6 – Aiding and Manipulating

6 – Aiding and Manipulating

As Kenneth Irons' personalized Cessna Citation Bravo flew gracefully through the air, Sarah Pezzini fought back apprehension, fearing how Jake's family would receive her. When Danny died his family had not looked kindly upon her. In her heart she understood that it wasn't because they blamed her, but rather that she was a cop, and like all cops would be a representation of everything dangerous about his occupation. At times, Danny had probably spent more time with her then with his family and now that he was dead, it wasn't them, but her in whose life he still remained. "It'll be ok Pez." Besides her she heard Danny's voice and rather then speaking to him she directed her thoughts at him. "I'm here because I have to be. Believe it or not you need me more then my family." He fell silent as she studied his reflection in her window, the next voice she heard was Ian's.

"Sarah, it is time to eat." Sarah wasn't hungry, but nodded anyway. At this point in time anything was better then the void within which her thoughts dangled.

***

Erik cursed his luck as he left the interview, things were definitely not going as planned, according to his superiors he needed to get into the computer mainframes of Excelsior Biotechnology's within the week. Six days ago Excelsior had sent a series of secured electronic messages to some of the most powerful men in the country, no one seemed able to crack the messages but someone had decoded a date. Unfortunately time was running short as a number of those men were scheduled to arrive shortly, desperate for information they had sent him to look for and obtain information – using any means possible. As things sometimes went however fate had played a game with him and now obtaining that information meant possibly betraying Onica, and more importantly learning that like him, she wasn't who she seemed to be.

For now though, what he had gotten would satisfy his employers at the news paper company in which he worked. He'd never been a reporter, and frankly it wasn't an occupation he wanted but it was a useful front, and for the moment it was one he definitely needed.

***

Kenneth picked at his food as Sarah pushed hers around her plate. His eyes were on her and hers were on the food. It could've been comical save for the intense glance of one and the tautness in the other. Finally Kenneth broke the silence, saying what had been on his mind the entire meal. "Sarah, would you please tell me what's wrong?"

"What?" Sarah's head snapped up in shock as she heard the question Irons asked. She wasn't so much bothered or surprised by what he said, rather his choice of words, not to mention the gentleness of his tone. "I mean, it's pretty obvious what's wrong. My partner is dead. My second partner in six months - is dead, do you even have to ask?" her words were laced heavily with sarcasm and despairing ire, oddly though Irons returned none of it.

"That's not what I meant Sarah, something more then loss is troubling your heart." He paused closing his eyes as if mentally feeling for something. "Something more like loneliness." Her eye's flashed, thinking that he was about to once again try to capitalize off of her loss, this time however she was wrong. "No Sarah, listen. You're not alone, you have many people there to comfort you, Elizabeth, Joan, Cathain, in fact you have Ian too, even me if you'd only let me break through. I know that you were close to – to my daughter. Closer then I was at least." Irons attempted a smile, but for once his mask of composure fell away and any remark Sarah would've made was cut off by the remorse she saw in his eyes. "Callie… how like her mother she is, she truly has the fire of a blade welder." Irons stopped, as if shaking off a feeling. "You can contact any one of them using the Witchblade Sarah. You can project a dream of experience one of theirs. Share a memory, or send a message. You're aware of this ability. Now you must learn to weld it. try closing your eyes, hold an image of the Witchblade in your mind, then an image of the person who's mind you want to touch, merge the two images if you can, then you must call out to them."

Sarah was dumbfound that Irons was giving her information without her having to badger it out of him, and dubious as she was, her need to learn control of the Witchblade was greater. Closing her eyes she did as instructed, reaching for the one person who might answer her questions. (Elizabeth…? I need your helpI need guidance… Elizabeth?) For a moment there was an impossible void of silence, then a voice. "I'm here Sarah, do not despair or grieve, instead be weary." Surprised, Sarah's concentration broke. So it had worked, her left hand automatically went to her wrist, rubbing the Witchblade through her sleeve.

"Was I -?" Sarah remembered whom it was she was speaking to as Irons eyes bore into her intently, and as they did so she suddenly lost her eagerness to speak. "Never mind, listen we only have about an hour until we land correct?" He nodded. "Then if there's a midair phone I can use I should probably make plans for after we land. I mean you picked me up at my apartment around 9:30 PM. We were stuck in traffic for an hour. At 11:00 we took off, so we should get to California around 5:00 a.m. give me half an hour to get from the airport to Capitola and I still have four hours to go until the funeral."

Kenneth nodded, he had expected this, and in fact he had already reserved the Princess suite for Sarah at the only hotel in town. "If you wish, however I have already made reservations for you at the Capitola Venetian Hotel. The cost is of course on me." Whatever bit of goodwill Sarah had felt for Irons' volunteering of information suddenly dropped out of the airplane.

"Right. What the hell made you think I'd follow plans you made for me?" Sarah glared as Irons smiled with the natural arrogance he wore far too well.

"Because it's the only hotel short of Santa Cruz, and unfortunately at this time of year finding a room will be difficult." Sarah didn't reply. Instead she spent the rest of the flight thinking up ways to kill or further maim Kenneth Irons.