Chapter 12



"I can't believe he would stoop this low."

"It's my fault," Gabriel said. "I should have let you stayed."

"Don't this to yourself, Gabe," Sara told him firmly. "You couldn't have known."

"But I should have. I'm supposed to protect him, and I couldn't."

Renee hadn't said a word since it had happened. Now she spoke up. "Gabriel, you couldn't have stopped him. You tried. I tried. We couldn't." She broke down into tears again.

Gabriel grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Donovan, who had been leaning against the wall listening, stepped in front of him. "Where are you going?" He demanded.

"To save my son," he replied in a determined voice. Gabriel tried to walk around him, but he continued to block his way. "Get out of my way!" He tried to remain calm, but wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"No you're not. You're not thinking. You'll go running in and not be thinking, and you'll be killed. Your son will still be gone, and your wife will be left alone. Is that what you want?"

The determined look remained on the younger man's face. Donovan's expression remained unchanged as well. The men fought a silent battle of wills for several minutes. Then, Renee walked up behind Gabriel and said, "Please, Gabe. I don't want you to be killed."

He let out a long sigh and turned around engulfing her in his arms. She began to shake, but tried to hold the tears back. Sara saw the misery Irons was causing her friends. She practically ran out the door. Donovan stared after her then followed muttering, "Doesn't anyone around here know how to think first?"

Gabriel put his arm around Renee's shoulder and led her down the hall to the bedroom. He got her into bed, and she was instantly asleep, exhausted from crying and worrying about her son. Pulling the blankets up over her shoulders, he bent down and kissed her forehead then straightened up. Before leaving, he whispered, "I'm sorry." Gabriel picked up his coat and walked out the door.

*******

Ian watched from the shadows as Sara and Donovan walked into the mansion. She had told him to stay at the apartment, but he had come anyway. He knew that this would be the final showdown with Irons. He slipped through the doors behind them.

They hadn't gone very far when Sara stopped and looked to the side. Donovan's gaze turned with hers, but he couldn't see anything. She saw Danny standing there with his hair pulled back. He was also dressed in traditional Chinese regalia. He gave her a brief nod, then he was gone again.

She continued walking until they came to large, double doors. They were ornately designed like everything else in the mansion. The doors slowly swung open. Donovan started to pull his gun, but Sara touched his arm stopping him. No one was standing in the open doorway. She walked cautiously forward, then stopped. The large room was empty. The red stone on her bracelet was swirling angrily, and it made her think to glance up at the balcony.

*******

Kenneth Irons had been looking at the baby when he heard the front doors open. He stood there until he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. He stepped out onto the balcony as Sara and Donovan walked through the large doors. He saw her glance up, and he stepped to where she could see him. "It's nice to see you again, Sara. What is it that you want?" He asked with a knowing smile.

"You know why I'm here," she snapped back at him.

"Of course I do. But I must admit you weren't the one I was expecting."

"Who were you . . ." she started to ask, then heard footsteps behind her. As she started to turn around, Sara heard Irons say, "Ah. There he is. How are you, young Gabriel?"

He was startled for a moment, then his temper overtook him. "You bastard," he hissed through his teeth. "You had me taken from my family, then do the same to my son. And you have the nerve to ask how I am. You're a miserable, self-absorbed, manipulative bastard."

"I helped you to your destiny."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He started walking down the stairs that led from the balcony to the floor where they were standing. As he descended, he spoke. "You come from an old line. A young man from that line has always been chosen to serve the blade by providing its wielder with information. I put you someplace where you could do this."

"You think you can decide someone's destiny?" Gabriel's face was red with anger and disbelief.

Irons didn't look at him, instead directing his attention behind them. "This is becoming quite a reunion," he said as Ian stepped out of the shadows. "Glad you came back, Ian."

"I did not come back for you, sir," he replied with a hint of disgust. "I came back to make sure you didn't mess with anyone else's life."

"I'm trying to enhance his life as I did yours."

"You did not enhance it. You ruined it." His voice was low and calm, but it held a menacing tone.

He had never spoken to him like that, and it took the old man by surprise. Before he could recover, Gabriel spoke up. "Just give my son back. That's all I want."

Irons turned his attention back to the young man. "Boy, you don't understand. You need to look at the big picture."

"I don't care about the big picture!" He was losing control of his temper again. "I just want my son back."

Irons turned back to the steps and started to walk up to the balcony. When he reached it, his head lowered in a nod, but it wasn't directed at any of them. A man walked out with Peter in his arms. Gabriel started forward, but Ian stopped him as another man stepped out of the shadows. Ian took several steps until he had reached him. He was startled to see a mirror image of himself. Before he could recover, the other one backhanded him. He returned a blow, and they continued to fight for several long minutes. Each move one would make was blocked by the other. Finally, Ian landed a blow, and the clone fell to the floor stunned.

He walked slowly to the stairs like a cat stalking its prey. When he stepped onto the first step, lights started flashing. Ian's body went rigid, then he fell to the floor convulsing with seizures. Sara and Gabriel just looked at him not sure what was happening. As soon as the lights stopped, his body twitched a few times then was still.

*******

Renee slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping. The last thing she remembered was Gabriel pulling the blankets up around her. Swinging her feet to the floor, she stood up and walked out of the room. When she didn't see Gabriel in the living room, Renee hurried into the kitchen with a panic rising in her chest. He wasn't in there either. She tried to swallow her fear, but it wouldn't stay down. She walked slowly back into the living room and stood there unsure of what to do. She knew where he had gone, but didn't want to believe it.

She noticed that his coat and the car keys were gone. Sinking to her knees on the floor, Renee broke down into tears. "First my son. Then my husband," She said through the sobbing. She tried to wipe the tears away, but they continued to come. Finally, she stood up, stumbled to the bathroom, and splashed water on her face. Then she walked back into the living room. Stepping into the hallway, she closed the door behind her.

*******

Gabriel started forward, but the other Ian grabbed his arms, restraining him. He was struggling to get away, but it was useless. He stood still and didn't fight the tears he didn't want to come. He had failed. He had failed both his son and Renee. He had come to save his son, but wasn't able to. He couldn't protect them, and the thought of anything happening to either of them was killing him.

The clone let go of his arms and spun him around in one fluid motion. "I could kill you, boy," he said in a sinister tone as he sent a fist into Gabriel's stomach. Then, his foot connected with the same spot.

The young man's face went white with fear and pain. He took a step back to give himself a chance to fight back. He didn't get that chance though. His assailant's foot connected solidly with his chin. Gabriel fell onto his back, and the wind was knocked from him. When he had recovered it, he struggled to his feet and was instantly knocked down again. This went on for a minute until Gabriel only had enough strength to get to his knees. The clone pivoted on one foot and landed a kick against the side of his head. He fell and didn't move.

He lifted Gabriel by his shirt, but the boy's body hung limp. Sara saw what the clone had done to her friend, and the witchblade went onto full gauntlet form as she stepped forward. He grabbed a sword from the floor, and they battled back and forth for several minutes. The clone would advance on her. Then, she would push him back.

Suddenly, Sara heard a choked cry behind her and involuntarily turned her head. Renee was standing in the doorway staring at Gabriel's still form. She started to run forward, but Donovan grabbed her to stop her. She tried to pull away, and when she couldn't, she started beating her fists against his chest in anger and frustration. He pulled her close to him and held her in a comforting fatherly way.

Using Sara's distraction to his advantage, the clone swung the sword at her head. Warned by the witchblade, she spun around and thrust the blade forward. He jumped out of the way causing her to lose her balance. The blade suddenly retracted, and she stared at it astonished. He came at her again, but she quickly rolled over one shoulder out of the way.

She came up behind a chair and used it as a shield against his next attempted blow. She glared down at the bracelet and hissed, "Damn this thing! Why isn't it working?"

She glanced around and noticed a piece of an iron bar laying on the floor. She blocked his thrust and brought the bar around hitting him on the shoulder. He stumbled, then came after her again. The blade decided to come back to life at this time. She stopped his attack and countered with her own. They continued to fight back and forth for several minutes. Finally, Sara caught his arm with the edge of the blade and drew blood.

His sword nicked her upper arm with his next attack, and she gasped in pain and surprise. She ignored the pain and thrust her sword forward. It slid through his flesh. She withdrew it, and he fell to the floor. His hands were clasped over the wound and there was a look of pure horror on his face realizing his life was seeping out of the hole in his stomach. This only lasted for a few minutes. Then, he was dead.

Peter, who had been crying since the clone had first attacked Gabriel, suddenly quieted only sniffling every now and then. Donovan let Renee go, and she ran up the stairs taking them two at a time. She grabbed her son from the man and hugged him to her chest. She held him like that until she could feel the tap of his small fists against her chest. She loosened her hold and kissed his forehead.

Sara had been right behind her on the stairs. Now she stood facing Irons. "You're going to pay for all you've done," she hissed through clenched teeth. She lifted the blade and placed the point against his throat. She was so full of rage that she didn't see the dagger he was holding by his side. He brought it up to stab her, and she barely saw it in time.

The dagger glanced off of the gauntlet, then Sara knocked it from his hand. He backed up and knocked over a chair. Losing his balance, Irons tumbled to the floor. She put the point of the blade against his chest just as he started to push himself up. "You're under arrest for . . ." she started to say. Then, the blade pierced his heart. His body fell limp.

Sara just stared down into his lifeless eyes. Then, she sighed in relief to know that it was finally over, and the blade retracted. She turned her head when she heard Peter start to make cooing noises. She grinned at him then started back toward the stairs. Renee followed and went straight to Gabriel's side. He was breathing, and she took his hand in hers. His eyes slowly opened. She put her finger over his lips to silence him when he tried to speak. "Hush," she said. "Everything's fine. Everything's going to be all right."

Sara was kneeling beside Ian feeling for a pulse. It was there beating steady and strong. She sighed in relief again. His eyes opened, and he struggled to a sitting position. She put her hand on his shoulder for a second. Irons had done that many times, but her touch held something different. Grabbing his hand, she helped him to his feet. "Can you walk?" She asked him.

He nodded and started shakily toward the door. Sara and Donovan put their arms under Gabriel's shoulders and helped him to stand. They walked slowly and carefully to the door. Still, every step sent sharp pains through his battered body. Renee followed close behind with Peter in her arms.

*******

After the doctor had looked at Ian, he told them that it was okay for him to go home as long as he took it easy. He, however, didn't think that Gabriel should be moved again yet. "He really took a beating," the doctor told them. "He has some broken ribs and a hairline crack in his jaw. And there's that nasty gash on his head. What happened?"

Renee and Sara exchanged a glance, then the younger girl looked back at the doctor. Forcing a grin, she replied, "You know Gabriel, Doctor. He still hasn't learned how to stay out of trouble."

The doctor chuckled at this. "Yes, that does seem to be true. Well, he should be all right to go home in a day or two."

"Thanks, Doctor."

When he had left, Sara turned to her and said, "I should probably take Ian home so he can get some rest. Will you be all right?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

Sara nodded and left the room. Renee looked down at the sleeping baby she held in her arms. "Yes, we'll be fine, Mic," she said.

*******

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, to Mic. Happy birthday to you," the four people sang happily to the newly turned one year old. He giggled at their out of tune voices and clapped his little hands together. "Hawp Bifday," he said and giggled again.

Renee came back in from the kitchen carrying a cake with a single candle in the middle of it. It was burning as she set it down on the table. The four adults leaned over and blew out the flame. Peter clapped his hands and giggled again.

Gabriel stood up and put his arm around Renee's shoulder as Sara started cutting the cake. He squeezed his wife's shoulder, then leaned closer to her. Her lips parted and met his in a tender kiss.





The End