The cold air rushed passed Claire as she fell down the hole. 'I really should have gone face first' Claire thought to herself. She seemed to fall for at least 5 minutes. Separate tunnels came off occasionally from different directions. 'He must have these passages all over the house.' She fell, and fell. A few minutes later though the tunnel abruptly ended and she fell onto her back. "Ouch. Damn it!" Claire yelled. She snapped back to reality though and leaned in close to the hole, she listened for any disturbances. She didn't hear anything. 'What am I doing?' Claire thought. With that she got up and started to run. She ran around the corner and down the street occasionally running into people. She ran into someone when she had almost reached Gabe's. "Oh, I'm really sorry" she said helping the man up. "David?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"I came to help."
"Help with what?" Claire was still in shock that her friend came all the way from California. He slowly lifted her wrist. Her bracelet glowed from between his fingers.
"You know about it?!" She pulled her hand away. This was obviously the reaction he was expecting. He smiled broadly.
"Of course I know about it. Ian told me."
"What do you mean Ian told you?!" Claire was so shocked she almost completely forgot that she was supposed to running.
"You know, Ian. Your long time lover or something." He scowled at the thought of them.
"How do you know all of this? Have you been spying on me too?!"
"No nothing like that. Well, technically speaking..." he raised his hand and showed her his finger. On it wound a mass of silver and a little blue stone sat in the middle. But it wasn't just an ordinary stone. It was like the stone on Claire's bracelet. It shimmered alive as soon as he showed it to Claire.
"What the hell?" Claire said backing up a ways. From behind her she heard the sound of stamping feet charging down the sidewalk. She turned around to see Ian with a determined look on his face, and a dagger in his hand.
"Oh !#&!! " Claire muttered. "Look David love to chat, but I gotta go right now."
"But why?" asked David cocking his head questioningly to the side.
"I have a problem, I'll tell you more later. Bye." She started running down the street. She turned her head slightly to see how close Ian was. She also noticed though that David was right behind her.
"What are you doing?" she yelled back.
"Coming with you" he smiled playfully.
"Your not going anywhere with me!" Claire said running into an alleyway. She stopped halfway down it and turned to face David.
"You don't get it do you! Your life is in danger, and right now I don't have time to protect you!"
"You don't have to protect me I can protect myself!" he replied defensively. Claire stamped her foot on the ground. She looked up and noticed a fire escape but no ladder. Her bracelet glowed on her hand. She turned back towards him.
"You see where the alley goes?" she pointed down another 100 feet where the alleyway veered to the left.
"No actually I don't know where it goes but I assume it heads back towards civilization."
"Your right, it does, now go there and I'll distract Ian." She looked back up at the fire escape.
"No way! I'm going with you!"
"I wasn't giving you an option David, now go!"
"No!"
"Fine if that's the way your going to be." She picked him up and, gently as she could, threw him down the alleyway into a couple of trash bags. They covered him like she hoped. He tried to get out. She smiled and jumped up and onto the fire escape. David looked shocked.
"How did she do that?" he muttered.
Just then Ian ran into the alleyway. Claire's breath caught in her throat for just a second. Then she noticed David still struggling to get free from the trash bags.
"Hey Ian! Come and get me!" she screamed down. Ian looked up and smiled. Claire breathed a sigh of relief as Ian started running towards her. 'He didn't see David' she thought. She started running up the stairs to get to the nearest open window. Ian landed on the fire escape gracefully. He looked up to see how far she had gotten. He started running after her taking the stairs two at a time.
Claire soon found an open window and jumped through it. She found herself in a vacant room. She looked around quickly and made her way across the room to the door. More stairs. She decided to go up instead of down.
Ian launched himself into the room and listened carefully for any sounds. Claire was smart though and knew how her bracelet could help her. She had quietly mumbled to it to give her the quietness of a cat and it had gratefully obliged. Claire figured it probably didn't want to be lost again. It was a very possessive bracelet. Ian decided to go to the stairs anyway. He made his way across the room and also decided to go up.
Ian made his way swiftly and silently up the stairs. He ran his hand along the railing as he made his way up. About halfway to the roof his hand rang along some rope. 'This might come in handy' he thought to himself. He picked it up and put it over his shoulder.
Claire was almost to the roof. She burst through the door and ran to the side of the building. She looked down and then around for any close buildings. To her left, behind where she came out, was the closest building she could find. She ran to the edge and judged how far she would have to jump. It was going to be quite a ways. From behind her she heard the door open and she ran to hide behind the box that held the door. She could hear soft, even footsteps walking around the rooftop.
"Claire. I know your up here. There is no use hiding. I won't hurt you, bad." The footsteps continued but they were getting closer. Claire took a deep breathe and looked over at the other rooftop on the other building. 'Should I jump, or just face him?' she thought. She heard that Ian was by the door and that he would soon be on the other side. She decided to stay on the building but she would try and make it back inside and make her way down from there. She crept around the box slowly and quietly. She made it to the door and tried to open the door as quietly as possible but it didn't work that way. It squeaked loudly and Claire cursed under her breathe. She swung the door open fully and ran down the stairs. She knew she wouldn't get far before Ian caught up with her though.
She was right. She got to about the 5th floor before Ian caught up to her. He grabbed her arm forcefully and shoved her into another vacant room. She stumbled before she landed on the ground.
"Damn it! Why don't you just leave me and everybody else alone!" Claire was furious. Ian didn't say anything he just walked closer to her. He was obviously just as angry. His jaw was clenched and his eyes seemed to flash with fury. Claire stood up and glared at him. He took the rope off his shoulder and Claire tried to read his mind. She didn't get through. She stood her ground though.
"If you think I'm going to back down you are sadly mistaken!" she screamed. She looked down at her bracelet but it didn't do anything. It's fear was radiating off of it though. Unlike the Witchblade her bracelet had momentary lapses of timing sometimes. She tapped her hand but the bracelet didn't do anything. She looked back to talk some reasoning into Ian but he wasn't there. She looked around but didn't see him. Then, suddenly, from behind her a hand gripped her neck. He seemed to know exactly where to grab her because the feeling in her legs seemed to disappear.
"What are you doing?" she managed to say. Still Ian didn't reply. He simply wrapped the rope around her neck. Claire struggled to get the rope off but it didn't help and her bracelet was still dead to the world. Once the rope was around her neck Ian kicked her in the back to move. She did because at the moment it was the only thing she could do. They started down the stairs.
Sara, Ian and Gabriel stopped running long enough to catch their breaths.
"Damn it! We did it again! We just left her there!" Gabe's face was red but his mood was redder.
"We'll get her back Gabriel, don't worry" Sara said comfortingly putting her hand on his shoulder.
"You liar! That's what you said last time! Get away from me!" He threw her hand off his shoulder and stormed to the corner of the street. Sara sighed.
"He'll be ok" Ian said.
"I know" Sara replied. "But the hard thing is, he's right. We just left her there to die."
"You don't know she's going to die" he said. Sara looked at him in surprise.
"You mean you are underestimating your brother?"
"Yes I am" he said back.
"That means your underestimating yourself" she replied coyly.
"Yes.. I am" he said slowly putting his hands defeatedly on his waist. Sara smiled.
"Let's go find Claire" she said wrapping her arm into his.
Ian blushed and walked with Sara to catch up with Gabriel. The caught up with him right before he got into a cab. Ian grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back onto the sidewalk.
"Where do you think your going?" Sara asked.
"I'm going to get Claire back" he replied.
"How?" Ian asked. "She's probably escaped or.. yeah she must have escaped." He held back a tear. Claire looked at him sorrowfully.
Sara patted Ian's arm.
"I'm sure she's just fine." She smiled sweetly at him and she could feel him shiver in her arm.
"Are you cold?" She asked looking at him perplexedly.
"No it's just no one has smiled at me the way you just did" he smiled back at her. Sara almost melted. She had never seen him smile but she had tried to imagine it. It was better than she had thought. He had the rough face but his smile made him look like an angel. Gabe was still standing to the side watching what was happening between him. In a way he was happy for them. They seemed to be falling in love right before his eyes. On the other hand he was jelous and sad at the same time. He was jelous and sad because they were there together able to express there feelings without even saying a word, and he was stuck worrying over if he would ever be able to express his feelings to Claire, let alone ever see her again. He turned around to call another cab.
Gabriel waved his arm and whistled for another taxi.
"When you guys are done can we please go find Claire" he said being unduly harsh.
"Huh?" Sara said as she seemed to snap out of a trance.
"I said, can we go find Claire now?" he repeated with even more fierceness.
"Fine have it your way" Ian said.
"Where do you think she would be?" Gabriel asked looking out the window of the taxi.
"I have no idea. Maybe we should check back at Irons' place" Sara piped in.
"Yeah and if she's not there I think I know where else to look" Ian replied looking at Sara.
"Where?" said Gabriel looking at Ian suspiciously.
"Probably at Sara's apartment."
"Why would she go there?" Sara asked looking at Ian equally suspicious.
"He seems to think that your the reason that she's been away from him so long. That your the reason she isn't in love with him. In other words he's going to lure you there and try to kill you, and if he doesn't succeed he's going to kill her." Ian bent his head forward as he was ashamed of his brother.
"Oh" Sara said. She patted his arm and put her head on his shoulder.
"I won't let him hurt you" he said determined.
"I know" she smiled. "But I can defend myself you know." Ian smiled too.
"Have you both lost focus here! He's going to kill Claire! Hey driver! Hurry up!" The driver sped up and they were soon in front of Iron's vast mansion.
"I'll go in first" Ian said.
"I'll follow" Sara said. Gabriel just sighed.
When they got inside they went into the last place they saw Claire. Irons was sitting at the head of the table drinking wine. They could tell he had had quite a bit.
"Well, if it isn't Ian" Irons said standing up slowly.
"Hello Mr. Irons" Sara said moving up beside Ian.
"Oh I see" he said looking at how close Sara was to Ian. "You two have bonded, of course you know this was all my doing" he said. Sara raised an eyebrow and quietly laughed. 'Yeah, sure' she thought.
"Where's Claire?!" Gabe said pushing in between Sara and Ian.
"How should I know!" he yelled out. "All I know is that they left down the passageway. Ian probably caught up to her by now though."
"Where would he take her!" Gabriel said taking a step forward.
"Ah, brave angel Gabriel. Going to save the day are you? I don't think so kid. You don't have a chance! He'll crush your bones into a thousand pieces! Just like he'll do to Claire" he smiled an evil smile. Gabe was furious.
"You sick old man! Where the hell is she!" Sara grabbed him before he could charge at Irons.
"Calm down Gabriel. We'll check my apartment and go from there ok? Let's go." She pushed him towards the door. Ian followed behind slowly but stopped at the door.
"You know, you use to be my idol. Gabriel's right though. You are a sick old man." Sara walked in behind him and put her hand into his.
"Come on Ian, let's go find Claire." She smiled at Ian and he smiled back. Then he turned back to Irons.
"So how does it feel knowing I have everything you've ever wanted?" He turned to go.
"You don't have the Witchblade!" Irons screamed at him. Without turning around Ian replied.
"I never wanted it" and he walked out holding hands with Sara.
"Where are you taking me?" Claire said struggling to get the rope off her neck. Ian didn't answer. Claire struggled harder. They had exited the building and were now making their way down the alleyways near Sara's apartment.
"I said, where are you taking me!" Claire screamed and tugged the rope backwards.
"Where does it look like we're going." Ian scowled. He tugged the rope forwards and tightened his grip. He pulled the rope and put the rope around his knuckles until Claire was right behind him. Then he pulled out a pin from the back of his pants and dug it through the rope into his skin.
"Don't try anything. Your not going anywhere." Claire just stared in shock.
"You freakin' psycho! What the hell is your malfunction!" She tugged on the rope and Ian stopped and turned around to face her.
"If I have to drag you to the apartment I will." He glared at her. Claire pulled on the rope again. In one swift movement Ian kicked her kneecap.
"Damn it!" she screamed grabbing her knee. Then Ian picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He started walking towards Sara's apartment. Claire was in to much pain to struggle. She just hung limply over his shoulder holding her knee.
"Come on you guys, you can grope later! Pick up the pace!" Gabriel was running down the street towards Sara's apartment.
"We aren't groping Gabriel! Slow down, there's no rush. We do want to have the advantage of surprise!" She screamed down the street as loud as she could. She doubted that he could hear her though. Sara and Ian were running down the street holding hands.
"I have a better idea" Ian said stopping for just a second. In that second he reached over and picked Sara off her feet. He picked her up in his arms like he had when he first saw Claire. That brought a tear to his eye. He held it back though and started running again. Sara just smiled and relaxed in his arms. 'I know this isn't the right time for this but I have to admit, it's nice" she said to herself. She smiled. Gabriel looked back and frowned. He pushed himself harder. He knew he had to reach the apartment first. He didn't care about the element of surprise.
The stairs creaked as one person made their way up. From inside the apartment an oak front door flew forward swiftly and silently. It hit the floor landing as if it had hit a cloud. Boots crunched down on the wood as it grinded into the floor.
"Ahh" Ian said stopping to admire the apartment.
"Soon to be Home sweet Home." He smiled and took in the smells.
"Well, come on. You should enjoy a bath." He walked with Claire into the bathroom. He set her on the edge of the bath and turned the water on. Claire was still clutching her knee. She was also wincing in pain.
"Oh poor baby. Come hear let me see." He grabbed her knee forcefully and pulled it towards him. Claire whined and tried to get him away but the pain was to great and she fell back against the wall.
"Oh, did I do that" he said giving her the best puppy dog eyes he could.
"Shut up. Just shut up" she shot back.
"Don't be so tempermental babe. Loosen up." He smiled. Claire shivered.
"Since when are you the laid back easygoing type" she asked. Her forehead was starting to get sweaty. He looked up at her.
"Time for a bath, come here." He leaned her forward and started to remove her shirt.
"Get the hell off me!" she screamed desperately trying to push him away.
"Fine, undress yourself. But I'll be back after I'm done setting up."
"Setting up? Setting up what?" With that Ian got up and closed the door gracefully behind him. Claire finished undressing and slid slowly into the tub.
"What the hell am I doing?" she mumbled to herself. Then another searing pain went up her leg and she leaned back to try and enjoy the water.
Claire drifted into an uneasy sleep. She dreamt of the black of shadows. The unspeaking evil that lurks in the corner of everyone's mind. The fear that courses through everyone's veins. The picture of darkness itself. But she couldn't put a face to the darkness. Through her dreams crept a figure closer and closer. Watching her every move. She tried to move but she couldn't, it could smell her. She tried to run but it just got closer. She tried to scream, but it only echoed, no one answered. It was right behind her....
AHHHHHHHH!!! Claire woke up and found herself surrounded by pillows and soft silk sheets. A cold sweat poured down her face. She looked back to see the pillows a little ways away from her. She scrambled toward them for comfort.
'Where am I?' she thought to herself.
"Your still in Sara's apartment" Ian said coolly as he walked in and sat at the end of the bed.
"I must say though, you look absolutely fabulous wrapped up in those sheets." Claire quickly looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. 'At least I have clothes on' she thought. But then she froze. 'But how did I get these clothes on?' she looked up at him to see him smiling. She scowled and crinkled her face in dismay. Claire let go of the sheets and tried to stand up. Her leg hurt but she forced herself to stand anyways. 'At least he has good taste in clothes.' She was wearing another dress. Not the white one, and not the blue sundress though. This one was silk also. A black silk. It flowed as she walked and was snug but comfortable. It hung off of her shoulders ever so slightly. She hadn't even noticed but he was in a black tuxedo.
"I didn't even know you owned decent clothes" she scowled.
"Well, I've been full of surprises so far haven't I?" he smiled. 'He does have a nice smile' she thought. "What the hell am I saying?" she mumbled.
Gabriel finally made it to Sara's apartment. His heart raced with the anticipation that Claire was upstairs. He leaned over to catch his breathe grabbing his right side, then he looked back down the street to see Ian holding Sara running as fast as he could. He wasn't even red in the face. He set Sara down when he reached the bottom of the stairs outside the apartment.
"Are you ready?" Ian looked straight at Gabe.
"Of course I am! Let's go!" He started up the stairs but Ian stopped him.
"Don't try and be a hero. He isn't afraid to kill you."
"Look I don't care as long as Claire is ok."
"Yeah, well, you do something stupid and he'll kill her too... just remember that." Ian started up the steps but stopped for Sara. She was holding her head at the bottom of the stairs.
"Are you ok?" he asked in a worried tone. She didn't answer. He walked down a couple of steps and shook her shoulder.
"Sara? Are you ok?" She shook her head.
"What? Oh yeah I'm fine." She started walking up the steps. Gabriel followed and Ian held back. He looked up the building and noticed a fire escape. He looked at Gabe and Sara walking up the stairs and started climbing the fire escape. 'No matter what he says I know he's going to do something stupid' Ian said to himself. 'And I'm going to be there to save the day.' He secretly smiled to himself. Gabe and Sara soon reached the top of the stairs. Sara looked around for something to use for a weapon. She couldn't find anything. 'Damn' she thought.
"Ready Ian... Ian?" Sara looked around for Ian. He was no where to be seen. 'What the hell is going on?' she thought.
"I don't know" replied Gabriel.
"What did you say?"
"I said I don't know. As in I don't know what the hell is going on." He looked at her like she had 3 heads. She had the same look.
"I didn't say that out loud..."
"Oh." Was all Gabriel could say. Sara got ready to kick the door down. She shook what had just happened out of her head.
"Hold up" Gabriel said. He leaned close to the side of the door. He took his index finger and pushed it. It fell with a thud to the floor.
"Well there goes the surprise" Sara said.
"No. There goes the doubt of them not being here" Gabriel retorted. Sara walked in first with fists raised. Gabriel walked in slowly. They both stopped in the middle of the room. All around them was candles. The whole room was filled with them. A nice table was set and scents filled the nostrils every time they took a breathe.
"What the..." Sara trailed off.
"Nice of you to join us." Ian stepped out from a darkened corner. Sara put her fists up higher.
"Where's Claire?" Gabriel stepped forward.
"She's getting ready" he replied smugly.
"I want to see her."
"In due time" he replied. Gabriel took another step toward Ian.
"That will be far enough young Gabe" Ian said. He lifted up his jacket and pulled a gun from under it.
"Guns now huh? Well, that's certainly new." Gabriel stopped walking but he kept his eyes on the bedroom door and Ian the whole time.
"What, you figured out you couldn't kill anybody with your bare hands anymore." Sara looked back and forth between them. They both seemed surprisingly cool-headed. Ian laughed slightly.
"Don't think you can intimidate me Gabriel. I know all of your secrets." Gabriel's face tensed. He grew angrier.
"That's right. Kenneth told me. I know what you've been hiding from your "friends"." Gabriel started walking towards him again.
"I don't think so Gabriel. I know you don't have any sense for your own life, but what about Claire." He stepped into the bedroom and returned with Claire's arm in his own.
"Claire, are you ok?" Gabe asked with worry, and fear in his voice.
"She can't hear you right now. I don't think her bracelet had a very good effect on her earlier. Well, that and the drug I gave her." Gabriel started walking towards them until he was almost directly in front of Ian.
"No, no Gabriel. He pointed the gun at him but after seeing that didn't seem to make any difference. He pointed it at Claire. Gabriel stopped in his tracks. He put his arms up and backed away.
"Alright, alright. You made your point." He took a few steps back.
"Take a seat." Ian said pointing to a chair.
"You too Sara." Sara obliged and sat down.
