43
Dorothy jumped out of bed, fully clothed, and shook Relena. Now she was scared. She wanted Quatre. The boys sure could protect them. Relena grunted and opened her eyes. Dorothy whispered to her about the call. Relena, having just waken up, was instantly confused and just a bit frightened. The girls popped breath mints into their mouths and tied up their shoes. Relena ran a makeup-off cloth across her face and so did Dorothy. They opened the bedroom door to leave. A butler stood there, surprising them. He was tall and big and dark. He was watching them right now. Dorothy's breath caught in her throat. Relena, still disoriented from sleep, knew he could hear her heart beating wildly.
"Miss Peacecraft," the butler said monotonously, "you have a message: a prisoner is going to be executed today in about an hour, and has requested your prayers."
"Where?" Relena asked without thinking.
"The courthouse."
Relena looked at Dorothy. Dorothy took Relena's hand and led her out to her car. They both got in and buckled up. Dorothy started the engine.
"Dorothy, please take me to the courthouse."
"Relena, I'm not going to lie, I'm very frightened of the situation we're in. I'd feel better if we went to the guys' house—"
"Heero's not there," Relena added quietly. Dorothy sighed, backed out, and reluctantly got on the road that led to the courthouse.