CHAPTER 71
Beth was surprisingly calm as she clutched Adam's lifeless body in the floorboard of the van.
She stroked his face and pressed kisses against his hair as she held him. All the while reminding
herself over and over that he would wake up … trying not to think about what would happen to
them when he did.
As soon as they arrived at the factory, two men drug her from the van, literally pulling Adam from
her arms. She could see over her shoulder as they led her inside, that two others were dragging
his body behind them.
Jack Reynolds met them inside the door and told the men holding Beth by the arms to take her to
Devan … as he gave orders to the others to bring Adam and follow him.
"No … where are you taking him?" Beth began to struggle as she begged and tried to get them
to bring Adam with her, but to no avail.
They led her down a dark hallway and into a large room at the center of the factory.
"Ahhh my dear Leandra, I have missed you so." Devan said in an icy voice before dismissing the
others.
"Alone at last." He said, slowly circling her and taking in her appearance. Her hair had come
unbound and fell wildly about her face, and her clothes were covered with blood … Raphael's
blood he reminded himself. And then there was the evidence of her condition.
"The little mother …" he whispered, coming to stand directly in front of her, his face only inches
from hers. Beth clutched the baby, trying to protect it from whatever he had in mind."
"It's humorous when you think about it really." He said, focusing his attention on her abdomen.
"Had you not returned to that clinic … I might never have found you."
Beth closed her eyes, unable to think about her greatest joy being the thing that would probably
cause her death … and Adam's. Knowing it had already cost Richie, Duncan and Amanda their
lives. The thought of what had happened to them broke her heart.
"Look at me." He demanded, grabbing her face in his hands. "I've waited a year for this and you
will not deny letting me extract every fiber of my revenge by trying to hide your pain from me."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"I'm doing this because you dared to strike me with my own sword … because you dared to
testify against me … and because you dared to have them take away my freedom." He spat out
at her. "and I'm doing it because it's what I enjoy."
A shiver went down her spine, much like the one that ran down Cassandra's as she watched from
a scaffolding high above on the far end of the room … far enough that with the use of her powers,
she could avoid detection.
"Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" Beth replied curtly.
"Oh and have Raphael miss out on all the fun?" he returned. "Oh my dear Leandra … as long as
this year has been while I waited for my revenge against you, think about how much greater my
frustration has been while I've waited over 2,000 years to come face to face with him?"
Beth didn't respond.
"Did he tell you what he did to me? Did he tell you about the pit he left me in? I was buried alive
for 150 years. I revived and perished and revived and thirsted over and over for 150 years …"
he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up against him. "And that is what I will do to him. But
he will endure the nightmare for eternity … and he will have one last image to haunt and torment
him before he is plunged into darkness, never to see the light again."
Beth's knees buckled, but he would not let her fall.
"Aren't you curious?" he hissed. "Aren't you curious to know what will haunt your precious
Raphael for eternity?"
He laughed when her only reply was to shake her head as the tears streamed down her face.
"We'll let that be our little surprise then." He said, releasing her and laughing as she fell to the
ground.
Cassandra was sickened by the display. It had been a long time since she'd seen that kind of
cruelty.
When Devan left the room, Cassandra wondered if she would have time to try and get Beth out of
there. Her answer came before she had a chance to move. Devan had gone to see if 'Raphael'
had revived, and when he was told that indeed he had … he ordered his men to tie his hands and
bring him to the main room.
Beth was still half lying, half sitting on the floor when the doors opened and they drug Adam in the
room.
Their eyes locked on one another, Adam's reflecting both concern for what Devan might have
done to her already and regret over not getting her out of Seacouver when he'd had the chance.
Beth scrambled to her feet in an effort to reach him, but Devan took great pleasure in striking her
down with the back of his hand.
"You bastard." Adam yelled, only to receive a punch to the kidney delivered by one of the men
holding him.
"As you can see … I have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to control you. And if
she loses the baby right here on this concrete floor, it's all the same to me." Devan walked over
to look Adam directly in the eyes. "I can kill her quickly … or slowly and painfully … it's all up to
you. But rest assured … she is going to die. And it will be the last thing you see."
Adam wanted nothing more than to rip Devan's head from his body with his bare hands, but he
was powerless to do anything. He watched as Beth struggled to her feet, wiping the blood from
the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, tears streaming down her face as she tried so
hard to be brave. His heart tore in two at the site.
The sound of a large truck being driven into the room from the back caught their attention. Adam
looked up to see a cement mixer moving to the middle of the factory floor … and saw the hole
that was obviously meant to encase him, cut into the floor.
"So I am to be buried alive?" he said, appearing not to care.
"It is only fair, don't you think?" Devan replied. "My only dilemma now is whether to have you
watch me slice her in half with my sword, or toss her in with you and let you feel the life drain out
of her as she clings to you and suffocates in the wet cement."
Cassandra groaned inwardly at the man's cruel imagination.
Beth felt dizzy and stumbled a little, reaching out to steady herself against a counter. "Oh no my
dear you can't pass out on me now. Not when your part in all of this is so close at hand." He said
as he held what must have been smelling salts up to her face, which made her cough as it forced
her to remain alert.
"Devan you've got me … you've got the pit … you've got your revenge. Why don't you just let her
go?" Adam had to try, even if he knew it was in vain. Devan doubled over laughing at the idea,
giving Adam the chance to let his eyes scan the room … looking for something … anything.
And there … high above the room, in the semi darkness he saw it. Quickly diverting his eyes
back to Devan, he didn't take time to wonder why Cassandra was there … only to try and think of
some way to use her to get Beth out.
Beth was surprisingly calm as she clutched Adam's lifeless body in the floorboard of the van.
She stroked his face and pressed kisses against his hair as she held him. All the while reminding
herself over and over that he would wake up … trying not to think about what would happen to
them when he did.
As soon as they arrived at the factory, two men drug her from the van, literally pulling Adam from
her arms. She could see over her shoulder as they led her inside, that two others were dragging
his body behind them.
Jack Reynolds met them inside the door and told the men holding Beth by the arms to take her to
Devan … as he gave orders to the others to bring Adam and follow him.
"No … where are you taking him?" Beth began to struggle as she begged and tried to get them
to bring Adam with her, but to no avail.
They led her down a dark hallway and into a large room at the center of the factory.
"Ahhh my dear Leandra, I have missed you so." Devan said in an icy voice before dismissing the
others.
"Alone at last." He said, slowly circling her and taking in her appearance. Her hair had come
unbound and fell wildly about her face, and her clothes were covered with blood … Raphael's
blood he reminded himself. And then there was the evidence of her condition.
"The little mother …" he whispered, coming to stand directly in front of her, his face only inches
from hers. Beth clutched the baby, trying to protect it from whatever he had in mind."
"It's humorous when you think about it really." He said, focusing his attention on her abdomen.
"Had you not returned to that clinic … I might never have found you."
Beth closed her eyes, unable to think about her greatest joy being the thing that would probably
cause her death … and Adam's. Knowing it had already cost Richie, Duncan and Amanda their
lives. The thought of what had happened to them broke her heart.
"Look at me." He demanded, grabbing her face in his hands. "I've waited a year for this and you
will not deny letting me extract every fiber of my revenge by trying to hide your pain from me."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"I'm doing this because you dared to strike me with my own sword … because you dared to
testify against me … and because you dared to have them take away my freedom." He spat out
at her. "and I'm doing it because it's what I enjoy."
A shiver went down her spine, much like the one that ran down Cassandra's as she watched from
a scaffolding high above on the far end of the room … far enough that with the use of her powers,
she could avoid detection.
"Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" Beth replied curtly.
"Oh and have Raphael miss out on all the fun?" he returned. "Oh my dear Leandra … as long as
this year has been while I waited for my revenge against you, think about how much greater my
frustration has been while I've waited over 2,000 years to come face to face with him?"
Beth didn't respond.
"Did he tell you what he did to me? Did he tell you about the pit he left me in? I was buried alive
for 150 years. I revived and perished and revived and thirsted over and over for 150 years …"
he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up against him. "And that is what I will do to him. But
he will endure the nightmare for eternity … and he will have one last image to haunt and torment
him before he is plunged into darkness, never to see the light again."
Beth's knees buckled, but he would not let her fall.
"Aren't you curious?" he hissed. "Aren't you curious to know what will haunt your precious
Raphael for eternity?"
He laughed when her only reply was to shake her head as the tears streamed down her face.
"We'll let that be our little surprise then." He said, releasing her and laughing as she fell to the
ground.
Cassandra was sickened by the display. It had been a long time since she'd seen that kind of
cruelty.
When Devan left the room, Cassandra wondered if she would have time to try and get Beth out of
there. Her answer came before she had a chance to move. Devan had gone to see if 'Raphael'
had revived, and when he was told that indeed he had … he ordered his men to tie his hands and
bring him to the main room.
Beth was still half lying, half sitting on the floor when the doors opened and they drug Adam in the
room.
Their eyes locked on one another, Adam's reflecting both concern for what Devan might have
done to her already and regret over not getting her out of Seacouver when he'd had the chance.
Beth scrambled to her feet in an effort to reach him, but Devan took great pleasure in striking her
down with the back of his hand.
"You bastard." Adam yelled, only to receive a punch to the kidney delivered by one of the men
holding him.
"As you can see … I have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to control you. And if
she loses the baby right here on this concrete floor, it's all the same to me." Devan walked over
to look Adam directly in the eyes. "I can kill her quickly … or slowly and painfully … it's all up to
you. But rest assured … she is going to die. And it will be the last thing you see."
Adam wanted nothing more than to rip Devan's head from his body with his bare hands, but he
was powerless to do anything. He watched as Beth struggled to her feet, wiping the blood from
the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, tears streaming down her face as she tried so
hard to be brave. His heart tore in two at the site.
The sound of a large truck being driven into the room from the back caught their attention. Adam
looked up to see a cement mixer moving to the middle of the factory floor … and saw the hole
that was obviously meant to encase him, cut into the floor.
"So I am to be buried alive?" he said, appearing not to care.
"It is only fair, don't you think?" Devan replied. "My only dilemma now is whether to have you
watch me slice her in half with my sword, or toss her in with you and let you feel the life drain out
of her as she clings to you and suffocates in the wet cement."
Cassandra groaned inwardly at the man's cruel imagination.
Beth felt dizzy and stumbled a little, reaching out to steady herself against a counter. "Oh no my
dear you can't pass out on me now. Not when your part in all of this is so close at hand." He said
as he held what must have been smelling salts up to her face, which made her cough as it forced
her to remain alert.
"Devan you've got me … you've got the pit … you've got your revenge. Why don't you just let her
go?" Adam had to try, even if he knew it was in vain. Devan doubled over laughing at the idea,
giving Adam the chance to let his eyes scan the room … looking for something … anything.
And there … high above the room, in the semi darkness he saw it. Quickly diverting his eyes
back to Devan, he didn't take time to wonder why Cassandra was there … only to try and think of
some way to use her to get Beth out.