "We are the same, brought into this existence the same way."
"Twins?"
"Not exactly. Irons used stem cells from Elizabeth Bronte to create us." He took a deep breath before he continued. "We were raised as brothers. We were taught the same lessons, exposed to the same discipline. We were the same in everyway, until we became older." He looked up at Danny who encouraged him to go on. "But even young, we were different. He always wanted to know when he would learn to fight and kill."
"And you? What were you interested in?" Sara tried to keep calm as she listened.
"Me? I loved philosophy. The words and the work of all the great Masters were my inspiration. I learned to fight because that is what Mr. Irons wanted, what he expected of us both." revulsion filled his voice. "Perfect fighting machines. That's what he called us."
"Go on Nottingham." Sara wasn't sure if she felt angry or sorry for the man sitting next to her.
"The older we became, the harder it was for Mr. Irons to control him. Lilly hated him. She called him an abomination." Slowly he looked up and looked into her face. "But she was the one that wouldn't let him be killed."
"Who is he Ian?" She searched his face. "Why do you call him the Sleeper?"
"Isn't that obvious? He is kept asleep most of the time." Ian looked away suddenly, unable to look into her eyes anymore. "I share information with him, see to his needs." His voice trailed off as he lowered his head into his hands. "And wish he were dead." He looked at Danny searchingly. "Is that horrible of me, to wish my own flesh and blood dead?" Danny only closed his eyes slowly and bowed his head. "Now he has escaped and I may not have a choice."
"Why?" Sara touched him lightly, turning his face toward her. "What choice?"
"He blames Lilly for his being kept asleep and Mr. Irons for listening to her. He will try to hurt them both I fear." He pulled away from her and stood. "I can't allow that to happen. I am sworn to protect Mr. Irons."
"So why did he send you away Ian? Why didn't you stay with him?"
"The Sleeper knows about you Sara. He will surely try to harm you too." Ian's whole body slumped. "If he were to harm you in any way…I don't know what I would do." Suddenly the room was filled with the loud ring of the phone, causing them both to jump slightly. Sara started to reach for it but stopped as Ian shook his head. "Let the machine answer it." Together they stared at the device and waited.
"Pezinni, go!" Sara's soft but commanding voice filled the room.
"Hello Sara." Sara looked up at Ian suddenly as the voice began. "Is Ian there too? I would imagine Irons sent him with you, as your protector. It doesn't matter." Ian looked away from the machine, full of hatred. "When Irons gets there, and you know that he will soon, why don't the three of you come to visit us?"
"Us?" Sara questioned.
"There is someone here that will die if she didn't see you again Ian. She may die anyway." Soft laughter echoed from the box. "You know the place. You always gave up and never won against me. You won't win this time either." The call ended suddenly.
"That was your voice." Sara looked confused. She turned to look at Danny, but the spirit had already gone. "Ian that was your voice!"
"It was the Sleeper's voice Sara. Not mine." He took a deep breath and stood. "I told you, we are the same." He lowered his eyes and head.
"But different, you said you were also different."
"Yes, Lilly says I still have a conscience. She said the Sleeper is void of all feelings, and I tend to agree with her. He kills for no other reason than to see death."
"NOTTHINGHAM! SARA!" Irons' voice screamed from behind the closed door. Ian rushed and opened it. Sara stood as Irons hurriedly entered, fear etched deep into his face. "Ian, he has Lilly. He killed Elliot and took Lilly away!" For a moment, Sara thought she saw tears in Irons' eyes. "We have to find her and keep him from hurting her Ian."
"I know where he is Sir." Ian looked at Sara. "The two of you should stay here. I will get Lilly and take care of the Sleeper once and for all."
"No, we are coming with you Ian." Sara holstered her gun as she stood. "You heard what he said. He wants the three of us there. If you go in alone, you will only be consigning Lilly to death." She stared at the two men who only nodded. "All right Ian, you said you know where he is. Where?"
"A place we used to go to and fight." Ian looked down then turned swiftly to leave. Sara and Irons followed closely in silence.
Sara followed Ian to her apartment door quietly. There had not been much talk in the car, as he had constantly looked into the mirrors, she assumed to make sure they were not being followed.
"Sara." He looked her in the eyes. "I want you to stay out here until I make sure everything is clear."
"Not on your life Nottingham. This is my place." She saw the protest in his eyes. "Tell you what, we'll go in together." Pulling her gun waited for him to nod. "I'll go low." She waited to the side of the door as he placed the key in the lock then turned the knob. Silently they counted to three together, then rushed into the loft. Sara rolled and came up to her knees, gun at the ready as Ian aimed his above her head, sweeping the room with his well-trained eyes. Satisfied that the area was clean, he motioned for the bathroom. Together they moved to each side of the door. Again Sara waited for his silent command then with gun before her, quickly looked into the darken room. "Clean." Finally she lowered her gun. "Want something to drink?"
"No thank you Sara." Ian continued to look out windows until he was sure they were alone. Only then did he finally put away his gun and breath deeply.
'Nottingham." Sara poured herself a glass of water as she turned to him. "I have been more than patient. Are you going to tell me what is going on?" He lowered his eyes as she spoke. "Irons looked scared. I think that if I am in danger, I have the right to…"
"I would never allow you to be hurt, Sara." Ian snapped his eyes up and stared at her. "You have to believe that."
"I do." She was hesitant. "I really think I do, but please, if there is anything I should know. What did Irons mean by the sleeper had escaped."
"You were never supposed to know about the Sleepers, Sara." Ian shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Mr. Irons never intended him to be fully awakened. At least not until he was able to control the violence."
"So who is the sleeper, Nottingham?" Ian looked away uncomfortably. She put her glass down and walked to him, touching his arms lightly. "Ian, please, who is the sleeper?" He tried to move away from her, but her grip became tighter. 'I'm not going to let you go till you tell me."
"The sleeper is him but different." Both turned as Danny's voice echoed throughout the room. "He is afraid to tell you Sara."
"Danny not now." She glared at her ghostly partner.
"He is right Sara." Ian looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I am afraid of what you will think."
"You see him? You can see Danny?" Sara looked at one and then the other very confused. Ian only nodded.
"We met under trying circumstances." Danny took a step closer.
"So introductions are not needed." She rubbed her temples as she moved to the couch to sit down. "So, will one of you kind men, tell me what in hell is going on?"
"Sara." Ian moved to sit next to her, as Danny remained close.
"She has the right to know Ian." Danny said soothingly. "Allow her to make her own decisions." Ian nodded and looked down at his gloved hands.
"Your guardian is right that we are the same, but different." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "We are the same, brought into this existence the same way."
"Twins?"
"Not exactly. Irons used stem cells from Elizabeth Bronte to create us." He took a deep breath before he continued. "We were raised as brothers. We were taught the same lessons, exposed to the same discipline. We were the same in everyway, until we became older." He looked up at Danny who encouraged him to go on. "But even young, we were different. He always wanted to know when he would learn to fight and kill."
"And you? What were you interested in?" Sara tried to keep calm as she listened.
"Me? I loved philosophy. The words and the work of all the great Masters were my inspiration. I learned to fight because that is what Mr. Irons wanted, what he expected of us both." revulsion filled his voice. "Perfect fighting machines. That's what he called us."
"Go on Nottingham." Sara wasn't sure if she felt angry or sorry for the man sitting next to her.
"The older we became, the harder it was for Mr. Irons to control him. Lilly hated him. She called him an abomination." Slowly he looked up and looked into her face. "But she was the one that wouldn't let him be killed."
"Who is he Ian?" She searched his face. "Why do you call him the Sleeper?"
"Isn't that obvious? He is kept asleep most of the time." Ian looked away suddenly, unable to look into her eyes anymore. "I share information with him, see to his needs." His voice trailed off as he lowered his head into his hands. "And wish he were dead." He looked at Danny searchingly. "Is that horrible of me, to wish my own flesh and blood dead?" Danny only closed his eyes slowly and bowed his head. "Now he has escaped and I may not have a choice."
"Why?" Sara touched him lightly, turning his face toward her. "What choice?"
"He blames Lilly for his being kept asleep and Mr. Irons for listening to her. He will try to hurt them both I fear." He pulled away from her and stood. "I can't allow that to happen. I am sworn to protect Mr. Irons."
"So why did he send you away Ian? Why didn't you stay with him?"
"The Sleeper knows about you Sara. He will surely try to harm you too." Ian's whole body slumped. "If he were to harm you in any way…I don't know what I would do." Suddenly the room was filled with the loud ring of the phone, causing them both to jump slightly. Sara started to reach for it but stopped as Ian shook his head. "Let the machine answer it." Together they stared at the device and waited.
"Pezinni, go!" Sara's soft but commanding voice filled the room.
"Hello Sara." Sara looked up at Ian suddenly as the voice began. "Is Ian there too? I would imagine Irons sent him with you, as your protector. It doesn't matter." Ian looked away from the machine, full of hatred. "When Irons gets there, and you know that he will soon, why don't the three of you come to visit us?"
"Us?" Sara questioned.
"There is someone here that will die if she didn't see you again Ian. She may die anyway." Soft laughter echoed from the box. "You know the place. You always gave up and never won against me. You won't win this time either." The call ended suddenly.
"That was your voice." Sara looked confused. She turned to look at Danny, but the spirit had already gone. "Ian that was your voice!"
"It was the Sleeper's voice Sara. Not mine." He took a deep breath and stood. "I told you, we are the same." He lowered his eyes and head.
"But different, you said you were also different."
"Yes, Lilly says I still have a conscience. She said the Sleeper is void of all feelings, and I tend to agree with her. He kills for no other reason than to see death."
"NOTTHINGHAM! SARA!" Irons' voice screamed from behind the closed door. Ian rushed and opened it. Sara stood as Irons hurriedly entered, fear etched deep into his face. "Ian, he has Lilly. He killed Elliot and took Lilly away!" For a moment, Sara thought she saw tears in Irons' eyes. "We have to find her and keep him from hurting her Ian."
"I know where he is Sir." Ian looked at Sara. "The two of you should stay here. I will get Lilly and take care of the Sleeper once and for all."
"No, we are coming with you Ian." Sara holstered her gun as she stood. "You heard what he said. He wants the three of us there. If you go in alone, you will only be consigning Lilly to death." She stared at the two men who only nodded. "All right Ian, you said you know where he is. Where?"
"A place we used to go to and fight." Ian looked down then turned swiftly to leave. Sara and Irons followed closely in silence.