The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 28
*****************************************
Ian carefully checked the undercarriage of the vehicle, but found nothing. Traffic in the area had begun to thicken as he was performing his search. Managers and employees, arriving for the daily grind of serving the populace weak coffee and mass produced fried goods, began to populate the lots around the various establishments.
Moving his search to the inside of the vehicle, Nottingham again, bemoaned his lack of sweeping equipment. Manually searching for devices was painstaking and time-consuming. If the vehicle did contain a homing device, it could be hidden anywhere; wedged between seats, in an ashtray, under the carpet... The assassin sighed in exasperation and wondered what was taking the boy so long in the lavatory. Remembering Gabriel's offense at the assassin getting him sticky, he surmised the young man was probably trying to get the latte splotches out of his shirt.
******************
Satisfied that his prey had been subdued, Brother Nolan removed the cloth from Gabriel's mouth. Clutching his somnolent prize he stepped outside as Brother Rason pulled the car forward to meet him. Deftly sliding himself and Gabriel into the back seat, Nolan pulled the car door shut as Brother Rason accelerated.
"Keep going and don't speed, any abnormal acceleration could alert the assassin," Nolan instructed quietly. The burgeoning activity in the area provided them the much needed cover to get away without being noticed. He didn't need Rason panicking and drawing the perceptive assassin's unwanted attention. Keeping himself below the line of vision until the car reached the expressway, Nolan occupied himself by checking Gabriel's mouth for irritation. It was a bit drastic to be so aggressive with chloroform, but he couldn't afford to take any chances with the assassin nearby. The young man's throat would probably be a little sore, but as far as he could tell, the liquid hadn't soaked through enough to damage their acquisition's delicate tissue.
As they accessed the expressway, Brother Rason dared to speak. "Should I Alert Prime Consul about our success?" Rason queried. He had followed as ordered, just out of sight of the SUV, relying on the radar blips to go in the right direction. Brother Nolan's approach to the young man's capture had seemed lackadaisical at first and not having backup seemed risky, but now that they'd pulled it off, he longed to be within the familiar confines of rules and regulations. He was also happy that they had achieved success where all the others had failed and was looking forward to approval.
"Sure," Nolan answered. While Brother Rason informed their superiors of the conquest, Brother Nolan flipped Gabriel over and pulled the young man's pliant arms behind his back. Binding his wrists with the ever-present cord that all miscreant's carried, Nolan wondered if he shouldn't tether his legs as well. The boy's kicks, though weakened by the drug, were well placed and his shins were still smarting.
Deciding against it, he slid a black hood over Gabriel's head and tucked him into the seat before settling back for what he hoped to be a fairly short and uneventful ride.
******************
After a ridiculously thorough search, barring dismemberment of the seats, Ian was about to consider the SUV free of homing devices when he noticed an odd seam in the back end of the vehicle. Removing the Sufult's equipment he found a small indent and pried the panel open, revealing a narrow compartment. Inside, underneath an aging crossword puzzle, a faint blinking light identified the object that he had feared. Immediately alarmed at the device's portent, Nottingham raced to the lavatory to grab Gabriel.
Bursting inside the room, his sense of smell picked up the faint traces of chloroform still lingering in the small enclosure. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.
Dashing out of the room, the assassin quickly scanned the area. The entire setup of his surroundings was working against him. The asphalt lot and roads left no possibility of finding tracks and the increasing activity in the area made it impossible to check every vehicle.
Nottingham was beside himself. They had snatched Gabriel from right under his nose. This is not happening, I am all knowing, ran through his head before reality gained sway. He was going to strangle Gabriel for his ridiculous modesty. If the reckless little scamp had just- His mental rant was interrupted by the humming in his pockets. As if to further ruin his sense of control, his and Gabriel's phones rung at the same time. Irons and Sara were both calling.
******************
Gabriel awoke to darkness, there was cloth touching his face and his bound wrists ached. While noting that he was in a vehicle, he also suddenly realized there was something on his neck. His rising indignation at being leashed again was halted when the pressure shifted and he discerned it was a hand.
"Don't bother struggling against the ropes. Your wrists are already chaffed and it will only make them bleed," Brother Nolan stated blandly when he felt the boy's pulse quicken beneath his fingers.
The hand moved to Gabriel's cranium and although it's pressure remained slight, Gabriel suspected it would increase if he tried to sit up or move. He wished this wasn't the case, as the car they were in was obviously smaller than the SUV and he felt awkward, crammed against the stranger. He was surprised he wasn't gagged, but supposed since he couldn't see anything, they were going with the 'towel over the birdcage' method of silencing him. It was working pretty well.
Too uneasy to blindly address the man, Gabriel tried to furtively disentangle his leg from an object that was pressing into it painfully, only to receive a sharp rap on his thigh.
"Stay still," Nolan ordered. He had suspected the young man was troublesome but didn't expect him to try something so soon.
As his leg was in an even more painful position than before, Gabriel decided to risk speaking. "It... hurts," he choked out.
Nolan eyed the angle of his hostage's leg and had to admit it did look painful. Considering what his captive had already endured at the hands of the assassin and his impending session with the Sect, he decided to humor Mr. Bowman. Without saying a word, Brother Nolan Grasped Gabriel about the waist and chest and pulled him onto his lap to free the captive's legs, accidentally bumping Gabriel's head into the side of the vehicle in the process.
Brother Rason heard the commotion in the back and glanced into the rearview mirror just in time to see Brother Nolan manhandling their booty. "We're not supposed to play with him," Rason blurted without thinking, receiving an irately shocked expression from Brother Nolan in return.
"Play with him?" Nolan rejoined derisively. "You think I'm playing with him?" He challenged.
His venomous tone sent shivers down Brother Rason's spine and Rason backed down immediately. "No, I just- I'm sorry, Brother Pedious..." he trailed off. Nolan had rolled his eyes at the man's mention.
Brother Nolan wanted to state that Pedious was a sick and sadistic bastard that had only gained position by murky favors, but wisely chose to stay silent on the matter. "I am not playing with him, Rason. I am attempting to make him remotely comfortable," Nolan stated, peeved at Rason's assumption.
In the midst of the parley, Gabriel hung in his captor's grip, deeply disturbed that the Sect would even address the notion of 'playing with him'.
******************
Ian stared at both phones in dismay, not thrilled to receive either volatile berating for failing to avoid the bleak development. Deciding that Irons would possibly order him to claim his own life for his failure and therefore save him from enduring Lady Sara's unbearable ire, he answered his phone while pocketing Gabriel's.
"Well, Ian, nice of you to keep me waiting," Irons snipped.
"I apologize, my news is dire," Ian somberly confessed. Since Irons was peevish over his servant not answering on the first ring, he was dreading his reaction to the actual news.
"So the Sufult have captured the boy," Irons stated breezily.
"Yes," the assassin replied, a bit taken aback by Irons' guess and unexpected tone.
"I imagined they would," Kenneth stated confidently. "Giving up really isn't their style," he coolly added.
"How shall I proceed?" Ian asked abjectly. Internally, he wished Iron's had let him in on his theory. He could have just given Bowman to the Sect and saved himself a shot in the head.
"Return to the estate. I will give you your orders once you arrive," Irons clipped and immediately disconnected.
******************
The Wielder was tired of driving around aimlessly. With too many worries and the blade roiling ominously on her wrist, yet not giving her any visions or insight, Sara felt the need to kick some ass.
Deciding that the subway system usually housed thugs and other ruffians that could use a good what for, she parked the car at a random subway entrance and descended to the tunnels below. After spotting no evildoers, Sara lowered her sights to an annoying mime who bore an amazing resemblance to Tommy Gallo. Deciding the guy was just asking for it with his feigned 'Oh, I'm in a box' routine, she headed over to give the bastard's box a good shove. Her mission, however, was suddenly intercepted by the blade's unprecedented mime-preservation policy.
Sara was abruptly thrown into a now horrifyingly familiar yet increasingly importunate vision of Gabriel being hacked to pieces. When she became aware of her surroundings once more, her panicked state was met with the obnoxious mime, waving his gloved hands in front of her face as if she were the one inside a box. Without a second thought, the Wielder popped him in the kisser before reaching for her phone.
*******************
Scribbler's note: My heartfelt thanks to Roguegal17 for correcting all my mistakes and giving me the much needed support to continue this tale.
To the few people still reading this story, thank you also. This wouldn't be here if it were'nt for you and Rogue. :)
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 28
*****************************************
Ian carefully checked the undercarriage of the vehicle, but found nothing. Traffic in the area had begun to thicken as he was performing his search. Managers and employees, arriving for the daily grind of serving the populace weak coffee and mass produced fried goods, began to populate the lots around the various establishments.
Moving his search to the inside of the vehicle, Nottingham again, bemoaned his lack of sweeping equipment. Manually searching for devices was painstaking and time-consuming. If the vehicle did contain a homing device, it could be hidden anywhere; wedged between seats, in an ashtray, under the carpet... The assassin sighed in exasperation and wondered what was taking the boy so long in the lavatory. Remembering Gabriel's offense at the assassin getting him sticky, he surmised the young man was probably trying to get the latte splotches out of his shirt.
******************
Satisfied that his prey had been subdued, Brother Nolan removed the cloth from Gabriel's mouth. Clutching his somnolent prize he stepped outside as Brother Rason pulled the car forward to meet him. Deftly sliding himself and Gabriel into the back seat, Nolan pulled the car door shut as Brother Rason accelerated.
"Keep going and don't speed, any abnormal acceleration could alert the assassin," Nolan instructed quietly. The burgeoning activity in the area provided them the much needed cover to get away without being noticed. He didn't need Rason panicking and drawing the perceptive assassin's unwanted attention. Keeping himself below the line of vision until the car reached the expressway, Nolan occupied himself by checking Gabriel's mouth for irritation. It was a bit drastic to be so aggressive with chloroform, but he couldn't afford to take any chances with the assassin nearby. The young man's throat would probably be a little sore, but as far as he could tell, the liquid hadn't soaked through enough to damage their acquisition's delicate tissue.
As they accessed the expressway, Brother Rason dared to speak. "Should I Alert Prime Consul about our success?" Rason queried. He had followed as ordered, just out of sight of the SUV, relying on the radar blips to go in the right direction. Brother Nolan's approach to the young man's capture had seemed lackadaisical at first and not having backup seemed risky, but now that they'd pulled it off, he longed to be within the familiar confines of rules and regulations. He was also happy that they had achieved success where all the others had failed and was looking forward to approval.
"Sure," Nolan answered. While Brother Rason informed their superiors of the conquest, Brother Nolan flipped Gabriel over and pulled the young man's pliant arms behind his back. Binding his wrists with the ever-present cord that all miscreant's carried, Nolan wondered if he shouldn't tether his legs as well. The boy's kicks, though weakened by the drug, were well placed and his shins were still smarting.
Deciding against it, he slid a black hood over Gabriel's head and tucked him into the seat before settling back for what he hoped to be a fairly short and uneventful ride.
******************
After a ridiculously thorough search, barring dismemberment of the seats, Ian was about to consider the SUV free of homing devices when he noticed an odd seam in the back end of the vehicle. Removing the Sufult's equipment he found a small indent and pried the panel open, revealing a narrow compartment. Inside, underneath an aging crossword puzzle, a faint blinking light identified the object that he had feared. Immediately alarmed at the device's portent, Nottingham raced to the lavatory to grab Gabriel.
Bursting inside the room, his sense of smell picked up the faint traces of chloroform still lingering in the small enclosure. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.
Dashing out of the room, the assassin quickly scanned the area. The entire setup of his surroundings was working against him. The asphalt lot and roads left no possibility of finding tracks and the increasing activity in the area made it impossible to check every vehicle.
Nottingham was beside himself. They had snatched Gabriel from right under his nose. This is not happening, I am all knowing, ran through his head before reality gained sway. He was going to strangle Gabriel for his ridiculous modesty. If the reckless little scamp had just- His mental rant was interrupted by the humming in his pockets. As if to further ruin his sense of control, his and Gabriel's phones rung at the same time. Irons and Sara were both calling.
******************
Gabriel awoke to darkness, there was cloth touching his face and his bound wrists ached. While noting that he was in a vehicle, he also suddenly realized there was something on his neck. His rising indignation at being leashed again was halted when the pressure shifted and he discerned it was a hand.
"Don't bother struggling against the ropes. Your wrists are already chaffed and it will only make them bleed," Brother Nolan stated blandly when he felt the boy's pulse quicken beneath his fingers.
The hand moved to Gabriel's cranium and although it's pressure remained slight, Gabriel suspected it would increase if he tried to sit up or move. He wished this wasn't the case, as the car they were in was obviously smaller than the SUV and he felt awkward, crammed against the stranger. He was surprised he wasn't gagged, but supposed since he couldn't see anything, they were going with the 'towel over the birdcage' method of silencing him. It was working pretty well.
Too uneasy to blindly address the man, Gabriel tried to furtively disentangle his leg from an object that was pressing into it painfully, only to receive a sharp rap on his thigh.
"Stay still," Nolan ordered. He had suspected the young man was troublesome but didn't expect him to try something so soon.
As his leg was in an even more painful position than before, Gabriel decided to risk speaking. "It... hurts," he choked out.
Nolan eyed the angle of his hostage's leg and had to admit it did look painful. Considering what his captive had already endured at the hands of the assassin and his impending session with the Sect, he decided to humor Mr. Bowman. Without saying a word, Brother Nolan Grasped Gabriel about the waist and chest and pulled him onto his lap to free the captive's legs, accidentally bumping Gabriel's head into the side of the vehicle in the process.
Brother Rason heard the commotion in the back and glanced into the rearview mirror just in time to see Brother Nolan manhandling their booty. "We're not supposed to play with him," Rason blurted without thinking, receiving an irately shocked expression from Brother Nolan in return.
"Play with him?" Nolan rejoined derisively. "You think I'm playing with him?" He challenged.
His venomous tone sent shivers down Brother Rason's spine and Rason backed down immediately. "No, I just- I'm sorry, Brother Pedious..." he trailed off. Nolan had rolled his eyes at the man's mention.
Brother Nolan wanted to state that Pedious was a sick and sadistic bastard that had only gained position by murky favors, but wisely chose to stay silent on the matter. "I am not playing with him, Rason. I am attempting to make him remotely comfortable," Nolan stated, peeved at Rason's assumption.
In the midst of the parley, Gabriel hung in his captor's grip, deeply disturbed that the Sect would even address the notion of 'playing with him'.
******************
Ian stared at both phones in dismay, not thrilled to receive either volatile berating for failing to avoid the bleak development. Deciding that Irons would possibly order him to claim his own life for his failure and therefore save him from enduring Lady Sara's unbearable ire, he answered his phone while pocketing Gabriel's.
"Well, Ian, nice of you to keep me waiting," Irons snipped.
"I apologize, my news is dire," Ian somberly confessed. Since Irons was peevish over his servant not answering on the first ring, he was dreading his reaction to the actual news.
"So the Sufult have captured the boy," Irons stated breezily.
"Yes," the assassin replied, a bit taken aback by Irons' guess and unexpected tone.
"I imagined they would," Kenneth stated confidently. "Giving up really isn't their style," he coolly added.
"How shall I proceed?" Ian asked abjectly. Internally, he wished Iron's had let him in on his theory. He could have just given Bowman to the Sect and saved himself a shot in the head.
"Return to the estate. I will give you your orders once you arrive," Irons clipped and immediately disconnected.
******************
The Wielder was tired of driving around aimlessly. With too many worries and the blade roiling ominously on her wrist, yet not giving her any visions or insight, Sara felt the need to kick some ass.
Deciding that the subway system usually housed thugs and other ruffians that could use a good what for, she parked the car at a random subway entrance and descended to the tunnels below. After spotting no evildoers, Sara lowered her sights to an annoying mime who bore an amazing resemblance to Tommy Gallo. Deciding the guy was just asking for it with his feigned 'Oh, I'm in a box' routine, she headed over to give the bastard's box a good shove. Her mission, however, was suddenly intercepted by the blade's unprecedented mime-preservation policy.
Sara was abruptly thrown into a now horrifyingly familiar yet increasingly importunate vision of Gabriel being hacked to pieces. When she became aware of her surroundings once more, her panicked state was met with the obnoxious mime, waving his gloved hands in front of her face as if she were the one inside a box. Without a second thought, the Wielder popped him in the kisser before reaching for her phone.
*******************
Scribbler's note: My heartfelt thanks to Roguegal17 for correcting all my mistakes and giving me the much needed support to continue this tale.
To the few people still reading this story, thank you also. This wouldn't be here if it were'nt for you and Rogue. :)