9 – Illusion or Betrayal?
Pictures lay haphazardly all around Sarah, still dazed she sat on the bed staring blanking down at them. "You'd better pick those up you know." Not even bothering to look at him Sarah did as Danny told her too gathering the pictures together and placing them back into the felt bag. There were sixty of them at least. All were photos of her and Irons, in his office, his home, restaurants, etc. All were taken from a good distance by a high resolution and probably high tech camera.
"Who took these?" Sarah's voice was angry but simultaneously detached, someone had been following her and she had never known, as a cop that was unacceptable. It rudely brought to light the fact that Sarah depended on the Witchblade rather then her own senses, and that more then anything scared her. "Was it someone Irons hired?" Danny moved so that he was in front of her, she lifted her eyes to him, and saw him shake his head then reached out his hand and touched the Witchblade bringing a memory before her eyes.
Sarah slammed the folder shut and placed it on top of the others ones that lay on Jake's coffee table. "Done!" stretching slightly she then fell backward onto the carpet. "I can't believe how long that took." Besides her Snowflake took this as a sign that she wanted to play and promptly jumped onto her stomach. Walking up her body then swiping a paw across her hair.
"Meow?" Snowflake tilted her head and looked at Sarah as if asking, 'what are you doing? I want to play.' Sarah laughed, sitting up she made a sudden scramble to grab Snowflake as the kitten began to slide down her front. Behind them Sarah could hear Jake's laughter as the snapping of a Camera lens followed it. Sarah turned around suddenly at sound, causing Snowflake to once again slip and meow in irritation, which in turn prompted Jake to take another photo.
"What are you doing?" Comes out from Sarah admits a giggle as Snowflake jumps at Jake only to slip and fall backward then rub her paw near her face as if to ask 'what just happened?'
"Taking a photo of course, people would lock me in a cage and throw away the key if I told them you were playing with a kitten. If I have a proof however they might stop for a second and decide to just send me to an asylum." Jake himself had trouble believing that this playful woman in front of him was Sarah Pezzini, most likely the toughest cop in the NYPD.
"You aren't telling anyone anything McCarty." Sarah threw a glare his way then turned back to playing with Snowflake. "Besides it's your own fault. If you hadn't given her to me for Christmas I wouldn't be doing this and you wouldn't have to worry about people questioning your sanity." Then smiling without looking at him she added. "Besides, I'd take that camera and throw it into on coming traffic before you got the chance."
Jake put his hands up in an 'I surrender gesture'. "Tell you what, I'll give you this Camera and let you take a picture of anything you want and cook dinner. Then we'll call it even. What do you say." Sarah paused as if to consider then nodded and put her hand out for the camera, with some hesitation Jake handed it over then headed towards the kitchen.
Sarah studied the camera in her hands, and saw that only one picture remained. "Hey Jake, do you mind if I ask you what's on this film." Jake had his back turned to her and Sarah couldn't really see him but she could have sworn he froze and tensed for a second. He turned around slowly and looked her in the eye, walking backwards he mouthed one word.
"You."
When Danny moved his hand Sarah was more confused then ever. "Jake? But why would he?" she glanced at the Witchblade and looked up to find Danny gone. For a few minutes she became lost in thought, a knock on the door however ended her reverie. Sarah quickly picked up the felt bag, sticking it into her overnight before shouting "Come in." to whoever was at the door.
Irons wheeled himself in with Ian closely behind him. "Sarah, you missed out lunch date." Glancing at the Clock Sarah saw that he spoke the truth. It was now two o'clock. Some how time had slipped forward half an hour. She opened her mouth to speak but Irons was faster. "It's alright. It's been a trying day. Would it be alright for you if we started for the airport in half an hour?" Sarah nodded, surprised that Irons was being so understanding. He smiled then left, behind him Ian lingered for a second as if to say something. Then changed his mind and left. As Sarah puzzled over this, the question of why Irons wanted to leave so soon crossed her mind, but in the turmoil of her confusion it quickly became lost amid the roar of chaos that seemed to churn through her entire being.
***
Dovidi D'angitino was the embodiment of calm as he stared out of the window in his penthouse that overlooked the beach. Inside however he was filled with worry and doubt. In less then a day one of the Giamano's would arrive, it seemed that none of his men could find out which one it was and that worried him. Too much of his plan rode on what would happen then, too many of his carefully laid plans might be snagged on the events that unfolded. In his favor he had the support of one of the most powerful men in the world. Against him he had the Giamano's. His father had chosen to make allies of them rather then enemies but Dovidi was not his father. He didn't just want to keep the family enterprise he wanted to expand it, and now the old man's mistake might cost him dearly.
Dovidi stared hard at the ocean and sand below him in the distance he saw two people sitting on the beach. From his vantage-point he could see the ocean, the stars, and the few far scattered people on the beach, in essence he saw everything. He wished that it were the same with his business, to see all is to know all. And Knowledge well manipulated always meant power.
I'll have to insist upon more reviews you know… though I thank an unnamed few greatly for their consistency I hope that they aren't the only ones reading this. Oh yeah, and a note to one those unnamed… just how long exactly are you going to make us wait for the next chapter of Dreams?
