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Chapter Eight
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Chloe walked out on to the small balcony and looked out into the streets of Venice. She laid her hands on the black iron railing and sighed loudly. Brady's footsteps sounded on the floor behind her and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her close to him. His lips grazed her neck and then moved up to give her a kiss on the cheek. She melted into his arms, trying to enjoy just one moment of peace together while they still could.
"I love this city... I just... I wish we were here on vacation, and not for the reasons we're really here."
Brady nodded in agreement and gave her another kiss, this one on the temple. "I know. I know... But, we will be back here again in the future, and for happier reasons, I'm sure. Don't you worry about it..."
Chloe turned around in his arms and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. She ran her fingers through his blonde hair and smiled at him. "Oh Brady... I know that there are no guarantees in life, but..."
"You wish there were. I know... But the good news is that you and I are going to be far too busy to actually have time to worry. We've got to figure out what we're doing..."
"You mean you don't have a plan yet, Action-Man?"
Brady chuckled and rolled his eyes as he let go of her. He took her by the hand and led her back into their room. "I have an outline of a plan. There are just a few things you and I need to go over."
They paused in front of the bed and Brady moved to unzip his black suitcase that was lying on the edge of the bed. Chloe's forehead wrinkled up in confusion as she watched him. "Thing we need to go over? What kind of things?"
Brady threw back the top of the suitcase and pulled out a black case that was resting among his clothes. He opened it up and pulled out two guns, one smaller than the other. Chloe took a step backwards as her blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Brady... I don't remember packing those."
"Because you didn't. I did. They were presents from my dad... Something to take on our trip." He handed the smaller one to Chloe and she reluctantly took it from his hand. "This one is for you."
She held it delicately, her heart pounding faster at the feel of the cold steel resting in the palm of her hand. It was not a feeling that she enjoyed, as it only served to increase the fear she already felt. She shook her head in denial, but was unable to tear her eyes away from the gun as she spoke to Brady.
"Brady... I -- I can't take a gun. I don't know how to shoot it. I don't know if I *could*."
Brady laid the other gun down and looked at her with complete seriousness. "You might not have a choice, Chloe. We can't be putting ourselves in this situation, dealing with DiMeras, and not have something to protect ourselves."
Chloe frowned and kept shaking her head. She looked up at Brady, and he could see the stress in her facial expression. "I know, Brady... I know that... But, I don't know how to use a gun. I've never done it before and I'm not really fond of doing it now. I mean, do YOU even know how to shoot a gun?"
"Yes, I do. My dad taught me, took me out to the shooting range when I was in high school... He didn't say it, but he must have known there would come a day when I would need to protect my family and myself. And, I can teach you too. I hope that you DON'T have to use it, but you might... If it's a choice between life or death, you'll have to make that choice."
Chloe put the gun down on the bed, just wanting it out of her hand for the time being. "It's so much responsibility... taking a human life..."
Brady nodded in understanding and walked towards her to gently lay his hands on her arms. "It is, but it might not be something you ever have to do. Hopefully, it won't be. But, it helps to have it... just in case you need to look threatening."
He pulled her into a comforting embrace and Chloe sighed softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. She knew he was right, but guns were something she had never dealt with before. Seeing that weapon in her hand only made the seriousness of this situation more real and much more dangerous.
They were startled out of their embrace by a loud knocking at the door, causing both of them to jump in surprise. Both of them looked at the door and then looked back towards each other.
"You expecting a visitor, Diva?"
Chloe shrugged slightly as she headed towards the door. "It's probably someone from the front desk or something..."
She turned the knob and found herself faced with an empty hallway. Her head turned to look down each side of the hallway, seeing no one in her line of sight. Something on the floor caught her eye and she kneeled down to pick up the off-white envelope with her name written on the front.
Chloe stood back up and shut the door behind her as she walked back in to the room. Brady was staring at her curiously and pointed at the envelope in her hand. "What is that?"
Chloe shrugged in confusion and ran her fingers over just her first name that was handwritten on the front. "It's for me... Whatever it is..."
She peeled the flap open and slipped out the small card that was inside. She opened the card and as soon as she read the words, her heart froze in her chest. One hand flew to her mouth in shock, as there was something eerily affecting about the words on the paper in front of her.
"What does it say?"
"It says... It says, 'I knew you would come.'"
Chloe didn't wait another second for Brady to say something. She began tearing up the card and the envelope into tiny pieces as she ran towards the bathroom. All of the pieces fell out of her hands into the toilet and her eyes followed them as she flushed them down the drain.
As soon as every piece was gone she marched back into the bedroom, her expression quickly turned from fearful to one of steely resolve. She picked the gun back up from the bed and wrapped her fingers around it tightly. Her blue eyes met Brady's, as he was still standing in the place where she had left him, glued to one spot by his confusion.
"You want to teach me how to use this now?"
Brady didn't question her sudden change of mood, he just nodded in agreement. The note had reminded her of the danger they were putting themselves in, forcing her to accept that using a gun might be her in the end.
~*~
(Later)
Chloe followed behind her husband as they walked down the hallway of the upscale apartment building. Greta kept an apartment in Venice for her frequent visits to the city, and Brady had decided to check it out for any clues they might need. Chloe wasn't sure why it was necessary since Greta had not been here in a few months, but followed along anyway.
"So, Brady... How do you plan on getting in there? Don't tell me you have a secret past with picking locks or something..."
Brady chuckled and shook his head. "No, I was just going to..."
His words faltered as they reached the door to Greta's apartment. He motioned for Chloe to be quiet and then put his hand on the white wood of the door. It was unlocked and cracked open slightly, but the room behind it still looked dark.
He turned to Chloe and whispered softly. "Somebody is here."
Chloe's eyes widened and a chill ran up her spine. This visit to Greta's apartment was supposed to be simple and without complications, but now it didn't seem that it was going to turn out that way. Brady had his gun on him and pulled it out to point it in front of him.
Chloe stood behind him as he led the way in to the apartment. There was no sign of anyone in the living room, and Brady led Chloe into the kitchen and dining room area very carefully. Both rooms were empty and Brady looked at his wife with a slight shrug.
"Maybe whoever was here is gone..."
"That doesn't mean we should stop being careful."
Brady nodded in agreement as he began turning lights on and opening window shades to let the sunlight in. "No, we shouldn't... I'm going to check the bedrooms if you want to get a look at what's in her desk."
Chloe nodded and went back in to the living room to sit at the antique desk against the wall. Brady moved sneakily down the hallway as Chloe began sifting through the drawers looking for something that linked back to Stefano. She could hear his shoes moving across the wood floors as she slowly began looking through a stack of letters.
Brady stepped into Greta's darkened bedroom carefully. As he was about to reach for the light switch, he saw a shadow dart from one corner. He pointed his gun in the darkness but couldn't see what he was aiming at. He felt the figure slam into him and both bodies tumbled to the floor as the gun went off in Brady's hand.
Chloe heard the gunshot reverberate through the house and she dropped the stack of papers in her hand. She flew out of the chair and ran down the hallway as quickly as her legs could carry her. When she reached Greta's bedroom she saw Brady struggling on the floor with a man of a similar build and height to his own.
His gun was out of his hand having slid out of his hand and across the floor. Brady got the upper hand and turned the other man on to his back, pinning him to the floor. The other man had a thick head of dark hair and almost shockingly blue eyes, which were glaring angrily at Brady.
Chloe was the first to speak, shouting more out of fear than anything else. "What the hell is going on?"
Brady stared at the other man and snarled at him through clenched teeth. He pushed him further into the floor as he questioned him. "Who are you and why are you here?"
The dark-haired man's voice matched the intensity of Brady's as he spat back at him. "I should ask you the same thing."
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Sorry so short, and so late... I should have more soon. :) Thanks for reading. :)
Chapter Eight
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Chloe walked out on to the small balcony and looked out into the streets of Venice. She laid her hands on the black iron railing and sighed loudly. Brady's footsteps sounded on the floor behind her and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her close to him. His lips grazed her neck and then moved up to give her a kiss on the cheek. She melted into his arms, trying to enjoy just one moment of peace together while they still could.
"I love this city... I just... I wish we were here on vacation, and not for the reasons we're really here."
Brady nodded in agreement and gave her another kiss, this one on the temple. "I know. I know... But, we will be back here again in the future, and for happier reasons, I'm sure. Don't you worry about it..."
Chloe turned around in his arms and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. She ran her fingers through his blonde hair and smiled at him. "Oh Brady... I know that there are no guarantees in life, but..."
"You wish there were. I know... But the good news is that you and I are going to be far too busy to actually have time to worry. We've got to figure out what we're doing..."
"You mean you don't have a plan yet, Action-Man?"
Brady chuckled and rolled his eyes as he let go of her. He took her by the hand and led her back into their room. "I have an outline of a plan. There are just a few things you and I need to go over."
They paused in front of the bed and Brady moved to unzip his black suitcase that was lying on the edge of the bed. Chloe's forehead wrinkled up in confusion as she watched him. "Thing we need to go over? What kind of things?"
Brady threw back the top of the suitcase and pulled out a black case that was resting among his clothes. He opened it up and pulled out two guns, one smaller than the other. Chloe took a step backwards as her blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Brady... I don't remember packing those."
"Because you didn't. I did. They were presents from my dad... Something to take on our trip." He handed the smaller one to Chloe and she reluctantly took it from his hand. "This one is for you."
She held it delicately, her heart pounding faster at the feel of the cold steel resting in the palm of her hand. It was not a feeling that she enjoyed, as it only served to increase the fear she already felt. She shook her head in denial, but was unable to tear her eyes away from the gun as she spoke to Brady.
"Brady... I -- I can't take a gun. I don't know how to shoot it. I don't know if I *could*."
Brady laid the other gun down and looked at her with complete seriousness. "You might not have a choice, Chloe. We can't be putting ourselves in this situation, dealing with DiMeras, and not have something to protect ourselves."
Chloe frowned and kept shaking her head. She looked up at Brady, and he could see the stress in her facial expression. "I know, Brady... I know that... But, I don't know how to use a gun. I've never done it before and I'm not really fond of doing it now. I mean, do YOU even know how to shoot a gun?"
"Yes, I do. My dad taught me, took me out to the shooting range when I was in high school... He didn't say it, but he must have known there would come a day when I would need to protect my family and myself. And, I can teach you too. I hope that you DON'T have to use it, but you might... If it's a choice between life or death, you'll have to make that choice."
Chloe put the gun down on the bed, just wanting it out of her hand for the time being. "It's so much responsibility... taking a human life..."
Brady nodded in understanding and walked towards her to gently lay his hands on her arms. "It is, but it might not be something you ever have to do. Hopefully, it won't be. But, it helps to have it... just in case you need to look threatening."
He pulled her into a comforting embrace and Chloe sighed softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. She knew he was right, but guns were something she had never dealt with before. Seeing that weapon in her hand only made the seriousness of this situation more real and much more dangerous.
They were startled out of their embrace by a loud knocking at the door, causing both of them to jump in surprise. Both of them looked at the door and then looked back towards each other.
"You expecting a visitor, Diva?"
Chloe shrugged slightly as she headed towards the door. "It's probably someone from the front desk or something..."
She turned the knob and found herself faced with an empty hallway. Her head turned to look down each side of the hallway, seeing no one in her line of sight. Something on the floor caught her eye and she kneeled down to pick up the off-white envelope with her name written on the front.
Chloe stood back up and shut the door behind her as she walked back in to the room. Brady was staring at her curiously and pointed at the envelope in her hand. "What is that?"
Chloe shrugged in confusion and ran her fingers over just her first name that was handwritten on the front. "It's for me... Whatever it is..."
She peeled the flap open and slipped out the small card that was inside. She opened the card and as soon as she read the words, her heart froze in her chest. One hand flew to her mouth in shock, as there was something eerily affecting about the words on the paper in front of her.
"What does it say?"
"It says... It says, 'I knew you would come.'"
Chloe didn't wait another second for Brady to say something. She began tearing up the card and the envelope into tiny pieces as she ran towards the bathroom. All of the pieces fell out of her hands into the toilet and her eyes followed them as she flushed them down the drain.
As soon as every piece was gone she marched back into the bedroom, her expression quickly turned from fearful to one of steely resolve. She picked the gun back up from the bed and wrapped her fingers around it tightly. Her blue eyes met Brady's, as he was still standing in the place where she had left him, glued to one spot by his confusion.
"You want to teach me how to use this now?"
Brady didn't question her sudden change of mood, he just nodded in agreement. The note had reminded her of the danger they were putting themselves in, forcing her to accept that using a gun might be her in the end.
~*~
(Later)
Chloe followed behind her husband as they walked down the hallway of the upscale apartment building. Greta kept an apartment in Venice for her frequent visits to the city, and Brady had decided to check it out for any clues they might need. Chloe wasn't sure why it was necessary since Greta had not been here in a few months, but followed along anyway.
"So, Brady... How do you plan on getting in there? Don't tell me you have a secret past with picking locks or something..."
Brady chuckled and shook his head. "No, I was just going to..."
His words faltered as they reached the door to Greta's apartment. He motioned for Chloe to be quiet and then put his hand on the white wood of the door. It was unlocked and cracked open slightly, but the room behind it still looked dark.
He turned to Chloe and whispered softly. "Somebody is here."
Chloe's eyes widened and a chill ran up her spine. This visit to Greta's apartment was supposed to be simple and without complications, but now it didn't seem that it was going to turn out that way. Brady had his gun on him and pulled it out to point it in front of him.
Chloe stood behind him as he led the way in to the apartment. There was no sign of anyone in the living room, and Brady led Chloe into the kitchen and dining room area very carefully. Both rooms were empty and Brady looked at his wife with a slight shrug.
"Maybe whoever was here is gone..."
"That doesn't mean we should stop being careful."
Brady nodded in agreement as he began turning lights on and opening window shades to let the sunlight in. "No, we shouldn't... I'm going to check the bedrooms if you want to get a look at what's in her desk."
Chloe nodded and went back in to the living room to sit at the antique desk against the wall. Brady moved sneakily down the hallway as Chloe began sifting through the drawers looking for something that linked back to Stefano. She could hear his shoes moving across the wood floors as she slowly began looking through a stack of letters.
Brady stepped into Greta's darkened bedroom carefully. As he was about to reach for the light switch, he saw a shadow dart from one corner. He pointed his gun in the darkness but couldn't see what he was aiming at. He felt the figure slam into him and both bodies tumbled to the floor as the gun went off in Brady's hand.
Chloe heard the gunshot reverberate through the house and she dropped the stack of papers in her hand. She flew out of the chair and ran down the hallway as quickly as her legs could carry her. When she reached Greta's bedroom she saw Brady struggling on the floor with a man of a similar build and height to his own.
His gun was out of his hand having slid out of his hand and across the floor. Brady got the upper hand and turned the other man on to his back, pinning him to the floor. The other man had a thick head of dark hair and almost shockingly blue eyes, which were glaring angrily at Brady.
Chloe was the first to speak, shouting more out of fear than anything else. "What the hell is going on?"
Brady stared at the other man and snarled at him through clenched teeth. He pushed him further into the floor as he questioned him. "Who are you and why are you here?"
The dark-haired man's voice matched the intensity of Brady's as he spat back at him. "I should ask you the same thing."
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Sorry so short, and so late... I should have more soon. :) Thanks for reading. :)