Devil's Silver #8 Uninvited Prologue

Devil's Silver #8 Uninvited Prologue

By Carol M.

Summary: Old enemies return to take revenge against Darien and the rest of the under-funded six

Spoilers: MFN 1 and 2, maybe BK

Rating: Next few parts are PG

Disclaimer: Still don't own em

Quick Recap on Wicked Game: Chrysalis and Arnaud teamed up. They faked Claire's death so they could use her to fix the quicksilver gland. Arnaud double crossed Chrysalis and got Elizabeth Rendell inside the Agency so she could get PET scans of Darien's gland. In the end, Hobbes killed Stark, Darien rescued Claire, and Arnaud made off with the PET scans without the Agency being the wiser. One little hitch in the plan, however; Arnaud was stuck in jail.

Three Months before Teaser

"You are the dancing queen, la la la, only seventeen. Hm hm hm hm hm hm, la, la, la . You are the dancing queen, la la la la."

"Will you please shut up!"

Huiclos looked over at Arnaud with a hurt expression on his face. Arnaud merely rolled his eyes and curled onto his side, trying to get comfortable on his prison issued cot.

"Arnaud, you need to calm down. Things are not so bad," said Huiclos as he got out of his own cot and picked out a book to read from a small shelf. He walked back to his bed and sat down heavily.

"You're a fool brother. Look at us, we're both locked up like animals," growled Arnaud as he looked around the prison cell he shared with his brother. Sensors covered the whole room, allowing the guards to monitor Arnaud when he decided to take off his mask. The silver bars that held him captive in the cell seemed to laugh at him, mocking his feelings of isolation and capture.

Things had not gone exactly as planned. Arnaud had figured that he would be able to convince one of the guards to assist in his escape from prison, but he had had no such luck. Even the offer of several million dollars had not persuaded them. He was stuck like a rat in a cage and he hated it.

With a heavy sigh, Arnaud reached under his cot and pulled out a letter he had received from Elizabeth several weeks earlier.

Arnie,

Things are well. The store is open for business and there are many interested customers. Will keep you informed and try to work out a plan for you. I miss you, darling.

Love, Elizabeth

Arnaud folded the letter back up and put it back under his bed. At least my scheme is working, he thought. Elizabeth had used Darien's PET scans that she had stolen from the Agency to figure out how to properly construct and install the gland into the next eager host, eliminating the problem of permanent invisibility. She had also discreetly put out feelers to all of those interested in buying a quicksilver gland. The customers were quickly lining up.

Arnaud wanted out of his cell. He wanted to be visible and he wanted to be at the helm of the scheme that he had cooked up all those years ago. But the damn bars on the wall were preventing all of that from happening.

Dejected, he put his face in his pillow, wallowing in pity. He heard Huiclos singing again and had to cover his ears to avoid the annoying sound.

There was one bright spot in the whole debacle. Arnaud had managed to keep Darien Fawkes and his partner two steps behind him. The Agency had discovered Darien's PET scan files had been stolen and had also realized that the Kara Vore they had been dealing with had been an imposter. But by the time they figured all of this out, Elizabeth was safely tucked away in a place they would never find her. Darien and Bobby had come to question Arnaud with Darien almost pounding the truth out of him, but he had given them nothing. It was a small, but important victory.

Arnaud was just about to fall into a light sleep when he heard the heavy tapping of feet coming from outside his cell.

"De Phon, you have a visitor," yelled one of the guards.

"Which one?" asked Huiclos with a bit of excitement.

"Arnaud," replied the guard.

Huiclos shoulders sank. "Oh," he said softly.

Arnaud got off his bed and shook his head at Huiclos. "Honestly brother, who would visit you?" he asked.

Huiclos responded by burying his face in the book he had been reading.

Arnaud rolled his eyes and let the guard handcuff him and lead him out of the cell. He was walked down a short hallway before he was stopped in front of the visiting room. The guard shoved Arnaud in the room and turned on the thermal detection system that had recently been installed.

"Ten minutes," said the guard as he left the room.

Arnaud focused his eyes on the five or six well-dressed men standing around the room. He regarded them with confusion. "Who the hell are you?" he asked as he sat down in one of the chairs.

One of the men took out a small object and through it at Arnaud. The object landed in Arnaud's lap. Arnaud looked down and saw that it was a model of a double helix. His head snapped up. "Chrysalis," he muttered. "Chrysalis is gone, destroyed," he said, almost in a panic.

One of the suits stepped forward and shook his head. "Oh no, no, Chrysalis is far from gone, Mr. De Phon. In fact, the future is looking quite bright," he said.

"Oh well, that's good," said Arnaud, absentmindedly. "What does Chrysalis's future have to do with me?"

"We understand that you were involved with some negotiations with our late leader, Jared Stark. Invisibility gland, I believe, is that right?" asked the man as he stepped towards Arnaud.

Arnaud nodded. "Yes, that's right. We were working together, trying to figure out how to get the gland to function properly," he responded, not letting the man see the slight fear building inside him.

The man smiled. "Cut the crap, Mr. De Phon. We know about Dr. Rendell. We know about the little gland store you two are about to open up," the man said coldly. "We also know what a piece of double crossing foreign slime you are.

Arnaud smiled. "If you're trying to flatter me, you're not doing a very good job," he said nervously.

The man grinned. "Why don't I just get to the point of this little visit. All of our data concerning the gland was destroyed in the showdown with the Agency. That leaves us very empty handed and I for one don't like that. So, it's pretty simple, we overlook your little betrayal and give you a little money, and in return, you install a gland into one of our men," he said.

Arnaud raised his eyebrows. "Really? Well it's gonna cost you," he said.

"Oh, money will not be an issue. We are rebuilding Chrysalis into a bigger, better organization, and this invisible agent will be invaluable in building that future," the man answered.

"How nice," said Arnaud coolly.

The man stuck his hand out, then jerked it back when he realized that Arnaud was handcuffed. "Do we have a deal, Mr. De Phon?" he asked, the slightest bit of desperation in his tone.

Arnaud smiled smugly at the man. "Yes, I believe we do. You can make arrangements with my associate, Dr. Rendell. I trust you know how to contact her."

The man nodded, relieved. "Of course," he said, motioning the other men to leave. He looked at Arnaud thoughtfully. "You know, it's a shame you're stuck in here, unable to enjoy all the riches of your little scheme."

Arnaud raised his eyebrow. "You wouldn't want to help an innocent terrorist like myself escape now, would you, Mr…?"

"Roberts. Troy Roberts," he said, smiling. "No Mr. De Phon, we'll give you all the money you want, but this little prison sabbatical is your problem."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Arnaud.

Troy walked to the door. "I wish you good luck," he said.

"Yes, it was a pleasure doing business with you," said Arnaud coolly.

Troy walked out the door, and Arnaud's face lit up in a smile. Things were definitely looking up.

TBC