As David stepped out of Peter Gould's house with directions to "get rid of
Jacob Castellane," he felt so overwhelmed, he thought he might drop. His
job was not to kill people, he was a legal clerk! He swallowed the vomit
that was threatening to come up his throat.
"I guess it would be dumb to ask directions to his house," he mumbled to himself as he headed toward 5th Avenue.
He circled the house twice before gathering enough courage to go in. He decided on the least invasive entry, and climbed the stone wall that bordered the gardens. He was pleasantly surprised to land noiselessly in a patch of mud. And slightly more surprised that he was glad to land in mud.
Before he could even survey his position within the walls, he had to stop shaking. David closed his eyes and leaned up against the cool damp wall, and prayed for courage. And to stop the damn shaking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie's luck had run out. Whoever had just jumped the wall had landed between her and the gate. She certainly couldn't afford to attract any attention to herself. The count already wanted to kill her, and now this suspicious man in the bushes.. She sunk to the ground in defeat and pressed her face into her dirty hands. She knew then that Mush was dead. She knew then that she'd be caught trespassing here. She knew then that it was all over.
The count snapped out of his daydream when he heard her hit the ground. He defensively brought his hand to his pistol as he rounded a boxwood, and came upon the pitiful sight. Relaxing his hand, he grinned wickedly, "Come back for more, did you?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
David had always been raised a gentleman, so the presence of this girl made the idea more disturbing to him. A lady should never have to see such atrocities. He fumbled with the pistol Gould had given him. Maybe if he waited for a few minutes, she'd go back inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia slipped outside when the count crossed to the back gate of the garden. She focused on his back and tried to stay silent. He was speaking to Mush's girlfriend, but she only heard a word here and there. She moved closer.
".up..stop..trespassing..whore.."
At the word "whore," something snapped inside her and she pulled her dagger. She took half a step towards the count, when suddenly she was in mid air. Something gagged her and pulled her backward. She fell on her back, on top of someone, rolled forward over herself, and landed back on her knees - looking down at Race, who was still on his back in front of her. But before either could speak, a gunshot fired. Smoke filled the small garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
David was bleeding, but in his shock, he couldn't figure out what was bleeding. He has seen Castellane turn and look him straight in the eye before pulling out his gun and firing.
Why wasn't I ready? Who would shoot in front of a lady? And where the hell am I bleeding from? He focused enough to figure out it was just his shoulder.
Now how the hell was he going to get out alive?
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Whoever was in the bushes was undoubtedly with this wench, the count assumed. He grabbed Sadie by her arm. "Is that your boyfriend? He tries to protect your reputation? Ha!" he spoke in his thick French accent.
Mush. Mush was dead. Otherwise he'd be here. What is there left to lose? If she was going to die, she most certainly wasn't going to die a coward. Sadie's eyes dried.
She pulled her arm from the count. She tore open her blouse, so only her corset was left covering her. She put her hand over the count's and pulled the cold steel of the gun's muzzle to her bare skin.
"Shoot me, you son of a bitch." She met his eyes. "I said shoot!" she screamed into his face.
"You so much as scratch 'er an' you'll wish I 'ad already killed ya," a voice came from somewhere in the smoke filled garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spot didn't have a gun. But if this bastard shot Sadie, he wouldn't need one. They would find the count's body floating unceremoniously down the Hudson. "Didja 'ear me?"
But the count wasn't looking at either Sadie or him. Spot recognized the bright wide eyed look of pure fear in Castellane's eyes. The second shot surprised him, and he dove, taking Sadie down with him.
He half expected to see Timmy appear out of the smoke. He would never have expected to see who he did see, with a smoking gun, and wild eyes.
"My God! Davey!"
Spot watched in utter confusion and awe as David, bloody and limping, walked over to the count, who laid on the ground just a few feet away. David spit on Castellane's body and said, "Glad I got to do the honors."
"Shit! You guys! We got to get the fuck out of here!" Race chimed in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I guess it would be dumb to ask directions to his house," he mumbled to himself as he headed toward 5th Avenue.
He circled the house twice before gathering enough courage to go in. He decided on the least invasive entry, and climbed the stone wall that bordered the gardens. He was pleasantly surprised to land noiselessly in a patch of mud. And slightly more surprised that he was glad to land in mud.
Before he could even survey his position within the walls, he had to stop shaking. David closed his eyes and leaned up against the cool damp wall, and prayed for courage. And to stop the damn shaking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sadie's luck had run out. Whoever had just jumped the wall had landed between her and the gate. She certainly couldn't afford to attract any attention to herself. The count already wanted to kill her, and now this suspicious man in the bushes.. She sunk to the ground in defeat and pressed her face into her dirty hands. She knew then that Mush was dead. She knew then that she'd be caught trespassing here. She knew then that it was all over.
The count snapped out of his daydream when he heard her hit the ground. He defensively brought his hand to his pistol as he rounded a boxwood, and came upon the pitiful sight. Relaxing his hand, he grinned wickedly, "Come back for more, did you?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
David had always been raised a gentleman, so the presence of this girl made the idea more disturbing to him. A lady should never have to see such atrocities. He fumbled with the pistol Gould had given him. Maybe if he waited for a few minutes, she'd go back inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ophelia slipped outside when the count crossed to the back gate of the garden. She focused on his back and tried to stay silent. He was speaking to Mush's girlfriend, but she only heard a word here and there. She moved closer.
".up..stop..trespassing..whore.."
At the word "whore," something snapped inside her and she pulled her dagger. She took half a step towards the count, when suddenly she was in mid air. Something gagged her and pulled her backward. She fell on her back, on top of someone, rolled forward over herself, and landed back on her knees - looking down at Race, who was still on his back in front of her. But before either could speak, a gunshot fired. Smoke filled the small garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
David was bleeding, but in his shock, he couldn't figure out what was bleeding. He has seen Castellane turn and look him straight in the eye before pulling out his gun and firing.
Why wasn't I ready? Who would shoot in front of a lady? And where the hell am I bleeding from? He focused enough to figure out it was just his shoulder.
Now how the hell was he going to get out alive?
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Whoever was in the bushes was undoubtedly with this wench, the count assumed. He grabbed Sadie by her arm. "Is that your boyfriend? He tries to protect your reputation? Ha!" he spoke in his thick French accent.
Mush. Mush was dead. Otherwise he'd be here. What is there left to lose? If she was going to die, she most certainly wasn't going to die a coward. Sadie's eyes dried.
She pulled her arm from the count. She tore open her blouse, so only her corset was left covering her. She put her hand over the count's and pulled the cold steel of the gun's muzzle to her bare skin.
"Shoot me, you son of a bitch." She met his eyes. "I said shoot!" she screamed into his face.
"You so much as scratch 'er an' you'll wish I 'ad already killed ya," a voice came from somewhere in the smoke filled garden.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Spot didn't have a gun. But if this bastard shot Sadie, he wouldn't need one. They would find the count's body floating unceremoniously down the Hudson. "Didja 'ear me?"
But the count wasn't looking at either Sadie or him. Spot recognized the bright wide eyed look of pure fear in Castellane's eyes. The second shot surprised him, and he dove, taking Sadie down with him.
He half expected to see Timmy appear out of the smoke. He would never have expected to see who he did see, with a smoking gun, and wild eyes.
"My God! Davey!"
Spot watched in utter confusion and awe as David, bloody and limping, walked over to the count, who laid on the ground just a few feet away. David spit on Castellane's body and said, "Glad I got to do the honors."
"Shit! You guys! We got to get the fuck out of here!" Race chimed in.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*