AMBUSH
"So, what was the name of this guy again?" Brennan asked inquisitively, stepping out of the MV with Jesse and Claire. His weathered duster fluttered around his legs with the evening breeze, whipping about his combat boots.
Jesse looked back with his youthful sky blue eyes, and smiled. "Do you ever listen to what you're told, Brennan?"
Claire laughed quietly, her leather coat flowing at her ankles gracefully. Her flared beige suede trousers just about covered her brown boots. The snakeskin-patterned top she wore was short, showing off her midriff slightly. Her streaked blonde hair was gently spiked away from her cheeks, bouncing softly as she walked.
"It's not that," Brennan said defensively, "it's just."
"You forgot?" Jesse offered, with a cheeky grin to accompany it.
"Apple polisher," Brennan mumbled.
Claire watched with a smile as Jesse allowed his jaw to drop in pretend shock at such a playful insult.
"Boys," Claire interrupted before the two started wrestling in jest.
They looked at her with twin puppy-dog looks.
"That's not gonna work on me, guys," she told them sternly, taking the lead down a dimly lit narrow street, littered with the odd piece of garbage. "And his name was Gerald Elliot."
Brennan jogged up to her side. "I knew that."
Jesse came up to her right, mirroring Brennan. "It's around here, right?"
"He lives just here," Claire replied, indicating a grubby door on the far left.
They crossed to it, and Brennan knocked loudly three times.
Within no time, the door flew open, making Jesse start very slightly. He and Brennan both tensed visibly. Claire stayed still, facing off the rough looking man who had answered the door.
"Yeah? Who are you?" the man asked gruffly.
He fit the description that Adam had given them to go by, although his hair was longer, and more ragged, and rough stubble was clearly visible on his lean face.
Claire avoided the question, and replied with one of her own, "Are you Gerald Elliot?"
Without hesitation, with a swift powerful downward motion of his hands, he conjured up a wall of fire that exploded before the three figures.
He bolted, obviously having realised what they wanted from him.
"Dammit!" Brennan grumbled irritably, and leapt through the fire, a slightly reluctant Claire and Jesse close behind, rolling into prepped crouching positions.
They immediately realised -the scene intensified by the brightness of the cruel flames- that Brennan had been set upon by four darkly-clad men brandishing crowbars, poles and even a quarterstaff.
More figures burst out from side doors, grabbing a tight grip on Jesse, slamming him sidelong into the wall, and knocking him in the back of the knees, causing the young molecular to crumple to the ground.
Before she could come to his aid, strong arms latched onto Claire. They spun her round, into the opposite wall, knocking the wind out of her painfully.
She heard a pained cry from Jesse, and she could just make out -even as she ducked below a pole aimed for her head- the tall man kicking him,
"Jesse!" she cried, and then saw Brennan struck hard in the back, knocking him out cold in an instant.
She was grabbed again, and felt the strong arm cross in front of her throat, keeping her firmly in place.
Jesse was struck again and again until finally he didn't struggle, and simply lay still.
"Leave him alone!" she called desperately, just before she felt the damp cloth forced over her mouth and nose.
The sweet scent made her want to retch, but before long, she succumbed to the chloroform's anaesthetising effects, and slumped in the man's arms.
"So, what was the name of this guy again?" Brennan asked inquisitively, stepping out of the MV with Jesse and Claire. His weathered duster fluttered around his legs with the evening breeze, whipping about his combat boots.
Jesse looked back with his youthful sky blue eyes, and smiled. "Do you ever listen to what you're told, Brennan?"
Claire laughed quietly, her leather coat flowing at her ankles gracefully. Her flared beige suede trousers just about covered her brown boots. The snakeskin-patterned top she wore was short, showing off her midriff slightly. Her streaked blonde hair was gently spiked away from her cheeks, bouncing softly as she walked.
"It's not that," Brennan said defensively, "it's just."
"You forgot?" Jesse offered, with a cheeky grin to accompany it.
"Apple polisher," Brennan mumbled.
Claire watched with a smile as Jesse allowed his jaw to drop in pretend shock at such a playful insult.
"Boys," Claire interrupted before the two started wrestling in jest.
They looked at her with twin puppy-dog looks.
"That's not gonna work on me, guys," she told them sternly, taking the lead down a dimly lit narrow street, littered with the odd piece of garbage. "And his name was Gerald Elliot."
Brennan jogged up to her side. "I knew that."
Jesse came up to her right, mirroring Brennan. "It's around here, right?"
"He lives just here," Claire replied, indicating a grubby door on the far left.
They crossed to it, and Brennan knocked loudly three times.
Within no time, the door flew open, making Jesse start very slightly. He and Brennan both tensed visibly. Claire stayed still, facing off the rough looking man who had answered the door.
"Yeah? Who are you?" the man asked gruffly.
He fit the description that Adam had given them to go by, although his hair was longer, and more ragged, and rough stubble was clearly visible on his lean face.
Claire avoided the question, and replied with one of her own, "Are you Gerald Elliot?"
Without hesitation, with a swift powerful downward motion of his hands, he conjured up a wall of fire that exploded before the three figures.
He bolted, obviously having realised what they wanted from him.
"Dammit!" Brennan grumbled irritably, and leapt through the fire, a slightly reluctant Claire and Jesse close behind, rolling into prepped crouching positions.
They immediately realised -the scene intensified by the brightness of the cruel flames- that Brennan had been set upon by four darkly-clad men brandishing crowbars, poles and even a quarterstaff.
More figures burst out from side doors, grabbing a tight grip on Jesse, slamming him sidelong into the wall, and knocking him in the back of the knees, causing the young molecular to crumple to the ground.
Before she could come to his aid, strong arms latched onto Claire. They spun her round, into the opposite wall, knocking the wind out of her painfully.
She heard a pained cry from Jesse, and she could just make out -even as she ducked below a pole aimed for her head- the tall man kicking him,
"Jesse!" she cried, and then saw Brennan struck hard in the back, knocking him out cold in an instant.
She was grabbed again, and felt the strong arm cross in front of her throat, keeping her firmly in place.
Jesse was struck again and again until finally he didn't struggle, and simply lay still.
"Leave him alone!" she called desperately, just before she felt the damp cloth forced over her mouth and nose.
The sweet scent made her want to retch, but before long, she succumbed to the chloroform's anaesthetising effects, and slumped in the man's arms.