Part Eleven
"Don't hurt him anymore." Dianna cried uncontrollably as she cowered in the corner, looking at Ian's still form. "Don't hurt him!"
"Then do what I tell you." The evilness in his voice echoed through the dark warehouse. "Your other friends will be here soon. If you don't want me to hurt them like I hurt this one, you will do exactly what I tell you from now on."
"But I can't." She screamed through her tears. "It's wrong!"
"You can and you will if you want them to live Dianna." He moved toward her and laughed as the tiny girl tried to disappear into the shadows. "You will get that bracelet away from that cop somehow."
"She won't give it to anyone." Sara suddenly appeared, glaring at the dark form. "Dianna, are you all right?"
"HE HURT IAN!" Dianna shrieked as she continued to sob.
"I know honey. You just stay right there." Sara noticed Gabriel trying to make it to the child out of the corner of her eye.
"He said he would hurt you and Gabriel if I didn't do what he said." The child was at the point of hysterics.
"Dianna honey. Just calm down." Sara spoke soothingly to the child.
"She knows what I will do if you don't give me the Witchblade." The man growled menacingly. "That one thought he could best me. You see what happened to him."
"Ian's fine Dianna." Sara refused to look at the man who taunted her. "You just sit right there." She looked down at her wrist and noticed that the bracelet was inert and cold.
"What wrong Detective? Has the blade abandoned you?" Evil hissed and laughed. "And you!" Turning he faced Gabriel who had almost gotten to Dianna. "Do you think you can best me here?"
"I kicked your ass before, I can do it again." Gabriel stood, no longer trying to hide in the shadows. "Dianna, go to Sara."
"He'll hurt you Gabriel." Dianna continued to cry.
"DO WHAT I TELL YOU DIANNA! GO TO SARA!" Gabriel's voice was harsher than he intended it to be, but felt relief as Dianna began moving toward Sara's outstretched arms.
"Come on Baby." Sara grabbed the girl as she neared, pushing her behind her body.
"Sara, make it work!" Still crying, Dianna pointed to the blade. "Make it work Sara."
"It won't work Dianna." Sara motioned for the child to move against the wall. "You stay right there."
"This will be too easy." Laughter filled their ears as the man simply reached out and grabbed Gabriel by the throat. "I'll take care of you first then the woman." Gabriel struggled to breath in the vise-like grasp.
"Let him go." Sara's voice was low and dangerous as she neared.
"Give me the bracelet and I'll let him and the other go. The child stays with me." Steel eyes glared at her. "Those are my demands."
"I said, let him go." Sara pulled out her gun and pointed it at the man.
"Sara no!" Gabriel said in a strangled voice. "Get Dianna and get out of here."
"Shut up Mythkeeper." An evil grin formed as he spoke, tightening his grip. "She knows that I will pursue her and the child until I have what I want."
"Let him go, and I'll give you the bracelet." Sara lowered her gun and looked at the still cold bracelet. "Just don't hurt anyone else." She could see Ian trying to move.
"You'll give me the bracelet whether or not I let anyone go." Suddenly the large hand moved awkwardly. The sound of something snapping seemed to boom throughout the room. Gabriel suddenly became still, eyes wide and mouth slack. "Ohhh, see what you made me do? Oh well, I was tiring of this one." He tossed Gabriel aside like a broken toy causing Dianna to shriek uncontrollably. "Now give me the bracelet or I'll do the same to the other." He began to move toward Ian who was still face down on the ground.
"You sonofabitch!" Without thinking Sara rushed the man, only to be picked up with one hand and thrown across the room. She fell next to Dianna who was terrified and crying.
"Sara?" Dianna began to stoke Sara's hair as her tears fell on the woman's cheek. "Wake up Sara." Looking up at the man, Dianna stopped crying and glared at him. "You said you wouldn't hurt them."
"I lied. Now bring me the bracelet." He growled at Dianna.
"Princess, don't." Ian whispered as he watched in horror as the child's small hand touched the bracelet and carefully removed it from Sara's wrist. "Don't give it to him."
Dianna didn't say anything as she looked at the bracelet. Her eyes widened as the stone seem to come alive. Looking up at the man who had hurt her friends, she put the bracelet on her small wrist. At first it was so big that it threatened to fall off, but as she stood, it seemed to shrink to fit her size.
"You're a bad man." She took several steps toward the man as the bracelet began to transform on her tiny hand. "You lied and you hurt my friends." The miniature gauntlet seemed to grow a sword just the right size for Dianna's frame. "You killed my Mommy." Anger glazed her eyes and her voice. "You shouldn't have hurt them."
"What's this? The little girl is going to hurt the big bad man?" The man began to laugh hard, as her small frame got closer.
"Never in anger Princess. You must never use the blade in anger. Promise me that. You must control your anger and use the blade wisely." Suddenly Dianna could hear the very words Gabriel had said to her earlier in the day. She looked at Gabriel, lying in the corner; unmoving and let tears flow down her cheeks.
"I promised." She took a deep breath and let her eyes move to Sara who was unconscious and then to Ian who looked at her both in terror and amazement. "I'm mad at you for hurting my friends."
"Hurting your friends?" The man looked at Dianna shocked. "I killed your friend there."
"I know." Finally Dianna stopped just a few feet from the man. She looked at the sword and willed it to go away. To Ian's shock, it changed from a sword to a bright silver glove. "But I promised I wouldn't hurt you when I am mad."
"Well, maybe I can help you." He moved to Ian and grabbed the assassin by the hair, pulling his head back hard. He produced a knife as he glared at Dianna. "How about I kill this one too."
"No." Ian found enough strength to strike the man in the knee, sending him falling to the ground and the knife to fly out of his hand. The exertion was too much; Ian fell forward, completely spent of all energy. "I'm sorry Princess." He whispered softly in sorrow.
Dianna had moved quickly and now stood over the fallen man. Her eyes were blazing and set hard.
"I know what to do to you." She smiled and placed the gloved hand over the man's head. "You're a bad man and need to be punished. You can't hurt people anymore." She looked at Sara who was beginning to stir. "I know. Every time you see a policeman, you have to tell them every bad thing you have ever done. You won't be able to lie ever again." Her heart began to lift as Ian moved to a sitting position. "You won't ever be able to lie to anyone, ever again."
"What?" The man laughed at the words from the child. "You have to be kidding." He looked toward Sara, who had moved to Ian and was checking him out. "I killed the girl's mother." As the words left his mouth, his eyes widened in shock."
"I'm not kidding." Dianna stuck her tongue out and then carefully moved toward Gabriel's fallen body. Sara and Ian joined her sadly.
"Is he . . . " Sara suddenly had visions of Gabriel in another life having his neck broken by another hand. "Not again." She whispered to the surprise of Ian who could only stare at Gabriel.
"He'll be fine." Dianna's eyes were still glazed over as she reached out and began to stroke Gabriel's neck with the gloved hand. "Just wait, you'll see."
"Princess, honey," Ian reached out for the child slowly. "Gabriel is d . . . "
"What the hell . . ." Gabriel stirred, bringing a gasp from Sara's quivering lips. Carefully he accepted help from Ian to sit. "Dianna!"
"I didn't kill him Gabriel." Dianna smiled sweetly as the bracelet suddenly transformed again and grew too big for her tiny wrist. As it clattered to the floor, the sound seemed to echo off the walls loudly. "I didn't use it when I was mad."
"Detective . . ." They turned to the man who sat on the floor, wide eyed. "I was going to kill all of you then take the girl with me."
"Excuse me." Sara picked up the bracelet, put it back on her arm and stood. "I have some work to do." She moved to the man and motioned for him to stand up. "I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Dianna's mother Lilith. You have the right to remain silent . . . "
"Yeah, I killed that bitch. She wouldn't let me have the kid."
"Something just happened here, didn't it?" Gabriel allowed Ian to help him stand on his feet. "Last thing I remember was hanging like a rag doll . . . "
"Sara will tell you everything soon." Ian smiled and slapped Gabriel across the back playfully, almost causing him to fall forward, making Dianna laugh softly. "I think it would be best to take Dianna back to your apartment and wait for us there." Nodding, Gabriel picked up Dianna and headed for the door. He looked back once at Sara who was handcuffing the man and then at Ian who simply nodded.
"Time to go home Princess." He hugged the girl tightly in his arms, as though he were afraid of loosing her again.
"Gabriel?" She hugged back as she spoke. "I'm hungry."
"Don't hurt him anymore." Dianna cried uncontrollably as she cowered in the corner, looking at Ian's still form. "Don't hurt him!"
"Then do what I tell you." The evilness in his voice echoed through the dark warehouse. "Your other friends will be here soon. If you don't want me to hurt them like I hurt this one, you will do exactly what I tell you from now on."
"But I can't." She screamed through her tears. "It's wrong!"
"You can and you will if you want them to live Dianna." He moved toward her and laughed as the tiny girl tried to disappear into the shadows. "You will get that bracelet away from that cop somehow."
"She won't give it to anyone." Sara suddenly appeared, glaring at the dark form. "Dianna, are you all right?"
"HE HURT IAN!" Dianna shrieked as she continued to sob.
"I know honey. You just stay right there." Sara noticed Gabriel trying to make it to the child out of the corner of her eye.
"He said he would hurt you and Gabriel if I didn't do what he said." The child was at the point of hysterics.
"Dianna honey. Just calm down." Sara spoke soothingly to the child.
"She knows what I will do if you don't give me the Witchblade." The man growled menacingly. "That one thought he could best me. You see what happened to him."
"Ian's fine Dianna." Sara refused to look at the man who taunted her. "You just sit right there." She looked down at her wrist and noticed that the bracelet was inert and cold.
"What wrong Detective? Has the blade abandoned you?" Evil hissed and laughed. "And you!" Turning he faced Gabriel who had almost gotten to Dianna. "Do you think you can best me here?"
"I kicked your ass before, I can do it again." Gabriel stood, no longer trying to hide in the shadows. "Dianna, go to Sara."
"He'll hurt you Gabriel." Dianna continued to cry.
"DO WHAT I TELL YOU DIANNA! GO TO SARA!" Gabriel's voice was harsher than he intended it to be, but felt relief as Dianna began moving toward Sara's outstretched arms.
"Come on Baby." Sara grabbed the girl as she neared, pushing her behind her body.
"Sara, make it work!" Still crying, Dianna pointed to the blade. "Make it work Sara."
"It won't work Dianna." Sara motioned for the child to move against the wall. "You stay right there."
"This will be too easy." Laughter filled their ears as the man simply reached out and grabbed Gabriel by the throat. "I'll take care of you first then the woman." Gabriel struggled to breath in the vise-like grasp.
"Let him go." Sara's voice was low and dangerous as she neared.
"Give me the bracelet and I'll let him and the other go. The child stays with me." Steel eyes glared at her. "Those are my demands."
"I said, let him go." Sara pulled out her gun and pointed it at the man.
"Sara no!" Gabriel said in a strangled voice. "Get Dianna and get out of here."
"Shut up Mythkeeper." An evil grin formed as he spoke, tightening his grip. "She knows that I will pursue her and the child until I have what I want."
"Let him go, and I'll give you the bracelet." Sara lowered her gun and looked at the still cold bracelet. "Just don't hurt anyone else." She could see Ian trying to move.
"You'll give me the bracelet whether or not I let anyone go." Suddenly the large hand moved awkwardly. The sound of something snapping seemed to boom throughout the room. Gabriel suddenly became still, eyes wide and mouth slack. "Ohhh, see what you made me do? Oh well, I was tiring of this one." He tossed Gabriel aside like a broken toy causing Dianna to shriek uncontrollably. "Now give me the bracelet or I'll do the same to the other." He began to move toward Ian who was still face down on the ground.
"You sonofabitch!" Without thinking Sara rushed the man, only to be picked up with one hand and thrown across the room. She fell next to Dianna who was terrified and crying.
"Sara?" Dianna began to stoke Sara's hair as her tears fell on the woman's cheek. "Wake up Sara." Looking up at the man, Dianna stopped crying and glared at him. "You said you wouldn't hurt them."
"I lied. Now bring me the bracelet." He growled at Dianna.
"Princess, don't." Ian whispered as he watched in horror as the child's small hand touched the bracelet and carefully removed it from Sara's wrist. "Don't give it to him."
Dianna didn't say anything as she looked at the bracelet. Her eyes widened as the stone seem to come alive. Looking up at the man who had hurt her friends, she put the bracelet on her small wrist. At first it was so big that it threatened to fall off, but as she stood, it seemed to shrink to fit her size.
"You're a bad man." She took several steps toward the man as the bracelet began to transform on her tiny hand. "You lied and you hurt my friends." The miniature gauntlet seemed to grow a sword just the right size for Dianna's frame. "You killed my Mommy." Anger glazed her eyes and her voice. "You shouldn't have hurt them."
"What's this? The little girl is going to hurt the big bad man?" The man began to laugh hard, as her small frame got closer.
"Never in anger Princess. You must never use the blade in anger. Promise me that. You must control your anger and use the blade wisely." Suddenly Dianna could hear the very words Gabriel had said to her earlier in the day. She looked at Gabriel, lying in the corner; unmoving and let tears flow down her cheeks.
"I promised." She took a deep breath and let her eyes move to Sara who was unconscious and then to Ian who looked at her both in terror and amazement. "I'm mad at you for hurting my friends."
"Hurting your friends?" The man looked at Dianna shocked. "I killed your friend there."
"I know." Finally Dianna stopped just a few feet from the man. She looked at the sword and willed it to go away. To Ian's shock, it changed from a sword to a bright silver glove. "But I promised I wouldn't hurt you when I am mad."
"Well, maybe I can help you." He moved to Ian and grabbed the assassin by the hair, pulling his head back hard. He produced a knife as he glared at Dianna. "How about I kill this one too."
"No." Ian found enough strength to strike the man in the knee, sending him falling to the ground and the knife to fly out of his hand. The exertion was too much; Ian fell forward, completely spent of all energy. "I'm sorry Princess." He whispered softly in sorrow.
Dianna had moved quickly and now stood over the fallen man. Her eyes were blazing and set hard.
"I know what to do to you." She smiled and placed the gloved hand over the man's head. "You're a bad man and need to be punished. You can't hurt people anymore." She looked at Sara who was beginning to stir. "I know. Every time you see a policeman, you have to tell them every bad thing you have ever done. You won't be able to lie ever again." Her heart began to lift as Ian moved to a sitting position. "You won't ever be able to lie to anyone, ever again."
"What?" The man laughed at the words from the child. "You have to be kidding." He looked toward Sara, who had moved to Ian and was checking him out. "I killed the girl's mother." As the words left his mouth, his eyes widened in shock."
"I'm not kidding." Dianna stuck her tongue out and then carefully moved toward Gabriel's fallen body. Sara and Ian joined her sadly.
"Is he . . . " Sara suddenly had visions of Gabriel in another life having his neck broken by another hand. "Not again." She whispered to the surprise of Ian who could only stare at Gabriel.
"He'll be fine." Dianna's eyes were still glazed over as she reached out and began to stroke Gabriel's neck with the gloved hand. "Just wait, you'll see."
"Princess, honey," Ian reached out for the child slowly. "Gabriel is d . . . "
"What the hell . . ." Gabriel stirred, bringing a gasp from Sara's quivering lips. Carefully he accepted help from Ian to sit. "Dianna!"
"I didn't kill him Gabriel." Dianna smiled sweetly as the bracelet suddenly transformed again and grew too big for her tiny wrist. As it clattered to the floor, the sound seemed to echo off the walls loudly. "I didn't use it when I was mad."
"Detective . . ." They turned to the man who sat on the floor, wide eyed. "I was going to kill all of you then take the girl with me."
"Excuse me." Sara picked up the bracelet, put it back on her arm and stood. "I have some work to do." She moved to the man and motioned for him to stand up. "I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Dianna's mother Lilith. You have the right to remain silent . . . "
"Yeah, I killed that bitch. She wouldn't let me have the kid."
"Something just happened here, didn't it?" Gabriel allowed Ian to help him stand on his feet. "Last thing I remember was hanging like a rag doll . . . "
"Sara will tell you everything soon." Ian smiled and slapped Gabriel across the back playfully, almost causing him to fall forward, making Dianna laugh softly. "I think it would be best to take Dianna back to your apartment and wait for us there." Nodding, Gabriel picked up Dianna and headed for the door. He looked back once at Sara who was handcuffing the man and then at Ian who simply nodded.
"Time to go home Princess." He hugged the girl tightly in his arms, as though he were afraid of loosing her again.
"Gabriel?" She hugged back as she spoke. "I'm hungry."