The usual disclaimers. The story is mine. The characters are not. Batteries not included. Some restrictions may apply.
*** The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
*warnings, apologies and excuses* *** General creepiness, coarse language and not beta'd.
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 30 ***************************************** The muffled hum of traffic and the man's hand pressing his enshrouded head into the seat provided a twisted road trip ambiance for Gabriel's desolate ruminations. Judging by the steady pace of the car's engine and his captor's silent complacency, he deduced that Nottingham was not in pursuit of them. Whether that was because they had eluded the assassin or killed him, he didn't know.
Although hoping for the first assumption, he resigned himself to the conclusion that there was no hope of rescue and little chance of escape. Nottingham supervising his bathroom activities seemed far less horrifying in hindsight. Yet some part of him doubted it would have changed the plight he was now in. The dark dream he'd woken from in the SUV didn't help ease his anxiety.
He had feared they might use him as a bartering chip, to get either the Tome or the Blade. But the foreboding vision had screamed more painful death than temporary hostage. The alarming and unprecedented attempt on Sara's life not only escalated his fears but muddled the situation further. The one consoling aspect of the Sect was now removed. They could be up to anything.
Different suppositions and scenarios churned in his head, none of them very comforting. Despite the fact that it had been only hours since the Sufult had broken into his shop, it felt like days. Tired and despondent, he let his mind drift as the vehicle sped towards its destination.
In the midst of contemplating what Sara's reaction to his capture would be, he felt the vehicle begin to slow down. Gabriel tensed and the man shoved his skull further into the seat with a warning; "Don't try anything."
Always willing to cater to bullies, Gabriel responded by swiftly thrusting his foot in the direction of the driver's seat, neatly clipping Brother Rason in the head. He was rewarded with a blaring of car horns and his captor toppling over him as the vehicle careened out of control. Better a quick death by car accident than give them what they want and die anyway, Gabriel mused flippantly as Rason recovered just in time to avoid being hit by a truck.
Nolan managed to clamp a hand around Gabriel's throat, ending his cry for help before it could be noticed amongst the chorus of angry shouts coming from the vehicles surrounding them. "Keep driving!" he hissed at Rason before unleashing a stream of colorful curse-words on the young man in his grasp.
Rason obeyed, still wondering what in the hell happened. He was relieved there were no police in the area as he observed people gaping in disbelief at the retreating Nova from their scattered vehicles. "Well, I guess I won't be using this car for a while," he commented, rubbing the back of his head. Although it wasn't exactly a hit and run, he knew someone would probably report the incident. Luckily, they were close to the underground tunnel that led to the main sanctuary of the area. Unless one of the drivers pursued immediately, the car would be out of sight before police could arrive.
Releasing his grip before he choked the boy to death in his anger, Nolan restrained the troublemaker by sitting on him for the remainder of the trip. It appeared he should have went with his instincts on tethering the young man's legs. "It hurts," he mimicked, muttering to himself as he recalled his mistake of freeing the boy's lower limbs. Despite his innocuous appearance, the young man was unpredictably dangerous.
*********************** The Wielder arrived at Irons' estate fuming. Her already furious state had not been helped by the drive to the mansion. Traffic had been a bitch and her increasingly agitated bracelet had transformed into a gauntlet, no doubt taking her dismay at being cut off by some maniac as a signal to start smashing windows. And here she'd thought talismans were impervious to road rage.
The security guard who had come out to greet her noticed her hostile demeanor and simply gestured for her to follow as he tried to keep a safe distance ahead of her. By the time they made it inside the mansion he was practically running.
Sara, trying to keep pace with the guard, was beginning to wonder if the man wasn't challenging her to a race. The long trek to Kenny's sitting room was over quickly but Sara wasn't keen on addressing the pompous bastard in the chair while winded. She waited till her speedy escort completed his wide arc around her to the exit before speaking.
"Well, Kenny, I hope you've enjoyed your little game!" Sara snarled at the composed man who, at the moment, seemed to be admiring his manicure.
"A pleasure to see you also, Sara," Irons blandished calmly, rising from his chair. "As for my 'little game'; I was enjoying it immensely until Mr. Bowman exposed himself by seeking rare transcripts from strangers rather than coming to me for assistance," Irons stated reprovingly.
"You're trying to pin this on Gabriel?!" Sara huffed in disbelief. "Ya got one massive set of brass one's, Kenny!" she accused warningly as she took a step towards the arrogant man.
"No need to be crude, detective. That sort of gutter talk hardly suits a woman of your lineage," Kenneth admonished.
Sara was beside herself. Every conversation with the man was like trying to play tennis with a golf club. "My friend has been kidnapped because of your little ploy to control me," Sara declared angrily. "There is no reason why Gabriel would have come to you for help and you know it!" she added.
"Hmm, you are right, Sara. That was a bit of an oversight on my behalf. Perhaps if my servant had kept better tabs on the boy, I would have been able to provide the information in time to prevent this little... incident," Irons asserted silkily.
"Now your blaming Nottingham?!" Sara exclaimed. With Irons' audacity, she was wondering if he didn't need a hand-cart for his brass.
"Wherever the blame falls," Kenneth scoffed, making a careless gesture. "I assume you have come to implore my assistance with your problem," he complained with a beleaguered sigh, dramatically placing a hand on his chest.
"Implore? Assist? MY Problem?" Sara shrilled. "No, Kenny. I came here to ORDER you to FIX YOUR mess. I want Gabriel back, safe and unharmed," Sara snapped.
"Actually, detective, I have already gone to great lengths towards that means. You should be grateful," Irons stated with a smug twist of his lips.
"Oh yeah? What lengths would those be?" Sara queried impatiently.
***********************
Pissed that his retaliation seemed to accomplish nothing but a crushed throat and being sat on by the larger man, Gabriel fumed at his hopeless situation. Once the car came to a halt, the man pulled him out from underneath him, maintaining a firm if not bruising grip on his arms.
Being shoved blindly out of the vehicle, he felt a second set of hands latch onto him while he tumbled out of the car and onto what felt like a dirt floor. "Watch his legs," a voice muttered from behind.
The two men pulled him stumbling forward, the dirt ground beneath his feet beginning to feel more like smooth stone as they plodded along. He was contemplating what sort of place they had brought him to when he heard a door opening somewhere in front of him, followed by a man's sepulchral voice. "Finally ours," was uttered with such wanton wickedness that it sent Gabriel into a fit of panic.
Struggling frantically to wrench himself from his captors' hold, he managed to break free briefly before hearing a sudden flurry of motion and shouts as he was tackled to the ground. Seemingly dozens of hands pinned him to the stone floor as his legs were forced together and his ankles bound. As he was hauled upright, Gabriel slackened in defeat. The instinctive revolt had been a rather reckless move. Even if he had managed to flee, he would have most likely ran into a wall anyway, as he couldn't see a damned thing.
His consternation ended abruptly when the vile man spoke again, this time, inches from his face. Though he couldn't see anything, breath that smelled faintly of pepper wafted through the cloth covering his head.
"He's quite a spitfire," Brother Pedious cloyingly observed as Gabriel recoiled. "Bring him to my quarters," he instructed imperiously.
"Our orders are to take him directly to the Prime Consul, " Brother Rason interjected dutifully, unwittingly saving Brother Nolan from completely losing it and delivering a smackdown on the invasively presumptuous Brother Pedious.
With a jerk to the side, the pepper breath was replaced by surprisingly welcome dank air as Gabriel was dragged away from the shuddersome interloper. He could hear murmuring coming from various directions as he was propelled forward by the two men. After being dragged through what seemed like endless corridors, they entered a room filled with sounds of rustling cloth and low whispering. The men yanked him up a set of steps before Gabriel was halted and forced to his knees.
"Prime Consul," his captor greeted, pausing as the room became silent. "I give you Mr. Bowman," His captor announced coolly, removing Gabriel's hood in a gesture that bore far too much resemblance to that of a waiter revealing a main course.
Squinting as his eyes adjusted to light, Gabriel peered up at the host of creepy looking men ogling him eagerly. Irrationally, he wished the man would put the covering back on.
"Well done, Brother Nolan," Consul Damak stated with a smile. "Brother Rason," he added with a nod. Stepping forward, he studied the hostage kneeling between them. "Have you searched him for the key?" He queried.
"I performed a brief inspection, but found nothing unusual on his person," Nolan answered.
The Consul clenched his jaw in disapointment. "Perhaps a more thorough probe will turn something up," He determined, bending to closer examine the artifact dealer. "So, you have managed to open the tome," he murmured to the silent young man.
Gabriel stared straight ahead and said nothing, trying desperately to ignore the probe threat. The Consul grasped Gabriel's jaw, tilting his chin up till he was facing the man squarely. He suppressed the urge to wrench away as the man's steel grey eyes bored down into his.
"He seems... willful," Consul Damak stated at length, desisting his scrutiny and addressing Brother Nolan. "Did he give you any trouble?" he asked casually.
A snort and an eyeroll from Nolan answered the Consul's query.
Consul Damak heaved a sigh and returned his gaze to the prisoner. "It looks as if this may take some time. Take him to the interrogation pit and I will select some... inquisitors," Consul Damak stated grimly.
Gabriel now wished he had put on a 'sally boy' act rather than kicking the driver in the head. 'Interrogation pit' did not sound fun and more than a few of the cloaked men had raised their hands a little too enthusiastically before the man had even turned to make his selection.
*********************** Irons shot Sara a smirk before answering her prodding question. He knew the upstanding police officer would not approve of his methods. "The Sufult cannot be entirely destroyed, nor can they truly be bargained with. However, with the right amount of pressure, they may be dissuaded," Kenneth relayed, contemplating an urn.
"So how are you planning to pressure them?" Sara needled, eyeing Kenny's sudden interest in a vase.
"I have already set a few obstacles in motion. My servant Ian, has no doubt already proved to be a dissuasion of sorts," Kenneth smirked. "The culmination of my efforts and sheer number of Sufult deaths should put a damper on their new endeavor. However, unless they arrange for an exchange, your boy won't have that long to live," Irons informed the detective nonchalantly while gracefully sweeping across the room to stroke a curve of the urn.
"They want to exchange Gabriel for the Tome," Sara stated resolutely. Nottingham had warned her about their intent.
"They may or they may not," Kenneth frowned.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sara demanded. Part of her was wondering if that frown was because he didn't know what the Sufult would do or if it was caused by the vase not returning his attentions. Sheesh! He was practically molesting the thing.
"Ian has provided the Sect with a replica of the Tome. They will want Mr. Bowman to open it. Of course he won't be able to, since it is simply the recreated shell," Kenneth explained, turning away from the urn.
"What?" Sara gasped. Weakly, some part of her remembered Nottingham mentioning a fraud.
"Knowing the Sufult, they will simply push Gabriel until he has either satisfied them or become useless. Either way, your little friend is as good as dead unless they discover the ruse. Even then, well..." Irons shrugged.
***********************************************tbc
Fae Rain - Sorry for scaring you. I hope this chapter wasn't too trying. There really was no alternative once the story passed chapter 6, but on the upside, there are forces working to save him. :) but then there's that evil monkey...
Earthdragon - I'm afraid the torture is mostly mental/emotional at the moment. Your kitty did get a minor owie in. Sadistic kitty! Hehe. ^_^ Though I didn't elaborate on how uncomfy it would be to be sat on. Why on earth I had the man sit on him is beyond me. I think my muses must be nuts.
Patty - Thank you for the warm compliments! *blushes* I'm glad you like their strange little comaraderie. Nothing like a dangerous road trip to overcome suspicion and jealousy, though I'm sure they still think each other as a bit odd. Hehe. Knights of Ni.
Dragongirl - Hihi! I'm still snickering over Ian's french braid.
*warnings, apologies and excuses* *** General creepiness, coarse language and not beta'd.
******************** denotes change of scenery
Tenebrous
chapter 30 ***************************************** The muffled hum of traffic and the man's hand pressing his enshrouded head into the seat provided a twisted road trip ambiance for Gabriel's desolate ruminations. Judging by the steady pace of the car's engine and his captor's silent complacency, he deduced that Nottingham was not in pursuit of them. Whether that was because they had eluded the assassin or killed him, he didn't know.
Although hoping for the first assumption, he resigned himself to the conclusion that there was no hope of rescue and little chance of escape. Nottingham supervising his bathroom activities seemed far less horrifying in hindsight. Yet some part of him doubted it would have changed the plight he was now in. The dark dream he'd woken from in the SUV didn't help ease his anxiety.
He had feared they might use him as a bartering chip, to get either the Tome or the Blade. But the foreboding vision had screamed more painful death than temporary hostage. The alarming and unprecedented attempt on Sara's life not only escalated his fears but muddled the situation further. The one consoling aspect of the Sect was now removed. They could be up to anything.
Different suppositions and scenarios churned in his head, none of them very comforting. Despite the fact that it had been only hours since the Sufult had broken into his shop, it felt like days. Tired and despondent, he let his mind drift as the vehicle sped towards its destination.
In the midst of contemplating what Sara's reaction to his capture would be, he felt the vehicle begin to slow down. Gabriel tensed and the man shoved his skull further into the seat with a warning; "Don't try anything."
Always willing to cater to bullies, Gabriel responded by swiftly thrusting his foot in the direction of the driver's seat, neatly clipping Brother Rason in the head. He was rewarded with a blaring of car horns and his captor toppling over him as the vehicle careened out of control. Better a quick death by car accident than give them what they want and die anyway, Gabriel mused flippantly as Rason recovered just in time to avoid being hit by a truck.
Nolan managed to clamp a hand around Gabriel's throat, ending his cry for help before it could be noticed amongst the chorus of angry shouts coming from the vehicles surrounding them. "Keep driving!" he hissed at Rason before unleashing a stream of colorful curse-words on the young man in his grasp.
Rason obeyed, still wondering what in the hell happened. He was relieved there were no police in the area as he observed people gaping in disbelief at the retreating Nova from their scattered vehicles. "Well, I guess I won't be using this car for a while," he commented, rubbing the back of his head. Although it wasn't exactly a hit and run, he knew someone would probably report the incident. Luckily, they were close to the underground tunnel that led to the main sanctuary of the area. Unless one of the drivers pursued immediately, the car would be out of sight before police could arrive.
Releasing his grip before he choked the boy to death in his anger, Nolan restrained the troublemaker by sitting on him for the remainder of the trip. It appeared he should have went with his instincts on tethering the young man's legs. "It hurts," he mimicked, muttering to himself as he recalled his mistake of freeing the boy's lower limbs. Despite his innocuous appearance, the young man was unpredictably dangerous.
*********************** The Wielder arrived at Irons' estate fuming. Her already furious state had not been helped by the drive to the mansion. Traffic had been a bitch and her increasingly agitated bracelet had transformed into a gauntlet, no doubt taking her dismay at being cut off by some maniac as a signal to start smashing windows. And here she'd thought talismans were impervious to road rage.
The security guard who had come out to greet her noticed her hostile demeanor and simply gestured for her to follow as he tried to keep a safe distance ahead of her. By the time they made it inside the mansion he was practically running.
Sara, trying to keep pace with the guard, was beginning to wonder if the man wasn't challenging her to a race. The long trek to Kenny's sitting room was over quickly but Sara wasn't keen on addressing the pompous bastard in the chair while winded. She waited till her speedy escort completed his wide arc around her to the exit before speaking.
"Well, Kenny, I hope you've enjoyed your little game!" Sara snarled at the composed man who, at the moment, seemed to be admiring his manicure.
"A pleasure to see you also, Sara," Irons blandished calmly, rising from his chair. "As for my 'little game'; I was enjoying it immensely until Mr. Bowman exposed himself by seeking rare transcripts from strangers rather than coming to me for assistance," Irons stated reprovingly.
"You're trying to pin this on Gabriel?!" Sara huffed in disbelief. "Ya got one massive set of brass one's, Kenny!" she accused warningly as she took a step towards the arrogant man.
"No need to be crude, detective. That sort of gutter talk hardly suits a woman of your lineage," Kenneth admonished.
Sara was beside herself. Every conversation with the man was like trying to play tennis with a golf club. "My friend has been kidnapped because of your little ploy to control me," Sara declared angrily. "There is no reason why Gabriel would have come to you for help and you know it!" she added.
"Hmm, you are right, Sara. That was a bit of an oversight on my behalf. Perhaps if my servant had kept better tabs on the boy, I would have been able to provide the information in time to prevent this little... incident," Irons asserted silkily.
"Now your blaming Nottingham?!" Sara exclaimed. With Irons' audacity, she was wondering if he didn't need a hand-cart for his brass.
"Wherever the blame falls," Kenneth scoffed, making a careless gesture. "I assume you have come to implore my assistance with your problem," he complained with a beleaguered sigh, dramatically placing a hand on his chest.
"Implore? Assist? MY Problem?" Sara shrilled. "No, Kenny. I came here to ORDER you to FIX YOUR mess. I want Gabriel back, safe and unharmed," Sara snapped.
"Actually, detective, I have already gone to great lengths towards that means. You should be grateful," Irons stated with a smug twist of his lips.
"Oh yeah? What lengths would those be?" Sara queried impatiently.
***********************
Pissed that his retaliation seemed to accomplish nothing but a crushed throat and being sat on by the larger man, Gabriel fumed at his hopeless situation. Once the car came to a halt, the man pulled him out from underneath him, maintaining a firm if not bruising grip on his arms.
Being shoved blindly out of the vehicle, he felt a second set of hands latch onto him while he tumbled out of the car and onto what felt like a dirt floor. "Watch his legs," a voice muttered from behind.
The two men pulled him stumbling forward, the dirt ground beneath his feet beginning to feel more like smooth stone as they plodded along. He was contemplating what sort of place they had brought him to when he heard a door opening somewhere in front of him, followed by a man's sepulchral voice. "Finally ours," was uttered with such wanton wickedness that it sent Gabriel into a fit of panic.
Struggling frantically to wrench himself from his captors' hold, he managed to break free briefly before hearing a sudden flurry of motion and shouts as he was tackled to the ground. Seemingly dozens of hands pinned him to the stone floor as his legs were forced together and his ankles bound. As he was hauled upright, Gabriel slackened in defeat. The instinctive revolt had been a rather reckless move. Even if he had managed to flee, he would have most likely ran into a wall anyway, as he couldn't see a damned thing.
His consternation ended abruptly when the vile man spoke again, this time, inches from his face. Though he couldn't see anything, breath that smelled faintly of pepper wafted through the cloth covering his head.
"He's quite a spitfire," Brother Pedious cloyingly observed as Gabriel recoiled. "Bring him to my quarters," he instructed imperiously.
"Our orders are to take him directly to the Prime Consul, " Brother Rason interjected dutifully, unwittingly saving Brother Nolan from completely losing it and delivering a smackdown on the invasively presumptuous Brother Pedious.
With a jerk to the side, the pepper breath was replaced by surprisingly welcome dank air as Gabriel was dragged away from the shuddersome interloper. He could hear murmuring coming from various directions as he was propelled forward by the two men. After being dragged through what seemed like endless corridors, they entered a room filled with sounds of rustling cloth and low whispering. The men yanked him up a set of steps before Gabriel was halted and forced to his knees.
"Prime Consul," his captor greeted, pausing as the room became silent. "I give you Mr. Bowman," His captor announced coolly, removing Gabriel's hood in a gesture that bore far too much resemblance to that of a waiter revealing a main course.
Squinting as his eyes adjusted to light, Gabriel peered up at the host of creepy looking men ogling him eagerly. Irrationally, he wished the man would put the covering back on.
"Well done, Brother Nolan," Consul Damak stated with a smile. "Brother Rason," he added with a nod. Stepping forward, he studied the hostage kneeling between them. "Have you searched him for the key?" He queried.
"I performed a brief inspection, but found nothing unusual on his person," Nolan answered.
The Consul clenched his jaw in disapointment. "Perhaps a more thorough probe will turn something up," He determined, bending to closer examine the artifact dealer. "So, you have managed to open the tome," he murmured to the silent young man.
Gabriel stared straight ahead and said nothing, trying desperately to ignore the probe threat. The Consul grasped Gabriel's jaw, tilting his chin up till he was facing the man squarely. He suppressed the urge to wrench away as the man's steel grey eyes bored down into his.
"He seems... willful," Consul Damak stated at length, desisting his scrutiny and addressing Brother Nolan. "Did he give you any trouble?" he asked casually.
A snort and an eyeroll from Nolan answered the Consul's query.
Consul Damak heaved a sigh and returned his gaze to the prisoner. "It looks as if this may take some time. Take him to the interrogation pit and I will select some... inquisitors," Consul Damak stated grimly.
Gabriel now wished he had put on a 'sally boy' act rather than kicking the driver in the head. 'Interrogation pit' did not sound fun and more than a few of the cloaked men had raised their hands a little too enthusiastically before the man had even turned to make his selection.
*********************** Irons shot Sara a smirk before answering her prodding question. He knew the upstanding police officer would not approve of his methods. "The Sufult cannot be entirely destroyed, nor can they truly be bargained with. However, with the right amount of pressure, they may be dissuaded," Kenneth relayed, contemplating an urn.
"So how are you planning to pressure them?" Sara needled, eyeing Kenny's sudden interest in a vase.
"I have already set a few obstacles in motion. My servant Ian, has no doubt already proved to be a dissuasion of sorts," Kenneth smirked. "The culmination of my efforts and sheer number of Sufult deaths should put a damper on their new endeavor. However, unless they arrange for an exchange, your boy won't have that long to live," Irons informed the detective nonchalantly while gracefully sweeping across the room to stroke a curve of the urn.
"They want to exchange Gabriel for the Tome," Sara stated resolutely. Nottingham had warned her about their intent.
"They may or they may not," Kenneth frowned.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sara demanded. Part of her was wondering if that frown was because he didn't know what the Sufult would do or if it was caused by the vase not returning his attentions. Sheesh! He was practically molesting the thing.
"Ian has provided the Sect with a replica of the Tome. They will want Mr. Bowman to open it. Of course he won't be able to, since it is simply the recreated shell," Kenneth explained, turning away from the urn.
"What?" Sara gasped. Weakly, some part of her remembered Nottingham mentioning a fraud.
"Knowing the Sufult, they will simply push Gabriel until he has either satisfied them or become useless. Either way, your little friend is as good as dead unless they discover the ruse. Even then, well..." Irons shrugged.
***********************************************tbc
Fae Rain - Sorry for scaring you. I hope this chapter wasn't too trying. There really was no alternative once the story passed chapter 6, but on the upside, there are forces working to save him. :) but then there's that evil monkey...
Earthdragon - I'm afraid the torture is mostly mental/emotional at the moment. Your kitty did get a minor owie in. Sadistic kitty! Hehe. ^_^ Though I didn't elaborate on how uncomfy it would be to be sat on. Why on earth I had the man sit on him is beyond me. I think my muses must be nuts.
Patty - Thank you for the warm compliments! *blushes* I'm glad you like their strange little comaraderie. Nothing like a dangerous road trip to overcome suspicion and jealousy, though I'm sure they still think each other as a bit odd. Hehe. Knights of Ni.
Dragongirl - Hihi! I'm still snickering over Ian's french braid.