A/N Hi again. It's taken me a bit longer to update this time, coz I'm back at school, so kinda busy. This next chapter gets even more twisted. even so please read and review.
As they descended down the stairs, the music grew gradually louder. Just as Catherine had suspected, they headed straight for the bar that ran across the back wall. Beside the bar, tucked away in one corner, was a locked door, painted black to blend in with the walls of the same colour. A young guy was serving drinks behind the bar. He looked barely old enough to be around alcohol. He waved at Ellie.
"Hey Ryan," she called.
When she reached the bar, she pulled herself up so her feet left the ground and leaned over to kiss Ryan on the cheek.
"You got the key?" she whispered, her lips so close to his ear that they tickled his skin.
He reached under the bar and retrieved a small, gold key, which he slipped into the palm of her waiting hand.
"Thanks babe."
She pushed it into the lock and twisted. She nudged the door open with her foot. She held it open so Catherine could go reluctantly through the gap, then turning she flipped the key back to Ryan, who caught it with one hand and stored it safely away under the counter.
They stood now in a dimly lit corridor. Closed doors leading to offices and storerooms lined the grubby walls. At the far end of the passageway one door stood slightly ajar. Catherine followed Ellie through this door.
They were now surrounded by bare brickwork. Dusty stone steps sank deeper under Vegas' streets. A rusty handrail provided guidance downwards. The image was worse than Catherine's memories.
They made their way down the crumbling steps. Catherine uncertainly, thick dread building inside her. Ellie with steady determination, like a fighter stepping into the ring.
The space below was squalid and stank of corruption. The broken youth of Vegas sprawled on stained, leaking cushions, tossed carelessly on the ground. Scrawny, twitchy people of indeterminable age perched on ancient, broken sofas. In the centre was a low, scarred table, cluttered with drugs related paraphernalia. The area was littered with sticky pieces of burnt foil and leaking syringes.
A hollow cheeked man shakily scraped a pale powder into a line, while his partner eyed it hungrily. The air was filled with sickly sweet marijuana smoke.
Overseeing all of this from an imposing straight-backed, wooden armchair was a gnarled, sly looking older man. Despite his age, Catherine could still see the flames of deceit dancing in his cruel eyes, just as there always had been. He recognized Catherine instantly. His lips twisted into a cruel sneer.
"You came back."
"Never," Catherine spat.
She hadn't noticed a younger man nod to Ellie on their entrance and begin preparing a package. He reached across now to hand this to her. Catherine intercepted it, snatching it from his hands and hurling it furiously against the wall. Most of the people in the room were too stoned to notice this outburst, but the guy who had prepared the package stood up sharply. The aging dealer swung out an arm, pushing him back down again. Then he focused on Catherine.
"Really. That's no way to behave. There was a time when I was your lifeline."
"Lifeline?" she hissed. "You were draining the life from me. Every time I came to you, another part of me died. I was a prisoner of cocaine and I will never return to that pathetic existence." She was shaking uncontrollably with rage. "And I won't let you destroy my niece as well."
He glanced dismissively at Ellie. "She's already damaged goods. You managed to save yourself. Well done. But do you really believe you have enough strength left to save another?"
Enraged, Catherine kicked over the table. Grabbing Ellie by the wrist, she dragged her towards the filthy staircase. At the last second she turned back.
"I hate you," she screamed, "You sit here in this hovel like a lord, dealing death to the hopeless. Destroying lives. Corrupting innocents. You are the devil himself."
She whirled around and stormed off. Dumbfounded, Ellie followed.
For the second time that night, Catherine found herself out on the street, shaking furiously. Her emotions were in turmoil. Gradually she became aware of Ellie sobbing beside her. She pulled her niece in, hugging her tightly. Her throat constricted, preventing her from speaking.
Through her sobs Ellie whispered, "Please help me."
Catherine held her at arms length and looked deep into her green eyes. Tears blurred her vision and she blinked to clear it.
"I want to help you and I promise I'll try my best, but you have to want to save yourself."
Ellie sniffed and closed her eyes. "I don't know how I got into this mess. It has to stop before it's too late. I'm dieing inside. I'm so afraid. I swear I'll try, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to survive anymore."
Catherine tenderly took her smooth hands in her own. "I won't lose you."
A/N I have a tendency to get kind of soap opera dramatic. Sorry about then.
The next chapter will be more CSI based, involving the other characters. There's even a pairing! I'm not saying who, but if you've read either of my other fics then you can probably guess.
As they descended down the stairs, the music grew gradually louder. Just as Catherine had suspected, they headed straight for the bar that ran across the back wall. Beside the bar, tucked away in one corner, was a locked door, painted black to blend in with the walls of the same colour. A young guy was serving drinks behind the bar. He looked barely old enough to be around alcohol. He waved at Ellie.
"Hey Ryan," she called.
When she reached the bar, she pulled herself up so her feet left the ground and leaned over to kiss Ryan on the cheek.
"You got the key?" she whispered, her lips so close to his ear that they tickled his skin.
He reached under the bar and retrieved a small, gold key, which he slipped into the palm of her waiting hand.
"Thanks babe."
She pushed it into the lock and twisted. She nudged the door open with her foot. She held it open so Catherine could go reluctantly through the gap, then turning she flipped the key back to Ryan, who caught it with one hand and stored it safely away under the counter.
They stood now in a dimly lit corridor. Closed doors leading to offices and storerooms lined the grubby walls. At the far end of the passageway one door stood slightly ajar. Catherine followed Ellie through this door.
They were now surrounded by bare brickwork. Dusty stone steps sank deeper under Vegas' streets. A rusty handrail provided guidance downwards. The image was worse than Catherine's memories.
They made their way down the crumbling steps. Catherine uncertainly, thick dread building inside her. Ellie with steady determination, like a fighter stepping into the ring.
The space below was squalid and stank of corruption. The broken youth of Vegas sprawled on stained, leaking cushions, tossed carelessly on the ground. Scrawny, twitchy people of indeterminable age perched on ancient, broken sofas. In the centre was a low, scarred table, cluttered with drugs related paraphernalia. The area was littered with sticky pieces of burnt foil and leaking syringes.
A hollow cheeked man shakily scraped a pale powder into a line, while his partner eyed it hungrily. The air was filled with sickly sweet marijuana smoke.
Overseeing all of this from an imposing straight-backed, wooden armchair was a gnarled, sly looking older man. Despite his age, Catherine could still see the flames of deceit dancing in his cruel eyes, just as there always had been. He recognized Catherine instantly. His lips twisted into a cruel sneer.
"You came back."
"Never," Catherine spat.
She hadn't noticed a younger man nod to Ellie on their entrance and begin preparing a package. He reached across now to hand this to her. Catherine intercepted it, snatching it from his hands and hurling it furiously against the wall. Most of the people in the room were too stoned to notice this outburst, but the guy who had prepared the package stood up sharply. The aging dealer swung out an arm, pushing him back down again. Then he focused on Catherine.
"Really. That's no way to behave. There was a time when I was your lifeline."
"Lifeline?" she hissed. "You were draining the life from me. Every time I came to you, another part of me died. I was a prisoner of cocaine and I will never return to that pathetic existence." She was shaking uncontrollably with rage. "And I won't let you destroy my niece as well."
He glanced dismissively at Ellie. "She's already damaged goods. You managed to save yourself. Well done. But do you really believe you have enough strength left to save another?"
Enraged, Catherine kicked over the table. Grabbing Ellie by the wrist, she dragged her towards the filthy staircase. At the last second she turned back.
"I hate you," she screamed, "You sit here in this hovel like a lord, dealing death to the hopeless. Destroying lives. Corrupting innocents. You are the devil himself."
She whirled around and stormed off. Dumbfounded, Ellie followed.
For the second time that night, Catherine found herself out on the street, shaking furiously. Her emotions were in turmoil. Gradually she became aware of Ellie sobbing beside her. She pulled her niece in, hugging her tightly. Her throat constricted, preventing her from speaking.
Through her sobs Ellie whispered, "Please help me."
Catherine held her at arms length and looked deep into her green eyes. Tears blurred her vision and she blinked to clear it.
"I want to help you and I promise I'll try my best, but you have to want to save yourself."
Ellie sniffed and closed her eyes. "I don't know how I got into this mess. It has to stop before it's too late. I'm dieing inside. I'm so afraid. I swear I'll try, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to survive anymore."
Catherine tenderly took her smooth hands in her own. "I won't lose you."
A/N I have a tendency to get kind of soap opera dramatic. Sorry about then.
The next chapter will be more CSI based, involving the other characters. There's even a pairing! I'm not saying who, but if you've read either of my other fics then you can probably guess.
