The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade. The Sufult, Tome, Key, towel and a toothbrush are mine.
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 27
*****************************************
The SUV was racing smoothly along the sparsely populated highway as dawn began to breathe a faint blush into the eastern sky. The sleeping figure sprawled in the back seat of the vehicle was rocked slightly as the assassin changed lanes, shifting his dreams.
The subconscious landscape slowly darkened as he felt his unprotected body being propelled, swiftly hurtling towards a quagmire of metal, mire and sharp edges. Something about the speed was pushing him awake. With a jolt, Gabriel breached consciousness. "Where are we?" he gasped.
Startled by his charge's abrupt awakening, the assassin flicked his gaze to the mirror as a wide-eyed, dark haired head popped into view. "It is no matter. Sleep," Nottingham commanded. Gabriel still didn't look as healthy as he had at the start of the evening, which was now fading into dawn, but a hint of color had returned to his cheeks. Relieved that Gabriel's little naps were helping him recover from exhaustion and blood loss, he began to hope that Sara would not find out about the bullet.
Ian had reached the highway without hazard and was watching for tails. The fact that he hadn't spotted anyone following should have relieved him, but instead, he was suspicious. After the incident with the doe, he was positive the sniper was tailing them. Yet strangely, even with his keen eyesight, he hadn't managed to spot the vehicle.
Out of the corner of his vision, he could see Gabriel had not obeyed him. He was about to reprimand him when he noticed the look of horror and confusion in the young man's reflection.
"What happened to your head?" Gabriel blurted. There was a raze of dark red, coating the tidily tied dark locks and streaks of dried blood around the assassin's ear. He hadn't seen the wound the last time he was conscious and was wondering what had transpired while he'd slept.
"It is just a graze," Nottingham replied blandly. Fortunately, the bullet had not pierced his cranium. Hoping Gabriel would let the subject drop at that, he warily eyed the practically non-existent traffic, not thrilled with the idea of relaying that both the shooter and Gabriel's phone had gotten the drop on him simultaneously.
Gabriel was perplexed. The last thing he remembered coherently was that Nottingham had left to get a vehicle. Being that the assassin had returned his attention to the road, it was apparent that Nottingham considered the subject closed but Gabriel decided to press the issue anyway. "How did it happen?" he insisted, readying himself for the tetchy man's rebuke.
Nottingham shot a warning look to the visage in the rearview mirror, only to receive Gabriel's quintessential innocent look. Neath the angelic scrutiny of the aggravating boy, the assassin sullenly yielded. "It involved your cacophonous cell phone and a cowardly sniper," he admitted. "Suffice it to say, I was expecting neither," he added grudgingly.
"Oh... ," Gabriel whispered, immediately dropping his gaze to the floor. That his phone had gotten the assassin shot was not good. He didn't want to even guess what sadistic revenge the vicious assassin had unleashed on him while he was unconscious or planned on extracting from him later. His legs felt fine, so he was betting on the later theory. "Who called?" Gabriel inquired timidly, switching the topic to something less distressing before his hyperactive mind had a chance to fill the uncomfortable silence with images of his impending retribution.
Although Gabriel's penitent demeanor puzzled Ian; he wasn't surprised when the young man's phone hummed on cue. Without replying to Gabriel's query or examining the screen, Ian simply removed the object from his coat and chucked it at the boy. It had been a long night, and although he was grateful for Lady Sara saving his life, he knew from her previous redial extravaganza, that the thing would vibrate relentlessly until he answered. He also expected a berating for his earlier brusque response and refusal to answer the rabidly vibrating instrument.
A faint grunt from Gabriel assured the assassin that he had hit some part of the boy's anatomy, and after a slight pause and a click, the anticipated vociferous lambaste resonated throughout the vehicle.
"It's about time you answered the damn phone, you Ass!" Sara roared.
Ian smirked as he glimpsed Gabriel's pained face while the boy rubbed his ear. Despite his often unruly and unpredictable behavior, his charge could be quite entertaining at times.
"Easy, chief. I just woke up," Gabriel mollified, holding the earpiece at a safe distance.
The assassin caught Sara's sigh of relief and dearly hoped Gabriel would continue to pacify rather than say anything to rile her. He was usually thrilled by her passionate outbursts, but only when he was in complete control of the situation. At the moment, he felt something was off and he needed to concentrate.
"So what's up, Detective, how did the homicide go?" Gabriel queried.
Again, Ian was thrown by Gabriel's penchant for acting completely oblivious to his own situation. Hearing his chirpy and casual greeting, one would think the assassin was driving him to the market for some groceries, rather than escaping to a hideout to possibly face off with a tenacious cult, bent on the boy's capture.
"It was a trap," Sara divulged, relieved to speak openly to someone who would not only understand and accept her blade-induced dilemma, but also sympathize. Her parley with Jake had strained her nerves.
"What?! Are you okay?" Gabriel fretted, oblivious to Nottingham's suddenly rapt attention.
Ian was shocked and incensed. How dare the insufferable dogs assail the Wielder. The reason behind the unease he'd felt over her safety while at the gas station was now clear and he was mortified that he was protecting her little friend while Sara had been in danger.
"I'm fine but Jake got a little battered," Sara responded. She was curious as to why Gabriel and not Ian had answered the phone this time.
"What happened?" Gabriel plied. He was a bit pissed off that the 'seemingly all knowing' assassin had let Sara walk into a trap. A quick glance to the assassin's reflection, however, revealed that Nottingham was distressed as well.
"Someone rigged the body with a bomb, probably our Sufult buddies," Sara relayed tersely. She was beginning to get impatient. Gabriel was focusing the conversation on her situation, rather than what she really needed to know. "What about you, Gabriel, are you okay? Is Nottingham with you? I had some pretty terrifying visions and the last time you sounded this blithely perky over the phone, you were bound and wearing a dog collar," Sara commented.
Gabriel flinched at the mention of the embarrassing collar. "I'm fine, he's driving and thank you oh, so much for bringing up the collar, detective," Gabriel replied irritably. He had no intentions of letting Sara know that he felt completely helpless, lost and apprehensive about Nottingham breaking his legs for unintentionally getting him shot if the Sufult didn't manage to capture and torture him first.
"Driving where? Is he okay?" Sara uttered, hopefully without sounding too concerned over the antagonistic assassin. Even though Gabriel would probably only raise an eyebrow, she knew Nottingham would have a field day.
"Um, he... ". Struck with another pang of guilt and dread, Gabriel instinctively glanced to the suddenly expressionless assassin. "He got shot in the head," Gabriel mumbled quietly.
"What?" Sara gasped, distraught and confused. Hadn't Gabriel just said he was driving? Had her mind made it up to alleviate her fears or had Gabriel joined the cryptic club that seemed bound for the afterlife? Was 'driving' some bizarre term for soaring through the heavens? Her throat emitted a childish whimper without her consent.
"But he said it's just a graze," Gabriel quickly added, suddenly realizing how dire his statement sounded. He'd been warily observing Nottingham's reactions in the mirror and noticed the assassin seemed rather surprised at Sara's squeaky exclamation yet remarkably nonchalant about the bullet incident.
"Thank God," Sara sighed in relief. After recovering from her little fit, however, she came to the conclusion that the man must have completely ignored her warning. Like a charm, her temper returned. "How did it happen?" the detective snapped testily.
Both Ian and Gabriel were thrown by the Wielder's abrupt change in tone.
"I was asleep, so I'm not sure what exactly happened, but I guess it involved my phone," Gabriel relayed. He wasn't thrilled about addressing the touchy subject and Nottingham's lack of retaliation or reaction confused him. Considering the man had practically choked him for eating too slow while unconscious, it seemed odd for Nottingham to disregard the fact that he'd nearly gotten him killed.
The assassin knitted his brows in vexation. Lady Sara's violent mood swings were inscrutable and Gabriel's odd proclivities seemed to be multiplying. The young man had subtly migrated to the opposite side of the vehicle during the phone conversation and Ian wondered what was going on in the young man's head.
The Wielder's fiery temper was doused by confusion, brought about by Gabriel's nonsensical explanation. "Your phone," Sara repeated for lack of anything better to say. Her mind was drawing a blank on how his phone could be involved.
"Yeah," Gabriel sighed despondently.
Exasperated by the escalating bizarreness of their conversation, Nottingham swiftly lunged over and snatched the phone from Gabriel, eliciting a cry of alarm from the boy in the process.
The Sufult's erratic stratagems had put him on edge. If they weren't tailing him, he suspected they might be taking a more direct route to acquiring the Blade. "Sara, are you safe?" the assassin inquired with concern.
Sara took a quick evaluation of the precinct parking lot. It was pretty quiet. A couple officers had pulled in, but nothing seemed suspicious. "Yeah," she replied. She was about to tell him where she was but then remembered his caution about phones being monitored, negating her intended query on where they were. "Are you?" she asked instead.
Nottingham paused in thought. He honestly didn't know. Their SUV did blend with traffic as he had hoped and he'd seen no sign of being followed since they'd approached the highway, yet it seemed too easy. After the tenacity of the Sufult's pursuit, it appeared as if the sect had just suddenly given up. Something wasn't right. "I am not sure," Ian replied bluntly. His greater concern was Sara's safety.
"What do you mean? Should I-" Sara fretted.
"I will call you once we arrive at our destination. Until then, stay away from your apartment and the precinct," Nottingham advised.
*Oops,* Sara winced, turning the ignition.
"The Sufult can hide in plain sight and have many resources, Sara. They are like flies, seemingly innocuous and scattered everywhere, unnoticeable until they swarm. Be wary, my Lady," he cautioned before disconnecting.
********************
Sara pulled out of the 11th as Nottingham hung up, kicking herself for not realizing that the precinct was one of the locations the Sufult would know to look for her. She had instinctually headed towards Gabriel's flat until it dawned on her that Talismanic was also on the 'places to avoid' list, not to mention the fact that he wasn't there. Sara was stumped; anyone else she knew would not appreciate her showing up on their doorstep at the crack of dawn.
The detective decided she needed to spend less time fighting evil and more time making friends with nocturnal tolerant people who didn't pry into her personal/Wielder life-style or mind her trances and unpredictable behavior.
Briefly, she considered placing a personal ad - 'Homicide detective seeking friendship with personable, acquiescent, dependable person who enjoys brief and often untimely, unconventional conversations with no expectations or questions asked. No megalomaniacs (That means you, Kenny). She considered adding; no freaks, but realized anyone reading the ad would think she was one herself. Honestly, it sounded like something Hannibal Lector would place. Maybe she should leave out the 'homicide detective' part.
********************
Nottingham pocketed the phone and was just about to ask Gabriel why he was behaving as if his road companion had suddenly turned into a leper, when the boy spoke up.
"When is the next rest area?" Gabriel queried, a bit affronted when his implied request was met with a patronizing eyeroll from the assassin.
"Can't it wait?" Ian groused.
"No," Gabriel replied adamantly.
"Why didn't you go before we left?" the assassin demanded.
Gabriel struggled to not simply gape at the man. He swore he hadn't had this argument since he was a child. "Before I left my apartment ten hours ago?" Gabriel retorted. "I did, by the way," he added. "Since then, I have been stalked; abducted; strangled to unconsciousness; had my throat cut; attacked in the tub; dragged out of bed to be wrestled onto a motorcycle; awoken in a gas station to be force fed and shot at -
"I get the picture," the assassin growled. It actually would be a good idea to stop and do a thorough search for homing devices before they reached his hideout. If the Sufult were indeed tracking him, leading them straight there could induce a bloodbath he'd rather avoid. Considering their fanaticism and the hordes he'd already taken out, Nottingham guessed they would not relent until he was slain. Albiet, with the number of members he'd massacred, it wouldn't be infeasible if they would do so just for the sake of revenge.
Ian decided to pull off the highway at the next exit. Although there was a plethora of travel-stop establishments, very few were open at the early hour. Stopping at a 7-eleven, he pulled a face when Gabriel darted from the SUV and into the store without his consent.
Emerging from the store with key in tow, Gabriel nearly ran into the instant black wall of assassin. "What?" he squeaked impatiently.
"You cannot just scamper about like a rabbit, I am still in charge of your safety," Ian scolded.
"I gotta take a piss, Nottingham. Going to the bathroom is not scampering about," Gabriel retorted irritably. The caffeine in his system was making the matter urgent, punishment or no he had to go. He veered around the assassin and headed for the lavatory in back of the building. He was halfway there when he glanced back to find Nottingham looming over his shoulder. Needless to say, his surprise at the man's proximity tested his already urgent bladder. "Jesus, Nottingham! What the hell are you doing?" Gabriel exclaimed.
"My job," Ian replied testily.
"No, no way. You are not coming into the bathroom with me," Gabriel protested. He was not in the least bit comfortable about having to address the call of nature in front of the assassin.
Ian was not in the mood for another battle of wills. Arguing with the boy would only waste time and forcing him to take care of his business after hauling him to the men's room would also be a pain. Deciding that it would be ridiculous for the Sufult to be lying in wait at a random 7-eleven restroom, he relented. "Just be quick and don't wander off," Nottingham ordered before heading back to perform a thorough search for homing devices on the SUV.
With a sigh of relief, Gabriel entered the sparse washroom and immediately locked the door. He didn't need the invasive assassin changing his mind and barging in on him mid-stream. After attending to the urgent matter, Gabriel was in the process of washing up when his presumptions about the assassin's erratic behavior appeared to be proven true. The supposedly locked door swung open and morning light flooded the small room, casting a tall shadow against the wall in front of him.
*He could have just waited outside or at least knocked,* Gabriel thought peevishly as he finished drying his hands. His indignation at Nottingham's rudeness, however, suddenly turned to alarm when he was violently grabbed from behind.
The taller man wrenched Gabriel's head backwards into his shoulder as he rammed a cloth into the boy's mouth, stifling his terrified protests.
A faintly sweet vapor began to permeate Gabriel's mouth and air passages. Panic stricken, he clawed desperately at the man's wrist as waves of dizziness and fatigue washed over him. Fighting the increasing heaviness of his limbs, he managed a few weak kicks to the man's shins before succumbing to the drug induced palsy. As darkness bled into the reeling edges of his consciousness, Gabriel raised his unsteady gaze to his assailant's face in despair.
The stranger staring intently into his wide and frightened eyes with a mixture of satisfaction and pity was the last thing Gabriel saw before his world went black.
**************tbc
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 27
*****************************************
The SUV was racing smoothly along the sparsely populated highway as dawn began to breathe a faint blush into the eastern sky. The sleeping figure sprawled in the back seat of the vehicle was rocked slightly as the assassin changed lanes, shifting his dreams.
The subconscious landscape slowly darkened as he felt his unprotected body being propelled, swiftly hurtling towards a quagmire of metal, mire and sharp edges. Something about the speed was pushing him awake. With a jolt, Gabriel breached consciousness. "Where are we?" he gasped.
Startled by his charge's abrupt awakening, the assassin flicked his gaze to the mirror as a wide-eyed, dark haired head popped into view. "It is no matter. Sleep," Nottingham commanded. Gabriel still didn't look as healthy as he had at the start of the evening, which was now fading into dawn, but a hint of color had returned to his cheeks. Relieved that Gabriel's little naps were helping him recover from exhaustion and blood loss, he began to hope that Sara would not find out about the bullet.
Ian had reached the highway without hazard and was watching for tails. The fact that he hadn't spotted anyone following should have relieved him, but instead, he was suspicious. After the incident with the doe, he was positive the sniper was tailing them. Yet strangely, even with his keen eyesight, he hadn't managed to spot the vehicle.
Out of the corner of his vision, he could see Gabriel had not obeyed him. He was about to reprimand him when he noticed the look of horror and confusion in the young man's reflection.
"What happened to your head?" Gabriel blurted. There was a raze of dark red, coating the tidily tied dark locks and streaks of dried blood around the assassin's ear. He hadn't seen the wound the last time he was conscious and was wondering what had transpired while he'd slept.
"It is just a graze," Nottingham replied blandly. Fortunately, the bullet had not pierced his cranium. Hoping Gabriel would let the subject drop at that, he warily eyed the practically non-existent traffic, not thrilled with the idea of relaying that both the shooter and Gabriel's phone had gotten the drop on him simultaneously.
Gabriel was perplexed. The last thing he remembered coherently was that Nottingham had left to get a vehicle. Being that the assassin had returned his attention to the road, it was apparent that Nottingham considered the subject closed but Gabriel decided to press the issue anyway. "How did it happen?" he insisted, readying himself for the tetchy man's rebuke.
Nottingham shot a warning look to the visage in the rearview mirror, only to receive Gabriel's quintessential innocent look. Neath the angelic scrutiny of the aggravating boy, the assassin sullenly yielded. "It involved your cacophonous cell phone and a cowardly sniper," he admitted. "Suffice it to say, I was expecting neither," he added grudgingly.
"Oh... ," Gabriel whispered, immediately dropping his gaze to the floor. That his phone had gotten the assassin shot was not good. He didn't want to even guess what sadistic revenge the vicious assassin had unleashed on him while he was unconscious or planned on extracting from him later. His legs felt fine, so he was betting on the later theory. "Who called?" Gabriel inquired timidly, switching the topic to something less distressing before his hyperactive mind had a chance to fill the uncomfortable silence with images of his impending retribution.
Although Gabriel's penitent demeanor puzzled Ian; he wasn't surprised when the young man's phone hummed on cue. Without replying to Gabriel's query or examining the screen, Ian simply removed the object from his coat and chucked it at the boy. It had been a long night, and although he was grateful for Lady Sara saving his life, he knew from her previous redial extravaganza, that the thing would vibrate relentlessly until he answered. He also expected a berating for his earlier brusque response and refusal to answer the rabidly vibrating instrument.
A faint grunt from Gabriel assured the assassin that he had hit some part of the boy's anatomy, and after a slight pause and a click, the anticipated vociferous lambaste resonated throughout the vehicle.
"It's about time you answered the damn phone, you Ass!" Sara roared.
Ian smirked as he glimpsed Gabriel's pained face while the boy rubbed his ear. Despite his often unruly and unpredictable behavior, his charge could be quite entertaining at times.
"Easy, chief. I just woke up," Gabriel mollified, holding the earpiece at a safe distance.
The assassin caught Sara's sigh of relief and dearly hoped Gabriel would continue to pacify rather than say anything to rile her. He was usually thrilled by her passionate outbursts, but only when he was in complete control of the situation. At the moment, he felt something was off and he needed to concentrate.
"So what's up, Detective, how did the homicide go?" Gabriel queried.
Again, Ian was thrown by Gabriel's penchant for acting completely oblivious to his own situation. Hearing his chirpy and casual greeting, one would think the assassin was driving him to the market for some groceries, rather than escaping to a hideout to possibly face off with a tenacious cult, bent on the boy's capture.
"It was a trap," Sara divulged, relieved to speak openly to someone who would not only understand and accept her blade-induced dilemma, but also sympathize. Her parley with Jake had strained her nerves.
"What?! Are you okay?" Gabriel fretted, oblivious to Nottingham's suddenly rapt attention.
Ian was shocked and incensed. How dare the insufferable dogs assail the Wielder. The reason behind the unease he'd felt over her safety while at the gas station was now clear and he was mortified that he was protecting her little friend while Sara had been in danger.
"I'm fine but Jake got a little battered," Sara responded. She was curious as to why Gabriel and not Ian had answered the phone this time.
"What happened?" Gabriel plied. He was a bit pissed off that the 'seemingly all knowing' assassin had let Sara walk into a trap. A quick glance to the assassin's reflection, however, revealed that Nottingham was distressed as well.
"Someone rigged the body with a bomb, probably our Sufult buddies," Sara relayed tersely. She was beginning to get impatient. Gabriel was focusing the conversation on her situation, rather than what she really needed to know. "What about you, Gabriel, are you okay? Is Nottingham with you? I had some pretty terrifying visions and the last time you sounded this blithely perky over the phone, you were bound and wearing a dog collar," Sara commented.
Gabriel flinched at the mention of the embarrassing collar. "I'm fine, he's driving and thank you oh, so much for bringing up the collar, detective," Gabriel replied irritably. He had no intentions of letting Sara know that he felt completely helpless, lost and apprehensive about Nottingham breaking his legs for unintentionally getting him shot if the Sufult didn't manage to capture and torture him first.
"Driving where? Is he okay?" Sara uttered, hopefully without sounding too concerned over the antagonistic assassin. Even though Gabriel would probably only raise an eyebrow, she knew Nottingham would have a field day.
"Um, he... ". Struck with another pang of guilt and dread, Gabriel instinctively glanced to the suddenly expressionless assassin. "He got shot in the head," Gabriel mumbled quietly.
"What?" Sara gasped, distraught and confused. Hadn't Gabriel just said he was driving? Had her mind made it up to alleviate her fears or had Gabriel joined the cryptic club that seemed bound for the afterlife? Was 'driving' some bizarre term for soaring through the heavens? Her throat emitted a childish whimper without her consent.
"But he said it's just a graze," Gabriel quickly added, suddenly realizing how dire his statement sounded. He'd been warily observing Nottingham's reactions in the mirror and noticed the assassin seemed rather surprised at Sara's squeaky exclamation yet remarkably nonchalant about the bullet incident.
"Thank God," Sara sighed in relief. After recovering from her little fit, however, she came to the conclusion that the man must have completely ignored her warning. Like a charm, her temper returned. "How did it happen?" the detective snapped testily.
Both Ian and Gabriel were thrown by the Wielder's abrupt change in tone.
"I was asleep, so I'm not sure what exactly happened, but I guess it involved my phone," Gabriel relayed. He wasn't thrilled about addressing the touchy subject and Nottingham's lack of retaliation or reaction confused him. Considering the man had practically choked him for eating too slow while unconscious, it seemed odd for Nottingham to disregard the fact that he'd nearly gotten him killed.
The assassin knitted his brows in vexation. Lady Sara's violent mood swings were inscrutable and Gabriel's odd proclivities seemed to be multiplying. The young man had subtly migrated to the opposite side of the vehicle during the phone conversation and Ian wondered what was going on in the young man's head.
The Wielder's fiery temper was doused by confusion, brought about by Gabriel's nonsensical explanation. "Your phone," Sara repeated for lack of anything better to say. Her mind was drawing a blank on how his phone could be involved.
"Yeah," Gabriel sighed despondently.
Exasperated by the escalating bizarreness of their conversation, Nottingham swiftly lunged over and snatched the phone from Gabriel, eliciting a cry of alarm from the boy in the process.
The Sufult's erratic stratagems had put him on edge. If they weren't tailing him, he suspected they might be taking a more direct route to acquiring the Blade. "Sara, are you safe?" the assassin inquired with concern.
Sara took a quick evaluation of the precinct parking lot. It was pretty quiet. A couple officers had pulled in, but nothing seemed suspicious. "Yeah," she replied. She was about to tell him where she was but then remembered his caution about phones being monitored, negating her intended query on where they were. "Are you?" she asked instead.
Nottingham paused in thought. He honestly didn't know. Their SUV did blend with traffic as he had hoped and he'd seen no sign of being followed since they'd approached the highway, yet it seemed too easy. After the tenacity of the Sufult's pursuit, it appeared as if the sect had just suddenly given up. Something wasn't right. "I am not sure," Ian replied bluntly. His greater concern was Sara's safety.
"What do you mean? Should I-" Sara fretted.
"I will call you once we arrive at our destination. Until then, stay away from your apartment and the precinct," Nottingham advised.
*Oops,* Sara winced, turning the ignition.
"The Sufult can hide in plain sight and have many resources, Sara. They are like flies, seemingly innocuous and scattered everywhere, unnoticeable until they swarm. Be wary, my Lady," he cautioned before disconnecting.
********************
Sara pulled out of the 11th as Nottingham hung up, kicking herself for not realizing that the precinct was one of the locations the Sufult would know to look for her. She had instinctually headed towards Gabriel's flat until it dawned on her that Talismanic was also on the 'places to avoid' list, not to mention the fact that he wasn't there. Sara was stumped; anyone else she knew would not appreciate her showing up on their doorstep at the crack of dawn.
The detective decided she needed to spend less time fighting evil and more time making friends with nocturnal tolerant people who didn't pry into her personal/Wielder life-style or mind her trances and unpredictable behavior.
Briefly, she considered placing a personal ad - 'Homicide detective seeking friendship with personable, acquiescent, dependable person who enjoys brief and often untimely, unconventional conversations with no expectations or questions asked. No megalomaniacs (That means you, Kenny). She considered adding; no freaks, but realized anyone reading the ad would think she was one herself. Honestly, it sounded like something Hannibal Lector would place. Maybe she should leave out the 'homicide detective' part.
********************
Nottingham pocketed the phone and was just about to ask Gabriel why he was behaving as if his road companion had suddenly turned into a leper, when the boy spoke up.
"When is the next rest area?" Gabriel queried, a bit affronted when his implied request was met with a patronizing eyeroll from the assassin.
"Can't it wait?" Ian groused.
"No," Gabriel replied adamantly.
"Why didn't you go before we left?" the assassin demanded.
Gabriel struggled to not simply gape at the man. He swore he hadn't had this argument since he was a child. "Before I left my apartment ten hours ago?" Gabriel retorted. "I did, by the way," he added. "Since then, I have been stalked; abducted; strangled to unconsciousness; had my throat cut; attacked in the tub; dragged out of bed to be wrestled onto a motorcycle; awoken in a gas station to be force fed and shot at -
"I get the picture," the assassin growled. It actually would be a good idea to stop and do a thorough search for homing devices before they reached his hideout. If the Sufult were indeed tracking him, leading them straight there could induce a bloodbath he'd rather avoid. Considering their fanaticism and the hordes he'd already taken out, Nottingham guessed they would not relent until he was slain. Albiet, with the number of members he'd massacred, it wouldn't be infeasible if they would do so just for the sake of revenge.
Ian decided to pull off the highway at the next exit. Although there was a plethora of travel-stop establishments, very few were open at the early hour. Stopping at a 7-eleven, he pulled a face when Gabriel darted from the SUV and into the store without his consent.
Emerging from the store with key in tow, Gabriel nearly ran into the instant black wall of assassin. "What?" he squeaked impatiently.
"You cannot just scamper about like a rabbit, I am still in charge of your safety," Ian scolded.
"I gotta take a piss, Nottingham. Going to the bathroom is not scampering about," Gabriel retorted irritably. The caffeine in his system was making the matter urgent, punishment or no he had to go. He veered around the assassin and headed for the lavatory in back of the building. He was halfway there when he glanced back to find Nottingham looming over his shoulder. Needless to say, his surprise at the man's proximity tested his already urgent bladder. "Jesus, Nottingham! What the hell are you doing?" Gabriel exclaimed.
"My job," Ian replied testily.
"No, no way. You are not coming into the bathroom with me," Gabriel protested. He was not in the least bit comfortable about having to address the call of nature in front of the assassin.
Ian was not in the mood for another battle of wills. Arguing with the boy would only waste time and forcing him to take care of his business after hauling him to the men's room would also be a pain. Deciding that it would be ridiculous for the Sufult to be lying in wait at a random 7-eleven restroom, he relented. "Just be quick and don't wander off," Nottingham ordered before heading back to perform a thorough search for homing devices on the SUV.
With a sigh of relief, Gabriel entered the sparse washroom and immediately locked the door. He didn't need the invasive assassin changing his mind and barging in on him mid-stream. After attending to the urgent matter, Gabriel was in the process of washing up when his presumptions about the assassin's erratic behavior appeared to be proven true. The supposedly locked door swung open and morning light flooded the small room, casting a tall shadow against the wall in front of him.
*He could have just waited outside or at least knocked,* Gabriel thought peevishly as he finished drying his hands. His indignation at Nottingham's rudeness, however, suddenly turned to alarm when he was violently grabbed from behind.
The taller man wrenched Gabriel's head backwards into his shoulder as he rammed a cloth into the boy's mouth, stifling his terrified protests.
A faintly sweet vapor began to permeate Gabriel's mouth and air passages. Panic stricken, he clawed desperately at the man's wrist as waves of dizziness and fatigue washed over him. Fighting the increasing heaviness of his limbs, he managed a few weak kicks to the man's shins before succumbing to the drug induced palsy. As darkness bled into the reeling edges of his consciousness, Gabriel raised his unsteady gaze to his assailant's face in despair.
The stranger staring intently into his wide and frightened eyes with a mixture of satisfaction and pity was the last thing Gabriel saw before his world went black.
**************tbc