Chapter 7: Turning the Tables


"Alright. Come on now. Just a little more. Please! Now just turn this way; that's it..."


Claire was desperately trying to get out of the chair Darien had strapped her to. Fortunately for her, Darien was horrible at tying knots. After a few minutes of struggling she was able to get free.


"Kevin must have been the boy scout."


Carefully easing out of the chair, Claire made her way through the war zone which was once her lab, and reached the door. It wouldn't open.


"Oh, bum. Darien must have jammed the door somehow right after it closed. I should have figured he wouldn't have only tied me up. That man must be smarter than he makes himself out to be. Now, how am I... Ah ha!"


Claire spotted her radio. Darien had forgotten to smash it. She gingerly picked it up, hoping that no pieces were going to fall off of it as soon as it was moved. None did. It looked fine to her.


"Please work. Bobby? Are you there? Can you hear me?"


There was an agonizing moment of silence.


"I'm here Claire. Are you alright?" said a voice through the radio.


"Thank God. Bobby, he was here. Darien was here. He, he trashed my lab, my counteragent. I think he broke my wrist. I can't get out of the Keep either. He somehow jammed the door. You have to get here right away."


"I'm coming Claire. Just stay there, okay? Bobby Hobbes won't let you down, my friend. Trust me."


"Thanks Bobby. I'm going to try to reach Alex."


With that, Claire started to feel safer. She trusted Bobby. She knew he would never let her get hurt. She also now knew that he was still okay. It was time to check on Alex.


"Alex? Can you hear me? It's Claire. Please come in."


Silence.


"Alex? Are you there? Please respond. Alex?"


Still, no answer.


"Oh, crap."


Out of nowhere came a knock on the door. Claire jumped.


"Who is it? What do you want?"


"Claire? It's Bobby."


"Oh, Bobby. Thank God. I can't get out of here. Can you get the door un-jammed?"


"I think so. Hold on second. Stay back, just in case."


On the other side of the door Hobbes was fiddling with the wires on the security panel.


"Come on, sweetheart. Open up. That's it. Yes!"


The door opened. Bobby was shocked at what he saw. He had never seen the Keep in such a mess. Broken glass, spilled chemicals, a smashed chair... and the Keeper herself, bleeding, holding her wrist, and breathing heavily.


"Claire! Are you okay? Here let me help you. What did he do to you? Are you okay? Do you have any gauze or band-aids? Do you want me to help you? Here let me help you. Sit down. You should sit down. What did that monster do to you? I mean, the crazy Darien, I know the real Darien would never hurt you, but are you okay?"


Hobbes had never felt so concerned for another woman, except his ex-wife, Vivian.


"I'll be okay Bobby, really. I have some bandages in that cabinet over there. Be careful. Watch your step. The floor's a mess."


Hobbes made his way through the rubble and retrieved some gauze and other bandages from the cabinet. He then proceded to help Claire with her wrist."


"I can't reach Alex," Claire said ominously. "She won't respond. I'm afraid Darien has already gotten to her."


"Do you think he, uh, you know, killed her?"


"I'm not sure. All I do know is that he is capable of anything at this stage."


"What stage is he in? Not fifth yet is he? Please, not yet."


"No. He was close, but I think I bought us some time. I was able to inject him with about 1 to 2 cc of counteragent. It brought him back for only little bit. Within two minutes he was red-eyed again. However, the counteragent did bring the quicksilver level in his blood down. We need to find him now. We can't keep trying to get to him, we need him to get to us."


"Turn the tables on him, uh?"


"Exactly."


"That's why you're the scientist Claire. Always doing that smart thing; saving the day."


"The day's not exactly saved yet. We still need a plan."


They thought for a moment.


"Trap him," Bobby finally said. "We need to trap him somewhere. Somewhere away from the 'Fish's office. We can't let him get in there. Sorry to say, but Eberts isn't exactly the bodyguard type."


"A room down here would probably be best. Away from any exits to the outside, and away from windows. I don't think he wants to leave the building yet. He would have done that already, but just in case. You never know what he'll do when he's in a tight situation."


Claire and Hobbes stood and thought again for a few moments as Bobby finished helping Claire wrap up her wrist.


"What about the archives room? Only one door, no windows, no way for him to get to the outside.


"Perfect. How are we going to get him in there?"

"We are not going to do anything. You are going to stay somewhere safe, my friend. You're hurt enough as it is, and I don't want to see you hurt anymore. As for getting Fawkes, just leave that to Bobby Hobbes. I know what to do."


"Bobby, are you sure? I can help really."


"It would help me if you would go and stay locked in the Chief's office, and maybe if you gave me an extra thing of counteragent."


"Sure. Let me get it. There should be 3 vials left."


Claire made her way over to the refrigerator, which she thought had not been touched.


"Oh my God. It's gone. Darien, he... he must have destroyed the extra counteragent."


"Aw crap. I'll make sure to keep this one extra safe," Hobbes said, as he pat the shirt pocket the contained their last hope.


"The Official and Eberts always have there vials too."


"Well, there's nothing left to do now except flip those tables around, huh?


Hobbes and Claire left the lab and made their way into the Official's office. After making sure the door was securely locked, (which Hobbes thought really didn't matter with a thief roaming around), Hobbes decided to put his plan into action.


"Don't worry partner. I'll get the Fawkes I know back. Bobby Hobbes never bails on his partner."